Scripture as a thing considerably good which may be regarded without blame which sometimes in duty must be regarded It is there preferred before other good things in themselves not despicable For A good name is better then precious ointment yea A good name is rather to be chosen then great riches saith the Wise man 'T is called a Gift of God for There is a man saith the Preacher to whom God hath given riches and honour Yea not onely a simple Gift but a Blessing conferr'd in kindness as a reward and encouragement of goodness for By humility and the fear of the Lord saith he again are riches and honour Whence it is to be acknowledged as an especial benefit and a fit ground of thanksgiving as is practised by the Psalmist in his Royal Hymn Honour saith he and Majesty hast thou laid upon him Wisedom also is described unto us bearing in her left hand riches and honour and Wisedom surely will not take into any hand of hers or hold therein what is worth nothing No we are therefore moved to procure her because exalting her she shall promote us She shall give unto our head an ornament of grace a crown of glory shall she deliver to us We are also enjoyned to render Honour as the best expression of good will and gratitude toward them who best deserve in themselves or most deserve of us to our Prince to our Parents to our Priests especially to such of them as govern and teach well to all good men Have such in reputation says the Apostle And were not Honour a good thing such injunctions would be unreasonable Yea because we are obliged to bear good will toward all men S. Peter bids us to honour all men From hence also that we are especially bound to render Honour unto God himself we may well infer with Aristotle that Honour is the best thing in our power to offer To these considerations may be added that we are commanded to walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decently or speciously which implies a regard to mens opinion to provide things honest in the sight of all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not onely things good in substance but goodly in appearance to have our conversation honest before the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again that is fair or comely and plausible such as may commend us and our profession to the judgment of them who observe us S. Paul also exhorts us to mind not onely what things are true are just are pure but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what-ever things are venerable or apt to beget respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what-ever things are lovely or gracious in mens eyes and esteem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what-ever things are well reported or well reputed of He requires us not onely if there be any vertue any thing very good in it self but if there be any praise any thing much approved in common esteem that we should mind such things Lastly the blessed state hereafter the highest instance of Divine bounty the compleat reward of goodness is represented and recommended to us as a state of Honour and Glory to be ambitious whereof is the character of a good man To every man saith S. Paul shall God render according to his works to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek glory and honour and immortality Eternal life Such is the Reward propounded to us in it self no vile or contemptible thing but upon various accounts much valuable that which the common apprehensions of men plain dictates of reason a predominant instinct of nature the judgments of very wise men and Divine attestation it self conspire to commend unto us as very considerable and precious Such a Reward our Text prescribes us the certain the onely way of attaining 2. Such a benefit is here tendred to us that which yet more highly commends it and exceedingly enhances its worth by God himself I saith he will honour 'T is sanctified by coming from his holy hand 't is dignified by following his most wise and just disposal 't is fortified and assured by depending on his unquestionable word and uncontrollable power who as he is the prime Authour of all good so he is in especial manner the sovereign dispenser of Honour The King we say is the fountain of honour What any King as the Representative and Delegate of God is in his particular Kingdom that is Almighty God absolutely and independently in all the world Both riches and honour said good King David come of thee for thou rulest over all in thine hand is power and might in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all He whose grants are in effect onely sure and valid whose favours onely do in the end turn to good account he freely offers us most desirable preferment he doth himself graciously hold forth most authentick patents by virtue of which we may all become right honourable and persons of quality indeed having not onely the names and titles the outward ensigns and badges of dignity such as earthly Princes conferr but the substantial reality the assured enjoyment thereof For man can onely impose law upon tongues and gestures God alone commandeth and inclineth hearts wherein Honour chiefly resideth He offers it I say most freely indeed yet not absolutely he doth not goe to sell it for a price yet he propounds it under a condition as a most just and equal so a very gentle and easy condition 'T is but an exchange of Honour for Honour of honour from God which is a free gift for honour from us which is a just duty of honour from him our sovereign Lord for honour from us his poor vassals of honour from the most High Majesty of Heaven for honour from us vile worms creeping upon earth Such an overture one would think it not onely reasonable to accept but impossible to refuse For can any man dare not to honour invincible Power infallible Wisedom inflexible Justice will any man forbear to honour immense Goodness and Bounty Yes it seems there are men so mad as to reject so fair an offer so bad as to neglect so equal a duty Let us therefore consider what it is that is here required of us or wherein this honouring of God consists that we may thereby discern when we perform this duty when we are deficient therein II. There are several ways of honouring God or several parts and degrees of this Duty all which we may referr to two sorts conceiving the Duty as a compound made up of two main ingredients correspondent to those two parts in which they reside and of which our nature consists which distinction S. Paul suggesteth when he saith Glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are God's one of them being as it were the form and Soul the other as the matter and Body of the Duty 1. The Soul
pleased commonly to reward and encourage upright persons by the best success For He hath as it were a natural inclination to gratifie those who desire to please him and as the Psalmist expresseth it hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants He may seem concerned in honour to countenance those who have regard to his will and who repose confidence in his aid discriminating them from such as presume to act against or without him in defiance to his will with no deference to his Providence As they do render him his due respect by submitting to his authority and avowing his power so he will acknowledge them by signally favouring their concerns Even his truth and fidelity are engaged in their behalf seeing he very often hath declared and promised that in all matters and upon all occasions he will be ready to bless them X. To conclude It is an infinite advantage of upright dealing that at the last issue when all things shall be most accurately tried and impartially decided a man is assured to be fully justified in it and plentifully rewarded for it As then all the deceits which now pass under specious masks shall be laid bare all varnish of pretence shall be wiped off all perverse intrigues shall be unravelled all wicked and base intentions shall be quite stripp'd of the veils which now enfold them all shrewd contrivers and engineers of mischief all practisers of unjust and malicious guile shall be exposed to shame shall lie down in sorrow So then The righteous man shall stand in grent boldness his case will be rightly stated and fully cleared from slanderous aspersions from odious surmises from unlucky prejudices and mistakes what he hath done shall be approved what he hath suffered shall be repaired So that it then evidently will appear that upright simplicity is the deepest wisedom and perverse craft the meerest shallowness that he who is true and just to others is most faithfull and friendly to himself that who-ever doth abuse his neighbour is his own greatest cheater and foe For In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by-Jesus Christ every man's work shall be made manifest The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God Unto which our upright Judge the King eternal immortal invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen The Sixth Sermon 1 THES 5. 17. Pray without ceasing IT is the manner of S. Paul in his Epistles after that he hath discussed some main Points of doctrine or discipline which occasion required that he should clear and settle to propose severall good advices and rules in the observance whereof the life of Christian practice doth consist So that he thereby hath furnished us with so rich a variety of moral and spiritual precepts concerning special matters subordinate to the general laws of Piety and Vertue that out of them might well be compiled a Body of Ethicks or System of precepts de officiis in truth and in compleatness far excelling those which any Philosophy hath been able to devise or deliver These he rangeth not in any formal method nor linketh together with strict connexion but freely scattereth them so as from his mind as out of a fertil soil impregnated with all seeds of wisedom and goodness they did haply spring up or as they were suggested by that Holy Spirit which continually guided and governed him Among divers such delivered here this is one which shall be the Subject of my present Discourse the which having no other plain coherence except by affinity of matter with the rest enclosing it I shall consider absolutely by it self endeavouring somewhat to explain it and to urge its practice Pray without ceasing For understanding these words let us first consider what is meant by the act injoyned Praying then what the qualification or circumstance adjoyned without ceasing doth import 1. The word Prayer doth in its usual latitude of acception comprehend all sorts of Devotion or all that part of Religious practice wherein we do immediately address our selves to God having by speech oral or mental a kind of intercourse and conversation with him So it includeth that Praise which we should yield to God implying our due esteem of his most excellent Perfections most glorious Works most just and wise dispensations of Providence and Grace that Thanksgiving whereby we should express an affectionate resentment of our obligation to him for the numberless great benefits we receive from him that Acknowledgment of our entire dependence upon him or our totall subjection to his power and pleasure together with that Profession of Faith in him and avowing of service to him which we do owe as his natural creatures and subjects that humble Confession of our infirmity our vileness our guilt our misery joyned with deprecation of wrath and vengeance which is due from us as wretched men and grievous sinners that Petition of things needfull or convenient for us of supply in our wants of succour and comfort in our distresses of direction and assistence in our undertakings of mercy and pardon for our offences which our natural state our poor weak sad and sinfull state doth engage us to seek that Intercession for others which general charity or special relation do require from us as concerned or obliged to desire and promote their good All these Religious performances Prayer in its larger notion doth comprise according whereto in common use the whole Body of Divine Service containing all such acts is termed Prayer and Temples consecrated to the performance of all holy duties are styled Houses of prayer and that brief Directory or pregnant Form of all Devotion which our Lord dictated is called his Prayer and in numberless places of Scripture it is so taken In a stricter sense it doth onely signifie one particular act among those the Petition of things needfull or usefull for us But according to the former more comprehensive meaning I chuse to understand it here both because it is most commonly so used then especially when no distinctive limitation is annexed or the nature of the subject matter doth not restrain it and because general reasons do equally oblige to performance of all these duties in the manner here prescribed nor is there any ground to exclude any part of Devotion from continual use we being obliged no less incessantly to praise God for his excellencies and thank him for his benefits to avow his Sovereign Majesty and Authority to confess our infirmities and miscarriages then to beg help and mercy from God All Devotion therefore all sorts of proper and due address to God that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all prayer and supplication which S. Paul otherwise speaketh of are here injoyned according to the manner adjoyned without ceasing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is indefinently or continually 2. For the
behoveth us abide under a continual sense of our natural impotency and penury of our dependence upon God and obligation to him for the free collation of those best gifts that by some difficulty of procuring them we may be minded of their worth and induced the more to prize them that by earnestly seeking them we may improve our spiritual appetites and excite holy affections that by much conversing with Heaven our minds may be raised above earthly things and our hearts purified from sordid desires that we may have a constant employment answerable to the best capacities of our Souls worthy our care and pain yielding most solid profit and pure delight unto us that in fine by our greater endeavour in religious practice we may obtain a more ample reward thereof For the same reason indeed that we pray at all we should pray thus with continued instance We do not pray to instruct or advise God not to tell him news or inform him of our wants He knows them as our Saviour telleth us before we ask nor do we pray by dint of argument to persuade God and bring him to our bent nor that by fair speech we may cajoul him or move his affections toward us by pathetical orations not for any such purpose are we obliged to pray But for that it becometh and it behoveth us so to doe because it is a proper instrument of bettering ennobling and perfecting our Souls because it breedeth most holy affections and pure satisfactions and worthy resolutions because it fitteth us for the enjoyment of happiness and leadeth us thither for such ends Devotion is prescribed and constant perseverance therein being needfull to those purposes praying by fits and starts not sufficing to accomplish them therefore such perseverance is required of us Farther V. Praying incessantly may import that we do with all our occupations and all occurrences interlace devout ejaculations of prayer and praise lifting up our hearts to God and breathing forth expressions of devotion sutable to the objects and occasions which present themselves This as it nearly doth approach to the punctual accomplishment of what our Text prescribeth so it seemeth required by S. Paul when he biddeth us pray always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in spirit and to sing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the heart that is with very frequent elevations of spirit in holy thoughts and desires toward Heaven with opportune resentments of heart directing thanks and praise to God We cannot ever be framing or venting long Prayers with our lips but almost ever our mind can throw pious glances our heart may dart good wishes upwards so that hardly any moment any considerable space of time shall pass without some lightsome flashes of Devotion As bodily respiration without intermission or impediment doth concurr with all our actions so may that breathing of Soul which preserveth our spiritual life and ventilateth that holy flame within us well conspire with all other occupations For Devotion is of a nature so spiritual so subtile and penetrant that no matter can exclude or obstruct it Our Minds are so exceedingly nimble and active that no business can hold pace with them or exhaust their attention and activity We can never be so fully possessed by any employment but that divers vacuities of time do intercurr wherein our thoughts and affections will be diverted to other matters As a Covetous man what-ever beside he is doing will be carking about his bags and treasures an Ambitious man will be devising on his plots and projects a Voluptuous man will have his mind in his dishes a Lascivious man will be doting on his amours a Studious man will be musing on his notions every man according to his particular inclination will lard his business and besprinkle all his actions with cares and wishes tending to the enjoyment of what he most esteemeth and affecteth so may a good Christian through all his undertakings wind in devout reflexions and pious motions of Soul toward the chief object of his mind and affection Most businesses have wide gaps all have some chinks at which Devotion may slip in Be we never so urgently set or closely intent upon any work be we feeding be we travelling be we trading be we studying nothing yet can forbid but that we may together wedge in a thought concerning God's Goodness and bolt forth a word of praise for it but that we may reflect on our sins and spend a penitential sigh on them but that we may descry our need of God's help and dispatch a brief petition for it a God be praised a Lord have mercy a God bless or God help me will nowise interrupt or disturb our proceedings As worldly cares and desires do often intrude and creep into our Devotions distracting and defiling them so may spiritual thoughts and holy affections insinuate themselves into and hallow our secular transactions This practice is very possible and it is no less expedient for that if our employments be not thus seasoned they can have no true life or savour in them they will in themselves be dead and putrid they will be foul and noisome or at least flat and insipid unto us There are some other good meanings of this Precept according to which Holy Scripture back'd with good Reason obligeth us to observe it but those together with the general Inducements to the practice of this Duty that I may not farther now trespass on your patience I shall reserve to another opportunity The Seventh Sermon 1 THES 5. 17. Pray without ceasing WHAT the Prayer here injoyned by S. Paul doth import and how by it universally all sorts of Devotion should be understood we did formerly discourse How also according to divers senses grounded in Holy Scripture and enforced by good Reason we may perform this duty incessantly we did then declare five such senses we did mention and prosecute I shall now adde two or three more and press them VI. Praying then incessantly may imply that we do appoint certain times conveniently distant for the practice of Devotion and carefully observe them To keep the Jews in a constant exercise of Divine worship God did constitute a Sacrifice which was called Tamidh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the continual sacrifice And as that Sacrifice being constantly offered at set times was thence denominated continual so may we by punctually observing fit returns of Devotion be said to pray incessantly And great reason there is that we should doe so For we know that all persons who would not lead a loose and slattering life but design with good assurance and advantage to prosecute an orderly course of action are wont to distribute their time into several parcells assigning some part thereof to the necessary refection of their bodies some to the convenient relaxation of their minds some to the dispatch of their ordinary affairs some also to familiar conversation and interchanging good offices with their friends considering that otherwise they
so many mischiefs and inconveniences in the world and exposes so good a name to so much reproach It sheweth it consisteth not in fair professions and glorious pretences but in real practice not in a pertinacious adherence to any Sect or party but in a sincere love of goodness and dislike of naughtiness where-ever discovering it self not in vain ostentations and flourishes of outward performance but in an inward good complexion of mind exerting it self in works of true Devotion and Charity not in a nice orthodoxie or politick subjection of our judgments to the peremptory dictates of men but in a sincere love of Truth in a hearty approbation of and compliance with the Doctrines fundamentally good and necessary to be believed not in harsh censuring and virulently inveighing against others but in carefull amending our own ways not in a peevish crosness and obstinate repugnancy to received laws and customs but in a quiet and peaceable submission to the express Laws of God and lawfull commands of man not in a furious zeal for or against trivial circumstances but in a conscionable practising the substantial parts of Religion not in a frequent talking or contentious disputing about it but in a ready observance of the unquestionable rules and prescripts of it In a word that Religion consists in nothing else but doing what becomes our relation to God in a conformity or similitude to his Nature and in a willing obedience to his holy Will to which by potent incentives it allures and persuades us by representing to us his transcendentlyglorious Attributes conspicuously displayed in the frame order and government of the World that wonderfull Power which erected this great and goodly fabrick that incomprehensible Wisedom which preserves it in a constant harmony that immense Goodness which hath so carefully provided for the various necessities delights and comforts of its innumerable inhabitants I say by representing those infinitely-glorious Perfections it engages us with highest respect to esteem reverence and honour him Also by minding us of our manifold obligations to him our receiving being life reason sense all the faculties powers excellencies privileges and commodities of our natures from him of his tender Care and loving Providence continually supporting and protecting us of his liberal Beneficence patient Indulgence and earnest desire of our good and happiness by manifold expressions evidently manifested toward us it inflames us with ardent love and obliges us to officious gratitude toward him Also by declaring the necessary and irreconcilable contrariety of his Nature to all impurity and perverseness his peerless Majesty his irresistible Power and his all-seeing Knowledge it begets an awfull dread and a devout fear of him By discovering him from his infinite Benignity willing and from his unlimited Power onely able to supply our needs relieve us in distresses protect us from dangers and confer any valuable benefit upon us it engenders Faith and encourages us to rely upon him By revealing to us his supereminent Sovereignty uncontrollable Dominion and unquestionable Authority over us together with the admirable excellency wisedom and equity of his Laws so just and reasonable in themselves so suitable to our nature so conducible to our good so easie and practicable so sweet and comfortable it powerfully inclines and by a gentle force as it were constrains us to obedience By such efficacious inducements Wisedom urges us to all duties of Religion and withall surely directs us as I before said wherein it consists teaching us to have right and worthy apprehensions of the Divine nature to which our Devotion if true and good must be suited and conformed and so it frees us as from irreligion and profane neglect of God so from fond superstitions the sources of so much evil to mankind For he that wisely hath considered the Wisedom Goodness and Power of God cannot imagine God can with a regardless eye overlook his presumptuous contempts of his Laws or endure him to proceed in an outrageous defiance of Heaven to continue hurting himself or injuring his neighbour nor can admit unreasonable terrours or entertain suspicious conceits of God as of an imperious Master or implacable Tyrant over him exacting impossible performances from or delighting in the fatal miseries of his Creatures nor can suppose him pleased with hypocritical shews and greatly taken with superficial courtships of ceremonious address or that he can in any wise favour our fiery zeals fierce passions or unjust partialities about matter of opinion and ceremony or can doe otherwise then detest all factious harsh uncharitable and revengefull proceedings of what nature or upon what ground soever or that he can be so inconsistent with himself as to approve any thing but what is like himself that is Righteousness Sincerity and Beneficence Lastly Wisedom attracts the Favour of God purchaseth a glorious Reward and secureth perpetual Felicity to us For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisedom And Glorious is the fruit of good labour and the root of wisedom shall never fall away And Happy is the man that sindeth wisedom and Whoso findeth her findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. These are the words of wise Solomon in the Book of Wisedom and in the Proverbs God loveth her as most agreeable to his nature as resembling him as an off-spring beam and efflux of that Wisedom which founded the earth and established the Heavens as that which begetteth honour love and obedience to his Commands and truly glorifies him and as that which promotes the good of his Creatures which he earnestly desires And the paths she leads in are such as directly tend to the promised Inheritance of joy and bliss Thus have I simply and plainly presented you with part of what my meditation suggested upon this Subject It remains that we endeavour to obtain this excellent endowment of Soul by the faithfull exercise of our Reason carefull observation of things diligent study of the Divine Law watchfull reflexion upon our selves vertuous and religious practice but especially by imploring the Divine influence the original spring of light and fountain of all true knowledge following S. James his advice If any man lack wisedom let him ask it of God who giveth freely Therefore O everlasting Wisedom the Maker Redeemer and Governour of all things let some comfortable Beams from thy great Body of heavenly Light descend upon us to illuminate our dark minds and quicken our dead hearts to enflame us with ardent love unto thee and to direct our steps in obedience to thy Laws through the gloomy shades of this world into that region of eternal light and bliss where thou reignest in perfect Glory and Majesty one God ever-Blessed world without end Amen The Second Sermon 1 TIM 4. 8. But Godliness is profitable for all things HOW generally men with most unanimous consent are devoted to Profit as to the immediate scope of their designs and aim of their doings if with the slightest attention we view what is
the Lord of hoasts Yea that sometimes very pious men being out of humour and somewhat discomposed by the urgent pressures of affliction the disappointments and crosses incident to all men here in this region of trouble are apt to complain and express themselves dissatisfied saying with Job It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God What advantage will it be unto me and what profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin or with David Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency For all the day long I have been plagued and chastned every morning To these considerations disadvantagious in this respect to Piety may be added that the constant and certain profits emergent from it although incomparably more substantial and to the mind more sensible then any other are not yet so gross and palpable that men who from being immersed in earth and flesh are blind in errour dull of apprehension vain and inconsiderate in their judgments tainted and vitiated in their palates can discern their worth or relish their sweetness Hence it is that so many follow the judgment and practice of those in Job who say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him For voiding which prejudices and the recommendation of S. Paul's project I shall as I said propose some of those innumerable advantages by considering which the immense profitableness of Piety will appear And first I shall mention those Considerations which more plainly do import Universality then shall touch some Benefits thereof seeming more particular yet in effect vastly large and of a very diffusive influence 1. First then we may consider that Piety is exceeding usefull for all sorts of men in all capacities all states all relations fitting and disposing them to manage all their respective concernments to discharge all their peculiar duties in a proper just and decent manner It rendreth all Superiours equal and moderate in their administrations mild courteous and affable in their converse benign and condescensive in all their demeanour toward their Inferiours Correspondently it disposeth Inferiours to be sincere and faithfull modest loving respectfull diligent apt willingly to yield due subjection and service It inclineth Princes to be just gentle benign carefull for their Subjects good apt to administer Justice uprightly to protect Right to encourage Vertue to check Wickedness Answerably it renders Subjects loyal submissive obedient quiet and peaceable ready to yield due Honour to pay the Tributes and bear the Burthens imposed to discharge all Duties and observe all Laws prescribed by their Governours conscionably patiently chearfully without reluctancy grudging or murmuring It maketh Parents loving gentle provident for their Childrens good education and comfortable subsistence Children again dutifull respectfull gratefull apt to requite their Parents Husbands from it become affectionate and compliant to their Wives Wives submissive and obedient to their Husbands It disposeth Friends to be Friends indeed full of cordial affection and good will entirely faithfull firmly constant industriously carefull and active in performing all good offices mutually It engageth men to be diligent in their Calling faithfull to their Trusts contented and peaceable in their Station and thereby serviceable to Publick good It rendereth all men just and punctual in their Dealing orderly and quiet in their Behaviour courteous and complaisant in their Conversation friendly and charitable upon all occasions apt to assist to relieve to comfort one another It tieth all Relations more fastly and strongly assureth and augmenteth all Endearments enforceth and establisheth all Obligations by the firm bands of Conscience set aside which no Engagement can hold sure against temptations of Interest or Pleasure Much difference there is between performing these Duties out of natural temper fear of punishment hope of temporal reward selfish design regard to credit or other the like Principles and the discharging them out of religious Conscience this alone will keep men tight uniform resolute and stable whereas all other Principles are loose and slippery will soon be shaken and faulter In consequence to those Practices springing from it Piety removeth oppression violence faction disorders and murmurings out of the State schisms and scandals out of the Church pride and haughtiness sloth and luxury detraction and sycophantry out of the Court corruption and partiality out of Judicatures clamours and tumults out of the Street brawlings grudges and jealousies out of Families extortion and cozenage out of Trade strifes emulations slanderous backbitings bitter and foul language out of Conversation in all places in all Societies it produceth it advanceth it establisheth order peace safety prosperity all that is good all that is lovely or handsome all that is convenient or pleasant for humane society and common life It is that which as the Wise man saith exalteth a nation it is that which establisheth a throne It is indeed the best prop and guard that can be of Government and of the Commonweal for it settleth the Body politick in a sound constitution of health it firmly cementeth the parts thereof it putteth all things into a right order and steddy course It procureth mutual respect and affection between Governours and Subjects whence ariseth safety ease and pleasure to both It rendreth men truly good that is just and honest sober and considerate modest and peaceable and thence apt without any constraint or stir to yield every one their due not affected to needless change not disposed to raise any disturbance It putteth men in good humour and keepeth them in it whence things pass smoothly and pleasantly It cherisheth worth and encourageth industry whence Vertue flourisheth and Wealth is encreased whence the occasions and means of disorder are stopt the pretences for sedition and faction are cut off In fine it certainly procureth the benediction of God the source of all welfare and prosperity whence When it goeth well with the righteous the city rejoyceth and When the righteous are in authority the people rejoyce saith the great Politician Solomon It is therefore the concernment of all men who as the Psalmist speaketh desire to live well and would fain see good days it is the special interest of great Persons of the Magistracy the Nobility the Gentry of all persons that have any considerable interest in the world who would safely and sweetly enjoy their dignity power or wealth by all means to protect and promote Piety as the best instrument of their security and undisturbedly enjoying the accommodations of their state 'T is in all respects their best wisedom and policy that which will as well preserve their outward state here as satisfie their Consciences within and save their Souls hereafter All the Machiavilian arts and tricks all the sleights and fetches of worldly craft do signifie nothing
it is such even our natural reason dictateth so as to the chief instances thereof the most wise and sober men always have acknowledged so the general consent doth avow and so even common experience doth attest For heartily to love and reverence the Maker of all things who by every thing apparent before us demonstrateth himself incomprehensibly powerfull wise and good to be kind and charitable to our neighbours to be just and faithfull in our dealings to be sober and modest in our minds to be meek and gentle in our demeanours to be staunch and temperate in our enjoyments and the like principal rules of duty are such that the common reason of men and continual experience do approve them as hugely conducible to the publick good of men and to each man's private welfare So notoriously beneficial they appear that for the justification of them we might appeal even to the judgment and conscience of those persons who are most concerned to derogate from them For hardly can any man be so senseless or so lewd as seriously to disapprove or condemn them as inwardly to blame or slight those who truly act according to them The will of men sometimes may be so depraved that dissolute persons wantonly and heedlesly may scoff at and seem to disparage goodness that good men by very bad men for doing well may be envied and hated their being so treated is commonly an argument of the goodness of their persons and of their ways but the Understanding of men can hardly be so corrupted that Piety Charity Justice Temperance Meekness can in good earnest considerately by any man be disallowed or that persons apparently practising them can be despised but rather in spite of all contrary prejudices and disaffections such things and such persons cannot but in judgment and heart be esteemed by all men The luster of them by a natural and necessary efficacy like that of Heaven's glorious light dazzleth the sight and charmeth the spirits of all men living the beauty of them irresistibly conquereth and commandeth in the apprehensions of men the more they are observed the more usefull and needfull they appear for the good of men all the fruits which grow from the observance of them being to all mens tast very pleasant to all mens experience very wholsome Indeed all the good whereby common life is adorned is sweetned is rendred pleasant and desirable doth spring thence all the mischiefs which infest particular men and which disturb the world palpably do arise from the transgression or neglect thereof If we look on a person sticking to those Rules we shall perceive him to have a chearfull mind and composed passions to be at peace within and satisfied with himself to live in comely order in good repute in fair correspondence and firm concord with his neighbours If we mark what preserveth the body sound and lusty what keepeth the mind vigorous and brisk what saveth and improveth the estate what upholdeth the good name what guardeth and graceth a man's whole life it is nothing else but proceeding in our demeanour and dealings according to the honest and wise Rules of Piety If we view a place where these commonly in good measure are observed we shall discern that Peace and Prosperity do flourish there that all things proceed on sweetly and fairly that men generally drive on conversation and commerce together contentedly delightfully advantageously yielding friendly advice and aid mutually striving to render one another happy that few clamours or complaints are heard there few contentions or stirs do appear few disasters or tragedies do occurre that such a place hath indeed much of the face much of the substance of Paradise But if you mind a person who neglecteth them you will find his mind galled with sore remorse racked with anxious fears and doubts agitated with storms of passion and lust living in disorder and disgrace jarring with others and no less dissatisfied with himself If you observe what doth impair the health doth weaken and fret the mind doth waste the estate doth blemish the reputation doth expose the whole life to danger and trouble what is it but thwarting these good Rules If you consider a place where these are much neglected it will appear like a wilderness of savage Beasts or a sty of foul Swine or a hell of cursed Fiends full of roaring and tearing of factions and fewds of distractions and confusions of pitifull objects of dolefull moans of tragical events Men are there wallowing in filth wildly revelling bickering and squabbling defaming circumventing disturbing and vexing one another as if they affected nothing more then to render one another as miserable as they can It is from lust and luxury from ambition and avarice from envy and spite and the like dispositions which Religion chiefly doth interdict that all such horrid mischiefs do spring In fine the Precepts of Religion are no other then such as Physicians would prescribe for the health of our Bodies as Politicians would avow needfull for the peace of the State as Epicurean Philosophers do recommend for the tranquillity of our Mind and pleasure of our lives such as common reason dictateth and daily trial sheweth conducible to our welfare in all respects which consequently were there no law exacting them of us we should in wisedom chuse to observe and voluntarily impose on our selves confessing them to be fit matters of law as most advantageous and requisite to the good general and particular of mankind So that what Plutarch reporteth Solon to have said that he had so squared his Laws to the Citizens that all of them might clearly perceive that to observe them was more for their benefit and interest then to violate them is far more true concerning the Divine Laws II. We may consider more particularly that Piety yieldeth to the practiser all kind of interiour Content Peace and Joy freeth him from all kinds of dissatisfaction regret and disquiet which is an inestimably-great advantage for certainly the Happiness and Misery of men are wholly or chiefly seated and founded in the Mind If that is in a good state of health rest and chearfulness what-ever the person's outward condition or circumstances be he cannot be wretched if that be distempered or disturbed he cannot be happy For what if a man seem very poor if he be abundantly satisfied in his own possessions and enjoyments What if he tasteth not the pleasures of sense if he enjoyeth purer and sweeter delights of mind What if tempests of fortune surround him if his mind be calm and serene What if he have few or no friends if he yet be throughly in peace and amity with himself and can delightfully converse with his own thoughts What if men slight censure or revile him if he doth value his own state doth approve his own actions doth acquit himself of blame in his own conscience Such external contingencies can surely no more prejudice a man's real Happiness then winds blustering abroad can harm or
the perfect shall direct his way But in case such an one should ever be at a stand or at a loss in doubt of his course he hath always at hand a most sure guide to conduct or direct him It is but asking the way of him or saying with the Psalmist Shew me thy ways O Lord teach me thy paths Teach me to doe thy will and Lead me in the way everlasting O let me not wander from thy commandments and then his ears as the Prophet saith shall hear a word behind him saying This is the way walk you in it then the words of the Psalmist shall be verified What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall chuse The meek will he guide in judgment and the meek he will teach his way Hence is the upright man happily secured from tiring pains in the search from racking anxieties in the choice from grating scruples and galling regrets in the pursuit of his way II. The upright walker doth tread upon firm ground He doth build his practice not upon the perillous bogs the treacherous quagmires the devouring quick-sands of uncouth bold impious Paradoxes such as have been vented by Epicurus by Machiavel by others more lately whose infamous names are too well known as the effects of their pestilent notions are too much felt but upon solid safe approved and well-tried principles viz. these and the like coherent with them That there is an eternal God incomprehensibly powerfull wise just and good who is always present with us and ever intent upon us viewing not onely all our external actions open and secret but our inmost cogitations desires and intentions by the which our actions chiefly are to be estimated That He as Governour of the world and Judge of men doth concern himself in all humane affairs disposing and managing all events according to his righteous pleasure exacting punctual obedience to his laws and dispensing recompences answerable thereto with impartial justice rewarding each man according to the purposes of his heart and the practices of his life That all our good and happiness doth absolutely depend on God's favour so that to please him can onely be true wisedom and to offend him the great folly That Vertue is incomparably the best endowment whereof we are capable and Sin the worst mischief to which we are liable That no worldly good or evil is considerable in comparison with goods or evils spiritual That nothing can be really profitable or advantageous to us which doth not consist with our duty to God doth not some-wise conduce to our spiritual interest and eternal welfare yea That every thing not serviceable to those purposes is either a frivolous trifle or a dangerous snare or a notable dammage or a wofull bane to us That content of mind springing from innocence of life from the faithfull discharge of our duty from satisfaction of Conscience from a good hope in regard to God and our future state is in our esteem and choice much to be preferred before all the delights which any temporal possession or fruition can afford and That a bad mind is the sorest adversity which can befall us Such are the grounds of upright practice more firm then any rock more unshakeable then the foundations of heaven and earth the which are assured by the Sacred Oracles and attested by many remarkable Providences have ever been avowed by the wiser sort and admitted by the general consent of men as for their truth most agreeable to Reason and for their usefulness approved by constant experience The belief of them having apparently most wholsome influence upon all the concerns of life both publick and private indeed being absolutely needfull for upholding Government and preserving humane Society no obligation no faith or confidence between men no friendship or peace being able to subsist without it Whence the practice built on such foundations must be very secure And if God shall not cease to be if he will not let go the reins if his Word cannot deceive if the wisest men are not infatuated if the common sense of mankind do not prove extravagant if the main props of life and pillars of Society do not fail he that walketh uprightly doth proceed on sure grounds III. The upright person doth walk steddily maintaining his principal resolutions and holding his main course through all occasions without flinching or wavering or desultory inconsistence and sickleness his integrity being an excellent ballast holding him tight and well-poised in his deportment so that waves of temptation dashing on him do not make him roll in uncertainty or topple over into unworthy practices Lust passion humour interest are things very mutable as depending upon temper of body casualties of time the winds and tides of this vertiginous world whence he that is guided or moved by them must needs be many-minded and unstable in all his ways will reel to and fro like a drunken man and be at his wit's ends never enjoying any settled rest of mind or observing a smooth tenour of action But good Conscience is very stable and persisteth unvaried through all circumstances of time in all vicissitudes of fortune For it steereth by immovable pole-stars the inviolable rules of duty it aimeth at marks which no force can stir out of their place its objects of mind and affection are not transitory its hopes and confidences are fixed on the rock of ages Whence an upright person in all cases and all conditions prosperous or adverse is the same man and goeth the same way Contingencies of affairs do not unhindge his mind from its good purposes or divert his foot from the right course Let the weather be fair or foul let the world smile or frown let him get or lose by it let him be favoured or crossed commended or reproached by honour and dishonour by evil report and good report he will doe what his duty requireth the external state of things must not alter the moral reason of things with him This is that which the Psalmist observeth of him He shall not be afraid of evil tidings for his heart standeth fast and believeth in the Lord. His heart is stablished and will not shrink And this the Wise man promiseth to him Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established Hence a man is secured from diffidence in himself and distraction in his mind from frequently being off the hooks from leading an unequal life clashing with it self from deluding and disappointing those with whom he converseth or dealeth and consequently from the inconveniencies issuing thence IV. The way of Uprightness is the surest for dispatch and the shortest cut toward the execution or attainment of any good purpose securing a man from irksome expectations and tedious delays the which as the Wise man saith do make the heart sick It in Scripture is called the straight and the plain way And as
or resist any of his kindly suggestions or motions When-ever we find our selves well affected to or well framed for Devotion that we have a lively sense of and a coming appetite to spiritual things that our spirits are brisk and pure our fancy calm and clear our hearts tender and supple our affections warm and nimble then a fair season offereth it self and when the iron is so hot we should strike If at any time we feel any forward inclinations or good dispositions to the practice of this duty we should never check or curb them but rather should promote and advance them pushing our selves forward in this hopefull career letting out the stream of our affections into this right chanel that it may run freely therein that it may overflow and diffuse it self in exuberance of Devotion Farther IV. Praying incessantly may signifie that we should with assiduous urgency drive on the intent of our Prayers never quitting it or desisting till our requests are granted or our desires are accomplished Thus doing we may be said to pray continually as he that goeth forward in his journey although he sometime doth bait sometime doth rest and repose himself is said yet to be in travel or as he that doth not wave the prosecution of his cause although some demurrs intervene is deemed still to be in suit This is that which our Lord did in the Gospel prescribe and persuade where 't is recorded of him that He spake a parable unto them that men ought always to pray and not to faint That praying always the ensuing discourse sheweth to import restless importunity and perseverance in prayer the same which so often is commended to us by the phrases of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to faint or faulter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to cease or give over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to continue instant or hold out stoutly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to strive earnestly or contest and struggle in prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide at supplications 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to watch with all perseverance That which also is implied by those terms which in Scriptural style do commonly expresse Devotion by seeking God which implieth that God doth not presently upon any slight address discover himself in beneficial effects answerable to our desires but after a carefull and painfull continuance in our applications to him by waiting upon God which signifieth that if God do not presently appear granting our requests we should patiently stay expecting till he be pleased to doe it in his own best time according to that in the Psalm Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us by knocking which intimateth that the door of grace doth not ever stand open or that we can have an effectual access to God untill he warned and as it were excited by our earnest importunity pleaseth to listen to disclose himself to come forth unto us And this practice Reason also doth enforce For there are some good things absolutely necessary for our spiritual life and welfare such as are freedom from bad inclinations disorderly affections vicious habits and noxious errours the sanctifying presence and influence of God's Holy Spirit with the blessed Graces and sweet fruits thereof growth in Vertue delight in spiritual things the sense of God's love and favour with the like which good reason engageth us so perseveringly to seek as never to rest or be satisfied till we have acquired them in perfect degree since we cannot ever doe well without them or ever get enough of them In begging other inferiour things it may become us to be reserved indifferent and modest but about these matters wherein all our felicity is extreamly concerned it were a folly to be slack or timorous as we cannot be said immoderately to desire them so we cannot be supposed immodestly to seek them there where onely they can be found in God's presence and hand The case doth bear yea doth require that we should be eager and hot resolute and stiff free and bold yea in a manner peremptory and impudent solicitours with God for them So our Saviour intimateth where comparing the manner of God's proceeding with that of men he representeth one friend yielding needfull succour to another not barely upon the score of friendship but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his impudence that is for his confident and continued urgency admitting no refusal or excuse So doth God in such cases allow and oblige us to deal with him being instant and pertinacious in our requests giving him no rest as the phrase is in the Prophet not enduring to be put off or brooking any repulse never being discouraged or cast into despair by any delay or semblance of neglect We may wrastle with God like Jacob and with Jacob may say I will not let thee go except thou bless me Thus God suffereth himself to be prevailed upon and is willingly overcome thus Omnipotence may be mastered and a happy victory may begained over Invincibility it self Heaven sometime may be forced by storm or by the assaults of extreamly-servent prayer it assuredly will yield to a long siege God will not ever hold out against the attempts of an obstinate suppliant So the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force We reade in S. John's Gospel of a man that being thirty eight years diseased did wait at the pool of Bethesda seeking relief him our Lord pitied and helped crowning his patience with miraculous relief and proposing it for an example to us of perseverance It is said of the Patriarch Isaac that he intreated the Lord for his wife because she was barren and the Lord was intreated of him and Rebekah his wife conceived Whereupon S. Chrysostome doth observe that he had persevered twenty years in that petition Of good success to this practice we have many assurances in Holy Scripture The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him Blessed are all they that wait for him None that wait on him shall be ashamed They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint So hath God assured by his Word and engaged himself by promise that he will yield unto constant and patient Devotion so that it shall never want good success Without this practice we cannot indeed hope to obtain those precious things they will not come at an easie rate or be given for a song a lazy wish or two cannot fetch them down from Heaven God will not bestow them at first asking or deal them out in one lump but it is upon assiduous soliciting and by gradual communication that he dispenseth them So his wise good will for many special reasons disposeth him to proceed that we may as it becometh and
shall be uncertain and unstable in all their ways And in this distribution of time Devotion surely should not lack its share it rather justly claimeth the choicest portion to be allotted thereto as being incomparably the noblest part of our duty and mainest concernment of our lives The feeding our Souls and nourishing our spiritual life the refreshing our spirits with those no less pleasant then wholsome exercises the driving on our correspondence and commerce with Heaven the improving our friendship and interest with God are affairs which above all others do best deserve and most need being secured They must not therefore be left at random to be done by the bye as it hitteth by chance or as the fancy taketh us If we do not depute vacant seasons and fix periodical returns for Devotion engaging our selves by firm resolution and inuring our minds by constant usage to the strict observance of them secluding from them as from sacred enclosures all other businesses we shall often be dangerously tempted to neglect it we shall be commonly listless to it prone to defer it easily seduced from it by the encroachment of other affairs or enticement of other pleasures It is requisite that our Souls also no less then our Bodies should have their meals settled at such intervalls as the maintenance of their life their health their strength and vigour do require that they may not perish or languish for want of timely repasts that a good appetite may duly spring up prompting and instigating to them that a sound temper and robust constitution of Soul may be preserved by them Prayers are the bulwarks of Piety and good Conscience the which ought to be placed so as to flank and relieve one another together with the interjacent spaces of our life that the enemy the sin which doth so easily beset us may not come on between or at any time assault us without a force sufficiently near to reach and repell him In determining these seasons and measures of time according to just proportion honest prudence weighing the several conditions capacities and circumstances of each person must arbitrate For some difference is to be made between a Merchant and a Monk between those who follow a Court and those who reside in a Cloister or a College Some men having great encumbrances of business and duty by necessity imposed on them which consume much of their time and engage their thoughts of them in reason neither so frequent recourses to nor so long continuance in prayer can be demanded as from those who enjoy more abundant leisure and freer scope of thoughts But some fit times all may and must allow which no avocation of business no distraction of care should purloin from them Certain seasons and periods of this kind Nature it self in correspondence to her unalterable revolutions doth seem to define and prescribe those which the Royal Prophet recommendeth when he faith It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord and to sing praises unto thy Name O thou most High To shew forth thy loving-kindness every morning and thy faithfulness every night Every Day we do recover and receive a new life from God every Morning we do commence business or revive it from our bed of rest and security we then issue forth exposing our selves to the cares and toils to the dangers troubles and temptations of the world then especially therefore it is reasonable that we should sacrifice thanks to the gracious Preserver of our life and the faithfull Restorer of its supports and comforts that we should crave his direction and help in the pursuit of our honest undertakings that to his protection from sin and mischief we should recommend our selves and our affairs that by offering up to him the first-fruits of our diurnal labours we should consecrate and consign them all to his blessing that as we are then wont to salute all the world so then chiefly with humble obeisance we should accost him who is ever present with us and continually watchfull over us Then also peculiarly Devotion is most seasonable because then our minds being less prepossessed and pestered with other cares our fancies becoming lively and gay our memories fresh and prompt our spirits copious and brisk we are better disposed for it Every Night also reason calleth for these Duties requiring that we should close our business and wind up all our cares in Devotion that we should then bless God for his gracious preservation of us from the manifold hazzards and the sins to which we stood obnoxious that we should implore his mercy for the manifold neglects and transgressions of our duty which through the day past we have incurred that our minds being then so tired with study and care our spirits so wasted with labour and toil that we cannot any longer sustain our selves but do of our own accord sink down into a posture of death we should as dying men resign our Souls into God's hand depositing our selves and our concernments into his custody who alone doth never sleep nor slumber praying that he would guard us from all the dangers and disturbances incident to us in that state of forgetfulness and interregnum of our Reason that he would grant us a happy resurrection in safety and health with a good and chearfull mind enabling us thereafter comfortably to enjoy our selves and delightfully to serve him Thus if we do constantly bound and circumscribe our days dedicating those most remarkable breaks of time unto God's service since beginning and end do comprehend the whole seeing in the computation and style of Moses Evening and Morning do constitute a Day we may with some good congruity be said to pray incessantly Especially if at the middle distance between those extremes we are wont to interpose somewhat of Devotion For as then usually our spirits being somewhat shattered and spent do need a recruit enabling us to pass through the residue of the day with its incumbent business so then it would doe well and may be requisite in a meal of Devotion to refresh our Souls with spiritual sustenance drawn from the never-failing store-house of Divine grace which may so fortifie us that with due vigour and alacrity we may perform the ensuing duties to God's honour and our own comfort Thus to practise was the resolution of the Psalmist that great Master of Devotion Evening said he and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud And this was the custom of the noble Daniel from which no occasion could divert no hazzard could deterr him He kneeled saith the story upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God These are times which it is necessary or very expedient that all men even persons of highest rank and greatest employment should observe These even of old were the practices of Religious persons not expressely prescribed by God's Law but assumed by themselves good reason suggesting them to the first practisers and the
himself bountifull and mercifull toward us when we so palpably are injust and ingratefull toward him No Surely he scorneth the scorners and Whosoever despiseth him shall be lightly esteemed so he expressely hath threatned and seeing he is both infallibly true and invincibly able we may reasonably presume that he will accomplish his word VIII Lastly Praying incessantly may import at large a frequency in Devotion This the words at least do exact or necessarily imply however expounded For doing incessantly cannot imply less then doing frequently in no tolerable sense can we be said to doe that continually which we doe seldom but it is an ordinary scheme of speech to say that a man doeth that always which he is wont to doe and performeth often As of the pious souldier Cornelius it is said that he gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always and of Anna the Prophetess that she departed not from the Temple but served God with prayers and fastings night and day that is she frequently resorted to the Temple and served God with an assiduous constancy As the words may bear and do involve this sense so doth the reason of the case inforce it for very just very fit very needfull it is to practise thus There is ever at hand abundant reason for and apposite matter of Devotion therefore no large space of time should pass without it there be perpetually depending many causes thereof whence there is not to be allowed any long vacation from it As every moment we from God's mercy and bounty partake great favours so should we often render thanks and praise for them for perpetually to receive courtesies and rarely to return acknowledgments is notorious ingratitude and iniquity We frequently and in a manner continually do fall into sins often therefore we are obliged to confess sins we are concerned to deprecate wrath and beg mercy otherwise we must long croutch under the sore burthen of guilt the sad dread of punishment the bitter pangs of remorse or the desperate hazzard of stupid obduration What-ever we design or undertake toward the good management and happy success thereof we being ignorant and impotent creatures do need the guidance the assistence and the blessing of God so often therefore it is requisite that we should be seeking and suing for them if not we do not onely transgress our duties but fondly neglect or foully betray our own concernments The Causes therefore of Devotion being so constant the Effects in some correspondence should be frequent Such frequency is indeed necessary for the breeding the nourishment the growth and improvement of all Piety Devotion is that holy and heavenly fire which darteth into our minds the light of spiritual knowledge which kindleth in our hearts the warmth of holy desires if therefore we do continue long absent from it a night of darkness will overspread our minds a deadning coldness will seise upon our affections It is the best food of our Souls which preserveth their life and health which repaireth their strength and vigour which rendreth them lusty and active if we therefore long abstain from it we shall starve or pine away we shall be faint and feeble in all religious performances we shall have none at all or a very languid and meager Piety To maintain in us a constant and steddy disposition to obedience to correct our perverse inclinations to curb our unruly passions to strengthen us against temptations to comfort us in anxieties and distresses we do need continual supplies of grace from God the which ordinarily are communicated in Devotion as the chanel which conveyeth or the instrument which helpeth to procure it or the condition upon which it is granted Faith Hope Love spiritual Comfort and Joy all Divine Graces are chiefly elicited expressed exercised therein and thereby it is therefore needfull that it should frequently be used seeing otherwise we shall be in danger to fail in discharging our chief Duties and to want the best Graces It is frequency of Devotion also which maintaineth that Friendship with God which is the soul of Piety As familiar conversation wherein men do express their minds and affections mutually breedeth acquaintance and cherisheth good will of men to one another but long forbearence thereof dissolveth or slackneth the bonds of amity breaking their intimacy and cooling their kindness so is it in respect to God it is frequent converse with him which begetteth a particular acquaintance with him a mindfull regard of him a hearty liking to him a delightfull tast of his goodness and consequently a sincere and solid good will toward him but intermission thereof produceth estrangement or enmity toward him If we seldom come at God we shall little know him not much care for him scarce remember him rest insensible of his love and regardless of his favour a coldness a shyness a distast an antipathy toward him will by degrees creep upon us Abstinence from his company and presence will cast us into conversations destructive or prejudicial to our friendship with him wherein soon we shall contract familiarity and friendship with his enemies the World and the Flesh which are inconsistent with love to him which will dispose us to forget him or to dislike and loath him It is in fine the frequency of Devotion which alone can secure any practice thereof at least any practice thereof duly qualified so hearty so easy so sweet and delightfull as it should be We have all a naturall averseness or indisposition thereto as requiring an abstraction of thoughts and affections from sensible things and a fastning them upon objects purely spiritual a rearing our heavy spirits above their common pitch a staying and settling our roving fancies a composing our vain hearts in a sober and steddy frame agreeable to Devotion to effect which things is a matter of no small difficulty and pain which therefore without much use and exercise cannot be accomplished but with it may so that by frequent practice the bent of our heart being turned the strangeness of the thing ceasing the difficulty of the work being surmounted we shall obtain a good propension to the duty and a great satisfaction therein This will render the way into God's presence smooth and passable removing as all other obstacles so particularly those of fear and doubt in respect to God which may deterr or discourage us from approaching to him God being most holy and pure most great and glorious we sensible of our corruption and vileness may be fearfull and shy of coming near unto him But when coming into his presence we do find that such as his Majesty is such is his Mercy when we do tast and see that the Lord is good when by experience we feel that in his presence there is fulness of joy being abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house having our Souls there satisfied as with marrow and fatness finding that a day in his courts is better then a
dare to affront and offend the Almighty God 7. Were it not strangely absurd and unhandsome to say I cannot wait on God because I must speak with a friend I cannot go to Church although God calleth me thither because I must haste to market I cannot stand to pray because I am to receive money or to make up a bargain I cannot discharge my duty to God because a greater obligation then that doth lie upon me How unconceivable an honour how unvaluable a benefit is it that the incomprehensibly-great and glorious Majesty of Heaven doth vouchsafe us the liberty to approach so near unto him to converse so freely with him to demand and derive from his hand the supply of all our needs and satisfaction of all our reasonable desires and is it then just or seemly by such comparisons to disparage his favour by such pretences to baffle with his goodness Put the case our Prince should call for us to speak with him about matters nearly touching his service and our welfare would it be according unto duty discretion or decency to reply that we are at present busie and have no leisure and must therefore hold our selves excused but that if he will stay a while at another time when we have less to doe we shall be perhaps disposed to wait upon him The case is propounded by our Lord in that Parable wherein God is represented as a great man that had prepared a feast and invited many guests thereto but they excused themselves One said that he had purchased land and must needs go out to see it another had bought five yoaks of oxen and must go to prove them another had married a wife and therefore could not come These indeed were affairs very considerable as this world hath any but yet the excuses did not satisfie for notwithstanding the great person was angry and took the neglect in huge disdain 8. Moreover if we reflect what vast portions of time we squander away upon our petty matters upon voluptuous enjoyments upon fruitless pastimes upon impertinent talk how can we satisfie our selves in not allotting competent time upon God's Service our own Salvation and the future everlasting state Doth not he who with the continuance of our life bestoweth on us all our time deserve that a pittance of it should be reserved for himself Can all the world duly claim so great an allowance thereof May not our Soul which is far our noblest part which indeed is all our selves justly challenge a good share of our time to be expended on it or shall this mortal husk engross it all Must Eternity which comprehendeth all Time have no time belonging to it or allotted for its concernments 9. Again is it not great imprudence so to lay our business that any other matter shall thwart or thrust out Devotion Easily with a little providence may things be so ordered that it without interfering or justling may well consist with all other both needfull business and convenient divertisement so that it shall neither obstruct them nor they extrude it and are we not very culpable if we do not use so much providence 10. In truth attending upon Devotion can be no obstacle but will be great furtherance to all other good business It is the most sure most pleasant most advantageous and compendious way of transacting affairs to mix Prayers and Praises with them it is the best oil that can be to make the wheels of action go on smoothly and speedily it not onely sanctifieth our undertakings but much promoteth and exceedingly sweetneth the management of them For the conscience of having rendred unto God his due respect and service of having intrusted our affairs to his care of having consequently engaged his protection and assistence for us will dispose us to doe things with a courageous alacrity and comfortable satisfaction will fill us with a good hope of prospering will prepare us however to be satisfied with the event what-ever it shall be will in effect procure a blessing and happy success such as we may truly rejoyce and triumph in as conferred by God in favour to us Whereas neglecting these duties we can have no solid content or savoury complacence in any thing we undertake reflecting on such misbehaviour if we be not downright infidels or obdurate reprobates in impiety will quash or damp our courage having thence forfeited all pretence to God's succour and provoked him to cross us we must needs suspect disappointment as we have no reasonable ground to hope for success so we cannot if success arriveth be heartily satisfied therein or take it for a blessing He therefore that is such a niggard of his time that he grudgeth to withhold any part thereof from his worldly occasions deeming all time cast away that is laid out in waiting upon God is really most unthristy and prodigal thereof by sparing a little he wasteth all his time to no purpose by so eagerly pursuing he effectually setteth back his designs by preposterously affecting to dispatch his affairs he rendreth them endless or which is the same altogether unprofitable In fine we may be sure that no time is spent even so prudently and politickly with so great advantage and so real fruit to our selves as that which is employed upon Devotion In sacrificing his time his pains his substance any thing he hath or can doe to God's service no man can be a loser We have also many examples plainly demonstrating the consistency of this practice with all other business Who ever had more or greater affairs to manage and who ever managed them with greater success then David upon whom did ly the burthen of a Royal estate and the care over a most populous nation the which he fed with a faithfull and true heart and ruled prudently with all his power who waged great wars vanquished mighty enemies atchieved many glorious exploits underwent many grievous troubles Yet could not such engagements distract or depress his mind from a constant attendence on Devotion I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall be continually in my mouth My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever So he declareth his resolution and his practice Who is more pressingly employed then was Daniel first President over so vast a Kingdom chief Minister of State to the greatest Monarch on earth Yet constantly thrice a day did he pray and give thanks before his God Who can be more entangled in varieties and intricacies of care of pains of trouble then was he that prescribeth unto us this rule of Praying continually Upon him didly the care of all the Churches Night and Day with labour and toil did he work for the sustenance of his life that he might not to the disparagement of the Gospel burthen any man perpetually he was engaged in all sorts of labour and travail ever conflicting with perils with wants
abuse of words too enormous As therefore no moment of our life wants sufficient matter and every considerable portion of time ministers notable occasion of blessing God as he allows himself no spacious intervalls or discontinuances of doing us good so ought we not to suffer any of those many days vouchsafed by his goodness to flow beside us void of the signall expressions of our dutifull Thankfulness to him nor to admit in our course of life any long vacations from this Duty If God incessantly and through every minute demonstrates himself gracious unto us we in all reason are obliged frequently and daily to declare our selves gratefull unto him So at least did David that most eminent example in this kind and therefore most apposite to illustrate our Doctrine and to enforce the practice thereof for Every day saith he I will bless thee I will praise thy Name for ever and ever Every day The Heavenly bodies did not more constantly observe their course then he his diurnal revolutions of praise Every day in his Kalendar was as it were Festival and consecrated to Thansgiving Neither did he adjudge it sufficient to devote some small parcels of each day to this Service for My Tongue saith he shall speak of thy Righteousness and of thy praise all the day long and again My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day for I know not the numbers thereof The Benefits of God he apprehended so great and numerous that no definite space of time would serve to consider and commemorate them He resolves therefore otherwhere to bestow his whole life upon that employment While I live I will praise the Lord I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being and I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth No man can reasonably pretend greater impediments or oftner avocations from the practice of this duty then he upon whom the burthen of a royal estate and the care of governing a populous nation were incumbent yet could not they thrust out of his memory nor extinguish in his heart the lively sense of Divine goodness which notwithstanding the company of other secular encumbrances was always present to his mind and like a spirit excluded from no place by any corporeal resistence did mingle with and penetrate all his thoughts and affections and actions So that he seems to have approached very near to the compleat performance of this Duty according to the extremity of a literal interpretation and to have been always without any intermission employed in giving thanks to God The consideration methinks of so noble a pattern adjoyned to the evident reasonableness of the Duty should engage us to the frequent practice thereof But if the consideration of this excellent example do not yet certainly that may both provoke us to emulation and confound us with shame of Epictetus a Heathen Man whose words to this purpose seem very remarkable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he in Arrian's Dissert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is in our language If we understood our selves what other thing should we doe either publickly or privately than sing Hymns to and speak well of God and perform Thanks unto him Ought we not when we were digging or plowing or eating to sing a sutable Hymn to him Great is God in that he hath bestowed on us those instruments wherewith we till the ground Great is God because he hath given us hands a throat a belly that we grow insensibly that sleeping we breath Thus proceeds he should we upon every occurrence celebrate God and superadd of all the most excellent and most Divine Hymn for that he hath given us the faculty of apprehending and using these things orderly Wherefore since most men are blind and ignorant of this should not there be some one who should discharge this office and who should for the rest utter this Hymn to God And what can I a lame and decrepit old man do else then celebrate God Were I indeed a Nightingale I would do what belongs to a Nightingale if a Swan what becomes a Swan but since now I am indued with Reason I ought to praise God This is my duty and concernment and so I do neither will I desert this employment while it is in my power and to the same song I exhort you all Thus that worthy Philosopher not instructing us only and exhorting with pathetical discourse but by his practice inciting us to be continually expressing our Gratitude to God And although neither the admonition of Prophets nor precepts of Philosophers nor the examples of both should prevail yet the precedents methinks of dumb and senseless creatures should animate us thereto which never cease to obey the law imposed on them by their Maker and without intermission glorifie him For The Heavens declare the Glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work Day unto day uttereth speech and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledge There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard 'T is St. Chrysostom's Argumentation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 'T were an ugly thing that Man endued with Reason and the most Honourable of all things visible should in rendring Thanks and Praise be exceeded by other Creatures neither is it onely base but absurd For how can it be otherwise since other creatures every day and every hour send up a doxology to their Lord and Maker For The Heavens declare the Glory of God c. If the busie Heavens are always at leisure and the stupid Earth is perpetually active in manifesting the Wisedom Power and Goodness of their Creatour how shameful is it that we the flower of his creation the most obliged and most capable of doing it should commonly be either too busie or too idle to do it should seldom or never be disposed to contribute our endeavours to the advancement of his Glory But 2. Giving thanks always may import our Appointing and punctually Observing certain convenient times of performing this Duty that is of serious meditation upon and affectionate acknowledgment of the Divine Bounty We know that all persons who design with advantage to prosecute an orderly course of action and would not lead a tumultuary life are wont to distinguish their portions of time assigning some to the necessary refections of their Body others to the divertisement of their Minds and a great part to the dispatch of their ordinary business otherwise like St. James his double-minded man they would be unstable in all their ways they would ever fluctuate in their resolutions and be uncertain when and how and to what they should apply themselves And so this main Concernment of ours this most excellent part of our Duty if we do not depute some vacant seasons for it and observe some periodical recourses thereof we shall
engage to do things just and fitting or restrain from enormous actions retain notwithstanding something of this natural inclination and are usually sensible of good turns done unto them Experience teaches us thus much and so doth that sure Oracle of our Saviour If saith he you do good to those who do good to you what thanks is it for even sinners that is men of apparently leud and dissolute conversation do the same Yea even Beasts and those not only the most gentle and sociable of them the officious Dog the tractable Horse the docile Elephant but the wildest also and fiercest of them the untamable Lion the cruel Tiger and ravenous Bear as stories tell us and experience attests bear some kindness shew some grateful affection to those that provide for them Neither wild Beasts only but even inanimate creatures seem not altogether insensible of Benefits and lively represent unto us a natural abhorrence of Ingratitude The Rivers openly discharge into the Sea those waters which by indiscernible conduits they derived thence the Heavens remit in bountiful showrs what from the Earth they had exhaled in vapour and the Earth by a fruitful increase repays the culture bestowed thereon if not as the Apostle to the Hebrews doth pronounce it deserves cursing and reprobation So monstrous a thing and universally abominable to nature is all Ingratitude And how execrable a prodigy is it then toward God from whom alone we receive what-ever we enjoy what-ever we can expect of good The Second Obligation to this Duty is most just and equal For as he said well Beneficium qui dare nescit injustè petit He injustly requires much more injustly receives a benefit who is not minded to requite it In all reason we are indebted for what is freely given as well as for what is lent unto us For the freeness of the giver his not exacting security nor expressing conditions of return doth not diminish but rather increase the debt He that gives indeed according to humane or political Law which in order to preservation of publick peace requires only a punctual performance of contracts transfers his right and alienates his possession but according to that more noble and perfect rule of ingenuity the Law which God and Angels and good men chiefly observe and govern themselves by what is given is but committed to the faith deposited in the hand treasured up in the custody of him that receives it and what more palpable iniquity is there then to betray the trust or to detain the pledge not of some inconsiderable trifle but of inestimable good will Exceptâ Macedonum gente saith Seneca non est ulla data adversus ingratum actio In no Nation excepting the Macedonians an action could be preferred against ingrateful persons as so Though Xenophon no mean Authour reports that among the Persians also there were judgments assigned and punishments appointed for Ingratitude However in the court of Heaven and at the tribunal of Conscience no offender is more constantly arraigned none more surely condemned none more severely punished then the ingrateful man Since therefore we have received all from the Divine Bounty if God should in requital exact that we sacrifice our lives to the testimony of his Truth that we employ our utmost pains expend our whole estate adventure our health and prostitute all our earthly contents to his service since he did but revoke his own 't were great injustice to refuse compliance with his demands how much more when he only expects from us and requires some few acknowledgments of our obligation to him some little portions of our substance for the relief of them that need some easie observances of his most reasonable commands Thirdly This is a most sweet and delightful Duty Praise the Lord saith the most experienced Psalmist for the Lord is good sing praises to his Name for it is pleasant and otherwhere Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our God for it is pleasant and praise is comely The performance of this Duty as it especially proceeds from good humour and a chearful disposition of mind so it feeds and foments them both root and fruit thereof are hugely sweet and sapid Whence S. James If any man be afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing Psalms Psalms the proper matter of which is praise and thanksgiving Other Duties of Devotion have something laborious in them something disgustful to our sense Prayer minds us of our wants and imperfections Confession induces a sad remembrance of our misdeeds and bad deserts but Thanksgiving includes nothing uneasie or unpleasant nothing but the memory and sense of exceeding Goodness All Love is sweet but that especially which arises not from a bare apprehension only of the object 's worth and dignity but from a feeling of its singular beneficence and usefulness unto us And what thought can enter into the heart of man more comfortable and delicious then this That the great Master of all things the most wise and mighty King of Heaven and Earth hath entertained a gracious regard hath expressed a real kindness toward us that we are in capacity to honour to please to present an acceptable sacrifice to him who can render us perfectly happy that we are admitted to the practice of that wherein the supreme joy of Paradise and the perfection of Angelical bliss consists For Praise and Thansgiving are the most delectable business of Heaven and God grant they may be our greatest delight our most frequent employment upon earth To these I might add such farther considerations That this Duty is of all most acceptable to God and most profitable to us That Gratitude for Benefits procures more disposing God to bestow and qualifying us to receive them That the serious performance of this Duty efficaciously promotes and facilitates the practice of other Duties since the more we are sensible of our obligations to God the more ready we shall be to please him by obedience to his Commandments What S. Chrysostom saith of Prayer It is impossible that he who with competent promptitude of mind doth constantly apply himself thereto should ever sin is most especially true of this part of Devotion for how can we at the same time be sensible of God's Goodness to us and willingly offend him That the memory of past Benefits and sense of present confirms our Faith and nourishes our hope of future That the circumstances of the Divine Beneficence mightily strengthen the obligation of this Duty especially his absolute freeness in giving and our total unworthiness to receive our very Ingratitude it self affording strong inducements to Gratitude That giving thanks hath de facto been always the principal part of all Religion whether instituted by Divine Command or prompted by natural Reason or propagated by general Tradition the Ethnick devotion consisting as it were totally in the praise of their gods and acknowledgment of their
Benefits the Jewish more then half in Eucharistical oblations and in solemn commemorations of providential favours and that of the ancient Christians so far forth that by-standers could hardly discern any other thing in their religious practice then that they sang Hymns to Christ and by mutual Sacraments obliged themselves to abstain from all Villany But I will rather wholly omit the prosecution of these pregnant Arguments then be farther offensive to your patience Now the Blessed Fountain of all Goodness and Mercy inspire our hearts with his heavenly Grace and thereby enable us rightly to apprehend diligently to consider faithfully to remember worthily to esteem to be heartily affected with to render all due acknowledgment praise love and thankful obedience for all his infinitelygreat and innumerably-many Favours Mercies and Benefits freely conferr'd upon us and let us say with David Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who only doeth wondrous things and blessed be his glorious Name for ever and let the whole Earth be filled with his Glory Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting And let all the People say Amen The Tenth Sermon 1 TIM 2. 1 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men 2. For Kings and for all that are in authority SAint Paul in his preceding discourse having insinuated directions to his Scholar and Spiritual Son Timothy concerning the discharge of his Office of instructing men in their Duty according to the Evangelical Doctrine the main design whereof he teacheth to consist not as some men conceited in fond stories or vain speculations but in practice of substantial Duties holding a sincere Faith maintaining a good Conscience performing Offices of pure and hearty Charity in pursuance of such general Duty and as a principal instance thereof he doth here first of all exhort or doth exhort that first of all all kinds of Devotion should be offered to God as for all men generally so particularly for Kings and Magistrates From whence we may collect two particulars 1. That the making of Prayers for Kings is a Christian Duty of great importance S. Paul judging fit to exhort thereto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before all other things or to exhort that before all things it should be performed 2. That it is incumbent on the Pastours of the Church such as S. Timothy was to take special care that this Duty should be performed in the Church both publickly in the Congregations and privately in the Retirements of each Christian according to what the Apostle after the proposing divers enforcements of this Duty subsumeth in the 8th ver I will therefore that men pray every-where lifting up holy hands without wrath or doubting The first of these particulars That it is a Duty of great importance to pray for Kings I shall insist upon it being indeed now very fit and seasonable to urge the practice of it when it is perhaps commonly not much considered or not well observed and when there is most need of it in regard to the effects and consequences which may proceed from the conscionable discharge of it My endeavour therefore shall be to press it by divers Considerations discovering our obligation thereto and serving to induce us to its observance some whereof shall be general or common to all times some particular or sutable to the present circumstances of things I. The Apostle exhorteth Christians to pray for Kings with all sorts of Prayer with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or deprecations for averting evils from them with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or petitions for obtaining good things to them with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or occasional intercessions for needful gifts and graces to be collated on them as after S. Austin Interpreters in expounding S. Paul's words commonly distinguish how accurately I shall not discuss it sufficing that assuredly the Apostle meaneth under this variety of expression to comprehend all kinds of Prayer And to this I say we are obliged upon divers accounts 1. Common Charity should dispose us to pray for Kings This Christian disposition inclineth to universal benevolence and beneficence according to that Apostolical precept As we have opportunity let us do good unto all men it consequently will excite us to pray for all men seeing this is a way of exerting good will and exercising beneficence which any man at any time if he hath the will and heart may have opportunity and ability to pursue No man indeed otherwise can benefit all few men otherwise can benefit many some men otherwise can benefit none but in this way any man is able to benefit all or unconfinedly to oblige mankind deriving on any somewhat of God's immense beneficence By performing this good Office at the expence of a few good wishes addressed to the Sovereign Goodness the poorest may prove benefactours to the richest the meanest to the highest the weakest to the mightiest of men so we may benefit even those who are most remote from us most strangers and quite unknown to us Our Prayers can reach the utmost ends of the Earth and by them our Charity may embrace all the world And from them surely Kings must not be excluded For if because all men are our Fellow-creatures and brethren by the same Heavenly Father because all men are allied to us by cognation and similitude of Nature because all men are the objects of God's particular favour and care if because all men are partakers of the common Redemption by the undertakings of him who is the common Mediatour and Saviour of all men and because all men according to the gracious intent and desire of God are designed for a consortship in the same blessed Inheritance which enforcements S. Paul in the Context doth intimate if in fine because all men do need Prayers and are capable of benefit from them we should be charitably disposed to pray for them then must we also pray for Kings who even in their personal capacity as men do share in all those conditions Thus may we conceive S. Paul here to argue For all men saith he for Kings that is consequently for Kings or particularly for Kings to pray for whom at least no less then for other men universal Charity should dispose us Indeed even on this account we may say especially for Kings the law of general Charity with peculiar advantage being applicable to them for that Law commonly is expressed with reference to our Neighbour that is to persons with whom we have to do who come under our particular notice who by any intercourse are approximated to us and such are Kings especially For whereas the greatest part of men by reason of their distance from us from the obscurity of their condition or for want of opportunity to converse with them must needs slip beside us so that we cannot employ any distinct thought or affection toward them it is not
Country till a long time after his decease How often did God profess for his servant David's sake to preserve Judah from destruction so that even in the days of Hezekiah when the King of Assyâ—ia did invade that Country God by the mouth of Isaiah declared I will defend this City to save it for mine own sake and for my servant David's sake We may indeed observe that according to the representation of things in Holy Scripture there is a kind of moral connexion or a communication of merit and guilt between Prince and People so that mutually each of them is rewarded for the Vertues each is punished for the Vices of the other As for the iniquities of a People God withdraweth from their Prince the free communications of his Grace and of his Favour suffering him to incur sin or to fall into misfortune which was the case of that incomparably-good King Josiah and hath been the fate of divers excellent Princes whom God hath snatched away from people unworthy of them or involved with such a people in common calamities according to the rule propounded in the Law of God's dealing with the Israelites in the case of their disobedience and according to that of Samuel If ye shall do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King so reciprocally for the misdemeanours of Princes or in them and by them God doth chastise their people For what confusions in Israel did the offences of Solomon create what mischiefs did issue thereon from Jeroboam's wicked behaviour How did the sins of Manasseh stick to his Country since that even after that notable Reformation wrought by Josiah it is said Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations wherewith Manasses had provoked him And how sorely by a tedious three years famine did God avenge Saul's cruelty towards the Gibeonites Nor are only the sins of bad Princes affixed to people conspiring with them in impiety for even of King Hezekiah it is said But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem So the pride and ingratitude of an excellent Prince were avenged on his Subjects And when good King David God averting his Grace from him did fall into that arrogant transgression of counting his forces that as Joab prudently foretold became a cause of trespass to Israel and God saith the Text was displeased with this thing therefore he smote Israel David indeed seemed to apprehend some iniquity in this proceeding expostulating thus Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbred even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed but as for these sheep what have they done But God had no regard to his plea nor returned any answer to it for indeed God's wrath began with the People and their King's sin was but a judgment executed on them for The anger it is said of the Lord was kindled against Israel by their sin surely which is the only incentive of Divine wrath and he moved David against them to say Go number Israel and Judah So indeed it is that Princes are bad that they incur great errours or commit notable trespasses is commonly imputable to the fault of Subjects and is a just judgment by Divine Providence laid on them as for other provocations so especially for their want of Devotion and neglecting duly to pray for them For if they constantly with hearty sincerity and earnest fervency would in their behalf sue to God who fashioneth all the hearts of men who especially holdeth the hearts of Kings in his hand and turneth them whither-soever he will we reasonably might presume that God by his Grace would direct them into the right way and incline their hearts to goodness that he would accomplish his own word in the Prophet I will make thy Officers peace and thine Exactors righteousness that we might have occasion to pay thanksgivings like that of Ezra Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who hath put such things as this in the King's heart to beautifie the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem We are apt to impute the ill management of things and the bad success waiting on it unto Princes being in appearance the immediate Agents and Instruments of it but we commonly do therein mistake not considering that our selves are most guilty and blamable for it that it is an impious people which maketh an unhappy Prince that their offences do pervert his counsels and blast his undertakings that their prophaneness and indevotion do incense God's displeasure and cause him to desert Princes withdrawing his gracious conduct from them and permitting them to be miss-led by temptation by ill advice by their own infirmities lusts and passions into courses fit to punish a naughty people So these were the causes of Moses his speaking unadvisedly with his lips and that it went ill with him for their sakes of Aaron's forming the molten Calf of David's numbring the people of Josiah's unadvised enterprise against Pharaoh Neco of Zedekiah's rebellion against the Assyrians notwithstanding the strong dissuasions of the Prophet Jeremy concerning which it is said For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah until he had cast them out from his presence that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon Considering which things it is apparent that Prayer for our Prince is a great office of Charity to the Publick and that in praying for his safety for his Honour for his Wealth for his Prosperity for his Vertue we do in effect pray for the same Benefits respectively to our Country that in praying for his Welfare we do in consequence pray for the good of all our Neighbours our Friends our Relations our Families whose good is wrapped in his Welfare doth flow from it doth hang upon it We are bound and it is a very noble piece of Charity to love our Country sincerely to desire and earnestly to further its happiness and therefore to pray for it according to the advice and practice of the Psalmist O pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces We are obliged more especially upon the highest accounts with dearest affection to love the Church our Heavenly Commonwealth the Society of our Spiritual Brethren most ardently to tender its good and seek its advantages and therefore most urgently to sue for God's favour toward it being ready to say after David Do good O God in thy good pleasure to Sion build the walls of Jerusalem Arise O Lord and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Now these duties we cannot
dissent from him but it is as the fairest and justest so the surest and likeliest way of reducing things to a firm composure without more a-do letting the world alone to move on its own hindges and not impertinently troubling our selves or others with the conduct of it simply to request of Almighty God the Sovereign Governour and sole Disposer of things that he would lead his own Vicegerents in the management of the charge by himself committed to them Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God is a rule very applicable to this case As God's Providence is the only sure ground of our confidence or hope for the preservation of Church and State or for the restitution of things into a stable quiet so it is only our hearty Prayers joyned with a consciencious observance of God's Laws whereby we can incline Providence to favour us By them alone we may hope to save things from sinking into disorder we may asswage the factions we may defeat the machinations against the publick welfare 12. Seeing then we have so many good arguments and motives inducing to pray for Kings it is no wonder that to back them we may also allege the practice of the Church continually in all times performing this duty in its most Sacred Offices especially in the celebration of the Holy Communion S. Paul indeed when he saith I exhort first of all that prayers be made doth chiefly impose this Duty on Timothy or supposeth it incumbent on the Pastours of the Church to take special care that Prayers be made for this purpose and offered up in the Church joyntly by all Christians and accordingly the ancient Christians as Tertullian doth assure us did always pray for all the Emperours that God would grant them a long life a secure Reign a safe family valiant Armies a faithful Senate a loyal people a quiet world and whatever they as Men or as Emperours could wish Thus addeth he even for their Persecutours and in the very pangs of their sufferings they did not fail to practise Likewise of the Church in his time S. Chrysostome telleth us that all Communicants did know how every day both at even and morning they did make supplication for all the world and for the Emperour and for all that are in authority And in the Greek Liturgies the composure whereof is fathered on S. Chrysostome there are divers Prayers interspersed for the Emperours couched in terms very pregnant and respectful If the Offices of the Roman Church and of the Churches truckling under it in latter times shall seem more defective or sparing in this point of service the reason may be for that a superlative regard to the Solar or Pontifical Authority as Pope Innocent III distinguished did obscure their devotion for the Lunar or Regal Majesty But our Church hath been abundantly careful that we should in most ample manner discharge this Duty having in each of her Holy Offices directed us to pray for our King in expressions most full hearty and lively She hath indeed been charged as somewhat lavish or over-liberal of her Devotions in this case But it is a good fault and we little nead fear over-doing in observance of a Precept so very reasonable and so important supposing that we have a due care to joyn our heart with the Churche's words and to the frequency of Prayers for our Prince do confer a sutable fervency If we be not dead or meerly formal we can hardly be too copious in this kind of Devotion reiteration of words can do no harm being accompanied with renovation of our desires Our Text it self will bear us out in such a practice the Apostle therein by variety of expression appearing solicitous that abundance of Prayers for Kings should be offered in the Church and no sort of them omitted There are so many General Inducements to this Duty at all times and there are beside divers Particular Reasons enforcing it now in the present state and posture of things Times of trouble of danger of fear of darkness and perplexity of distraction and distress of guilt and deserved wrath are most seasonable for recourse to the Divine help and mercy in Prayer And are not Ours such are they not much like to those of which the Psalmist saith They know not neither will they understand they walk on in darkness all the foundations of the earth are out of course or like those of which our Lord spake when there was upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which were coming on the earth Are not the days gloomy so that no humane providence can see far no wisdom can descry the issue of things Is it not a very unsettled world wherein all the publick frames are shaken almost off the hindges and the minds of men extremely discomposed with various passions with fear suspicion anger discontent and impatience How from dissentions in Opinion do violent factions and feuds rage the hearts of men boiling with fierce animosities and being exasperated against one another beyond any hopes or visible means of reconcilement Are not the fences of Discipline cast down is there any conscience made of violating Laws is not the dread of Authority exceedingly abated and all Government overborn by unbridled licenciousness How many Adversaries are there bearing ill will to our Sion how many turbulent malicious crafty spirits eagerly bent and watching for occasion to subvert the Church to disturb the State to introduce confusion in all things how many Edomites who say of Jerusalem both Ecclesiastical and Civil Down with it down with it even to the ground Have we not great reason to be fearful of God's just displeasure and that heavy judgments will be poured on us for our manifold hainous provocations and crying Sins for the prodigious growth of Atheism Infidelity and Profaneness for the rife practice of all Impieties Iniquities and Impurities with most impudent boldness or rather with outragious insolence for the extream Dissoluteness in manners the gross Neglect or contempt of all Duties the great Stupidity and coldness of People generally as to all concerns of Religion for the want of Religious Awe toward God of Charity toward our Neighbour of Respect to our Superiours of Sobriety in our conversation for our Ingratitude for many great Mercies and Incorrigibleness under many sore Chastisements our Insensibleness of many plain Warnings loudly calling us to repentance Is not all the world about us in combustion cruel Wars raging every-where and Christendom weltering in blood and although at present by God's mercy we are free who knows but that soon by God's justice the neighbouring flames may catch our houses In fine is not our case palpably such that for any good composure or re-instatement of things in good order for upholding Truth and sound
God was rescued with the notable disappointment and grievous confusion of those who managed it The which Case at least in kind if not in degree beareth a plain resemblance to that which lieth before us And the Duties which upon that occasion are signified to concern people then do no less now sort to us the which as they lie couched in our Text are these 1. wisely to consider God's doing 2. to fear 3. to declare God's work 4. to be glad in the Lord 5. to trust in God 6. to glory Of which the First Three are represented as more generally concerning men the others as appertaining more peculiarly to righteous and upright persons These Duties it shall be my endeavour somewhat to explain and press in a manner applicable to the present case I call them Duties and to warrant the doing so it is requisite to consider that all these particulars may be understood in a double manner either as declarative of event or as directive of practice upon such emergencies When God doth so interpose his hand as signally to check and confound mischievous enterprises it will be apt to stir up in the minds of men an apprehension of God's special Providence to strike into their hearts a dread of his Power and Justice to wring from their mouths sutable declarations and acknowledgments and particularly then good men will be affected with pious joy they will be incouraged to confide in God they will be moved to glory or to express a triumphant satisfaction in God's proceedings These events naturally do result from such providential occurrences for production of these events such occurrences are purposely designed and accordingly where men are not by profane opinions or affections much indisposed they do commonly follow But yet they are not purposed simply as Events but also as matters of Duty for men are obliged readily to admit such impressions upon their minds hearts and lives from the special works of Providence they are bound not to cross those natural tendencies not to frustrate those wise intents of God aiming at the production of such good dispositions and good practices whence if those effects do not arise as often notoriously they do not in some persons men thereby do incurre much guilt and blame It is indeed ordinary to represent matter of duty in this way expressing those practices consequent in effect which in obligation should follow according to God's purpose and the nature of causes ordered by him As when for instance God in the Law had prescribed Duty and threatned sore punishment on the disobedient it is subjoyned And all the people shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously the meaning is that such exemplary punishment is in its nature apt and its design tendeth to produce such effects although not ever questionless with due success so as to prevent all transgression of those laws So also When saith the Prophet thy judgments are in the land the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness the sense is that Divine judgments in themselves are instructive of Duty it is their drift to inform men therein and men ought to learn that lesson from them although in effect divers there be whom no judgments can make wiser or better such as those of whom in the same Prophet it is said The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them and in another in vain have I smitten your children they received no correction As therefore frequently otherwhere so also here this kind of expression may be taken chiefly to import Duty To begin then with the First of these Duties I. We are upon such occasions obliged wisely to consider or as the Greek rendereth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to understand or to perceive as our Old Translation hath it God's doing This I put in the first place as previous in nature and influential upon the rest whence although in the Hebrew it be knit to the rest as they all are to one another by the conjunctive parcicle ve and yet we do translate it causally for they shall wisely consider for they shall perceive because indeed without duly considering and rightly understanding such occurrences to proceed from God none of the other acts can or will be performed attentive consideration is needful to beget knowledge and persuasion these to breed affection and practice There are many who in such cases are no-wise apprehensive of God's special Providence or affected with it because they do not consider or do not consider wisely and intelligently Some are very inobservant and careless in regard to things of this nature so drowzy and heedless as not to attend to what-ever passeth or to mind what God acteth in the world such as those of whom the Prophet saith The Harp and the Viol the Tabret and Pipe and Wine are in their feasts but they regard not the work of the Lord nor the operation of his hands that is their minds are so amused by wanton divertisements their hearts are so immersed in sensual enjoyments as no-wise to observe the most notable occurrences of Providence Others although they do ken and regard what is done as matter of news or story entertaining curiosity and talk yet out of sloth or stupidity do little consider it or study whence it springeth contenting themselves with none or with any superficial account which fancy or appearance suggesteth like beasts they do take in things obvious to their sense and perhaps stand gazing on them but do not make any careful reflexion or inquiry into their original causes and reasons taking as a dog when he biteth the stone flung at him or as a child that is angry with the log he falleth on what-ever appeareth next to be the principal cause such as the Psalmist again toucheth when he saith A brutish man knoweth not neither doth a fool understand this and as he doth acknowledg himself on one occasion to have been So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee Others pretend to consider much and seem very inquisitive yet being misguided by vain prejudices or foul affections do not consider wisely or well understand these matters the result of their care and study about them being to father them on wrong causes ascribing them to the meer conduct and agency of visible causes hurried by a necessary swindge or rolling on by a casual fluctuation of things not descrying God's hand in them but profanely discarding and disclaiming it such as those in the Psalms who so reflected on Providence as to say How doth God know and is there knowledge in the Most High The Lord doth not see neither doth the God of Jacob regard it such as have been the brood of Epicurean and profane considerers in all times who have earnestly plodded and strained their wits to exclude God from any inspection or influence upon our affairs Some indeed there have been so very dull and stupid or so perverse and profane
Providence may signifie lightness to father on God the mischiefs issuing from our sin and folly may savour of profaneness but to ascribe every grand and beneficial event unto his good Hand hath ever been reputed wisdom and justice It hath been saith Balbus in Cicero a common opinion among the Ancients that what-ever did bring great benefit to mankind was never done without Divine goodness toward men And well may they deem so seeing to doe so is most agreeable to his nature and appertaining to his charge and may appear to be so by good argumentation à priori For that God doth govern our affairs may be deduced from his essential Attributes and consequently that he doth in especial manner order these things which are the most proper and worthy objects of his governance God indeed doth not disregard any thing he watcheth over the least things by his general and ordinary Providence so that nothing in nature may deviate from its course or transgress the bounds prescribed to it He thereby cloathes the grass of the field He provideth for the raven his food and the young lions seek their meat from him without his care a sparrow doth not fall to the ground by it all the hairs of our head are numbred But his more special hand of Providence is chiefly imployed in managing affairs of great moment and benefit to mankind and peculiarly those which concern his people who do profess to worship and serve him whose welfare he tendreth with more then ordinary care and affection He therefore hath a main stroke in all revolutions and changes of State he presideth in all great counsels and undertakings in the waging of war in the settlement of peace in the dispensation of victory and good success He is peculiarly interested in the protection of Princes the chief Ministers of his Kingdom and in preservation of his people the choice object of his care from violent invasions and treacherous surprises so as to prevent disasters incident or to deliver from them It is he that as the Psalmist saith doth give Salvation unto Kings who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword It is he that continually keepeth Israel without ever sleeping or slumbering who is the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereof who is in the midst of her that she shall not be moved who hath declared that he will help her and that right early that he will not cast off his people nor forsake his inheritance that no weapon formed against his Church shall prosper that salvation belongeth to the Lord and his blessing is upon his people When therefore any remarkable event highly conducing to the publick good of Church of state supporting them in a good condition or rescuing them from imminent danger doth appear it is most reasonable and most just to ascribe the accomplishment thereof to God's Hand When any pernicious enterprize levelled against the safety of Prince and people is disappointed it is fit we should profess and say The righteous Lord hath hewen the snares of the ungodly in pieces 4. Another like mark of special Providence is the Righteousness of the case or the advantage springing from events unto the maintenance of Right the vindication of Innocence the defence of Truth the encouragement of Piety and Vertue God naturally is the Judge of right the Guardian of innocence the Patron of truth and Promoter of goodness The Lord is a refuge to the oppressed He is a Father of the fatherless and a Judg of the widow He will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor He executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed He blesseth the righteous and compasseth him with favour as with a shield He preserveth the souls of the righteous and delivereth them out of the hand of the ungodly All his Paths are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies When-ever therefore Right is oppressed or perillously invaded when Innocence is grossly abused or sorely beset when Piety is fiercely opposed or cunningly undermined when good men for the profession of Truth or the practice of Vertue are persecuted or grievously threatned with mischief then may we presume that God is not unconcerned nor will prove backward to reach forth his succour And when accordingly we find that sig nal aid or deliverance do then arrive it is most reasonable to suppose that God particularly hath engaged himself and exerted his power in their behalf For seeing it is his proper and peculiar work seeing it most becometh and behoveth him to appear in such cases affording his helpful countenance when he doth it we should be ready to acknowledge it In such a case The hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants and his indignation toward his enemies saith the Prophet 5. Another character is the Correspondence of Events to the Prayers and desires of good men For seeing it is the duty and constant practice of good men in all exigencies to implore God's help seeing such Prayers have as S. James telleth us a mighty energy it being God's property by them to be moved to impart his powerful assistence seeing God most plainly and frequently hath declared and obliged himself by promise that he will hear them so as to perform what-ever is expedient in their behalf seeing we have many notable experiments recorded in Scripture as those of Asa Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Elias Daniel and the like of Prayer bringing down wonderful effects from Heaven with which the testimonies of all times and the daily experience of good men do conspire seeing the presumption of such efficacy is the main ground and encouragement of Devotion we have great reason whenever Events are answerable to such Prayers to ascribe the performance of them to God's Hand great reason we have in such cases to cry out with David Now know I that the Lord saveth his Anointed he will hear him from his holy Heaven with the saving strength of his right hand just cause have we according to his pattern thankfully to acknowledge God's favour in answering our petitions The King said he shall joy in thy strength O Lord and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoyce For thou hast given him his heart's desire and hast not withholden the requests of his lips 6. Again The proceedings of God especially in way of judgment or of dispensing rewards and punishments discover their original by their kind and countenance which usually do bear a near resemblance or some significant correspondence to the actions upon which they are grounded Punishments saith a Father are the forced off-springs of willing faults and answerably Rewards are the children of good deeds and God who formeth both doth commonly order it so that the children in their complexion and features shall resemble their Parents So that the deserts
of men shall often be legible in the recompences conferred or inflicted on them not according to the natural result of their practice but with a comely reference thereto apt to raise in them a sense of God's Hand and to wring from them an acknowledgment of his Equity in so dealing with them So when humble Modesty is advanced to honour and ambitious Confidence is thrown into disgrace when Liberality is blessed with encrease and Avarice is cursed with decay of estate when Craft incurreth disappointment and Simplicity findeth good success when haughty Might is shattered and helpless Innocence is preserved when the Calumnious tongue is blistered the Flattering lips are cut off the Blasphemous throat is torn out when bloody Oppressours have blood given them to drink and come to welter in their own gore an accident which almost continually doth happen when Treacherous men by their own Confidents or by themselves are betrayed when Retaliations of vengeance are ministred extorting confessions like to that of Adoni-bezek As I have done so God hath requited me deserving such exprobrations as that of Samuel to Agaeg As thy sword hath made women childless so shall thy mother be childless among women grounding such reflexions as that concerning Antiochus Thus the murtherer and blasphemer having suffered most grievously as he entreated other men so died he a miserable death By such Occurrences the finger of God doth point out and indicate it self they speak themselves immediately to come from that just God who doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 render to men answerably to their doings who payeth men their due sometimes in value often in specie according to the strictest way of reckoning He as the Prophet saith is great in counsel and mighty in work for his eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men to give every one according to his ways and according to the fruits of his doings This indeed is a sort of administration most conformable to God's exact justice and most conducible to his holy designs of instructing and correcting offenders He therefore hath declared it to be his way It is saith the Prophet directing his speech to the instruments of Divine vengeance upon Babylon the vengeance of the Lord take vengeance upon her as she hath done do unto her And The day of the Lord saith another Prophet concerning the like judgment upon Edom is near upon all the Heathen As thou hast done it shall be done unto thee thy reward shall return upon thine own head Thereby doth God mean to declare himself the Judge and Governour of men For I will saith he in Ezekiel do unto them after their way and according to their deserts will I judge them and they shall know that I am the Lord. Farther 7. Another argument of special Providence is the Harmonious conspiracy of various Accidents to one End or Effect If that one thing should hit advantageously to the production of some considerable Event it may with some plausibility be attributed to Fortune or common Providence yet that divers things having no dependence or coherence one with the other in divers places through several times shall all joyn their forces to compass it cannot well otherwise then be ascribed to God's special Care wisely directing to his own Hand powerfully wielding those concurrent instruments to one good purpose For it is beside the nature it is beyond the reach of Fortune to range various causes in such order Blind Fortune cannot apprehend or catch the seasons and junctures of things which arise from the motions of causes in their nature indifferent and arbitrary to it therefore no such event can reasonably be imputed So to the bringing about our Lord's Passion that great Event which is so particularly assigned to God's Hand we may observe the monstrous Treachery of Judas the strange Malignity of the Jewish Rulers the prodigious Levity of the People the wonderful Easiness of Pilate with other notable accidents to have jumped in order thereto So also that a malicious Traitour should conceive kindness toward any that he should be mistaken in the object of his favour that he should express his mind in a way subject to deliberate examination in terms apt to breed suspicion where the Plot was laid that the Counsellours should despise it and yet not smother it that the King instantly by a light darted into his mind should descry it these things so happily meeting may argue God who mouldeth the hearts who guideth the hands who enlightneth the minds of men to have been engaged in the detection of this day 's black Conspiracy Such are some characters of special Providence each of which singly appearing in any occurrence would in a considerate man breed an opinion thereof each of them being very congruous to the supposition of it no-such appearances being otherwise so clearly and cleverly explicable as by assigning the Divine Hand for their principal cause But the connexion of them all in one Event when divers odd accidents do befal at a seasonable time according to exigency for the publick benefit the preservation of Princes the security of God's People the protection of right the maintenance of Truth and Piety according to the wishes and prayers of good men with proper retribution and vengeance upon the wretched designers of mischief such a complication I say of these marks in one Event may throughly suffice to raise a firm persuasion to force a confident acknowledgment concerning God's Providence in any considerate and ingenuous person it readily will dispose such persons upon any such occasion to say This is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Notwithstanding therefore any obscurity or intricacy that sometime may appear in the course of Providence notwithstanding any general exceptions that may by perverse incredulity be alleged against the conduct of things there are good marks observable whereby if we are not very blockish drowzy supine lazy or froward if we will consider wisely with industrious attention and care with minds pure from vain prejudices and corrupt affections we may discern and understand God's doing Which to do is the First Duty specified in our Text upon which having insisted so largely I shall hoping you will favour me with a little patience briefly touch the rest II. It is the Duty of us all upon such remarkable occurrences of Providence to fear God All men 't is said shall fear It is our Duty in such cases to be affected with all sorts of fear with a fear of awful dread with a fear of hearty reverence with a fear of sober caution yea sometimes with a fear of dejecting consternation When God doth appear clad with his robes of vengeance and zeal denouncing and discharging judgment when he representeth himself fearful in praises terrible in his doings toward the children of men working terrible things in righteousness it should strike into our hearts
and fat by digesting the thin air with what regard then shall his free and faithful advice be entertained Shall not his moderate confidence be accounted impudence his open sincerity of speech be styled unmannerly presumption his minding others of their duty adjudged a forgetfulness of his own condition or a disorderly transgressing the due limits thereof If he be not ashamed of the truth will not the truth be ashamed of him Shall he not prejudice more by the meanness of his garb then further by the force of his reason that good cause which he maintains Will men respect his words whose person they despise will they be willingly counselled or patiently reproved by him whom they esteem yea whom they plainly see so much their inferiour No the same words which proceed from the mouths of men in eminent dignity are not the same when they are uttered by those of base degree Weak and ineffectual are the most eloquent harangues of beggarly Oratours obscure like themselves and unobserved the most notable dictates of poor mercenary pedants The authority of the speaker doth usually more incline then the weight of the matter It was the observation of the wise Son of Sirach When a rich man slips he hath many helpers he speaketh things not to be spoken and yet men justifie him the poor man miscarried and they farther rebuked him he spake discreetly and yet could have no place When a rich man speaketh every man holdeth his tongue and his words they extol to the clouds but if a poor man speak they say Who is this and if he stumble they will help to overthrow him And Solomon himself notes the same The poor man's wisedom is despised and his words are not heard Not onely those that swell with pride and swim in plenty but even the meanest of the people will be apt to contemn his instructions whom they perceive in few or no circumstances of life to excell them If the Preacher's condition be not as well as his Pulpit somewhat elevated above the lowest station few will hear him fewer mind his words very few obey him Job's Case deserves well to be considered While he flourished in wealth and reputation all men attended to his counsell and admired his discourse The Princes saith he resrained talking and laid their hand on their mouth The Nobles held their peace and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth When the ear heard me then it blessed me and when the eye saw me it gave witness to me Unto me men gave ear and waited and kept silence at my counsel After my words they spake not again and my speech dropped upon them So officiously attentive were all men to Job in his prosperity But when the scale was turn'd and he became depressed in estate no man minded either him or his discourse except it were to despise and scorn both But now saith he they that are younger then I have me in dirision whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock I am their song yea I am their by-word They abhor me they fly far from me and spare not to spit in my face Because he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me If Job a person who so equally and moderately yea so humbly and courteously and bountifully used his prosperity as we find he did was notwithstanding in his adversity so generally slighted and abhorred what shall their lot be who never enjoyed those advantages what regard shall their wholsome advice find what efficacy their most pathetical exhortations obtain what passion their faint breath raise in mens benummed hearts No more certainly then their mean condition shall procure among men either of friendship or esteem We see therefore how Almighty God that he might conciliate credit unto and infuse a persuasive energy into the words of his Prophets and Apostles was pleased to dignifie them with extraordinary gifts of foretelling future events and doing miraculous works their Doctrine it seems though of it self most reasonable and plausible being not sufficient to convince the hearers without some remarkable excellency in the Teachers challenging the people's awful regard and exciting their attention Otherwise how pitifully-scant a draught those poor fishers of men had caught by the common allurements only of innocent life and rational discourse I leave you to imagine And where such extraordinary commendations are wanting is it not reasonable that the need of them should be supplied by ordinary and probable expedients I might further add how a necessitous and despicable estate doth commonly not onely disturb the mindes and deject the spirits of men but distempereth also their Souls and viciateth their manners rendring them not onely sad and anxious slavish and timorous but greedy also and covetous peevish and mutinous rude and ignorant engages them in sordid company and tempts them to unworthy courses From which one cause how scandalous effects and how prejudicial to the Churche's both honour and safety have proceeded I need not for to say since wofull experience too loudly proclaims it I might adde more-over that the Priests do confer to the good of the State which is secured and advanced by the sincere instruction of men in duties of Obedience Justice and Fidelity and by maintenance of good Conscience among men So that if things be rightly considered it will be hard to find a better Commonwealths-man then a good Minister Seeing therefore the good of the Church upon various accounts is so much concerned in the Priests encouragement welfare and respect 't is very fitting they should have them Which Consideration I conclude with that serious Admonition of the Apostle to the Hebrews wherein the substance of what hath been spoken on this point is contained Obey your Rulers or Guides and submit to them for they watch for your Souls as they that are to give an account that they may do it with joy and not with complaint for this is unprofitable for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for this pays no taxes quits no scores turns to no account is no-wise advantageous for you but rather for there is a Miosis in those words is hurtfull and detrimental to you But farther III. Common Equity and the Reason of the Case exacts that Safety competent Subsistence and fitting respect be allowed to the Priests If you consider their Personal qualities who I pray do commonly better deserve those advantages then they Those qualities I say which result from a liberal a sober a modest Education in the Schools of Wisedom and under the influences of good Discipline If Birth that is at best an imaginary relation to the gallantry of an Ancestour entitle men to Honour if the cheap favours of Fortune be so highly prized and admired if Riches that is the happy results of industry in trivial matters do easily purchase respect what may they not pretend to whose constant and not always unsuccesful endeavour it
Tertullian calls such Philosophers negotiatores famae Merchants for fame and it is perchance some part of their cunning in that trade which makes them strive to beat down the price of this commodity that they may more easily engrosse it to themselves However experience proves that such words are but words words spoken out of affectation and pretence rather then in good earnest and according to truth that endeavours to banish or to extirpate this desire are but fond and fruitless attempts The reason why is clear for 't is as if one should dispute against eating and drinking or should labour to free himself from hunger and thirst the appetite of Honour being indeed as that of Food innate unto us so as not to be quenched or smothered except by some violent distemper or indisposition of mind even by the wise Authour of our nature originally implanted therein for very good ends and uses respecting both the private and publick benefit of men as an engagement to Vertue and a restraint from Vice as an excitement of industry an incentive of courage a support of constancy in the prosecution of worthy enterprises as a serviceable instrument for the constitution conservation and improvement of humane society For did not some love of Honour glow in mens breasts were that noble spark quite extinct few men probably would study for honourable qualities or perform laudable deeds there would be nothing to keep some men within bounds of honesty and decency to deterr them from doing odious and ugly things men not caring what others thought of them would not regard what they did themselves a barbarous sloth or brutish stupidity would overspread the world withdrawing from common life most of its ornaments much of its convenience men generally would if not altogether shun society yet at least decline the cares and burthens requisite to the promoting its welfare for the sustaining which usually the chief encouragement the main recompence is this of Honour That men therefore have so tender and delicate a sense of their Reputation so that touching it is like pricking a nerve as soon felt and as smartly offensive is an excellent provision in nature in regard whereto Honour may pass among the bona naturalia as a Good necessary for the satisfaction of nature and for securing the accomplishment of its best designs A moderate regard to Honour is also commendable as an instance of humanity or good will to men yea as an argument of humility or a sober conceit of our selves For to desire another man's esteem and consequently his love which in some kind or degree is an inseparable companion of esteem doth imply somewhat of reciprocal esteem and affection toward him and to prize the judgment of other men concerning us doth signifie that we are not oversatisfied with our own We might for its farther commendation allege the authority of the more cool and candid sort of Philosophers such as grounded their judgment of things upon notions agreeable to common sense and experience who adapted their rules of practice to the nature of man such as they found it in the world not such as they framed it in their own fancies who have ranked Honour among the principal of things desirable and adorned it with fairest elogies terming it a divine thing the best of exteriour goods the most honest fruit and most ample reward of true Vertue adjudging that to neglect the opinions of men especially of persons worthy and laudable is a sign of stupid baseness that to contemn them is an effect of unreasonable haughtiness representing the love of Honour rightly grounded and duly moderated not onely as the parent and guardian as productive and preservative of other Vertues but as a Vertue it self of no small magnitude and lustre in the Constellation of Vertues the Vertue of Generosity A Vertue which next to the spirit of true Religion next to a hearty reverence toward the Supreme Blessed Goodness and that holy Charity toward men which springeth thence doth lift a man up nearest to Heaven doth raise his mind above the sordid desires the sorry cares the fond humours the perverse and froward passions with which men commonly are possessed and acted that Vertue which enflames a man with Courage so that he dares perform what reason and duty require of him that he disdains to doe what is bad or base which inspires him with Sincerity that he values his honesty before all other interests and respects that he abhorrs to wrong or deceive to flatter or abuse any man that he cannot endure to seem otherwise then he is to speak otherwise then he means to act otherwise then he promises and professes which endows him with Courtesie that he is ready to yield every man his due respect to afford any man what help and succour he is able that Vertue which renders a man upright in all his dealings and correspondent to all his obligations a loyall Subject to his Prince and a true lover of his Country a candid judge of persons and things an earnest favourer of what-ever is good and commendable a faithfull and hearty friend a beneficial and usefull neighbour a gratefull resenter and requiter of courtesies hospitable to the stranger bountifull to the poor kind and good to all the world that Vertue in fine which constitutes a man of honour who surely is the best man next to a man of conscience Thus may Honour be valued from natural light and according to common sense But beyond all this the Holy Scripture that most certain standard by which we may examine and determine the true worth of things doth not teach us to slight Honour but rather in its fit order and just measure to love and prize it It indeed instructs us to ground it well not upon bad qualities or wicked deeds that 's villainous madness not upon things of a mean and indifferent nature that 's vanity not upon counterfeit shews and pretences that 's hypocrisie but upon reall worth and goodness that may consist with modesty and sobriety it enjoyns us not to be immoderate in our desires thereof or complacencies therein not to be irregular in the pursuit or acquist of it to be so is pride and ambition but to affect it calmly to purchase it fairly it directs us not to make a regard thereto our chief principle not to propound it as our main end of action it charges us to bear contentedly the want or loss thereof as of other temporal goods yea in some cases for Conscience sake or for God's service that is for a good incomparably better then it it obliges us willingly to prostitute and sacrifice it chusing rather to be infamous then impious to be in disgrace with men rather then in disfavour with God it in fine commands us to seek and embrace it onely in subordination and with final reference to God's honour Which distinctions and cautions being provided Honour is represented in Holy