you and will defend you and protect you and believe me Brethren one God this one God I say is enough against all the posse Inferni all the Devils in Hell and their Agents on Earth Well God is on your side then go on You may say as he Psal 118. 6. The Lord is on my side I will not fear what can Man do unto me 4. As you have a good Cause a good Call a good Patron you shall have a good a great Reward a glorious massy Reward if your Hearts are right with God you shall not lose your Reward God does not need you but he takes it kindly from you that you are on his side and he will once testify this and you shall find it placed to your account in the Day of the Lord if not before If a Cup of cold Water given to a Disciple of Christ shall not lose its reward Mat. 10. 42. to be sure this Service for his Name shall not Therefore go on 5. For your Incouragement still you have good Company all the Great that are good on your side and all the Good too You have God as was mentioned just now God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost the Uncreated Great on your side and you have the Created Great the great and glorious Angels assisting of you in your sincere Indeavours and doing you many great tho unseen good Offices of defending of you under God in all your Difficulties and Dangers and approving of you and pleased with you in all your Designs and Labours and you have the Spirits of the Just made perfect all the holy happy heavenly Society are on your side all these are great and good above and you have all the Great and Good below too on your side You have the King and Parliament your Governors on your side and you have all the Good of all Denominations all that know and love and fear God on your side you have their Approbation Judgment Prayers and hearty Wishes and for the Bad and the Great that are bad they are not so considerable in this matter being against God as either to be regarded or feared Then by Faith behold the blessed God and his holy Angels and all the heavenly Company from the Battlements of Glory looking on and applauding your Indeavours and let this incourage you notwithstanding Difficulties and hereupon be you filled with the utmost Vigour in all your Enterprizes and Attempts Thus you see what abundant Incouragement you have for you have a good Cause the best Cause the Cause of your God your King your Country you have a good Call as well as a good Cause and you have a great Almighty Patron as well as a good Cause and good Call and you have as a good Cause Call Patron you have good Company all the great that are good and all the Good and as you have a good Cause Call Patron Company you shall have a good a great a vast Reward an exceeding eternal Weight of Glory Then surely you may well go on as you have been exhorted to do 3dly And lastly to you of the Society Carry in all things towards God and Man as becomes those that are ingaged in such a Design and united in a Society for such an End Carry so as all that see you and know you may have reason to believe you are filled with the Fear of God with an awful Reverence of his Name and glorious Perfections and blessed Word and Laws and Government Be filled with a deep sense of his Dishonour by the abounding Sins of the day keep your selves very faithful to God in being pure from the Sins of the day wherein you live not only from the Sins of the Profane but the Professors of the day many of whom God knows take a strange liberty in many things very unbecoming their Profession and very dishonourable to it but do not you do so be neither afraid nor ashamed to bear your Testimony for God where you have a Call to it and do all that ever in you lies singly socially against the Sins of the day to stem and if it might be to turn the Torrent of Profaneness into that of Holiness and carry so towards all Men as becomes you being altogether just and true in your Dealings in your Words and Works further let your Carriage towards all Men be filled with all that Love Goodness Tenderness Humility Meekness that Readiness to do them all good Offices and In-offensiveness in Words and Actions that becomes such as profess to do nothing to others but only what is for their Good Be sure you carry thus to Men. I am afraid it may not be possible for you to carry so considering your Circumstances as to avoid Reproach and Censure for Men value their Lusts above their Souls nay they do not value them above their very Lives and therefore they will rage at that and them that stand between them and their beloved Sins but however be you blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom shine ye as lights in the World Phil. 2. 15. That all Men may have Reason however to believe that you have no design but their Good in your Indeavours that the Laws may be executed upon flagitious incorrigible Transgressors yea so as that themselves whose lot it may be to be punished by them may have no cause to believe any other but their Good not Hurt is pursued therein for those that indeavour the Reformation of others should themselves be great Instances of Reformation and Purity I am sure they should be so See you be so as ever you would be any ways at all useful in what you have undertaken as you would do any Good as you would not do Hurt I must tell you with all Faithfulness and Freedom it is a shameful vile accursed thing I would use harder words if I had them for the thing will bear it for those that take upon them to be Reformers of others to be unreformed themselves If any of the Society for Reforming others be as ill as those they pretend to reform what a Shame Reproach and Mischief will it be unto you and how prejudicial to your Design If any are of a Society for Reformation of others and are unreformed themselves can they with any Modesty indeavour the Reformation of others that are guilty themselves Can those indeavour a Drunkard's Reformation by his Punishment according to Law that are drunk sometimes themselves Can those be concerned in executing the Laws upon profane Swearers that swear profanely themselves and curse and rail How can any see that others be punished for profaning the Lord's Day when themselves make no Conscience of it See then to your Hearts to your Lives to your Words to your Actions to your Families that there be all Purity and Reformation within you without you and round about you See you be altogether such as that
you according to Reason and the Word of God may very well be concerned in such an Undertaking as the indeavouring to reform others so that if Men speak Evil of you it may be falsly You and I had a thousand times better that twenty evil things should be spoken falsly of us than that one the least of them should be true Look to your Motives Ends and Aims in this matter that what you do be out of sincere Regards to the Honour of God out of Love to Him and Goodness out of a tender Regard to the Good of others and out of a hearty Respect to the Welfare of the Land and Place where you live Let the Love of Christ constrain you the Honour of God move you always Have a care that you cover not Prejudice and Ill-will against any by pretending these things for if you do tho Men know it not the God that knows all things sees and will be displeased with and punish such Wickedness I would have given you some Directions but must but name a very few Direct 1. Would you carry in this Matter as you should improve the Lord Jesus Christ If you are on God's side savingly you are in him then your business is to live upon him and as for the Whole of the Life of God so for the Acceptance of your Persons and Services in this thing and for the Pardon of all your Sins accompanying these your Indeavours and for your Asistance Verily you need all these in this matter and you need Jesus Christ for all these in this matter Rely then on his Righteousness and Blood for acceptance and upon that Treasure that Fulness of Strength that is in him for Ability to go through all your Difficulties and Protection in all your Dangers There is all in Christ by Faith have recourse to him and draw it out of him into your Hearts Direct 2. Be filled with the Spirit of God if you are Christ's you have the Spirit of God Rom. 8. 9. be filled with his Light that Uuction from the holy One that teaches all things 1 John 2. 20. you can see nothing without his Light See you have his blessed Presence with you and Influences abiding on your Souls that you may be filled with the Fruits of the Spirit particularly Love to God and Man Zeal for the Honour of God and a holy delightful Activity in Well-doing and if you would be filled with the Spirit live by Faith on Christ who purchased him is possessed of him and gives him out in his Gifts Graces Comforts to all his and grieve not the Spirit by indulging any Sin for he is a Spirit of Purity and sow to the Spirit I say be filled more and more with the Spirit of God and then you will be taught and help'd of God to carry as becomes you Direct 3. Pray mightily constantly abundantly Be very prayerful for your selves for others for your Society all the Societies every where where they are for the Design you are concerned in Pray for the Spirit of God that he would afford you Light and Strength and Ability for Success in your Indeavours that he would shine upon them and make them effectual for the Restraint of Sin yea Conversion from Sin that he would make Punishments effectual for these Ends for he can do it Secondly To all others on God's side tho not of the Society that yet with them are on his side that are so by Profession for the Lord's sake see you be all of you so savingly as I said before to the Society so I would say to you all Be on God's side in all the Particulars that have been set before you as contained therein or else to what purpose but dismal will it be to be on God's side by Profession now and to be indeed against God's on Satan's and to be found on his side at the Eternal Judgment 1. Then act vigorously on God's side against your Sins those Enemies of yours your Lusts that war against your Souls against Satan and this present evil World Fight constantly faithfully successfully against all remaining Corruption and Pravity in you Have and keep on and manage very skilfully the whole Armour of God the Helmet of Salvation Breast-plate of Righteousness Shield of Faith and Guide of Truth Sword of the Spirit Thus armed with Armour of Light of Proof keep and gain ground against all your spiritual Enemies that ye may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil Remembring you have need to do thus all is little enough if you consider with whom you contend and for what both which you have Eph. 6. 12. With whom Not Flesh and Blood i. e. not only but with Principalities and Powers the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against wicked Spirits These are Enemies not to be contemned I 'll assure you but vigorously opposed for they are vastly numerous malicious subtle indefatigable invisible and therefore the more dangerous because they are with you some or other of them where-ever you are what ever you are about waiting watching for Advantages against you and such they are as will be sure to improve them to your utmost Prejudice And for what for the super-coelestial things vastest greatest Glories This is exprest in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render in high places but many Expositors both antient and modern make the words significant of what we contend for and the words favour this Sense and I take it to be the Mind of the Holy Ghost The words of Oecumenius one of the Antients upon these words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Combate with these Enemies is not about inconsiderable things but for heavenly things all the Glories of the State above Let these things the Enemies you contend with and the heavenly Glory you contend for not at all discourage only animate you and make you strong in the Lord and the Power of his Might for you have a blessed glorious Head that has overcome all these Enemies for you They are conquered ones and he has purchased this Glory for you and keeps it for you being possessed of it as your Head and he stands by you to incourage assist supply you in your Combate and verily this is glorious Incouragement for greater is he that is in you than be that is in the World 1 John 4. 4. Behold your glorious Head by Faith the Captain of your Salvation who is the way of your Duty not neglect of it will make you more than Conquerors and renew and maintain your spiritual Warfare with the utmost Activity 2. Do all you can that ever you can to help the Society and promote and further the Ends of it all cannot be of it but be you all Friends to it you may all be so be you so helpful to it all that in you lies 1st Let Magistrates do all they can in their place by a ready chearful faithful Execution of the Laws drawing forth the Sword
It is to strengthen Evil-doers in their evil Ways for when they see Persons that profess God present and observe they say nothing may they not however will they not conclude such said nothing for God for Godliness because they could not And thus they will triumph and glory over you and God and his Ways And thus God is dismally dishonoured And if there be any in such Company not altogether so confident and raging but that are too far pleased with such Discourses and are in danger of being as ill as the others may not their Souls be highly indangered by such base perfidious Silence Besides when we speak judiciously gravely seriously may not some be recovered out of the Snare of the Devil and then God will be greatly honoured and you will find it in your Accounts both now and at the Day of the Lord. Yea we must in this case speak freely How can we approve our selves to God if we dare not bear our Testimony against such Wickedness What do we fear or whom do we fear If in this case we fear'd God as we should we should not fear Man not any Man not all the Men in the World Shall vile Wretches dare to blaspheme the God of Heaven and his Holy Laws and belch forth their black-mouth'd Impieties against all that is sacred and shall not we dare to oppose them in doing so Surely it becomes us neither to be afraid nor ashamed of doing thus but with all Courage and Faithfulness to use the best Arguments we have for God And not only in the former case when Men are so impudent as to talk against Religion but in case there be any Evil spoken or done in our Company to do so it 's part of the lovely Pourtraiture of a truly good Man i. e. one that loves God and Man His Mouth speaketh of Wisdom and his Tongue talketh of Judgment 1 Pet. 37. 30. i. e. He does not make common unprofitable things lest of all sinful things but things good in the sight of God and things useful to Men being some way or other instructive and edifying the Subjects of his Discourse Now there is never more occasion to do so than when Men in our Company and Hearing are so wicked as to cast Dirt and Filth upon all that is most excellent and venerable This is one way by which we should hold forth the Word of Life Phil 2. 16. Is it our Duty to open our Mouths for the Dumb in the Cause of all such as are appointed to Destruction i. e. for those that can't speak through Fear or want of Ability through Ignorance for I think that 's the meaning of Dumb here Prov. 31. 8. And is it not more much more our Duty most of all our Duty to open our Mouths in bearing a Testimony for God against Sin 6. and Lastly This being on God's side comprizes in it a doing all we can in our Places for God against the Wickedness of the Day to prevent it by all the Methods mentioned before under the several foregoing Particulars and not only so but by all others using our Interest Gifts Graces and Authority if we have it for this end and where it cannot be prevented to do all we can to shame Men and to bring the incorrigible Transgressors of God's Laws and the Land 's to such Punishments as are by our Laws in that case most justly provided Thus when Magistrates in their places bear not the Sword in vain but draw it out for the Punishment and Terror of Evil-doers and for the warning and deterring others And Ministers in their Station do all that becomes them by Preaching Living Watching and all the Duties their Office calls for When Heads of Families do all that in them lies in their Families and all and every one in their several Capacities do all that 's possible to restrain and prevent it This is to be on God's side Thus much for the first thing II. To prove That it is the Duty of all upon the Call of the Magistrate in a Day of publick Defection to be on God's side This is so exceeding clear and plain that very little needs to be said about it who can deny it Who dare do so What an horrible Wickedness would it be for any Man to do so And indeed as no Man can deny it so no Man of Reason can so much as question it A Man that owns the Being of God and Providence cannot do it tho very few for all this do seriously consider it i. e. so as to be brought under the powerful influencing and predominant Sense of it That it is so shines in its own Light and cannot but approve it self to the Understanding Reason and Conscience of every Man that hath not abandoned himself and of a Man is become a mere Brute I will not therefore spend time in insisting upon this If we consider God Sin and the Nature of the thing spoken of it will appear most abundantly evident If we consider God whose side Men are called to be of his glorious Majesty transcendent Excellency supereminent Authority and wonderful Attributes and his Relations unto us that he is our Maker Proprietor and Owner Benefactor Saviour Judge Also if we consider Sin by Love to which and living in and adherence to which we are Enemies to God I say if we consider the horrid Evil Malignity Abominableness and because if all the Words in the World the most expressive and significant of what is vile were heap'd up it can't be stiled by any thing worse nor indeed so ill as it self therefore said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding sinful as we render it Rom. 7. 13. I say if we consider the Sinfulness of it and that to be concerned in it is to side with Satan God's and our most avowed Enemy and the Tendency of this Then certainly it 's clear that we should have done with it and be on God's side and so ingaged against it And Lastly if we do but reflect upon the Nature of the thing spoken of it is a Covenanting with God a laying hold of God's Covenant and thereby of God's Grace and God's Christ for our Salvation and then an owning that we have done so c. according to the former things and who can have any thing to say against such things as these Therefore III. I proceed to the Reasons 1st Reason We have all the greatest highest and most binding Ingagements unto it that can be if there be any thing in this World that can be an Ingagement upon any one to any thing there is that to be urg'd and alledged as a Reason for this yea and much more Whatsoever Obligations we are under to others still we are under greater higher to God to this blessed God who calls us thus mercifully and kindly to be on his side for whatsoever it is that we are bound most strongly and firmly by unto others still that is stronger and firmer here for no Obligation