appointed time for these And do you know any other day that is fitter I think you will not pretend to that You would not have another day instead of this but you would have no day at all for such holy works but a day for ease and idleness and sports and vain discourse and pleasures with some little formal publick worship intermixt to cheat your souls It is not then the Day but the serious diligent holy employment and duty that you are against and that I have proved to be Gods will before Doubtless if you leave all men to serve God when they will without any stated time his worship will soon be brought to nothing and they that pretend to keep every day holy will keep none Look upon the places where the Lords day is kept holy and see whether godliness flourish not there incomparably above all other places And I think none can doubt but that more souls have been converted and brought home to God on that day then on any day of the week if not then all the rest beside And there is not the peevishest malignant soul of you that can with any shew of reason prove that the holy observation of the Lords day is unlawful if it were not necessary So that we are at least on the safest side of the hedge For we can say that we take a most happy opportunity for the good of our own souls and the worshipping of God and that we are sure we do that which is no sin our adversaries themselves do not charge us with doing that which is forbidden but that which they conceit unnecessary But if we should do as they and neglect this day we are not sure but it may be a great sin nay indeed we are sure it would be so But what saith the Holy-Ghost now to this question To pass by the fourth Commandement at this time the letter of it and the equity and reason of a seventh day the advantage of reason why there should be no less under the Gospel and such like I shall only now say these two things 1. It is plain in Scripture that de facto the Apostles and Churches used to meet for holy Communion in Gods worship on the Lords day And consequently that this was appointed by the Apostles or immediately by Christ himself there being then no other that pretended to any such authority and that Apostolical allowance no man questioneth The Apostles then having the extraordinary gift of the Spirit by which they were enabled infallibly to make known the will of God and being commissioned as well as enabled here unto as their writing of the holy Scriptures so their constitutions for the ordering of the Church being the effects of that Authority received from Christ and that Ability given them by the Spirit are Divine and principally the acts of Christ and the Holy Ghost whose agents the Apostles were Now that the first Churches did by their appointment observe the Lords day for holy actions is apparent As Christ first laid the ground-work by Râ—sing on that day so he began that very day to preach unto Mary the comfortable doctrine of his Ascension in words that deserve to be written in gold or rather in the deepest room of every true Believers heart John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God The first Sermon that ever was preached on a Lords day even on the first Lords day by Christ himself even to a beloved penitent woman whom he chose to be as it were his Apostle to his Apostles to deliver them this Message as from him On the same day the Disciples being Assembled he owned and blessed their Assembly and gave them the Holy Ghost and Apostolicall power When Thomas being absent from the Assembly the first Lords day did miss the sight of Christ and was unbelieving Christ left him a whole week in his unbelief and would not heal him till the next Lords day which he honoured with that cure Then the Disciples being met again Christ came among them and convinced Thomas On another Lords day they were all with one accord in one place and the Holy Ghost was in the extraordinary measure given them And Acts 20. 7. it is mentioned as the custom of the Disciples to come together on the first day of the week to break bread and Paul then preached to them even till midnight And 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. the Collections for the Saints were made every first day of the week in all the Churches of Galatia and at Corinth because they had then their holy Assemblies And therefore Rev. 1. 10. it is called peculiarly the Lords day 2. But to clear this past all rational doubting we find in all the writings of the antients and historie of the Church that all the Churches through the world unanimously observed the Lords day as instituted by Christ or the Holy Ghost in the Apostles none ever questioning or contradicting it that ever I read of He that hath read the writings of the Antients and denyeth this is unworthy to be disputed with The practice of the universal Church is a full exposition of the fore-cited Scriptures and though it be no Law to us it self yet is it a full discovery of the fact telling us what was the primitive practice and so a discovery of the Law And shall any private ignorant man come in alter one thousand six hundred and twenty six years and say the Apostles and all the Churches in the world have been deceived till this day and we must rectifie the mistake Shall these fellows come in at the end of the world and call the Apostles and all the Churches of all ages Puritanes for keeping holy the Lords day Or will any but a brain-sick person hearken to such shameless men as these Object But the antient Churches did not keep that day as a Sabbath but only as a day for publick worship Answ We will not stick with you for the name We urge you not to call it the Sabbath though the Antients sometimes did so See our Homilies of the Place and Time of Prayer if you will call it as Scripture and the Churches did by the name of the Lords day And it was then the custom of the Churches to spend almost all the day in publick Worship and Holy Communion and therefore they had but little time for any private duties that day And yet though the private practises of particular persons on that day be little mentioned in Church-history no man can prove that they used to spend any remaining hours of that day as common time in common business So that to quarrel against the holy observation of the Lords day is but to quarrel with the Holy Ghost and the Apostles and all the Churches of all ages since and with the happyest season for the worshipping of God and seeking our own and other mens edification 7. What
the Lord On Magistracy and Ministry and the great works of their office On prayer and preaching and Sacraments and Discipline and all other Ordinances of God and also on all the frame of the holy Scripture and also on all the workings and graces of the Holy-Ghost and tell me whether thou darest say that all or any of these are in vain and whether that Holiness which all these are appointed for can be a vain and needless thing Quest 18. Darest thou say that Christ doth more then needs in his Intercession for us with the Father now in Heaven It is he that sendeth the spirit to sanctifie us It is he that prayeth that we may be sanctified by the truth We have no grace and holiness but what we have from him And darest thou say he doth too much It is he that sends his Ministers to call men to a holy life Look into his Word and see whether the doctrine which they preach be not there prescribed to them and the duties of holiness there commended If therefore it were erroneous or excessive it would be long of Christ and not of his Messengers or Disciples that speak and do no more for holiness then he bids them but fall exceeding short Quest 19. Art thou wiser in this and more to be believed then all the antient Prophets and Apostles and servants of God in former ages and then all that are now alive on earth that ever tryed a holy life The Scripture will tell thee that Abraham Isaac Jacob David and all the rest of the Saints that were then most dear to God were so far from thinking that a holy life was more then needs that they thought they could never be holy enough and blamed their defects when they excelled such as now thou blamest as too precise And if thou wilt preferr the words and example of a worldling or of a sottish sensual man before the judgement and example of these Saints the company that thou choosest and the deceivers whom thou followest shall be also thy companions in calamity where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see the Saints from East and West from North and South sit down with Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you and such as you thrust out Even when the last in time whom you here despised shall be equal to the first and antient Saints Luke 13. 27 28 29 30. Why do you hypocritically honour the names and memorials of the Prophets Apostles and other former Saints and keep Holy-dayes for them and yet reproach their holy course and preferr the judgement of a drunkard or a malignant enemy of godliness before theirs For so you do when you argue against a holy life Quest 20. Dost thou think that there is now one soul in Heaven or Hell that is of thy prophane opinion and would say that a diligent holy life is more ado then needs for mens salvation Certainly those in Heaven have more knowledge and experience and love to God and man and goodness then to be of so impious a mind or once to entertain such beastly thoughts And those in Hell though still â—â— holy have learned to their cost to know the great Necessity of â—…ss And would tell you if they could speak with you that the most strict and heavenly life for millions of ages were not too dear for the escaping of the everlasting misery Why else do we find one of them in Luke 16. described as so desirous that oâ—… the dead might be sent to his Brethren to warn them that they come not to that place of torment And what is it that he would have had them warned of but that they should live a holy self-denying life and with all their diligence lay up a treasure in the life to come instead of liying so sensual and voluptuous and ungodly a life as he had lived The scope of the story tells us that this would have been his message if he might have sent Quest 21. Dost thou think in thy Conscience that at the hour â—â— thy death or at least at Judgement thou shalt think thy self that Holiness was unnecessary Doth not thy heart tell thee that then thou shalt be of another mind and wish with the deepest desires of thy soul that thou hadst lived as strictly and prepared for everlasting life as seriously and served God as diligently as ever did any Saint on earth But alas those wishes will be then too late Now is thy day and now thou takest thy work to be needless And to see the Necessity when time is gone will be thy torment but not thy remedy Not one in this Congregation or Town or Countrey not one in England or in all the world but shall be forced at last whether he will or no to justifie the wisdom of the godly and the worst of you shall then with ten thousand fruitless groans desire that you had imitated the holyest persons that you knew Not a tongue then shall say What needs all this ado for heaven Not a man there dare call his neighbour Puritane nor take up a contemptuous jear against the diligent servants of the Lord. Quest 22. Is not that man at the heart against the Lord that reproacheth his serious diligent servants and counts his work a needless thing Men are more willing to please those that they love and more ready to do the works they love If your son or servant speak against your service but as you do against Gods what would you think of their affections Doubtless it is no better then a secret hatred to the holiness of God and a Serpentine eâ—â—ity to his holy wayes that causeth all these sensless cavils and impious speeches against the life that he hath commanded us to live Quest 23. Is it not most unreasonable impiety for that man â—â— speak against too strict exact obedience and against serving God â—â— much that hath served the world the flesh and the Devil in â—â— vigour and flower of his dayes and this with pleasure and never said It is too much When thou wast drinking and sporting thou wast not aweary When it comes to a matter of riches or honour or ease or pleasure to gratifie thy worldliness pride laziness and voluptuousness then thou never saist It is too much And is all too little for sin and the Devil and all too much for thy soul and God Let Conscience tell thee whether this be just Quest 24. Is it not a foolish wickedness for that man to cry out against making haste to heaven and going so fast in the wayes of God that hath loytered already till the evening of his dayes and lost so much time as thou hast done If thou hadst begun as soon as thou hadst the use of reason and remembred thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth and never lost an hour of thy time since then till now thou hadst done no more then what thy God thy soul
and therefore no wonder if he would deceive you He is cast out of heaven himself and would not have you possess the room that he hath lost He is a wicked lying spirit and therefore is not to be believed He is a murderer from the beginning and therefore will not speak for your salvation Joh. 8. 44. If the Devil be to be believed then none are wiser then the ungodly sensual worldly men and none are in a worse condition then those that are despised by the world for Holiness and that suffer all things for a Life unseen But the enmity that is planted in your very natures against the Devil I hope will help you to confess that he must not be the Judge 2. And truly Ignorant ungodly men are unmeet Judges And it is they that bawle against Religion and speak against they know not what 1. They are Blind by nature and more blind by customary sin And must a Blind man be your Judge or witness in a case of everlasting moment 2. They are unexperienced in the ways of God How can they judge of a state that they were never in and of a way that they never went They never tryed the work of the new birth nor never tryed the holy exercise of faith or Love or any Grace and therefore you may as well take the Judgement of a simple man concerning another countrey that was never there or concerning Navigation that never was at sea or concerning Learning that never read a book or concerning Musick that never toucht an Instrument as the Judgement of an unsanctified man concerning Holinesâ— and Communion with God unless it be those that have a common convincing light that causeth them to approve of that which they neglect themselves 3. And certainly your own sâ—…y and fleshly miâ—dâ— are unfit Judges of the case For they also are Blind and unexperienced They are not suited unto spiritual things To which I may add 3. That they and all ungodly men are Partial in the case and 〈…〉 unfit to be witnesses or Judges All the Scripture speaks against the Devil and the wicked and the lusts of the flesh and therefore they are a party even the party that is to be ejected 4. Yea they are enemies and therefore their testimony or judgement is not to be regarded And what else will speak a word against a Holy life but the Devil the flesh and wicked men Not any And therefore let it be concluded that these are incompetent Judges in the case But who then shall be Judge Let God be Judge let Christ be Judge Who can who dare refuse this Judge Refuse him not for none but he is fit and competent Refuse him not for he will be Judge whether you will or no and therefore your refusal will be vain 1. He is most wise and knoweth all things and therefore cannot be deceived 2. He is Infinitely Good and therefore cannot do any wrong He is impartial and respecteth not the persons of the greatest He is most just and therefore cannot pass an unjust sentence 3. He only is the Judge that hath full authority to make a final decision of the case 4. And in a word he is so absolutely perfect that he is lyable to no just exceptions nor can men or Devils have any thing to say against his judgement Are you agreed then that God shall be your Judge Will you take that for the better part which he calls better If so the controversie is at an end The living God hath given us his judgement long ago If you ask me Where I le tell you anon when I have examined some of the witnesses of the case And though I am resolved to own no proper final Judge but God yet under him there are many witnesses that are worth the hearing Indeed I am content to refer the cause to any one that doth but know what he saith and is not unfaithful reserving to God the final judgement And 1. Go to the wisest men on earth and let them be witnesses What think you of all the Prophets and Apostles and of all the antient Fathers of the Church Were not these men wiser then you or then the sottish scorners that revile the wayâ— which they never went and speak evil of that which they understand not Iâ— Prophets and Apostles were not for Holiness 〈…〉 a fleshly worldly life then I will be of your mind But if they all as with one heart and mouth do cry down sin and cry up Holiness why should you then refuse their Testimony Are you wiser then all these 2. What think you of all the godly able Ministers of Christ that are now alive or ever were Are they not wiser then you and a few drunkards that have scarce wit enough to do the Devils service without such sottishness as shames his cause Have none of Christs Ministers that spend their days in studying and searching after knowledge more wit even in the matters of God then a carnal Gentleman or ignorant malicious wretch that never used the means for Knowledge as these have done In any other matter you will allow men that have made it the study of their lives to know more then you If you want counsel for your states you 'l go to one that hath studied the Law If you are sick you will sooner seek advice of one that hath made it the business of his life to understand diseases and remedies then to one that never studied it You 'l sooner take the judgement of every tradeseman in his trade then your own or anothers that never learned it Allow but those men to be competent witnesses that have bent their thoughts and prayers and cares this way and the controversie is resolved For what is it that all our Sermons plead for but Holiness in order to Everlasting Happiness What is it that so many thousand Books are written for but for Holiness Open the Books of the wisest men and see which side it is that they are on Go to the wisest ablest Ministers and aske them which is the better part 3. If Wisdom suffice not let the best and honestest men be witnesses Who better then Christ then his Apostles then all the holy Martyrs and Confessors of the Church and all the Doctors and faithful Ministers of Christ which side think you were they on that laid down their lives for the cause of Christ sure they that would rather burn at a stake or suffer all the scorns and torments of the world then forsake a Holy heavenly life did take it to be better then all the pleasures or profits of the world Sure all the holy Doctors and Pastors of the Church that lived so Holy lives themselves and spent their days in Praying and watching and meditating and preparing for the life to come contemning all the vanities of the world did think that this was the Better part which they followed after with so much diligence and patience as they did Hear me a few words
them to be for their good or in it self more excellent then their good That is Pleasant to one man that is loathsom to another As the food and converse is delightful to a beast that is loathsom and as â—ad as death to man So one mans Pleasure is anothers Pain Even about the common matters of this life variety of complexions educations customs dispositions doth cause a variety of affections the difference between the sanctified and unsanctified the spiritual and the carnal mind doth cause a greater contrariety If therefore the errour of wicked minds or the distemper of your souls do make the Best things seem the worst and the sweetest things to seem most Bitter this is no confutation of my Argument that proves the way of Godliness most Pleasant If I would prove that wine is pleasanter then Vinegar or Bread then dirt or ashes I mean not to appeal to the appetites of the sick It is the sound and healthful that must be judges If a man will suffer his mind to be possessed with prejudice and base thoughts of God himself no wonder if he cannot love him nor take any delight in him And if men have a malignant enmity to Godliness no reason will perswade them that it is most pleasant but what perswades them from that enmity No Reason will perswade a sloathful person that Labour is better then sleep and idleness no Reason will perswade a drunkard glutton or voluptuous wretch that abstinence and continence are the sweetest life Could we change their Hearts we should change their Pleasures Such as men are such are their delights But the thing that I undertake is to manifest to any competent discerner that Holiness is the most Pleasant course and that all the Pleasures of the Earth are Nothing to the Pleasures which the Godly find in God and in a Holy life and if any be not of this mind it is because his souls diseases have made him an incompetent judge And that Godliness is the Pleasant State of life will appear to you 1. From the Nature of the thing it self 2. From the encouragements and helps with which it is attended 3. From the effects and fruits I. The Nature of Holiness is to be found 1. In the Understanding 2. In the will and affections and 3. In the Practice of mens lives And in all these I shall shew you that it is the most Delightful course 1. Knowledge in it self is a pleasant thing to humane nature Ignorance is the blindness of the soul It is not so pleasant for the eye to behold the sun as for the mind of man to discern the truth To Know Good and Evil had never been the matter of so strong a Temptation to Adam if Knowledge had not been very desirable to innocent nature How hard do many even ungodly persons study to know the mysteries of Nature And nothing hath more strongly tempted some wretches to witchcraft or contracts with the Devil then a desire of knowing unrevealed things which by his means they have hoped to attain A studious man hath far more natural valuable Delight in his reading and succesful studies then a voluptuous Epicure hath in his sensual Delights But it is a special kind of Knowledge that Holiness doth initially consist in which transcendeth in true Pleasure all the common wisdom of the worid For 1. How Pleasant a thing must it needs be to know things of so high a Nature To know the Almighty Living God to behold his wisdom goodness and power in his glorious works to be led to him by all the Creatures and hear of him by every Providence and find his Holy Blessed Name in every leaf of his sacred word how sweet and pleasant a thing is this To know the Divine Nature Persons Attributes and Will to know the mystery of the Incarnation of the person natures undertaking performance of the blessed Mediator Jesus Christ to know his birth his life temptations conquests his righteousness his holy doctrine and example the Law and promise the Law of Nature and the Covenant of Grace the sufferings Resurrection ascension glorification and intercession of our Lord to know his Kingdom Laws and Government and his Judgement with his Rewards and punishments to know the sanctifying works of the Holy Ghost by which we are prepared for everlasting life and to know that life though but by faith for which we are here prepared how high and pleasant a thing is this If it be pleasant to know the course of nature in those higher parts that are above the vulgar reach what is it to know the God of Nature and the true use and End of Nature What high things doth the poorest Christian know He knoweth the things that are invisible Think not that faith is so void of Evidence as not to deserve the name of Knowledge We Know the things which we do believe Nicodemus could say from the Evidence of Miracles Joh. 3. 2. We know that thou arâ— a Teacher come from God for no man could do these miracles that thou dost except God be with him Joh. 9. 29. We know that God spake to Moses say the Jews We know that the Scripture testimony is true Joh. 21. 24. 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know even by believing that if this earthly house of our tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens 1 Joh. 3. 2. We know that when we shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Joh. 14. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you We know that no whoremonger 〈…〉 such like shall inherit eternal life Eph. 5. 5. We know that â—â—â— Labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. 58. Many such passages of Scripture tell us that Faith is a certain Knowledge and that Invisible things revealed by God are certainly known We know what Saints and Angels are now doing in the highest heavens for God hath told us We know the most high and glorious things revealed by God which we never saw And is not the Pleasure of such knowledge greater then the Pleasure of all the wealth the honour and sensual enjoyments in this world I durst almost refer the case to one of you that are most befooled by your own sensuality If you could go tomorrow and meet with a soul from Heaven or with an Angel that could tell you what becomes of souls and what is done in another world Would you not rather goe to such a conference then go as far to a drinking or a bowling or some such recreation I think you would if it were but to satisfie your curiosity and desire of Knowing Why then should not the servants of Christ more Delight in the reading and hearing the words of Christ that came from the bosome of the Father that hath seen God and is with God and is God himself that telleth them