For what-soever was evil in another whilst done to thee is evil in thee whilst thou dost the same to him Thy fact is as his fact and thy sin as his sin The evil is one and the same Only thou maist alledge that he was more prone to do the same evil because he did it without Provocation and thou dost it provoked that is as much as to say he hath overcome thee in evil but thou also art overcome of evil the evil hath overcome that which is good in Thee Thy passion overbears thy Reason and Judgement which is such an offence against the Law of nature as it would be against the Law of this Land if a Tumultuous multitude should take the Lawes as we say into their own hand and execute malefactors without the Judges or Magistrates consent 11. What then will some say shall I pocket up every wrong shall I make myself a But or mark for all to shoot at shall I prostitute my person to abuse my good name to slander my goods to spoil without redresse God forbid For vengeance is Gods and he will repay and he hath Powers on earth which bear not the sword in vain If it be an open injury by whose example if it should go unpunished others might be imboldened to do the like and if the present offendant might thereby grow insolent or retchless likely to do the like again to others as well as to thee Thou dost no way Transgresse rather Two ways observe This Rule of natures Law if thou solicit his chastisement at the Lawful Magistrates hand First Thou shalt teach the offender the practise of this Rule which before he knew not or neglected though bound thereto as well as Thou For when the Magistrate shall inflict upon him such punishment as shall be more grievous to him then the wrong that he did was to thee he will be as careful to avoid the doing as thou art to avoid the suffering of the same or like injurie This is The Rule of Publick punishments That they should alwayes be such as the party offending would be as unwilling to suffer as the party offended is to endure the wrong Secondly seeing all men naturally desire securitie from danger losse or disquietness and for this End wish that all private Disturbers of Publick Peace might either be amended or cut off Thou shalt do to others whom thou hast more reason to respect then the party offending as thou wouldst desire they should do for thee in the like case if thou seek for justice at the publick Magistrates hand whose Dutie it is to provide for all mens securitie and Peace Yea though perhaps thou do to this man offending as thou wouldst not be done to in like case yet shalt thou do to a great many others 〈◊〉 all honest men as thou wouldst that they should do to thee in the like Case Thou canst not but consider that other mens cases may be thine own and couldst be willing that if they had the like occasion of complaint and could make legal proof of wrong done they should prosecute their cause for thine and others securitie from the like For these Ends and purposes to prosecute any injurie done by any private person before a Publick Magistrate or wrongs done by an inferior Magistrate before his lawful Superior is but just and right a Dutie whereunto we are bound by the law of nature if the party offending be insolent and stub born likely to hold on his wonted course unlesse restrained by the Magistrate But if the offence be private betwixt thee and thy neighbour not likely to redound to any further publick Harm if it was an offence of infirmitie or proceeded from some natural unruly passion for which he is afterwards heartily sorie then thou art bound in conscience to remit it For if thou considerest thine own infirmities thou canst not but find thy self obnoxious to like passions and that thou maist at one Time or other be as far overseen and yet couldest wish in thine hart that such thine escapes or oversights should not be prosecuted to the uttermost but rather be pardoned upon submission or penitencie And experience doth teach us that such as are too rigid or austere censurers of other mens infirmities do oft-times fall into the like or worse themselves even into such as they are otherwise least inclined unto but in that they are men the sons of sinful Adam they are in some degree or other inclined unto any evil And therefore whilst they prosecute such as upon infirmitie or Passion fall into some Enormous crime as if they were not men but monsters or Noxious creatures of another kind their judgement is just if they themselves fall into the like that they may know themselves to be but men not altogether free from passion and infirmities Vide interpretes in 7. cap. St. Matthaei v. 1. See Plinies epist lib. 9. epist 12. 12. Thus far natural Reason may lead us in our sober thoughts That we should not do any harm to others because we would not have any other do harm to us or that we should forbear to prosecute the infirmities of others because we would have others bear with our own But yet if we consult nature alone it may seem doubtful whether a man be bound by her Lawes to do good unto his enemie as to relieve him in distresse to defend him in danger or the like This Rule of nature may seem not to bind men hereunto For many men oft-times would chuse to suffer great losse rather then to be beholden to their enemie sometimes rather to starve for hunger then to be upbraided with his Benevolence or to incur evident danger of Death rather then it should be said That his deadly enemie had preserved his life He that is thus minded the salvage and Giant-like spirit would say Bravely minded may in the Jollitie of his resolution think himself no way bound to do his enemie any good of whom he lookes for none nay of whom he would receive none though it should be thrust upon him Yet natural Reason and conscience so this man would hear them speak and abide their censure would condemn him if he refused to do good unto his enemie The Rule is mis-applyed by Passion for nature and Reason bid us That we should do that to every man which we would have any man do for us not to do that to this or that man which we expect from them alone Now there is no man so wilfull unless he be witlesse also but would be relieved in distresse delivered from danger and warranted from losse albeit not by this or that man whom he disliketh yet by some one or other whom he likes better Wherefore seeing Reason teacheth us That to do good to others as they are men is good it in self it teacheth us so we would learn of it to good unto whomsoever For why should enmitie or our enemy hinder us from doing that which
that continue in well doing But that Good Works should deserve Eternal Life Only upon supposal of Gods promise some of the greatest Scholars I will not say of the best men amongst them will not yield But to take them at their Best As when they say that Good works do merit as much as God hath promised to Reward them with This is too bad For to merit in their language is a great deal more then to be Rewarded it includes a Reward due unto the works wrought not meerly given out of the mercie or bountie of him that promiseth The Rule is General Whatsoever any man hath Interest in by promise it must be expected sued for and accepted upon the same Terms that it is promised unlesse between the promise made and the performance of it we can oblige the party promising by some real service that may be profitable unto him more then was included in the Conditions to which the promise did tie us To do more then is Covenanted and promised so it be behoof-ful for either party especially if it be profitable to the Rewarding party deserves a Reward in Equity though not in Law at his hands to whom it is behoof-ful If the party which promiseth us a good Turn receive any thing from us in lieu or consideration of what he promiseth he is tyed in Law to perform his promise and is a debter till he perform it The performance is not a meer courtesie or bountie but an Act of Commutative Justice The Assuming of a shilling may bind a man to the payment of many pounds Wheresoever there is Quid pro quo or Ratio dati et accepti something as well given as taken upon mutual promise there is an Act of Commutative Justice And wheresoever there is not Ratio dati et accepti Somewhat given as well taken there can be nothing due in Justice From this ground some great Schoolmen in the Romish Church deny Justice commutative or that branch of Justice which is the Rule of all matters of bargain or sale to be properly in God because there cannot be Ratio dati et accepti any mutual giving or taking between God and his creatures For he gives us all that we have or can have we cannot possibly give him any thing which he hath not And for this reason albeit he were purposed to bestow the greatest measure of Grace upon us that any creature is capable of this could not include any Grace of merit for still the more place Grace hath in our hearts the less room there is for Merit True it is that our Lord and Saviour did merit heaven at his Fathers hands for us but the ground or foundation of this His merit was not only the fulnesse of Grace in him as man but that he being in the Form of God the Son of God equal to his Father did humble himself and become man for us and did his Father service as man he therefore did merit all graces for us because he was the Son of God not by Adoption or creation but by Eternal Generation To be the Sons of God by Adoption or to be made his sons by Grace is a blessing bestowed on us for the which we become Debters to God the Father and servants to God the Son so deeply indebted to both that albeit we should do ten times more then we do we should still be unprofitable servants we could not make the least Recompence for that which he hath done for us The manner of the Apostles Interrogation Rom. 11. 35. Quis prior illidedit who hath first given to him includes an universal negation No man hath given ought to God No man can give any thing unto him And if none can give any thing unto him none can receive any thing from him by way of merit or valuable consideration but of meer mercy and free Bounty 7. If we would scan the Tenor of all Gods promises made unto us in Scripture with such accurateness as Lawyers do Tenures of Land we should find that he only promiseth to be merciful and bountiful unto us whether we limit his promises to the First Grace which we receive from him or extend them to All after-increase of Grace or to the accomplishing of all blessings promised in this life by our admission unto life eternal in the world to come Now if Mercy and Bounty be the Compleat Object of all his promises then may we not expect performance or accomplishment of his promises as a Just recompence or merit for any service which we do him but only as the Fruit or effect of his mercy or loving kindness If a loving earthly father should allot his son a liberal Pension before he could in modestie ask it or in discretion expect it and promise him withall that if he did employ this present years Pension well he would allow him more liberally for the next year following in this case how well soever his son did either demean himself or use his present Pension yet seeing the whole profit did redound unto himself not unto his father the more bountifully his father deals with him in the years following the more still he is bound unto him An ingenuous or gracious son would not challenge the second or third years Pension as more due unto him by right or merit then the First albeit he had his fathers promise for these two years which he had not for the first For the fathers promise was only to be good and bountiful unto him so he would be dutifully thankful for his bountie Now to expect or challenge that by way of right and merit which is promised meerly out of favour or loving kindness and upon condition of dutiful demeanour is a transgression of duty an high degree of unthankfulness especially from a son unto the father For every son by the Law of God and nature owes obedience and respect unto his Father and though there be no mutual bond of Obedience yet is there a bond of mutual dutie between an earthly father and his son at least the father as well as the son owes obedience unto Gods Law and Gods Law enjoyns every father unto kind usuage of his son so he challenge it not by way of debt or merit but in love humilitie or obedience But on our heavenly Father no bond of Obedience of debt or dutie can be laid what good soever he doth unto us it is meerly from his Free Mercy and loving kindness It was his meer goodness to Create us to give our First Parents such Being as once they had This First Being could not be merited nor doth any Romanist affirm it could Having lost that goodness wherein we were created it was more then meer Goodness the abundance of mercy to make us any promise of Restauration to our First blood and Dignitie And after this promise made it is but the continuation or increase of the same abundant mercy to bestow the Grace of Adoption upon us and no more
no dependence of man upon the Divine Power did often shew commendable effects of this Law written in their hearts in sundry duties of Good neighborhood as we speak and civil kindnesses As for any Affinity or Bonds of society between man and man at least between men of divers Countries more then is between beasts of the same kind most of them acknowledged none nor did they acknowledge as much affinity betwixt Creatures of any kind as we do that acknowledge all things to have one Creator Herein then is Our Equalitie and Affinity greater that we all acknowledge one God for our Father who is in a more peculiar sort the Creator of every man then of any other corruptible Creature Again All we Christians acknowledge One Christ for our Head of whose Body we are Members hence ariseth another Peculiar Equalitie from the equal price of our Redemption which was all one for the Rich and Poor for the Little and Mighty Ones of the Earth This God pre-figured in the Law Exod. 30. verse 11 12 15. Afterwards the Lord spake unto Moses When thou takest the sum of the Children of Israel after their number then they shall give every man a Redemption of his life unto the Lord when thou tellest them that there be no plague among them when thou countest them The Rich shall not passe and the poor shall not diminish from half a shekel when ye shall give an Offering unto the Lord for the Redemption of your Lives From this strict Dependencie of all men upon one and the same Creator and this Equality and Brother-hood which we have in one Father doth our Saviour Christ Luke 6 v. 36. draw that precept Of loving our Enemies which he makes as it were an Essential property of all such as truly acknowledge One God Not that all men were not bound thereto and might have known so much by nature but that it was a greater shame and more praeposterous sin in such as did acknowledge One God not to perform that Duty The Consciences of the Gentiles as St. Paul saith might secretly accuse them But the Others words and speeches did bear open Testimony against them if they neglected so to do so saith our Saviour Christ immediately upon the words of the Text For if you love them which love you what thank shall you have for even the sinners love those that love them And if you do good for them which do good for you what thank shall ye have for even the sinners do the same And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive what thank shall ye have for even the sinners lend to sinners to receive the like Wherefore love ye your enemies and do good and lend looking for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the most High for he is kind to the unkind and to the evil 15. This further confirms what out of the principles of Nature was formerly gathered to wit that where it is said Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do ye so unto them The meaning is not What ye would have this or that man do unto you do ye so unto the same man but rather thus Whatsoever ye would that any man should do unto you do ye the like in like case to every man in that he is man in that he is your fellow Creature in that he is the Son of your heavenly Father be he otherwise friend or foe Yet further we may nay we must inlarge this Precept if we will have the full meaning of it Thus. Whatsoever ye would should be done unto you whether by Man by Angel or any other of Gods ministring Spirits or procurer of mankinds good or by God himself That do to every man because every man that God to his Father who as He hath a care and providence over all so is it his will that every Creature under him all men especially that call him Father should be his Ministers in procuring and furthering any others good of whom this our heavenly Father vouchsafes to take care and charge A lively Emblem of this Duty we have in the Ravens feeding of Eliah being destitute of all ordinary means of Food If we consider the nature of this Bird none more Ravenous none more Greedy of the Prey then it yet because the Lord feeds the young Ravens when they call upon him being otherwise destitute of ordinary relief from their Dams or old Ones as both Aristotle and Plinie observe and the Psalmist alludes to it in that speech Therefore the Lord commanded them to afford the like help to Elias being forsaken or rather persecuted by the King and his Officers who should have yielded him house and harbour and from their example we should learn the practise to do for others as either the Lord hath done or we expect he should do for us Thus much I say is fully and directly included in our Saviours Deductions and Conclusions drawn from this Principal Rule albeit so much be not fully exprest in his words especially if we observe the Greek phrase only But the language whose manner of Dialect the Evangelists retain though writing in the Greek Tongue will very well bear and our Saviours words Luke 6. 36. verse enforce as much Be ye therefore merciful as your H. Father is merciful and in the 6. of Matth. v. 14. He tels us that if we look for mercie at Gods hand we must shew mercie unto men not to our friends or brethren by kindred or Nation but unto men The place is so much the more worth our observation because he adds no Exposition or Comment to any one Petition in all the Lords Prayer save only that He gives this Note upon that And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us his Note is this If ye forgive men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you But if you do not forgive men their Trespasses no more will your Heavenly Father forgive you your Trespasses Wherefore as we desire God to forgive us our Trespasses though we have been his Enemies so must we be ready to forgive our Enemies and as we desire all good of him so must we be ready not only to forgive but even to do any good to our enemies If he be our enemie deservedly we should therefore do him good that we might make amends for the occasion offered if our Enemy he be without any just occasion given by us we should consider that this voluntary Enmity in him is the work of Satan but he Himself as man is our fellow Creature the workmanship of Gods own hand God made him man but the Divel made him an Enemy And we should seek by all meanes possible to dissolve the works of Satan and to repair the handy work of God that is we should love his person and seek to reform his vice we should overcome his evil with our good-will to him if
it hath been or as they desired it should have been done to them to bring themselves out of their present pain Thus far nature doth lead us without any actual Intention of mind or consideration of performing this dutie as injoyned us either by the Law of Nature or of Grace And if we would as they say but let nature work it would teach us more particulars of every kinde and how to propose every mans Case of like nature as our own But such is our natural folly that we learn not many of these lessons but only such as experience teacheth us Herein then is the difference between the foolish and men spiritually wise Experience in the one sets nature a working In the other Reason assisted by Grace from one or two experiments drawes general Rules 2. The impediments which hinder us either in taking a true estimate of our desires or performing that to others which we our selves would desire are these Our eager Desires either of being in better estate then we are or our Fears of being in worse These are such sowre door-keepers as will not suffer any other mens desires or notifications of their miseries to enter into our souls or to make any impression upon them If our souls or affections were neither inclined much this way nor that way but stood at the Push The bare sight of any others affection whether joyful or sad would possesse us with the like But whilst our souls are fast tyed and led captive by some one desire or other unto some one Object or other as commoditie pleasure honour advancement or the like they cannot easily be drawn any other way Yea oft-times the proposal of others miseries makes souls so affected cleek the faster hold because they apprehend that to relieve or supply those would in such proportion lessen and weaken the means of effecting what they desire and have purposed to effect Thus if one that hath set his soul on riches see his brother pinched with want and penurie he streight imagines that povertie is the mother of miserie and the more he gives the nearer he shall bring himself to povertie and this incires his desire both of increasing and retaining what he hath already got that so he may be the better fenced against povertie which he fears coming upon him as an armed man If he should part but with a peny or some small tribute he thinks himself quite undone crying like the miser in Horace Quod si comminuas vilem redigatur ad assem So likewise the ambitious man if he see one crushed or kept down for want of means he is not so much affected with his Case as seekes to prevent if it were possible all possibilitie of the like in himself and so seeking hales all to himself never considering by whose wants his increase of honor shall arise If unto these you oppose one that relies upon Gods providence and seekes to content himself with what is present rather then to intertain great hopes for the future or one that thinks not how much better estate then he many others have but thanks God it is so well with him and knows it may be worse his mind is easily moved to a fellow-feeling of others calamitie because it is not fastened to contrarie hopes but stands rather in suspense and more inclinable to expect a meaner then to hope for a better estate 3. The best Method therefore for right practizing of This Rule will be To keep our souls as clear as the apple of our eye to view all estates but not to be dazelled with the glorie of any To Frame our hearts so as they may take impression from any other mans estate good or bad but not to suffer the desire of any to incorporate in them For as when the colour of any object is inherent in the sight it hinders the impression of all others so the desire of any sensible Good if it be incorporate in our hearts will hinder us in the Estimate of far better and make us unapt to Sympathize with our Brethren I may do all things saith St. Paul but I will not be brought under the power of any thing that is he would so love all sensible good as upon occasion to be content to hate it he would not fasten his desires upon it for so it should command him not he use it He knew to use the world as if he used it not he knew how to abound and how to want The former Resolution was the Root of those branches of this Dutie who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not His preserving himself free was that w ch made him as apt to take the impressions of others affections as the eye is to take the shapes of visibles Hence was it that he could become all unto all being not in subjection to any thing Et mihi res non me rebus submittere Conor But we who have not attained to this libertie of mind nor can altogether cast off this yoke of servitude but have our souls as it were overcharged with many unnecessarie delights and worldly desires had so much the more need of counterpoizes to bring them back to their Aequilibrium to such a state of Indifferencie as may easily be inclined to compassion 4. There is no man I think of riper years but hath tasted afflictions at one time or other of divers kindes and hath been acquainted with comforts of as many The true Character of both should be throughly imprinted in our minds whilst they are fresh and dayly renewed by meditation or proposal of the same or like If we could truly take and so retain the true measure and estimate either of our grief in calamitie or comfort upon Release These would serve us as so many Keyes or tunes of songs gotten by heart so as we should no sooner hear another sound the like Note but presently we should consort with him and if his case were mournful we should ease him by participation of his sorrow seek remedy for it as if it were our own He that never had experience of calamitie his miserie is the greater and he should do well to make it the less by going to the House of mourning Meditation will work whatsoever Experience doth Gutta cavat Lapidem c. Others tears would we be much conversant among the mourners would pierce at length even hearts of stone The Former method was that which the Lord himself so oft inculcates to the Israelites Remember that ye were strangers c. He expected that the remembrance hereof should make them like affected to strangers and apt to mourn with them as they had done for themselves and to afford strangers such comforts as he had afforded them This Precept was five or six times at the least repeated to them And not only they that had lived in a strange Land the Land of Aegypt but their posterity were bound to celebrate for ever the memorial
of Truthes The Philosophers Rapt with Joy in Contemplation and Invention * The former of the Two Philosophers was Pythagoras The later was Archimedes Of both see Plutarch in his Book intituled Non posse hominem suaviter vivere secundum Epicurum Much more Joy in the knowledge of saving truths How this tast'd of eternal life is preserved Of questions touching falling from Grace See the Authors Opinion more fully about Sin against the Holy Ghost Book 8. Chap. 3. which Book though published 21. years since I suppose was written after This. They only enjoy and keep this Tast that diligently seek after it and truly prize it The danger of seeking to enjoy worldly Contentments together with this heavenly Tast See this Fallacie in Aristotles Rhetor. Tast of unlawful pleasures deads and looseth the heavenly Tast Unlawful pleasures and sinful acts destroy the heavenly tast both by Efficiency and Demerit How worldly pleasures and temporal contentments come to prevail against the tast of Eternal life Faculties natural and Grace Two Scales Moderating of worldly desires and natural affections necessary for gaining and preserving the heavenly tast ☜ ☜ Seneca Watchfulness and sobrietie also are necessary Sobrietie consists not only in temperance of meat and drink but in Ruling our thoughts and words The final Recompence of our doings Good or bad Chemnitius's Rule The Romanists Allegation from the force of the word merit Hor. de Arte. The Romanists second proof of Merit The Answer The Rom-third Argument Bellarmine his Reasons The Causal Particles For Because and the like imply not merit of Works And see more of them Book 8. Chap. 15. The Freenesse of the Pardon excludes not all qualification but rather requires sincere performance of good Duties Works not properly meritorious but indeed Unworthy of eternal life How Christs temporal sufferings were of infinite merit Why the pleasures of sin though temporary deserve eternal punishment See this Book Fol. 3498. Of the word Gift or Grace Whether the Grace of God or the Effects of his Eternal Favour can be merited by us See Book 10. Fol. 3285. Gods Justice and righteousness in rewarding us does not imply the merit of our works The divers acceptions of Justice or righteousness Should such a thing be our meriting derogates from Christs merits See the fourth Book Chap. 11 16. c. About merit and justification The place perhaps related to in the next paragraph Of Justification the doctrin whereof is corrupted by the doctrin of Merit ☞ How works are excluded from Justification Two rocks to be avoide here Confid in merit of Works and Praemature conceit or presumption of our Election ☞ Eternal life a most Free Gift of God Gods infinite Freedom The true way of laying hold on General Promises It follows not God cannot deny himself ergo I am in and shall persevere in the state of Salvation Equally dangerous to confide in Merit and to presume of Election See Book 10. Chap. 42. Fol. 3228. The Free Gift of eternal life excludes not due Qualifications in the receiver * This was preached at Newcastle upon Tine For whom was the Kingdom of heaven prepared See the 10. Book Chapt. 42. Fol. 3236. c. Humilitie a necessary qualification The third Point The Qualification for receiving this Free Gift Why Christ instanceth in the Scribes and Pharisees Turkish mercie See the discourses following upon that precept Do as you would be done to Two Generals 1. A sentence and that Twofold 2 The Execution thereof Controversies about the Sentence Three Positive verities or Conclusions See The Fathers cited by this Author in his fourth Book Chap. 11. c. about the inseparableness of Faith and works Good works necessary to Salvation Omission of Good Works forfeit our interest in the promises Damnation awarded for Omissions The Romanists wresting Hebr. 11. 6. to maintain merit of Works The third Positive truth mentioned §. 1. handled Chap. 31. ☞ See this Authors Treatise of Justifying Faith or fourth Book Chap. 15. See this Authors Treatise Of Justifying Faith or fourth Book Chap. 15. A Sinister exposition of Saint James 2. 10. ☞ Why Christ instances in works of Charitie rather then of Pietie ☞ ☞ * About Newcastle upon Tine where these were preached The worse the poor be the more we may be charitable unto them All neglect of the poor is sin This spiritual neglect is a sin exceeding sinful Jansenius his Observation A Catholick verity The Definition of merit The state of the Question Consider three things Increase of Grace no more merited then the First Grace About Free-will See an elaborate Treatise Book X. Chap. 24. c. A Syllogism If there be not Ratio Dati Accepti A promise is no Ground of merit How the Papists and Pharisee agree in this point rather how they exceed him The Objection drawn from the Causal Particle For in the text framed and answered Jansenius his Argument The Author his Answer See the 27th Chapter of this Book where this Argument is most fully answered and that with some variation of what is here The miserie and mistakes of man The short or summe of mans Dutie The Coherence The Authors Method Severus Two Grounds of this Rule or Law of Nature Cyrus Scipio Exceptions against these two Rules The Answer to the former Exceptions ☞ More exceptions against that Rule and Answers to them This Rule must be understood of a 〈◊〉 Will. Rigid censuring a Pronostick of falling Q. If nature alone binde men to do good to their enemies How Christ fulfilled the Law * See §. 8. Rom. 12. 20. The Application ☜ Ps 35. 13 Esai 22. 12. Ezek. 21. 10. How this Precept Do as you c containeth all the Second Table So Christ said to St. Peters Lovest thou me Feed my sheep So David said to God Psal 16 My goodness extendeth not to thee But to the Saints that are in earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight See St. Aug De Civit. Dei Lib. 10. Cap 4. and 15. Cap. 22. and Lud. vives's Comment An Objection against this precept thus improved and expounded An Answer to the Objection A Second Objection Mens affections are right balanced when they be as ready to do as to receive good A double oversight ☞ Good things are only pleasant whilst they rellish of Gods Goodness ☞ Pro. 16. 8. See the 6. Book 2 part chapt 11. page 95. Titus 2. 11 A Dutie semblable to every desire See §. 13. ☜ See St. Basil de 40. Martyr * See the Sermons upon that Text. Chapt. 35 36. The bestmeans to put the dutie in practise Keep an exact Register or Calendar of our Good and evil dayes Deu. 24. 19 ☞ ☞ Ecclus. 11. 25. 27. Psal 41. 1. Beatus qui intelligit super pauperem ☞ Two great inconveniences of wealth and greatness unduly sought See Fol. 3586. ☞ Such mixt deeds are like a Linsy-wolsey Garment or plowing with an Ox and an Ass yoked or lowing miscellan See Chap.
ΜΑΡΑΠΑΘΑ OR DOMINVS VENIET COMMENTARIES Upon these ARTICLES of the CREED Never heretofore Printed VIZ. Of Christs Session at the Right Hand of God and Exaltation thereby His being made LORD and Christ Of his Coming to Judge the Quick and the Dead The Resurrection of the Body And Life Everlasting both in Joy and Torments WITH DIVERS SERMONS Proper Attendants upon the Precedent TRACTS AND Befitting These PRESENT TIMES BY That Holy Man and Profound DIVINE Thomas Jackson D. D. President of CORPUS CHRISTI Coll. in OXFORD Inharet in mentibus quasi seculorum augurium quoddam futurorum c. M. T. C. Tusc Quest lib. 1. O praclarum Diem cum ad Divinum illud concilium animorum proficiscar cumque ex hac turba colluvione discedam Idem de Senect LONDON Printed by A. Maxey for Timothy Garthwait at the little North Door of S. Pauls 1657. To the REVERENCE LEARNING and VERTUES of D R SHELDON SIR THis comes not to bespeak you Patron of the Book to which it is prefixed but to acknowledge and to make known unto the world That you have been both a Faithful Friend to the Great Author thereof in Conserving and also a Publick Benefactor in producing the Manuscripts here printed in this and the precedent Volume the Tenth and Eleventh Books of His Commentaries upon the Creed But though I think I have done you some small right in making this Acknowledgment I fear by occasion thereof you may be thought by others to have done the Author and your self no smal wrong The Point wherein your Judgement may suffer will be The Concrediting so Precious Deposita to so mean a Person as my self And yet to vindicate your self and to comfort me The ensuing Narration may give some Arguments of Hope That this was not done sine Numine without the contrivance of Divine Providence first putting together diverse small particulars and then advancing them to the effecting of a Work not small The first stone of this Work was laid some 44 years ago in my School-Acquaintance with a Vertuous and studious young Gentleman Mr. Ro. Nettleton of Yorkshire This Friendship being intermitted by the space of fourteen yeers he going to Oxon and I to Cambridge Anno 1617. was afterwards renewed by meeting and Conference which though Casual and short did soon discover as the Ointment in the right Hand will not long be hid That we had all this while been Disciples to One Man though we had lived so many years without any the least Intelligence or Commerce in Two several Academies After This there followed a second Pause or Cessation of Twelve or fourteen years more Towards the end of which space The Difficulties of the Times brought me to seek retirement in Oxon where by the Mediation of Mr. Benson a very Ingenuous person and Amanuensis to Dr. Jackson I made suit to Dr. Newlin Successor to our Author in the Government of Corpus Christi Colledg to view some Papers for my private Information but could not obtein though upon condition to peruse them only in his own Lodgings So careful and cautelous was that Faithful Man for which I honour and commend him This just and kind denyal sharpned my former desires and made me seek out a Precator a very Grave and Learned Man well known to your self by whose Mediation I might obtein from you or by your help what I could not otherwise get Whereupon you were pleased to give me so fair an Advousion of your Favour as supported my hopes for the space of three yeers more when returning to Oxon and missing your self I made means a second time to Dr. Newlin and got a sight of some of Dr. Jacksons Papers This was in the Year 1646. In the year 1651 Mr. Nettleton being in London and being very disirous of the thing intreated me to expend that small Acquaintance I had with the Learned and Pious Dr. Hammond in obteining of your self and by your Mediation of Dr. Newlin a sight of such Papers as Dr. Jackson left behind him which you granted and effected with so memorable alacritie as did both mcourage Him divers others assisting the design also to contribute towards the reprinting of the first three Books ill printed in Quarto and after that towards the publishing of the Tenth besides some charge in writing out part of this Eleventh Book and obliged me to assist the best I could in doing of them all I have great cause to bless the Almighty for many blessings at all times but signally for Three bestowed upon me in these sad times of publick calamitie 1. That he hath ever fed me with Food convenient for me mine own bread being the Bread of my Desires 2. That he hath repaired my other losses with a great supply of Learned and Pious Acquaintance greater perhaps then the times continuing prosperous would ever have afforded me so true is the Good Word of God Mark 10. 30. Thirdly That though I was forced from My Nest wherein I said I shall dye yet he suffered me not to be utterly deprived of all opportunities to do him service And I think my self bound to profess that in this Price which God by your hand hath put into mine I take most comfort as hoping that my Negotiation therewith by Gods gracious acceptation will abound to mine Account and pass for a supplement or substituted Commutation of such duties as I have otherwise been defective in And I earnestly beseech all such as were ever committed to my Tuition in the University or to my Charge in Cure of Souls in the Countrie to serve themselves of these my endeavors in another mans Labors so as out of them to repair all their dammages sustained by my negligence omissions or deficiencie in duties towards them And now Honoured Sir if I have not wearied you with this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is very nauseous to my self I can subjoyn a second Series of Arguments That Gods good hand of Providence was in this Business throughout If I ever made any high menaces or had Projects of doing any thing worthy a Clerk the very thoughts thereof before I die are perisht And I became justly frighted into this humbled despereing Temper partly by conversing with this Great Authors Works published twentie years ago where I read this Passage and I cannot but subscribe to it If the sins of this Land for forty years past were divided into ten parts the sins of the Pulpit and of the Presse would make A Large Tenth Had not this Good Man been taken away from the evil to come but lived to hear the Pulpitings and read the Printings of these last twenty years what would he have said Would not he have reckoned them Nine parts of ten Being then resolved Periturae parcere Chartae never to increase the deplorable Bundels of Supervacuous Books by any composure of mine I acknowledg my self as Caelibes and Improles are in a more especial manner bound
consecration to the priesthood after the order of Melchisedec His presentation of himself to his Father as our High-Priest and as the First fruits from the dead was the most acceptable offering or sacrifice that ever was offered unto God a matter of greater joy and triumph to all the inhabitants of Heaven then Isaac's safe return from the intended sacrifice was to Abrahams familie or then Josephs advancement in Egypt was to old Jacob. Now if the First fruits from the dead were thus acceptable unto God we cannot distrust but that the after-crop shall prosper and shall be gathered by the Angels of God when the the time of ripeness shall come into everlasting habitations However in the mean time it be sown it shall be reaped in Glory and possesse its glory in immortalitie This Article then of Christs Resurrection from the dead and of his becoming the First fruits of them that sleep is the ground or root of all our Apostles Inferences from vers 35 to the end of this chapter concerning the Resurrection or the estate of their bodies that shall be raised to life but of these we have spoken at large before The sum of all is intimated by our Saviour himself John 12. 23 24. The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified Verily I say unto you except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth muh fruit Thus much likewise was foretold by the Prophet Esay in that Evangelical Prophecie Esay 53. 10. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his Seed he shall prolong his dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Now this pleasure of the Lord was our full Redemption 10. To conclude this point Albeit our Sins were taken away by Christs death in both the Senses before mentioned and albeit in this life we be Actually Justified that is actually acquitted from the guilt of sins past by Belief in Christs Death and Resurrection and freed likewise from the rage and tyrannie of sin by Participation of his Grace and Inhabitation of his Spirit in us yet shall we not be Absolutely and Finally Justified that is freed from all Reliques of sin inherent until we be made partakers of his Glorie This must be the Accomplishment of our Justification by Faith in this life And it is no Paradox or strange opinion to say that We sinful men shall be finally Justified by utter extirpation of sin out of our nature at our last Resurrection When as Christ himself in whom sin never took any root much less bore any branch into whom no seed of sin did ever fall is said to be Justified by His Resurrection from the Dead that is acquitted from all burthen of our sins But where is Christ said in this sense to be Justified In the 1 Tim. 3. 16 Without controversie Great is the mysterie of godlinesse God was manifested in the flesh and Justified in the Spirit To omit all other interpretation of this phrase St. Paul means the very self same thing by saying Christ is Justified in the Spirit that St. Peter means when he saith He was quickened in the Spirit 1 Pet. 3. 18. Both mean That he was Justified or freed by the Spirit or Power of the Godhead from death or any other further burthen of our sins Christ saith St. Paul Heb. 9. 28. was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation that is to free us from the power of death and all burthen of sin from which he himself was freed at His Resurrection So then it is in its time and place most true which the Romish Church doth most untruly teach that there is a Justification by inherent righteousnesse But this Justification cannot be had may not be expected in this life it cannot be accomplished in us until that Change be wrought whereof our Apostle speaks verse 51. of this Chapter This Final Justification by this blessed Change is the full Effect or final issue of Christs Resurrection from the dead he that doth not believe this future change or final issue of Christs Resurrection doth bear false Testimonie of God or against him even whilst he saith that he believeth that Christ was raised from the dead For to grant Christs Resurrection from the dead and to deny or doubt of this Final Justification or Absolution of all true believers in his Resurrection from the reliques of sin is to cast an Aspersion upon God himself as if he had wrought this great work of Christs Resurrection frustra that is to no Use or End correspondent to such a mighty Ground-work or Foundation 11. Every man then is bound to believe That all true Beleivers of Christs Resurrection from the dead shall be undoubted partakers of that endlesse and immortal glory unto which Christ hath been raised But no man is bound to beleive his own Resurrection in particular unto such glory any further or upon more certain terms then he can upon just and deliberate Examination find that he himself doth truly and stedfastly believe this Fundamental Article of Christs Resurrection from the dead Now if it were certainly determined and agreed upon by all what it were truly and stedfastly to believe this Article all the controversies concerning the Certaintie of Salvation or Irrevocable Justification in this life by Faith would determine themselves and be at an end But of the Examination of our Faith or of its truth sincerity or strength we shall have fitter occasion and more full time to speak in unfolding of the last part of the Article of Christs coming to Judgment that is the manner of the Process in the Award of final Sentence In the mean time it shall suffice to admonish the Reader That he rate not the truth or measure the strength of his Belief in this main Article of Christs Resurrection only by the strength of his perswasions of its Speculative and General Truth specially in the absence of temptations to the contrarie or whiles it is opposed to the exceptions of Atheists or Insidels which deny or oppugn it How then must the truth or strength of our Belief or Faith in this Article be measured Only by our stedfast and constant practise of the Special Duties whereunto the belief of it doth bind all professors of it Now the Special Duties whereunto the Belief of it doth bind us are succinctly and pithily set down by our Apostle Col. 3. 1 2. If then ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God set your affections on things above not on things on earth c. And verse the 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry And verse 8. Put off all these anger
21. verse I speak saith he ver 19. after the manner of men because of the infirmitie of the flesh for as ye have yeilded your members servants unto uncleanness and to iniquitie unto iniquitie even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness For when ye were the servants of sin ye were free to righteousness that is you did acknowledge no service due unto it The implication which he expresseth not is this Being now become the servants of righteousness do as little service unto sin as when you were its servants ye did to righteousness acknowledge none to it for none is due to it especially from you 10. But in the 21. verse if you mark his placing of the words well he puts the case home What fruit had ye then of those things whereof ye are now ashamed What fruit had ye then at that time when ye did them with greediness If the service of sin at any time were fruitful it is questionless then whilst it is a doing For this Dalilah hath the trick to wipe off all shame from her Lovers faces whilst sin is in the action or motion But our Apostle proves this service of sin to be fruitless even then because now when these motions were past it makes them ashamed Nor is the service of sin fruitless only because it bringeth forth shame but therefore more then shamefull full of danger and dread because the shame which it bringeth forth is alwayes the Harbinger or fore-runner of death For so the Apostles adds For the end of those things is death These are the best fruits of their service to sin and sin it self is more then fruitles because the best fruits which it seems to bring are poisonous But now these Romans are called unto the service of a far better master one from whom they have somewhat in re but much more in spe a bountiful earnest for the present of an invaluable recompence and future reward ver 22. But now being free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holines and the end everlasting life And finally he binds all his former Exhortations with this undoubted Assertion For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus you have seen The dutie whereunto we stand bound by our Baptisme And it is twofold 1. To forsake the Divel the world and the flesh and secondly to betake our selves to the service of God The motives to withdraw us from this service of sin are three The service of it first is fruitless 2. it is shamefull 3. it causeth death to wit a most shamefull bitter and endless death The motives to draw us unto the service of God are Two 1. The present fruit which it yieldeth viz. the peace of conscience or that righteousness which is the flour and Blossom unto Holiness 2. The Final Reward which is a most blessed life without end The First three Motives to withdraw us from the service of sin are as it were linked or mortized one into another The very Fruitlesness of Sins service shuts up into shame and the shame arresting or seazing upon the sinner is no other then the very Harbinger Fore-runner or Serjeant of Death CHAP. XVIII Rom. 6. 21. What Fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed For the end of those things is death c. Of the fruitlesnes of Sin Of the shame That follows and dogs sin as the shadow doth the Body What shame is Whence it ariseth and what Use may be made thereof Of Fame praise and Honour Satans Stales False shame and False Honour The Character of both in Greek and Latine Of Pudor which is alwayes malè Facti of Verecundia which may somtimes be de modo rectè Facti Perijt vir cui Pudor Perijt Erubuit salva res est 1. WE are here to speak somwhat to The First Point which was the fruitlesness of Sin of which more afterwards It was an Ancient saying of a good Writer praestat otiosum esse quam nihil agere it were better to sit still and do nothing then to busie and wearie our selves to no purpose A shame it is in it self but commonly the beginning of a far greater shame to spend our time without any fruit And if we could perswade a man that for the present he labours in vain that for the future he can expect nothing but wearisom trouble for his long pains it would be enough to make him if he have any wit ashamed of what he hath done more then enough unlesse he be impudent to make him give over what he hath begun Yea he is not a wise man that doth not forecast some probable hopes or gainfull issues of his labours before he begin them So our Saviour tels us Luke 14. 28. For which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him saying This man began to build and was not able to finish If want of forecast to go through with a work which in the beginning promised fruit be a shame or expose men to scorn or mockerie what is it to begin and continue those works whose accomplishing or finishing is more fruitless then the first beginning So that the service of sin is in this respect shamefull because it is Fruitless But if you observe our Apostle well he doth not infer that the works of sin are shamefull because they are Fruitless but that they are Fruitless because they are shamefull Shame and that A positive shame is the natural fruit or issue of all service to sin and not every kinde of positive shame but a shame accompanied or seconded with death That the Apostles Argument may have its full weight or sway upon our souls we are in the First place to examine What shame properly is Secondly What manner of death it is which is the wages of sin 2. Shame is a fear of some evil to ensue Or an impression of some evil present the fear of whose continuance is more greivous than any present smart But though all Shame be a Fear or sense of evil yet every fear or sense of evil doth not cause shame Men naturally fear the loss of goods but as our Saviour intimates Mat. 6. 25. most naturally the loss of their lives Yet if our goods be taken from us by violence we are not ashamed of it the Expectation or sufferance of this evil causeth only sorrow or grief to us it causeth Shame to him that doth it There is no man almost but feareth a violent and undeserved death yet if such a death be set before him it causeth only Sorrow or heaviness of heart a dejection of spirit no Shame or confusion of face Such as die guiltlesse are rather comforted then
servant Mat. 18. 23. We are in many respects bound most strictly to render unto God himself according to his reward It was Hezekiahs sin that he did not so 2 Chro. 32. 24 First because he hath prevented us with his blessings he gave us Being before we could desire it and with it He gave us a desire of continuing it Secondly he gave it Us of his meer freewill and abundant kindness And therefore in all equitie we are bound First to render what possibly we can unto Him and that with greater alacritie and cheerfulness then unto man for his sake as Reason teacheth us to perform our personal duties and services to our Parents Patrons and Benefactors with greater care and forwardness then such offices as for their sakes we owe to their Followers or Favorites Hence may we descry the equitie of those two main Commandments on which the whole Law and Prophets depend Love God above all and thy neighbor as thy self All the services of worship of praise thankfulness or the like which we return immediately to God himself belong unto the First Table All the duties we perform to men either because we have received or could desire like kindness from them or because we expect some greater matters from God belong unto the second Table It remains we see how this Rule doth direct our thoughts for the true practice of every particular Commandment What I omitt your own meditation may easily supply 8. None of us as in charity I presume is so ignorant of God or his Goodness but often prayes that he would continue his blessings of life and health unto us desiring withall that he would do some other good unto us which yet we want Could we in the next place take a perfect measure of our own desires of what we want whilst they are fresh and at the height and withall duly weigh those Blessings of life and health considering the full and sole dependence they have on the good-wil and pleasure of our God the strength of the one and weight of the other could not but impell and sway our minds to performance of such duties towards God as his Law and this Rule of Reason require These are good Beginnings of such performances as this Rule requires But here we usually commit a double oversight First We do not weigh blessings received as duly and truly as we should For who is he that truly considers what life is till he come in danger of death Or how pleasant health is till he be pained with some grievous sickness wound or other maladie Or if we come by such occasions duly to esteem of life and health or other blessings already injoyed or to take a true measure of our desires of what we want whilst they are fresh and at the height yet either we apprehend not or we consider not what absolute and intire dependance the beginning or continuance of benefits received or the compleating of others desired have on the good-will and pleasure of our God We think we are in part beholden to our Parents for our Life to our Physician to our strength of nature or good diet for recovery of health to our own wit or friends for obtaining such things as we desire These or like conceits arising from ignorance of Gods providence or want of faith in his Goodness are as so many props or stayes that hinder the weight of his best Blessings or the strength of our desires of further good to have their full shock upon our souls and minds Otherwise the true consideration or feeling of their dependence on Gods will and pleasure would sway and impel us to do our duty to him with the same alacritie we desire good from him to love him with all our heart with all our souls with all our strength yea we would be as desirous to do his will and pleasure as we are to obtain the things that please us as unwilling any way to displease him as we are to forgo any thing we have from him As willing to consecrate our lives and actions to his service as we are to injoy life and use of limbs If a Land-lord should command his Tenant at will to do him such a business perhaps to go some errand of importance for him or else he should go without his Tenement but promise him a better if he did it faithfully The sweetness as well of what he injoyed as of the Reward he looked for would disperse it self throughout his thoughts and season his labour with chearfulness and make all his very pains sweet unto him But if he had lately received an Estate for Lives and could not hope for any further good shortly to come from him although perhaps he would do what his Lord bad him least he should be upbraided with unthankfulness Yet his service would but be faint and cold in respect of the former like his that wrought as we say for the dead Horse This may serve to set forth the difference betwixt the faithful or true believers and the unfaithful or unbelievers heart in the performance of this great Commandment The unbeliever although he acknowledge in some sort That he received all he hath and must expect all he hopes for from God and in this respect must do what God commands yet if at any time he do his Will it is without all Devotion or Chearfulness partly because he thinks the Blessings he looks for must be gotten by his own indeavor and such as he hath have been improved by his own good husbandrie nor doth he fear that the Lord should dispossess him of life or health but there will be time enough to gain or renue his Favour before his Lease as he takes it of life of health and prosperitie be run out The faithful man stedfastly believes and knows that God is the Lord and giver of life that he kils and makes alive that he wounds and alone makes whole that we have no hold of either but only during the Term of his Will and Pleasure he firmly believes all the threatnings of his Law as that either God will punish sinners with sudden and unexpected death saying unto them as he did unto the rich man in the Gospel Thou Fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee or else suffers them to injoy life and health and other Blessings to their greater condemnation He believes likewise all his promises to the righteous to such as do his will Whence as well the Goodness of all the Blessings he injoyes life health wealth and estate as of those which he hopes for whether in this life or in the life to come do as it were provoke a desire in him of worshipping God and doing his will equal at least to his desire of either having present blessings continued or greater bestowed upon him His joy in praysing God and keeping his Laws is greater then in the injoying of life of his soul his strength or other endowments His life is
lives or consecrate our selves to his honor and service to offer our selves in sacrifice to him when he requires not only in remembrance of what he hath done for us which we would not for ten thousand lives but he had done but in respect of Future Hopes which it were better we had never been then they should not be accomplished We look he should in the last day acquit us from the accusations of Satan the great Accuser and in the mean time give Testimonie of us as his faithful servants to his Father The dutie which we owe to Him is in this life to be witnesses of the truth he taught to testifie unto the world that he hath appeared by our lives and conversations answerable to His by our readiness to suffer povertie exile disagrace or ignominious death for defence of His Lawes to fear him whether in life or death 12. To every thing we can desire of God there is A semblable Dutie to be performed by us without whose performance we cannot pray to Him in Faith To pray in Faith is to be so surely perswaded of Gods Benignitie as to be ready to render up all that he requires of us to abstain from those things which we know to be offensive to him especially from such as have any particular repugnance to that we seek If we expect God should provide for us as for his children we must honor and reverence Him as an Almighty and everlasting Father If we desire he should protect us we must fear him as our Greatest Lord. A son honoureth his Father and a servant his master If I then be a Father where is my Honor and if I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of Hosts unto you Mal. 1. 6. If ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil offer it now unto thy Prince will he be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hostes and now I pray you pray before God that he may have mercy upon us This hath been by your means will he regard your persons saith the Lord of Hosts No! they did not pray in Faith For so to pray presupposeth a fidelitie in the discharge of duties appointed for their calling God for his part never changeth I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. As if he had said This is my nature and essence to be immutable And therefore Ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed For so they had been unless his mercies had continued the same But to do them that good they desired or to deal as graciously with them as he had done with their fathers he could not if with Reverence I may so speak because of their infidelitie or unbelief for which cause the Evangelist saith Christ could not work many miracles amongst His Countrymen Matth. 13. 58. From the dayes of your Fathers you are gone away from mine Ordinances and have not kept them Now there must needs have been a Change in God if he had dealt as bountifully with this back-sliding Generation as with their Godly Predecessors that had been sted fast in his Covenant But let them be as their fathers were and He will be to them as he was to their Fathers For he is no accepter of persons but rewardeth every one according to his works Wherefore he saith Return unto me and I will return unto you ver 7. But they were so far from returning that they would scarce acknowledge their sin For they said wherein shall we return They should have done unto their God accordingly as they desired he should do to them They desired the Lord should blesse them as Moses had spoken In the City and in the field in the fruit of their bodies and in the fruit of their grounds in the fruit of their cattel and in the increase of their kine and in the flocks of their sheep Deut. 28. 4. But God at this time had done to them in some fort as they had done to him They had robbed him in tithes and offrings ver 8. Therefore were they oursed with a curse ver 9. Notwithstanding if they would deal better with him he assures them he will deal better with them Bring ye all the Tithes into the Storehouse that there may be meat in mine house and prove me herewith saith the Lord of Hostes if I will not open the windows of Heaven unto you and pour you out a Blessing without measure And I will rebuke the Devourer for your sakes and he shall not devour the fruit of your ground neither shall the Vine be barren in the field saith the Lord of Hosts And all Nations shall call you blessed saith the Lord of Hosts As he that had wrong'd his brother was the forwarder to repine against Moses so the words of such in this people as had most robbed and spoiled God were most stout against him They said It was in vain to serve God And what profit is it that we have kept his Commandments And that we have walked humbly before the Lord of Hosts Therefore they accounted the proud blessed even they that work wickednesse are set up and they that tempt God yea they are delivered It is not likely that they would thus speak with their mouthes for so they should have had no occasion to demand as they did V. 13. What have we spoken against thee But that they thought in their hearts That God did not respect them according to their deserts or that his Bounty had not been so great to them as to their Fathers If they said not they thought with Gideon Ah my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this come upon us and where be his miracles which our Fathers have told us and said did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Medianites He thought this Change was in God not in himself or in his Countrymen As most men at this day think that God is not as ready to hear our prayers as he was to hear the Israelites or the Fathers in the primitive Church When as the reason why he hears them not is because we are not so ready to do His will If we perform any obedience to his Laws it is for the most part such as those murmurers did we offer unto him either the vile or the lame or else but half that which is due and yet perswade our selves we deal bountifully with him too In Fine we do so much as serves to ground a Pharisaical conceit of our selves not so much or not so sincerely as may induce Our God who knows our hearts to think well of us We do not so to him as we desire he should do to us for we desire that he should bless us above the ordinary means of humane forecast or procurement but we adventure not any practice injoyned by him
in just and full consort to the miserable They did then truely remember the strangers that were within their gates when they sorrowed in the same manner for them as they had done for themselves when the delight and joy that they had taken in their own deliverance from servitude and thraldom was made the measure of their delight and joy in freeing others from the yoke of servitude in relieving the poor distressed stranger that sojourned with them True compassion is but a fellow feeling of others miseries And then only are we truly compassionate when their miseries are made ours when as the Apostle saith we are weakened at their weakness and burn at their offence or grievance Once thus affected in easing them we ease our selves their comfort becomes our comfort whence ariseth our cheerfulness and sinceritie in doing good for now we do unto them as we desire they should do unto us Yea even as we would do unto our selves seeing the only way to case our selves of this present grief which is by Sympathie in us is by curing the Protopathie in them This is equitie and righteousness in the sight of God when we afford comfort unto others according to the same measure we our selves would receive it from others or when we distribute Gods benefits with the like Joy to our fellow servants as we receive them from him Delight in receiving and delight in doing good ought to be so fully reciprocal in nature and quantitie that they should differ but as via Thebis Athenas and Athenis Thebas or as two times three and three times two This is as the wise man speaks truly to keep the heart when we keep it still in this Aequilibrio not more inclined to accept then to afford a blessing not more prone to rejoyce at our own good then to sorrow at others harms Not more apt to be elevated with our own promotion then to be depressed by others undeserved dejection or discomfort And albeit we were able to frame the whole course of our lives fully parallel to this streight Rule yet should we still remain unprofitable servants and altogether unable to supererogate All actual or purposed swerving whether directly or indirectly from this Level is a declining to hypocrisie He that cannot contract his ordinary libertie in the use of things pleasant or profitable for this life according to the Exigence or Aboading of the instant season or doth not labour so to frame and settle the habitual bent of his affections as they may be alike free and apt to be moved with sad occurences as with occasions of joy such a man may happily often joy in his courses but his rejoycing cannot be in the Lord his laughter is madness his choicest recreation folly dissimulation harboureth in his heart mischief is companion of his thoughts the issue of his untimely mirth is grief and sorrow everlasting 9. But here I know it will be replied that this constitution of mind is in these latter times more rare then absolute Complexion in mens bodies or mixture ad pondus in bodies natural The Replication perhaps is true but true especially for this reason that every man seeks great things greater then Baruch here did for himself And hearts stretched by desires unseasonably superfluous or exorbitant to an higher strain then is fitting can hold no consort with their humbled brethrens affections They can neither be brought to any true Consonancie with the times wherein they live nor with their own Callings Howbeit we require not such an exact or absolute temper of mans heart as our Creator framed in our first Parents That was the Patern by which we must direct our practise If our intention to imitate this patern be sincere And our indeavors to accomplish our intentions industrious and entire whatsoever is wanting to our abilitie The super-excellencie of Christs righteousness and merits far exceeding our first Parents worth shall abundantly supplie in us which were first the natural Sons of Adam then degenerate Sons of the living God now regenerate by Grace and adopted Sons in Christ But the experience of others temper in former times though Adams Children as now we are or once were bewrayes the Complexion of our Age to be deeply tainted with hypocrisie For this I have found and every one may find without curious search that the very sight remembrance or rehearsal of others miseries united by the bond of Common dutie hath brought the minds of such as have bent their ears to natures discipline or been well instructed in Civilitie unto a perfect sympathie with as great facilitie as men tune their voices to others pleasant songs or fashion their bodily motions to others musick Apathie or want of Fellow-feeling to speak indifferently is no natural propertie of the meer natural or unregenerate man but rather a symptom of a gracelesse mind obdurate with self-pleasing humors and desires Of hearts truly mollified with a mutual touch though but of moral or civil Love one takes the impression of anothers woe or grief as easily as softened wax does the seal Thus the fresh memory of the Camp the consideration of the Ark of God and Israels and Joabs lying abroad in the fields makes honest Uriah joyned with them in the common link of military life though far dis-joyned in place abjure with double oath the solace of his lawful bed Thus the remembrance of our Saviours humiliation in Ierusalem makes that Noble Duke of Bulloign many hundred years after refuse to wear a golden Crown in that City though but the lawful Guerdon of his Heroick worth an honour well befitting his person but not the place wherein his Lord Redeemer under whose banner he fought had been annointed King with his own blood shed by the impression of a Crown of Thorns Are the true paterns of those practises extant only in the book of Grace Or are the practises recorded only in sacred Story or of Christians or sacred Persons only Or have not Heathen Poets which knew no Law besides the Lawes of Nature and their Rules of Art exactly painted the like paterns Have not heathen Histories whose veracity is no way liable to just suspition related the like real practises of Heathen persons Non haec apta mihi nitidis ornatibus inquit Tempora nec miserae placeant insignia formae Thebaidos Libro 4. It is the Poetical Character or speech of the Noble Princess uttered rather out of fear then certain foresight of the mishap that might befal her Husbâ—d now setting forth unto the Thebane war in hope to recover his supposed right As the Reason of her refusing Harmonia's Chain that was the insignia or ornament offered her by way of gratification for gracing or furthering the present consultation of warre was much what the same with Duke Godfreys refusal of the Golden Crown So the Manner of her abjuring it was not unlike Uriah's Oath Scilicet heu superi cum tu cludare minaci Casside
ferratusque sones Ego divitis Aurum Harmoniae dotale geram It was a dishonour in her esteem to be disclaimed by an Imprecation for a Princes Daughter to adorn her head and neck with costly Jewels like a Bride whilest her Husband was clad in steel and yet so clad every hour in peril of life During the time of this his danger abroad she desires no greater train at home then would suffice to expel Melancholick fear And that artire doth please her best which best suted with her pensive heart most likely to move her Gods to Commiseration of her widdowhood For such costly ornaments as were now profferd she thought a fitter time would be to wear them when her Husband returned in peace with such rich spoiles from the enemies Court And in this Resolution well fitting her present estate she leaves them to the proud upstart insolent baggage whose longing desires after those unseasonable fooleries had inchanted the poor Prophet her husband to Countenance an Ominous unfortunate war the issue whereof was this that after most of the Noble Argives sent thither by the enemies sword the Prophet himself went quick down to hell This Conclusion you will say is false in the litteral sense or rather fained but I would to God the Fiction were not too true an Emblem of the most State-Prophets in later Ages Such as are here represented and no better are the usual fruits of untimely desires or discording appetites of parties united in strict bond of common dutie especially in men consecrated to publick ministerie Alwayes they are displeasing to God in nature preposterous hateful as death to civil and ingenuous minds 10. But herein the Poet as the Philosopher well observes exceeds the Historian for moral instructions He may paint men and women as they should be not as they are whereas the Historian must express them as he finds them Most Women indeed are not for their affections like this Poetical Picture of Argia Yet the Carriage of Portia as the ingenious Historian hath exprest it did farre exceed it When her Husband Brutus had disclosed that inward grief and perplexitie by his ill rest by night which he had purposely concealed from her in his waking thoughts she takes his Concealment as a disparagement to her birth and education and as a tacit impeachment of her honestie Brutus saith she I had Cato to my Father and was matched into thy family not as a whore to be thy Companion only at bed and bord but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be as true a Consort of thy miseries as of thy welfare I had never cause to complain of thy usage no occasion to suspect thy loving affection towards me but what assurance canst thou have of my love to thee If I may not be permitted to sympathize with thee in thy secret greif nor bear a part in those anxieties whose communication might ease thy mind and much set forth my fidelitie I know well the imbecillity of our Sex we need no rack to wrest a secret from us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But know O Brutus that there is a secret vertue in good parentage ingenuous breeding and conversation for setling and strengthening the frame of our affections even where they are by nature brickle and unconstant And this is my portion in these Pre-eminences A woman I am by sex but Cato his Daughter and Brutus his Wife To give him a sure experiment answerable to these Protestations how ready she could be in all misfortunes to take grief and sorrow at as low a Note as for his life he could She had cast her self into a burning Feaver by a grievous wound of her own making before she vented the former complaint which she uttered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the extremity of her Fit or pangs I may truly here apply that verse of old Ennius as the late extinguished Lamp of this University once out of this Lantern in another Case did Vos Juvenes shall I say nay verily Nos viri Patres Fratres animos gerimus muliebres Illaque Virgo viri Was this praeeminency that she was Cato's daughter and Brutus's wife of power sufficient to arm her female heart with man-like resolution and true heroical constancy to bear the yoke of all misfortunes with her Conjugal Mate and is it no Praerogative in Christian men before a Heathen woman that they have God for their father and holy Church for their mother Christ Jesus supream Governour of the world the Lord of life and Conquerour of Death and Hell for their Brother Is Baptisme into his death but a naked name that our professed unitie therein cannot unite our hearts in like affections Is the effusion of Gods spirit but as the sprinkling of Court Holy-water are our dayly Sermons but as so many Bevers of wind whose efficacy vanisheth with the breath that uttereth them or hath the frequent participation of Christ precious body blood no better operation on our harts then the exhalation of sweet odours upon our brains Be they no longer comfortable then whilst they be in taking Are all those glorious similitudes of one head and many members of one Vine and many branches but Hyperbolical Metaphors Is our mystical union only a meer Mathematical imagination are those or the like Praerogatives of our calling but like the Soloecisms of the Romish Church matters of meer title or ceremony without realitie Beloved in Christ if either we actually were or heartily desired or truly meant to be true branches of that Coelestial Vine were it possible the strongest boughes thereof should be so often shaken with dangerous blasts of temptations and we no whit therewith moved could so many flourishing Boughes dayly fade and we hope that our Luxuriant branches should always flourish should their goodly leaves hourly fall and we live still as if we never looked for any winter or should God so often threaten to pluck up the vineyard which his own right hand hath planted and yet the dressers of it still seek after great things for themselves as if they never dreamt of dispossession would the most of us either seek to raise our selves as high as the highest room in the Lords house or make it a chief part of our care how to forecast mispense of time in merriment gameing or other worldly pleasures or contentments whilst sundry of our poor brethren and fellow Prophets perhaps in worth our betters die of discontent whilst others younger run mad after riot abroad least they should be attached by sorrow and grief at home whilst other begin to expect a change and entertain a liking of Romish Proffers Others which have ever hated Rome more then death begin to loath their lives and set their longing on the Grave desirous to give their bodies to be devoured by that earth which hath not ministered necessary sustenance to them as being overcharged with maintaining the unnecessary desires and superfluous pleasures of worse deservers Or would so many were they
yet obedience is due unto them in particular and they which disobey or transgress them in any particular are to be punished or made Examples lest others be emboldened to do the like And the Reason why they would have such punished which I would request you to observe is lest their impunity should minister offence to the weak brethren And a man cannot give greater offence to the weak or ignorant then by emboldening them to disobedience in Cases wherein obedience is due But soon after these Publick Injunctions other Private Spirits rose up which out of desire to be Extreamly Contrary to the Romish Church concerning Traditions did expresly contradict their Lawful Governors in that Article The Contrary Error into which they run by seeking to avoid the error of the Romish Church was in brief This That no Christian man is bound to obey superiors in matters of sacred Rite or Ceremony or in Duties of ordinary practise unless their Governors or such as demand their Obedience can shew them expresse Authority of Scripture or can convince their understandings that God by his Word doth enjoyn them to obey in these particulars But thus to oppose the Romish Church by way of Contrarietie is but to seek the overthrow of a Tyranny by the Erection of an Anarchie For if the Flock or inferior members of the Church owe no obedience unto their superiors but upon these Termes then Pastors Prelates yea Kings should owe the same obedience unto the meanest Tradesmen or Day-labourers that Tradesmen or Day-labourers owne to them For Pastors and Prelates even Kings themselves are bound to obey the Word of God by whomsoever it shall be manifested or made known unto them and to obey it in every particular which it manifestly injoynes And if obedience were not due to Pastors Prelates and Kings in matters concerning the service of God or sacred Rites until they can shew warrant for every particular which they enjoyn out of Gods word there were no obedience at all due unto them but unto Gods Word only And every man might say to them as the Emperour said to the Pope Non Tibi sed Petro. But so the Sacred Rule of Faith and manners should be not the Author of such Order as we believe it is but an occasion of confusion in every Christian Estate or Congregation 10. But this is the happiness of the English Church or Clergie that all the Arguments which have been or can be brought by Factious or discontented spirits in matters of Rites Ceremonies or Discipline do draw their strength from such false or mistaken Principles as if way were given to their growth or exercise of their force they could not peck the least hole in the Miter or make the least thirle in the Surpellice without working a proportionable crack or flaw in the Royal Crown Their Authors disobedience to Lawes or Discipline Ecclesiastick would quickly induce if opportunitie served open rebellion against the Prerogative Royal. Reason and Experience had taught the Heathen States-men That it was a matter of like sufferance or equally insufferable to live Ubi omnia Licita et ubi nihil Licitum In A State wherein all must be subject to the Will of One man and in a place where every man may do what he will A Tyran is like a Ravenous Beast which devours all that comes within his Walk or Range but which there are many wayes for a wise man to escape But if a Tyrannie once dissolve into an Anarchie Homo homini fit Lupus every man becomes a Wolfe unto his neighbour Their habitations or places of meeting become but nests of waspes or serpents 11. Let Rome then be accounted as it was when our Forefathers departed from it and as it still remains the spiritual Babylon Let the Pope be a Tyran more cruel and Barbarous then Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar yet let us remember that when God called his people out of Babylon he called them unto Jerusalem which is by interpretation the vision of peace A citie as the Psalmist in the literal sense perhaps meant compacted But in the mystical or Emblematical sense a City at unity in it self The long Durance of an hard and forein yoke had taught them subjection unto their native Governours Zerubbabel their Prince and Jesus their High-Priest The hatred contempt and scorn which they had endured amongst barbarous Aliens was a Cement to unite their hearts in brotherly affections But we by misimploying our peace and securitie of dread from the Enemy have turned the Grace of God into wantonness and transformed that Christian Libertie which our forefathers purchased with their Ashes into such Licentiousness as if we had departed out of Babylon to build a Babel in Jerusalem How have our Printing-houses become the Cels and Arcenals of strife and contention And our Pulpits been made Babels or Towers of Confusion When the men which came from the East attempted to build a Tower unto Heaven God as you know confounded their Language that they could not understand one another and the enterprize was dissolved and the enterprizers were dispersed over the face of the earth This was the Lords doing and therefore it was a confusion which did not end in Contention Though one of them did not understand another Yet we do not read but that every man did well understand himself But our misery is that every one will over-understand another when he doth not half-understand himself or the matter whereof he writes or speaks and so raiseth contention without an Adversarie and builds up a Babel without help making a confusion without mixture of Language only by pouring out his own simplicitie ignorance and malice and making no conscience of taking Gods Name in vain quoting Scripture to no other end then to countenance blasphemie or to dazle the eyes of the unlearned whilst he transforms the Nature and Goodness of God into worse similitudes then the Papists or Heathen do One while speaking against Arminians another while unwittingly pleading for them one Page containing a comfortable Use or Application whereas in the next before and after it he hath laid the Doctrinal Foundations of despaire or more then desperate presumption Thus to contradict themselves is so familiar and natural unto them that they cannot endure to be contradicted by any others which in the spirit of meekness would shew them the way how they might maintain all those Conclusions which they so much labour for and that without giving advantage to the Adversaries without dissension or disagreeing from themselves 12. These are the men that must be disclaimed as no true members of the English Church or at least no fit Expositors of her Tenets Otherwise we shall be inforced to grant that our Church participates as well of Babel or Beth-aven as of Bethel I have been the bolder to insist the longer upon This Point because some of good place and Authority in the Church and Common-weale take notice That some unlicensed and scandalous
he shall thus with himself resolve If this very child be brought unto me I intend to do to him as the Church enjoyns but if any other be presented unto me I have no Intention to baptize him however I use the words of Baptisme and wash him with water The Resolution of their Doctors is that in Case another child be brought unto the Font and not that Individual child for which he was first spoken unto he shall have no benefit by his Baptisme 3. For a Priest to make such secret Conditions limitations or reservations the Romish Doctors acknowledge to be a wicked and sacrilegious part But this is all the comfort which the Infant presumed to be baptized or his Parents can have if the Priest be disposed to be thus malitious That the Intention of the Priest is necessarily required not only by way of Precept or to the better administration of the Sacrament but Necessitate Medii as a meanes so necessary that without it there can be no Sacrament at all not their School-men or private Doctors only but some of their General Councils have declared For the Council of Florence makes this Intention of the Priest to be of the very Essence of the Sacrament Now Essentia non Suscipit magis minus If the Priests Intention be of the Essence of this Sacrament it must be as necessary as the Intention of the holy Ghost And yet their later Doctors are in this point more Rigid then the ancient were which lived not long after the Council of Florence For Thomas of Aquine the great Master of the modern Jesuites required only an habitual Intention his Scholars the Jesuites alwayes required a virtual Intention which is more then an habitual Again whereas some of their Doctors in Ages past did think it a Probable Opinion which might without Censure of impietie be believed that in Case ordinary Priests were negligent or otherwise defective in the administration of the Sacraments the High-Priest of our souls to wit Christ Jesus might or would supply their defect or negligence Zuares a late great Doctor in that Church censures the Author of this opinion for his zeal without discretion And Soto another great Doctor who was present at the Council of Trent peremptorily denies all relief or remedy from Christ to any Infant in Case the Priest will be so wicked as either not to Intend to do what the Church doth appoint or to withdraw his Intention or purpose to do him good by baptizing him If the Priest purpose to remit his sins by Baptism they are remitted by Christ if he purpose not to remit them but to retain them they are not remitted but retained by Christ 4. Besides the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which Two the Reformed Churches only acknowledge instituted by Christ as generally necessary to salvation the Romish Church presseth Three other upon all Lay-People as necessary unto their salvation Ex necessitate praecepti that is they are bound in duty to receive them and in Case they omit them when they may have them they forfeit their interest in Gods promises And those are the Sacrament of Confirmation the Sacrament of Absolution upon Confession and the Sacrament of Extreme Unction These make a plausible shew or pretence that the Romish Church hath greater store of means for salvation or for conferring Grace then Reformed Churches have But how well soever God by their doctrine hath provided for their Church in granting it such a multitude of Sacraments such an extraordinary manner by w ch their supposed Sacraments confer Grace upon such as receive them yet when all is done they grant a Negative voice to the Priest in the distribution of all Sacramental Grace And such a Negative as is not usual in other Cases For all other Governors of humane Societies whether Ecclesiastick or Civil have only a Negative voice which if they do not expresly use their silence is interpreted for a Grant or testification of their Consent unto the business proposed But albeit the Priest profess his Consent unto the Sacramental Act by pronouncing the Sacramental words yet if he be pleased by secret Condition or tacit Limitation to withdraw the Consent of mind or spirit from his external act or words pronounced by him the Spirit of God shall want his influence upon the souls of such as receive the Sacrament And as they grant a Negative unto every ordinary Priest in the distribution of Sacramental Grace unto the Laytie So they give the like Negative unto the Bishop or Prelate in the distribution of Sacramental Grace unto their Priests For the ordination of Priests is in their Doctrine a Sacrament of the new Law or Gospel and of this Sacrament the Intention of the Bishop or Prelate which administreth it is an Essential part If the Bishop either through negligence or malitiousness do not afford his secret Intention or consent the ordination of the Priest is invalid the words pronounced by him or imposition of hands doth imprint no Character upon his soul and without this character he is no Priest 5. And here by the way you may inform your selves why such as are contented in all points to believe as the Romish Church believeth have their own Priests or Prelates in such esteem or estimation as no other people besides have their lawful Governors The true Reason is not any extraordinary worth in their persons but this strange kind of Power or Authoritie which were it true or where it is acknowledged to be true might justly exact double honour more then humane even both parts of that honour which the heathens respectively gave unto their several gods Some gods the heathens honoured with Placatorie Sacrifices lest being neglected they should do them harm Other gods whom they conceived to be the Authors or distributers of things good and comfortable they adored or honoured with propitiatory Sacrifices Both kinds of sacrifices or services one and the same Romish Priest may wrest from the people committed to his charge The one to wit Placatorie Sacrifices he may exact and the people will be ready to perform lest he withdraw or alienate his Intention from them or their children whilest he administers the Sacrament unto them For his malitious or fraudulent withdrawing of his Intention from the Sacrament may procure them greater losse or harm then the Heathen could conceive their angry or wreakful gods could work them The other kind of Sacrifices to wit Propitiatorie the people committed to his charge will be willing to exhibit to the Romish Priest that he may be the more diligent circumspect and attentive whilest he administreth the Sacraments seeing upon supposal or presumption of his diligence or Intention in this business they hope for a greater blessing then the heathens expected from their good or favourable gods But to conclude this First Point If we put all these together First The Intention of the Prelate or the Bishop necessary by their doctrine
plagues that shed it because never laid unto their charge it may notwithstanding exempt them and their children from hope of mercy or mitigation of punishments due unto them for other sins Or that such as since his death have pined away in their own sins and the sins of their fathers did therefore perish because he had absolutely decreed not to save them or grant them means of repentance God forbid This were more then to say They stumbled that they should fall And in as much as the riches of the world will be much greater by their fulness then by their Fall or diminution the fault is ours as well as theirs that their Conversion is not accomplished Both we and they are liable to a strict account That we would not be gathered when God would have gathered us CHAP. XLIV 2 KINGS 23. 26 27. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Iudah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal And the Lord said I will remove Judah also out of my sight as I have removed Israel and will cast off this City Jerusalem which I have chosen and the house of which I have said my Name shall be there 1. THe Points to be discussed are Two First How the Lord might justly punish Iudah for Manasseh's sins and sins committed in His time in the dayes of good Josiah and His Sons Secondly In what manner God proceeded to execute this his fierce wrath denounced against Iudah For your better satisfaction in the Former Point You are to consider the Nature and Tenor of Gods General Covenant with this people The miraculous Blessings and extraordinary Curses proposed unto the two several wayes of Life and Death which Moses first had set before this people are sufficiently known being most expresly set down Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. throughout the whole Chapters The like Covenant was renewed with Davids Line in the same Tenor. Psal 89. 29 c His Seed will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven But if his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements Then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail Or Neither will I falsifie my truth This promise was Absolute for Christ Conditional for the other Sons of David and consists not in their Immunitie from punishments but in the Assurance of their recovery upon their penitencie The Tenor of both Covenants then in brief was Thus. Following the foot-steps of Abraham or David they should be blessed extraordinarily Forsaking their wayes and following the Customs of other Nations they should be punished more severely then other men yet so that if in their distress they did turn again unto the Lord for Abraham's and for David's sake they should be restored to his wonted mercie and favour So saith the Lord Levit. 26. 44 45 And yet for all that he supposeth his plagues denounced had already overtaken them When they be in the land of their enemies I will not cast them away neither will I abhorre them to destroy them utterly and to break my Covenant with them for I am the Lord their God But I will remember them according to the Covenant of old Or I will for their sakes remember the Covenant of their Ancestors whom I brought forth out of the Land of Egypt And in the 42. verse of the same Chapter when they shall confesse their iniquity before him in their distresse He saith He would remember His Covenant with Jacob and also his Covenant with Isaac and with Abraham The same Covenant is more solemnly established at the Dedication of the Temple 2 Chron. 6. by Salomon He supposed this People should be plagued for their sins as others were But yet if they turned to the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul in the Land of their captivity the effect of his Petition is That the Lords eyes should be open and his ears attent unto the prayers which they made towards the Temple which he had built And in this sense is God said to shew mercie unto thousands in such as love Him and keep his Commandements Because for Abraham and for David's sake they still enjoyed the assurance of recovering their ruinate and decayed Estate 2. Yet here we are again to consider that the Covenant was not made In capita as if it were to begin intirely with every particular Man but rather with their whole Successions in their several Generations They stood all joyntly bound to obey the Lord their God So as Posterity must make up the Arrerages of their Fathers ryot by their warie and diligent observance of those Commandements which the other had broken If the Fathers had sinned by Idolatry the Posterity must redeem their sins or break them off by preaching reformation of Religion and restoring the true Worship of God again If the Fathers had caused Gods wrath upon the Land by oppression extortion and cruelty the Children must divert it by mercie bountie and open-handedness towards the Poor and by restitution of goods ill-gotten by their Fathers unto their proper Owners or by restoring goods rightly enjoyed but imployed amiss unto their natural and right use If the Fathers have transgressed all or most of Gods neg Commandments the children are bound to rectifie their errors by practising the affirmative duties of the Law In a word as the Fathers offences have been greater either in multitude magnitude or continuance so must the Vertues and Piety of Posterity abound in Perfection of Parts Intention of Degrees and Duration of time For although it be most true that the Childrens teeth are not set on edge for their Fathers eating sour grapes but the soul that sinneth it shall die Ezek. 18. Yet is not this so to be understood but that the son may be punished for those sins which his Father only did actually commit if so he seek not to rectifie his errors by inclining to the Contrary Duties For not so doing His fathers sins are made his by participation and the Curse becomes hereditary As he that helpeth not when he may doth further or abett the evil done by others and is thereby made Accessary or part-taker of other mens sins So likewise are the Children guilty of their fathers transgressions and liable to Gods wrath caused by them if they seek not to rectifie the same by their zealous prayers speedie repentance and unfeigned turning to the Lord. So is it said Ezek. 18. 14. The Son that seeth all his fathers sins which he hath done and feareth neither doth such like but rather if the father have cruelly oppressed and spoiled his brother by violence he feeds the hungrie and clothes the naked and keeps all Gods Statutes he