necessary as well for the salvation of the souls as for the honest and lawful concerns of the bodies of Christian People and faithfully and diligently to discharge their part of the Office and Care that they have severally taken upon them not to give themselves over to sloth and idleness to luxury delights and pleasures but by day and by night though with hunger and thirst colds and heats losses and crosses perils and dangers both of life and fortune to behave themselves as becomes good faithful and approved Ministers and Servants and as that honest Keeper of another Mans Cattel affirmed of himself in relation to the Flocks committed to his care Gen. 30. This twenty years have I been with thee thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten That which was torn of Beasts I brought not unto thee I bare the loss of it of my hand didst thou require it whether stoln by day or stoln by night Thus I was in the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night and my sleep departed from mine eyes And as that excellent shepherd did whose task was neither more easie nor less dangerous as he himself intimates 1 Sam. 17. Thy Servant kept his Fathers Sheep and there came a Lion and a Bear and took a Lamb out of the Flock and I went out after him and smote him and delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him Since these holy Shepherds then shewed so much care and diligence so much faithfulness and assiduity for sheep goats and brute beasts that their owners might suffer no loss what care then behoveth it them to take Psal 78. who feed Jacob the People of the Lord and Israel his Inheritance that they may feed them according to the iniegrity of their heart and guide them by the skilfulness of their hands whom they know to be the Flocks not of an earthly and mortal but of an eternal and immortal Lord and Master 1 Pet. 1. Not redeem'd with corruptible things is Silver and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot Now they must be led out and fed not in strange Pastures but in the Meadows and Fields of the Lord as it was the care of Jesus Christ himself who enjoyned the same to the Pastors who lawfully discharge that duty not once or twice but a third time saying John 21. Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these to which when he had answered yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my Lambs He saith unto him again Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me and he answering yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my Sheep And he said unto him a third time Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me and when he had answered the third time Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my Sheep This care which Jesus Christ so earnestly and affectionately commended to Pastors the Ancients Religiously undertook and gloried in the performance and discharge of the same as particularly St. Paul 2 Cor. 11. In labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths oft of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered Ship-wreck a night and a day I have been in the deep In Journeying often in perils of waters in perils of Robbers in perils by mine own country-men in perils by the heathen in perils in the city in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea in perils among false brethren in weariness and painfulness in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness Besides those things that are without that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the Churches Who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not The Apostle was not only satisfied that he had suffered these things for the sake of the souls committed to his charge but also as we have already observed gloried and greatly rejoyced that by undergoing such troubles and care he might approve himself unto God wherefore he subjoyned 2 Cor. 12. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in Reproaches in Necessities in Persecutions in Distresses for Christs sake Of the like mind were the other holy Ministers of the Gospel also Acts 5. who departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Such endeavours and such instances of duty and faithful obedience God always expects of his Pastors and Ministers and when they are needful requires them Now when are they not needful what time is there that affords not occasion and opportunity for a strenuous discharge of the Ministry what reason colour or pretext can be given for idleness and neglecting of the Sheep what if there be no dangers but all things in peace and quietness yet opportunities and seasons of doing those things which concern the salvation of Souls are never wanting there is always occasion for procuring and encreasing the favour and love of God and for avoiding such a complaint and reproof as this Ezek. 34. Wo be to the Shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves should not the Shepherds feed the Flocks ye eat the fat and ye cloath you with the wooll ye kill them that are fed but ye feed not the Flock The diseased have ye not strengthned neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought again that which was driven away neither have ye sought that which was lost but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them And they were scattered because there is no Shepherd and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered My Sheep wandred through all the Mountains and upon every high hill yea my Flock was scattered upon all the face of the Earth and none did search or seek after them Therefore ye Shepherds hear the word of the Lord as I live saith the Lord God surely because my Flock became a prey and my Flock became meat to every beast of the field because there was no Shepherd neither did my Shepherds search for my Flock but the Shepherds fed themselves and not my Flock Therefore O ye Shepherds hear the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord God behold I am against the Shepherds and I will require my Flock at their hand c. Consonant to these complaints and dreadful threatnings of the Lord God are the rebukes given by our Saviour to the Lazy Ambitious Covetous and negligent Ministers and Pastors
Authority reaching all men whether publick or private the Universal Church hath always owned and asserted and that they will take in good part whatsoever may be said by us which perhaps may tax the corrupt manners of our present times being perswaded that Christian Simplicity Virtue and Probity are always in force and beyond exception and reproach not only upon their own account but because of our purpose and design also who heartily love all holy and good Men tho unknown neither hate any who may have fallen from the truth or degenerated from the Virtues of the Gospel but wish that all may repent and be saved through Jesus Christ our Lord whom therefore we would have rightly admonished of their Duty As for the wiser who stand not in need of our Admonition we trust they will put a favourable construction on our care and endeavours for the common salvation of Mankind who tho we be simple and unable to contribute any thing to the information of the wise yet to those who are weaker in knowledg ought to perform what service and good offices lye in our power Now the sum of all our Admonition shall consist of plain Sentences from the Oracles both of the Old and New Testament the weight of which is such that neither humane wisdom can resist nor the craft and subtilty of our adversary evacuate the force of them and by this means we may be helpful both to those who admit of nothing in dispute but what is taken from holy Scripture and to those also who rightly think that truth wherever it be found ought to be embraced for to both these it is our design to do good not alledging all that might be said but only such things as we shall have reason to think may be profitable to all and hurtful to no body The whole Christian Discipline then may be comprehended under two general Heads which every true Disciple and follower of Christ ought to know and dutifully practise The first is to believe the Word and Promises of God the Authority whereof hath been confirmed by Signs Miracles and manifest Testimonies Now Signs and Miracles are neither at present necessary nor are they nor indeed ought to be required as being of old seen and approved reiterated likewise and confirmed and received and believed by the Universal Church of God for concerning these it is written Deut. 32. Remember the days of old consider the years of many Generations ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee Wherefore it is not now to be doubted what it is or how we ought to believe for that is reduced into certain Points which are called Articles and proposed by the Church to be learned under the name of the Apostles Creed briefly and plainly comprehending all the Points of our Faith which have been largely commented upon and explained in the many writings of holy and learned Men. Neither is our discourse directed to those that do not believe but to such as believe or at least profess they believe the Word and Promises of God to their own Salvation and confess that there is no necessity of Miracles nor any doubt of the Salvation sent into the World and wrought by Jesus Christ Heb. 2. Which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by those that heard him God also hearing them witness both with Signs and Wonders and with divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own Will The second Head and Branch of Doctrine is the knowledg and practice of Piety of which at present we are to treat Now for illustration sake we call Piety all that which every faithful Disciple and Follower of Christ and the Christian Doctrine believing the Promises ought to know hold fast and practise no Man being excepted who having the right use of his Reason can know and perform the same seeing the assistance of the divine Grace that is necessary to that knowledg and practice will not be wanting nor denied to those who as we said before diligently and seasonably beg the same but will rather be plentifully supplied by the Father of Light 1 Tim. 2. who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledg of the Truth even those who are strangers to the knowledg of the Truth and much more such as embrace the known Truth and study to hold fast and improve it Now we say that it behoveth a Disciple of Christ to know the chief Precepts and Institutions of the Doctrine of Piety which he professes for tho to know the least Points be neither the duty nor is it required of all yet those things which belong to all in general and every Disciple in particular are not to be unknown For how dare he profess and call himself a Disciple who knows not the Heads of that Discipline which he does and ought to follow And by what right can he expect to be acknowledged a Scholar by the Master who knows not the Precepts and Institutions of his Teacher And to that purpose is this which by a Disciple is written to his fellow Scholars 1 Cor. 14. If any Man think himself to be a Prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledg that the things that I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. But if any Man be ignorant let him be ignorant If any Man know not the Commands of God he shall not be known by our Lord and Master who will say Mat. 25. I know you not And again to every one that hath shall be given but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath In another place making a difference betwixt those who believe and know the Will of God and those who do not the Lord saith Luke 12. And that Servant which knew his Lords Will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many stripes but he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes Wherefore leaving those who know not the Will of the Lord such as are they to whom the knowledg of the Gospel hath not as yet reached our discourse is to those who have known or at least have professed to know the Will of the Lord who ought to prepare themselves and do according to his Will to whom the Apostle saith 1 Thes 4. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification to which Men ought to prepare themselves Now no Man can be so prepared if he be ignorant by what means and actions that Preparation is to be set about and accomplished for tho one may set about it with all imaginable care and study yet unless he square the same according to the rules and and directions of the Divine Will he will at length find it to be unprofitable And this God Almighty himself
filled and animated with divine Fear follow the ways of Godliness which Fear as we have said is the beginning or principal part of Knowledg that is it is a reverent care to avoid sin obey the Will and worship the Majesty of God And therefore the holy Mother of our Lord affirms Luke 1. That his Mercy is on them that fear him from Generation to Generation thereby intimating that that divine and inexhaustible Mercy was in no Age ever wanting to those who Fear and religiously Serve the Lord. And indeed divine Wisdom hath by many and frequent Testimonies and Oracles out of the mouths of all the Prophets and Holy Men asserted the Dignity and Excellence of the Fear of God and amongst others by that of the Son of Sirach Ecclus. 25. Oh how great is he that findeth Wisdom yet there is none above him that feareth the Lord. For Knowledg and Wisdom do indeed illuminate and instruct the Mind but that holy Fear of the Lord turns the heart effectually unto God and inclines it to the Obedience and Observation of the Precepts of the divine Law As the same Son of Sirach does expresly teach Ecclus. 2. saying My Son if thou come to serve the Lord prepare thy Soul for Temptation Set thy Heart aright and constantly endure and make not hast in time of trouble Cleave unto him and depart not away that thou maist be encreased at thy last end Whatsoever is brought unto thee take chearfully and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate For Gold is tried in the Fire and acceptable Men in the Furnace of Adversity Believe in him and he will help thee order thy way aright and trust in him Ye that fear the Lord wait for his Mercy and go not aside lest ye fall Ye that fear the Lord believe him and your reward shall not fail Ye that fear the Lord hope for good and for everlasting Joy and Mercy Look at the Generations of old and see did ever any trust in the Lord and was confounded Or did any abide in his fear and was forsaken Or whom did he ever despise that called upon him For the Lord is full of Compassion and Mercy Long-Suffering and very Pitiful and forgiveth Sins and saveth in time of Affliction Wo be to fearful hearts and faint hands and the sinner that goeth two ways Wo unto him that is faint-hearted for he believeth not therefore shall he not be defended Wo unto you that have lost Patience and what will ye do when the Lord shall visit you They that fear the Lord will not disobey his Word and they that love him will keep his ways They that fear the Lord will seek that is well pleasing unto him and they that love him shall be filled with the Law They that fear the Lord will prepare their heart and humble their Souls in his sight saying we will fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men for as his Majesty is so is his Mercy Nor do the holy Scriptures affirm only that the Fear of God is an useful proper and effectual means for working out our own Salvation but also that it is absolutely necessary and without which no Man can be saved seeing he who is not endowed with this Religious and Godly Fear can neither rightly set about nor with a steddy and constant purpose of mind go through with the work of Repentance nor yet faithfully keep the Laws of God as they ought to do who endeavour to approve themselves to God and procure the blessing of Justification and Christian Sanctification And therefore it was the Decree and Purpose of Heaven that a messenger of the Salvation which was coming into the World should as a fore-runner be sent before to Preach the Repentance and observation of the Divine Laws to Men and by that means prepare the way for Christian Righteousness Mat. 3. For John the Baptist came preaching in the Wilderness of Judea and saying Repent ye For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand For this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Esaias saying The voice of one crying in the Wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight For the same purpose the Apostles were sent out by Jesus Christ the Author and High-Priest of our Salvation to Publish and Preach this necessary Duty of Repentance for as the Evangelist saith Mark 6. They went out and Preached that Men should Repent The Apostles excepted none that heard them and desired to be partakers of the Salvation which they Preached from the Duty and Care of Repentance The Apostle Paul affirms before King Agrippa that he was enjoyned and had performed the same duty both towards the Jews and Gentiles without any distinction Preaching throughout all the wasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn of God and do works meet for repentance When the Jews and others at Jerusalem asked the question what was to be done by those who desired to be saved St. Peter answered Acts 2. Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of Sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost For the Promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call It might be proved by above six hundred Testimonies from the Holy Scripture that without the fear of the Lord and Repentance which is the second Head of Doctrine we now treat of and without the keeping and observation of the Laws of God no Man that is come to Age and that knows God and the nature of good and evil can obtain remission of sins and the inheritance and enjoyment of the Kingdom of Heaven This our Saviour himself the best Interpreter of his Fathers will asserts saying Luke 13. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Mat. 5. and except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Now seeing the word Repentance is often to be mentioned in this little Book that it may clearly appear what we mean we are to take notice that Repentance comprehends two things a detestation and forsaking of our sins and ill life past and an earnest and sincere practice and performance of those Virtues Acts and Deeds which are known to be acceptable to God As to the first part that is the detestation and forsaking of sin and a sinful life that Repentance chiefly relates to it which is enjoyned and taught by the Christian Church of which the particulars are the sorrow and contrition of heart the confession of the mouth and satisfaction in deed to use the common phrase and expression of the learned for knowing the nature whereof we shall refer you to the Books of the Learned who have fully handled and discussed that Point being resolved here
a perfect heart And that this course was followed by Princes and Magistrates who were approved of God Holy History assures us Now so much holier ought Christian Princes and Magistrates to be so much more versed in the study and knowledge of Law and Equity by how much they have obtained a more perfect Testament than the Ancients did not only because of the clear and plain exposition of the divine Precepts made by Christ and his Apostles but also because of more abundant grace promised and prepared for Believers under the Gospel It is very far from their duty then either by commission or omission to break the Law and violate the sacred Precepts and that they who are commanded always to read and meditate on the Law and not to turn aside from the right neither to the right hand nor to the left should mind nothing but pleasures pomp ambition and avarice and go astray after their own inventions making and imposing Laws upon others which make more for the appetites and desires the greatness State Majesty and Glory as they are pleased to call it of the Governors and for establishing many new titles of Authority Prerogative and Superiority which they daily invent than for the true Worship of God and good of the People Besides it is a sort of perverseness most odious to God for Princes or inferiour Magistrates to covet to be rich and to leave great Estates to their Children out of the publick Revenues and not being satisfied with an honest reward for their labours that is with a modest competency of subsistence according to their quality to be insatiably set upon the getting of wealth and riches either by the liberality of Princes or defrauding the Publick and to make it the whole desire of their Souls that they may raise great Houses and Families whereby they may perpetuate their Names upon Earth rather by a long Succession of Heirs than by the Monuments and Examples of Virtue Innocence Sanctity and real Honour Samuel born in Ramah a little Town and in a Montainous Country being from his childhood brought up in the sacred Ministeries of the Temple had a garment given him yearly by his Parents suitable to the meanness of their Fortune When he was grown up to be a Man by the command of God he took upon him the Government of the Common-wealth and during the space of fourty years as Prince Judg and Ruler in Peace and in War Ruled the populous rich and flourishing State of the whole twelve Tribes of Israel being as painful and assiduous as vigilant and active as any Governor either before or since and yet during that whole time he neither encreased his Estate nor changed his abode from his own mean native habitation to a more conspicuous City at least in his own Tribe nor for his pleasure made use of the delights and varieties that other places did afford but having in War recovered and re-established the State of the Israelites and setled a firm Peace all over the Country he kept Assemblies at certain times for administring Justice to the People and when he had done so that he might not be troublesom or chargeable to any Town or Family he returned home to his own mean but contentful habitation where he neither excused himself from business nor omitted any opportunity of promoting the worship of God As it is written 1 Sam. 7. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel And the Cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from Ekron even unto Gath and the Coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistins And there was Peace between Israel and the Amorites And Samuel Judged Israel all the days of his life And he went from year to year in Circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpeh and Judged Israel in all those places And his return was to Ramah for there was his house and there he Judged Israel and there he built an Altar unto the Lord. By the short description of this instance the Holy Ghost manifestly shews us with how much care diligence innocence piety continence and abstinence that great Man discharged the Offices of a valiant and expert General in War and of an excellent Prince and Magistrate in Peace who when afterward he had dimitted the Government and resigned up the Authority to a chosen King was neither richer nor more wealthy nor was his Family advanced to greater dignity or splendor but he contentedly returned to the same statâ— wherein he was born For Samuel went to Ramah where he spent the rest of his days neither did he build Palaces or stately Houses either in Ramah or in any other more conspicuous place nor erected for himself a magnificent Monument or burying place on which either at Jerusalem or any other City taken in War he might transmit to Posterity the Trophies of his Atchievements or the Titles of his Fame 1 Sam. 25. But Samuel died and all the Israelites were-gathered together and lamented him and buried him in his house at Ramah For they who aim to be rich by their Magistracy must of necessity either cheat the King or defraud the Publick and apply that to their own private use which might far better and more profitably be expended on the Publick Now the publick treasure being exhausted the people must needs be harassed with new Taxes and Impositions and so the Wealth and Riches of a few must cause the want and poverty of many But how much God is offended at these covetous desires the Prophet plainly declares Isa 5. Wo unto them that joyn house to house that lay field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth In mine ears said the Lord of Hosts of a truth many houses shall be desolate even great and fair without Inhabitant Now if it be unbeseeming a Christian Magistrate to heap up riches from the Salaries or larger Perquisits of their Offices how detestable and accursed must it be in the sight of God to get Estates and Dignities by accepting of Persons Injustice Rapine Fraud Bribes Oppression Calumny and Cheating God forbids Kings Princes and Magistrates to multiply to themselves Gold and Silver for the greedy thirst after Gold and Riches sets the minds of those who are infected therewith upon the committing of any Sin and Wickedness it is the cause of the Oppression of People with grievous and heavy Impositions of Quarrels Strife and Wars amongst Princes themselves of the slaughter and murdering of Subjects and other abominable and flagitious cruelties that are committed by Soldiers and in a word of the ruine and loss of many Souls as the Holy Ghost himself assures us Jam. 4. From whence come Wars and Fightings among you Come they not hence even of your Lusts that War in your Members ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain ye fight and war