anew He is even ashamed to unravell all the Clue of his ungrounded confidences What begin upon a new bottome No not he and so Christ and he part He takes his supposed grace to be a Christ or at least that there must be Christ where such changes are and so cries out Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years yea for Eternity CHAP. IX Their Vngodliness their Ignorance their Errours etc. HAve not many Professors been ungodly men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without worship Profectors Vngodliness If to deny or withhold any part of that respect or honour that is due unto God Jude 4. be ungodliness how much ungodliness hath there been and is there still amongst us Which of us hath not been guilty of not giving God his right or due honour Have not we suck'd in many ungodly Principles As that it is in vain to worship God there is no happiness comparable to what the World doth afford in communion with God Religion is but a notion and fancy Policy is the only Piety This world must be look'd after whatever becomes of Conscience c. Psal 50.21 Job 22.12 13. Psal 14.1 Have not we been guilty of ungodly thoughts have not we thought that God is not so harsh but we may take liberty in sinning that he taketh no notice of what we think speak and do yea that there is no God Have not we spoken ungodly words have not we uttered those very hard speeches which ungodly sinners speak Have not we spoken against Gods servants yea have we been afraid to speak against his Servant Moses And have not many of our deeds been ungodly yea though we have not ungodly committed them God hath always been sorely provoked by ungodliness The Flood swept away the World of the Ungodly 2 Pet. 2.7 but yet we might have been ungodly under the Law at a cheaper rate than under the Gospel because the Gospel gives us more clear and certain notions of Gods excellency and glory and lays more obligations upon us to respect God and therefore is called a doctrine according to godliness 1 Tim. 6.3 Psa 1.5 Jude 15. The ungodly shall not stand in judgement neither in the world to come nor in this world The day of Judgement is appointed on purpose to take vengeance of ungodly persons First Their Ignorance of God 1 Cor. 15.34 John 4.22 Have not some Professors been and still are altogether ignorant of God Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this saith the Apostle to your shame May it not be said to many of us Ye worship ye know not what Do not many Professours worship God upon no other account than the Romans did their Jupiter or the Ephesians their Diana viz. because he is the God of the Nation wherein they were born because he was their fore-Fathers God because his worship is in credit and because the Magistrate commands that God be worshipped Have not we worshipped God by Tradition more than out of Conviction of Judgement Hath not our worship been to the unknown God Acts 17.23 God is truly in a Scripture sense unknown to all that do not know him experimentally and practically Now have we tasted and seen Psal 34.8 that the Lord is gracious Have not we said we knew God and yet kept not his Commandements He that saith so is a Lyar 1 Jo. 2.4 3. and the truth is not in him Hereby know we that we know him if we keep his Commandements If we do not thus know God we are none of his Children he hath no Child so little but he knoweth his Father Jer. 31.4 They shall all know me from the least to the greatest Our being the People of God in Profession will not secure us from ruine Hos 4 6 2 Thes 1.8 My People are destroyed for lack of Knowledge The Lord Jesus will come in flaming Fire to render vengeance on us for he will so deal with all that know not God Secondly Their Eâ—rours How erroneous have been Professours None can be such a stranger to our Israel as to be ignorant that a Spirit of Delusion hath been let loose abroad from Dan to Beersheba so that the Pillars of Religion are shaken the most concerning Truths questioned if not exploded with scorn and contempt Have not some made God the Author of Sin Have not others forgot that they were Creatures and have assumed the liberty or rather highest impudence to say that they were Godded and that the fulness of the God-head doth dwell bodily in every Saint in the same measure as it did in Christ Jesus whilst he dwelt upon the Earth Nay have not others affirmed Jesus Christ to be a Bastard Have not others said They were Christ and would in the pride of their hearts have others to worship them Have not some denied Christs Deity affirming That he was not God essentially but only nominally yea that his pure Nature was stained with Sin How many have denied the Trinity of Persons How many under pretence that the Law of Works binds not have abrogated all the Laws of Christ and turned cursed Libertines How many have under pretence of advancing the Spirits testimony maintained Sanctification to be a dirty qualification and cryed down all marks and signes How many have held that the Doctrine of Repentance Fasting and Humiliation are too Legal for the Spirit of a Christian How many have denied Christs sitting in a Body at the right hand of God How many have denied his Satisfaction and Purchase Have not some held that there is no Heaven no Hell no Resurrection from the Dead and that the Beast and Man have one common end How many have been altogether for Inspirations and profess'd themselves above the Sphere of all Ordinances How many have denied Water-Baptism the Supper the Ministry yea the Scriptures of God How many have accounted it their highest Perfection to sin away all tenderness of Conscience and look'd upon themselves the more holy by how much Villany they could be guilty of beyond others How can we refrain from weeping out our eyes how should our eares tingle Considerations to promote mourning for errours to see and hear these Abominations How hath the God of Truth been provoked by these cursed miscreants What horrible affronts have been offered to the dread Majesty of God thereby How many thousand Souls have perished by these Delusions And what aâ—dishonour hath come to the Christian Religion by reason thereof I cannot express Certainly saith one there is more deadly mischief Bp. Hall and higher offence to God in them than in those practical evils which honest hearts profess to abhorr These as they are immediate fruit of our spiritual part so they do more immediately strike at the God of Spirits in his truth and holiness And as Religion is the highest Concernment of the Soul so the depravation of Religion must needs be the most
the Scholar of those Notions which he affects and valueth Haven ot our hearts cryed out many times unto the Bible depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of Gods wayes either as to worship or manners and that because knowledge is an obligation yea a provocation to duty and a sting in case duty be neglected What things we prize we search into Not searching the Scriptures Jo. 5.39 But how little have we searched the Scriptures as diggers in Mines do search for gold and silver in the Earth as the Word signifieth And this leads me to those two main Evidences of our slighting the written Word of God our not reading and not meditating upon it Not reading them Dent. 31.11 Matth. 12.3.5.21.16 Luk. 10.26 Deut. 17.19 as we ought which I shall a little enlarge upon How have we been guilty of not reading the Scriptures as we ought That every one ought to read them is so evident that there is no way for the Papists to keep men from believing this truth but by keeping of them from reading the Scripture No business can discharge any from this duty and yet how is this evident duty neglected Some have not been so farr wrought upon as from sense of their own ignorance and blindness in the things that concern their Everlasting welfare and from conviction that they can know such things only by the help of the written Word of God to take up firm resolutions to undertake the study of the Scripture Others notwithstanding their resolutions never set upon the reading of the Bible over At all They have seen no excellency in this book they have seen more in a piece of Philosophy in a rational discourse of Divinity in an ingenious History in a politick discourse yea in a Romance or in a Play Polititian-like who preferr'd an Ode in Pindar before all Davids Psalms How many read the Bible too seldome Oft enough thinking it too much to read it dayly to spend one hour therein every day Have not some spent several hours in a day in reading some good books of mens inditing but not a quarter of an hour in reading Gods-book I even hate mine own works said Luther and oft times wish they were burnt because I fear lest they should withdraw men from reading the Scriptures How much greater is the Number of those Aright not reverently 2 Sam. 7.18 that have not read the Bible aright Are not all of us in this number When have we prepared for the reading of the Scriptures as becomes those that are going in unto God so going into the Sanctuary where the Word of God was kept is tearmed Have not we read fearlesly Tremblingly When we were going to take the Bible into our hands have we trembled at the Word Isa 66.2 lest we should not sanctifie the Name of God yea lest we should take the Name of God in vain in our reading Have not we read heedlesly Attentively Not diligently marking the Duties commanded the Sins forbidden the Rewards promised and the Punishments threatned therein Have not our thoughts been wandering and gadding and not fixed upon what we read When did we attend to Scripture words as heedfully 1 Kings 20.33 as Benhadad's Messengers did to the words of Ahab Have not we read unbelievingly Believingly Deut. 29.9 Rom. 15.4 Josh 1.5 compar'd with Hebr. 13.5 Conscieneiously For right Ends Not believing that the Scripture is the Word of God that whatever we read therein is true and good that the Spirit of God the Inditer of every word in this Book did particularly intend our good in every Verse that in the Scripture Life and Death is set before us yea that Scripture words are our Life Have not we read out of custome and not conscienciously in obedience to the command of God Have not we read for wrong ends Either to satisfie our curiosity and not to regulate our hearts and lives or to have matter of discourse but not matter of practise to have Scripture at our tongues end not at our hearts or only to know being ashamed to be ignorant of those things which all Christians know and to be able to say nothing of such matters which we cannot but have occasion divers times in company to talk of but not to do When did we read the Scriptures with this particular intention that they might be a Lamp unto our feet Psa 119.105 and a Light unto our paths That we might thereby be help'd to order our conversation aright When did we read the Bible with the same attention reverence Quid est Scriptura Sacra nisi quaedam Epistola Omnipotentis Dei ad Creaturam suam Greg. Hos 8.12 and resolution to follow every rule therein as we think we would if we had lived when Christ was upon Earth received a Letter from him directing us what to believe and do that we might be saved Or as we think we should a Book writ immediately by the singer of God as he wrote the Ten Commandements in two Tables Why the Bible is Gods Letter to every one of us in particular written by himself though mediately I have written to him the great things of my Law To him it is in the singular number because to every man and woman particularly When did we read the Bible as Children read the last Will and Testament of their deceased Parent Have not we read the Scripture With Prayer without begging of God his Spirit to help us to understand what we read and to practise what we understand at least not so importunately as we would if we had been begging for our Lives at the Barr of a Judge Have not we sown this seed among thornes in unplowed hearts Jer. 4.3 and have not so much as prayed to God to take away the heart of stone and to give an heart of flesh a teachable plyable tractable spirit ready to receive every Divine impression O! when shall we make conscience of reading the Scriptures daily as we ought The Emperour of Heaven saith Gregory the great the Lord of Angels and Men hath sent to you that which concerns your life and will you still neglect to read it with a fervent and zealous Spirit How guilty have we been in not meditating in the Word of God as we ought How little Not meditating if at all have we dwelt in our serious thoughts upon the matters contained in the written Word of God to the end we might understand how much they do concern us and that our hearts may thereby be raised to some holy affections and resolutions Though meditation be commanded as a chief means sanctified by God for the keeping of his Word Josh 1.8 Psa 1.2 though we cannot be holy and happy without it altogether though it be one of the Profitablest duties of a Christian the Reader and Studier of Scripture may see the beauty and smell the sweetness of the flowres that grow
dangerous and damnable When Hezekiah heard the blasphemies of Rabshekah it is said He rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the House of the Lord and said This is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of blasphemy If an Assyrian Blasphemer was so great a troubler what troublers are Nominal Christians thus abusing their Profession and the God they pretend to serve But alas Professors miscarriages as to errours Not mourning for them How little have we been affected with the Floud cast out of the Serpents mouth after the Woman Though the Trumpet hath sounded Woe Woe Woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth because of Spiritual Plagnes We have been puffed up and have not mourned We have spoken laughingly of those sins We have not considered this Judgement as coming from the Lord as a token of his wrath in giving up so many of our Country-men to strong delusious to believe lyes We have shewed little Zeal for Gods glory that hath been blemished by these detestable things Neither have we pittied the many that have followed these pernicious ways How little have we mourned for them though the Apostle saith their damnation slumbereth not How few means have we used for their reducement Not using mouns to reduce the erroneous hardly put up a Prayer for them not admonished them but let them alone to perish in their delusions Not so much as requested an able Minister to have recourse to these poor deluded Souls in order to the turning of them from the Idols of their own brains How little have we endeavoured to strengthen our selves Not preparing Antidotes against the Infection to prepare Antidotes against this Infection We have not studied the Scriptures that we might warn the unruly and resist gain-sayers and be established in the present Truths but though we have seen so many ship-wrack their Faith and Consciences yet we have been high-minded and have not feared Have we not been guilty of not expressing our dislike of the wayes of Hereticks as we should Not disliking them We have not shunn'd them as we ought To maintain a Party to strengthen a Faction how have we too much countenanced them their fellowship hath not been enough avoided How little have we regarded those Apostolical injunctions Now I besiech you Brethren mark them Rom. 16.17 18. which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple 2 Thes 3.14 And if any man obey not our word note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed We have shunn'd the house where one with the Plague-fore dwells Prov. 19.27 but we have not with-drawn from them that cause to erre from the words of Knowledge What shall I say Nor contending for the Faith We have not so heartily and vigorously contended for the Faith which was once and but once delivered to the Saints as we ought The Lord humble us for our luke-warmness We have cryed up Moderation and counted him an Hagio mastix that hath appeared against the abominations of the Head Sure we have not been valiant for the Truth upon the Earth Jer. 9.3 We have not sparkled so much the more in an holy Zeal because others have perverted the right wayes of the Lord. Because Fools have not been answered Prov. 26.4 5. they have grown Wise in their own conceit We have been afraid to meddle with some because they have unreasonably shrowded themselves under the name of Saints Gal. 2.11 but Paul with-stood Peter to the face when Truth was like to suffer I do not in all this go about to justifie undue rigours God knows how for base respects interests names of our own we have been too severe against some things of less moment some circumstances of Church Government c. too much zeal about mint and anice we have been too imposing of what lies dark and obscure in the book of God and this while the Enemies tares have been suffered to grow and the Fundamentals of our Religion have been at least endangered But that which hath been Englands Sin is too much permitting and countenancing of damnable Doctrines What shall I say When God hath said Who is on my side who We have hardly answered for our selves We have been doubtfull in the Faith wavering and reeling not quite on nor quite off but staggering and tottering Our Religion hath been rather Opinion than Faith so that we have stood looking on as Neuters whilst Hereticks have made Merchandise of Souls with fained words 2 Pet. 2.3 The great Truths of God have lyen loose upon our hearts they have not been fastned by the Master of the Assemblies as nails in a sure place and having little experience of what we profess to know hence luke warmness followeth on course or blind zeal for our Ancestours Religion O how by reason of the great defection amongst us hath the way of Truth been evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2.2 The common Enemy fastneth all upon Religion They will not distinguish between Truth and Errour yea between Truth and Heresie and never would put a difference between the Orthodox and the Heterodox but if any one that had been called a Christian fell into any damnable Errours or Practises all Christians suffered thereby which forced the Primitive Fathers to Penne Remonstrances Confessions of Faith and Apologies that they might clear Christ and his Church from being Mother or Nurse to such a cursed Progency And though some amongst us have by Confessions of Faith and otherwise born witness against Errours yet doubtless our Consciences will tell us that we have not by Fastings Prayers Studies and all Endeavours improved all our time and Spirits for the suppresssing and drying up the floud of the Serpent the Soul-destroying floud as we should but if we have had any Acrimony of Spirit we have let it forth upon them that have crost us about Modes of Government rather than against them who have shaken the Foundations of our Religion When I consider the multitudes of Sects that have been and are still amongst us I wonder not that the Gospel hath had a miscarrying Womb and dry Breasts In all times Christianity hath suffered hereby Zozomen saith that many would have followed Christ Noscio quod dogma eligam quod praeferam but they were discouraged by the divers Doctrines amongst his followers Chrysosteme professeth that an Heathen told him He would become a Christian but he knew not to what party of them to joyn there are so many opinions and contentions among Christians When the multitude of Christians were one-soul'd Act. 2.32 33. then Fear and Aw and Reverence upon all the people But now that one saith I am of Paul c. Now Religion is had in derision
How distracted have been the thoughts of others that have prayed in that short time How were their thoughts on the meats and drinks How hastily do men after a blessing is craved run to the Dish without any the least pause or consideration whether God heard them yea or no when they called to him How commonly do we raze our Petitions snatch them out of Gods hands I mean contradict all our Prayers We pray our discourses may be heavenly and they are altogether earthly Few can say as Blessed Dod was wont at the close of the meal Blessed be God not one word of earthly things since we sate down We pray we may eat for God and we eat for our selves We cannot say that our Spikenard sends forth his pleasant smells whilst we are at the Table We have not so good a plea to make as some we have eate and drank in thy presence This is not written over our Tables Thou God seest We can seldome call our Table Penuel because we have seen God in this place Hos 2.8 How little do we consider that they are Gods creatures She did not know that I gave her Corn c. And that as the meat is Gods so it is he who gives us appetites and strength and ability to put every crum into our mouths for in him we live and move How little do we believe that we must account fore very bit and drop How little do we consider that God stoops the creatures to us that we may stoop to him and lay down our lives as willingly for Gods honour as God causeth the creature to bleed and die for our use How little do we think of the Heavenly banquet that our Father is preparing for us where the cloth shall never be taken away where we shall hunger and thirst no more but be fully satisfied and that for ever and ever Examine your spirits and frames at your Tables whether the fear of God be before your eyes whether you stand in awe of him It may be found that you never more forget God than when God is mostly remembring you When his goods are most in your hands and mouths your mouths are so full Deut. 8.10 11. that they cannot shew forth his praise your eyes are so held to your Belly-gods that you forget Jehovah Are there not some that will crave a blessing before they eat that yet fail to return thanks afterwards Joel 2.26 Of scandalizing others though Joel saith in his Prophesie to Gods people ye shall eat and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord your God 6. Have not we fed without a Christian fear of scandalizing others upon our eating profusely What saith the Drunkard Why may not I toss the Kan or Pot in plain English be drunk as well as such and such gormandise why may not I drink immoderately as well as such eat immoderately Jude v. 12. why may not we sit one or two hours to drink as well as such sit one hour or two to fill their panch with meat Gluttons harden and justifie Drunkards Ecce qui jactant se redemptos c. Cyp. de duplici Martyrio Rom. 14.21 Of snares in eating Jude will tell you that sensual persons are the Spots of a Christian society The old Gentiles in Cyprians days were much scandalized at the intemperance of Christians Lo these great Boasters who pretend to be redeemed from the tyranny of the Devil and to be dead to the World what slaves are they to their own sensual desires O my Brethren It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine or any thing else whereby they Brother stumbleth or is offended or made weak 7. Do not we eat without a prudent fear of the snares that are in our Dishes In eating there ought to be much caution Job 1.5 6. Job was afraid of the entertainments of his Children He was a wise man and knew that there were more guests than were invited I wish wee knew it too We think if the Sonnes of God come together the Devil will not come with them though the Scripture assures us he will It would be some check when we sit at the Table to consider that the first immoderate Sop is handed over by the Devil and in goes he with it into our Souls Eating for low and base ends 8. How have we had low base earthly sensual and Devillish ends in our eating not to refresh our bodies but our pallats not to glorifie God but to pamper the flesh yea have not some men fed on such and such dishes on purpose to irritate and provoke their lusts Sure our Enemy is strong enough we had need beat down the body and keep it under and not put weapons into our Enemies hands What saith the wise man When thou sittest to eat with a Ruler such keep plentifull tables especially Magistrates on their Feast dayes consider diligently what is before thee and put a knife to thy throat Prov. 23.1 2. See the large English Annot. if thou be a man given to appetite i.e. Bridle thine appetite by diligence yea force let not the slave alwayes be on horseback alwayes rule be as circumspect as if thou wert under the razour or thus consider diligently what is before thee else thou puttest a knife to thy throat i. e. thou endangerest thy life yea thy soul shouldst thou give way to thy greedy appetite to feed upon all the dainties on the Table t is a thousand to one but thy meats will be incentives to lust 1 Cor. 10.31 What saith the Apostle Whether you eat or drink c. let all be done to the glory of God Why doth the Apostle name those actions of eating and drinking but because we commonly eat and drink at best meerly to please the appetite and not to fit for Gods Service When we have taken as much as serves this end yet we must have one bit more or one dish more to please our fleshly desires and so God and the Devil must part stakes To shut up this I believe many men dig their graves with their teeth and their hells with their tongues their liquorish tongues Among the millions that are now in the grave or hell their inordmate appetite sastned most thither I say not but we may please our pallate at some times especially a great liberty is indulged to the sick but if we have not an higher design than to please the appetite our Belly is our God Little do many think that they are setting up another God at their Tables The Babilanians had Bel for their God a God of Brass but these men have a God of flesh The Rabbies say he is a Glutton or Belly-God that eats a pound of flesh and drinks a quart of wine Have not we many such and do they not sacrifice to their God with a bowed knee too Repent O England repent of thy abuse of the good creatures of God and thereby of
Physician is sent for both Lawyers and Physicians houses and rooms are full of Clyents and Attendants but men are contented to clear up their own titles to Heaven and glory and to heal themselves of their sin sicknesses a plain argument that they thought the Ministry but useless and that they could make a shift to live without Ministers Thou hast had Prescriptions for thy Souls recovery and health for these many years and yet perhaps hast not given one farthing to thy Soul-Physicians If a Physician write a few lines purses are opened if a Lawyer plead a quarter of an hour yea if he plead not at all but only give his advise you think he deserves a fee but the Ministers work is so low in thy esteems that he might have starved if all were as niggardly as thou hast been Let this be considered and lamented Your Ministers have been under a temptation to withhold the pressing of this duty upon you for that many lay in wait to discredit them as if they preached for nire and sought yours rather than you but let me be your Remembrancer this day We cannot say of you as Paul of the Galathians that you received us as Angels of God yea as Jesus Christ and that you would have pluckt out your eyes for us Alas what did you for us more than the constraints o◠the Law compell'd you to And how many wishes had you that all the Laws for Tithes had been abrogated upon pretence that Ministers should have had a better maintenance by a voluntary contribution But do not we know that the great sticklers for this have been most close-fisted to the Ministers Giving nothing to them for their maintenance Have not some of them refused to give one penny to the Ministers whom they waited on for years together I wonder how you could in your reading the Scriptures if you have indeed read them so long overlook 1 Cor. 9.7 who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges who planteth a Vineyard and eateth not the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock Say I these things as a man v. 8. or saith not the Law the same also v. 9. For it is written in the Law of Moses thou shalt not muzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn. Doth God take eare for Oxen Or saith he it altogether for our sakes For our sakes no doubt v. 10. this is written that he that ploweth should plow in hope and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope v. 11. If we have sowen unto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things v. 12. If others be partakers of this power over you are not we rather Nevertheless we have not used this power but suffer all things lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ v. 13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple And they which wait at the Altar are partakers with the Altar v. 14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel That you may be the better convinced of the neglect of your duty see the Apostle claimes it as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Power his Right and lawful Authority to receive maintenance from the Corinthians And indeed Christ hath impowered his Ministers and they may demand it without any just imputation of covetousness and self-seeking as the Labourer may his hire The Apostle had power to forbear working i. e. at his Trade He implyes that the Ministry would be the saddest employment because of the laboriousness of it if Ministers should not live of their Ministry Be sides Ministers give people gold for brass Again They who ministred about the holy things lived of the things of the Temple yea and plentifully too for they had the Tenth and yet were scarce the Sixtieth part of the People for the number of the People without the Levites amounted to a thousand thousands and three hundred thousands and the Levites numbred from the Infant to the old man were found but two and tweenty thousands But alas Though the Apostle be so peremptory here and else-where Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things And the Wise-man Prov. 3.9 Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first-fruits of all thy increase Yet I may renew an old complaint Many have dealt by their Ministers as Carriers do by their Horses they lay heavy burdens upon them and then hang Bells about their necks hard work and good words they shall have but easie commons and slight wages as if they were of the Camelion-kind and could live by the air But if you have parted with any thing to the Minister hath it not been as Almes Or else giving only in charity not in justice as an almes not as due not as Dues not as Right Have not you excused your selves from giving what was due from you with The Minister needs it not He hath a fair Estate or at least a competency Yea but what saith the Apostle Have ye not reaped our spiritual things and should not we your carnals Have ye not been instructed Why then did ye not communicate to your Ministers in all good things Hath not the Lord expresly alienated a proportion of Goods for the Ministers labour How dare you live in the Sin of Sacrilege Is it not Sacrilege for you to detain from God what is due to him You are in the snare Prov. 20.25 for you have devoured that which is holy Suppose a man should work for thee all the day long would it be an excuse for thy detaining his dues from him to say The man hath a competency yea he is rich he is richer than I am my Children want it more than he doth he hath little or no charge O! saith the Lord The Labourer is worthy of his hire Wouldst thou not say so in that mans case O! Live up to the Light of Nature or throw up thy Profession It is no less than a wonder to see how little honesty there is among men yea among Professours To defraud a Minister is hardly counted a sin The rise of this is the great contempt of the Ministry A Sin that God is now reckoning with you for The Lord God of your Fathers sent to you by his Messengers 2 Chron. 36.15 16 17. rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place but you mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets May it not be added Untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy For this Sin God brought upon the Israelites the King of the Chaldees who slew their young men with the
sword in the house of their Sanctuary and had no compassion upon young man or maiden old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all into his hand Have not you cause to fear lest you shall also be so given into the hands of worse Babylonians You can judge what is a Ministers competency but when have ye a competency You can add field to field house to house hundreds to hundreds and yet the Horse-leach cries Give Give Yet do not you judge a small stipend that will hardly keep body and soul together a competency for a Minister What is that great service you do for God above the Minister that you should think it reasonable to leave hundreds yea thousands to your Children and that the Minister should be kept so short that he cannot leave them a groat What shall I say to you Let me borrow the words of God by the Prophet Will a man rob God Mal. 3.8 9 10. Yet ye have robbed me But ye say Wherein have we robbed thee In Tythes and Offerings Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even this whole Nation Bring ye all the Tythes into the Store-house that there may be meet in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hosts if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it O! Restitution to be made by such as have not given what was due from them to their Ministers Do not any longer detain what is due to your former Ministers make restitution of unjust gain as ever you hope to be saved It is not enough to say Lord forgive me I thought it not my duty but thou must reckon how many years thou hast reaped Spirituals and pay what thou owest or Judas will condemn thee for he thought it unsafe to keep what was unjustly got Remember Zacheus he thought it not enough to give over his oppression but when converted he made conscience of making restitution Let the Elders that rule well 1 Tim. 5.17 18. be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the Word and Doctrine For the Scripture saith thou shalt not muzzle the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn and the Labourer is worthy of his reward Here you see double honour honour of reverence and honour of maintenance was due unto your Ministers Here is an allusion to the right of the first-born who were to have a double portion Their maintenace was due from you neither should their maintenance have been ordinary mercenary wages but such as is given by way of honour as well as by way of reward Have not you lived in the contempt of an Ordinance of God 1 Cor. 9.14 The Lord hath ordained c. as before Do not any longer delude your Consciences by crying against Tythes as Antichristian as Jewish Did not Abraham before the Jewish Laws pay Tythes to Melchisedech And are there not from thence arguments drawn that you cannot answer Why do ye not fear lest through the prevalency of Self you should be too base covetous and partial in your own matters O! Give to God what is Gods Deny not your Ministers their dues You owe vaste summs to them which if you detain in this day of their wants God will call you to a speedy account for the grinding of the faces of these poor yea he will make you vomit up such sweet morsels with all the rest of your substance Jam. 5.4 if not with your blood Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by fraud crreth and the cryes of them which have reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabbath Lydia even enforced the Apostles to accept of her gift The Macedonians beseech'd Paul with much entreaty to accept of their bounty If thou wert converted by one of them thou didst owe to him no less than thy self What thou art and hast should not have been counted too dear for him who was Gods Instrument to pull thee as a brand out of the fire even when thou wast half burnt Say at length with David I will not serve my God with that which cost me nothing I shall conclude this head with the saying of a Reverend man It is a plain argument of a base esteem of God of Grace of the Kingdome of Heaven that a Servant a Factour should have twenty times the alloance of Heavens Factour for your Souls You are not come up to the honesty of the Pharisee Mat. 23.23 He gave Tythes of all that he possessed even of the smallest things of Mint and Annis and Cummin Luke 11.42 And doth not Christ say These things ye ought to have done What were your Ministers more unworthy than the Priests of that Age Their regardlessness of the Widdons and Children of their dead Ministers 13. If you have not been niggardly toward your Ministers whilst alive with you have not you been niggardly towards their Wives and Children after their deaths Verily not minding the Widows and Children of deceased Ministers is a sin that God will remember in the day of accounts David enquired after the seed of Jonathan he evidenced his true love to the Father in remembring the posterity O! when shall love be without dissimulation 14. Their grieving their Ministers Have not you been a very great trouble to their Souls Your Ministers were so affectionately desirous of you that they were willing to have imparted to you not the Gospel only but also their own Souls because ye were dear unto them And is this your kindness to your Friends to break even their hearts who were glad to spend and be spent for you How proudly have you carried it toward them God threatned the Israelites that the Cananites should be pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides Surely it better became Cananites to be thorns to the Israelites than for you to be thorns to your Ministers How oft have you grieved them to see your stoutness and rebellion against all their Counsels May not your Ministers say as David Psal 119.158 I beheld the Transgressours and was grieved because they kept not thy Word May they not say We have seen your lukewarmness your sloth your earthliness c. and our Souls were troubled You should have been like the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.19 the crown of our rejoycing but you have been crowns of thorns which have pierced not our heads but hearts You should have refreshed our Bowels been as Cordials and sweet refrectives after all our wearisome labours but have not you dealt unkindly with us and the more we have loved you have not we had the less love from you Have not you beâ—â— more merciful to your Horses and Dogs than to your Ministers You have baited and been kind to those creatures but God knows how after all our toyle