no such command and it were not my duty for till then I knew nothing of it this alone therefore do's propose and apply duty to us and consequently whether that which it proposes be my duty really in it self or no yet I must needs look upon it as so having no other direction imaginable what to do or forbear but what my conscience some way instructed tells me God or my Governors have commanded or forbid me So that if I am resolv'd in my mind of the sinfulness and obliquity of an action propos'd tho really the thing be innocent yet to me in my present circumstance 't will be utterly unlawful and tho the action be innocent the agent will be guilty 2. That God hath plac'd the conscience in us as the only next and immediate rule of all our actions according to which they are to be directed which if they be not they are faulty as every thing that swerves from its rule is not right tho what I have said will sufficiently prove yet Scripture do's confirm when it saies Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin that is to say whatsoever is contrary to the perswasion of lawfulness that is in other words contrary to conscience is sin whatsoever he do's as long as he thinks in conscience he should not do it he sins whether the thing be sin or no as that was no sin of which he there spake And reason good for we are so far honest hearted lovers of God as we embrace that which our hearts are really possest is his service and our duty and hate the contrary that is as we follow our conscience conscience being nothing but the persuasion that this is duty which if we go against 't is sure we like and follow that which in our thoughts is vicious and wicked be it what it will in it self to us 't is so 't is sure the inclinations and the actions pursue vice when they pursue that which they cannot look upon but as vice Conscience therefore is the rule from which 't is sin to recede 'T is with fair pretence to reason said that nothing can be a rule which is it self crooked and irregular That which is strait is indeed said to be index sui obliqui and having justified its own rectitude becomes qualified to be a test of right and wrong in others For certainly if the man knew what God's Law do's require of him in that case the conscience do's not erre if he do not know what God's word do's require how can he follow it against that which his conscience tells him God requires And it is certain if the man should suspend his action and have not reason to act according to his erring conscience he never can have reason to act according to a conscience well-inform'd not when it tells him God is to be lov'd for it is sure his conscience do's as much propose the error as his duty as it do's the truth the man as really believes the one is to be don as the other and hath no reason to make difference and therefore if at any time he must follow his conscience he must alwaies and it will be sin to act against it be it what it will But then you 'l hope it will excuse to act according to it Oh no alas for that 's the second thing in this case of erring conscience if a man act according to his conscience he sins too if he act against the Law of God Scripture will furnish me with several examples and proofs of this and 't is a doctrine worth the taking notice of it having prov'd to so many persons a plea for actions otherwise abominable they follow'd their conscience 't was it may be mistake in judgment but 't was uprightness of heart sincerity of conscience Now to take off this color which I shall do with all imaginable plainess Our Savior John 16. 2. foretells to his Disciples they shall put you out of their Synagogues yea the time will come that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he do's offer God an oblation or worship shall think it not only lawful but acceptable to God and of the nature of a Sacrifice which propitiates for other offences to put you to death See here a conscience bravely glos'd when the error look'd like Religion and Attonement a color not at all strange to our daies in such another case and yet these Jews that did so for of them he speaks were given up to the direst punishments that ever any nation did groan under Of the same Jews S. Paul saies Rom. 10. 2. I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledg that is I must testify of them that they are very many of them great zealots for their Law as that which is commanded them by God and so in their way and heart zealous to have God obeied only for want of knowledg they are mistaken in their zeal Here is strong conscience granted in these Jews and that built up upon a Law of God then indeed outdated which yet thro a zealous earnestness they were ignorant of but yet the following this zeal and conscience was plagued with total induration of of that people c. 11. 8 9 10. Nor was this S. Pauls heat against that persecuting nation but that Apostle do's more plainly yet and home to our matter say of himself Acts 23. 1. I have liv'd in all good conscience before God until this day I have all my life long even when I was a defender of the Mosaical Law against Christ's reformation acted sincerely and uprightly according to my conscience and again 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience i. e. whom I have obeied sincerely all my time even when thro ignorance I persecuted the Christian faith doing according to the dictate of my conscience and as I was perswaded I ought to do And now if conscience will excuse there was enough of that a good conscience and a pure conscience and will his fiery persecutions nâ—w by vertue of his conscience be Christned holy zeal shall the pure conscience make his bloudy hands to be undefil'd Oh no 't was Blasphemy and injury and persecution for all 't was conscience 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was before a blasphemer c. and notwithstanding I did it all in the uprightness and sincerity of my heart I am the chief of sinners v. 15. And let us not suppose these aggravations were laid on by S. Paul upon himself because of his unbelief that that was the only thing that gave guilt to his actions and that we thro faith and assurance shall escape if we do such gross actions out of an erring conscience For on the contrary S. Paul do's bring his unbelief not as the Aggravation but the Apology of his crimes he pleads that for himself v. 13. and he finds
it is sure if the man should suspend his action or have reason not to act according to his erring conscience he never can have reason to act according to a conscience well inform'd for it is plain his conscience does as much propose the error as his duty as it does the truth the man as really believes the one is to be don as the other and hath no reason to make difference and therefore if at any time he must follow his conscience he alwais must and t' will be sin to act against it be it what it will But then you 'l hope it will excuse to act according to it No alas this is but the other rock it is sin too to act according to it The proofs are very pregnant Gen. 12. 17. Because of Sara Abraham's wife the Lord plagu'd Pharaoh with great plagues and all his house namely those that had commended her before him v. 15. and so had contributed to the offence On the same account he plagu'd Abimelech Gen. 20. 17. altho in the 6 v. God saith he knew Abimelech did it in the integrity of his heart and tho Abimelech did plead the same to God he did it innocently v. 5. yet in the 9. v. he expostulates with Abraham what have I offended thee that thou hast brought on me and on my Kingdom a great sin Again St Paul affirms of his own nation Rom. 10. 2. that it was out of zeal to God and his Law they persevered in infidelity and opposition to Christs doctrins yet for that very opposition he affirms that they were hardned and design'd to everlasting perdition And Christ saith of the same Jews John 16. 2. that the time would come when they that kill'd his Apostles and Ministers should think they did God service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think they offer'd an oblation The error was so strong it made the sin look like Religion and Attonement yet that zeal and conscience was plagu'd with wrath that came upon them to the uttermost even to an utter extirpation or to restrain our selves to our Apostle he saith of himself v. 1. of the foregoing chapter I have liv'd in all good conscience before God until this day and therefore when against Christ's reformation he defended the Mosaic Law and persecuted the opposers of it he did all out of a good mind according to the dictates of his conscience sincerely what he was perswaded that he ought to do and now if conscience could excuse here was enough of that a good Conscience and could his fiery persecutions by vertue of that conscience be christian'd holy Zeal could his pure heart make his bloody hands undefil'd Oh no! 't was blasphemy and persecution and injury for all 't was conscience If this seem strange that acting thus according to the conscience should make men such sinners since all facts are estimated cheifly by the heart that they proceed from by the good or bad mind they are don with that is by the conscience of the doer we must know that where the error is not the effect of any carnal prepossession or principle but truely error there the sinfulness in this case lies not altogether formally in acting so according to their conscience unless first the conscience take up perswasions give sentence without a sufficient inquisition when there is the least appearance of a danger that 't is plain such a perswasion may engage us in a state of sin we must examin strictly and this seems the case of Pharaoh and Abimelech they were glad to think Sarah was Abrahams sister therefore made no close inquiry were content with his once saying so and on that account altho the one and afterwards the other took her in the innocency of their heart the text saith they committed a great sin for which God did plague them Especially 2dly if men have bin call'd on to consider had the opportunity of means of conviction such as God will judg sufficient in their circumstances then retaining those perswasions following such an error gives it that which is equivalent to wilfulness makes the guilt This was the Jews case and St Pauls tho Moses Law were given by God himself confirm'd by wonders and by such a constant series of Gods most immediate dispensations as might give them just cause to believe it was their certain duty to adhere to it yet when God judg'd Christs works together with the Prophecies that went of him had given a sufficient testimony to his Reformation the Jews resisting that tho out of zeal to God and in obedience to his Law and to their Guides the Priests and Sanhedrim were harden'd to excision for it or if as 't is most certain they were leaven'd into aversation to Christs doctrine by their expectation of a pompous Messiah his Religion did not serve their sensual ends 't is to be fear'd the same do's influence the more sincere and erring party of the Church of Rome yet St. Paul also tho out of a good conscience doing so esteem'd himself the chief of sinners for so doing 'T is the too hasty taking up or the too obstinate retaining this erroneous conscience makes the sin it does ingage into be so exceeding sinful therefore certainly whoever lets their conscience be surpriz'd by prejudice or warmth of mind much more ambition pride revenge or incidental discontents and disobligation reputation of a party interest design if these or any sensuality tho but lurking indiscernably for the heart is deceitful above all things who can know it have given any tincture to the heart and pufft a passion into conscience or if in the uprightness of their heart they took up their perswasions yet if they retain them in the least on any such account or else however if they do not hearken to examin any calls or means which God does either by his Providence or Ministers offer the opportunities of for their conviction specially if by seeing good and wise men do judg otherwise they have any cause to doubt and yet persist still and retain the error it is this that spoils the Conscience so that while it errs it does ensnare the man entangles him in a necessity of sinning leads him into such labyrinths of guilt that whatsoever he does he offends if he do what his erring conscience dictates to him then he sins against God's Law if he forbear he sins then against God's Vicegerent his own Conscience there is the guilt of his deed here the guilt of his heart which does oblige a man to follow that which it is sin to follow and which makes him he must and ought to do that which he must not ought not to do And then the onely application to such a Conscience is to advise the laying it aside to rectify the error good counsel this indeed but hardest to be taken in the world For that a man may set himself to rectify he must know himself in an error and if he know that he hath not
blasphemy and persecution tho 't was conscience guilts these of a bloudy and deep scarlet and this very conscientious man found cause to call himself the chief of Sinners v. 15. Howbeit secondly he tells us v. 16. for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting that in me the worst of men might have example and encouragement to depend upon him for eternal mercies if they will but come in to him he was pleas'd to shew me mercy call me in the very flagrancy and execution of my crimes Whereupon as he says thirdly he not onely was not disobedient to the Heavenly Calling but as if by owning himself chief of Sinners he had set himself a standard for his service put upon himself an obligation to be chief of all Christ's Votaries he became more laborious in his duty than all others and particularly so sincere faithful resolute and constant as nothing could remove him neither opposition stop him nor temtation divert him Now it is this faithfulness this being honest-hearted to Almighty God 't is the firmness of this purpose to go thro with duty in a constant tenor of obedience in whatever circumstance we are plac'd whatever happens not to be allur'd nor frighted neither biass'd nor forc'd out of it with the consciencious pursuance of this resolution that particularly qualifies for this secure dependance upon God for success it does dispose a man for perfect resignation of himself and full assurance It was St Pauls case here for this I suffer saith he and indeed he liv'd almost in constant martyrdom yet all this does not in the least discourage me but by God's gracious assistance I will do my duty come what can come Now discerning himself thus resolv'd and thus assisted he concludes that he hath ground enough for trust for he that is thus faithful to him may trust on him then he says I know whom I have believed And that we may not think this is an instance solitary in the third of Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar told the three Children If ye worship not the Image I have set up ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands Shadrach Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the King O Nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer thee in this matter if it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King but if not i. e. but if he would not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up The being conscious to themselves that they were thus resolv'd in earnest not to offend against the Lord but to obey how dear soever their obedience cost them and so casting themselves on him to do what he would with them gave them confidence made them know and say he would deliver them and so he did It is according to the measures of discerning the integrity and faithfulness of our own hearts that we assure our hearts before him as St John expresseth 1 Epist. 3. 19. and then tells us if our heart condemn us God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things v. 20. If we find not that sincerity within if any thing be false there if our conscience accuse us our own hearts condemn us 't is most certain God will do so too because he knows all those things of us that we can know of our selves But if we truly cannot charge that insincerity upon our selves we need not fear that God will charge us with the things we are not guilty of No surely as he there goes on Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God v. 21. And this is the confidence that we have towards him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him c. 5. 14 15. And whatsoever we ask we receive of him c. 3. 22. Thus by assuring their own hearts to God they know this have this confidence towards him i. e. have the trust and the dependance in the Text which in what cases it admits this strong assurance that is here exprest by the word know is my next inquiry I know Now by the last words it should seem as if in every case in every thing that he can want or does desire the person that is qualified so had a ground to trust with full assurance We know saith St John that whatsoever we ask we receive of him and accordingly in all the Spiritual needs of the Thessalonians both in particular and as the Church St Paul when he had blest them and praied for them thus The very God of peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thess. 5. 23. adds in the 24thâ—erse Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it And here in this Epistle of himself he says The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom 2 Tim. 4. 18. Nor did good men want this confidence as to the things of this life for in times of publick consternation in the want of all things Habbakuk does thus assure himself c. 3. 16 17 18. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quiver'd at the voice rottenness entred into my bones when he cometh up unto the people he will invade them with his troops but in that state he adds Altho the Fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines the labor of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation The exstasy of trust the rapture is too elegant and gay too high and full of transport to admit of any descant Holy Job went yet a little farther Tho he slay me yet will I trust in him c. 13. 15. In a word at once in whatsoever God hath promis'd there the Faithful Christian hath a right to trust I will not be so rude as to suppose my Auditors so unacquainted with the rich and precious Promises those Christian Treasures which God's Book is the Repository of that I should need to mind them of them and indeed to do it were to read a very great part of that Book 'T is sure in every case of every whether publick or particular real just concern whether in temporal spiritual or eternal things in some indeed
that we should submit too is the will of God saith S. Peter and the law of scandal are the full and entire rule of conscience Whatsoever they prescribe or forbid that my conscience if it be rightly inform'd will tell me I must do or forbear and if I act according to the dictates of a conscience so inform'd my actions will be good and honest and such a single eye makes my whole body full of light which was the second thing Now this is prov'd in one word that must needs be a good life which is regulated by a good conscience because all good life is call'd by the name of a good conscience 1 Tim. 1. 19. This was S. Pauls whole charge to Timothy holding faith and a good conscience there 's the belief and duty that 's the whole So 1 Pet. 3. 16. a good conscience is explain'd by a good Conversation in Christ and plainer yet Heb. 13. 18. We trust we have a good conscience willing in all things to live honestly Sincere endeavors to obey the conscience in every thing not boggling with it accepting the persons of duties and being very conscientious in some things but taking liberty in other bribing my conscience to wink like an evil eye and leave me in the dark as to some actions this is not to be conscientious he is so only that is willing to live honestly in all things and to do so is matter for the Apostles confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This also was the sum of all S. Paul himself endeavored after Acts 24. 16. And herein do I exercise my self to have alwaies a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man He had no stricter aims here was the height of his Religion these were his exercises And the antient Father Clemens Alex. Strom. 6. says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And what would any man have more Yea 't is apparent from the very terms for if thy conscience truly inform thee of all thy duty and thou dost accordingly then thou dost all thy duty or which is all that we can do So far as thy hearty endeavor is to this so far is thy life good and acceptable And here I have an hint for application by conviction of those who guide their conscience and consequently their lives by humors and fancies and not by the certain rules of conscience the laws I have assign'd Some men will call that conscience which is their inclination tho they do not examin whence the inclination springs from God or from suggestion of an interest or an affliction and think they are bound to do or may do that they have a mind to do Some mens rash heats that have somthing like zeal and it may be that have good intentions in them are strait the dictates of their Conscience and they must actuate those animosities and heats for they are bound in conscience Some men are advis'd by their fears and that will look like conscience in a little time Some mens imaginations promted by loose and libertine interpretations of Scripture or false infusions are strait their conscience and then their conscience tells them they must act accordingly But where 's the Law for these Conscience was I told you Gods Vicegerent possest his throne in man and was his Deputy prescrib'd to all mans actions and took cognizance of them and accordingly did sentence and will a man have humor give the Law to Gods Vicegerent or vain imaginations rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God within us as the ancients call'd it set fancy on the Throne Or I might secondly complain of them that would divide the rule of conscience and pick and chuse and take but part of it the immediate law of God they would think themselves bound to but for the law of scandal they regard it little Who did make them the keepers of their brothers soul If others by misunderstanding of their actions be drawn to sin at their own peril be it and at so little rates they value the salvation of that soul which Christ thought worth his bloud that for their meat or drink as S. Paul words it they will let their Brother perish for whom Christ died do actions for their interest or security under a close and secret sense of their own which being not understood by other weaker souls that look on their example with some Reverence they are led to sin and to perdition But much less do they think a law of man a Rule for conscience According to the Spartan method to be found out was transgressing the law the crafty performance was merit and vertue and whereas only Almighty God has cognizance of the heart his laws alone can reach designs and the obortive issues of the thought or those reserv'd enormities that are committed in the dark and without the privity of a witness Here were a subject for a sad complaint but that I have occasion for a worse and that is of the conscience that answers to the evil eye the other subject of the parable that is an evil conscience a conscience that do's not give true judgment of duty ill inform'd And first that which is totally or for the most so and of that but a word for 't is not pleasant sure to rake in such a sinke We read in Scripture of men given up to a reprobate mind or sense Rom. 1. 28. and to every good Work reprobate Tim. 1. 16. men who against all the checks of conscience and in despite of all its oppositions have chosen and pursued forbidden interests and pleasures so long till custome of them hath made them a part not only of their family but themselves and they do nothing now but prosecute them by contrivances and actions and have don this till conscience is stupified and as pleasures are especially saith Aristotle corruptive of principles from the absolute necessity they have conceived of them they think them little sins and from a long practise none at all these men are so far in a reprobate ense their hearts give a false judgment as false indeed as Satan would have them give and falser much then he can give himself of things of Religion who believes and trembles For they stick not to think those terrors Clergy men do talk of are but mormo's vizards of fear only Religious spectres shades of terror those strictnesses of vertue and of the means of practising it but the dreams of bigots foolish self injuries and those things we with so much eager zeal call sins the only and not dangerous enjoyments 'T is the Apostles asseveration and it is justified by every daies unhappy experience that evil men and seducers wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceiv'd 2 Tim. 3. 13. Habits of ill emprove gradually as those of vertue only with this difference that the grouth is more suddain and prosperous like that of weeds and noxious plants in respect of those which are medicinal There is no opinion nor no practice so bad
2 Tim. 3. 8. nor by a wretchless unconcerndness take up with slight appearances and receive a vulgar error for a sacred revelation and having mens persons in admiration Jude 16. believe as doctrines the devices or commandments of men Matt. 15. 9. not to consider what this celebrated Teacher or this Sect and Party say but make our resort to the Law and to the Testament what Law of God there is for or against this action For in this case it is most true There is one Law-giver who can save and destroy James 4. 12. and if sin be the transgression of a law 1 John 3. 4. it inevitably follows that where no law is there is no transgression Rom. 4. 15. And yet 't is strange to see how men amuse and embarras themselves in things that have no bottom or foundation in Scripture and in the mean time omit the weighty matters of the law judgement mercy and faith Thirdly if I have bin engag'd in any practices of which by the contrary practices of other sober rational men I see there may be reason if not to doubt yet to search into them then I 'le take the same course in order to the settling or the rectifying of my judgment and especially if any obligations to the contrary have got possession of me if obedience and meekness and peace of the State or Church or any sacred bond in a word if any commands of Superiors or engagements to them seem strong for the other side then nothing but clear Law of God or my Superiors shall fixe me Fourthly where things are not absolutely convincing on either side and there is no clear Law on neither or else so much like Law on both sides here as I must suspend if possible my action for these must needs make doubts so if I be necessitated to act on one side or other then if my conscience do mistake according to the degree of my diligence in examining so will be the degrees of my guilt If I have search't to my utmost and so offend out of an ignorance I could not overcome it is the constant doctrine of all that the mercy of our God by the tenure of the Gospel will not impute the error to a person otherwise of holy life but if there was a means of knowing that either heat or any other thing did hurry me from a sufficient consideration thereof according to my means so is my sin Abimelech had a competent ground to think that Sarah was not Abrahams wife when both herself and he had told him so and upon that he saies he took her to him in the integrity of his heart his conscience reasonably well-inform'd telling him that he might do it and yet God pâ—nisheth his hast he determin'd too speedily his desire was too quick did not proceed by those slow steps that a good careful conscience do's move with that will examin with all strictness where he discerns there will be gross sin on the other side The Jews had a strong prejudice against Christ's reformation of the Law by those so many promises of Scripture that their sacrifices should be eternal and when for many ages they had bin brought up in a Religion so own'd by God and were so harden'd in that Religion by all their Teachers 't was no wonder they rejected the Apostles preaching out of conscience of their own Religion Paul himself had don so and yet God gives them up to final induration for it because they had sufficient means of knowing Christ was sent by God to reform their Religion for have they not heard Rom. 10. 18. Thy diligence therefore shall alleviate the fault and where it is us'd in a good measure probably will not suffer the conscience to be long positive and peremtory in a mistake but at the most will let it only be a doubting conscience which how far 't is an evil eie and how we are to guide our selves out of that darkness it do's lead into we must now shew A doubting conscience may be either in things of very little moment and also where there is very little light to guide it and then we only call it scrupulous or else in things of consequence and of these we now treat and the Position is that he that acts according to a doubting conscience sins and this evil eie leads into utter darkness The Aphorism is a certain reveled pronunc't truth he that doubteth is damn'd if he eat Rom. 14. 23. However sacred the tribunal of conscience can be thought to be it must not stand in competition with the Throne of Almighty God and oblige us to do that which the Divine Command has interdicted or to leave that undon the doing of which he has expresly charg'd upon us It was thought to be a tyrannous hardship which the Egyptian task-masters put upon the Israelites that they should be beaten because they made not brick when they had no straw to make it with but it would seem a more tyrannous cruelty to punish them if they made and also to punish if they did not make it But so it is he who chuses to do that which his conscience suggests he ought to avoid as being ill and resolves to omit that which he judges or believes he ought to do as being good has all the inordination of mind that constitutes the most flagrant guilt he pursues evil and turns away from good apprehended to be such and so has that depravation of mind that constitutes a Devil But on the other side our opinions cannot alter the real natures of things nor will my belief that my act is laudable make it to be so any more than my fancy that Poisons are wholsome food will free them from their noxious venim and render them restoratives and cordials In like manner my adventuring on an action which I think is bad upon the cold reserve of a possibility that it may be otherwise involves the desperate resolution of doing it howsoever which differs very little from doing it tho I know it to be certainly unlawful But a doubting conscience admits of a counterpoise from a contrary doubt and there is fear of sin as on the one so also on the other part I am uncertain whether I may not do ill in acting and yet whether I may not do worse in forbearing or thus I am not sure that what I enterprize is lawful but yet I have no ground to believe it is unlawful Now from this exigent thus declared I might deduce resolutions in many cases of our life As 1. When there is no ground to build a certain judgment on of either side but it is only probable the thing is not sin and consequently I cannot be sure it is not yet if upon that probability I act this is clear different from the state of the doubting conscience for tho I may have some doubt 't is possible the thing may not be good yet having honestly examined it I have no reason to think it
that many Ages prov'd but Centuries of Martyrdom unto that Truth all Torments were more eligible than the belief of this Religion which was confirmed so that against all arts and power of Opposition against the Wit and Fury of the World though all the Subtlety and all the Strength of Earth resisted it yet it over-spread the Universe Besides it is most prudent to believe it too for if there be another World what then There was enough done therefore but Corruptions suffer them not to attend to that which hath been done And 't is no wonder they should do so at this distance for they contrasted with Christs Miracles when present and they were so uneasie under the conviction of them that rather than be prest so by the mighty power of his Works they did design to rid themselves of him that wrought them John xi 47. you may find them strugling with his demonstrations to keep off the Evidence What do we for this man doth many Miracles Yea they do conspire against the Miracles themselves and would put Lazarus also to death because he was raised from the dead they could not let the Evidence and the Conviction live but they must murder that too Nay more as if the pertinacy of their prejudices could do mightier Works than Christ and could controul and were above the power of his Miracles it is said to have bound his hands and he could do no mighty Works at Nazareth because of it Mar. vi 6. At least as saith Theophylact 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he could not do them where men were not capable they should be done So that Christ did pronounce from Reason and Experience If they believe not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead Such an amazing argument might probably astonish but would not convince unless it met with honest inclinations for after the surprize of it were over and had vanish'd then the corruption that Bosom Sophister would stir and goad and urge incessantly so that to ease himself the Man must find out some cross Scruple to weaken the force of that Evidence and the Conviction would vanish like the Ghost And if we should examine the Experience of our selves and others we should find that just according to the rate of virtuous inclinations and dispositions of heart to part with sin so are men prepar'd for the belief of Christ so are their cares and regards of his Religion He that is honestly inclin'd opens his Soul to Christianity for it speaks to his heart 't is right to the grain of his Soul he looks upon the Promises as made to him and lays them up as Gods encouragements of his inclinations every thing in the Gospel fits the temper of his mind And he that is but pretty well disposed that loves Virtue for the most part but does allow himself some one corruption he always hearkens to Religion where it sets it self against those Vices which he hates but as to his own particular evil inclination there he is a little Infidel cannot persuade himself that God will be so stern against a single pleasure that one petty indulgence should be so considerable that it should provoke to those extremities the Bible threatens and can by no means believe S. James that he that offends in one point thus is guilty of all And they upon whose constitutions there are weights and Plummets that incline them to some vicious courses and by loose Education have those pronenesses of temper pamper'd and by having their inclinations follow'd and indulg'd taught them to crave then to get head and to command and then by conversation with others that mind nothing but satisfaction of those bents of the Brute part that allow themselves all the desires of constitution are come to swill the pleasures profits and the Honours that do wait on those practices Or whosoever by whatever steps arrive at an habit of doing thus and a great liking of them and so to improbity of Heart to utter aversations of the strictnesses of Piety all which they have lived so out of 'T is known that not enduring to be bound up in those narrow paths of Piety and Virtue they burst all the Obligations to them seek little things to cavil at or to deride hoping with those their poison'd Arrows through the skirts and the Extreamer parts to send a Wound into the very Vitals of Religion for they aim at the Heart when they pretend to strike only the out Lap of its Garments and to say all at once grow down-right Atheists And though as once at Corinth now again the World by Wisdom knows no God there being Skill and Manage in this Mystery of Infidelity and it requires Study Wit and Parts yet they proceed just by the Method of King David's Fool first he says in his heart there is no God before he say it in his thoughts and Opinions He wishes it and so comes to believe it the Atheism is rooted in the Seat of the Affections and it branches thence into the Mind at least into the Mouth and finding Hell the greatest check to their Delights which they cannot determine with themselves to leave and to repent of therefore because they will not quench it with their tears they study how to put it out with Arguments And meerly for this reason that they will not live like Men they resolve therefore to believe that they shall die like Beasts But alas they must live for ever with the Devil and his Angels it that Christ whom they reject does not lay hold on them and rescue them from thence as he is in his passage to his Cross the next Way we must prepare for him and my next Part. The Solemn days approaching will discover to you this Way namely the Passage from the Garden in Gethsemane to Golgotha There you will see he does begin his Journey with the Amazements of an Agony and ended it in something like the horrors and the outcrys of Despair he travailed under such a load as made his life gush out through all the parts of his whole Body the weight of it did make his Soul faint by the way and when he was upon the Tree crush'd it out and made it expire sooner than the stress of Nature would have done and forc'd it to burst out away in Prayers and strong Cries that so he might sooner escape from under that sad pressure And then do but consider and look on him under that representation which S. Paul does shew of him how all that time that he was creeping under that dire burden in that dolorous way he was meerly pressing on with all the haste he could to overtake us in our course and rescue us from Ruine For that Journey was a Race and we the Prize 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have been laid hold on saith he Phil. iii. 12. laid hold on in the Agonistick sense as in a Race he so expresses it And