man is a vile man secondly they should despise and contemne them it is a badge of a Christian the note of a holy heart in whose eyes a wicked man is vile a vile drunkard a vile adulterer c. it is not a matter of liberty but of necessity as Esay 5.20 it is marvelous lying so to doe The Scripture stiles wicked men dogs hogs and fooles what the Scripture saith wee ought to give eare unto a drunken man a foole a covetous man a foole c. if wee judge not so wee judge otherwise then the Scriptures Where wicked men thinke it a pride and audacity for Gods Saints to esteeme basely of them it is no such matter be you better and they will judge better of you should a man judge that to be Gold which is drosse that to be Silver which is Lead should we judge you to have the love of God when you have none 2. The soule Rule 2 of a gratious man is marvelous secretly jealous least it should be infected with such wicked persons this will follow from the former by cleare and evident and sound ground that which the soule abhors and that which the heart is carried with abomination against there cannot but a separation will follow and he must needs be marvelous jealous of being tainted thereby Now wee come to the second thing which was the outward behaviour and carriage and this also may shew a dislike How farre must our outward carriage be turned away from a wicked man How should a man carry himselfe toward the wicked of the world Object must he expresse no point of love unto them I answer you must beare a great deale of love towards them Answ and you ought to maintaine a great deale of affection to them and doe a great many services for them and they are three especially You must labour to have a spirit of campassion and to mourne inwardly and be grieved throughly for the sinnes that are in them and for the manifest miseries they plucke upon themselves this was the behaviour of our Saviour Christ Oh Ierusalem c. If ever you have had any rellish of mercy and compassion from the Lord Iesus O then pitty those that want this pitty when you see a company of drunkards staggering and a company of blasphemers stabbing the Almighty and drowning their soules in the pit of destruction for ever if you have any mercy any bowells of compassion within you let your eyes drop downe teares in secret and mourne and lament for the misery and desolation of such poore creatures happily enemies to God happily enemies to thee but what of that wee our selves were once haters and hated of God and ran the broad way to Hell and everlasting destruction therefore shew pitty and compassion to such poore soules Ier. 13.17 Oh pitty them poore creatures they know not what they doe if you houle and mourne in secret inwardly for the confusion that is like to fall upon their poore soules and thinke with your selves what must all those cursed drunkards and wretched Adulterers and wicked blasphemers live here sinfully and perish everlastingly and goe downe to hell and grave there in everlasting torments never to bee comforted never to bee refreshed if you have any bowels of compassion you cannot but mourne for them Prayer for them in secret when thou art praying to God and seeking to the Lord for mercy for thy selfe put into the same prayer all those that are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity put up a petition for the drunkard put up a petitition for the adulterer as thou desirest God to save thy soule so intreate the Lord to turne the heart of the drunkard c. Remember what Abraham did for Ishmael O let Ishmael live in thy sight Lord so pray you Oh that such a drunkard might have his life amended O that such a profane heart may live in thy sight Lord. You must use all meanes to reclame them you must reprove them sharpely counsell them compassionately and strive with them mightily that so you may bring them home to know the things belonging to their peace here and everlasting happines hereafter Now we are to enquire whether wee must not turne from such as heretofore have not beene noted to be wicked persons but such as hath receiveved mercy and favour from the Lord. It may be in these two cases that followes Answ that is not onely left to a mans liberty but a dutie of necessity which God hath laid upon us to turne away from such Those that have professed Christianity 1 Case and approved themselves outwardly to the Church of Christ yet notwithstanding if by reason of inward corruptions or temptations or occasions pressing in upon them they fall foulely and scandalously into some notorious offence then wee should turne away from having any inward society with them for the while till they have upon sufficient proofe by their humiliation and reformation and if it be possible they have given satisfaction publikely to the Church of God 1 Cor. 5.9 the reason of this is pregnant for the truth is such falls give a good ground of suspition that there was never yet any sound grace wrought in their hearts I doe not say a ground of conclusion but of suspition that the worke was not sound nor this grace sincere in the heart because he hath sinned so foulely and fallen so fearefully For how ever the Saints fall so foulely yet this is ever observeable it is not ordinary as few be drunke few commit adultery after their conversion they have their infirmities and weakenesses and though they may fall extraordinarily yet ever observe as that their fall is foule so their repentance is great as in David He roared c. and marke it after the Saints of God have repented of their falls who ever read that they fell into the same sins againe A man that hath lived in the bosome of the Church Case 2. and hath beene conceived and judged in the course of reason and charity to be in the state of grace yet notwithstanding if he come to this passe that hee is obstinately incorrigible though the fault be but small and not knowne of many if yet he will not yeeld when all arguments are answered and all pleas removed then shake hands with him and have no familiarity with him for the time This I take to be the scope of the Text Matth. 18.15 It skils not what the matter of the fault be but what the incorrigiblenesse of the parties 2 Thes 3.14 observe it it is very reasonable a man should doe so for he that will not receive good by the society of the members of Christ it is fit hee should be cast out from having any communion with the members of Christ For what is the end of Communion but that men might be informed now if a man will not heare nor be convinced it is fit he should be deprived of the comfort of
the societie of the Saints I reason thus he that may be excommunicated publikely may be separated privately from the company and intimate societie of the Saints but he that is obstinately incorrigible may be excommunicated publikely therefore hee may be separated from the societie of the Saints 1 Rea. Because it is the practise of much love nay of the greatest mercy that a man can shew to a wicked profane wretch I presume you will hardly think it so you will say this is love indeede when a man cannot looke upon another but he must disdaine him doth a man shew mercy to another when he will not keepe his company if this be your love God blesse me from such love take heede what thou sayest God blesse thee from folly and not from this love and you shall plainely see it so because this course and behaviour is that which God hath appointed as a speciall meanes it is that which is marvellous helpefull and usefull and profitable to withdraw a wicked man from his wicked course and worke sound repentance in his soule therefore it must needs be an argument of great affection 2 Thess 3.14 Note him why that he may be ashamed now hee that is ashamed of his course is in some way and readinesse to forsake and abandon his course For shame implieth these three things First he that is ashamed of a thing seeth the vilenesse of a thing secondly he seeth himselfe vile and base and that discredit is like to befall him by reason of the vilenesse of the thing thirdly hee labours to keepe himselfe that dishonour and discredit may not fall upon him and he labours to keepe himselfe from such occasions and practises which may bring this discredit upon him so this is the next way for thee to make him ashamed c. How justly may such a one reason with himselfe when hee seeth the Saints of God are weary of his company and loath to converse with him how vile is my course how base is my sinne and ungodly practises what reason have I to loath my sinne therefore let me for ever abhorre these base courses that makes mee to be abominated of the Saints and servants of the Lord. This Reason concernes our selves Ground 2 that we may not be defiled that we may not be infected with their wicked courses and polluted with their societie It is in this case with sinne as it is with the plague of the body he that will be cleare of it the old rule is flye farre enough flye soone enough hee that is with those that are infected likely he shall be infected so it is with sinne which is the plague of the soule hee that hath a plague sore blossoming hee that hath a tongue belching forth his venome against the Lord of host he that hath a plague sore of drunkennesse a plague sore of adultery if ever you would be preserved then goe farre enough flie soone enough the Ale-house is the Pest-house where the plague is the drunkards are the persons infected if thou wouldest be cleare come not neare them Joseph learned to sweare when he was in Pharohs Court and Barnabas with dissembling when he saw Peter halt before him so it is said the Israelites mingled themselves among the Cananites and learned their workes as they say one rotten apple spoiles all the rest and one scabbed sheepe infects the whole flocke with the froward we shall learne frowardnesse c. It hath beene the bane and ruine of many a man and hee hath carried this company keeping to his grave nay happily to hell c. This is the cause why the Lord is constrained when all reasons prevaile not when all arguments perswade not the Lord is faine to bring him out by an almighty hand unlesse the Lord let in the fire of hell on the conscience of the drunkard and tire him out of his base coÌ„pany there is little hope that the meanes of grace will work upon him for his good therefore flie farre enough Prov. 22.24 1 Cor. 7.6 sinne is there compared to leaven now leaven doth not that which is only next it but the whole lumpe so marke the Apostles Argument A wicked man comparably doth not onely leaven himselfe but hee leavens all his company all that converse with him and all that maintaine familiarity with him with the swearer thou wilt sweare with the dissembler with the lier c. 3 Argu. Because it is a speciall meanes to fit us and so to furnish our hearts to be much more ready and chearefully enlarged in a constant and holy performance of all good duties that God requires of us and to discharge all those holy duties which ought to be performed by us Psal 119.115 as if hee had said untill you be gone there is no doing for me the presence of the wicked and Gods sincere service cannot stand together hee that will keepe the company of the wicked cannot keepe the commandements of God hee that wil not depart from them God will depart from him therefore away with these Observe the manner of the phrase David presumes this that ill company is not so much the breach of one commandement as the breach of all Gods Commandements as who should say I shall keepe the first Table not the second c. he saith not I cannot keepe the Sabbath or pray c. but I cannot keepe the Commandements The company and societie of the wicked doth hinder a man in keeping Gods CoÌ„mandements in three particulars First it takes off the fitnesse and disposition of the soule to the performance of any service 1 Parti that when the heart is sometime teachable and pliable comming to God when there are some good desires after God when wicked company meete it plucks all these up by the rootes and if his conscience will not suffer him â—o doe as they doe O then there is cause enough of gibing and tanting and scoffing extremely your conscience saith the dâ—unkard will not suffer you to be drunke your conscience saith the swearer will not suffer you to sweare O you are a tender conscioned man Thus if there be any desire or disposition of doing good wicked coÌ„pany blast it even in the â—…nd This is the cause that many young men curse their companions or else when they are going the way of all flesh this strikes him to the heart the time was I may say that God gave mee some inclinations after goodnesse and my heart was wandering after heaven and mine eyes were opened and my mind enlightened and I had a resolution to take up good courses and performe duties but oh this ill company spoiled all this was the man that cut mee off from my course and that tooke away my disposition of spirit from me and made me twice as bad as himselfe though hee be as bad as the devill 2 Parti Cursed loose company it deprives the soule of the benefit of all the meanes and hinders the successe
cause of grace observe the difference between a proud and a meeke spirit 2 King 10. 16. Iohn come and see c. this is the patterne of a proud spirit for alwayes a vaine glorious man either beginnes or ends with something of his owne and if for shame hee cannot commend himselfe yet hee will so expresse himselfe that hee will leave some praise of himselfe behind him if he talkes with some great man he will flatter and fawne and praise the man hee speakes to so that when he is gone they may say he is a wise descreet man fits every mans humour that it may appeare what parts are in him This is the temper of a proud man But now take an example of an humble heart Act. 4.12 13. that was a faire booty to take a great deale of glory to himselfe bee it knowne not I but the name of Iesus hath made this man whole 1. Iohn 20. I am not that great Prophet Labour Rule 3 that others may bee in love with thee and labour to bee partakers of it this wee ought to labour at in all our performances for wee are but friends to the Bridegroome and all that wee have to doe is to wooe and winne the hearts of people not to us but to the Lord Iesus 1 Pet. 3. 1. I tell you a holy wife that hath the worke of grace in her heart shee may so behave herselfe to her husband that hee may say what doth the grace of God worke this then sure I will love that word and that grace The servant that stands at the stall askes the Chapman what will you buy he doth not sell for himselfe it is his masters commodity so it is in this case a Christian should not set out any thing either parts or gifts to make men buy but that they might buy grace and love grace esteeme of grace and rejoyce in the power of grace This should be our ayme and care in shewing forth the power of godlinesse that others may glorifie God with us and Rule 4 blesse God Men glorified God in Paul and said O the admirable power of God that can thus prevaile hee that hath beene an opposer now a Preacher of Christ men here wondred at the grace of God So then labour to expresse thy grace outwardly when time shall serve art thou a holy wife shew thy selfe meeke to a churlish Naball are you holy servants and yet doe you thinke you may bee way ward and proud and take one end of the staffe and thinke your Master nor Mistresse may reprove you this is not a shew of godlinesse but of sawcinesse if you have grace inwardly shew it outwardly and let all the world know what it is to have a gracious heart let them that have no grace be proud c. but bee thou meeke obedient and lay thy hand on thy mouth and say nothing O what a glory would come to the name of Christ hereby Carry home the point in hand masters servants fathers and children have you any goodnesse let the world see it let thy father see it if thou beest a child let thy master perceive it if thou beest a servant that the wicked of the world may not say what are your professours that you talke so much of they are as proud and as peevish as others they are as unjust as others for shame let it never bee said so of you but if you thinke you have any godlinesse expresse it then why shew it then the fire cannot be without light the Sunne without heate so if grace be in your hearts it will appeare in your lives Now the second thing is the behaviour of the wicked to this power of godlinesse they deny it that is they submit not they close not therewith As a servant that denies such a man to be his master and the master deny such a one to bee his servant when the one will not owne the other so Hypocrites deale with the vertue of grace power of holinesse they will by no meanes beare the authority of it looke as it was with Peter in another case hee denied Christ as who should say I would not owne him I doe not belong to him I owe no subjection to him he hath no authority over mee so many goe under the name of Christians but when it commeth to the power of godlinesse then you say godlinesse hath nothing to doe with me you will doe what seemes good in your owne eyes you fling off the power of godlinesse and the authority of grace which should rule you Hence observe That Doct. 3 Hypocrites take up the profession of godlinesse but deny the power thereof to close with it or to take possession of it For the opening of it two things are to bee discovered first wherein consists the denyall of the power of godlinesse secondly the reasons why they that outwardly professe it yet will not stoope to the power of it First your carnall Hypocrites deny the power of godlinesse three wayes First partly in their judgement when they will not assent to the authoritie of the truth and acknowledge the necessitie of godlines when they say I hope a man may be saved though he be not so exact and precise what though hee sweare now and then and hath none but that such a man I hope may bee an honest man and goe to heaven I see no necessity put upon a man that a man must thus conforme his life to the rule of righteousnesse with the strictnesse that Ministers call for and require this is to deny it in your judgements Secondly in your wills and hearts when the will and affections will not submit themselves to bee framed and ordered and disposed by the power of godlinesse you will bee proud and peevish c. and will walke in your owne wayes let God say what hee will and the Word command what it please though we are damned and goe downe to hell for it this is a profest opposition of the truth and of the power of godlinesse Thirdly when we deny it in our practise in our actions for if a mans actions be naught this is certaine his heart is naught this rule will never deceive you now we come to shew the cause why a company of hypocrites can swallow downe profession but these will onely complement with godlinesse but away with the power of it Because godlinesse and the Reason 1 power of it where it comes is of a powerfull nature of a commanding authority it will subdue all those beloved corruptions those prevailing lusts which wicked men so highly prize and are not content to part withall therefore they cannot away with the power of it Take an Vsurer or covetous man tell him he must make satisfactiō or else perish this goeth to the heart And I knew some of these extortioners that could be content to pay some small sums but when it comes to 40. or a 100. pounds then they flew off and for ought I
anguish that is the first ground that seeke unseasonably secondly they seek upon a false ground it is not out of hatred of sin that they seeke for mercy but out of horror of conscience it is not out of loathsomnesse of corruption but by reason of the burthensomnesse that lieth upon their hearts it is not for holinesse they labour but for quiet ease and contentednesse that they might not be troubled and vexed Psal 78.36 The Text saith those that did seeke the Lord when hee plagued them dissembled in their hearts they pretended to seeke the Lord and worship the Lord but they did not seeke the Lord but their owne ease and dissembled fearefully and abused the Lords mercy and patience that he had vouchsafed unto them looke as it is with the dogge hee doth not cast up his vomit because he loathes it but hee is weary of it hee loves it still therefore lickes it up again presently he did not cast it up out of loathsomnesse of it but because it did trouble his stomacke so it is with a carnall hypocrite in the horrour of heart and anguish of spirit it is not for love of holinesse but of quiet that he renteth himselfe and saith I have hated Gods people profaned the Sabboth and committed adultery secretly he would vomit and confesse his sinnes and crave mercie not because hee loaths his sinne but he loathes anguish and horrour of heart and when that is taken away he falls to his vomit and base practice Thirdly they seeke to a false end hee doth not seeke grace for a Christs sake and Christ for the love of a Christ to have union with him but hee seekes grace not to have have sinne removed but to have a kind of safenesse in his sinne a wretch in the desperate anguish of spirit seekes unto a Saviour as to a Surgeon not that hee may remove sinne but that he may be the more quiet in sinne hee would have Christ pardon sinne that hee may commit sinne with quietnesse not to have him take away his corruptions and convert his soule but to heale the wound and to take away the bitternesse of sorrow Esay 58 34. A company of wicked wretches seemed to seeke the Lord by fasting but they did not seeke the Lord but their owne lusts they fasted that they might continue in their base courses with more quietnesse without destraction or suspition as a malefactor after hee is attached and condemned hee will seeke a pardon and sue for it not that hee might become better afterwards but for quiet and libertie that hee may not be hanged so a cunning chapman is content to attend and pray that he may couzen and cheate by fasting and praying so much the more so then gather up the Point if they seeke out of season out of false grounds and to a wrong end no marvell then though they call earnestly and seeke vehemently and yet God answers not nor is found of them according to their desires The first Vse is for terrour Is it so that a man may seeke earnestly and yet never obtaine mercy then this is able to shake and sinke a company of soules of carnall wretches Oh the lamentable condition of a company of poore creatures that live in the bosome of the Church and therefore it falls sore upon those creatures that make a scoffe at praying and hearing all ignorant and deluded persons that know not how to pray and seeke to the Lord for grace and mercie me thinkes the former truth were sufficient to dash all the carnall hope that can creepe into the minde of such creatures therefore take notice of the desperate condition wherein they lie Reason thus Is it so that those that seeke the Lord shall never finde him then what shall become of me that never cried at all nay that loath prayer and reject the use of Gods ordinances and dispise the meanes of grace and salvation whereby I must seeke and obtaine mercy if ever I have it if they that doe seeke attaine not then I that never seeke my condition is desperately lamentable fearefully irrecoverable why Why my heart riseth at such persons I have tanted this praying and mocked this fasting good Lord what shall become of my soule desperate is my condition and fearefull is my estate the Lord be mercifull unto me I am gone for ever I grace will the Lord vouchsafe grace to me doe I count of mercy and pardon for my sinnes no let me set my heart at ease those dayes are gone I mercie no I have loathed and scorned mercie the day will come when the Lord will say you have hated mercy therefore you shall be condemned and never partake thereof nay what will become of a companie of carnall wretches that set themselves with desperate indignation to hinder and crush and oppose the improvement of all holy meanes if there be any servant in their family that riseth early to pray to the Lord if there be any child that is godly and a wife that lookes towards Sion there is an uproare in the family the master he flieth about and saith I cannot maintaine my family by poaring on a booke how then dost thou get thy living if not by praying and reading thou gottest thy living but a curse with it if thou get without these meanes thou mayst get wealth but God will curse thee with it and thou shalt goe downe to hell and thy wealth with thee why reason thus with your selves I cannot so much as buy cattle but I must seeke in the Fayres I cannot provide foode for my family but I must goe to the market and what a wretched heart have I that thinke to get mercy and grace and salvation and yet he in my base lusts and never stirre a foote to seeke the Lord and call upon his name how is my judgement blinded and my soule couzened â—hinke of it if those that offered faire for mercy and grace by many prayers and desires and endeavours if they in the meane time fell short and never came to heaven what will become of mee that never looke after the things of grace and salvation surely if the Lord be in heaven I shall never come there The last use is this you will say what shall we doe if seeking will not get it at the hands of the Lord then wee had as good cast away all and doe nothing as get nothing by what wee doe therefore the last use is a word of exhortation wee are to be intreated in the name of the Lord Iesus to doe not onely what these seekers doe but goe further and doe more This is no argument because they obtaine not mercy by seeking therefore wee should not seeke therefore seeke after another manner so seeke and pray that you may finde benefit thereby and comfort therein unto your soules in the 13. of Luke 24. this is the use Christ makes many shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able what shall wee therefore cast care