if he had said Go lead on my God behold I follow as neer as close as I can è vestigiò I would not leave any distance but pursue thy footsteps step by step leaning upon thine everlasting arms that are underneath me and following thy maunduction Lot had almost perisht in Sodom for lingring when his God hastned him away Gen. 19.16 But Sampson till then invincible awoke too late from the bosome of his Delilah when the Philistines had shaved his seven locks And he thought to go out and shake off their cords wherewith they bound him as at other times but the Lord was departed from him and they took him and put out both his eyes Judg. 16.20 21. A Christâ—an is more then a man when he acts in concurrence with his God â—sal 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid But if he resists the holy Ghost he doth not only grieve him but will if he go on resisting quench him and then he is all alone becomes heir to the curse of Reuben Gen. 49.3 4. he who was a while since the excellency of dignity the excellency of power is now weak as water and cannot excell The proverb tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a great deale of Time in a little opportunity It is good striking while the Iron is hot and lanching out whilst wind and tide serve Open all thy Sailes to every breath and gale of Gods good spirit Welcome every suggestion reverence every dictate cherish every illapse of this blessed Moniâ—or let every inspiration find thee as the Seal doth the Waxe or the spark the tinder and then as the Spouse tels her beloved or ever thou art aware thy Soul will make thee as the Charet of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a free and willing people Aminadab Step into the pool when the Angel stirs the water John 5.4 Keep touch with the motions of the spirit and all is well But if these three Rules are too generall and remote I shall now lay down some more particular and exact directions for checking the beginnings of sinne and these are of two sorts as Physitians have their Prophylactiques and their Therapeutiques Some for prevention of the fit and paroxysme others for the cure and removall when the symptomes of it are upon thee 1 Before the Paroxisme cometh prepare and antidote thy Soul against these lusts of the flesh by observing these advices Rule 1 The first is that noble counsell of Eliphaz to Job cap. 22. vers 21. Acquaint thy selfe now with God and be at peace Get thy heart fixed where thy treasure is have thy conversation in heaven and thy fellowship with the father and with his sonne Jesus Christ Flee to thy God to hide thee He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Aâ—mighty Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy shield and buckler Psal 91.1 3 4. Arise with thine arisen Lord and seek the things that are above Set thine affections there where Christ sits at the right hand of God If the Soul is not where it animates but where it loves awaken thinâ— and kindle it into holy passionate Extasies of love that thou mayest live in heaven all day long and which is the priviledge of the upright Psal 140 13. dwell in the presence of that God whom thy soul delighteth in The Tempter cannot reach thee there Be much in converse with God and the Devil will have litttle converse with thee or if he have it will be to little purpose How was the Majesty of King Ahasuenus incensed at that affront of Haman when he threw himself upon Queen Esters bed what will he force the Queen in our presence Esth 7.8 Keep but in the presence of thy Lord thy King thy Husband and the Ravisher will not offer to force thee there or if he do it wil be but in vain How secure is that Soul that lives under the deep and warme and constant sense of Gods being it's all in all What a munition of rocks is this against all assaults and incursions of the Tempter They are our tame and common Poultry whose wings sweep the ground as they flie and raise a dust but the generous Eagle soon mounts above this smoaky lower Region of the Aire till she makes the clouds a pillow for her head Put on Christian thy Eagles wings which are the same with those Doves wings which David pray's for Psal 55.6 and flee away that thou maist be at rest They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles c. Isa 40.31 When the soul is once but upon the wing heaven-ward O how easily then doth it soare away above this region of smoak and dust above this Atmosphaene of earnality and fleshly lustings into the pure free Aethereal aire the blessed serenity and rest of Gods life and kingdome which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 it is cold iron that shews its rusty scales they disappear when it is red hot Get but thine heart on fire heaven-ward be but ascending thither Eliah like in a flaming Chariot of holy longings and paintings after God and the lustings of the flesh shall no more appear to deform thy beauty then the rust of iron appears when the metal is Candent i. e. all over of a light and glowing ardour The Rule then is Be sick of love to thy dear Master and Lord and thou shalt not be sick of sin Stir up spiritual and holy lustings in thy soul after the love and favour the grace and image of thy God and thou shalt not fulfill the lustings of the flesh Study throughly the unchangeable natures the eternal laws and differences of moral good and evill To open this There are some things of a middle and indifferent nature neither good nor evill in themselves But if God commands or forbids any of these they are then good or evill indeed but only because or whilest he doth so The Ceremonial Law of the Old Testament stood in these things and is now abolished by the same Divine authority which enacted it And it is now the glory of Christian Religion that excepting the two Sacraments and a very few other positive institutions for great and weighty causes reserved the Evangelical Law of the New Testament consists of such preceps as carry their own Credentiall letters and are built upon morall grounds of everlasting equity and righteousnesse Wherefore the Romanists deserve very ill of Christian Religion nor are the Lutheran Churches to be excused who of their owne heads impose so many indifferent things now in the service of God under the Gospel and that for no
Souls coming These Conclusions being laid down I shall shew you what men can do towards their conversion but first I must inform you that conversion may be taken two wayes 1. Strictly for the infusion of grace into the heart and will of man whereby he is regenerate and his will made good here man and his will being meerly passive for in this act voluntas nec est libera nec voluntaria he can do nothing towards his owne conversion in this sense 2. It may be taken pro tota serie auxiliorum quibus ad eam movemur For all helps and means which further us that way and in this sense it 's affirmed That men may do much towards their conversion they may materially dispose themselves thereunto 1. They may do as much as heathens have done or would have done had they lived under the same means and had such motives as they have The Lord tells Ezek that if he had sent him to a people of a strange language that was to the Gentiles they would have hearkned unto him Ezek. 3.6 they would have received him and obeyed his doctrine It is certified from the mouth of Christ That if the mighty works done in Chorazin and Bethsaida had been done in Tyre and Sydon they would have repented Matth. 11.21 And that the men of Niniveh should rise in judgement with the then present generation and condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater than Jonas was there Matth. 12.41 If one Sermon of Jonas who was one of the lesser Prophets prevailed so much with Heathens why should not many Sermons of Christ who is the chief of all the Prophets prevail as much if not more with Christians vae torpori nostro what will become of us Rahab shewed kindnesse to the people of God and that was antecedaneous to her conversion Herod heard the Word gladly Mar. 6.20 And Pharaoh desired the prayers of Moses and Aaron Exod. 8.28 2. They may sit under a powerfull Ministry coming with reverence before God not offering the sacrifice of fools but hear the Truth without being contentious against it as they were Rom. 2.8 They may let the Truth have a full stroak at them and their corruptions They may receive the love of the truth 2 Thes 2.10 and not hold it in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 So that they will not suffer it to have influence into their affections and to break out into action 3. They may hearken to the voyce of Gods judgements and rods when they are abroad upon themselves and others No man should despise the chastisement of the Lord but every one should heare the voice of the Rod and who hath appointed it The Prophet Isaiah tells us Chap. 16.9 That the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness when the judgements of the Lord are in the earth Discite justitiā moniti non temnere numen Virg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His judgements are the best Schoolmasters and teach many good lessons Waldus was taught by the hand of God upon one of his sociates to become a new man When Manasses was in affliction he besought the Lord and humbled himself greatly 2 Chron. 33.12 Vexatio dat intellectum when the Lord doth box and buffet us with his judgements our understandings are opened and fear falls upon us and though this fear be servile at first yet it may end in filiall the spirit of bondage may become the spirit of Adoption 4. They may observe the difference is made in mens lives after conversion from that which was before Conversion is a strange worke it makes a man another man They in Peter thought it a strange thing that men left their old courses Ego non sum ego 1 Pet. 4.4 In conversion Wolves are made Lambs and persecuters Preachers How was it that when Paul preached all that heard him were amazed and said is not this he which destroyed them who call'd on this name in Jerusalem and came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound unto the chief Priests True it was he unconverted did so not he converted now he was another a new man now he was a Christian and had other principles and practices than before there was a great change wrought in him and so in Mary Magdalen Observation of such examples have their use and energy Praecepta docent ducunt exempla trahunt For Examples are strong traces to draw men from wicked practices Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as the Jewes said Paul to Peter Gal. 2.14 Peters example was the compulsion There is a kind of compulsion in examples not violent but alluring and attracting The example of the believing wife may win the unbelieving husband 1 Pet. 3.1 A prudent gracious Wife gains much upon a gracelesse Husband by her modesty and obedience 5. They may see what equity there is that they should serve the Lord being his creatures and servants and not onely serve him but so serve him as they have served their sinfull lusts and something more seeing they depend on him I speake after the manner of men saith Paul Rom. 6.19 It 's rationall just and equall that as you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. so now yield them servants to righteousnesse unto holinesse it 's reason justice and equity that you should do so Should not men take as much pains for heaven as for hell for their soules as for their bodies for the Lord Christ as for creatures should they not be as diligent to weaken their lusts as they have been to strengthen them should they not be at as much cost to maintain the pure worship of God as the inventions and traditions of men It 's a complaint of the Lords Isa 55.2 Wherefore do yee spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not They might have spent their money labour time and strength and as much for true bread which would have fed their souls as they did for that which was as no bread Luke 15.16 but rather huskes for swine 6. They may remove and abate sin in part which is done by the contrary Knowledge removes ignorance as light doth darkness grief abates pleasure and fear boldnesse in sinning Patience keeps under passion and fasting tames unruly lusts When the strength of a Feaver is abated by physicall meanes a man is disposed towards health and when a man hath gotten Moralities which he may do and by them made an abatement of his sins and lusts he is materially disposed to grace as the ground when plowed is for seed though the seed be not yet sown 7. They may do materially what Converts do There is no act considered in its meer nature and kind which a true Christian may perform but one unconverted may perform also and have many like dispositions unto those they have They may love God It 's
and this like Pathologie or understanding the disease and the constitution of the patient will hugely minister and condence to the exact method of Physick either for prevention or for cure Rule 4 Get and keep a tender Conscience Be sensible of the least sin As the apple of the eye the fittest Emblem in the world of a tender conscience is not only offended with it blow or wound but if so much as a little dust or smoak get in it weeps them out Some mens consciences are like the stomack of the Estrich which digesteth iron they can swallow and concoct the most notorious sins swearing drunkenness c. without regret their consciences are seared as with an hot iron as the Apostle phraseth it 1 Tim. 4.2 they have so inured their souls to the grossest wickedness as the Psylli a people of Africa whom Plutarch mentions had their bodies to the eating poyson that it becomes as it were natural But a good conscience hath a delicate sense it is the most tender thing in the whole world it feels the least touch of known sin and grieves at the grieving of Gods good Spirit not only for quenching or resisting or rebelling against the Holy Ghost but even for grieving the holy Spirit of promise whereby it is sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4.80 The most tender hearted Christian he is the stoutest and most valiant Christian Happy is the man that feareth always but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28.14 it is the truest magnanimity and heroique courage in our spiritual warfar to tremble at the least iniquity A Christian is never fitter to endure hardness as a faithful souldier of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 2.3 then when his conscience is most tender To be such a coward as not to dare to break any one of Gods Commandments is to be the valiantest person in the world for such a one will chuse the greatest evil of suffering before the least of sinning and however the jeering Ishmaels of the world be ready to reproach and laugh one to scorn for this niceness and precise scrupulosity as they term it yet the choice if God be but wiser then vain man is a very wise one Keep an exact guard upon thy heart Prov. 4.23 let the eyes of thy Rule 5 soul be open and awake upon all the stirrings of thy thoughts affections Bid them stand at their first appearance As soon as ever thou discriest any of them in motion summon them before thy souls tribunal let them not pass till thou knowest perfectly whence they come whither they go Ask their errand State viri quae caussa viae quive estis in armis Virg. Is it grief or is it joy or hope or fear or love c. that is now upon the march demand the Word of it ask whether it have a Pass from God and conscience Catechize it examine it search it speak to it in the Centinel's and Watchman's phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew me your Ticket Tell me my desire my love my fear my anger by whose authority art thou now up and in motion if they are able to produce a good warrant from Gods Commandments or from the dictate of reason and conscience let them go on in Gods name they are about their business But if they cannot arrest them as idle vagrants nay as enemies to thy souls peace and charge them upon their allegiance to their superiors that they stir no further Rule 6 Be daily training and exercising all thy graces Have them always in battel-â—ray be in a military posture both defensive and offensive Stand constantly to thine arms for thou hast to do with two enemies that will never give thee any truce or respite the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jews call them the flesh within thee Jer. 17 9. and the Tempter that destroying Angel of the bottomless pit without thee 1 Pet. 5.8 the Christian warfare is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a war never to be altered it admits of no peace no cessation The Souldier of Christ must never lay down his arms but expect to be upon continual duty and travel till the great Lord of Hosts under whose banner he now fighâ—â—th is pleased to remove his Quarters from that Army Militant here on Earth to that blessed and triumphant in the Heavens Rule 7 Be well skilled in the Elenchs of Temptation I mean in unmasking the Sophistry and Mystery of iniquity in defeating the Wiles and Stratagems of the Tempter and in detecting and frustrating the cheats and finesses of the flesh with its deceitful lusts Eph. 4.23 2 Cor. 2.11 No small part of spiritual wisdom lies in the blessed art of discovering and refuting sins fallacies and impostures If ever thou wouldst prove famous and victorious and worthy honour and reverence in thy spiritual warfare be well seen in the skill of fencing know all thy wards for every attaque Provide thy self with answers and retorts beforehand against the subtle insinuations and delusions of thine enemy Ex. gr If Satan tels thee as he often will that the sin is pleasant ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musae ask whether the gripings of conscience be so too whether it be such a pleasant thing to be in hell to be under the wrath of an Almighty Judge If he tels thee no body sees thou mayst commit it safely ask whether he can put out Gods all-seeing eye whether he can find a place empty of the divine presence for thee to sin in or whether he can blot out the Items out of the Book of Gods Remembrance If he tels thee it is a little one ask whether the Majesty of the great Jehovah be a little one whether there be a little hell or no. If he talks of profits and earthly advantages that will acrew ask what account it will turn to at the last day and what profit there is Mat. 16.26 if one should gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what one should give in exchange for his soul When sin like Jael invites thee into her Tent Judg 4.11 21. 5.25 â—6 with the lure and decoy of a lordly treatment think of the nail and hammâ—r which fastened Sisera dead to the ground Be not caught with chaff lay by thee such memoires such answers and reparties as these wherewith thou mayst reply upon the Tempter that the God of truth hath other manner of pleasures profits honours to court thy love and reward thy service with then the father of lies viz. true and real solid and eternal ones what are the pleasures that are sin for a season to be compared with the rivers of Gods pleasure that are for evermore at his right hand and what is a little wealth that thieves can steal a despicable heap of riches which like a flock of birds a lighting a little while in thy yard will take wing presently and fly away to be named
Is it not appointed for all men once to dye and after death to stand before the impartial judgement of God Wee have all the same notions of right and wrong wee are all obnoxious to one another and may bee all beneficial one to another wee all love our selves and study the advancement of our interest and happiness Thus far equal 2. In most of those things wherein wee are unequal the inequality is not considerable so as to bee a ground of any unequal dealing with one another As to strength of body whatever the difference bee the inequality is not considerable because as to the greatest effects of strength there is an equality every man that will venture his own life may take away another mans Dominus est alterius vitae quicunque contemnit suam either by open force or by surprize As to abilities of mind which wee usually call parts there is originally a great equality especially if that received Opinion bee true that souls are equal And as the French Philosopher Des Cartes hath ingeniously observed Dissertat de Methodo there is this notable sign of the equality of mens understandings Nulla res saith hee aequabilius inter homines distributa est quam bona mens c. Nothing is more equally divided among men than a good understanding Men will acknowledge others to bee richer and stronger than themselves few will acknowledge others to bee wiser or to have better parts than themselves every man thinks himself to have so good a proportion of parts and wisdome that even those who are most covetous and have the most insatiable desires as to other things and whom nature could never satisfie in any thing else Qui velit ingâ—nio cedere raâ—us erit yet would not desire to have more wit than they have or exchange their parts with any man Now there is no better sign of an equal distribution of things than that every man is contented with his share Now because all men generally think thus it is to be presumed that all are not deceived but that there is some real equality which is the ground of this conceit A difference indeed must bee granted but which ariseth usually from one of these two causes either an unequal exercise of our parts or an unequal temper of body Now those who are so happy as to exercise their understandings more than others are very often rather conceited that they are wiser than others than really so for the greatest Clerks are not alwaies the wisest men those who are unhappy in the temper of their bodies are thereby inclined how weak soever they be to conceit themselves as wise as others So that whatever real inequality there be conceit levels all again So that whether men be really wise or only think themselves so it makes no difference as to mens dealing with one another for they that think themselves equal Politic. c. 3. will not deal but upon equal terms So that Aristoâ—les pretty notion that wise men are born to govern and fools to obey signifies very little in this case for there are but few such fools in the world but would govern if they can So that by vertue of wisdome or parts no man can challenge a priviledge or prerogative to himself above others which another will not pretend to as well as hee 3. In all those things wherein men are unequal the inequality is not fixt and constant but mutable and by turns All things that belong to us are either the endowments of the mind the accidents of the body or the circumstances of our outward estate Now those that are most unequal in any of these may bee equal or the inequality may turn and bee as much on the other side A disease may ruine the most happy and excellent memory and make a man forget his own name a little knock on any side of the head may level the highest understanding with the meanest beauty health and strength may bee blasted by a disease or a thousand other accidents Riches and Honour and Reputation are the most slippery and brittle things that belong to us and when these are gone friends will fall off like leaves in Autumn Now why should I despise another man when I may be as silly as hee or bear down another by my strength when I may be as weak as hee or insult over anothers poor and low condition when a day may level mee with his meanness and raise him to be as great and rich as I am 4. Another ground is the mutual and universal equity and advantage of this Rule Upon those terms I and all men shall be equally dealt with it will be well with mee and well with all men The observation of this Rule would secure peace to the world and if it were generally practised those few that should offend against it would be looked upon as the pests and troublers of humane society As by the violation of this Rule every man becomes a Wolf and beast of prey to another so by the mutual observation of it every man would bee a God to another men would bee full mutual goodness and pitty and compassion they would bee mutual benefactors one to another All men would bee as happy as it is possible for them to bee in this world and no man could bee miserable if it were in the power of his neighbour to help him 5. The last ground I shall mention is the absurdity and inconvenience of the Contrary And this is the most proper way of proving this for as Aristotle tells us First Principles which are evident by their own light cannot bee proved by way of demonstration but of conviction As thus contradictions cannot bee true at once This cannot be demonstrated a priori because there is nothing true before it to prove it by therefore whoever shall deny it must bee convinced of the truth of it by shewing the absurdities of the contrary In like manner this being one of the first Principles of humane society that wee should use no more liberty towards other men than wee would allow them to use towards us the best way to convince any man of the reasonableness and equity of it will bee to shew him the inconveniences of the contrary Where-ever this Principle is violated men will think themselves injured where men are injured they will bee apt to vindicate themselves hence comes contention and warrs which loose the bands of humane society or if a man can pardon an injury that hath received one yet hee that hath done it cannot beleeve so but hee will fear revenge and fear of being opprest makes a man seek to anticipate and prevent another so that every injury endangers the peace and security of mankind and laies the foundation of perpetual mischief for by the same reason that I injure any man I am obliged to ruine him Hee that breaks this Rule doth what hee can to break humane society that is to spoil himself
Lords Day on which the Apostle enjoyneth the Corinthâ—ans to lay up something in store implying thereby that that is a very fit season not only to do such works of mercy which are then offered unto us but also to prepare for other times 4. Daies of Thanksgiving for some eminent mercy are another seasonable time of doing works of mercy The remembring of the poor at such times is expresly commanded in Scripture Deut. 16.14 Thou shalt rejoyce in thy heart thou and thy Son and thy Daughter and thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant and the Levites the Stranger and the Fatherless and the Widdow Here the Stranger the Fatherless the Widdow are commanded to rejoyce on their daies of Feasting which presupposeth the rich mens sending portions of their good chear unto them which was the practice of the people of God as appeareth by that command of Nehemiah to the Jews on a day of Thanksgiving Go your way eat the fat and drink the sweet Neh. 8.10 and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared And their day of Thanksgiving from Hamans conspiracy is called a day of feasting Ester 9.22 and of sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor And what more seasonable time can there be for shewing mercy to the poor than when wee are blessing God for his manifold mercies vouchsafed unto us 5. Daies of fasting and prayer are another seasonable time of doing works of mercy For how can wee expect that God should shew mercy unto us in removing those Judgements which wee feel or in preventing those which wee fear if wee will not shew mercy to our poor Brethren who stand in need of our relief In the day of our fasting therefore let us at least give away to the poor so much as wee save by our fast For as Austin in one of his Sermons saith Then are our fasts acceptable to God Tum grata sunt Deo nostra jejunia si illi qui necessitate jejunant reficiantur a nobis Aug. Serm. de Temp. 64. if they which fast out of necessity because they want meat bee relieved by us Let this therefore be alwaies observed by us that the poor have the gain of our fasting and not our own purses VI. Our Alms must be given readily and speedily without any needless delay according to the counsel of the Wise-man Prov. 3.27 With-hold not good from them to whom it is due that is with-hold not any act of Charity from those who stand in need of thy help Say not unto thy Neighbour go and come again and to morrow I will give thee when thou hast it by thee Qui sic moratur neganti proximus est Seneca de benefic l. 2. cap. 5. Beneficia non sunt procrastinanda sed tempestivè danda ut magis prodesse possint Bis dat qui cito d'at hee that so delaieth his helping hand is next door to him that denieth And therefore as any occasion offers it self unto us let us speedily embrace the same as knowing that a speedy giver is a double benefactor and the swifter that a benefit cometh the sweeter it casts And contrariwise a benefit loseth its grace that sticketh to his fingers who is about to bestow it What then shall wee think of their charity who put off all to their death-beds never giving any thing considerable to the Poor till they can keep it no longer these though by their last will and testament they give somewhat to the Poor yet questionless it is against their wills for could they have kept it longer they would not have parted with it Ingratum est beneficium quod diu inter manus dantis haesit Senec. de Benef. I shall desire such seriously to consider these six things 1. That if all rich men should do thus the poor would soon bee starved for want of bread 2. That this practise of theirs is against the express command of God who requireth us to do good and to communicate out of our store while wee have time and opportunity Gal. 6.10 Matth. 5.16 3 That they have no assurance of the continuance of their wealth For as the wiseman speaketh Prov. 23.5 Alas Aquilinas Riches many times make themselves wings they fly away as an Eagle towards Heaven they have Eagles wings to fly from us And how many are there who have out-lived a fair estate If God in his displeasure blasts a mans substance it vanisheth away in a moment 4. Though their riches should continue with them even to their deaths yet they have no assurance that God will give them grace to bee liberal at their deaths who had never the goodness to bee charitable in their life-time 5. That they have no assurance that God will accept of their death-bed charity what St. Austin speaketh of death-bed repentance that it is seldome true and hearty The same may I say of death-bed charity it is seldome true and hearty but for the most part rotten and Hypocritical proceeding from ill grounds as vain-glory conceit of merit and the like 6. That they have no assurance of the true performance of their will that the poor shall bee the better for what is thereby given them For how many Exeoutours have proved most unfaithful to their trusts whereby many charitable gifts have been clean perverted And if friends bee so unfaithful to us in our life time how can wee but question their fidelity after our deaths Oh therefore that all whom the Lord hath blessed with an estate would in their life time become their own administrators making as one saith their own hands their Executors and their own eyes their Overseers For questionless that charity which is exercised in a mans life time is the best and most acceptable unto God VII Our Alms must bee bountiful and liberal giving out proportionably to what the Lord hath given unto us This is implied in that command of God to his people Deut. 15.11 Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy Brother to thy poor and to thy needy in the Land that is thou shalt give unto him bountifully and liberally And our Apostle here in the Text would have rich men charged to bee rich in good work 1 Tim. 6.18 Luke 12.48 even as God hath given them all things richly to enjoy For unto whomsoever much is given of him much shall bee required And therefore the same Apostle adviseth the Corinthians to give 1 Cor. 16.2 as God had prospered them To whom God hath given little of this worlds goods of them hee requireth but little but to whom hee hath given much of them hee requireth much Rich men therefore must not only give a portion of their wealth to the releife of others but also in some fit proportion to their estate Quest If any shall aske what is that portion or proportion of estate which rich men ought to set apart for Charitable uses Answ It is an hard matter to determine
quod illi gratum acceptum fore constat Bucan loc com 45. Holy and Religious promise advisedly and freely made unto God either to do or to omit somewhat which appeareth to be gratefull and well pleasing unto him So Bucanus I forbear Aquinas his definition of a Vow If these I have given satisfie not then view it in the words of Peter Martyr a man of repute and well known to our own nation in the dayes of Edward the 6th of ever blessed memory a Est sanctá promissio quâ nos obstringimus Deo aliquid oblaturos esse Pet. Mart. loc com de votis It is a Holy Promise whereby we bind our selves to offer somewhat unto God There is one more who defines it and he is a man whose judgment Learning and Holinesse hath persumed his Name it is Learned Perkins in his Cases of Conscience A Vow saith he is a Promise made unto God of Things Lawfull and Possible Of these five descriptions of a Vow you may indifferently choose which you will for when you have chosen either of them and looked upon it you will find it lay's an obligation upon the person vowing and bind's him strictly and unalterably to perform his vows for it is 1. a promise b Deut. 23.23 it is not a Purpose not a single resolution much lesse is it the Deliberation of the mind concerning a matter not yet determined but determinable on either part A Vow is a Promise which had it's beginning in a serious due and thorough Deliberation which from Deliberation passed into a Rationall strong and fixed purpose of doing what had been so deliberated and weighed Nay further yet a Vow passeth into a formall and expresse Promise and so makes the votary a debter This part of a Vow Solomon hath long since prepared to our hands Eccles 5. v. 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne neither say thou before the Angel that it was an errour Note what Solomon forbid's viz. c Ne committas temerè vovendo Mercer in loc Offend not by rash vowing Nor seek excuse by saying d Neque dixeris te per errorem imprudentiam vovisse nec advertisse quid faceres dum voveres Mercer in loc it was an errour i. e. through mistake and imprudence thou hast vowed not observing what thou diddest when thou vowedst It must be a deliberate and advised act of a man if he will duely vow to God 2. It is said to be voluntary the thing speak's it self a Vow must be free it is injurious to extort a Promise from a man free choice should be the spring of every promise much more of every Vow The old Law empowred some persons to disanull the vow of an other but no Law or reason can empowre any one to enforce a Vow upon another each one may forbear to vow Deut. 23. v. 22. 3. As it must be voluntary and deliberate so it must be to God alone we read still if thou wilt vow thou shalt vow to the Lord Not to Angels with such as worship them not to Saints with superstitious Papists not to any man man may promise solemnly unto man but he may not vow man may be the witnesse of thy vow but man may not be the object For the dependance of man upon man is not great enough to warrant the one in vowing or the other in expecting such a vow bâ—side that we must not vow to one we must not pray to nor can we expect help from man in cases that are just ground for and which do require a vow from us Which cases 4. I say are extraordinary and more than usuall either from received mercy or hoped and expected mercy It is impossible he should well compose his vowes or duely pay them who makes ordinary and daily cases ground of his vowes we cannot but forget many an ordinary mercy receivâ—d but we may not must not forget any vow made We must pray for every mercy we want but we may not bind our selves in the bonds of a vow for every mercy we pray for this would inevitably cast us upon the sin of falsehood and unfaithfullnesse in our vowes But I proceed to the second thing to be enquired into that is Whether it be lawfull in any case for us now under the New Testament to make a Vow That it was lawfull for the Jew none have doubted but some doubt is made whether a Christian may voluntarily bind Generall 2 himself to God by making a Vow The solution of this doubt is necessary to our clearer determination of this case for if vowes were now unlawfull to us they could neither be well composed nor could they advantage Religion and if it may appear they may lawfully be made then we may go on in the consideration of the remaining particulars To this sâ—cond then very briefly we answer That a Christian may lawfully make a promise or Vow unto God binding himself more than ordinarily unto God for and in expectation of mercy in some or other more than ordinary case or exigency For a great mercy received already a Christian may vow thankfullnesse for a mercy not received but expected he may vow upon the receipt to tender to the Lord more than usuall duty Such vows at this day may be used by us Ejusmodi vota hodie quoque nobis in usu esse possunt quoties nos Dominus vel à clade aliquâ vel à morbo difficili vel ab alio quovis discrimine eripuit Calvin Instit l. 4. c. 13. so often as the Lord hath delivered us from any destruction or dangerous disease or from any danger saith Calvin speaking of Vowes for mercy to be received And Mr Perkins in his Cases of conscience both affirms what we now do and answers the Objections made to the contrary But leave we men and come to Reason why it is lawfull for us to vow 1. What is not evil in it self nor evil by accident * 1. Vows well-ordered not sin in themselves nor by accident unlesse made evil by the undue ordering of it through our fault may lawfully be done by us I know this well considered proves it self yet I would confirm it with this observation What is not evil may lawfully be done by us now things are evil either per se or per accidens If Vows be either way evil it is by accident which accidental evil may be prevented and indeed is by due composing of Vowes and by diligent performing of them when composed So that if a Christian may order the making and performing his Vow so as to prevent the evil which attends a Vow ill-made than such a Christian may surely make a Vow very lawfully But I presume no one will doubt that he who makes Vowes seldome consultedly and sincerely may duely keep them and in so doing prevent any consequent evil 2. Some Vowes once lawfull on morall grounds Such lawfull still 2. Vowes may be
and sable and her thoughts within her are full of horrour dejection and confusion shee goes up and down like a person almost distracted and every place is made to Eccho to her griefs and mournings shee goes from Ordinance to Ordinance and from one Watchman to another and proclaims to them all the sickness of her soul If peradventure shee may recover again the sight of her Beloved All this and much more with incomparable elegance you may read described in the Song of Solomon Thus as the Marigold opens to the Sun in the firmament so doth the heart of a Sincere Christian to the Sun of Righteousness Christ in Glory 8. Character Where Love is Sincere the soul will bee often on the wing of Meditation and busied in the contemplation of Christ It 's an old Rule and a true one Anima est ubi amat non ubi animat or The soul dwels as much where it hath fixed it's love nay more there than where it hath it's most natural operation Christ and the beleever that loves him live as if they had but one soul betwixt them 'T is not the distance between Earth and Heaven that can separate them True love will finde out Christ where ever hee is when hee was upon the Earth they that loved him kept his Company and now that hee is gone to Heaven and out of sight those that love him are frequently sending up their hearts unto him And indeed they never think themselves Intelligent in any thing that is worth the knowing until they have made their souls much acquainted and familiar with their Crucified Saviour 1 Cor. 2.2 9. Character 2 Sam. 13.2 1 King 21.4 Hest 5.13 There will bee a Willingness to part with all for him How many goodly things do persons of all sorts contemn for some one thing which they love Amnon Ahab and Haman are three great examples of this Take but one instance and it shall bee of a Covetous man why hee disregards all the learned accomplishments in the World for a little gain Hee thinks himself better when hee hath got that which comes out of the Bowels of the Earth hee treads on than that which comes from the Mansion house of God in the Heaven above him and therefore how familiarly and easily will he part with the one to choose the other Act. 20.24 no bonds of nature or religion are enough to restrain him 'T is the resolution of a soul that loves Christ that nothing shall part them they are habitually Martyrs already and if hee put them to it 't is not life it self that they will account too precious to lay down for the sake of him All the waters and floods of persecution temptation Matth. 10.37 Rev. 12.11 and affliction shall not quench their flames of love Cant. 8.7 Witness those words of Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. or let fire cross c. and all the torments which by men or beasts can bee Inflicted on my body yea and add to them what all the Devils in hell can do upon it if it were by solemn sentence of Excommunication delivered to them yet would I go through them all to come to the bosome of my Lord. 10. Character There will bee a willingness to stoop to the meanest offices for the service of Christ love wee use to say stands not with Majesty it did not do so in the person of our Saviour when hee washed and wiped his disciples feet Iohn 13.5.6.14 and those that love him will not think it much to conform to his example they will not think they can ever stoop too low for the sake of him John 21.15 11. Character If it sticks not barely in the person of Christ but reacheth to all that have an union with him if it bee to Christ mystical as well as personal Cant. 1.7 if you love their persons their graces their fellowship c. Tell mee saith the Spouse where thou causest thy flocks to rest at Noon Shee delights to be led forth with them into the green Pastures of his ordinances and to feed together with them If shee hath any thing it 's all theirs Act. 2.44.45 who have an equal interest in Christ with her self shee will make use of her graces substance and all that fellow-members may be refreshed It makes them of Catholick spirits The Apostle is peremptory and brandeth them all as lyars that pretend to the one of these without the other See 1 Joh. 4.19 5.1 John 13.34.35 12. Character Wee may know it by its Concomitants Sincere love goes not but in the company of every other grace It either presupposeth or strongly implieth and inferreth the whole duty of a Christian Diligere Christum saith Aquinas est Christo in omnibus se subjicere Joh. 14.15 regulam Praeceptorum ejus in omnibus sequi or to love Christ is to fulfil the whole Law of Christ 't is a most comprehensive grace 't is the abstract of the New Creature the whole Image of God in one word 't is the substance of the Divine Workmanship upon the soul They are but Ciphers and signifie nothing in Christianity who are without it Briefly to love Christ it is in some measure to partake of every grace and to be a Christian altogether These are the Characters some I have omitted and in others I have been brief because I would reserve a little room for the second Case Give mee leave but briefly to suggest a few things for satisfaction of one doubt and I shall presently come to that Will some say If this bee love in sincerity who then loves him aright It is no less dangerous to draw out the description of a grace so as none can finde it than to leave it so as none may suspect the want or absence thereof in themselves and upon that Rock they will tell mee I have splitted in the decision of this Case there being hardly any one that can go from Character to Character and say after a thorough search Now I know that I am a lover of Christ in sincerity For answer to which scruple I shall barely suggest a few Considerations 1. It is most certain and notorious that there is much counterfeit love abroad and it was not the least part of my design to unmask it Characters serve as well to convince the presumptuous as to establish the sincere and upright There is much in the world that looks like love that is not such are those Vagous affections that are to a Christ in general and not to him as King Priest and Prophet And those counterfeit affections which are to Christ upon the sole Arguments of Education Custome which are as truly in a Turk to his Mahomet and serve as well to justifie the Jew in his blasphemy against Christ as the Christian in his pretended love of him for love to Christ say Divines is not so much to bee measured by the degree and fervour as by the
grounds and motives And also that barren love which works up the soul to no measure of obedience unto him And lastly that which allows Christ but the worlds leavings in our hearts every thing being constantly preferred before him And what a vast number of persons go no further than these 2. Many persons are truly gracious who yet know not whether they have any grace or not It requires more skill to search out the nature of a grace and to finde it in our selves than barely to exercise it The former are works of much judgement and require a deep acquaintance with our own hearts whereas to the latter it is enough if a person bee but of an ordinary understanding and an honest heart Besides Graces have their degrees Ezek. 47.3 4 5 like the waters of the Sanctuary and where grace is very shallow and little it is exceeding difficult to know that there is any at all And such persons should do well who are so weak rather to spend tâ—me in the exercise of grace than in trying whether they have grace or no for commonly it is but labour in vain 3. There are no souls in whom this grace is really planted but they have all these Characters drawn upon their hearts to know it by more or less I do not say they can finde them in themselves and know they have them but onely that they have them And of this I need give no further evidence than what you will easily finde your selves if you will but study the nature of love to Christ by the Rule of it laid down in the fifth Proposition premised and by the third and fourth Characters for I am well assured that Christ cannot bee loved as therein described unless all these particulars mentioned be either antecedent thereto or connexed with it 2. Case And so I come to the second Case viz. How wee may get our love to him kindled and inflamed And I shall proceed in the Resolution of this by these four steps 1. I will discover the danger of being without this grace 2. I will add some moving Considerations to provoke all that love their souls to look after it 3. I will give Directions to them that have it not how to get it 4. I will add a few more Directions for them that have it how it may be increased and inflamed I begin with the first which I will dispatch by these two steps 1. By discovering the Hainousness of Sin 2. The Terrour of the Punishment due thereto Now that you may understand the first besides what hath been said in the fore-mentioned Tract proving it to be a sin against the Fathers love and wisdome the whole work of the Son and the special oeconomy of the Holy Ghost I add first it's a sin utterly subverting the whole design of the Gospel casting a scorn upon the grace of all the three persons and not so much as acknowledging what was done by them as worthy the least acceptance it writes vanity upon all the promises and is a frustration to the design of Christ in that Noble Dispensation there being nothing that he did more aim at than to testifie his own John 3.17 1 John 1.3 and his Fathers love to us and to recover from us our love to them again 2. It is interpretatively a confederacy with Satan against God and Christ The proper and grand wickedness of the Devil Mat. 6.24 Act. 13.10 being his opposition to the design of God in glorifying himself by the salvation of mankind through Christ which yet so far as wee are haters of Christ Heb. 10.28 wee are in our measure guilty of as well as hee 3. It is a complicated sin many sins in one Such as are foul ingratitude Rebellion it being the casting of the Soveraignty of a Rightful Lord Cruelty to Christ and as it were a kicking him upon the bowels a Christicidium and to our selves Prov. 8.36 the tearing out our own bowels with our own hands spirituall uncleanness and adultery James 4.4 it being a treacherous revolting from Christ after profession of Marriage to him 4. It is a sin which opens the door to all wickedness Resistance of the Spirit contempt of the Gospel and them that bring it Joh. 15.18 19. sleighting of Ordinances Treason against Christ as King and implacable bitterness and enmity against his subjects and children 5. It is an Irrationâ—l sin Cant. 1.13 14.5.9 ad 16. or such for which there cannot be the least Apology because Christ was lovely in himself did much to ingage our hearts to him earnestly intreated us to place our affections upon him sending his messengers to wooe us bestowing gifts upon us like a King 1 Pet. 1.4 to oblige us and making almost incredible offers of much more that he would do for us yea finally threatning us even with Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 If wee with-hold our hearts from him And can such a sin after all this be extenuated 6. It is a sin brought forth and nursed by the foulest abominations 1 Cor. 2.8 Ioh. 5.43.44 47. such as spiritual darkness and ignorance Notorious Infidelity as to the doctrine of the Gospel Horrible Pride Self-righteousnesse Idolatrous and carnal Self-love 7. It is a sin against all our Covenants and Ingagements specially our Baptismal bond wherein wee did solemnly promise Christ our hearts 2 Cor. 11.2 and that in opposition to all others the bond of Christian Ingenuity Self-love and proper Interest Profession and Relation as wee bear his Name in the world 8. And lastly It is a sin utterly inconsistent with the presence of any one grace in the soul it being impossible that any thing should prosper where this weed hath once settled and rooted it self yoâ— may as well expect to finde branches without a Root as the graces of the Spirit without love Thus very briefly you have an account of the danger of being without love to Christ from the nature of the sin 2. I argue it from the Terrour of the Punishment And certainly the Just God hath proportioned the evil of this to the quality of that Study well these few places of Scripture Joh. 3.19 Mat. 21.41 Heb. 2.3 10.28 29. 12.25 Rev. 2. 3. throughout Oh the terrours of the Lord that will one day bee heaped upon the haters of his Son See Rev. 6.16 But wee need not look any further for this matter than into the awakened conscience of a Rebel against Christ in a fit of desperation what Scorpion-lashes doth such a mans conscience give him Oh the heat of this burning Caldron with what rage and fury doth it break forth on every side until the soul is even become a Hell to it self And wouldest thou not love Christ will inraged conscience then say so lovely in himself and so full of love to thee Couldest thou see him sighing bleeding sweating dying for thy sake and yet not love him Couldest thou spurn at such bowels and contemn