of Christians and the corruption of their manners Therefore the Apostle St. Paul having refuted in the precedent Chapter as you have heard the pretended services and mortifications of the false Teachers of his time that the faithful to whom he writes might utterly be disgusted at and turned away from the same does now lay before them the just offices and legitimate exercises of Christian piety the body of holiness instead of shadows the solid doctrine of the LORD JESUS instead of the vain and childish lessons of superstition the true mortifying of the flesh instead of the seducers unprofitable macerations and an abstinence from sin and the lusts thereof instead of abstinence from certain meats in fine Heaven instead of the earth As a prudent gardiner who after he hath pluck'd up the bad or unprofitable herbs of his garden and well cleans'd the ground casts in good seeds that are worthy to take up the earth and capable of yielding fruits useful for the food of men Withal the Apostle by this means prevents an objection that superstition usually makes For being not able to maintain its petty services as holy and necessary in themselves it hath been wont to alledge that whatever they be otherwaies it is yet better for Christians to employ themselves in them than to abide idle The Apostle takes from it this vain colour shewing the faithful that they have another task which is much more worthy and much more noble to wit the study and practise of true sanctity so that superstition is guilty not only of a superfluous diligence but of a pernicious temerity in diverting Christians from their legitimate and necessary work by those voluntary exercises wherewith it pretends to charge them Let us then Dearly beloved Brethren keep off from the vain institutions of superstition whether ancient or modern and keep to the discipline of St. Paul Let us meditate let us study and practise what he enjoyneth us and assure our selves that in following and observing his rule exactly we shall have neither time nor will nor need to busie our selves after the rules of men He employes all the remainder of this Epistle in these Divine documents and in the beginning of this Chapter after he hath raised our hearts to Heaven he represents unto us the general duties of sanctification that are necessary for all Christians thence passing unto particulars he instructeth married persons children fathers servants and masters in what they owe to one another as you shall hear if GOD please in the sequel of these actions For the present to explain the exhortation which he hath plac'd at the head of this excellent tract and the words whereof we have read to you we will consider by the grace and assistance of the Holy Ghost first the precept it containeth that we do seek the things which are above and then in the second place the two reasons upon which he foundeth it one taken from our being risen again with CHRIST and the other from J. CHRIST His sitting on high at the right-hand of GOD and we shall observe upon each particular as briefly as we may the instructions and lessons they afford us either for our edification and consolation in general or particularly for our preparation to that holy and mystical repast unto which the LORD JESUS invites us against the next LORD'S Day The ancient Greeks e're-while ascribed to that Philosopher of theirs whom they most esteemed the glory of having brought down wisdom from Heaven to the earth because he was the first that fixed the minds of his Scholars on the considering of their own nature and what we owe either to our selves or to other men whereas the Sages that liv'd before him busied themselves in nothing but the contemplating of Heaven and its motions and the natural things that depend upon the same But the LORD JESUS the true Prince of Wisdom and Verity instructs us quite otherwise than that man did who verily was but a blind leader of the blind For all the Philosophy of JESUS CHRIST is to loosen us from the earth and lift us up to Heaven and so fix our minds and affections there as we may dwell even for the present and converse and have our souls incessantly there how far distant so-ever our bodies be from that happy habitation It is very true as that poor Pagan judged that the contemplating of the Sun and the Planets and the other Stars and the searching out of their motions and the admiring of their beauty their light their greatness and other qualities which was all the employment of the Heathens first Philosophy doth not much conduce to the perfection of our manners and the felicity of our lives But neither is it upon that that JESUS CHRIST doth fix us He hath discovered to us other things on high within that nobler part of the World which are infinitely more excellent and more necessary and such as if that Pagan had seen them he would have made no difficulty to confess that true wisdom consisteth not in staying ones self here below on the earth but in ascending up to Heaven for the viewing the loving and admiring of them continually For first He hath revealed to us there an holy and a glorious City seated above nature and all its elements a City not mutable and subject to perish as inferiour things but founded permanent and eternal the sanctuary of life and immortality which GOD hath builded and in which He hath displayed all the wonders of His power and wisdom the dwelling place which He hath prepared for such among men as embracing His promises by Faith shall live here below in His fear and obey His commandments and where He hath aleady gathered in and consecrated in His rest the spirits of such of the faithful as He hath fetch'd out of the present World CHRIST hath made us see that it is there those blessed ones do dwell with the armies of holy Angels and that it 's thither He went Himself when He had finished the work of our redemption upon earth It 's in this mystical Paradise that the true Tree of Life doth grow It 's there that the rivers of pleasure do run There shineth the true Sun that never sets There are kept those divine flowers that can neither be fouled nor fade with which the piety and patience of Saints shall be one day crowned It 's there that GOD manifesteth himself to His servants and shews them the mervails of His countenance unveiled and feeds them and fills them with joy and transforms them by this vision into so many living images of His eternal and blessed nature It 's there is true glory and true pleasure an honour a felicity and a magnificence the idea whereof never entred either into our senses or into the very thoughts of our heart in comparison whereof all the pomp of the Earth and the glory of this Heaven in which we see the Sun and the Stars go their rounds is but a shadow
the LORD JESUS giving thanks by Him unto our GOD and Father DEAR Brethren The love that the LORD JESUS hath born us is so great and the benefits He hath conferr'd upon us are so various and so precious that we are evidently obliged to give our selves entirely to Him and we cannot substract from Him without ingratitude any part of what we are or have He hath laid down His life for us It is just therefore that we again do consecrate ours unto Him He hath redeemed us at the price of His blood and by this admirable ransom deliver'd from death and hell not only our Souls but also our Bodies and our whole Nature We are therefore wholly His and have no more any other Master but Him neither is there any justice in the world but will adjudge Him the propriety and possession of what costeth Him so dear But though of right we be his Vassals yet it hath pleas'd His love that we should belong to Him under another much more glorious title For He hath made us His brethren having obtained of His Father that He should adopt us for His children and accumulated this grace with all the highest favours that creatures can be exalted to I mean He hath made us partakers of His inheritance and communicated to us His Nature and His Spirit and crowned us with His immortality and with His glory Though he had not shed His Blood for us as He did who seeth not but that this His great and divine liberality should have purchas'd Him all the life and being and motion we can have and that to divert any part of it from His service would be a robbing of Him and a bereaving Him with abominable Sacriledge of a thing belonging to Him so legitimatly and for many so just and weighty reasons If we be not the most unjust and ingrateful persons in the world we ought all to have such sentiments and consequently look upon our nature and our life as things no longer ours but JESUS CHRIST's and dispose of them not after our own phansie and for our own interest but at His pleasure and for His glory And as you see that the servants of a Prince above all those whom he hath particularly obliged and favoured do set up his arms through all their houses and adorn their Halls and Chambers with his Picture and have his praises alwayes in their mouth and fill up their whole life with his name and glory so should we do to JESUS CHRIST and with so much the more zeal for that He is a LORD infinitely more rich more clement more liberal and more beneficent than any Monarch of the Earth Let our Souls and Bodies therefore bear His badges let His glory appear exalted in all our actions let the words of our mouths be dedicated to Him and our whole lives full of His Name breathing throughout nothing but His honour and service without ever swerving from His Will from His interests This Beloved Brethren is the Lesson which the Apostle S. Paul now gives us in the words that you have heard And whatever ye do saith he whether in word or work do it all in the name of the LORD JESVS giving thanks by Him unto our GOD and Father By these words he concludeth that excellent exhortation which he makes to all Christians in general of what sex or age or condition soever He began it at the first Verse of this Chapter and continues it on to our Text pointing out in it briefly but divinely as you have heard in the precedent exercises our principal duties on one hand the mortifying of the flesh with its lusts as fornication covetousness wrath and the like on the other hand the studying and exercising of all Christian vertues as humility kindness patience gentleness charity and peace To all these he addeth our knowing and continual meditating of the Word of GOD with Psalms and spiritual Hymns And here it was we made stay in our last action upon this Subject Now that he might not stand to treat severally of all a Christians other duties which would be prolix and even infinite and a Discourse of too great extent for an Epistle before he passeth to that particular exhortation which he addresseth in the following Verses to some certain ranks of believers as to Married persons to Fathers to Children to Servants and Masters he closeth up his first matter with the precept he here gives us A precept verily excellent and well worthy to Crown his exhortation since it comprehends in few words all the duties of a Christian both those which the Apostle hath expresly pointed at and those which his design of brevity caused him to pass over in silence without speaking of them by name To the end we may give you an exposition of it we will endeavour by the grace of our LORD to explain one after another the two parts that offer themselves in it First that whatever we do either in word or work we do it all in the name of the LORD JESVS Secondly that we give thanks by Him to our GOD and Father When the Apostle pronounceth that all we do in work or word be done in the name of the LORD JESVS he clearly gives Him our whole life For these two sorts of things which he subjecteth unto Him words and works do comprehend all the other parts of our life it being evident that nothing issues from us but what may be referred to the one or the other of these two kinds They are either words or works Words are the fruits of our mouths works are the effects or actions of our other parts and faculties I acknowledge that beside this our spirit also does act within us when it knows or considers things and desireth or rejecteth them But besides that these internal actions might be put into the rank of our works by extending the word a little beyond its ordinary signification as in effect some interpreters do give it such a meaning here beside this I say it is evident that most of the conceptions and affections and resolutions of the Soul do refer to words and external works as being the principles and motives of them For it is not possible that our words and works should be in the name of our LORD and Saviour except our understandings and wills do so address them and it 's properly this action of the Soul the Apostle signifies when he orders that we do in the name of CHRIST all we do The tongue indeed pronounceth the words and the hands and other parts of our bodies do execute those actions of ours which are called works But it 's the Spirit that moves them all and that directeth and guideth on their functions to that end or design it hath proposed to its self and draws them from such motives as it hath conceiv'd and form'd within its self And it is properly upon this that the difference of mens actions doth depend It 's this Character that gives them
he never setting about them but when he may do them in the name of CHRIST For though the nature of them be indifferent the usage of them is not so but must be governed by the good and the evil that may thence redound either to or against the glory of GOD and the edification of men as the Apostle sayes elsewhere All things are lawful for me but all things are not expedient All things are lawful for me but all things edifie not Whence you see 1 Cor. â—0 2â— how vain the pretext of those is who excuse the excess of their habits of their tables and of their houses by the liberty which they pretend the LORD hath left them to clothe and feed and lodge themselves as they think good alledging that He hath not forbidden them Velvet or Silks or Gold or Silver or precious Stones or Tapistry or any sort of Furniture nor excluded from their Tables any kind of Meats or Services they being taken with thanksgiving I grant the use of these things to speak in general is free they all being created of GOD for man Yet this hinders not but each of you ought to observe certain rules about them and this one in particular namely that ye consider whether the thing be such as ye may do it in the name of JESUS CHRIST whether the money you waste in it might not be better employed in the service of His poor or of His Sanctuary whether your making men believe that you are vain glorious or intemperate or voluptuous by clothing or lodging or treating your selves more richly and more magnificently than beseems your condition whether this opinion I say which you give your Neighbours of you does not scandalize them and be not prejudicial unto the name and interests of our Saviour Hence again appears how inexcusable they are that marry with persons of a contrary Religion I confess that Marriage is honourable and that it is not prohibited to any But this action as well as all a Christians others must be done in the name of the LORD JESVS 1 Cor. 7.9 and so much the rather for that it is more important and continues as long as our lives Wherefore the Apostle doth expresly modifie the liberty he gives the believing widow by this exception She is at liberty saith he to marry again only so as it be in the LORD Now judge if it be a marrying in the LORD when you make alliance with a person allienate from your communion who will be a snare to pervert you from it will pluck the name of CHRIST out of your house and consecrate your blood to error and be so far from helping you in the exercises of your piety that the person will disturb them In fine this saying of the Apostle's shews us also what we are to think of Dances and Balls and such other vain pomps of the world If you can truly say that it is in the name of CHRIST you Masque and Dance I will accord that you fail not of your duty in it But if it be clear and manifestly known as it is that the LORD JESUS hath no part in these follies that in them His name is blasphem'd rather than glorified that His Spirit breaths not in them but indeed the Spirit of Satan and the world that scandal is given in them but no edification received confess it a thing contrary to your duty Add not impudence to guilt acknowledge if you be a Christian that it 's a violation of the Apostle's order to participate in such things which neither are nor can be done in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST I advertise you particularly of it because we are entring on the season in which the world is won't to give it self the greatest licence for such debauches Dear Brethren let not it's ill examples seduce you Let not the custome of the age nor the pleasing of men induce you to forget the respect you owe to the Apostles voice and the Churches consolation Seek your joys in the service of your LORD and Saviour and in the meditation and expressing of His life and having always before your eyes the love He beareth you the death He suffered for you and the Heaven to which He calleth you love Him with all your heart and whatever you do whether in word or work do it all in the name of this sweet and merciful Saviour rendring thanks by Him to our GOD and Father unto His glory and the edification of your Neighbours and your own Salvation Amen THE FORTY THIRD SERMON ON COLOSSIANS CHAP. III. VER XVIII XIX Verse XVIII VVives be subject unto your own Husbands as is meet in the LORD XIX Husbands love your VVives and be not bitter against them DEAR Brethren As man is subject to a twofold consideration first in regard of his nature simply as he is a reasonable creature secondly in reference to his condition or the rank he holds in humane society that is as either a Master or a Servant a Magistrate or a Subject or the like so he is obliged according to these two different respects to two divers sorts of duties those of the first sort are general and common universally to all men the others of the second do relate but to some certain order of persons only I place in the first rank piety towards GOD honesty temperance justice and charity and such other vertues for which neither sex nor age nor condition doth dispense with any because every man whatever he is otherwayes being a reasonable creature is bound upon that account to practice all those vertues as a perfection and ornament meet for such a nature I reckon among the duties of the second sort the service that bondmen owe their masters the obedience of children to their fathers the dependance of wives in relation to their husbands and the like which pertain as you see only to persons in such conditions and not to all men generally This difference hath produc'd in the Schools of Heathen Sages the distinguishing of active Philosophy into divers parts the first whereof which they call Moral Philosophy or the Ethiques do's explain that first sort of common and general duties the others do treat of the second to wit the Economicks which regulate and form the several different conditions that constitute a family namely husband and wife parents and children master and servants and the Politicks whose task is to expound the devoirs of all the divers orders that compose an Estate as the Prince and the Subject the Magistrate and the Citizen men of the long Robe and of the Sword and the like The Apostles of our LORD in those writings which they have left us where they have unfolded to us the Divine Philosophy of their Master have also followed the same order though their difference otherwayes be very great For they set before us in like manner some general duties which oblige all Christians of what quality soever and in whatever
degree of society either civil or domestick or religious they be placed And though this part being once well comprehended hath in it a great and almost sufficient light to direct and govern all the rest yet they forbear not upon it to descend unto the particular duties of each of those estates and conditions which the faithful live in in humane society Thus the Apostle S. Paul hath done in this Epistle for after having formed us all in general unto piety and sanctity and charity which belong to all Christians equally as you have heard in the precedent exercises he now addresseth himself in particular to each of those three orders of which an houshold is composed the first whereof is the Husband and the Wife the second the Father and the Children the third Master and Servants giving each of them a good lesson for their conduct in the condition to which GOD hath called them Elsewhere he regulateth the duties of Subjects in reference to the civil Powers under which they live of the faithful in reference to their Pastors and reciprocally of Pastors in reference to their flocks not omitting Deacons the other part of Ecclesiastick Ministry and this not in one place alone but many In consideration hereof before we proceed any further permit me I beseech you to make here at the entrance one general reflection upon this the Holy Apostles way of treating thus Whence comes it that having been so careful to instruct and to direct in particular each of those different ranks of persons which then were and still are in the Church they never drop'd one word of the duties of three kinds of conditions in which now a dayes Rome makes the main and in a manner the all of the Christian Commonweal to consist I mean the Pope Sacrificers or Priests and Monks The Apostles do instruct the lowest Masters how they ought to treat their attendants and the simplest Presbyters or Bishops that is Pastors how they ought to feed their flocks They never tell the Pope in what manner he ought to deport himself in that great government of all Christendom which as is said hath been given him of GOD. The Apostles do advertise the most abject slaves of the servitude they owe their Masters and every flock of the diference and respect it owes its Pastors They never speak a word either to single believers or their guides of that infinite subjection which they are obliged to profess unto the Pope or of kiâ—â—ing his feet or of submitting the conscience or any other such like thing The Apostles do exactly inform Bishops or Pastors of the duties of their charge of preaching exhorting instructing of watching of correcting of censuring of excluding the scandalous from communion They never order any Sacrificers to offer a propitiatory hoast unto GOD for the sins of quick and dead nor tell them of the preparations ceremonies and observances necessary thereto nor of purifying by means of an auricular confession the consciences of such as are to participate of such a sacrifice nor of the precautions and subtilties that are necessary for the right administration of it In fine the Apostles verity vouchsafe to take the pains to enter into Families and there regulate the demeanour of Husbands and Wives of Virgins and Widows of Fathers and Children of Masters and Servants Why say they nothing unto Monks neither to the solitary as Hermits and Anachorets nor to those that live associated in separated dwellings Why do they not somewhere instruct the Guardians the Abbots the Superiours and Generals of these orders Why do they not exhort their inferiors to yield them a blind obedience Why say they nothing of their three vows and of the means of well observing them And why give they no instructions to Religious women who imitating the zeal of men shut themselves up in Convents But what say I that they no where regulate the carriage and particular duties of these three sorts of conditions More than so they make no mention of them at all neither expresly nor implicitly And if you read the Books of the New Testament you will find that there is no more speech in them of the Pope and the Sacrificers and the Monks of Rome than of the Bramines of India or the Bonzians of Japan or the Muphti of the Musulmen Whence comes so strange a silence so universal an obliviousness Is it that the thing was not worthy of the Apostles care and quill But how can that be imagin'd since if you believe those of Rome it 's upon these three orders that Christianity depends For as to the Pope he is the head of the Church and exerciseth so necessary an imperial power that out of his communion there is no salvation And as for Priests or Sacrificers it 's they alone that purifie the souls of men both by the absolution they give those whom they confess and by that Deity which they deliver unto such as they communicate Lastly as for Monks their order is the state of perfection They are the Angels of the earth the glory and the rampart of the Church the sole patterns of Evangelick piety and sanctity wherefore they call their fraternities Religions and disdaining their old name of Monks each sex of them stiles themselves Religious as if the piety of other Christians did not deserve to be called Religion in comparison of theirs Whence comes it then that the Apostles have so forgotten these three sorts of people which are as highly or more necessary in the Church than the four elements in the world Dear Brethren you plainly see the reason and if passion did not blind our adversaries they might see it too as well as we The Apostles have said nothing to these three sorts of people because there were none such among Christians in their time Had there been then a Pope and Sacrificers in the Church the Apostles without doubt would have told them their duty as well as Bishops and Elders that is Pastors And if there had been Monks and Religiouses they would undoubtedly have spoken unto them as well as unto men and women that live in wedlock Since they did it not be we certainly assured that neither of these three plants was sown or set by JESUS CHRIST or His Apostles but they have all sprung up since their dayes partly from the imprudence partly from the superstition and corruptness of men who also affording them cultivation have raised them by little and little to that prodigious greatness which now for divers ages they have had And this be spoken at the entrance upon occasion of the care the Apostles in general had to form and regulate the duties of the divers conditions of persons which are found in the Church As for S. Paul's particular in this place he speaks here first unto Husbands and Wives next unto Fathers and Children and last of all unto Masters and Servants following therein the natural order of the things themselves For if you consider the
the only rule of our lives so as we do nothing but what is pleasing unto Him This is the soveraign reason of our duties not to dare any thing that displeaseth Him nor neglect any thing that 's agreeable to Him This rule is of very vast and perpetual use in all the parts of life And omitting others for this time I beseech you only to apply it to the pastimes to the balls and banquettings and comedies of the present season Each of you consult your own conscience hereupon if it be informed by the word of GOD and ask it if these exercises of the world be verily pleasing unto GOD and whether running after them with the multitude you can assure your self you do therein a thing that delighteth him If it answer that there is no reason to believe it but very much to the contrary in the name of GOD my Brethren follow this resolution of your own conscience Abstain from these works of darkness Spare the Church Give it no scandal Expose not its name and its profession to the scorn of those without by engaging them in the disorders of the present generation Let your manners have no less purity in them than your faith and let there be a difference between the very divertisements of children of GOD and of others Give to the poor what is cast away usually in such follies and you shall acquire a firm and solid consolation which shall never be followed with repentance and regret but go on still increasing untill it be changed into that eternal and incomprehensible joy which is kept for us in the Heavens by our LORD JESUS CHRIST to whom as to the Father and the Holy Spirit the true and only Eternal GOD be Honour Praise and Glory unto ages of ages Amen THE FORTY FIFTH SERMON ON COLOSSIANS CHAP III. VER XXII XXIII XXIV XXV And Chap. IV. Ver. I. Verse XXII Servants obey in all things them that are your Masters according to the flesh not serving to the eye as willing to please men but in singleness of heart fearing GOD. XXIII And whatever ye do do it all with courage as unto the LORD and not as unto men XXIV Knowing that ye shall receive of the LORD the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the LORD CHRIST XXV But he that doth unjustly shall receive what he hath unjustly done and there is no regard to the shew of persons CHAP. IV. Verse I. Masters render right and equity to your Servants knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven IF mankind after the devastation sin hath made hath any thing left it that is laudable and commodious and conducing unto welfare it is without doubt the order of those societies which compose it For this correspondence and this harmony of several persons different in themselves and yet knit together by the mutual offices they do one another and by that common end unto which they direct them is an effect and production of a very perspicacious and exquisite reason and bears such evident marks of it as no one can choose but perceive if he ever so little apply his mind to this consideration The thing is such as made an Heathen sometime say Cicero that that grand and supreme Divinity which governeth the world doth see nothing on earth more agreeable to Him than the bodies of Families and Re-publicks establish'd among men and governed by good equitable laws For as there is nothing not only more unsightly and deformed but also more incommodious than confusion so on the contrary there is nothing that is at once both more beautiful and more beneficial than order For order setting every thing in its place and uniting all together by the co-aptation and combining of particulars does cherish and conserve the whole and by their union frameth up a body which conjoyning in one the forces and perfections of each of them becomes by this means extremely fair and most considerable This is the reason why the Apostles of our LORD and Saviour did carefully discriminate this order from those defects and imperfections which their Master came to correct in the world And whereas their holy discipline doth batter and overthrow and bring to nought all that the unrighteousness and the pride of sin hath rear'd up among us it doth establish and mightily confirm the civil and domestick societies which it found in mankind as so many holy and necessary institutions of GOD our Creator You have heretofore heard with what affection St. Paul recommends to Christians the sacred and inviolable duties of husbands and wives of fathers and children for conserving domestick society in its integrity among us Now that he might leave no disorder at all in it he speaks to Servants and Masters and in this Text discreetly regulates the subjection of the former and the domination of the latter representing to the one and the other of them excellent considerations taken from fundamentals of Gospel-doctrine to sway them to their duty The same namely the subjection of Servants and the superiority of Masters shall be the two points we will treat of if GOD permit in this action observing briefly the particulars they may afford for our common edification and consolation He insisteth most upon the first point which respecteth servants because subjection is bitter and a thing which our nature is loth to accommodate its self unto especially in the condition that servants at that time were For it was not with them as it is now with ours who are persons in reality free and disposing of themselves do only let out their services for a time and upon certain conditions but not devest themselves of the liberty they were born in The servants of the ancients in the Apostle's time and among the nations to whom he wrote were slaves which belonged to their Masters and were theirs by the same kind of property their cattle were They could not dispose of their own persons nor of their children but by the authority and will of their masters The law of servitude was of like nature among the Jews also excepting only that such servants as were of the Hebrew race went out of that condition and were set at liberty when they came to the year of Jubile as is evident by divers places in the books of Moses The Apostle knowing how harsh this condition was unto men took a particular care to sweeten it and to recommend the duties of it to such as Divine Providence had ranked in it least disgust at so strict a subjection and love of liberty should carry them to shake off the yoke and to disturb the order of publick society by their rebellion First he orders them to obey next he prescribeth them the manner of this obedience not serving to the eye as willing to please men and finally in the two last verses of this Chapter he sets before them some considerations taken from the benignity and justice of GOD to incite them unto a faithful discharge of
either by defect or excess do not render to their servants what is right as for instance those that overbear them with toil or strokes and they that quite contrary let them live idle and in debauches those that diet them ill or too well and lastly they that defraud them of their wages which is one of the most horrid and cruel acts of injustice that can be committed But besides right the Apostle would have Masters render also to their servants equity The word he makes use of in the original properly signifies a certain equality and correspondence that should appear between the offices of the one of them and the deportment of the other so that as the servant obeyeth in singleness of heart and in the fear of GOD the Master likewise do command holily and religiously and that as the one serveth with joy and respect in like manner the other do govern with mildness and affection In a word right comprehends all that refers to justice and equity all that pertains to Christian Charity and gentleness For the reducing of the faithful unto this holy moderation he orders them to remember that they also have a LORD in the Heavens His meaning is that the dominion they have over their servants is not absolute but dependant on GOD and by consequence such as ought to be regulated by His word and will If they have people beneath them they have a Master and a Soveraign above them who is the common LORD of them all and unto whom they are to give account of the treatment which their servants shall receive at their hands He says particularly that this LORD is in the Heavens to hold them the better to their duty by the consideration of so redoutable a Majesty who is not here beneath on earth the place of misery and vanity but on high in Heaven sitting on an eternal throne and from that glorious habitation of light and immortality doth consider and govern all things at His pleasure nothing coming to pass in His whole Empire but He plainly perceives and most justly judgeth of This great LORD is above all and there is neither Master nor Prince of such elevation among men but is under His feet He is superlatively holy just and good He loveth all His creatures and concerns Himself in the wrongs of the meanest and most contemptible ones hating nothing more than injustice and insolence outrage and cruelty possessing withal an infinite wisdome and an almighty power which none is able to resist Sure then consideration of the Empire and soveraign dominion that He hath over us is very proper to keep us within bounds and to restrain us from abusing the power He hath given us over persons subject to us nor could the Apostle put those that have servants in mind of any thing more pertinently that should oblige 'em to render them right and equity Thus we have explained his instructions It 's now for you Beloved Brethren to make your profit of them and to gather the fruits he offers you in them for the amendment of your lives and the consolation of your souls First Ye Christians whom the meanness of your birth or as they call it of your fortune hath reduc'd to the condition of serving rejoyce ye at the the honour done you by this great Minister of CHRIST who disdaineth not to address his holy voice unto you Set the care he hath of you against the contempt that men cast upon you Let his speaking to you comfort you and raise your hopes of the inheritance of GOD. Think well upon the report he makes you that the persons to whom ye are subject are not your Masters but in reference to the flesh Your servitude will not be eternal Nay it will not be very long nor extend further at most then to the end of that carnal life which ye lead upon the earth When this earthly tabernacle is once dissolved you shall enter into the glorious liberty of the children of GOD and then there will no more be any difference between you and your Masters For the present your better part is already in possession of this liberty namely that spirit which GOD hath formed in you after his own image and which maugre all the outrages of men will ever remain master of it self if you give it to JESUS CHRIST the great freer of mankind who doth faithfully and speedily enfranchise every one that receiveth and embraceth His truth Only take heed that ye abuse not His grace as if the spiritual liberty He hath gratify'd you with did discharge you from doing faithful service to your Masters after the flesh The more He hath illuminated you in the knowledge of Himself the more fidelity and love do you owe. For besides other reasons the fear of GOD and the will of JESUS CHRIST doth now oblige you to obey them so that the serving them makes up a part of your piety According to your acquitting your selves therein well or ill GOD will give you or deny you his inheritance But besides your own interest the glory also of the Gospel is concerned in the case For your faults defame our religion and make it believ'd to be a licentious discipline whereas your fidelity will produce us praise Every one will be constrained to acknowledge the sanctity of our doctrine when they shall see it reform the deportment even of man and maid-servants And this the Apostle doth expresly represent unto you elsewere Tit. 2.9 10. Let servants saith he be obedient to their masters pleasing them well in all things not answering again not purloyning but shewing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of GOD our Saviour in all things Object me not the ill humour and rigour of your Masters Remember the words of St. Peter 1 Pet. 2.18 who obligeth you to serve not only such as are good and equitable but also the froward Take their ill treatment for an occasion by which GOD would exercise and refine your faith Receive those strokes of the rod from His hand and not from theirs making them matter for your patience and a tryal of your faith Let the eye of JESUS CHRIST who looketh on you let His favour and benediction which always accompany conscionable sufferings let the hope of his inheritance for your Salary sweeten all the pains of your servitude How ingrateful soever men be to you your patience shall not be left unrewarded if ye persevere in it constantly for CHRIST'S sake And you Masters who so much desire to have faithful and obedient servants render ye to them that right and equity which the Apostle commands you Though your extraction or estates set you above them in humane society yet your nature is no other then theirs Ye are subject to the like infirmities with them One and the same death will consume you both nor will there be any difference between your dust and theirs You shall appear before the same Judge and the tribunal
GOD with thankfulness and undergoing his chastisements and trials with patience that His grace may be with us for ever both in this world and in the world to come Amen FINIS Books to be Sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel A Commentary on the Hebrews By John Owen D. D. Folio An Exposition of Temptation on Mat. 4. verse 1. to the end of the Eleventh By Dr. Thomas Taylor fol. A Learned Commentary or Exposition on the first Chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians By Richard Sibbs D. D. fol. A practical Exposition on the third Chapter of the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians with the Godly Man's Choice on Psal 4. vers 6 7 8. By Anthony Burgess fol. The dead Saint speaking to Saints and Sinners living in several Treatises The first on 2 Sam. 24.10 The second on Cant. 4.9 The third on John 1.50 The fourth on Isa 58.2 The fifth on Exod. 15.11 By Samuel Bolton D. D. fol. The view of the Holy Scriptures By Thomas Broughton fol. Christianographia or a Description of the Multitude and sundry sorts of Christians in the world not subject to the Pope By Eph. Pagit Fol. These Six Treatises next following are written by Mr. George Swinnock 1. The Christian Man's Calling or a Treatise of making Religion ones business in Religious Duties Natural Actions his Particular Vocation his Family Directions and his own Recreation to be read in Families for their Instruction and Edification The first Part. 2. Likewise a second Part wherein Christians are directed to perform their Duties as Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants in the conditions of Prosperity and Adversity The second Part. 3. The third and last part of the Christian Man's Calling wherein the Christian is directed how to make Religion his business in his dealings with all Men in the Choice of his Companions in his carriage in good Company in bad Company in solitariness or when he is alone on a week day from morning to night in visiting the sick on a Dying-bed as also the means how a Christian may do this and some motives to it 4. The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration 5. Heaven and Hell Epitomized And the true Christian Characteriz'd 6. The Fading of the Flesh and the flourishing of Faith Or One cast for Eternity with the only way to throw it well All these by George Swinnock M. A. Quarto's A Learned Commentary on the fourth Chapter of the second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians to which is added First A Conference between Christ and Mary Second the Spiritual Man's Aim Third Emanuel or Miracle of Miracles By Richard Sibbs D. D. 4to An Exposition on the five first Chapters of Ezekiel with useful observations thereupon By Will. Greenhil 4to The Gospel-Covenant or the Covenant of Grace opened Preached in New-England By Peter Bulkley 4to Gods Holy Mind touching Matters Moral which himself uttered in ten words or ten Commandments Also an Exposition on the Lords Prayer By Edward Elton B. D. 4to Fiery Jesuite or an Historical Collection of the Rise Increase Doctrines and Deeds of the Jesuites Exposed to view for the sake of London 4to Horologiographia Optica Dialling Universal and Particular Speculative and Practical together with the Description of the Court of Arts by a new Method By Silvanus Morgan 4to Praxis Medicinae or the Physicians Practise wherein are contained all inward diseases from the head to the foot By Walter Bruel Regimen Sanitatis Salerni or the School of Salerns Regiment of Health containing Directions and Instructions for the guide and Government of Mans Life 4to Heart-Treasure Or a Treatise tending to fill and furnish the head and heart of every Christian with soul-inriching treasure of truths graces experiences and comforts to help him in Meditation Conference Religious Performances Spiritual Actions Enduring Afflictions and to fit him for all conditions that he may live holily dye happily and go to Heaven triumphantly By O. H. with an Epistle prefixed by John Chester Large Octavo Closet-prayer a Christians Duty The sure Mercies of David Both by the same Author The Conversion of a Sinner explained and applyed from Ezek. 33.11 The Day of Grace Discovered from Luke 19.41 42. Worthy walking pressed upon all those that have heard the Call of the Gospel All three by Nath. Vincent The Duty of Parents A Little Book for Little Children Method and Instruction for the Art of Divine Meditation All three by Thomas White The Childs delight together with an English Grammar By Tho. Lye The Life and Death of Dr. Sam. Winter The inseparable Union between Christ and a Beleever which death it self cannot sever or the Bond that can never be broken Opened in a Sermon at the Funeral of Mrs. Dorothy Freeborn By Tho. Peck An Antitode against Quakerisme By Stephen Scandret 4to A Glimpse of Eternity By A. Caley A practical Discourse of Prayer wherein is handled the Nature and Duty of Prayer By Tho. Cobbet Of Quenching the Spirit the evil of it in respect both of its causes and effects discovered By Theophilus Polwheile Wells of Salvation opened or Words whereby we may be saved With advise to young Men By Tho. Vincent The re-building of London encouraged and improved in several Meditations By Samuel Rolles The sure way to Salvation or a Treatise of the Saints Mystical Union with Christ wherein that great Mystery and Priviledge is opened in the nature properties and the necessities of it By R. Steedman M. A. The greatest Loss upon Matth. 16.26 By James Livesey Small Octavo Moses unvailed By William Guild The Protestants Triumph being an exact Answer to all the sophistical Arguments of Papists By Ch. Drelincourt A Defence against the fear of Death By Zach. Crofton Gods Soveraignty displayed By Will. Geering A sober Discourse concerning the interest of words in Prayer The Godly Mans Ark or City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moor's Evidences for Heaven By Edm. Calamy The Almost Christian discovered or the false Professor tryed and cast By Mr. Mead. Spiritual Wisdom improved against Temptation By Mr. Mead. 1. A Divine Cordial 2. The Doctrine of Repentance 3. Heaven taken by Storm 4. The Holy Eucharist or The Sacrament of the Lords Supper briefly opened 5. The mischief of Sin it brings a person Low All five by Tho. Watson The True bounds of Christian Freedom or a Discourse shewing the extents and restraints of Christian Liberty wherein the truth is settled many errours confuted out of John 8. verse 36. The Lords Day enlivened or a Treatise of the Sabbath By Philip Goodwin The sinfulness of Sin and the Fulness of Christ two Sermons By W. Bridge A serious Exhortation to a Holy Life By Tho. Wadsworth Comfortable Crumbs of Refreshment by Prayers Meditation Consolation and Ejaculations with a Confession of Faith and sum of the Bible Aurifodina Linguae Gallicae or the Golden Mine of the French Language opened By Edw. Costlin Gen. Four Centuries of Select Hymns collected out of Scripture By Will. Barton Sins Sinfulness By Ralph Venning Sober Singularity By R. Steedman The Parable of the great Supper By John Crump of Maidstone in Kent The Christians dayly Monitour By Joseph Church A Memento to young men and old By J. Maynard The History of Moderation or the Life Death Resurrection of Moderation None-such Wonder in Martha Taylors Life who hath been supported above a year without use of Meat or Drink FINIS
whom the discipline whom the spirit and example of their Master should have transformed into sheep and lambs that is into creatures without gall and void of asperity that they I say should be as much or more subject to the furies of this passion than men of the world bred up and fashioned in the school of vanity and error But however shameful this default be we are constrained by very evidence of things to acknowledge that it is plainly common among us There are housholds where this Demon of anger governs all at its pleasure incessantly troubling the concord of husband and wife the union of parents and children and the peace of masters and servants There is nothing done nothing said but in choler You would say of these houses that they are the fabled cavern of Eolus where the winds that are shut up in it are heard night and day roaring and tempesting There is no climate no sea no coast in all the earth where storms are greater or more ordinary For whereas natural tempests do happen but at some seasons of the year in these miserable houses no calm is ever seen and there needs but one petty action one word yea one look to raise storms of many daies continuance as they say of certain lakes in the mountains of Bearn that if one cast but a stone into them all the air about becomes turbid and is immediately fill'd with winds and clouds which soon break out into lightning and thunders and excessive rain Yea some there are whose passion is so violent that is cannot be kept within the enclosure of their houses It issues out at doors and without respect to the faces of them that pass by without apprehension of scandal audaciously shews it self in publick and acteth its tragedies in the presence of all the world Our angers will sometimes have even these sacred places for witnesses in which they are not ashamed to make themselves seen and to utter the greatest indignities and provocatious they can form before the eyes of this holy company in the sight of GOD and His Angels And though this passion hath alwaies had but too free course among us I must yet needs say My Brethren that quarels injuries blows batteries even to the shedding of blood were never seen so srequent as for a while of late O GOD how can it be that the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST which is so assiduously and so faithfully preach'd unto you should have so little force upon you should not only fail to plant in your souls that coelestial and angelical sanctity which it had to produce but be unable so much as to restrain your carriage within the bounds of some shamefac'dness and decency We are Christians and do things which honest men of the world which disciples of heathen Philosophy would not have done If they have not more holiness than we sure they have at least more discretion But I forbear complaints Dear Brethren though in truth if there be any subject wherein grief and emotion and anger it self may be permitted without doubt it might in this Come we to the thing it self and condemning each of us for his own particular the faults into which anger hath heretofore transported us amend for the future and studiously apply our selves to cure our souls of this passion Let us give our souls no rest untill we have purged our hearts of the gall that 's in them and tempered and seasoned them with the sweetness and gentleness of our LORD and Saviour When we perceive in our selves or in our children some distemper of the liver apt to breed diseases or but some ill habitude a bending or other action of body contrary to the decency of conversation we do our utmost to correct it and there is nothing but we submit to for the attaining of our end Would to GOD we were as careful to cure inclinations and passions contrary to an heavenly life I durst say that we should not spend three moneths in such diligences but we should if not wholly mortifie at least very much mitigate and tame this fierce and cruel choler which causeth so many mischiefs in the Church and in the world Though there were nothing but the Apostle's prohibition which so expresly ordereth us to quit and put off all the kinds of wrath this alone might suffice to give us an abhorrence of it But the ugliness and venome of the thing it self if we consider the same ever so little will clearly justifie this holy man's injunction and force us to confess that though he had said nothing of it our own interest would oblige us to do of our own accord what he enjoyns us For behold I pray what spoil this passion makes in the souls and in the bodies and in the whole nature of those poor men whom it seizeth on First at the entrance it perturbeth their judgement and extinguisheth the light of their understanding and spreading its poisonous vapours through all the faculties of their mind leaves them no clear sight of any thing In this agitation they conceive nothing but â—â—th perturbation and see nothing but under strange colours They no longer discern a friend from an enemie they forget respect they lose modesty and shame It 's no longer reason that guides them but rage and impetuousness thrust them on and carry them headlong They are no longer men Choler hath transform'd them into beasts or devils The very heathen well observ'd it saying as we still read in their books that this passion is a short madnesse that it differs from madnesse in nothing but that is it is of less duration And the Holy Ghost makes the same judgement of it when he pronounceth in Ecclesiastes that anger resteth in the bosome of fools Eccl. 7.9 and else-where He puts among the marks of a prudent discreet man Prov. 12.16 that He restrains his wrath and as he expresseth it covereth his ignominy justly calling the follies and extravagancies which this passion makes us commit our ignominie For it stops not at that disorder which it creates within us It soon breaks out and discovers its horridnesse For that blood which it hath heated and made to boil about our hearts rushing forth to the external parts gives a new tincture to the countenance and defacing its natural and ordinary form and covering it as we may say with a strange and hideous mask shews it us quite different from what it was before The man hath no longer his ordinary eyes He hath others of fire and of flame a look wild and furious a visage of an hundred colours sometimes red blue or violet sometimes pale and wan according to the divers notions of his fury His veins swell the storm within driving into them with violence an huge quantity of blood and spirits His voice becomes rough and loseth its natural tone His speech is confus'd and inarticulate rushing forth all at once without order and without distinction He biteth his lips he grinds his
Master would forgive his fellow nothing is much more detestable than if his Master had shew'd such kindness only to some other man Nor doth the Lord omit the noting of that circumstance expresly to him Mat. 18.32 33. Wicked servant saith he to him I quitted thee all that debt oughtest not thou also to have had pity on thy sellow servant as I had pity on thee Judge then what an hell our obdurateness will deserve if we having experienced in our own persons the wonderful goodness of our LORD and Saviour mercifully forgiving us our faults have hearts so refractory and so cruel as to refuse to forgive our Brethren He is our Master and our GOD and we are but his servants and his vassals or to say better we were his enemies his fugitives and his rebels And notwithstanding all this he forbore not to receive us to grace Our faults were infinite for number and extreamly hainous and criminal as which being committed against GOD deserv'd eternal punishment yet this hindred him not from pardoning them all Think if now our pride be not altogether intollerable who being neither Gods nor Kings nor Rulers but poor worms of the earth and brands pluckt out of Hell by the sole clemency of our GOD have yet the stoutness to deny not our vassals or our servants but our neighbours our Brethren the domesticks and children of our common Master the pardon not of many faults but of one or two only not of such as are grievous but of slight ones not of capital ones but such as are remissible yea sometimes rather pretended than real Add hereto in fine that as for the LORD JESUS no one pray'd him to forgive us there was nothing but his own goodness alone that induc'd him to do us this grace Whereas both He and his Father and his Spirit do exhort us and command us to forgive our Brethren and this too with promise to render us for ever happy if we do it and threatning to condemn us to eternal fire if we fail of it Thus you see how proper this example of our LORD is for the Apostle's purpose and design But observe yet in passing that the comparison he makes between our duty in this behalf and the grace of JESUS CHRIST towards us doth evidently infer that the pardon of our sins which the LORD gives us is pure and simple and without reservation of those temporal punishments and satisfactions which they of Rome pretend he doth exact of them after he hath remitted them their faults For as to us it 's clear that as often as our Brother repents of having offended us we ought to forgive him according to the command of CHRIST and he would be a mocker and impious who would not remit him his fault but on condition that he were for some while punish'd for it in a fire Since then the Apostle willeth that we forgive our Brethren as JESUS CHRIST forgiveth us who seeth not that this unheard of rigour hath much less place in the grace we receive from our LORD than in that we do our Brethren by forgiving them when they have offended us This my beloved Brethren is what we had to say to you for exposition of this Exhortation of the Apostle's Would to GOD the practise of it were as common among us as the understanding of it is easie and the justness of it evident But we know well what he requireth of us and are not ignorant that it is our Masters will neither can we deny but that it is most reasonable and yet we do it not He commands us mercy and kindness and nothing is more rare among us They are as little to be seen here as in the societies of the World We have for the most part little or no resentment of the miseries of our neighbours For if we were touched with a true compassion for them we should visit them in their ficknesses we should succour them in their necessities we should asswage their griefs at least our tears would declare the part we take in their troubles whereas we do well-nigh all of us the contrary We shun meeting the afilicted as if misery were a contagious malady and to colour our hard-heartedness we feign that they are wicked and have verily deserv'd the evil that they suffer We insult over their unhappiness so far are we from alleviating it and instead of oyl and balm we pour vinegar into their wounds not considering that by adding calumny to rigour we do not justifie but redouble our cruelty For though it were so that the afflicted had been worse than you represent him doth it follow that you ought not to have pity on him Do you owe compassion to none but the innocent Good LORD what would become of us if GOD and men should so deal with us For who of us is not culpable You that reproach the poor afflicted unseasonably with their faults in conscience are you pure and without reproach before God If you look narrowly into it you will see that if you be not miserable 't is not for that you have not deserved it as well as any other but for that GOD spares you or reserves you perhaps for some harsher chastisement But it is uncertain too whether the person whom you treat so ill be afflicted for the faults you accuse him of or no For seeing the impenetrable depth of the judgments of GOD no man can know of a truth how the case is and in the uncertainty we are it is best to carry our selves wisely towards the man and to judge moderately of his affliction After all the LORD hath not made you Inquisitor or Judge of your Brethren that you should pity none but those whose innocency you should justifie He reserves the examen of them to himself and the authority to make it For your part who are an infirm man as others be he gives you order only to consider whether your neighbours and especially your brethren be afflicted and if they be to have pity on them to seel their evils as sensibly as they themselves and after this first drâ—â—ling by compassion to follow the curing of their miseries with a gentle hand liberally imparting to them your alms if they be necessitous your instructions if they be ignorant your credit and assistances if they be oppressed and in sine your succour if they need it But as we have little or no resentment of the affairs of others so have we too much for our own Our private interest swalloweth up all the thoughts and affections we have We are sollicitous for none but our selves and those hearts of ours which see our Brethren pine away and languish and dye without sheeding so much as one tear cannot endure the least prick in our own skin without perturbation and being pierced through with grief This delicateness makes us unable to bear any thing The heaviness the simplicity the least defect we see in our people about us or in our
dignity of them the union of Husband and Wife is the most excellent and that upon which the others do depend or if you regard their rise Man was an Husband before a Father or a Master GOD gave Adam a Wife before He gave him Children or Servants Now though in this prime union the Husband possesseth the first place yet the Apostle beginneth at the Wife and doth the like in the two following orders instructing Children before Fathers and Servants before Masters either for that the subjection to which Wives and Children and Servants are obliged is more difficult and displeasing to our nature than the love and government of Husbands and Fathers and Masters is or for that the subjection of the one is the foundation upon which the others good government doth depend We will handle at the present no more but the lesson which he gives to Wives and Husbands contained in the Text that you have heard reserving that which concerns Children and Fathers Servants and Masters to another time The Wife's lesson is for words short but for sense of great weight and large extent Wives saith the Apostle to them be subject to your own Husbands as is meet in the LORD In which words first he commands Married women that subjection which they owe to their own Husbands and next shews them the manner of that subjection as is meet in the LORD As for subjection it 's an order that GOD hath established generally in all things which constitute any kind of body whether it be in nature or in either Angelical or humane society that some should depend on others Thus you see in plants the other parts depend upon the root and in animals upon the heart and they all upon the soul that makes them live Among men there 's no estate without a superiour that governs and inferiours that are governed In the composition of the world it self as it is one total you know that earthly things depend upon the heavens it 's they that govern all the rest neither is there any union or any body or natural compacted frame in the whole universe all whose parts are entirely equal GOD whose wisdome is infinite hath so ordered it for the benefit of things themselves those that are feeble and imperfect finding their perfection in the conduct of such as are more perfect and the more perfect reaping commodity and dignity from the subjection of those that are less This induced the Apostle to say in another place that GOD is not a GOD of confusion or of disorder but of peace Whence followeth that to resist subjection when persons are called to it is a thwarting of His will and a perturbing of His order a mark also not of fortitude and courage but of folly and malignity to oppose it conform to that which experience taught the Heathen themselves to observe even that good men are easie to be governed and that those that most unwillingly endure a superior are alwaies such as have least worth It having therefore pleased GOD according to this general disposition of His wisdom that in marriage man should be the head it 's with good reason that the Apostle exhortâ—th married women to be subject That word compriseth all the duty of the condition to which GOD calleth them and therefore the Holy Spirit useth it almost alwaies in this matter as in the Epistle to the Ephesians Eph. 5.22 Tit. 2.5 where these self-same terms occur and in the Epistle to Titus That saith he they be discreet chaste keepers at home good subject to their own husbands 1 Pet. 3.1 and in the first Epistle of St. Peter Ye wives saith he be in subjection to your own husbands I know well the expression doth displease our nature which in the corruption that sin hath brought upon it hateth all even the most lawful subjection And perhaps it is upon this accont that the Apostles have so often recommended it to Christian women that they might instruct them to combat this sentiment of our depraved nature and submit themselves unto GOD's order But certainly setting aside the word and the disorders which our sin doth sow in every condition there is no harshness in this conjugal subjection there 's nothing in it but is sweet and beneficial and advantageous both to the wife her self and also the whole family For it 's an error to think that all subjection is hard and vexatious That which the body oweth to the soul and the members to the head that which the air and earth do render to the heavens hath nothing of constraint nothing shameful in it on the contrary 't is in it that the glory of the body and the members and the elements does consist Among the Angels themselves whose being is full of perfection and of glory there wanteth not some kind of subjection the inferior Angels having dependance upon their chiefs And in the terrestrial Paradise if sin had not banished us thence amid the delights and perfections of an happy state the wise would not have been exempt from being subject to her husband an evident sign that this subjection is not incompatible either with her felicity or with her glory and that all the bitterness now found in it comes not from the thing it self but from sin which hath altered it as it hath all the other parts of our life and nature For in reality what does this subjection signifie but a just and rational a sweet and amiable dependance of the wife upon the husband like that of the body upon its head or upon its soul Of this subjection the first part which is as the root and stock of all the rest is a sentiâ—ent and disposition of heart when the wife acknowledgeth in her soul that the husband GOD hath given her is her head and as the wise man saith her guide who in the due order of their life ought to have the first place and that she is inferior to him since she is his wife whatever advantage she hath other-waies above him be it in wealth or in nobility yea even in prudence and abilites of spirit If she hath once setled this holy and respectful perswasion in her heart she will no more find ought of harshness or difficulty in all that subjection which she oweth her husband This sentiment alone is sufficient to form her unto it and bow without any violence all the actions of her life that way And it 's this in my opinion Eph. 5.33 that the Apostle meaneth when he saith else where that the wise should reverence her husband 1 Pet. 3.6 Such was the sentiment of Sarah whom St. Peter proposeth unto Christian women for a pattern of their demeanor She called Abraham her Lord as that Apostle doth expresâ—y note declaring by such respectful language in what esteem she had her husband and that she held him for her superior for the guide and governour of her life After this reverence the wives subjection comprehendeth also
is not worthy of me he cannot be my Disciple Saving this just and reasonable exception children owe their fathers that obedience in all things which the Apostle here enjoyns them And first in those which are of themseves good and holy and conform to the Divine will beside that the Law of GOD obligeth us all to them the command of a Father doth moreover oblige anew his children and if they fail in it beside the crime they thereby commit against GOD they commit another against paternal authority which shall be charged on them and punished apart as a different sin and worthy of its particular penalty Secondly the child again owes obedience in medial and indifferent things that is things which are morally neither good nor evil the extent whereof is very great Though such things be free of their own nature yet they are so no more unto a child after the father's order His command draws them forth of that indifferency in which they lay and renders them necessary in reference to him And here must no self-flattery take place I wish and it is their duty as we shall hear anon that Fathers would command nothing but what is humane and equitable yet if they forget themselves and pass these bounds how harsh and troublesome soever their commands be obey'd they must be if they contain in them nothing impious or contrary to the Divine Law according to the express order that S. Peter giveth Servants to be subject to their Masters not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward The reason for children in reference to their fathers is the same in this behalf with that for servants in reference to their Masters You see then Beloved Brethren the just extent of all those things in which the Apostle would have children obey their Parents Whence appears how unrighteous and dangerous and contrary to the Word of GOD the Doctrine of those of Rome is who enfranchise all Christian children from this paternal authority and power daughters at twelve and sons at fourteen giving them liberty at these so green years of age to go from their parents house will they nill they and retire from under their obedience into the cloysters of their monasteries where they have erected an assured sanctuary and an inviolable safegard for the rebellion of children against their fathers and their mothers There under the umbrage of a false devotion they entertain children in idleness and foment their impiety tyrannically giving them a dispensation for that obedience and those just succours which by all the laws of GOD and men they owe to the sacred persons of those who gave them being in the world The father demands of 'em the assistances and consolations which he promised himself from them He sheweth them his gray hairs and his limbs trembling through age he conjures them by the life he gave them and by the cares he took to breed them up He summons them to render him the just rewards of his pains and not to despise the tears and treaties of a person to whom they are obliged for their life The mother all in mourning presents them the paps that nursed them and sets before their eyes the tenderness of her affection and all the tyes of nature And they both together adjourn them before GOD that they may see themselves condemned at His dreadful tribunal to pay the honour which they owe them What say our adversaries hereupon They say that children ought to look upon their fathers and their mothers without emotion That neither their words nor their weeping should make any impression upon them That if they cannot enter into the monastery otherwaies than treading their bodies under foot they ought to have no horrour at all at so unnatural an action That it is piety to be cruel and insensible on such an occasion They say the monastick vow hath broken all the bonds of filial subjection and that the child who hath made it does no longer owe any thing to father or mother that he is dead to them and they have no more power over him no more than if he were out of the world Oh unrighteous and cruel and unnatural doctrine How could these men more plainly contradict the holy Apostle The Apostle saith Children obey your parents in all things for this is pleasing to the LORD And these Masters say Children obey them not in all things if they forbid you to be Monks scorn their Order It they command you to abide with them be gone against their will For you would do a thing displeasing to the LORD if you did not disobey them Neither let them alledge us here that they are now grown up If they cease to be children by attaining unto twelve or fourteen years I will acknowledge that they are no longer subject to their parents But if they must confess that no age does devest them of this quality it must be acknowledged that neither does any give them a dispensation for obedience since the Apostle commands it to all such as are children They excuse themselves upon the account of devotion This would pass if the father called his child unto impiety or commanded him to deny JESUS CHRIST or to serve idols But this father and this mother who would keep their child at home are Christians as well as Monks are and their house makes a part of JESUS CHRIST's as well as the Cloyster where he is kept in The obedience they demand of him is a duty commanded by the Law of GOD and very far from being contrary thereto I urge not at present that the vows by which he is pretended to be bound are contrary to the word of GOD as particularly that of mendicancy are rash as that of never marrying are injurious to the LORD as that of the blind and absolute obedience which they promise to a mortal man Let them go for permitted Certainly at least are they not necessary and themselves as great admirers of them as they are do confess I take it that one may serve GOD and obtain His kingdom without the precinct of a monastery and that neither beggery nor single lite nor the frock are things absolutely necessary to salvation There is neither place where one may not serve JESUS CHRIST in spirit and in truth nor habit but is compatible with piety Now the child ought to obey his father in all that GOD hath not prohibited Since then He hath not prohibited the living abroad out of the houses and habit of Benedict of Francis of Loyola and such other institutors of monastick life every child is necessarily obliged not to enter into them when his father forbids it him But you will say what if he hath made a vow to enter If he hath he hath done ill against the dues of piety and charity and such vows if it be an error to make them it is blindness and obduration to keep them The first and most inviolable of our vows is that which binds
their duty The command of obedience is expressed in these words Servants obey in all things them that are your Masters according to the flesh The very names which he makes use of do shew the justice of the duty which he gives them in charge For since they are servants and those whom they serve are their masters it 's evident that they are obliged by the reason and nature of the things themselves to render them exact and faithful obedience But his saying of Masters that they are their masters according to the flesh doth mitigate the rigour and the meanness of servitude limiting the power of masters and superiors and extending it no further than unto temporal and corporeal things not unto the soul and conscience Man may be master of our flesh GOD alone is LORD over our Spirits Whatever be the subjection of our bodies we have still our souls free and dependant on none but GOD their Creator who alone hath the power as well as the right to do them good or evil as our LORD and Saviour remonstrates unto us Fear not them saith He that kill the body Matt. 10.28 and cannot kill the soul but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell It is with this distinction that we are to take the obedience which the Apostle recommends unto servants in all things his meaning is in all things that lye within the Master's power and do purely and singly refer unto the flesh not reflecting on or touching the interests of the spirit For if our master according to the flesh command us things contrary to the will of our Master according to the spirit that is of GOD in this case it is evident that we ought to obey GOD rather than man and that if we owe much and in some sense even all things unto men yet we owe them nothing to the prejudice of GOD and that there is nothing but we should suffer rather than fail of that first and eternal servitude we owe to our Creator and Redeemer This holy doctrine of the Apostle's sheweth us first that the LORD JESUS CHRIST doth not at all disturb the order of humane societies He leaves to every one in them the just rights they are possessed of unto persons or things He subjecteth us unto Himself and unto GOD His Father but without doing wrong unto Caesar or any of the lawful powers that govern either Estates or Families He intends that all His should render to them what they owe them He destroys but the treacheries and tyrannie of sin and Satan Herod dread not His coming He will neither pull your Scepter out of your hand nor diminish in any thing the rights of your Crown His design is to give you Heaven not to out you of the earth to enfranchise you from the slavery of vices and not to deprive you of the service of your subjects Whence appears how unjust and scandalous the pretention of those is who under the ombrage of Gospel-liberty would abolish all dominion and soveraignty among Christians accounting it incompatible with the state of grace and their 's no less who subject even in respect of temporals all that are Christians not the greatest Monarchs excepted to one mortal man making their Crowns to depend upon his will and giving him authority to depose them and to loose their subjects from the yoke of their obedience dogmatizing too by the same means that a Christian Prince who falleth into heresie loseth the right he had over his people Can there a thing be said more pernicious or more contrary to the Apostle who would not that Paganism it self a matter worse than heresie should make Masters and Superiors lose any of the lawful rights they have over their Christian slaves Secondly the Apostle's limiting the authority and power of masters over their slaves in things of the flesh naming them their masters according to the flesh doth shew us that there is none but GOD alone who is our Master according to the spirit whence it follows that such as under any pretext whatever do peremptorily invade the Lordly ruling of our souls do grievously erre and usurp a thing which belongs to none but GOD an attentat which those of Rome are evidently guilty of in that they put the consciences of all Christians in subjection to their Pope and Council whereas the holy Apostles do expresly declare that they have no dominion over our faith 1 Cor. 1.19 1 Pet. 5.2 and advertise all the Ministers of CHRIST to feed the flock committed to them not as being Lords over GOD's heritage but so as they may be a pattern to them But I return unto St. Paul who having in general injoyned servants that obedience which they owe their masters according to the flesh in all things doth adjoyn the manner after which he would have 'em to obey them not serving to the eye saith he as bent to please men but in simplicity of heart fearing GOD. He first purgeth the carriage of Christian servants of a vice very ordinary with persons of that quality namely serving only to the eye because they have no other design but to content men They do not think themselves obliged by reasons of conscience but only by those of their own interest to do their masters any duty or service And so they serve them no further than they judge necessary for the exempting themselves from that chastisement which they should incurr if they failed to obey or for their procuring some recompence by winning their favour They respect nothing but this in all the obedience they render them Whence it comes that when they see their master present they play the good husbands as we say and labour at their work with most officious diligence and care But if he turn his back they return unto their nature caring for nothing less than for his service like that evil servant in the parable who seeing that his master delaid to come betook himself to his debauches and fell an outraging his Lord's houshold and wasting his goods All these peoples servitude is but a Comedy And as Players put on their disguise and act their parts when there is an assembly of spectators so these do not their duty but when their master looketh on And if they thought they could deceive his eyes and knowledge or avoid his correcting them or save their salary they would surely never take the pain to do ought of what he hath commanded them It 's this fallacious and truly servile disposition of heart which the Apostle here forbids to Christian servants when he says they should not serve to the eye as aiming only to please men But instead of this he would have them serve in singleness of heart fearing GOD that is sincerely without fraud or feigning and having more respect to GOD than men To that eye-service he had mentioned he opposeth singleness of heart and to the pleasing of men the fearing of GOD. The
that is a retribution and a prize to the end he might raise our hearts unto this sublime hope and incite us thereby to labour chearfully for the receiving of so rich a recompence For as prizes are not given but to those that have laboured and striven so this life of GOD is not prepared but for those that shall in their vocation have fought a good fight and kept the faith and duly finished their course And as the Prince promiseth a Souldier honour and the Master a work-man wages and the one do perform if the others discharge their duty so the LORD promiseth us His kingdom and will according to His faithfulnesse assuredly give it to every one that doth believe and persevere Lo wherefore the holy Apostle calls that blessed life we hope for a reward or guerdon But lest this term should cause us to presume of some merit in our labours he pertinently adds another name to cure us of that error and calls the same reward an inheritance For an inheritance as all know comes not by merit but by another different title even because one is a child of the Family Expect then Faithful souls this Divine retribution not from the dignity or merit of your works but from the bounty and munificence of GOD who having freely adopted you into the number of His children will give you part in this eternal inheritance to which neither you nor any mortal man had naturally any right at all It is His grace and His faithfulness and His promise that conferrs upon you all the share you have in it And His goodness and word being immutable you ought to expect it with as much assurance as if you merited it though you acknowledge that you never can But because it might seem strange that the Apostle should promise Christians the reward of the inheritance of the LORD for services done to men he repeats what he had intimated afore namely that to speak properly it 's JESUS CHRIST they serve and not men For saith he you serve the LORD CHRIST It is true this Soveraign LORD is in Heaven in perfect glory and hath no need of our services much less of such as slaves and mercenaries do their Masters But such is His goodness that He allows us all that as done to His own person which we do to men according to His command and for His sake Thus He assureth us in the Gospel that it is to Him we give all the alms the visits and assistances wherewith we gratifie the least of His servants in His Name Mat. 25.40 You have done it unto Me saith He in that you have done it to one of the least of these All the duties of that obedience which He commands us are of the same nature in this behalf Doing them unto men we do them unto JESUS CHRIST who hath commanded them therefore it 's also unto Him that the least and lowest services do pertain which men perform to the Masters unto whom the order of His Providence hath put them in subjection which they perform I say because of Him or for His sake so that He being infinitely good and liberal they ought to attend assuredly that precious recompence which He promiseth those that serve Him But if so high and glorious an hope be not sufficient to affect us and sway us to that willing obedience which He requireth of us let us regard at least the penalty He denounceth in case we fail of our duty It 's this the Apostle sets here before the eyes of Christian servants when after proposal of the reward of the heavenly inheritance to such as discharge their duty he addeth But he that doth unjustly shall receive what he hath unjustly done and there is no regard to the shew of persons It 's a general sentence reaching all men of whatever condition they be servants or masters men or women poor or rich Whoever doth another wrong either by positive outrage or by not rendring what he owes him according to the laws of the Gospel shall receive at the hand of the supreme Judge what he hath unjustly done that is be payed for his fault and punished with a penalty exactly proportioned to their crime Nor should any one perswade himself either that the miserableness of his condition will move the Judge to pity him or that the splendor and grandeur of his quality will blind His eyes and so conceit the possibility of an escape In this Divine judgement no regard saith the Apostle is had to the look or outside of men GOD will weigh your cause alone not consider your person And as He will not take notice of the rich or the mighty not of Lords or Monarchs so as to spare them if they have lived in the practice of unrighteousness and violence so neither will He regard the poverty or meanness of the lowest as to exempt them from the punishments which their unjustness or infidelity deserveth but as He sometime commanded the Judges of Israel Lev. 19.15 He will judge justly not honouring the countenance of the potent nor respecting the person of the poor Whence it follows that servants which rob their masters or serve them not as they ought shall surely suffer for their injustice since granting that men do let their wickedness pass unchastised yet the supreme Judge of the World will not fail to call them to their tryal one day and bring to publick light the infidelities the theeveries and acts of disobedience which they think they have hid safe enough in the dark of their deceits and condemn them to the just torments they have merited by violating the sacred orders He hath made for humane society and doing that to others which they would not any should do to them Such is Brethren the Apostle's instruction to servants Let us now peruse what he prescribes to Masters Masters saith he render to your servants right and equity knowing that you also have a Master in Heaven First he gives them in charge their duty Secondly sets before them an excellent reason to sway them to it Their duty is to render right and equity to their servants It may not be imagined that the power of Masters over their servants is unlimited A mutual justice there is between them which obligeth them each to other reciprocally and either of them that trespasseth against the rules thereof is faulty And as it is just that servants should obey and be subject so is it likewise just that Masters should be of good conduct and give meet entertainment It 's this the Apostle means by that right which he chargeth them to render to their servants It compriseth work maintenance correction and wages So that Masters are obliged for the right discharging of this duty towards them to carry themselves in these four points with all prudence and equity giving them a reasonable task to do sufficient food moderate chastisement and a meet salary They that do otherwise and transgress in these things
at which you shall be examined will have no more complacency for you then for them That LORD whom you see over you is their Creatour and Redeemer as well as yours He hath put them under you but to govern them not to tyrannize over them to have care of them as his creatures and children not to tread them under foot as worms Remember He will treat you as ye shall have treated them You are his servants as they are yours or to say better they are your brethren and ye are not worthy to be so much as His Vassals You and they are one and the same flesh that came out of the earth and unto earth shall return but neither they nor you have any thing in common with GOD. He is in the Heavens and you crawl in the dirt He is the King of Glory and ye are but dust and ashes Yet such is His goodness that notwithstanding this infinite inequality He hath not disdained your nothingness He hath pardoned you your sins He hath washed you in the bloud of his Son He hath forgiven you all your debts He hath communicated to you His divine nature Respect His graces and have no less gentleness and goodness for your own flesh and bloud then this Soveraign LORD hath had for you who were His enemies With what face will you beg mercy of Him if ye be inexorable to your people How can you hope for the grace of your Master if you have none for your Servants I beseech you both have these holy thoughts night and day fore your eyes to the end you may faithfully discharge those mutual duties which the Apostle enjoyns you the one subjection and obedience the others justice and equity both of you living in such an holy correspondence as that the loyalty the respect the humility the submission and the diligence of servants may go in conjunction with the gentleness the gravity the liberality and benevolence of Masters If ye so do you will be happy the families where you live together in this manner will become the wonder of the earth and the honour of the Church The blessing of Heaven will fall continually on them and besides the contentment and repose which this kind of life will give you abundantly for the present it will also bring you hereafter into the possession of the heavenly inheritance But Dear Brethren it is not enough that those Masters and Servants to whom St. Paul particularly speaks do make their profit of his instructions We all have in them what to learn of whatever quality and condition we be For since he would have servants render so exact and so frank an obedience to their Masters according to the flesh judge ye what kind of obedience we owe to that Highest LORD whom we all have in Heaven The Master according to the flesh gave not his servant the being he hath and if he redeemed him he redeemed but his flesh and that at the price of a sum of money only Ours did make us and it 's by His liberality alone that we hold all the being life and motion that we have Nor hath He only created us He hath also redeemed the whole of us our soul and body flesh and spirit not with silver and gold which are corruptible things but with His own precious bloud having voluntarily sacrific'd His life to preserve us from death and give us an happy immortality Never Master had so much right to command His servants as He hath in reference to us Let us obey Him then in all things without reservation and consecrate this whole life of ours to His service the whole whereof we have once and again received from His grace Neither is it with this LORD as with Masters according to the flesh These oftentimes command things unjust or unhonest things contrary to our salvation which we cannot do without destroying our selves He commands us nothing but what is just what is honest and reasonable what is worthy both of Himself and of us Wherefore the most abject bond-bond-servant owes his Master but a limited obedience whereas we owe ours such as is absolute and infinite His yoke is easie and His burthen light He demands no other thing of us but that we love Him and our brethren for His sake that we live honestly and holily that is be happy O ingrateful and execrable creatures that we are if we deny a Master to whom we owe so much so just and so reasonable so beneficial and so blessed an obedience Again judge ye Faithful if the bond-bond-servant ought to obey his Master in singleness of heart with courage and affection as the Apostle says with what ardour promtitude and devotion should we serve ours who is not only allmighty and all-wise but also goodness love clemency and beneficence it self Then as for the bond-man though he ought to serve his Master at all times and in every place yet his Master sees him not always whereas we are ever under the eye of ours He hath a full view of us sees us within and without nor can we hide our selves in any place where He is not present We cannot speak a word nor form the least thought in the secret of our hearts but He 's a witness of it knows the whole assoon as our selves Now sure there is no slave so sottish and shameless but the Master's eye will keep in order and compel unto obedience It such a one be idle or exorbitant he is not so but in the other's absence Since then we have ours alway present what remaineth but that we be never idle that we employ all our time in His service bearing respect to His Divine eye that looketh on us and is over us both day and night Again even when the serving of a man is in question the Apostle would have the slave not serve to please the man meerly so great an integrity and probity doth he require in all our performances Judge then how much more holy and how much more pure from all interest that obedience should be which we render to the LORD JESUS GOD blessed for ever Undoubtedly they that serve Him to please men to gain their esteem and acquire a reputation for sanctity among them or to draw thence any other profit they I say beside their being ridiculous and vain do commit also an huge and an inexcusable sacriledge profaning the Name of GOD and the sacred acts of religion Matt. 6.2 and most unrighteously abusing them for worldly ends Such are those hypocrites that fast and pray and hear the word of GOD and celebrate His Sacraments and give alms to be seen and had in honour that in short serve not GOD but to please men They saith CHRIST have their wages They are paid they have nothing more to look for at GOD's hands For such vain and deceitful service they shall have no other reward but that vain and deceitful breath which they have coveted and sottishly preferred to the glory of
so as it is declared in the Gospel not in Error and in Fictions and Lies as in false Religions nor in shadow and in figure as in the Law of Moses but nakedly and simply as it is in it self Of these three Expositions all good and convenient the First is to the praise of the Colossians the Second to that of Epaphras their Pastor and the third to the praise of the Gospel it self But as to Epaphras he speaks of Him by name in the two last Verses of this Text which make the second part of it And to commend Him to the Colossians and win him their hearts and respect He gives an excellent testimony of his fidelity his candour and his goodness As also saith he you have learned of Epaphras our dear fellow-servant who is a faithful Minister of CHRIST for you who also hath declared unto us your charity which you have in the Spirit This holy Apostle knew how much it concerneth Churches for their edification to have a good opinion of their Pastors and with what artifices the enemy laboureth ordinarily to decry the faithful servants of GOD and ruine their reputation among their flocks therefore it is that he here exalteth Epaphras as his piety deserved and to take out of the Colossians all suspicion against the purity of his teachings advertiseth them expresly that the doctrine they had learned of him was in truth the same Gospel of which he had spoken And from this great care the Apostle hath of Epaphras's reputation the Ministers of the LORD should learn to set themselves the best they can in the Spirit of their people abstaining not from evil only but also from its appearances and whatsoever might make them to be suspected of it It is not enough to approve the goodness of our life to our own conscience We must also if it may be content the judgement of our neighbours Innocence is necessary for our selves and reputation for others And since it serves to edifie them we are evidently obliged to preserve not our own only but also the reputation of our fellow-brethren whom GOD hath setled in the same charge for if we bite and rend one another who sees not but the particular reproach of each one will be the common infamy and ruine of us all But since the reputation of Pastors is a publick good which tendeth to the edification of the whole Church you see again that each faithful person oweth it a particular respect and that the crime of those who violate it unjustly is a kind of Sacriledge It 's a robbing of the Church and stealing from it it 's edification to black by calumny and detractions the life and doctrine of them that serve it or to expose them to laughter and contempt by scoffings and revilings But to return to Epaphras the Apostle crowneth him with two or three excellent Elogies First He calleth him his dear fellow-servant Admire I beseech you the candour and the goodness the humility and the modesty of this holy man His candor for whereas ordinarily there 's jealousie between persons of the same faculty St. Paul contrarily acknowledgeth and exalteth the Gifts and Vertue of this servant of GOD. His goodness for He tenderly loves Him as every where else He plainly sheweth that of all men there were none he more affected than the faithful Ministers of the Gospel His humility lastly in that being raised on the Throne of the Apostolick dignity the highest in the Church he maketh Epaphras as one may say to sit there with Him owning Him for His fellow Next He termeth Him a Minister of CHRIST It was much to be fellow-servant with St. Paul but it is much more to be the Minister of CHRIST the LORD of glory the Head of the Church the Soveraign Monarch of Men and Angels Judge with what reason some of our adversaries mock at the title we assume qualifying our selves Ministers of CHRIST or of His Gospel since it is the word that the Apostle useth here expresly to signifie that holy charge which GOD hath called us unto But He doth not term Epaphras simply a Minister of CHRIST He saith moreover that He is a faithful Minister the quality of Minister was common to him with many others the praise of faithfulness with few 'T is all that the Apostle did require in a good Steward of the House of GOD. 1 Cor. 4.1 2. Let each one hold us saith he for Ministers of CHRIST and Stewards of the mysteries of GOD. Moreover it is required in Stewards that each one be found faithful To have the praise thereof the Minister of the LORD must First Seek the glory of his Master and not his own and Secondly Keep close to His Orders without hiding from or envying to His Sheep any of the things committed to him for their edification without setting before them ought of His own invention beyond or against the will of the chief Shepheard But though all these good qualities greatly recommended Epaphras to the Colossians He addeth yet another which no less than the rest obliged them tenderly to love and cherish him namely that He employed the Master's talents to their edification He is saith he a faithful Minister of CHRIST for you They ought therefore to love him both for the dignity of his Office and for the profit that came in to them thereby For though we be obliged to love and respect all the faithful servants of GOD in general yet there is no doubt but we owe a particular affection and reverence to those who peculiarly consecrate their Ministry to our edification In fine the Apostle tells them that this holy servant of GOD had advertised Him of the pure and spiritual love they bore Him He hath declared to us saith he that is both to Him and to Timothy your charity which you have in Spirit I count that by charity he meaneth here not in general the Christian Vertue which we ordinarily call by this name for of the Charity of the Colossians so understood he had already spoken in the fourth Verse but the affection these faithful people had for St. Paul And He calleth it a Charity or Love in Spirit that is spiritual because it was founded upon the Spirit and not upon the flesh upon the interests of Heaven and not of Earth And here consider I beseech you how dextrous and industrious Epaphras was to knit spiritual friendships The Colossians had never seen St. Paul 't is he without doubt that had recounted to them the excellent vertue and piety of this great man and by this means enkindled in their souls that holy and spiritual charity they had for Him And see again how by the relation he makes to the Apostle of the love these believers bore Him He possesseth His soul with a reciprocal affection towards them O holy and blessed tongue that sowest nothing in the hearts of the faithful but charity and love how far now-adayes from thy candour and sincere goodness
elected and imploy'd to compass it or the love of the Son who for our welfare spared not his own blood Sinner approach the Throne of GOD with boldness He is no longer environed with flames and Lightning flashes He is full of grace and clemency Fear not His indignation or His severity Peace is made Your Rebellions are expiated your sins are purged GOD requires nothing of you but Faith and Repentance His Justice is contented and doubt not but the satisfaction it hath received is sufficient He that made it for you is the Well-beloved of the Father the Lord of glory in whom all fulness dwelleth You will find abundantly in Him all the good things that are necessary for your felicity the light of wisdom to dissipate your darkness and illuminate your understandings unto a perfect knowledge of Divine things a righteousness most compleat and of proof every way to justifie and exempt you from the Curse of the Law and to open the entrance of the Tribunal of GOD to you A most efficacious Sanctification to mortifie the lusts of your flesh and fill you with Charity Honesty and Purity And a most plentiful Redemption to deliver you from death and from all the evils that have connexion with it and put you in Eternal possession of Immortality Make your advantage of this Divine Well of Life Give no ear to them that call you any otherwhere You are happy enough if you possess the LORD JESUS He is the only Prince of Salvation the Way the Truth and the Life And as for Creatures whether Earthly or Heavenly fear them not If you are JESUS CHRIST's they shall do you no evil He hath reconcil'd them all to you He hath taken out of them all the will and all the power they had to hurt you They desire your good and secretly favour you owning you for their Friends and Allies Heaven looks down on you in peace and calleth you up into its holy place The Angels bless you and direct all your ways This Earth will hold you no longer than your common LORD shall judge expedient for His own glory and your salvation But if this general peace which you have now with GOD and the World do rejoyce you the means by which it was procured should no less ravish you even that blood of CHRIST shed out upon a Cross the grand Miracle of GOD the price of your Liberty the Salvation and the Glory of the Universe What and how ardent was that love which gave so rich and so admirable a Ransom for you What will He deny you who hath not kept back His own blood from you who to make you happy abhorred not a Cross the most infamous of all punishments who to raise you up to the most eminent Contentments underwent the extremest Dolours the lowest disgrace to bring you unto highest glory the Malidiction of GOD to communicate to you His Benediction O over-happy Christians if you could discern your blisses Where is the anguish of Spirit or the trouble of Conscience or the loss or the suffering or the reproach which the meditation of this love should not consolate Who shall condemn us since the Son of GOD dyed to merit our Absolution Who shall accuse us since His Blood and His Cross defend us Who shall take from us the Benevolence of the Father since He hath obtain'd it for us and conserves it towards us Who shall pluck out of our hands a life He hath given us a Salvation that He hath so dearly bought But dear Brethren these considerations which open to us so rich a Source of Consolation oblige us also to a singular Sanctification For how great will be the hardness of our hearts if these great evidences which GOD hath given us of His love do not affect us if they kindle not in us an ardent affection towards a GOD who hath so loved us a sacred and inviolable respect towards a Redeemer who hath done so much for us He hath reconciled and reunited all things in Him both Terrestrial and Celestial Let us live then henceforth in such sort as may answer this happy alliance Let us no more afflict heaven no more scandalize the earth by the impurity of our deportments Let us labour in conjunction with all the Creatures for the service and to glory of our common LORD Imitate we the purity the zeal and the obsequiousness of those Celestial Spirits into whose Society we are entred by the benefit of this Reconciliation Let us be cloathed as they are with a beautiful and pleasing light Our lot is to be one day like them in Immortality let us be so for the present in Sanctity Our peace is made with GOD. Let us not make war upon Him any more He hath pardoned us all the exorbitancies and rage of our Rebellion never turn we to any of them again He will be our good LORD and gracious Master Be we His faithful Subjects and obedient Servants Let the Blood of CHRIST wipe away both our guilt and our filth Fasten we our old man to His Cross Let the nails that there pierced His flesh pierce also the members of ours Let the Cross that made Him dye make to dye all our lusts and extinguish by little and little in us that earthly carnal and vicious life which we derive from the first Adam to regenerate and raise us up again with the second unto a new an holy and spiritual life worthy of that Blood by which he He hath purchas'd it for us and of that Spirit by whom He hath communicated the beginnings of it to us and of that Sanctuary of Immortality where He will fully finish it one day to His own glory and our eternal blessedness Amen THE XI SERMON COL I. Ver. XXI XXII Vers XXI And you who were somtime estranged from Him and who were His enemies in your understanding in wicked works XXII Yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh by death to render you holy and without spot and unreprovable before Him DEar Brethren It was long since observed by Philosophers and we still find it by experience that general things do move the spirits of men very little The cause is that being naturally glewed up too close every one to his particular interests they mind only that which toucheth the same and are not sollicitous about a common concern till they are made some way smartly sensible that themselves have part in it The ministers of the Church therefore should not content themselves with proposing the maxims of heavenly doctrine in gross and in general only to the souls whose edification is committed to them that they may get hold of them and produce some good effect upon them they must apply to them in particular each of those Divine verities St. Paul whose example should serve for a rule to all the true servants of GOD takes this course in divers places of His Epistles and particularly in the Text we have now read you For
which I delivered unto you that is taught It therefore calls those Doctrines Traditions of men which have men only for their authors which come from men and not from GOD. I confess that errors derived from that Philosophy whereof he spake even now may also bear the same name since they slowed from the spirit of man and had no other source than his imagination yet the Apostle distinguisheth the one from the others for two reasons as I conceive First Forasmuch as these had some colour of abstruse wisdom being sprung from speculations in shew sublime and excellent though in reality vain and frivolous whereas the Doctrines which he here calleth Traditions had no foundation at all but the authority of those that set them up and the usage of those that practis'd them they being otherways far from all Philosophical reasons not only true and solid but also probable Secondly Because they had had some successive continuance among the people of GOD having been deliver'd by the Pharisees and other Zealots of Judaism from father to son in a series of no small length whereas that which he calls the deceit of Philosophy was not deliver'd in that manner but lately invented by these new Teachers and taken from the dreams of some Philosophers Whence it doth appear that no productions or institutions of an human spirit are receivable in Evangelical Religion neither those that are supported by some pretended reasons nor those that are founded upon use and antiquity They are all of them nothing but folly and vanity in the sight of GOD with what colour soever they be painted over And though men boast of their utility they are extreamly hurtful as pestring Consciences and busying them about things which GOD hath not ordained and turning them aside from his pure service to matters of nought Accordingly you see that our LORD JESUS CHRIST rejects and roughly thrusts away all the traditions of the Pharisees how much esteem'd soever they were for their antiquity and pretended use reproaching them that by holding fast those Traditions of men they did let loose the Commandments of GOD and applying to them those words of the LORD in Isaiah Mark 7.8 Isa 29.13 In vain do they honour me teaching Doctrines which are the commandments of men As indeed it s an unsufferable presumption that man should attempt to prescribe the form of GOD's service especially after the declaration which himself hath vouchsafed to make of his holy will nor is there one among men that would endure his servant should treat him in that manner and instead of obeying his Orders and causing others to dispatch them fall a Philosophising in his house and giving his Family a new rule to observe as if he were wiser than his Master I know well the authors of these Traditions and those that follow them are not without fine reasons to palliate their temerity But it is evident that they do the very same for substance neither is it to be doubted but a servant that should be culpable of such a vanity would alledg likewise his motive and designs to any that would give him audience But common sense dictateth to the meanest capacities that such undertaking-spirits merit not so much as to be heard especially where GOD is concern'd in comparison of whom they with all their sufficiency are but poor worms of the earth Hold we firm therefore this foundation of the Apostle That the Traditions of men ought to have no place in Religion It concerns me not to inform my self of their age whether they be the traditions of men ancient or modern It sufficeth that I know they are Traditions of men Having the Apostle's advertisement we should not be moved with any reason or splendor or antiquity they may come clothed with If you would have me receive them shew me that they are Prescriptions of GOD Institutions of his CHRIST Doctrines of his Scriptures Without this how specious soever you make them appear to me I shall ever believe it is but to make prey of me and your diligence shall have no effect but the making me suspect them so much the more In fine the Apostle addeth a third Source whence the Seducers drew both their Doctrine and the means to colour it namely that which he calls the Elements of the world I pass by the opinion of those who refer these words to the Elements of Nature Water Air Earth and Fire as if the Apostle here did tax these false Teachers of reducing the service of them which was then in full vogue among the Heathen these wretched Idolaters having yerst deified all the parts of the Universe There is not a word in S. Paul's Writings either here or elsewhere that leadeth us to such a conceit and it is not very likely that the persons he here aims at should authorize so brutal a kind of Idolatry persons who covered themselves with the Name of JESUS CHRIST and made profession at least in shew of retaining his Gospel It is clear that the Apostle in other places doth mean by the Elements of the world not these primigenial and more simple substances out of which all natural generations are framed but the ceremonies and carnal services of the Mosaick Law under which the ancient people lived until the revelation of the Messiah When we were children saith he Gal. 4.3 9. and you know he calleth all that time the Childhood of the Church wherein it was under the Pedagogie of Moses we were in bondage under the elements of the world and a little after in contempt he stileth them poor and weak elements whereto the Galatians would embondage themselves Now it is evident the error of the Galatians was that they would still be subject to the Ceremonial Law Here beneath the Text he useth the same word in the same sense If you be dead with CHRIST saith he unto the elements of the world why are you burden'd with Ordinances There is then no doubt but that in this place he doth in like manner signifie still the same thing by these words that is to say the observations and devotions of the Ceremonial Law And in effect we shall see hereafter that these seducers whom he combateth in this Chapter would hold fast that Law either in whole or in part subjecting the faithful to circumcision and divers regulations about meats and days S. Paul calleth them Elements or as our Bibles have rendred it in some places the rudiments of the world because they were the first and the lowest lessons the Church had during the time of its Childhood they were as its Alphabet For the word Elements is often so taken namely for the first lessons wherein they are taught to know their Letters which are also call'd Elements because in speech words are made up of them even as natural bodies are formed of those first and more simple substances which we properly call Elements And he calls the Jewish Church the World because its estate and its
fetter'd fast for ever You shall see not Arrows broken and Cuirasses batter'd and Arms cut in pieces but Sin abolish'd and Death destroy'd You shall see the spoils not of an Army or a Countrey but of the Lords of the world and of the Governours of the darkness of this Age. Lastly You shall behold in it not the image of some petty Fortress taken by assault or composition or of some River forced or some Province subdued but Hell finally beaten Heaven gained and an Eternal World brought under the power of our victorious LORD Let us apply our selves to the fruition of this magnificent spectacle and afford it all the sense and attention that we have To this end consider we First What these Principalities and Powers are which JESUS CHRIST hath spoiled And then see in the second place how he made a shew of them and triumph'd over them on the Cross These are the two Heads we will treat upon if the LORD please in this action The Apostle ordinarily makes use of the words Principalities Powers Dominions Thrones Col. 1.16 Rom. 8.37 Eph. 1.21 and Virtues to signifie the Angels as for instance in the first Chapter of this Epistle in the eighth of the Epistle to the Romans and in the first of that he wrote to the Ephesians He gives those spiritual beeings these names both because of the strength and power they are endowed with which mightily surpasseth the virtue of material and elementary things and also by reason of the divers orders into which GOD hath distinguish'd them according to the difference of their ministrations placing some of the Angels as it were Chiefs in a superiority to others And though the sin of Devils hath corrupted the perfections of their nature yet it doth appear by divers places of Scripture that it hath not quite destroyed this Order among them Satan being set forth to us as the Head of this black band and as having other evil Angels under him so as they may in this respect be still reâ—med Principalities and Powers Nevertheless there is another reason which the Apostle had his eye principally upon in giving them these names as he himself intimateth in the sixth Chapter to the Ephesians We wrestle not saith he against flesh and blood Eph. 6.12 but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high-places Here you plainly see he calleth them Principalities and Powers by reason of that Imperiality they exercise in this world under its present state of subjection unto sin and vanity Not that such a superiority doth of right belong unto them for having rebelled against their Creator they have lost all true and lawful dignity But the sin of man having â—uslav'd him to those evil spirits hath withall made these elements subject to them whereof he was the true and natural Lord. And GOD hath permitted it so to be for the executing of his justice against sin For since that man shook off the yoke of GOD having wretchedly preferr'd the pernicious counsel of his Eneâ—y before the just commandment of his Master it is but reason he should be subject to him to whom he did betray his own liberty Such then is the order or rather the confusion of the world since the fall to wit that the Devil exerciseth an insupportable â—yranny in it governing it at his pleasure as if he were Lord of it For First He worketh upon all the ungodly with wonderful force swaying their souls unto brutal passions setting on fire their lusts and by that thick smoak which he raiseth from their hearts blinding their minds and depriving them of all the light that 's necessary for distinguishing of truth and falshood Eph 2.2 of good and evil as the Apostle doth elsewhere inform us saying that this unclean spirit doth work effectually in the children of disobedience and in another place 2 Tim. 2.26 he telleth us that he hath the wicked in his snares and makes them do his will Not that he compelleth them to evil by co-active force and how much soever they dislike it but their nature being corrupted as it is he never tempteth them without effect their souls voluntarily surrendring themselves to his pernicious perswasions Moreover he disposeth of material things turning and changing them at his pleasure raising tempests in the air seditions and warrs among men putting in commotion all that murtherous violence that makes havock of mankind and presiding over all the instruments of the creatures damage and death Heb. 2.14 By reason whereof the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews calleth Satan Him who hath the power of death And although he executeth none of his bad purposes without the permission of GOD as the Scripture clearly shews us in the History of Job where you see he toucheth neither the goods nor the children nor the person of that holy man until leave had of this Supream Majesty nevertheless because he worketh commonly in the world the greater part whereof is depraved and rebellious against GOD he seems Master of it and himself doth glory in it as when he said to our Saviour in temptation after he had shewed him all the Kingdoms of the Earth Luke 4.6 All the power and glory of these things will I give thee for to me it is delivered and I give it to whom I will And indeed for these reasons doth our Saviour stile the Devil John 12.31 and 14.30 2 Cor. 4.4 the Prince of this world as when he says Now the Prince of this world shall be cast out and so elsewhere and S. Paul calls him in the same sense the GOD of this world Represent unto your selves the world as it was under the darkness of its old Heathenism when GOD left all Nations to walk in their own ways In it the Devil absolutely domineered All those poor multitudes held he under his tyranny He had put out the eyes of their minds and in this blindness made them commit all kind of vileness and abominations He inspired into them hatred of the true GOD and of his Service and so effectually beguiled them by his fallacious illusions that he caused them to adore himself under the forms of divers Idols These same spirits are they that the Apostle intends here by those Principalities and Powers he speaks of For though the Scripture doth particularly mark out one of them whom it calleth Satan as the Head of this abominable Monarchy yet it rangeth under him a vast multitude of Spirits who all travelling upon the same design and setting on work in it all the might and industry they have do bear a part in his accursed Empire And there is great probability too that they are divided into certain bands each of which are drawn up under their particular Chiefs and do all of them depend upon Satan as their General For which reason it is that the Apostle calls them in the plural number Principalities
people do not reject the word either of the Gospel or the Law which is neither the one nor the other addressed to them yet can they not be excused of contemning that other voice of GOD which makes it self be heard from Heaven throughout all the earth and soundeth secretly in every man's heart and privily calleth them to repentance for their sins to piety to honesty to justice and rectitude They profanely reject this sacred declaration of the Deity without which GOD never left a man among the nations no not the most forlorn or most desperately plunged in idolatry and viciousnesse as the Apostle teacheth us in the Acts. They despise those admirable directions He gives them in the governing of the world to seek Him feel Him and find Him Acts 14.17 17.26 27. They make light of the evidences He offers them in His administration of the universe of His eternal power and Godhead and finally do abuse the riches of His mercy of His patience Rom. 1.20 2.4 and of His long-suffering by which His goodness inviteth and solliciteth all men to repentance Whence appears the wonderfulnesse not only of the justice but even of the gentleness and benignity of GOD who having right to punish men upon the first sin they are sound guilty of yet doth it not but calleth and inviteth them to repentance and waiteth for them and causeth not His wrath to come upon them untill to the crime of their sin they have added that of rebellion against that second way of salvation which He in His loving kindness offers them to wit the way of repentance For that which the Apostle saith here of fornicators and the avaricious in particular is true of all vices in general the wrath of Heaven cometh not upon them that are guilty but when by their unbelieving and obduration they have made themselves children of rebellion and there is not a sinner in the world how great and enormous soever his crimes may be but this good and all-merciful Majesty receives most readily to mercy providâ— only he repent according to the Prophet's saying that God willeth not the death of a sinner Ezek. 33. but that he be converted and live so as henceforth it is not simply sin that damneth men but impenitency and unbelief And the goodnesse of GOD doth so much the more gloriously appear in this procedure of His towards them for that to have the liberty of treating thus with them He bought it if I may so speak at the price of the blood of His only Son whom He such is His goodnesse to us deliver'd up to the death of the Cross to salve the interests of His justice which opposed this way of mercy that He inclined to open unto men after their falling into sin But this very thing shews us on the other hand how great the corruption of men is and how untractable the furiousnesse of the passion they have for vice in that not content to be debauched from the service of their Soveraign which is of it self an horrible attentat and worthy of a thousand penalties they are so desperately in love with sin that to continue in it they despise and even reject with an enraged insolency all this holy and sacred mysterie of the kindnesse of GOD and are so inchanted and bestialized by the poisons of sin that they preferr its short its vain and wretched pleasures before Divine grace and salvation and do less dread the wrath of their Soveraign and the society of Devils and the torments of Hell than the loss of that unworthy and shameful delight which the practise of sin and the fulfilling of its lusts doth give them for a few daies But we may further observe here the Apostle's holy art who aiming to divert the Colossians from avarice and the pollution of carnal pleasures doth not tell them that GOD will punish them heavily if they do not avoid them this language would have in some sort offended them as implying that they had some inclination or disposition to such a faultinesse On the contrary presupposing that this would not betide them to give them horror at these crimes he shews them the just punishments of them in the person of the unbelieving and rebellious like a tender and a prudent father who to imprint an hatred of vice and debauch in the heart of his child chastiseth the slaves in his presence that the example of those vile and wretched persons may teach him what punishments he will deserve if he come to fall into any such disorder he who is the son of his house the heir of his freedom and estate For we must not fancy that because we have the honour to be of the alliance of GOD we may therefore commit with impunity those sins which the LORD punisheth so severely in those that are without Far from us be so fottish and so pernicious a conceit It 's vice that GOD hateth and not persons and whoever hardens himself therein live he in any profession Pagan or Christian reformed or otherwise he is a child of rebellion and the advantage and excellency of the profession he makes is so far from exempting him from that it will aggravate his punishment it being most just as our Saviour teacheth us Luke 12.47 that he who knew the will of his Master and doth it not should receive more stripes than he that offends ignorantly And when a true believer salleth through infirmity into some one of these disorders as alas happens but too often GOD plainly shews how much it doth displease Him never failing to rebuke and chasten it except a prompt repentance do prevent such chastening of His. 1 Pet. 4.17 1 Cor. 11.32 Judgment saith St. Peter beginneth at the house of GOD. And He judgeth us saith St. Paul and teacheth us that we may not be condemned with the world as we shall assuredly be if we persevere in sin without repentance and amendment Hence the Apostle fearing lest some such imagination should abuse the Ephesians he gives them the same intimation with express advice that they suffer not themselves to be beguiled with a false hope of impunity Eph. 5.6 Let none saith he deceive you with vain words For for these things the wrath of GOD cometh upon the children of rebellion But further his threatning here particularly fornication uncleannesse inordinate appetite evil concupiscence and covetousnesse in saying that it is for these things the wrath of GOD cometh upon the children of rebellion is not to signifie that other excesses of such rebellions ones as their cruelties their murthers their ambitions and the like exorbitances should remain unpunished on the contrary Rom. 1.18 Rom. 2.9 he else-where expresly declareth that the wrath of GOD is revealed peremptorily upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness and again that there shall be tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil But he hath denounced this wrath of GOD upon the luxurious and
the sole infelicity of their extraction The men of Rome are at this day no wiser as who do not define Christianity but by an adherence to the See of their City The Apostle here doth thunder-strike the vanity of the one and the others proclaiming that neither the Jew nor the Greek and by consequent not the Roman or Italian are of any consideration in godliness so as to confer upon us or deprive us of the new Man And S. John Baptist had aforehand advertis'd the Jews of it Mat. 3.9 Presume not so say within your selves We have Abraham to our Father And it 's this our Saviour meant when he told Nicodemus That to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Joh. 3.3 he must be born again signifying that all that dignity of this carnal birth which did so mightily puff up the hearts of the Pharisees and Jews was but a thing of nought and contributed not at all to the entring them in his Communion Joh. 8.39 And elsewhere the Jews crying out that Abraham was their Father he answers them That if they were the children of Abraham they would do his works an evident sign that the children of the Saints are they that do their works as said one of the Ancients * Hierome Act. 10 35. and not they that take up their place and that as S. Peter said Of whatsoever Nation you be you shall be accepted of GOD if you fear him and work righteousness That which the Apostle adds a little after of Barbarians and Scythians tendeth also to take away all difference of people in matter of godliness against the vanity of the Greeks who despised all other Nations and called them Barbarians making no account but of their own because of the great politeness of their language and the civility of their manners and the study of Philosophy and Eloquence which flourished among them S. Paul denounceth them that this vain excellency is of no value in Christianity and that the illiteratness and political defects of Barbarians do not alienate them from GOD provided that putting off the old Man they put on the New The Scythians are those whom we call Tartarians and he makes particular mention of them either because of the ferity and extream rudeness in as much as they were accounted the most gross and least polite of all Barbarians or because of their probity justice and moral innocency as some think After nations he speaks also of the difference of ceremonies and conditions To the former referrs his saying that in Christianity there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision comprising under this one species all other semblable observations of things external and not commanded of GOD in religion signifying that men are neither furthered towards the kingdom of Heaven by being circumcised nor set back by wanting of it and likewise that as he faith else-where if we eat we have not the more and if we eat not we have not the less Whence appears how ill founded the ridiculous opinion of those is who put an higher eâ—â—mate upon themselves by far than upon others in point of holiness by reason of thâ—se external and voluntary devotions as for instance because they were a cowl or a certain particular habit because they abstain from flesh either alwaies or so a certain daies and do other like things in which they are not ashamed even to place Christianity What the Apostle addeth in the last place concerning the bond and the free doth also comprehend nobility and peasantry riches and poverty dignity and inferiority and in fine all that diversity of conditions which divideth men in the present world Though these qualities put a difference between them on earth they put none between them in Heaven nor in the mystical body of our LORD and Saviour into which GOD receiveth us all indifferently if He see the new man in us and doth equally exclude those in whom He finds it not The pomp of riches and honours and the glory of great birth doth recommend no one unto Him loâ—â—ness of extraction or of condition and the misery of poverty doth not 〈◊〉 Him to reject any He strips all men of that habit that makes up no part of them and judgeth of them only by that form of the old or new man which they bear within them Now having excluded all these things from the true constitution of piety he informs us for a conclusion wherein its whole force and vertue doth consist In this renovation of man there is saith he neither Greek nor Jew neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision neither Borbarian nor Seythian nor bond nor free but CHRIST is all and in all That which the Jews promise themselves in vain from their birth and they that Judaize from their circumcision and the Greeks from their Philosophy and Great ones from their dignity JESUS CHRIST alone doth give abundantly to all that are in Him He is all to them For in Him the Gentile finds Judaism and the nobility of Israel all they that are of faith Gal. â— being children of Abraham In Him the uncircumcised have the true circumcision which is not made with hands Barbarians Divine Philosophy and the Bourgeship of Heaven bond-men freedom of spirit poor men the treasures of eternity abject persons the glory of GOD and the excellency of His Kingdom And as He hath in Him an abundance of all sacred and salutiferous things so hath He them for all shutting not up the bosome of His grace against any who ever he be and conferring on all those of His communion universally righteousness wisdom sanctification and redemption and in a word all graces requisite for conducting them unto and putting them in the eternal possession of supreme beatitude Dear Brethren It 's this same blessed LORD the fountain and the fulness of all good that GOD presenteth to you at this time in His word and in His Sacrament Come ye all to Him seeing He is so bountifully offered unto you Let no one imagine either that he may do well enough without Him or that He may not enjoy Him He is both necessary for the greatest and accessible unto the least The dignity of Masters the abundance of riches the extraction of the noble the observances of the devout and such other advantages will be of no use at all to save those that have them so that JESUS CHRIST is no less necessary for them than if they had them not The low estate of servants the distressedness of the poor and the like other disadvantages do hinder no one from approaching and receiving of Him And as the brazen Serpent which sometime figured him in the desert was communicated indifferently unto all great and small poor and rich noble and ignoble and equally cured all those that looked on it and again as there was no remedy to be had against the biting of the fiery Serpents but that alone neither riches nor nobility nor science nor any other quality could cure any
They forbid all Christians to read the Bible without the Bishops or the Inquisitors permission But they presently declare that no Bishop nor Inquisitor hath power to give any Thus there shall no person be permitted it Is not this an evident mocking of the world But these gallants do so hugely dread the Scripture that they had rather become guilty of thus shamefully and openly deluding Christendom than suffer any one to have or read so dangerous a Book They would rather salve their interest than their honour And in very deed such the practice is in Spain and Italy and in the Territories of the Inquisition where this permission to read the Bible is not given to any man whoever he be and where it 's held for a capital crime and a sure mark of Heresie to have in house but a volume of the Old or New Testament in the vulgar tongue So as it must of necessity be that those who do in these parts permit this reading unto some are either guilty of violating the general ordinances of that Church they profess themselves members of or have some particular and extraordinary power from the Pope to do as they do which yet doth not appear This crime would be less strange if it did clash only with this passage of the Apostle But it also overturneth divers other most expresse instructions Deut. 17.18 19. which occur in the holy Scriptures For GOD commands the King of Israel who was a Laick noâ— a Clerk to write a copy of His law and to have it by him Deut. 11.18 19. 6.7 8 9. and read it diligently and generally all His people to lay up all His words in their hearts and in their minds to bind them for signs upon their hands and for frontlets between their eyes that is to have them as familiar as their own hands and eyes to teach them their children and discourse of them at home and abroad lying down and rising up and write them on the posts of their houses and on their gates which is just the same thing St. Paul here calls in short an having the word of GOD to dwell in them In effect St. Luke praiseth the Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 8.28 17.11 for that he read the Scriptures and the men of Berea for that they consulted them daily to know if the things which Paul and Silas preached to them were so Yet we no where read Psal 1.2 that they had leave of any Papal Bishops or Inquisitors And David pronounceth that man blessed who meditateth day and night in the law of GOD. Again Joh. 20.31 the word of GOD being written that we might believe that JESVS is the CHRIST and that believing we might have life through His Name as saith St. John Rom. 15.4 and for our learning as saith St. Paul that we through patience and comfort might have hope It must of necessity be concluded that the forbidding of Christians to read the Scriptures evidently is either a frustrating the LORD of His intention or an accusing Him of having been unable to give us Scriptures proper for His aim and our aid I say as much and that more positively of the Apostolical Epistles which being directed to the faithful Clergie and Laity indifferently there is no reason to bar any of them from reading what the first Ministers of GOD wrote to them all In fine the fault of our adversaries is so much the more inexcusable for that the ancient Doctors of whom they make so great account Homil. 9. on Levitie are directly contrary to them in this particular As Origen for one who would have Christians not only hear the word of GOD in the Church but exercise themselves in reading it at home and in meditating on it night and day St. Hierom for another Hierom. Ep. 14. 30. August lib. de Catech. rud c. 6.8 Gregor in his Epistles lib. 4. Ep. 40. who would have women and maids themselves to learn the Scriptures by heart St. Augustine for a third who does most earnestly recommend the reading of the word of GOD to the very Catechumeni that is Christians of the lowest form such as had not yet received holy Baptism St. Gregory the Great that famous Bishop of Rome for a fourth who gravely reproves a Physician of the Court for that he took not the pains to read the words of our Redeemer every day For what is holy Scripture saith he but a letter from GOD to His creature If you were in a far Countrey and there received letters from the Emperor your Master you would not be at rest nor sleep at your case till you had read them and perceiv'd what your earthly Prince should have vouchsafed to write you The Monarch of Heaven the LORD of men and Angels hath sent and conveyed to your hands His letters about the concernments of your life And yet my Son you deign not to read them Apply to them I beseech you and meditate daily your Creator's sayings Thus Gregory more than a thousand years a-go Judge how far the language of later Popes is from his spirit and from his principles I pass by other Doctors of antiquity who are no less contrary to this modern abuse and will only mention further John of Antioch Bishop of Constantinople to whom the Church hath given the name of Chrysostome that is Golden mouth because of the richness and sweetnesse of his incomparable eloquence he alone would furnish a man with enough to make a small volume if any would put together all the passages of his works in which he exhorteth all the faithful and in special those of the people to an assiduous reading of the Holy Scripture and particularly in the Sermon he made upon this very Text of the Apostle which we are expounding Hear Chrysost Homil 9. in Ep. ad Coloss saith he you that live in the World and have wife and children hear how he orders you yea you principally to read the Scriptures not slightly and heedlesly but with great care and diligence He would have them heed no other master You have saith he to them the oracles of GOD and no one can teach you so well as these divine books And a little after Have saith he the books of the Bible the true medicines of the soul Get at least the New Testament the Acts of the Apostles the Gospels Let these be your perpetual Masters and Teachers If any affliction befall you loss of goods of children or of friends if death it self present its self unto you make search forthwith in this book as in the store-house of coelestial medicaments and fetch out of it the remedies that are necessary for the mitigating of your miseries Or rather that you may not be put to the trouble of such search lay them all up in your soul and have them ready upon all occasions Ignorance of the Scriptures is the cause of all our evils Thus far Chrysostome And truly as you
see he was not of the opinion of the latter Popes of Rome who do accuse as you heard afore the reading of the Word of GOD of doing more harm than good It the reading of them must be interdicted upon the pretence that some unstable spirits wrest them unto their destruction it should be in the first place prohibited to Bishop Priests and Monks it being clear if my memory does not deceive me that such as have forged heresies by an ill understanding of the Scriptures were all of one of those three orders and not of the common people But it 's a very wild expedient and a remedy altogether extravagant to condemn the use of things because of the abuse of them by some certain persons By this account best and most innocent things and things most necessary for the life of men should be taken from them the light of the Sun the savouriness of meats the excellency of wines and fruits iron silver gold and other metals the accomplishments of learning and the marvels of eloquence For which of these gifts of GOD doth not the intemperance or the malice of men abuse And as the Prince of Pagan Philosophers hath rightly observed there is nothing they so perniciously abuse as that which is of its self best Aristot Rhet. and most profitable To conclude since the same GOD who knows the nature and the efficacy of His own Scriptures better than any commands us all to read them it 's an insufferable temerity for a man to intrude with his advice and change what the LORD hath appointed as if he were wiser than the Most High But the Apostle clearly refuteth this calumny of Rome against Scripture in the other part of this Text 2 Tim. 3.16 where he sets before us the fruits and uses we ought to draw from it Ye teaching saith he and admonishing one another by Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs with grace singing from your heart unto the LORD Else-where he advertiseth us that the Scripture is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness Here in like manner he setteth down for the first fruit we are to gather from this rich knowledge of the word of GOD that mutual teaching we owe one another for the second advertisement or admonition for a third consolation by the singing of Psalms and spiritual Hymns As to the First I grant the charge of teaching in the Church does principally pertain to Pastors appointed to this end yet there is not the privatest believer but doth also participate some way of this function when he hath the gift and the opportunity to edifie men in the knowledge of true religion Particularly Fathers and Mothers owe this office to their children husbands to their wives masters to their housholds the elder to the younger and in fine each one to his reighbour when he hath the conveniency Whence appears again how far distant the Apostles sentiment is from Rome's Paul would have the Faithful entertain with and instruct one another in the things of the word of GOD. Rome will not let any but the Clergie have power to speak of them The second use we ought to make of the Word of GOD is our admonishing one another Teaching doth properly respect faith admonition hath reference to manners The Scripture furnisheth us where-with to discharge both the one and the other of these two duties informing us plainly and plentifully as well of things that are to be beleeved as also of those that are to be done And it 's incumbent on the beleever to acquit himself in the matter according to the knowledge he hath instructing the ignorant and reproving the faulty all with a spirit of sweetness and discretion as the Apostle doth else-where prescribe For every man ought to look upon his neighbour as his brother reduce him if he stray raise him up if he fall clear things to him if he doubt and have in fine as much care of his welfare as of his own Far from us be the ferity of those proud spirits who would not be sollicitous in the least for their brethren's concerns and who if GOD should demand an account of them at their hands would be ready to say as Cain sometime answered Am I my Brother's keeper or Pedagogue Now as we are to be charitable and prudent for the performing of this service to our brethren so ought we again in our turn receive it from them with patience and meekness Remembring how the Psalmist says Let the righteous smite me Psal 141.5 it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent balm unto me The third and last use the Apostle would have us make of the word of CHRIST is in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs to sing from our hearts with grace unto the LORD The so doing doth respect partly the glory of GOD which we ought to celebrate by our singing and partly our own consolation and spiritual rejoycing For the LORD is so good that He hath provided even for the recreating of His children and knowing that Song is one of His most natural means extremely proper both to dilate the contentment of our hearts and render it full-blown as also to alleviate and mitigate their sorrows He hath not only permitted us but even commanded to sing unto Him spiritual songs And for the forming us unto so holy and so profitable an exercise He hath given us in His word a great number of these Divine Canticles as the Psalms of David and the Hymns of divers other faithful and religious persons dispersed here and there in the books of the Old and New Testament The Apostle nameth three sorts of them Psalms Hymns or Praisâ— and Odes or Songs Now though there be no need to take much pains in an exact distinguishing of these three sorts of Sonnets nevertheless I think their opinion very probable who put this difference between them that a Psalm is in general any spiritual ditty whatever the subject of it be that an Hymn particularly signifies Sonnets composed to the praise of GOD and that an Ode or Song is a kind of Hymn of more art and various composition than others You have divers examples of them all in the book of Psalms First all the composures there are called Psalms in general But it 's very evident they are not all of a sort There are some in which is celebrated the goodness the wisdom and the power of the LORD either towards David or towards the Church or in reference to all creatures These are properly Hymns and such is the eighteenth Psalm the hundred and fourth the hundred forty fifth and many others There are others in which are mystically and elegantly represenced with an excellent artificialness either the wonders of CHRIST as the forty fifth the seventy second the hundred and tenth and the like or the histories of the ancient people as the seventy eighth the hundred and fifth and hundred and
Apostle would have husbands love their wives even First that they live ordinarily with them as far as the necessity of their affairs permits not finding sweeter divertisement nor more pleasing company any other where Then next that they carefully make them partakers of the graces GOD hath given them and principally in all that concerns the salvation of their souls which is the greatest good of all faithfully directing them about it both by good and holy speech and also by pure and vertuous deportment It 's in this they ought to exercise that advantage which nature and the Apostle gives them shewing themselves to be truly the heads and guides of their wives in the matters of GOD's service and of holiness of life for this end making provision of all necessary knowledge that if they at any time consult them in their doubts 1 Cor. 14.35 as S. Paul commands they may be able to instruct them least in defect of it it might be said of them as a Prophet sometime said of Idols Hab. 2.18 that they are teachers of nothing but vanity But unto these cares for the soul the husband ought to add those also which respect the present life labouring in his vocation and imparting to his wife a share of all the substance he possesseth or acquireth proportionably to her need of it either for her own necessary food and raiment or for the maintaining her children and family as befits her condition It 's this the Apostle means when he commandeth husbands to love their wives But he forbids them in the following words to be bitter against them that is to be â—roward to them requiring that all their conversation with them be full of sweetness and amity The Pagans themselves have observ'd the justness of this duty as what we read of one piece of their devotions beareth witness For when they sacrificed unto that idol of theirs whom they call'd Nuptial Juno because they gave her the superintendency of Marriage they were wont to take the gall out of the victim and cast it behind the altar signifying thereby as say the interpreters of their Ceremonies that there ought to be no gall nor bitterness in marriage The Apostles meaning then is that the husband do first purge his heart of all this sowrness and bitterness that he never suffer hatred nor malevolence nor anger nor provocation nor fretting nor disgust to enter there against a person whom he ought to love as himself Next he would have the husband clense all his words and actions from the same poison For if he who is angry with his neighbour without cause and gives him the least reviling word doth deserve torment as our Saviour declareth of what hells is not he worthy who outrageth his own flesh Her whom he ought to cherish and tenderly affect as CHRIST doth His Church But if the Apostle command a Christian to use no offensive or opprobrious speech against his wife he doth as little permit him to shew bitterness of spirit by an angry sad and obstinate silence which is no less provocative nor less sharp to say truth than the most outragious reproaches In conclusion by this clause the Apostle does further and with greater force of reason banish out of conjugal converse the cruelty and rigour and tyrannie of those boysterous barbarous husbands who treat their wives as bond-servants denying them that share which the laws of GOD and man do give them in the government and administration of the houshold And the utmost degree of this inhumanity is when unto revilings and contempt they add blows and excesses of hand an outrage which the authors of the Roman Civil Law thought so unworthy of the conjugal alliance that they permit the wife so exceeded against to break with her husband approving and authorizing her divorce if she can prove he struck her Thus Dear Brethren you have heard what we had to deliver for the exposition of this Text. It teacheth us all in general first that all sorts of people may and ought to read St. Paul's Epistles and by consequent all the holy Scriptures For why should this holy man address his speech here to wives and their husbands to children and their fathers to servants and their masters if he meant not that all these persons should have the reading of this letter Christians fear not to read what the Apostle hath vouchsafed to write you It 's in vain that some forbid you the reading which it is his mind you should practise None can know better than he how those Epistles must be used which he wrote Then again he shews us further here how unjust the indiscretion of those is who have so ill treated the worthiness of marriage that by their manner of speaking of it you would say they held it incompatible with Christian purity St. Paul doth every where maintain the honour of this holy order and never prohibit or disparage it at all Also as the precepts which he gives to Masters to Pastors and others do clearly authorize the right and the dignity of those conditions so is marriage established by the lesson he writes here and often else-where unto married persons But the Devil knowing well that this holy institution of GOD is infinitely profitable unto men both to preserve them from tentations to incontinence one of the broadest waies to Hell and also to sweeten the harshness of their natures by the tenderness of conjugal and paternal affections and for divers other ends of great importance unto civil life and unto piety it self the enemie I say not ignorant hereof hath subtilly made hatred or contempt of marriage to insinuate its self into the spirits of a sort of men under divers plausible pretexts so as in conclusion Christians who would think it have asserted it a piece of sanctification to abstain from it and in the sequel prohibited to the Ministers of Religion For our parts Beloved Brâ—thren we constrain none to marry If any have received this grace of GOD that they can contain and live pure out of this estate let them forbear it if it seem them good Only we say two things first that the making use of it is free to all there being no dignity nor profession in the Church excluded from Divine permission of it Secondly that to such as have not the gift of continency marriage is not only permitted but even necessary and of whatever rank they be their marrying is so far from offending GOD that they offend Him much if they marry not Hereto for a conclusion we adjoyn a serious exhortation to all who are in this estate that they sedulously put in practise the lesson which St. Paul hath now given them Even that wives be subject to their husbands as is meet in the LORD that Husbands love their wives and not be bitter against them Many complain of finding thorns in this condition instead of the roses they hoped for Men charge it upon the pride the levity the vanity the
gorgeousness the frowardness the obstinacy and the tongues of their wives and â—ay many other odious reproaches upon them Women on the contrary impute all this mischief to the husbands complaining some of their contempt and want of love others of their niggardliness towards them and profuseness other-waies Some declaim against their idleness and the little care they take of their affairs others against their excesses and compotations There are some that are angry at their speaking and others at their silence and in fine they forget not one ill treatment which they have received I know well that upon strict examination some fault would be found on each hand and that if cause appear to reprehend wives there would be no less to censure husbands But I had rather lay aside all this vexatious process and do conjure you Dear Brethren and Sisters in the name of GOD to do the like sparing one anothers honour consider what you are and what an union GOD hath call'd you to and each one for his part acknowledging your defects in the duty it requireth terminate all your complaints in a reciprocal pardon and forgetting all that is pass'd endeavour to procure to one another in the estate you are that peace and contentment which hitherto you have not had Do what the Apostle bids you and you shall find as much sweetness as heretofore you have tasted bitterness For as there is nothing more wretched than a marriage in which the wife hath no respect for her husband and the husband no love for his wife So neither is there any thing in the world more happy than a marriage in which the wife by an humble and respectful submission and the husband by a sincere and faithful love have their hearts and wills united in an holy concord As the first of these two conditions is an hell so the second is a very Paradise In fine My Brethren since JESUS CHRIST is the Spouse of all faithful souls you see what service and submission we are obliged to render Him May it please this Divine Spouse from that nuptial palace where he dwelleth to make us smell the odour of His mystical perfumes and to form our souls unto all the obedience the fidelity and servitude we owe him and govern us by His Spirit as He hath purchased us with His blood that after having here beneath sighed for Him we may one day eternally enjoy Him according to His promises and our hopes Amen THE FORTY FOURTH SERMON ON COLOSSIANS CHAP. III. VER XX XXI Verse XX. Children obey your parents in all things for this is pleasing to the LORD XXI Fathers provoke not your children lest they be discouraged DEAR Brethren Among all the mutual offices by which the society of men is conserved those incumbent on Children towards their parents and on parents towards their children are without doubt of the first rate and most necessary It 's upon them that all the rest do in some sort depend and they are in humane society what the foundation is in an edifice the foundation once demolished all the building goes to ground so the subjection of children and the superiority of parents once remov'd or unfixed the ruine of all other parts of society does necessarily follow For if a man neglect his children or misgovern them how will he duly and inhumanely treat servants or subjects or any other persons whomsoever Again if a child shake off the yoke of his Father and Mother how will he bear that of a Master or a Prince There is no likelyhood that the one or the other having fail'd in offices so sweet and natural toward persons that are so nearly in conjunction with them will ever rightly discharge any of those other which they owe to persons more remote and with whom they have much less union Whence appears the admirable wisdom of the Providence of GOD who for the forming of us unto the devoirs of love subjection and obedience which are necessary in the Civil or Ecclesiastique society we are to live in puts us at first into the bosom and under the conduct of our Fathers and Mothers that there as in a sweet and a commodious School we may timely learn the bending of our spirits unto love and respect for men and after this previous apprentiship find the yoke of those superiours under whom we are to live in Church or State less uneasie For one that hath been a good child in the house will without much trouble be a good subject in the State and likewise he that is a good Father will easily prove also a good Master a good Magistrate a good Pastor if GOD call him to either of those charges Wherefore S. Paul requires among the other qualifications of a Bishop or Pastor that he rule well his own house having his children insubjection with all reverence For saith he if a man know not how to order his own house 1 Tim 3.4.5 how shall he govern the Church of GOD These reciprocal duties therefore of parents and of children being of so great importance in the whole life of men it 's with good reason that our Apostle takes care to regulate them in the Text which we have read immediately after having in the precedent Verse formed those of Husband and Wife He speaks first to children according to the general order of beginning with the inferiours which he observes in all this part of his institution for reasons we pointed at in our last action Children saith he obey your Fathers and Mothers in all things for this is pleasing to the LORD Then he prescribes to Fathers also what pertains to them in these words Fathers provoke not your children lest they be discouraged These are the two heads we will treat of in the present action if GOD so please First the duty of children and Secondly that of Fathers As to the first of these we are to consider the Apostle's command contained in those words Children obey your Parents in all things and then the reason of this command which the Apostle annexeth when he saith For this is pleasing to the LORD He directeth the command to children and useth here in the original a term that signifyeth any person begotten of another his fruit his production a term that consequently comprehendeth all children of which soever sex that is both sons and daughters and of whatsoever degree that is grandsons in regard of their grandfathers as well as sons in regard of their fathers For the word Children according to the sense and authority both of Scripture and of the learned in the laws doth enclose the one and the other Let all those therefore to whom this title doth belong make account that to them is this injunction of the Apostles addressed Let not daughters object the weakness of their sex nor sons the strength and excellency of theirs to be dispenced with for the obedience they owe since the difference of their sexes doth not hinder but that they are
Scripture is wont to attribute two hearts or a double heart unto a feigning person because he maketh shew of one intention and yet hath another quite different so he that serves to the eye To see him you would say that he loves his master and desires his profit yet under this deceitful masque he hides quite different thoughts and affections heeding nothing less than the interests of him whom he serves But the servant whom the Apostle formeth here hath but one affection and one thought and having learned in the School of CHRIST that it is just and reasonable the servant should obey his master he serves his to fulfill this piece of righteousness and acquit himself of his duty which he would think himself deficient in if he did otherwise so that bearing about every where this sentiment with him engraven in his conscience there is neither place nor time wherein he doth not faithfully serve his master whether he be absent or present seen or unseen Hereto the Apostle further addeth that he do fear GOD. Whereas others totally referr the condition of servants only unto man he would have a Christian know that GOD is the author of it that it 's He who hath appointed it and would have us approve our fidelity in it when His providence hath called us to it Think not saith he that you have to do with none but men It 's GOD who hath put you in this estate Do not imagine it sufficient to respect and content the eye of your master You must reverence and satisfie the eye of GOD whom you cannot deceive nor content at any lower rate than the doing of your duty exactly and sincerely But the Apostle would not have a Christian simply to do all his Master commands him He would also have him do it chearfully and with the heart Whatever ye do saith he do it all with courage that is first not by constraint and with murmurring but voluntarily and secondly with affection for those who command you Verily you will say an hard law For if the Master be froward if he command as often happens things that are difficult and harsh and inhumane how is it possible a servant should fall to work about them with any cheerfulness I answer that our flesh finds it uneasie to relish such obedience and cannot suffer so hard a bit without reluctance and recalcitration But the fear of GOD inclines us to account those things sweet which are of their own nature very harsh If you look upon man only I acknowledge you have some ground to think it hard that one who is at the bottom but a man as you are should have you in such subjection to his will But if you lift up your eyes higher and consider that it is GOD who hath instituted this order that it 's He who hath called you to this condition that the master whom you serve is His Minister and Officer then the roughest of his commands will become supportable to you And it 's to this the Apostle reduceth you when to bend you unto this sweet and willing obedience he adviseth you to do all things as unto the LORD and not as unto men Make account saith he that it is to JESVS CHRIST and not to a mortal man that you render your services Respect this soveraign LORD in the person of your masters and think that it 's He who orders you to do all that they command you For He likewise it is who hath given you them by His providence for Masters Withal He declares expresly in His word that it is His will you should obey them Admire now Christian I pray the vertue of the Gospel which as sometime the tree of Moses doth sweeten the bitterest things and so changeth their nature that of distasteful and forced it makes them pleasing and voluntary What is there harder or more abject than the servitude of a slave The Gospel changeth it into a devotion into a religious service that is into the noblest and most voluntary of all humane actions The beleever directeth that obedience unto JESUS CHRIST which an infidel gives only to his master He doth that for his GOD which the other doth but for a man Wherefore he doth it chearfully and heartily while the other doth it not but by constraint and with regret Hence the Apostle saith else-where that a servant called in the LORD 1 Cor. 7.22 is the LORD's free-man Not that he ceaseth to do his former master the service he was wont This he is so far from that he now becomes much more faithful Philem. 10. and much more profitable to him than he ' erst was as Onesimus the servant of Philemon who after he once knew JESUS CHRIST went voluntarily to put himself again under his old Master's yoke which during the darkness of his unbelief he had cast off All the difference is that whereas in the time of his ignorance he had respect meerly to his master's will and authority now he hath little regard thereto considering principally his LORD and Saviour's so that to say the truth 't is Him he serves and not a man CHRIST hath freed him from man's yoke and put him under his own since henceforth his aim in all he doth for man is chiefly to please not man but JESUS CHRIST For the forming of the spirits of Christian servants to this holy disposition the Apostle represents unto them in the two last verses of this Chapter that the LORD JESUS is indeed the true Master and super-intendent of their whole lives who sets them their task and looks on their labours whatever condition they are in and will not fail when His day is come to make up a true and faithful accompt with them largely recompencing such of them as shall be found to have honestly discharged their duty and severely punishing the negligent Do all things as to the LORD and not as unto men knowing saith he that you shall receive of the LORD the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the LORD CHRIST But he that doth unjustly shall receive what he hath unjustly done and there is no respect of persons First he would have them take for certain that their servitude shall not be in vain nor unfruitful if they acquit themselves in it as he hath prescribed and if their masters according to the flesh have no regard to it their soveraign LORD will not fail to give them their pay and recompence Next he shews them what this recompence is which they are to expect from the LORD It is saith he the reward of the inheritance Thers 's no one in the School of CHRIST but well knows that this inheritance which the Apostle speaks of is that blessed and glorious immortality which JESUS CHRIST hath purchas'd for us by the merit of His death and calls us all to the possession of by His Gospel Now see how prudently the holy Apostle hath ballanced his expressions of it He calleth it a reward or guerdon
your children and servants in the same devotion That there may not be a person within your doors but understands and exerciseth himself in this divine liturgie of all Christians Then take heed to acquit your selves in this duty as you ought that is to perform it with fervency attention vigilancy and perseverance to wash your hands in innocence to purifie your souls and bodies for the presenting them unto this supreme and most holy Divinity without offending His sight Ye know what the Prophets say of those whose hands are full of blood even that they are an abomination to the LORD that He is weary to bear them that He abhorreth their devotions and disdaineth their vain oblations that He hides His face from them when they dare stretch out their polluted hands unto Him and will not hear their prayers though they should multiply them to the utmost Wash you saith he make you clean Isa 1.11 seq take away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgement relieve the oppressed do right to the orphan debate the ease of the widow This Christians is the incense wherewith the LORD would have you persume your offerings of prayer that they may be pleasing to Him Hearken to His voice if you desire He should hear yours Obey the word of His Gospel if you would have Him receive the words of your supplications We complain that we have long prayed in vain But let us not disparage His veracity rather confess we have not prayed as we ought that is with such faith such repentance and amendment of life as necessarily should have accompanied these sacrifices Henceforth then for it is yet time turn ye unto Him with all your heart and lift up pure hands without wrath and doubting and vigorously persevere in this holy exercise with assurance that He will hear you But Dear Brethren among other things which you shall crave of GOD pray Him also for us that He would open us the door of the word to the end we may declare the mysterie of CHRIST and manifest it to you as we ought For if Paul a chosen vessel made and formed immediately by the hand of Heaven consecrated by CHRIST's own voice and fill'd with the treasures of His Spirit in all abundance did notwithstanding require the assistance of the Colossians prayers in the administration of this charge how much more is the succour of yours necessary for us for us I say who in comparison of him are but children We conjure you therefore both by the glory of our common Master and by the interest you have in His work that you never fail to remember us in your sacrifices of prayer but alwaies beseech this supreme LORD to perfect His strength in our weakness to give us a mouth fit to declare His mysteries and to purifie our lips as He sometime did His Prophets and untye our tongue as He did Moses's and fill our souls with that Divine fire which heretofore did in a moment form His Apostles clearing up our minds unto a distinct knowledge of His Gospel wisdom inflaming our hearts with the zeal of His house and cleansing them from the filth of all humane passions Now if the LORD inclined by the ardency and constancy of your prayers do vouchsafe to conferr upon us some small portion of His grace look ye on it as a thing that pertains to you a thing given to your prayer and for your edification Use it and make advantage of it Let it not be said that this great mysterie of CHRIST was declared unto you in vain and that it being manifested to you as it ought ye received it not as you should GOD keep you from such an unhappiness For how weak soever our preaching be it is notwithstanding sufficient My Brethren to render every one inexcusable who shall not have received it with faith neither your ears nor consciences being able to deny but that we declare unto you all the counsel of GOD in His Son JESUS CHRIST Let us all in common beseech Him to deal so graciously with the one and the others of us that all may rightly discharge their duty we speak unto you ye hearken unto us as is meet and that being knit together by a firm and indissoluble Charity we may prosperously advance His work in all sanctity innocence patience and constancy to the glory of His Name the edification of those among whom we live and our own salvation Amen THE FORTY SEVENTH SERMON ON COLOSSIANS CHAP. IV. VER V VI. Verse V. Walk wisely towards those that are without redeeming the time VI. Let your speech be alwaies with grace throughly tempered with salt that ye may koow how ye ought to answer every one DEAR Brethren while the Church of CHRIST is here on earth it 's condition is to sojourn for the most part amid people of another profession For though the merit of our LORD and Saviour be sufficient to bring all mankind unto the communion of GOD and though his salvation be tender'd by His own will and order to all those that have His Gospel preached to them yet so horrible is the obduration and blindness of our nature that the most of men abide out of the covenant of GOD wickedly and foolishly rejecting the great honour He offers them Divers whole Nations there are that irritated with the same fury have utterly shut the door against JESUS CHRIST refusing to suffer any of His servants within their coasts And even of those in which He hath some reception it is commonly but a little part that doth acknowledge Him the greatest and most considerable in the world persecuting Him or deriding His mysteries Not so much as private families but the Gospel sometimes makes this partition in The same roof often covereth persons of different religions 'T is a division which JESUS CHRIST hath raised in the world not that He positively willed and design'd it or that such is the nature of His doctrine neither of those doth properly tend but to unite all things and recombine Earth with Heaven in an eternal peace but it grows from the naughty and the cruel disposition of men who despise His counsel and disdain their own salvation Once by this means it com's to pass that the Kingdom of CHRIST remains as it were inlock'd with forcin States and His faithful ones mingled among persons of a contrary religion with whom this commune habitation doth of necessity oblige them to have much commerce This is the reason why the Apostle having regulated afore most of the duties of our life do's here in a few words point out in what manner we should converse with these aliens as to faith among whom we are dispersed And this advertisement was at that time the more necessary for that Christians in those beginnings which were as the nativity of the Church saw themselves environed on all sides with Jews and Pagans the two religions which then took