And indeed nothing is more usual than to endeavour to drown the cry of the sins of the present times by talking loudly of the crying sins of the former Oh cry'd the Jews Our fathers what wicked men were they to kill the Prophets when themselves persecuted and hated the great Prophet of the Church An other great instance of hypocrisy is when men assume to themselves an ostentate Religion and do not heartily embrace nor love it The Worldly Wisdom has invented a great many artifices in this matter Sometimes the Hipocritical Wisdom will instruct men to commend Vertue and Vertuous persons to seem vertuous Yea it will Preach up many good works and press them most confidently I had almost said impudently with many arguments and motives that they will not meddle with the practice of bind severe duties upon their hearers which themselves will not touch with one of their fingers Who has not with astonishment and loathing heard the loose and careless exhort to Devotion and dilligent Godliness the Covetous to Liberality them require others to pray continually and the prophane to charge the rest that they swear not at all This wisdom will instruct men to pray especially if it be in a publick place where they may do it clare ut audiat hospes for many good gifts and graces which they have no mind to receive to be enabled to do many good things which yet they never so much as once go about and to be adorn'd with that holiness which they deride and hate in them that are adorned with it Sometimes the hypocritical wisdom instructs men to take a good and constant care of their outward behavior and conversation that it be dâ—mure and sober and honest and as to any scandalous thing unexceptionable All this is good and yet is nothing but an artifice of the hypocritical wisdom if the heart in the mean time be full of Pride and Covetousness Malice and Revengefulness Impurity and Impatience if the will be selfish and reluctant against the Will of God This was the devilish wisdom of the Hypocrites of old whom the wisdom of Heaven detected and told them That notwithstanding their Sheeps cloathing they were imvardly ravening Wolves notwithstanding their outward cleanliness and many washings they were inwardly full of Excess and Repine notwithstanding their external whitings and garnishings they were inwardly corrupt and rotten Another Artifice to seem Religious is to be scrupulous of little Faults and zealous for lighter Duties not but that tenderness of Conscience and zeal for all the Commands of God are excellent Accomplishments But they are nothing but an Artifice of the hypocritical wisdom when at the same time great and Camel-like sins are swallow'd down and the weighty matters of the Law are neglected Oh take heed of coming into the Judgment Hall for fear of being defiled but venture to condemn and hang the innocent if you envy him Be as punctual as may be in paying the Tythes to the Levite so exact as to be a Cutter of Cummin but it is no great matter for Faith and the Love of God All the Art is here to find out what is really little or light for according to mens prejudices a little variation in a matter of Ceremony or Order must needs be interpreted a Sin as mortal as Blasphemy and on the other hand a seemly handsome ceremonious observation have great weight laid upon it as the Love of God and our Neighbor Oh that God would give us to see the necessities of our own Souls the nature of true substantial Holiness that transfâ—rms us into the Image of God to eye the example of Christ who was not wont to lay stress upon little things And oh Lord that we may all see how odious Hypocrisie is to Truth and that if the shew of Holiness be desirable it self must needs be much more beautiful MEDITAT XCIII Of the God of this World AMongst other worldly things I read of the God of this World and the Prince of this World whom to adore and obey is certainly a Symptom of a worldly mind The Eternal Jehovah is the rightful and onely proper God and Prince of the World But yet by an improper speech the Devil is also called The God of this World 2 Cor. 4. 4. He is thus called either by a Metonymie of the Adjunct or by a Metaphor By a Metonymie a thing is said to be that which it is onely in opinion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus the Devil is the God of this World in his own opinion for he venditates himself as such Matth. 4. 8 9. All these things will I give thee And Luke 4. 6 7. All this power will I give thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it And in the opinion of men who take and worship him for God as the Dog is said to be the God of Egypt because it is worshiped by them instead of God and the â—â—lly is said to be the God of Epicures Phil. 3. 19. Or else by a Metaphor The Name of God is Metaphorically apply'd to the Devil For as the true God administers his Kingdom of Grace in Believers and is devoutly worship'd by them so the Devil worketh his malignant works in the hearts of wicked men and is obey'd by the Children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. that is God to every man which he doth most esteem and advance in his heart And so although there is really a difference between God and Mammon yet be Metaphorically said That Mammon is the God of covetous men When I consider how often in Scripture things are said to be that which they only seem to be or are taken to be either by a mans self or others I cannot but wonder at the unreasonable Clamor that some People make not sticking to Rail at us for Lying and Equivocating when we thus speak If the Spirit of God had not authoriz'd and consecrated this Expression of the Devils being the God of this World how may we imagine that the Pretenders to Simplicity and Propriety of Speech would have hooâ—ed it out of the World for Blasphemy And methinks the necessity of Humane Learning and particularly of Rhetorick may fairly be commended and established from this Consideration There are so many passages of this nature in Scripture that I cannot but record some few of them to stop the mouths of irrhetorical Censures The Diabolical Spectrum is expresly call'd Samuel which was only so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 28. 12. Hananiah is called a Prophet Jer. 28. because he was accounted for such And so is Epimenides called by the Apostle Tit. 1. 12. the Prophet of the Cretians for as Laertius tells us he was so accounted of by them and after his death they sacrificed to him Joseph is called the Father of Jesus Luke 2. 48. only because he was so reputed as the Text afterwards
be known It is without Controversie the chiefest thing and most material for Man to know concerning himself what he loves best If I know that God is the Supreme Good and that it is my greatest Duty and highest Perfection to love him best it must needs follow that it is my greatest Concernment to know that I do so For if I once attain to this understanding I will not be beholden to any Fortune-teller to acquaint me with my future condition in this World nay I will thank no Divine to fore-tell me my condition in another Man has nothing Better than his Affections nothing Nobler than his Heart Love is better than Beneficence Lazarus in being able to Love had a nobler Portion than Dives in being able to Give And shall this Heart this Love be given to the World A Man may converse in the World and be concern'd about it and yet not love it that 's well that may comfort us But a Man may also know God talk of him profess him perform many Duties to him worship him with much Pomp and seeming Sanctimony and yet not love him that may startle us It is easie in all other things for a Man to tell what he loves best Cannot every man tell what Dish of Meat or what Sort of Drink pleases him best or what Neighbor he prefers most And it is not a wonder that Men should not know whether they love God or the World best Is' t not a wonder that Men should be so mad or blind as not to see themselves Lovers of the World Surely the heart of Man is deceitful and that not only to other Men as some would have the meaning of the Text to he but to himself also I never yet knew a Man that would confess himself to be covetous though all the Symptoms of Covetousness were upon him Though the Plague-spots and Sores are upon them yet they will not confess themselves to be infected To undeceive if it may be the Lovers of the World is the design of the Publication of these Meditations Lord be merciful unto its and suffer not our hearts to be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin MEDITAT VIII Of the Extent of Worldly Love IF any man c. Methinks this Phrase supposes that all sorts of Men are subject to this Evil and liable to this Disease And indeed the more I think of it whether the Text suppose it or no the truer it seems to be When I consider great Men I do not see that they are so above the World as to despise it neither are the Poor so below the World as to despair of it as it is in some Cases No all sorts of men are subject to this Plague nothing secures us from it Riches do not it should seem by the Psalmist that the increase of them rather causes Men to set their hearts upon the World If Riches increase set not your heâ—â—ts upon them Poverty does not the poorer the prouder oftentimes and sometimes the covetouser too Holy Orders do not witness the greediness of the Clergy of all Churches Retiring into a Monastery cannot as the many unclean Practices committed there will testifie Holy Profession or an early resolution in Baptism cannot witness the multitudes that fight under the Worlds Banners who then protested to fight against it to their Lives end It is a close Evil or Devil rather and is found in company with Learning with Inspiration and the Spirit of Prophecy as in Balaam in company with Prayers and Sacrifices as in Saul in company with Fortitude as in Jeroboam in company with Zeal and Profession as in Jehu in company with legal Righteousness much Gravity Demureness seeming Self-denial and Maceration as in them who in the Gospel are said to love the praise of Men more than the praise of God It is found in conjunction with Circumcision neither is it washt away by that Ordinance that is called a putting away of the filth of the flesh But if we will come to a strict Examination we must consider Man in his Moral and in his Political Capacity And this God willing I intend to do in its proper place MEDITAT IX Of the Evil of worldly Love IF any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Lord what a terrible thing is this that is predicated of so small a fault He doth not love God! Why what could have been said worse of him If a man do not love God he is as bad as a Devil he is cursed with the chiefest curse If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathemamaranatha Who would believe that so fearful a thing should be predicated of so small a matter If he had said If any man blaspheme God maliciously oppose him spitefully commit Murder be rebellious against all Superiors beastly in all Behavior dwelleth in all Pride and Malice or the like then it had been likely enough that he should be esteemed a hater of God But to say If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Who can believe this Is it so great a matter to love the world Yes from the Predicate we may infer how great a matter it is The Spirit of God would not have predicated this of a thing of an ordinary size every body declares against the sins of the Flesh rails at Drunkenness Adultery Murder Injustice Extortion every Body brands Thieves and such like People But the sins of the Spirit go unespy'd and damn mens Souls more effectually See how damning a thing it is to misplace affections Oh how sadly is the world mistaken How weakly do men judge How many will find themselves in Hell shortly who had hoped that they were in the Suburbs of Heaven The common cry is A very good man a very honest man a civil good-natur'd Neighbor but a little with the closest Paulo attentior ad rem A small fault they think But is Idolatry and Adultery a small Fault This love of the world is really they one had as good bow down before a graven Image as love the world It is very observable how the Commands of the Gospel are mostly calculated for the regulating of the affections of Love Care Joy Grief and how it forbids and inveighs against the sins of the Spirit Pride Malice Distruct Envy Covetousness and the like The renovation of the Will and regulation of the Affections is the great work of Regenerating Grace It is paltry Pharisaism to mind paying of Tythes and to neglect the love of God Say not oh say not it is a small thing to love the world but say oh how it defiles how it exposes how it damns what Idolatry and Adultery and Blasphemy is it Arise O my precious Soul fully not thy beautful wings by resting upon so filthy a Dunghil by preying upon so loathsom a Carrion How evil and abominable the love of the world is I shall have occasion to consider more
of Men be fed with Dung No No the Famine is in the Appetites of covetous Patrons who care not what silly refuse of men they Present nor how they infect or starve the Souls of men so they can but fill their own Pockets with the Shekels of the Sanctuary with Gold Chymically Extracted out of these Leaden Priests There are a more wary Sort that can make a shift to escape the Censure of the Law who are yet acted by as strong a Worldly Love as these That can match a Daughter or an Hâ—ndmaid with a Presentation saying to their Clerk as Boaz to his Kinsman At what time thou buyest the Field thou must buy it also at the hands of Ruth Or if sufficient Security be given for the Resignation of it to see how grateful the Clerk will prove within that time or to see whether by that time a Son or Daughter may not need it for a Portion it makes the matter a little the more safe but never a whit the more honest For considering the great importance of this matter whosoever prefers Consanguinity or Affinity Acquaintance Importunity of Friends before Learning and Piety and Aptness to Teach must needs appear to be acted by a Worldly Spirit and to bear the black Brand of our Apostle Alas How rare is this pure sincere ingenuous judicious proceeding in this matter How few Pastors are married to their Flocks without the predominant mediation of Friends Monies Importnity good Turns received or expected Relation or some such thing which is Alien to the true Qualifications of a Minister MEDITAT XVII Of Chaplains THE Employment of a Chaplain is accounted Honourable by vertue of the Relation that they bear to Princes or Peers or Persons of great Estate of Quality But it seems to be more Honourable upon the account of the Relation thâ—â— they bear to the great God whose Agents and 〈◊〉 they are For as the Pastors and Rectors of 〈◊〉 and Parishes are accounted God's 〈◊〉 even by Scripture Authority so these 〈◊〉 may well â—e accounted his Nuncio's or Envoys and their duty no doubt is to deliver Errands from God to them that are called gods but must die like men And they seem to have a greater advantage and a fairâ—r oppartunity of doing Good than their Brethren If Timothy who for ought I can perceive was no Chaplain was yet charg'd to charge the Great and Rich to be Humble and Religious much more is it the Duty of these who may have the care of their Prince or Patron when the Bishop or the Pastor cannot And to be the Instrument of converting one Prince and his Court yea or one Peer and his Family to the serious and diligent Service of God of how great Honour and Use would this be Oh that all our Chaplains would propound to themselves the Prophet Nathan for their pattern and his success in bringing David to Repentance would be for their Encouragement It is not fit indeed to be so Clownish as to say to Princes Ye are wicked but yet it is fit enough to say Ye are the men with Nathan and with Elijah Ye are the troublers of Israel And the same Elihu says It is not fit to give flattering Titles to men I would fain know of these men if they do not charge their Patrons and warn them who shall and where their Blood will be required if they die in their Sins I hope there are many upright men in this Relation in the World who design not so much to live upon their Patrons as that their Patrons may live to God to sanctifie their Tables rather than to be fed at them But if there be any that prefer Ease and Secular Advantage before the Discharge of a good Conscience that seek to be accepted of their Patrons more than to approve themselves to God their great Master the Sacredness of their Function will not excuse them from being Lovers of the World What then shall we think of those That because One puts into their Mouths and Purses are silent and say nothing or to no purpose in matters that ought to be spoken loud and often plainly and frequently and so for a Bribe betray the Souls of them whom they are entertain'd on purpose to preserve or as the Text speaks Transgress for a morsel of Bread That stand by and see the Sinful Sensual Proud Covetous Prophane Conversation of their Patrons and of their Families and Retinue and never yet so much as once Expostulate with them as Eli Why do ye such things Nor softly whisper in their Ears Nay my Brethren do not so wickedly Such a Chaplain was Amaziah who prophesied at Bethel And what of those that do plainly encourage their Patrons to Pride Idleness Excess Oppression and to a Formality and Indifference in Religion persuading them that so much Strictness and Exactness does not become their Quality magnifying an Half-faced Devotion for perfect and that for a very good Deed which they know is done by halves And what of those who run into the same Excess of Riot the same Sensuality it may be into the same Prophaneness too for Compliance-sake and to humour those upon whom they have dependance Such a Chaplain was the young Levite of Bethlehem Judah who for a Suit of Apparel and about Twenty shillings a Year and his Victuals did not stick at any Idolatry that his Master Micah was given to Judges 17. In any way to prefer Self-Entertainment or Advancement or the Humouring Pleasuring or Gratifying of Men before the Exercise of Grace the using of a good Conscience the Reformation of Sin the Promotion of Godliness and the Advancement of the Glory of God is a Symptom of a Worldly Mind though it be found amongst Pastors of Congregations or Chaplains of Families MEDITAT XVIII Of Judges and Magistrates THE Great Judge of the World has deputed here and there some amongst men to be his Vicegerents in the Administration of Justice This certainly renders their Employment very Honourable and he is a very bold and wicked man that dare contemn so much as the Reflections of the Authority of God or the Majesty of Heaven at what Rebound soever But as this Relation renders them Honourable and a sort of Gods or Sons of God so it does engage them to the greatest Purity and Impartiality imaginable lest they bring a Reproach upon their Lord and the sons of Belial take occasion to invert the Proverb and say As are the servants such is their Master The Truth is They that are Imitators of the Divine Purity Justice and Goodness are in a far better sense the Sons of God than they that only act in the World by his Commission For how far soever the inferior multitude are bound to obey them it is evident that the God whose pure Eyes cannot endure to behold Iniquity does not farther own them for his than as they act by his Authority that is agreeably to his holy Nature and just Laws I wish it were
Will descend a little lower to consider of Worldly Carefulness This is directly contrary to Faith in the Promises and Providence of God and so is a preferring of the World before him It proceeds from a distrust of God's Providence which distrust is very sinful and dishonourable nay it is as if one should refuse to take God's Word for sufficient security However light men make of it and however small a fault the Worldling represents it to himself sure I am our Saviour links it with Gluttony and Drunkenness and seems to make it as bad a fault and as dangerous as they Luke 21. 34. Take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting or drunkenness or cares of this life c. It argues a want of ingenuous affiance in God and is perplexing to the mind hindring converse with God which is the highest perfection and the greatest happiness of the Souls of men What can I say worse of it than that it is unseemly uneasie unsafe and unprofitable For after all our Cares all Events depend upon God and all humane Solicitude cannot state or six one Event nor make the least change in the course of things not one hair white or black I do not remember that ever I heard Christ Jesus more industrious in arguing against any thing than against this worldly Carefulness Mat. 6. Read the Gospel throughout and I do not think you will find him to have set himself more against any sin than this Our heavenly Father is very gracious in offering his help for our relief against this Carefulness The Curse be upon me said Rebekah to her son Jacob. Kind mother Such is the kindness of our Father Cast your care upon me It is an easie and pleasant thing to depend upon another to trust to Almighty Goodness in comparison of what careful carking is Diligence is not this Carefulness Care is not so much forbidden us as Carefulness This solicitousness about the World is known to be sinful by the unseasonableness of it the immoderateness of it when men take more care and beat their brains much more about the things of the Body than of the Soul of Time than of Eternity Lord make me to understand the value of my Soul and the danger that it is in that my thoughts and cares may be mainly bestow'd about the preservation of it Let me see the particular Providence of God which reaches even to every Sparrow and single hair of my head and to believe all his gracious Promises so as not to be any more solicitous about this world MEDITAT XLII Of Discontentedness DIscontent is the Souls Tumultuation or Mutiny In Civil Affairs Mutiny is accounted a degree of Treason and it is no less in Spirituals A restlesness and unsatisfiedness of mind with our present condition is a preferring of our own wills or our own ease and accommedation before the Will of God This I distinguish from Impatience in that Impatience always supposes Evils but Discontent may be in plentiful and good condition When this Discontent is predominant it argues a worldly temper a Soul too much affected towards worldly things and an unsubduedness to the Will of God it argues I say Pride and Unbelief It is plainly our Duty to be content with such things as we have What then may some one say May we not pray to be deliver'd out of Affliction out of Prison Debt or Disease This Objection belongs to the Head of Impatience whither I refer it But may not a man pray and sâ—â—k though he have enough to have mere to be still richer and richer Answ In general it is an admirable temper to seek rather nothing If we have enough we ought not to desire more for by the same Rule we may desire still more than that and yet more and no measure will be put to our desires But it will be asked What is enough Which is a very hard Question to answer It is not thesame to all yet there is such a quantum as enough in the World To the Apostle Paul Food and Raiment were enough 1 Tim. 6. 8. To Jacob Bread to to eat and Raiment to put on were enough Gen. 28. 20. A little is enough if we reckon right if we reckon wrong nothing is Natura paucis contenta was the old saying Nature is content with few things and sure Grace desires no more Let us contemplate the Holy Jesus and consider what he accounted enough It is most certain that he might have had more therefore his was no contentment upon force so far as can be gather'd from his story a small pittance in the World was enough to him I know it may be reply'd Christ had no Children to provide for I answer That he had a great deal of Kindred whom to make great We are told in the History of Nepotismo That those that pretend to great Holiness are much given to board for their Nephews though they have no Children Suppose we have Children If we know what is truly enough for our selves we may know what is enough for them Will it certainly be the better for them to be left Rich I am sure it proves worst to many a Fuel to Vice and that is worst Poor means Children commonly prove the best not only the best Men but the best Scholars the best Artists To marry Children richly is not the way to make them better but prouder and idler The best provision for Children is Education the best matching them is the uniting of their Souls to God But what shall we say to those that covet for they know not whom that have neither Child nor Brother yet are not satisfi'd with riches Eccles 4. 8. If this be not rank vanity I know not what is But still it will be pretended We desire more onely to have to give away and to do good with This I doubt is but a pretence and a meer fallacy Has any man indeed so great a desire to do good that he will load himself with certain Accompts for the uncertain thing of doing good venture upon temptations and snares endanger his Soul to do good This were a fervent Lover of God indeed But who will shew him me Lord convince me of the wisdom of the Divine Will that cares for all men most conveniently let my Soul be so master'd with the sense of it that I may rather nothing Mortifie in me all proud preferring of my own will and wisdom before thine Suffer me not to allow my self in any Discontent but a holy weariness of my distance from thee and a holy restlesness in my motions towards my Centre Amen Amen MEDITAT XLIII Of Immoderate Mourning or Impatience IMmoderate Sorrow for the want or loss of worldly things springs from an intemperate love of the World It is certainly a preferring of worldly things before the Will and Wisdom of God Here by we contradict it resist it we would destroy it if we could and set up our own wills
fair opportunity be given for it It is the part of a delicate sensual Soul a Lover of the World to fear the removal of his dearest Friend to prefer their Lives and Companies before the Will of God and its being done I do willingly grant that Friends and Relations are to be loved and delighted in yea I think of all sensual Pleasures this is the most innocent and the least beastly though some Beasts are very fond of their Relations and others are great lovers of Society and good men have been more apt to fall into Fits of this Sensuality than any other that I can think of Any one that reads the Story of Jacob and Joseph and Benjamin of David and Absalom and Adonijah will be apt to think so Nay indeed it were a part of gross Beastliness not to leave off sorrowing for the Asses and cry What shall â— do for my Son Alas lest the proper young man Saul should be lost Yet as Relations are to be loved onely in God so they are readily to be quitted and forsaken for him or at his command His Will ought to be dearer to us than their company Many are so fond of their Children that they cannot abide to look off them They contemplate them by day dream of them by night This love as great as it seems to be is not perfect for it hath fear in it and this fear hath torment I will not here say how evil this Love is but I am sure these People are ill prepared to forsake Children for Christ's sake Abraham was not so fond of his onely Isaac No he shall die if he were a thousand Isaacs if God call for him Nay he shall die by his hands rather than he will gain-say the Will of God Every good Christian is of the same temper of the same predominant disposition to be willing to give up Isaac And no doubt but that if we had the same command the same thing would be our indispensible Duty But alas Qâ—otusquisque est Abrahamus How few Abrahams does this Age afford If we sit loose from Husbands Wives Children â—â— we be in a chearful disposition of resigning them at all times it is an act of Faith as acceptable as Abrahams A Man may offer up his Son though he do not bind him upon the Altar as there are many Martyrs that were never brought to the Stake The 3 young men in Daniel were as properly Martyrs in venturing upon the fiery Furnace as if they had been burnt To mortifie this worldly Fear let us believe and consider That whatever is lovely in Children will still live and may be as well enjoy'd in God as if they were alive Besides it is worth the while to ask Who knows how those Children will prove If we had a Prophet here perhaps he would answer us as he did Eli 1 Sam. 2. 33. The Child of thine that shall not be cut off shall be 〈◊〉 â—onsâ—me thine eyes and to grieve thine heart But I shall wave the further prosecution of this and adjourn it till I come to consider of the worldly love of persons MEDITAT LVIII Of the Fear of Poverty and Loss of Goods POverty is formidable to Men not so much I suppose because it is deadly few fearing to be so poor as to starve as because of the disgrace that attends it Nil habet infoelix paupertas durius in se Quam quod ridiculos homines facit But this is a Cross that we must be ready to take up if we will approve our selves to be Lovers of God Disciples of Christ Moses took it up and his Countreymen the believing Hebrews took it up Of later Times the Noble Marquess Caracciola took it up It is a Tribulation which all that will enter into the Kingdom of God must be content to pass thorough if it lie in their way To use sinful shifts or comply with sinful terms to avoid Poverty denominates a Lover of the World Lord what lying flattering deceiving and disingenuous stifling of Conscience is used to prevent Poverty And is there any thing in it so formidable May not a man be all that which is good and happy and yet poor May he not be wise and poor virtuous and poor poor and blessed Blessed are the poor c. Nay are there not many Immunities in Poverty a â—â—eedom from many temptations temptations to Pride Luxury and Oppression which do attend a rich condition Are there not in it many advantages to Virtue to Humility Contempt of the World dependance upon God 〈◊〉 thirâ—â—ing after Eternal Life But when I 〈◊〉 â—â—verty hinders nothing that Riches can help us in a poor man may be as learned valiant virtuous wise yea and as charitable too as the rich It will be reply'd Oh but he cannot be so well esteemed of The poor is neglected and hated of his Brethren the poor mans wisdom is not regarded I answer No matter for that if it deliver the City regarded or not regarded For what is the regard and valuation of men This very respect to Estimation Acceptance and Honour is one of the worldly Lusts to be mortify'd so far is it from being able to justifie the worldly fear of Poverty Blessed Jesus who willingly becam'st poor to make me and many rich thou hast taken the sting out of Poverty â—ay thou hast sanctify'd thou hast enrich'd it Thou left'st all to come seek me make me willing to leave all to follow thee make me able to follow thee even in leaving all for thee MEDITAT LIX Of Fear of Persecution TO be shie and delicate in venturing upon Persecution Restraint Wrongs for Truth and the Gospels sake and to prefer deliverance from these before the Will of God before a sanctify'd use of them and exercise of grace under them denominates a Lover of the World Whosoever represents Persecution taking in the loss of Estate Goods good Name favor of the World Liberty of Life to himself so formidable as that for fear of it he will deliberately forsake God deny his Truth profess Error or Falshood go contrary to and continue in a contradiction to the known Word of God and the Sentiments of his Conscience is a Lover of the World Persecution is a Cross that every faithful Disciple of Christ must be ready to take up when ever his Master calls him to it Holy Paul was ready to take it up in the whole weight of it Not only to be bound at Jerusalem but to dye for the Name of the Lord Jesus The believing Hebrews took it up They might have escap'd Persecution by denying Christ but they were not so nesh although they were but young Christians They would not accept of deliverance Heb. 11. 35. And the same is the predominant temper of all the genuine Disciples of Christ Whosoever will not forsake House and Lands for my sake is not worthy of me Who would value such a Friend that will not so much as put his Nose into a Storm to help
his Friend How will he then leap in up to the Chin for him Such professors Christ may well upbraid in the words of Absalâ—m to Hushai Is this thy kindness to thy friend why went est thou not with thy friend It is very observable how faithful worldly men are to their worldly designs and Dalilahs What pains does the mammonist voluntarily take what diseases and dangers does the sensualist run upon what persecutions does the ambitious expose himself to These all take up their cross and follow their Dalilah At what a chargeable and costly rate do giddy opinionists maintain error and humor at the price of confiscation and imprisonment and banishment And will not the servants of Wrath be at as much charges for her Are the children of this World not only wiser but kinder than the children of Light Surely if we were the children of wisdom we should justify her stand for her to the last drop of sweat yea and of blood too I know no reason indeed nor revelation for the courting of persecution But inasmuch as it must be the lot of all that will be godly in one kind or degree or other it is good to get our minds possest with it prepar'd for it reconcil'd to it that when it comes we may not flye from the Serpent but take him by the tail and he will turn into a rod in our hand If there be any excellency in Righteousness any thing desirable in Blessedness then sure there is some good at least eventually in persecution for they are near akin Blessed are they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake Mat. 5. 10. MEDITAT LX. Of Honour in general and of Pride THe third of the things of the world are its Honours A predominant lover of Worldly Honor denominates a man a lover of the World and consequently void of the love of God See how our Saviour opposes Faith and Ambition making them inconsistent â—o 5. 44. How can ye believe that receive honour one of another There is an Honor which is not Worldly a Praise that is of God and not of man This renders men yea the meanest and obscurest of men honourable the excellent of the earth And to be ambitious of it is an agument of a truly heroick and exalted mind I mean to desire to be a Son or a Daughter of God An immoderate affectation of Worldly Honour is Pride And to prefer it before innocence to seek it glory in it maintain it rather than truth and a good conscience makes a lover of the World To have a right sense of ones own worth in any kind is not Pride but Justice It is no man perfection to be deceived nor his duty to think woâ—â—â— of himself than he is for then he must needs think falsly which is the infirmity af the understanding whose perfection it is to apprehend things as they are But there is less fear of this less danger in it than there is of an overweening To expect a just estimation is but just and modest enough nay sometimes laudable for it may be very serviceable and may make a man seviceable So that every man may well be allow'd to be tender of his reputation But yet patiently to bear disgrace and not to stomach a disappointment is generous and to go through bad report is Christ-like To require and exact a reverent behaviour from inferiours is just though oftentimes they that stand most severely upon it miss of it most respect being such a kind of thing as often flyes from him that follows it and follows him that flyes from it There are many objects of Pride such as Birth Wit and Learning and Standing Strength and Power and Victory Riches Interest a Party and the Propagation of it Children Beauty Priviledges Apparel yea even Vertuous Actions To glory in any of these unduly is Pride and denominates a lover of the World MEDITAT LXI Of the Honour of God and the way of seeking it GOds glorifying himself is not such a thing as vain mans seeking to make himself great by carnal means It is in short The raying forth of his own Perfections the displaying of Himself the communications of his own Goodness Mens glorifying of God is not a fancying or speaking much of the glory of God But it sustains a double notion The less proper notion is the exalting of the Name and Honour of God ascribing all good to him owning him as the Fountain of all So we glorifie him in the reverend thoughts that we have of him in making honourable mention of him dedicating things to his use and service In this Sense Atheisticalness and Unbelief are dishonours to God as also all taking his Name in vain swearing spending all upon our lusts c. The more proper notion is The displaying of his Perfections imitating his Goodness Justice Patience Mercy Charity acting suitably to what his Unimitable Perfections do require as submitting to his Soveraignty depending upon his Omnipotence behaving our selves sincerely in the sense of his Omniscience observing such Rules and Measures in all our Actions as make them agreable to his holy Will In a word our Saviour who best knew 〈◊〉 â—ho was so entirely devoted to it who came into the World on this very errand has more clearly and compendiously told us what it is Jo. 15. 8. Herein is my Father glorified if ye bring forth much Fruit. MEDITAT LXII Of Self-honouring MAn was not made for himself However common a thing it is it is low and base for Man to make himself his own end There is nothing more absurd or unreasonable than Pride nothing more excellent or honourable than Humility It is truly said Quo minus sibi arrogat homo eo evadit clarior et nobilior Man does most honour himself by debasing himself and so on the contrary And as there is nothing more absurd so there is nothing more dangerous It were Ten thousand times safer to stand in the fore-front of the hottest battail than that God should set him in battail aray against us and yet that is the import of that phrase He 〈◊〉 the proud There is Pride in unbelief and refusing the terms of the Gospel The wicked through the pride of his heart seeketh not after God Yea indeeed Pride seems to be the cause of all disobedience If ye will not hear says the Prophet My soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride To seek the advancement of our Names our own Credit and Estimation more than the Name of God is worldly Come see my zeal for the Lord said Captain Jehu There lies more Emphasis upon the word My than upon the Lord. How this should be pardonable in men I know not when it is no less than Treason in the Ambassador of a King Hezekiah fell into a Fit of this when he made ostentation of his Treasures and David when he numbred the People at both whom God was displeased But the one humbled himself for the pride of his heart
in Christ that bringeth forth no fruit to live under the sound of the Gospel and in the mean time the Gospel to be no more than an empty sound to men How little matter of glory is in all this And yet how do the generality of men glory in these Priviledges rather than in the answer of a good Conscience in a form of Godliness rather than in the power of it These are lovers of the World and carnal How impudently did the Jews glory in their Father Abraham the Law the Temple their Circumcision and Sacrifices when in the mean time they were Strangers to the Faith and Obedience of Abraham broke and made void the Law refus'd to make their Souls the Temple of God were uncircumcised in heart deni'd to hearken to Gods voice which is better than Sacrifice and more acceptable than the fat of Lambs And is it not as usual is it not as reasonable is it not as impudent to glory in the profession of the Gospel and yet reject the terms of it to be proud of being Baptized into the Name of Christ and utterly refuse to be Baptized into the Spirit of Christ Shall a dog brag of his communion with the Family and his membership because he lies by the fire as the Children do or eats part of the same Bread that they eat But who are proud of their Church Priviledges All that value themsolves and their Christianity by these All that bless themselves in the Font and in the Altar whilst they are not at all washed from their sins neither know what communion with God in the Spirit with Christ in his Graces means Who take up their rest in these not seeing any necessity of Regeneration or thinking the Baptismal one to be sufficient That brag that they are not excommunicate from the Society of the Saints upon earth when they stand excommunicate from the Inheritance of the Saints in Light that make more Reckoning that they are Protestants than that they are Converts They are Protestants they understand by this no more but that they are not Papists nor no more by that than they come to Church And is not this a great matter to be proud of To Glory in this and rest here is notorious Hypocrisie and Carnality Lord Pity the deluded and mistaken multitude who come and sit before thee as thy People but their hearts are not with thee these run after their Covetousness their Pride their Revenge and Luxury MEDITAT LXXII Of Pride in Power and great Place TO prefer Power and Advancement an high and honourable station in the World before God before Truth and a good Conscience is to be a Lover of the World It will be asked Who do so I answer They that climb up to Preferment by undue means by Injustice Flattery by sinful Compliance with the guise of a corrupt Age or that swim to a Throne in a Sea of innocent Blood They that insinuate themselves into the Favor of great men by administring to their Lusts and procuring Fuel thereunto by humouring them in their unlawful desires by commending them for nothing or for that which is naught It is impossible to reckon up all the Follies Falsities Flatteries Lyings Dissemblings Detractations and Back-bitings Calumnies Cruelties Omissions and Commissions which are the By-ways that the Lover of the World uses in order to Preferment The most of these we find exemplify'd in Absalom and Hazael affecting the Crowns of Israel and Syria Nay they that play at a smaller Game than Crown-catching will not boggle at such sinful methods as appears by the Story of Zibah And indeed it is impossible for a man that intemperately thirsts after the â—avor of great men to be innocent he must either do what he should not or basely neglect to do what he should The King of Moab jeer'd the foolish Prophet because the Lord had kept him from Honour Lord If thou keep me from Honour if thou interpose and stand in my way that I cannot get to Honour but by dishonouring thee and violating thy Authority let me account it a blessed disappointment nay let me account it a singular Honour to me to be sâ—â—addicted to thee and thy Commands to the seeking of thy Face and Favor as that in comparison thereof I can despise the favor of men of the greatest of men For what will the favor of great men signifie in comparison of the acceptance of the great God MEDITAT LXXIII Of Pride in Virtuous Actions TO speak properly that is not a Virtuous Action nor a Religious Duty which a man is proud of for it is necessary to a Virtuous Action that it be done to the Glory of God and not for Self-Exaltation But we may call many Actions or Duties Religious in contradistinction from Civil and many of those Religious Duties in this sense may be as irreligious as any other If a man preach or pray or hear or receive the Sacrament to commend himself to men for the advancement of his own Estate he is as carnal in those Actions as in any Civil Actions whatsoever Jeroboams setting up a Worship though it had not been Idolatrous meerly to strengthen his Kingdom would have been carnal For if Self be the highest End it denominates the Action selfish be it Civil or Religious it matters not But there is yet a more mysterious and spiritual piece of Pride when men do Virtuous Actions ultimately for good Ends and yet when they have done take an unholy pleasure in them and bless The Devil will be ready if he cannot get us to be so gross as directly to seek our selves in performing of these Duties to tempt us to feel our selves in the performance and to set the Crown upon our own heads I speak not of that gross way of glorying in our own good works or making oâ—tentation of them which is palpable to every ordinary discerner but that secret kind of self-applauding auâ—esthesie or self-feeling which is contrary to that self-nothingness and exinanition of which Christ Jesus was the Pattern To rejoice and glory in God purely and onely and be nothing in our own eyes to be perfectly emptied of Self and wholly swallow'd up is predominantly the desire and design of all truly renewed Souls Oh Lord Thou art all things I am nothing Thou art the Giver of all Grace the Ocean from which all Excellencies do flow and into which they ought to return Let me not feel my self but thee in my best Actions Let me be so far from contriving the advancement of my own sorry name in any good Action as that I may not without displeasure so much as hear my self commended or spoken well of for it that I may not commit a Sacriledge upon thine Honour thouâ—h it be never so secret and that there be no danger of being arraign'd in man's Court for this Theft but may live in the exercise of Self-emptying Self-exinanition continually Grant that I may look upon thee not under any particular
In our hearts to love or esteem any vile person be he of what Civil Capacity he will before them that fear the Lord be their Civil Capacity never so mean is as good an Argument of an unsanctifi'd mind as the contrary is of a Citizen of Zion Psal 15. 4. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned In this Courtly Age it would be lookt upon as an unmannerly behaviour in the Prophet who would not vouchsafe to look towards the King of Israel 2 Kings 3. 14. But certainly it is worse than unmannerly to have the greatest respect and kindness for them that are not at all of Israel MEDITAT LXXVIII Of Flattery THis brings me to think of the foul vice of Flattery which although it be not always an Estimation of men for men often flatter those whom in their hearts they disesteem and despise yet it would be thought so and is as worldly as the other An humble behaviour indeed is ornamental soft answers are good and useful To approve or commend a good man or a good action is so far from being simply evil that sometimes it is duty and may serve good ends But it requires a great deal of wisdom For First It easily mingles it self with something evil and is corrupted by Covetousness Slavish fear or Self-love Men may most set off themselves and study to endear themselves most when they commend other men Secondly It is easily perverted to ill ends and may as soon make me prouder as better Commendation therefore must be given Justly Seasonably Proportionably and should be mixt with the remembrance of God as Paul's was to Philemon ver 4 5. Flattery is sometimes gross in words commending evil and calling it by good names assenting to every thing at a venture or denying without reason Magnifying some little thing beyond its desert and extenuating some foul fault into a meer peccadillo or unavoidable infirmity Sometimes it is more fine and subtile in actions in a crouching truckling over-obsequious behaviour I need say no more of Flattery than that it is First an argument of a mean and slavish mind The truly generous mind that adores truth knows not how to give flattering Titles Secondly that it is of most mischievous consequence and very pernicious in its effects because it inâ—â—â—â—â— Princes Courts and Great Mens Houses Flatterers by blinding the Judgment of Princes do at once put out the eyes of a Nation For they lead â—hose out of the way who when they are misled cause the rest of the world to err We know how fatal it prov'd to Ahâ—â—â— when his Chaplains the Prophets and the Courâ—â—◠〈◊〉 together to deceive him Go up and prâ—sâ—â—◠〈◊〉 the Prophets Let thy word be as one of 〈◊〉 says the Courtier And with what indignation God does 〈◊〉 the daubing of these Prophets and their putting 〈◊〉 under mens heads and arms the Prophet Ezekiel does acquaint us Lord what is man or his power who can onely kill the body that I should fear and flatter him in any thing that is hateful to thee What Profit or Preferment can I expect from man that shall Countervail thy dishonour or the prejudice done to truth and holiness by sordid Flattery or sinful Complyance Oh that the interest of God and Religion be exalted in my soul far above all these petty carnal Considerations And oh that the Messengers of God would seriously examine whether they be not the servants of men of the worst part of men even their lusts by imprisoning the Truth lest it should fly in some honourable or worshipful face whether they do not tremble to speak of temperance before incestuous Felix or whether they can take such fair leave of their Patrons as Paul took of his Ephesians I have kept back nothing that was profitable to you MEDITAT LXXIX Of Worldly Business UNder this Phrase The World is comprehended also the Work Employment and Business of the World To prefer the Business of this World before God denominates a predominant Lover of the World God has indow'd Man with active Principles designing him for Business To be active is to be like God who is life it self He is not an idle Spectator enjoying himself and minding nothing else neither doing good nor evil as some prophane men in the Prophet imagin'd him but he is good and doth good An idle and unactive life is unmanly and infamous No station does exempt men from Business Gentlemen and Ladies have their Callings There is Business accommodated to all sorts of men Having already of Idleness I will say no more of it here but this A good man must needs love Business as it is a Vehicle of Grace For how can a man exercise Righteousness Mercy or Charity without Business The necessities of humane life are so many either our own own or other mens that it is impossible any man should be idle but who is of an idle sensual temper To prevent mistakes I will first consider what is not to prefer the business of the World before God To be diligent and industrous in our Callings with a good design is not it To be more in worldly Business than in heavenly is not it God himself has allow'd six dayes to one To employ our hands in working more than in lifting up to Heaven is not worldly If we speak properly To observe due measures and propound right ends in worldly Business is Conformity to the Will of God and heavenly God acted like himself in the Creation of the world as well as in the Redemption of it and so do godly men in employing themselves about worldly Objects as well as spiritual The Angels are as well in Heaven when they are employ'd upon Earth in preserving the goings of the Saints as in their most immediate Contemplations To give the Precedency to worldly Business as to Management and Action is not simply and always it A lesser Business and more ignoble may be prohic 〈◊〉 more necessary than a greater and preferrible to it The Necessities of the Body may take place of the Conveniences of the Soul To do every thing in its proper season is a point of high Wisdom and indeed Religion Let us always remember that Religion is in the due management of worldly Business as well as otherwise To do Works of Necessity or Charity on the Lord's day is not it To have a reverend esteem for that day is good and necessary Religion flourishes in a Kingdom or a Soul as that is observed But yet there may be a Superstition in it which our Saviour by his Example and Doctrine has endeavor'd to heal The Sabbath was made for man and must give place to him But let all take heed they do not create Necessities or pretend them as I doubt too many of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Physical and Chyrurgical Tribe do To put ones self upon Business to offer ones service for the good of a Neighbor to meddle in other mens matters uncall'd by
But this dissembling becomes evil by evil accidents and is carnal if it be attended with pride unbelief slavish fear atheisticalness or if it serve a dolus malus The King of Israel might disguise himself and go into the Battail But if he think to cheat the eye or escape the hand of God by this means his atheisticalness not his hypocrisy is sinful The Queen of Israel might disguise her self and seem another woman But if she think to deceive the Prophet or the God of the Prophet therein she is Atheistical It was not Sauls disguising himself but his consulting with the Devil that was his sin What was extraordinary in Davids dissembling before Acish and Jacobs before Isaac I know not But there seems to be so much in it that I had rather excuse them charitably than boldly imitate either of them This sinful Hypocrisy is either in things Civil or Religious The Civil Hypocrisy may be very wicked and a Symptom of an earthly mind As when men profess and pretend to Trades Arts or Sciences which they understand not when men poofess to be Teacher of others when themselves had need to be taught Hereby they deceive men in imposing false Wares or Doctrines upon them Oâ— when men pretend to Love and Friendship â—n purpose to deceve to make men less jealous to trust them and relie upon them per amici fallere nomen Abner died as a fool that is by deceit as the manner of fools is to perish Or when men pretend much love and kindness and yet mean no such thing but do fail them to whom they pretend it Or pretend much love on purpose to make a prey of men as the Whore in the Proverbs of Solomon Prov. 30. 20. MEDITAT XCII Of Scripture Hypocrisy and Hypocritical Wisdom THe Hypocrisie which the Scripture so often condemns and so vehemently inveighs against is in short a pretending to that Religion which indeed a man has not And this is done two ways by the Amolition of Vice and by the Ostentation of Vertue In general all Christians taken in opposition to Heathens that are not renewed in the Spirit of their minds nor conformed to the Image of Christ are Hypocrites All Professors of Religion that profess the true God are entred into a Covenant Relation are Baptized into the Name of Christ have taken upon them to sight for him against the World the Flesh and the Devil and yet are strangers to true Regeneration are of a worldly Spirit and a fleshly mind are Hypocrites We use indeed to distinguish between the Prophane and the Hypocrites and the Prophane bless themselves that they are not Hypocrites they think they do not act deceitfully in their Profession because they make no Profession at all This were a miserable excuse if it were true but it is false For they do profess Christianity and by being concern'd in the Sacraments of the Gospel do undertake the Duties of the Gospel and lay claim to the blessings of it Nay they themselves will tell you That they hope to be saved as well as the greatest Professors of them all And sure they cannot think to be saved by a Gospel which they do not own It seems as if Hell were inhabited with these two sorts of People only Hypocrites Unbelievers as if the Text should say Unbelievers and False Believers Heathens and Christians For there must be a kind of Believing to make up an Hypocrite So then Prophaneness does not hinder men from being Hypocrites it only makes them the more gross and impudent Dissemblers the more notorious Mockers of God To profess Religion and Vertue is not of it self Hypocrisie but indeed the necessary Duty of all men especially of those to whom the Gospel is come But because the Profession of Religion has been so abused therefore some think it is best to make none at all Or rather indeed it is an argument of the great hatred that wicked men bear to Religion that they hate the very name and shew of it as they say the Panther does the very image of a man To desire to appear Vertuous is not simply Hypocrisie A man may both love Religion and love the beautiful character of Religious too To be Vertuous is for our own good to appear such is for the good of others and for the glory of God Mat. 5. 16. To be zealous for Religion and the promoting of it is not Hypocrisie however it is traduced by some and suspected by more True indeed all is not zeal pure zeal for Religion that seems so But yet there is a zeal for Religion and wherever it is in Truth it is highly commendable Alas what a careless and graceless Age are we fallen into wherein mens hearts are so coldly disposed towards Religion that it should be accounted Extasie or Hypocrisie to be zealous for the Interest of Religion which yet all profess and many profess to be their greatest glory It is not simply Hypocrisie for a man to conceal his Faults That which was Sodom's shame cannot be our Duty sure to proclaim our sin The next to being innocent is to be asham'd of our Faults And who will oftentate a thing that he is asham'd of But to pretend to Religion which we have not nor care not to have to profess it or any part of it for worldly Ends and so to make it subservient to carnal Selfishness To desire to be approved of men for any Grace or Vertue and in the mean time not to approve our selves to God in the exercise thereof is the more special sinful Hypocrisie And this Hypocrisie is very witty Many Wiles men use to serve Hypocrisie and to seem what they are not One Instance of this worldly hypocritical wisdom is when men either deny or mince their sins that they may appear righteous before men when in the mean time they love them and live in them Nay rather than not cover their sins they will make a Cloak of the Vail of the Sanctuary Thus the dissembling Pharisees in our Saviour's days made long Prayers to hide their Covetousness and cover'd their Uncharitableness and Undutifulness with the pretence of Corban The same worldly wisdom instructss the hypocrite to bann and swagger against sin in general and the sins of other men in the mean time hugging his own For would not any one think that he that Preaches frequently and severely against Covetousness were some Charitable or Heavenly Soul If a man had seen Jehu raging and hectoring against Baal would he not have thought that had perfectly abhorr'd idolatry But follow him to Dan or Bethel and you would be of another mind A great artifice whereby men make their own sins seem little or none at all is to represent other mens as big as may be Thus I have heard some men excuse their own swearing by aggravating other mens lying and deceitfulness their own formality and carelesness in religion by railing against the hypocrisy and heady zeal of another sort of men
had been a fitter comparison I think and much more congruous But to wave those several dissimilitudes that might be brought to spoil this Comparison there is just such difference between letting out Land and Houses for Rent and Money for Usury as there is between a thing allow'd of God and all Men and another thing universally forbidden The great Law-giver I suppose will at last but to our great astonishment either shew us a convincing reason for all his Commands or convince us that his Authority was reason sufficient If any one say That lending upon Usury is an Act of Charity as I have heard some say because it often proves the support of Families or at least preserves them and their Estates from Ruin for a Season until time and industry have wrought out better fortunes for them I will not say with Bishop Jewel that this relief is as if a man should pull out the Eye to cure a blemish in the sight and that Userers are so necessary to men as a rust is to Iron nor with St. Ambrose that such is the kindness of Usurers that they undoe those whom they help comparing them therefore to the Scorpion that embraceth kindly with his leggs and at the same time stingeth with his Tail whose poyson also delights men at present but afterwards kills but I will suppose that Usury has been accidentally beneficial even to the borrower And yet this is no more than what the worst things in the world have sometimes been Divines say That the Devil himself has eventually serv'd the Salvation of many Souls though I suppose no body ever yet justifi'd the Piety of his intentions or commended the justness of his methods But to speak plainly it is not the Usury but the Lending that has been found beneficial Lending indeed is a great Act of Charity and so necessary that as the world stands it could scarce stand without it But I hope there may be Lending without Usury If the minds of men were universally formed into that Charitable and Benign Temper in which they came out of the hands of God at first they would give what they could spare and lend what they could not give and compassionately wish their poor Neighbour what they have not to lend In a word they would do to others as they would that others should do to them and then I am sure there would be no need of such a thing as Usury to be a Vehicle for Charity If there be at this day a necessity of Usury it is but such an one as the lusts of men have made if there be any Charity in it it is to the Usurers sweet self it begins at home and we must thank the providence of God more than the kind intention of the Usurer if it do not end there too for I durst make any Usurer his own Casuist here to say what is his Predominant Consideration in his Usurious Contracts the relief of his Neighbour or his own gratification But is there any reason why another man should make gainful Purchases or Bargains with my Money and I not share with him in the gain To this is answer'd that there is no reason to enforce me to lend my Money to make other men Rich the poor are the object of lending as well as of giving To lend to the rich to make them still Richer is somewhat like giving to the poor to make them Idle But if you have such an excessive kindness for a Rich Friend that you will make him still Richer you may either lend him your Money freely or share with him in the hazzard and so for ought I know you may safely share with him in the gain But can God spread a Table in the Wilderness can he provide for Orphans without this ingenious expedient of Usury Yes sure he can and they have the greatest security imaginable that he will for he has as it were taken them into his own Attributes stiling himself the Father of the Fatherless However there are many ways of paying Paul and not rob Peter to do it many ways of securing and improving the Portions of Orphans and not be beholden to Usury And if there were none it were better that all the Orphans in the World broke than that the Commands of God should be broke Fait Justitia etiam ruente Coelo MEDITAT XXXII Authorities for Usury considered ALthough Usury defend it self mostly by Arguments yet of late it does somewhat insist upon Authority too and those Divine and Humane As for Divine Authority I think they despair of finding any thing in the Old Testament to countenance it but they have some hopes of better encouragement in the New This I confess one would think strange that the Gospel should fall short of the Law and that Charity should be more coldly recommended in that than in this and that Christians should be allowed a greater Severity against their Brethren than the Jews who yet were allow'd them for the hardness of their hearts This I say at the first sight may seem strange the most charitable Author in the Gospel should make void the Law in this point of Charity who in all other things of Morality perfected and fulfilled it that he that made angry words and lustful looks to be Murder and Adultery which never before were taken to be so should make Usury not to be unlawful which ever before was taken to be so Not 〈◊〉 did I say Nay if there be good Divinity in 〈◊〉 Parabolical Argumentations he makes it the duty 〈◊〉 all his Followers For so it must be inferr'd from the Parable Mat. 25. 27. Thou oughtest to have put my money to the Exchangers If we will understand the Text literally we must make it the undispensible duty of all Christians to be Usurers and we must say that none but Usurers shall be saved For it follows v. 30. Cast the unprofitable Servant into outer darkâ—ss But these Doctrines the greatest Usurer in the world I suppose will think too too abominable The meaning of the Parable then is the same with that of the unjust Steward in Luke 16. and they are both no more than this that if the men of this world are so set upon the world that they will maintain and increase their Estates even by Usury and Knavery it will be an errand shame for Children of Light not to improve the Grace of God and work out their own salvation with great Zeal and Diligence and the Covetousness and Craftiness of earthly Mammonists about so mean a thing as an Estate or Livelihood will at last condemn the coldness and carelesness of professing Christians about the important matters of Eternity This is plainly the Scope of the Parable which alone can be formed into a Doctrine But if any witty Usurer will needs raise Doctrines from the Parabolical Phrase and Mode of Speech let him preach those two which I named at first and let him add this third Doctrine which seems most naturally to