not have been prevented and for these to be so far exasperated as to begin to hate or more remisly to love them is for a Father to fire the Beacon of his Soul for the Landing of a Cock-boat 'T is that that exposes the Father to his Childs contempt and Gods judgement Mat. 5.22 2. When a Parents anger is too frequent too hot or too long Anger must be us'd as a Medicine only now and then and that only on a just occasion otherwise it loseth its Efficacy or hurts the Patient Again Anger when too hot vehement excessive provokes 'T is True It must be serious there must be some Life and warmth in it the Potion must be warm'd Ira sic dicta quasi hominem faciat ex se ire non esse apud se that it may operate the more vigorously towards the Reformation of offending Children but then when it swells into an excess and transport of passion it provokes Such an excess of Anger like a Ball of Wild-fire is very apt to inflame the Childs breast and to provoke him into a sinful return of wrath and strife Prov. 15.18 Lastly Anger when too long when it lies soaking in the breast is apt to putrifie If the Sun arises and sets on a man in his wrath the Text tells us who is like to be his Bedfellow Eph. 4.26 27. Anger rests in the Bosom of a fool Eccl. 7.9 And well may it provoke a Child thô criminal to see his Fathers Bosom where once he lay to be now become Anger 's Couch and Satans Pillow Thus you see that Irregular Passions in severe Parents are no little Provocations and spurs to Sin and wrath in their disobedient Children They are like those smart Cantharides or Spanish-flies the most speedy and effectual means to raise blisters 2. By an austere look grim sour louring frowning countenance when a man seems to carry revenge daggers death in his Face when a man usually looks on his Child Gen. 4.5 6. as Cain did on his Brother as one highly displeas'd that bears Ill-will and ones him a grudge and will be sure to pay it in due time When the Child observes his Ancestors Crest pourtray'd on his Fathers forehead and instead of smiles can see nothing there but cruel Lions Bears Tigers This must needs highly provoke and 't is not to be wondred at if the Child in a fright and dreadful indignation cries out roaring I do well to be angry even to the Death Better to be kill'd outright than buried alive No grave so dark so dismal as those deep furrows in my frowning constantly frowning Fathers forehead 3. By bitter hasty biting testy disdainful reproachful railing taunting menacing threatning words Words steep'd in the Venom of Asps Oh these pierce deep like the Tails of Scorpions and do highly provoke More particularly 1. Hard Words Soft Words and hard Arguments work powerfully A soft Tongue breaks the bones Prov. 25.15 or one that is stiff and hard Abigail found it true in her address to David when he was in his rough 1 Sam. 25.4 But an hard Tongue hardens the Heart A soft Answer puts away wrath but grievous words stir up anger Prov. 15.1 Ob. But what do you speak of Words which are but Wind Jam. 3.5 Sol. True but this Wind many times kindles a dreadful fire and encreases it when once kindled As Coles to burning Coles and Wood to Fire so is a contentious man to kindle strife 2. Contumacious reproachful disgraceful words These are far remote from fatherly Love and respect Aristotle in his Rhet. tells us that the grand scope drift design of contumely is that a man may rejoyce and triumph in the disgrace of Him whom he reproacheth How barbarous is it then to rejoyce in the disgrace and infamy of a Child of a mans own Bowels This cannot but provoke That 's a thunder-clap in the ears of Testy reproachful Parents Whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell fire Mat. 5.22 Reproachful words are no less than sharp darts and keen Swords nay they carry with them no less than stings and poison so that even the wisest and best of men can hardly bear the dine of them Thus Saul to the heighth provokes his Son when he foams at the Mouth and breaks out into that nasty drivel 1 Sam. 20.30 Thou Son of the perverse rebellious Woman and why not in our English dialect Thou Son of a Whore and so lasheth his Son on his Wives back what could have been spoken more sharply to provoke 3. Menacing threatning Words and that it may be for little tripps or slips of youth nay thô there be no resolution to execute what they threaten Suppose it only Brutum Fulmen A Flash without a bolt or Bullet The very Wind and noise is enough to sink the trembling Child into a Swoon If Masters must not threaten Servants much less may Parents threaten Children Eph. 6.9 4. By rigid Actions When Parents utterly unmindful of their parental Relation bowels duty prove tyrants and use or rather abuse their Children as Servants or indeed as Slaves and vassals These should know that the great God never commission'd them to be more than tender Governours not domineering Tyrants or Egyptian Task-masters This Tyranny is exercis'd divers wayes 1. When Parents either deny to or take from their Children those things which either belong to their necessities or their just comforts in that rank and Relation in which their heavenly Father by birth hath plac'd them When they deny them that Education that Provision that Encouragement which is Just and Equal that Food Raiment Portion that becomes the Children of such a Father This is to act beneath an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 Nay more even beneath the Bruit beasts who by a natural instinct diligently nourish and cherish their young ones and cannot but provoke Even an Horse when too strait rein'd Favours unequally distributed highly provoke will rise up and fling When the cocker'd Idol thô a younger Brother or Sister and it may be less deserving shall be call'd to the Table Closet bosom and there treated at the heighth of Sweetness whenas the poor neglected discountenanced despised Elder must stand without and either blow his fingers or †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 employ his Hands in some base sordid servile commanded drudgery which would better become a Slave than a Son This this goes near the Heart of an ingenious and observant Child * Even a worm thus trod on would turn again This must needs create in him an enraged jealousie and envy against his Equals or Inferiours and without a vast stock of Love Humility Patience a boiling rancorous disdain and wrath against his Superiours 2. When Parents load their Children with unjust Commands This is to Ape that wretched Saul who commanded Jonathan to surprize his Innocent dearest Friend and Brother David the upright valiant David that had so well deserv'd of the whole Kingdom one
Carieer to their own Destruction And therefore take heed do not indulge them in their foolish Humours but bring them up c. Having thus fixed our Corner-stones now to our Building In the CASE before us I find two Truths supposed and one question in form but really bipartite proposed 1. The two Truths and those sad ones suppos'd 1. That it hath been is and may be the Lot of gracious Parents to have unconverted wicked Children 2. That this wickedness of these unconverted Children hath been and is too too often occasion'd by their gracious Parents sinful 1. Severity 2. Indulgence 2. The Question or case of Conscience to be resolved which is Bipartite What may gracious Parents best do towards the Conversion of those their Children whose wickedness is occasion'd by their sinful 1. Severity 2. Indulgence I. Of the First Truth 1. The first Truth suppos'd viz. That it hath been is and may be the Lot of gracious Parents to have unconverted wicked Children Let me adde of the Best of Parents to be afflicted with very wicked yea the worst of Children Had not Adam an envious murtherous Cain Gen. 4.8.11 The first branch of the Universal Root wholly rotten Noah a cursed †Gen. 9.22 Cham Abraham a mocking persecuting Ishmael Gen. 22.9 Gal. 4.29 Lot a Moab and Ammon the Sons of Incest and the Fathers of an Idolatrous brood that to the death hated Gods chosen Israel Gen. 19.37 38. Isaac a profane Esau Gen. 25.25 Heb. 12.16 Eli two Sons Hophni and Phineas both Sons of Belial prodigies of Lust and Wickedness 1. Sam. 2.12 to 17. ver 22. David an ambitious Adonijah 1 King 1.5 2.13 an incestuous Amnon 2 Sam. 13.14 a murtherous traiterous rebellious Absolom 2 Sam. 13.28 29. 15.10 Jehosaphat a bloody idolatrous Jehoram 2 Chron. 21.4 6 11 13. Josiah a wicked Jehojachin and another as bad if not worse a wretched false perjur'd Covenant-breaking Zedekiah 2 Chron. 36.5 12 13. Ezek. 17.15 18. But enough of this sigh even to the breaking of your hearts when you think of many very many others in former Ages and in our Own dayes and City that might be added to fill up this Black Catalogue 2. This wickedness of these unconverted Children hath been and is too too often occasion'd yea advanced by the Sinful severity or indulgence of their unwary thô gracious Parents This Head divides it self into TWO Branches viz. Parents Sinful severity and indulgence 1. Sinful severity and of this 1. What it is not 2. What it is 1 What it is not 1. A grave wise holy strict demeanour towards our Children such a carriage as whereby we may procure Glory to God Honour to our selves and so to preserve and keep up that Authority which God hath stampt upon us is not sinful Severity To carry it so and so to keep our distance as to give our Children no occasion to undervalue or despise us 1 Tim. 4.12 * Tit. 2.15 So as that they may see and own the Wisdom of God shining in us that our Children may pay us that reverence and respect that God requires of them 1 King 3.28 This is not to be accounted sinful Severity but behaving our selves worthily in Ephratah Ruth 4.11 2. All just anger or the rising up of the Heart in an holy displeasure against Sin in our Children is not sinful severity Parents may be angry and yet not sin Eph. 4.26 Nay Parents would certainly sin if on just occasion given by their Children they should not be angry but with these proviso's 1. That the cause for which they are angry be good and warrantable Such as we can give a good Account of to God An anger like that of our Saviour who looked round about on his malicious observers with anger being griev'd for the bardness of their hearts Mark 3.5 When our anger is accompanied with grief because God is dishonour'd by our Childrens offending against Truth Piety Justice Humanity because we see them neglect their duty hurt their own or others Souls or Bodies 2. That the Object of this anger be right i. e. when that which we are angry at is not so much the persons of our Children that offend as their offence it self their Sin Fault Disobedience Not so much the Patient as the Disease 3. That the End be right viz. that the fault we are offended at may be amended by our Children and that they for the future may be warned not to offend in the like again 4. That a due decorum may be observed both as to the measure and duration of our Anger When it is neither too hot nor too long When it is a Rational Holy Temperate displeasure a moderate anger when right Reason and Scripture fit in the Box and Guide the Chariot saying as the Lord to the Sea Thus much thus long and no more no longer Thus far no sinful severity 2. Grave counselling and admonishing our Children in and to that which is truly good Eph. 6.4 All serious discountenancing of and severe frowning on them when in an evil way nay sharp reproofs and rebukes Tit. 1.13 Yea being so far a terror to them as to let them know we bear not the stamp of Gods Authority in vain Rom. 13.3 4. Nay farther smart chastising of them proportionable to their Age and offence Prov. 29.15 Provided we express fatherly love and tenderness in all out of a true desire of their Repentance and Reformation All this is not to be lookt upon as sinfull Severity but as the faithful discharge of a necessary parental duty which is by so much the more excellent because it is so much neglected and so hard to be performed in a right manner 2. What Sinful Severity is or wherein it discovers it self Sinful Severity betrayes it self in and by the irregular passions austere looks bitter words and rigid Actions of those Parents who abuse their Parental Power 2. That the wickedness of unconverted Children is oftentimes occasion'd by this Sinful severity of their Parents They are provok'd and that to Sin 1. By irregular Passions specially that of an inordinate and immoderate Anger 1. Rash anger when Parents are soon angry with their Children when they will not give leave to their Judgments to consider before they are angry The wise man tells us Jam. 1.19 Multos absolvemus si prius coeperimus judicare quam irasci Sen. de ira the discretion of a man defers his anger and that it is his Glory to pass over a Transgression Prov. 19.11 But brands rash anger with the mark of folly He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly Prov. 14.17 'T was grave advice to one not to be angry at any time till he had first repeated the Greek Alphahet To be angry without any cause or upon every trivial slight occasion for any thing that is not material in it self or in it's consequent for meer involuntary and casual offences and slips in our Children such as without great care could
or observing the Duties required abiding in the Exercise of Christian and Conjugal Graces wherein they continue to be employ'd Here to speak distinctly we are to look upon the Persons and their Exercises Gagneius Estius 1. The Persons Some following the vulgar would have the word rendred singularly if she continue or remain as conceiting there is nothing Antecedent to agree with a Plural Verb But it is certain that the Original word is in the Plural Number by the full consent of all Copies as Beza notes so that there can indeed be no ground for that conceit The generality therefore render it Plurally according to truth as we do If they continue abide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remain persist or persevere noting the necessity of being constant in holy duties But then of those who render the word thus 1. Some as the Ancients c. * Syriac Aethiopic Hierom c. Estius c. refer it to the children brought forth expounding it of their abiding in the exercise of the following Graces But this doth no way please the most judicious modern Expositors any more than some of the Ancients as not so consonant to the Context wherein we have nothing of children And therefore a Learned Protestant ‖ Chamiâ—r doth justly wonder it could come into the mind of any who understand Greek Be-like they took it to respect the generation of children if they by the Mothers care did continue in the faith c. But these did not well consider that the compound werd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 child-bearing is of the Singular Number Waltheri Harmonia When therefore this Verb Plural hath Two Nouns going before it i. e. the Woman and child-bearing we should look to which of the Two continue may be best accommodated If to the word child-bearing what more uncouth Then the Paraphrase would thus trip The Women shall be sav'd in child-bearing if child-bearing continue in the faith c. Who then that duly weighs the thing would refer the Verb continue unto the Person namely the Woman and not to child-bearing which is her allotted work or Function Besides if it should be expounded of her childrens perseverance in Grace it would follow That a godly Mother who had faithfully done her duty towards her children would endanger her own salvation should her children prove untoward and impenitent Whereas this were contrary to Scripture which doth engage both Parents Fathers as well as if not more than Mothers in the pious Education of their children and doth clear godly Parents having done their own duty from being chargeable with the guilt of their children when they perish through their own personal default k Ezek 18.3 Calvin So that tho too often the wickedness of children may be imputed to the Parents neglect yet certainly the righteous God will accept of the faithful Mothers discharging of her own duty tho her children do wickedly miscarry Wherefore 't is most rational yea necessary to refer it as most do 2. To the woman and not to her children to pious Mothers and not their Off-spring Nor is there sufficient warrant considering it is in contexture with the Womans proper Office of child-bearing to take in both Parents as Chrysostome thinks * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 3. Adv. vitup vit Monastic Enallagen Numeri And however the Verb continue be of the Plural Number that is easily understood by an Hebraism frequent in the New Testament or a Figure very usual in sacred and civil Authors both Greek and Latin suddenly to pass from one Number to another when there is an agreement in the Structure with somewhat understood So here from the Singular to the Plural as before in this very Chapter from the Plural to the Singular speaking of Women ver 9 10. to speak of Woman 1 Tim. 5.4 See 1 Cor. 4.2 Gal 6.1 c. ver 11. and again in this Epistle l from a Widow in the Singular to speak of Widows in the Plural Let them learn to shew piety at home Where in like Construction a Noun Collative singular is joyned to a Verb Plural Woman noting the Sex may be conjoyned with either Number Glassii Gramat Sacra it being a Grammar-Rule That a Verb of the Plural Number is joyned to a Noun of the singular be sure when the Noun is Collective or Indefinite and the reason of the Construction is of it self plain because the Singular Number doth indeed comprehend in it the plurality of the Collective Noun And the reason of the Apostles sudden transition here might be because he had briefly discoursed of the Office of all Christian Women ver 9. But Collectively under the Noun Woman he saith emphatically of Christian Wives if they continue constant noting the whole body of Christian Wives who passing through the pangs of child-bearing as the allotment of God do 2. Exercise the Graces proper to such who mind their eternal welfare by persevering in their Christian walk suitable to their high Calling and holy Profession being qualified and adorned with Faith Charity Holiness and Sobriety those rare Jewels which in the sight of God are of great price And the last of these which some render Modesty or Chastity as a Species of Temperance the Apostle makes necessary to married Women as well as to Virgins * Beza Chamier Tho not as the Papists do ridiculously imagine that Matrimony is a Sacrament and doth confer Grace or that with the Papists we are to restrain the Graces in my Text only to the four Matrimonial Vertues opposite to the four Evils too often incident to a married state ‖ Bellarm. To. 2. de Matrim Sacram. viz. Fidelity in opposition to Adultery Charity to Enmity chiding and brawling Sanctity to Dishonesty or Lasciviousness and Rebellion of the Members Sobriety to Intemperance and Incontinence But I know no warrant we have to speak thus narrowly when 't is most rational to conclude that the Apostle doth respect Faith in Christ for Justification and Salvation and not only the Faith of Matrimony Charity or Love to Christ and his and not only Conjugal Love Holiness which becomes all Christians i. e. sanctification of the whole Inward and Outward Man and not only the peculiar sanctity of the Marriage-bed Sobriety noting that Moderation all who are Christs should be endow'd with m Gal. 5.24 and not only the continency of a Wife So that I shall take these Graces in their Exercises comprehensively as relating to a Christian Conversation in the general and a Marriage-state in special Thus having been took up much longer than I wish'd in obviating the difficulties which some cast in the way to the clearer explanation of the Terms in my Text I shall be straitned in speaking to the Deductions from it as to the present solution of the case propounded by reason I want that dexterity some others might have used I beseech you bear with me a while to touch upon Two or
't is next to impossible to be too shye of Sin unless when Satan frights us into the omission of some duties for fear of the Sins that inevitably cleave to them In short I would have you understand this Instance to referr to Sins past not future to Sins already committed that there 's no other possible way of undoing what 's done but by Repentance not of Sins not yet committed as if I gave so much as the least encouragement to so much as the least Sin Thus understanding the instance I dare say it over again Serious Godliness will force something of good out of the Evil of Sin These are the Persons that cannot forget the Wormwood and the Gall of their Mortification x Lam. 3.19 20. their Soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in them These are the Persons that put a due estimate upon pardoning Mercy and love Christ the more for the more Sins he hath forgiven them As Christ said of Mary Magdalen y Luke 7.47 Her Sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same love little The Blessed Apostle that brands himself for the chief of Sinners z 1 Tim. 1.15 before Conversion dare own it that a 1 Cor. 15.20 he laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles after his Conversion and 't is peculiar to him to coyn words b Rom. 5.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1 Tim. 1.14 to magnifie the Grace of God in Christ Christians I beseech you let not any one take encouragement hence to Sin but let the worst of Sinners take encouragement hence to repent What thô thou hast been one of the vilest wretches upon earth thou mayest through Grace be one of the highest Saints in Heaven and the sense of what thou hast been may promote it The rising ground of a Dunghill may help to raise thy flight towards Heaven Once more Thô to your own Apprehension you have no Faith at all to believe any one word of all this nor any skill at all to know what to do yet Serious Godliness will make all this good to thee Here you see I take it for granted that one may be seriously godly who in his own present Apprehensions hath no Faith at all nor skill at all for any thing that is Spiritually good many may be in this like Moses their Faces may shine their Grace may shine to others and they themselves not c Exo. 34.29 know it Many that are dear to God live many years in the growing Exercise of Grace and yet dare not own it that they have any at all God bestows the Faith of Assurance upon those of his Children that are not able to bear up without it mistake me not as if it were not every ones duty to seek it and a great Priviledge to have assurance when others of his Children which have a stronger Faith live and 〈◊〉 without it To give you an Instance beyond all instances Our 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ who 't is certain could not want assurance yet died in as great desertion as 't was possible to befall him d Mark 15.25 with Mat. 27.46 When he had hung six hours upon the Cross He cried with a loud Voice My God my God why hast thou forsaken me q. d. This is beyond all my other Torment And when he had cryed again with a loud Voice with a vehement affection and a strong Faith e Verse 50. he lay'd down his Soul But what was that he spake with such vehemency the second time f Luke 23.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father into thy hands I will commend my Spirit I will depose my Soul with thee I will thrust it into thy hands Now that Jesus Christ was under this unexpressible Desertion during the three hours preternatural Darkness 't is more than for the best of Christians to be so during their whole life which doth more than prove what I asserted That a Person of great Grace may be so much in the dark as not to see he hath any But what must he do in this case Can Serious Godliness afford any Relief Christians pray mark it these Persons they are and through Grace cannot but be seriously Godly and their serious Godliness finds 'em work enough and support enough to keep 'em from sinking They daily do what they complain they can't do g Isa 50.10 They do fear the Lord they fear nothing more than sinning against him they do obey the voice of his servants there 's none receive Instructions more Obediently thô they walk in Darkness they 'l never follow a false Fire if they have no light from God they 'l have none from any else They do trust in the name of the Lord they lye at Gods foot let him do what he will with them they do stay upon their God they come up from h Cant. 8.5 the Wilderness of the World leaning upon their beloved Religion is the whole business of their life and comparatively they do nothing else And thô they have not ravishing Comforts they have that Peace that exceeds i Phil. 4.7 all understanding that is meerly humane and that doth guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus against all the Stratagems and Fiery Darts of Satan Their State is good their Souls are safe and they can't but be happy in both Worlds And thus I have endeavoured to be so practical in the Doctrinal part that there needs but little to be added for the Application the Lord make that little to be like Chymical Spirits to be more effectual than a greater quantity Rouze up your selves to do your part that it may be so Vse 1 Set your hearts upon Serious Godliness This must be the first Use for you can make no Use at all of this Doctrine till you have made this Use of it Every thing without this is but an abuse of it you do not only wrong the truth but you wrong your selves what ever you say or do about it till you make it your business to experiment the truth of what hath been spoken in its Commendation and this I can assure you never any one repented of his down-right Godliness Therefore live in the practice of those plain Duties without which 't is in vain to pretend to Religion e. g. Daily read some Portion of the Old and New Testament not as your Child reads it for his Lesson but as 〈◊〉 Child reads it for his Profit Be more frequent in Prayer not as those that pass their Prayers by number but as those that pour out their Hearts to God in Holy fervour Let your thoughts be so fill'd with Heavenly Objects that you may in some respect make all things such you think of Discourse of the things of God not in a captious or Vain-glorious manner but as those that feel the Truths they speak of Receive the Sacrament not as a Civil Test but as sealing that Covenant
addes the admiration and acknowledgment of Gods forbearing goodness towards them Yet saith he vers 30. didst thou forbear them or as 't is in the Hebrew protract defer Memusbeka Ezek. 12.15 prolong over them yea many years didst thou forbear them and vers 31. when the Jewes were in their Enemies hands for their sins yet nevertheless saith he for thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume nor forsake them When we mourn for the sins of our Places we should much admire Gods forbearing Goodness that he defers to punish those Sins and Sinners which we must not defer to mourn for We should lay Man low but at the same time set up God high and in nothing more than in his Patience towards Sinners Patience I say infinitely exceeding any ever exercised by Man 1. All the Sins we mourn for are most clearly seen by God and known to him He sees sin wherever 't is and infinitely more plainly understands all the odious Circumstances and aggravations of sin than we can do that mourn for them or than they can that did commit them And 2. As he sees sin in all its odiousness so he infinitely more hates it than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven can do as being the only object of his hatred all the Streams whereof are collected in this one Channel Sin being also against his very nature and being a destroying him in the desire of the Sinner and that which should he in the least measure love or less than infinitely hate he would cease to be God Further admire his Patience 3. In sparing those that are perfectly in his power to destroy Rebels that are under his feet Yea lastly whom in all their Rebellions he invites to repentance yea feeds supplies maintains daily and richly Say then in thy Mourning for the Abominations of others How patient art thou in forbearing to punish those sins which it is my duty with an holy impatience to see and hear 2. In mourning for the sins of the Wicked advance God in the acknowledgment of his Justice and spotless Righteousness should he with utmost severity take vengeance upon Offenders This we shall find also to be the temper of holy Nehemiah in the forementioned Chapter the 9th and the 33d verse where mourning for the sins of the People he clears and acquits God from any injustice in executing his heavyest severities upon sinners So Ezra 9.15 Psal 15. Howbeit saith he thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly Say Lord I wonder not at the evils that doe but those that do not befall us Were the fire of thy wrath proportion'd to the fewel of our sins we should be utterly consumed 'T is thy Mercy Lord we are not so Thou wouldst be infinitely just and to be justifi'd if we were so And 3. In spreading before God the wickednesses of great Sinners admire his infinite Power that can not only stop the worst of men in but turn them from their course of opposing God by their Rebellions We are not so to mourn for as to despair of the Conversion of the worst They are as much within the Converting reach as the Destructive reach of Gods hand Say 1. This great Sinner whose Impieties I bewail can easily by thy irresistible Grace which no hard heart can reject as was Saul be made not only of a Wolf a Sheep but even a Shepherd too I censure his way but I dare not determ ine his end Thou hast made white Paper of as black and filthy dunghil raggs What cannot the infinite Power of God accomplish for the Conversion of the greatest Sinner I now bewail him Lord but thou canst also make him more to bewail himself and make him as zealous in setting up as now he is in destroying thy People It should more comfort thee that thou sinnest not with them than trouble thee that thou sufferest from them God can make strait timber of a crooked piece God can take his Garden out of Satan's Waste Oh! how glorious would pardoning Grace and converting Power appear in causing such a change 4. In mourning admire that Grace and Power that hath kept thee from their Excesses and Extravagancies 2. The second Branch of the Manner how we must bewail the Sins § 5 of others is as it respects those for whom and for whose Sins we lament and mourn You may take up this in several particulars 1. We must bewail the Sins of our bitterest Enemies as well as of our most beloved Relations A rare and seldom practised duty I fear that this will be found I suppose there 's no godly man but bitterly mourns for the Impieties of his dear Yoke-fellow or Child but to mourn because a cruel Enemy either dishonours God or damns his own Soul I doubt there are very few that are conscientious therein Nothing is more common than to rail at our Enemies for their Impieties and to expose them to Obloquy and publick Hatred but I fear there 's nothing more unusual than to bewail their Soul their self-destroying Sins before God in secret The former Pride and Self-love will easily put us upon the latter only flows from Christian Charity and holy sanctified Zeal and Compassion Jer. 13.17 To embrace the former and neglect the latter is to exchange a Duty for a Sin A miserable exchange The holy temper of Christ Luk. 19.41 and Paul acted by his Spirit discovered their bewailings and shedding tears for those that desired to shed their blood Doubtless such a mourning as this would if not prevail for the Conversion of Enemies yet be a comfortable evidence to our Consciences of the truth yea the strength of Grace in us and of pardoning Grace bestow'd upon us who discover so high a degree of forgiving our Enemies 'T is a thousand times more eligible that mine Enemies Sins should suffer Shipwrack in a Sea of my tears than their Persons should be born down by the stream of my Power 2. We ought to bewail the Sins of our near and dear Relations § 6 in a greater measure than those of meer Strangers Natural Affection sanctified is the strongest As Nature puts forth it self to nearest Relations in strong affection so Grace engageth to a proportionable degree of spiritualizing that Affection How earnest and desirous was holy Paul for his Kinsmen in the flesh that they should be saved Rom. 10.1 Never did a godly man in the World never durst he neglect the Duty of bewailing the Sins of his Children Job offered Sacrifices Job 1.5 and Prayers and Tears too no doubt for very fear his Children might offend God There is in the Saints a spiritual Storge a natural affection Spiritualized No Godly man knows how to spare any one Child of his for the Devil it must needs trouble him to fear that they who are so near in this should be so distant in the next Life His Soul desires especiasly
our own flesh Isa 58.7 Humanity in respect of common nature should cause Humanity in regard of Affection To see Mans Nature so depraved that was once so beautiful so like the Devil that once so much resembled God so swiftly running to Hell that was once an Heir of Heaven should draw forth Pity unless our hearts be Flint and Marble A mans Beast deserves thy Pity much more his Soul 2. The Righteous are the same with the Wicked in respect of § 23 corrupt depraved Nature born in Sin as much as they Eph. 2.3 with a Principle of inclination to all their Impieties Saints by nature grew upon the same Root flow'd from the same Fountain were Stones digg'd out of the same Quarry Should it not then make thee mourn to consider by the wickedness of others thine own inbred depravation What thou hadst done thy self if God had not either renewed or restrained thee yea what thou wouldst do if God should leave thee and withdraw his Grace from thee What are all the visible Impieties in the World but Comments and Expositions upon thy depraved Nature This Drunkard Adulterer Sodomite Murderer and I say Lord were both cut off from the same piece and only Free Grace came between us If it have made thee white Paper thou wert by Nature as very a Dunghil rag as the filthiest Sinner 3. Perhaps the Holiest men have been some way or other Furtherers § 24 of the Sins of the Wicked among whom they live perhaps by their former Sinful Example when they lived in the same Sins themselves which now the Wicked wallow in 'T is very possible that one that shall be saved may have been the cause of anothers Damnation shouldst not thou then mourn for killing that Soul which God so severely punisheth thô Free-Grace hath pardon'd thee Should we not quench that Fire with our Tears which we have blown up with our Bellowes of encouragement Saints that are to mourn for others Sins possibly have suffered Sin in others when they might have restrained them We destroy all those whom we suffer to sin and perish when we can prevent it May there not be some Elies among Godly men who have too negligently reproved and animadverted upon the Sins of those under their charge 'T is possible to be a good man and yet a bad Magistrate Minister Parent by not restraining the Sins of those committed to us Cold Reprovers cause bold Sinners An idle silence may sometimes be more pernicious than Idle yea profane Words 4. In this Relation of Saints to Sinners that should put them upon § 25 Mourning for them 't is very considerable that the Godly and the Wicked make up one Community or political Body in the places where they live in which respect the Sins of some particular offender or offenders may pull down Judgments upon the whole body or lump of persons that abide where those offenders live So that every one had need do his utmost by mourning and in whatever other way he can to redress the Sins and so to prevent the Plagues of the place where he lives 'T is very evident Deut. 21.1 2 3. c. the Blood of one man murdered defiles the whole bordering Land and provokes the Lords displeasure against a people even all the place where one notorious Wickedness is committed The Sin of making the Golden Calf thô 't was not the Sin of all yet it endangered all The Altar built by the two Tribes and an half which the rest of the Tribes thought had been built for Sacrifice was thought by Phineas to be so great a provocation as that Josh 22.18 for it the Lord would be wroth with the whole Congregation of Israel For the villany by some of the Inhabitants of Gibeah committed in abusing the Levites Concubine Judg. 20.46 the Vengeance came not only upon the City where it was committed Josh 7.12 2 Sam. 21.1 but upon all the Tribe of Benjamin Achans Sin troubled all Israel There came a Famine upon Israel for three years together for the Sin of Saul in killing the Gibeonites contrary to his Fidelity This was the chief Cause of the custom which was at the publick Fasts in Israel for the finding out of notorious Offenders and offences to have Vengeance taken on them openly Hence was the pretence of Jezabel for the killing of Naboth 1 King 21.9 10. under a shew of Execution of Justice against a Blasphemer to pacifie Gods anger By all this 't is evident what just cause the Godly have to mourn for all the Abominations committed among them which else may pull down Divine Vengeance upon them § 26 IV. APPLICATION 1. Use of Information in sundry Branches 1. Godliness is Vniform in all times places and companies Saints in the worst of these keep up their Integrity and are so far from joining with Sinners in their Sins that they by lamenting their Sins before the Lord enter their Protestation against them A Righteous man is not as the Swine in a Meadow clean only in clean places he will maintain opposition to Sin in the midst of Inducements to Sin Lot did so in Sodom His goodness may justly be suspected that only shews it self in good Places Companies and Times § 27 2. The greatest Sinners cannot Constrain us to sin They cannot extort our consent to Sin Sodom could not thô never so filthy make Lot so No external inducement can take from a Godly man either his Peace or Purity Men may constrain thee to be poor not impure The worst Creatures either among Men or Devils cannot take away what is best The greatest temptation is no plea for committing the least Sin if we give not away none can take away our Holiness 3. One Cause may produce contrary Effects Others sins draw the Wicked § 28 to follow them but they put the Saints upon bewailing them The coming of the Angels into Sodom stirrs up in Lot a desire to exercise Hospitality in the entertaining them but it stirres up in the impure Sodomites the heat of Lust and the most horrid Uncleanness That which sets the Graces of Saints on work puts the Wicked upon Acts of Impiety A Godly man is drawn nearer to God by that very thing that drives the Wicked farther from God 'T is the Disposition of the Person that makes what befalls him good or bad Davids beautiful House of Cedar puts him upon setting up Gods House Nebuchadnezzar's Palace puts him upon thoughts of haughtiness and proud self-admiration 4. 'T is our Duty to rejoyce in the Holiness if to mourn for the Sins § 29 of others Love to Gods house in others was Davids gladness Psal 122.1 'T was the greatest joy of holy John that his spiritual Children walk'd in the truth 3 Epist 4. Holy ones were Paul's Joy Crown and Glory 1 Thes 2.19 20. This rejoycing in the Grace of others must be thô their Grace out-shines and eclipseth ours They who have but a little Grace themselves must rejoyce
your selves in the Love of God And then the Case and Question is this What we must do to keep our selves in the Love of God A solemn and weighty Question and wherein every Soul of us is nearly concerned There are three things that require some Explication Q. 1. What is meant by your selves A. Every one himself and every one each other so far as he can 2. What is meant by the action which each is to see put forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep to observe to preserve firmly safely constantly I have kept the Faith 2 Tim. 4.3 Thus we keep and thus God keeps us Jam. 1. ult John 3.22 Rev. 12.17 Joh. 17.11 John 17.15 In all which Places the word is the same in the Text to keep fast and safe and faithfully with all Care and Diligence and Conscience as we would keep a thing for our Life Prov. 4.23 Keep thy Heart with all Diligence for out of it are the Issues of Life From all which thus explain'd ariseth this Proposition It is the Duty of every Child of God Obs to keep themselves in the Love of God This Proposition is grounded upon a threefold Supposition 1. That some men are in the Love of God really and eternally 2. That this Love wherewith God loveth his Chosen Rom. v. 8. 11 12 13. is a special Love a peculiar and distinguishing Love 3. That it is a Duty as well as a Priviledge to keep our selves in the Love of God our Activity as well as Gods Act. Which will be hereafter more explained Before we come to the main Question we will answer this Question How Love can be said to be in God for Love is a Passion in the Creature and Passions are Imperfections which are contrary to Gods Perfection A. 1. It is true Nothing of Imperfection is in God but Love is in God as a Perfection because Love is in God in the abstract that is essentially for Abstracts speak Essences God is Love 1 John 4.8 The Love of God is either natural or voluntary thus Divines distinguish and that well Mat. 3.17 Joh. 3.35 Joh. 5.20 Joh. 17.24 1. The Natural Love of God is that wherewith God loves himself That is the reciprocal Love whereby the three Persons love each other This Essential Natural Love of God is therefore necessary God cannot but love himself 2. The Love of God is voluntary thus he loves his Creatures with a general Love 1. Because he made them and made them good therefore he preserves them Gen. 1.31 for though Sin be really evil and none of Gods making but contrary to God and hated of God yet God loves the Creatures as his Creatures although sinful with a general Love Mat. 5.44 45. 2. He loves some Creatures with a special Love and by this he loves Jesus Christ as Mediator Joh. 3.35 Eph. 1.6 1 Joh. 4.9 Rom. 8. ult 1. This Love of God to Christ as Mediator is the Foundation of Gods Love to his Elect. 2. By a special Love God loves his Elect. John 13.1 Of this Love it 's said that it is inseparable Now this is the peculiar Love which God bears to some above others Not because they were more lovely than others nor because God foresaw they would believe and love him but because God loved them first antecedently to all those things Eph. 1.3 4 5. Deut. 7.6 7 8. Eph. 2.3 4 c. to 10. and because he loved them therefore Christ shall come and die and therefore they shall believe in him and love him The summ is this Our Love to God is the Effect and not the Cause of Gods Love to us yea Christ himself as Mediator is the Effect of Gods Eternal Love This is primitive Doctrine John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me V. 44. No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 1 John 4.19 He hath loved us first Rom. 10.20 I am found of them that sought me not Rom. 5.8.10 God commended his love toward us that while we were yet Sinners and Enemies Christ died for us Upon which I would have old and new Donatists which make God to love all alike in order to their Salvation and that there is no special Grace let them read St. Augustine Tom. 9. Tract 102. on John Tom. 7. Lib. contra Donatistas post Collat. p. 403. also pag. 402. likewise in Brevic. p. 387. Collat. cum Donatistis Collat. tertii diei Item Tom. 9. Tract 87. on John Item Tom. 2. Epist 48. p. 118. and many more places I have therefore named all these because there is a sort of Men risen up among us Gal. 1.6.7 corrupters and perverters of the Word and Wayes of God who raise up Donatism and Pelagianism from the Death I know some make this Love of God in the Text to be meant not of Gods Love to us at all but of our Love to God only Contrary I judge it spoken principally of Gods Love to us not excluding our Love to God but comprehending it as a great sign that God loves us when we truly love God According to this sence I shall proceed to speak to the present Case which is a practical Question How Christians shall do to keep themselves in the Love of God Quest 1. In General One whom God loves and favours Answ must do as the Favourite of a Prince useth to do to keep himself in his Princes Love and Favour He will study what the will of his Prince is and will do all that he can to please him He will set himself wholly to promote his Princes Interest and Honour and to gratifie his Desires yea he will be infinitely shy of displeasing him So will a Child of God carry himself towards God to keep himself in the Favour and Love of God This is a great Art to study Ephes 5.17 to know what is the will and Pleasure of God and to conform to it The Reason whereof is this Because 1. The Will of God is a Sovereign Will to all the World therefore to thine and mine there is no controuling of it Who can say unto God What dost thou When any mans will comes in competition with Gods Will thou knowest what thou hast to answer Dan. 3.16 17. and what thou hast to do Act. 4.19 But if mans commanding Will be agreeable to Gods revealed Will which is the Standard then we please and not displease God in submitting to man because subordinate things do not clash 2. Because the Will of God is a holy Will and we can never keep our selves in the Love of God 1 Pet. 1.15.16 but by what is agreeable to his Holiness and that is when we our selves are Holy because this is not only the Will of God but the Image of God Eph. 4.24 created after God Now God loves Children that are most like him for Likeness is the Cause of Love Thus much in General
to the end and ye see what power he had with God in Prayer for wicked Sodom God communicated his Secrets to him as one Friend to another and Abraham made Intercession to him as Favourites of Princes for Malefactors So did he for Sodom and ye know how far he prevailed for he was a Righteous man Jam. 5.16 and such a mans Prayer prevaileth much And what was Abrahams Righteousness even the Righteousness of Faith by Imputation Rom. 4. and this Faith living and working XV. We keep our selves in the Love of God when we declare a publick Spirit for the Cause of God in his Church against the Enemies of it by being zealous for his Glory and valiant for his Truth in our Station Judg. 5. This is lively asserted in the Song of Deborah and Barak who after she had praised some for their appearing and others for not appearing in this Cause dispraised the Lord she praised above all for his presence with his People and for that Spirit of Love he poured out upon them in these Words vers 31. So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might Now the Reason why this publick Spirit in the Cause of God is expressed by our Love to God is this Because God is so much concerned in it 1. As to his Honour to defend and deliver his People from his and their Enemies as the Midianites were 2. As to his Power in reducing thirty thousand to three hundred Jud. 7. as in Gideons case all that lapped He as a poor Barley Cake tumbled all the Enemies down and by a small company And a Woman in Deborahs case that is by her self and Jael Judg. 4.21 destroyed Jabin and Sisera's mighty Host To omit many other instances of publick Hearts in this case signally owned by God because they signally appeared for God Thus Moses Exod. 2.11 13. Judg. 5.9 This was their Love Thus saith Deborah My Heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offer themselves willingly bless ye the Lord. Zebulun and Napthali jeoparded their lives unto Death in the high places of the Field and thus did Issachar ver 15. But Reuben Gad Manasseh Dan and Asher are branded for their Cowardise I say all this appearing in the defence of all that was dear to God and them is called Love to God Therefore we may in no wise exclude this Noble publick Spirit in the cause of God and his People from the Love of God for there is no principle in the World like to the Love of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.8 Deum odisse in sacris literis peculiariter illi dicuntur qui falsos deos colunt Maimon Which love me and keep my Commandments Illa praecipuè quae ad arcendas pravas superstitiones pertinent Grot. Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pij dicti sunt Ezek. 16.33 36 37. chap. 23.5 Jer. 2.2 I remember the love of the Espousals to animate and inflame the Soul to do great things for God This Spirit was marvellous in David whose very Name was from Love Therefore it is the duty of every Child of God to pray for the Spirit of God which only sheds all divine Love abroad in the Heart Rom. 5.5 which God inspires as he pleaseth XVI A great means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is to be Sincere and Sound in the Worship of God Mark this well for herein lyes the Love or Hatred of God as appears plainly in the second Commandement Exod. 20. ver 6. Therefore Idols and Idolaters are called our Lovers Hosea 2.5 7. Jer. 8.1 Hosea 13. They kissed the Calves ver 2. Therefore our Hankering and embracing of a false Worship provokes God to jealousie Therefore the Lord deals with Superstition and Idolatry in his People after the Law of Harlots and Adulterers The Scripture is full of this Language There is no higher Act of Love in God than to espouse a People to be his own and to give them a Rule of Worship of his own Institution and to hold them to it as he did Israel And when a People follows God and serves God according to his own appointments there are no higher Acts of Love towards him in Gods account God is enamoured with such a People God in his highest acts of jealousie was inraged against his Idolatrous people Psal 78.59 They kissed their Idols giving them all the tokens of Love and Homage 1 King 19.18 Job 31.27 They burnt their Children to them as the costlyest Sacrifice as Abraham would his Isaac in Love to God but God only tryed him by it Mark 7.7 Colos 2.22 Mat. 15.2 3 6. Rev. 17.4 5. he calls them his Hephsibah and his Beulah Isa 62.4 We see it also in the instance of good Kings how the Lord prized and praised them for this very thing for Reforming and setting up the true Worship of God as David Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah Josiah how the Lord prospered them because their Hearts were right and perfect with God in this thing On the other side how he hath branded and blasted all those that were false herein For this was David a man after Gods own Heart fulfilling all his Wills which is chiefly meant in the point of Gods Worship Act. 13.22 As for the Wills of men in the Worship of God by their Inventions Traditions and Commandements he tells you he hates them and they are Abomination to him And no wonder for what intrencheth more upon the Honour of Gods Wisdom and Soveraignty than this That he doth not know best how to appoint his own Worship but must be fain to be beholding to Man for his devices and dictates in the Case This though it seems very gay is Whorish and Poysonous this golden Dress and Cup is intoxicating XVII A great Means of keeping in the Love of God is keeping up the Communion of Saints in all the parts and duties of it What this is we shall see according to Scripture The Communion of Saints is our Participation of all the good things of God in common whereunto all the Saints and only they have right consisting in our Union to God as our chiefest good this is with God as a Father with the Son and Holy Spirit 1 Joh. 1.3 2 Cor. 13.13 1. We have Communion with the Father as Children and all in the greatest Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8.16 17. This is procured by Christ 1 Joh. 2.23 only obtained by Believing Joh. 1.12 And maintained by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 Who walk not in darkness but in light 1 Joh. 1.6 7. 2. We have Communion with Jesus Christ the Son of God By which we are made partakers of him of his Nature and of his Grace and of his Glory all which is done by Faith that uniteing and marrying Grace and this works such Conjugal Love between Christ and his Church as makes them
and perfect Love because our Souls find rest in God only St. Bernard makes four degrees of our Love to God 1. When a man loves Himself for himself but herein he can have no rest nor content for it is not to be found in him 2. When he loves God for himself and not for God when he would have God make him happy 3. When he loves God for God himself as judging him most worthy of all love 4. When he loves himself and all things else for God only and is therein satisfied desiring nothing more This is indeed to love God when we love him for himself and our selves and all other things subordinately unto God in him and for him only Our Soul as Noahs Dove hath no rest till it return to this Ark. This Injoyment satisfies Psal 17. ult ye shall be abundantly satisfied Psal 36.8 9. because it is the water of life which being once drunk of quencheth thirst for ever I conclude all with this that considering the Circumstances into which we are cast it is our Duty Wisdom and Priviledge to keep our selves in the Love of God from the transcendent Advantages we have by it above the love and favour of men which is hard to get and yet not worth the pains when gotten yea when gotten it is as hard to keep and yet not worth the keeping yea it is easily lost and better lost than kept Therefore never labour to keep thy self in the Love of Men by which thou mayst lose the love of God but keep your selves in the Love of God and that will keep you safe here and for ever The Lord gives it as a Reason why he would not cast off his People though he threatned them as if he would do it Hos 11.8 9. Because saith he I am God and not Man It is not after the manner of men to be constant in their Love but is like Himself and never breaks off or keeps in his Love Ezek. 16.5 6 7 8. The Lord will be called Husband of his People and is he not the best and dearest in the World Doth he take any People or Soul to Wife for rare Beauty or rich Dowry Alas there is none Did he not find us in our gore-blood and yet loved us when such vers 8. Now whom he loves he cleaves to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2.24 Ephes 5.31 Thus he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.16 The word is glued to shew the close Union of divine Love Pray then to God for the Holy Ghost which he hath promised to give to them that ask that he may shed abroad the love of God in your hearts 2 Thess 3.5 Rom. 5.5 for hereby you will keep your selves in the love of God Quest What may gracious Parents best do for the Conversion of those Children whose wickedness is occasion'd by their sinful Severity or Indulgence SERMON VII MAL. IV. 6. He shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to their Fathers THis intricate Text propos'd to me on which I preacht speaking but indirectly and by consequence only as I then said to the Question propos'd upon mature deliberation I have thought good to adjoin Another which I conceive looks with a more direct aspect on both the parts of our Bipartite Question Viz. EPH. VI. 4. Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. AS Malapertness frowardness sauciness self-will stubbornness sullenness disobedience yea contempt and scorning of Parents specially the more indulgent and weak are Vices too common with Children and Youth So on the other side Parents unless modell'd and confirm'd by the Word and Spirit of God are very prone to fall into one of these two extreams either immoderate severity and rigid abuse of the Parental Authority or fond indulgence and sinful neglect of just and discreet discipline Against Both these extreams our Apostle doth here Arm and fortifie gracious Parents by instructing them how equally to hold the Ballance and Discreetly to manage the reins and rudder of their Parental Power and Discipline so as they may not provoke their Children to a just disgust and wrath on the one side nor expose themselves to a base contempt and scorn on the other And this he doth 1. By forbidding a Vice Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad iram ad irae exuberantiam ne provocate ne irritate q. d. Fathers I know your Children are apt to be Vain rash foolish disobedient stubborn able to roil the most sedate Spirit to try the patience of a Job and 't is fit yea necessary that you admonish reprove rebuke chastize them but yet take heed that while though they provoke you to a just displeasure you by an unjust abuse of your just authority in a too strict rigid immoderate severity against them give your offending Children any just occasion of or urgent temptation to any sinful anger or inveterate wrath against you whilst you are correcting for one sin do not provoke them to commit another Whilst you are plucking them out of a gulph do not dash them against a Rock Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath But Observe we here the Apostles prudence Having vers 1 2 3. allotted to Children their share viz. Obedience Children obey your Parents in the Lord and backt it both with divine Precept and Promise the just consequence seems to require that he should have invested the Parents with Command and Government for their Portion but he fairly waves that and as supposing he had sufficiently fixt the Parents Authority by putting their Children under the yoke of Obedience he now consults the childs interest or rather the mutual comfort both of Parent and Child by advising Parents to use the Power that God had given them moderately and tenderly on the one hand he sweetens the Obedience of the Child on the other tempers the Authority of the Parent That the precept of Obedience may not fright the Child nor the Prerogative of Power swell the Parent let them both know The child that he is in subjection and must obey but then 't is his Father who either doth or should love him and the Father that he hath Authority and may command but whom 'T is his Child whom he must govern with that tenderness as not in the least to provoke Thus by forbidding a Vice 2. By enjoining them the contrary Grace or duty But bring them up in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord. Children as they must not be provoked to wrath so they must not be indulged in folly As they must not be discouraged so they may not be cocker'd Our Children naturally are too too like the wild Horse or Asses colt who if they once begin to know their strength and get the bit between their Teeth will first cast their Rider and then run in a full
such provoking Children 1. Doth your Duty of loving your Children admit of that exception Love them i. e. If they are or while they are free from all fault did not the Lord that enjoyns this Duty know full well that no mortal man is without his Spots Imperfections Failings In vain is that Precept that is limited to a Condition which is impossible to fulfil Jam. 3.2 Tangat memoriam communis fragilitas 2. Look inward and then look upward Are not you naught have not you often and do not you daily hourly provoke your Heavenly Father and yet would you not desire that he should Love you Let your own Prayers and Tears be Witnesses in the Case Had a man laid his ear close to your Closet might he not have heard you Ephraim-like bemoaning your self thus Heavenly Father I am vile I have done Iniquity I have not only toucht upon the verge of Vice but entred the Circle nay my sins are aggravated by Perverseness in ill-doing and by resisting counsel I cannot dare not clear my self by a just defence nor being rightly depriv'd of thy love and favour seek for any other Mediators but thy Christ and free Grace for my relief And therefore give me leave to hope that a Fathers Bowels are as Potent Orators as a Sons Misery and that while my Transgressions Damm up the way to favour fatherly Compassion will not forget to be merciful he that bears the name of a Father cannot forget the tears of a Child Tell me severe Parents is not this a true Echo of some of your most pathetick Prayers But what answer have you expected and your Heavenly Father return'd 3. Possibly while you have been speaking God hath answer'd as he did Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child No no he is naught he is a Prodigal True but yet he is a repenting a returning Prodigal though not a pleasant Son yet a Son a Child and therefore since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still Therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Read consider and often Pray over those pertinent Texts Deut. 32.36 Isa 63.15 16. Hos 11.7 8 9. Luk. 15.19 20. All this is true to a repenting Ephraim but my Child lies stinking in his filth 4. But I pray In what case and posture did your Heavenly Father find you when he first manifested his Love unto you Ezek. 16.6 8. I saw thee polluted in thine own blood and I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live ver 8. Behold this time was the time of thy Gods Love God the Father commended his Love towards you in that while you were yet Sinners Christ died for you Rom. 5.8 2. Govern your Children as a Father and so remember 1. That your Parental power is not absolute or despotical but regulated and circumscrib'd within due bounds and limits Parents may not think they may do what they list according to their own Will and Pleasure with their Children Stat pro ratione voluntas is the language of a Tyrant not of a Father And here 1. Beware of secret Pride of inordinate self-exalting of magnifying your Office and overvaluing your selves and of esteeming your selves to be greater than indeed you are and an Eager desire that your Children should so think of you and so treat you 2. Beware of thinking more of the dignity of your place than of your duty you owe to God and your Children in that Station wherein God hath fixt you 3. Beware of being excessively hard and difficult to be pleased and of being too rigid an Exactor of observance and respect from your Child and of slighting undervaluing vilifying of him when he hath done his utmost of discontent and murmuring if you have not all you desire in your Child 4. Beware that you respect not your Child more for the seeming regard he shews to you than for any real worth that is in him All these are dangerous Rocks to which your secret Pride exposes you enough to destroy Pilot and Vessel 3. Be Angry with your Child but be Angry and sin not Eph. 5.26 Be angry but then let it be the Anger of a displeased Father against an offending Child not the Anger of a Bloody enemy against an Irreconcilable Foe be angry as your Heavenly Father is said to be Angry Of this before 4. Exhort admonish reprove rebuke chastize offending Children but then still Remember whose deputy you are whom you represent even your heavenly Father Fury is not in him Judgment is his strange work But he delights in mercy When he is as it were forced to put forth his Anger he then makes use of a Fathers rod not an Executioners Ax Psal 89. from 30. to 35. 2 Sam. 7.14 He will neither break his Childrens bones nor his own Covenant He lashes in Love Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.19 in measure in pity and compassion In all their Affliction he is afflicted Every stroke on his Childs back recoils on his own Bowels and if the member be gangren'd and there is an absolute necessity to cut it off to save the Life the Soul of his Child then like a Chyrurgeon who is the Father of the Patient He makes use of the Saw not forgetting that he is now cutting off his own flesh and would never do it but for the Child 's good Rom. 8.28 Go you and do likewise 5. In all you do take heed you do not provoke them on the one hand nor discourage them on the other 1. Not provoke them Of this somewhat before Let me adde when Children find themselves contrary to their hopes and it may be their deserts to be hardly and sharply dealt withall and that nothing which they attempt or perform finds acceptance with their morose and rigid Parents specially if of fiercer Spirits in the heat and bitterness of their inraged Souls they are apt to throw off all Reverence to break their bands asunder and to cast away their cords from them Like wild and untamed Colts to kick and winch and harden their necks foreheads hearts against all admonitions and threatnings against all words and blows Their Father hates them say they sink they must and sink they will but not alone if possible they 'l draw their cruel Fathers Heart and Peace into the same gulf with them Oh dreadful Take heed therefore do not provoke Nè animam despondeant 2. Not to discourage dishearten dispirit them Col. 3.21 Fathers provoke not your Children least they be discouraged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is nothing that doth more deject and sink the heart of a poor Child specially if ingenious and of a softer and more meek temper than the severe rigour and roughness of a Father It quite unsouls the poor Child when in the countenance and deportment of his Father to whom of all men in the World he should in reason be dearest he sees nothing but anger and
aversation It intimidates the Child destroyes his mettle and courage for any honest or honourable undertaking smothers yea extinguishes all his fire and vivacity transforms him into a meer sot mope dullard block utterly unfit for use and service nay more it often throws him into the deepest gulph of grief and melancholy sickness death and then it may be when too late the unhappy Parent will see cause to relent and abhorr himself for his unjust severity 6. Parents remember they are Children and but Children Their age may be some Apology for them Their Heads are green yours are grey More years may teach them better manners They are your Children your own Flesh Blood Bowels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle your Children If the stream be corrupt it derives it from your selves the Fountain Psal 51.5 The young Serpent came from the old Cockatrice 7. Since Severity will not do the feat see what sweetness mildness gentleness holy tenderness and indulgence will do Peragit tranquilla potestas quod violenta nequit The pillow may help to break the flint which the Hammer and Anvil cannot It prevail'd with flinty Saul 1 Sam. 24.16 The cordial may prevail where the corrosive cannot The sight of the pardon more commands the heart of the desperate Traytor than that of the Ax or Gibbet 8. To All these adde Scriptural admonition fervent Supplication Patient waiting on and humble Submission to the Will of God Mic. 7.7 8 9. Thus much concerning Sinful Severity we proceed to the Second and that is Sinful Indulgence Our Apostle knowing right well how apt Parents are to swerve from the golden mean of Parental discipline and whilst they Labour to avoid the Rock of Sinful Severity how prone they are to plunge themselves into the gulph of Sinful Indulgence doth in the same Text prescribe a Soveraign Antidote against that fatal pleurisie of fond Affection in these words but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Whilest the severe Parent is breathing a vein in his distemper'd Child he cautions him to take care he doth not pierce an Artery Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath But on the other Hand if the Child labours under an imposthume and needs the Lâ—ncet our Apostle doth here command the discreet use of it and â—â—ll by no means permit that the sinking Child should be sooth'd or stroakt and demulc'd into certain ruine Children must be nurtur'd thô they may not be provok'd Parents must not be cruel Ostrichès and leave and expose their young ones to harm and danger nor yet must they be such fond Apes who are said to hug their Cubs so closely as that they kill them with their embraces And that on this Account because 2. The wickedness of unconverted Children is too too often occasion'd yea and advanced by the sinful Indulgence of their godly Parents Sinful Severity with Saul hath slain it's thousands sinful Indulgence with David it 's ten thousands Poor cocker'd Children when 't is too late find the little Finger of a fond Mother to weigh far heavier and to sink the Soul far deeper than the weighty Loins of a severe Father and at a long run will find more of Sting in a Rod of Roses than in a scourge of Scorpions In the Stating of this case I shall proceed as before and shew you 1. What Sinful Indulgence is not And so 1. Natural ordinate moderate parental Love and such as is mixt with the most yerning bowels most deep and tender compassions is not sinful Indulgence Nay to be without these Natural Affections Rom. 1.31 is not only wretched Stoicisme but sinful cursed and more than brutish astorgy Even the Storks and Sea-monsters will teach us to love our Off-spring Love my Children I may and must 1. With all the sorts and kinds of Love of desire of Union and Communion with them of the sweet enjoyment of them of benevolence and good will willing ready and prepared to desire and wish them all good of beneficence and bounty Tit. 2.4 Gen. 21.19 1 King 3.25.26 1.7 10 18 19. 1 Tim. 5.8 actually endeavouring to do them all good possible both as to their Souls and Bodies All our Spiritual gifts must be for the profit of their Souls for their Direction Consolation Salvation and as for their Bodies their Backs must be our Wardrobes their Bellies our Barns and their Hands our Treasuries And with a Love of Complacency and delight Our Children may and ought to be the joy and rejoycing of our Hearts no greater joy than to see our Children like Olive-plants round about our Table specially if we see and find them walking in the Truth John 2. Ep. 4. John 3. Ep. 4. 2. With all the properties of parental Love viz. Sincere and unfained a Love not in word and tongue only but from the Heart in Deed and in Truth A forward chearful Love not drawn or driven but flowing as from a Fountain An expensive open-handed as well as open-hearted Love A fruitful Love producing not only fair Leaves Buds and blossoms of pleasing smiles and large promises but the mature fruits of beneficial performances An holy just fervent constant Love a most gentle dear tender compassionate Love whereby we are ready to Sympathize with them and forward to succour them in their misery to regard them when they neither regard us nor themselves To take in good part the desires of their Souls when they find not to perform To accept of a sigh in regard of a service a mite instead of a Talent a groan instead of a duty the very stammering of my Child above the eloquence of a Beggar Mal. 3.17 Looking on a returning Prodigal as a Son and pitying as a Father not punishing as a Judge Psal 103.13 14. Remembring their frame and knowing that both they and we are poor dust All this and much more is not sinful Indulgence To carry them in our Bosoms as Moses did the Israelites Num. 11.12 or so in our Hearts as to be willing to impart our very Souls unto them in and for God because they are dear unto us as Paul 1 Thes 2.7 8 11. To Bless them in Gods Name Faith Fear as Jacob did Gen. 49.28 To countenance and encourage them in and reward them for well doing 1 Pet. 2.14 Est 6.3 To Love those most that Love God most to give such Benjamins five messes a double treble Portion an Isaak's Inheritance this is not sinful Indulgence 2. What sinful Indulgence is It stands in the Excess and exuberancy of our Love and affections and in too much slacking and remitting the reins of Government When we do as it were abandon and give up our minds and studies to coax and please and gratifie the humours yea satisfie the Lusts of our foolish Children when we make their Wills our Laws our Rules when the doting Parent is led by the Heart shall I say or Nose by his audacious Child and must be at his
beck at his command When the Child may and must speak or do what he pleases and the Parent either may or dare not say What dost thou let him act what and when and how he pleases he must not be displeased disturbed contradicted in the least When the Child grown insolent and intolerable is too gently treated and born withall when a forced frown or a gentle soft whisper is lookt upon as a smart Rebuke and the lash of a Rod no less than the wound of a Sword When it may be we mildly snip the unthrifty Darling and at the same time that we pretend to chide do fondly adde fuel to his excess This O this is sinful Indulgence A sin of a crimson dye and dreadful consequence More particularly 1. When our extravagant Love prevails with us in too mild and gentle a manner to bear with our wicked Children in contemning of or Rebellion against Gods Laws or our own lawful commands and counsels Isa 3.5 1 Sam. 15.1 to 12. 1 Sam. 3.13 Math. 14.8 2. When our inordinate love to them causes us to counsel them to or encourage them in that which is evil This was a deep blot and indeed the only one I find in that godly Mothers Gen. 25.28 27.6 c. good Rebekah's Scutcheon Gen. 25.28 'T is said that Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his Venison but Rebekah loved Jacob Isaac being old was too much held by the teeth and too fond of Esau for his Venisons sake but Rebekah her self was not a little in fault Her Jacob by his red Pottage had got the Birthright and now she is resolv'd that he should have the Blessing too On this account she furnishes him with a lye in his mouth and skins on his neck and hands and so in her great love exposes her drest Jacob instead of a Blessing to his Fathers Curse and his own Damnation 'T is true he narrowly escaped and ran away with the Blessing But both Mother and Son had both their Bellies full of the Sauce in which the Mothers Indulgence had sinfully soakt it 'T was this chiefly that made poor Jacob go halting to his Grave 3. When Parents will not endure to see that Natural Fierceness Pride Self-will Impatience that peeps out in their Children to be severely checkt and grubb'd up by the Roots When Children must not be nurtur'd in Truth Modesty Bashfulness Reverence Courtesie Obedience Diligence No no this is Harshness But even whilst little Children scarce out of the shell shall be taught and encouraged to brazen their Foreheads to throw off all humble Shamefacedness all Respect of Superiors to talk and strut and swagger Their Tongue is their own and who is Lord over them Oh intolerable tell it not in Gath publish it not in the Streets of Askelon 4. When we feed our Children with more dainty Fare trick them up with more gorgeous Apparel and even loosen and break the nerves of their Souls and Bodies with too soft and delicate an education no way sutable either to our own Estates or their Condition Which was the serious complaint of Quintilian of old and is the sin and shame of this present Age. This this is that sinful Indulgence here intended This is that that too often occasions yea inflames and heightens our Childrens daring Wickedness and prepares them makes them fit Vessels for Temporal and Eternal ruine Now concerning this I shall give you my thoughts under these two generals 1. I shall lay before you plain Instances of this sinful Indulgence in three Parents all of them Fathers for after a most exact search throughout the whole Scriptures I cannot find one no not one of all the godly Mothers in Israel guilty of or charged with this sin Rebekah only excepted two of these Fathers were beyond all contradiction truly yea eminently godly the third probably so by the tender respect he shew'd the Levite We begin with him 1. That the Indulgence of Parents is the bane of Children a Pandar of their wickedness the Asylum of their vanity How easily is the Thief induced to Steal when he knows his Receiver When the loosness of Youth knows where to find pity and toleration what mischief can it forbear See this in the Levites Concubine or Wife Judg 19.1 2. This Concubine plays the Whore against the Levite whom she own'd at least as an Husband Her guilt makes her fly but whither shall she cause her shame to go whither indeed but to her own dear Fathers House She that had deserv'd to be abhorr'd by her loving and faithful Husband doubts not to find shelter from her fond and indulgent Father his heart and house and bosom she knew would all be open to her Well home she speeds to her Father at Bethlehem Ephratah But doth her good old father receive her what doth he suffer his house to become a Brothel-house to be defiled with an Adulteress though she sprang out of his own Loyns Methinks I hear him in a just indignation thus accosting her Why How now Impudence what makest thou here dost thou think to find my house a shelter for thy sins the Stews are a fitter receptacle for thee Whilst thou wert a faithful Wife to thy Husband thou wert a beloved Daughter to me But now thou art nâ—ither Thou art not mine I gave thee to thine Husband Thou art not thy Husbands thou hast betray'd his Bed Thy filthiness hath made thee thine own and thine Adulterers go seek thine entertainment where thou hast lost thine honesty thy Lewdness hath brought a necessity of shame upon thy abettors How can I countenance thy person and abandon thy sin I had rather be a just man than a sinfully-kind Father Get thee home therefore to thy Husband crave his Forgiveness upon thy Knees redeem his Love with thy Modesty and Obedience When his Heart is once open to thee my doors shall not be shut in the mean time before thou art humbled both before God and man Know I can be no Father to an Harlot Thus methinks I should have heard him say but lo fond Father that he was he treats and caresses her at another rate and seems to bespeak her as Jael did Sisera Judg. 4.18 Turn in my dear Child turn in to me He brings her into his House covers her with a Mantle instead of Water gives her a Bottle of Milk yea he brings forth Butter in a Lordly dish treats her at the Kindest rate and that for four whole Months And now let the most indulgent Parent judge whether this was a just dealing with this Strumpet whose Crime God had long before Sentenced with Death Lev. 20.10 But yet remember that this Courting Jael prov'd a most fatal Executioner The vile Sisera bow'd and fell at her feet Judg. 4.21 5.25 26 27. For ought I know had her Father been more severe he might have prevented her farther defiling and Murder by the filthy Gibeathites Judg. 19.25 28. Indulgence is a Syren that
Correct 'em therefore but in Love Wisdom Measure Season Obj. But I hear the bleatings of fond Parents O forbear good Sir forbear These are hard sayings The Land the City is not able to bear them 'T is nothing but Love that makes us to bear with our Children Alas who could find in their Hearts to beat so sweet a Child Sol. Nothing but Love That 's not so the Holy Ghost gives thee the lye It is not Love but real Hatred Pro. 13.24 22.15 29.15 17. not to Correct offending Children Obj. But they are little and time enough hereafter Sol. Betimes While there is hope Nip them in the bud Prov. 19.18 small hopes afterward if neglected now Obj. I cannot endure to hear him cry Sol. Let not thy Soul spare for his crying 'T is strange to see how the Holy Ghost meets with these fond Parents at every turning Obj. But would you have me cruel to my own Child Sol. No. And therefore Correct him Thou art unmerciful and cruel to thy Child if thou dost not Correct him Pro. 23.13 He will dye and perish if thou Correct him not His Arm is gangreen'd he dies if thou dost not cut it off He is in an Apoplexy cup him lance him scarifie him or he is gone and that for ever Obj. Alas Childrens faults are nothing Sol. What is their Stubornness Pride Lying Disobedience it may be Cursing Swearing nothing These all lead to Hell from whence thy Rod is ordain'd and sanctified by God to deliver him Prov. 23.14 Obj. But this is the way to make my Child hate me yea to make him a Dullard a Sot so that I shall never have any comfort in him Sol. Better that thy Child should hate thee for doing thy Duty than thy God for committing sin yea a comprehensive complicated sin All the sins thy child commits upon thy neglect of Correction are thine own but read and believe Solomon Pro. 29.17 Correct thy Son and he shall give thee rest yea he shall give delight unto thy Soul 3. When ever you Correct be sure you admonish your Child So in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 join'd Thus David saith thy Heavenly Fa-doth He Chasteneth first and then teacheth Psal 94.12 Lay Gods Law and his sin against that Law before him I have known a man that when he Corrected his Child would bring his Bible forth cause his Child to read such a Scripture as spake home to the Case and this hath pierced deeper than the Rod. Not beat with rigor nor yet with silence nor give strokes without words which may possibly cause the Child to see his fault and come to an amendment In publick Justice there goes Eviction of the fact before the Sentence and a word of Admonition before Execution If our Child heedlesly fall into the dirt we do not let him lye and beat him but first help him up settle all rhings well about him after that Correct him but close all with charging him to look better to his feet 4. To Correction and Admonition Add faithful fervent constant supplications Without this all other means are ineffectual 'T is thy Heavenly Father that must do the feat at last 'T is he alone must work effectually in thy poor Child both to will and do Bring him to Bethesda put him in there begg thy God to stir the waters and to make them healing With the woman of Canaan carry thy Child to Christ Mat. 15.22 Remember Job He sent and sanctified his Children Job 1.5 Would'st thou have thy Child a Samuel a Solomon an Austin Be thou an Hannah a Bathsheba a Monica 1 Sam. 1.12 to 19 20. Pro. 31 2. Let thy Child be the Child of thy Prayers Vows Tears and that 's the way to make him a Child of thy Praises Joys and Triumphs with the Father in the Parable Luk. 15.32 5. For a close of all Add a good Example Cause it to appear to thy Childs Conscience that thou hast begun to mend first to repent of thy darling sin of Indulgence That done thou mayst fairly hope that this Load-stone may draw him to Repentance Parents Examples are high Magneticks 2 King 14.3 15.3.34 Obj. Say both Severe and Indulgent Parents These things have we done and that faithfully and yet our Children remain wicked Sol. 1. However none have more cause to expect and with patience to wait for Gods blessing on use of means because your Children are certainly under Gods faithfull Promise Gen. 17.7 Isa 44.3 2. You have delivered your own Souls Ezek. 3.19 3. Your Endeavours graciously accepted Isa 49.4 2 Cor. 8.12 4. Your Prayers shall return into your own bosom Psal 35.13 Quest How may we best cure the Love of being Flatter'd SERMON VIII PROV XXVI v. 28. A Lying Tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering Mouth worketh ruine IT was the Psalmist's complaint of that Age he lived in That there was no faithfulness in their mouths that while they flatter'd with their tongue their throat was an open Sepulcher Psal 5.9 10. equally devouring and insatiable In these words we may take up as mournful a complaint of our own Age or in the words of the Psal 12.1 The faithful fail from among the Children of men whilst Lying Tongues first afflict the Innocent and then hate those they afflict which is the Method that opener Enemies do observe and is the subject of the former part of the Verse Among these men Truth and Justice have no place nor bear sway but is it any whit better among pretended Friendships Flattering mouths work Ruine such smooth and Oily tongues do more slily and yet not less surely undo us The former ruine us by others the latter ruine us by our selves and these the more dangerous and cruel because they do destroy under the Covert of abused friendship making that which should be sacred among men a means to effect the most barbarous Tragedies of this the latter part of the Verse speaketh which doth present us with a Picture that in different positions sets forth the counterfeit of the greatest and most amiable beauty the counterfeit of Friendship appears in the face and at first view but if you change your place and view it at nearer distance it presents to your view a secret dangerous and destructive Enemy one that worketh ruine With this I must entertain you who either hear or read me and make it as I suppose Solomon designed it a Preservative against the ruine which Loved and affected flattery draws upon men There are few I think none but have been sometime or other more or less wounded with the sting of this Scorpion I begg you will patiently suffer me to bruise the head on the wound the Sting hath made that you may be heal'd at least the deadlyness of the Venom may be prevented This I am to endeavour while I state this Case How may we best Cure the Love of being flatter'd Solomon in our
Exchequer and stick at no pains no expence Isa 43 4. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give men for that and people for thy life God loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob and the dwellings of Jacob more than all the Tents and Palaces of wickedness and more than all the Thrones of iniquity that frame mischief by a Law for these shall have no fellowship with him He loves one Saint more than he doth ten thousand ungodly wretches with whom he is angry every day and his poor Church more than all the world Christ preferres his little flock before the hugeherds and droves which the Devil will have fall to his share And since this God who is so much your Friend gouerns the world sit down and think how much you may expect from him nay what good is there which you may not expect 4. God hath especially charged himself with his Church and People as a good King looks upon it as his duty to study and promote the weal and comfort of all his Dominions and all his Subjects but in a more particular manner the happiness of his Consort and Children and favourites There is as I have shewn you a general Providence of God which extends it self to the whole world and for which all things fare the better but besides that there is a special Providence exercised about the Saints of whom he is as tender as the apple of his eye Next to his own interest that of his People lyes closest to his heart and doth most engage his thoughts Others are under his eye which runs to and fro through the Earth but these are under his wing Doth God take care of Oxen yes that he doth and of Asses too and of young Lyons and Wolves and Bears and Tygers and all the Beasts of prey but he takes another manner of care for his Lambs and his Dove in the clefts of the Rock and in the secret places of the stairs You read and rejoyce when you read 1 Tim. 4 10. That he is the Saviour of all men but especially of those that believe They are his peculiar people and so the objects of his peculiar care whatsoever God doth he minds them and whoever are neglected and left to shift for themselves to be sure they shall not What! Noah drowned in the waters of deluge or Lot burnt with Sodom and Gomorrha and the Cities of the plain No no it could not possibly be Noah must be secured in the Ark before the windows of Heaven were opened and the Fountains of the great deep were broken up And Lot must be arrived at Zoar the City of his refuge before the storm of Fire and Brimstone could fall Zion is engraven upon the palmes of Gods hand and her Walls are continually before him 5. God hath already done great and marvellous things for his Church and People not only being at charge upon them in the ordinary way of his common Providence but likewise putting forth extraordinary and magnificent acts whensoever their case did call for them Miracles have been nothing to him at such a time he hath not only wrought one or two but multiplied them there hath been a series of them as if he counted them cheap His arm hath awakened and put on strength and also put forth strength No less than ten wonderful plagues did he send upon that proud King Pharaoh Israels cruel oppressor and rather than he should not have let them go I question not but he would have sent a thousand more And if after they were gone Pharaoh would pursue them God would make for Israel a way through the Sea and for Pharaoh and his host a grave in it The course of nature was for a while stopt and the Sun made to stand still upon Gibeon and the Moon in the Valley of Ajalon that his People might avenge themselves upon their enemies Clouds have showred down Manna upon them and flinty Rocks as hard and dry as they are have powred out water And though such kind of works have not been performed in the latter days yet God in them hath not left himself without witness neither is his arm shortned nor hath he lost his old wont Miracles are as easie to him now as they were formerly and if need were he would do them But besides them consider these three things which God hath done all along 1. He hath in all times preserved and kept up a Church in the world though Christ hath but a little flock and that is encompassed with ravenous Wolves yet he hath always had a flock When all flesh had corrupted their way there was a Church in Noahs Family When Israel had generally perverted their way and turned aside to abominable idolatry there were still reserved seven thousand faithful worshippers that had not bowed the knee to Baal In the thickest darkness and most furious rage of Popery there were those that owned and pleaded and suffered for the truths of the Gospel The four mighty Monarchies of the world have been shaken down and broken into shivers but the Kingdom of the Lord is an everlasting Kingdom and his Dominion is from generation to generation The Church indeed hath not been always alike conspicuous nor hath it always been in the same state of purity peace and prosperity but it hath always had a being Christ was never without some militant Subjects nor his truth without some faithful witnesses two at least 2. God hath employed Angels for his Churches comfort and advantage who knowing it to be the will and pleasure of their great Creator do most readily comply and cheerfully obey As the gates of Hell set themselves against it so doth the Host of Heaven engage for it Heb. 1 14. They are all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation When the Prophet Elisha was in some danger from environing enemies the Mountain was immediately garrisoned with Horses and fiery Chariots that came in to be his guard They have it given them in express charge to bear the Saints up in their hands and to encamp round about them and may not this be a singular comfort to believers what though they be the objects of Hells envy and Earths malice yet they are Gods darlings and Angels charge And whatsoever work Angels have to do for them they not only dispatch it faithfully but delight to do so 3. God hath turned all things to the Churches advantage so that it hath not been a loser in the upshot from what corner soever the wind hath blown it hath done Christs garden a real and sensible kindness both the North and the South wind have made spices to flow forth You know what Paul saith Rom. 8 28. All things work together for good to them who love God that are called according to his purpose Comforts and crosses too mercies and judgments too Sunshine
were common between them And in the next succeeding Ages this fraternal Love was so conspicuous in the Professors of his Sacred Discipline Tert. Apoâ— c. 3â— that their Enemies observ'd it as a rare and remarkable thing See how the Christians love one another see how ready they are to die for one another Now the same gracious Principle that inclines us to do one Command will make us universally willing to observe all for sincere Obedience primarily respects the Authority of the Lawgiver which binds the whole Law upon the Conscience James 2. And as he that breaks the Law wilfully in one point is guilty of all because the violation of a single Precept proceeds from the same Cause that induces men to transgress all that is contempt of the Divine Majesty so he that sincerely obeys one Command does with consent of heart and serious endeavors obey all And from hence 't is clear that without a religious and unreserved regard of the divine Commands 't is impossible there should be in any person a gracious affection to the Saints that is the product of Obedience to God and consequently the observance of his Precepts is the certain proof of our Love to his Children 2. Spiritual Love to the Saints arises from the sight of the Divine Image appearing in their Conversation Now if the Beauty of Holiness be the attractive of our Love it will be fastned on the Law of God in the most intense degree The most excellent Saints on Earth have some mixtures of Corruption their Holiness is like the Morning-light that is checquered with the shadows and obscurity of the Night and 't is our wisdom not to love their infirmities but to preserve an unstained affection to them But the Law of God is the fairest Transcript of his Nature wherein his glorious Holiness is most resplendent Psa 19.7 8. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes This ravish'd the heart of David with an inexpressible Affection O how I love thy Law Psal 119. it is my Meditation all the day And he repeats the declaration of his Love to it with new fervor upon this ground I love thy Law because it is pure Now Love to the Commands of God will transcribe them in our hearts and Lives As affectionate expressions to the Children of God without the real supply of their wants are but the shadows of Love so words of esteem and respect to the Law of God without unfeigned and universal Obedience are but an empty Pretence 3. The Divine Relation of the Saints to God as their Father is the Motive of spiritual Love to them And this is consequent to the former for by partaking of his Holiness they partake of his life and likeness And from hence they are the dearest Objects of his Love his eye and heart is always upon them Now if this Consideration excites Love to the Children of God it will be as powerful to incline us to keep his Commands for the Law of God that is the Copy of his Sacred Will is most near to his Nature and he is infinitely tender of it Our Saviour tells us that it is casier for Heaven and Earth to pass away Luk. 16.17 than for one tittle of the Law to fail If the entire World and all the Inhabitants of it were destroyed there would be no loss to God but if the Law lose its Authority and Obligation the Divine Holiness would suffer a Blemish The Use of the Doctrine is to try our Love to the Children of God to which all pretend by this infallible Rule our Obedience to his Commands This is absolutely necessary because the deceit is so easie and so dangerous and it will be most comfortable if upon this Trial our Love be found to be spiritual and divine The deceit is easie because Acts of Love may be expressed to the Saints from other Principles than the Love of God Some for vain-glory are bountiful and when their Charity seems so visibly divine that men admire it there is the Woâ—m of vanity at the root that corrupts and makes it odious to God The Pharisees are charged with this by our Saviour Mat. 6 2. their Alms were not the effect of Charity but Ostentation and whilst they endeavoured to make their Vices virtuous they made their Virtues vicious There is a natural Love among persons united by Consanguinity that remains so entire since the ruine of Mankind by the Fall and is rather from the force of Nature than the virtue of the Will and this in all kind Offices may be express'd to the Saints There is a sweetness of Temper in some that inclines them to wish well to all and such tender Affections that are easily moved and melted at the sight of others miseries and such may be beneficent and compassionate to the Saints in their afflictions but the Spring of this Love is good Nature not divine Grace There are humane Respects that incline others to kindness to the Saints as they are united by interest Fellow-Citizens and Neighbours and as they receive advantage by Commerce with them or as obliged by their Benefits But Civil Amity and Gratitude are not that holy Affection that is an assurance of our spiritual state There are other Motives of Love to the Saints that are not so low nor mercenary in the thickest darkness of Paganism the Light of Reason discovered the amiable excellence of Virtue as becoming the humane Nature and useful for the Tranquility and Welfare of Mankind and the Moral Goodness that adorns the Saints the Innocence Purity Meekness Justice Clemency Benignity that are visible in their Conversations may draw respects from others who are strangers to the Love of God and careless of his Commandments And as the Mistake of this Affection is easie so it is infinitely dangerous for he that builds his hope of Heaven upon a sandy foundation upon false Grounds will fall ruinously from his Hopes and Felicity at last How fearful will be the disappointment of one that has been a Favourer of the Saints that has defended their Cause protected their Persons relieved their Necessities and presum'd for this that his Condition is safe as to Eternity though he lives in the known neglect of other Duties and the indulgent practice of some Sin But if we find that our Love to the Children of God flows from our Love to God that sways the Soul to an entire compliance to his Commands and makes us observant of them in the course of our Lives What a blessed Hope arises from this Reflection We need not have the Book of the Divine Decrees opened and the Secrets of Election unveil'd 1 Joh. 3.14 for we know that we are past from Death to Life if we love the Brethren This is an infallible Effect and Sign of the Spiritual Life and the Seed and Evidence of Eternal Life Quest What must we do to
whose faith and patience whose holiness and heavenly mindedness is so little as thine is Should that man admit of a proud thought whose Grace and Holiness is so small that he is uncertain whether he hath any at all in sincerity Surely the weakness and imperfection of your Graces should prevent the Prid and haughtiness of your hearts 2. Consider the imperfections of your Duties If you did all that was commanded you were but unprofitable Servants what are you then when you fall so short of your duty you neither do what God commands you nor as he commands it to be done How often are Duties neglected and how often are they negligently performed how listless are you to them how lifeless in them how quickly weary of them Can they be proud who consider how coldly they pray how carelesly they hear how distractedly they meditate how grudgingly they give Alms and the like Leave Pride to the Papists who vainly think their works are works of supererrogation let us be humble who know that our works are works of subtererrogation God may say of the best of us as he doth of the Angel of the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.2 that our works are not perfect or full before him oh no! the Lord knows they are full of gaps and imperfections 5. Reflect seriously upon the sinfulness of your hearts and lives Our Direct 5 defects in Grace and Duty may keep us low but our abounding in Sin and wickedness may keep us much lower Can that heart be proud and lifted up that considers the desperate wickedness and deceitfulness that dwells in it and proceeds out of it those Thefts Adulteries Murders Blasphemies and such like that appear abroad in the lives of others they lie lurking at home in your hearts How would it humble and shame you if others should know the one half nay the hundredth part of that sin and wickedness by you that you know by your selves In order therefore to the Cure of spiritual Pride be you much in self-reflection be not strangers to your selves and to the sinfulness of your own Hearts and Lives Should that man be proud that hath sinn'd as thou hast sinn'd and liv'd as thou hast liv'd and wasted so much time abus'd so much Mercy omitted so many Duties neglected so great Means that hath so grieved the Spirit of God so violated the Laws of God so dishonoured the Name of God Should that man be proud who hath such a heart as thou hast so full of Atheism Unbelief Ignorance Impenitency Hypocrisie Envy Malice Discontent Worldliness Selfishness c. Nay should not thy very Pride it self be a matter of great Humiliation to thee Surely it should greatly humble thee to think that a sin so odious in it self so mischievous in its effects should be still so predominant in thy Soul 'T is possible that a Christian may turn his Pride against its self and his very reflecting upon it may be a means of the subduing of it Direct 6 6. Labour after a more distinct knowledge of God and of his Excellencies 'T is helpful to cure Pride for a man to know himself his own nothingness and vileness but 't is a greater help to know God his Holiness and Greatness c. The Apostle Paul saith that some knowledge puffs men up but this pulls them down 'T is true by all our searching we cannot find out God unto perfection we can never come to a full understanding of all his Excellencies but so much may be known of God as may make us to admire him and to abhor our selves What is man the best of men in comparison of him Job sometimes thought and spake overvaluingly of himself but when once he came to compare himself with God to set God before him then he is presently in the dust yea he abhors himself in dust and ashes Job 42.6 We never have such low thoughts of our selves as when we have the clearest discoveries of God When the Prophet Isaiah had a glimpse of the Glory and Holiness of God he presently cries out Isa 6.5 Wo is me for I am undone I am a man of unclean lips He had a deep sence upon him of his own vileness and wretchedness The true reason why mens hearts are so lofty and lifted up within them is because they have not right Notions and Apprehensions of God and do not consider that infinite distance that is betwixt him and them It might serve a little for the Cure of spiritual Pride to compare our selves with such men as are above us as it is a good means to keep down discontent to consider that many others are below us so 't is a good means to keep down pride to consider that many others are above us Our Knowledge is but Ignorance our Faith but Unbelief our Fruitfulness but Barrenness if compared with theirs But this will more subdue our Pride if we compare our selves with God and consider how infinitely he is above us We are no more to him than a drop to the Ocean than the small dust of the Balance to the whole Body of the earth our Wisdom is Foolishness to God our Strength is Weakness and our Holiness is Wickedness unto him Direct 7 7. Be well instructed in this that Humility and Lowliness of Mind is the great Qualification and Duty of all Christ's true Disciples and Followers They must be converted and become as little Children in two things especially they must be as such in Malice and in Humility instead of contending to be greater than others they must be servants of all Mat. 20.27 Rom. 12.10 John 13.14 Mat. 11.29 Col. 3.12 Eph. 4.1 2. Phil. 2.3 in honour preferring one another They must follow their Lords Example in stooping to wash one anothers feet and must learn of him to be meek and lowly in heart As the Elect of God they must put on bowels of Mercy and humbleness of mind They must walk worthy of the Vocation wherewith they are called with all lowliness and long suffering In lowliness of mind they must esteem others better than themselves These are all Scripture-Injunctions and they plainly shew how all Christians ought to be qualified Let me add that excellent Passage 1 Pet. 5.5 Be all of you subject one to another and be ye cloathed with humility The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to tie or fasten together Humility is the Ribond or string which ties together the Graces and Fruits of the Spirit if that fails they are all scattered and weakned Humility as well as Charity is the Bond of Perfectness The Noun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence the Verb is derived doth signifie a Knot 'T was the Usage of old and so 't is still for persons to adorn their Heads and other Parts with Knots The Apostle exhorts Christians to adorn themselves rather with Humility that is the great Ornament of a Christian therewith all Christ's Disciples must be cloath'd and adorn'd This
as by abiding in Christ they are spiritually fruitful r Jo. 15.4 so they may well hope that in bringing forth their natural fruit they shall be evermore kept under Gods benign influence and blessing The promise in my Text is ensur'd upon Gods fidelity to all those good women who are interessed in it But all those who have evidence of their sincerity may be well satisfied as to their interest therein and the continuance in the exercises of the Graces of Faith Charity Holiness and Sobriety doth clearly demonstrate they are persons qualified with sincerity who in and through Christ in whom the promise is yea and amen shall certainly inherit it ſ 2 Cor. 1.20 Heb. 6.12 I may not enlarge having staid over-long already yet would crave a little further leave to make some use of what hath been said Applicat The Application of this last and chief Observation viz. That perseverance in Christian and Conjugal Graces and Duties is the best support to child-bearing women against in and under their Travail may briefly serve to teach care and administer comfort 1. This teacheth an holy care and that to Men as well as to Women We shall find they of either Sex may hence learn instruction 1. It may teach a lesson to Men whether they be in a single or a married state 1. They who are not yet married but are waiting to meet with good Wives of Gods giving they are concern'd to be careful as nigh as they can to choose such as are so qualified as to be interessed in the promise here of preservation and salvation in their child-bearing Plato * Cratyl p. 284. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. derives the Greek word for a Woman from that which signifies fruitful and a beinger forth And he that seeketh such an one to marry with only in the Lord t 1 Cor. 7.39 that things may go well with her in her child-bearing condition should consult well how she is endowed and stored with the Graces I have been discoursing of both for the good of her self and the seed she may have by him 'T is certainly of great importance to make choice of such a Yoke-fellow as may be assuredly entitled to this good and comfortable word that we have here before us for the support of child-bearing Wives in whose sorrows and joys good-natur'd and conscientious Husbands cannot but have their shares 2. They who have Wives already should take special care upon this account to discharge the duties of good Husbands towards their child-bearing Wives with all good fidelity viz. 1. To dwell with them according to knowledg giving honour unto them as the weaker vessels and as being heirs together of the grace of Life that their prayers be not hindred u 1 Pet. 3.7 yea and to labour daily with them both by their Christian Advice and Holy Conversation to engage their fruitful Wives more and more to the constant exercise of these Graces and Duties that their sorrows may be sanctified to them and they may see the salvation of God in their breeding and bearing of children And if the great and holy God should in his wise Government think it best to take them hence from a child-bed they may learn to submit to his disposing will and rest the better satisfied as having good evidence of their Souls eternal welfare 2. To endeavour as much as may be to discharge the parts of good Christian and tender Husbands towards their dearest Yoke-fellows in such a travailing condition laying much to heart those antecedent concomitant and consequent pains a state of pregnancy involves them in which these Husbands themselves in such a kind cannot have experience of That as it becomes them for the sake of their good and godly Wives they may as is sometimes said of some Sympathizing ones in a sort breed with them and for them by putting on as the elect of God bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering c. w Col. 3.12 and fulfil all the Duties of the Relation they are in readily and timely providing for them not only necessaries but conveniencies as they can for their longing appetites and for the heartning of their dear and suffering Wives apt to be cast down under apprehensions of their approaching sorrows and call in aid of faithful praying Ministers and pious Friends to make requests known unto God for them And if God hears prayers 3. To be heartily thankful to God upon his giving safe deliverance to their gracious Wives from the pains and perils of child-bearing When the kind Husband hath been really apprehensive of the sicknesses pains throws and groans of his dear Wife in her breeding and bearing a child to him by aids from above nothing can be more necessarily incumbent on him than to adore and be thankful to God who hath made a comfortable separation betwixt her and the Fruit of her Womb and that as a return to prayer and hearkning unto her groanings If he who was a Samaritan found himself healed of his Leprosie upon crying unto Christ for mercy tho the other nine likely Jews remained unthankful for the same benefit came and fell down on his face at Jesus his feet giving him thanks and returning to glorifie God with a loud voice x Luke 17.15 16 17 18. as expressive of his heartiest sense of the Divine Favour in the mercy received then certainly the Christian Husband having seen his loving Wife in the exercise of the Graces I have been discoursing of to pass through the peril of child-bearing and admirably preserved therein by Gods power and goodness is greatly oblig'd to return his hearty thanks to God who hath made good his word wherein he caused them to hope in granting so signal a mercy This giving thanks is acceptable unto God and a Duty indispensably incumbent on us * Nullum officium magis quam referenda gratia necessarium Seneca who are charged y Eph. 5.4 20. to give thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Much more for a singular Favour earnestly sought for and granted through difficulty and peril Thus briefly I have touch'd upon the care of married men with reference to their child-bearing Wives in the fore-mentioned Particulars Again this Doctrine teacheth 2. A Lesson of care to Women Consider them as the Men either in a single or a married state 1. If yet in a single or unmarried state and by the fair Providence of God called to the change of their condition They are concern'd to take care they may be furnished with the above-mentioned qualifications to covet earnestly not only the best Gifts but to be found in the more excellent way z 1 Cor. 12.31 This sacred ambition or holy covetousness is lawful to Virgins and may commend them to good Husbands i. e. to covet earnestly those excellent Graces of Faith Holiness Charity and Sobriety that
Rule to act by His Internal Holiness and Perfection being his sole Rule But as to Vs in our Actings we have an External Rule by which all that we do is to be squared and therefore by and according to this Rule the Spirit guides us And our Conformity thereunto is both the Measure and also the Design and End of the Spirit in his Guidance of us The Word it self carries in it a leading and directive Property Prov. 6.22 23. VVhen thou goest it shall lead thee For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light Psal 119.105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path 133. Order my steps in thy VVord Mic. 6.8 He hath shewn thee O man what is good The written Revelation of God's Will is the Christians great Rule the Compass by which in all things he must steer his Course the Star that must direct him in all his Motions 'T is to the Law Isa 8.20 and to the Testimonys that we must have our continual Recourse for the regulating of us in all matters of Faith and Practice Now this Leading of the word and that of the Spirit are never to be sever'd As that is in subordination to This so This is ever in Conjunction with That This Word we must in all things keep close unto or else we run our selves upon most dangerous Rocks The Enthusiast is for a Light within for immediate Revelations Inspirations Impulses from the Spirit and I know not what But are these Praeter-Scriptural much more are they Anti-Scriptural Oh then they are nothing but mens own Fancies and Delusions and not at all the leadings of the Spirit of God When any upon the pretence of these go off from the written Word what wild Opinions and Practices do they run themselves upon Of which we have had too many instances both at Home and Abroad The Spirit and the VVord are our full and compleat guide The Spirit gives Light and Life to the Word and the VVord gives Evidence that the Guidance is from the Spirit But it may be ask'd Does the Spirit guide only in this mediate way Quest Is there not an immediate Leading by him at least pro hic nunc No unless you state it thus That although he may not always Answ in an Express and in an Explicit manner guide by the VVord yet his Guiding always is according to the VVord and Consentaneous to it The Word evermore is in the matter though sometimes it may not be in the manner of the Spirits Guidance He may without making use of the Word by an immediate Divine Light and Excitation lead me to this or that duty but he never leads me to any thing but what the Word first makes to be Duty Take it in that other Act of the Spirit which follows here v. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God This witnessing of Adoption is usually Mediate and by the Word yet 't is not always so sometimes 't is Immediate and without the VVord That is the Spirit assures of this not only in a syllogistical way by such and such Scripture-signs Marks Qualifications Dispositions which evidence Sonship to God as He that is led by the Spirit is the Son of God Thou art one who art led by the Spirit therefore thou art the Son of God But he sometimes may and does directly and immediately say to a person Thou art a Child of God But now though here he thus witnesses Abstractly and praecisively without making use of the marks and signs of the Word concerning this Relation yet he never so witnesses but according to the Word i. e. where those marks and signs are In like manner 't is as to his leading this is not always managed by an express Revival upon the Heart of this or that passage in the Word yet for the matter of it 't is ever done in a way consonant and agreeable to the Word And so long as we keep to this I think there will be no great danger of Enthusiasm or Fanaticisme rightly so called The manner of it III. The manner of the Spirits Leading Concerning which not to run out into all the various Explications that occur about it I 'le confine my self to these two things The Spirit leads 1. With Power and Efficacy 2. With Sweetness and Gentleness Fortiter Suaviter 1. With Power and Efficacy The Spirit leads so as that the Person led shall certainly follow him For in this Act he does not only illuminate the Vnderstanding or barely dictate to the Mind and Conscience what way is to be taken but he does also Inwardly by a Secret Power upon the Heart incline and bend the Will to close with what he directs unto He leads with a strong Hand so as that the Soul shall not be able to resist him I mean ad Victoriam I speak not of his Guidance which is common and general but of that which is peculiar and saving of that which is put forth either in those that are regenerate already or in those whom God designs to make such This leading of the Spirit in such Persons is ever carryed on with Power and Efficacy I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 here 's not only an Informing Light but an Overpowering Influence I 'le cause you to walk in my Statutes Turn thou me and I shall be turned 'T is leading in the Text to shew the Mildness of the Spirits Operation elsewhere 't is Drawing to shew the Power of the Spirits Operation 'tis Drawing as to the depraved Will 't is Leading as to the Sanctified Will The Evil Spirit leads to sin How Why he moves perswades solicites to sin and further than that he cannot go But the Holy Spirit in his leading to Grace and Holiness pursues this with a Determining and Overcoming Power so as that the Effect which he aims at shall certainly be produced This we must grant or else we must hold a parity of Operation betwixt the two Spirits that the Holy Spirit has but the same causal Influx upon what is good which the wicked Spirit has upon what is evil then which nothing can be more absurd 2. Yet 't is Power acted and exerted with all sweetness mildness and gentleness Here 's leading but no Force Conduct but no Compulsion no Coaction vehemens Inclinatio non Coactio Ghorran The Will is determin'd but so as that not the least violence is done to it to the infringing of its Liberty Ne arbitreris istam asperam molestamque violentiam dulcis est suavis est ipsa suavitas te trahit Aug. How spontaneously does the Person led follow him that leads him so 't is here This and all the other workings of the Spirit are admirably suited to the Nature of Reasonable and Free Agents Efficacious Grace does not at all
destroy Natural Liberty Where the Spirit does not find sinners willing by his sweet Methods he makes them willing Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power a day of power yet willing Even the Spirits Drawing is managed with all consistency to the freedom of the will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys he draws but 't is one that he makes willing to follow Hos 2.14 Behold I will allure her ay there 's the Spirits leading This being the constant and avowed Doctrine of the Protestants and †Ductus spiritus non est impulsus violentus quo rapimur inviti ut stipites sed est efficax persuasio quâ ex nolentibus efficimur volentes Par. with many others particularly their Explication of the Spirits leading in the Text how injurious and invidious are the Popish Writers in their traducing and calumniating of them as if they asserted the Spirit in This or any Other Act to work with Compulsion or in a way destructive to mans Essential Liberty 'T is a vile scandal And yet how do Esthius Salmeron Contzen upon the Words charge our Divines with it We perfectly concurr with Blessed St. * Enchirid. Cap. 64. de verbis Apostol Serm. 13. c. 11 12. Austin in that excellent passage of his cited by the Rhemists As many as are led by the Spirit he meaneth not says he that the Children of God are violently compelled against their Wills but that they be sweetly drawn moved or induced to do good But no more of this IV. The Extent of this Leading of the Spirit The Extent of it A threefold account may be given of that 1. In regard of the Subject or person led So it extends to the Whole Man First to the Interior Acts of the Soul in its several Faculties Vnderstanding Will and Affections And then to the Exterior Acts of the Body yea to the whole Conversation For all these are comprehended within and fall under the Spirits Leading For as his Sanctifying Operation extends to all of these the God of Peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of Christ 1 Thes 5.23 So does his Guiding Operation also these two being Commensurate and Coextensive This might be made out in Particulars was I not afraid of too much prolixity 2. In regard of the Object or Matter that the Spirit leads unto So it extends to the whole Duty of a Christian to all that he is to Know Believe and Do. Look as the Word in its External Leading guides us in all things that concern Faith and Practice it being a compleat and perfect Rule 2 Tim. 3.16 17. so 't is with the Spirit in his Internal Leading too Joh. 14.26 For Knowledge and Faith the Promise is But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 16.13 And again Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth see 1 John 2.20 27. And so 't is as to Holiness also this Spirit directs those who have him to and in the Practice of Holiness in its full and utmost Extent and Latitude Tit. 2.12 As the Grace of God the Gospel Without teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously godly in this present world which is the summe of all Duty towards God towards Men and towards our selves So the Spirit Within teaches guides inclines to all these His Gracious Conduct is not confin'd to does not terminate in this or that particular Duty of Religion no but it extends to every Duty to the whole Obedience of a Christian 3. In regard of the Degree and Measure of it Concerning which 't is clear that this Leading of the Spirit in the Directing Inclining Governing Notions of it is not as to Degree equal in all God's Children All have the Thing in the Necessary and Substantial part of it yet so as that there is a Gradual Difference in their having of it Some having more and some less He being a Free and Arbitrary Agent does proportion this Act of his Grace to different Persons as he pleases And he making Some more ductil to his Leadings than Others accordingly he vouchsafes more of Them to Those than he does to Others But in None does it reach so high as to render them perfect here For although we should grant which I do not that the Spirit should advance his Guidance consider'd in it self and as it comes from Him to such a Degree and Pitch as to lay the Foundation of Perfection in Saints here below yet considering what the Capacity of the Subjects of this Act is here they being Flesh as well as Spirit 't is not imaginable that de Facto and in Eventu they should ever here be perfect upon it Wherefore it must be bounded and limited though not from what the Spirit could do yet from what he is pleased to do in Believers in their present imperfect state He shall guide you into all Truth what so as to make Saints Omniscient or Infallible He guides unto all Holiness what so as to render them sinless and impeccable here on Earth we must by no means carry it thus high It therefore must be qualified thus He shall guide you into all Truth i. e. into the Knowledge of all Necessary and Fundamental Truths And he shall guide you into all Holiness i. e. so far as your present state admits of and so far as is necessary for your future Glory Beyond this Measure we must not extend or heighten the Spirits Leading For the truth is if we take it in this bounded Notion we secure the Thing but if we go higher we totally undermine and nullifie it as all Experience proves And by the way Observe that this Guidance of the Spirit in the General and that Guidance of His in Particular in the Duty of Prayer do much stand upon the same level Insomuch that as the Former the Spirits immediate Guiding of Believers in the Matter and Manner of their Actions does not thereupon render Them or Their Actions perfectly Holy and free from all mixtures of sin So neither does the Latter the Spirits immediate Guidance and Assistance in the Matter and Manner of Prayer render the Prayers of such infallible or of equal Authority with the Scriptures as some Object Because as to Both this Agency of the Spirit is to be limited partly from the Consideration of the present State of the subject in whom it is exerted and partly from the Spirits Aim and End therein 'T is true to obviate a bad Inference that may be drawn from hence the Apostles themselves considered as but Men and as men in the State of Imperfection so they were fallible as we are But as they had in matters of Faith
the wicked not the Graces of the godly Sinners cannot endure the Light of the Truth nor the power of Holiness in the Lives of Saints and therefore quarrel with them but are those Saints to be blamed for such troubles as only accidentally and by reason of the corruptions of others arise on their doing but their Duty Is a Bridge to be blamed for troubling the Water because keeping its place it stops the Waters passage and is the occasion of its swelling and roaring Are Sheep to be blamed for incensing the Wolves Or Doves for provoking the Hawks Truly just such incendiaries are Gods Children in the places where they live they disquiet their Neighbours only by the good things they enjoy which others love and covet and fain would get from them or by the good they do which wicked Men hate and fain would hinder in them The quarrels of the ungodly World with the Holy Seed among them are but like that of Cain with Abel he slew his Brother because his own works were evil and his Brothers righteous 1 John 3.12 3. The Sinners of a Nation are really the weakness of it It is they of whatsoever Party or Sect or persuasion they are that troubles any People and occasions their dangers and procure their ruin Righteousness exalts a Nation Prov. 14.34 it is Sin that is a reproach to it that humbles it and brings it down Wicked Men are they that betray Nations and Kingdoms expose them to Gods wrath subject them to his judgments Did Noah bring the Flood upon the old World or did the wicked of it by their wickedness Did Lot bring down Fire from Heaven upon Sodom or did the Sodomites do it by their own lewdness Did Jeremiah by his Preaching or Baruch and Ebedmelech and those few other godly in Jerusalem by their Praying and Weeping and Mourning bring on the Captivity of that People or did not they themselves by their Idolatry their Prophaneness their Swearing their Sabbath breaking their polluting Gods Ordinances their shedding Innocent Blood c. were the Apostles and primitive Christians the cause of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans or were not the unbelieving Jews by their rejecting Christ and persecuting those that adhered to him I deny not but the Sins of the best of Saints may sometimes contribute to the bringing down judgments upon others Jonahs Sin raised a Tempest upon the Mariners chap. 1. and David numbring the People brought the Plague upon them 2 Sam. 24. God will not only manifest his own Holiness by punishing them that are dearest to him when they Sin against him but teach them more care watchfulness against Sin when they find how far the direful effects of it are extended unto others And yet what is this to the numerous instances on the other side Which doth ordinarily do most mischief the Sins of the truly godly which are fewer and lesser and mourned over and repented of or the Sins of the prophane the Hypocrites the Impenitent May we not say that if the Sins of the one have slain their Thousands those of the other have slain their Ten-Thousands The greatest danger any can be in is to be liable to the displeasure of God who is Holy and cannot endure to behold iniquity powerful and able to destroy those that offend him can Arm and Commission innumerable Enemies against them raise the Posse of Heaven and Earth upon them let flie Thousands of Arrows at them and command what judgments he please to consume them And who are they that do ordinarily make a People naked and lay them open to the Wrath and Revenge of God Is it they that love God or they that hate him the obedient or the rebellious they that please him or they that provoke him they that intercede with him or they they that defie him they that mourn for the abominations of a Land or they that commit and encourage them they that tremble at his judgments or that dare his vengeance In a Word they that hinder all the Sin they can or that hinder all the good they can they that dare not be wicked or that will not be Holy 4. It is the Interest of any People where God hath a Seed of righteous ones to favour them and make much of them They are their best Friends that are Gods Friends They should favour them most whom God favours of whose good things they partake for whose sakes they are preserved receive many a mercy enjoy many a privilege escape many a judgment It is their interest to be kind to those that have most interest in God most power with him and can get most of him What Society of Men but usually favours them most whom their Prince favour most and they think it their interest to do so They know they may need them and many a good turn they may do them They that are the greatest among Men and sit at the upper end of the World may need the help of the Faith and Prayers of the meanest Saints they may need them to interpose with God for them and ward off his blows or remove his plagues and when he hath no respect to a People for their own sakes yet he may for the sake of his Servants among them 5. It is folly in any People to Persecute them that are truly Religious That is but to fall foul upon their Friends and then they lie open to their Enemies or are indeed their own greatest Enemies to pluck the Stakes out of the Hedge and turn the Vineyard into a Common to pull up the Sluces and then there is nothing to keep out an Inundation of evils to pull down the Pillars and then the House comes tumbling about their Ears It is indeed but to dig their own Graves to make way for their own destruction by destroying those that are their preservers For by this means they lose 1. The benefit of the Saints Prayers When Men go on maliciously to abuse and oppress the godly among them God may refuse to hear even their Prayers for them The Jews persecuted Jeremiah slandered him as a Traytor Jer. 37.13 smote him with their tongues devised devices against him 11 19. put him in the Dungeon and God would not hear his Prayers for them Their posterity persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ and though his Prayers were heard for many of them converted Acts 2. and afterward by the Preaching of the Apostles yet when they still persevered in their persecuting those very Apostles their Prayers could not prevail for them but God gave them up first to hardness of heart and blindness of mind Acts 28.26 and then to their Enemies Sword Or God may stop the mouths of his Saints that they shall not so much as pray for them he may as was before intimated straiten them and withdraw from them When they begin to open their lips for those whom he hath appointed for destruction Nay he may set their Hearts to pray against them