St. John Teaches we ought to lay down our Lives for the Brethren that is in a time of Persecution when it may appear necessary for the Confirmation of them that Believe and the Conversion of others then their wilfull continuance in sin or manifest defection from the Faith ought to be more grievous to us than Death it self And alas How many such cases as these do we see in our Parishes Some who have been under our Preaching many years and it may be receiv'd private Instructions from us too are yet grosly ignorant of the plainest and most necessary Principles of Religion Others who have Improv'd more in Knowledge are notwithstanding very loose and scandalous in their Lives Some that cannot be much accus'd either of ignorance or gross Commissions are very defective in their Piety towards God Charity towards their Neighbours or those Relative Duties they are particularly oblig'd to Others that would seem it may be to have a regard to all these for want of a sound and setled Judgment in Religion are easily impos'd on by the subtilty of seducing spirits and drawn away from our Communion Now can any thing more sensible grieve a Faithful Minister who has the Care of those Souls and has taken much pains to Instruct and Edify them in the Faith of Christ than to see them thus despise or desert him and hazard their own Eternal salvation God has set us over our People as Pastors over their Flocks yea as Fathers over their Children And can we be suppos'd the onely Shepherds that are indifferent what becomes of our Flocks or the onely Fathers that have no Compassion for our Children or Concern for their Eternal Happiness The Care Diligence and Watchfulness of all the Faithful servants of Christ do plainly bespeak the contrary Therefore though these unhappy Men who thus frustrate our Pains with them intend it not as a Persecution to us yet the Devil who Tempts them to it does really intend this who knows how much it is his Interest to discourage us in our Great Work and he cannot more effectually do it than by this means But this is not the onely Persecution which we suffer more than other Christians but our Holy Office the Honour of which ought to be dearer to us than our Lives does at this day ly under a very great and almost General Contempt And hence it is that the worst Construction is so often put upon our Words and Actions that many Calumnies are so easily cast upon us by some and so readily believ'd by others c. Thus are we Persecuted even with Swords though not in St. Augustin's sense before mention'd yet in that of holy David who Complaining of the Malicious Speeches of his Enemies against him Psal 59. says That Swords are in their Lips I may add to these things the Invasion of our Sacred Office by many who have neither Gifts nor Opportunities to fit them for it and therefore while they presume to be Teachers do justly fall under the Apostles Censure upon some such Men at Ephesus that they understand neither what they say nor whereof they Affirm I might mention also several other Injuries we often suffer as Ministers but it is time for me to come to the other part of my Text and I have been the longer and more particular upon this because the knowledge of these things I will not say For who does not know them but a serious sense of them will be a great step toward their Cure which I shall now 2. Consider in speaking to the Precept in my Text Redeeming the time or Buying the Season Here therefore I must shew how we are to use and improve our time with respect to the Evils be foremention'd 1. The Evil of Sin 2. The Evil of Suffering First The Evil of Sin And here we must take care First To preserve our selves from it Secondly To do what lies in us to Remedy it First To preserve our selves from this Evil and lead a Conversation as contrary to it as is possible And this the Apostle does exhort the Ephesians to in many particulars before my Text and must be suppos'd to intend it in this Precept as much as any thing else There ly indeed very great Obligations upon all that Name the Name of Christ to depart from Iniquity and be followers of him in a pious and useful Conversation but especially Ministers of the Gospel whom he has appointed in his own stead not only to Instruct others in the way to Heaven but also to lead them in by a holy Example And it concerns them for the honour of God and the safety of themselves and others to be the more circumspect as Sin is more common amongst us Therefore if Errors and Heresies do so much abound in this Nation we ought to be more diligent in searching after the Truth and constantly adhere to it If others are so vicious in their Lives it lies upon us to be the more Sober and Innocent to watch carefully against Temptations and to preserve our selves not only from all gross Commissions but also as far as may be from the very appearance of Evil. If the Duties of Religion both towards God and Men are strangely neglected by many that would go for Christians let us be the more zealous and constant in the performance of them If a great Indifferency in Religion has obtain'd amongst all Orders of Men and there remain but few Sparks of that Holy Fire of Zeal and of Devotion which makes our Service an Acceptable Sacrifice to God let us by all means endeavour to Revive and Cherish it in our selves and make it the more intense by reason of that Coldness with which we are encompass'd For in so General a Defection from the Life and Power of Godliness What will become of the Honour of God and his Cause in the World if we desert it or are cold in it And what greater Judgments than any we have yet felt may reasonably be expected for this Apostacy if the Righteousness of our Lives and Sincere Importunity of our Prayers do not prevent them Secondly We must do what we can to remedy this Evil. And what I have already mention'd the Holiness of our Lives will do very much towards it For this will naturally create a Veneration for us in the Minds of Men and give us more Authority in the use of other Means It will provoke them that have any remains of Piety in their Hearts Confirm such as are wavering in the Faith and half perswade those who were before Averse to Religion of the Truth and Excellency of those Doctrines which they see have had so much power upon our selves and produce such amiable fruits in our Conversation For there is a beauty in Holiness which every eye one would think may in some measure discern There is a greatness in Self denyal and contempt of the World which commands admiration and there are those charms in Humility and condescention in
men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them So evil were the days wherein these Ephesians liv'd in respect of Sin Therefore the Church could not be secure from the other evil of suffering But to say nothing of the secret Temptations of the Devil which are common to all Christians in every time and place though they must be suppos'd most violent where that enemy had such an interest to lose and in so great danger as at Ephesus To pass by many other Troubles which almost constantly attend a sincere Profession of the Gospel Here the Disciples were alwayes liable to Persecution for the sake of Christ from the blind Heathens on the one hand and the more obdurate Jews on the other Here as 't is most probable St. Paul and his Companions met with those great Troubles which he complains of 2 Cor. 1.8 which press'd them out of measure above strength insomuch that they despair'd even of Life and had the Sentence of Death in themselves For it is certain he was in danger at Ephesus of being carried to the Theatre Act. 19.29 30. to be devour'd there as we may suppose by Wild Beasts kept for the Execution of Malefactors and to which Christians afterwards were sometimes expos'd Therefore he sayes That after the manner of Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to Man or so far as was in Man's Power he fought with Beasts at Ephesus 1 Cor. 15.32 And it cannot be suppos'd but the Church must be always in a Suffering State and receive daily Affronts from the Rage and Malice of such Enemies among whom they liv'd though St. Paul does not directly mention it in this Epistle for this Reason it may be least it might have Exasperateed their Enemies the more against them and therefore he gives only such general hints to it as this in the Text. Now because they endur'd these and some following Persecutions with a true Christian Courage and Patience our Saviour mentions this to their honour Rev. 2.3 Thou hast born and hast patience and for my Names sake hast labour'd and hast not tainted Thus it appears these Ephesians liv'd in an evil time both in respect of Sin and Suffering and it is with relation to these especially that the Apostle Exhorts them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make the best Merchandise of the present season by behaving themselves with that wisdom and circumspection which such evil Times did especially require And in this sense it will best agree with what appears to be the design of the same Exhortation to the Colossians Chap. 4.5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without redeeming the time That is use that prudence in your Conversation towards Unbelievers that ye may preserve your selves from their sins and from suffering by their means and gain upon them if possible in order to their receiving the Faith of Christ Now this Exhortation and the reason by which it is enforc'd do nearly concern all Christians at this day and in this Nation but especially Ministers of the Gospel who of all Men should be most sensible of the evil of the Times as indeed they usually feel the greatest share of it and who have a more considerable and difficult part to act with relation to it than others Therefore in the following part of my Discourse I shall chiefly confine my self to them And because the Apostle exhorts us to redeem the time with respect to the evil of it I shall first represent to you the evil of our present days and then shew how we are to redeem the time with respect to it First I shall give some account of the evil of our dayes both in respect of sin and suffering 1. In respect of Sin And here I have a very Melancholy Scene before me and such as I had rather secretly lament than describe to you were it not necessary we should know and consider this dreadful evil in order to its Cure if it be not past remedy We live in an Age and Nation wherein too many are Monstrously corrupted in their Judgment and Manners Some are sunk so far below the common reason and sense of Mankind as to deny the God that made them though there is a thousand times more certainty of his existence than their own Others will own no Religion but what is Natural because they cannot comprehend those Mysteries God has reveal'd to us and so they deny the Lord that bought them Some arrogate to themselves a Power of keeping the whole Law and attaining Perfection and Happiness by that means others contend for a Chimerical Faith that has neither grounds nor effects as sufficient for Salvation how bad soever Men are in their hearts and conversations and so make our Blessed Lord himself as much as lies in them a Patron of vice and wickedness and his Holy Religion a pretence for the vilest practices What shall we say of Popery that Hydra of errors which have been so often baffled and yet they live Though one would think if the Men of that Religion would seriously consult either Faith or Reason and that Law of Kindness which is naturally written in our hearts they must needs be asham'd of their gross Idolatry of the many contradictions and absurdities they have receiv'd and that Cruelty practiced in their Church towards all Men that dare be wiser than themselves To these I might add the Dreams and Fancies of many Enthusiasts among us who conceive such Notions of God and their Duty towards him as are unworthy of his Being and so far below those excellent discoveries he has made of his Nature and Will in holy Scriptures that their own Reason as imperfect as it is would in a great measure correct these mistakes if they would but attend to it Now what can be the fruit of such errors in Mens Minds but a Corruption also in their Conversation which indeed is very great and common amongst us What horrid Oaths and Blasphemies what scoffs at Religion and the sincere Professers of it are heard in many places How is the Sacred Name of God his Ordinances and Providences despis'd How are his holy Word and Ministers Ridicul'd and made Subjects for the Profane Wit and Raillery of those sensless Men who thus abuse the gifts of God to his dishonour and their own destruction And does not Profaneness in some measure enter into our very Churches too For even there we often observe a behaviour in Men very unsutable to those Places and the holy Duties perform'd in them What irreverence is us'd in Prayer What indifferency in hearing the Word of God Yea what drowsiness is indulg'd by some and what levities practis'd by others while they are present at these Ordinances And if the Sacred Rights of God are thus violated by sinfull Men it is the less wonder they should also invade those of their Neighbours and that we so often hear of Contentions Murders Adulteries Thefts Oppressions False-witness Malicious Slanders Revilings c. and
that there is so much Pride Covetousness and Intemperance amongst us To these I must add the many Rents and Divisions in the Church of Christ whereby Men do a great indignity to our blessed Lord himself and frustrate as much as lies in them one gracious end of his dying for us the uniting all into one body the many Petitions also he made to God the Father and the excellent Precepts he has given us to this purpose And hence it is as well as from other causes before-mention'd that the Houses of God are so little frequented his Worship both in â—ublick and Private so strangely neglected and particularly the Sacrament of the Lords Supper that holy Feast instituted by our Saviour for a Commemoration of his dying Love to us to engage us more strictly in that service which is perfect freedom and to convey Spiritual Grace and Comfort to us How is this neglected by most Men as if they had no sense of their Baptismal Engagements which are here repeated of the most gracious work of Mans Redemption by the death of Christ here represented or the Interest and Happiness of their precious and Immortal Souls which would be very much promoted by a serious and frequent attendance on this holy Ordinance Hence also is that almost general indifferency in Religion I mean in respect of the great substantials of it for there is too much Zeal in all parties for those lesser things which distinguish them from other Protestants They are very fond of the occasions and marks of their Separation from their brethren as if needless divisions in the Church which were of old condemn'd by our great Apostle as works of the Flesh had now chang'd their Nature and were become means of Grace and Salvation The intemperate heats Men have for these things together with those of Worldly and Carnal Affections have almost exhausted that true Zeal for God and that sincere Affection to one another which are the distinguishing Marks of Christs Disciples It is because Iniquity does so abound that the love of many is grown cold though for this very reason it ought to have been more fervent as will appear hereafter Thus have I mention'd some of the most common Sins amongst us wherein we may seem a parallel even to Ephesus it self when this Epistle was written If the Heathens there were violent Idolaters and Persecutors of Christians such are our Papists too if sometimes they practic'd barbarous Cruelties upon any they met with and were ordinarily very dissolute and licentious in their Lives we are not without instances of the former sort and do too much abound with those of the latter and our Atheist is such a monster as perhaps was not known amongst them If Errors and Heresies did infest the Church then we have some of the worst of them reviv'd in our days and have added many others to them If there were some perverse Men in the Church at Ephesus that separated themselves and drew Disciples after them these are far outdone by the many Schisms and Divisions amongst us at this day If the believing Ephesians were accus'd some time after the writing of this Epistle for having lest their first love Rev. 2.4 how much more may we be condemn'd for almost the entire loss of ours and falling into a luke-warmness like that chargd upon Laodicea and for which our Blessed Saviour so severely threatens her We may therefore say of our own days in respect of the Sins that abound amongst us as the Apostle did of those he liv'd in that they are Evil. And the more because those in our days that commit the same Sins with the Heathens at Ephesus have been better instructed than they and prosess a pure and undefil'd Religion and all wilful Sins amongst us are committed against as many gracious Providences of God towards us as were ever shew'd to any Nation 2. Our days are Evil too in respect of Suffering But here I will acknowledge to the praise of Gods Goodness and Patience that we are not liable to such bloody Persecutions as the Ephesians were daily in danger of We live not under Laws that make our Religion a Capital Crime or Magistrates that are ready to Judge and Condemn us for it to the most Cruel Deaths Yea though the Protestants in several Neighbouring Nations have been thus barbarously dealt with by the Papists and we our selves were in imminent danger of the same sufferings it pleas'd God of his insinite goodness to prevent them by an unexpected and wonderful deliverance and now at last to confirm this more and free us from many sensible effects of a long and dreadful War by the Peace which is so happily concluded But notwithstanding these undeserv'd effects of God's Mercy I have said enough already to prove one of the greatest Persecutions at this time and in this Nation that can befall good men but especially faithful Ministers St. Augustin Hom. 10. speaking of those words of the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution brings in this Question by way of Objection When the Church is in a state of Peace and Tranquility Protected by Laws and Defended by Princes How then do they who live Godly suffer Persecution To which he Answers Qui inter malos vivunt persecutionem patiuntur quia omnes mali persequuntur bonos non ferro lapidibus sed vita moribus They who live amongst Evil Men do suffer Persecution for all Evil Men Persecute the Good not with Sword and Stones but by their Life and Manners And then he Instances in the case of Lot in Sodom whom none Persecuted or Molested there but only by their Wicked Lives With which as St. Peter tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he Rack'd or Tortur'd his Righteous Soul from day to day And indeed this Persecution has been always very Grievous to Good Men. It drew Rivers of Waters from the Psalmist's Eyes and made the Soul of Jeremy weep in secret places Yea for this as well as for the Judgments it would bring upon Judah he passionately wishes That his head were waters and his eyes a fountain of Tears that he might weep day and night for them Jer. 9.1 And none will wonder at this that consider how Injurious sin is to the Honour of Almighty God how contrary to the Temper of every Good Man and in what danger it puts them that are guilty of eternal Damnation And if these sinners be under our own charge our Affliction is the greater on their account If St. John had no greater Joy than to hear that his Children walked in Truth nothing could afflict him more than their defection from it If it was the Joy and Crown yea the very Life of St. Paul that the Churches under his Care stood fast in the Faith it must be a matter of great trouble and humiliation yea something like Death it self to him if they deserted it Nay if in some cases as