A SERMON Preach'd to the SOCIETY FOR Reformation of Manners IN Nottingham Novemb. 24. 1698. By JOHN BARRET Minister of the GOSPEL Published at the desire of the said Society LONDON Printed by Tho. Snowden and sold by Iohn Richards Bookseller in Nottingham 1699. A SERMON FOR THE Reformation of Manners AMOS v. xv Hate the Evil and love the Good and Establish Judgment in the Gate It may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be Gracious unto the Remnant of Joseph THough the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was very bitter and set Mans Teeth on Edge yet the right Knowledge of Good and Evil is good and necessary without which we cannot hate the Evil and love the Good The Nature and Difference of Moral Good and Evil is invariable For any to conceit Virtue and Vice of an indifferent Nature in themselves that the former is only good because commanded and the latter only evil as forbidden is certainly a most wild and very false conceit Or to imagine that the Holy God of His absolute Soveraignty might have commanded us to despise His infinitely Glorious Majesty to blaspheme His most Sacred and Reverend Name and to be unjust intemperate to run into all excess of Riot to make Beasts of our selves to be Lewd and Debauch'd to work all uncleanness with greediness Or to imagine that he might have prohibited our living Soberly Righteously and Godly in the World surely such thoughts would be horribly injurious to the Holy one of Israel most impious and blasphemous thoughts They that could entertain such thoughts of God would shew themselves no Christians while thus they would subvert all Religion Such would not shew themselves Men but rather to have put off all Reason and Humanity Such would shew themselves Enemies to Mankind who cared not to turn the World upside down cared not to turn Human Societies into Herds of brute Beasts Yea such would interpretatively and by consequence deny that there is a God that Ruleth and Judgeth in the Earth As such Laws would be most contradictory to the Infinite Goodness and Holiness of God And if He were not infinitely Good and Holy he should not be God Deny His perfect Holiness and you deny Him to be God Yet note by the way that besides those things which are intrinsically good or evil there are other things indifferent in themselves which passing under the stamp of Divine Authority the Lord requiring them they thus become unquestionable Duties or forbidding other of them they are Sins till such injunction or prohibition be taken off And it must needs be thus upon that Fundamental undeniable Principle That God our Maker Owner and Supreme Ruler and Governour hath a Sovereign Right of commanding and that Man is under an indisputable Obligation to obey Him in all his Commands That 't is unquestionably good to yield obedience even to such positive Commands But evil to transgress and violate them As God made Man a Reasonable Creature and Upright after his own Image while Man kept his integrity there was a right understanding and good accord betwixt God and Man Mans will being fully conform to the will of his Maker Thus at first Mans Nature was fram'd to love the good and to hate evil And nothing more congruous to right Reason than that it should be so And therefore wicked Men in Scripture are commonly called Fools a proper Name for them as wanting the right use of Reason As loving that which in all reason they should hate and abominate and hating that which they ought to love Which shews the horrible depravation of Mans Nature by and since the Fall Oh the monstrous deformity of sinful Souls what lamentable horrible disorders are here As Sinners love simplicity and hate knowledge Prov. 1.22 Love Darkness and hate the Light as chap. 3. of the Evangelist St. John ver 19 20. Love their base Lusts and hate Holiness Unto such a foolish cross-grain'd froward and perverse People was the Prophet Amos here sent The Children of Israel the House of Joseph for whom together with their Brethren the Children of Judah the Lord had done more than for all the Families of the Earth besides When yet they requited Him evil for good they went on provoking Him with their manifold Transgressions and their mighty Sins as here ver 12. For which they are severely threatned Yet here behold and wonder Oh should we not wonder at the goodness and mercy of God shewn towards such provoking Creatures as Sinners are The Lord with His sharpest reproofs and severest threatnings is pleas'd to intermix most gracious Calls and Counsels to repent and turn that so he might repent of the evil threatned and turn from His fierce Anger yea that he might be gracious unto the Remnant of Joseph According to that Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the wicked but c What various methods doth he take to bring sinners to a better pass that iniquity may not be their ruine His patience and goodness is to lead them to Repentance His inflicting lesser judgments as warning-pieces is that if they take warning and turn unto the Lord that smiteth them greater evils may be prevented severer strokes may be kept off more wasting Calamities Land-desolating Judgments may be turned away And still he follows them with gracious earnest Calls and and with sweet encouraging Promises if any means might work on them As here v. 4 5 6. Seek ye me and ye shall live But seek not Bethel Seek the Lord and ye shall live And v. 14 15. Seek good and not evil that ye may live and so the Lord the God of Hosts shall be with you Hate the evil and love the good and establish judgment in the Gate c. Here is a Sovereign Remedy prescrib'd to and for a People in a most dangerous Case When judgment was towards them the Decree ready to bring forth Sentence ready to be executed And 't is the Lords own prescription who is called their Physitian Exod. 15.26 Here 's a threefold Duty requir'd 1. Hate the Evil. 2. Love the good 3. Establish Judgment in the Gate And Gods mercy held forth or promis'd thereupon It may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious unto the Remnant of Joseph Which tho spoken of with a may be yet all the doubt was whether they would Repent and Reform not whether God would be gracious to them if they did so See Jer. 18.7 8. What needeth explanation I may take notice of as I go on These four Axioms or Propositions I take to lie plain in the Text that he that runneth may observe and take notice of I. 'T is Gods express Charge Will and Command that Men hate Evil. II. So likewise That they love that which is good III. And that according to their power and capacity they establish Judgment in the Gate IV. And this way a People may hope to
partake of others sins It may be a great comfort to you in the worst times that can come if you can approve your selves to be clear in this matter But if more would joyn with you or follow your Example we might have some hope that the Nations Guilt and Danger would be less And so 8. Consider you may this way be doing great good Service unto many others 1. Thus 't is possible that the Sinners themselves whom you bring under the Rebukes of Justice may thereby be brought to a better pass It may tend to their Cure So that they and theirs may fare better for you Their Families Wives and Children may fare better 2. So likewise you may this way befriend others As you heard before Smite a Scorner and the simple will beware By your means many may be preserv'd and kept from falling into the like Exorbitances and Enormities And I doubt not very much sin has been prevented by you which had you sat still would have been committed in this Place 3. What a Blessing may you be to this Beloved Town A place the Lord hath long watch'd over for good hath eminently preserv'd favour'd and many ways blest Yet Scornful obstinate Sinners were like enough to set the Town on fire For wickedness burns as the fire Isa 9.18 'T is of a destructive Nature where it prevails and no care is taken to suppress it Even for that sin of Sabbath-prophanation the Lord threatned to kindle a fire in the Gates of Jerusalem that should devour the Palaces thereof and should not be quench'd Jer. 17.28 May this Place be long blest in her Magistrates and blest in you and others like you assisting them as good Watch-men that may prevent the fire of God's Wrath breaking forth here 4. Yea England may fare better for you You may be of the number of Englands best Friends Indeed the Anger of the Lord seems not yet turned away from us What hopes we had sometimes of plenty with our Peace There was hope sometimes the last Summer of a plentiful and joyful Harvest when it hath been a sad Harvest in several places that we hear of How long shall the Land mourn for the Wickedness of them that dwell therein If the Sword of Justice be not drawn against sin and sinners may we not then expect that the Lord's hand will take hold on Judgment A day of Indulgence towards Sinners is a day of Provocation and that is like to usher in a day of Wrath and Calamity But as it is in the Text Establish Judgment in the Gate it may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious When 't is said it may be if we should take the word as a particle of doubting yet the doubt is not on God's part but on Mans part or 't is an intimation of the difficulty of the thing to excite them to greater diligence in their Duty Or 't is not to discourage such as hearken to God's Counsel but to discourage others who regard it not If the righteous scarcely be saved what will become of the wicked But the due Execution of Justice is one good means to prevent Gods Judgments Numb 25.11 Phineas hath turn'd my Wrath away from the Children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake If any object There are other Places Countries in the World where Sin and Wickedness abounds as much as in England that yet have Peace and Prosperity for all that Answ 1. What tho' they prosper at present yet you know not how soon dreadful Calamities may come upon them and a destruction from the Almighty The Sun shone upon Sodom that very Morning before fire and brimstone was shower'd down from Heaven that destroyed them all We use to say Praise a fair day at night 2. And hath not God from Age to Age declar'd his Wrath against the Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men by his Judgments inflicted in one place or other As is said of Edom Mal. 1.3 4. I hated Esau and laid his Mountains and his Heritage waste And they shall call them The Border of Wickedness and the People against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever And will you make nothing of those dreadful Earthquakes that of late made such ruinating work in some Places Or will you make nothing of the late Wars abroad whereby so great Desolations have been made in the Earth 3. But further take notice the Lord will rather or will longer bear with other Nations forbear to punish the Wickedness of other Nations than the Wickedness of a Nation that hath been brought nearer to him and is called by his Name and priviledg'd with his Word and Ordinances c. Ingentia beneficia flagitia Supplicia As such a People are under greater Obligations their sins have higher Aggravations and God is more dishonoured by them that they deserve greater Punishment And see Amos 3. ver 2. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your Iniquities And may not the Lord say thus of us What Nation upon the face of the Earth under the Cope of Heaven that hath been more priviledg'd and more car'd for by the Lord for whom God hath wrought greater Deliverances to whom he hath vouchsafed greater means helps and advantages than we of this Nation have had to make us better These things duly considered will shew our sins of a deeper dye and more provoking and threatning Upon which account they deserve well of England sure they are her most trusty Friends who set themselves vigorously against sin And therefore I beseech you let not our Gracious Sovereign for whom we pray that he may long live and reign prosperously let him not fare worse let not the Kingdom fare worse for any Wickedness committed which you are in any capacity to prevent or put a stop to So far as you can hinder any further Accumulation to the Nations Sin and Guilt which is so great already and lieth so heavy on it let not your care and pains be wanting You are in a way in an hopeful way with the encouragement and concurrence of your Magistrates to do something towards the reforming of those evil Manners of an untoward Generation Now be couragious and active It may be a means to divert Judgment yea it may be a Token for good that the Lord will be further gracious to us will be favourable to the Land Now give me leave to speak a little to two or three Objections and I shall conclude Object 1. Some count you Busie-bodies meddling in matters that concern you not Answ Now how strange is this Do such understand what they say Should you not be concern'd for the Honour of God and for the Peace and Welfare of the King and his Realm for the Land of your Nativity and for the Souls of others even of bold daring Sinners themselves Does not Sin and Wickedness committed with Impudence and Impunity strike desperately at all these Then
find Grace and Favour with the Lord to the preventing or removing of judgments and for the continuing and further conferring of His mercies That as it is Jer. 31.23 The Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice and Mountain of Holiness the Blessing of the Lord should be on such a People 1. To begin with the first of these That 't is Gods express charge and command that we hate evil Quest 1. What kind of evil are we to understand here Answ Not meer Natural or Penal evil but Moral or culpable evil We must kiss the Rod accept of the Punishment of our Iniquity Lev. 26.41 but hate those ill manners that are displeasing to the Lord and are wont or likely to bring us under the Rod. Hate Sin which is the evil of evils the greatest evil Quest 2. How are we to hate it Answ There is a twofold hatred 1. An hatred of Aversation Thus we must hate sin as having an Antipathy unto it Hate it so as to shun and avoid it all we can 2. An hatred of Opposition From an enmity to sin not barely shunning it but striving earnestly against it Setting our selves against Sin as real enemies to it both in our selves and in others And surely they that are reconciled to God and at peace with Him they that are Friends to Christ cannot but be Enemies to Sin Now this and the two following Duties are included in the very Law of Nature These are common Principles of Natural Religion But we who have Gods will more clearly revealed to us in his written word shall be left more inexcusable if we conform not to his will herein What can be more plain than that Psal 97.10 Ye that Love the Lord Hate Evil So then none should have a face to say They love God who do not hate Sin in their Hearts And how plain is that Rom. 12.9 Abhor that which is evil Where the word ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is emphatical Abhor it even a Hell it self And great reason for this strict Injunction 1. Forasmuch as God hates Sin 'T is the abominable thing which he hates Nothing in the world so odious to him as Sin May it not be said that Sin in some respects is more odious than the very Devils These as they are Gods Creatures have some Natural good in them whereas there is nothing but evil in Sin And propter quod unum quodque tale est illud est magis tale It is only for Sin that the Devils are such odious Creatures in His pure Eyes Now as God hates Sin ought not we herein to be Followers of God 2. We cannot love the Lord in sincerity if we do not hate Sin Now this is the First and Great Commandment Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart Which is a thing impossible without an hatred of Sin Ye that Love the Lord Hate Evil. Sin is such an Enemy to God so contrary to His most Pure and Holy Nature and to His most Righteous will so opposite to his Interest to his Honour and Glory that if we have the love of God in us we must necessarily hate and abhor Sin for its contrariety to God 3. And certainly 't is a great Duty also incumbent on us to Fear the Lord Thou shalt Fear the Lord thy God and Serve him Fear ye not me saith the Lord If I be a Master where is my Fear But there is no true fear of God without an hatred of Sin Prov. 8.13 The Fear of the Lord is to hate Evil Psal 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before their Eyes 4. And 't is as certain that without an hatred of Sin we shall do no execution on it Now Sin is such a deadly Enemy that here we must Kill or be Kill'd Oh it warreth against our Souls And till we hate it we shall at most but Fence or Skirmish with it not Fight in good earnest against it What is it only to scratch its face to raise its skin This will not indanger its Life at all The surface of a meer outward Reformation is far short of the work of Mortification There is no wounding Sin to the Heart till we hate it Indeed the love of Sin is the very life of it But hatred seeks the destruction of its Enemy And without hating Sin we shall not be for mortifying it And if we are for sparing the Life of Sin our Lives must go for its Life 5. We cannot have the Complacential love of God till we hate Sin There is at least a Secret League with Sin till we come to hate it Never till then that our league with sin is broken And 't is certain that till our League with Sin is broken God and our Souls are not agreed While in League with Sin there 's no Reconciliation no Peace with God See Isa 1.16 18. and ch 59.2 6. Upon the whole this is a Discriminating Note and Mark necessary to distinguish true Converts such as indeed turn from Sin unto God to difference them from the wicked from Hypocrites These may abstain from many Sins but not from a right principle A wicked Man may refrain from the outward act of many Sins either upon some pang and horror of Conscience or upon some Worldly account when he is far from loathing and hating them He has a love to them still But fear of wrath to come or fear of loss shame or other punishment in this world lays a restraint upon him 'T is part of the Description and Character of a wicked Man Psal 36.4 He abhorreth not evil And 't is enough to prove one wicked still A bare abstinence from Sin will not prove one a true Convert but there must also be a real abhorrence of it Use I. That the Lord hath given such express charge to hate evil then is it not manifest that they are here condemned who indeed are direct Antipodes to this Divine Command who stand in Diametrical opposition to it I mean such as hate the good instead of hating evil Alas how many hate the Light because their deeds are evil How many that hate him that rebuketh in the Gate and abhor him that speaketh uprightly As here v. 10. How many that hate Instruction and that hate Reformation even hate both the Name and Thing How many that hate Holiness and hate Gods Saints and Servants for that for which the Holy Psalmist professeth his great delight was in them Psal 16.3 their excelling in Virtue Bear witness Sirs bear witness Are not such notorious Despisers of Gods Command Yea do not such shew themselves haters of God Oh what height of Impiety is this Use II. This should put us upon serious Self-Examination and on a strict Enquiry into our Hearts whether we indeed hate evil And great need of an impartial search here that we be not deceived and mistaken Then 1. Have we an hatred of sin as sin As 't is an