the Mosaical pedagogy and probably their deferting the Lords day Sabbath and adhering to the Jewish was one special part of their apostacy The first of these is plain to any understanding Christian that shall throughly study the whole scope and drift of the Epistle And I think we may very probably suppose the truth of the latter also What part of the old administration were they more likely to be zealous of than the Seventh day Sabbath in the observation whereof they had formerly been so excessively and rigorously superstitious Mat. 12.2 Mar. 3.2 And therefore it may seem consonant to the Apostles scope as to set forth the vanishing and disappearing of the legal oblations and sacrifices so to speak as here concerning the abrogation of their Sabbath and substitution of the Lords day in the room of it 2 The Holy Ghost speaketh here of a certain day of rest the celebration of a set determinate day and not of the whole season of the gospei indefinitely And what set determinate day is there that may be fitly assigned as the time of a believers rest but the Lords day See v. 7. Again he limiteth a certain day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saying in David to day after so long a time as it is said to day if ye will hear his voice hardon not your hearts And then it followeth thereupon v. 9. There remaineth therefore the celebration of a Sabbath 3 This determinate day of rest which the Apostle calleth the Sabbath that is to be kept is clearly to be meant of that day wherein the people of Christ meet together in the worship of God and provoke and quicken one another to hear the word of the Lord. For so it plainly appeareth from the 95. Psalm from which portion of Scripture the Apostles argument is taken and upon which his whole discourse of this matter is built See the whole entrance of the Psalm particularly the sixth and seventh verses O come let us worship and bow down Let us kneel before the Lord our maker For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand To day if ye will hear his voice It is of this day and the rest of it which the text I am opening is to bemeant And what day is that in the times of the gospel but the Christian Sabbath There is not to be met with any other day wherein the Saints can be supposed ordinarily to exhort and quicken each other unto the worship of God The other six dayes are appointed for labour 4 A believers personal rest into which he enters by faith was enjoyed by the Saints in the times of the old Testament For they were saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ even as we But the Apostle treateth here out of the words of David of a rest or Sabbath to be celebrated a long time after even in the daies of the New Testament for that Psalm is a prophesy of evangelical dispensations As it is said in David to day after so long a time By the same reason that the Apostle proveth that this day of rest must not be meant of the Jewish Sabbath because that was instituted from the beginning of the world Heb. 4.3 We may prove it is not meant primarily of a believers personal rest by faith because that was enjoyed by the Saints in all ages of the Church before the dayes of David But here he prophecieth of a priviledg that was to be conferred on the people of Christ a long time after 5 The Apostle is to be understood of the celebration of such a Sabbath as is to be kept upon the like ground in reference to the Lord Christs ceasing from his work as the Seventh dayes Sabbath was in relation to Gods ceasing from his work For so it is in v. 10. which I mentioned For he that is entred into his rest that is the Lord Jesus Christ our Redeemer hath ceased from his work as God did from his own And therefore there remaineth a Sabbath for Christians to cefebrate I know the words are usually understood of a Believers ceasing from the works of sin But let it be well considered that the Holy Ghost speaketh of such a ceasing as Gods was when the creation was finished He rested the seventh day and was refreshed he looked on every thing that he made and beheld it was very good entirely good nothing but Good This is justly attributable unto Christs work of redemption but cannot so fitly be applyed unto the Saints When they cease from sin behold it appeareth unto them exceeding evil and bitter and they are filled thereupon with godly shame and self abhorrence Ezek. 36.26 29 31. Besides the Apostle speaketh afterwards of Christs passing into the heavens as relating to somewhat that had been before delivered And unto what can it refer but unto his entring into his rest which includes his passing into the heavens So it followeth v. 14. Seeing then that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fest our profession Mark it is the same person that is said to have passed into the heavens v. 14. that is spoken of as entring into his rest v. 10. For seeing that he is passed into the heavens And he that is entred into his rest is the person that hath ceased from his work as God did from his own And upon this account there remaineth the celebration of a Sabbath unto the people †See Carter on the Covenant with Abraham page 6 7 c. And Cotton on singing of Psalms p. 10 11. From whom I have borrowed much of this matter of God Further yet the Holy Ghost seemeth plainly to distinguish in that 10. v. between the works of redemption which are ascribed to the Son and the works of Creation which are peculiarly attributed to the Father and are therefore called his own works as the Text is to be rendred * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A believer upon his conversion is delivered indeed from the dominion and power of sin but not wholly freed from all remainders of pollution still there is a Law in his members warring against the Law of his mind and leading him often captive to the performance of his works even to manifold sins through infirmity So that it cannot so fully be said of a Christian whilst in the body that he hath ceased from his works But of our Lord Jesus Christ it is exactly verified who upon his rising from the dead came forth as a victor from the conquest which he made and entred into his state of exaltation 6 The Psalmist treating of this day of rest which the Apostle referreth to doth instance in most of the Solemn parts of worship which are to be discharged on the Sabbath 1. Singing of Psalms Psal 95.1 2. 2. Prayer v. 6.3 Hearing the word which implyeth the Preaching of the word v. 7 8. All to be
consideration of a multitude may carry some stroke with men as to the mitigating or with-holding the punishment deserved yet it is of no validity whatsoever to stave off the execution of the vengeance of God or to abate the severity of his proceedings For he is of infinite power and everlastingly blessed in the enjoyment of himself Indeed men are wont to forbear the executing the rigour of the Law when a multitude offend together or at most they punish but some for an example and terrour to the rest And what is the reason of it Why possibly it may be dangerous to provoke many thousands by the rigour of the law and may force them to run upon desperate courses Perhaps they to whom the administration of justice is committed have not power to bring under the whole body of a rebellion without using lenitives and mildness towards some and ingaging for their security and indemnity Or in some cases the common-wealth would be impaired and a Nation or Kingdom dispenpled if all that have their hand in a rebellion should be cut off together But alas what are these things in reference to the God of heaven Is there any thing too hard for the Lord Is it not as easie for him to cut off many as few Doth he stand in need of your service that he should spare you out of respect to his own advantage Why man All thy service and homage doth not extend unto the Lord. He hath thousand thousands ministring unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand attending upon him He can bring glory to himself in thine utter extirpation and destruction And see what he hath said Psal 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God So that if a whole Kingdom or Countrey nay if many people and Countreys conspire together in sin the Lord will not spare them but will bind them in bundles together and cast them into the furnace of fire So in that dreadful parable of the boiling pot Ezek. 24.6 Wo to the bloody City to the pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not not gone out of it bring it out piece by piece let no lot fall upon it It is as much as if God had said They are universally corrupted and I will destroy them all I will not have compassion on any one of them It is spoken in allusion to the practise of Commanders in war when Souldiers mutiny they do not wont to cut off a whole legion or regiment but only some are made exemplary and to that end they used to câ—st lots who should die and which of them should be spared and the like lottery was used when captives were taken for the saving of some and putting others to the sword Well but saith the Lord of Hosts I will deal with these rebels after another rate I will utterly consume them without exemption of any There shall no lot fall upon them And study well that Scripture which is peculiarly designed to overthrow this ground of presumption Prov. 11.21 Though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not be unpunished i. e. Though sinners strengthen themselves by mutual counsels and combinations and joyn together in parties for the doing of evil yet it shall not stand them in stead The God of heaven will break in upon them in his fury and sweep them away with the besom of destraction He will pull them out piece-meal one after another and there shall none of them escape And if you do not see this alwayes executed visibly in signal outward judgments yet you must remember there are spiritual plagues poured out upon the wicked here which are the forest of judgments and that the wicked are reserved unto the day of destruction and shall be brought forth to the day of wraths 2. The examples of the judgments of God that are upon record in the word may abundantly suffice to shew the vanity of this kind of reasoning When the greatest numbers have conspired to reject his word and to trample upon his glory what hath been the manner of his dealing with them Why He hath come down in the heighth of indignation against them and set them forth as Paradeigmes or publike examples of his justice that others might be induced to take warning Look into the wilderness when the people did joyn themselves to Baal Peor and did eat the sacrifices of the dead Psal 106.28 i. e. when they did partake of the worship that was tendered to Idols which are but dead Gods which never had any reality of being and forsook Jehovah who is the living and true God when they were sharers with Idolaters in their offerings or by the sacrifices of the dead you may understand the funeral banquets which amongst Idolatrous Nations were used by way of solemn parentation to the dead You will find that this idolatry was a spreading corruption multitudes were defiled with it And were they delivered because of their multitude Why consult the History Num. 25. The plague brake in amongst them and there dyed in one day three and twenty thousand and afterwards a thousand more And this instance of severity is recorded for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 1 Cor. 10.8 11. Let us look a little higher into the case of Sodom and Gomorrha Admah and Zeboim the inhabitants of which Cities were a great company and they were in confederacy together in sin both old and young all the people from every quarter And were they spared because they were many See Gen. 19.24 25. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven And he overthrew those Cities and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the Cities and that which grew upon the ground In the old world there was a numerous multitude and all flesh had corrupted their way and filled the earth with violence And were they exempted from punishment upon the account of their numbers Indeed the Lord spared them for a time and his long-suffering waited expecting their repentance but at length he brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly The fallen angels were a very comprehensive body of glorious creatures and yet when they kept not their first estate but left their own habitationp God hath reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day But you will say what are these examples unto us We hope the Lord will not be so severe now in the days of the Gospel Mark therefore how the Apostle Peter doth argue from this Topick 2 Pet. 2.4 5 6 9. If God spared not the angels that sinned but cast them down into hell c. and spared not the old world c. and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow making them an ensample to those that after should live ungodly The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to
were the fathers or Ring-leaders of their Sect. But Sirs all sincere Christians are of one society and have but one master even Christ His sheep hear his voice and follow him for they know his voice But a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers Joh. 10.4 5. So much for the fourth case that requireth such abundant circumspection that we be not insnared by the example of the multitude 5. The fifth is In case of men of excellent parts and learning and knowledge above others When many of that rank such as are accounted wise understanding judicious persons shall act sanfully and turn aside into crooked wayes then the common sort of people think they may warrantably tread in the same path when they have men of renown for knowledge to go before them Surely will they argue If there were any hurt in such things so many learned Doctors would not approve of them Shall we be so highly conceited of our selves as to think we are wiser than such great Scholars and Teachers of the word of God Herein seemeth to lie the force of the argument that was brought against the officers who durst not lay hands upon Christ because they took him for a Prophet for that never man spake like him Jo. 7.47 48 49. Then answered them the Pharisees are ye also deceived Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him But this people that knoweth not the law are cursed As if they had said do but observe Christs followers and you shall find that generally they are but a company of poor ignorant and illiterate people you have hardly one learned man amongst them that owneth him Do you think that if he were indeed the Messiah the Pharisees would oppose him who are men well skilled in the Law Would not the Rulers close with him will you be so proud and arrogant as to prefer your judgment before theirs To quicken you a little to be cautious in this respect there are four things worthy to be considered in this behalf 1. That the promises for discovering the will and mind of the Lord in reference to matters of everlasting concernment are not made to men of great parts and learning but to such as serve the Lord in simplicity and integrity of heart When a person is truly desirous to fear the name of God and maketh it his study and principal design to commend his conscience in his sight such a one though he be but of meaner parts and accomplishments is in a greater likelihood to be clearly instructed in the things concerning the kingdom of heaven * Nisi fidelium operum usus praecesserit doctrinae cognitio non apprehendetur Hil. in Ps 118. then the greatest scholars that are strangers to the sanctifying grace of the spirit Psal 25.12 What man is he that feareth the Lord Him he will teach in the way that he shall chuse And v. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant Mark it Sirs it is not much learning in the head but godly sincerity and the fear of the Lord in the heart that doth entitle us to these promises of divine teaching So that this is a poor argument of the goodness or justifiableness of any way because many great scholars and wise men walk in it Besides the Holy Ghost is express in this point that most wise men after the slesh are strangers unto the power of godliness and enemies to the way of salvation 1 Cor. 1.26 27. For you see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty Some there are of all sorts that are gathered into the kingdom of Christ for it is not the condition or state of life but the constitution or frame of the heart which is the hindrance unto salvation But there are not many of this sort namely of them that are learned and wise after the flesh The greatest number of such are usually adversaries to the truth See the words of our Saviour in his thanksgiving unto God Mat. 11.25 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes 2. Are they men of wisdom and understanding whose examples are pleaded in opposition to the commands of Jesus Christ But how shall it be known whether they are wise indeed All is not gold we say that makes a glittering shew so All is not true wisdom that carrieth the face of it and hath that name and title given to it They alone are truly wise who keep exactly close to the word of God and that dare not venture to do what is displeasing in his sight Whatsoever hath a tendency to carry a man in opposition to the word or to cause him to reject the law of the Lord of hosts is but the appearance and shew of wisdom it is indeed the greatest madness and folly There are two places of divine writ for the confirmation of this point worthy to be wrote on the tables of mens hearts as in letters of Gold and as with the pen of a Diamond that they may never be obliterated The first is that Deut. 4.5 6. Behold I have taught you statutes and judgments even as the Lord my God commanded me that ye should do so in the Land whither ye go to possesse it Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations which shall hear all these statutes and say Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people By contempt of the word of Christ we provoke to indignation the God of infinite power against whom never man hardened himself and prospered And is it not perfect madness to ingage him to be our adversary It is a point of the highest wisdom to keep in with the most high and to get an interest in his favour Obedience to the statutes of God hath the promise of a blessing annexed to it and the contrary is attended with a curse that will secretly insinuate it self into all a mans enjoyments and eat out the comfort of them It is by the word of Christ you must be judged hereafter and sentenced to receive your everlasting portion And therefore it must needs be an act of the highest wisdom not to despise the word nor to set up the dictates of men above the word The other text you have Jer. 8.9 The wise men are ashamed they are dismayed and taken Lo they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them 3. God doth many times leave many learned and wise men unto
hath forwarned us of reproaches attendant upon godliness to this very purpose that when we happen to meet with them we might not be offended with him or his wayes on that account Joh. 16.1 2 3 4. These things have I spoken to you that ye should not be offended They shall put you out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God service And these things they will do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me But these things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them 2. Art thou reproached for following the Lord Jesus Christ and keeping close to him when the generality of people depart from him Why remember how he was reproached for thy sake if thou belongest unto him and what revilings he endured for the salvation of thy soul He was stigmatized for a glutton and a winebibber and one that incouraged profane sinners in their profanefs He was accounted a Witch and a Conjurer as one that held confederacy with Beelzebub the prince of the devils He was reckoned for a rebel and traytor an enemy to Caesar and a seditions murderer was preferred before him He was buffered and spit upon and reviled upon every hand The Souldiers reviled him saying Prophesie who smote thee The people reviled him If thou be the Son of God come down from the Cross and we will believe One of them that suffered with him reviled him And he was put to an ignominious and reproachful death Was he willing to suffer this reproach and disgrace for our spiritual and everlasting advantage and shall we flinch back from him for fear of some scoffs and reproaches that we may suffer Look unto Jesus when this temptation begins to prevail fix your eyes upon Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds Heb. 12. v. 2 3. See the carriage of the Apostles in this respect Act. 5.41 They departed from the presence of the counsel rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Why for his name Why because he is the Son of God and so able to recompense them plentifully for any loss they sustained in his service He loved them with the most affectionate love and that unto the end He had suffered shame for their sakes and in order to the carrying on of their Salvation 3. The day of judgment that is at hand will be a day of revelation as well as of recompence If you be unjustly reproached and scandalized now then you shall be cleared and acquitted and discharged with honour in the face of all the world For as that will be a judicature appointed for the trying of titles so for the clearing of the people of God from all the blots that were cast upon them and the hard speeches that were vented against them As there will be a resurrection of bodies out of the dust of the earth so there shall be a resurrection of the names of true believers out of that dirt and filth wherein they have been buried This quieted the spirit of S. Paul when he was censured and scandalized 1 Cor. 4.3 4 5. With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans judgment i. e. I am little troubled at your censures and reproaches yea I judge not my own self For I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God i. e. Then it will be discovered who are praise-worthy The Lord will cause the uprightness of the upright to appear and he will vindicate their reputation in the presence of men and Angels 4. The best and most comfortable way as much as is possible to avoid reproach and disgrace it is not to joyn in correspondency with the wicked but to endeavour to be exact and circumspect in your carriage before the wicked that they may not have so much as an occasion whereupon to bottom an evil report As a Philosopher being told that some evil minded men did charge him with such and such miscarriages And I answered he will so demean my self that none shall believe them Here Sirs is an excellent means to prevent reproaches and a good use to be made of them Do men charge thee with pride and haughtiness of spirit Carry thy self with that humility and meekness that none may believe them Art thou cryed out of as a turbulent factious and seditious person Let thy demeanour be so quiet and peaceable and inoffensive that none may give credit to the report Labour to cut off occasion of evil speaking from them that desire occasion And if notwithstanding they will defame thee study to prove them lyars amongst all with whom thou dost converse And this is the very counsel of the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 2.11 12. Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation And v. 15. For so is the will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men And if nevertheless it be your lot to be scorned and despised for your holiness then remember for your consolation and support that you have a promise of blessedness on this very account Mat. 5.11 12. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you 5. If you cannot bear reproaches for the sake of Christ and upon the account of holiness God may justly give you up to the lusts of your own hearts to fall into some horrid monstrous and unheard-of abomination that you may get a blot upon that account which shall never be wiped out If men will not suffer for God they may justly expect to suffer under the hand of God As I have read of a Smith in Queen Maries dayes who was convinced of the truth and being pressed by a message from one of the Martyrs not to dissemble his profession but to own it returned answer He could not burn But within a while it fell out that his Shop was on fire and was burnt down to
in one way And helps to prevent manifold mischiefs and inconveniences which dissension and multiformity are apt to introduce into the Church of Christ For difference in worship is apt to breed distance and alienation in affection and from thence arise animosities and spiritual feuds and perverse disputings So that I have not a word to speak against a Religious uniformity in that which is excellent and so far as it goeth hand in hand with the divine Institutions and appointments of our Lord Jesus Christ and doth not intrench upon his royal prerogative Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity O the abundant benefit of the communion of Saints as the contents of the Psalm seem to explain that passage Psal 122.1 2 3 4. I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates O Jerusalem Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compact together Whither the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. Psal 42.4 When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me for I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude of them that kept holy-day For such united societies and combinations of believers God hath in store a peculiar blessing and is wont to be amongst them with his especial favour and presence For the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob Psal 87.2 And therefore it is mentioned as one of the great evangelical mercies promised to make way for the conveyance of further grace and mercy Jer. 32.39 And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them 3. But when a people unite and joyn together in what is sinful if their uniformity consist in the joynt and unanimous practise of superstition and will-worship or in any thing that is contradictious to the Law and commandment of the Lord In such case it becomes exceeding sinful and detestable and a very great provocation of the wrath of God This kind of uniformity is nothing els but a grand conspiracy against the God of heaven a closely compacted rebellion against the King of Kings Thus the Pharisees and all the Jews did uniformly practise their superstitious washings and other ceremonious observances received by tradition from the Elders There were no Schisms or divisions amongst them about such matters Mark 7.3 But what saith our Saviour in the case See Mat. 15.9 In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men And again v. 13 14. Every plant which my heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind And if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch Such a kind of unity was that of the High Priest and the people in their martyring of Stephen They ran upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord They were all linkt together in the same mind Act. 7.57 And that of the Kings of the earth and Rulers that set themselves and took counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ Psal 2.2 3. And in this case we must say as the Patriarch Jacob Gen. 49.6 O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be thou not united I must not do evil to bring about uniformity nor unite with any in that which is sinful 4. Lastly observe under this head That the only way to settle and compass such a kind of uniformity as is enjoyned of the Lord and pleasing unto him is to keep exactly close to the rule of Gods word to take heed of making additions thereunto and not to be wise above what is written Here is the ready way to prevent Schisms and divisions and the breaking a sunder into Sects and parties when we keep up to this one uniform and perfect rule of Worship My brethren If persons be guided by traditton and impose upon mens consciences humane inventions and traditions that 's a most soveraign way to perpetuate Schism to the end of the Chapter If persons will load the spirits of their brethren with their burdensom ceremonies under whatever pretext of decency or uniformity they are pressed If they will force mens consciences to stoop under the weight of their Canons here 's a sure way to cause separations and divisions without remedy But if you would indeed attain to such uniformity as is according to the mind of God To the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8.20 Traditions are multiform and Canons of Counsels are multiform vain customs urged under the specious pretences of order and decency are multiform and therefore will undoubtedly produce variance and strife and multiformity Besides coming into the worship of God without the stamp of divine authority they want a power and energy to settle the conscience there is no firm footing where a Christian may tread in fuch cases without danger or fear of pricking his feet among bryars and thorns But the word of God is uniform and at perfect peace with it self and layes a sure foundation whereon to bottom in all soul-concernments And hereupon must you build all your superstructures in order to the erecting and setting up of uniformity amongst Christians This is very plain from former and latter woful experiences Look into primitive times what a stir was there in the Church about the keeping of Easter What tumults bickerings and heart-burnings both here in Brittain and in many other parts Why Because they had recourse to tradition and rested thereupon and endeavoured to impose one upon another their own private sentiments and practises whereas the Scriptures would quickly have ended the controversie When divisions were risen up in the Church of Corinth particularly in the point of the Lord's Supper what means doth S. Paul make use of that the strife might cease He puts them in remembrance of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and brings them close to the first institution For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11.23 Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learnt and avoid them Keep up Sirs to the doctrines of the old and new Testament and let them be the standard of peace and unity Obj. All sorts of persons are pretenders to Scripture even such as rest and pervert it to their own destruction The vilest hereticks will Father their erroneous doctrines upon the word and profess to deduce them from thence How then is it possible that we should rationally expect unity and concord in the Church by this means seeing the most notorious hereticks will have this pretext they will shelter their
hold upon eternal life Why should the work cease whilst I spend my time in trifles I have not an hour to spare that may be passed away in idleness and negligence in doing nothing or what is as good as nothing 2. This was one of the sins of Sodom for which they were destroyed in such a dreadful manner by fire from heaven and upon which account they are set forth as an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire namely the spending their time in idleness and vanity without taking care for the right improvement of it And very probably this sin might be a means to carry them into those other horrid abominations for which they are branded to all the succeeding generations For when men take liberty to spend their time in idleness and make no conscience of laying it out to the ends for which they are intrusted with it they will soon be wrought upon to spend it wickedly Through idleness and slothfulness or that which is tantamount vain delights and fooleries sinners are obnoxious and exposed to all Satanicaâ— assaults ready to run upon any of the devils errands Whereas if Christians were exact and conscientious in filling up their time with duty there would be no such room left open for the devils suggestions to enter in at Besides it's putting them under the verg of Gods protection and safe custody Ezek. 16.49 Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom pride fulness of bread and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters 3. This is one of the Talents for which you are strictly accountable at the great and notable day of the Lord viz. All the time of your continuance upon the face of the earth You read the kingdom of heaven is compared to a man travelling into a far countrey who called his servants and delivered certain Talents unto them to be imployed according to their several abilities And after a long time the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them Now pray what are those Talents which God will call us to a reckoning for Why as there are talents of grace so there are talents of nature such as strength of body parts and endowments of the mind and the like And amongst these the time which is allotted to us is not the meanest or least considerable How hath that been managed in the Masters service What good have you done answerably to the time you have enjoyed Rev. 2.21 I gave her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not And mark it my beloved If you would come off with comfort at the day of accounts and be found unto praise and glory at the glorious appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ it will not be enough to plead that you spent not your time prophanely or licentiously It will suffice to bring you under a sentence of condemnation if it were spent idly vainly and unprofitably Mat. 25.30 Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth What millions of gold would sinners then give for the least portion of that time to repent in which now they throw away as if it were not to be regarded This is the first thing I would note as to the time of religion when it is minded 2. In respect of the special time that is to be consecrated and appropriated to the more immediate service of God The multitude have been much set upon the observation of the dayes of mans devising and inventing but little concerned in the sanctification of the Lords day If they spend two or three hours in the publike exercises of religion then they think themselves acquitted for the rest of that day they find their own pleasures and follow their recreations and sports they let their tongues loose to vain and worldly discourses if they have any visit to make or merriment to be at this is the day wherein they have best leisure for it And yet as the whore in the Proverbs they wipe their mouths and say We have done no wickedness But ye my friends be not acted with the spirit of the multitude Give unto the Lord that which is due unto him He hath graciously allowed you six dayes for your own imployments wherein you may lawfully labour and do all that you have to do and he hath reserved a seventh day for himself a whole seventh day as he hath granted unto us the six Do not grudg the Lord and your souls this equitable and merciful proportion Be not as the rich man in Nathans parable who had many flocks and herds and yet when the wayfaring man came to him he spared to take of his own flock but took the poor mans lamb that lay in his bosom and dressed it for the man that was come unto him 2 Sam. 12. Thus do the carnal world deal with the God of heaven He hath given to them a whole flock of daies and kept unto himself but one Lamb the Lords day And yet when they have a journey to take or an errand to do some mirth and pleasure to follow or bodily ease to indulge they spare of their own flock and make bold with the Lords But my brethren be not ye like unto them As you would expect a blessing upon your souls and a blessing upon your labours on the six dayes be careful of the spiritual and entire sanctification of the Lords day the Christian Sabbath For blessed is the man that doth this and the son of man that layeth hold on it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and keepeth his hand from doing any evil Isa 56.2 That you may be careful in the discharge of this great daty and not fall short of the blessedness thereto annexed suffer me to leave upon you a few words by way of advice and counsel 1. Study much the morality of the Law of God concerning the weekly Sabbath That it is a commandment which carries with it a perpetual and everlasting obligation The ceremonial Sabbaths were observanâ—â—s that disappeared upon the death of the Lord our righteousness When the Sun was risen in his glory the shadowes vanished But the weekly Sabbath was appointed to continue in the Church of Christ unto the end Be well setled I say in this great truth For if there be haesitation in your thoughts of the obligation of the commandment you will proportionably waver in your obedience unto the commandment Wavering and unstedfast obedience is the usual product of fluchuating apprehensions An unsetled judgment will usher in unconstant service And therefore be well verst in the morality of the weekly Sabbath 1. It was part of the Law given unto our first parents in the state of innocency when there was no ground for distinction of Jew and Gentile Gen. 2.2 3. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had refted from all his work which
in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkeness to thirst As if the sinner should have said as carnal people in our dayes are wont to doe Do you think Heaven was appointed only for a company of Puritans that make more Scruples than they need Why may not a man take his fill of pleasures upon earth and yet come to the kingdom of heaven as well as others surely God never intended to tye us up in such narrow bounds as these Strait-lac't Preachers would perswade us Come let us fill our selves with strong drink and take our freedom whilst we may and yet our souls shall do as well as theirs If you would see the farther workings of this cursed and Hellish principle consult Psal 10.3 Isa 28.14 15. And Jer. 5.12.13 My beloved if you will keep your selves unspotted from the world great care must be taken that you give not the least reception or entertainment unto these devilish dictates For if once such libertine thoughts do but enter into your heads they will quickly fall down as a mighty Torrent upon your hearts and carry you headlong to all excess of riot As the first point of wisdom is to pitch upon the right end So the next is to take care of electing and closing with the sure and proper means for compassing that end If you fancy to your selves an easy way to salvation you do thereby tempt the tempter to lead you in the broad way to destruction Your spirits are thereby as a City without gates or walls open to all the inroades of that wicked one and of wicked men that are his instruments And therefore to Antidote your souls against this Poysonous principle let these three contrary principles sink deep within you 1. That the Holy Ghost is expresse concerning it that the way of salvation is a narrow and difficult way and that there are but few of those that sit under the teachings of the word of God that will arrive with safety at the kingdom of heaven Mark it I say these are truths which are frequently inculcated and very clearly asserted They are not dark notions and conclusions that are pretended to be drawn by far-fetcht consequences from the scripture but they are delivered so plainly that there is no way left for evading the force of them Mat. 7.13 14. Enter ye in at the straitgate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat Because strait is the gate or how strait is the gate amd narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Not only the way of holiness in the utmost extent of it is a difficult way but the way that leadeth unto life such holiness as is of absolute necessity to conduct a sinner to salvation And they are but an handful in comparison that walk in it But this may be meant will the carnal professour say in relation to Heathens and Infidels and gross Idolaters that worship a false God and never had the knowledg of a Mediatour We are Christians and members of the Church and hear the word of the Lord. Se therefore what our Saviour saith in another place Mat. 22.14 For many are called but few are chosen When are sinners externally called by a common vocation but when the word of God sounds in their eares inviting them to repentance and the Spirit of God deals by his motions with their hearts admonishing and perswading them to come unto Christ that they may be saved And few of this sort attain to eternal life Look into the old world and there were but eight persons saved from the deluge whereof there was one at least an hypocrite and the rest of the world were swept away not only with the besom of temporal destruction but into the pit of eternal perdition Consider the state of Sodom and there could not be found ten righteous persons in that populous City But least you should say that these were professed Atheists and Infidels and so the case not parallel with such as are called the people of God Let us therefore make inspection into the body of Israel when Elias made intercession to the Lord against them who thought that only himself had been left alone faithful unto Jehovah And pray what was the answer of God unto him See Rom. 11.4 I have reserved to my self seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal Mark it but seven thousand in the whole kingdom of Israel that consisted of ten of the Tribes We read of eleven hundred and threescore thousand mighty men of valour at one time in the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin besides the souldiers that kept the garisons Now if you should reckon proportionably concerning the ten tribes and make but a reasonable computation of the rest of the people men and women What were seven thousand in respect of the whole What an inconsiderable pittance scarcely one of a thousand However the case is plain there are but few in comparison that hear the word of the Lord that will come to the state of blessedness in the enjoyment of the Lord. And to bring this matter to an head if the way to Heaven were easy how comes it to pass that such multitudes perish If men might be saved at a cheap rate without strictness and diligence whence is it that the greatest number fall short of salvation If the careless and sensual are in the way to heaven who are the multitude in the visible Church that Christ tells us shall be sent into the chains of darkness Do not you tremble when you meet with such passages in the Bible I am afraid Sirs you dare not seriously study and meditate upon such scripture-truths least they should make your hearts to ake and awaken you out of your golden dreams 2. Though there are degrees of grace and different measures of holiness in the Saints and servants of God and many persons that are saved never attained to that stature and pitch of godliness in this life at which some have arrived Yet there are such things of absolute and indispensable necessity to salvation and to evidence that you are partakers of saving grace in the smallest degree that will sufficiently manifest that Heaven is not to be got without much pains and diligence in the pursuance of it Mat. 11.12 The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force There is no geting into that City except you storm it unless you vehemently strive to lay hold upon it Lazy wishings and wouldings will never bring you thither Lukewarmness and slothfulness will certainly fall short of it The bare external and superficial performance of some duties whilst in other things you take liberty to indulg the flesh will undoubtedly leave you still in the state of Damnation what ever fond conceits you may have of the contrary Let us lightly pass over the mention of some particulars
of the way that they may give themselves up freely to lasciviousness to commit iniquity with greediness It is the very principle which S. Paul mentioneth to be in the hearts of the impenitent and which he rebukes with such vehemency and holy indignation Rom. 9.18 19. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Thou wilt say then unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will As if they should say our salvation we see depends wholly on the will and pleasure of God If he hath decreed to bring us to heaven we shall get thither however we demean our selves and if God hath decreed us to condemnation we shall be condemned whatever pains we take to walk in the strict wayes of religion For his will is arbitrary and unchangeable such as cannot be resisted My brethren these corrupt reasonings must be silenced else they will cut the sinews of all vigorous indeavours to please the Lord and to be found faithful unto him The doctrine of Gods Prescience and Decrees is no countenancer of slothfulness no enemy to godliness but a promoter thereof if rightly weighed and considered It mightily tends to the advancement of the Grace of God 2 Tim 1.9 To empty a man of himself and to stop the mouth of all proud carnal gloriation and boasting 1 Cor. 4.7 To quicken and provoke us to diligence and exactness in the works of piety that thereby it may appear that we are a chosen people whom God hath called according to his purpose 1 Thes 1.4 5 6 7. And therefore to stop the mouth of those sin-advancing and soul-ruining reasonings and to set your spirits right in this particular Let these four contrary principles be well setled and fastened in your souls 1. Whom God hath appointed to salvation as the end he hath appointed to regeneration and universal obedience in the life as the means leading to that end Whom he hath predestinated to partake of the kingdom of Heaven by vertue of the Merits of the death of Jesus Christ he hath predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son Rom. 8.29 These things are so inseparably connected together in Gods decree that they cannot possibly be parted God hath not determined to conduct such or such to eternal life though they live in a course of sin and lie polluted in their bloud If any plead form such apprehensions let them know that this is not the scripture doctrine of Gods decrees but a wicked slur and aspersion whereby the adversaries of free grace indeavour to bring up an evil report upon the truth The scripture doctrine is this That whom God purposeth to save from the wrath to come he doth purpose to sanctifie and cleanse from all their filthiness and to guide them by his spirit in the way of holiness What can be more plain if ungodly men had not a mind wilfully to pervert the words of the Holy Ghost and to wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction 2 Thes 2.13 14. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth Whereunto he hath called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ Therefore brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or our epistle 1 Pet. 1.3 Elect according to the fore-knowledg of God the Father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the bloud of Jesus Christ Rom. 8.30 Mereover whom he did predestinate them he also called and and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Mark it where the Lord hath decreed glorification for the end he hath decreed conversion and holiness and evangelical obedience as the necessary means to lead thither And what God hath joyned together let no sinner be so â—ardy as to pluck asunder 2. The rule for guidance of our conversations at which we are to take counsel for direction in all our actions is not Gods will of purpose what he hath determined to do But his will of precept what he hath appointed in his laws and statutes to be done by us Our work lieth in the diligent observation of his commandments His counsels are secrets reserved in his own breast and bosom till by the uprightness of our hearts and the integrity of our lives we make it appear that we are chosen of God A man may have an hand in bringing about much of the purpose of the Lord and yet be a wicked rebel in so doing Act. 2.23 So that I say our business consisteth in hearkening to his law and conforming our selves to the dictates and injunctions of the same Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God But those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may do all the words of this law 3. Settle this as a principle in your hearts That it is a point of egregious folly and sottishness to be more earnest and heedful in the preserving our bodies than in the saving our souls and to venture our precious and immortal souls and the affairs of the world to come in such a bottom wherein we will not venture to put our selves as to the transitory enjoyments of this world This very consideration if throughly laid to heart will sufficiently shew us the weaâ—â—â—ss and gross stupidity of the multitude in their reasonings For none of them will be perswaded thus to argue the case in respect to their bodily health and outward estate My beloved as God hath predetermined in the matters of mans salvation So he hath fore ordained all things that come to pass There is not the smallest concernment that befalleth any of the children of men but it falleth under the compass of Gods decrees Eph. 1.11 Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will Now take the profanest sinner and he will not plead after this fashion in relation to his outward man and earthly comforts When a wicked man is bound upon the bed of sickness he will not say If God hath purposed I shall have ease of my pains then I shall be sure to have it however disorderly I am If God hath decreed to recover me I shall recover though I neglect the means And if not all my care and endeavours are to no effect No but saith he send for the Physitian give me this potion which is proper to my distemper and that cordial which is of use to strengthen nature For I must use the means of health if ever I would expect the blessing of health Take an unconverted sinner in his trade and trâ—ffique he will not thus reason the case If God hath purposed that I shall be rich then I am sure it will come to pass however idle and negligent I am in my calling And