f. brak r. break A CATECHISM That is to say An Instruction to be learned of every Person before he be brought to be confirmed by the Bishop Quest WHat is your Name Answ N. or M. Quest Who gave you this Name Answ My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism wherein I was made a Member of Christ the Child of God and an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven Quest What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you Answ They did promise and vow three things in my Name First That I should renounce the Devil and all his works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked world and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That I should keep God's holy will and commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life Quest Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and do as they have promised for thee Answ Yes verily and by God's help so I will And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of Salvation through Iesus Christ our Saviour And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my lives end THE First Lecture A Catechism that is to say an Instruction to be Learned of every Person before he be brought to be Confirmed by the Bishop THIS is the Title of your Catechism which you are now learning and before I proceed to discourse on the Catechism it self I thought it proper from these Words to define what a Catechism means and to let you know the Benefit and Use of Catechizing As for the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Catechize The Meaning of the Word Catechize it is often met with in the Holy Scriptures particularly Luk. 1.4 where it is taken in the self-same sense we now use it wherein it does import a more General Instruction in those Christian Truths which are afterwards to be more particularly and distinctly learnt by us for so St. Luke Dedicating his Gospel to Theophilus tells him Chap. 1. ver 3 4. Sensus loci q. d. ut ea quae olim Catechumenus viva voce didicisti nunc plenius accertius cognoscas Eras in Loc. That it seemed good to him having had perfect knowledge of all those things from the very first to write them in order to him that he might know the certainty or have a more full and particular Understanding of those things wherein he had been before Catechized for so it is in the very Letter of the Greek that is taught only in General to prepare him for Baptism Hesychius a Learned Grammarian does give the meaning of this word Catechize by another which signifies to Build and this does intimate to us the Matter of which a Catechism must consist viz. Of the main and fundamental Points of Religion such as are fittest to build up a firm and unshaken Christian withal Lastly It is deriv'd from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies an inculcating and sounding often in the Ear of the Learner the Principles to be imbibed and fixed in his Mind and Memory So the Heathens and so the Christians used the Word And this may suffice for the Importance of the Word which I thought might not be improper to Note because it gives so much Light into the Meaning of the Thing and the Nature of a Catechism which I shall therefore Define as follows taking the Title now read with some Explanatory Additions for the Text upon which I shall Comment A Catechism is a general Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion The Definition of a Catechism necessary to be Learnt of every Person in order to his Confirmation or the solemn Renewing of his Baptismal Vow and Covenant with God and the receiving Benefit by the Bishop's Blessing Prayers and Laying on of Hands In which Definition you are told First As to the Matter of which a Catechism is to consist It is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion Secondly As to the Persons to be so Instructed It is necessary to be Learnt of every Person Thirdly As to the End of a Catechism It is necessary to be Learnt of every Person in order to his Confirmation or the solemn Renewing of his Baptismal Covenant and Vow before the Bishop and the receiving Benefit by the Bishop's Blessing Prayers and Laying on of Hands Of all which Particulars I shall discourse to you in their Order And First As to the Matter of which a Catechism is to consist It is a General Instruction in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion â—tian Reâ— What Christian Religion is out of Christian Principles to live an Holy Good Life and together therewith to depend upon the Mediation of Christ with the Father for us that our imperfect Righteousness may be graciously accepted to our Justification I. Moral Life an â—ial part â—hristiaâ— That Morality or a good Life is a necessary and essential Part of Christianity is expresly affirm'd by St. James 1.27 where he tells us That Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father or such as God the Father will accept is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their afflictions and to keep one self unspotted from the world Many seem to place it in little less than Morality but it is the Life and Soul of all Religion as in respect of God to Love Honour and to Obey him to Trust in him and to Resign one self to him to Worship him and to be Devoutly given So in respect of our Neighbour to be Just and Charitable and particularly and especially to Relieve those that are in Distress And Lastly as to our selves to govern our Affections to subdue our Passions to mortify our Lusts and to moderate our Desires In a word To keep the Heart and Life clean from the Defilements of Sin In this I say consists One main Part of Religion in abstaining from all Sin and Wickedness and in a constant and steddy Performance of all the Parts of Vertue and Holiness This I am sure is a main Part of the Christian Religion the Religion that our Saviour came to Plant amongst Men for this St. Paul assures us Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that 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 purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works He appeared teaching us to deny all Ungodliness and he gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity Hitherto indeed tended all he said all he did and all he suffer'd This was the Design of his
repair here to be Catechized and Instructed by me to have attentive Ears open Hearts and faithful Memories And Oh! That I might always find you such What Satisfaction would then accrue to my self What Profit to you And how great and eternal Rewards to us both And that it may thus succeed with all of us Pray let it be our constant and fervent Desires to God thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen THE Fourth Lecture Quest Who gave you that Name Answ My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism wherein I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven Quest What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you Answ They did promise and vow three things in my Name First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That I should keep God's holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life Quest Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe and to do as they have promised for thee Answ Yes verily and by God's help so I will And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath called me to this State of Salvation through Iesus Christ our Saviour And I pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Lives end AS the Compilers of the Catechism did very wisely begin with a Question and Answer about your Christian Name to the End that at the mention thereof you might take occasion to consider the great Obligation which lies upon you to live according to that most Holy Religion which under that Name you have received so in Commenting upon that Question and Answer about your Christian Name I have given you my self some preparatory Admonitions accordingly to make that good Use of those Instructions shall be given you from your Catechism as to live suitably to them And being thus well prepar'd I hope to receive Benefit from what shall hereafter be deliver'd what remains but that I proceed to Instruct you in all the Material Parts of the Christian Religion to the Belief and Practice of which you have given up your Names This by the Assistance of God I shall endeavour to do and I beg your Prayers to obtain his Assistance and in the same Method your Catechism teaches you Our Catechism gives an entire Instruction in the Covenant of Grace both generally and particularly and I am sure I cannot choose a better to do it in since whatsoever is necessary to be Believ'd and Practis'd in order to Salvation you have therein taught you both generally and particularly As to a more General Institution you have the summ and substance of the Christian Religion and whatsoever is necessary to Salvation taught you that way in those Three Questions and Answers which I have now read to you The summ and substance of Christian Religion I. Generally in the 3 First Questions and Answers and whatsoever is necessary to Salvation is certainly contain'd within the Covenant of Grace for undoubtedly there can be nothing more of absolute Necessity to Salvation than what God himself has been pleas'd to Promise and Ensure unto us and we our selves have Engag'd to perform And now in these Three Questions and Answers now read to you First You have whatsoever pertains to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace expresly deliver'd I will instance to you the particulars which pertain to the Nature of it and will point to the Words wherein they are taught And in the first place you are Instructed what are the Terms and Conditions whereof it consists both on God's Part and on Ours in these Words Wherein I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven which are the Mercies and Favours made over to us on God's Part of the Covenant and in these First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That I should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my Life which are the Conditions to be perform'd on our Part of the Covenant Secondly You have here taught you the Gracious Importance of this Covenant we are put thereby into A State of Salvation Thirdly You have an Account of the Original of it and by whose Mediation you obtain'd so Beneficial and Gracious a Covenant taught you in these Words Through Jesus Christ our Saviour It was through the Mediation of Jesus Christ that we obtain'd the Benefit of so Gracious a Covenant Fourthly You are Instructed by whom and how you have been call'd into this State of Salvation by Means of the Covenant of Grace It was your Heavenly Father who hath call'd you to this State of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And Lastly You are Admonisht of the very great reason you have to thank God and our Saviour Jesus Christ for so exceeding great a Mercy as his Calling you into it And I thank God our Heavenly Father that he hath call'd me to this State of Salvation thro' Jesus Christ our Saviour Thus far you are Instructed concerning what pertains to the Nature of the Covenant II. You have also declar'd unto you by what Sacrament or Solemnity you first enter'd into it It was in your Baptism wherein you was made a Member of Christ c. III. You have then those vast Obligations lying upon you Faithfully and Conscientiously to discharge your part of the Covenant laid plainly before you This you own in your Answer to this Question Dost thou not think that thou art bound to Believe and to Do as they have promis'd for thee To which you are taught to Answer Yes verily so I will IV. You have farther yet the Means whereby you shall be enabled to perform your Part of the Covenant The First is the Grace Help and Assistance of God And by God's Help so I will The Second Means both to obtain the Divine Assistance and to enable you thereby to discharge your Covenant is Prayer unto God And I Pray unto God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my Lives end And Lastly You have also Intimated herein Two material Circumstances relating to the making of this Covenant betwixt God and You viz. 1. The time of Infancy wherein you enter'd into it imply'd in these Words Wherein I was made 2. The Persons by whom as Proxies you were Initiated therein My Godfathers and Godmothers did promise and vow three Things in my Name I will endeavour to Explain all these Points unto you in this First and General Part according as they are here taught you
Redemption of his Soul is precious Psal 49.7 And what now shall be done to rescue Mankind out of this miserable State Why Man being himself uncapable to make it by less than suffering an everlasting Punishment when unhappy Man was in this desperate and forlorn Condition past all hopes of Remedy or Recovery then did God's unspeakable Goodness choose to appear for to the wonder of Men and Angels he does himself find out this way to raise us out of the Abyss of Misery into a State of Happiness again that he So loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life Joh. 3.16 So infinitely great I say were the Mercies of God to us The Son of God undertook and so admirable was his Wisdom in the Expression of 'em that he himself contriv'd when no one else could this Expedient for our Deliverance out of this desperate and forlorn State First I. To satisfy for the Breach of the First Because his Justice must be satisfy'd for the Breach of his Covenant and yet on the other side he would not have us Eternally punish'd he therefore gave his own Son to Dye in our stead and by the infinite Merit of his Sufferings to make Satisfaction to infinite Justice which we could not so 2 Cor. 5.21 He made him to be Sin or a Sin-offering for us who knew no Sin II. To Cancel it and in its stead to make a Covenant of Grace consisting of conditions performable in our fallen State that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And then Secondly Because it was impossible to be Sav'd by the First Covenant which required Unsinning Obedience which we in our fallen State could not perform he gave him therefore to Cancel the First Covenant and by his Blood-shedding to Purchase for us a Second whose Terms and Conditions being more possible and easy we might be capable of obtaining Salvation under it Hence is he styl'd The Mediatour of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 And his Blood call'd The Blood of the New Covenant or the Blood by which the New Covenant was purchas'd and which was shed for many for the Remission of Sins Matth. 26.28 And the Terms and Conditions of this Second Covenant Wherein Repentance Faith and a sincere Obedience is accepted instead of a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience being no more a perfect exact and unsinning Obedience Repentance is henceforward to be admitted as a Means of Reconciliation and a sincere Obedience to the best of our Power will be accepted and Faith in God and in Jesus Christ accompany'd with Living like those who Believe the Gospel shall be henceforward imputed to our Justification so that we shall have our Sins pardon'd and be receiv'd to Happiness This in short was the Tenour both of the First Covenant made with Adam and the Second procur'd for us by the Mediation of Jesus Christ Not to speak here of the different Measures and Degrees of its Promulgation nor of that Legal Covenant whereof Moses was the Mediatour and was made only with the People of Israel and was annex'd as an Appendix and Codicil to this Covenant of Grace for Reasons too many and too large now to be consider'd For tho' to shew how that the whole Promulgation of this gracious Covenant was not made all at once but that it seem'd good to the Divine Wisdom that so stupendious and grand a Scene of Mercy should not be open'd but by degrees tho' to shew this I say and the several Reasons of adding this Legal Covenant to the Covenant of Grace may be useful Points of Divinity to be explain'd in their due time yet I look upon 'em as none of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ but rather part of that Strong Meat spoke of Heb. 5.14 which belongeth to them who are of full Age and have been already competently well instructed and and so to be no proper Matter of Catechetical Doctrine To proceed therefore and in a word we may consider the Second Covenant not as such indeed which is made betwixt a Master and his Servant wherein the Master engages to allow Meat Drink and Wages on Condition the Servant will perform unto him such and such Services which are just and reasonable and the Servant is capable to perform which expresses more the Nature of the Covenant of Works Do this and Live But rather for this comes nearer to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace between God and us which is full of advantageous and profitable Considerations on our side we may rather compare it It resembles Articles of Accomodation made thro' the Intercession of a Prince's Eldest Son betwixt him and his Rebellious Subjects I say to an Accord made betwixt a Gracious Prince and his Rebellious Subjects as suppose some City or State wherein the Prince is graciously pleas'd through the Intercession of some great Favourite to grant unto those his Subjects not only Pardon of their former Crimes but moreover certain great Priviledges and Freedoms Protection and several particular Favours Lands and Possessions and the like on Condition they will thence-forward Renounce and Forsake all his Enemies and place no farther Trust nor Confidence in 'em and will not Disobey him for the future in any of his just and reasonable Commands but pay him a true and faithful Obedience to all his Laws And much of the same Nature I say is the Covenant of Grace made betwixt God and all Christians thro' the Mediation of his only Son only with this difference That on God's part the Benefits and Advantages are of most infinite Value which are made over to us his Rebellious and Disobedient Subjects and this upon the most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he affords us by the Vertue of the same Covenant to perform ' em For Almighty God in the first place vouchsafes us in this Covenant to be made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven which are Mercies and Priviledges of invaluable Benefit and Advantage to us And we on the other side Engage and Promise but to Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh to Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith to Obey God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of our Life which I say are most reasonable just and easy Conditions considering the Assistance he will afford us to enable us to perform ' em This will very clearly appear by that time I have Explain'd to you distinctly and severally the Terms and Articles of this Covenant both the Advantages made over to us on God's part and the Conditions to be perform'd on ours as they are taught you in the Words now read to you And it is a Subject indeed that does extreamly concern you
in the way of Duty so great which he may not overcome by the Strength thereof Whereas the best of the Moral Heathens had but uncertain Conjectures to ground their Expectations of future Happiness upon and their Hopes thereof being so Weak they presently yielded to the Assault of every great Temptation But besides whatever certainly an honest Pagan And whatever certainly an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Vncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fallvastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven that liv'd up to the Light of Nature and the Dictates of Right Reason if any of 'em can be suppos'd to have done so might have that the good God would reward his Vertue Yet having only the Equity and Vncovenanted goodness of God to depend upon he could promise himself no greater a Measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which considering the Imperfection of the best Actions of the best of Men whoever liv'd how short must that fall of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven * But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same But the Christian whom God has Covenanted withal and to whom he has condescended to Oblige himself to make sure a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 may without Presumption rely upon God's both Truth and Goodness to make good to him the same notwithstanding when he does all that he can consider'd in himself he is but an Vnprofitable Servant as the best are I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth says the Apostle and so may every good Christian say the same there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but to all them who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Such is the Christian's Priviledge above a Pagan in being made an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven in that it is his Inheritance he may assure himself of it tho' his imperfect Vertues consider'd in themselves could never Entitle him to such an Eternal and Exceeding weight of Glory In short It is Jesus Christ alone who hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by Embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And as he only has brought it to light that is made a clear Revelation of that Life and Immortal Happiness laid up for Righteous Men in Heaven which was not before so certainly Reveal'd so it is only through him and by Believing and Embracing and Coming into his Covenant the Gospel that Salvation must now be hop'd for by any for so we are also Assur'd Acts 4.12 and that there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men but Jesus only whereby we must be saved so that this Invaluable Priviledge this exceeding great Advantage of being made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven is made over and certainly Ensur'd to such only who are in the Covenant of Grace and is the Third and Last of those Excellent Priviledges and Advantages contain'd and held forth therein But then the Kingdom of Heaven is the certain Inheritance of the sincere Christian who in the Exercise of Mercy Meekness Piety and all other Christian Vertues And to a sincere Chrstian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain which he has Covenanted with God to perform does faithfully discharge his Part of the Covenant as is most solemnly declar'd Matth. 25.31 32 33 34.46 with which I shall conclude this Point Says our Blessed Saviour there When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all the Holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his Glory And before him shall be gather'd all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand to his Charitable and Pious and Faithful Servants Come ye Blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World And as the Wicked shall go into everlasting Punishment so the Righteous into Life Eternal A summ of â—hose invaluâ—ble Priviâ—edges made â—ver to us â—n God's â—art in the Covenant of Grace And now to summ up those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace hereby we are made First Members of Christ that is are made Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head viz. The Church and so have together with a most excellent Body of Religion and Laws all necessary Grace and Assistance Convey'd and Communicated to us Members from Him the Head to Enliven Support and Enable us to go through all our Task of Religious Duties and Christian Performances requir'd at our hands The Second Priviledge is That we are also hereby made Children of God that is having Embrac'd Christianity and being Incorporated into the Church of Christ we are thereby Adopted and Chosen out of the rest of the World by God to enjoy this grand Priviledge of Sons to have Pardon granted us when with the Prodigal Son we return Home to him to our Offended but Gracious Father by Repentance And we shall find him not over-severe in respect of our lesser Failings and the unavoidable Infirmities of our Nature but shall always have him ready to hear our Prayers for Mercy both in respect of our greater and lesser Transgressions And Lastly The Third Priviledge you have been now told is this that to compleat All We are made Inheritours of the Kingdom of Heaven that is have secur'd to us a Right and Title to the unspeakable Joys and Glories of Heaven A Priviledge which consider'd in it self is exceeding Great and as all the rest if compar'd with what Others enjoy is a very singular One These now are the inestimable Priviledges made over to us in the Covenant of Grace Priviledges which as they are of infinite Advantage to us so we shall never fail of obtaining 'em if we will but take care to perform the Conditions requir'd on our Parts and so First Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful lusts of the Flesh on Condition Secondly That we will Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Lives Which Conditions and what they
Import I come next to declare unto you THE Ninth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh I Have already Expounded those infinitely Gracious and Invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace having shew'd you what it is to be a Member of Christ what it is to be a Child of God and lastly what to be an Inheritour of the Kingdom of Heaven as also what are the vast Benefit contain'd in those several Articles I am now come to Explain to you likewise the Conditions of the Covenant those Conditions without the Performance of which those Mercies will not be Confer'd on us For this we must seriously consider that the Benefits now mention'd to be made over to us as they are in themselves exceeding great so as almost to equal us with the Blessed Angels and as they were purchas'd for us at no less a Rate than the precious Blood of the Son of God so we must not expect that Benefits so infinitely great and dearly Purchas'd shall be Confer'd upon us without any thing to be done on our Parts to express our Value of them much less if we continue in Rebellion against God and instead of him serve under his Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil or will be Infidels and Unbelievers and will remain Disobedient to all his most Just and Righteous Commands No it is not to be imagin'd that God will be so Easy so fond of Sinners as would reflect upon the Wisdom and Discretion of a meer Man But as he does propose to us Invaluable Blessings so he does require from us a Reasonable Service and the Performance of most Equitable Conditions amongst which this is the First that we should Renounce c. And as I have already Explain'd to you the Importance of those vast Favours on God's part so I will proceed now to do the same as to those Conditions on ours shewing you First What it is to Renounce the Devil and all his Works Whereof the First is to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Here is as much Matter as can possibly be crowded into so few Words A great Part of the Christian Life is discharged in what these Words do mean For our Christian Race is represented in Scripture to be for the most part a Warfare against several very Powerful Enemies both without and within us And these Words do Instruct you both what those Enemies are and how we must War against them Wherefore if in the Explication of Words so very full of Meaning and of such vast Concernment to be understood by you I shall be forc'd to run out into some considerable Length you must have Patience and you must give good heed to what I shall Discourse upon them answerable to the Benefit may accrue to you from the through understanding thereof That which I shall do towards the Explication of them shall be this First I will shew you who the Devil is and what are his Works what is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works and how absolutely necessary it is we should do so Secondly I will also shew you what is meant by the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and how far you must Renounce the wicked World with its Pomps and Vanity Lastly I will in like manner open unto you what is to be understood by the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and how far we must Renounce them And First I am to shew you who the Devil is what are his Works what is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works and how absolutely necessary it is we should do so The Devil his Names and their importance Whereof First Let us enquire who the Devil is And in Scripture he is call'd by different Names whereof some do import his Rank and Place as Baalzebub signifying him to be a Prince of Devils and some his Wickedness and Enmity as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a Calumniator or a false Accuser Satan an Adversary from his Fury and Murderous Temper he is call'd a Roaring Lion and from his Craft and Lying Policies an Old and subtle Serpent and from both perhaps he is call'd the Dragon There are many Legions of 'em in Number but One supreme in Power and He it is who is Chief of all the Enemies both of God and Man that presents himself at the Head of all the rest being that Arch-Rebel and Traitor against God He was once one of the highest Angels and is now that Arch-Rebel against God He was once as seems from his Superiority to Michael the Arch-Angel who upon that account Durst not bring a railing accusation against him Jude 8.9 The highest Angel the most glorious Spirit and the First be-like of all the Angelical Orders But not content with that vast Power and Glory that God had bestow'd on him but Envying that God that gave it and affecting perhaps no less than a Sovereignty himself He with many Legions of the lower Order of Angels He with many Legions of Inferior Angels whom he drew into the same Conspiracy is Banisht Heaven whom he drew into the same horrid and ungrateful Conspiracy Revolted from God and set himself to Oppose his Government But no sooner did this wicked Apostate frame so horrid a Design but the All-knowing and infinitely Powerful God of Heaven and Earth perceiving his Intentions immediately hurl'd him down and all his wicked Crew of ungrateful Conspirators from the Battlements of Heaven into those dark Mansions of Sorrow which we call Hell there to be Reserved in everlasting Chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day Jude 6. as the due Punishment of his so black and ungrateful a Treason against his Sovereign and Bountiful Creator But so far was this hardned Rebel against God from Repenting of his Villany even under the sad Experience of the woful Issue of it That he is ever since acted with the highest Spirit of Revenge against his God Being acted with a Spirit of Revenge against God he afterwards withdrew Mankind to join with him in his Rebellion and because he finds it in vain to Attempt any thing immediately against God himself he studies and endeavours all he can ever since to wound him in his Authority and Honour For no sooner did the Almighty Create the lower World and place Man in the midst of it as of a Temple to set forth his Praises and to glorify his Creator's infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness in this so stupendious a Work of the Creation but this grand Enemy Attacks him with all the Subtilty and Policy of a Traytor tempting him to dis-believe his Maker's Goodness and kind Intentions towards him to cast off his Authority and disobey his Laws and rather
And especially you must beware of that sort of Lying whereby you will most nearly Resemble him and that is in Slandering and falsly Accusing of any One to the Ruine of his good Name Satan is particularly Stigmatized in Scripture for this sort of Lying and is therefore call'd The Accuser or Slanderer of the Brethren which accuseth them before God Day and Night Rev. 12.10 and it is observable that 1 Tim. 3.11 where Women are charged not to be Slanderers nor false Accusers the Word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be Devils which should be a Warning to them as they would dread so Black a Character to avoid Entertaining one another with Backbiting and speaking Evil of their Neighbours which yet I am afraid is the most usual Conversation when that Sex do meet together Indeed as the pernicious Lye utter'd for the Hurt or Disadvantage of our Neighbour is the most truly Diabolical So all sorts of Lying whatsoever renders such as are Notorious for it Contemptible and Vile amongst Men and Odious to God as does sufficiently appear by the Place and Company they are Rank'd with Rev. 22.15 Without that is Hell are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a Lye which should make you of all things in the World my Dear Youth to Beware of this Odious Hellish Sin of Lying and I do the more earnestly press you to Hate and Abhor it because Youth are most apt to be Addicted to it And so much for Sin consider'd as a Work of the Devil And now Secondly We should proceed to consider that other great Work of Satan his Tempting of us to Sin But this as it has been his great Employment ever since the Creation of Mankind and will be so as long as there are Men on Earth to be Tempted by him And as his Methods of Temptation are very many and very subtle and it does infinitely concern us Lest Satan should get an Advantage of us that we should not be Ignorant of his Devices For these Reasons I do think it may be profitable to you if I make that great Work of his his Tempting us to Sin the Subject of some particular Discourses by themselves in order to a more full and distinct State of that matter as indeed it is very requisite you should be throughly Inform'd if possible of the Temptations of Satan what they are And therefore leaving that Part for the present I shall proceed to finish this Lecture with shewing you Thirdly what it is to Renounce the Devil and all his Works of Sin To Renoâ—nce a Woâ—d of â—arious Importance according to the Renounced already spoken of and how necessary it is we should absolutely and entirely do so To Renounce is a Word that is apply'd in our Baptismal Vow to several things even all our Spiritual Enemies that would draw us into Sin The Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sâ—â—â—â—l Lusts of the Flesh they must all of them be Renounced by us And as the Word Renounce does carry in it a great deal of Meaning and is of various Significations according to the Nature of the things to be Renounced So what it does particularly signify with Reference to each of them will best be understood by considering its Importance as apply'd to every One of those things â—enounce â—evil in â—ence of Ancient â—ch was â—sclaime Vsurped â—nion â—ority oâ— Mankind And agreeably therefore to the Explication now given of the Devil To Renounce the Devil is no doubt to Disclaim his Usurpt Dominion and Authority or to leave off having any Communication or Agreement with him or having any Hand in his base and ungrateful Rebellion against God This was no doubt what the Primitive Church understood by Renouncing the Devil for they are Words of a very ancient Use in the Church of God The Devil at the first Rise of Christianity especially had obtain'd a Visible Kingdom and that a Universal Monarchy in a manner over the World Hence he is call'd The Prince of this World Joh. 14.30 He had also his Temples and his Altars and his Sacrifices The things which the Gentiles Sacrifice they Sacrifice unto Devils and not unto God 1 Cor. 10.20 As also many lewd and bloody Plays and pompous Processions were made in Honour of him and he was therefore in Effect The God of this world 2 Cor. 4.4 And now when any were Converted from Paganism to Christianity the Primitive Christians did expresly require from all that were Admitted into that Kingdom of God the Church of Christ a publick and open Renunciation or Abjuration of him or an utter Disowning and Abandoning the Devil's Authority and the Paying any Homage Service or Obedience to him by Worshiping of him or his wicked Angels or by going to those Plays and Processions Instituted in Honour of him Thus does Tertullian an ancient Father inform us in his Book De Corona wherein reciting the ancient Customs of the Church he tells us That just before any were Baptized into the Christian Religion they made a solemn Profession Aquam adituri ibidem sed aliquanto prius in Ecclesia sub Antistitis manu contestamur nos Renuntiare Diabolo Pompae Angelis ejus Tertul. de Corona both at their Entrance into the Water as also a little before they had done when under the Bishop's Hands that they did Renounce the Devil his wicked Angels and Pomps that is those solemn Processions of the Heathen Gods and those Lewd and Cruel Plays us'd amongst the Pagans which were the Ceremonies of State as it were in Satan's Kingdom All subjection to the Devil and all usage of those Rights of his Kingdom they did utterly abandon and forsake And this was what was meant in the Primitive Times by Renouncing of the Devil Renounce 〈◊〉 Works of 〈◊〉 was in â—r Sence 〈◊〉 Abandon 〈◊〉 Forsake â—ry Sin as â—ng the proâ— Service â—he Devil And to Renounce his works of Sin must accordingly signify in their Sence to disclaim abandon or forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil and in the real Meaning of it no less than a throwing off God's Authority and a disowning his Power For if you will read over Rom. 1. you will find that People upon their forsaking of the True God to serve other Gods which were many of 'em at least no other than Devils did thereupon fall into all manner of Sin and Wickedness as you will see largely describ'd in that Chapter And if you will also look into the Sixth Chapter to the Romans ver 11. you will see that Christians by being Baptized Were to reckon themselves to be dead unto Sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that in the Original and first meaning of the Words as to Renounce the Devil was to abjure and disclaim the Power and Dominion of Satan and
he did Eat Gen. 3.6 What could be more Dishonourable to God than for Persons owing their Life and Being and all that they Enjoy'd to God's Bounty and living in the midst of Paradise and having all manner of Earthly Comforts flowing in upon them so little to Value God and his Favours as to Sacrifice all their Interest in him for the poor Enjoyments of One forbidden Fruit Was not this to Undervalue him to the lowest Degree Why this Satan did by proposing to their Senses such Objects as being exceedingly Delightful and extreamly Pleasant to Behold and Tast might most easily prevail upon them to Transgress their Maker's Laws in Obtaining of them And by the very same Methods does he prevail to this Day upon the far greatest part of Mankind to Rebel against God And by the same methods does he prevail to this day upon the far greatest part of Mankind to Rebel against God He was so well assured of the Efficacy and Power of this Temptation that he endeavour'd to Overthrow even our Blessed Saviour by it He takes him up into an exceeding high Mountain and shewing him all the Kingdoms of the World and the Glory of them he saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Matth. 4.8 9. But the Second Adam being God as well as Man could not be Foil'd tho' the First was so easily taken with sensible Things For Man being made up very much of Sense so that nothing enters into the Soulbut thro' the Doors of our Senses we are easily prevail'd upon by what Gratifies our Senses But it is not so Happy with the Rest of Mankind who being made up very much of Sense so that nothing enters into our Souls but through the Doors of our Senses we are by nothing so generally prevail'd upon as by Outward things and such as please our Senses and therefore the Devil does particularly apply himself to Tempt us this way He presents Riches Honours and Pleasures to our outward Senses and dazles them with their Glory and Beauty and by that would Tempt us to purchase them at the Price of our Innocence And indeed the far greatest part of Sinners are wrought upon to Rebel against God and are made Slaves to Satan's Kingdom by this last Method of his In Tempting our Lusts and Appetites by Sensible and Outward things They are but few in Comparison some only of finer Parts and clearer Intellectuals that are Tempted to Offend God by a Curiosity of Knowing every thing tho' useless and sinful But the far greatest Part of Mankind are gross in their Understandings and such Carnally-minded Men place their whole Happiness in the Enjoyment of such things as gratify the Bodily Part of their Natures and therefore by the Presentation of those things to their Senses with all the Advantage that Satan has Skill enough to put 'em off withal their Lusts and Appetites do wholly desire these things And as Satan does Excite our Lusts and Appetites to covet Unlawful things by whatever pleases any of our Senses Especially the Senses of Seeing and Tasting so especially by those Objects that do Gratify the Senses of Seeing and Tasting Hence as to the Lusts of the Eye How many look so long upon a Woman till they have committed Adultery with her already in their Hearts And as to our Appetites How many Belly-Gods with Esau Sell their Inheritance for a Mess of Pottage But our being taken only with sensible and outward Things is such an high Ingratitude to God â—ut our being â—â—ken only w th Outward â—hings is â—â—ch an high â—â—gratitude 〈◊〉 God who â—ath proviâ—â—d so much â—â—tter for us â—â—d such an â—buse to our â—wn Souls â—hich are caâ—â—ble of Relâ—â—hing higher â—njoyments 〈◊〉 is not to be â—ndur'd and such an Abuse to our own Souls as is not to be Endur'd What can shew more Ingratitude to God than to despise those Noble Enjoyments which he has prepared for purify'd Souls in Heaven and to choose to feed upon the Husks of sensual Pleasures here below And as to our own Souls Why should such excellent Beings of such exquisite Faculties capable of relishing those Pure and Heavenly Joys above be clogg'd and surfeited with those cloying Vanities of this World Which after they are once Tasted are sure to sit very Heavy and are never well digested by the Mind and Conscience and the Soul can never be at Ease till by Confession and other Acts of Repentance it has thrown 'em up again But the Vileness of thus submitting the Mind to drudge to our Senses and to study only to please our Lusts and Appetites will be more properly Expos'd when we come to shew you how far and in what sence you are to Renounce the sinful Lusts of the Flesh To summ up then what has been hitherto said concerning those Temptations and Means whereby at first Satan overthrew the whole Race of Mankind and drew it off from their Obedience to God to do Service to him and does still so successfully Overcome so many Whether it be by infusing into your Thoughts ill Apprehensions of God particularly of his Justice and Mercy or by diverting of your Minds by needless Curiosities from improving of your Souls in Divine Knowledge and especially as is his wont by stupifying of your sense of Divine Things by trying what is in sinful Pleasures Or whether he shall at any time Tempt you to Commit what is sinful by the Enveiglements and Enticements of what you do entirely Love and Affect Or lastly By proposing to your Lusts and Appetites what is pleasing to your Senses In which of these ways soever it is that he Attempts you you must stoutly Resist him And being he was not successful in these ways of Temptation against our First Parents alone but has been also Vers'd in the same for many Thousand Years ever since and therefore must be suppos'd to have grown very skilful in the management of 'em It does therefore concern you with more than ordinary Diligence to Guard your selves against ' em And in so doing you will go a great way towards Renouncing that great Work of his his Tempting us to Sin concerning which what is farther to be spoke must be defer'd till the next Opportunity THE Eleventh Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THAT Great Work of the Devil his Tempting of us to Sin being the Subject of our present Consideration and in order to the full Discovery of what so much concerns you having already shew'd you First By what Temptations and Means he overthrew the whole Race of Mankind and drew it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him In pursuance of the same important Subject concerning the Temptations of the Devil what they are and in what Ways and Methods he Attempts our Ruine I am Secondly To
Christ's satisfaction as to make us neglect the Working out our own Salvation On the contrary the Socinian at the same time he pretends much for Morality and a Good Life denies the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ and that God the Father gave him to be an Attonement for the Sins of Mankind and in the Vertue of his precious Blood to Intercede in Heaven for our Reconciliation so that he wholly takes off our Faith or Dependance on Christ for Justification Thus may the most dangerous Errors now in the Church of Christ with a little Watchfulness and Care to examine the Tendency of them be discovered by you from whose Suggestions they proceed and that they are Tares of the Enemies that is the Devils sowing whilst the Husbandman was asleep But do you I beseech you carefully beware of such false Doctrines and deceitful Teachers both which are Satan's Temptations to draw you unwittingly to sin against and dishononr God And tho' his Agents seem never so Demure and appear never so Sanctify'd who do teach Men such Doctrines Beware of those Wolves who come to you in Sheeps cloathing you shall know them by their Fruits If they shall endeavour to instill into your Minds any undue Apprehensions of God the Father Son and Holy Ghost contrary to what you are taught out of the Scripture in the Doctrine of our Church or any pernicious Opinions that in their Nature and Tendency shall render an Holy Good Life unnecessary to our Justification assure your selves they are no Ministers of Christ but of Satan And are set on work by him to destroy God's Authority amongst Men and to set up his own Laws in their Hearts the Thing he aims at And so much for this Time THE Tvvelfth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE Point that we are now upon is to make as full a Discovery to you as here we can of that Great Work of the Devil his Tempting us to Sin A Work so eminently the Business and Employment of Satan and so Dangerous and Destructive to Mankind and also manag'd in such manifold and cunning Methods that it ought particularly to be consider'd by us The Devil says a Father has nothing else that he does but Tempt us to Sin He neither Eats nor Drinks nor Sleeps nor does he any thing else but Tempt Deceive and Subvert us This is his Meat this is his Honour this is his Joy In this he is Indefatigable and if he could have his Will he would never cease Tempting us but that he is restrain'd by the Power of God And now in order to the Countermining and Defeating this mischievous Work of his First Having shew'd you by what Temptations and Means he Overthrew the whole Race of Mankind and drew it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him And Secondly Having also laid before you such Temptations as he Levels against the Church of Christ the true Servants of God either utterly to destroy 'em or to Corrupt their Religion that by that they might Dishonour their Maker Thirdly I am now to shew you III. Satan's great Industry is to gain over to to his Party or to Tempt to some scandalous Enormity such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank their Order or their Piety in the Church That next to his Destroying and Perverting of whole Churches his great Industry is to gain over to his Party or to Tempt to some grievous and scandalous Enormity such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank or Quality their Order or their Piety in the Church of God And * First Such as are most Eminent for their Station or Quality First Such as are most Eminent for their Station or Quality Hence Elymas the Sorcerer that Child of the Devil apply'd himself so diligently to Sergius Paulus a Deputy and Great Man in his Country to turn him from the Faith Acts 13.7 8. And hence as in that long Catalogue of the Kings of Judah and Israel how few were there who were not Idolaters and highly Infamous for some high Abomination or other So since the World became Christian how many Kings of the Earth are there who have Committed Fornication that is Idolatry with the Whore of Babylon and liv'd Deliciously with her and how will both they and the Merchants of the Earth Weep and Mourn over her when her Calamities come upon her Rev. 18.9.11 It is Astonishing to consider how that so many of the Honourable and the Rich who of all Men living are Oblig'd to be Grateful to God for so many extraordinary Favours and Blessings which they Enjoy above other Men should yet carry it so insolently against their Great Benefactor lifting up their Heads above the Heavens as it were Trampling under Foot all Laws both Divine and Humane Such Men's â—ickedness â—ot altogether â—â—om the â—emptingness 〈◊〉 Riches but â—e Industry 〈◊〉 Satan to â—et over such â—â—ading Men â—o his Party Such Men's â—xamples if â—ad of maligâ—ant Influâ—nce because â—â—onspicuous and both in Word and Deed denying and disowning any Powers above ' em Why this is not altogether from the Temptingness of Greatness and Riches which it must be confest are alone a very considerable Temptation but also from Satan's more than ordinary Industry to gain over to his Party and Interest such Men above all others For why These are Generals and Great Officers as it were in the Church Militant and these therefore if they can be but Prevail'd upon to Revolt from God all the Herd of Mankind besides will in a manner follow of course There is indeed Satan does very well know it nothing that has a more malignant Influence upon the Lives and Manners of Men than the lewd and profligate Courses of those who are Eminent in Quality or Power Their Examples are doubtless of vast Importance As in this World they live in a Croud all their Life So they pass not into the Other without a Train of Followers at their Heels If their Examples are extraordinarily Good they bring many to Heaven along with 'em if they have been Vicious and Naughty whole Troops follow to Hell after them for Subjects Children Servants Dependants all take after their Lord and Master except it be very rarely So that those who abound either in Wealth or Honour And will â—ring upon 'em â—he Guilt not â—â—ly of their â—wn but of â—â—her Men's â—ins because 〈◊〉 and do therefore think they have a greater Priviledge to Sin than others because they have greater Temptations to it than other Men are miserably mistaken for as their Lives being publick and conspicuous lye more open to the Observation and Imitation of the World and therefore do cause more to Sin So they shall not have their own only but the Sins of others so far as they have Influenc'd 'em to Sin
therefore I shall bespeak such in the words of St. Peter 2 Epist 3.17 18. Ye therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the Error of the Wicked fall from your own stedfastness but grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In a word and to summ up in short what has been spoke on this Point I have at length shew'd you that next to the Destroying and Perverting of whole Churches the Devil 's great Industry is to gain over to his Party or to Tempt to the Commission of some grievous Sin such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank or Quality their Order or their Piety in the Church of God And this being so since such are the great Mark of Satan it concerns those excellent Persons who are eminently Great or Good that they do especially and above all other Men absolutely and entirely and utterly Renounce and Resist all and every the Temptations of Satan so as not to yield to any of ' em Such are to look upon themselves as the great Commanders in the Church Militant who are to lead and to go before others in the Battles of the Lord against Sin and Satan but if any such should Cowardly Give back in the day of Battle and Temptation they put a stumbling Block and are an occasion to fall in their Brothers way Rom. 14.13 And what says our Saviour in such a Case Matth. 18.6 7. Whoso shall offend One of those little Ones which Believe in him that is discourage and drive from the Christian Practice by his scandalous Life any the meanest of his Disciples It were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his Neck and he were drowned in the Depth of the Sea Woe unto the world because of Offences he adds It must needs be that Offences come but Woe to that Man by whom the Offence cometh So much it concerns Persons Eminent in any Kind that they be Good as well as Great THE Thirteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh HAVING shew'd you Who the Devil is and What are his Works of Sin and how we must Absolutely Renounce both him and them And as to that other great Work of his his Tempting of us to Sin having shewed you First By what Methods he over-threw the whole Race of Mankind at first and Secondly how he does still Endeavour the Ruine of the Church of Christ and especially Thirdly of those who are most considerable for their Rank or Order or Piety therein I am now Lastly Lastly what Temptations Satan levels against all Persons indifferently consider'd in order to a more full Display of that great Work of the Devil his Tempting us to Sin to discover to you some of the more remarkable Temptations at leastwise whereby he applies himself to all Persons indifferently consider'd in the Church of Christ be they High or Low to draw them into sin In the former Attempts upon all Mankind upon the Church of God and upon those considerable and leading Persons therein whose Fall sweeps Multitudes along with 'em into Sin and Ruine Satan shew'd more of his Ambition and Pride as in setting up for a Dominion in direct Opposition to God's So in waging a War with the greatest Bodies of Men and the most considerable Leaders in the Church Militant But in these his latter Attempts upon particular Persons whereby that Spirit appears not content to Foil greater Numbers but moreover pursues his Victory to the picking up here and there every particular Stragler he expresses more of his Inveterate Malice in that he is so wholly bent upon Mischief and Destruction as to stick at no Pains and to leave no Methods untry'd whereby he may destroy every particular Soul amongst the the Sons of Men. And indeed the Devil's Temptations are the more dangerous The Devil's Temptations not easily known to be his nor always distinguishable from those of the World and the Flesh which are â—nag'd and â—ected by 〈◊〉 in that they are not easily known when they are his and cannot always be distinguisht from such as the World and our own Flesh do give us for which Reason at the motion of these two latter we do those things without Fear which if we knew the Devil had a Hand in we should tremble at the Thoughts of Committing And indeed it is but seldom the Devil does immediately by himself actuate any One to do Evil but generally he makes use of the World and our own Flesh as his immediate Instruments to move us to it Whilst he himself stands behind the Curtain managing and directing those our other Enemies to take their Advantages against us However so far as the Scripture does discover to us any Methods of Temptations to be his â—ome of the â—st considerâ—e of his â—thods of â—mpting us â—covered we may safely ascribe 'em unto him And some of the more considerable and dangerous of 'em I will lay before you As First The Devil does miserably delude People into his Power by letting 'em alone to be Obedient to God in some Particulars the better to detain 'em perfect Slaves to himself in others I. â—e permits 〈◊〉 not furâ—r some in â—artial Oâ—ience to â—d in some â—rticulars 〈◊〉 better to â—ain them â—fect Slaves himself in â—ers This is call'd a Dividing between God and Mammon Matth. 6.24 And indeed amongst the manifold Delusions of Satan there is not a more fatal and mischievous One to the Souls of Men than the Hypocrisy of a partial and Ununiform Obedience which the Devil does willingly enough allow us in I say The Devil does willingly enough allow Persons to be partially or in part Obedient for when this Cunning Deceiver cannot prevail on some to be meer Libertines to throw off all the Bonds and Ties of Religion to be as Outragious in Profaneness Impieties Villanies Whoredoms and all sort of Wickednesses as some of his Black Disciples are he is then willing to Compound the matter with such and so that they will be his a little he 'll contentedly allow 'em to be God's very much Knowing very well that if we hold out One disloyal Fort against God retain but One Rebel-Lust and give not up the whole Man unto Christ it will as certainly Condemn us tho' not to so great Degrees of Punishment as if we were wholly Devoted to Satan and gave our selves up to follow all our Brutish Lusts the word of God assuring us that Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and offend in Point is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And our Saviour declaring to us that he will not be serv'd by Halves nor endure the Devil to share with him in his Kingdom over us Ye cannot serve God and Mammon Luk. 16.13 Thus the Devil knows it is his Interest to allow
who Besieges a City does always assault the weakest part of the Walls So does he attack the Soul where he perceives its greatest Infirmities Such infinite Reason have we to consider our own Natures and to keep a particular watch on that side where we are most Blind and to set our selves with the greatest Vigour to Resist and Repel the Temptations wherewith he will assault us there And this is the Second way given you in Scripture to Resist Satan's Temptations viz. Watchfulness and Diligence to know our selves and to discern his Temptations that so you may not be Ensnared by them The Third Is by Prayer to God to Protect you from them And Thirdly we must be constant and fervent in Prayer to 〈◊〉 to pro◠us from 〈◊〉 Thus Jam. 4.8 after we are commanded to Resist the Devil and he will Fly from us as an effectual way so to do we are bid to Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to us that is if we will make our humble Addresses to God by Prayer he will be ready to assist us against all his Temptations And indeed there is extraordinary Reason you should diligently and earnestly Pray to God to Protect and Preserve you from Satan's Delusions The Devil is a Spirit and therefore is naturally Endow'd with a great deal of Knowledge abundance more than we Men are capable of attaining to And moreover by the Experience of many Thousand Years from the Creation of the World unto this Day he has greatly Improv'd himself in all manner of mischievous Cunning and Subtlety so as not to be Ignorant of any way whereby he may most successfully prevail over us to draw us into Sin Both which things consider'd we were not capable to Cope with him if left to our selves But our Comfort is this that the Devil can go no farther than his Chain and as the Divine Goodness will not Permit him to attempt whom and how he pleases It was not before he had Leave that he could Tempt Job 2.6 so in reference to all sorts of Temptations whatsoever we have a most sure word of Promise 1 Cor. 10.13 that God is Faithful who will not suffer you to be Tempted above that you are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it But then if you would have him a Protector always ready at Hand to assist you you must as was said Draw nigh to him and he will draw nigh to you What shall I say Why what farther Directions are necessary for Resisting of Satan's Temptations together with an earnest Exhortation so to do are given you in those most Excellent words of the Apostle to the Eph. 6.10 11 12. with which I shall conclude Finally Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his might Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil For we wrestle not against Flesh and Blood but against Principalities against Powers against the Rulers of the darkness of this world against Spiritual wickedness in high Places Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the Evil day and having done all to stand And so goes on in several Verses shewing with what Armour you must prepare your selves wherewith to defend your Innocency against the Assaults of Satan viz. with Truth or the Knowledge of the Gospel with Righteousness Charity Faith the Hope of Salvation and the Word of God And then adds as I before directed you That you must Pray always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all Perseverance THE Fourteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh HAVING already in order to the Explication of these Words shew'd you Who the Devil is what are his Works what is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works and how necessary it is we should absolutely do so I come now Secondly In like manner to Explain unto you What 's meant by the Pomps and Vanity of the wicked World and in what sence and how far we must Renounce the wicked world w th its Pomps and Vanity Three things here to be explain'd and accordingly Renounced 1. The world 2. The wicked World and 3. The Pomps and Vanity of this wicked world What is meant by the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and to shew you in what Sence and how far you must Renounce the wicked World with its Pomps and Vanity To Renounce the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World There is not a word here but will require some Explication As to the word Renounce indeed it may suffice what I before told you that it is of various Significations according to the Nature of the Thing to be Renounc'd by us And there being Three Things in these Words necessary to be Explain'd First The World Secondly the wicked World and Thirdly the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World I will Expound to you the Meaning of each and will withal shew you in what sence and how far you are to Renounce every One of them And First I am to shew you what is meant by the World and in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce the World The World in Scripture does generally pass under a very bad Character and for the most part is mention'd as what does directly oppose God's Glory and our own Happiness Thus Jam. 4.4 Know ye not that the Friendship of the World is Enmity with God and whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is an Enemy of God And on the contrary Gal. 6.16 St. Paul gives this Character of himself The World a great Enemy to God's Glory and our own Happiness That through the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ the World is Crucified unto him and he unto the World And 1 Joh. 5.4 it is universally declar'd that Whosoever is born of God overcometh the World And therefore in the Second Chapter of the same Epist 15 16. we are commanded Not to love the World neither the Things that are in the World being assur'd that If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him And indeed if we shall search throughout the whole Book of God we shall find such frequent and earnest Commands to Renounce this World and to beware of its Temptations that nothing except Satan the Ring-leader of all our Adversaries seems to be a more Mortal Enemy to the Happiness and Salvation of Mankind than this World And all this consider'd as also that it is made so material a Part of our Baptismal Covenant to Renounce as the Devil so the World I think it concerns you to be well informed what is meant both in Scripture and your Catechism by that World which you are so
pluck thee out of thy Dwelling-place and root thee out of the Land of the Living And who is this that he will serve so Lo the Man that made not God his Strength but Trusted in the Abundance of his Riches and strengthen'd himself in his Substance ver 7. The Reason wherefore Men do so much Covet after and so closely Hug their Riches is because they take 'em to be a sure Security against all Misfortunes and Troubles and will be a Refuge to 'em they think in the Days of Calamity But alas There is nothing more Uncertain and indeed more Dangerous to the Owners thereof than Riches They can neither Fence off Death nor Sufferings but do most usually bring on both and that both from the Reason of the thing as they Excite the Envy and are a Bait to the Covetousness of others to Dispossess him who Enjoys 'em and by the just Judgment of God when Men have unlawfully got or abus'd ' em And now all this consider'd since Idleness and Luxury Pride and Insolence and a Trust in Riches are so highly Provoking to God and since the Rich are so extreamly liable to these of all others The Possessors of great Estates would do well and wisely too so far to Renounce 'em as to Pare off those Superfluities in their Fortunes and to bestow all that to Pious and Charitable Uses which Tempt 'em to such Pernicious Vices Nor is this a more hard and unreasonable Lesson than what was given by our Saviour in a like Case Matth. 5.29 says he If thy right Eye offend thee pluck out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that One of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell And so we may say in this If Superfluity and Abundance and more than is necessary to provide a Person of those Conveniencies which are requisite to that State and Condition wherein Providence has Plac'd him in the World does directly tend to those Vices now nam'd then it is much better that with Crates he should even throw away that Superfluity For much better it is that his worldly Wealth should sink into the Bottom of the Sea than that it should sink him both Body and Soul in Hell But there is no Necessity for any Man to throw that away which God has bestow'd upon him for better Uses Take care to do Good therewith and then it will Open unto you the Gates of Heaven In so doing you will Renounce those Superfluities of an Estate as to your own proper Use but however it will return into your own Bosoms at last with infinite Advantage and Interest Which brings me in the â—â—d lastly 〈◊〉 suffering â—oss thereâ—â— rather 〈◊〉 Apostaâ—â— from the â—â—th Last Place to shew you How far the Rich are to Renounce their Wealth in Parting with it in Works of Mercy and in suffering the Loss thereof rather than Incur Apostacy And to give you my Sence thereof in a few words God true it is does not always make it the Condition of a Disciple to Sell all that he hath and to give it to the Poor as he Commanded him in the Gospel upon an extraordinary Occasion Nor does he always put us upon the fiery Tryal either to leave all or preserve a good Conscience But however there is doubtless requir'd a better Use to be made of Riches and larger Distributions of what God hath Blest them withal to Pious and Charitable Uses than most of our Rich Ones do commonly think And it is also requir'd that tho' we are not always put to the actual Tryal whether we will follow Christ in the Adherence to Truth and by Renouncing of Error or retain our Riches Yet it is ever requir'd that we should be readily dispos'd to Forsake all and follow Christ suppose there were Occasion which must be the Import of these words Mat. 16.24 If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Every One is not actually call'd to take up the Cross by abandoning his worldly Possessions or in any other way the Meaning must be that every Disciple must let this World's Goods hang very loose about him so that he could easily put 'em off when call'd to it And God who searches the Heart and tries the Reins sees whether we are so dispos'd or no. And tho' he puts us not to the actual Tryal he will however Judge us accordingly as he sees we are actually dispos'd And let this suffice for the present whereby you have seen how far we must Renounce the World in general and also in that particular Instance of its Goods the Riches thereof There are several other Ingredients of which this World does consist and in what Sence and how far you must Renounce them shall also God willing be shew'd you But of this the next Opportunity THE Fifteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE Point that we are now upon is to lay before you the Strength of those Temptations which do arise from the World in General and the several Things therein contain'd in Particular whether they be the Goods or the Evils thereof or such as are of a middle Nature and to shew you in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce ' em And as to such Considerations which concern the World in general and also that first and principal of its Materials the Riches thereof and which are necessary to he laid before you This I have already done and now I am to pass on to the Consideration of A Second of its Particulars viz. The Honours thereof and to shew you what they mean and in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce the Honours of this World What is meant by the Honours of this World in whatsence and how far they are to be Renounced Honour is accounted one of the Principal of this World's Goods and tho' it be much supported by Wealth and Riches yet it is often and sometimes deservedly prefer'd before ' em And Honour properly and strictly What is meant by Honour properly and strictly does signify an inward Esteem bore to a Person upon the account of some worthy Accomplishments and Advantages he is possest of and this inward Sence of his Worth testified by some outward and suitable Respects exprest either by our Carriage towards him or by our Speeches to or concerning him This is what Honour does strictly signify But to the more general and usual Meaning of the Thing What in the General Meaning of the Word both in Scripture and common Language by Honours are also meant the Advantages or Qualities themselves upon the account of which Persons are so Honour'd and Esteem'd and Respected and those outward Respects given 'em upon the account of those Advantages And they may be reduo'd
both stand in the same Rank to avoid all marks of Partiality So that this Place forbids not Precedency and Place to be given or taken by Persons that are in Quality or Authority above others either in Church Assemblies or in other Meetings but only in the Judicial Meetings of those times and not then but because that in the then Apprehensions of Men such Precedency would signify Partiality in the Judge that suffer'd it So that it remains that Titles of Honour Respects and Precedency may be receiv'd when duly given And I thought it requisite to take off these Objections both to clear these mistaken Places of Scripture and that you might not refuse To pay Honour to whom Honour is due which is a Duty upon all men Rom. 13.7 And which a foolish Sect amongst us do deny chiefly grounding the Rudeness of their Behaviour towards their Betters upon the now mention'd places of Scripture which they wrest as they do the other to their own Destruction Thus much upon this Occasion THE Sixteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh HAving undertook to give you a particular and distinct account not only of those Temptations which arise from the World in general but also from all the particular things whether Good or Evil therein contain'd And having already survey'd the Riches and Honours thereof and distinctly shew'd you in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce each of them and every Particular included in them I come now to consider Thirdly The Pleasures thereof and to shew you in what Sence and how far you are also to Renounce the Pleasures of this World What 's meant by the Pleasures of this World in what Sence and how far they are to be Renounced Now all Pleasure of what Kind soever it be does arise from the Agreeableness of the Object with some Faculty that can perceive it And therefore Pleasure in general Is that Satisfaction and Delight which any part of our Nature perceives when its Appetites are gratify'd with what it desires And as both Soul and Body have their several perceptive Faculties and Appetites so the Gratification and Satisfaction which is given to both do cause different kinds of Pleasure And accordingly they may all of 'em I do think be reduc'd to these Four Rational Sensitive Sensual and Recreative Pleasures And First As to Rational Pleasure I. Rational Pleasure is very Excellent and Allowable This is that noble Satisfaction and sweet Delight which the Soul perceives when it finds it self Improve in Knowledge or in Vertue or when it reflects upon the Good it has done As to Knowledge the most delicious Dainties are not so truly satisfactory to the Bodily Appetite as real and useful Knowledge is to the Rational nor is Light more grateful to the Eye than Knowledge is to the Understanding And all useful Knowledge especially Divine ought to be sought after with all the Study and Industry possible and we cannot too much indulge the Appetite which craves it Insomuch that St. Paul did not cease to pray for the Collossians and to desire that they might be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding Col. 1.9 And to increase in Vertue to get the victory over our Passions to subdue our Appetites and the like yields so great and pure a Satisfaction that Happiness it self is defin'd to be that Pleasure which the Mind takes in from a sence of Vertue and a conscience of Well-doing and of conforming all things to the Rules of both And then as to that sence of Joy and Comfort which Vertuous and Heavenly Minds do feel in doing Good this is exceedingly more Excellent and Exalted than all worldly and wicked Pleasures as is exemplify'd in our Saviour who counted it His meat and drink to do the will of him that sent him and to finish his work Joh. 4.34 which was To go about doing Good Act. 10.28 So excellent a thing is Rational Pleasure and so much it is our Duty as well as Interest to gratify our selves therewith But yet as Excellent and Heavenly a Pleasure as this is there is room for Renunciation even with respect to this And First No Man must make the end of his Knowledge to be the meer Pleasure of Knowing But First no Man must make meer Pleasure the End of his Knowledge that is we must not seek after Knowledge meerly for Knowledge sake and not for the Use and Instruction of our selves and others The true End of Knowledge is to direct our selves and others thereby to Happiness both in this and the other World And indeed such a Greediness as is seen in some Men of swallowing up all sorts of Learning and not letting others to partake of it and to be Benefited by it is but a better sort of Sensuality and Voluptuousness and ought therefore to be Renounced by every Christian The greatest Goods are ever common They were design'd by God to be so and by good Christians they are made so And Knowledge then being a principal Good every good Man is free in Communicating of that and of Edifying others therewith and therefore it is requir'd of a Bishop whose Knowledge is suppos'd to exceed other Men's that He be apt to teach 1 Tim. 3.2 Nor Secondly must that Satisfaction and Delight which arises from the sence and Conscience of Good and worthy Deeds be so much because we are admir'd and applauded for it as because they are really in themselves Vertuous Secondly And as to that Pleasure which arises from the Sence and Conscience of good and worthy Deeds as much as we may be permitted to relish and enjoy it yet we must take care that our Satisfaction and Delight be more because we are really Vertuous and that we do Good than that we be admir'd and applauded for it for We must take heed that we do not our Alms or whatever other Good before Men to be seen of them otherwise we have no reward of our Father which is in Heaven Matth. 6.1 But to proceed Secondly There is a Sensitive Pleasure and that is when the Animal Life or the Bodily Senses are gratify'd with those Objects which are agreeable to ' em All Pleasure as was said arises from the suitableness and agreeableness between the perceptive Faculties and the Objects that affect them II. Sensitive Pleasure which results from the suitableness between the perceptive Faculties and the Objects that affect them is lawful And our Bountiful Maker as he has given the Animal Life many perceptive Faculties the senses of Seeing Hearing Smelling Tasting and Feeling so he has provided suitable Objects for all those several Faculties and does allow us to Gratify our selves therewith For it is good and comely for one to Eat and to Drink and to enjoy the Good of all his labour that he taketh
18.1 Men ought always to Pray and 1 Thes 5.17 where we are enjoin'd to Pray without ceasing And to be Negligent or Inattentive through the Incumbrance of worldly Cares at the Hearing of the Word was the thing for which our Saviour Reprov'd Martha who was Cumbring her self with much Serving when she ought to have Listen'd to our Saviour's Divine Instructions as Mary did for which He Commended her Luk. 10.40 41 42. And therefore it behoves every Christian when he enters into the House of God or into his own Closet wholly to lay aside all worldly Cares for that Time and to say to 'em as Christ to his Disciples Stay you here whilst go and Pray yonder â—astly All â—anner of â—â—rldly Care â—â—en Adâ—â—nc'd in â—ars Lastly All Persons whether more or less engag'd in worldly Cares when grown in Years should wholly in a manner throw them off and Retiring as much as may be from the World should employ the remainder of their Time in clearing their Accompts with God and Man and in preparing themselves for the Great Tryal And yet it is commonly observ'd that the farther Men advance in Years the more Covetous and Worldly they grow but this is the most unreasonable and absurd Thing that can be For what means the Cares of this World but to provide for our selves or Posterity Now as to our selves the nearer Life draws to an End the less of temporal Provisions are necessary And as to Posterity the best Provision that can be made for them is what may be enough to be a Foundation for their Industry and not so much as will dis-engage 'em from Business and Employment for to leave 'em great Estates is but to expose 'em to the Temptations of Idleness Luxury and the worst of Sins To which as all Men in great Possessions are liable so none more than such who have been suddenly rais'd by the Covetousness of a worldly Miser As therefore those Men of Business who would be counted the only Wise will not shew themselves in the End the greatest Fools when they have Advanc'd far in Years at least-wise they should look upon that Advice of the Prophet as particularly directed to them Set thy house in order for thou shalt surely dye and not live Such Men have receiv'd more Talents than others and therefore they ought to take more time to State their Accompts that they may come off at the Great Audit with the Approbation of having been good and faithful Servants In a Word and to Conclude this Head The Consideration of the World upon which we have been so long you would do well to bear those Scriptural Instructions always in Mind To set your Affection on things above and not on things on the Earth Col. 3.2 Not to Love the World 1 Joh. 3.15 To be Careful for Nothing Phil. 4.6 And to take no Thought for to Morrow Matth. 6.34 The Meaning of which Expressions is That we should Love God and Heavenly Things in the first Place and Abandon all immoderate Cares concerning Worldly Things That we must bestow much more of our Care how we may Serve God acceptably a d provide for the Immortal Happiness of our Souls than how to Attain this World's Goods And in an honest Industry and Endeavour to Attain a Sufficiency thereof to carry us thro' this Vale of Misery we must commit the Success of all our Lâ—bours to God and trust him with the Event who will take care That all things shall work together for Good for them who Fear him Rom. 8.20 THE Seventeenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE Point that we are now upon being to lay before you the Strength of those Temptations which do arise First From the World Secondly From the wicked World and Thirdly From the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World And as to the First First Having sufficiently discover'd what Temptations to Sin we shall meet with both from the World in General and the several Things therein contain'd in Particular I come now Secondly To give you a Survey likewise too of the wicked World and to shew you also in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce the wicked World II. What 's meant by the wicked World and how far and in what sence we are to renounce it And by the wicked World can be properly meant no other than wicked Men there being no Creature on Earth besides Man that is capable of doing any thing morally Good or Evil so as to be styl'd from the latter Wicked And if you would be farther satisfy'd who these are who may be so styl'd it seems to me that it is not every Sinner however Thereby is meant such as make it their Business like that wicked One the Devil to Tempt others to Sin that either in the Language of the Scripture or in common Account is call'd a wicked Man But it must be some One of a more than ordinary Impiety so as to approach something near Satan himself in Sin and Wickedness that can deserve so Black a Character Now the Devil is often term'd in Scripture The wicked One and particularly Matth. 13.19 he is so styl'd on the account of his Tempting others to Sin His catching away the Word which is sown in Men's Hearts or his Injecting of vain Thoughts into the Minds of the Hearers that they may not be Converted by the Preaching of the Gospel one of his ways of Tempting us to Sin as was before shew'd It is this that gave him that Character of the wicked One. And on the very same account of his Tempting the World to Sin is his great Agent Anti-Christ call'd also 2 Thes 2.8 That wicked One. He is term'd in the 4 ver He that opposeth God and here in this 8 ver he is styl'd The wicked One because of his Coming after the working of Satan with all deceivableness of Vnrighteousness as it follows ver 9 10. that is because he imitates the Devil by his cunning Tempting of others into Sin and by deceiving 'em into Unrighteous Irreligious Courses he is therefore call'd the wicked One. And upon the same account therefore as those only are properly wicked Men who are guilty of some notorious Crime themselves so especially such who make it any part of their Business to Corrupt and Tempt others to Sin are the wicked Men of the World And according to those Degrees of Tempting of which Men are guilty are they to be esteemed more or less Wicked and Diabolically so Some Men's Temptations are less Extensive and reach no farther than the Neighbourhood where they are known and the Company they converse with But others there are whose Temptations may reach even unto the utmost Parts of the Earth such are those who propagate and promote by their Writings or Discourses Atheistical and Heretical Principles And such are most of
be What shall be done in this Case Why Thirdly Truly when it thus happens to you that your Employment and necessary Occasions draw you forth into the World that which you have then to do is to refuse to Conform your selves to the Manners of such Company But Thirdly when Employment and necessary Occasions draw Men forth in to the World they must refuse to Conform themselves to the Manners of ill Company First By discountenancing their Profaneness and Riot But First you must with all wariness and circumspection watch lest framing your selves to the Humours of profane Persons you countenance and encourage 'em in what is sinful and wicked and so partake with 'em in their Sins and make their Guilt your own Nay but on the contrary you must at least-wise by a pious and discreet Behaviour and by shewing a dislike and uneasiness at their Hellish Talk discountenance the Folly of those that do thus Offend II. By diverting 'em by useful Discourse from both Secondly You must not fail to do what you can to divert the Company you happen amongst from Riot and Excess and from vicious and filthy Talk by drawing 'em with what Dexterity possible into more manly Discourse and into a more Christian sober rational Conversation III. If all Methods fail by openly Reproving them But Thirdly if after all if all these wise and modest Methods will not do but on they will go and good Sense must give way to such unsavoury Entertainment Why then then there is no help but you must boldly and bravely Rebuke their impudent Folly and openly Reprove it For why You must consider that you have Listed your selves in your Baptism To do this Service to God we are particularly Listed in our Baptism the Souldiers of Jesus Christ and no faithful Souldier will patiently hear his General abus'd his Honour trampled upon his Commands slighted and scorn'd but will stoutly stand up in Vindication of him and his Orders As you will not therefore be accounted in the Day of Judgment such as have Deserted the Great Captain of our Salvation Jesus Christ you must not stand by and tamely suffer profane Wretches to dishonour God's Holy Name and Word by their unsavoury Oaths and Speeches and you must not cowardly permit 'em to Brag of their Contemptuous breaking of his sacred Laws without Rebuking their Wickedness and stoutly standing up in Defence of him and them We shall be much discouraged from this by Men. You must expect I will own it to meet with but rude Entertainment for such your Fidelity to your great Master You shall be sure to be accounted Fools Mad and Rude for your Pains And it is odds but you shall be reproacht as Hypocrites that would fain seem Better than others but can privately be as Bad as they But have infinite Encouragements to such Fidelity from God But consider the more you suffer for the Honour of your Lord the more like good Souldiers you behave your selves and the better he will reward you Consider what a glorious Thing it is to be Evil spoken of for Well-doing Blessed are ye when Men shall Revile you and say all manner of Evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your Reward in Heaven Matth. 5.11 12. Consider your Saviour and Leader who suffer'd worse Reproaches and The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant his Lord if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his Houshold Matth. 10.24 25. Consider that a Christian must not fear the Face of any Man but must suffer Martyrdom it self in the Cause of Christ if call'd out to it Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but fear him who is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell ver 28. Nay consider lastly that this Standing up resolutely for the Honour of God and Religion is the next Degree to Martyrdom and will be rewarded like it It is call'd a Confessing of God before Men and on the other side a fearing and forbearing to appear in His behalf a Denying of him and consider what our Saviour declares concerning such who do so Confess or Deny him Whosoever shall Confess me before Men him will I Confess before my Father which is in Heaven but whosoever shall Deny me before Men him will I also Deny before my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 10.32 33. So much it concerns you to refuse Conformity to the Evil Company of the World And so much for this time THE Eighteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THAT which I am now upon is to Forewarn you against the Temptations of the wicked World by shewing you the dangerous Ones you shall meet withal from the Wicked Men of the World and in what Sence and how far you must Renounce both them and their wicked ways of Tempting others to Sin This I have already done as to their Evil Examples and Evil Company and have deliver'd these Instructions to you that by God's Help may I hope be sufficient to prevent your being infected by the Poison of either But the wicked Men of the World have other ways of Tempting Men to Sin and what they are and how bravely you must Resist them I am next to declare unto you III. Flattery a great Temptation to Sin Thirdly Then amongst the greatest Temptations proceeding from Evil Men we may deservedly reckon their Flatteries Now the Flatterer is One who observing the general Self-love and Pride of Mankind who cannot endure Reproof or any thing that shews a Dislike of what they say or do does compose himself to Admire and Extol or at least-wise to Approve as Well-done very bad Actions or at best such as if Good in themselves are but indifferently Perform'd The Ground of his Flattery I say is That immoderate Self-love The Ground thereof our own immoderate Self-love he observes Natural to most Men whereby they do extravagantly esteem and admire their own Performances and can see no Defects therein And therefore whoever shall endeavour to discover their Faults tho' in never so Prudent a manner to any of these Self-admirers he is presently lookt upon as One that either envies his Abilities and good Qualities or as St. Paul was to the foolish Galatians He is therefore become his Enemy because he tells him the Truth Gal. 4.16 And now the Flatterer observing this predominant Humour in him puts on the Vizard of a Friend And composes himself to Admire and Extol or at least-wise to Approve as Well-done his very bad Actions or at best such as if Good in themselves are very indifferently Perform'd The Flatterer's care is to Please not to Profit him to whom he pretends to be a Friend to make a Prey of
were obliged by their Baptismal Vow to forsake those and the like Heathenish Customs for to such this Vow did particularly relate so they did presently beat them down wherever the Christian Religion prevail'd insomuch that in few Ages there were not the least Foot-steps thereof remaining And so must you likewise vigorously withstand all Customs that are Immoral wherever and by whomsoever and how long soever they have obtain'd Such only as are Immoral are to be Renounced I do say All Customs that are Immoral For I do not mean that a Christian must turn Cynick a dogged and sower Lump of Earth surly and uncivil and quarrelling with the innocent Modes of Humane Society That is as much a Fault on the other side to think that Christianity the calmest and the sweetest Religion in the World does oblige Men to ill Manners But those Customs the Force of whose Temptations I would have you all to Resist and utterly to Renounce are such as I before mention'd and which are apparently sinful and wicked either tending to lessen the Guilt of Sin or to make it none at all I am sensible there is something of Difficulty in this Part of our Warfare above any other Barely to refuse Compliance with but much more to oppose Evil Men in their sinful Customs and Practices will mightily provoke their Indignation He sails against the Wind that does so and swims against the Stream He shall have Multitudes will thwart him and will load him with hard Reproaches will call him singular and precise Fool for his Pains and what not He must have a great deal of Courage that opposes a Multitude in doing Evil or will not comply with 'em in it But such must the Souldier of Jesus Christ be One that dares Incur the greatest Displeasure rather than shrink from his Duty and One that will not be afraid to shew his Dislike of any vicious Customs when there is just Occasion for it And this indeed is true Courage The greatest Courage required to this Part of a Christian's Warfare to despise all Opposition in the way of Duty and he that can Unconcernedly pass through a Multitude Reproaching and Vilifying him for his Pains in Pursuit of Vertue is more Heroick and Brave than he that with his Sword in his Hand cuts open a way to the Taking of a Fort. He that Reproves a Sin or Renounces an Ungodly Custom may have more of true Fortitude than he that Pushes on through drawn Swords for it is a sign he fears not those Weapons which wound deepest an embitter'd and envenom'd Tongue It is plain beyond all Contradiction I do think Cowardice the Cause of Complying with the Custome of Duelling or any other Custom of Sinning that when Men in Opposition to their Inclination and Reason and Religion dictating the contrary do comply with others in Drinking of Healths to Excess in profane or loose Talk or the like It is plain I say that it is out of fear of Reproaches and for want of Courage that Men do thus Sin Nay I dare be bold to affirm however like a Paradox it may appear to some That it is out of Fear and for want of true Courage that Men fight Duels when they are Provokt or Affronted They are afraid that if in Compliance to our Saviour's Doctrines of Meekness Patience and Forbearance they should put up Affronts they would be Reproacht and Scorn'd by the Multitude and be term'd Cowards and therefore do desperately but enough against their secret Inclinations I dare say betake themselves to this Barbarous and Fool-hardy way of shewing themselves Men of Honour But true Courage and Bravery Philosophy and Religion and the sober Reason of all wise Men tell us will despise the vain Opinions of the Unthinking and Impious Croud which for the most part are in the wrong and will steddily pursue what is Vertuous and Fit and Reasonable and Religious notwithstanding the foolish Reproaches of the Many So that to retain One's Integrity and Vertue and an unpolluted Conscience in the midst of common and prevailing Customs of Sin and Vice I dare be bold to assert the Noblest and most Heroick piece of Courage And accordingly it will be Rewarded with a Noble Testimony by our Blessed Saviour when to have his Testimony will be beyond the Applauses of the whole World To Renounce and Oppose the Irreligious and Profane Customs of wicked Men is an Eminent piece of Christian Confession and He who Confesses him before Men the same will the Son of Man Confess Own as his Faithful Servant and Applaud as a Noble Confessor before the Angels of God Luk. 12.8 And let this suffice to have spoken concerning the wicked Men of the World that you must so far Renounce both them and their wicked ways as Never to become Tempters your selves of others to Sin nor to yield your selves a Prey to other Men's Temptations but must utterly refuse Conformity to them and all their ways whereby they would have you Offend God and Violate your Covenant with him and your Vows in Baptism and thereby Forfeit all your Title and Hopes of Happiness THE Nineteenth Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh HAVING fully Survey'd the World and all therein contain'd that is fit to be Renounc'd by every Christian And having also Represented to you those Temptations which are given by the wicked World and how we must Resist them I come now to Explain unto you what is to be understood by the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and to shew you how much it behoves Christians to Renounce and to Despise them And First We will consider the Pomps And Secondly The Vanity of this wicked World And First As to Pomps these as they were part of the Pagan Idolatries So they were what the Primitive Christians were more particularly concern'd to Renounce But however since the same Renunciation of the Pomps of this World is still retain'd in our Church tho' the very same Things which were at first meant thereby are perhaps become Obsolete and out of Use in Christendom And yet it is not to be suppos'd but that our Church had respect to something still in Use in the Christian World as fit to be Renounc'd under that Title by every Disciple of JESUS I shall therefore together with a short Account of the Meaning of Pomps in the Sence they were Renounc'd by the Primitive Christians take care especially to shew you what amongst us is most Analogous to the ancient Heathenish Pomps and bears such a near Resemblance to 'em as to render these our modern Pomps fit also to be Renounc'd by every Christian And First I. Thereby were anciently meant those pompous Spectacles Plays and Scenical Representations exhibited in the Roman Theaters By Pomps were Anciently meant in the Opinion of our Learned and Excellent Dr. Hammond those
his singular Favours vouchsafed to the World as at such times are so sadly Profan'd by Drunkenness lewd Songs and Ballads profane and wanton Discourse and the like The Generality of our common People seem to apprehend nothing Spiritual in the Great Feasts of Christmas Easter and Whitsuntide And a Holyday is with them the Profanest Day in the Year But I will be bold to assert with the Learned Dr. Hammond that besides these other Sences of the Word Pomps All the sinful Courses that are us'd by Men in their Times of Jollity and Festivity the Luxury and Riot and unlawful Gaming and all Kind of Excesses which are but a Copying out the Heathen Bacchanals are Pomps to be Renounced by every Christian All Riot and Excess lewd and wanton Actions and Discourses are Sins and that far greater and more punishable in Christians than in Others particularly than in Jews whose Promises of an Earthly Plenty are not so contrary and irreconcilable with Corporal Excesses as are the spiritual Joys that are the Christian 's eminent Portion under Promise And therefore these are turned out of the World by Christ and by him transform'd and chang'd into spiritual Celebrations blessing and praising God into Feasts of Charity and sober Hospitality and Bounty to the Poor instead of those outward costly vain Pomps which the Eye of the World is so pleased with â—hese to be â—stain'd â—m And therefore as I would advise you to be little fond of Wakes and such like Meetings of promiscuous Company where little Good Quacunque ex causa fuerint producti Primo nil est perniciosius morum Integritati Quippe turba omnis utique animo gravis noxia nec enim quos extulisti mores unquam refers nemo non rubignis aliquid aut imprimit aut Nescientibus allinit Coel. Rhodgi Lib. Octav. c. 7. and a great deal of Ill is commonly learnt So especially let me Entreat you never to take into your Hands much less to learn those wanton Ballads by Heart which do insensibly convey the Poison of ill Morals into the Soul and such a dis-relish to spiritual Thoughts and Exercises as can many times be never wore off And so much for the Pomps of the World Secondly And as the Pomps so you are also to Renounce and Reject the Vanity of this World â—nity of the â—orld 〈◊〉 What And what indeed that does mean it is not so hard to guess for we have it every Day before our Eyes And that which I do suppose is chiefly thereby meant are all Affectation of Grandeur and Greatness in sumptuous Houses rich Furniture uppermost Places Titles of Respect and costly Apparel True it is these things are not in themselves purely and absolutely Unlawful but may be enjoy'd without Sin by those who are lawfully possest of ' em Nevertheless these have an Aptness in them more than most other things of the World to corrupt Men's Minds and to Alienate their Affections from the Love of God and Goodness However the Affectation of 'em is undoubtedly a Sinful Vanity to be Renounced by every Christian And such vain Affectation does appear in these Cases following First As to sumptuous Houses and rich Furniture when Persons out-go their Ability I. When Persons â—ut-go their Ability in â—uilding and Furniture in compassing those things to the Ruine or great Prejudice of their Families and Posterity and do Build and Buy not paying the Labourer and the Tradesman and when with all their care to Beautify and Adorn their own Houses they care not how Ruinous and Indecent the Houses of God do lye Thus to affect Sumptuousness I say is a sinful Vanity Thus the Prophet Jeremy 22.13 14. pronounceth a Woe unto him that buildeth his House by Vnrighteousness and his Chambers by Wrong that useth his Neighbours Service without Wages and giveth him not for his Work that saith I will build me a wide House and large Chambers and cutteth him out Windows and it is cieled with Cedar and painted with Vermilion And as for those who build and deck and trim up their own Houses and suffer God's House to be in Ruine and Decay to lye uncomely and nastily they had best to consider how ill God will take it as appears from that of Hag. 1.4 Is it time for you O ye to dwell in the cieled Houses and this House lye wast And in the Verses following he denounceth a Consumption on all they have for such Impiety So sinful a thing is the vain Affectation of sumptuous Houses and rich Furniture when joined to the Prejudice of others and the Contempt of God and so fit therefore to be Renounced by every Christian Secondly II. It appears in striving for Precedence And so likewise is the vain Affectation of the Vppermost Places This is a Vanity that is perhaps more usual amongst the lowest Rank of People which One would least expect than those of Birth and Quality tho' it is in none so unseemly as in them I have with Admiration beheld Farmers nay poor Tenants nay Labourer's Wives swell till they almost burst with Envy at their Neighbour's Stepping before or Sitting above 'em and even in the House of God so expresly contrary to our Saviour's Rule Not to seek the chief Seats in the Synagogues I have known 'em strive for the uppermost Places and to be whole Months nay Years afterwards out of Charity and that almost beyond Reconciliation meerly upon the account of Precedence A thing so unseemly and so odious a piece of Vanity especially in those of lower Rank that I can hardly forbear to express my self with Indignation concerning it but I shall only advise you in the Words of our Saviour Mark 12.38 39. to beware of imitating the Scribes and Pharisees the worst Patterns you can follow Who love the chief Seats in the Synagogues and the uppermost Rooms at Feasts It is a Pride and Vanity fit only for Scribes and Pharisees the Proudest Men on Earth but infinitely unbecoming the Disciples of the Meek and Humble JESUS who when they strive for Place it must be not to take but to give it In Honour preferring one another Rom. 12.10 Thirdly Again of like Nature to this last piece of Vanity is the Ambition and vain Affectation of Titles of Respect and Honour above ones Quality and Degree and the desire to be esteemed by others more Vertuous and Good III. In affecting Titles above ones Quality and to be esteem'd Vertuous above ones Desert than we really are in our selves The meanest Persons that are now a-days will take it ill if they have not those Titles of Respect given them which do not at all belong to them and for Distinction sake are due to those above ' em And even Good Men who can heartily own and sorrowfully bewail in their Confessions to God that they are vile Sinners will hardly endure that others should say so or think so ill of ' em But so far should we be
every New Dress or from Singularity of Apparel us'd on purpose and on that Affectation because it is Singular for all these seem so far to Betray the sinful Principle that tho' it is not reasonable for one Man to judge another for every thing of this nature yet it will be fit for all that do thus to examine and charge it upon themselves and if they cannot perfectly clear themselves from that evil Principle or worse End then to remember that this is it which they Renounced in their Baptism The short is this Decency Decency according to what is suitable to Age Sex or Quality the Rule in this Case is that he says which must give Limits to Attires This Decency is to be taken from that which is Usual and Customary amongst those with whom we Live and is oft varied by Change of Times and of the Condition of the Age or Dignity of each Person that being Comely for one Age and Sex and Quality of Persons which is not for another And He or She that rests contented with those ways of Adorning themselves which are most usual among the more Sober and Grave of their Age and Quality are not to be judg'd guilty of the Breach of this Vow tho' there are perhaps some Things in their Attire Gold Jewels and the like which might be thought to own this Title of Pomps and Vanities as those words signify Bravery and Superfluity Nevertheless the Truth is as he goes on it were to be wisht that Men and Women of the highest Quality would choose to Distinguish themselves from others rather by that Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit commended to the weaker Sex by St. Peter as a far more amiable Ornament than that of Apparel and make shew of their Wealth by those more profitable beneficial Expences for the supply of the Wants of others And no doubt this would contribute more to their own Ends if they be the Aims of Christians and would set them out more in the Opinion of all wise and good Persons But this being affirm'd will not conclude the Use of any of those Ornaments which are agreeable to Time and Place and Callings to be Sinful or of the Number of those Vanities that are to be Renounced in our Baptism THE XX. Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh IN the Explication of these Words I have fully laid before you the Stratagems and Wiles of Satan and the various Temptations also wherewith the World doth assault us to withdraw us from God and to make us break our Covenant with him And it only remains to compleat this Account of our Spiritual Warfare to consider the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and to know in what sense and how far we are also to Renounce and Resist them And indeed this is a most Material and Important Part of Christian Knowledge To Know our selves is next in Dignity and Usefulness to the Knowledge of God himself To know our selves especially our natural Imperfection a most useful part of Knowledge And if we did but distinctly Know the Imperfection and Weaknesses of our Corrupted Nature and of all the Powers and Faculties within us neither the whole World with all its formidable Host of Temptations nor Satan himself Marshalling and managing of 'em against us with all the Malice and Cunning he is Master of would be in much danger of doing us hurt For tho' our case is that of a Besieged Fort to take which there are not only a numerous Army under the Conduct of a wary General who narrowly views every part of us and orders the Attack where he finds us weakest But what is worse the whole Fabrick of our Corrupted Nature is extremely decay'd and all the Faculties and Powers thereof are but so many Traitors within us ready to deliver us up to our Enemies Yet however in Knowing the Weakness of our Nature we may be able to repair its Decays and by Knowing also the Treachery of all its Faculties we shall successfully prevent their delivering of us up to our Adversaries And therefore for the more full discovery of so Useful and Important a Subject to you 1. I will shew you what is meant by the Flesh 2. What by the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and together with each of these will also declare unto you in what sense and how far we are to Renounce the Flesh and its sinful Lusts. And â—he Flesh vaâ—ously exâ—â—est First Let us enquire what is meant by the Flesh and in what sense and how far we are to Renounce the Flesh And in order to this we are to consider that as the Knowledge of Things does much depend upon understanding those Phrases whereby they are usually express'd so there are very many Words in the Holy Writings of like Meaning and Importance with this of the Flesh And indeed there is not any one thing so variously express'd in the Holy Striptures as this is It is called the Old Man as to denote the Antiquity of this Corruption and from whom it descended even from Adam the first Father of us all so to signifie that it has universally infected the whole Race of Mankind It is called the Natural Man both because this Corruption over-spreadeth the whole Nature and because it is become Natural to Man in this Corrupt State to Sin It is called the Flesh because the very Soul in a Man and all its Faculties are Carnal and Sensual And Lastly 't is termed Evil Concupiscence because this Fleshly Nature of ours Lusteth after Evil Things And so much for the meaning of the Word Flesh and its synonimous Phrases What is meant â—y the Flesh And now by the help of what has been said we may form this Account of the Flesh That it is the whole Vnregenerate Nature of Man as spoil'd as to its Original Frame and Constitution and despoil'd of that Image of God consisting in the Perfection Order and Purity of all his Faculties whereby he was Originally making towards GOD his Chief End and Happiness And it is that Corruption of this his Nature and Faculties whereby he is inordinately Converted in all the Tendencies of Soul and Body and of all the Faculties and Powers thereof towards the Creature 1. I say by the Flesh is meant the whole Vnregenerate Nature of Man not only the Body 1. The whole Vnregenate Nature of Man Soul and Body but also the Soul not only the Inferior Powers as the Affections Lusts and Appetites but also the Superior Faculties as the Understanding Conscience and the Will For it is not only said Tit. 1.15 That the Mind and Conscience is defil'd but the Mind as well as the Body is said to be Fleshly Col. 2.18 and Carnal Rom. 8.7 And Gal. 5.20 we find Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Seditions Heresies reckon'd amongst the Works of the Flesh tho' they are
Subjection to Right Reason which is called Crucifying of the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.24 and mortifying our Earthly Members Col. 3.5 Thus must the whole Corrupt Nature be Restor'd as near as it can to its first Constitution and that Divine Likeness wherewith it was at first stamp'd The Image of God must be Restor'd as far as it can in â—his Corrupt State Thus I say it must be Restor'd as near as it can for as long as we are in this Mortal State some Relicks of Sin and Corruption will still remain within us so that even in the Regenerate Nature The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that we cannot do the things that we would Gal. 5.17 That is we cannot without the Resistance and Opposition of our Fleshly Nature act in Obedience to the Spiriritual and Renewed Nature so long as we are here on this side the Grave but the most Holy Persons that are have their Graces allayed with a mixture of Sin and Corruption The most Universal Knowledge is not free from Ignorance and Error the Will which is most complying with the Commands of God has sometimes its contrary Velleities or Wouldings the Affections which are most Refin'd are sometimes Inordinate and Earthly so that every Faculty of our Nature and every Action we do have some mixture of Sin and Frailty In a word we cannot attain whilst here on Earth to these degrees of Perfection wherein we were first Created But the Image of God which is restored to us in our Regeneration tho' it have not the Perfection of Degrees yet it must indispensably have the Perfection of parts It must be Renew'd to a perfection of Parts tho not Degrees as Divines do distinguish that is we must have an Universal Inclination to all that is Holy Just and Good and an Universal Aversion from all Sin And we must have our selves actually Adorn'd with all Divine Graces and Holy Dispositions and we must actually forsake every known Sin And then tho' something of Humane Frailty will mix it self in the Exercise of all our Vertues yet through the Mercies of God the Father in Christ his Son it will be graciously dispens'd withal So that thus you see when the whole Nature of Man in every part and faculty thereof is Chang'd Repair'd and Renew'd according to the Happy Constitution and Subordination of the several Faculties one to another wherein Man was at first Created and consequently when the Divine Image which is now defac'd is in some good measure restor'd when thus we shall have put on the New Man Eph. 4.24 partake of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. and be conformed ro the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 then can we be truly said to Renounce the Flesh 2. To Renounce the Flesh is to be Converted in the whole Bent and Inclination of the Soul toward God 2. To Renounce the Flesh is to be Converted in the whole Bent and Inclination of the Soul towards God Smith's Select Discourses p. 374. 430. This is the true Property of the Regenerate Nature to be exalted above all Worldly Things and to be carried out in Love and Affection towards God The Soul says a Learned and Pious Author is a more vigorous and puissant thing when it is once Restor'd to the possession of its own Being than to be bounded within a narrow Prison of Sensual and Bodily Delights but it will break forth with the greatest Vehemence and Ascend upwards towards Immortality For it is only true Religion that teaches and Enables Men to die to this World and to all Earthly Things and to rise above the Sphere of Sensual and Earthly Pleasures which darken the Mind and blind it that it cannot enjoy the brightness of Divine Light so that whereas the Fleshly Mind never minds any thing but Flesh and never rises above the Outward Matter but always creeps up and down like Shadows upon the Surface of the Earth and if it begin at any time to make any faint Essays upwards it presently finds it self laden with a weight of Sensuality which draws it down again Holy and Religious Souls being toucht with an Inward Sense of the Divine Goodness and Beauty are mov'd swiftly after God and as the Apostle expresses himself forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before they press towards the Mark for the Prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus that so they may attain to the Resurrection of the Dead In short therefore whereas there is now a continual Conflict betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit the Flesh Lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh we must never cease Mortifying and Subduing all the Motions of Corrupt Nature tending downward towards the Creature till they be brought in Subjection to the Power and Influence of God's Holy Spirit which alone can lift up our Hearts and Affections to God and Heavenly Things THE XXI Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh IN order to the full Explication of these Words the sinful Lusts of the Flesh The sinful Lusts of the Flesh what Having already shew'd you First what is meant by the Flesh and in what sense and how far we must Renounce the Flesh 2. I am now to give you in like manner the full Meaning and Importance of the sinful Lusts of the Flesh and to shew you in what sense and how far we are to Renounce them And as by the Flesh is meant the whole Unregenerate Nature of Man Soul as well as Body in its State of Corruption and as it Acts contrary to the Holy Will and Spirit of God so proportionably by the sinful Lusts of the Flesh must be understood all the Faculties and Powers of this Corrupted Nature as they carry us out to commit Sin as well the Faculties of the Soul the Understanding and Will as the Bodily Powers viz. the Affections Lusts and Appetites These are all of 'em in their own Nature the Effects of God's Workmanship and were pure as they came forth of his hands But ever since the Fall of Adam they are wofully Corrupted and there is none of these Faculties or Powers either of Soul or Body but may be called a sinful Lust of the Flesh Every Faculty and Power of Soul and Body is properly enough term'd a Lust as it Craves and Desires its Object And they are all of 'em sinful Lusts of the Flesh just as the whole Unregenerate Nature was said to be Flesh that is either First as those several Faculties of the Soul do move downwards from God and Heavenly Things Immediately and Inordinately towards the Creatures Or Secondly as the Inferior and Bodily Powers the Affections Lusts and Appetites do disorderly Rebel against the Superior Faculty of
much upon this one Article of Renouncing the Devil c. And so I have at length done with this no less Important than Copious Subject the Renouncing of the Devil the World and the Flesh It may seem indeed as if I have been too long upon the Explication of one single Article of our Covenant viz. the Renouncing of the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and All the Sinful Lusts of the Flesh But if it be considered that half the Business of our Christian Religion is performed in Resisting the Enemies of our Salvation it will not be a Matter of blame that I have been so long upon this Point especially in Instructing of Youth about it who ought to be very well fore-arm'd in order to their coming off Conquerors The truth of it is this Renouncing of the World the Flesh and the Devil that is the Resisting and Overcoming of all their Numerous Host of Temptations is the Christian's Warfare and great Work For as the Holy Scriptures do in a multitude of Texts Represent our State as a State of Warfare Fight the good Fight of Faith lay hold on Eternal Life for hereunto ye have been called before many Witnesses 1 Tim. 6.12 That is we Listed our selves in this Warfare at our Baptism in the Presence of the Church of Christ As our State I say is a State of Warfare against all these Spiritual Enemies so it does infinitely concern all of us to know as far as is possible All their Arts and Stratagems to deceive us and this I hope will be a sufficient Apology that I have been so improportionably long to what I have and shall be upon other Heads in shewing you what it is and how far you must Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THE XXII Lecture Secondly That I should Believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith HAving largely Explain'd the first Condition of Life and Happiness and shew'd you what I conceive is meant by Renouncing the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh I come now to do the like as to the Second Condition upon which we are to expect to be Justify'd to have our Sins Pardon'd and eternal Life and Happiness conferr'd upon us and which we have also Covenanted with God to do and that is that we Believe all the Articles of our Christian Faith In order to the Explication of which Point 1. I will declare to you the General Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be believed 2. I will shew you What it is to BELIEVE those Articles or Christian Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And 3. I will shew you how we must Believe ALL the Articles of the Christian Faith And that I am to declare to you something in general Articles of Christian Faith of what Nature concerning the Nature of those ARTICLES or Christian Truths which are to be Believed The whole Bible both Old and New Testament is the proper Object of a Christians Faith The whole Bible the Object of a Christian's Faith both and whatever we find therein Recorded or deliver'd down to us we are to believe as a Divine Certain and Infallible Truth because all things therein contain'd are the Word of him who will not who cannot Lie who neither can be deceiv'd himself nor will he deceive others As to the Old Testament and the the Old Testament and the Writings of the Prophets Jehosophat in a Solemn Assembly of the whole People upon a Solemn Fast-day 2 Chron. 20.20 Proclaimed unto them stood up and said Hear me O Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall you be Established believe his Prophets so shall ye Prosper And let the Declarations of God Recorded therein be of what Nature they will the Truth of them is by no means to be called in doubt If you will not Believe surely ye shall not be Establish'd Isa 7.9 And so likewise as to the New Testament New Our Saviour upon his entrance to preach the Gospel did in the first place require of all Men to Believe it Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and Believe the Gospel Mark 1.14 15. And when he was also leaving the World and Commission'd his Disciples to go into all the World and to preach the Gospel to every Creature He declar'd that he that Believeth shall he Saved but he that Believeth not shall be Damn'd Mark 16.15 16. So that both the Old and New Testament and every part and parcel of Scripture therein contain'd is firmly to be Believ'd as the Divine Certain and Infallible Truth of God And the reason thereof as to the Old Testament is because Prophecy came not in Old time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 And we are also firmly to Believe all the parts both of Old and New indifferently because all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 All the parts of it are the Dictates and Word of God himself and are more or less Useful to our Edification and Improvement in Divine Knowledge Faith and Practice And therefore all Ranks and Degrees of Men and of every Age Young as well as Old ought diligently to Study and firmly to Believe the Holy Scriptures The Bereans did so and they were accounted the more Honourable for so doing The Bereans were more Noble than those in Thessalonica in that they Received or Believed the Word with all readiness of Mind and searched the Scriptures daily Act. 17.11 And it is Recorded to the Immortal Honour of Timothy 2 Ep. 3.15 that from a Child he had known the Scriptures which were able to make him wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus Well but tho' all Scripture as being the Infallible Word of him who neither can be deceived himself nor will deceive others does Challenge the Belief of every Christian yet among the great multitude of Truths of various Kinds deliver'd in the Scriptures some are of far greater Importance and Concernment to us than others Some Truths Revealed in Scripture of greater Importance and Concernment to us than others because they do more immediately and directly tend to give us due and worthy Apprehensions of God and to Instruct us in the only sure Method of Salvation by Jesus Christ There are some Principal Doctrines of Christianity which are in their own Nature apt to have a greater Influence
sincerely labouring to mortifie every Sin and to perform an uniform Obedience to God and from every Fall rising again by Repentance And thus if we Obey God's Holy Will and Commandments and Walk in the same all the Days of our Life we shall not fail to be Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And thus I have fully explained to you all the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace both on God's part and on ours both what it is to be a Member c. and which are the Mercies and Favours made over to us therein on God's part and what it is to Renounce the Devil c. which are the Conditions to be performed on ours My next Task must be and then I shall give you a full account of all that pertains to the Nature and Substance of the Covenant of Grace to shew you what a happy state of Salvation this is to be in such a gracious Covenant with GOD By whose Mediation we obtained it By whom and how we are called into it And lastly what infinite Thanks we owe to God for Calling us into this state of Salvation All which Points we have taught us in these Words And I thank God our heavenly Father that he hath called me to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour THE XXIV Lecture And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that He hath Called me to this State of Salvation through Iesus Christ our Saviour I Have already in order to a full Explication of all that pertains to the nature of the Covenant of Grace given you an account of the Terms and Conditions of it both on God's part and on ours as they are laid down and taught you in your Church-Catechism The Invaluable Priviledges on God's part made over to you therein as you are taught in your Catechism and I have explained 'em to you are first That you are therein made Members of Christ secondly Children of God and thirdly Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven And those Conditions to be performed by us our part of the Covenant are That we should first Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Secondly That we should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And Thirdly That we should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of our Life And what each several Article in this your gracious Covenant doth mean and import I have hitherto according to the best of my Skill been explaining to you And now if there be any thing farther necessary to a full and compleat Explication of the Nature of this Covenant it must be this in the second place to shew you How that thereby you are restored to a state of Salvation Thirdly By whose Mediation you obtained so gracious a Covenant and are put thereby into a state of Salvation It was through Jesus Christ our Saviour Fourthly By whom and how we have been Called to this state of Salvation It was our Heavenly Father who hath called us to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And lastly What infinite reason you have heartily to thank Almighty God our Heavenly Father that he hath Called you to this state of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Saviour And I heartily thank our Heavenly Father that he hath Called me to this State c. And as all these Points are fairly taught you in these Words of your Catechism so in commenting upon these I will by God's Assistance open and explain these several Points to you To proceed therefore in order to a more compleat understanding of the whole Nature of the Covenant of Grace let us see Secondly How this Covenant whose Terms and Conditions I have been explaining to you does restore us to a state of Salvation That in the Covenant of Grace we are restored to a â—tate of Salvation Salvation does import a deliverance from Danger or Misery and a State of Salvation does import the being put into a Condition of Safety where one may be safe and secure from Danger and Misery if he please For our understanding therefore how this Covenant of Grace is a means of restoring us to a State of Salvation we must look back and consider how we brought our selves into a State of Danger and Misery before and how by the Covenant of Grace we are put again into a State of Safety and Security if we pelase And to this purpose we must know That God Almighty created Man at first in such a state of Perfection How we brought our selves into a state of Misery before with such an enlightned Mind such a regular Will to the Laws of right Reason and with such obedient Appetites and Affections that he might if he would have continued in perfect Innocency And now making him thus upright and capable to perform such an Obedience God did very reasonably make this Covenant with Man That he should perform a Perfect Exact Vnsinning Obedience and live for ever But upon the least Sin the eating of the Fruit of one Forbidden Tree he should surely die The Event of which Proceeding was that Man hearkning to the Suggestions of the Devil did thereby rebell against his Maker take part with Satan and so did forfeit all his Right and Hopes of Happiness which upon the faithful Performance of his Covenant he would have had was shut out of Paradise and condemned to death as you will see largely described in the third Chapter of Genesis Thus did Man by the breach of his Covenant with God bring himself into a state of Danger and extream Misery How by the Covenant of Grace we are put into a state of security if we please And now here it comes in for us to consider the Second Covenant as that which restores us to a state of Salvation Had the First remained uncancelled and in full force we must have all perished without remedy upon a double account It required an unsinning Obedience and we had sinned It allowed no place for Repentance after Sin and yet we had brought our selves into that State that except we should repent and our Repentance be accepted we must all undoubtedly have perished We were unavoidably therefore bound up by that First Covenant as the case then stood with us to Death and Misery and it was not possible for the Wit of Man to contrive any way to escape it And now when we were in this irrepairable State was God of his own Goodness graciously pleased to cancel the First Covenant blotting out the Hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to the Cross of Christ Col. 2.14 By which place is more immediately meant I must confess his concelling and making void as to any condemning Power in it the Covenant of Works made with the Israelites by the hand of Moses but not so
always distinguishable from those of the World and the Flesh which are manag'd and directed by him pag. 127 Some of the most considerable of his Methods of Tempting us discovered First He permits if not furthers some in a partial Obedience to God in some Particulars the better to detain them perfect Slaves to himself in others This a most fatal Delusion when some Sins only of a scandalous Name are exchanged for contrary Vertues but with the Retention of Impieties of a higher Nature pag. 128 Such the most Irreclaimable of all Sinners Secondly By putting plausible Names upon the worst of Sins under that disguise he does cheat Persons into a good Opinion of 'em and then to commit ' em Sin in that disguise gets Reputation amongst Men. pag. 129 Thirdly By changing the Nature of several Divine Graces so that they degenerate into very great Sins Sins thus mistaken are seldom Repented of Fourthly By putting Novices upon undertaking Severities greater than they can go thro' with on design that when they grow weary thereof they may together with those their voluntary Severities throw all Religion aside as too Burdensom and not at all Practicable pag. 130 The difference between God's Ordering and the Devil's Management of Men in these Matters Fifthly By injecting of evil Thoughts into our Minds at our Devotion to unhallow those Services whereby we do really and most immediately glorify God and benefit our own Souls pag. 131 And thus he hinders the Efficacy of the Word Sixthly The Devil observing the outward Wants and Necessities of Persons he accordingly Tempts them by the use of unlawful Means to remove those Evils Seventhly Knowing every particular Person 's inward Dispositions he accordingly presents such Objects to the Fancy as shall be likeliest to prevail over such a Man to commit some grievous Sin pag. 132 Eighthly Above all by Representing to the Fancies of Men the Conveniency of Riches the Glory of Honours and the Sweetness of Pleasures he does thereby Bribe 'em to Rebel against God and to Sin against their own Souls In his Representation of this World's Goods he shews only the fair Out-side to allure into Sin industriously concealing all that is Hurtful therein and would deter Men from it pag. 133 Ninthly Having prevail'd thereby upon Persons to commit some grievous Sin to obtain them he then lays the shame and disgrace of their Sins before 'em perswading 'em to commit another horrid Wickedness to hide from the Eyes of Men the shame of the former pag. 134 Tenthly Having once Engag'd a Person into many Sins he either lulls him in Security or drives him into Despair Lastly There are those whom God does in a great measure give up to the Delusions of Satan others whom he does wholly Abandon to the Power of the Devil First Such ill-dispos'd Minds as out of love to their Lusts seek after such Principles and Teachers as will make Sin easy to their Consciences are justly left to the Delusions of Satan Secondly Such as by a long Course of many damning Sins have laid wast the Conscience and have baffled all the Methods of God's Grace to Reclaim 'em these are sometimes even in this Life abandon'd by God to be acted by the Devil pag. 135 And lastly so are Witches Magicians and Conjurers who have Covenanted away both Body and Soul to the Devil on Condition he will be for some time at their Beck to execute their vile and malicious Purposes Upon the general View of the Works of the Devil both of Sin and Temptation it does appear his Drift is no less than to usurp God's Throne and to draw the whole Race of Mankind into the same Cursed Rebellion against the Majesty of Heaven with himself pag. 136 What it is and how we must Renounce this great Work of the Devil his Tempting of us to Sin pag. 137 The Temptations of the Devil are then only properly Renounced when they are Resisted by us That they may be successfully Resisted First We must keep our selves always Sober Sobriety First As opposite to Drunkenness a necessary Preservative against Satan's Temptations pag. 138 Secondly As opposite to Passion Secondly Watchful over those our Weaknesses especially where Satan will be likeliest to Attempt us And Thirdly we must be constant and fervent in Prayer to God to Protect us from them pag. 139 LECT XIV What is meant by the Pomps and Vanity of the wicked World and in what sence and how far we must Renounce the wicked World with its Pomps and Vanity Three things here to be Explain'd and accordingly Renounc'd 1. The World 2. The wicked World and 3. The Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World The World a great Enemy to God's Glory and our own Happiness pag. 141 It is to be consider'd both Generally and Particularly First By the World in general is meant that whole Frame of Nature which we behold and all that variety of Creatures which it contains and is given us by the Bounty and Goodness of God for our Use and Benefit The World in this sence is not in it self Evil but only accidentally by Man's Abuse of himself or it pag. 142 Consider'd in it self it is very Good and convenient to us And as it is not absolutely in it self Evil so neither is it entirely to be Renounced but being Good in it self it may in some measure be desir'd and enjoy'd by us Nevertheless through our own Corruption whereby we abuse the good Things of the World it becomes accidentally the occasion of most of our Sins and of our Estrangement from God our sovereign Good How the World becomes so pag. 143 In what manner it does Captivate us and draws us from God So far therefore as it engages our Affections too closely to it so as to make us Inordinately and Irregularly to mind it and to neglect our great Concern the Business of Religion it is to be Renounced and Rejected by us So long as we wear these Earthly Bodies about us we are permitted the Use and Enjoyment of worldly Things provided in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable But being our Souls our principal Part are soon to remove to Heaven we must chiefly set our Affections on things Above and mainly endeavour to attain ' em pag. 144 Secondly Concerning the World consider'd in its Particulars and those Temptations result both from the Good and the Evils thereof The good Things of this World Riches Honours and Pleasures the Evils Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions And Things of a middle Nature are the different Callings Conditions and Cares of this World First As to Riches these are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestowed upon us to good Ends and Purposes And those who enjoy 'em have great Advantages of doing Good therewith to others Comfort and the Benefit of their own Souls Nevertheless Riches are a mighty Temptation whether we consider Men as Getting Possessing or as Parting with or Losing of them pag. 145 First In the over-eager Pursuit
the very Image of God it is very reasonably requir'd of him That he should chiefly mind Heaven and Heavenly Things his near and chief Relations if I may so say which he is Everlastingly to enjoy and that he should not much concern himself with the Things of this world which he must shortly leave behind him and then all Relation betwixt 'em will cease But all the time of his Pilgrimage here Living and Conversing for the most part with the Things below he becomes sooner acquainted with them and they with him they have an easier Access to him than Heavenly Things and have therefore greater Opportunities to court his Affections and to win upon 'em So that in the End it too often falls out that St. Paul's Rule is liv'd Counter to and Men generally Set their Affections on things below and not on things above 〈◊〉 what manâ— it does â—ptivate us 〈◊〉 draw us â—m God The manner how the world Captivates and Enslaves and Draws the whole Man in Triumph after it is this It presents to the Senses Riches Honours and Pleasures and dazles 'em with their Glory and Beauty Men's outward Senses being so extreamly taken with these do easily bribe the Affections to love 'em above all other and cause 'em to Covet and Lust after ' em The Affections becoming hereby most eagerly desirous of 'em do put a false Biass upon the Judgment so that our Understanding and Reason usually becomes thereby so far Corrupted as to dictate to the Will that these outward and sensible good Things are the Objects which are above all others worthy of its Choice And thereupon the Will does immediately choose the present Objects of Sense the Riches Honours and Pleasures of this World prefering 'em far before spiritual Things And thus the whole Man Body and Soul is made a Slave to the world and neglects Heaven and minds not to perform the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace the way thither 〈◊〉 far thereâ—e as it enâ—ges our Afâ—tions too â—sely to it â—s to make 〈◊〉 Inordiâ—ely and â—egularly 〈◊〉 mind it â—d to neglect 〈◊〉 great Conâ—n the Buâ—ess of Reâ—ion it is to â—â—e Renounâ— and Reâ—â—ed by us So that upon the whole Matter the world is so far only our Enemy and to be Renounced and Overcome by us as it Engages our Affections too closely to it so as to make us Inordinately and Irregularly that is with an Affection to it or any Thing in it beyond its due Desert to mind it and too much to neglect our great Concern the Business of Religion and the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace our way to Heaven and Happiness * So long as we wear these Earthly Bodies about us we are permitted the Vse and Enjoyment of worldly Things provided in Things lawful and in Degrees allowable So long as we live in this World and are Parts of it our selves and carry these Bodies of Earthly Materials about us there is no doubt but it is necessary for us and we are permitted to be concern'd in it and we may without scruple gratify our selves with the Enjoyments of it provided it be in Things lawful and in degrees allowable and that we suffer not our Hearts and Affections to be too much fixt upon it But in regard our Souls the principal Part of us by far are the Natives of Heaven and are only as Pilgrims and Tenants here Below to stay but for a short Time For As the Dust shall return to the Earth as it was so the Spirit shall return to God â—t being our â—uls our â—ncipal â—rt are soon 〈◊〉 remove to â—eaven we â—â—st chiefly 〈◊〉 our â—fections on â—ings above â—d mainly â—â—eavour to â—ain them who gave it Eccl. 12.7 we must therefore Set our Affections chiefly on things above on God the Society Interests and Enjoyments of that Ever-blessed State making it our main Business to Possess to Attain and Enjoy them and not on things below the foolish Interests and Satisfactions of this perishing and transitory State here on Earth Col. 3.2 And so far as the world or any thing in it Inveigles our Hearts and Affections to fix upon it and seduces us to commit any Thing sinful and hinders to mind the Business of Religion and the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace our way to Happiness and everlasting Satisfaction it is to be Renounced Rejected and Overcome by us It is the Matter of a Christian's Warfare and the subject of his Victory And so far as this Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World 1 Joh. 5.4 and in this sence St. Paul Professes Gal. 6.14 that The world was Crucified unto him and he unto the world And thus you see in General in what sence and how far we are to Renounce the World But Secondly II. Concerning the World consider'd in its Particulars those Temptations result both from the Good and the Evils thereof For the more full and compleat Explication of this Point of Renouncing the world it being a Matter wherein it concerns you to receive the most distinct Directions I will farther consider the Particulars of which this World is made up and will also shew you in what sence and how far you are to Renounce each of ' em And here it is observable that when we come to take a nearer View of the world in its Particulars it does not then appear as it does in the General to have nothing in it but Good but to contain withal a great mixture of Evil and indeed to be in the present State thereof almost wholly made up of Vanity and Vexation of Spirit And both the Good and the Evil Things thereof do give us considerable Temptations to Sin Now the Good Things of this world are summ'd up under these Heads The Riches Honours and the Pleasures it affords The good things of this World Riches Honours Pleasures the Evils Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions And Things of a middle Nature are the different Callings Conditions and Cares of this World And its Evils on the contrary may be reduc'd to Poverty Disgrace and those Afflictions of all sorts which in innumerable ways do assail us And there are also some Things therein of a middle Nature as different Callings Conditions or States of Life and the Cares of this World which are the Appurtenances to it and afford great matter of Temptation and Tryal to us therein And in what Sence and how far you are to Renounce it with reference to each of these I will endeavour to shew you And First As to the Riches of this World These are not in themselves Hurtful but Good and are bestowed by the Divine Providence upon those that have 'em to very excellent Purposes and Uses that they may do Good therewith and that not only in providing for their own Houshold but also by Stewarding them out to the Support and Advancement of Religion and Vertue I.
the King of Heaven and deliver'd them by his Ambassadours the Preachers of his Word No the End of all Pleasure as well as of Recreations is to render us not less but more vigorous and lively in the Service of God and the proper Business of our Calling Which brings me Lastly To consider Recreative Pleasures and to shew you what they are in what sence and how far we are to Renounce those sort of Pleasures Now these are meerly of a middle and of an indifferent Nature Recreative Pleasures of a miâ—â—le and indifferent Nature They are neither wholly Mental nor altogether Bodily Pleasures but may be either And they are neither necessarily Good nor Evil but either one or other according as they are used For when the Mind has been long intent upon Study and Meditation it may be very convenient to Vnbend it by giving our selves some bodily Diversion as Walking Riding or other innocent Recreation And when the Body has been long fatigued and wearied with Labour it is requisite to give it Ease and it is no wise hurtful either to Soul or Body to fall into a chearful provided it be an innocent Conversation And indeed the moderate use of innocent Pleasures and Recreations is both useful and necessary It enlivens Nature brisks up our Spirits and renders us more able to set again about serious Business and Employment For to intermix no Gratifications nor Diversions with our more serious Affairs makes the Mind unactive dull and useless But Recreations the most innocent of 'em are to be moderately and sparingly us'd The most Innocent thereof are to be sparingly used by every Christian for he that shall much indulge himself in the allowed Pleasures of the World shall quickly bring himself into a Frame of Spirit that will not easily endure Patience Self-denial and Mortification and other the more difficult and considerable Parts of Religion Ease and Diversions soften the Sinews dissolve the Nerves and are apt to render us Nice and Delicate and Effeminate a Temper the most unsuitable for any Souldier because it will utterly indispose him for Military Severities Ease and Pleasure therefore must be warily Indulg'd to by the Souldier of JESUS in whose Warfare there are both Conflicts and Severities far surpassing the hardest which other Wars engage us in No if you will become Excellent in Religion nay keep but within the Bounds of Innocence you must innure your selves much to Christian Severity and Reservedness and the most harmless of this World's Delights are to be more rarely us'd than is commonly thought of He that constantly eats a full Meal will not endure a Day of Fasting and he that does not sometimes deny himself in lawful Enjoyments will be hardly able to Resist a Temptation to immoderate Gratifications But however no Man should make Sports his Business nor Pastimes his Employment no more than Cordials his Drink nor Sauces his Meat To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven there is a time to weep as well as a time to laugh a time to mourn as well as a time to dance Eccl. 3.1.4 And therefore such who think they have nothing else to do with their Time must consider that they have that precious Talent given 'em to greater Ends than to wast it in Divertisements Nay and those whose Ample Fortunes in the World put them above the common Condition of Mankind and are not to eat of their Bread in the sweat of their Brows need not live by a Profession and a Calling would do well to consider that the greatest part of their Time ought to be laid out in doing Good in the World in being Useful and Beneficial to the Society whereof they are Parts and Members In enquiring into the Necessities of their poorer Brethren in contriving Ways and Means both to Employ and Relieve ' em And above all in promoting Religion and the Honour of God amongst Men so far at least as their own Authority and Power reaches whether in their Families or amongst their Tenants Neighbours and Dependants And these are Employments which will yield both Satisfaction here and will be rewarded with eternal Joys hereafter These are Employments and Pleasures both and which Pleasures seldom do will turn to good Account hereafter And thus I have at length finisht all that I think necessary to say to you concerning Renouncing either the World in general or those particular Good things into which it is divided viz. The Riches Honours and the Pleasures of it There was great variety of useful Matter to be consider'd under these several Heads and therefore I have been the longer upon 'em I shall be more short upon the rest The next of which are Secondly The Evils of the World viz. Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions The Evils of the World are Poverty Disgrace Affliction These are opposite to the other Goods and they are Instruments whereby Satan our great Adversary does Attack us when the other fail him as is eminently seen in the Case of Job Chap. 1 2. But these are not so successful to Ruine us as those which are call'd the Good things of the World commonly are There is less Variety in the ways wherein these do Tempt us And we do not open the Gates of our Souls to these as we do to the Enjoyments of this World But do rather fortify our selves against them However there is Temptations in these also and I will consider 'em as briefly as I can and how they are to be Resisted by us To proceed then First As to Poverty and Afflictions for I shall not consider these Two altogether apart the Temptations that either give us being much the same These indeed instead of Temptations to Sin and Hindrances to Vertue do very often prove Mortifiers of Vice and the great occasions of a Holy Life Poverty and Afflictions instead of Temptations to Sin and Hindrances to Vertue do very often prove Mortifiers of Vice and the great occasions of a holy Life For besides that in a State of Adversity and Want we are not so subject to Pride Insolence and a Contempt of Religion nor so liable to Luxury Ambition and Covetousness and many other Sins which are too often the Effects of a prosperous and flourishing Condition The divers sorts of Afflictions and Adversities as Sickness Loss of Goods and of Friends Poverty and Want and the like are naturally Advantagious and do mightily tend to the Encrease of many the most precious Graces in the sight of God as might be easily made appear These wean us from the World and instead of Setting our affections on things below they do cause us to put our affections on things above Seeing the Vanity Emptiness Transitoriness and great Inconstancy of this World's Enjoyments we are apt to thirst after those Permanent Certain and Everlasting Joys prepared in Heaven for us When Afflictions and Want and all other Hopes and Expectations fail us we do
from affecting such Respects as are above our Merit that we should not over-eagerly desire those that are deserv'd and due to us nor must we Plume and Pride our selves when we have ' em To do otherwise proceeds from an Ambition which ill-becomes the Disciples of Him that was so exceeding Lowly Who tho' he was Lord of all yet came here into the World not to be Ministred unto but to Minister Matth. 20.28 And we should not be angry with others that do think or speak ill of us but at our selves that we deserve to be so thought or spoke of And herein also we have our Blessed Saviour for our Example who tho' He he did no Sin neither was Guile found in his Mouth when he was Reviled Reviled not again 1 Pet. 2.22 23. Fourthly The last Instance of sinful Vanity does appear in the Affectation of costly Apparel and Ornaments IV. In the vain Affectation of costly Apparel and Ornaments As when Persons exceed what becomes their Rank and Degree in what they wear when they are proud of their Cloaths and Ornaments when they Adorn themselves to undue Ends and Purposes and lastly when they spend too much Time and at unfitting Seasons therein I. When Perâ—â—s exceed â—â—at becomes â—â—eir Rank â—â—d Degree 〈◊〉 what they â—ear First As for the use of costly Ornaments for Distinction sake it seems to be intimated by our Saviour when he says that Those who wear soft Raiment are in Kings Houses Matth. 11.8 And no doubt as Honour is to be paid to whom Honour is due so a Distinction in Habits according to the Dignity and Quality of Persons is allowable and useful but this Distinction is quite lost when Persons of lower Rank do strive to be seen as early in a new Dress and as Rich in their Attire as those that are above ' em II. When they â—â—e proud of â—â—eir Ornaâ—ents Secondly And the Vanity is Intolerable when Persons of either Sex of what Rank and Quality soever they be grow Proud of their Dress so as to be pufft up in their own Minds on so mean an Account and Insolent so as to despise others for want of the like as if outward Ornaments can add any thing to real and inward Worth When alas we every Day behold many an ignorant empty stupid Wretch and many a vicious Beast flutter in a gaudy Garb when those Minds that are best adorn'd with Wisdom and Vertue choose but plain and mean Apparel But such vain Self-admirers would do well to consider how ill it far'd with Herod when Array'd in his Royal Apparel and receiving the profane Applauses of the gazing Croud he forgot himself And gave not the Glory to God as you may see Act. 12.21 22 23. He was eaten up with Worms and if those Worms were Lice it was a Punishment exactly suited to his Pride III. â—hen they aâ—dorn themâ—â—lves to unâ—â—e Ends â—urposes Thirdly But the Vanity of those is most odious in the sight both of God and Man who Deck themselves to inflame Lust in the Beholders and like Her mention'd Prov. 7.10 Meet men in the Attire of an Harlot It is a kind of Adultery says the Excellent Hammond in that Woman who not only Exposes and Prostitutes her self to the Eyes of Men but so Dresses and sets her self out to that End she may be thus Lookt upon and call to her self the Eyes of all Men. If she strike not wound not others she shall yet be Punisht for she hath mixt the Potion prepar'd the Poison tho' she hath not given the Cup to Drink Yes and hath done that too tho' none be found that will Drink of it It seems there is a piece of Christian Chastity requir'd of Women in this Kind that is not generally thought on but would be carefully practiced if all of the Female Sex would seriously read over and consider that admirable place in Isaiah 3. describing the Vanity and Wickedness of Women in this Respect and the Anger of God towards 'em for it It is a Character of Women's Vanity too long here to give you but begins at the 16th Verse of the 3d Chapter ending at the 25th and you had best read it at your Leisure and you cannot too often meditate upon it Our Church is pleas'd to Condescend in one of her Homilies to consider the Excuses that such make who paint their Faces and deck themselves in Gay Apparel and Dress immodestly That it is to please their Husband to delight his Eyes and Retain his Love towards them but she plainly tells them That thereby they go about to please others rather than their Husbands that it is to provoke others to Tempt 'em to deceive their Souls by the Bait of such Pomp and Pride and that they make of the indecent Apparel of the Body the Devil's Net to catch the Souls of them which behold 'em But Fourthly and Lastly Lastly when they spend too much Time and at unfitting Seasons therein the Pride and Vanity of those is Sacrilegious who spend so much of their Time in this weighty Business every Morning that they have not room to say their Prayers nay who are so long and critical in Decking themselves on the Lord's Day that the Service of God is almost over before they can force themselves from their Glass Such I say are plainly Sacrilegious in Robbing God of his Portion of Time and employing that in setting forth their own Glory which should be wholly spent to his Honour And they are most injurious to their own Souls in Decking their Carkasses with outward Ornaments when they should be Adorning their Souls with inward and Divine Graces But alas they that are much occupied says our Homily in caring for things pertaining to the Body are most commonly Negligent and Careless in matters that concern the Soul Well But after all I am sensible I have fall'n upon as Nice a Subject as any can be Handled there being Nothing wherein the World will with so much Uneasiness bear a Contradiction as in this Point of its Vanities and especially in the matter of Apparel For whilst some are so Strait-lac'd as to Censure every thing that is Ornamental in our way of Living and so many others on the contrary are so strangely Profuse to a high degree of Vanity it is hard to determine this case so as not to incur the Prejudice of one or other I will therefore choose to give in the Words of the Learned Dr. Hammond the true State of this matter shewing what Allowances without imputation of Vanity may be granted in the Use of Ornamentals and how far on the other side they are to be Renounc'd by you And herein this Great Father of our Church gives this prudent Advice That none go above what the Soberer and Graver sort of his Quality and Condition do use that they Abstain as much as may be from the frequent Changing and Inventing of Fashions from the being earliest in
possible Care to avoid it pag. 201 But Thirdly when Employment and necessary Occasions draw Men forth into the World they must refuse to Conform themselves to the Manners of ill Company First By discountenancing their Profaneness and Riot Secondly By diverting 'em by useful Discourse from both Thirdly If all Methods fail by openly Reproving them To do this Service to God we are particularly Listed in our Baptism We shall be much discouraged from this by Men. But have infinite Encouragements to such Fidelity from God pag. 202 LECT XVIII Thirdly Flattery a great Temptation to Sin The Ground thereof our own immoderate Self-love pag. 204 This Flattery keeping Men ignorant of the good or ill Qualities in 'em thereupon the Good never come to Perfection And the Ill that is in Men does thereby grow Incorrigible pag. 205 First In order to Renounce Flattery we must Cashier every vain Opinion of our own selves Secondly We must so far Renounce the Flatteries of Men as to take it kindly to be Reproved pag. 206 Especially the Reproofs of God's Ministers are to be kindly received and regarded Fourthly Wicked Men Tempt others to Sin by their false and fallacious Arguings against the Necessity of a Holy Life pag. 207 All which wicked Reasonings we must fortifie our selves against as when they Plead First That it is inconsistent with God's Mercy for the Sins of a short Life to Condemn the Guilty to an Eternity of Woe and Misery pag. 208 Secondly That the Duties of Religion are hard Sayings which no Man can bear Thirdly That they are made of Flesh and Blood and that therefore sure God will not require Men upon the Forfeiture of Salvation if they do not to mortifie the Flesh Lastly That God has set us in a World full of Temptations and abounding with sensual Delights and Pleasures and that he therefore who has placed us in it will not command us upon Pain of Damnation to over-come those strong Temptations and to deny these Pleasures of the World Fifthly Wicked Men will add Kindnesses and Promises to Oblige us to do ill Things and on the contrary will much discourage us nay sometimes Threaten us to forbear our Duty pag. 210 211 First Kindnesses must not corrupt us to Sin Secondly Promises must not bribe us Thirdly Discouragements must not hinder us from discharging our Duty Nor Fourthly must Threatnings or Frowns fright us from it pag. 212 Lastly The evil Customs which have prevailed in the World are a powerful Temptation to Sin Custom takes off the Sence and Fear of Hurt in the most Vnchristian Practices pag. 213 A Christian must courageously and vigorously renounce and withstand the Force of all sinful Customs whatsoever Such only as are Immoral are to be Renounced pag. 214 The greatest Courage required to this Part of a Christian's Warfare Cowardice the Cause of Complying with the Custom of Duelling or any other Custom of Sinning pag. 215 LECT XIX First Thereby were anciently meant those pompous Spectacles Plays and Scenical Representations exhibited in the Roman Theaters pag. 217 Our Modern Plays no less Inferior to 'em in Impiety than in Pompousness And having such a malignant Influence upon Faith and Manners ought never to be frequented by Christians pag. 218 Secondly By Pomps in the sence of the Ancients were meant the solemn Processions of the Heathens in Honour of their Gods The Idolatrous Processions of the Papists in the honour of the Saints answerable to these And must not therefore be joined in Thirdly By Pomps Reduâ—ely may be meant the Revels and Drunken Riots of our Youth at Wakes and Festivals pag. 219 â—o be Abstain'd from Vanity of the World What First When Perrous outgo their Ability 〈◊〉 Building and Furniture pag. 220 â—dly It appears in striving for Precedence Thirdly In affecting Titles above ones Quaâ— and to be esteem'd Vertuous above ones Desert IV. In the vain Affectation of costly Apâ—el and Ornaments As First When Persons exceed what becomes their Rank and Degree 〈◊〉 â—hat they wear Secondly When they are proud of their Ornaments Thirdly When they â—orn themselves to undue Ends and Purposes pag. 221 222 〈◊〉 When they spend too much Time and at unfitting Seasons therein Decency according to â—t is suitable to Age Sex or Quality the Rule in this Case pag. 223 LECT XX. â—ow our selves especially our natural Imperfection a most useful part of Knowledge pag. 225 â—lesh variously exprest What is meant by the Flesh 1. The whole Vnregenerate Nature of Man 〈◊〉 and Body 2. The whole Man not as created by God but as he is now in the State of Corâ—ted Nature 3. As spoiled in his Original Frame and Constitution as despoiled of the Image 〈◊〉 God and as inordinately tending towards the Creature pag. 226 â—riginal Frame and Constitution of Humane Nature what The Image of God wherein Man 〈◊〉 at first created what pag. 227 â—ent and Inclination of the Soul towards God what 1. In the Vnregenerate Nature the Oriâ—al Frame and Constitution of Man wherein he was created is broken pag. 228 â—e Image of God wherein he was first created defaced Lastly the Tendency of all the Faculâ— both of Soul and Body are towards the Creature pag. 229 〈◊〉 renounce the Flesh is to be renewed in the whole Frame and Constitution of our Nature after 〈◊〉 Image of God The Image of God must be restored as far as it can in this Corrupt State 〈◊〉 must be renewed to a perfection of Parts tho not of Degrees pag. 230 〈◊〉 renounce the Flesh is to be converted in the whole Bent and Inclination of the Soul towards God pag. 231 LECT XXI â—inful Lusts of the Flesh what pag. 232 â—inful Lusts of the Fleshly Mind what 1. When we are curious to know Things which are either â—rtful to be known Or not proper for Man to know pag. 253 â—hen we do immoderately study to be exquisitely skilled in whatever Humane Arts and Sciences the neglect or contempt of Divine Knowledge The Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it â—ves to nobler purposes so ought it to be preferred to any other pag. 234 Necessary Points of Christian Knowledge 3. When out of Pride Prejudice and Contradiction 〈◊〉 all sacred Truths we set up our own carnal Imaginations and fleshly Reasonings against those â—iritual Notions and those Mysterious Articles of our Faith which are delivered to us in Scripture pag. 235 〈◊〉 Humour of opposing Reason to Revelation proceeds from mere Pride This corrupt Will what â—d how to be renounced pag. 236 â—he Affections what and how to be renounced pag. 437 As they are misplaced upon wrong Objects 2. As they are disproportionate to the Love Worth â—nd Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly affected in moderate â—egrees 3. The Lusts and Appetites are such sinful Lusts of the Flesh as are to be renounced pag. 238 As they do desire undue Objects 2. As they desire them in immoderate Measures Lastly the
Pompous Shows and Spectacles exhibited by the Emperors and Great Men of Rome in the Roman Theaters wherein Multitudes of Captive Wretches were put to Slay one another in their Sword-Plays for the Diversion of the People And indeed it is not unlikely that thereby may be meant not only those Bloody Sword-Plays but all those Scenical Representations and Plays whatever Acted in Memory of their false Gods upon their Great Festivals which were sometimes so very Lewd and Impious for Instance those which were Acted in Honour of Flora that the People of Rome were asham'd to proceed in 'em Valer. Maxim Lib 2. Cap. 8. whilst Cato a Person of Renown'd Vertue amongst 'em was present in the Theater They were also wonderfully Pompous and the Scenes Magnificent the greatest Grandees of Rome appearing at 'em and having their proper Seats or Boxes appropriated to each Order and Rank of Great Men according to their Degrees and Qualities And here also very likely it was that the Lewd Crew of both Sexes met together to make their Assignations for near to the Circus and Theater there were those Stews where they withdrew to act their vile Abominations Our Modern Plays no less Inferior to 'em â—n Impiety â—han in Pomâ—ousness And now that which Approaches in these our Days nearest to those sort of Heathenish Pomps and which in Pompousness and Magnificence of Scene are not much Inferior to them are those Profane and Lewd Plays Acted in our Publick Play-houses where for ought I know more Souls are now Murder'd than in the former were Bodies more Profaneness utter'd and more Lewd Assignations made than at the Pagan Theaters And how infinitely unfit then is it that those kind of Diversions should be suffer'd in a Christian State or that Persons professing Christianity should be permitted to go near ' em The Primitive Fathers lookt upon the Theaters and Play-houses as no other than the Devil's Territories insomuch that it happening once that when a Christian being prompted by Curiosity to be present at the Spectacles therein was possest by the Devil the Father was not at all Startle'd at it but readily own'd that Satan had a Right to take that Person Captive whom he found within his own Precincts And if those who frequent our Modern Play-houses Est nihil omnino damnosius quam Spectaculis assidere quando per Voluptatem facilius proclivius obrepant vitia Quid me existimas dicere Avarior Ambitiosior Luxuriosior imo vero Crudelior Inhumanior redeo Coel. Rhodi Ant. Lib. Octa. c. 7. do generally return thence possest with a Spirit of Profaneness Lust or Vanity it is but what may reasonably be expected for tho' all Evil Conversation is Infectious yet Vice does then most easily Insinuate it self into our Dispositions and Flies to the very Heart when the Poison is mixt with Pleasure Wit and Smartness of Conceit And having â—ch a maligâ—ant Influence â—pon Faith â—nd Manners â—â—ght never to â—e frequented 〈◊〉 Christians And now since it is Universally agreed amongst all serious Persons that a more Irreligious Spirit did never Reign upon any Theater than has in this last Age on our Modern Play-houses Since as is the general Complaint in these Houses Piety is so strangely Ridicul'd the Holy and Reverend Name of God Profan'd and his Glory and Interest render'd so Contemptible and Vile Since the Youth especially of our Nation are so allur'd hereby into the Love of and Delight in Idleness excessive Vanity Revelings Luxury Wantonness Lasciviousness Whoredoms and such Debaucheries by Oaths Looseness of Conversation and corrupt Atheistical Principles Since our Gentlemen are here taught to Deride Religion to Dissolve in Luxury to Abandon themselves to their Pleasures to be Debauchers of Women to be Profuse and Extravagant in their Expences and to be entirely Libertines Since the Young Ladies of our Nation are here throughly Instructed in Intrigues and Assignations to Scoff at the prudent Reservedness and Modesty of the best of their Sex to despise the wise Instructions of their Parents and Guardians to be Disobedient to their Authority and at last without their Knowledge or Consent to Marry themselves to some loose or lewd Libertine And indeed since the Minds and Manners of the Great Ones especially of both Sexes are thereby so foully Corrupted and their Affections so sadly alienated from the Love of God and Goodness All these things consider'd 't were greatly to be wisht our Play-Houses were totally supprest However in the mean time I think it concerns all that will be secure from ever Apostatizing from the Faith of Christ and a Religious Life so far to Reject these our modern Pomps as never to Enter within those Houses where these Plays are acted Secondly By Pomps in the Sence of the Ancients as some do think are meant the Solemn Processions of the Heathens II. By Pomps in the sence of the Ancients were meant the solemn Processions of of the Heathens in Honour of their Gods wherein they carried the Images of their Gods through the Streets of the City in a most Pompous manner all the Priests Magistrates and People of Rome as Tertullian does Represent it Attending and Paying their Veneration towards them And answerably to these without the least straining of the meaning in the present State of the Church may be understood those Idolatrous Processions amongst the Papists The Idolatrous Processions of the Papists in honour of the Saints answerable to these where sometimes the Images of the Saints sometimes the Host is carried in the same Solemn manner as among the Pagans were the Images of their Gods And the like Adoration and Worship requir'd from all who accompany or accidentally fall amongst 'em out of Curiosity to observe their Vanities And as amongst the Ancients those were Censur'd as Partakers with the Heathen in their Idolatry who went along with them or were publick Spectators of 'em as thereby signifying to the Eyes of Men their Allowance and Approbation thereof and of the Idolatry they contain'd and were certain to be cast out of the Communion of the Church for the same And must not therefore be joined in So those Protestant Gentlemen who Traveling into Forreign Countries out of Curiosity to observe the Popish Vanities shall Voluntarily appear amongst the Train accompanying them cannot be thought more Favourably of And if through Force they are Compel'd to join in the Adoration of those Images and shall rather comply than suffer they are wanting in Discharging that great Duty of Confessing of Christ which is so strictly requir'd at our Hands as ever we expect to have him Confess us before God and his Holy Angels Thirdly By Pomps may be meant reductively III. By Pomps Reductively may be meant the Revels DruÌ„ken Riots of our Youth at Wakes and Festivals all those Revels and Riotous Meetings of Youth whereby our Great Festivals Piously Instituted by the Church to be kept with Joyful Thanksgivings to God for