it lyeth when â—â—ere are so many wayes cryed up and every one is â—â—tended to be the only good way We have need of â— clue to lead us out of such a labyrinth for else 't is impossible for us to find our way Sol. This is indeed a Question worth the anâ—wering and 't will not be much beside my deâ—ign to say somewhat about it For the many various and different perswasions of men in matters of Religion are enough â—o stumble those who will be glad of any occaâ—â—on to quarrel the way of their own Salvation â—nd for their sakes I shall say what I am able â—o give them satisfaction if it may be That there are many and different perswasions 〈◊〉 men about the matters of God is that which cannot be denied But that those different perswasions ought to hinder our enquiries or are a sufficient excuse for our carelessness about the concernments of our Souls I deny and for my denial I give these following Reasons First If such differences were a ground suâ—â—â—cient to excuse us then all that went Heaveâ— way since the beginning of the World almost might plead it as well as we For what age or time can be shewed when it was otherwise Differences of Religion are indeed sad but thâ—â— are no new things Adam's Children were 〈◊〉 divided about Religion or else we had not 〈◊〉 of the Sons of God and the Daughters of men 〈◊〉 early in the World 'T is plain they all 〈◊〉 profess'd not one way or if they did they 〈◊〉 farr divided in their practices As Noah walkâ—â— with God when all flesh had corrupted his way And after the Flood were they not divided iâ— their Religions as much as in their Languageâ— Who so reads the Story recorded in Genesis may see the World was peopled with those thaâ— serv'd some one God and some another and few were they that serv'd the living and truâ— God in a right manner and yet some such therâ— were in all ages How was Israel divided abouâ— the way of worshipping God after the reâ—â— made by Ieroboam And not to be tedious in Iâ—â—stances How many Sects were there in Chrisâ— time and before Yea and presently after thâ— Gospel was published how did Sects arise anâ— swarm in every corner of the World And 〈◊〉 it hath been ever since they must be very ignâ—â—rant that do not know But what of all this God had his faithâ—ul Servants that followed him in the good old way of truth and holiness in all those times and we never read or hear of any complaints they made That there were so many opinions and perswasions as they could not tell which to follow No they did as all others ought to do apply themselves to search and enquire what way God had prescribed and seeking it in sincerity with all their hearts they found out that way wherein they found rest to their Souls For this purpose observe the resolution of Gods people as you have it Micah 4.5 Though other people pleased themselves in their superstitions and opposed themselves against them yet they resolved to stick fast to the wayes of God in his Word God indeed suffered all Nations to walk in their own wayes before Christs coming in the flesh otherwise than afterwards in that Gospel-grace was not published throughout the World equally and indifferently to the Gentiles as to the Iews And God hath since suffered men to arise in the Christian Church and teach perverse things and so there have grown many Sects and Parties in matters of Religion very different and contrary But God never left men without light to discern of things that differ and to descry the good and the right way if they had pleas'd to make use of it The Apostle faith 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be Heresies or Sects and gives a good reason for it as our Saviour saith It must needs be that offences come Mat. 18.7 Yet no man hath any cause to complain and say We cannot see which is the right way because of those Heresies and Offences God by them puts us to use our best skill and endeavours for finding out the good and the right way and by those differences makes appear who are sincere and sound at heart For such there were notwithstanding those differences and such there are and will be to the Worlds end Hence nothing can be spoken more frivolous than to say There are so many Religions a man cannot tell which to chuse It is all one as for a man to say There are so many lanes and turnings in his way to such a place as he will never think of going thither though his whole Estate be in hazard and no way to help it but by such a journey What do men when they are bound to travel but resolve to goe on and make the best enquiry they can to find out the way And so should we in this case and to be otherwise minded is a very madness 2 dly The way to Heaven is not so hard to be found if we had hearts resolved to walk in it There 's a great fallacy in the Argument which had need be discovered For in truth men deceive themselves by it whiles they consider not that their hearts are naturally at enmity with God and his wayes and because they have no mind to goe where God commands and sends them they frame an excuse and pretend there are so many wayes as 't is impossible to find the right And to speak as it is this is all the cause and here lies all the fault If men were willing to goe in Gods wayes they would never complain so much of the difficulty in finding them 'T is an easie matter to find an excuse when a man wants a good will to any thing whatever it be A Lion is in all wayes where the slothful man is to goe 3 dly And for this purpose consider farther That the way to Heaven must be discern'd and discover'd by that which is the proper mark and character of it as we find it in Scripture Now in the matters of Gods Kingdom some are more essential substantial and of greater consequence than others so as they who differ about some particulars may yet be right in the main and all in Heavens way 'T were sad indeed if every difference in a punctilio should make another way to Heaven Where are there two men in all the World that are of one mind in every thing God forbid that among the different perswasions that are about some things in the way of administring Christs Ordinances we should allow of none to be in the way to Heaven that is otherwise minded in some Particulars than we our selves are There are many roads to a great City and yet they that goe the one or the other come alike to it because all those several wayes have a tendency towards it All the question is and must be Whether the way we take be such as hath a
my self with the bare naming of them 1 st For the First I say That the wayes wherein Atheists have gone about to undermine Scripture-Authority and so overthrow all Religion are contrary to sound Reason For is it not more rational in us to believe That one Eternal Infinite Beeing made this whole frame of Heaven and Earth than to fancy an empty infinite Space and an infinite number of Atomes coursing up and down in it and by a fortuitoâ— concourse as it were by hap-hazard no sobeâ— man can imagine how to fall into order anâ— so produce this frame of the World as now we see it I shall not dispute in the case but onâ—â— appeal to the judgement of any man that 's sobeâ— and in his senses which of those two is most creâ—dible to the apprehension of Reason And is noâ— our Faith of one eternal God as rational as â—â—thers conceit of an eternal Pre-existent matteâ—â— Not to say How precarious the Principles of â—â—thers that are against us are I add How absurd and unreasonable they are to the apprehension of any sober intelligent man and farr more incredible and improbable than what we believe of the Worlds Creation according to the written Word Let those who count so light of Scripture-Doctrine and set so highly by some alery Speculations and Notions whether of old or of late cryed up shew us somewhat more rational than what is Scriptural And whether the Phylosophy of Moses c. be not as agreeable to any sober mans reason as any opposition of Science which by some is so much admired It is not my design to engage with such Notionists who had best deal first with others that have said enough I think it enough to declare that they have done little to satisfie the sober reason of intelligent men For I say again Let all be weighed not in the ballance of the Sanctuary which they sufficiently slight but by the standard of true Reason and if they be not found too light I grant they have said somewhat to their purpose There is a World fram'd and constituted as we see and a dispute there hath been and I think still is with some How it came to be so fram'd and constituted Now I only plead That the account which Moses hath given of the Worlds beginning is much more credible to meer Reason than any other And thereupon ask Why should it seem incredible that one who had his beeing from none but of himself should make all things out of nothing They whose interest it would be to have no God are willing to perswade themselves and others too that there is none And these say That some men have for their own turns made others believe there is a God and so the World is troubled about something which is indeed nothing We who believe the beeing of one God appeal not to Scripture of which these men count nothing but ask them How this frame and all its furniture came to be first set up That this World made it self is an absurdity beyond all reason and common sense Hence some have devised wayes of fashioning the World such as I hinted some before that they may stand in no fear of any God or Devil nor live in expectation of any Hell or Heaven hereafter But herein they goe against all Reason which is the only Judge to whose sentence they are content to stand That the true notion of a Deity is most consonant to Reason and the light of Nature is excellently proved by the Learned Stillingfleet And they that deny there is a God do assert other things as he saith on farr less evidence of reason and must by their own Principles deny some things which are apparently true And he instances in these viz. That the World was as it is from all Eternity or else it was first made by a fortuitous concourse of Atomes both which Hypotheses being urged with the same or greater difficulties are more weakly proved than the existence of a Deity And whoever shall be pleas'd to enquire will find it so Therefore we contend for Religion against Atheists upon grounds of Reason And I say again That none of them all have produced any thing so rational as that which is Scriptural 2 dly And for the truth and reason of the Christian Religion the same learned Author hath said enough in the learned discourse aforesaid All that I shall say is this That if any man please to examine all the several religious perswasions that are or have been in the World beside that which Scripture hath reveal'd and warranted and weigh them in the ballance of sound Reason he need not be much puzzled about the choice of his Religion For it will soon appear even to Reason That all Religions beside the truly Christian are unreasonable If any strange at this because many in all ages who had good natural Reason have rejected the Christian Religion I answer 1. That they had Reason but made not a due and right improvement of it and therefore shewed themselves unreasonable as the Apostle proves it against them Ro. 1.19 20 c. And that God did therefore give them up to vile affections as a punishment of their unreasonable Idolatries 2. We having Scripture-light which they had not have our Reason more rectified and enlightned than they had or could have And without the light of Divine Revelation we in all probability might have been as vain in our imaginations as they But then I say both we and they had been unreasonable And God himself useth no other Argument against the Gentiles Idolatries than the absurdity and unreasonableness of them Esay 44. They that make a graven Image c. they are their own witnesses They see not nor know that they may be ashamed And after a large account of their doings about their Images and Idols v. 18 19. he saith They have not known nor understood And again None considereth in his heart nor is there knowledge or understanding c. As if he should say These Makers of Idols that know whereof they are made and how handled in the making are the best witnesses that can be brought against them For if they were not sadly besotted and void of common sense they would never imagine the stock of a Tree could be made a God The main thing to be observ'd for my purpose is this That they had light enough by their own reason to discover the vanity of making Idols For this they are charged with That they did not debate the matter with themselves nor reason the case as they might which if they had done they could never have been so bruitish and senseless as they shewed themselves to be in saying to the work of their own hands Ye are our Gods And now Let none desire me to instance in any other having spoken of Idolaters because all the World of Mankind that worship not the true and only God in the alone Mediator and no other
are Idolaters This is plain and clear and needs no proof except any will say The Turks are no Idolaters because they like no Images But however they are affected to Images they must be ranked amongst Idolaters that honour a Varlet such as Mahomet was more than the Lord Jesus Christ. They have not the Son and therefore have not the Father 1 Ioan. 2.23 And then what can they be other than Idolaters The same is to be thought of the Iews who worship the true God but not in our Lord Jesus Christ. To instance in the particular absurdities of all other Religions would be endless and for ought I know to no great purpose It may suffice to hint in general what any man may improve when ever he pleases in his own thoughts by running over in his mind the wayes and doings of all that serve not one God only in the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though we had our Religion by Revelation and that be enough to confirm our Faith yet we have this to boot for our further confirmation in it That it hath more of Reason in it than any other Hence we inferr That an Atheist is the veriest fool of all that for the pleasures of this World which he may not enjoy one hour cannot by his own confession enjoy one hundred of years dares run the hazard of losing himself for ever As long as it is disputable with him Whether there be a God or no his wisest and safest way were to chuse the strongest side For if it prove at last that there is no God he gains a very little as much as comes to nothing no more than a beast that hath as much as he and more too But if there be a God such as we believe in what a case will he be at the great day of account And to think there is a God that cares not what becomes of the World and will never judge the World is all one as to say there is no God Now a man had need of infallible and undeniable Principles to prove there is no God who dares to live in this World as if there were none because the adventure is of infinite concernment and consequence And for the choice of a mans Religion I say again He need do no more than use his Reason That will give him light enough to chuse the best I do not say nor mean That Reason alone could ever have discover'd the only way of Salvation or the right way of worshipping God so as to please him in it But when God hath in his Word discover'd to us his good will in all that concerns his glory and our everlasting good we dare appeal to Reason for the truth and goodness of our Religion and challenge all the World to shew us any other that is half so rational 3 dly I should be much more large in proving my third Position about the power and practice of true Religion if another hand had not of late so happily prevented me yet somewhat I have to say of this also 'T is no strange or new thing to see all godliness and circumspect walking cryed down under an odious imputation of folly and fancy 'T was said of Christ He is beside himself Marâ— 3.21 or one transported with a Fanatique Extasie And of the blessed Apostle That too much learning had made him madd Act. 26.24 His plain manner and method of preaching Christ crucified was by the worldly-wise counted and call'd the foolishness of preaching though it were indeed the wisdome and power of God to Salvation 1 Cor. 1.23 Therefore we have the less need to be troubled at the language of many in our times seeing they speak but what they have learn'd from their Fore-fathers For certain we pretend to no Enthusiasms beyond all sense and reason but appeal to Christ and his written Word to be tryed by them in all things for which we are counted Fanatiques For the aspersion of Folly upon all that desire to remember God in his wayes and to walk humbly with him we may safely appeal to the same Judges now before spoken of because the wisdome of God in Scripture give the name of FOOL to none but to such as are ungodly Witness Davids Psalmes and Solomons Proverbs c. But I shall argue a little further thus If the Principles of our Religion be such as we are bound to contend for it against all Adversaries then the practice which agrees best with and comes nearest to those Principles deserves not the imputation of Folly nor can be so accounted of by any but unreasonable men Hence I am bold to ask Who are the veriest fools They that know the Laws of Christ and labour to walk accordingly Or they that pretend to know them but in all their works deny them The Principles of true Christian Religion are these Tit. 2.11 12. That we deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and live soberly c. That for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account Mat. 12.36 That God shall bring to light the hidden things of darkness and bring them to judgement 1 Cor. 4.5 Eccles. 12.14 Now compare mens practices with these Principles and it may be easily seen who are the veriest fools Many there are that glory much in their being Protestants and will sometimes pity Papists for being mis-led as to their religious perswasions But I am bold to think That some Protestants have as much need to pity themselves for their ungodly practices For if any under Heaven be in the way to Hell some of these Protestants are If you desire to know which of them I answer All those who are common ordinary Drunkards Swearers Fornicators and Adulterers with all of the same stamp and that to fill up the measure of their sins the faster do shew the greatest hatred and scorn that can be of all that profess and practice godliness This I have against these Protestants or rather for them if they will make a right use of it That a Papist leading an honest temperate and sober life can give a more rational account of his Religion than any of them or any others like them But I say further Doth not Reason teach every man to be true to his own Principles and that we should not profess one thing and practice another quite contrary Nay do not lewd and vicious persons cry out against others that they are not what they seem to be These say they are your great Professors and they can do so and so Is this according to their profession And I say If great Professors be not also precise and strict practisers they are to be blamed yea and without Repentance shall be damn'd But I say withall That whoever proclaims himself a Protestant is a great Professor in so doing For the true Protestant Religion teaches and obliges to all possible circumspection and holy conversation and godliness The Gospel is call'd The Doctrine that is
or multiplicity of Gods because there can be but one infinite and so but one God Now the true God being indeed such it is unreasonable in us to think by searching to find him out in his Essence Subsistence or Attributes And for this purpose let it be considered what the Apostle saith concerning mans Reason when it is us'd about the things of God 1 Cor. 2. How should a beast understand the things of a man and how much less can a man understand the things of God I think I may rationally say He must be a God that knows perfectly what God is True we may understand what he hath revealed for our learning but our understanding is according to his revealing it only by our Faith which sees that which Reason cannot discern and yet our Faith is not unreasonable For we can give a reason of our believing such things as God hath revealed viz. Infallible Divine Authority though we cannot give a reason of some things believed by us And there is nothing more reasonable than to believe whatever God saith to be true though we can give no reason more than that God saith it For a God that can lye Reason it self will say is not cannot be God but an Idol or a Devil And hence I infer◠That Reason teacheth us to believe the highest Mysteries revealed in Scripture as the Trinity the Incarnation c. and they that think otherwise therein shew themselves unreasonable And for the Counsels of God in disposing of his Creatures according to his pleasure what reasonable man can question them Or if any man do it may it not justly and rationally be said to him as Elihu spake unto Iob Behold in this thou art not just I will answer thee that God is greater than man Why dost thou strive against him For he giveth no account of his matters And if so it is indeed most unreasonable in any man to expect it Certainly if any God may challenge this Prerogative viz. To give no account of his wayes and counsels And for men to pry into them further than he hath reveal'd and demand a reason of his will and pleasure when he is pleas'd to give none is indeed to do against Reason For there is nothing more reasonable than this That God may do what he pleaseth and not to be question'd by any for it seeing all things else are the works of his hands And this was the Apostles mind when he said Ro. 9.20 21. Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Hath not the Potter power over the clay c. And doth not the Prophet whom the Apostle cites or alludes to in that place say as much and more Esay 45.9 Woe to him that striveth with his Maker c. i. e. quarrels God about his Providences as if he meant to controll him To clear and confirm my Argument yet further Doth not the Apostle argue from Reason upon all occasions even about the things of God specially when he had to do with Heathens Act. 14.15 saith he to those who would have sacrificed to to him We preach unto you to turn from these vanities unto the living God which made Heaven and Earth c. As if he should have said If you will serve a God serve him that is God indeed and who is the living and 〈◊〉 God your own reason will shew you It is he that made Heaven and Earth c. You are unseasonable in sacrificing to any other because no other can be God 〈◊〉 v. 17. he goes on to shew That they and their foreFathers had light enough from Gods Providential Dispensations to teach them that Iupiter Mercurius and such Vanities or Idols could not be the true and living God so as they were inexcusable And so he argueth Act. 17. That we ought not to think the God-head like unto Gold or Silver c. seeing it is against all reason as he proves from v. 24 to v. 29. So likewise Ro. 1. he proveth the Gentiles Idolatry in making Images and Representations of God to be against the light of Nature and natural Reason which was able to see so much of his eternal Power and Godhead in the things that are made as they might easily conclude that God was not to be represented by any similitude of earthly things because they cannot be like him Act. 17.29 I shall yet in other instances labour to evidence That there is nothing in true Religion but what is reasonable For Moral Duties towards men our Saviour layeth down an undoubted Principle of Reason Mat. 7.12 and addeth That this is the Law and the Prophets i. e. This is the summ and substance of all they have taught concerning the duty of man to man the most equal Law to do as we would be done unto All the Commandments against Murder Adultery Theft c. are Principles of common Reason and the Law of Nature For Children to obey their Parents is reasonable and so the Apostle presseth it Eph. 6.1 because it is just or right How can Children be thankful but in being dutiful to their Parents And for Servants to obey their Masters it is equal for they maintain and fro◠them necessaries for their lives And to obey Principalities and Powers is but reason because by them the people are kept in peace and there would be otherwise no safety or society amongst men Whatever some may fancy or feign True Religion in the highest and strictest practice of it is no teacher of mis-rule but teacheth obedience for conscience sake and sheweth the right way of yielding it according to Gods Commandment And 't is not reasonable to think it teacheth obedience in some only and not in all Relations Yea it is impossible to serve God as we ought and not to serve one another in love Nay the most Spiritual Duties of denying our selves and crucifying our lusts are most reasonable To part with our lives and all we have for Christs sake is most equal seeing he dyed for us And if I were to dispute for the Christian Religion against an Infidel I would dare him to shew any one thing in Scripture that is contrary to sound Reason or any Article of the Christian Faith that is not rational as I have shewed before in some of them And now I lay down these three Conclusions which I avouch rational and by Reason demonstrable viz. 1. That there is more Reason in any Religion than in no Religion at all 2. That there is more Reason in the true Christian Religion than there is in any other 3. That there is more Reason in the life and practice of true Religion and the power of Godliness than in the empty form and out-side profession of it These I should further dilate upon but that all of them are most excellently and undeniably of late discoursed at large by others Yet I shall not content
for their miscarriages in practice whether truly or falsely charg'd upon them For what is this more or better than the enmity that is in their hearts against God and his wayes And let it not offend any that I say so till they have heard what I have yet to say That many eminent Professors have faulted and fallen and that most foully cannot be denied because the Scriptures have furnish'd us with so many sad Instances in this kind And that the most of Gods faithful Servants have been fam'd or defam'd rather as guilty of the same or the like is clear from Scripture and from experience in all ages But whether the faults of Professors be reall or only feigned still I say again the Scandall that is taken by so many is an Argument of the old hatred and shews an inbred desire to have the wayes of God slurr'd that they may have an excuse for slighting them And if it be so as I hope to make it appear we have another Evidence that men have Light enough but have no mind to walk by it For why should any man cry out as many do against Professors and profession of Religion if there were not somewhat more than what they are willing to have known by themselves But I shall argue it a little further thus First I 'le suppose the Scandall to be indeed reall What then Is that a ground sufficient to say I will never goe in the way that such pretended to A man indeed may and ought to say I will never do as such have done wherein they have done amiss And this both Religion and Reason will teach us But therefore to slight and set at naught all Profession and the very face and shew of Religion to say no more is most unreasonable and a sufficient evidence of that enmity which is by Nature in the hearts of all men against God and his wayes For what is Gods way the worse because such and such have turn'd aside from it Nay is it better than blasphemy to cry out with open mouth against that which is of God because of that which is vile and base in men David committed Adultery and Murder too and therein occasion'd the enemies of God to blaspheme which was the great aggravation of his sin and punishment But observe It was blasphemy in the enemies of God and they were Gods enemies that took occasion to blaspheme For those enemies might have known and should have taken notice that David's God had forbidden those horrid sins by his righteous Laws written in the hearts of all men and therefore had no cause to speak or think the worse of him for his Servants offences Was Christ the worse or the less to be esteem'd because Peter denied and forswore him What reason then is there in making the wayes of God to suffer for the faults of those that pretend to them The wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressours shall fall therein Hos. 14.9 The best Master may have a base Servant and the best Prince may have a Traytor amongst his Subjects must the good Prince or Master bear the fault of the bad Subject or Servant Or is subjection and service to be denied by others because some Servants and Subjects are not so good as they should be And in such cases every man will say There is no cause And what reason I pray is there in this case more than in those These be the people of Iehovah said the enemies of both Ezech. 36.20 These be your great Professors say many But who None but enemies to God and godliness Oh! say they See what such an one hath done We will grant it and 't is but too true He hath done what he ought not to have done But why is this cast as dirt in the face of all Professors and profession of Religion The God whom they serve alloweth them not in their so doing He hath forbidden them to do so and commanded them the quite contrary And all the wayes of his Commandments are holy just and good To profess the true Religion is good and according to the mind of God though it be not all that 's good For to a good profession must be added a good conversation and the Power of Godliness must goe along with the Form of it If a man profess and practice not accordingly thou hast no cause to slight his profession but rather to do what he did not viz. Adorn thy profession with a suitable conversation In this I plead not for empty outside Professors that dishonour as much as may be the profession of Religion I shall rather advise them to one of these two viz. To let their conversation hold pace with their profession that the Name of God be not blasphemed or else to lay aside their profession For such loose Professors of Religion exceedingly wrong themselves and others and God most of all as might be easily shewn in many Particulars But I shall only say what is enough That they do as if they design'd to make all the World scorn and hate God and his wayes Men should not indeed slight Gods wayes for the looseness of those that pretend to walk in them as was said before But too many are so minded as they will blaspheme and these Professors give them occasion of so doing And just so in a manner do all they who from their Pulpits will declame against the Vices of others when all their Auditors know them to live in some or other of those same Vices and repent not Such preaching of such Preachers is a fair Argument to encourage the looser sort in slighting all preaching and all profession of Religion For what will they say other than this If there be such danger in such wayes as we are told and so much necessity of taking up a more precise course why doth not our Minister and others like him practice their own Doctrine Whatever they say when they are in the Church we see well enough what they do elsewhere and at other times Why may not we run the adventure as well as they And indeed it is the ready way to perswade people That all the matters of God and Religion are of no great concernment when they see they are discours'd of sometimes for fashion and in a form by such as believe not what themselves say They that preach thus as it were in jest are not likely to bring others to practice in good earnest And to speak all in a few words Such Preachers and Professors as before if they would set their wits on work to make all the World Atheist as once it was Arian cannot devise a more compendious way and method for the purpose But though such Preachers and Professors there be yet whoever shall therefore stand off or turn aside from the wayes of Gods Commandments will in the day of account be inexcusably guilty before the Lord of neglecting his duty Is there so
Argument of conviction that they do know what they ought to do and do the contrary Where do you meet with any that will openly proclaim their wickedness or affirm that vices are vertues that Drunkenness Swearing c. are duties that ought to be done No for the most part men are asham'd and will not own these and yet continuing in the practice of them do they not sin condemn'd of themselves They do know the baseness of their evil wayes and notwithstanding goe on in them And with what face can they plead That if they had known the good and the right way they would have walked in it Wherefore they shall be their own Judges when they are to be condemn'd before the Lord at the last day Arg. 11. ANd why do many betake themselves to do somewhat for making their peace as they pretend with God This if there were nothing else serves to prove they are somewhat convinc'd of their wayes and doings that they are not so good as they should be But in the doing of it they discover the wretched untowardliness of their hearts and how little they prize the things which God hath promised to all them that diligently seek him For commonly they betake themselves to pitiful poor shifts It may be when they are going out of the world they can find in their hearts to spare a little somewhat to some good uses after they have all their life long been making more poor than all their estates are able to relieve yea done more wrong than their estates are able to recompâ—â—ce And some will keep their Church better than ever before if they live to it and sometimes read a Chapter or in some good Boâ—k But for ransacking of Conscience and ripping up old sins to the bottom and renouncing the vain wayes whereunto they are as all others inclin'd and turning from all iniquity and betaking themselves to the most strict and precise way of walking with God in all his Commandments blameless as Zechariah and Elizabeth did Luc. 1.6 As they never knew before what belongs to them so they are still willing to let them alone They cannot be ignorant unless willingly that their duty is to be humbled as low as Hell and to receive the sentence of death in themselves and shew it in all possible contrition and humiliation and denying themselves in all they formerly delighted in and in walking so as all that see them may have cause to say Surely God hath wrought some great change upon them But they can content themselves with less and hope God will be as well pleas'd with it as they themselvâ—â— are So you shall have some turn'd it may be from open prophaneness and debauchery to 〈◊〉 more sober civil way of life and perhaps somewhat of an empty outside formality This is an acknowledgement that God must have somewhat more than he hath had formerly But this poor pittance will be a strong evidence against them one day that they did not follow hard after God as they might and should have done For if men did not wilfully shut their eyes against the light that shines in Scripture to shew the good and right way of seeâ—ing after God they could not but know that the utmost degree of self-denial and mortification with deepest humiliation before God and all holy conversation and godliness is the only way to find him Such slight work as they make serves only to shew they are not willing to do better and therefore can in reason expect no great reward For I say again men cannot be ignorant except willingly that the enjoying of God for their portion is so rare and rich a prize as nothing can be thought enough for procuring it and such a slight dealing in a matter of so great concernment is an Argument to evidence that they goe against their own light and so are condemned of themselves And what do many in the whole course of their lives more than trifle about somewhat which is indeed nothing to any purpose They know after a sort the only true way to eternal life which is believing on the Son of God They are also we suppose it however sober and ciâ—il in their behaviour towards others But for their Religion towards God it being we grant as to the outward profession right as it should be they content themselves with the outside which is the easiest part of it being least irksome to the flesh and that which pinches least upon their worldly and fleshly interests And thus they approve their skill in finding out an easie way to Heaven For this I may I hope affirm without offence to any That the Protestant Religion so call'd and to me the only true Religion in the bodily exercise and outside observance is farr more easie than any other And there is good reason for it seeing the grace of God in these Gospel-times calls mostly for worshipping God in the Spirit The Iews had an hard task indeed a kind of bondage in the outside of Gods service which put them to great pains and cost But Christians now have as little as may be of the bodily exercise because the more full discoveries of Gospelâ— grace call us now to offer up our selves as so many living Sacrifices holy and acceptable unto God and call'd a reasonable service because according as God hath prescrib'd And ' tiâ— indeed the main and chiefest part of Gods service now to mortifie our earthly members and crucifie the flesh with the affections and lustâ— with abridging our selves in all that may gratifie Self conforming our selves and coming as nâ—â—r as possible to that more blessed and glorious 〈◊〉 wherein there will be no use or need at all oâ— these present comforts and accommodations Now what do many call'd Protestants otheâ— than by their practices deny the great things oâ— the Gospel and contradict our Saviour Jesâ—â— Christ in what he said Mat. 7.14 That the gate which leads to life eternal is strait and the way narrow For they make it as wide and easie as any man can devise to make it Surely it is noâ— hard labour to goe to Church once in a week and receive the Sacrament once or twice in a year and say over by rote a few conn'd Prayers once or twice in a day when they are half asleep And yet this is the most service that many do to God and it may be doubted if many do so much Now if the course these men take bâ— the good and the right way they need not strive much the gate is wide and the way is broad enough who can miss it or goe beside it Questionless the very Heathens serve the Devil and their Idols at more cost and charge and pains taking than all this comes to To speak as it is the true Religion is the most easie of all others as to the outward bodily exercise and all the difficulty that attends it is in Self-denial being crucified to the World and in the more
thy self in nothing that will serve to please the flesh This to be sure is not Heavens-way whatever it be And therefore make no more question about the many Religions that are in the World till thou art better resolved for that Religion which is plain and easie enough to be learn'd by any that hath not a wicked heart against God and all that is good Resolve once to serve Sin no more and thou wilâ— presently see the way to Heaven as plain before thee as thou knowest the way to thine own house or home AND now I shall make some Application â—f all that hath been said after I have givâ—n one Proviso to prevent a mistake that may be I have hitherto shewed How willful the wickâ—â— World is and how apt to take offence even tâ— contend with God himself about the wayes and workings of his Grace and Providence Say and do what you can or will they will not be perswaded but perhaps the more hardned Buâ— though it be so with most of the World yet beware whatever you do you give them no occasion of falling or stumbling Say not in thine heart They are such as will perish and it matters not how we carry our selves towards them if they will be offended let them be offended we cannot help it Some yea too many will be offended yet take heed of giving them the least occasion of offence For so hath the Lord commanded Levit. 19.14 Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blind but shalt fear thy God Yea Deut. 27.18 There is a curse upon him that maketh the blind to wander out of the way And our Saviour denounceth a woe to him by whom the offence cometh Mat. 18.7 They are blind and out of the way but in that they deserve the rather to be the object of thy pity and prayers and endeavours to turn them from the errour of their way What knowest thou that they may not recover themselves and come to repentance Secret things belong to the Lord Deut. 29.29 That we are to labour their repentance and by all possible means to endeavour it in our capacities and relations is revealed to us as our duty and if they will perish notwithstanding we have delivered our own Souls their blood will be upon their own heads Our Saviour indeed said of some Let them alone c. Mat. 15.14 i. e. Have no regard to them trouble not your selves about them if they be offended be not you offended however because of them But he allows not his Disciples to offend them in the least If men shew themselves contentious malicious and wilfully contumacious as the Scribes and Pharisees some of them were Let them alone pass them by but yet provoke them not to be more wicked than they are True we cannot do what is our duty but some will be offended as the Scribes and Pharisees were at Christ for doing the will of him that sent him But the offence was only taken by them there was none given by him He prov'd to be by accident a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence but never offended any If we cannot do what is our duty without offence to some the fault is theirs not ours because we may not to please them offend God by disobeying his commands Some will be offended if we will not pledge them in a drunken health Let them be offended it need not trouble us If we tamely do as they do we encourage them in their debaucheries and so we offend them indeed by helping them on towards the pit of destruction Wicked men make too much hast to the Devil we need not provoke or put them forward Indeed we have need be very careful and as the Apostle Iude v. 22. adviseth To put a difference Some perhaps will rage if we will not run to the same excess of riot with them But better they rage than we by doing what they would have us to provoke Gods wrath against our own Souls A patient forbearance to do as they do and a with-drawing from them may be an effectual reproof and work upon them afterwards If there be no hope to fasten an admonition Solomon hath resolv'd the case for us Pro. 9.8 Reprove not a Scorner However comply not with him to allow of his wickedness in the least But be sure not to give any occasion of falling to such as are weak Lest thy poor Brother perish for whom Christ dyed Ro. 14.15 The Apostle was a singular Precedent for this He would eat no flesh whiles he lived rather than offend his Brother 1 Cor. 8. fin How did he yield upon occasion to avoid offence to the weak But as farr as I can remember not otherwise He yielded in those things wherein he was fully satisfied in his own conscience and judgement But how and upon what terms Never as I remember but to prevent the offence that might be taken by weak Brethren lest they might take occasion by his not yielding in some things to cast off all and turn back again with the Dogg to his vomit We do not read of his so yielding to wicked willful Sinners that would have made no other use of it than to reproach him and which is worse the Gospel too by saying He was a man of no Principles that would comply with any thing to save his skin We have a notable Instance for this in Galat. 2.3 4 5 When false Brethren went about to infringe the liberty of Christians and bring them into bondage 〈◊〉 gave no place by subjection no not for an hour For therein he had built again the things that he had destroyed and encouraged the enemies of the truth in their opposition against it Yield iâ— any thing thou canst to save a Soul to draw men on to a good liking of Gods wayes and putting them forward in them But not one hairs breadth to encourage them in their ungodliness For that 's offending them contrary to the command of Christ. And now I must call loud upon many and even conjure them to consider their wayes whereby they have given so great occcasion of offence to such as are openly and avowedly wicked O! Do not say or think Such ungodly men shew themselves what they are when they declare their sin as Sodom they are past shame and past hope Let them dye and be damn'd who can help it It may prove so that they will dye and be damn'd and nor thou nor any man else can help it because they will not help themselves But thou hast need look to it that their death and condemnation add nothing to thine account They perish for their contempt or neglect of that which they should more carefully have look'd after But what if your careless and loose walking have been the occasion of making them to think they need not be so carefull yea perhaps of slighting and setting at nought all the wayes of Gods Commandments Surely if it be so the best that can be made
or said of it is this That they are Principals and you are Accessaries as to their destruction and what comfort you can take in that I beseech you seriously to consider For be you well assured that the ungodly lives of professed Christians will one day be aggravated by this that when they lived as many thousands now do amongst professed Infidels they gave them occasion to have hard thoughts of Christ and Christianity and to resolve they would never goe to that Heaven where Christians hope to come For how shall such poor Souls be brought to enquire after God when they that profess themselves to be his Servants walk ordinarily in wayes of uncleanness excess and deceit c. such as Heathens know by Natures light to be against the mind of God The Devil himself whom those Barbarians serve can teach them no worse than what they are learn'd by the evil conversations and examples of Christians How shall they be turned from the power of Satan unto God when they cannot see it will be for the better but rather for the worse Here I cannot omit what the Turks are wont to say when another will not believe them What dost take me for a Christian It seems they have observed too much falshood amongst Christians Now this is a Lamentation and let it be a Lamentation that the mouths of Infidels are so much opened against all Christians and the mouths also of many professed Christians against more eminent Professors to blaspheme and say Are these the wayes and doings of those that serve Christ Are these practices becoming them that pretend so much to Godliness and would be thought more exâ—ellent than their Neighbours What inference think you will Infidels and ungodly prophane men make from it Surely this and no other Let them goe alone for us we are as well where we are already we are not like to mend our silver by taking the courses and wayes of these Christians these great Professors nor can we be worse in the way wherein we now are If they be not in all as we are they are certainly in some things as bad as we can be And now I could ex tempore and without any study draw up a black bed roll of many and manifold gross miscarriages of many that would be thought more eminent Christians than their Neighbours But I shall content my self with this general Admonition in hope it may be improved to the right end of it by such as cannot but know themselves faulty in many particulars unless the God of this World hath quite blinded the eyes of their minds O that these men would consider as they should what to answer in the great day of account Specially when it cannot be denied that such horrid things have been done as Natures light if there were no other evidence cannot but condemn I shall only add They have been such as whosoever that is but civil and sober hears his ears cannot but tingle at the very report of them The Application IF all the ground and reason of all mistakes and miscarriages about the matters of Gods Kingdom and our Salvation be our contempt or neglect of the means and helps which God hath allowed us Let every one by himself make a serious enquiry how he shall be able to clear himself in the great day of account For God will certainly come and judge and try every mans work and reward accordingly And in this Application of the foregoing Discourse I shall apply my self to all and every one that hath but so much of Religion as to acknowledge That there is a World to come after a little time spent here on Earth and that men shall be rewarded hereafter for ever according to their present behaviour This is no more of Religion than all or most of Heathens ever had and still have though their conceptions about it have been and still are but confused general imperfect notions without any effect considerable But yet the main intent of all shall be with a more especial respect to such as do or might know more clearly the things of their peace than Heathens can To these I say They cannot but know that all who have lived since the World began and shall live till it have an end shall not be for ever as they were here on Earth And this our Saviour shews plainly in the Parable as I take it to be of the Rich man and Lazarus Luc. 16. v. 19. 31. Some receive their good things here and some must wait for them till hereafter And a great turn there will be so as the Scene shall be quite changed as you may see v. 25. of Luc. 16. For Lazarus is comforted and the Rich man is tormented Now consider what hath been discoursed before and see whither you are a going and where you make account to arrive at last There is by your own confession an happy estate and condition for some in glory and honour and immortality And by what hath been said before you may see if you will that nor you nor any others lye under any fatal necessity of perishing in your sins but that if you dye and be damn'd it is only through your own default Now be intreated whiles it is called To day to consider your wayes and bethink your selves how those blessed Souls that have all their desires and hopes accomplished in the sight of God for ever came to the enjoyment of their happiness Was it not in the way of Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Did they know by immediate and extrâ—ordinary Revelation before they repented and believed that they were of the number that should be saved Or was the Book of Life opened to them that they might read their own names there recorded and so be encouraged to repent and turn to God You cannot when you are awake imagine it or if you should it is but as a sick mans dream that never entred into the head of one that 's sober and in his right senses Alas Those now blessed Soulâ— were once while upon earth Foolish and disobedient serving divers lusts and pleasures They were by nature the children of wrath even as others They were of themselves inclin'd to thâ— things of this World and traded and traffiquâ— for them as others do till afterwards they came to know better Yea all that died in the faith before God was manifested in the flesh and never had the discoveries of saving grace such as have been since even they by dimmer light chose the way to that place where they shall be for ever with the Lord. And who among us now would not desire to be with those Patriarchs and Prophets and other holy men of God before and since the coming of Christ Now consider well whether we take the same course that they took Read the Eleventh Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews and see what so many Worthies of old did and suffered and so by faith and
followers Nor will he count that every man hath a right to eternal life of what Religion soever he is as some have dream'd because he seem'd to mean well in it The Lord hath shewed all men what is good and what he requireth of them and that so fully and plainly as he will have ground enough to proceed against them and to execute vengeance on all Idolaters and all other ungodly and unrighteous men whatsoever Religion they professed He will easily and suddenly find out all that have enquir'd and sought after the only true way of worship which himself had appointed and have made conscience of walking before him in holiness and righteousness with an utter abhorring of all false wayes And to these only will he say Well done good and faithfull Servants You and you only have done as I commanded you If any shall say That an allowance must be given to some because all that goe in the good way walk not at one rate but some come behind and faulter sometimes I say so too and that the righteous God will put a difference between those that are upright in the main though falling behind others in degrees of true grace others that wilfully chuse their own wayes which God hath expresly forbidden and as wilfully refus'd the good old way of Gods Commandments He knows and will own all that have denied themselves and made it their work to find and keep the way of God There are and alwayes have been such in the World though a few in comparison that knew the streight way to Heaven amongst all the crooked wayes of mens devising and set themselves to keep that way notwithstanding all opposition or temptation And these only will God look after in the great day of account For others he will have enough to answer them though they were of never so many and different perswasions in point of Religion they must be all pack'd together in that day and bound in bundles to be cast into the fire because they were all in their life time Workers of iniquity They shall prevail little by pleading then They could never see reason enough to perswade them out of the way that they took For they shall be made to see in that day there was a right and good way of holiness and righteousness wherein they should have walked and it was easie enough to be seen but they would not walk therein Nay they found fault with it and rais'd false reports of it and us'd all the Arguments they could to keep themselves and others from walking in it They would never stoop their high Spirits to enter into the strait gate nor would they bear the contempt of the World and the reproach that must be undergone for Christs sake and the Gospels They thought to be religious was to be melancholick and thought it an hard bargain to part with the pleasures of sin for somewhat that some crack-brain'd people talk'd much of in another World to be had but no man knew when or where They were such as would be merry while they might and take as much of this World as they could and for Religion in respect to another World they could never well understand it There were indeed some that talk'd much that way but they could not well agree among themselves and therefore they left them to quarrel about it and took the way that themselves best liked For the Religion which some cried up as the only way to Heaven they conceiv'd it very strait and narrow nor could they see so much in it as might perswade them to it In a word they never liked any Religion that would tie them to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts And hence it is easie to conceive how God will proceed against all Sects and Sorts of men of what perswasion soever that never were perswaded to deny themselves for God and the Gospels sake It should be also considered That though all men have not Talents alike as that may be granted either for weight or number yet all have enough to shew them a better way than what the most take and that their way is not good before the Lord. Hence it will be clear That there hath been a wilfull neglect of the trust that was committed to them and so without further evidence the verdict will pass against them They all know though not all alike their Masters will and yet do it not and therefore must be all beaten though not with the same number or measure of stripes This the Devil knows well enough and that no plea such as men frame many to themselves now will then find place And therefore his work is to blindfold men with such conceits as were mention'd before and so fill them with as many prejudices against God and his wayes as they can possibly hold that when they are hood-wink'd he may carry them whither he pleaseth Men are not easily if possibly brought to despite God as the Devil doth Therefore they must be deal◠with so as to be perswaded there is some cause without them and without any fault of theirs which puts them upon those vain and vile waye◠and courses wherein they walk What those pretences are you have heard before and I need not repeat them Only I say That so lon◠as the Devil can hold men under such mistake◠and prejudices or the like he hath them fast enough and doth not fear an escape Men I say will have excuses for the worst of their evil wayes and this is one and a great one That the way they are in is the best they can see and they could never meet with any that could shew them a better They are willing enough to save their Souls and have done as much as lieth in them for that end They love God heartily and abhorr that any should say They hate his Commandments which they labour to keep as well as they can And all this serves to clear themselves and cast all upon God But he will not bear all that men cast upon him nor will he say in the great day of account Alas poor Souls you were willing enough to be saved 〈◊〉 loved me and my wayes well enough and would have walked in them if I had tendred your souls as much as you your selves did Will the Lord think you at that day take upon himself all the blood of so many as shall then be condemned to Hell for ever and say If I had done for these as I might and ought to have done they had never come into this place of torment Will the Lord say That he made men as he pleased and then cast them away and left them to suffer shame and confusion of face for no fault of theirs but only because he had a mind to see his Creatures slain and tormented before him for ever Will he say It was in his heart to damn them before they were born and that for nothing but because it was