in their kind but the Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler and better Purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other The Knowledge of our Christian Religion as it serves to nobler Purposes so ought it to be prefer'd to any other and most study'd by every Christian And hence therefore does St. Paul when he comes at any time to speak of Divine Knowledge not only barely enjoyn the Attainment of it as of other Vertues but does moreover add Prayers and Supplications to God to endow 'em therewith and to increase 'em therein We do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the Knowledge of his Will in all Wisdom and Spiritual Vnderstanding that ye might walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the Knowledge of God Col. 1.9 10. And again I cease not says he making mention of you always in my Prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him Eph. 1.16 17. So that tho to be excellently well skill'd in any Art or Science whatsoever which terminates only in the Conveniencies of this Life be not only Lawful but Commendable yet it is a Profaneness fit to be Renounc'd by every Christian to prefer such to Divine Knowledge and to apply your Mind wholly to the attaining of such Skill to the Neglect of those Great and Important Truths the Knowledge of which is indispensably necessary to our Everlasting Happiness And therefore let your Profession and Calling be what it will you must make it your first Care and Study to know the Nature and Design of the Christian Religion The Necessary Points of Christian Knowledge how that it is a Body of the most Excellent Principles and Laws all of 'em tending wholly to render you Holy and Good Livers and then to make you to depend upon the Mediation of Christ with his Father for his Acceptance thereof to your Justification You must also next make it more your Study to understand throughly the Covenant of Grace than the Nature and Obligation of any Humane Covenants or Contracts whatsoever And since we must build our hopes upon the performance of particular Articles and as exactly as possible square our Lives according to each single Condition of the Covenant of Grace there can be nothing of more concernment to every Christian Lay as well as Clergy than throughly to understand both the Meaning and Importance of every Doctrine of Faith and the Nature and Extent of every Christian Duty And lastly Since a good End can never be obtain'd without the Knowledge and Use of due and proper means the Nature therefore and Use of Prayer and the Nature and End of Sacraments must be a most necessary part of Christian Knowledge So much must our Appetities after Knowledge in the most Excellent of Humane Arts and Science be Renounc'd in comparison of our Desires after a competent Measure of Divine Knowledge But Lastly above all we must Renounce that prevailing Appetite in such as are of most Depraved and Corrupt Minds viz. The setting up their own Imaginations and Fleshly Reasonings against those Spiritual Notions and those more Mysterious Articles of Faith which are delivered to us in the Scripture 3. When out of Pride Prejudice and Contradiction to all Sacred Truths we set up our own Carnal Imaginations and Fleshly Reasonings against those Spiritual Notions and those Mysterious Articles of our Faith which are deliver'd to us in Scripture In the more depraved Nature of some Men there is a great deal of Untowardness and Difficulty to submit to the Sacred Truths Revealed to us by Christ in the Gospel as to Matters of Faith or such Articles as are necessary to be believ'd One that is conceited of his own Wisdom strength of Parts or Improvement in Knowledge will not submit his Reason to entertain Notions which he cannot Comprehend and Penetrate The Carnal Mind which is Enmity against God Rom. 8.7 will disdain to have his Understanding baffl'd or puzzl'd with Sublime Mysteries of Faith he will quarrel at any thing too high for his Wit to reach or too Knotty for him to unloose How can these things be What Reason can there be for this I cannot see how this can be true This Point is not intelligible And perhaps he finds fault with the whole Body of the Scriptures either because some things are obscure to him or the Phrase is not queint and fine enough Thus the Carnal Mind treateth the Dictates of Faith and the Word of God But far be it from Christians thus to indulge their own Carnal Reasonings and Self-Conceits in opposition to what God has Reveal'd to us as necessary to be Believ'd by us For certainly the Infinite Wisdom both knows what is fittest to be taught and reveal'd to us and in what Manner and Method he had best to express himself Those that did thus proudly despise the Wisdom of God measuring it according to their own Talent of Wit and Understanding did at first and do to this Day most fatally miscarry for it is written 1 Cor. 1.19 I will destroy the Wisdom of the Wise and will bring to nothing the Vnderstanding of the Prudent But our Duty is to submit our Understandings to Almighty God to be Inlightn'd by his Infinite Wisdom Casting down Imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the Knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 There is a great deal of Vertue and Grace in an Obedient Understanding and therefore to the Disciples who were so dispos'd To them it was given as our Saviour tells us Matth. 13.11 To understand the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them who are not prepar'd with an humble Mind it is not given Nor is this an hard Imposition upon Mankind to oblige 'em to believe what is above our Reason to Comprehend It is sufficient that the Holy Scriptures which do deliver such Articles of Faith as necessary to be Believ'd are sufficiently witnessed to be Divine Revelations and that there is nothing contain'd in the Articles or Mysteries themselves which is contrary or contradictory to that Reason which God has given to Man But that there should be any thing in an Article of Faith which though it be above our Reason to Comprehend especially in this its State of weakness must yet be Believ'd will not seem hard if we consider that there are many Appearances even in Nature it self which no Man has been yet found who could give a tolerable account for and yet the truth of their being so and so cannot be call'd in question This Humour of opposing Reason to Revelation proceeds from mere Pride In short this Humour of opposing our own Fleshly Reasonings against those Divine Revelations which we cannot now
the Nature of a Catechism It is a general Instruction I have told you in the Fundamental Principles of the Christian Religion Secondly As to the proper Persons to be Catechized I have shewed you that it belongs to all New Beginners in the School of Christ to be so Instructed and indeed that every individual Person of what Age or Quality soever ought to lay the Foundation of his Christian Knowledge in Catechetical Instruction And Lastly The End thereof I have shew'd you is this That you may be duly fitted and prepared for Confirmation both to Renew your Baptismal Vow before the Bishop and may be Qualify'd to receive Benefit by the Bishop's Prayers Benediction and by his Laying on of Hands upon you Well but there are several other good Ends and Purposes to which Catechizing serves and because the Knowing of them may increase your Esteem thereof and cause you the better to attend it I will bestow One other Discourse in shewing you what they are before I proceed to Expound the Catechism it self And Secondly As for Confirmation Catechizing requisite to prepare Persons to be worthy Communicants so it is also requisite to fit and prepare you that you may be Worthy Communicants in the Lord's Supper Just as in Confirmation so in the Lord's Supper we do solemnly tho' not so publickly Ratify and Renew our Covenant with God and for the same reason therefore that Catechizing is requisite to prepare you for Confirmation it must be also necessary to fit you for worthy Communicants that you may Communicate with Knowledge and as Persons that understand what they do And alas To what is it but to their having been never Instructed in their Covenant by Catechizing that so many come so Ignorantly or else not at all to the Lord's Supper I say so Ignorantly for as too many of those The want â—hereof the Occasion of People's Igâ—orance conâ—erning the Sacrament and conseâ—uently that do now and then Communicate have but a slender Knowledge in the Nature and Conditions of their Covenant so too few do understand the Importance of the Blessed Sacrament that It is the New Covenant in Christ's Blood 1 Cor. 11.25 that is That it is the Seal of that Covenant which was Purchas'd by and Ratify'd in his Blood But such as have been throughly Catechized as they have been made to Understand the Terms and Conditions of the Covenant of Grace both the inestimable Priviledges made over to them on God's part and those very reasonable Conditions to be perform'd on their own so they have been also taught that One main End of Communicating in the Lord's Supper is to Ratify and Confirm and Seal this Covenant of Grace between God and Us. And then those that have been taught this cannot come Ignorantly to the Lord's Supper nor consequently are in such danger of coming Unworthily I. â—f Receiving â—nworthily for Ignorance of the Nature and Consequence of that Blessed Ordinance is generally as much the cause as any thing that any do approach Unworthily to it Nor if the People of our Nation had been ever throughly Catechized II. â—f not Receiâ—ing at all would so many Abstain as commonly do from ever coming at all for if all Men were throughly instructed in the Nature Terms and Conditions of their Covenant which it is the Business of Catechizing to do as they would then easily discern that it is the highest and most inestimable Priviledge in the World to be took into such a Covenant of Grace wherein they have God Almighty Engaging himself and putting his Seal to it in the Sacrament to make good to them the most inestimable Blessings Pardon and Happiness on the most reasonable Conditions Repentance Faith and Gospel Obedience So if they did rightly understand this they would then account it as it really is the highest Priviledge in the World to be Confederates with God in so advantagious a Covenant and would think they could never often enough Partake at the Lord's Table whereby the oft'ner they come they do more and more secure to themselves those inestimable Benefits made over to us by the Covenant of Grace and Engage as themselves more closely to God so God himself more inviolably as it were to make good those Blessings to them No surely if all Christians had been but Catechized in those Points both what a mighty Priviledge it is to be in Covenant with God and that Receiving of the Sacrament is the Rite of God's own Appointment of Confirming to our selves all the Benefits of this Covenant we should then have our People Daily crouding to the Lord's Table which they do now so profanely turn their Backs upon we should not then need so much to invite and entreat Persons to come but they would of their own accord Embrace all Opportunities of more and more Ensuring to themselves these most invaluable Benefits by often Coming In a word A Man is no more fit to partake of the Lord's Supper that does not well understand the Nature and Terms of that Covenant which he does therein Ratify and Seal with God than he is fit to Seal to Covenants and Leases whose Conditions and Obligations he never had so much as Read over to him nor does he know them But Catechizing is the appointed and most proper Means of gaining a competent Measure of Understanding in the Nature and Terms of the Covenant of Grace Without having been Catechized therefore a Man cannot be well expected to Partake worthily of the Lord's Supper And this is the Second Use to which Catechizing does therefore serve to prepare you that you may be fit and worthy Communicants at the Lord's Table Thirdly III. Catechizing is Requisite to Persons being Edifyed by Preaching Catechizing is very Useful to render you Capable to receive Edification by the Preaching of the Word and to your Profiting by Sermons That is certainly the true and only edifying Preaching which does most plainly lay open before you the Meaning the Reasons and the Importance of any Article of your Faith whereby you may best Know God and the Necessity of Serving him and which does most clearly Explain to you the Nature and true Extent of your Christian Duties whereby you may Know what it is you have to do and may be freed from all causless Doubts and Scruples about the way of your Happiness And lastly which does give you the most convincing Arguments and Reasons to move and stir you up faithfully to Discharge your manifold Obligations to God your Neighbour and your Selves Such as this is truly Edifying Preaching because this will if you do duly attend to it build you up perfect Christians in the Knowledge and Practice of true Religion And now One that has been Catechized so as to have a general Understanding in the Nature of his Covenant when such an One hears a Sermon upon any particular Point of that Covenant whereby he has more fully explain'd to him the Nature and Attributes of
concern us That we be not Ignorant of these his Devices Now these Politick Methods of his These Politick Methods of his discover'd to us under the Parable of a malicious Enemy coming privately in the Night sowing Tares where the Husbandman had before sown good Seed whereby he Endeavours To Corrupt Men's Notions of God and Religion so that by their very Religion they may Dishonour him are discover'd to us in the Gospel under the Parable of some malicious Enemy who coming privately in the Night sows Tares where the Husbandmen had before sown good Seed The Parable runs thus Matth. 13.24 The Kingdom of Heaven is liken'd unto a Man which Sowed good Seed in his Field but while Men slept his Enemy came and sowed Tares among the Wheat and went his way But when the Blade was sprung up and brought forth Fruit then appeared the Tares also And in the 37 38 39 ver Our Saviour himself gives us this Explication of it He that soweth the good Seed is the Son of Man the Field is the World the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom that is the Ministers of Religion and their good Doctrine The Tares are the Children of the wicked One that is Hereticks and their Evil Principles The Enemy that sowed them is the Devil Like a skillful Husbandman he is choice about the Nature of the Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil the Fitness of the Season and the skillfulness of the Seeds-man From which Parable and Explication of our Saviour's we may observe That the most skilful Husbandman is not more curious about the Nature of his Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil and the Fitness of the Season and the Skilfulness of the Seeds-man than Satan is choice and considerate about the Nature of his Erroneous Doctrines the Preparation of Men's Minds to Receive 'em about the most proper and seasonable Times of dispersing 'em and the Capacity and Qualities of those his Agents whom he Imploys to sow them in the Souls of Men. And * First As to the Nature of the Seed he takes care his Heretical Opinions and Practices should bear some Resemblance of Divine Truth in order to conceal their Discovery First I do take it to be infinitely worth your while to consider That those Heretical Principles and Opinions which Satan does choose to Blend with Christianity Do generally bear some Resemblance of Divine Truths in order to conceal their Discovery So that as the Tares which the Enemy sowed were not Distinguishable till the Wheat grew up and bore Fruit So the Heretical and Impious Doctrines of Satan's infusing can scarcely be Known but by their Fruits to which way of Trying 'em our Saviour does therefore direct us And thus he does usually Gild over his Errors Thus especially he Gilds his Errours where the Light of the Gospel does most clearly shine as here I. When under the plausible Appearance of Advanceing God's Honour in some of his Attributes he renders him Odious and Despis'd in Others with the Resemblance of Divine Truth especially in those Churches and Countries where the Light of the Gospel does most clearly shine And I think I cannot do you better Service than to Instance in some of those pernicious Errors both in Faith and Practice of this Kind which do at present Infest this Church and Nation that so you may be Caution'd against the Entertainment of them And First It is usual with Satan here amongst us Vnder the plausible Appearance and Colour of Advancing God's Honour in some of his Attributes to render him Odious and Despised in other Thus for Instance By infusing into Men's Hearts a Belief that God has Created the far greatest Part of the World on purpose to manifest his Dominion and Power and Justice in Damning them afterwards for their Sins he Robs him of the Honour of being a Gracious Merciful and Good God to the utter abolishing of all Veneration towards him and Love of him Insomuch that the very Atheist who denies there is a God does not so much Affront him as even a sober Heathen thought as those who think so Dishonourably of him II. When under â—â—e Colour of â—dvancing â—ospel truths â—â—e propagates â—eresies wchâ—o undermine â—eligion and â—he Necessity â—f a holy Life Secondly Vnder the Colour of Setting up as the most precious Gospel Truths some Opinions that seem to have a great Resemblance of Truth he brings in such Heresies into the Church as do utterly undermine Religion and the necessity of a good Life Thus by his Teaching that Christ has so Paid the whole Debt for our Sins that the vilest Wretch that Lives need no more but be Perswaded that he is an Elected Person and that the Promises belong to him on the Assurance of his particular Election and that such a Faith as this will save him By Vertue of such an Opinion of Satan's infusing no doubt you shall too often find an Envious Malicious Viper a Covetous Worldling a Rebel and an Adulterer even before his Sins are Repented of talk of Recumbing and Leaning upon Christ and Roling upon the Promises as they are pleas'd to Express it with more Assurance than the best and holiest Livers and the faithfullest Servants of Christ III. When he teaâ—hes to prefer â—ome eminent Christian Duty or some Part of a Duâ—y or one Way of perâ—orming a Duty to the â—isparagement of anoâ—her Thirdly A most fatal and mischievous Delusion of Satan rise amongst us in this Nation at this Day is his Teaching Men to prefer some Eminent Christian Duty or One Part of a Duty or One way and manner of performing a Duty to the Disparagement of another Thus you shall often see some careless whether they come to Prayers or not so they can be but at the Sermon and others on the contrary say they care not whether they shall hear a Sermon in their Lives so they can have but Prayers But the most notorious Cheat he puts upon Men is his infusing into their Hearts to Prefer One Part of a Duty to the utter Contempt of the Other Thus because in the Worship of God in Prayers and Praises to perform this with an Hearty inward Devotion is principally required and we are commanded As to prefer Prayer to the neglect of Preaching or Sermons to the contempt of Prayer that since God is a Spirit Christians must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth Hence vast Numbers of Men do conclude that Outward Reverence by Kneeling lifting up the Eyes and the like is a meer Outward Ceremony not at all necessary under the Gospel insomuch that God is now most highly Dishonour'd even in our Publick Assemblies where we come to do him Honour by the shameful want of Reverence appearing in most People by Sitting at their very Prayers As also prayâ—ng in Spirit â—o the regard of Bodily Worship So true it is what One said That such a rude and slovenly Kind of
upon our Lives and more powerfully to restrain us from a course of Sin and to unite us to the Practice of Vertue and Holiness than others and when they have done this to send us to God the Father to seek for Acceptance meerly through Christ his Son And upon these and the like accounts therefore such Truths as these are more particularly necessary to be Believed by us in order to our Justification before God and to our Salvation in the other World and are therefore called the Articles of our Christian Faith being a Summary and Collection of such Doctrines out of the Holy Scriptures as are of a more Concerning Nature than the rest And must therefore be distinctly Known and explicitely Believed All those other Truths of what Nature soever contained in the Holy Scriptures are indeed necessary also to be Believed at leastwise Implicitely that is we are to be possess'd with a General Perswasion that they are all certainly true because God has Reveal'd them as such But these latter which we call the Articles of our Christian Faith must be positively and Explicitely Believed that is we must throughly understand 'em and be assuredly and distinctly perswaded of each single Truth contained in 'em as without which understanding and perswasion a Good and Christian Life will not be wrought in us nor a reliance on God's Merits in Christ for the acceptance thereof Created in our Souls Such for instance is the Belief that there is a God Some Instances of such Truths for this is the very first Principle of all Religion and must necessarily make us stand in awe and fear of offending him if we throughly believe and consider it Such is the Belief that he is our Father who Created us and all the World for this will make us love him who gave us our Being And such again is the Belief that he Exercises a just and a wise Providence in the Government of the World for this will make us submit our selves to all his Dispensations as being the Appointments of one who knows better than our selves what is best for us And to instance also in some which are the Truths purely of Reveal'd Religion Such is the Belief that the Son of God came down from Heaven to suffer Death for us to Redeem us from the Punishments of Hell for this as it shews us how Odious a thing Sin is when nothing less could satisfie God's Justice against it than the precious Blood of the Son of God and consequently does extreamly tend to create in our Hearts an utter hatred to all Sin So hereby we are taught that Christ has made a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice and Satisfaction for the Sins of the whole World And such lastly is the Belief for I need not now stand to mention every Article that all our Bodies shall rise again at the General Resurrection that then we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to Receive a Just Sentence for whatever we have done in the Body whether it be good or bad for this will make us careful how to lead our Lives so in this World that we may not be Condemned in the next These now are some of those Articles of our Christian Faith and are such Divine Truths as are more particularly necessary to be Believed by us as containing in them the greatest reason in the World to restrain us from all manner of Sin and to encourage us in the Practice of all Religious Duties And yet are Doctrines withal of extraordinary force to remove all conceit out of our Minds concerning our own Merits and to make us rely solely upon God's Mercies in Christ for the Acceptance of our most Holy Performances And let this suffice as to the first thing proposed which was to declare unto you something in general of the Nature of the Objects or of those Truths to be Believed the Articles of our Christian Faith And now Secondly I will also shew you what it is to BELIEVE these Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness And if it be ask'd how we must Believe these things What it is to Believe those Truths so as to make us capable of Life and Happiness why we must be so throughly and firmly perswaded of their undoubted Truth as to be accordingly Influenced as I have now said by the Belief thereof to the Practice of Good Works and then to betake our selves to Jesus Christ to Interceed with the Father for their Gracious Acceptance Our Belief thereof must be Operative and Practical I say our Faith must be such as does Influence us to a Good Life for such is the Faith that St. Paul tells us is now required in the Christian Religion in order to Salvation Gal. 5.6 In Jesus Christ says he neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love Some render the words and that more rightly Faith that is perfected by Love which does more expresly signifie the Apostles meaning that that Faith which will save us must be such which is perfected by the addition of those Duties which we owe to God and our Neighbour And St. James does with great Industry shew that the Christian Faith which has the promise of Justification and Salvation is a Powerful Practical Belief and that none other has any Promise What says St. James 2.14 doth it profit my Brethren tho' a Man saith he hath Faith and hath not Works can Faith save him Faith if it have not Works is dead being alone v. 17. and is no more than what the Devils have for the Devils believe and tremble v. 19. Such was the Faith of Abraham and of all the Saints And the Faith indeed for which the Holy Patriarchs and Saints were renowned of Old and are now so highly Rewarded in Heaven was a Powerful Practical and Working Faith indeed which excited them to the highest and the hardest Acts of Obedience that it was possible for Men to perform Thus Heb. 11.17 18. we read that by Faith Abraham when he was tryed offered up Isaac and he that had received the Promises offered up his only begotten Son and he a Son too in whom God had promised him great Blessings And yet at God's Command he readily Obeyed believing that God would be as good as his promise to him tho' it was by raising him again from the Dead By Faith Moses when he was come to Years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward v. 24 25 26. It was a great temptation to Moses to be made a Prince if he pleased in which Estate he might enjoy the highest Pleasures this World could afford but he Believing that God would infinitely reward him
very Unsuitable Lives of us Christians that so Prejudices the Infidel Part of the World Pagans Turks and Jews against our most Holy Religion and hinders their Conversion It is the Cruelty and Covetousness of our Christian Merchants in the Indies that makes the poor Indians even Abhor our Religion and Scornfully to say That Gold not Jehovah is our God Thus Is the Name of God Blasphemed amongst the Gentiles through us Rom. 2.24 It is the Idolatry of the Church of Rome which makes Turks and Jews both of them mortal Haters of Idols to loath and despise the Christian Worship It puts bitter Reproaches in the Mouth of Atheists especially when Wickedness is commited under the disguise of Religion But not to Travel so far as the Indies or Turkey to find out how much our Living so unbecoming our most Holy Profession has scandaliz'd Persons so as to Abhor it Observe the Men of No Religion amongst our selves our Atheists and Libertines and what bitter Scoffs and Jeers may we daily hear them cast forth upon Religion it self when they see some that make great outward Professions there guilty of so much Hypocrisy Cheating Cruelty and Rebellion making their very Religion a Cloak for the carrying on the most wicked Things as if the least Religious the most honest Man And now if there were but the least spark of Love and Honour in our Hearts for God and our most Holy Religion this were enough to make us careful to lead innocent and inoffensive Lives if it were only that we might not dishonour God and Religion thereby and might not bring a Reproach upon our Christian Name Every Man that desires the Honour and Reputation of his Calling and Profession whatever it is will live answerable to his Character and not so as to be a Scandal to his Place Few Men will endure their worldly Calling to be put at naught and Reproacht And therefore as we seldom see a Person of so abject and mean a Spirit as to endure with Patience whatever Art or Profession he is of to be set at naught and spoke against so Men are generally with respect to the Credit of their worldly Professions careful to act with that Decency and Becomingness as shall advance the Reputation thereof Hence the Lawyer as he cannot ordinarily endure except he be a profligate Person his Profession of the Law nor the Physician his nor the Tradesman his to be run down Exposed and made Ridiculous so each of these will be as much as possible for maintaining in their several Dealings a Reputation of Fairness and Honesty as that alone which will raise and preserve an Esteem for them And how then comes it about that a Christian can endure to hear his Christian Profession reproach'd and scorn'd by reason of his scandalous Living Whence is it but from the greater Zeal Men generally have for the Honour of their worldly Callings and Professions than for the Honour of their Christian Religion Profession and Calling And now therefore Thirdly Let me Exhort you An Exhortation therefore to Christians to stand upon the Dignity of their Christian Name and Profession to stand upon the Dignity of your Christian Name and Profession by living such good Lives as may be an Honour not a Disgrace unto it Let me therefore Admonish you from this very Name wherewith you are Honoured to render your selves wholly conformable to those Christian Principles and Doctrines to which you have given up your Names to be governed by and which being taught you in your Catechism I shall by God's leave with all the Plainness and in the most Useful manner I can explain unto you And pray let me Entreat you my Dear Youth seriously and diligently to hearken to me your Spiritual Father that studies no less the Eternal Interest of your Souls and to make you Heirs of Heaven than your Natural Parents do your Temporal Interest to gather you Riches and to leave you Estates in this World You have been Ask'd and you have Answer'd to your Christian Name and you see with what Title you are dignify'd viz. with the Name of Christians And first Wonder not at what I say those Titles of Honour which we daily hear sounding in our Ears I. As that which is more considerable than Titles of Honour and which are so much admired and doted upon I mean the Titles of Emperours Kings Dukes Earls Lords ought to be accounted as very inconsiderable in respect of our Christian Title They are but Earthly Glories and will soon decay and vanish away but this is of a Divine Original which will never fade but will Ennoble you to all Eternity I beseech you therefore seriously consider this and let a due Honour and Regard to so worthy a Name continually Admonish every one of you that you never commit in your whole Lives any thing that does unbecome it I do also Secondly II. Because of that near Alliance there is between the Christian Name and Profession Entreat every One of you to consider the near Alliance there is betwixt your Christian Names and your Christian Profession insomuch that they both began and will both end together In your Baptism you put on both your Name and your Profession of Christianity together and if ever you should abjure your Religion which God forbid you must also therewith abjure your Christian Names so near are they linkt one with another And therefore let this ever admonish you to Adorn your selves with Christian Graces Temperance Chastity Charity Justice Piety and not to defile your selves with Heathenish Brutish Vices Drunkenness Uncleanness Cruelty Infidelity Thirdly III. Because the primitive Christians did in vertue of the Christian Name resist the fiercest Temptations And is it Examples of this good Use of your Christian Name that you want Why the Christians of Old took Courage from this very Name whereby they overcame all their Enemies both Bodily and Ghostly the World the Flesh and the Devil and encourag'd themselves thereby to the Discharge of their Christian Duties In the Vertue of this Name they extinguisht their Lusts they overcame Tyrants they put to flight the Devil Their Persecutors with Fire and Fagot and all manner of cruel Torments would have them forc'd them to Blaspheme Christ to sacrifice and burn Incense to Devils to worship Idols But they in the midst of Flames and Torments would answer with Smiles on their Faces We are Christians we cannot do these Things Forbear your Assemblies and Church-meetings would the Heathen Persecutors say We are Christians and must not therefore Forsake the Assembling our selves together would they answer Such great things did the Primitive Christians perform under the Power of the Christian Name And let your very Christian Names likewise my Christian Youth encourage you to all manner of Vertuous and Religious Practices in imitation of those Blessed Primitive Christians and to the Examples of those that shall come after you IV. Because of
Religion hath made its way into the World by this Policy of Satan and such a shameful Carelessness in Divine Worship that should a Stranger to our Religion come into our Assemblies he could not by the Carriage of the Generality of People imagine what they were Doing and that they were Worshiping of the Glorious Majesty of Heaven would perhaps be One of the last Things he could Conjecture And Extemporary Prayer to the utter Contempt of Forms of Prayer But the most fatal Error of this Kind the most mischievous to the Church and Nation and to Men's Souls therein Is the Preferring a way of performing a Duty that is Vnpracticable by the Generality of Christians to the utter Disparagement of another more easy and no less acceptable way of discharging it This is eminently seen in Advancing Extemporary Prayer as the only Spiritual way of Worshiping and in raising Prejudices in the Minds of Christians against Forms of Prayer as not Spiritual enough if at all Lawful It is very certain that the far greatest Part of Christians are utterly unable to Conceive for themselves much less before others such Prayers or Praises as are proper for their Occasions and fit to be Offer'd in Decency and Honour to so Great and Wise a Majesty as God is And this consider'd if Prayers of other Godly Men's nay of a a whole Church's composing must not be Us'd does it not necessarily follow that this Principal of all Christian of all Natural Duties must suffer if not a total Neglect at least-wise that it must be very indecently and rudely Perform'd and in too familiar a manner with God as is too usual Why woful Experience does plainly shew us that for this very Reason it does And therefore tho' no Church through the Care of its Pious Bishops and Pastors By this latter Means Satan has utterly Defeated those excellent Helps we have in our Church and brought in a great Neglect of Publick Family and private Devotion did ever Abound with more excellent Forms and Helps and those better fitted for Publick Family and Private Devotion than our Church does at this Day yet upon the account of Men's Prejudices which they have been taught to Entertain against Forms of Prayer as not Lawful or not Expedient or not Spiritual enough Never did Persons so sadly Profane the Worship and Service of God so heartlesly join in the Common-Prayer so scandalously throw aside Family Religion and so universally I fear neglect Private Devotion as now they do I fear that those who so zealously decry Forms of Prayer and that on purpose to Advance in its stead a more Spiritual way of Worship as they think will take it ill that their darling Opinion should be Entituled to the Policy of so ill an Author but if considering the Mischief together with the Cunning there does appear upon Examination to be in Satan's Contrivances to Ruine Religion and to draw us off from God we may safely Conjecture any Doctrine that is Pernicious in its Effects when Plausible in its Appearance to be of his â—â—vention surely that which under the Colour of Advancing a more Spiritual Worship does so fatally destroy all Religious Worship has another Spirit for its Author than is commonly Pretended And thus you may perceive by these few Instances whereby you may be enabled to make a happy Conjecture concerning the rest how Cunningly Satan does Gild over and Disguise his Errors with something of a Resemblance to Divine Truth in order to prevent their Discovery And this he does especially in those Countries and Churches where Men do Thirst after Divine Knowledge and to that End do Search the Scriptures The Devil 's main and principal Care indeed is to keep out the Word of God from shining upon any People and at first he bends all his Forces to keep off the Preachers of it that so the World being detain'd in Ignorance they may not know how to Repent and Return to God But when the Light of his Holy Gospel does once begin to shine upon any People then all his Endeavours are to Corrupt and Deprave it with false and forc'd Explications and to multiply Controversies and Contentions in Religious Matters to teach Men to Scruple every Thing and out of a scrupulous Humour to divide and sub-divide into innumerable Sects and Parties stirring up each to Persecute and Destroy the other that whilst the different Parties contend so furiously with one another he may securely Triumph over all and bring the Holy Scriptures at last into Contempt with Prophane and Atheistical Men As if they were the Occasion of all those Wars and Confusions that are occasion'd in the World by Religious Disputes when alas He alone by managing the Lusts and corrupt Humours of sinful Men is the cause thereof So St. Jude ver 19. These be they who separate themselves Sensual having not the Spirit They have not the Holy Spirit of God tho' none make more confident Boasts thereof than Schismaticks and Separatists usually do But the Spirit which they have is the Spirit of Satan and of Sensuality whatever Godliness and Purity above other Men they pretend to II. As to the â—emper and â—reparation 〈◊〉 the Soil 〈◊〉 Churches â—here the â—criptures â—re lockt up â—nd Ignoâ—ance preâ—ails he imâ—ses the grosâ—st Heresies â—s Articles of â—aith But Secondly Is the Soil better prepared to his Mind I mean Is there no Prophecy no Teaching Are the Scriptures Lockt up in an unknown Tongue and is a Cloud of Ignorance drawn over a whole Church Why then he throws off the Veil and walks as at Noon-day And there is no Error and Heresy so gross there is no Doctrine so contrary to Truth that he will not Impose as an Article of their Belief There is not that Ceremony so Absurd Trifling and Ridiculous which he will not Introduce into such People's Worship And there is no Immorality so bad in Practice which he will not teach such People securely and without Fear of Damnation to commit And I do call such Souls who know not the Scriptures and are utterly Ignorant of Divine Things a Soil better prepared to his Mind because he can with the greatest Ease reduce such back to his Ancient Paganism and Idolatry or something like it which above all things he desires Especially he â—â—troduces Iâ—olatry and â—uperstition â—hereby he is â—ost immediâ—tely and diâ—ectly serv'd because by Superstition and Idolatry he is more directly and immediately serv'd As a Politick Prince he 'll make great Advantages of the Divisions of another's Subjects But the Idolater is his immediate Slave and therefore an ignorant Soul as being most proper to sow that Weeâ— in is the Soil he does most of all like But he has a wonderful skill in suiting his Seed to any Soil so that whatever People's Interests or Lusts do incline 'em to Believe he will never fail to suggest such plausible Arguments as will most probably take with ' em III.
of a Magistrate if such a One pretends to correct Sin or to enjoin the strict Observation of any Duty that Part of Religion is thought the worse of and slighted the more for his concerning himself about it And as a Good Name renders a Man capable of doing much Good so to have the Approbation of others to his worthy Designs puts Life and Vigour into his Contrivances for the Publick And active in Promoting it It makes him Active and Zealous in the Prosecution of 'em and gives Refreshment to his tired Thoughts and Spirits under the Fatigues of compassing ' em And to Crown all when such a One comes to Die his Death is lamented as a publick Loss or some Judgment befall'n the Age or Place which was not worthy of him His Memory is sweet and precious whereas that of the Infamous stinks worse than his very Carcass or as the Wise-man says The Memory of the Just is blessed but the Name of the Wicked shall rot Prov. 10.7 So Valuable in it self is that sort of Honour which consists in the high Esteem and Reputation of the Wise and Vertuous Part of Mankind concerning a Person occasion'd by the excellent Qualities and divine Graces shining in him or upon the account of some extraordinary Actions perform'd by him And yet for your farther Satisfaction A desire of Reputation and Credit is a thing implanted in our Natures by God that it is not only in it self a valuable Blessing but may with due Regulations be desir'd enjoy'd and carefully retain'd by us I am to tell you That God himself who is not the Author of Sin has implanted in the Nature of every Man a love of his Credit and a desire to have a Good Name amongst Wise and Vertuous Persons and this the Divine Wisdom has done that this desire of Credit and Reputation might be a Spur to excite us to Vertuous Performances and a Bridle to restrain us from lashing out into Sinful Extravagances Hence that of the Apostle Wilt thou not be afraid of the Power Do that which is Good and thou shalt have Praise of the same Rom. 13.3 And indeed Lastly It is a Duty incumbent upon all Christians And to preserve a Reputation untainted and unsuspected of Evil is a Duty enjoin'd us by his Laws to preserve their Reputation untainted and as much as possible unsuspected of Evil. So the Apostle Phil. 2.15 Be blameless ye Sons of God without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation amongst whom shine ye as Lights in the world And in the 1 Thes 5.22 we are Enjoin'd to Abstain from all Appearance of Evil. Some will pretend so they can but Approve their Consciences to God they care not what Men say of ' em But besides that seldom any grow shameless and regardless of their Credit till they have lost all sence of Conscience as well as of their Honour This is at best but a very uncharitable Saying It is every Man's Duty indeed in the first place to take care of doing any thing that is in it self Evil and by which God is offended and if he cannot discharge his Conscience to him in a Good thing without incurring the Offence and and Censures of Men he must in such Case be content to approve his Actions to God only But in Charity to other Men's Souls we must also with St. Paul Act. 24.16 Exercise our selves to have always a Conscience void of offence as towards God so towards men by giving no occasion to suspect us of Evil and that because of giving no Offence Lest our liberty become a stumbling Block to them that are Weak and an occasion of falling in our Brother's way which we are Caution'd against Rom. 14.13 and 1 Cor. 8.9 Besides that if a Person be of ill Fame tho' he may not deserve it all his Speeches and Actions shall be ill Interpreted no Man regards what he says or does his Proposals shall be suspected his Counsels and Rebukes tho' wholsome and just scorn'd and despis'd the Man he speaks for the side he adheres to the Cause he defends and the Business he manages shall suffer Prejudice and speed the worse for the ill Opinion is held of him So that as the Father said Nobis necessaria est Vita nostra aliis Fama nostra Angl. de Bon. vid. Cap. 22. A Good Life is necessary to us and a Good Name necessary to our Brethren And as we must labour to have a good Conscience towards God for our own sakes so also to have a good Report amongst Men for our Neighbours So Valuable is a good Esteem in it self so desirable to be Attain'd and so carefully to be Preserv'd Nevertheless â—ven a Good Name is in â—me measure 〈◊〉 be Renounâ—ed by us â—he Temptaâ—â—ons it gives 〈◊〉 Nevertheless as useful as is the Honour and Esteem of Good Men even this is in some measure to be Renounc'd by us and the Temptations also it gives us which are not inconsiderable For the natural Desire of Honour and Credit amongst Men is apt to make us too eagerly to desire Praise making our own Glory the main End of the Good we do or at least-wise to make us desire more than is proportionable to our Deserts When possest of Reputation and Esteem we are apt to take it wholly to our selves and not to refer it to God to whom the Glory of all that is Good in us does properly belong and to make it an Instrument of our own Advancement only neglecting to use the Authority which our Credit and Reputation in the World does give us to discountenance Irreligion and to encourage Piety in the World And sometimes Persons do so much over-value their Good Name and Reputation amongst Men as to fly to undue Means of preserving it nay to prefer the Esteem of Men more than the Honour that cometh from God In all which Cases there is great occasion for that Renunciation and Self-denial with respect to that Honour which consists in an High Esteem and Reputation amongst Men. As First we must so far Renounce the Honour that â—â—ll accrue to us from our good Works as not to make our own Glory the End and Reason of any Good we do And First It behoves us so far to Renounce and Reject the Honour and Reputation that shall accrue to us from our Pious or Good Works as Not to make our own Glory the end and Reason of any Good we do We must Take heed that we do not our Alms before Men to be seen of them otherwise we shall have no Reward of our Father which is in Heaven Matth. 6.1 But on the contrary the main and chief End of all we do must be God's Glory insomuch that Whether we Eat or Drink or whatever we do we must do all to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.13 And indeed so far should we be from affecting the Honours and Applauses of Men upon the account of anything
also Believed on him yet because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they lov'd the Praise of Men more than the Praise of God Joh. 12.42 43. that is They Valued their Reputation with Men and their Places and Posts of Honour more than the Testimony of and Reputation with God himself But as the True Religion is here openly Profest amongst us and generally it receives no Disgrace heartily to Espouse it and to Live up to it but is indeed a matter of Disgrace to do the contrary except it be with some profligate Debauchees of our Age If it happen that you should Fall into their Company and Acquaintance which God preserve you from So the Temptations of this Nature which they will give you to cool you towards the serious Profession and Practice of Religion will be Consider'd hereafter when I come to speak of the wicked World and the Temptations which Arise from thence And thus I have consider'd and laid before you as the World in General and the Good Things thereof in Particular viz. Riches Honours and Pleasures So on the contrary the Opposite Evils of it Poverty Disgrace and Afflictions and have Discover'd to you the various Temptations each of 'em do give you and how you are to Renounce and Resist ' em And now it only remains Lastly That I do the like and consider also some Things therein of a middle Nature viz. The Callings Conditions of Life and the Cares of this World which are the Appurtenances of it and afford great matter of Temptation and Tryal to us therein And in what Sence and how far you are also to Renounce each of these I will endeavour to shew you And First Let us consider the Callings of the World I. The Callings of the world and how the Temptations they give are to be Renounced and what Temptations they give us in what Sence and how far we must Renounce and Resist them Now a Calling is some settled Course of Life wherein a Person employs himself in some Business such as Providence has fitted him with Abilities for and which he is Called and Appointed unto to employ himself therein to the Honour of God and to his own and the publick Good And there is no Man nor Woman if not utterly disabled in Body and Mind who ought not to be of some such Calling That is In the first place every Man ought in a settled Course of Life to betake himself to some Business Every Man is to betake himself to some Business Adam even in the State of Innocence was Enjoyn'd to Dress and keep the Garden or e're he could Freely eat of every Tree thereof Gen. 2.15 16. And since his Fall it is as well the Duty as it is the Curse of all his Posterity that In the sweat of our Brows we must eat of our Bread Gen. 3.19 So that every Child of Adam must now with great Industry and Application Employ himself in order to obtain the Necessaries or Conveniencies of this Life It was indeed from the very Beginning and even in Paradise it self our Duty to be Employ'd but it is now both our Duty and Punishment that we must Employ our selves even to the taking of Pains every Man in his proper Calling And that Calling which every Man is to employ his Time in must be such as Providence has fitted him with Abilities for It must be such as Providence has fitted him with Abilities for As God hath distributed to every Man as the Lord hath Called every one so let him walk 1 Cor. 7.17 God hath distributed to every Man some proper Gift or other and therefore every Man must Glorify God in some peculiar Calling or other And to whatsoever particular Calling any Man's peculiar Abilities do fit him to that he is to look upon himself as preparatively Call'd or Appointed by God And such he is preparatively Called and appointed to by God with due Abilities and lawful Authority in Church or State is to determine his Call God does not ordinarily himself Point out any Person by an express Designation as he Called Bazaleel and Aholiab by Name to do the Wâ—rk of the Tabernacle Exod. 31.2 But he distributes his Talents variously to all Persons on some he bestows the Gifts of Honours and Fortunes as to Magistrates and Gentlemen to some the Gifts of Good Parts and Learning as to Scholars of whatsoever Profession and to some Skill in Trade and in Arts as to Dealers and Artificers and to the Inferior and Poorer sort of Men he gives Health and Limbs and whatever sits 'em for Toil and Labour And to some he gives the whole Ten Talents to Trade withal to their Master's Use that is Authority Riches Learning Skill in Business and Strength of Body and Mind and accordingly of all he will require an Account how they have Employ'd their Talents For unto whom much is given of him shall much be required Luk. 12.48 And the unprofitable Servant shall be cast into outer darkness Matth. 25.30 Lastly whatever Calling any Person is appointed to by the Divine Providence he must Employ himself therein to the Glory of God and to his own and the Publick Good To whatsoâ—â—er Calling 〈◊〉 is appointâ— he must â—ploy himâ—f therein to â—od's Glory â—â—d his own â—â—d the pubâ—ck Good In the first place to the Glory of God for that is to be the main End of whatever we do 1 Cor. 10.31 and also to his own and his Families Good For he that provides not for his own especially for those of his own House he hath denied the Faith and is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 And also as every Man is a Member of the Body Politick he is bound to employ his Time and Parts and Pains for its Welfare for God requires that As every Man has received the Gift that accordingly they should Minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet. 4.10 And no Member of Church or State of what Rank or Quality soever he be but must Employ or Interest himself for the Publick Good For God hath so temper'd the Body or Humane Societies together that the Members should have the same care one of another and whether one Member suffers he would have all the Members suffer with it as in the Natural Body or one Member be Honoured he would have all the Members rejoice with it 1 Cor. 12.24 25 26. So that it is necessary you see that every Person should betake himself to some Calling or Business And now the Question will be What is to be Renounced with respect to the Callings of this World And First It behoves all Persons utterly to Renounce such Callings and Professions of Men in the World as are directly sinful and wicked I. All Persons â—ustrenounce â—uch Callings â—nd Professiâ—ns as are diâ—ectly sinful â—nd wicked Such are Bards Pimps
an Eternity of Woe and Misery His Mercy is sufficiently satisfied in laying no Tyrannical Impositions upon us as Satan and all false Gods have done upon their superstitious Votaries It is yet a farther Demonstration of his Mercy that our vertuous Performances tho' they are their own Reward here yet they shall be also abundantly Recompenced hereafter He does moreover let us see his Mercy in his long Forbearance of us notwithstanding that by our numberless Provocations we do Grieve his Holy Spirit But he has given us the greatest Discoveries of his Mercy beyond what could ever enter into the Hearts of Men to expect when he gave his own Son to be an Atonement and Expiation for our Sins that his Justice might not proceed against us and when he sent him to us with a Covenant of Grace as an Act of Pardon proposing to us not only a perfect Reconciliation with our offended God but infinite Rewards in Heaven if we would return to our due Obedience and Pay him no other but a reasonable Service I think this is sufficient for Mercy to do and if such immensurable Mercies will not win upon us it is time that as severe a Justice should then take place for we are to consider God as the supreme Governour of Men and Justice is as necessary an Attribute in Government as Mercy Nor is his Severity in Punishing the Sins of a short Life with an Eternity of Woe and Misery but what is agreeable to his Justice and Wisdom as supreme Governour of the World It is necessary in all Governments that the Laws thereof should be enforc'd with such Penalties as shall be sufficient to deter People from the Transgression of those Laws And therefore the Penalties being future it is necessary they should be vastly Great to Over-balance the Profits or Pleasures of Sin which are present It may seem hard indeed at first sight in Humane Governments that a Person for Clipping a Peice of Silver which bears the Image and Superscription of Caesar or for Stealing it from another should forfeit not only his Goods and Chattels but also his Life it self but yet since upon the Temptations of present Profit bad Men will adventure to commit such Facts and the Authority of Laws cannot otherwise be kept up nor Men's Rights and Properties preserv'd It is not thought by the Honest Part of Mankind Inconsistent with the Wisdom and Justice of Governours to inflict even such Punishments as extend to the loss of Life It is these alone are sufficient to Out-weigh the present Consideration of Profit to the Offender and effectually to move him to live in Obedience to Government and therefore these as great as they be are esteem'd but Just and Equal So here in the Government of God over us The Pleasures and Profits of Sin to compass which Men will Transgress the Laws of Heaven are but short true it is but yet being present and the Punishments Threaten'd to 'em being apprehended by most Sinners to be at a great distance they are therefore generally prevailing and Men for that Reason do venture to Transgress the Laws of God a Thing of worse Consequence than the Violation of Humane Ordinances and therefore it is no other than what can be expected from the Justice and Wisdom of the supreme Governour of the World to inflict such infinite and eternal Punishments In short Divine Vengeance as well as Humane must be such as will Over-balance the Reasons and Motives to Sin And the Pleasures and Profits of Sin being present and the Divine Punishments not taking place but in another World according to the Fundamental Rules and Reasons of Government they must be Infinite and Eternal and all little enough or otherwise they will not be sufficient to secure our Obedience to the Laws of Heaven So that there is no Strength in this Argument of Sinful Men against the Justice of Eternal Torments in the behalf of their Lusts whereby they would perswade you as well as themselves into a most dangerous Security and with-draw you from or slacken you in your Duty Secondly Nor are the Duties of our Religion hard Sayings which no Man can bear II. That the Duties of Religion are hard Sayings which no man can bear as they will likewise plead All the Duties enjoin'd us in the Gospel respect either God our Neighbour or our Selves Those to God as we find 'em laid down in pure and undefiled Christianity undefiled I say with the Inventions of Men are no superstitious senseless and uncouth Observances so much the matter of all other Worships besides the Christian but are all of 'em indeed a most reasonable Service Those which respect our Neighbour are no other than Acts of Justice Peace and Charity the contrary of which would destroy Humane Society or make us Beasts of Prey one to another And as to those Duties we owe to our selves why they are no other than that we should truly and justly Value our selves neither overmuch by Pride nor too little by letting base Lusts to reign over us or the inferiour Part of our Nature to Domineer it over our Reason and Understanding the Superiour and in all Equity the governing Part of us And what is there hard in all this that we should Quarrel with our Duty except we count it hard that God who has made us reasonable Creatures would not suffer us to Transform our selves into unreasonable Brutes Thirdly And this is a sufficient Answer also to that other Pleading of sinful Men That they are made of Flesh and Blood and therefore sure God will not require Men upon the Forfeiture of Salvation if they do not to Mortify the Flesh III. That they are made of Flesh and Blood and that therefore sure God will not require Men upon the Forfeiture of Salvation if they do not to mortify the Flesh For these Men who Plead thus ought to consider that they consist of Soul and Spirit as well as of Flesh and Blood and as the Soul is Superiour and the Governing Part within us So it is highly Reasonable it should have the Obedience of the Other And this is all the Mortification which Religion puts the Flesh to It would keep it in Subjection to the Dictates of right Reason and that is all And tho' this Mortification of the Flesh is to be exercis'd by Imposing some Severities sometimes upon the Body as by Fasting and Watching c. Yet this is no more to be complain'd of than that Refractory Children and Servants and Subjects must be sometimes kept up under Discipline as there shall be occasion Nay but Lastly say these Men God has set us in a World full of Temptations and abounding with sensual Delights and Pleasures and he therefore who has Plac'd us in it sure will not Command us upon Pain of Damnation to Overcome those strong Temptations and to Deny these Pleasures of the World Lastly that God has set us in a World full of Temptations and
Ruine you will thereby bring upon your selves and Families why you must consider that in such Case our Saviour tells us that a Man must even Hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also or he cannot be his Disciple and that whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after him shall not be his Disciple Luk. 14.26 27. â—r Fourthâ— must â—reatnings 〈◊〉 Frowns â—ght us â—n it Nor Lastly must a Souldier of Jesus Christ be frighted out of the way of his Duty or Aw'd into any sinful or slavish Compliance by the Threats and Frowns of any Man living Shrink not from the Exercise of Religion and Uprightness because many about you and they perhaps Above or Richer than you are profane and lewd and utterly regardless of any thing that is Good and moreover do Discourage and Affront it For this if you should you will most certainly offend your Great Lord and Master the Lord of Heaven and Earth and who has call'd upon you not to fear a mortal Man no tho' he could Kill the Body but to be afraid of displeasing him rather who is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell Yea I say unto you fear him Luk. 12.4 And now Lastly I cannot call to Mind any other Temptations Lastly The evil Customs which have prevailed in the World are a powerful Temptation to Sin usual amongst wicked Men to Tempt others to Sin besides Some Evil Customs so rise amongst many That the Heathen Idolatries and those filthy Practices committed in 'em were so universally Complied with by all sorts of Men in the Pagan World was because they were Commended and Established by Publick Custom Many of their wisest Men and Philosophers had other Conceptions of God than to think it was fit to Change the Glory of God into the Similitude of an Ox that eateth Grass and thought also he ought to be Worshipt not by Fooleries and Impurities but with a chast Mind and a clean Heart And yet even those Men submitted to Common Custom and whatever they thought or spoke Privately amongst themselves they acted and spoke in Publick as the rest did And it was to the Prevalency of Custom that the Apostle imputed those Enormities of the Ephesians before their Conversion telling 'em that In time past they walked according to the Course of this World Eph. 2.2 And indeed so great is the Power of Evil Custom that it does still amongst Christians constrain Persons to do many ill Things even contrary to their Nature and Inclinations as well as Religion And when grown prevalent and common it does strangely take off the sence and fear of Hurt in the most Unchristian Practices Custom I say does still amongst Christians constrain Persons to do many ill Things even contrary to their Nature and Inclinations as well as Religion Hence among the Men of Honour as they would be thought shall many become even Self-murderers meerly in Compliance with Custom insomuch that those Persons who of all men Living have most reason to preserve their Lives having all their good Things they can ever expect in this World yet desperately spill one another's Blood in your cursed Duels It is no Inclination in these men I dare say to be so Prodigal of their dear Lives that makes 'em so desperately throw 'em away but meerly out of a Cowardly Fear they should be Branded with Disgrace for not complying with so common a Custom amongst Persons of their own Character So again among Persons of all Ranks you shall have men of no manner of Inclinations to Intemperate Drinking yet when they come to any Great Man's House where it is the barbarous and brutish Custom of Drinking Men hard Yet at such times they will not scruple to Exceed very far It is the Custom of the Place they 'll say and they were forc'd to it they could not help it And Custom also Custom takes off the Sence and Fear of Hurt in the most Vnchristian Practices when grown prevalent and common among Societies of Men will strangely take off the Sence and Fear of Hurt in the most Unchristian Practices Hence amongst Sea-men and Souldiers the most outragious Whoredoms and Adulteries and the most execrable Oaths and Curses are hardly accounted amongst the number of Sins And all the Arts of Cheating and Over-reaching nay of downright Lying and Swearing to the Soundness and Goodness of bad Commodities is little scrupled amongst some sort of Dealers the thing is grown so common And Custom it is which is so commonly Pleaded for the Omission of most necessary Duties as well as the Commission of most horrid Sins Hence do Multitudes make not the least scruple of Absenting their whole Lives from the Blessed Sacrament because it is so common amongst many to do so Thus powerful you see are the Evil Customs of the World so as almost to force Men whether they will or no to do many ill things and what is worse to seare their Consciences in the Commission of the worst Sins and in the Omission of the chiefest Duties A Christian â—ust couraâ—ously and â—gorously reâ—unce and â—ithstand the â—orce of all â—ful Customs â—hatsoever And now what must a Christian do in this Case Custom we know is a Second Nature and when it has been of a long Date Time out of Mind as the Phrase is it pleads Prescription and obtains the Force of a Law amongst Men. So that be a Custom never so contrary to Honesty Sobriety to common Sense and Reason or any the Laws of Christianity an old Custom must not be broken it is the Custom of the Place and must be kept up Such are the Sentiments of the Vulgar in this matter But you must resolve with all Courage and Stedfastness like true Souldiers of Jesus Christ to Renounce and Withstand the Force of all sinful Customs whatsoever and not to suffer your selves to be over-born thereby into any sinful Compliances When Christianity was first Preach'd amongst Men such barbarous and brutish Customs had of a long time prevail'd over the greatest Part of the Heathen World that many Practices which the meer Light of Nature would teach Men to Abandon as Sins and Wounds of Conscience Were as the Learned Dr. Hammond observes Embrac'd by whole Nations at once and continued in without any Check as innocent sinless Qualities Nature and Reason being so early engag'd and silenc'd by popular Custom and vicious Education that many knew it not to be a Sin to Steal or Rob if they were so Cunning as not to be taken others to Kill and Eat their Aged Parents conceiving that by this means they gave 'em a more Honourable Burial others to throw themselves murderously into the Flames to accompany their Dead Princes out of the World Many the like irrational Sins through some local Customs got the Reputation not only of sinless and lawful but of laudable also But all who Embrac'd Christianity as they
for his Self-denial in refusing such Worldly Honours and Pleasures chose rather to be one of those mean Persecuted People the Children of Israel By Faith thousands of Blessed Saints before us endured tryals of cruel Mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of Bonds and Imprisonments they were Stoned they were Sawn asunder were Tempted were Slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and in Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in Desarts and in Mountains and in Dens and in Caves of the Earth Heb. 11.35 36 37 38. They were terrible Sufferings which the Servants of God in former times have been put to undergo but as dreadful as they were being supported with a firm belief that they should be infinitely recompenced for their Sufferings and Losses they thereupon cheerfully underwent the severest that the Wit or Malice of Men or Devils could invent or inflict upon ' em Such a powerful practical working Faith indeed was that for which the Holy Patriarchs and Saints were of Old renowned and are now rewarded in Heaven A Faith I say which excited them to the highest and hardest Acts of Obedience that it was possible for Men to perform And such a Powerful Practical Active and Working Principle is Faith whensoever the things Believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us And such an Operative and Practical Principle is Faith whenever the Things believed are of great Importance or Concernment to us Some things indeed as an Excellent Person does well observe are of such a Nature that the Belief or Knowledge of 'em goes no farther but rests in it self as the Knowledge or Belief of bare Speculative Truths that do not at all Concern us but some things again are of such a Nature as being once firmly and truly believed and known carry a Man out to action Thus for Example If you should hear another threaten'd that he should certainly be Kill'd if he stir out of his House to morrow it would not hinder you from going Abroad tho' you firmly believe the threatning because it is a truth in which you are not Concern'd But the Person so threatned if he does throughly believe the danger will certainly not stir out of his House that day because it is a Truth that he is very much Concerned in On the other side If you should hear of a Promise made to another Person of a Thousand Pound if he will be at the Pains to go but to such a place it will not make you go there because it is a Promise that you are not Concerned in but the other Person if he be certainly perswaded the Promise will be made good to him will certainly go to the appointed place because it is a Promise that he is Concerned in And so likewise as to the case in hand That a sure Promise of the Pardon of our Sins and Eternal Happiness is made over to us in the Second Covenant on condition we will forsake the Service of Satan and of Sin that we will Repent heartily Believe practically and Obey sincerely is a Truth that the Devils to their great grief are fully perswaded of for they believe and tremble St. James tells us But this Faith of theirs does not put them upon Repentance and Amendment because those gracious Promises do not Concern them and they have no Promise of Salvation tho' they should Repent and Amend But as to us whom they do Concern and to whom they are made if we are really perswaded that if we amend we shall be certainly Saved we shall immediately upon such perswasion seriously Repent of what has been done amiss heretofore and take care to Obey God for the future for every Man that hath this Hope in God purifieth himself even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 In short the Articles of our Christian Faith are every one of 'em so many Motives and those the most powerful ones in the World to stir us up to a diligent Reformation of our Hearts and Lives They are in themselves the most obliging Arguments to it and with respect to us they are the most Concerning and Important Truths that can be containing in the meaning of 'em either Threatnings to scare us out of Sin or Promises to allure us to Obedience Either such considerations as are apt to excite our fears when we are in a course of Impiety or are Grounds whereon we may build the vastest hopes in the Performance of our Duty And if any one does not live accordingly a Godly Righteous and a Sober Life I dare be bold to say it is owing to some spice of Infidelity lurking in his heart whereby he is not throughly perswaded of or does not actually consider these Truths But he that does throughly Believe and Consider them can hardly fail of being a good Liver Thus necessary you see it is that our Belief of all the Articles of our Christian Faith be such as does Influence us to good Works And then after all 2. It must be a Belief that causes us to betake our selves to Jesus Christ to Interceed with God the Father for their Gracious Acceptance 2. To Believe savingly we must apply our selves to Jesus Christ to interceed with God the Father for our Gracious Acceptance This I have formerly in the beginning of my Exposition insisted upon yet such is the growing Infidelity of the World with respect to this which is the most Essential part of Christian Faith that it would not be unseasonable should I again shew you that we must depend upon the Mediation of Christ with the Father for us that our imperfect Righteousness may be graciously accepted to our Justification This is that Act of Faith which is called in Scripture Believing in Christ and to such a Believing as this it is that our Justification is Attributed by St. Paul Gal. 2.16 Know this that a Man is not Justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ even we have Believed in Jesus Christ that we might be Justify'd by the Faith of Christ and not by the Works of the Law for by the Works of the Law shall no flesh be Justify'd And as this Act of Faith the Relying upon God's Mercies in Christ does wonderfully exalt the Divine Justice and Mercy so it leaves no place to the Creature to Attribute any part of its Happiness to it self but does utterly exclude all occasions of Boasting God hath set forth Jesus Christ his Son to be a Propitiation through Faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the forbearance of God Where is Boasting then it is excluded By what Law of Works nay but by the Law of Faith Rom. 2.25 27. So that it is not enough that we Believe punctually but it is moreover necessary that we rely also on God's Mercies in Christ that our imperfect Holiness may be accepted or otherwise even our Assent to all the
Devotion towards God Justice and Charity towards their Neighbour and a subjecting of their Lusts and Appetites to right Reason which is the great Duty to themselves I say Christians must as much distinguish themselves from the profane Crew of Idolatrous and Wicked Heathens and Unbelieving Jews by an exact and regular and a better Life as the Jews were to distinguish themselves from the Idolatrous and Wicked Heathens in those days by a Ritual Holiness Nay And does he call us a Royal Priesthood Why this he does here and also Rev. 1.6 where we are told That Christ hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father And what doth this import but that we are as much to exceed both Jews and Gentiles in holy Living as the Priests among the Jews were to excel the rest of the People in a Legal Purity and Cleanness Christians are to shew themselves to be Kings by their Victories over the World the Flesh and the Devil over Sin and Satan and they are to be as it were Priests because they are to present their Bodies a living Sacrifice Holy acceptable unto God which is our reasonable Service and are not to be conformed to this World but to be transformed by the renewing of their Minds Rom. 12.1 2. And are to offer up the Sacrifice of Praise continually the Praises of God Heb. 13.15 They are to offer charitable Alms which are called an Odour of a sweet smell a Sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing unto God Phil 4.18 This is the Importance of those high Expressions of St. Peter and this indeed do the following Words declare But ye are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of Him who hath called us out of Darkness into his marvellous Light And indeed so much it concerns us who are Members of Christ's Church to distinguish our selves from the rest of the World by our excellent Lives far above other People that our Blessed Saviour came into the World died and suffered all those stupendious Things recorded in the Gospel all on this very Design To purchase such a Body of Men that should more peculiarly and zealously serve God and to work and persuade us to it Thus Tit. 2.14 it is said That he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works And hence were all his Discourses and Preachings to us especially that most divine Sermon upon the Mount to raise all his Disciples and Followers to the highest pitch and perfection of moral Vertue and Goodness He came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil them Matth. 5.27 That is to enlarge and encrease our Duties to God and Man and to our selves to make the Obedience of the Heart as necessary as that of the outward Man to make the very Thoughts of Uncleanness criminal as well as Adultery it self And in a word hence does he require of us his Members that our Light should so shine before Men that they might see our good Works and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven vers 16. That is he requires that by the Eminence of all divine Graces and Vertues shining in our Lives we should be as a Candle set on an Hill to enlighten the benighted and bewildred World straying in the darkness of Ignorance and Errour that they might find their way by the Brightness of our Examples to Heaven and Happiness And by the savourliness lastly of our good Conversation he requires that we should be as Salt in the World to season the corrupted Manners of Men. Such strong Obligations lie upon us as Members of Christ's Church to be faithful in our Covenant that is to perform all due Obedience unto God Secondly Nor is the consideration of our being Children of God 2. As Children of God less fruitful of good Arguments shewing us those vast Obligations lying upon us faithfully and conscienciously to discharge our Covenant with him There is no relation that is which does speak more of Duty and Duty sounded upon better Reasons than that of a Child to his Father A Wifâ— owes some Duty and Observance to her Husband because the Husband is the Head of the Wife a Servant to his Master because from him he has Provision a Subject to his Prince Children are bound to the strictest Obedience to their Parents as owing to 'em their Being because of Protection But a Child owes his very Life and Being and all that he has is originally derived from his Parent Especially this is so with the Children of God upon a double account both that of Creation and that of Adoption Consider us as the Children of God with respect to Creation and not only our Life and Being but all Things necessary to the support and maintenance of this Being of ours that it falls not back into Annihilation and Nothing is wholly owing to that God whose Offspring we are according to that of the Apostle Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our Being for we are his Offspring But consider us who are Baptized Christians farther as the Children of God by Adoption and then over and above our Being and all that belongs to it our Well-being also both in this and a better Life is wholly of his Gift For if Children of God as St. Paul does argue Rom. 8.17 then Heirs Heirs with God and joint Heirs with Christ so that if we suffer with him we shall be also glorified together And now if for Life and Being and also for all that Well-being Children of God as owing both Being and Well being too which we have or hope to enjoy in this or the Life to come we wholly and entirely depend upon God our Father Do we not then owe to him as his Children all the Duty all the Observance and all the Diligence possible in the discharge of such Duty and Observance This the very Light of Nature teaches us but the Scripture does most expresly upon that very score of being his Children require of us A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master says God by his Prophet Mal. 1.6 If I then be a Father where is mine Honour And if I be a Master where is my Fear And upon the same score of our being Children of God does St. Peter most earnestly exhort us to a Renunciation of the World and our filthy Lusts and to a faithful and careful discharge of our Duty to God our Father As Obedient Children says he 1 Epist 1.14 15. not fashioning your selves according to the former Lusts in your Ignorance but as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation And vers 17. If ye call on the Father that is profess your selves the Sons of your Heavenly Father who without respect of Persons judgeth every Man according to his Works can see Blemishes and
will punish Faults as well in his Children as others if you profess your selves the Children of such a Father pass the time of your sojourning here in fear is the Inference the same Apostle makes from this Relation of being the Children of God And indeed except we do give up our selves sincerely and faithfully to obey God and in all Points to discharge our Covenant with him we are in effect not the Children of God however Baptized and so in Profession but in reality are the Children of the Devil and from him must expect our Reward So St. John assures us 1 Epist 3.8 9. He that committeth Sin is of the Devil that is he that committeth any act of known Sin is in that so far from being a Child of God that he is a Child of the Devil of whom and not of God he is an Imitator For whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God That is as the Learned Hammond does Paraphrase upon the same place whosoever is a true Child of God keeps himself strictly from every deliberate Act of Sin and the reason is Because that contrary Principle of Regeneration or Sonship from which he is said to be born of God if that continue to have any Life or Energy in it is utterly contrary and incompatible with Sin And then does follow that Characteristical distinguishing Mark he does give of a Child of God and a Child of the Devil shewing the grand difference between one and the other In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God v. 10. In a word to conclude this Argument also As it is almost natural and therefore ever expected that Children should imitate the Life and Manners of their Parents and if they prove dissolute and of loose Behaviour it does usually redound to the Parents disgrace as generally supposed to proceed from slackness of Government so should we who are Children of God be Covenant-Breakers prove lawless and dissolute Livers it will extreamly tend to the Dishonour of our Heavenly Father whose Name is then hallowed amongst Men when we his professed Sons and Servants do dutifully and sincerely fulfill our Engagements to Him but on the contrary is then blasphemed when we live ungodly Lives So that this grand Favour and Privilege of being the Sons of God is another most powerful Argument to render us faithful in our Covenant with Him And so likewise it is Thirdly To be an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven 3. As Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven What restraint will it put upon a young Heir and how careful will it make him to please his Parents when a great Estate is like to descend upon him but yet so that he shall certainly be disinherited of it except he behave himself soberly and regularly and dutifully to those his Parents And if so how infinitely more circumspect and wary and diligent should we all of us be to please our Father which is in Heaven by discharging our Covenant-Engagements to him inasmuch as the Heavenly Inheritance is of infinite more value than an Earthly one can be I shall not stand now to give you a description of that Exceeding Weight of Glory and of those Vast and Immense Treasures of Happiness which are laid up in Heaven for those who shall faithfully perform their Covenant with God I shall only in short shew you that such is the Nature and Constitution of the Covenant of Grace that there is no Hopes nor Expectations of ever obtaining it without a faithful discharge of all our Covenant-Engagements to God and if so then certainly there cannot be greater Obligations possible to the performance of ' em And as to the Nature of the Covenant of Grace surely one would think it were needless to prove that the Conditions of it must be performed or we cannot expect to inherit the Promises This is of the Nature of all Covenants whatsoever which consist of certain Promises and Benefits to be made good on one part not without certain Conditions to be performed on the other And why then should any so fondly expect Justification and Happiness to be conferred upon 'em except they do Repent heartily Believe practically and Obey sincerely the only Conditions of this Covenant Kingdom of Heaven not to be expected but by those who are faithful in their Covenant as has been often shewed Why sure none that look into the Gospel and see and consider how that all along Happiness is only promised to the Obedient can ever expect it upon other Terms But so it is that a sort of Antinomian Hereticks do spread abroad their pestilent Doctrines teaching that Christ by his Sacrifice and Satisfaction for us has purchased Justification and Happiness without any Conditions to be perform'd on our part and that what he has done will wholly excuse us from Duty and Obedience But this is one of the most Antichristian Errours in the World as undermining the whole design of Christ's Coming and his Preaching the Gospel amongst us which was to tie us up to higher Rules of Righteousness than were before given to the Sons of Men. It was infinitely far from the Design of him who came to save and deliver us from the Power and Dominion as well as from the Guilt and Punishment of our Sins to do any thing that should encourage us in Sin and render us secure when at any time we commit it But that which Christ has done for us amounts to this that he has purchased by his Blood-shedding an Abrogation of the First Covenant wherein was no Happiness without an Unsinning Obedience and then has procured for us this most gracious Covenant with these abatements of rigour That we shall have all that unspeakable Bliss and the Inheritance of Heaven conferred on us on condition we shall repent of and forsake our Sins and knowingly and willingly not offend him for the future And a most encouraging Argument this will be to all considering and serious Persons to make 'em faithful and diligent to perform their Covenant No People either Jews or Gentiles ever before us had the like The Jews by the Law of Moses or the meer Covenant of Works had plainly and expresly the Assurances only of a temporal Canaan and the Promises of a peaceable and prosperous Possession thereof to encourage their Duty And the poor Pagans had little Inducements to vertuous living more than the present Tranquility of Mind which arises from the meer exercise of Vertue neither of 'em Considerations strong enough to bear us up against great Temptations to sin and the difficulties in the way of our Duty But this one Consideration of an eternal Weight of Glory an Inheritance laid up in Heaven a Crown of Life infallibly ensured to those who shall be faithful unto Death This is enough to encourage us in Well-doing and
Malice against it pag. 108 So that for the first 300 Years we hear of nothing but of bloody Persecutions The Emperors of Rome the Instruments but Satan the Instigator And wheresoever any Attempt is made to Convert a Country from Paganism he does instigate the Princes and People thereof to Persecute and Destroy the Preachers of the Gospel And he is no less Industrious to drive Christianity out of those Countries whereof it had once Possession And he has an Anti-Christian Party within the Bowels of Christendom most sadly weakening Christ's and most effectually promoting the Interest of his own Kingdom pag. 109 And now all Christians are so far to Renounce Satan with respect to those his persecuting Temptations as to submit to the sorest Sufferings which Satan and his wicked Instruments can inflict rather than deny Christ or his Truths Secondly When those bloody Methods fail Satan then does endeavour so to corrupt Mens Notions of God and Religion that by their very Christianity they may dishonour him pag. 110 This Politick Methods of his discover'd to us under the Parable of a malicious Enemy coming privately in the Night and sowing Tares where the Husbandman had before sowed good Seed Like a skilful Husbandman he is choice about the Nature of the Seed the Temper and Preparedness of the Soil the Fitness of the Season and the Skilfulness of the Seeds-man First As to the Nature of the Seed he takes care his Heretical Opinions and Practices should bear some Resemblance of Divine Truth in order to conceal their Discovery Thus especially he Gilds his Errors where the Light of the Gospel does most clearly shine as here First When under the plausible Appearance of Advancing God's Honour in some of his Attributes he renders him odious and despis'd in Others pag. 111 Secondly When under the Colour of Advancing Gospel-Truths he propagates Heresies which do undermine Religion and the Necessity of a holy Life Thirdly When he teaches to prefer some eminent Christian Duty or some part of a Duty or one Way of performing a Duty to the Disparagement of another As to prefer Prayer to the neglect of Preaching or Sermons to the contempt of Prayer As also Praying in Spirit to the regard of Bodily Worship And Extemporary Prayer to the utter Contempt of Forms of Prayer pag. 112 By this latter Means Satan has utterly Defeated those excellent Helps we have in our Church and brought in a great Neglect of Publick Family and private Devotion pag. 113 Secondly As to the Temper and Preparation of the Soil in Churches where the Scriptures are Lockt up and Ignorance prevails he imposes the grossest Heresies as Articles of Faith Especially he introduces Idolatry and Superstition whereby he is most immediately and directly serv'd Thirdly As to the fitness of the Season he is dexterous in Accommodating his Counsels his Actions and his manner of Acting to such Seasons as are most proper to his Purpose of seducing Mankind pag. 114 Hence in dark and ignorant Ages nothing so common as the Apparitions of Saints as was Pretended to introduce the Belief of Purgatory Image-worship and the like Superstitions And in Learn'd and Philosophical Ages he is as shy in appearing lest she should destroy the prevailing Sadducism Fourthly As to the Skilfulness of the Seeds-man Satan is wonderfully Cunning in making choice of fit and proper Instruments and in furnishing those with the proper Arts of Deceiving and with suitable Qualities whom he employs to sow the Seed of corrupt Doctrine in the Souls of Men. pag. 115 Such as place all Religion in Morality shall be adorned with Humanity Such as turn it all into Mystery shall be Gifted with Canting pag. 116 And yet sometimes the Crooked Serpent by Men seeming Godly will propagate Principles extreamly Immoral The most difficult Part of a Christian's Warfare is to preserve One self untainted with Heretical Pravity colour'd over with the Varnish of Gospel-Truth But yet by Trying it by proper Rules it may be done viz. First By its Tendency to an ill Life Secondly By its taking off from our Dependance upon the Mediation of Christ for the Acceptance of a good One pag. 117 LECT XII Thirdly Satan's great Industry is to gain over to his Party or to Tempt to some scandalous Enormity such Persons as are more than ordinarily Eminent for their Rank their Order or their Piety in the Church First Such as are most Eminent for their Station or Quality pag. 119 Such Men's Wickedness not altogether from the Temptingness of Riches but the Industry of Satan to get over such leading Men to his Party Such Men's Examples if bad of malignant Influence because Conspicuous And will bring upon 'em the Guilt not only of their own but of other Men's Sins because Their Actions have the force of a Precept as well as of a Pattern which Inferiors are afraid to shew their dislike of pag. 120 Great Men therefore must of all others Renounce the Temptations of Satan Secondly Such as are most Eminent on the account of their Order viz. the Ministers of Religion He is doubly Enrag'd against such both because in the Nature and Design of their Office they are to destroy his Kingdom and because the rest of the World do altogether Eye them for their Pattern Hence no Temptation left untried to withdraw such into some scandalous Enormity pag. 121 And hence the more Industrious a Minister is the more Industrious is Satan to overcome him And in the very way wherein he is most serviceable to the Church of God Satan does endeavour to make him most Mischievous As by turning his Zeal into Faction His spiritual Mindedness into Enthusiasm If he cannot prevail over him by real Miscarriages he will render him useless by forged Calumnies pag. 122 It wonderfully concerns the Interest of Religion that the Reputation of its Ministers be kept unsullied Hence Satan and Satanical Men so Industrious to blast it And slanderous Reports lessen the Authority and Influence of the Clergy almost as much as real Sin pag. 123 It behoves the Clergy therefore so far to Renounce and Resist the Devil's Temptations as to take care not only to be really Blameless but also to abstain from all appearance of Evil. Thirdly Such as are signal for their extraordinary Piety and Vertue Good Men the Devil knows will be scandaliz'd at such a One's Fall And the Atheistical will triumph therein And withal the lapst Person will be rendered almost incapable ever after of Converting others by his Example or Exhortations pag. 124 Against this Bulwark of Religion therefore the Devil draws up all his Artillery The Pride and Pains he takes in overcoming such a One represented in a Parable pag. 125 The more Exemplarily Pious therefore any Man is the more it concerns him to beware of the Devil and all his Temptations pag. 126 LECT XIII Lastly what Temptations Satan levels against all Persons indifferently consider'd The Devil's Temptations not easily known to be his nor