had not thought Professors wanted it 6. Another Preacher of Bristow at a Meeting in his Sermon or Prayer I heard speak of profane Professors that was his word 7. A Woman of a high way in Religion being in company with other professors some of them spake of the Changes since 1659. Whereupon she said I think affliction would do me good and some of you also 8. I have also heard divers Professors say as their own words or words which they did approve of uttered by other Professors If â— were as ready or ripe or fit some such word for mercy as our Adversaries be for wrath we should soon be delivered And I believe it is somewhat common with Professors to speak such words but who endeavours diligently and strenuously to reform Professors Part. 5. Fifthly I believe many of us are as yet without Christ utterly void of true grace wholly flesh altogether carnal and fleshly and stark dead in trespasses and sins John 3. 6. Eph. 2. 1 11 12. so that they do never serve God in faith or humility never in love or with any filial fear or godly reverence never worship God in the spirit never do any thing well in a holy manner never serve God acceptably so as to have their persons or services accepted with God John 15. 5. Heb. 12. 28. This is true of every one of them so that their iniquity must needs be very great Only I shall somewhat confidently hope that if God shall keep them constantly to the means of Regeneration any long time that then he will beget them again hereafter and not suffer them to die in their sins That there be such Professors see Marg. 125 126 127 128. Part. 6. Sixthly The iniquity and sins of such professors and of those who have true grace as well as of others is greatned many ways but with some difference As 1. By the multitude of the kinds of sin wherein they trespass And by the greatness of some of them such as have been Feasting and Musick with dancing in the night which I account Revelling Gal. 5. 20 21. 1. Pet. 4 3. and one Frolick in the presence of five Non-conforming Ministers part of them having a hand in it And by persevering in some sins adding one trespass to another without taking care and using diligence to cease from such practises And by trespassing in the presence of irreligious persons as it were publishing their naughtiness in Gaâ—h and Askelon without shame or fear so giving occasion to laugh and scoff at them in secret and to think and speak evil of the holy servants and right wayes of the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 14. Ezek. â—6 20 23. Rom. 2. 24. and to harden their hearts against his holy word O how much as it were air water earth wood dust dirt dung and filth some Professors have within them which doth issue forth in their conversings 2. By the foul and base work which sin makes For by it we do transgress a most holy just and good Law trespass against the Kingdom and Authority of the most high God pollute his holy name which we ought to sanctifie Mat. 6. 9. defiâ—e his image as it were by casting dung dirt or dust upon it grieve his holy and good spirit Eph. 4. 29 30. Who is our all-sufficient Teacher and guide John 16. 3. by whom also we are sealed unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. and disgrace the Gospel of Christ and the right wayes of the Lord yea Professors thereby do in a special manner pollute Gods name and discredit the true Religion and every one of us Professors disgrace that way in Religion the credit whereof ought to be very dear to him because he esteems it the best and most excellent of all ways 3. By the many benefits which our most gracious God hath been and is still pleased to bestow upon us For by them he obligeth and as it were hireth us to serve and obey him universally according to his word and the more plentifully he extends his goodness to us in giving us blessings of any sort and the more excellent or necessary the blessings be which he vouchsafeth to bestow on us the greater and stronger is the engagement God's goodness calls on us to fear God and leads us to amendment of life Psal 130. 4. Rom. 2. 4. and consequently â—ggravates the iniquity of our disobedience so we are to underâ—â—â—nd â—â—r 9. 13 14. Quest But what are these benefits For none of us all do remember them so frequently and weigh them so exactly as we ought Answ They are 1. Life Food Raiment Harbour Physick Surgery Liberty and Peace of the Body Health Strength and Nimbleness of the body the good state and use of our Limbs and Senses inward and outward Books and writings of many sorts the faculties of the soul understandiâ—â—â— memory invention conscience power to will humane wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arts and Sciences worldly wealth 2. The holy Scriptures godly Sermons Expositions of the Scriptures and other godly Books Gods promises and threatnings rebukes and checks by the conscience and men Ministers or not Ministers Psal 141. â—â— the company and good examples of godly persons and conference with them their love and prayers with us and for us Exercises and Meetings the Sacraments and all the holy Ordinances the knowledge of spiritual things of things belonging to our Peace and the right manner of Gods service of God and our selves a conscience awakened the fatherly love of God our Adoption Justification and pardons Es 55. 7 our being members of Christs Mystical body and Heirs of Heaven our sorrow for sin and stock of Grace Faith Hope love toward God love toward men godly and ungodly friends and enemies filial fear of God Humility Zeal c. our spiritual strength Jesus Christ dwelling in us by faith Eph. 3. 17. and the holy spirit of God dwelling in us to teach us and to guide and rule all the 〈◊〉 of our souls all the days of our Pilgrimage and spiritual warfare Note 1. Of the aforesaid good things some God gives to men of all sorts Mat. 5. 45. Luke 6. 35. some are peculiar to true believers 2. But whosoever is partaker of Gods goodness in good things of any sort the iniquity of his disobedience is thereby exaggerated according to the measure of the bounty 3. The fuller and clearer any mans light is as to the discerning of spiritual things by so much the greater is his iniquity if he doth not make such use as he ought of his Light 4. If a Professor who hath no grace doth think he hath some and that he is justified from all his sins and that God is his Father and the like I believe this his conceit doth aggravate his sins 5. By all the means of grace and amendment of life and obedience And such as are all the benefits blessings and good things which God gives us Acts 17. 25. But the destruction and vengeance from the Almighty
of them Thou mayest be like the heath in the desert which sees not when good cometh to which the man who trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm is compared by Jeremy Chap. 17. 5 6. who in the next verses compares the man that trusteth in the LORD and whose hope the LORD is as I may a thoroughly reformed Christian to a tree which is planted by the waters Psal 1. 3. and spreadeth out her roots by the River which shall â—â— see when heat cometh nor be careful in a year of drought nor cease from yielding fruit 5. What think ye of Gods waiting that he may be gracious to us Isa 30. 18. What is it for him to wait for that end It is as it were to stand somewhat near us having in and at his right hand good things which may be used unto the promoting of Christs cause and interest and the welfare of his people or some of them and therewithal our own good Psal 16. 11. Rev. 3. 20 22. 12. which things also he really purposeth to bestow actually upon those of us who shall prove meet to receive them For then will be a due and fit time for him to bestow them upon us Jam. 4. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 6. Which convenient season we may well believe is then come when we are 1. Duly humbled under the mighty hand of God for our own sins and grieved for the sins of others 2. And so humbled under the mighty and correcting hand of God as to confess to God our walking contrary to him and his walking contrary to us 3. And so as to accept of the punishment of our iniquities with the whole heart Lev. 26. 40 41 42. Mic. 7. 8 9 10. Lam. 3. 42. bearing it patiently without murmuring and repining or hard thoughts of God 4. And when we have learned of him how to be full and to abound and how to be abased and to suffer need how to behave our selves in prosperity and adversity Phil. 4. 12. 5. And to pray fervently for our selves with due respect to the glory of God and the good of his people that is aiming at those ends Jam. 4. 2 3. 6. And when we are become throughly willing and strongly resolved with Gods assistance to leave all our sins and to do all our duties Yea Friends the most high God will be highly pleased to see us well-minded toward him and his people and when we are so he will even delight to bestow the good things according to his said purpose upon us Apollos had watered the Christians of Corinth 1 Cor. 3. 6. and doubtless was kindly affectioned toward them with brotherly love and did desire and seek their welfare yet there was a time when his will was not at all to come unto them no not although the Apostle Paul did greatly desire him And why even because at that time it was not convenient Namely because many of them were so affected toward him 1 Cor. 1. 12. that he could not hope to be kindly received and entertained of them and to have them make a right use of his presence and company for their souls good so that at that time it would not have been convenient for him or them or in respect of Jesus Christ For when he shall have a convenient time then he will come unto them 1 Cor. 16. 12. namely when God by Pauls ministery or otherwise hath brought their spirits into a fit temper to make such use as they ought of his ministry and labours And so God doth not deliver exalt and give Professors such and such good things because they be not prepared and ready to make such use of them as they ought unto their own benefit and the benefit of others and the credit of the Gospel For an instance he will not exalt a Professor who keeps his stock of pride because he would thence take occasion to grow in pride rather than to walk more humbly than he did in his low Estate But Friends I speak now to poorly reformed Professors how long do ye think God hath waited for your Reformation It may be 5 6 7. years and for the amendment of some of you 10 years and of some 20 and of some more yea and some of you have been during these years now and then in the House of Correction and oft in some danger to be brought into it Is this true And are ye not yet prepared and fit to receive the alms which God hath in his hands to bestow upon you Ye are but sorry Scholars How long do ye think it fit that the most high God on whom ye ought to wait continually until he hath mercy upon you Psal 123. 2. how long do ye think it fit that he should wait for you And how long do ye think he will wait for you Do ye think it is fit that he should wait your leisure Whatsoever any of you think for certain the longer God waits the greater is your iniquity in not striving earnestly to leave off your sins And why is the LORD in the very same verse wherein he is said to wait viz. Es 30. 18. Why is he in the very same verse said to be a God of judgement Is it not because he knows how long it is fit for him to wait and how long he hath waited and when it is good for us that he should cease from correcting us I indeed and my fellow-Ministers of Christ are not inspired as the Prophets of old were neither can I mourn and weep as many can but if the riches of Gods goodness and forbearance and great patience and long-continued waiting and his as it were stooping to us and working strangely for us when and whilst we were so far short of a full and perfect Reformation and his correctings of us and his mitigating and lessening of our chastisements dangers and fears if all this doth not partly draw us and partly drive us out of our sins and win us to amend our doings speedily I shall be so far from expecting very great matters that I shall fear we do treasure up wrath against a day of greater and sorer wrath speaking in a general manner than hath as yet fallen upon us Remember ye therefore the natural branches of the good Olive-tree which were broken off from it being their own Olive-tree remember I say this breaking off and take heed of deferring the reformation which thou lackest be not careless but fear lest thou also be broken of Rom. 11. 17. c. For we who are Christs Ministers cannot say yet your space to repent of and from your sins shall be 120 years as Gen. 6. 3. nor if they continue barren one whole year longer then thou shalt cut them down as Luke 13. 9. no nor yet forty dayes and then ye shall be overthrown as Jon 3. 4. No our words are To day if ye will hear Gods voice harden not your hearts c. Psal 95. 7. c. For we know not
Estate hath not thereupon been changed fully according to our desires and requests then we are to consider Why God hath not heard them to the full what hath hindred them and made them so far forth uneffectual especially whether iniquities and sins have hindred them and if sins whose sins and which of their sins Es 59. 1 2. Marg. 93. All which things being considered 9. And lastly it concerns us to open our eyes to see and to consider what course it concerns us to take hereafter and when what to do what to amend and how what to cease from c. Marg. 94. Now as to the first of these I have known when our Trading was not altogether so dead and so much hindered when many of the poorer sort had more work and many of the richer sort more money when many were better able to maintain their Children and to bind them Apprentices and to furnish them with moneys for Trading and to make them Scholars when many were more able to pay their Rents and other debts when Houses and Lands were set and sold at higher Rates without wronging the Takers and Buyers when the total of our publick Taxes and payments was not altogether so great as now to some it seems to be c. When so many of this Nation were not taken away by the Pestilence and by and in Sea-actions impoverished maimed wounded killed and deprived of their Husbands Fathers Children and Apprentices and when so many Churches and publick Houses and so many private Houses have not been burnt and so much worldly Riches destroyed in London in so few days as of late in 1666. have been But all these and some other evils are common to us with others Prov. 28. 12 28. 2. Some of us have been deprived and do continue destituted of our places of credit and profit and consequently of our Livelihood and maintenance and are forbidden to teach or table Scholars although peradventure we might in that way be somewhat beneficial to the Church and Common-wealth 3. Some of us are separated from London and all other Cities and many Tows which are not Cities c. 4. No private Meetings c. under the pain of Banishment into Forreign Plantations c. 5. If we Administer either of the Sacraments we must pay more than some of us be very well able to spare c. 6. The fellowship which we have had together in the Gospel must be broken oft and the spiritual benefits which we might have gotten by conversing together lost Beside the losses of Luke the 8. 2 3. 7. This is a time of extraordinary Temptations to us and others Many professors especially Preachers are tempted to sin against their Consciences to get places of worldly profit and to bear sinfully with the sins of Professors lest they should lose the help of their Purses others are tempted to avenge themselves to oppress to use cruelty 8. I think the last twenty years and upwards are part of the perillous times whereof St. Paul prophecyeth in 2 Tim. 3. in the first 7 Verses beginning with This know also as speaking of that which is very fit to be known and to be considered very seriously This know also saith he that in the last dayes perillous times shall come For men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud Having a form of Godliness but denying the power thereof which words I do underst and of many of those who have gotten the name of Professors as well as of others and that because so many do walk and behave themselves as if Godliness were of no great power to better a mans conversation 9. If none of the late Decrees and the Outings and Restraints do in any measure directly nor indirectly tend unto the decay of that which the Book of Common-Prayer calls Gods true Religion and vertue yet before the time of the Interruption there were who under the pretence of reconciling two Religions sought to undermine and destroy the better of the twain and in the time of the Interruption Corrupters and new Lights who did hatch Cockatrice Eggs Ranters Familists Quakers and part of that evil work was done I doubt not in Policy of purpose to undermine and destroy Truths In a word there have been these last thirty years and more and still I believe are some whose working partly in the dark hath been and is such that as the Psalmist saith Psal 119. 126. It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made void God's Law So may we well say It is time for the Lords Servants to work for and with God for there are some that would gladly destroy the true Gospel So that if the plot to burn and Massacre be but a Dream or meer imagination as I would have Charity not to be suspicious and to think evil 1 Cor. 13. 5 7. without some just cause yet there is cause enough why Professors yea all Protestants and Anti-papists should pull their eyes out of their pockets and carry them in the fore-part of their heads that they may see where to place their feet how to order their goings yea if they can to be altogether as wise as Serpents Mat. 10. 16. yet not to tread in the steps of D. Parry who against all Reason did conspire Treason foul and base And so much be spoken of the first particular A Digression Before I speak of the second give me leave by the way to shew what good use ye who are Professors may make of some things before mentioned in respect of your spiritual Estate as Lot did or might have done of the vexing of his soul with the unlawful deeds and speeches of his Neighbours the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. for thereby he might discern his soul to be a righteous soul and so may ye discern in some measure the temper and disposition of your spirits and consequently your spiritual estate by the movings or stillness of your hearts in this time of such evils hearken therefore I beseech you to that which I shall say unto you especially all those of you who have not hitherto at any time duly tried your spiritual estate which I fear hath been the folly of many Christians 1. Let your Consciences tell you how ye are affected with those things which have of late befallen so many godly and profitable Ministers of Jesus Christ with the loss of their maintenance and their now very low condition Are ye really grieved at it If ye be not ye are but mean Professors Amos 6. 6. 2. How are ye affected with their loss of so many opportunities of drawing so many godless persons out of the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of grace unto Gods honour and the lost sheeps everlasting salvation Is it nothing to you that their Parishes and the Nation and our Lord Jesus Christ have so far lost their Ministery Jude 5. 23. Why Brethren our Saviour and the same mind ought to be in you which
hindred by loitering and idleness 10. Some such Ministers it may be do look on the business of meddling with Professors sins as like the taking of a shrewd Dog by the ears Prov. 26. 17. or worse some peradventure fear the issue of displeasing them carnally however it cometh to pâ—ss they do not speak unto those Professors with whom they have fellowship concerning their sins so particâ—larly plainly home pressingly and faithfully as they ought to speâ—k Prov. 20. 6. One Non-conforming Minister in hâ—s Sermon at Bristow speaks of naked breasts It may be desiring to have what he spake applied against other devil taught fashions not knowing that naked breasts did take notes of Sermons Another in his Sermon speaks of sins under the name of the devils Dainties yet names no sin at all in particular but oppression Why did he not leave out that also and particularize the worshipping of stocks and stones only that all who heard him might be the more confident he did not mean any of â—heir siâ—s One in his Sermon saith of Hair that if it be any thing or ever so little longer than the Scripture allows of it is a sin Undeâ—standing men might speak more than this c. 1 Cor. 11. 14. Anâ—her in his Sermon saith This Dispensation calls on us to be more spiritual and heavenly I woulâ— have a Preacher trust in God and cry with the throat if he be able to lift up his voice like a Trumpet and to shew those who have gotten the name of Phanaticks their sins and transgressions and that plainly c. I would have him say Brethren and Sisters it is high â—ime for us to reform our conversation universally without any exception or limitation without any so far and so far to change very much of our behavâ—our 2. This dispensation cries unto us to be less carnal and less sensual and less earthly minded to be spiritually minded and more tractable to throw away with a holy abhorrency and detestation our covetousness and worldliness our immoderate sparing our excessive spending our voluptuousness and love of pleasure and ease our pride ostentation ambition vanity vain glory envy curiosity fashionmonging carnal mirth and jollity foolish vain idle and frothy communication bitter and unseemly jests frolicks and boyish toying â—nd the despising of our heavenly Father's chastenings Prov. 3. 11. Numb 12. 14 15. naming the sins of Professors punctually I would have a Preacher do more than all this R. 3. Thirdly whereas that which most of us look on as the forest of our afflictions is not payments of money for the use of our King c. but want of liberty and peace and of a well-grounded assurance of liberty and peace Aâ—e we without these because we ask them not No undâ—ubâ—edly we have prayed for liberty and peace oft and it may be some of us for an assurance of it And to whom would our liberty and peace be beâ—eficiâ—l To us or to others Ye will say to us and some of you that it would be so in regard of our bodies purses and souls Some of you also will peradventure be ready to add that of the rest to some it would be a pecuâ—â—iary loss and to two or three an eye-sore an ear-sore and a heart-sore even vexation of spirit Which if it be true as I think it is whose sins then think you have deprived 〈◊〉 of our liberty and peace and kept it so long from us Our own sins to whom it would be a considerable part of our happiness or theirs to whom it would be no gain at all and to some among them a purse-loss and to some grief of mind can any think the sins of others or the sins of the Nation in general Vâ—rily what shift some men of much wit may make to entertain a foolish conceit I know notâ— but for my own part I cannot hold back my mind from attributing our want of liberty and peace to our own sins to whom it would be a great favour and benefit rather than to the sins of Heathens Mahometans Jews or Papists or of the whole Nation or of any part of the Nation other than our selves because it would be unprofitable to them 6. Now for the sixt Point What have we done to better our estates or to obtain of God to better them A. We have not rebelled insurrected or seditioned with Venner We have kept up our forms of Godliness prayed by Families and Members of divâ—rs Families jointly and many of us apart secretly prayed with Fasting praâ—ed all our prayers put together very many prayers some of us very elegant fine and dainty prayers too ornate trim curious quaint and fine prayers as if they had been petitioning the Emperor Julius Caesar 1 Cor. 2. 1 2 3 13. and many of us some of mean parts have uttered long prayers and some have prayed too long prayers too long for Courts of earthly Princes as if they hoped to overcome the infinitely wise God with their verbosity and much tal◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 5. 1 2 3. Mat. 6. 7 8. v. 9 10 11 12 13. or as if â—â—ey did lengthen and stretch out their prayers to make the younger sort and servants weary of Religion before they know what it is Mat. 23. 14. Mar. 12. 4. Luke 20. 47. Eccl. 7. 14. We have used some other holy Ordinances we have Preached prayed and fasted eight or nine hours together it may be bowing down our heads as Bulrushes Isa 58. 5. We have prayed to him who is All-sufficient Gen. 17. 1. and in whose hand all mens hearts are Prov. 21. 1. And what have we asked of him Liberty and freedom from Troubles and an end of this time of Satans great wrath c. And for our Rulers we have asked heavenly wisdom to take the best course that can be taken for their spiritual welfare and everlasting felicity And some of us it may be have added somâ—thing â—o their forms of Godliness prayed somewhat oftner But as for the visible reforming of our wayes according to the word of God that our sins may not hindâ—r our prayers I cannot say I know That a considerable number of us have in that way shewn themselves duly sensible of their own and their brethrens sufferings and dangâ—rs and sins or that our conference or talking when we meet together is much bettered 7. For the seventh Point As Fishermen use to draw up their nets and fishing-hooks to see whether they have caught any Fish and if need be to amend the meashes of their Nets and to bâ— it their Fishing-hooks with fresh worms c. So we ought to considâ—r the issue and events of the Middesses which we have used for the bettering of our estates and for one of the events the return of our Prayers what we have gained by them that if there be cause we may use the best dilig ence we can to amend our prayers Now as to this particular it may be we have prevailed in some
the Younger I say we should attribute the prevailing of Satan contrary to our prayers rather thâ—n to these and the rest of our sins whereof we had not duly repented and taken due care to forsake 2 Cor. 12. 20. 21. This sinful and pernicious silence was too common in those dayes as it is in these notwithstanding it is contrary to the true meaning of the special Covenant which hath been entred Beloved Friends it hath been and is one of the too common faults of Professors Ministers and others to receive or let pass as true Christians all that cease from gross sins hear Gods word keâ—p up Gods worship in their Families and use to go to meetings which yet is but a form of godliness and without a more full reformation of our wayes to better than a bribe offered to the judge of all the earth to blind his eyes or stop his mouth or turn back his hands from striking us and the great God who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work even his own children 1 Pet. 1. 17. he will take no Bribes Deut. 16. 19. 2. So that it concerns us to learn how to open our eyes to see our sins both open and secret and particularly the iniquity of our holy things And first for the defects and faults of our Prayers 1. Some of us I believe many of us have no grace at all Marg. 125 116 127 128. and therefore do pray out of Christ and without Christ John 15. 5. without faith without humility Jam. 4. 5. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Without repentance without the love of God without godly fear c. Heb. 12. 28. and therefore also when they pray they do regard iniquity in their hearts Psal 66. 16. and pray without due respect to God and his Church Jam. 4. 3. Hos 10. 1. 2. I believe concerning many regenerate persons that unbelief and pride do prevail much in their prayers that they do oft come short of serving God in their prayers with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12. 28. and oft come near that which David in Psal 66. 18. calls the regarding of iniquity in their hearts which is when a man will keep this or that sin whether God will hear his prayers or not I do also fear that many a godly man prays unto God now and than in words to do this or that for his Church whilst with his heart he aims at his own good only without due respect to Gods honour and the well-being of his Church which I conceive to be the iniquity spoken of Jam. 4. 3. For whatsoever a man asks of God immediately for himself he ought to ask for God also viz. to the end he may be the more willing or the more able or have the more opportunities to promote Christs interest or to some such end For all things are as of God and through God so also for God Rom. 11. 36 So that whethâ—r we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we ought to do all to his glory 1 Cor. 10. 31. And as all things do work together for good to them who love God Rom. 8. 28. so we ought in most of our Petitions for our selves if not in all to aim at the good of those who love God I think so Secondly as to our Fasts they are as many of us use them 1. Too like a sudden Land-floud which is quickly gone into the River and the ground anon after almost as dry as at the beginning of the storm For so the shews which some make at Fasts of sorrow and mourning are soon turned into Feasting carnal jollity Jam. 4. 9 and vain communication 2. So that I fear they be too like the penances and scourges of some Papists which they use to the flesh Gal. 5. 13. But to speak more generally many of us in respect of our forms of godliness are too like the Jews in Es 58. who did seek God after their manner daily and ask of him with their mouths the Ordinances of Justice and afflict their souls with fasting bowing down their heads as Bulrushes and spreading sackcloth and ashes under them and make a shew of delighting to know Gods wayes and in approaching unto God all which did not prevail with God to case them of their grievances and afflictions ver 3. And why even because they did not forsake their sinful practises but went on still in them Psal 68. 21. And hence it is that the Lord 1. Commands the Prophet to cry aloud to lift up his voice like a Trumpet and to shew them their sins and transgressions and that ver 3. he spreads before them a particular of their Trespasses and signifies to them that it is a foolish and fond thing for them to think that it is enough for them to afflict themselves now and then for a day and there 's an end of the business 1 Tim. 4. 8. as if God would approve and accept of Fasts and hear Prayers when they be not joyned with sincere repentance and amendment of life as also he mentions some of the most considerable sins of the Jews at that time as fittest to be insisted on which I believe is the cause why David Ps 24. 4. mentioneth the lifting up of the soul unto vanity and swearing deceitfully and why Mic. ch 6. 8. mentioneth doing justly and loving mercy and humbling our selves to walk with God or walâ—ing humbly with God O that our Preachers at time would be perswaded to imitate them viz. to tell them who hear them preach punctually and plainly of the most considerable of their iniquities and if doing so will not cause them to reform all their wayes speedily then to cry aloud unto them and to deal faithfully and plainly with them concerning their sins and abominations and not to cease from reproving untill they have drawn or driven them out of all their unwarrantable practises Lev. 19. 17. 2 Tim. 4. 2. as Acts 12. 5. For Mic. 6. 6 7. the graceless man is represented as it were acting his part upon a stage and his business is to please God and to obtain pardon of his sins and to that end to bestow somewhat on God Neâ—ther is he altogether empty of good words he calls him whose savour he seeks JEHOVAH twice and the most high God and speaks of bowing himself before him and of being at great cost with him of buâ—nt-offerings thousands of Rams ten thousands of Rivers of Oil yea of giâ—ing his first born for the sin of his soul which is more than much money given to godly Preachers but not one word of leaving his sins and doing his duâ—y And therefore it is that he who answers him shews him wâ—aâ— is good in the sight of the LORD and what he requires of him namely to do justly and to love mercy and to humble himself to walk with his God So that this is as a Touch stone to Gold the abandoning of all our sins and the cleansing of all our wayes
and lengthen their Cures to fill their purses do not ye I mean withhold bitter Madicines and sharp Corrosives from your Patients diseased and infirme souls longer than true Christian wisdom allows you but in respect of time and all other respects shew your selves really faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ and to his members as men who watch for their souls and as they that must give account Heb. 13. 17. As for the itching ears whereof Paul prophecyed 2 Tim 4. 3 4. if there be any such things among your Hearers let it not be any part of your business to tickle them with fine neat trim ornate curious words and expressions but feed them with the sincere milk and strong meat of the word which they ought to desire that they may grow thereby in the knowledge of spiritual things and in grace 1 Pet. 2. 2. and content your selves with a manly kind of Eloquence Imitate the blessed and wise Apostle Paul whom God sent to preach the Gospel not with wisdom of words not with excellency of speech or of wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power 1 Cor. 1. 17. chap. 2. 1 4 And of this matter as Paul seems to speak so much of it because it was the manner of the ambitious Teachers in the Church of Corinth to use such enticing speech to draw Disciples after them so I brethren have spoken and do now write so much of it because Satan hath since the death of Mr. Latimer with the help of men pleasing Gal. 1. 10. encreased in the hearts even of Professors and religious preachers a carnal affectation of dainty and finely-filed phrases and expressions in a very great measure and screwed such fine phrases and expressions into Sermons which do obscure the Doctrine and occasion too much meditation c. Nay Satan hath screwed them into our very prayers as if the ancient of dayes Dan. 7. 22. were become a a weak old man to be overcome with Court-like Complements wherewith indeed he is no more taken than he would be with the neck of a Dog Es 66. 2. 3. And if many of your fine phrases be Scripture phrases why the Quakers do rail on holy and profitable Ministers with Scripture-phrases Brethren I thank God that I have learned of him to abhor this ambitious and polluting ornament of our Sermons and prayers as a great enemy to our Saviour and his Church and to poor miserable sinners and I pray you cease from hunting after words and from studying words too much and your Hearers and matter too little but for the honor of God and the good of his Church contend with all your might and in all wisdom against the vices and sins of Professors And to encourage you hereunto know that it is not so long since that a very unfit manner of preaching being taken up and much used in the University of Oxford Bishop Vsher and Bishop Potter did preach it down and destroy it And Doctor Hoskins a Conformist but learned and godly and wise taking notice that some came with naked breasts to his Lecture in the Minster of Hereford did so discourse against that ugly and immodest spectacle that they ceased to offend his eyes with it I come now to shew you all as near as I can the fittest way and means of reforming your selves and other Professors even the best directions and instructions that I am able concerning that necessary and blessed work And first take due care to find out thy own sins And here 1. Enter upon that business with a strong resolution whatsoever seeming good Fruits any of thy sins have yielded thee yet to leave them all as thou shalt take notice of them without any exception or reservation John 7. 17. 2. Consider the Fruits of the spirit and the works of the Flesh and the Garments Armour and sins mentioned in Mat. 15. 19. Mark 7. 21 22. Rom. 1. 29 30 31 32. Rom. 12. 2 9. to the end of the Chapter Rom. 13. 12 13 14. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. 2 Cor. 7. 11. and 12. 20 22. Gal. 5 19. to the end of the ch Eph. 4 1 2 3. 21. to the end of the Chapter and 5. 1. to 7. Phil. 2. 2 3 4 5. c. and 3. 3. Col. 3. 5. to 14. and 4 5 6 17. 1 Thes 5. 12. to 22. 2 Tim. 3. 1. to 7. Tit. 2. 11 12. Jam. 1. 26 27. and 2. 1. and 3. 1. and 4. the whole Chapter 1 Pet. 1. 17. and 2. 1 2. and 3. 8 9 10 11. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 10. 2. 7 8. and 3. 17 18. 1 John 3. 3 14 16 17 18. John 9. 10. Rev. 21. 8. as also 1 Pet. 3. 1. to 7. and 1 Tim. 2. 8 9 10. Some of you may do well to peruse Mr. Byfields Catalogue of sins or some book like that 3. Consider the wayes of thy heart and thy outwards carriage toward God and man in thy younger and elder yeats before and since thy marriage at home and abroad in publick and privately in company of godly and graceless persons when a Servant or a Master of servants toward inferiours Superiours and equals godly and ungodly persons Friends and Enemies c. 4. Call to miâ—d as far forth as ye can What the Lord hath spoken to you concerning the sins of Professors by me face to face and by others For he hath spoken unto some of you by me in London Bristow Essex Hereford c. and to some of you of called small sins and sins about Aparel and otheâ— things indifferent and to some of you of such sins as cause the destruction of most of those Professors that are damned 5. Compare what ye have heard and read and the behaviour of the best Scripture and modern Saints with your own deeds speeches gestures and thoughts to discern the agreement and disagreement that is between them c. 6. Because it is not an easie matter for a man to find out his sins Psal 119. 96. Psal 19. 12. therefore pray ye unto God to reveal your sins to you 7. Imitate David Psal 141. 5. request thy fellow Professors to tell thee of them and converse much with such as are likely to tell thee of them and when thou art told of any of them esteem it a kindness and give thanks to God and man 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. 8. Consider what it is to make streight paths for thy feet Heb. 12. 13. to walk accurately precisely circumspectly Eph. 5. 15. and to be perfect Mat. 5. 48. 2 Cor. 13. 11. 9. Consider how many ways the Lords day may be profaned and mispent and how oft thou hast profaned and mispent part of it 10. Consider how many ways ve have made your selves partakers of other folks sins and how the Children of Israel were guilty of the sin of Achan Josh 7. 1. c. 11. It may be thou maist do well to mind some of their faults partly to the end thou maist hear of thy own