common good as may exceedingly promote it if they be observed by posterity must have a great regard to his present and surviving fame because the honour of his Laws will depend much upon the honour of his name and if once the people vilifie him they will be likely to vilifie and cast off his Laws to the hurt of Church and Common-wealth and their own undoing And even as to the success of their present Government they should be very careful of their fame so also a Minister of the Gospel must be very careful of his present and future reputation For at present the saving good of his auditors doth much depend upon it For if they have a base esteem of the Pastor they will be unlikely to give diligent intention to his Doctrine but disesteem it as they do the speaker and it is not likely to go to their hearts Nor will they seek his advice in the great matters of salvation and the difficult cases and dangers that they meet with but to the great hazard of their souls will slight the necessary assistance of him that is appointed to be their guide to heaven and will set light by all the Ordinances of God And therefore the Pastors Reputation is ten thousand times more beneficial and necessary to the people than to himself For alas it is but their good thoughts and words that he receiveth which add little to his happiness but it 's everlasting life which they may receive by that Word of God and help from him which is furthered by his Reputation And therefore as Ministers should be exceeding watchful against Pride that they desire not Honor for themselves so when they are sure that God is their end they must be exceeding careful of their own Reputation and avoid all occasions appearances of evil and purchase it by all just means For though honour be worth little yet the Cause of God and the souls of men are worth much and we must not be prodigal of our Masters Talents and such as are very useful to his service Our Reputation is Gods and the Churches due and to be cherished for their use Especially those Ministers must be careful of their Reputation that by Reformation or Publick useful writings are capable of profiting Posterity and they may desire the surviving of their honours which for it self might not be desired because their works and writings and Doctrine are like to be much blasted by their own defamations and do little good to any that come after Nay the precious truths and cause of God may be most dangerously wronged and disadvantaged by it and get such a blot and dishonour by their dishonour that any that shall seek the promoting of it hereafter may be greatly hindered and disadvantaged thereby For it will seem enough to cast off such a Doctrine for ever that by the dishonour of the maintainers it was once dishonourable and rejected as an error And doubtless some things have been thus made Heresies and so will be long rejected as Heresies in many parts of the Christian world because they were once called by that name and that was because the Person that did own them had some such dishonour or disadvantage as left his Doctrine open to this reproach And therefore you may here see what a Potent instrument Reputation is in the Devils hand to do his work and what abundance of advantage he gets by defaming Gods servants Principally by this means did he long keep the world from the entertainment of the Gospel the servants of Christ being contemptible in their eyes and the preaching of the cross but foolishness to them By this means did the Pharisees hinder the Jews from believing in Christ And by this means is Heathenism Infidelity and Mahometanism continued in possession of most of the world to this day By this means it is that Popery keeps the common people in thraldom as the voluminous lies of Cochlaeus Bolsecus and many others concerning Luther Calvin Zuinglius and other of our Reformers and Writers do fully testifie And by personal reproaches and dishonours it is that the Doctrine of the Reformed Divines is made so odious among the Lutherans and the like instances might be given in others If now any weighty Christian Verity should be asserted by any Pastor of the Church in a sounder and clearer manner than is commonly known or owned if the person that doth it should but fall under any reproach which he shall be sure of if the Devil can procure it it 's two to one but for his sake his Doctine will be stigmatized with the name of error and so lie buried for ever till Divine Omnipotency commands its Resurrection And hence it is that there is not one Instrument that ever God raiseth up to vindicate any truth or ordinance or do him any special service but Satan raiseth up tongues and pens if not hands and swords against him and an Army of reproachers will presently be on the back of him Now in all such cases as these it is a great duty for any servant of Christ to be very regardful of his Reputation even with Posterity For his good name may much promote the Truth as we know the Name of Austin Calvin and many another doth at this day And if it be our great duty to extend our service of God as far as we can to all Countries and to all posterity to do them good then is it our duty to endeavour that a good Reputation should go along with our labours to further the success or remove impediments And thus while we are sincere and intend all for God we may and must regard our honour and yet in so doing we Deny our selves because we do it not for our selves but for God and his Church 2. And if honour be given in to us this way even as we partake of it our selves as a Means to Gods honour we must thankfully accept it esteem it and rejoyce in it And therefore it is made the matter of many promises and spoken of in Scripture as a blessing Prov. 22. 1. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and 10. 7. The memory of the Just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Eccles 7. 1. A good name is better than precious oyntment with many the like Thus much I have said to prevent a mis-application of that which followeth and to help you so to understand me on this point of Honour as not to run from extream into extream and to sin by seeking to avoid sin But alas this kind of seeking our Honour for God and his Church and not for our selves and as our own I doubt is more rare than the neglect of honour The sin that I disswade you from is in these two points 1. That you do not Affect and seek after Extending or surviving Reputation for your selves and out of a Proud desire to be still some body in the estimation of the world 2.
the matters of salvation But see what self can do If the same men have but their tithe to gather they will not think it a needless thing to go or send to every family and speak with them all about their own business At least if it were any considerable sum they would not lose it for want of speaking for Our neighbours do many of them think it much that we should call them to be personally Instructed or Catechized and they will not come at us but say What needs all this ado have we not teaching enough at Church Its Children that must be Catechized and we are past Children You see how little interest God and their Ministers and their own salvation hath in them But will you see what carnal self can do more Had I but money enough I would undertake to make them come to me and follow me as a horse will follow his provender Had I but ten pound a piece to give them yea or but ten shillings I do not think I should have any refuse to come and fetch it unless it were those that now are the forwardest in seeking relief for the wants of their souls Had I but the estates or lives of all these men in my power how easily would they be ruled and how diligently and submissively would they attend that now for God and their everlasting life disdain to come and seek instructions And yet these men would scarce believe you if you should tell them that self and the world is made their God and that God himself is denyed and rejected by them Moreover a long time I have been perswading all the families in the Town and Parish to read the Scripture and daily call upon God together I have proved it their duty from Scripture and this doth not prevail But see what flesh and self can do If these men were but sure of ten or twenty shillings a time for every Morning and Evening that they pray together I warrant you what ever the heart did the lips should be taught to do their part O how busie would all the Town and Parish be to learn to pray that now look not after it I do not believe that there is ever a house among them all that would not very shortly set up prayer if they were but paid for it after these rates Judge now whether God or self bear sway among these men and whether soul or body be more regarded Moreover we have too many drunkards in the Town that no means that we can use will restrain and keep sober They love the drink and they cannot forbear and tell them of Gods word that doth threaten them with damnation and they will for all that be drunk the next day But if one of these wretches might have but ten pound a week on condition he would forbear I do not think for all this but he could forbear Or if he were sure that for every cup of drink he should drink after it a cup of piss or gall I warrant you he would soon begin to abate We have abundance of ignorant sensual men that for love of sin refuse Church-Government and will not come under it But if the Magistrate would but make a Law that all men shall he members of a particular Church and submit to discipline or forfeit but twenty shillings a month how few refusers should we have in all the Town or Country We have many that seldom come to hear in the publick Assemblies but let the Parliament make a Law that they shall pay for their resusal and how readily will it bring the most of them unless they have hopes that the Law will not be executed And judge now whether self or God have greater Interests in these mens hearts I see but one piece of self-denyal among this sort of people in this Town and that this Though the officers are to give the money to the poor which they have from swearers drunkards unlicensed and abusive Ale-sellers prophaners of the Lords day c. yet that sort of the poor themselves do hate those officers that are zealous in their duties This is strange that the love of money doth not change them But whether it be that they can deny their flesh for the Devil though not for God and in enmity to godliness though not to further it or whether it be that the officers do use to give their mony to an honester sort of poor and these have none of it I cannot well tell And having given so many sad instances of the power of self and scarcity of self-denyal in others I hope the Magistrates will not take it ill if we help them to discern this enemy in themselves nor be offended that they come last unless it were in a more honourable cause I hear the best and wisest men that I can meet with complain that in most places Ale-houses flourish under the Magistrates Noses and that whoredom swearing prophaning the Lords days shall seldom be punished but when they are very much urged to it nor then neither if it will but displease a neighbour or friend especially if it be a worshipful swearer or drunkard that is to be punished We see in most places that it s more than the Justice can do to put down one Ale-house of many that they consess should be suppressed and I doubt but few can keep them from increasing Men say that there is so much ado before they can have Justice from many of them and those that seek it are counted but for busie troublesome fellows that many are ready to let all alone And whence is all this that men in Power can do so little against those that have no Power to resist them Why Alas the cause is plain Self is against it They have none but God and Ministers and a few precise fellows to perswade them to it and they have no greater motives than what is fetcht from Heaven and Hell to move them to it and these are but small matters with them I speak of the unsanctified It must be one that hath greater interest in them than God that must perswade them to it It must be more powerful matters than the promises of Heaven and the Threatnings of damnation that must prevail with such moderate Gentlemen as these And who is it that can do this that God and their salvation may not do Why even self carnal self If you know but how to engage their own self-interest in the business I warrant you it will go better on Let but every informer be well pâ—â—d for his pains and every Justice have a hâ—â—drâ—d pound from the Exchâ—quer for every due execâ—â—ion of such laws and how roundly would the work go on Then they would not say We cannot do it or We are not bound to look after them Do you think I wrong them or speak without proof I will leave it to your judgement when I have given you but these few instances Let but the Plague
withall unsanctified hearts are ordinarily transported with this odious vice A strong wit and a voluble tongue and learning to furnish it with matter are notable servants to Pride of heart where that spiritual illumination and holiness is wanting that should abase the Proud and turn mens Parts a better way To all that are apt to be tainted with this odious vice I would recommend these following considerations 1. Consider what a dangerous sign it is of a graceless hypocritical heart where Pride of Gifts doth much prevail It is as inseparable from a child of God to be humble and little in his own esteem as from a new-born Child to be really lesser than men at age No more sincerity than humility in any 2. Consider what cause of deep humiliation you carry about you in every duty Besides all the wants and loathsom corruptions of your souls which follow you wherever you go the very sins of your duties one would think should humble you Oh to have such low conceptions such dull apprehensions such heartless unreverent poor expressions of such a God such a Christ such a glory and such holy truth should make us ashamed to open our Lips before the Lord and wonder that he doth not tread us into hell instead of regarding us or our services and that fire doth not come forth from his jealousie and consume us It should make us so far from glorying in our performances that it should drive us to Christ in every duty to take him with us to shelter us from the flames of holy jealousie so that we should not dare to go any further than he goes before us and stands between us and the wrath of God nor to speak a word but in his name nor to expect any welcome but on his account Shall a wretch be Proud of that performance whose failings deserve everlasting torments Must you be beholden to Christ to save you from the Hell that the sins of your performances deserve and yet dare you be proud of them Let a Papist run that desperate path that rails at us for saying that our best duties are mix'd with sin and that this sin deserves the wrath of God Let them refuse a Physician that think not themselves sick and let them tell Christ they will not be beholden to him for a pardon for the sins of their prayers and other duties but for shame let not us be guilty of this who profess to be better acquainted with our infirmities 3. Consider also that you have to do with so Holy and Glorious a God that to be Proud before Him and that in and of our very service of him is a sin whose greatness surpasseth our apprehensions Had you to do with a man like your selves you might better lift up your selves against him There is nothing comparatively in the presence of the greatest Prince to humble and abase you But to be Proud before the God of heaven and that in and of our lamentably weak addresses to him O what an horridly impious unreasonable thing is this O man if thy eyes were opened to see a little a very little of the glory of that blessed God thou speakest to how flat wouldst thou fall down how wouldst thou fear and tremble and cry out as the Prophet Isa 6. 5. Wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts Or as Job 40. 4. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth And Chap. 42. 5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes One glimpse of Gods Majesty would take down thy self-exalting thoughts and humble thee with a witness 4. Consider the examples of the holiest of Gods servants The example of Job and Isaiah I have now mentioned Moses himself did think himself unmeet to speak in Gods message Exod. 4. 10. He said unto the Lord I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant but I am of slow speech and of a slow tongue And ver 13. He said O my Lord send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send When God sent Jer. 1. 6. he said Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a child And Paul cries out Who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. So that it hath been the course of the most Seraphical Prophets and holy Apostles to have low thoughts of their own abilities for duty And yet have you enough to be Proud of 5. And consider that the Nature of the holy employment that you are upon one would think should be enough to humble you It is a confessing of sin unworthiness and guilt and will you be Proud of this It is a confessing that you deserve everlasting torment And will you be Proud of such a confession as this The Lord be merciful to us and save us from this unreasonable vice who would think that it should be thus with a man in his wits To confess that he deserveth Hell-fire And to be Proud of that Confession your Petitions are all humbling if they be according to the word you are beggars for your lives for pardon of many and hainous sins and should come as with the rope about your necks you beg for deliverance from eternal misery and should you be proud of such requests should beggars be Proud yea such needy miserable beggars and be proud of their very begging Nay your very thanksgiving it self is humbling For what do you give thanks for but for salvation from these odious sins and the damnation which you have deserved And shall a thief be proud that he is pardoned and taken from the gallows Pride is contrary to the very Nature and meaning of all those holy duties that you are Proud of 6. Yea the Gifts themselves that you are Proud of should humble you For 1. They are from God and not your selves 1 Cor. 4. 7. For who maketh thee to differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it 2. You received them not for your selves but for God and therefore have no reason your selves to be lifted up by them 3. All Gifts are for labour and duty and must be once accounted for and therefore should keep you in humility and fear To be Proud of Gods Gifts is to be Proud of that which is given you to destroy Pride in your selves and others For this is the End of them 7. And it is a sign that you want exceeding much of that which you are Proud of You are Proud of Knowledge when as if it were not for want of Knowledge of that which should humble you you would not be so Proud You are Proud