was in him Ph. 2. 5. 1 John 3. 3. he had compassion on those who were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd and thereupon said unto his Discipâ—es The harvest truly is plenteous but the labourers are few Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest to send forth labourers into his Harvest Mat. 9. 36 37. Verily those of you friends who are not sorry for the outing of so many Ministers of that sort in regard of their great Master Jesus Christ their Parishes and the Nation and the Preachers personal losses all such of you are sorry Professors 3. How do your hearts stir within you every one in regard of his own particular estate Are any of you glad that ye are likely to hord up the more money c. do any of you fear the departure of the five miled Ministers will be a considerable dammage to you in your spiritual estate For Job did esteem Gods word above the necessary food of his body chap. 23. 12. and the Lord by Amos chap. 8. 11 12. speaks of a famine of hearing the word as a more mischievous famine and evil than that of bodily food and Isa chap. 30. 20. saith to Gods people And though the Lord gives you the bread of Adversity and water of Affliction yet saith he to sweeten their sufferings thy Teachers shall not be removed into a corner any more but thy eyes shall see thy Teachers Beloved Job dwelt where there were no great store of good Professors to counsel and encourage him and to be a good example to him Buâ— he was taught of God to have due respect to his own spiritual welfare which many have not yet learned to have 4. Are ye grieved in heart that ye have not made better use of the opportunities which ye have had or might have had of conversing and conferring with godly Ministers concerning your spiritual estate 5. What use are ye resolved to make of them hereafter before they be enforced to leave you For a wise man will make use of skilful and conscientious Physicians concerning his body and of such Lawyers concerning his worldly estate whilst they dwell near him especially when he knows or fears they will shortly go to dwell far from him But truly I cannot say I have observed such Ant-like good Husbandry to have been much practised of Professors Prov. 6. 6 7 8. 6. What course do you purpose to take for your spiritual welfare and the good of your souls when such Ministers are departed and gone from you 7. How oft and how heartily have ye hitherto pray'd for them and given thanks to God for them as men who have broken to you the bread of everlasting life What have ye asked of God for them Are ye resolved to pray for them hereafter What and how frequently do ye purpose so to do 8. Have any of you blamed any of them for not dealing more faithfully or more plainly with you concerning your sins Col. 4. 17. 2 Tim. 5. 1. So much by the way for your good 2. In the second place we are all to consider that all the aforesaid evils came upon us not without our Heavenly Father but according to his Government 1. Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble come out of the ground Job 5. 6. 2. God is present every where in all places and sees hears and knows all the words and thoughts of the children of men Psal 139. 7. to the 12. Heb. 4. 13. So that he cannot be ignorant of any thing which is done spoken or devised concerning us or any of us 3. Power belongeth unto God Psal 62. 11. and so belongs unto him that in the holy Scriptures the Kingdom and the power is said to be his Mat. 6. 13. and so that he is called the only Potentate 1 Tim. 6. 15. and all the Nations of the earth compared to him said to be as a drop of a Bucket or as the small dust of the ballance yea before him as nothing yea to him counted less than nothing and vanity Es 40. 15 16 17. and his hand is not shortened or weakened that it cannot save Es 59. and when he is pleased to work none can turn it back and hinder it Es 59. 1. 43 13. and if he be for us none can prevail against us Rom. 8. 31. neither can God be compelled to do any thing or to leave ought undone or to yield or give way to the desire or purpose of any creature or creatures to do any thing 4. Neither can any thing befall us without God without his Providence All our times are in his hand Psal 31. 15. All good things and all Afflictions do proceed out of his mouth Lam. 3. 38. that is according to his secret appointment either acting them or voluntarily permitting them and giving way to the desires and purposes of creatures to act them Neither is there any evil that is Affliction in a City or in the Country which the LORD hath not done Amos 3. 6. Even Satan with all his strength and cunning could not afflict Job in any kind in the least measure without a Commission from the Almighty nor when he had a commission from him go one inch beyond it Job 1. and 2. Neither could the Devils enter into the Swine untill Jesus Christ gave them leave Mark 5. 12 13. And the Government of God is extended to the smallest matters as Lots Prov. 16. 33. a Sparrow falls not to the ground without him Mat. 10. 29. and the very hair of our head are all numbred v. 30. and do not fall from us without him The LORD also Es 45. 7. saith I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the LORD do all these things and Lam. 3. 37. We see that whosoever saith this or that shall come to pass it cometh not to pass unless the Lord commandeth it as David said of Shimei The LORD hath bidden him saying curse David 2 Sam. 16. 10 11. and whatsoever the LORD pleased that he did saith the Psalmist in Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and in all deep places Psal 135. 6. He is able to give a new heart and a new spirit to the greatest sinners to blasphemers oppressors perjured persons and persecutors as he did to Adam and Manasses and to Saul afterwards called Paul yea of stones to raise up Children to Abraham Mat. 3 9. and without that blessed change to restrain and repress the lewd desires and affections and purposes of Heathens and Idolaters during what time soever he pleaseth For he promised the Israelites that at the three high Feasts of the year when all their Males were to appear before the LORD no man should desire their land Exod. 34. 23 24. and Solomon saith when a mans wayes please the LORD he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him Prov. 16. 7. Job 1 21. 2. 10. 2 Sam. 12. 11 12. 1 Kings 22. 19 24. Psal
the Younger I say we should attribute the prevailing of Satan contrary to our prayers rather thâ—n to these and the rest of our sins whereof we had not duly repented and taken due care to forsake 2 Cor. 12. 20. 21. This sinful and pernicious silence was too common in those dayes as it is in these notwithstanding it is contrary to the true meaning of the special Covenant which hath been entred Beloved Friends it hath been and is one of the too common faults of Professors Ministers and others to receive or let pass as true Christians all that cease from gross sins hear Gods word keâ—p up Gods worship in their Families and use to go to meetings which yet is but a form of godliness and without a more full reformation of our wayes to better than a bribe offered to the judge of all the earth to blind his eyes or stop his mouth or turn back his hands from striking us and the great God who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work even his own children 1 Pet. 1. 17. he will take no Bribes Deut. 16. 19. 2. So that it concerns us to learn how to open our eyes to see our sins both open and secret and particularly the iniquity of our holy things And first for the defects and faults of our Prayers 1. Some of us I believe many of us have no grace at all Marg. 125 116 127 128. and therefore do pray out of Christ and without Christ John 15. 5. without faith without humility Jam. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Without repentance without the love of God without godly fear c. Heb. 12. 28. and therefore also when they pray they do regard iniquity in their hearts Psal 66. 16. and pray without due respect to God and his Church Jam. 4. 3. Hos 10. 1. 2. I believe concerning many regenerate persons that unbelief and pride do prevail much in their prayers that they do oft come short of serving God in their prayers with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12. 28. and oft come near that which David in Psal 66. 18. calls the regarding of iniquity in their hearts which is when a man will keep this or that sin whether God will hear his prayers or not I do also fear that many a godly man prays unto God now and than in words to do this or that for his Church whilst with his heart he aims at his own good only without due respect to Gods honour and the well-being of his Church which I conceive to be the iniquity spoken of Jam. 4. 3. For whatsoever a man asks of God immediately for himself he ought to ask for God also viz. to the end he may be the more willing or the more able or have the more opportunities to promote Christs interest or to some such end For all things are as of God and through God so also for God Rom. 11. 36 So that whethâ—r we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we ought to do all to his glory 1 Cor. 10. 31. And as all things do work together for good to them who love God Rom. 8. 28. so we ought in most of our Petitions for our selves if not in all to aim at the good of those who love God I think so Secondly as to our Fasts they are as many of us use them 1. Too like a sudden Land-floud which is quickly gone into the River and the ground anon after almost as dry as at the beginning of the storm For so the shews which some make at Fasts of sorrow and mourning are soon turned into Feasting carnal jollity Jam. 4. 9 and vain communication 2. So that I fear they be too like the penances and scourges of some Papists which they use to the flesh Gal. 5. 13. But to speak more generally many of us in respect of our forms of godliness are too like the Jews in Es 58. who did seek God after their manner daily and ask of him with their mouths the Ordinances of Justice and afflict their souls with fasting bowing down their heads as Bulrushes and spreading sackcloth and ashes under them and make a shew of delighting to know Gods wayes and in approaching unto God all which did not prevail with God to case them of their grievances and afflictions ver 3. And why even because they did not forsake their sinful practises but went on still in them Psal 68. 21. And hence it is that the Lord 1. Commands the Prophet to cry aloud to lift up his voice like a Trumpet and to shew them their sins and transgressions and that ver 3. he spreads before them a particular of their Trespasses and signifies to them that it is a foolish and fond thing for them to think that it is enough for them to afflict themselves now and then for a day and there 's an end of the business 1 Tim. 4. 8. as if God would approve and accept of Fasts and hear Prayers when they be not joyned with sincere repentance and amendment of life as also he mentions some of the most considerable sins of the Jews at that time as fittest to be insisted on which I believe is the cause why David Ps 24. 4. mentioneth the lifting up of the soul unto vanity and swearing deceitfully and why Mic. ch 6. 8. mentioneth doing justly and loving mercy and humbling our selves to walk with God or walâ—ing humbly with God O that our Preachers at time would be perswaded to imitate them viz. to tell them who hear them preach punctually and plainly of the most considerable of their iniquities and if doing so will not cause them to reform all their wayes speedily then to cry aloud unto them and to deal faithfully and plainly with them concerning their sins and abominations and not to cease from reproving untill they have drawn or driven them out of all their unwarrantable practises Lev. 19. 17. 2 Tim. 4. 2. as Acts 12. 5. For Mic. 6. 6 7. the graceless man is represented as it were acting his part upon a stage and his business is to please God and to obtain pardon of his sins and to that end to bestow somewhat on God Neâ—ther is he altogether empty of good words he calls him whose savour he seeks JEHOVAH twice and the most high God and speaks of bowing himself before him and of being at great cost with him of buâ—nt-offerings thousands of Rams ten thousands of Rivers of Oil yea of giâ—ing his first born for the sin of his soul which is more than much money given to godly Preachers but not one word of leaving his sins and doing his duâ—y And therefore it is that he who answers him shews him wâ—aâ— is good in the sight of the LORD and what he requires of him namely to do justly and to love mercy and to humble himself to walk with his God So that this is as a Touch stone to Gold the abandoning of all our sins and the cleansing of all our wayes
for great faults yet he reproved her And so did God for one fault reprove Sarah Gen. 18. 15. c. and Jacob Gen. 35. 1. and Moses and Aaron and Jehu the Prophet Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 19. 2. and Paul Peter Gal. 2. 11. c. and an Angel John Rev. 19. 10. and 22 9. Beside 1. It may be this or that Professor doth practise more sins than thou knowest of He may favour his secret sins 2. Being reproved for one sin that reproof may occasion him to take notice of other sins which thou knowest not of 3. Howsoever reproof and instruction concerning one sin is a good way to keep him from making a Trade of many sins yea of any one sin If thou thinkest thy self wiser than Jehu the Prophet and Paul yet take heed of making thyself wiser than Christ for thou must stand before his judgment-seat and he is a righteous Judge and will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the hearts and condemn I fear many Professors for idle words and the like small sins which they do seldom or never particularly grieve for or confess and ask pardon of which is an Argument that they do in their hearts make small matters of them and the way if I may so speak to make God look on them as foul matters Which I hold very fit to be thought of and this also that it is a very wretched thing for a man who thinks himself wise to suffer any one of his fellow-Professors to be damned for one sin Another may say I do say nothing to such a Professor because he is a Dog or a Swine Mat. 7. 6. A. What a Professor and a Dog or a Swine Either of these is a very heavy charge with which we must not without a very good ground load any of those who have gotten the name of Professors no nor of them who have not neither Repl. If he be not a Dog or Swine yet if I should reprove him he would be angry with me and not receive the good counsel which I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him A. Art thou sure of that Who told thee so Did he himself at any time tell thee so Where is thy Charity or of what kind is it For Paul speaking of true Christian Charity saith that it hopeth all good things and thinketh no evil 1 Cor. 13. 5 7. to wit of others without a sound and sure ground Take heed of proving thy self nothing ver 1. 2 3. Verily if a man should tell me he would not receive instruction I think I should not absolutely believe him It may be he might be displeased and angry with me for a while and afterward his second thoughts might be better although I have known when I think a Captain and a Lieutenant have fairly endured my stout and blunt reproof in an Inn in London for swearing For I said unto them Gentlemen what are ye who thus transgress the Laws of God and the King by swearing We know not what success we shall have 180000 chosen Warriors of Judah and Benjamin being assembled together to fight against the ten Tribes yet when they understood it was the Lords mind that they should depart every man to his house and not fight against their brethren they hearkened to him and without any more ado returned to depart according to the word of the Lord 1 King 12. 21 22 23 24. Also when the people of Israel and the Priests and the Levites had mingled themselves with the Heathens c. although the hand of the Princes and Rulers were chief in this trespass yet Ezra the Priest prevailed with them to put away their strange Wives and their children born of them chap. 9. and 10. and Nehemiah prevailed with the Nobles and the Rulers and others to leave their Usury and Oppression and to make restitution chap. 5. Neither do we find that Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar were displeased with Daniel when he told them what would come upon them Dan. 4. and 5. Why then should not I and others hope that God will give us good success when we go in the fear of God and with an upright heart about this business Why not that very many will prove like David who if the righteous would smite him with wounds of reproof would receive them as a kindness and as a precious Medicine which would help to heal his soul so we are to understand Psal 141. 5. My charity tells me that Professors do trespasse in some sins and particularly concerning Ornaments of the body and other things indifferent ignorantly not knowing that they be sins or acting rashly without due consideration of which if they were admonished I cannot but hope a great part and it may be some who are thy near neighbours would receive instruction and reform Therefore pity Professors and do the best thou canst to awaken them and to open their eyes and to help the lame to walk Apol. But some of the offending Professors are my Friends and some my Benefactors I live by their Benevolence and good will and for that cause I do forbear their sins A. Do you so What are you Are you a Christian What is that then which you profess Is it carnal self-love and self-seeking If it be so then your silence doth not belie your profession But it may be you think you do love them who love you as the Publicans did Mat. 5. 46. And is this thy kindness to thy Friends Why man thou oughtest to minister spiritual things to them especially who minister carnal and worldly things to thee for that is one of the Obligations which are upon thee Yea Friend if thou seest the Ass of thine enemy lying under his burthen thou oughtest surely to leave thy business to help him and if thou meet the Ox or Ass of thy enemy going astray thou oughtest surely to bring it back again Exod. 23. 4 5. and canst thou see the soul of thy Friend who loveth thee and thou pretendest to love him canst thou see his soul going astray and not cake some care and pains to bring it back again and see the soul of thy Benefactor lying under a burthen of sin and forbear to help it Is this true love and true Christianity not to take so much care and pains to help thy Friends soul as thou oughtest to help thy enemies Ass Surely I know not where this is true Christian love unless it be beyond the Antipodes or where all the people be Heathens For as for Christians they ought to have more respect to the souls one of another than to the bodies But alas Friend all this while I have not remembred that which thou and I ought in all our dealings with Professors principally and above all other things to regard to wit the honour and interest of our most dear Friend Jesus Christ Mat. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 10. 31. Canst thou perswade thy self to neglect him also whom thou oughtest to respect above all the Creation