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
Sober Singularity OR An Antidote against Infection By the example of A MULTITUDE Being Practical Meditations On Exod. 23. vers 2. Wherein is opened the Influence of the practise of a Multitude to draw men to Sin the special cases wherein it concerns us to be most cautious Reasons why we must not follow them together with the Application of the whole And therein Besides the General improvement of the point an Instance given of Nineteen practises of the Multitude to be avoided Seven of their Grand Principles to be rejected Sundry Particulars concerning Peace and Unity and the Sanctification of the Lords day useful for these times By R. Stedman M. A. 1 Tim. 5.22 Be not Partaker of other mens sins Keep thy self pure Defensio communis furoris est furentium Multitudo M.F. Oct. LONDON Printed by for Thomas Parkurst at the Golden Bible on London-Bridg under the Gate 1668. A PREFACE To the READER AS the just measure of the truth of all Theological Assertions is to be taken from their consonancy to the word of God So the usefulness and profit of any undertaking of that nature is to be estimated by the seasonableness and subserviency thereof to the grand Designes of the Gospel In both which respects the following Treatise however attended with many imperfections may for the substance and scope of it make Appeal to the judgments of such as are really touched with the concernes of Religion and have their senses exercised to discern wherein it 's interest lieth and how the progress of it is retarded The great Intendments of the Gospel to the propagation and furtherance whereof all particular attempts should be subordinated are mostly reducible to three heads The illustration and magnifying of the Grace of God in the salvation of lost sinners The Exaltation and advancement of our Lord Jesus Christ the only Mediatour of the Covenant of Grace The vindication and promoting of real holiness and purity amongst the children of men And the drift and purport of the Tract ensuing more directly relates to the last of these To minister help in the following after Godliness and to remove out of the way the main impediments that hinder from an hearty closure therewith It is a point as clear as the Noon-day and cannot be denyed by such as own the Scriptures that a vigorous and cordial prosecution of holiness in the greatest strictness and heighth of it is of indispenseable necessity to the Beatifical vision and enjoyment of God Without which all professions of faith and love to God are but empty names and counterfeits indeed a meer mockery of the most High How shall any be induced to believe that a man doth unfeignedly embrace and love the principles by which he refuseth to steer his course Or that such divine truths have a real seat in his affections which are openly disavowed and contradicted in his conversation He that will give a solid testimony of his sincere respects to the doctrine of Christianity must do it by a demeanour answerable thereunto It is by upright and humble walking as in the sight of God that Religion must be adorned that it may attract the hearts of them that are without Hereby our profession must be justified both in the sight of men and to the approbation of our own consciences And in this way alone we can comfortably expect to be conducted with safety to the Kingdom of Heaven When the nature and excellency of holiness and the fear of the Lord are considered separately in themselves without reflection upon the quality of the persons pressed thereunto it may seem a needless task to spend much time or many words in defence of it Who would not fear thee O King of nations for unto thee it doth appertain Jer. 10.7 Who that has any spark of sound wisdom would not be found faithful in the covenant of God Who that hath an insight into the beauty of holiness would not admire and fall in love with it But such is the enmity radicated in mens hearts against the Lord and their perverse disputings against the purity of the wayes of God and their addictedness to conform unto this world that it is rather a wonder of free grace that any persons are prevailed upon to close effectually with the power of Godliness than that it should be confined within so narrow a compass as the experience of all ages too abundantly manifesteth it to be Besides it is a matter of no difficult observation to a thoughtful Christian who hath his eyes open and is in the least degree akin to the children of Issachar that had understanding of the times what have been the crafty machinations and methods of the Devil and his adherents in these late dayes to bring the strictness of Religion into contempt and to make it a reproach by casting loads of accusations upon the professours thereof that so Godliness may be wounded through their loynes and the spirits of men deterred and discouraged from the sedulous pursuance of it And what if the miscarriages and extravagancies of some who seemed to be eminent for piety have ministred too much occasion to them that lye at the catch to raise an evil report and to vent their slanderous revilings against the truth Yet it must needs appear to be but a very ridiculous piece of Logick to argue from the corruption of some to the condemnation of all As if all sorts of money were to be rejected in payment because some pieces are but brass silvered over especially seeing it is none other than what the spirit of God hath plainly intimated that there will be tares mingled with the wheat untill the harvest There will be hypocrites and dissemblers in outward fellowship with the Saints even unto the end However from hence ariseth a necessity of Pleas Apologies and vindications to wipe off the slurres and calumnies which men of profligate principles and seared consciences are wont to cast on the face of religion And a like necessity of arguments and provocatives to quicken men to follow after righteousness and of answers to be returned to the carnal reasonings whereby they cavil against the truth and study to evade the convictions that are sometimes wrought upon their spirits If the Meditations here commended to thy candid and serious perusal may contribute assistance to this purpose that any of the Truths that are according to Godliness may be cleared up The prejudices and stumbling blocks removed out of the way of salvation such as are declining may be recalled and those that are sound in the faith further settled and established the Author hath attained his end and let all the glory be ascribed unto God To whom doth most deservedly appertain All honour and praise love submission and service in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS SECT I. THE Connexion and explication of the Text. Pag. 2. Doct. In order to keep close to the Commandments of God and
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
the present many parts of my solemn worship are limited and confined unto certain places but the time is at hand when my glory shall be revealed unto all people and then the distinction of places shall be done away 3. The worship of God in the pure primitive times was performed by the people of God according to their conveniency without being tied or restrained to certain determinate places See the example of Christ in the first place sometimes he preacheth in the house where the people were congregated Again at another time by the sea-side and out of a ship And sometimes in the Synagogues And when his audience was so great that a particular building could not probably contain them you shall find him preaching upon a mountain Mat. 5.1 2. Mar. 2.13 Mar. 4.1 2. See the practise of believers in scripture times after the ascension of Christ Then mostly they met in private houses * In hac consuescitis parte crimen nobis maximum impietatis affigere quod neque aedes sacras venerationes ad officia construamus Templa extruimus nulla Arnob. contra Gentes Because that was most convenient to avoid the fury of the adversaries who persecuted them for their meetings This is so plain and obvious that he seems little to consult his readers patience that shall spend much time or paper in the proof of it Acts 2.46 Acts 12.12 Acts 20.7 8. From hence as I conceive you have that common expression in some of Pauls Epistles the Church that is in such a ones house i. e. The Church that was wont there to assemble and meet together to partake of the ordinances of the gospel 1 Cor. 16.19 Col. 4.15 Why else should the Apostle speaking of Priscilla and Aquila greet the Church in their house and presently after changing his expression salute Aristobulus houshold and the houshold of Narcissus which were in the Lord Rom. 16.5 10 11. Well then the Church of Christ met in any place according to their convenience And in this respect those publike buildings which are commonly called Churches are ordinarily to be preferred before other places where there is freedom for the purity of the worship of God as being best fitted and ordered for convenience But if the room of a private dwelling be large enough for the company that attend upon the service of God and fitly disposed for orderliness and decency in their attendance thereupon there is as great an excellency therein and the duties there performed are as acceptable as in any other place whatsoever For it passeth the reach of my understanding to conceive how that crossings and holy water and such superstitious devices with the rest of the pageantry * See Rhem. Annot. in 2 Tim. 4. sect 12 13. Bellarm. lib. 3. cap. 7. de Sanctis used amongst the Papists in the consecration of Churches where there are no footsteps in scripture for direction in such a practise should any thing avail to the putting a standing excellency in those places 4. Lastly let it be observed that whereas ignorant people are wont to have an high reverence and esteem for such a place and to think the worship of God is more acceptable therein because as they speak it is the Church and the house of God this very thing is one sign and taken of their ignorance For the building or structure is called the Church only figuratively and metonymically because the Church is accustomed there to assemble together As we call one place in Westminster-hall the Court of Chancery and another partition the Court of common pleas because there those courts are wont to sit for deciding of controversies Else it is the congregation of the faithful that is the Church of Christ The living members of Christ the servants of God are his house and temple And wherever they are wont to meet together though in an upper chamber that 's the Church metonymically as well as any other building which we usualy so call Act. 12.5 Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him and v. 1. Herod the King stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the Church 1 Cor. 14.12 Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the Church Eph. 5.25 Husbands love your wives as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it So that look what is the object of the persecution of the wicked by whom are prayers and supplications sent up unto the throne of grace Who are edified unto salvation by the ordinances of the gospel for whom Christ died and shed his precious bloud they are the Church of Jesus Christ and the place no otherwise than as there they congregate Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you 1 Cor. 3.16 For the temple of God is holy which temple ye are v. 17. Christ was faithful as a son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 The persecutors and the profane who vilifie the Saints and set against them are the persons that are guilty of despising the Church and of bearing no respect or reverence unto the Church So much for the second point wherein it concerns us to be cautious that we be not led by the multitude namely as to the matter of Religion wherein it is placed 3. See to it that you be not carried down the stream with the multitude in respect of the method and order wherein religion is prosecuted The most people pursue the interest of religion and the fear of the Lord in a secondary way in a subserviency to the promoting of some carnal and worldly interest Men profess godliness that they may be well esteemed amongst the godly that they may gain the favour or friendship of this or the other holy man from whom they expect to reap advantage that they may get the better credit among such with whom they have to deal and so drive on their worldly designs with greater likelihood of success or the like At least they have some earthly and carnal interest which they pursue in coordination and conjunction with the service of God They think they may serve God and the world together that they may be true Christians and yet mammonists also But my beloved be not ye conformed to the multitude Serve the Lord in singleness and godly simplicity of Spirit Let all other concernments stoop to the matters of the kingdom of heaven Serve the Lord only and undividedly and dedicate your selves and all that you have wholly and entirely to the masters use Let godliness have the preheminence and superiority in all your affairs and undertakings Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and all these earthly things shall be added unto you How should the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof be sought after in the first place Why
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
may live up to the Precepts of God and not be carried away from the observance of his commandments Why to this end we must diligently see to it that we be not swayed and over-ruled by the example of others be they never so many In this and the former chapter we have a solemn promulgation of the divine laws by which the Lord would have his people to be guided and the Text is introduced as a serious caution to warn us to stick close to those laws though others reject them and trample them under foot Although a multitude forsake them yet must not we that will not bear us out in any sin whatsoever Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil That we may open this portion of Divine writ more clearly and methodically let us take it asunder into 3 parts Here is 1. The end intended or the design that 's carried on by this counsel and that is to preserve us from evil Thou shalt not do evil 1. Primarily it is to preserve us from the evil of sin and transgression 2. Consequentially to keep us from the evil of affliction and judgment which is deserved by Sin and which God is usually provoked to inflict upon sinners If we would escape the evil of suffering and sorrow we must carefully avoid the evil of iniquity and disobedience Thou shalt not do evil 2. The direction prescribed in order to the attainment of that end Why to this purpose you must take heed that you be not led by the multitude Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Thou shalt not follow them It is a comprehensive expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non eris post multos Ar. Mont. Thou shalt not be after them It may reach to these 3. things 1. Thou shalt not follow them in point of inclination Thy heart shall not hanker after their wayes thou shalt not desire to joyn with them in any wickedness This is to follow a thing in the dialect of the Scripture when the affections are touched with any propension towards it As the understanding is the eye of the Soul whereby we discern or see into an object so the will and affections are the feet of the Soul whereby it goes out unto it or follows after it So that it imports thus much thou shalt not so much as have any liking or the least inclination in thy Spirit to be of their society and fellowship 2. Thou shalt not follow them in respect of incouragement q. d. This shall not imbolden thee to sin against God because thou seest many others to sin against him What people are afraid to venture upon singly and by themselves they will be animated unto by observing others to go before them But let it not be so saith the Lord in the case of Sin though you see never so many go before you 3. Thou shalt not follow them in point of actual concurrence You must not tread in their steps if it be a sinful way wherein they travel You must not take your pattern from their practise nor act according to the tenour of their actions if they be evil This I take to be principally meant and the other in reference hereunto Thus you read of those carnal wretches They followed the way of Balaam i. e. Their carriage was correspondent to his carriage and their hearts went after covetousness even as his 2 Pet. 2.15 And it is mentioned of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu that he followed the sins of Jeroboam that is he carried on the same carnal interest and committed the same abominations This is the second thing to be noted in the Text. 3. We have observable the manner of the prescribing this rule of direction how the caution is delivered as to this matter And that is 1. Singularly or personally included in the verb. 2. Negatively 1. The prohibition is laid down singularly or personally Thou that it might extend to all sorts of people without exception of any that every one of us might take it home to our selves and apply it to our own souls that none might think himself exempted from the obligatory power of this prohibition As the prophet Malachi speaks unto the Priests cap. 2.1 This commandment is for you The like may I say in this case to men of all ranks and qualities Art thou a master or governour This precept is for thee Art thou a child or servant This prohibition reacheth thee Art thou a Magistrate or a subject young or old rich or poor Jew or Gentile whatever thy condition is thou art included herein Thou shalt not follow c. 2. It is delivered negatively It is one of those precepts which are usually called negative precepts That it might be of a binding force as to all times and seasons Herein is a special difference betwixt affirmative and negative precepts The affirmative commandments always bind but not to all times For instance Hear the word Search the Scriptures Give alms of thy Goods These and such like injunctions always bind but not to all times and seasons i. e. I am not obliged to be every moment of my life in the actual discharge of those duties But negative precepts bind universally and unlimitedly to all times and seasons ex gr Lye not one to another Thou shalt not steal There is no time of a mans life wherein these may be done And such a precept is this of not complying with the multitude Sinners are apt to think they must strictly walk up to such rules whilst they may be observed with safety But in perillous times they must be excused when it may cost them their livelyhoods or their lives if they step out of the common road Nay but you must never take the liberty to break the bounds of this law you must see to it that at no time you say a confederacy with the multitude in sin The Text being thus explained will affourd us this practical lesson Doct. That in order to our keeping close to the commandments of the Lord and for the right ordering our conversations in the presence of the Lord we must take heed to our selves that at no time whatsoever we follow a multitude to do evil We must not sin against God though we see never so many go on in sin before our faces We must stick fast to Gods testimonies and do only what is acceptable in his sight though we have very few to bear us company though we are forced to go alone in the ways of holiness Hos 4.15 Though thou Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend Israel was the greatest body of the people it contained ten of the Tribes whereas the kingdom of Judah consisted but of two Why but saith the Lord though they are a very numerous company that have fallen off to Idolatry and your selves are but an handful in comparison yet you must not give ground because of their multitude though you have the 10. Tribes to lead you the way
couldest thou lay down thy life for his sake and part with all that thou hast at his call who wilt disobey him for a trisle as it is in thine account If you go to a neighbour or friend to lend you a small sum of money or to do you a lesser kindness and he will not do it you will presently conclude He would never be at any great expence to do you good nor trust you with a matter of any considerable value So may the Lord say in this case This is an hypocritical wretch who thus complieth with the multitude to sin against me in a small matter Surely he will never stick close to me in times of danger and difficulty when he must exercise any greater measure of self-denial You know the words of our Saviour unto Peter Mat. 26.40 He comeâ—h unto the disciples and findeth them asleep and saith unto Peter What could ye not watch with me one hour What may be the reason that he doth expostulate the case with Peter more particularly than with the rest Why you shall find in 35. v. Peter had promised that although he should die with Christ yet he would not deny him and and therefore he said unto Peter What could ye not watch with me one hour q. d. How couldest thou die for me If thou faulter in the smallest how wouldest thou be able to grapple with greater hardships So should you reason the case with your own spirits If I will be a Christian indeed I must be ready to forsake all that I have at his command and to follow him through tribulations and distresses whithersoever he leadeth me And how shall I be able to do it if I stick with him for a trifle Besides as was intimated before It is a monstrous and intolerable slighting and undervaluing the autherity of God and that eternal blessedness to be enjoyed in his presence to venture the loss of it for matter of little weight and moment This is instead of counting all things to be but dross and dung in comparison of the favour of God to esteem dross and dung above the light of his countenance Jer. 2.11 12 13. Hath a Nation changed their gods which yet are no gods But my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water q. d If they had exchanged me for something of worth and value the contempt had not been so great but they cast me off for that which is of no worth The weaner and the slighter is the object wherewith you close in contradiction unto Gods precepts the greater is your contempt of his Majesty and the lighter esteem you have of his loving-kindness So much for the second influence which the practise of the multitude hath to draw persons to sin viz. By contributing to the extenuation and lessening the evil of sin 3. By the practise of the multitude men are usually drawn into sin By being from thence encouraged to expect impunity in their sins and to be free from the judgments that are deserved thereby Surely think they the Lord will spare us for we are a great number he will not execute his wrath upon so many Take it thus Sirs That passion which God doth make especial use of as a preservative against sin it is the passion of fear and dread of his judgments and that both as to the righteous and the wicked the just and unjust This made Laban the Idolater that he durst not meddle with Jacob nor speak a word to his hurt because the dread of the wrath of God was upon him Gen. 31.24 29. And this restrained the Heathen that they durst not disturb Jehoshaphat in his reformation The fear of God was upon all the Kingdoms of those Countries when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel 2 Chron. 20.29 And what made Job so strict and precise in his carriage that he made a Covenant with his eyes that he might not so much as think upon a maid that he did not despise the cause of his man-servant or his maid-servant when they contended with him See what account he giveth of it himself Job 31.1 2 3. Is not destruction to the wicked and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity And again v. 23. For destruction from God was a terrour to me and by reason of his highness I could not endure So that when sinners have gotten but some competent measure of presumptuous hopes that they shall be free from divine vengeance notwithstanding their transgressions this will let loose the reins of restraint and open the current to all profaness and licentiousness Psal 10.13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God He hath said in his heart Thou wilt not require it And so much is plainly intimated in the Apostles question to the impenitent Rom. 2.3 And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and doest the same that thou shalt escape the judgment of God q. d. Certainly these are thy vain imaginations and the secret workings of thy spirit For did the ungodly believe and consider that they shall be everlastingly damned for sin It would cause their hearts to tremble in the very apprehensions of lying under the guilt of it If they were in expectation of the judgments of God as the certain consequent of their impieties they would hasten to make their peace with him and nothing should hinder them from returning to him by repentance But the truth is they hope to escape and to have peace though they walk in the imaginations of their evil hearts Now the example of a multitude doth confirm these hopes and strengthen them mightily in such expectations For they are apt to conceive that however the Lord may proceed in severity against some particular persons yet he will not destroy a multitude when they are joyned together See how sinners argue themselves into a Fools-confidence from this very consideration Ezek. 33.24 Son of man they that inhabit those wasts of the land of Israel speak saying Abraham was one and he inherited the land But we are many the land is given us for an inheritance Mark it They make no question but God would deal favourably with them because they were many The Lord had threatened them by his Prophets with utter desolation and ruine because of their abominations and that the land wherein they dwelt should spue them out Yea but say they we cannot believe it God gave this land to Abraham who was but one and behold we are many and therefore undoubtedly he will have mercy upon us To discover a little the weakness and folly of this argumentation let me beseech you to give heedful attendance to these three particulars 1. Although the
profaning the Sabbath-day God is wont to spare a rebellious people till the measure of their iniquities are filled up and then he sweeps them away with the besom of destruction Gen. 15.16 But you will say when is iniquity like to come to its full Why when one generation goeth on after another to slight the Majesty of the Lord and to trample upon his word Then God will visit upon such a people their own sins and their fathers also He will visit their iniquity to the third and fourth generation Mat. 23.31 32. Ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers And Isa 65.6 7. Behold it is written before me I will not keep silence But will recompense even recompense into their bosom your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together saith the Lord which have burnt incense upon the mountains and blasphemed me upon the hills therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom So that I may fitly conclude this point with the instruction of the Prophet Zechariah Chap. 1.4 Be ye not as your fathers unto whom the former Prophets have cryed saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Turn ye now from your evil wayes and from your evil doings but they did not hear nor hearken unto me saith the Lord. That 's the first case wherein it concerns us to use abundant circumspection 2. In case of great men and mighty men that are set over us When Magistrates and Rulers turn aside unto vanities the people are ready to comply with them And carnal reason is at hand to prompt arguments for it because this is the way to be countenanced and respected by Governours Here lieth the plain road to preferment And herein sinners think they have something to say for themselves to justifie their compliance Must we not obey authority and shall we not submit our selves to them that are set over us Have not they souls to save as well as we and if they do thus and thus why should we be so precise to scruple at it So that my Brethren there needs special caution to keep our selves pure in this case Prov. 29.12 If a Ruler hearken unto lies all his servants are wicked i. e. They will be sure to suit their carriage in a comportment with his corrupt humour they will seek to ingratiate themselves by being like unto him The mistakes and miscarriages of private men are like a pocket-watch that goeth false that deceives but one or two But the sins of Princes and great men are like the ill-going of a Town-clock that deceives all the neighbourhood Therefore it is said of Jeroboam that he did not only sin himself but he made Israel to sin also 1 King 15.34 How did he make them to sin Well he might force them to suffer but he could not compel them to sin many would not be made to sin by him whose hearts were upright with Jehovah but rather left their possessions and all that they had in Israel The meaning then is this Jeroboam and his Princes and Counsellors led them the way and the people were soon wrought upon to conform to their example Hos 5.11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandment i. e. after the commandment of Jeroboam and his Counsellors whereby the worship of Dan and Bethel was established and set up See how the people plead from the practise of their Princes and their forefathers together Jer. 44.16 17. As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth to burn incense unto the Queen of heaven and to pour out drink-offerings unto her as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem q. d. What doth this man tell us so much of the word of the Lord Have any of the Rulers observed such precepts If they have worshipped the queen of heaven why may not we do so likewise Some Interpreters think the Text hath a special eye upon this Thou shalt not follow a multitude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magnates the mighty so they render it And the word may well take in both interpretations To quicken you therefore to caution in this respect consider 1. That God is the chief governour of the world who hath an absolute dominion and supremacy over all people and nations and the greatest princes and men in highest places upon earth are but his deputies and substitutes and under Officers they are but our fellow-servants in relation to the most-High So that in the first place we must have regard to the voice of the Lord and respect the examples of great men no further than they are correspondent to his good pleasure and will Let me clear it up to you by a familiar instance If a King command me upon a certain day to appear at such a Town and a Justice of peace require me at the same time to be at another place far distant from it whom must I herein obey You will all conclude that undoubtedly I must obey the King because he is the Supreme and the Justice is but his Substitute and so the commands of the King do supersede the others injunctions Why Sirs This is the very case God is a great King the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and Magistrates and Rulers have their authority by deputation from him they are his delegates and act under him So that first I must give obedience to the word of the Lord who is the Sovereign For the Kingdom is the Lords and he is the Governour the supreme Governour the alone absolute and unaccountable Governour among the Nations Psal 22.28 All others are accountable for the exercise of their power unto God This is a point so clear that the Apostles durst appeal to their very judges and adversaries concerning it Act. 4.19 Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye 2. Though Rulers and great men may give thee countenance and preferment upon the earth yet they cannot save thee from the wrath of an incensed God So that do not provoke God to anger to pleasure the mightiest man in the world for he cannot uphold thee in the day of the Lords indignation When persons would employ us in any dangerous service we are wont to say Will you bear me out and stand by me and see that I shall sustain no damage by it Pray think of it Sirs To sin against the Lord is very dangerous service and when thou art venturing upon it to humour and comply with great men consider whether they are able to bear thee out in it and can maintain thy cause when the Lord ariseth to execute vengeance whether they can keep thee from being called unto an account
every one of them distinctly I am King of France I am King of France thereby intimating that by that one flourishing Kingdom of France he was able to out boast the other in the multitude of his dominions So may a believer by the enjoyment of one God be able to outboast the worldling in all that he possesseth Hath he abundance of riches But I may a sincere Christian say have the eternal God for my portion who is the giver of all things from whom every good and perfect gift doth proceed Hath the worldling the favour of great men of Kings and Emperours But I have the friendship of God who is the supreme King and all Princes and potentates upon earth are but his vassals and subjects Is he advanced to honour and great dignity Well but I am a son or daughter of the living God which is far higher preferment than the mightiest men can confer on their favourites All that the worldling possesseth is but for a small pittance of time but a believer hath interest in eternal mansions in a crown and kingdome that cannot be shaken And is the way to this kingdome an unprofitable way Mind what the Psalmist saith in this respect Psal 84.10 11. For a day in thy Courts is better then a thousand I would chuse rather to sit at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness For the Lord God is a Sun and a shield The Lord will give grace and glory No good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly 2. The profit and advantage of godliness is principally spiritual profit whereas the hearts of the unregenerate are earthly sensual and carnal and therefore it is that they are not able to discern the sweetness and excellency of religion Not as if there were no such thing to be perceived but their spirits are indisposed and altogether uncapable of the right perception thereof For to a through discerning of any excellency whatsoever there must be always a proportion betwixt the excellency discerned and the power or faculty by which it is discerned To make it clear by a familiar illustration If I discourse with an Husbandman of some profitable way of manuring of land or concerning the best method of ordering grain and tillage he will easily discern the import of such discourse and the benefit of such experiments as are commended to him in that behalf But if you should read to him the most admirable lecture in Geometry Opticks Metaphysicks or the like He will not apprehend the usefulness of it Why Because there is a suitableness in his understanding for the reception of the one and not of the other Thus it is in this case If a man would discern spiritual excellencies he must have a spiritual eye If he would tast sweetness in the service of God he must have a spiritual palate But now the unregenerate are carnal and earthly Their spirits lye grovelling upon the earth and their minds are linked and fastened to things below 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness to him Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned If a blind man do not perceive the beauty and loveliness of the Sun It is not from any defect in that glorious body but through the defect of his sight So if the wicked do not see the profit of godliness it is not through any defect in religion But because themselves are blind and cannot see afar off 2 Pet. 1.9 3. The great reason why persons go empty away from the service of God and so bring up an evil report upon godliness as if it were an unprofitable work is because their hearts are not upright in the sight of the Lord but they deal falsly in his covenant They do their work by halfes and in a slight and superficial way and so fall short of their expectations in the performance of it Isa 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our Souls and thou takest no knowledg Mark the answer that is returned to these groundless complaints Behold in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact all your labours Behold you fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness Is it such a fast that I have chosen q. d. If you did not play the Hypocrites in the obedience you tender you should never have cause to complain of my unreadiness to reward you If you were faithful in the observation of my statutes I would in no case fail the expectation of your souls But ye brought that which was torn and the lame and the sick Thus you brought an offering Should I accept of this at your hand saith the Lord Mal. 1.13 My brethren the emolument and advantage of religion is entailed upon the power of godliness No wonder that they find it not who have only the form For bodily exercise profiteth little But godliness reall and substantial godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 And therefore the Lord appeals to the very consciences of his people whether ever they could say that they had sought him in vain when they did seek him in sincerity Mic. 2.7 O thou that art named the house of Jacob Is the spirit of the Lord straitned Are these his doings Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly That is the third principle of the multitude to be rooted up out of your spirits 4. The fourth Principle of the multitude which you must utterly reject if you will not be led aside by their errour into sin hath reference to the way of salvation and the means of coming to the kingdom of heaven That a person need not take so much pains nor make so much adoe in order to the attainment of eternal life as commonly Ministers press men unto But a man may be saved well enough without preciseness and circumspection over his wayes They cannot but acknowledg but that the Holy Ghost in the scriptures exhorteth men to be vigilant and watchful in every thing to be circumspect and not to come neer to an evil matter To contend earnestly for the faith and to strive to enter in at the strait gate And indeed will they say these things are not amiss in Ministers that have nothing else to mind but to inveigh against sin and to study the word of the Lord But they cannot believe they are of absolute necessity to salvation but that a man may do well enough though he now and then indulge himself to satisfie his lusts They will never be perswaded that God will damn all that come not up to these rigid terms Thus they harden their hearts against the fear of the Lord and set open a door unto licentiousness Deut. 29.19 I shall have peace though I walk