supplied by Equity It is not so general that it does not descend to Particular Instances There is no Necessity of new Laws to be added or a Dispensation from those that are already As there is the great Justice so the greatest Equity in the Laws of Christ Besides this I also infer these two great Commendations of the Laws of Christ from what I have said 1. That care is taken by them to prevent the secret commission of those Faults whereby one might hurt another Tho humane Laws and Courts may never take cognizance of some Crimes and if they do may not condemn them yet the Christian Law obliges in such Cases to forbear those Practices whereby we might prejudice our Brethren We must not harm another tho no Man does see or can ever discover us And we are injoined to do those good Offices to others to which we are not tied by any humane Authority 2. The very Principles of all Good and Evil Practices to our Neighbours are the Matter of the Christian Law For those Affections nay the very first Motions and Thoughts that lead to do them Evil are restrain'd and as far as they can be supposed to fall under our Liberty forbid And therefore not only Murder but Hatred and Malice and Envy yea unjust Anger and even Uncharitableness are forbidden and whosoever allows himself in such evil Affections as these transgresses the Law of Christ All those immoderate and unreasonable Appetites and Desires of Honours and Riches and Pleasures which are the Springs of all Injustice and Injuries to our Brethren are prohibited and as much as may be suppressed and cut off by the Law Thus it is not in Humane Laws they cannot take such an effectual Course to prevent the secret Practices of Mischief and they do not so much as pretend to command or forbid Mens inward Thoughts and Affections 3. Let us consider the End at which the Christian Law aims That is in general ultimately the Perfection and Happiness of all Men but more especially and immediatly the Perfection of Vertue and Holiness in them who obey it Which will be easily understood by this That this Law directs and ingages to all vertuous and good Practices As many as are obedient to it have by doing well attained an excellent Temper and are from this New Nature disposed constantly and strongly inclin'd to do well So that now they act from an inward Principle from a Nature a Life and by this means they are fill'd with Satisfaction and Joy And being now in a disposition to use themselves and what they have to the best and the wisest Purposes that is for the Perfection of all God's Creatures and thereby for the Service and Pleasure and Honour of God himself they are in the likeliest way and have taken the best course to receive more outward Advantages and Accessions of Power from him who is alway designing and doing the greatest Good and whose usual Method is to give to them who improve what they have And so all other Perfections and what-ever else is requisite to compleat the greatest Happiness of which Humane Nature is capable may well be expected to follow Perfection of Holiness But then besides as to other Men see how their good State is also consequent on the Holiness of them who obey the Gospel For according as they attain to more Perfection they are by their very Natures inclined as well as ingaged by particular Precepts to communicate their good things to their Brethren and when themselves are become Vertuous to be diligent and restless in their Endeavours to make other Men so too and consequently to do them all the good Office in all kinds which are in their Power Thus I have briefly shewed That the End of the Commandment or Gospel-Declaration is the doing good to one another and to all Men by shewing how it effects this and brings it to pass And is not this an admirable Advantage to be of a Society 1. Where the Law does not as the Laws of too many Societies do intend the and Mischief if not to the most yet to very many Nor 2. where it does not only aim at some petty inconsiderable inferior Good which is only good in a Subordination and Subservienty to some higher which is the Case of the Laws of all Civil Corporations But 3. it aims at the greatest and highest and best Good and not only of the Generality but of all and every one that are Members of this Society nay and of every Man in the World Not only the present temporary but also and more especially the future and everlasting Happiness of them 4. Let us consider the Authority which is no less than that of the Soveraign Lord of Men and Angels It is no petty and controlable nor yet an unjust and usurped Power by which this Law is enacted It is not the decree of Impotence or Folly or Madness nor is it the Effect of the greatest wisest and justest earthly Powers but it is the Determination of Heaven the Counsel of the infinite Wisdom and Goodness and Power which made and now upholds the World All which manifestly appears from the Harmony of this Law with the Principles of our Nature and Creation and also from the direct tendency it hath to the Perfection and Happiness of Mankind For which Reasons we cannot but think it a Contrivance of the Maker and Preserver of Man the infinitely good God And besides this Law was so attested with mighty Wonders and Miracles such as by their Goodness and Greatness proclaimed their Author Now a Law enacted by such an Authority must necessarily come with a great Force upon the Minds of them that are subject For if the Command of a King come with Power How unresistible must we think the Commands of God himself How will it engage every one to Obedience And then how happy must they needs be who live in a Society where the Laws of God are so carefully observed There are few Societies in the World so ill bested with Laws but that if they be obey'd out of reverence to the Authority that made them the Members of it will be in a good State How much more must it be so here where the Laws have such an immediate and direct tendency to make those that observe them perfect and happy where they do so straitly injoin a mutual care of and love to one another 5. The Sanction on which our Christian Law is established is next to be considered By this I understand as all do those Rewards but especially Punishments which are promis'd and threatned whereby the Hopes and Fears of Men are excited and they by them engaged to Obedience and deterr'd from the Transgression of the Laws This seems to me as a Reserue which wise Law-givers have for foolish and inconsiderate and degenerate Man For whilst Men are Wise and Good they will discover the Good at which the Law aims and that will be sufficient to move them
are capable And then as we shall see under the next particular he will give to Man a holy and righteous Law From this Consideration of the Divine Perfections I infer two things to our present Purpose 1. That God can will or require nothing of us which is not wise and good holy just and true So that if any thing pretend to be of God which is not thus qualified it wants sufficient Credentials If it make shew of divine Authority but is manifestly foolish unquestionably evil impure and filthy unjust and false it is not required of us by God all whose Ways are Holy and his Works Righteous all that he does himself or commands us to do 2. That he does will all that is wise and good to be done As he can will nothing that is not so he does certainly will all that is As he knows it all so he must be allowed to will it all For else we impute defect and imperfection to God by supposing him to know that Good which he does not will We should by this make his Goodness less than his Knowledg and his Will not to follow but to fall short of his Understanding So that this Consideration does not only afford us a Character whereby we may distinguish betwixt the true Will of God and that which pretends to be it but is not But we have also direction to find out what that is which God does will and command In general If there be any action that is wise that is good that is holy and just and if there be any Truth we may from hence be assured what is the Will of God For as he can't will the contrary to these so he cannot but by a kind of necessity of his own most excellent Nature will all these From this Knowledg which the Heathens had of God the wise among them have excluded all Impurity and Impiety all Folly and Injustice from Religion If then we have an assured knowledg of what is wise and good holy and just and true as we all have we understand withal what it is that God wills we should do So certain as thou art that any thing is sit and becoming beneficial and profitable so certain mayst thou be of the divine Will and Law For It is Good and It is the Will of God are two Forms of Speech of the same import He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what does the Lord require of thee c. Mic. 6. 8. This is the first way whereby we come to the Knowledg of what God's Will concerning Man or his Law to us is by the Knowledg of what is wise and good c. Purity Justice Truth Wisdom and Goodness are most certainly concluded by us to be things which God wills should be in us because they are all Perfections of his own most excellent Nature And he loving those Perfections and himself because of them infinitely he cannot but will that they should be propagated and that every thing which he makes should according to its Capacity partake of them God's Will is the Spring as of his creating the World so of all his other after-Works they are all but the exerting of this teeming overflowing Goodness He cannot but will and desire that Man should be as he is that we should be holy and merciful and righteous and faithful and wise in our Measure and Degree as he himself is infinitely So then we have a most certain way to discover what the Will of God is and must be by a Consideration of the Divine Nature and those Perfections which are essential to the Deity And Man is not to seek in this matter this is so obvious and easy and common a piece of Knowledg that no Man's Mind is quite destitute of it All Men agree in their Notion of God and it can't be otherwise For either they have the Knowledg impressed on their Minds when first they came into Being or else they are led into it by this plain and facil reasoning viz. Whatsoever Good there is in the World is in God who is the Original eminently and perfectly From hence we may conclude that since all who believe God to be think him to be wise and good holy and just and true therefore nothing that 's foolish or evil impure or unrighteous nor no Falshood can be required by him And on the other hand all Goodness Wisdom Sanctity Justice Fidelity c. is the Law of Heaven II. By a Consideration of God's Works we come to a discovery of his Will As Man's Mind is discerned by what he does so is God's When God has made Beings with such Inclinations and Faculties and Capacities if we suppose him which we can't doubt he is wise and good we shall certainly know a great deal of his Will Let us take a view of God's Works in general and consider those Beings which partake of Life especially our selves and we may observe such things as these which will lead us to a Knowledg of the Will of our common Creator 1. We may discern in them a sort of Self-love whereby they have a Desire of or Inclination to their own Preservation and Continuance in that Being and Life which they have 2. An Aversation from all Pain and a Love of Pleasure 3. A Tendency to and kind of aspiring after greater Perfection and the utmost of which they are capable To this we may refer the former 4. A Disposition and Faculties to communicate and impart to others none of them to be by and for themselves alone but for others that they are communicative and beneficial and endeavour to propagate and make others like themselves 5. An exact Order Among all Beings which God has made one is plainly superiour to another And of all these in this lower World Man is supream There are also higher than he and all these things are subject to God's Will and Pleasure Now from these Observations how all living things are made with such Affections and in such Condition we cannot but conclude in general that it is the Will of our great Creator that every one should endeavour both his own and other Beings Preservation and Pleasure and Perfection that we should be communicative and live in Order that the Inferiour be subject to the Superiour and the worse serve the better Does not Nature teach these Lessons plainly to every one that diligently considers May not any Man that looks into himself and abroad find that both Mankind and all the kinds of Animals in the World have these desires of their own Being and Perfection that they do not stay in themselves but go out to others in Communications and Services may he not clearly see that one kind is advanced above another as well as of the same kind that some one is above the rest and that Man is above all kinds And he that sees all this how well is he instructed in the Principles of the Kingdom of Heaven how may he learn
Men and Angels and they continuing to do well shall be Partakers of everlasting Life and Happiness This is the Condition these are the Privileges of every true Christian of every Man who is not grossly wanting to himself and careless of his own manifestly greatest and best Interests The Inferences I would make are these two I. Let us then set an high value upon the Christian Religion in general and in particular on our being Members of that Body of which Christ is the Head Since so many and such inestimable Advantages accrue to us by being parts of this Society let us take the greatest care to preserve our selves in Union with it Let us not as too many in our Days are be indifferent whether we be of this Body or no Let us not needlesly separate our selves from it Do not make slight Account of those Censures which cut us off from the Church for if they be exercised non errante Clave that is upon good ground a just Cause and by a just Authority God confirms in Heaven what his Commissioners do upon Earth Whose Sins they remit or retain are remitted or retained by him also And if there be a Male Administration yet the excommunicated Person is deprived of some Benefits which otherwise he might have Have a great regard for that Body of which whosoever is a Member hath so great Privileges Be careful not to make any unnecessary and unnatural Divisions and Schisms in it or to do any thing that may tend to the dissolution of that most excellent Scociety II. Let us behave our selves as becomes the Members of this excellent Society and let our Lives and Tempers our Devotion towards God our Justice and Charity towards Men our good Government of our selves according to the Rules of Temperance and Moderation let these make it manifest what excellent Advantages we have by being Members of the Christian Church We have Advantages above others let us shew this by living better Lives than others If we be not much better than other Men we must needs be far worse Let us not be so foolish as to neglect the Advantages we have Forsake not the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is c. Neglect not the Sacraments as too too many do I conclude all by reminding you in short of the Advantages of which I have spoken And desire you 1. To consider Men singly And 2. In Societies And under the First That their Knowledg and Wisdom their Vertue and Goodness their Quiet and Peace their Joy and Pleasure their future and everlasting Happiness are further'd and secured by their being Members of this Society Under the second That this sacred Society is a great Security to and Establishment of that Order which is necessary to all Civil Societies and doth greatly conduce to that Peace and Prosperity i. e. Wealth and Credit which is their End This Society is so far from interfering with the Civil that it is very beneficial to them for it preserves and confirms them All this Good is procured by Mens being incorporated into the Body of Christ as appears First By the first Admission and Entrance into the Church which is done by a publick Profession of the Religion of Christ a being baptized into the Name of Father Son and Holy-Ghost All which must lay a great Engagement on us to live holy and excellent Lives that so we may live answerably to the Profession we have made and the Engagement we have taken upon us Secondly This will also appear hugely beneficial to that excellent Order and Government which is setled and is to be observed in the Church but especially those incomparably good Laws which are given to this Society those especially which are peculiar to it Those of Love and doing good to all in especial manner of Love to one another of forgiving even Enemies of Meekness c. And also that most humane and proper Discipline which is prescribed to be used toward Offenders For this is a Government whose design is the Increase of every Man's Vertue and Happiness And this Government is so excellently contrived that the particular and private Interests of any do never clash or interfere with the publick Interest of the Society in general And tho many Corruptions and Abuses have crept into the Government of the Christian Church yet even in a very Male-Administration of it there are still great Helps to Vertue And those very Formalities and Shadows and Names of some Offices and Things which remain may serve to put us in mind what ought to be and what we should take care to do or to avoid It is in this as in other Governments better to be under bad ones than none at all and more eligible to bear the Corruptions of Men who are at present in place of Power than to attempt a Change of the Constitution or to go about to alter the Government it self Thirdly The Archives and Records of this Society which are contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament which indeed it is possible a Man may have that is not of this Society but by his being of it he is entitled to this Privilege he now hath free access to them And how much these Divine Records tend to enlighten Mens Minds and to purify their Hearts only they know who have used them There we have upon Record the first Original of this excellent Society the gradual Dispensations of God to his Church of all Ages the Examples and Lives of many of the Members of it but especially the Holy Jesus the Acts of Government and Discipline which have been in the first Age after Christ Fourthly The Publick Assemblies for the Exercise of Religion to which they are admitted Where 1. They pray to God publickly for and with each other 2. The Scriptures are read 3. They receive the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper and Infants are baptized Fifthly The Conversation the Counsels and Exhortations and Reproofs and Examples of their Fellow-Members All these tend to make Men vertuous and that brings with it present Peace and future Happiness for God loves and will reward Vertue c. OF LOVING OUR ENEMIES MATTH 5. 44. But I say unto you Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you c. THese Words are enforced by a very great Authority and it was necessary in the Opinion of some that they should be born up by the Credit of the Law-giver that the repute of his Wisdom and Goodness might take off the Scandal of Folly and Evil in the Command For with many this Text and divers others are contradictory to Reason and opposite to the Nature of Man than which Opinion I know nothing more prejudicial to Christian Religion For if this be granted it is then confess'd that our Religion is false and evil that whosoever believes it believes in Opposition to his Mind and he that obeys
is God's peculiar or is proper to himself whom God has anointed viz. To be Absolute over Mens Faith or Manners He requires they should not challenge to themselves such a Soveraignty as admits of no Controul such an Authority from whence no Appeal may be made or which must not be contradicted They must not take to themselves nor give to others such a Power whereby they or others shall be confined to the Opinions no 〈◊〉 universally held to thâ— Words of any Man Our Saviour will not have his Followers to affect those Titles which denote a Superioriâ—â— that cannot belong to them who are equal who are Brethren and have all one common Father who are Fellow-Servants and have one Lord and Master He doth not allow that any one person or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Men should take the Chair and dictate and all the rest to be coâ—â—luded and dâ—termined absolutely necessarily by what they 〈◊〉 That this is the meaning of these Words â—ppears thus Here our Heavenly Father and our Blessed Saviour are owâ—ed as above all other as â—upream and therefore the Name of Fâ—ther and Lord are most truly and properly given to them There must be some reason why God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be called Father and Christ Mastâ—r and I know none other account can be given of this Superiority and â—â—â—heminence above others but 〈◊〉 that God is Absolute Supream Lord and Law-giver Therefore what he saith must stand if an Article of Faith our Assent is concluded if God propose it and if a Precept of his Obedience must be given But this is the Prerogative of Heaven no mere Man can challenge it Thus having declared what I take to be the true Sense of the Words it will be needless for me to add any more to shew their Mistake who think from this place that the use of these Words Master Father c. is forbidden No surely our Saviour did not condemn the Words but as they carried a bad Signification and did humour Mens Pride He was displeas'd that the Pharisees would under these Titles arrogate a Power that did not belong to them and that they could be so hugely pleased with a Lie of their own making that they could be delighted with the empty Titles of Master and Doctor which themselves had assumed And it is a sufficient Argument that he did not forbid the use of these Titles because himself allowed and used that of Father and Mother And his Apostle St. Paul called himself a Father and a Teacher of the Gentiles which we must think he would not have done if he had understood our Saviour to have absolutely forbid it and surely he would have understood it if it had been so Having said what I think necessary for the Explication of these Words I proceed in the next place to lay down those Propositions which may be deduced from and also those that are more expresly contained in the Words I. Christians have a Master and a Father In the largest Notion wherein these Words are sometimes taken it is true of all Men in the World for every Man living is dependent and subject they may all make that Confession It is he that has made us and not we our selves we are his People and the Sheep of his Pasture It is true also in that more restrained Sense wherein these Titles signify instructing and teaching and thus I understand them here for all Men will acknowledg some Superiour who teaches them and from whom they can make no Appeal That this is very natural to the Mind of every Man thus to think will appear if we consider how generally the most part acquiesce in the Testimonies of Men and it is almost necessary that both they and others should do so if we consider the way we are all educated for we take all our Words upon trust from others and we derive our Actions too from an Imitation of what we see them do And whilst we do thus we acknowledg Superiours And for them that are more wise that perceive themselves to stand upon pretty equal Ground with other Men yet they find they are liable to be deceived and therefore they make their last Appeal to the Veracity and Goodness of God This made the Principle from which they infer the Truth and Certainty of all the Knowledg they have There is no Man who considers himself and his ways of working but will acknowledg he is beholden to some other than himself for his Understanding but whether he will own it or no there is a Light that enlightens every Man that comes into 〈◊〉 World from vvhence the Candle of the Lord the Spirit of a Man derives its Light Every Man is conscious that himself was not the sole cause of his first Thoughts â—â—deed he knows not how he came by them but this he probably thinks there is some very wise knowing Mind that teaches his Ignorance by divers natural Impressions oâ— him as well as by some more secret Inspirations Whosoever will confess himself wholly beholden to another for his Soul for his Faculty and in particular for the Exercise of this Faculty he plainly confesses a SSuperriour one above him and an Instructor also And if he further shall acquiesce iâ— the Judgment which this Mind thus directed shall make as certain he saith in effect that this Guide is infallible and no Appeal to be made from him which is the true Notion of the Word Father c. in this place Now every Man doth thus upon several Motions he hath divers Thoughts suggested to him which without demur without all hesitancy he entertains and proceeds to observe he doubts not of the Testimony which his Senses bring in and proceeds forthwith to pass Judgment All which supposes him to make no Appeal from that Caâ—se that hath led him into thâ—se Thoughts he acquiosces there But for Christians their very Name implies them to have a Master one whom they believe and follow A Christian is a Believer and so every Scholar ought to be and they profess themselves to be the Scholars of Christ If this be true of all Christians that they have a Master a Father then none of them are to assume this Honour to themselves They must carry themselves as Fellow-Scholars as Brethren that is they must not propose their own Doctrines such as are properly their own which they have not received from their Master to be assented to as infallible Indeed they must not propose them at all so as to determine others for in so doing they desert their Stations forget they are but Scholars If they will propound to others that which shall determine them it must be their Master's not their own for otherwise they will not be so much Praecones Nuncii as Inventores Autores Dogmatum They that demand Mens Assent to their Opinions and Obedience to their Commands which are theirs and not their Master's do by this make themselves Masters All they then fall
their most proper and usual Sense imply manifest Contradictions they have been no Friends to the Christian Faith And whatsoever they say the Christians Father will not dertermine his Sons to believe Contradictions But I conclude this second Proposition with this practical Inference If Christians have but one Master one Father then they must own his Authority that is believe his Revelations obey his Commands without any doubt or dispute for his Authority is undeniable his Will uncontroulable no Appeal to be made from his Determination Therefore assent without debate obey without demur If we have a Father give him his Honour and a Master let him have his Feaâ— III. There is no Man upon Earth that is the Christian's Father or Master None by whose Sense he is to be absolutely necessarily determined He needs not to resolve his Obedience into any Mans or Mens Authority Our Religion is so very excellent and wise that it could not be of humane Original Surely this Tree of Life never grew first in an Earthly Paradise but was transplanted from some more excellent Soil and set in this red Earth Besides if we consider the Design of it it is to prepare Men for the Heavenly Life which it doth by begetting in them such Perswasions and Affections and teaching them to act here just as they do there Therefore our Creed and Law must probably be a brief Transcript of some of theirs and none can tell what theirs is but he that made it God Religion like Water will not rise higher than the Spring if it derives its Origine from this Earth only it will not rise and raise us up with it to Heaven But if this be true that we have no Father on Earth how is it that we hear so much of an Infallible Judg either an old Man sitting in a Chair at Rome Or else a Synod of Doctors for the most part packed together by a Faction and designed to drive on some Secular Interest For such have been many Councils tho not all But what mean those Pretenders that they thus take upon them Will they decide all our Controversies end our Debates An excellent Attempt But will they do it indeed Yes effectually and if any doubt of their Decrees they shall be quickly convinced by a light burning Fire They 'l take care to keep those that are under them iniIgnorance they shall not have Knowledg enough to question their Determinations Or if any little Light do break through all the Curtains they have drawn then they afright them with Anathema's and if these will not do neither they shall to the Stake How grievously the Christian World hath been abused by these Practices is too notorious whilst these false Fathers do not at all serve the Designs of Truth and Piety but merely of their own Ambition and Covetousness Notwithstanding what I have said of those Conventions that are politickly and unwarrantably peck'd together by a Party for the holding up of a Faction and serving a carnal Interest I would not be understood to detract in the least from a duly congregated Synod of wise and learned Men their just Authority which yet I must think doth not amount to that of a Father or Rabbi as here explained They are not absolute cannot determine universally But have they no Power in determining What is it Tho this be an Argument fitter for a larger Discourse yet to prevent Mistakes and Abuse of what I have said I shall here speak somewhat of my Mind in two or three Particulars 1. They who cannot be supposed to have any better Reason than the Authority of a Synod should be determined by them in matters both of Faith and Practice That this may be the case of the Vulgar I doubt not Many are in the state of Children who at first must take all on trust and it is best for them in that State so to do tho afterwards they may see how they have been imposed upon and lay aside those infant-Prejudices the common People first believe and obey because a Company of wise and learned Men tell them that what is proposed is true and good but afterwards these Mens Reason may be more improved they may have better Arguments to believe and higher Motives to obey than their Word and may say as the Samaritans we now believe not because of your Words but because we our selves see The ground of this first Position is that Men are to be determined to assent or act by the best Arguments they can have Now I suppose very many in so low a Condition that this is the best they can meet with viz. the Authority of a Synod nay many times the Determination of a single Man This is indeed a pitious Case when in all matters of Good and Evil true and false a Man must relie on anothers Testimony and yet it had not been so sad if Men that had Learning and Knowledg enough had had more of Honesty but they have been so unfaithful to their Trusts that they have very much impair'd their Credit with the World I understand the Popish Councils especially 2. More improved Men where the matter is disputable and somewhat equal and unconcluding Arguments on both sides appear if a Synod interpose their Authority I think should be determin'd by that yet not so far as to exclude all after-Thoughts they must leave room for them For if their Reasons against the Synod's Determinations should prove concluding and afterwards appear evidently so they need not continue under that former Determination In this case a Man must compare his own best Arguments with that of the Testimony of those Men that is he must consider as well as he can not only whether they be wiser than himself which will be granted but also whether they be honest 3. That I may shew whither their Authotity cannot reach I lay down this Position That where the Synod shall determine that to be believed which is and appears repugnant to it self to granted Principles of Reason or plain Scriptures or where they shall enjoyn that to be done which is and appears intrinsecally and eternally evil or which I can certainly conclude is in those Circumstances evil they are not to be believed or obeyed Of this nature I understand Transubstantiation and worshipping Images c. What the Sense of our Church is in this matter appears by the 6th 20th 21st Articles The Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And in the 20th It is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing contrary to God's Word written neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another Wherefore the Church tho it be a Witness and Keeper of Holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing
bodily Strength and Stature do while we sleep but it 's the Effect of Pains and Industry of Care and Exercise By doing Men come to better Understanding of what they ought to do and also acquire a greater Ability and Readiness to do it 3. There 's no better no fitter time for Instruction and Exercise than when we are young then we are pliant and tender as soft Wax which will easily receive an Impression Then we are not prepossess'd with Errors and inveterate Prejudices we have no ill Customs to lay aside Besides there can be no such fit time of learning how to live as at the beginning of Life It 's a foolish and vain thing to put this off to the last as many do who when they are near an end of their Life then are enquiring how they should live And why will Men defer this till many Years of Life be spent Why should they be learning how to live then when they should be living No it behoves us to be instructed how to live and to exercise our selves as we are taught as soon as is possible for otherwise our Life will pass away unprofitably at best it will be to no purpose if it be not to ill purpose and mischievous These things considered that it 's indispensably necessary for every one to understand his way and to walk in it and that no Man ordinarily comes to understand what he ought to do and to do it without Instruction and Exercise and that the first Time the young Age is best for these Purposes I now proceed to plead with Parents and all that are appointed and have taken on them the Instruction of Children that they would not neglect this great Trust Nay let me perswade every one of you who are come to understand this good way your selves and to walk in it that you would be assistant to Children Instil good Principles into their tender Minds set good Examples before them 1. You that are Parents consider this is expresly commanded in Scripture Under the Mosaick Dispensation Deut. 6. 6 7. These Words which I command thee shall be in thy Heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to shalt whet them upon thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House and when thau walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up This was commanded the Jews by Moses and less is not required of us by Christ Ephes 4. Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath do not use the Power you have over them tyrannically be not cruel be not over severe but bring them up in the Nature and Admonition of the Lord In the Instruction and Discipline of Christian Religion Besides the Wisdom of God in Solomon has from the Observation he has made commended this Instruction and Discipline of Children to their Parents in many places Prov. 29. 17. Correct thy Son and he will give thee Res Chap. 23. 13. Withhold not Correction from the Child for if thou heatest him with the Rod he shall not die Chap. 19. 18. Chasten thy Son while there is hope Correction and Chastening is one way of Instruction and that which to a tender Parent is most difficult and that is therefore so often mention'd because they would be most prone to neglect it Thus we find it s commanded in the Scriptures but that 's not all For 2. In the same Holy Writings we find Obedience to it highly commended and signalized as an Instance of great Goodness and true Religion And it 's represented as the way wherein a very great Blessing was conveyed Gen. 18. 17 18 19. God said Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I will do seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty Nation and all the Nations of the Earth shall blessed in him for I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him I beseech you observe how great a Commendation God himself has given here of this that Abraham would command his Children and Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. How well how kindly does God take this that he was not only good and righteous himself but would take care that his Servants that his Children and those that were to live after him should be so too And how is the Righteous God pleased to reward this Practice He would here upon discover to Abraham the great thing he was about to do Nay farther It seems to be brought in here as a Reason why all the World should be blessed in Abraham And indeed it was the means whereby that Blessing was conveyed to the World Abraham's instructing his Children after him tho at so great a distance from our Saviour yet had an Influence on his coming among us For so after that God had said he would command 〈◊〉 Children c. it is added that the Lord 〈◊〉 bring upon Abraham that which he has spâ—ken of him Let this Consideration prevail upon us 〈◊〉 we see God took such notice of Abraham and so blessed him for it Let us not be content to be good alone but endeavour that our Children may be so too 3. Let us consider other Examples whom we cannot but think our selves bound to follow Joshua 24. 15. Chuse ye whom ye will serve 〈◊〉 as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. This good Man will use the Authority which he had as the Master of his Family to engage those under him to walk in God's ways The Master must according to this Example require his Servants and the Father his Children to serve the Lord. And it 's a remarkable Passage that we â—â—â—d of Job 1. 5. When the days of his Sons â—â—â—â—â—ing were gone about 't is said that Job sâ—â—â— and sanctified them i e. required them to fit themselves to joyn in offering up Sacrifice the next day which Sanctification might be by Prayer and Fasting and by abtaining from other Enjoyments and Works which might unâ—it them for that Duty and râ—se up early in the Morning he was earnestâ—â— set upon it and offer'd Burnt-Offerings according to the number of them all And why was all this Care taken Why To â—pâ—ate the Sins which he thought they might have committed For Job said Iâ— may be they have sinned and câ—â—sed God in their Hearts Not sure but conjectured they might have sinned It may be c. He feared that they had cursed God in their Hearts Not blasphemed him with their Mouths he did not distrust that if he had he would have took Cognizance of it probably for that was a Sin to be punished by the Judg as he speaks of another Sin But lest they might have some inward unseen irreverend Thoughts of God he does all this And thus says the Text Job did continually This then was