Truths which a little deliberation and enquiry would shew to be Falshoods Former Tenets and Opinions which usually are so very tedious and difficult to be extirpated shall be laid aside upon much less Argument and offer of proof than that whereby they had before been maintained Yea the very same things shall be offered as good Arguments which when offered by others had been cast out and confuted as false ones Variety of Topicks shall be started to make up in number what they lack in weight And tho all are so uncertain that they who use them keep themselves upon the reserve and are afraid to stand or fall by any one alone yet they shall conclude that some or other of them is right and sufficient to prove what they draw from it Which I think is not the way of seeking Truth but serving Interest 'T is to resolve upon the conclusion before one sees the Reason which can make it good Worldly Wisdom says this must be held and then if one Topick that is pressed for proof cannot make it out another must Yea confessedly weak and false Arguments shall pass for Evidence and great Names or Numbers when they fall on this side fleshly Wisdom will call in its own Case a proof of Right Tho looking abroad every where else in the World where store of Opinions about other matters have these same Supports and yet are condemned by our selves at the same time in our Neighbors Case it shall be ready to Declare that Names and Numberâ— are no sure Argument of Truth but too commonly the false colour and fair show of Errour These and such like are the effects of that affected ignorance which worldly Wisdom would be held in of any Duties which it is like to lose by And this is quite opposite to spiritual Prudence and must never be yielded to by any that would make sure their eternal concerns or pass for truly religious honest virtuous Dispositions In matters of Salvation the best and truest security is being in the right way And I know no relief for any man in the wrong but a sincere willingness to see and follow the right when the Providence of God shall lay it sufficiently before him Which gives no relief at all to those who for want of love to a saving Truth especially when persecuted and through too much love of this world are afraid to come in the way thereof and unwilling to let it in 1. It is not enough for one that seeks to approve himself a good man that he follow that Duty which he sees but he must also take care to see every thing which is his Duty that he may follow it The Knowledge of our Duty must not sure be ranked among indifferent things for Faith as well as Obedience makes up the Gospel-terms To believe and know what Christianity makes necessary to be known is as requisite as to Do what it makes necessary to be Done Nay to know those things which are necessary to be Done is as necessary as to Do them since we cannot do them till we know them Indeed if the Ptovidence of God affords not an honest mind the opportunity of such Knowledge he will graciously connive both at the want of Knowledge and Practice But if we have no mind to know what we might know we shall suffer both for the want of Practice and Knowledge 'T is plainly there a want of Virtue in the heart that causes a want of Understanding in the head such evil doers as our Lord says love darkness and hate the light and will not come to it lest their deeds should be reproved Joh. 3.19 20. An honest mind must never be unwilling or afraid to see its Duty no not where 't is most costly It must have a Love for it when 't is persecuted as well as when 't is applauded when in the eye of the world it is a losing as well as when it is a gaining Virtue They must receive the love of the Truth that they may receive the belief thereof and to keep off as St. Paul says from being of their number that perish in their unrighteousness by believing lyes because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved thereby 2 Thess. 2.10 11 12. This Love will not only make them to listen to it but to be inquisitive after it where sufficient instruction is not voluntarily offer'd and thankfully to see and receive the will of God whether it be with their worldly interest and fleshly inclination or against them And this is true Docility and Teachableness of Temper which is what the Scripture calls the ear to hear or the necessary Preparative profitably to hear a Religious or Moral Lecture 'T is necessary to Faith especially of those Truths or Laws of God which are more unsavoury and uneasie to flesh and blood And being such a previous Requisite of Faith and implied in it 't is sometimes in Scripture expressed thereby Pray that I may be delivered from unreasonable men says St. Paul for all men have not faith 2 Thess. 3.2 Noting those who receive or reject what is tender'd only by Humour or inclination of Flesh and Blood not by Reason as men void of Faith i. e. of a teachable Temper and Disposition 3. Thirdly Christian Prudence is alike for taking care of both Tables or for discharging faithfully as all the Duties of Piety so equall all others of Justice and Morality Since both are equally parts of God's will they are equally a matter of its care and its constant aim and study is how it may inviolably observe both and transgress neither but never to set one against the other Both Tables it receives as coming from one Authority and claiming one Obedience Well knowing that he that said Thou shalt not worship an Idol said also Thou shalt not kill or steal And if thou keep free from Idolatry yet if thou kill as St. James argues in this case thou art become a Transgressor of the Law Jam. 2.11 There is no transgressing of one to save another nay there is no breaking of one to save all For whosoever shall keep the whole Law besides saith the same Apostle and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all v. 10. And if for breaking that one he will be punish'd as if he had broke all there cannot be any room left to think of breaking one tho it were upon pretence to save all Which I call a Pretence because indeed it is a mere Pretence For the Commandments never oppose one another and we can never reasonably pretend to break the latter that we may keep the former since if we please we may at all times keep both and as we never can have any Authority so neither can we be under any necessity of breaking either The Effect and Consequence I shall observe from hence is 1. First That we never oppose the first to the second Table As the Pharisees who to keep
OF CHRISTIAN PRUDENCE OR RELIGIOUS WISDOM Not Degenerating into IRRELIGIOUS CRAFTINESS IN Trying Times LONDON Printed for Jo. Hindmarsh at the Golden Ball over against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1691. THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. Christian Prudence seen in chusing Right Ends. ITS Ends are 1. In every Particular to do our Duty 2. In every Point to make us see what is our Duty Both these are contrary in Fleshly Wisdom 3. It is alike for taking care of both Tables And as ready to suffer for any Point of Morality and Justice as for Purity of Worship and Orthodoxy of Faith CHAP. II. Other Ends of Christian Prudence 4. A Fourth End is as to perform the Duties so to promote the Honour of Religion Of honouring it externally in our Carriage Of Confession Of not changing Doctrines as we change Interests Nor being glad of any Temporal Advantage by ill things CHAP. III. Christian Prudence for Pleasing God and a good Conscience Against Popularity A Fifth End is to please God This will take us ofâ— from Popularity And to please our own good Conscience Of the contrary ways of worldly Wisdom Greatness of Numbers should not draw to anâ— ill thing nor want of Number drive from a good one CHAP. IV. Of not Doing Evil that Good may come This not justifiable by Pretence of Serviceableness to God To the Publick To our selves As accomplishing by these ways some approved Predictions CHAP. V. Of the Plea of Necessity Providence or Prophecies for doing ill Spiritual Prudence allows not of setting aside any Duty 1. On Plea of Necessity 2. Nor justifies it by Plea of Providence 3. Nor by Plea of Prophecy CHAP. VI. SECT I. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity And of not Deceiving by Actions Simplicity sometimes notes Unwariness which is no Virtue The difference between the Wariness of the Virtuously simple and of the Fleshly wise Virtuous Simplicity implies 1. Veracity in opposition to Falshood and Lyes Against telling a Lye in Words Or in Actions Of Profession by Observance of instituted Days for Religious Purposes Of Breach of Simplicity herein and in other Actions and by the Libellatici in the Primitive Church 2. A double Tongue A double Practice 3. Openness opposite to Concealment and close Reserves and Plainness opposite to misleading Dress 4. Harmlesness opposite to Dolus Malus The Ground of this Simplicity Preservation of Equality In what Things especially to be shewn and by whom Of the contrary Method of worldly Wisdom CHAP. VI. SECT II. Of Christian Simplicity and Sincerity A second thing implied in Simplicity is Singleness opposite to double Dealing Against a double Mind and Heart CHAP. VII Of not discharging Relative Duties for Ends of Religion or of our own Ease No Discharge of Relative Duties when they grow burdensom for Ends of Religion or of our own Ease No such Discharge towards Relatives of different Religions Or that perform not their part towards us Instead of putting by 't is wont to accomplish Fears This proved from remarkable Instances and Rules of Scripture A Rule to prevent being intangled therein CHAP. VIII Of the Imprudence of pursuing our Ends by unlawful Means The Prudence as well as Religion of not betaking our selves to unlawful Means CHAP. IX Of partaking in the Sins of others He partakes in an unlawful thing 1. That Orders and Commands it 2. Who when in place and station for it doth not duly shew himself to stop and prevent it Thus Magistrates and Parents partake And Ministers when they fail to warn against a Sin or mislead people therein or teach it by corrupt Doctrine or inventing Salvo's for Sin Instances of these among the Jews The great Guilt and sad Consequences hereof 3. Who under another ministers in an unlawful business 4. Who as an Equal helps it forward Several ways of doing this 5. Or who approves it afterwards which set off in sundry particulars 6. Who caused others to sin or gave Scandal by ill Example CHAP. X. Of Relyance on Providence and the Benefit Religion makes by outward Sufferings A third Rule of Christian Prudence about Means is in compassing Effects to look more at Providence than at Humane Appearances A Fourth is to see how well it may compass the Ends of Christianity by Sufferings Christianity is a passive Religion and Christians are to have passive Spirits Some Rules to ingenerate passive Spirits CHAP. XI Of Spiritual Prudence chusing Seasons and tempering to Circumstances 1. It is for taking the most advantageous Seasons in its Prusuit Three Rules to prevent setting aside any Duties as out of Season in compliance with carnal Wisdom 2. It is for tempering what we do to Circumstances Three Rules to prevent such tempering thereof as would impair or give it up for our external Quiet 3. Of flight in Persecutions Of Flight of Pastors Some Rules to keep off from doing harm to our Duty in Caution to avoid harm to our selves CHAP. XII Of Caution in preventing Harm by any Duties and of Flight in Persecutions 3. It is for shewing Caution to prevent ill Consequences Of staying for a Call in persecuted Duties CHAP. XIII Of Spiritual Prudence in Worldly Matters or as over-ruling all other inferior Prudence about things of this Life And of Solicitude The Rules of Religion are the truest Wisdom for the Ends of this Life When worldly Wisdom thwarts these Rules in pursuit of any Ends of this Life it over-rules it in such Motions Thus when it is apt to transgress about Ends or about Means Some Rules for this The point of Solicitude stated Of fleshly Wisdom are all so many Branches of Jesuits Morals which are not to be taken up to drive out Popist Superstitions CHAP. XIV A Recommendation of Christian Prudence The Prudence and Simplicity hitherto described recommended from St. Paul's Practice 2 Cor. 1.12 The contrary Rules ERRATA Pag. 16. lin 22. dele the figure 1. p. 18. l. 14. for Equal read Equally p. 24. l. 5. purly r. purely p. 36. l. 16. drive r. drove p. 41. l. 20. necessity r. necessity p. 55. Ch. 3. after the Title dele the first five lines and begin the Chapter Fifthly and lastly p. 136. l. 11. p. 151. l. 5. fool r. foot p. 200. l. 3. dele Take p. 207. l. 21. in justice r. injustice p. 264. l. 3. r. St. Peter p. 320. â—27 far r. for OF GODLY WISDOM OR Religious Prudence Not Degenerating into irreligious Craftiness in Trying Times MAnkind were formed and placed by God in this World but design'd for another And the condition and employment of our Life here is to be a passage through this World in pursuit of and preparation for a better And whilst we are duly careful for the next and omit nothing that is to bring us to the end of our Stage we may wisely provide for this too and contrive for our quietness and convenience by the way The way to the other World of true and perfect Joys are all the Duties and Directions of Religion
each of these Duties so must he hereafter to answer and be tryed by them Now Christian Prudence is to prevent this by storing up clear Notions of every Duty and of the Offices thereof against such time as we shall have a call and opportunity to discharge them The Wisdom of the prudent says Solomon is to understand his way i. e. to know what he ought to do on all occasions Prov. 14.8 And this the Scripture expresses by having our Senses exercised to discern both good and evil Heb. 5.14 and calls for as a necessary Preparative to our walking accurately or exactly The walking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumspectly or accurately which S. Paul requires Eph. 5.15 he tells them is to walk as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as fools but as wise or prudent Wherefore adds he be ye not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imprudent or unwise but understanding what the Will of the Lord is Since if they did not understand it they were not like to be very exact in keeping it v. 17. Now opposite in this matter to both these is the way of fleshly or worldly Wisdom For 1. Instead of proposing in every Point above all things to do our Duty It aims and Proposes in the first place to secure our external Quiet to serve our worldly Peace Prosperity or Temporal Interests It seeks not in all things what is virtuous but what is safe And being for worldly Safety it never seeks to do what 't is like to suffer by It s Eye is first for keeping or encreasing these worldly Emoluments and enjoyments for our selves our Friends or Families for the Church or State It may fix upon Religion as well as the things of this Life and carry us out for the Church as well as for the Common-Wealth But then what it aims at or seeks in rhe first place to secure in these is not the inward Excellence but the outward Appendages not their integral Parts and Spiritual Substance but their worldly Accoutrements and Advantages If Religion is taken in among the Good things of this World and stands guarded and enriched by secular Laws and Privileges Riches and Honors Worldly Wisdom will be carried out as far to secure these worldly Appendages when they are about Religion as when they are about any thing else But as for the proper and essential Parts of Religion it self which lies in doing our Duty in every thing or in the integrity of Faith and good Life the Wisdom of this World sets them only in the second place It may shew fair respect and carry Decently towards them even where it will give it self no trouble about them As we see several that have no serious value for Religion will yet be Civil to it in point of good Breeding and as sensible of the need there is however 't is neglected by them that it should be kept up in the esteem yea and practice too of other Men. Nay worldly Wisdom when it rightly understands it self will aim at it in most Cases as serving its own wise Purposes beyond any thing else True Virtue being for the most part best fitted and conducing to the Happiness and Enjoyment of both Worlds But where it thus bâ—ars the best good Will to the inward and essential Ingredients of Religion it is only whilst they are subservient or consistent with its own worldly Designs being ready to thrâ—w them aside when once they oppose it On such Competitions The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 It considers then not their intrinsick Goodness and Excellence but their Expedience and will give them up for what it accounts higher Ends or dearer Interests On such occasions its Questions are not What will become of this Duty or another of Innocence and a clear Conscience but what will become of our Estates our Liberties our outward Peace Powers Honors Privileges or other Enjoyments of this Life by such or such a Course when 't is deliberated on 2. Instead of seeing in every Case what is our Duty worldly Wisdom is for continuing ignorant of and not seeing a Losing Duty It cares not for the Knowledge of troublesom or afflicted Truths It is ready to look upon and let in such as consist with worldly Ease and Interests But afraid to understand because 't is loth to practice others Conviction of a Duty serving only to encrease the Guilt and disturb the Quiet of those who will not practise it Hence comes that sleightful Saying of fleshly Wisdom in these Cases of Leaving every Man to his own Persuasion and not censuring any much if he act therein according to his own Conscience They represent such Cases as if it mattered not much which Side a Man takes and there were no important difference in the things themselves but only in the different Opinions and Belief of Men about them So that let a Man but have a Persuasion of that Side which is most easie and favourable to worldly Interest as Men are ready enough to have in trying Cases if that will Do and nothing else will greatly harm him in these matters Hence comes also that backwardness of Conversing and Discoursing with those of the other Opinion who are both ready to practise and able to plead for a Duty when 't is oppressed and has the Cross upon it 'T is a Rule of fleshly Wisdom at such times to look on such as dangerous Persons whose Company is not safe Their Discourses such Men imagine can only serve to make them more uneasie in the way they have a mind to go They will start Scruples to dissatisfie and unsettle a Mind that had no such Doubts before but had easily satisfied and settled it self upon the saving side Or if they come in the way of such Discourses especially when fit to do Right to Truth by setting it off to advantage they receive them against their Wills and meet them not with a religious Desire but worldly Fear They are not thankful for the offer of a saving Truth but sorry for and troubled at it and ready to say to the Messengers thereof as Ahab did to the Prophet who still called upon them to hear what they had no Will to understand that he was his Enemy and the Troubler of Israel 1 Kings 18.17 and Ch. 21.20 When they seâ— worldly Safeties above religious Innocence they fear and hate the Light as our Saviour says which reproves the secure ways they desire to take Minding not to follow it they use care not to be hamper'd and troubled with it and as the Scripture speaks will not have the knowledg of his ways Job 21.14 Hence lastly when they allow themselves to enquire and examin the Truth comes that Hastiness and Partiality in taking any thing for sufficient proof that makes for the safe side Any serviceable but ill grounded Presumptions about Words or Things shall hastily be taken up and pass for
Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 4.10 So that Sufferings for Righteousness are the Livery and Badge which must be wore by his Retainers For ingenerating this I shall briefly note some 〈◊〉 of Spiritual Prudence 1. The First is For Christians to be above this World There is no expectation that any man should suffer much for Christ 'till this Foundation is first laid A man tied to this World will not give up Worldly Interests for a Good Conscience but will either violently burst â—â—â—ough all the Ties and Remonstrances of Conscience or artificially blind the eyes and corrâ—pt the sence thereof and by studied Salvo's and nice Distinctions impose upon himself 'till he has brought over his Conscience to his Worldly Convenience Whosoever will be a Friend of the World in such Cases as the Scriptâ—re says must needs be the Enemy of God Jam. 4.4 You cannot serve both God and Mammon saith our Saviour Mat. 6.24 If we will be his Disciples he tells us we must be ready to Leave Houses and Lands Fathers and Mothers Luk. 14.26 Mar. 10.29 Till our Hearts sit loose to them they are not like in Tryals to stick fast to him These seem hard Sayings but they should not seem strange among Christians who have renouced the World at their Baptism when they were first Listed under Jesus Christ and profess to be Men of another World not of this The Sayings are most reasonable in themselves and easie to such Disposed Hearers and fall hard only on Worldly minds who have a stronger impression of seen than of unseen things and are more influenced by Present Advantages than by the hopes of Religion and Faith of Eternal Happiness 2. Subservient to this is another Rule of Mortifying and not Pleasing our Appetites Worldly Losses are like to fall hard on those who seek to live in Ease and Pleasure and study Worldly Enjoyments To accustom and indulge our selves in these doth mightily corrupt the mind and ties it Down to worldly things So that a Voluptuous and Luxurious Age and a Course of Ease and Fulness is not like to furnish out many Confessors And therefore Religion that calls us to Suffer disposes us thereto by Mortifications and bringing Down the Body and Self-Denials not Self-Pleasings If we would prepare our selves for Good Souldiers of Jesus Christ in trying Days it must be as St. Paul tells Timothy by enduring hardness 2 Tim. 2.3 He that striveth as the Apostle says in reference to the Heathen Games is temperate in all things such Persons always preparing themselves by a prescribed course of strict Labours and Abstinence both from Wine and Pleasures For which purpose adds he I my self keep under my Body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.25.27 And accordingly this was the Method of the Holy Martyrs in the days of Persecution to prepare themselves for Sufferings not by self-satisfactions but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by congruous exercise of stricter abstinence or by Austerities and afflicting of the Flesh as Eusebius says of young Apphian This Course of Abstinences and Self-Denyals will give us Power over our selves when we cannot have it over outward things and then our Satisfactions do not stand to their Courtesie We â—ffect not to have what we like but always to â—â—ke what we have and what God is pleased to allot which is the true Christian Spirit And he who is of that mind is both secure against Discontent and above the Reach and Power of this world 3. As a further Help after we have thus pared 〈◊〉 the Pleasures it will be a serviceable piece of wisdom to this Purpose by a virtuous Frugality and â—â—ovidence to prevent Straits and Necessities of 〈◊〉 world Worldly Losses can never seize us 〈◊〉 more Disadvantage than when we have before â—â—warily run our selves into worldly Necessities â—hich render us as the more unprovided to â—ear so the more loath to fall under them And therefore it is as a Great Point of Wisdom at all 〈◊〉 so especially a Preparation for Sufferings â—or all Good Christians carefully to live within the compass of their Fortunes Not to spend â—pon Hopes and Expectancies or live upon things before they come to possess them or to live to â—he utmost of their Incomes which will be the ready way to go beyond them or by any Extraâ—â—gance and superfluous Expences throw themselves into Debts and Worldly Difficulties which â—ust needs make the voice of worldly Losses of pâ—rting with Lands or Livelyhoods more unwelcome and a Greater Tryal even to an Honest and well Disposed mind These Suffering Spirits thus prepared are now God knows much out of vogue amongst us Christians were once most Eminent and Distinguishable by Passive Virtues and as a suffering Generation But now a Soft and Delicate Spirit is come in place thereof and the Generality had rather Sin than Suffer and instead of chearfully taking up the Cross and bearing it themselves are for any way that will transfer it and lay it with Triumph upon their Persecutors and are all for being known not as a Suffering but as a Secular thriving sort of Men. This is a sad case and lamentable Consequences it produces For this want of Passive Spirits and abhorrence of the Cross is the Root of all the ill and the true Cause of all the foregoing wicked Devices and ungodly Rules of the wisdom of the Flesh and that which in trying times makes our Carriage so unlike that of our Saviour Christ and the Primitive Christians But as the Power of Christianity revives this Suffering Spirit will be retrieved among Christians And they that profess a Doctrine of the Cross will have Spirits to bear and take up Crosses whensoever they lye in the way of Religion or a Righteous Cause But now most opposite to this is the Wisdom of this world To be wise for this world is to be so wise as to keep it And not to suffer the Loss of the Good things thereof so long as any Compliance can avoid losing The Wisdom of the Flesh can believe no Good in Fleshly Sufferings but only in Fleshly Injoyments And therefore on any occasion it is ready to give up a Good Conscience for Carnal Ease to comply in what is required tho' very Unrighteous to save it self and to break any Duty even what it holds fastest and has professed highest rather than 〈◊〉 the Phrase of some at such times is to be undone for it CHAP. XI Of Spiritual Prudence chusing Seasons and tempering to Circumstances HAving hitherto insisted on Christian Prudence as it lies in seeing and following Right Ends of Religion and pursuing them only by fit and Christian ways I proceed now to shew iâ— the 2. Place another part of this Prudence in the Execution hereof viz. in taking for these Pursuits the most Advantageous Seasons in tempering them to Circumstances and in shewing caution to prevent Harm thereby or ill Consequences All these Parts of care about Right Executions as well as the former about Right
worthy of God and those high Priviledges of his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thess. 2.12 and worthy of the Lord Col. 1.10 Thus would Christ have it the care of all his Followers not meanly and sneakingly to serve Religion but affectionately to espouse and industriously to answer and adorn to magnifie and do it Honour in the eyes of men To approve in every thing its Verity and Sincerity to demonstrate its Efficacy to maintain its Dignity and manifest its Worth and Excellency before them Whatever it receives at the Hands of other men yet thus must Wisdom or Religion be justified i. e. declared just and made victorious and triumphant by her own Children Mat. 11.9 A prudent Christian is to provide for good Report Phil. 4.8 for things honest in the sight of all men 2 Cor. 8.21 And from this I note That the aim of Religious Prudence contrary to what too oft appears in Fleshly wisdom is to own and do Honour to any Duties 1. Not only internally in our minds but externally in our outward Carriage That must be made visible before others which doth Honour to it before others And this is what every Duty of Religion or every necessary Point of Christian Faith and Practice claims at our hands We owe it an external as well an internal Service and must not only pay our acknowledgments to it inwardly and invisibly in our own minds but as we are call'd thereto visibly and apparently before others Provide for honest things says St. Paul not only in the sight of the Lord who sees what is inward or in the heart but also in the sight of men who see it not till externally owned and exposed to view in Conversation 2 Cor. 8.21 We must offer up and present to God our Bodies and bodily appearances as well as our Souls and their invisible motions for a living holy and acceptable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 Glorifying God both with Souls and Bodies which are both his 1 Cor. 6.20 Whatever ye do let all be done to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 And by making our Good things visible he is most glorified We please him by internals which are secret and which will do him Glory at the last when they come to be openly exposed But what Glory do they to him at present if they are not externally manifest Gloria multorum indiciis constat says Seneca Est consentiens laus bonorum incorrupta vox bene judicantium de excellenti virtute says Cicero So what doth glorifie must be notified to many And this appearing externally honourable or glorious in the eyes of men is what God stands much upon having many times forborn what otherwise he had resolved to do lest his Name should be polluted before the Heathen among whom they were and in whose sight he had made himself known unto them Ezek. 20.9 14 22. Some Virtues indeed are not so observable by men being more purely Spiritual in their Natures and less Publick in their Use and Exercise And others that fall more under view good men will seek to keep as private as they can to preserve the greater Purity of intention and prevent all by-ends of worldly interest or ostentation as our Saviour directs about private Devotion Alms and Fasting Mat. 6.1 5 16. But what Duties are publick he expects we should practise publickly and whensoever we have a Call to profess or perform them before others that we should externally shew them forth and not smother any They must then not only burn within us but shine out to others Among ill men and in a crooked Generation we must shine as Lights to guide them Phil. 2.15 Our inward Wisdom must be shown forth in our works and good Conversation Jam. 3.13 Our Light must shine before men that they may glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.16 We must be blameless and harmless as the Sons of God without rebuke not only before God but likewise before them Phil. 2.15 As Zachariah and Elizabeth walked in all the Ordinances of the Lord blameless or not to be taxed by the world for any apparent Breaches Luk. 1.6 On all such occasions not content with an inward they are careful to manifest an outward Holiness not neglecting any Duties or appearing like those who either transgress or omit a Virtue when they are call'd to an open Discharge thereof And this external owning of every Part of Religion especially when we are brought in danger for it which is the great Temptation to conceal or dissemble it is the Virtue of Confession This Christ himself did before Pilate before whom as St. Paul says he witnessed a good Confession 1 Tim. 6.13 And this he expects from all his Followers He that confesseth me before men him will I also confess before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 10.32 33. The Faith of the heart says the Comment of an Ancient and Learned Author upon this Place will no more avail without the Confession of the mouth than the Confession of the mouth will without the Faith of the heart And if it must be enough for Christ that we know him tho we confess him not before men therefore it must be enough for us that he knows us tho at the last he confess us not before men 'T is not sufficient for any to say I with-hold the Truth in my heart and in the mean while disown it before the World And therefore he says not he that confesseth me in his heart but he that confesseth me before men This Confession or Denial of him is the Confession or Denial of any Point of Faith or Practice or Part of his Doctrine Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words says he in another Place Mar. 8.38 Luc. 9.26 'T is not enough in heart inwardly to receive these unless on just occasion we are ready openly to profess them For with the Heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation Rom. 10.10 This Confession is made one way by words as St. Paul speaks of Confession with the mouth unto Salvation And another way by Actions for a man may deny a Duty in deed as well as in word as the Scripture speaks of those who profess God in words but in works deny him Tit. 1.16 And a Duty is thus denyed in deed when 〈◊〉 any just and publick Call to Practice it we 〈◊〉 and dissemble it 'T is not enough in this case 〈◊〉 pretend we adhere to it in our Minds unless 〈◊〉 shew our selves to be among its Adherents by 〈◊〉 Practice Our Deeds as well as our Words 〈◊〉 among the necessary Acknowledgments 〈◊〉 every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall ente◠into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth 〈◊〉 will of my father which is in Heaven Mat. 7.21 2◠The manifestation of the Principle must be by
〈◊〉 effects and of the tree by its fruits for every treâ— is known by its own fruits Luk. 6.44 When 〈◊〉 Question arises or a Test comes to try and disâ—cover the true Adherents to any Duty 'T is 〈◊〉 the Heart which is unseen but the visible Praâ—ctice which must determin it Shew me thy faitâ— by thy works It being our Works that must deâ—clare what our fixt belief or opinion about it 〈◊〉 Jam. 2.18 To Neglect it or Conceal our adheâ—rence to it out of shame thereof Christ account a Denying it He that shall be ashamed of my word of him will I be ashamed Luk. 9.26 And S. Paul speaking of his Sufferings for the Gospel opposeâ— our Practice of a suffering Duty when we arâ— called to suffer for him to our Denying him If 〈◊〉 suffer we shall reign with him if we deny him 〈◊〉 also will deny us 2 Tim. 2.12 When Men come to Search after the Retainers to any Duties they cannot judge by what is invisible but only by what externally appears So that he who doth not practise when called to it in human account is esteemed to disclaim it But 't is much more Denied in Deed if when put to the Tryal they do not only neglect to Practise it but deliberately practise what is directly opposite and inconsistent with it If any Christian when called to the Test would burn Incense on the heathen Altars and sacrifice to their gods he did really and was esteemed thereby to Disown his Christianity and to Deny Christ and his Words as if he had renounced them with his Lips Now opposite to this way of Honouring all the Duties of Religion by verbal and real Confessions and external Appearances is the way of worldly Wisdom It is for such ways of owning them as suits best with the Ends and Conveniences of this World It will outwardly Practise and Profess fashionable Duties such as are in vogue and the World Honors and Speaks well of But as for those that are publickly Decry'd or bear against the wicked Customs received or the Ends and Projects pursued and driven on in this World which expose to the Censure thereof it is not for manifesting but concealing them It is for owning there only in the Mind which can give the World no offence because the Mind is not under this Worlds notice or for owning and practising in private or out of sight As Nicodemus did at first who came to our Savior by night Joh. 3.2 and those many of the chief Rulers who tho they believed on him did not confess him because of the Pharisees loving the praise of men more than the praise of God John 12.42 43. Not that worldly Wisdom is for Heart Duties being no more for inward than for outward Holiness further than it agreâ—s or makes for worldly Ease and Interests Nay indeed being less for that because 't is harder to perform and more uncouth and opposite to Flesh and Blood But what Duties it can Conform to and Comply withal it is for keeping up in the Heart not exposing in open Practice when that is like to give the World offence or cause hard Names and Censures Or what it cannot comply with it is for counterfeiting and Pretending to serve in Heart which lying out of sight is more easie to be Pretended and not so easie to be Detected and Disproved 2. This external owning of Religious Prudence is not only in times of Peace but of Persecutions It is confessing it under impendent Sufferings as often as we are called either to Profess or Practise an oppressed Duty before others To Confess it then is truly to Do Honor to Religion It shews it true and unfeigned and that the Pretenders to it believe themselves in what they say of it when they are ready to venture all thereupon In suffering for Religion they give Testimony to it it proves it strong and powerful admirable in Motives and mighty in Effects able to set men above this World to outstand the hardest Tryal and conquer all the World counts terrible 'T is to Honor it when the World explodes it and seek to cast all the Disgrace they can upon it To own it when it s own Followers are ready to fall off and desert it The Days of Suffering for Righteousness are worst times for Flesh and Blood but the best and most advantageous for serving Religion and doing Honour unto God When you suffer as Christians says St. Peter and are reproached for the Name of Christ on your part he is glorified 1 Pet. 4.14 16. So that in the Eye of Spiritual Prudence whose aim is to be wise for Religion and to see what serves it not what serves our selves these times of Persecution instead of exempting from such Confessions are their most proper seasons Accordingly this Confession of any Duties is particularly required of us and call'd for at such times We are to be blameless unrebukeable as the Sons of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation Phil. 2.15 Be not ashamed of me and of my words says our Saviour in this adulterous and sinful Generation which was wholly bent on Persecution Mar. 8.38 When he calls for Confession of him before men Mat. 10.32 he puts the hardest Cases and confronts the Doing of our Duty with the Dearest worldly Interests and there bars all opposite influence and interposition of Fear of men that would hinder Confession and strikes it down with the greater and more powerful Fear of God which will hinder Denying Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell v. 28. He allows us not to be stopt of Confession by regard to Father or Mother Son or Daughter He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me v. 37. Nay nor in regard to our own Lives He that finds his life viz. out of the way of confessing me and my woâ—ds shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake or for mine and the Gospel's as St. Mark shall find it v. 39. The Cross on any Duties must be no Discouragement the Cross must be taken up with the Duty and not the Duty let alone or rejected for the Crosses sake He that doth not take his Cross and follow after me is not worthy of me v. 38. Nay at some times he must take it up daily and follow me Luc. 9.23 And if then when he must bear his Cross tho it be in Neglect of his Dearest Relations yea of his own Life he doth not for all that keep on in my way and come after me he cannot be my Disciple Luc. 14.26 27. Thus strict is our Blessed Lord in Calling for this Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or harmless Constancy free owning of him and his Laws even when beset with the greatest
worldly Perils Very Frightful were these Perils in the Apostles days which Drive many from this way of Couragious Confessors to shifts of Deserting Cowardice tempting them sometimes to conceal themselves and to forsake the Publick Assemblies against both which St. Paul absolutely declares Rom. 10.9 10. Heb. 10.23 25 and sometimes to fall quite off from the way of Christ to that of their Persecutors And what now doth he that sits upon the Throne say to such Persons As he that continueth constant or overcomes shall inherit all things So the fearful or cowardly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Unbelievers or false and unfaithful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the timorous mistrustful Deserters who fell in their Tryals for want of Faith and Patiâ—nce formerly held the Glory of Saints tho now made the scoff and derision of prophane Spirits these says he together with Murderers and Whore-mongers and Idolaters all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Rev. 21.7 8. Among all Reprobates yea before all he first places these Cowardly Deserters for their share in this Lake of Fire and Brimstone says Tertullian The Foundation of this Confessorian Constancy and Freeness is Love to Christ and to his Laws and Doctrines For when Love is perfect as St. John says it casts out Fear which in time of Danger is the Parent of all Revolting tergiversations or hypocritical and unlawful Compliances And herein adds he is our Love made perfect that we may have Boldness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Freeness and Fearlesness in Confession which it is the Perfection of Love to inspire us with in the Day of Judgment or when brought before any Tribunal for the Cause of Christ because as he is so are we in this world viz. in a Persecuted state wherein we are to shew this Constancy and Courage as he did 1 Joh. 4·17 18. And the Cure of Cowardice or the Spirit of Fear St. Paul notes is by the Spirit of Love which is the Spirit of Power 2 Tim. 1.7 And therefore the Spirit writing to the Church of Ephesus which was it seems in danger of falling into the Practices of the temporizing Gnosticks when he calls them back to their former Courage and Constancy in Tryals bids them return to their first Love Rev. 2.4 This Love to Christ and the ways of Godliness when in a great many it is strong enough for times of Peace is apt to be much shaken and impaired in their hearts in times of Tryal and Persecutions Because iniquity i. e. of Persecutors as the Context shews shall abound love of many says our Saviour shall wax cold Mat. 24.12 And as it decays so will the Confessorian Constancy and Courage which is shewn by virtue thereof and timorous Haltings Compliances and Revolts will still succeed in its place But he that shall endure unto the end or whose Love and Constancy at such times shall both hold out the same shall be saved v. 13. But now quite contrary to this is the way of worldly Prudence which is never for professing Persecuted Truths or practising Persecuted Duties It s care is not how to confess but how to conceal or Dissemble its Sentiments at such times Instead of looking then to the Duty it looks to it self and considers not what is Good but what is safe Distressed Virtue at the best it neglects or Disclaims in open view which it thinks to make up by approving or practising it in Private It divides it self between God and the World and seeks to content him by a Secret or invisible Observance and to content it too by open and visible Neglects or Violations of oppressed Religion and Righteousness on such Tryals But now instead of conscionable lawful Prudence this is nothing but wicked Subtilty and mere carnal or Satanical Suggestions For to persuade on any trying Call not to shew forth an incumbred and afflicted Duty but to let it alone is the Voice of Flesh and Blood not of Religion it never comes from God but from Satan So Christ told Peter when he counselled him to fly the Obedience of the Cross and instead of that costly way of Doing the Will of God to look more to himself Get thee behind me Satan saith he thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but the things that be of men or mere carnal humane Wisdom Mat. 16.23 24. And thereupon he immediately repeats this Precept to his Disciples telling them If any man will come after me he must not hearken to Peter's Advice to stand still or step out of the way when the Cross is laid upon any Duty but take up his Cross and follow me And follow me i. e. going on still under the Burden of the Cross in the Duty whereto I call and going on also therein after my Example as you see notwithstanding the Cross now in my way I do v. 24. It is a deceitful Shuffling on both sides playing fast and loose or Halting between two Opinions as those of Israel did who in their hearts stood right for God but yet to please Ahab and Jezabel and for fear of the Times externally Complied in the Worship of Baal and went to his Sacrifices Whom Elijah the Prophet reproved saying How long halt ye between two Opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal then follow him 1 King 18 21. If it were enough thus to serve one invisibly in our Hearts whilst we visibly serve the other in external appearance there would be no necessity of what our Lord declared that no man can serve two Masters Mat. 6.24 It is at best but to affect the Duty whilst we plainly fly all the Scandal and Offence thereof Which if it be a lawful Prudence there is no ingagement to preach up Persecuted Truths against Persecuting Errours as St. Paul thought there was for all the Cross that lay upon it when he preached down Circumcision so zealously set up by the Jews Gal. 5.11 There will be an end of the Scandal of the Cross which when tack'd to any Duty will be no longer a Scandal or an Occasion of Sin if we may lawfully pass it by and let the Duty it is laid upon alone without Sin Especially taking up the Cross when placed in the way of Confession could never be the Condition of Worthiness in Christ's Disciples as our Lord declares it is Mat. 10.32 38. and afterwards in opposition to Peter's Advice of ways to Prevent it by forbearing the Duties burden'd with it which he imputes as I noted to carnal Wisdom and the Suggestion of Satan Mat. 16.23 24. Men may bear the Cross when it comes upon them by Necessity and they cannot help it But then only they take it up when they might let it alone if they would viz. by forbearing or avoiding the Duty whereto it comes annexed And if they may be worthy
Disciples in shunning it it can be no Condition of their Worthiness to take it up Lastly were it no Point of Duty and Religion for which they were sure to be finally rewarded this taking up a Duty with the Cross upon it could have nothing inviting here for them to Glory and Triumph in it And yet this our Saviour and his Blessed Apostles direct all good Christians to do at such times If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ or for Righteousness sake as Ch. 3.14 happy are you for the Spirit of Glory rests upon you 1 Pet. 4.14 If any man sâ—ffer as a Christian let him glorifie God on that behalf v. 16. 3. In these Confessions it is another Part of Spiritual Prudence not to stay till we are under an absolute Necessity or Force but to confess with Freeness I do not say this is absolutely necessary in all cases And when there is utmost Peril the Torture extreme and Confession Capital the case is Pitiable and to wait in case of several Truths or Duties for Proof from Prosecutors seems more excusable But this is only connivence and Condescension to Humane weakness and to be Free in owning any necessary Articles or part of Virtue and Godliness on a just Call thereto openly preferring it to our own Lives is the Praise of Confessors and most excellent and rewardable in it self Being judicially asked he voluntarily confesses it being condemn'd he gives thanks for it says Tertullian of the Primitive Confessors This again is for the Honour of Duty and Religion that its Followers are not driven by Nenessity but led to own it by Affection 'T is not for its Reputation that its own Servants would do no more for it than they needs must nor appear in its Cause so long as they can lie hid This argues it to be little beloved by its own Retainers and that the acknowledgments it has from them at such Trying times is out of Fear which needs to be driven not from Love much less from Zeal which would shew forth not only a free but Forward Motion Men may serve the Duty when they shew not their Adherence till they are necessitated to it but to Honour it they must move of themselves and be prompt and forward to profess it And this Freeness as it is requisite to the Honour of any Part of Duty or Religion So I think is implied in the Nature of Confession Conviction indeed may be a forced thing and we are at Liberty there to plead Not-Guilty and not own the Charge till it is judicially proved upon us And this may be taken by all Malefactors in what they are ashamed of and acknowledge to be ill things But Confession is to be our own and the Praise of it lies in being a voluntary and free thing and of our selves we are to profess and own there on any just Call when in way of publick Tryal or Private Usefulness we are put to the Question And this is the way in any Duties which we profess to glory and triumph in When we stay to have it Proved upon us as if it were a thing we would not own but are ashamed of we are Convicted as Criminals Or if we come in as Confessors there it is as having before voluntarily and freely chosen to be or Do what we plainly saw would bring us into Danger we are Confessors only in respect of what we practised or Professed under terrifying Prospects before not in Respect of our present Answer But when we are ready to own it our selves and to glory in what they accuse that is a further Degree and then we answer as Confessors And this Freedom and Promptness to own and profess such persecuted Truths or Duties was most eminently seen and honourably discharged as I noted from Tertullian yea sometimes to Excess in the Primitive Liberty or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Ancient Confessors The Zeal of Numbers carrying them under the greatest Hazards and amidst the most terrifying Examples to profess before they were accused and Pâ—blish in open Court their own Faith whilst they saw their Brethren Tryed and Condemned for it as we learn abundantly from the Story of those Times 4. I shall add in the last Place that 't is for the Honour of Religion in these Confessions that they be divested of too scrupulous and nice a Care of our worldly Interests I do not condemn all prudent Care of Confessors for securing their worldly Concerns when their Duty is first secured and they are not wanting either by Word or Deed to assert and honour it as they are call'd to it When they have taken care to save Religion and a good Conscience first they may be allowed a just and reasonable Care for saving what they have in this World next it being reasonable that they should save what they well can when 't is against Reason and Religion too that they should lose any thing And thus the Apostles and Primitive Christians about Jerusalem when they saw the Storm coming on sold their Lands and private Properties putting the Prices into the hands of the Church in Preparation for the approaching Wants and Confiscations Acts 4.34 c. But I think they are most Honourable to Religion when they are not most Solicitous at such times nor exact in all Arts and Methods of indemnifying themselves Such Confessions are a Tryal of the Spirituality of our Minds how able they are to contemn this World and how far they are set above it and how strong their Faith and Trust in God is And we acquit our selves best in manifesting this when we only shew a moderate Care and take the plainest and most reputablâ— ways of Saving when we are not scrupulously exact in things or immoderately Solicitous 〈◊〉 stretch to the utmost Lengths we dare in any indemnifying Arts which may fully this Profession and Proof of Spirituality by a suspicion of Earthly-mindedness and of Faith in God's Providence by signs of immoderate Care for our selves Oâ—â— Sufferings as well as our Service is Honourable and Useful to God and Religion at such times A Prophane and Atheistical World and an exploded Duty need a suffering Testimony And when we may exalt and advance our Duty by our Losses as well as by our Practice and Professions godly Wisdom looks more to serve God and Goodness than to secure our selves bidding such Loss of Goods welcome and taking it joyfully as the manner was of the Primitive Saints And tho it will not rashly and unnecessarily without a Call throw its worldly things away yet when 't is call'd thereto it will not be over-careful or scrupulously inquisitive how to keep them Now all this is contrary in the aim of worldly Wisdom It s great End is to be Free and forward in getting but forced in losing worldly things to move of it self in any way of compassing but to move no faster than 't is driven in any way of parting with them It will readily
the World both formerly and at this day is much more successful in making the Minds of men to miss of Truth than in carrying them to find it Wise Care therefore for the Honour of God and Religion or Spiritual Prudence requires that we should not change our Doctrines on an apparent Change of Interest unless we make out before men as plain an appearance of Truth in the Exchange as there is of Interest that we may not seem to hold it true because it is for our Interest or to be led more by Interest than we are by Truth And therefore when once good men see their Errors it highly concerns both themselves and Religion instantly to renounce them not for Advantage but for the Truths sake And not stay till the Course of this World turns and they may hope to get as much by Disclaiming as before they had by Professing them For otherwise the World will be but too apt to judge them not Religious and Conscientious but Secular and Self-ended Penitents who will never see and repent of their Errors and Evil-doings whilst they bring them in present Advantage Or whom Reasons of Truth and Duty could never bring to Repentance till Reasons of fleshly Interest struck in therewith but who can readily repent of any ways as soon as once they turn to Loss and they are evidently call'd to suffer for them And on the other hand we must be wary how we censure others when we see them change from their former Judgments and stay to heaâ— their Reasons before we presume to tax their Sincerity in the Exchange When the Interest is apparent the By-standers have an appearance of Interest at first sight but have not the appearances for Truth till the Person that made the Change has opportunity to make known to them how the new Truth appear'd to him This indeed is a Temptation to those that take up with what comes next and are confident of the Evidence of their own and the little appearance on the other side to be too often hasty and hard in their Censures But one man must not be rasâ— to judge of the Appearances of Truth to another but wait to hear them from himself And after 〈◊〉 has heard them not presently conclude a way could not thereby appear true to him because on the same Evidence it doth not nor really ought to appear so to himself That the thing is not true he may safely say not that the other could not think it so For all mens Judgments are not equally wrought upon by the same things and that may seem good Proof to some which doth not so to others So that as to the Censure of particular Persons especially whilst they keep true to their New Principles not still as necessity calls out-running their own Pretences it is good and safe ordinarily to be slow in passing our Judgments and leave them to their own Judge who sees their Hearts and to whom each of them stands or falls But in General when the Arguments of Truth are not as apparent as those of Interest in the Change and the Parties by all their Study could never see the Truth pretended whilst they were like to lose by it but see it clearly yea and that perhaps without much Study when once it makes for their Profit the World is very suspicious that 't is Interest more than Evidence which opens their eyes and a great Scandal comes upon Religion by such Changes Such men are wont to preach up say the World what stands them in stead not what they themselves really believe and think All colour whereof St Paul was careful to remove from himself when his Calumniators suggested this of him to the Corinthians For having professed his Simplicity and godly Sincerity without fleshly wisdom more abundantly towards them we write no other things unto you saith he than what you read or acknowledge and I trust you shall acknowledge even to the end 2 Cor. 1.12 13. That is as Theodoret comments We do not preach one thing to you and think another as some endeavour to calumniate us For what I taught when present I write now being absent and hope I shall always be found preaching and saying the same to the end But now opposite to this is the way of worldly Wisdom It is still for seeing Truth in that which is advantageous and convenient for it And willing to be beat out of any Duty or Doctrine when it comes to lose by it It first considers the Gain and Convenience of a Case When it sees what makes most for that it resolves that side is to be held and then casts about to find a Reason or Pretence for it And any thing is a good Reason for a Way to those who before-hand are resolved to take it It blames or commends condemns or justifies as a corrupt Party not as aâ— equal Judge Self-Love steers all its Determinations And following all its windings it is neveâ— true to the Reality of the thing but to its owâ— Concern therein Which being differently affectâ—ed by any ways at different times it accordingly either applauds or decryes them and has one Judgment of them when they are in our owâ— Case and another when they are in our Neighbours Contrary to all good Reason and truâ— Wisdom which if it come from above is withoâ—â— Partiality and without Hypocrisie as St. James say Ch. 3.17 Which therefore if obeyed and followed would make us as true and constant to 〈◊〉 good things so true and constant to our selves in loving and commending them Never to blame that in one which we cry up in another Never to acquit that in our selves which we accuse in ouâ— Neighbours And when we advance any Tenets as true or any things as just as reasonable as religious always to allow as much Truth to the Tenets and as much Justice Reason and Religion to the Things when they happen to serve our Brethrens Purpose as we claimed to them before when they served our selves 5. A Fifth Rule of Christian Prudence for this Purpose is not to be glad of any Temporal Advantage by ill things and whilst we reap the Profit to be content with the wickedness By the ill done Religion suffers tho what is so ill and dishonourable for Religion happen to be useful for our Interest in this World and make us Gainers And if we can be content for our own Gain to have it damnified it shews we are not so much for it as for our selves but are Free to have it truck'd away and given up for our own advantage Spiritual Prudence therefore which proposes the Honour and Interest of God and Religion in the first place and sets 〈◊〉 before our selves will not be bribed by any thing to inrich our selves by their Loss or Glory in their Disgrace or be pleased in what is to their Prejudice Indeed if a Good thing is Done tho with an ill mind he that is wise for God and Religion may
and true Goodness How can ye believe says our Savior and 't is the same Case with all other discountenanced and exploded Duties who receive honour one of another and seek not the honour which comes from God only Joh. 5.44 The chief Rulers even when convinced in their Consciences would not confess Christ because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Joh. 12.42 43. And if I yet pleased men saith St. Paul I should not be the Servant of Christ Gal. 1.10 He that will be Good therefore and truly wise for God must arm against Censure and be content as Christ and his Apostles and the best men in all times were to hear himself call'd by hard Names and pass through good and ill Report 2 Cor. 6.8 Nay in trying Times especially if his Statioâ— is any ways publick it is scarce possible to avoid it but in seeking to shun he would tho in a 〈◊〉 measure run upon it For whilst for striking iâ— with the Crowd he is cryed up by those who arâ— in the Wrong he must expect tâ— be cryed dowâ— by those who are in the Right whose applause tho it makes less Noise yet ought to be of moâ—â— Moment We must not be dismay'd then becausâ— the World is against a thing but because there 〈◊〉 just Reason for it to be so We must not begin 〈◊〉 because it is commended nor give over a Dutâ— or Good thing because it is decryed We musâ— resolve to look what pleases God not what 〈◊〉 please the Multitude and then we are wise foâ— God not foolish for the Company of Simplâ— men and like to do what we ought to do Next to this of Pleasing God is Pleasing theâ—â— own Good Conscience And this is subordinate to thâ— former and a Consequent thereof since we caâ— never in Conscience be pleased with our Selves but when we think God is pleased with us Thâ—â— is a most wise End and of mighty importance 〈◊〉 be satisfied with our selves Without this we caâ— have no Happiness If we are discontented 〈◊〉 our minds whatever is without us can neveâ— please us Nothing makes us happy further thaâ— we are pleas'd with it and we can have no truâ— Relish of Pleasure in other Things whilst we 〈◊〉 uneasie and displeased with our selves Better all the World should be angry with us than God and our own Conscience So that the Wisdom which would secure the Power and Honour and afford us the Comfort and Pleasure of Religion must always propose to it self the Doing what will Please God and thereby our own Consciences And whether or no we have Done what we know is pleasing to him Spiritual Prudence sends us to learn not from others but from within our selves This is our rejoycing says S. Paul the testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1.12 And this is the great happiness of all upright Walkers that all their Comforts are from a Witness within themselves If our own Heart Condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God 1 John 3.21 Our own heart is near us So that at any time when we please we may ask it the Question It is Privy to all our Actings So that whensoever we enquire it can answer us And we are as privy to its Answers So that we need not go to learn of any what return is made to us Such is the Advantage of having this to learn from the Testimony of our own Hearts and Consciences And to their Testimony God and Spiritual Wisdom send us in this case For when the Question is about our own Actings the Things of a Man as the Scripture says are best known to the Spirit of the Man himself 1 Cor. 2.11 Tho we Do not know so much of others Yet under God we are all able to tell the most of our selves and no one else can say so much as our own Bosoms So that we must not fetch our Rejoycing from the Censures and Commendations of others nor be Chearful or Dejected according as they surmise or think of us But according as we know by our own selves It may be they are rash and unjust in their Censures and judge us unheard as indeed they are oft aptest to condemn us who know least of us But if all the while our own Conscience can testifie 't is otherwise we may say with S. Paul 't is a very small thing with me that I should be judged of you or of mans judgment 1 Cor. 4.3 If all the World speaks well what is that if we are accused in our own Consciences And if we are acquitted there that is worth ten thousand Witnesses and what signifie all their Accusations Let us take care therefore to Live so as that we may be well Reported of in our own Breasts and we need not look out for Comforts from the Opinions and Reports of others To know what is in us for our Joy or Sorrow we must not take our Account from Strangers we are best known to our own selves But now quite contrary to all this is the way of Fleshly Wisdom It s care and aim is not how to please God but how to come off among men It is more concerned for what is like to anger and offend them than for what will offend him As the Chief Rulers who believing in Christ knew to own him was most pleasing to God But yet did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue Jo. 12.42 It is for suiting its Carriage not to the Reality of things but to their Diseased Opinions It s Maxim is not to side with the Truth but to swim with the Stream It is for Doing what is in vogue and seeming to approve what is by most applauded whether it be good or bad It will assert an ill Cause when the Multitude are for it and desert a good Cause when 't is generally decryed It will renounce any Duty or Virtue when 't is exploded Strike in with the Oppressors of much envyed and hated Persons when they are trampled under foot tho it happens to know they are innocent or knows not that they are in fault or however faulty they are in other things tho it believes they are greatly wronged in the present Case and suffer against Justice it will always run along with all the Violences of the time And that as seeking not what is really good but what other men think and call so not as studying to please God but to Live at quiet and please the World steering all its Course not by Truth and Virtue which are a certain fix'd thing always one and the same but by the uncertain Blast of Popularity or vulgar Opinion Agreeable to this we may observe it is the Rule of worldly wise men to stand for Virtue and Duty not when it has few Friends and they must practise it
good Books where the Duties themselves are Practically and Particularly treated of But besides this seeing what Means are fitteâ—â— for the Discharge of any Duties Another part oâ— Prudence is to see in such Discharge what wayâ— are fittest for its or our own outward Encouragement or that we may Do it with most Ease Convenience and Safety to our selves This Prudence looks at in all our Ways whether the Discharge of Duty or any others that are free and left to our selves And this Prudence Christianity must moderate that our Care for our Safety neveâ— carry us against or make us careless of our Duty And upon both these viz. The ways of Securing both Religion and our selves I shall observe severaâ— Limitations which in regard to the Nature and Rules of Christianity Spiritual Prudence lays on us whilst a Latitude is given therein by Fleshly Wisdom and taken by the worldly Wise. 1. In the first place then I observe of Spiritual Wisdom that it is never for doing Evil that Good may come This Good is any Fleshly Convenience or Benefit of this World that concerns us either as Men or Christians And this whose worldly Convenience soever it serves whether our own or our Friends and Relations whether of few or many private or publick of Religion or Civil Government Church or State These things are the main Care of the Wisdom of the Flesh and the great Mark which the Prudence of this World drives at And Spiritual Prudence allows the seeking thereof so long as it is without Sin but it gives no leave to Do ill i. e. to omit any Duty or transgress any Commandment for them I speak of Commandments that require things of a Natural or Moral Obligation In mere Positives as Circumcision Shew-Bread and the Sabbatick-Râ—st God sometimes allows more Liberty in case of Necessity or Great Convenience As the Omission of Circumcision was Conniv'd at for the extream Burdensomness thereof whilst they were in a Travelling State in the Wilderness But Natural or Moral Obligations are not to give way to any outward Convenience In case of these Spiritual Prudence is not for Doing a Spiritual Ill for any Worldly Good It will rather suffer any Ill than Do it It gets by the Ill it suffers if it can suffer with Patience and Innocence But it always loses by the Ill it doth Tho it get a worldly Convenience it parts with what is incomparably better its Integrity and a good Conscience It will never yield to commit a Sin no not for the Worldly Convenience of the things of God and Religion not owning that corrupt and ungodly Maxim of breaking Religion to preserve Religion Be wise as Serpents but simple and innocent as Doves saith our Saviour Mat. 10.16 That is says an old and learned Comment to speak in a word be wise as Serpents that you may understand and shun what is ill But be simple as Doves that you may not Do any thing that is ill It may seem needless perhaps to prove this to be a Rule and Precept of true Spiritual Wisdom to Christians or indeed to any Persons of Natural Honesty and good Moral Tempers But yet we see by sad Experience when they are brought to the Pinch and cannot have the Good they seek without Doiâ—g Ill for it That not only Christians but Christians of all Persuasions are ready to think and profess 't is otherwise This is the General Effect of the VVisdom of the Flesh and in their Necessities offers it self and too oft God knows with over-much Success to all that have Fleshly Natures and is not confin'd to any Sects or Parties They that will blame it when they do not need it and cry out of it in others are ready alass most shamefully many times to justifie it in their need and practise by it themselves But when they do thus it is only at the Incitation of Fleshly Wisdom of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Craftiness that makes use of any thing which will help on a Design and which the Scripture notes and taxes in VVorldly wise Men Eph. 4.14 1 Cor. 3.19 But is what Religion and Christian Prudence which contrives more for God and Goodness than for VVorldly Convenience will never allow of This Doing a Spirituall Ill that a Worldly Good or Convenience may come thereby is not to be justified 1. First by any Pretence of Serviceableness or Ends of Piety towards God VVe must never Sin for him or Transgress his Laws to please or do him Service He has no need of our Sins for 't is only human Impotence which has no place in him that is the Parent of and puts upon all unlawful Expedients And he will never accept or be served by them For our Service is not so much to Do him Good who being all Fullness and perfectly happy in himself stands in no need of any thing from us as to shew our Obedience And if the acceptance of all our Services lies in our Obedience we cannot think he will ever count himself served by seeing his Laws broken and himself therein disobey'd When Saul spared the Fat things the best of the Sheep and Oxen of the Amalekites it was indeed a Breach of Duty God having expresly commanded him to destroy all and spare none but it was upon a Pretence of Piety They were spared as he pleads for himself only for a Sacrifice which he thought was more for God's Glory and Service 1 Sam. 15 15. But what says God to Saul's committing this ill to do good to him or sinning for his Glory and Interest Hath the Lord as great delight in Sacrifice and Burnt-offerings as in obeying the Voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than Sacrifice i. e. than to yield to an Act of Disobedience that we may have a Sacrifice and to hearken than the Fat of Rams v. 22. When well-meaning Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it to bear it up when the Oxen shook it and it tottered in the Cart he did ill 't is true for he touch'd it with a forbidden hand God having order'd on any Carriage of the Sanctuary and of the Ark that no unhallowed hand of those that bare it should touch any holy thing lest they dye Num. 4.5 15. But this ill thing he did in an apparent danger and with a most visible appearance of Good to come to the Things of God thereby What might Uzzah think may not I especially in a seeming little thing transgress one Precept when there is an apparent necessity for it to save even the Ark of God that Glory and Strength of Israel as 't is called or to keep and Preserve a Church already tottering from tumbling to the Ground But how doth God receive this unlawful indeed but well meant Course of committing a seemingly little Sin to save the things of his own House which he himself had made of highest Dignity and Importance The Anger of the
Lord was kindled against Uzzah and God smote him there for his errour and there he Dyed by the Ark of God 2 Sam. 6.6 7. If God would accept of Wickedness for any Ends certainly it must be for his own Glory which is worth all the World besides and which has some Plea of Compensating him for the Disobedience and making him a Gainer by the Exchange And if he would allow of any Sin for his Glory one would think it should be an officious Lye when his Servants and Well-wishers think and stretch beyond the Truth or traduce the opposite Parties especially where they have some Plausible Colour in Pressing Consequences merely because they think his Honour needs it and they know not how they can otherwise well defend his Cause But yet God will not accept of any Service by any such Sin or Breach of Duty as this For what says the Scripture to Job's Friends Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Will ye accept his Person in judging as you do between him and me when he requires in Judgment to accept no Person Job 13.7 8. But now all the Unrighteousness or ill they did against Job was only thereby to clear God's Honour and Justice in Job's Sufferings They were Forgers of Lyes against the innocent as he tells them v. 4. but all with a design to justifie the Proceedings of God Eliphaz accuses him that he had plowed iniquity and sowed wickedness and now reaped the same Job 4.8 But this was to make God juster than Job in his Sufferings v. 7.17 18. Bildad tells him that his Children were wicked and he himself an hypocrite Ch. 8.4 6 13. But this he said lest else in his Case God should appear to pervert Justice and Judgment v. 3. Zophar charges him that he had been wicked and that iniquity was still in his Tabernacles Ch. 11.3.6 14. But the design hereof was to justifie God's dealings and to shew he exacted of him less than Job's iniquity deserved v. 6. All these ill things which Job's Friends did were well meant their hard Judgments against Job were only the effect of their Respecting the Person of God and taking his Part. This is Job's own Construction of them Will ye says he accept his Person Ch. 13.8 Their unjust Surmises and Accusations were only pious Falshoods God's Proceedings needing them as they conceived And yet for all the ill was done with so pious an intention will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Was a Report unanswerable when Job objected it against them Ch. 13.7 God will never allow his Servants to go out of his own way tho it be on Pretence to serve himself He will never think and we must never say he is glorified when he is disobeyed or that he can ever get any Glory by our Transgressing of our Duty We glorifie his Power and Sovereignty when we obey it his Wisdom when we follow it and Religion when we keep and practise the Rules thereof We glorifie him as I formerly observed by shewing forth his Glorious Attributes and expressing them in our selves Whereas all Sin is never the expression but always the defacement of his Image and therefore his Glory can only be sought as 't is only compassed by Obedience 2. Nor is it to be justified by any Pretence to serve the Publick However the Good of the Publick is of more account than any Private Good yet is it of less than the Honour and Interest of Almighty God And therefore if we may not be allow'd to sin to serve God we can never be allow'd to do more for the Service of any other Master or sin to serve the Publick This indeed is a specious Cover for unlawful Expedients and nothing is more ordinarily pretended by those that use them for their own Defence For this is the way to make all People Parties to stop their mouths from branding it with just Censures nay to bribe their Favour and Approbation of the Expedient to perswade the Publick it is made use of only for their sakes But this will never pass before an impartial and most just God however it may stop the mouths of Partial and Corrupt men This Pretence the Jews had in the Murder committed upon our Blessed Saviour If we let this man alone say the Pharisees at their Council held about him all men will run after him and the Romans will come and take away both our Place and Nation Joh. 11.48 'T is expedient said the High Priest Caiphas for us that one man should dye for the People and that the whole Nation perish not v. 50. But yet for all this Pretence and Warranty of publick Expedience this was a Murder acted by most wicked hands Acts 2.23 The Publick must be sought under God not set up against him and it as well as private Persons must rule it self by ways of Righteousness not by ways of mere Expedience Indeed nothing is so true and serviceable an Expedient for the Publick as an intire Practice of Religion or Performance of Duty and Pleasing God This is the best Bottom and firmest Security of Common Good or Publick Interest 'T is not thought so I confess by worldly men who look only at sensible and present things But it will appear so to all raised and Spiritual Minds who know God has the most to do or the greatest hand in bringing any Events about and rely on Providence For to be sure they that rest on Providence more than on Humane Provisions and Appearances will never think they can serve the Publick Interest by Disobedience Fiat Justitia ruat Coelum is their Maxim To do their Duty is their Care to govern the World and see this do no hurt is God's And when they have done their Duty which is their Part they can chearfully trust and rely on him for Events 3. Nor by any Pretence to serve our Friends or Relations nay or to serve our selves or our own Lives If an unlawful Expedient may not be taken to serve God to be sure it may not be taken to serve us for his interest is infinitely of more account than ours and he is not so like to dispense with the Breach of any of his own Laws for us as for himself If it may not be done for the Publick sure it must not for any Private account for the Publick Good contains that of Private Persons and is worth more to God than any Private is Indeed if Self-Love may be Judge we might soonest take these Liberties in our own Case and stretch furthest to serve our selves But Self-Love and Religion are two things and as the Great Rule of that is Self-pleasing so the Fundamental Principle of this is Denying of our selves 'T is always without Exception for Denying of our Sins and not doing the least ill to get out of the greatest Distress Tho my Soul is continually in my hand says the Psalmist yet do I not forget thâ— Law The
all of Almighty God It overthrows as all the Rules so all the Design of Religion and the Grounds of good Practice It can come into the Thoughts only of worldly-wise not of truly Religious Persons who never urged a Temporal Necessity against a Spiritual Duty being not men of this World but of a better There can never be any Necessity of Sinning to him that dare suffer And he who is resolved against Suffering may think himself a worldly-wise man but God will account him no good Christian. But this now is otherwise in the Wisdom of this World Necessity it thinks a Reason not to be argued or disputed And what it calls Necessary is what is necessary to one who is resolved to keep this World not to one who can part with it What is necessary not to one that would set God and Religion above the World but that sets the World uppermost and so makes a God of it If it talk of any thing being necessary for the Interest of God and Religion it means only for the worldly things about them It looks not what is necessary to keep Innocence for other things it accounts more necessary than that but what is necessary for carnal worldly Convenience It is more for things necessary to present Safety than for those which are necessary to good Hopes of Eternity And to make men safe here by affording visible Humane Securities not by ingaging the Protection of God and the Guard of an unseen Providence 2. Secondly Spiritual Prudence will never allow us to justifie any Breach of Duty by the Plea of Providence This is the way of worldly-wise men who are ready to catch at any thing as a good Argument of a way 's being approved by God and pleasing to him if it profits them If God give Success when they use unlawful ways and Expedients especially if in bringing that success about there are any surprising or remarkable Circumstances they cry up the Hand of God and think his prospering it so signally is his approbation God himself here say they is willing to become a Party and such Success is his Testimony But Spiritual Wisdom teaches us to take the Morality of Actions and the goodness or illness of things from Laws not from Providence It is the Laws of God in Nature or Scripture that must teach us our Duty and tell us what will please God or what will offend him Sin is the Transgression of a Law as St. John says and Obedience is the keeping of them And these Laws are publish'd in the Nature of things and the Word of God which are a plain and sure Promulgation of them But as for Providence its Design is not to be a Publisher of Precepts God's Providence is not an Act of his Legislation but of Judicature and Execution It s part is not first to shew and promulge Laws but supposing those promulged before to supervise the Carriage of those they were promulged to and execute their Sanctions Or to recompense Actions by suitable Events according as they have either transgressed or kept them The Judgments of God according to his Will before promulged we may read in the Events and Issues of Providence But what his Will is the Observance or Breach whereof Providence thus rewards or punishes we must read in the Moral Nature of Things and the Holy Scriptures 'T is a bad Use therefore of Providence to make it take off our Eyes from the Morality of Things and the plain Voice of Laws and look for what is pleasing to God and according to his Will only in the Events of Actions Which is like leaving the clear Light of the Sun to go to read by that of a Glow-worm 'T is to go read our Duty where it was not intended to be writ and Neglect or over-look the perusal of that where it is writ And 't is worse when we see both to make Providence carry against plain Laws and the Moral Nature of Things which is to turn the Signification of Providence not only against the Laws but against it self For the use of Providence is to be a Government according to those Laws and the Morality of Things It is to be a Maintainer of them by just Retribution and so is only to back and strengthen but never to oppose them And therefore Providence must never be urged in Favour of an ill and unlawful thing For since its right use is to be a Retribution of Laws and to reward Dutifulness all its right Signification and all our right Remarks thereupon must be only for Encouragement to keep our Duty but not to transgress it It must never be pressed against Laws but always for them and must only draw us to trust and depend upon God in a good thing but never in an ill one which Nature or the Holy Scriptures have forbidden Indeed as Providence is the Administration of God's Judicature here on Earth and he permits or disposes of Events of things or Actions in way of Government and Justice there is a Signification of his Liking or Disliking in these Disposals But 't is hard and unsure to fix this on Persons and Actions to say from these Issues of Providence alone who or what he is Pleased or Displeased withal For in the same Issues and Events Providence is Concerned with a Number of Persons of the most contrary Qualifications they are fatal to one and favourable to another But yet since therein he has an Eye at both from the Event alone we cannot say which God likes and which he dislikes whether the Success is to Reward the Actors Righteousness or to punish the Sufferers Wickedness Nay oft-times in the Justice of Providence God makes some Sinners the Executioners of others and punishes one by anothers Offences making them Grind each other to Pieces So that here on which side soever the Shew of Favor or Success falls it doth not Signifie that God is pleased with either He will speed one to punish another when he is offended with both The Assyrians Success was only as the Rod of God's Anger to scourge the wicked Nations Which once done he and his Ways being no more pleasing to God than the others were he was to be broken himself and fall under like Judgments Is. 10.5 12 16 c. The wicked who in their Course of Wickedness are far from being pleasing to him yet says the Psalmist are a Sword of thine and so long find Success therein Psal. 17.13 Yea as the Thriving of some is not always to shew Favor so the Sufferings of others in Events of Providence is not always to shew Displeasure For many times their Sufferings are not Designed to punish the Sufferers but only to try their Patience and refine and manifest their Virtues and rowze a sluggish World with the Sight of brave Examples Such was the meaning of David's Sufferings and Persecutions under Saul Such was the Signification of Providence in the Sufferings of Job of the holy Prophets of
our Blessed Lord and his Apostles and of all the Noble and Heroick Spirits the Martyrs and Confessors of all Ages whose Sufferings came not from Providence in a penal Way but as a Privilege Nay sometimes as in an useful especially in a publick Person they suffer so much not altogether to prove or punish themselves as to perplex others and punish the People thereby For the Sins and Transgressions of a People many are the Changes of Princes says Solomon Prov. 28.2 As on the contrary others Success is oft-times only to complete the time of their Respit before they are Dragged to Punishment or to allow them their full Measure of good things which as our Saviour intimates are more liberally proportioned out to them in this Life because they are to have none in the next till they have filled up the Measuâ—e of their Sins and so are Ripe for the Judgment of Providence So that as it is no Signification of God's Dislike that one Suffers by Providence for what Son or beloved is it the Father chasteneth not saith the Apostle Heb. 12.7 So neither is it of his liking and Favor that another succeeds by it there being as to this one Event as the Wise Man says both to the Righteous and the wicked Eccles. 9.2 I add lastly that what Favor or Disfavor the Event of Providence in way of Human Appearance carries with it is not to be soon Determined till the whole Train is seen the upshot whereof may and often doth lie very Remote and till it appears which Party is most Prosperous and Successful in the End The greatest present Unsuccessfulness is most Ordinarily made use of by Providence as a Step to much more valuable future Successes It s Method is to bring Light out of Darkness and to compass Final Successes by intermediate Disappointments And who then can say assuredly that Providence is for one or against another till they have run out the whole Length of the Chain of Effects and the End appears And this oft lies very far off much further it may be than we are like to live to see what it will prove And till this is seen all judging of the Favor or Disfavor of Providence from what Events went before is most uncertain not Right Judgment but Self-Flattery and Delusion whereof each Party serves and wherewithal it pleases it self according as its turn comes in the Ebbs and Flows and various Vicissitudes of the intermediate Successes Thus upon all these Accounts to name no more tho there is a Real Liking or Disliking in the Events of Providence which is known to and Design'd by God himself Yet is the Application of this to things or Persons so much all Uncertainties and the Favor or Disfavor of Issues so promiscuous as appears to us that from the Events of Providence alone we cannot learn whom he loves or whom he hates what is Pleasing or Displeasing to him No man as Solomon says in this case can know either Love or Hatred Good or Evil by all that is before him Eccl. 9.1 To learn this from Providence besides the visible Events we must weigh the Merit of Actions from Laws and stay the Final End of Successes which are the Recompence of them And when those are seen but not before from the Qualities of Persons and Attempts we must read whether any Success were for a just Encouragement of the Actors Righteousness or Punishment of the Sufferers Wickedness whether it is for Proof and Trial or for Recompence Always making the Voice of Providence to assert and establish the Moral Nature of things and the Laws and Duties Revealed in Scripture but never in any wise to Deny or Gainsay them And therefore the Signification of Providence is not to teach those that are ignorant of their Duty or of Good and Ill but only those that already understand it It is no Expositor of the Will of God to those who know it not but only an encourager of its Observance to those who know what it is Hence Men ought never to Cry up the hand of God or Call in Providence to Prove the Goodness of any Actions but only to press those which were Proved before It is not to instruct Men what is their Duty but to carry them on to the observance of those Duties wherein they are otherwise already instructed Hence also we must not think it enough in any Attempts to say we follow Providence and go as God makes way for us We are to follow Laws not Opportunities For Providence affords us Opportunities to break Laws as well as to keep them Power and Opportunity are among the necessary Causes of all that is Done And Providence puts things in Mens Power and Gives them Opportunity to Do them But Opportunities for ill things are not Warranties but only Trials and Temptations All ill Men follow Providence when they accomplish ill things which they could not Do without Providence Gave Opportunities and when Good Men whom they are pursuing for ill Ends falâ— into their Hands If any therefore are ignorant what their Duty is and trust to learn it from the Issues of Providenceâ— taking any Way for the Will and Command oâ— God when they see the hand of God or some remarkable Success attending it this will lead them into infinite Delusions It will carry them to justifie the most wicked Actions recorded in Scripture or in Daily Experience infinite Numbers whereof in all Times and Places God for wise Ends permits or speeds and prospers and thaâ— against the most Beloved Persons not excepting his own Son or the holy Church Besides as it is made to justifie the Urgers of it in their Waâ— to Day it may be and ordinarily is as well made to Shame and Condemn them to Morrow Successes usually running as at one time remarkably for so at another time as remarkably against them It is no Rule for the wise and well instructed who never take it for a Rule of Duty but always bring it to the Rule and expound the Liking or Disliking of God therein by their known Duty It is only a Rule for the Ignorant to take up and those as it finds so it will leave ignorant of their Duty nay which is worse it will mislead them as I say into the Greatest Errors and Violations thereof carrying them into Sin and Shame enough too before they have Done It is a way for Men that know or may know they are Doing ill to flatter themselves or abuse others with faint but false Colors of God's acceptance And this may pass among the Worldly Wise who seek to be in Ease and Credit in their Worldly Injoyments 'T is a Part of Worldly Prudence so to expound these Events of Providence not as may best serve their Duty but their Worldly Ends. But he who would be Spiritually Wise or Wise for his Duty must always fetch it from the Laws of God which are the Rule of Duty And never make Providence which
Shew of Doing what really they neither did nor durst do And thus were their hypocritical Appearances and ungodly Evasions rebuked and censured by the holy Zeal and downright Honesty and Simplicity of the Primitive Fathers To appear to the World as obeying an unlawful Edict was equally scandalous to Religion in the Eyes of Men as if really they had been obedient to it And therefore they rated such external Seemers and Appearers as Real Observers He that would seem say they to have satisfied any Edict that injoyns a thing against Religion in that very thing pays Obedience to it that he studies to be thought obedient When called to own a Truth by openly Refusing what we hold a Sin to Practise Qui fallaces in excusatione praestigias quaerit negavit He that seeks to make the Imposer believe he doth what is required and falls to fallacious Tricks and cozening Compliances in Excuse Denies his Duty as if he had Done what he required him was their Judgment as I noted before And this must hold alike in all Duties For if any thing is a real Wickedness greater or less alters the Case betwixt it and any other only as to Degrees But if such False Seemings are really partaking in ill and hypocritical Shews as appears from the preceding Instances we may no more Partake or act an hypocritical Part in a less than we may in a greater Wickedness By all which I think it sufficiently appears that all we can expect in such external Observances of Significant Days or other things is to pass for Hypocrites and Dissemblers with God and men if we say we do not mean what such Meeting doth and as we thereby profess Or to be taken to Do the thing which we in heart Condemn from our having Done that which is the outward Profession of it We Do in Moral Estimate what we Do visibly and what we would be thought to Do. So that how little soever the Heart goes along therewith if we appear among the Practisers of an ill thing and Do as they who are for it in outward Profession and Observance we shall be censured among them and being found in their way must expect to share in their Condemnation I know 't is said by some when they do not answer the Signification of these Assemblies that they join only at the innocent Parts of the Service there Performed and pass over what comports not with their Consciences Which Palliation and Excuse for what is wrong makes many innocent and well meaning Minds who would Neglect no opportunity of serving God to resort thither for the sake of all that is Good and Right in the Service on such Occasions But they consider not that the things they are afraid to promote or joyn in are Signified and Declared by the very Meeting and not only by some particular Prayers which are put up there And in coming to such an Assembly they profess to have what it means by their Appearance as well as by some Passages in the Prayers The Edict that calls them thither fixes a Signification and tells them for what purpose And their coming upon that Summons is a Profession of setting on that Purpose Thus it would be thought in any Case where Men are invited and called in by their Friends to seek a Blessing from God on some Conspiracies or hazardous Undertakings Tho then there would be some good Confessions of Sin and other ordinary Devotions to fit them for more Prevalence and to accompany those Prayers which are more special for the Designâ— yet must all who appear there on such an inâ—â—mation expect to be judged both by God anâ— men as Parties with them therein And thus ' tiâ— as I have observed in all the foregoing Instances there is a Signification and Profession in the very Act or Observance it self And this I think makes the Case of joyning in these Assemblies Different as to this Point viz. of professing contrary to our Sentiments from that of our joyning in the Daily Service of the Church tho that happen to have some Passages which we cannot in Conscience joyn with if those Passages are otherwise tolerable on account of their Unlawfulness For the intent and signification of our Meeting in the daily Devotions is not to profess a determinate Approbation and Concurrence in these scrupled Passages but for Devotion at large· We come to them to do God Honor and Service and to seek Supplies for all our own and others Necessities So that our Presence there is to concur in the Religion of the Day or Devotion in the just Latitude thereof And it cannot be gathered merely from our being there or Presence alone that we are for these scrupled Passages since were we against them we might still be there for so many other Purposes but from some other external sign or saying Amen to them still as they come 〈…〉 as for these other Assemblies the thing 〈…〉 is signified not only by some particulaâ—â—â—ssages in the Form but by the whole Meeting And accordingly our Concurrence therein is professed not only by our saying Amen at such Passages but by our Appearance at the Meeting The Day it self is instituted for that Dâ—sign it is the next or ultimate End of all that is then done which first or last is for speeding and carrying of it on Indeed it highly concerns men to look to the Matter and End of their Prayers that they be for good things and to set on none but good Designs To pray for ill ones is to make our selves Parties to them and to partake in Guilt and Punishment with the Actors themselves If any come that brings not this Doctrine bid him not God speed saith St. John for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds 2 Joh. 10.11 Where we cannot with a safe Conscience assist we cannot pray for Success is more from Providence than from humane Means and therefore Prayers are among the highest and most valuable Assistances To lend Prayers to ill things is not only to assist and partake in the ill but to prophane and pollute those most Sacred things our Prayers themselves and turn them into the rankest abominations For any ill or forbidden thing is never so abominable to God and all good men as when it is not only against God but offer'd to him When it creeps into our very Prayers and stains and pollutes them which should be pure as the God they are offer'd to and purge away all our other Pollutions Which is as much as in us lyes not only to disobey and provoke but to rifle God's own Holiness to tempt him to our Sins to try if we can make him a Party to our Wickedness and draw him in to be as deep in any unjust ungodly or otherwise forbidden thing as our selves than which it is not easie to conceive what can be a greater Abomination Prayers are among the plainest and greatest Expressions of Piety when put up for good
in it look not in every thing to the Living Creatures i. e. Angels represented in that Vision with the Face of Living Creatures standing by the Wheels or Course of Worldly things to govern their Motions as Ezekiel says c. 1.15 16.19 20 21. and c. 10.9.16 17. Or to the over-ruling influence of invisible Providence managed by the Ministry of Angels which has the leading hand and gives the last and Ruling stroak to all that happens But only to what is visible before their eyes or to humane Preparations and Appearances And expecting more from Providence than from Worldly Appearances they never seek to compass any Ends as I have shew'd by Unlawful ways Which will lose them more in the Help of Providence than it will get in that of Humane Preparations Nor despair of his Protection or promised Success in Gods own ways Nay their trust in Providence here they account as one of the best Means being that which will most ingage Providence The Lord will help them and save them from the wicked that are always plotting to Destroy them because they put their trust in him saith the Psalmist Ps. 37.40 They trust it to the last when there is nothing visible to back it nor any thing else to trust to When on the burning of Ziklag the People with David spake of stoning him and he was Greatly Distressed then did David encourage himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.1.6 Our bones are scattered at the Graves mouth as Chips are when one Cutteth or Cleaveth wood upon the Earth says he on another occasion but mine Eyes are unto thee O Lord in thee is my Trust to keep me from the Snares laid for me Ps. 141.7 8 9. When my Soul fainted within me at what time he was in the Whale's Belly I Remembred the Lord saith Jonah Jon. 2.7 We were pressed above measure and had the Sentence of Death in our selves says the Apostle that we should not trust in our selves but in God who raiseth the Dead who delivered us and doth deliver 2 Cor. 1.8 9 10. This proves the Sincerity of our Trust in God when we have no Reserves of Humane grounds It shews the commendableness and Degrees thereof when we Dare throw our selves wholly on God's Care and Kindness And this is that whereby Good men Signalise themselves They are Abrahams Children by being Followers of Abrahams Faith Gal. 3.7 â—t is their best Armor and Defence which they â—â—ver put off even in the hottest Persecutions 〈◊〉 here saith St. John after the seemingly most helpless States and hardest Tryals is the Patience and Faith of the Saints Rev. 13.10 And we are to be Followers of them who thro Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Heb. 6.12 But contrary to this is the way of Worldly Wisdom When it has little or no humane Prepâ—â—ations or Worldly Appearances it is as if it had nothing to depend upon and gives any things up even those which God has promised and for which he is most concern'd as Desperate What would have become say worldly men of us or of our holy Religion if this and that Unlawful Course had not been taken What would have become of them had they kept to their Duty when they went beyond it That would have become of Religion or of any good thing which God pleases And after all their Breach of Duty to preserve them That must still become of them which God pleases So this in Case of Unlawful Expedients can only be the saying of those who have no eye at Providence in these matters or that Do not rely on God or put their trust in him but in visible Preparations and Appearances When they enquire what would become and ask about Events I would ask them again whether Events are our Business or Gods And if they are under his care it is only to Distrust God and to ask him what will become of his Charge not us what will become of ours As if he were not able to do his own Business whithout the help of our Sins or to bring to pass what concerns him in his ways without our breaking what is commanded and concerns us both in his way and ours A Fourth and last Rule which I shall note of Christian Prudence about the Means whereby its Ends are to be attained is The Vsefulness of Sufferings or seeing how it may highly compass the Ends of Christianity by Persecutions This indeed is a Paradox to this world who cannot think of growing richer by their Losses or that the Sufferings of men can ever be brought into the Account of their Successes and Advantages But this is a very certain and great Truth in Religion which serves its Ends by Suffering as well as by Thriving and looks upon Persecutions with other Eyes than this World doth Spiritual Prudence that is wise for the Advancement of our Duty and the improvement of our Spirits sees many singular Advantages which Persecution affords for these So that it never thinks it self out of its way but in the high and beaten Road to what it aims at when it is call'd to Suffer It is out of the way of worldly Peace and Injoyments and those are the things which Persecution takes from us but in a very Good way of practising a Number of most acceptable and Honourable Duties and making Spiritual Improvements For 1. Persecutions are the best and truest Proof of the Sincerity of our Affection to Religion or of our Love to Christ. It shews plainly that we set 〈◊〉 above this World and are thereby as he sâ—ys Worthy of him when we are ready to Part with any thing of this World for his sake And therefore Persecutions are call'd Tryals of our Faith in the Scriptures Nay the fiery Tryal which will separate the Pure Mettal from the Dross and prove Sound and Right Christians â—s it proves pure and right Mettals such another way of trying Christs faithful Servants as 〈◊〉 is of trying Silver or Gold it self And â—his tho to a worldly mind as depriving it of worldly injoyments it appears a heavy Afâ—â—ction to a Christian Spirit is of Great account For what so valuable to it as to prove 〈◊〉 self one of Christs faithful Servants the approbation whereof it sets more by than by all that is Dear and desireable to it in this â—ife What so pleasing to a Soul bent on Heaven as to have given such a clear Proof of its Preferring Heaven before Earth of its being so set on things above as for their sakes to Overlook and Despise all beneath of its having suffered with Christ which the Apostle gives as a Pledge to all Good Souls that they shall Reign with him 2. It calls us to the Exercise of many Duties of Religion yea such as are the very height and Perfection thereof which we have no such opportunity to exercise at a quiet time For now when Suffering comes we are put upon shewing how far we are set above the World and how
reckon saith St. Paul that the Sufferings of this Present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 The more we endure for the more we shall receive from him Majora Certamina Majora Sequuntur praemia The harder the Sufferings the higher the Recompences says Tertullian These Sufferings for Christ are call'd the Remains or what is behind of the Sufferings of Christ Col. 1.24 and the Marks of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6.17 And the more conformable his Servants are to the likeness of his Sufferings the more in Proportion shall they be conformed to the likeness of his Glories Answerable to our Suffering shall be our Reigning with him 2 Tim. 12. If so be that we Suffer with him we shall be also Glorified together Rom. 8.17 The Surplusage of their Glory and Bliss shall be so much the earlier and Greater than the Bliss of others as to render these Sufferings the most valuable Blessings to all truly Good men and a Cause of highest Joy and Thankfulness Rejoyce then and leap for joy rejoyce and be exceeding Glad says our Saviour for Great is your Reward in Heaven Luk. 7.22 23. Mat. 5.12 Rejoyce in as much as ye are made Partakers of Christs Sufferings says St. Peter that when his Glory shall be Revealed ye may partake answerably in that too and be Glad also with exceeding Joy 1 Pet. 4.13 Such as these are the Benefits which Virtue and Religion have by Persecutions And accordingly such is the Estimate which Christian Prudence makes of them It Dreads them not â—s hindrances but when call'd by God thereto looks upon them with a willing and chearful eye as fitting means to set on and most proper and advantageous to bring about its own Purposes And the Reasons why at such times Men are so much against Suffering is because they look not upon them with Spiritual but with Carnal Worldly eyes I do not seek by this to make men fond of Sufferings or put themselves upon them before they need to suffer without waiting Gods leisure Such rash and hasty zeal there was which produced ill Effects in some Confessors of the Primitive Church and which thereupon it ceased to countenance and fell Canonically to censure and repress forbidding men to run to suffer before God call'd them or to give the Judges unnecessary provocation But when God sends Sufferings as he doth when there is no keeping of it off without acting against the Rules Interest or Honour of Religion I say their Master and mine is not for having us afraid to Suffer or capable of being forced out of our Principles or Duty to avoid it Nay he would be glad to see us willing and chearful under the approach as well as Constant and Resolute under the pressure thereof looking on Persecutions as what will Do no Final hurt but Do both him and our selves the most and best service For on this Point I would have it observed that Christianity is a Passive Religion or a Doctrine of the Cross. It is a Profession to expect and to bear Sufferings It s Author was a Crucified Saviour He was a Man of Sorrows and a most absolute Pattern of Patience And the sharp Tryals thereof though they begun in the Head were not to end there but to Descend Down to the Members whom God in such measure as he sees fit fore-ordains or praedestinates to be conformed to the Image of his Son viz. in the conformity of Suffering which is the Argument there treated of Rom. 8.29 A Share of these is left for his Church and Followers which St. Paul calls the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Remainders or what is behind of the Sufferings of Christ Col. 1.24 Accordingly he Foretels Sorrows for his Disciples and calls them to bear and prepare for them Passive times are what he presignifies us and Passive Duties which we are to Discharge under them make up a considerable part of his Precepts If any man will come after 〈◊〉 says he he must Deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Mat. 16.24 Through many Tribulations says his Apostles we must enter into the Kingdom of God Act. 14.22 Yea all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution saith St. Paul 2 Tim. 3.12 So that Sufferings and Persecutions must never seem strange things among Christians Indeed sometimes through the Goodness and Indulgence of God we have a long enjoyment of quiet and encouraging times and so actual Sufferings are Greater Strangers to us But it never is a Stranger to our Profession and Principles being one of Religion's chief Businesses And the bâ—st Souls and most Religious men are gone to Heaven that way bearing the Cross before they gâ—t the Crown and suffering for Christ e're they were taken to Reign with him So went the Antient Prophets and Worthies some stoppâ—ng the Mouths of Lyons others quenching the violence of Fire some having Tryal of Cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments others wandering about in Sheep Skins and Goat Skins being Destitute Afflicted Tormented some being stoned others Sawn asunder others slain with the Sword others Tortured and not accepting Deliverance when proffer'd them upon their Apostacy that they might obtain a better Resurrection as St. Paul says Heb. 11.33 34 35 36 37. So went also not only our Blessed Lord himself but his Apostles and the best Souls and Saints of the Suffering Ages who are set off as much by their Patience as by any thing else I John your Brother and Companion in Tribulation and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ says St. John to the Seven Churches Rev. 1.9 And as they followed Christ so must we be ready upon occasion to follow them our Calling being as St. Paul notes to be Followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Heb. 6.12 And Professing thus a Passive Religion we should all have Passive Spirits The Spirit of Suffering or Patience is one of our most necessary Qualifications The Gospel which we profess is call'd as sometimes the word of Faith So at others the word of Patience Thou hast kept the word of my Patience saith Christ to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3.10 And accordingly the Professors of this Gospel must be Signaliz'd and Remarkably Eminent as for the Spirit of Faith so for the Spirit of Patience Your Companion saith St. John of himself in the Patience of Jesus Rev. 1.9 And we are Followers of those who got the Promises through Faith and Patience as St. Paul says And here says the Spirit calling on every one that has an ear to attend is the Patience and Faith of the Saints Rev. 13.9 10. The Scars on his Body which were the Tryals of his Patience St. Paul calls the Marks of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6.17 And the Miseries and Dangers he every where underwent for him he terms bearing about in his Body the Dying of the
opportunity But never breaking them or setting them aside to make use of some Worldly opportunity If we would Do Good to Church or State to Do this wisely we must Do it under God not by setting up against him So we must not throw out his Service as an unseasonable thing when an opportunity is offer'd us to serve the Publick by refusing to serve him when he calls The Thoughts of Doing Good i. e. Temporal Good or that of outward Settlement to the Publick if by Breach of Duty or omission thereof when call'd by him to Discharge it is a Temptation And the Doing it that way is endeavouring to be wise against God and setting up Policy against Religion which if God must give Succâ—ss is not like to speed or in the Event to procure Good to them Near a kin to this is thinking it no Season to Condemn and Fault things as we did whilst they served others when they come to serve our selves This is the way of this World if not to commend yet to connive at any Error or Wickedness whilst it gets by it It is pleased if not with the Wickedness yet with the Advantage and had rather bear the Sin for the Profits than want and Condemn the Profit for the Sins sake So it will not open its mouth against Errors whilst 't is getting or against Sins and breach of Duty whilst 't is served by them being not so much offended with their falsness or wickedness as pleased with their usefulness or convenience Though most loud at others it is silent then and would have others too to be silent and not cry out against them at such â—imes And this is meer Wisdom of this World or being Wise for Worldly Things which lies in getting or taking worldly Advantages however they come by them and can brook what Religion most abhors whilst it brings in what Flesh and Blood best approves Which plainly shews that a man has not so much of Religion as of this World and Self-Design nor is acted so much by Conscience as Convenience Thus must we be Careful that the Pretence of unseasonableness do not carry us to smother our Belief of any Truth or our Practice of any Duty when God calls us to shew them forth on any Pretence of hazard to our selves of unprofitableness to Religion or our Neighbours or of their being a hindrance to any Good that doth come in to our selves or is sought to be brought about for the Church or State The Truth is in Points of direct and express Duty the part of Prudence lies more in sight and Discerning than in Choice of Seasons In Matters that are not of Direct and Determinate obligation there is more Room for Discretion in the timing of them and in Resolving both whether and when to Do them For Free things which are not Determined by the Law of God or that are not directly injoyn'd but may indirectly some more and some less be serviceable to and promotive of that which is or that are free and undetermined expressions and instances of General Laws Such Free Things I say and Free-will Offerings are most properly matter of Prudence being left to Prudence and not determinately bound on Conscience And in these there is a proper Choice of Seasons which men may embrace or let slip either Doing that thing or another now or at another time as they see cause But in things expresly required by God and Points of Direct Duty there is not the like Choice of Seasons or Room for Discretion For whensoever God calls us to them and they are put upon us either by the Authority of Superiors or by any occasion with our Neighbours or other just Call of Providence giving us opportunity for them or perhaps laying us under a necessity either of Professing or Dissembling them or Practising them or what is Repugnant to them We are then under a necessity and Obligation of Discharging and have no Liberty to let them alone For Matters of express Duty we are bound to perform as oft as God calls us to perform them Whensoever he calls we have no power to refuse And this Call is by his Providence as that brings us under opportunities and puts us upon Practising or Declaring our selves And what time Providence shall allot and fix on for these is at God's Choice not at ours He is Free when he sees best to give the Calls but when once he doth we are under his Command and never free to set them aside or refuse obedience So our Part is only a Duty and Necessity to see and embrace the Seasons he chuses and God's part is to have the Liberty and Discretionary Power to chuse them And therefore the Wisdom and Prudence to be shewn in Choice of these Seasons is God's Wisdom and not ours His Providence takes care of that and 't is a wise Providence that never calls us to the Profession of necessary Truths or Practice of necessary Duties but at wise and fitting Seasons which best fit his Purposes though they least fit ours So that whensoever he Calls us to them we are eased of that care of Deliberating about the seasonableness of them In Free things we are left to Chuse the Seasons our selves and may let go a worse in hopes of a better But in necessary and bounden Duties God's Call must always be our Season and we are only to discern and take it not left to Chuse and Deliberate upon it God having already made that Choice to our Hands 2. Secondly In Execution of our Purposes Christian Prudence is for Tempering what we Do to Circumstances i. e. For considering Place and Persons and Instruments and manner of acting and the like and so to suit all as may best serve our Design and set off the thing Done so as may give us most Help and Advantage from all and least Hurt or Hindrance from any of them This attention to Circumstances is that Circumspection which is so much spoken of and is implyed in Prudence which St. Paul calls for when he exhorts the Ephesians to walk not as Fools but as Wise as I noted before Eph. 5.15 Walk in wisdom says he again to the Colossians towards them that are without calling them to such Prudence in their Carriage towards and before such as consider'd the Principles and Dispositions of those they conversed with Col. 4.5 Let your speech says he in that place be with Grace and seasoned with Salt i. e. Savoury and Prudent and so seasoned and temper'd on every occasion as if most fit that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man or to give each such an Answer as may be proper for him and the occasion v. 6. This tempering what we Do to Circumstances and Distinguishing of Persons and Places and the like is a Great point of Prudence And Christians in their way must take care as they are able to adorn themselves therewith as well as others Endeavouring when they Do their Duty
vicious things as the motion of the Mobile or Course and Humor of the Time is It is firm and staunch and always true to God and to it self not to be used or laid aside as men please and made to bend in all the turns and flexures of their Humors or Vices CHAP XII Of Caution in preventing harm by any Duties And of Flight in Persecutions 3. THirdly and lastly in execution of our Purposes Spiritual Prudence is for shewing Caution to prevent Harm thereby or ill Consequences This is a Great Part of Prudence to shew Providence or foresee things before they are come to pass and as far as depends on us to prepare against or put by the ill and make the most of the Good that is in them A Prudent man foreseeth the Evil says Solomon and hideth himself or withdraws from it but the Simple without fore-sight pass on to meet it and are punish'd Prov. 22.3 It consists much in Caution and Wariness looking about how it may best escape or remove Impediments and avoid hurtful and ill Consequences which is the great proof of Prudence among men the Wise aiming at it and the Generality estimating the Prudence of any Counsel or Management by the absence of ill Events and the Prosperity or Successfulness thereof Now this Caution our Lord calls for also from his Servants as what must shew them to be religiously Prudent or Spiritually Wise. Beware of Men said he to his Disciples when he sent them out to discharge their Duty in the midst of Dangers or as Sheep in the midst of Wolves and bid them for their Guard against them to put on the Serpent's Prudence as well as the Dove's Innocence Mat. 10.16 17. And their Circumspection whereby St. Paul Exhorts the Ephesians to approve themselves not as Fools but as Wise. He sets off by this Caution or Wariness in preventing whilst they could without being False to their Duty such Harm and ill Consequences to themselves Redeeming the time says he i. e. says Tertullian Gaining your selves a safe Conduct or free Passage by the wisdom of your Conversation Or securing your selves whilst you may and gaining as much Respite as you can which is call'd in Daniel gaining or as the Margin from the Chaldee and as Junius and Tremellius render it buying or redeeming the time because the Days are Evil. So that without such Caution you cannot enjoy or hold the time long Eph. 5.15 16. And on the contrary the improvident man in the Gospel for his having no Prospect of Casualties or Preparation for them is call'd the imprudent or unwise Man Thou Fool says God to him this Night shall thy Soul be taken from thee Luc. 12.20 Two ways I shall note of shewing this Caution to prevent Harm to our selves by Suffering or Persecuted Duties 1. First Without a Call not to put our selves upon what brings Danger We must not throw our selves upon Temptations since we are taught to Pray Daily that God would not lead us into them To go rashly and put our selves upon them especially in a Great Tryal looks like tempting God and prâ—suming too much upon our owâ— strength wherein they who are most confident are oft-times most shamefully worsted as Peter that was confident he should own Christ beyond all the Disciples was the man who of all others did most shamefully Desert and Deny him Mat. 26.33.74 And as Quintus the Phrygian who as the Church of Smyrna note rashly Offering himself with some others and standing forth uncall'd before the Tribunal fell or Denied Christ in the Tryal Giving say they an illustrious Document to all not rashly and unnecessarily to throw themselves upon Dangers without any just regard to their own weakness and infirmities 'T is not for us to run into Sufferings for Righteousness before we are sent but patiently to wait God's time For as our Suffering is only in Obedience and Conscience towards God so should we stay for it 'till it pleases God and 'till his Providence calls us thereto Whom he called saith St. Paul speaking of our Sufferings for Righteousness in conformity to Christ them he also justified or made victorious in them Rom. 8.29 30. And hereunto are ye called saith St. Peter treating of acceptable Suffering for well-Doing 1 Pet. 2.19 20 21. So that in Suffering for God the most acceptable discharge of Duty and surest hope of Victory is when we are call'd to it We must not run at any time or chuse our own time but allow God in Course of Providence to Summon us out and to appoint us the Season as of Acting so of Suffering for him And this Season in Scripture is call'd our hour which Christ himself would not Preoccupate not exposing but withdrawing himself before his hour was come Joh. 7.1 and 11.54 but when once it was come readily oâ—fering and resigning himself to bear what was appointed for him Joh. 17.1 and c. 18.4 5. Some indeed among the Primitive Christians out of an immoderate zeal of Martyrdom were hasty to fetch down Sufferings where they câ—me not fast enough of themselves They stept out to do a persecuted Duty when they were not put upon it nor had any Call of God thereto and would not stay to expect their Enemies Rage but rashly run out to Challenge and Provoke it This forwardness after they had seen some sad Miscarriages and shameful Effects thereby was Discountenanced and Restrained by the Primitive Church St. Cyprian's last Charge to his Flock a little before his Martyrdom being that none of them should voluntarily offer themselves to their Heathen Persecutors because what our Lord is for having us to Do is to Confess when we are asked not to Profess unasked And the Church of Smyrna Condemning it in their Epistle and the Council of Eliberis Decreeing in the 60 Canon that if in their zeal against Idolatry and haste of Martyrdom any shall break the Heathen Idols and be slain for their Pains there being no direction for this in the Gospels nor any such thing ever done by the Apostles they shall not be received into the Number of Martyrs St. Chrysostom's Advice contains I think the true Method of Christian Prudence in this case Let us pray to Ged says he that we enter not into Temptation but being brought thereinto let us generously undergo it For that is the Part of Temperate men not to cast themselves upon Dangers this of Brave Spirits and Philosophers Let us therefore neither throw our selves upon them rashly and simply which only shews Boldness nor Draw back when Driven into them or when call'd out by the Nature and Circumstances of things for that is Timorousness When we are called to Preach a Persecuted Truth let us not Refuse but when there is no call from any Cause at all or Profit or Necessity according to Godliness let us not run of our selves for that is Ostentation and Superfluous Boasting As a Generous Souldier be continually in
and Enjoyment of this Life For it costs us abundance more Labour and Vexatious Thought to Revenge an Injury than it need do to put it up To Forgive it is only to bear the Disquietude that is past but to Revenge it is to throw away a great deal more of our Quiet after it and to add to our former Sore by a New and in probability much Greater Heap of fresh Toil and Danger What Rules are so Wise for the Enjoyment of our selves of Health of Body and Ease of Mind in this Life as Sobriety and Temperance and Chast and Due Regulation of Fleshly Pleasures and Moderation in all things As bringing our Minds in every thing to our Conditions noâ— affecting still to have what suits our Fleshly Likings but to like what God is pleased to send us As Mortification and due Subjection of Bodily Appetites instead of pampering of them as sitting loose to this World instead of being Worldly minded and fond thereof As Living upon Providence and trusting to God more than to our selves or to any humane Provisions and being resigned to his Will or Contented and Desirous rather that he should Do his own Will as we profess in our Daily Prayers than that he should Do ours Than all which what can better prepare us to receive all the Vicissitudes of this Life to give us least Trouble from the ill or afford us most Comfort Contentment Unwearying and true Enjoyment from the Good Things thereof What Rules lastly could Conduce so much to Settle Happiness as in Neighbourhoods so in Families greater Societies and all Relations as the due Discharge of all those Duties which Religion Prescribes in those Relations By Parents being careful to Educate their Children well and to Provide for them keeping them under an wholesom Government but kind and without â—nnecessary Provocation and by Childrens being full of Respect in all things and obedient to them again By Wives being subject in all things innocent to their Husbands and Husbands being Kind and Condescensive to their Wives as to their own Flesh. By Masters Governing with Equity and forbearing Threatning and Servants not answering again but shewing heartiness in what Service they perform and Doing it with Diligence and all Fidelity By Princes being Wise and watchful for the Publick Good and Ruling all in the fear of God with Clemency and Justice And Subjects on the other hand ever honouring their Rulers as the Ministers and Vicegerents of God obeying their Commands where Conscionably they may and keeping in their Subjection not throwing it off and forcibly resisting where they cannot obey Such as these are the Rules of Religion both towards our selves and towards others And better cannot be given for attaining the wise Ends of Life and for ordering our selves as the best studied Prudence would have us in Conversation or Business by our selves or with others and in all Relations So that every Religious Good Man whilst he keeps to the ways of Duty and Religion follows the wisest Courses and the best Rules of Prudence for this Life Yea though he should not be among those that pass for the Wise but the Weak and Simple Understandings though he should not see their Conduciveness for these Ends nor follow them for the Worldly Wisdom but only for the Religion of them Though he has not the skill and apprehension to see and judge of Secular Prudence yet whilst he keeps to the Rule of his Duty he has always this which is the best Proof of Prudence ever to be found in the most Prudent and Secular wise ways Having the Grace of being Good and Honest he cannot miss of Doing what the best Understandings must needs say is most Prudent and Discreet The Wisdom of God guides him where if left to himself he could not like better Understandings shew much Wisdom of his own And following what God has prescribed he is sure to act wisely though he is not able to say much to others to shew them the Wisdom and Conduciveness of his own Actings The Ways of Duty wherein he walks are chosen of God and are the Ways of Gods Prudence for serving the wise Ends of Life And the most Prudent Persons had better follow him than their own Understandings they can never find such another Director nor make any other choice of ways so Wise and Prudent for themselves But besides these ways of Duty for compassing the Ends of Life which are ways of God's chusing Worldly Wisdom has a great many more of its own which God has left Free and whereof he has said nothing The worldly Ends of Life themselves are rather our Liberty than Duty more God's Permission than Injunction And in pursuing them besides the Duties of Religion whereby we set them on whilst we are serving him there are multitudes of other ways wherein Worldly Wisdom has its latitude and that a very wide compass And in this Field of Worldly Prudence when it proposes its Ends and Pursues them by its own Methods this is 2. Secondly The other thing I would note of Spiritual Prudence That when worldly Wisdom sets up Ends or thinks to serve it self by ways Prejudicial to Godliness it over-rules it in all such motions Sometimes Worldly Prudence is for setting up ill things for Ends. It proposes how to serve Vices or Vanities how to compass Ends of Ambition or Covetousness Lust or Revenge Vain-Glory or Intemperance It aims at the accomplishing or serving of a Sin which is no End of Life of God's Making nor any part of his Creation but begot between Satan and our selves and meerly of his and our Production And Spiritual Wisdom quite throws out such ends which being the Stain and Reproach the Misery and Destruction of Life must never be turned into the aim thereof As it doth also all setting up the Real Advantages and useful things of this world for last and main Ends. Not seeking at all to serve God or shew forth any Virtue thereby which is to turn them into an opportunity and matter of Religion but only to satisfie our Fleshly Appetites and enjoy our Selves therein Again in seeking the Good things of this Life Worldly Prudence is apt to transgress in Means and Methods And the Prudence of Religion is as to prevent its setting up Undue Ends so to keep out any thing Ill or Vndue in the way or course it takes over-ruling it in these not as agrees most with Worldly Minds but as best becomes Christians Particularly I shall observe 1. First In Pursuing any Worldly Ends it keeps it from serving it self by Doing any Forbidden and Vnlawful Things And besides all that has been hitherto Discoursed to this Purpose with a more especial Eye to Ends of Duty and Religion I shall here set this off briefly in some most obvious Instances in the course of Secular Affairs In Competition the Way of Worldly Wisdom is for Doing any thing that will overcome It will use any Means and take all as lawful that seems
we live in a time when to the greatest Numbers Popery that is indeed a very Corrupt Religion seems more formidable than any other thing And to call a way Popish sounds worse in the ears of the Populace than to say it is Unchristian And therefore to conclude this Subject I shall note in the last place how all the foresaid Methods of the Worldly Wise which I have taxed before are no better than Popish Corruptions There are Popish Morals as well as Popish Superstitions and Idolatries The Depravations of Good Practice and of Moral Honesty and Justice by a Number of their Casuists have been as scandalous and will prove as fatal to those Souls who are deluded by them as their Depravations in Matters of Faith and Devotion And the forecited Rules of the Worldly Wise are among those very ways whereby too many Papists have Corrupted Christian Morals Nay they are the Morals of Jesuits who are the worst of Papists and whose scandalous accommodations of Christ's Rules and Precepts to comply with Fleshly Passions and Interests suiting Religion to Self-Ends and basely bending Moral Duties to serve Corrupt Turns and Worldly Necessities are Condemned in these and such other Points by the sober Papists themselves And this I the rather note because I see so many Reverend and Worthy Persons who seem the strictest and truest Examples of Moral Integrity among us and stand out against all these Unlawful Compliances and Insincerities of the Fleshly Wise appearing as the Patterns and Confessors for Honesty and Morality in a Day of General Temptation and Defection are yet among other Marks of common hatred and scorn branded with the Name of Papists notwithstanding all the opposition they made to Popery and some of them most Eminently when the Day of Tryal was for these their brave and truly Christian oppositions of Popish Morals Yea and that by those who content with a Zeal against Popish Errors in Faith and Superstitious Devotions in the midst of all their heat against them are running into the worst parts of their Morality sucking in the rankest Poyson of Jesuitish Honesty unawares For as to the Points before mentioned such as these are the Jesuits Principles all Taught by some or other for God forbid I should Charge all therewith in that Order They are for Doing Evil that Good may come This is the meaning of that Grand Salvo so much magnified and made use of among them viz. The Right Direction of the Intention which affords them such wonderful help in an unlawful Thing Thus they clear men of the worst Crimes as Simony False Witness Thefts Duels and Murther it self Plead but Necessity and say there is need of it for Religion or the Church or their Society for the Publick or a Man 's own Private Good to preserve his Life Estate or Reputation and then the Breach of the Precept they make to be without Guilt if therein a Man â—oth but Direct his Intention aright permitting the Evil of the Action if the Actor doth but take care to purifie his Intention They are Notorious for Giving a Discharge of Relative Duties particularly towards Princes when those Duties grow Burthensom or Vnsafe under Impious or Oppressive Rulers For of all others they are the men that are foremost leading others and fullest in Asserting the Deposition and Dethroning of Kings the Absolution and Discharge of Subjects from the Obligation of their Natural Allegiance and the Lawfulness of Rising in Arms against Heretical or Tyrannical Princes There is scarce any one thing wherewith for so many years last past not only this Order of 〈◊〉 but the Church of Rome have been more â—earnedly Charged and more Shamefully Silent'd Yea 't is the Test of Popery by our Laws the Legal Conviction of Papists being by the Tender of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy which were made to Secure and Defend our Princes against the Poison of these Tenets They are infamous for all Arts of Insincerity and Fallaciousness Having been the Pest of Humane Society by their Doctrines of Equivocation or using of Doubtful Words and Ambiguous Speeches which the Parties concern'd shall take otherwise than they mean them And of Mental Reservation Reserving in their own Minds some hidden and unexpressed Clauses in their Declarations or secret and unexpected Conditions in their Promises So to make their Speech a Truth to themselves though it be a Lye to others Of getting and compassing their Ends by Deceitful Suggestions or setting out so much Truth as to serve the turn and craftily hiding what would hinder it And instead of that Plainness and Simplicity which is prescribed by Religion studiously assuming all counterfeit Shapes and inventing and propagating all those Fallacious ways or Liberties of Dissembling which the Father of Lyes can suggest to their hearts whereby to overthrow the Faith of Men. Whilst they Reserve their Minds or inward Service for God they are for Giving the External Service or outward Appearance to any Wickedness expected from them Thus as the Author of the Provincial Letters observe◠〈◊〉 they allow'd the Chinese to worship a Chines◠〈◊〉 if they were careful to hide under their Cloaths an Image of Jesus Christ to which by a Mental Reserve they were to pay those Publick Adorations which in visible Appearance the Idol Receiv'd They are for Tempering their Duty to Circumstances of outward Convenience Doing so much as they safely may without Worldly Loss or Disadvantage Contenting themselves as they did in the Indies to Preach up a Glorified Jesus to those that would not hear of a Crucified Jesus And abating the Duties of Religion till they have brought them Down to the Pitch and Proportion the Wants and Worldly Necessities of those that consult them They are for Changing Doctrines as they Change Turns and Interests Not only in Different Turns of their own or their Societies Affairs but of their Disciples Having one Resolution for one man and at one time and a contrary at another By this looseness taking in all comers and fitting and reconciling all Times and Persons to their own Ends. They are for Holding and Maintaining what is once ill got And make Unjust Possession a Just Title to it And order Easie Amends and Restitutions for Wrongful and Evil-Deeds no more than can consist with the Offenders own Credit and Convenience They have invented Salvo's whereby men may keep innocent and yet Act in an Vnlawful Business and Minister and help other Men to Sin without Sinning themselves They vacate at their Pleasure and put by the Laws of Morality as they lye in their way rendring them insignificant and of little or no Force or Obligation Either by Interpretation of Terms or so expounding the Terms used in Prohibiting any Sins as shall exempt all or almost all their own Transgressions from coming under them Or by allowing the Thing not under the Name whereby it stands forbidden but the very same thing in another Form like to what they Resolved in the
which are those paths the Wisdom of God sees necessary to perfect and spiritualize our Natures and which the Goodness of God has prescribed to lead us to himself and to the Regions of eternal Life Whatsoever God in his holy Gospel calls us to profess or practise that is the way to the World above And if we hope to arrive safe there and attain the Glory and Blessedness thereof whatever hardships occur or accidents befal us therein we must never go out of the way When upon any consideration we turn out thence all our steps are wrong and will never be right till we return into it again The way to make the most of this World and secure to our selves the greatest ease advantage and injoyment in our passage are the Rules of humane Prudence and worldly Wisdom And as we are call'd upon to hold on constantly in the former by the more still voice of Conscience and the Laws of God So are we reminded to make use of these later as occasion serves by the more importunate cravings of our sensual Nature and Necessities and the more loud voice of Flesh and Blood Now as our fleshy Nature and Necessities require so doth Religion allow us to serve our selves of these Rules of Humane Prudence so long as we keep within a due compass That is whilst we betake our selves only to such ways of external quiet and injoyment in this World as go not out of any way of Religion or path of Happiness leading to another World Whilst the Rule of Wisdom is only such as affords ease or comfort in our passage but doth not carry us out of our way or stop our progress When be sent out his Disciples as sheep in the midst of wolves be wise says our Lord to them as serpents so long as they took care first to keep as innocent or simple and plain-carriaged as doves Mat. 10.16 But fleshly Nature is glad of any way that affords ease here however it hinders or misleads us from the paths of those greater Joys which we should all seek to secure and prepare for hereafter It runs to them and that with greediness So that when any Duty of Religion gainsays it and calls another way there is a tryal of our Love and Affection for the two Worlds When any way of Righteousness for instance becomes burden'd with the Cross and a way of worldly and unrighteous Wisdom can avoid it or it may be lead to be not only safe and easie here but seemingly happy and prosperous then doth God make a tryal whether Religion or Flesh and Blood have most Force whether this or the next World are of greatest weight with us Worldly Reproaches and Persecutions upon a Duty are the true Test of its worthy and faithful Votaries and discover who they are that set it above this World And God is careful in the course of Providence still to annex worldly sufferings to some Duties of Religion or other to separate the impure dross from the pure Gold the light chaff that a storm of Persecution can drive away from the solid Wheat and as a Touch-stone to make manifest who are those truly worthy and sincere minds that will love and steadily practise any Duty when left to it self and stript of all external Bait of worldly inducement There must be Heresies saith St. Paul which as they increase grow still into Factions and Persecutions against the Orthodox that they who are approved may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11.19 To be ready to approve our selves to him in such Tryals it highly concerns us all to understand clearly what are the ways of fleshly Wisdom that at such times we may take more care to keep back from them There is the more need to be clear in this before-hand because the time of determining and practising is not the fittest for deliberating upon it For Flesh and Blood starts first and calls loudest on such occasions It presents variety of these ways to our minds And tho the ways are wrong yet through the biass of fleshly inclinations our minds are leaning and very willing to believe them right The generality of Mankind are prone to see and assent on that side which appears most safe and consistent with this present World They are apt to bid a hearty welcome and listen to any one that speaks for that way and are easily convinced by him being willing to be Deceived and 't is well if not active to Deceive themselves into such a persuasion And when Flesh and Blood are like to be so busie and powerful on such occasions to recommend such ways of worldly Prudence it is very necessary our Minds and Consciences should not be without their Armour but have clear convictions of their folly and unlawfulness to oppose against them To afford some Help in this Point to such sincere Tempers as would be thankful to be shew'd a losing Truth and glad to approve themselves to God on such occasions I shall offer something tho imperfect to set off the way of true Wisdom and to shew what are the limitations of Religious Prudence and what the contrary liberties of fleshly Wisdom or worldly Craftiness That so they may not err for want of information when in course of Providence they are brought on such Tryals CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Christian Prudence and how seen in chusing Right Ends. WIsdom or Prudence at large is being wise for our selves or seeing and following what Reason sets off as best for us It is Reason contemplating not the mere Truth of things which is Science but their Goodness and Desirableness or what are best for us to seek or practise And about this Practice it considers not only how to do things skilfully which is the consideration of Arts but how to do them profitably respecting either their future accountableness for Rewards or Punishments or implying moral good or ill and being directed by or promotive of any Virtues or their worldly usefulness and advantage to the end we are driving on or have to serve in this Life It notes Reason not only contemplating these things but influencing and effecting them For Prudence speaks the commendableness of several Powers It carries with it the virtue of our Wills as well as of our Understandings and besides the skill to see what is good for us includes also such influence over our other Powers as makes them follow it and take up therewith A man may be a knowing man that acts against the true Dictates of his own Reason But he only is a truly wise and prudent Person who follows and is guided by them And accordingly the wicked tho otherwise of never so much Knowledge are call'd Fools in Solomon's Proverbs and other Scriptures Thus is true Wisdom or Prudence the same as Reason well applied to Practice or Reason directing and influencing us unto what is profitable and best for us in any case Now this takes in the greatest variety of matters even all the managements
Ends and Ways are likewise necessary Requisites of Prudence which is not only for Doing a Good thing but for Doing it well and wisely And Christianity is for Ruling this Part of Prudence by the Laws of Christ and lays on us sundry Restraints which in this matter are easily and ordinarily broke through by the worldly wise 1. First in the Execution of our Purposes by the ways aforesaid Christian Prudence is for taking the most Advantageous Seasons To every thing and to every purpose as the Wise Man says there is a Season Eccles. 3.1 And every thing is both most easie to effect and most Beneficial and Beautiful when it is effected in its Season He hath made every thing Beautiful in its time Eccles. 3.11 And a word fitly spoken or in its Season is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver says Solomon Prov. 25.11 'T is the work of Prudence to see these Seasons or to Discern Opportunities and take them A Fool still slips his Opportunities and sees them not but a wise man's heart Discerns both time and judgment Eccles. 8.5 His Eyes says he again are in his head to look before him and round about or to espy both what to Do and when Eccles. 2.14 And this is one part of that Circumspection or walking Circumspectly which the Scripture calls upon us to use that we may appear to act not as Fools but as Wise Eph. 5.15 For that Circumspection or looking about us is as for the most commodious ways so for the fittest times and best opportunities of Performing Actions or bringing about any Business And as the Prudence of Worldly Men is shewn in taking their best opportunities for the things of this Life So must the Prudence of Christians be shewn in a Commodious Timing and Watching the most Advantageous Seasons for what they Do in care of their Souls and in Service or Honour of Christ Jesus But here care must be taken in determining what are Good Seasons for Religious Actions either Professions of some Points of Faith or Practice of some Duties Of this there is the more Danger because Religion says one thing and Flesh and Blood another in this Matter So that when Spiritual Prudence that minds Religion says one time is a Good Season for such a Profession or Practice Worldly Prudence that minds outward Ease will often â—ry they are most unseasonable But Christian Prudence must not take its Seasons from the Serviceableness of any Duty to worldly Purposes but to its own Ends. To prevent our setting aside any Duties as out of Season at the Suggestion of Carnal Wisdom when indeed we have an obliging Call and Season to Discharge them I shall note these things following 1. First in Determining the Seasonableness or Unseasonableness of Professing any necessary Truths of Christ or Practising any Christian Duties we must not say there is no Season for such Practice or Profession when there is hazard in them This indeed is the way of Worldly Wisdom which thinks Suffering in this World to be Seasonable at no Time and so accounts persecuted Suffering Duties to be ever out of Season To call for the Fruits of Righteousness or Morality when 't is Loss of Power or Place of Goods or it may be of Life it self to produce them it looks upon as a most unreasonable and unskilful miss-timing of things As bad as to come to the Trees to gather Fruit in the Spring e're 't is put forth or in the Depth of Winter when both Fruit and Leaves are fallen off long before The only Season it owns of Doing them is when it is like to Do it self no worldly hurt thereby but when they bring Suffering it cries out This is no time to talk of them But this is to Rate the Seasons for Spiritual Duties not by Ends of Virtue and Religion or the Advancement and Honour thereof which are Spiritual Considerations but only by Present Interest and Security which are Worldly Motives and lye ever closest to a Worldly Mind It is to make the Duties of our Religion not to be Duties at all times As if the Truths thereof were not to be professed or the Laws practised when we are call'd to Suffer but only when in Worldly account we are like to get or at least to save by them But these men never consider that Christianity as I observed before is a Doctrine of the Cross or a Suffering Religion all the Truths whereof were published and its Duties prescribed not for a Thriving but for a Suffering time Instead of excepting them it was Calculated for Days of Persecution since in such it enter'd and begun in such it got footing and daily maintained and enlarged what it had got among men All its Duties look for their Reward in another world and so must be duly observed when they draw after them the Greatest Dangers or Losses in this world Persecution tho' 't is no Good Season for getting or keeping any worldly Goods by Discharge of Duties yet is as Good as any nay better than others for getting Heaven thereby Though 't is no Season to serve Flesh and Blood 't is the properest Season to serve Truth and Virtue which are then most especially to be defended by us when others attack them and to be own'd by their stedfast Friends when their Enemies Explode and their own Dependants are ready to Desert them And these being the Ends of Spiritual Prudence instead of esteeming Persecutions which conduce so much thereto as unseasonable for Christian Duties it accounts them as I have before shewn the most obliging and Advantageous Seasons 2. Secondly We must not say there is no Season for Christian Duties when there is no worldly Appearance of Doing Good by Discharging them This is usually taken up by Worldly Wisdom when any necessary Truth or Virtue is born down with a Torrent They say it is in vain for the Servants and Professors thereof to practise or appear for it which would be only to oppose their single selves against an Host and to endeavor by their own Strength to stem a tide when the course thereof is most violent and drives away all before it This they think is only to Destroy themselves without doing their Duty any Good which however it may be pitiable as well intended yet say they is not commendable as being a Service altogether miss-timed and most imprudent But here men should consider that their Obligation to profess the necessary Truths or perform the Laws of God as they are call'd to them is not only for their Serviceableness as an Expedient but for their own sakes In Free and Discretionary things indeed men are to look to the usefulness and to go according to the probability of doing Good therewith But in the necessary Truths and Laws of Christianity which are bounden Duty towards God there Duty its self is their End and they have enough to ingage them to any Act without looking further if they do their Duty therein They
are not left here to Prudence or to Do it or let it alone as they see Cause but are bound in Conscience to Do the thing and if thereby they are like to Do no more yet is the keeping of the Commandment it self or the Doing of their Duty a sufficient Purpose Besides when men are Doing their Duty though there is little Appearance of any effect on others yet will it be like to do more Good among them than they are apt to think or are aware off For when they have discharged their Part by doing of their Duty God will manage it as to Events and make it turn to more use for the Ends of Religion anâ— hiâ— own Glory than they ever Dreamed of It is then out of their Hands and Care and in the hands of Providence which will thereby stop some from being ill and others that are ill already from going on without Check and Remorse and growing worse Truth and Goodness though Ordinarily driven out thence by Prejudice Interest and vile Affections are most Natural and near akin to all our Souls and so have a secret hank upon us and a hidden Friend that lurks in all our Bosoms And this the Providence and Spirit of God strikes upon by our Profession or Practice thereof before their Eyes operating thereby on some at this time and on others at that on some more on others less according to his own good Pleasure and their Predispositions So working much Good and many blessed Effects that pass betwixt himself and them whilst we are insensible of any and think of nothing less Our Free Practice and Profession at such times as he requires and calls for them but worldly men say we shall do no Good with them he uses to Encourage and Strengthen the hands of the Strong to Establish the Wavering to call back the Stray'd Sheep and to lift up those that fall to work Remorse in its Deserters and Fear and Faintness in its Persecutors to retrieve a Truth or Duty when to Humane Eyes 't is almost lost and to beget anew a Respect and Reverence for it when it was all in Disgrace and seemingly quite Exploded The Practice of a Right Good thing tho' but by a very few will quickly draw in more Though only ten among us should appear for Doing a Duty says St. Chrysostom yet would these ten quickly be made twenty those twenty fifty that fifty an hundred that hundred a thousand and that thousand the whole City And as by lighting up of ten Candles a man may easily fill all the whole house with Light So also in Spiritual Good Deeds if only ten of us Do our Duty we shall kindle one intire flame through the City yielding Light to them and bringing Security to us For the Nature of Flame it self when fallen on combustible matter is not so sure to kindle still and seize the wood that lies next to it as the zeal of Virtue fallen into a few Souls is by going on and still inflaming more to fill the whole City Thus doth God when we put it into his Conduct do Great Good and accomplish great Effects by our discharge of our Duty when we thought nothing could be hoped from thence Thus in all times he has done and daily still doth and will do in the World the Experience of all Ages and the Successfulness of Generous and Brave Asserters of seemingly destitute and unfriended Virtue frequently witnessing on that side And in confidence of this or however if that should fail in Discharge of their own Good Conscience Good men in all times have been careful still to Confess the Truths of God and Do their own Duty when there were the fewest that seemed capable of being thereby wrought upon and they had none to stand by them but strove altogether against the stream having the whole World to oppose them As Noah wrought Righteousness Elias was zealous for the true God Jeremy was an asserter of his Mind and Precepts and many other Holy Men and Prophets yea our Blessed Lord and his Apostles were the undaunted Preachers and Practisers of Decryed Godliness in the most Degenerate Deriding and Persecuting Ages when they seem'd to have the fewest prepared Hearers or Spectators all many times appearing ready to contradict and few or sometimes none to stand by and back them as I formerly noted 3. Thirdly We must not say Christian Duties are unseasonable when they Do not suit with some Designs carrying on or are against some Seeming and much Desired Good of Church or State This is the way of Worldly Wisdom which when any Truths or Duties hinder some worldly Good they are pursuing for Religion or the Kingdom bids the Professors thereof to â—eep their Practice and Professions of them for some fitter time If these are Truths and Duties say they at such times let them give way to Publick Good and the Advancement of true Religion which are of more importance And let those that believe them take care whilst they embrace these to approve themselves withall as Good Members of the Publick whereof they all receive the benefit by seeking and setting on not retarding or obstructing the Good of Church or Common-Wealth You may shew your care of them will they suggest when it will be as a Good so a Wise and Prudent care and hinder no Greater thing But never bring them in play now to stop the Great and much and Generally wish'd for Good that is going on For this is a Critical time for it and if this opportunity is over-pass'd the like may never return again But are not we all Disciples of Christ and Professors of Religion as well as Members of a settled Church and Kingdom And must we not first take care to acquit our selves as Good Christians before we seek how to shew our selves Good Statesmen and Politicians Is it not our Profession to be more for another World than for this And may such Professors go out of the way of being happy there when that serves to make themselves more happy here A Good Christian must never be wanting to his own Duty or go beyond it to Do Good to any nay to a whole Nation And so must never think of setting aside the Season for Discharging his Duty for a Season of serving of the Church or Nation He must never slip the Season of shewing himself Good for a Season of making himself or others Secularly Fortunate or the Season of Practsing and Professing as the Servant of Christ for the Season of serving any Interest or Condition though never so Great and Publick in this World There is no Doing Evil that Good may come Good publick or Good private as I have shewed before Besides 't is not for a Good man to think of Doing Good to a Church or Nation by Evil-Doing The Greatest Good to them in his Opinion is to engage God for them And that must be by keeping his Commandments and practising and professing them as we have