meaning in prescribing these Duties nor my scope in pressing the practise thereof as a cure to our spirituall distempers but the Apostles meaning and my scope is to shew that by these performances some new qualifications of the soul alterations of the frame of the Spirit are wrought in believers to fit them to the enjoyment of that which doth actually free them from all guilt both in Gods account and in their own Conscience For by these meanes our souls are qualified to become susceptible of the Grace which Christ hath purchased for us for whose sake alone we are delivered from the guilt of wrath in the Fathers account and the frame of our spirit is altered to inable us to perceive the remission of the guilt by the testimony of the Spirit of Adoption by which we cry Abba Father and finde effectually that God is in Christ reconciling us unto himself and not imputing unto us our sins for his sake I say these acts of Repentance and our performance of the same are necessary meanes to take away the guilt of our sinfullnes not as to the Justice of God for that is Christs work through the Redemption in his blood but as to the qualification and frame of our spirit to make it susceptible and sensible of the Redemption which is in the hand of Christ to be applyed unto every one who by the conviction of his Conscience is drawn over and doth yeeld himself obedient unto God in these duties For as long as we are impenitent and hardened in our way through the over-ruling deceitfulnes of sin we remain under the guilt of wrath and can have no confidence in God through Christ because the Promises are made unto none but unto those that repent and believe in the Gospel but when we change our course or are rather changed in our course upon the change of our minde with a new frame of heart towards God then the spirit of bondage which is to fear is removed and the free Spirit of Christ which testifieth unto our spirit our Adoption is given to us for till this be done the spirit of bondage doth stand with a flaming Sword between us and the way of the tree of life in Paradise that is between our soul and the Covenant of life in Christ by the Peace of a good Conscience Now the flaming Sword standing between us and the way to this tree is the evidence of Gods wrath as it is due to sin and of our owne guilt as we are liable to wrath and under sin it is then in this sense and by the dispensation of the grace of Repentance to this effect that the guilt is taken away and rest is given to the wearied soul The Remedy of the punishment of sinfulnes The fourth and last Duty doth tend to a full restitution of our estate by the enjoyment of al things pertaining unto life godlines that we may attaine to the glory and vertue whereunto we are called by the profession of the Gospel And to come to this the Apostle doth shew that our way is to humble our selves in the sight of God which if we do the promise is that he will lift us up To humble our selves is to esteem meanly of our selves and to behave our selves as such as are low and mean in their own sense To humble our selves in the sight of God is in respect of God reflecting upon our selves to acknowledge our selves to be nothing at all and as to other men the least of all To be lift up by God is to be made something by his Grace for to the humble the Lord doth give Grace saith the Apostle ver 6. And those that humble themselves have a promise here that they shall be lift up If we see our want of Vertue and are sensible of it in the presence of God he will graciously supply our wants and exalt us to find what we are in him Now God doth lift up men from a low to a higher condition of Grace in three respects In respect of himself in respect of publick employments and in respect of other men 1. In respect of himself he lifts us up when he admits us unto a higher degree of favour and love with himself which is done by manifesting unto us the Love of Christ and making us sensible of his life For thereby he strengthens us with might in the inward man that we may have more and more Communion with him and he with us in Christ till we be filled with all the fulnes of God Eph. 3. 19. 2. In respect of publick employments he lifts us up when he sets our spirits upon the things that are most excellent to discerne and to affect them when he gives endowments sufficient to go about them and when he makes the undertakings glorious to himself and succesfull to the comfort of his Saints 3. In respect of other men he sets us up when he gives us a due place of love and esteeme in the thoughts of the best of them and makes his vertues by us manifest in the sight of all the rest so that they cannot but see his glory These favours are attainable at Gods hand but the way to attaine them is to become lowly as in the sight of God that is as looking upon God and minding our subordination unto him in all things we should unfeinedly esteeme our selves as of our selves to be nothing whether we reflect upon our state in Grace with reference unto God or upon our undertakings amongst men or upon our abilities to performe the same For in these three things our spirituall naturall pride doth commonly break forth and if herein we receive Grace truly to deny our selves in Gods sight and to be nothing in our selves the promise is that we shall be lift up here then the rule of humility is to be observed As concerning our state in Grace the Rule of Humility is That none think of himself more highly then he ought to think but should think soberly according as God hath dealt to every one the measure of Faith Rom. 12. 3. Now to live by Faith is to live by the Truth of God in his Word Concerning our abilities in reference to our selves the Rule of Humility is Be not wise in your own conceits Rom. 12. 16. and again Let no man glory in men 1 Cor. 3. 21. and concerning our undertakings in reference to men the Rule is Minde not high things but condescend to men of low estate Rom. 12. 16. And such as exercise themselves to walk by these Rules with reverence and godly fear as in the presence of God shall in due time be exalted by him unto the enjoyment of that glory and vertue whereunto they are called and appointed to come Who they are that should apply this cure to the spirit of Envy And what failing there is in the application This is the Cure which the Spirit of God doth offer to be applyed unto the spirit of envy that it
not envying them nor provoking them nor being desirous of vain glory towards them Galat. 5. 26. In respect of those that are of an unquiet disposition to follow Peace and ensue it towards them 1 Pet. 3. 11. and that even so far as it is possible and as much as in us lyeth Rom. 12. 18. to do all things without murmurings and disputings against them in a blamelesse and harmlesse way that they may have no cause to murmure at us or to dispute with us Phil. 2. 14 15. And to this effect to lay aside all malice and all guil and hypocrisie evil speakings and surmisings 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. And lastly in respect of those that are injurious to recompense no evill for evill nor to avenge our selves but to give place unto wrath Rom. 12. 17 19. Not to be overcome with evill but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 21. And to that effect with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering to forbear them in love Ephes 4. 2. And to forgive them as God in Christ hath forgiven us Ephes 4. 32. Now the originall and immediate cause of this Peaceable disposition of the soul is to suffer the Peace of God whereunto we are called to rule in our hearts Col. 3. 15. for when this by the new Covenant in Christ doth possesse the spirit the soul is quieted within it self because it entreth with Christ into that rest which he hath purchased and prepared for it Hebr. 4. 10 11. And it receiveth the Peace which he hath left with it and given to it so that the heart is not troubled neither is it afraid at any thing which in this world can befall unto it Joh. 14. 27. for the promise of the Lord wherein he hath caused us to hope doth sustain us which saith that he will keep him in perfect Peace whose heart is stayed on him because he trusteth in him Isa 26. 3. But on the other side those that have no interest in the Covenant of Peace which Christ hath made with us can have no rest nor quietnesse within themselves or towards others because my God hath said There is no Peace to the wicked but his heart and his whole course is as the troubled Sea which cannot rest but casteth forth mire and dirt perpetually Isa 57. 20 21. The ends then of these duties shew the perfection whereunto they lead us and their proper works the way by which we attain the same For by the law of love we are taught how to aime at that which is truly good by the law of righteousnesse how to order our way in prosecuting of it and by the law of Peaceablenesse how to attend the delightfull possession of it The first sets our minde upon God the second directs us to him and the third fits us to enjoy him What is proper to a Christian in these duties more then to other men Thus in brief we see what these duties are and whence in a Christian more then in other men they proceed for other men know nothing herein but the principles of Reason and Morality by which they look more upon the materiall outside of the works then upon any thing else because naturall men cannot raise their minds unto the apprehension of spirituall truths which beget in the soul a new life and farre lesse can they act any thing thereby without speciall grace yet if the Intellectuals of a man truly rationall in nature which is not altogether impossible be raised so far by the right use of common illuminations as to perceive the proportion which is between such performances as these are and the principles from whence they flow he will finde no just cause to contradict any thing therin although his heart will not be able thereupon to close with the duties themselves for a true Christian is a spirituall man is not inabled to close heartily with these duties either because he is convicted of the rationalitie thereof or because he doth understand the excellencie and worth of this way above the way of Morality for these are onely preparative inducements inclining his affection thereunto but he closeth therewith onely because his conscience is enlightned by the truth and purified by faith and therein is bound over and given up to walk thus with God in Christ by the covenant of grace for through the law of the spirit of life and love which is in Christ Jesus whereby he is freed from the law of sin and of death he is made conformable unto the image of the Son of God and the righteousnesse of the Law of God through faith and love being fulfilled in him he hath peaceable communion with the Father and with the Son wherein he doth set himself to walk with joy and unspeakable comfort in the light of their countenance by which he is daily transformed from glory to glory as by the Spirit and presence of the Lord. The rule then and the way of a Christian is to walk in these duties towards all men and for these ends not with humane wisdome and the reasonings of his naturall understanding although he doth nothing irrationally but according to the direction and manifestation of the Spirit of grace that is according to the testimony of Jesus revealed unto his spirit which obligeth his conscience to follow affectionately the rules of these duties in all simplicitie and godly sincerity through love to the life of Jesus Christ and the grace of God in him and not for any other obligation or by any other consideration whatsoever and whosoever doth walk after this rule Peace be upon him and upon the Israel of God And because we have not hitherto walked after this rule we have not as yet found the way to Peace for to finde Peace out of this way is as impossible as to misse of it within it How universal they are and inseparable from Christianity And chiefly in leading men and times of greatest need From hence we may observe that these duties have an universall influence upon all the wayes of Christians for as Christians they are essentiall to them in all the works of their severall callings and if they studie not to do all their works by these rules they cannot be said to do them as Christians for as Christians we are commanded to do all our matters with charitie 1 Cor. 16. 14. for we are obliged by the love of God to us as his dear children to be followers of God and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Ephes 5. 1 2. And if we walk not thus it is evident that we are none of his children but have renounced his love and are destitute of the life of God in all our undertakings for he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love 1 Joh. 4. 8. And again as Christians we are bound to serve God and Christ in his kingdom and if we serve him not how can we truly bear his Name Now the kingdom of God wherein
triall from God and to look after and flie unto secondary causes The means therefore to rectifie these is that we should draw nigh unto God for if we do so the promise is that he will draw nigh unto us v. 8. which is our cure For by his drawing nigh unto us we become partaker of his vertue and nature which alters our inclinations Here then the Apostle doth presuppose that when the soul is under the triall of a temptation it doth put it self at a distance from God and that Gods presence is not with it for if he were present with it Satan could neither appear nor prevail against it but now our naturall inclinations being to wander and go astray from him as it is written Hebr. 3. 10. They erre alwayes in their heart and have not known my wayes therefore Satan doth find the soul as a lost sheep out of the way and is readie if God should not restrain him to devour it for whiles we are at a distance from God we neither are nor indeed can we be subject to his wil and consequently cannot with submission accept of his dispensation over us That therefore we may be brought about to submit our wils unto Gods will and by that means resist the devil who dwels in the turbulencie of our envious spirit we are exhorted and instructed to draw nigh unto God in our spirits that he may meet us and draw nigh unto us by his Spirit We draw nigh unto God when we come to Christ in the Spirit of prayer and faith to be reconciled to the Father by the redemption which is in him and to be united to him through the covenant that we may live by his word For Ioh. 146. Christ is the way the truth and the life and because none can come without him therefore all must come to the Father by him and live in him according to his word And God doth draw nigh to us when for Christs sake he doth accept of us graciously and testifieth his acceptance of us by the spirit of Adoption by which he beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the Sons of God and by which he sheddeth abroad his love in our hearts sealing us up unto himself untill the day of our Redemption To draw nigh therefore unto God is in a word when we want his presence to call upon his name as our Father in Christ knowing that whatsoever we ask in his name shall be granted for Christ hath said that he will do it Ioh. 14. 13. This Communion with God in Christ and nothing but this is able to alter the perversnesse of our inclination which resists the will of God and hardens our hearts from submitting thereunto for being in Christ we become new creatures and the law of the spirit of life which is in him doth free us from the Law of sin and death which is in our nature Rom. 8 2. Gal 5. 16. whereby Satan takes hold of us that we may be inabled to walk after the Spirit and not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh whereby Satan doth work in us and lead us captive after his own will The Remedie of the guilt of sinfulnesse which is Repentance Having two parts And severall Acts answerable to the iniquity of our courses In what sense repentance is said to take away the guilt of sinne The third duty which the Apostle doth offer as a further remedie to this our evill doth tend to free us from the guilt under which we lye by reason of the sinfulnesse of our envious courses for as the perversenesse of our nature hindering us from submitting our wills to the will of God is cured onely by Gods drawing nigh unto us when we draw nigh unto him by calling upon his name that we may be saved in Christ so the guilt of our sinfull wayes which is the maine hinderance of our drawing nigh unto God and the cause of our distance from him is cured onely by the grace of repentance when we entertain it as our duty and that we may so do the Apostle doth lay open to us the parts of this duty which we finde to be two in his words the one relating to our selves the other unto God for as the nature of our guilt doth stand in the iniquity of our course and the dishonour done to God thereby so repentance by which this guilt is to be wiped away must relate unto both these that every thing amisse may be righted in that whence the evill doth proceed and so the causes of our separation in all respects removed Now the iniquity of our course is twofold the one is outward the other inward the outward defilements of the flesh going along with all our naturall actions bring us under the guilt of the Law and to free us from this the Apostle enjoyns us to cleanse our hands from sinfullnesse ver 8. but the inward pollutions are from the heart when it is destitute of Faith and sincerity towards God and man and to remedy this the Apostle enjoyns us to purifie our hearts from double-mindednes ver 8. The dishonour done to God by the iniquity of our course doth make us liable to wrath in respect of the Supream Majesty which by our offence is made void and to free us from this part of the guilt the Apostle enjoynes godly sorrow in the inward affections and a behaviour sutable thereunto in the outward expressions In respect of our inward affections we should be afflicted In respect of our outward expressions we should give way to grief Mourne saith he and weepe and we should abstaine from mirth Let your laughter saith he be turned to mourning and your joy to heavines ver 9. For the sacrifices of God which are accepted from us for sin that we may be freed from guilt are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise saith David Psal 51. 17. The proper effect of guiltines is to keep us back from the presence of God and deprive us of the freedom of spirit without which we cannot draw neer unto him this is by these meanes taken away and we are fitted by the sincerity of true Repentance both to come with boldnesse to the Throne of Heb. 4. 16. Grace and also to obtaine Mercy and finde Grace to help our misery in time of need Not that our acts of Repentance are any satisfaction unto Gods Justice for our sins by-past that is for the uncleanesse practised and the spots contracted upon our souls which is our misery or for the Orders and Rules of righteousnes broken and disturbed by us in his Kingdom which is our rebellion and for the wrongs and dishonour done to the name of God thereby which is our Treason as if he should in consideration of the worth of such performances as done by us remit the guilt which we have incurred and account such actions a compensation for the same No that is not the Apostles
of God by men in this place I meane the elders and heads of the people by the ordinance of God in the hand of men I meane the fundamentall rights which by nature are inherent in all humane societies to provide for their owne safety and well-being and by the ordinance of men in the hand of God I mean the resolutions and agreements of the people which are setled upon those rights in order to their well-being And how far they should attend each other ordinarily or extraordinarily do beget each other as God intends Iudgement or Mercy towards a people I shall not now search into but this I say for the Magistrates way of eminencie that if matters be set a foot Authoritatively without power especially in extraordinary administrations those that act them expose themselves unto contempt and if they be set a foot powerfully without Authority either in ordinary or extraordinary administrations those that act them make themselves odious as oppressours therefore nothing should be done either Authoritatively without power or powerfully without Authority In reference to the qualitie of the meanes which are made use of his way is to act by Commission and Deputation of Authority of right and of power unto subordinate officers who may act in the name of the Supreame and may not be lawfully resisted in that which they have commission to perform And thus much concerning the Magistrates work and his way of going about it Of the Ministers work by himself As for the Ministers of the Gospel Gods end is to glorifie his spirituall goodnesse towards the souls of men by their service making them conduit-pipes of his grace towards the same that by faith in Christ men may receive the forgivenesse Act. 26 18. of sins and an inheritance amongst those that are sanctified And to this effect Christ doth appoint them as his messengers to be witnesses of his Truth which is the Covenant made between God and man in himself and to be 2 Cor. 4. 5. servants to the societies of beleevers the publick professors of his truth for his sake they are also made subjects for the 1 Pet. 2. 13. Lords sake unto every ordinance of man as all other men are that they may give others a good example of orderly walking and of harmlesnesse in the life of nature And of his way in going about it Now by this appointment of God concerning them it is evident that they in their places are not properly over men as Magistrates are in humane affairs to command and compell obedience to that which they inioyn but onely towards men in Divine affairs to let them know the will of God and to intreat them to yeeld obedience thereunto for Christs sake and in case men will not hearken to them they have no more to do but to shake off the dust from their feet and declare the judgement of God unto them And as they have no masterly or commanding power over either the outward concernments or the faith of those to whom they are sent so they have no right to share any way with the Magistrate in his employments no more then his meanest Subject nor to meddle with the administration of any of his works nor to incroach upon any part of his Authority nor to make any mixture of his employments with their own under any publick pretence whatsoever but in all outward and visible concernments to be as it becometh meer Subjects and under the Supreme Power without any exemption or any priviledge by the title of Ecclesiasticall persons to be free from his jurisdiction as the Man of Sin pretends his servants should be Therefore the aime which the Minister of the Gospel ought to have in taking his place upon him is to set himself under Christ in his employment as his servant and instrument towards the spirits of men that by grace he may conveigh the testimony of Gods spirituall goodnesse to them that they by entertaining the same may glorifie God and become happy both in this world and in the world to come And to this effect his more immediate aime should be to teach those that know not Christ to know him and perswade them to beleeve in him and to professe his Name and those that professe him to walk by the Spirit of Christ with God in the Covenant entertaining and observing the tenor thereof through conformitie to the crosse of Christ in hope Rom. 8. 17. of being glorified together with him Of the difference of the Magistraticall and Ministeriall wayes of administration And from this description of his aime and the appointment of Christ concerning him towards his employment we may see that his proper works and the property of his way in going about the same are as farre different from that of the Christian Magistrates works and way as the life of Nature is from the life of grace as visible things are from invisible as meer reason is from revelation as ruling is from doing service as coaction is from supplication as commanding is from being in subjection as the outward man is from the inward as this world is from that which is to come as to be dead and crucified unto this present life is from seeking after the enjoyment of happinesse therein and as bearing witnesse concerning the will and Word of God to incline the conscience to yeeld it self willingly thereunto is from an injunction brought forth by the will and word of man with a purpose to see it actually performed and personall obedience yeelded thereunto whether it be done willingly or no. So that except men wil purposely set themselves to go beyond their line and neglect their own work to take another mans work out of his hand there can be no interfaring of the employments and yet they may be as intimately coordinate concurrent and subservient to their joynt end of humane happinesse and the glory of God in Christ as sense is coordinate concurrent and subservient unto Reason or right reason unto Conscience or a good conscience unto the motions of the Holy Ghost and to the testimony of Jesus in the word of prophecy And of the limits of their intermedling with each others affaires Thus we have briefly seen the proper works of these employments as they relate unto the ends for which Christ hath appointed them We shall not need to descend unto the particulars of the Ministeriall works it sufficeth for our purpose in hand to have discovered this that by the appointment of God for the glory of his Grace in Christ Jesus as crucified unto the world on the one hand and for the glory of his Supreame power in Christ as exalted over the world on the other hand the severall proper and immediate ends and aimes of the Magistraticall and Ministeriall employments are put in two peculiar channells and accordingly that their works are so distinct as the work of the minde is from that of the bodie and their wayes of going about them
till 11. of his 4. Chapter And it is twofold the one proceeds from the consideration of Gods wayes of dealing with us the other from the practise of certain duties wherein we deal with our own souls and with God to be set in a right frame to-towards him Gods way of dealing towards us is considered as he is Liberall Just and Mercifull towards us v. 6. But he gives more grace wherefore he saith God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble Our duties in dealing with our own souls and with God tend first to free us from the temptations and from the inclinations unto our envious disposition and from the guilt of sinfulnesse lying on us thereby and secondly to restore us unto a comfortable condition in Gods presence The duties which will free us from the Temptations unto envy are v. 7. Submit your selves therefore unto God resist the Devil and he will flee from you The dutie which will free us from the inclinations unto envy is v. 8. Draw nigh to God and be will draw nigh to you And the dutie which wil free us from the guilt of sinfulnes which the spirit of envy doth bring upon us is Repentance described v. 8. and 9. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heavinesse And lastly the dutie whereby we are restored to a comfortable condition in Gods presence is humility before God ver 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up These are the ingredients of this Remedie which the Spirit of God hath prescribed and that they may become unto us an effectuall cure let us endeavour a more speciall application thereof unto the distempers of our humour How the consideration of Gods dealing with us doth remedie envie As concerning the consideration of Gods way towards us the Apostles words do intimate that if we have any respect unto him to observe what his dealing is with us either to imitate his goodnesse or to fear his justice or to hope for his mercie we should not give way to this distemper of envy for the Spirit of God by which he dwelleth in his Saints is no way envious of the good which befalleth unto any but he giveth more grace ver 6. In respect of his bounty to adde grace That is Gods Spirit is willing that grace should be increased and multiplied God doth adde grace to grace for of the fulnesse of Christ we all receive and grace for grace he giveth unto all men liberally and upbraideth not Iames 1. 5. And of this we have a clear example in Moses when Ioshua was envious at Eldad and Medads prophecying in the Campe because they came not to the tabernacle to be set about it in their order as the rest of the Elders were he desired that they should be forbidden to prophecie in the Campe as a place not fit for that exercise but Moses reproved him and said Envyest thou for my sake would to God all the Lords people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them Num. 11. 29. As if he had said farre be it from me to envy in them the grace of God which is free to him to bestow wheresoever he pleaseth farre be it from me to restrain the gift of prophecying bestowed upon any because they are not here about the tabernacle as if Gods Spirit were limited to this place and none might exercise their gift elsewhere no I shall desire rather the increase and inlargement of the gift and of the exercise thereof unto all This was Moses Spirit and would to God the prohibition which then was intended by Ioshua had never broke forth actually amongst us into the uncharitable designes of an undue restraint of our Brethren from the exercise of their gifts If Moses desire had been in our hearts a way might easily have been found how to regulate the course of universall prophecying unto the edification of all as the Apostle doth direct us 1 Cor. 14. 13. But now all our propheticall exercises and we amongst our selves thereby are fallen into confusion strife and disorderlinesse which God hath suffered to come upon us because of the iniquitie of that enviours spirit which brought an universall restraint upon all that came not up to a formall standing about the tabernacle which was but a meer outward constitution whereunto the conscience could not be brought into subjection If then we had enlarged the exercises of the spirit of prophecie in an orderly way as the Apostle would have that matter regulated 1 Cor. 14. 29. till 34. no doubt God would have blessed us with more peace then hitherto we have enjoyed but the pride of some to be alone in the propheticall eminencie and their envie against others who were as well worthy of respect in that behalf as themselves and the licentiousnesse of others who keep to no Rule of God or Men in their pretended walking by the Spirit hath brought all this disaster upon us and that justly for seeing we would not every one in our places imitate God in his goodnesse who doth adde more grace to enlarge by the communion of Saints and freedome of his Spirit the use of his blessings and gifts among us as he doth appoint therefore it is just we should now fall under the hand of his justice and by his righteous dispensation suffer that from others which by our dealing with them we have deserved which according to the Apostles Doctrine in this place is the reward which God doth render unto the proud In respect of his justice to resist the proud For the second thing which the Apostle offers to be considered in Gods way is the act of Justice That he resists the proud v. 6. The proud are properly such as seek to exalt themselves above others by their own way and God doth resist them when he disappoints the effect of the enterprises which they follow for their own ends The designes therefore whereby a foundation of greatnesse was intended to be layed with coercive or restrictive power which in all humane Societies belongeth onely to Magistrates in the hands of the Ministery to maintain and impose humane constitutions in matters of Gods worship to the prejudice of those who undoubtedly had a right to some freedome of prophecying no lesse then they that could pretend most unto the gift thereof These designes I say God hath broken and justly disappointed because it is altogether contrary to the rule of the profession of Christianity and a discredit to the service of love in the Gospel that the eldership of the houshold of Faith should endevour to exalt themselves by their own way above their brethren We have cause therefore so many as have stood for that way of greatnesse and preeminencie in order to the suppressing of others by meer power in our own hands because they would
whom should all such evills be imputed Must they not fall to the account of those that do provoke them to the causes thereof and have no thought of mutuall compassion and tendernesse to heale one anothers infirmities Must they not be laid to the charge of those who rather than not to oppose the powers that are over them will renounce the practise of the best and most solemn duties of Christianity onely to shew their disaffecrion unto them Surely it cannot be expected that the obstinate opposition to all orderly courses whereupon all common safety is grounded can be of long continuance without some great Judgement nor that the Supreme powers of any State in the world will suffer themselves alwaies to be openly despised though they may bear it for a while and opposed in things undeniable just and equitable by those that are wholly under their power We may see therefore that in end this can produce nothing but the fruits of bitternesse and grief and where no healing of grievances is at all aimed at but a direct turning of the lame in all things out of the way there all manner of confusion with irreconciliable war and hatred must needs break forth in the minds of a people The Duty of Peaceablenesse with all men Therefore to take away these evils which unavoidably will follow the neglect of this third Duty the Apostle doth adde further two duties which are joint in the Cure but in the application distinctly make up the fourth and fifth part of the Remedy of these publick evils The fourth Duty is to follow Peace with all men And the fifth is to follow in like manner with all men Holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Let us briefly see what these things mean To follow Peace is to mind intend and do all things which may procure and keep between our selves and others mutuall quietnesse from hurtfull thoughts and attempts that the Christian good will of being helpefull to each other against common Rom. 12. 18. miseries may not be utterly lost and obstructed amongst us Now this is an endeavour which Christians are bound unalterably to maintain towards all men if it be possible so farre as in them lieth even as Christ Jesus the Prince of Peace did maintaine it towards sinners in the midst of their greatest opposition Matth. 12. 19. 20. and contradiction against himself For in that it is said of him that he did not strive nor cry nor caused any man to heare his voice in the streets his quietnesse is commended and when it is said that the bruised reed he did not breake nor did he quench the smoaking flax his harmlesnesse is set forth and when it is added that by this meanes He should bring forth judgement unto victory and that the Gentiles should trust in his Name His helpfulnesse unto all mankind against their common miseries is declared as the true end and proper effect of that peaceable behaviour This then is the example by which all men but especially the Ministers of the Gospel should walk before others towards every one And if the thoughts of Peace should be thus extended unto all and chiefly by Ministers How will it be warrantable for any or in any respect for these to exclude the powers under which we are set from the same and that by an aime to strive against them in all things though they be things in themselves and for the publick never so good and usefull Christianity doth set a rule to the spirits of men Now if the frame of mens spirits be wholly bent to strive against and oppose some nen in particular continually How will they clear themselves before God whose command is that they should follow Peace with all men ingenerall and that if it be possible as much as in them lieth that is at all times and upon occasions whensoever they have to do with them And because wheresoever the thoughts of Peace and good James 3. 19. will prevaile not but envying and strife rather take place there is alwaies confusion and every evill work which defile the hearts and hands of men before God The Duty of following Holines with all men Therefore unto the endeavours of Peace in respect of men the Apostle doth adde the care of Holinesse in respect of God for this Duty must be made Mark 9. 50. the ground of that else it will never be intended to any good purpose and effectuall Christ saith Have Salt in your selves and have Peace one with another Salt is the grace of the Spirit resisting the corruption of the flesh whereby we are defiled in our selves and pollute one another through the passions of our lust But if the inherent defilements be first clensed by the Spirit of Holinesse then the lusts which in our members beget War with others will certainly cease because the Apostle saith thus We were sometimes foolish disobedient living in malice and envy hatefull aud hating one another but after that the kindnes of God appeared he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the HolyGhost Tit. 3. 5. and elsewhere thus Theeves Covetous Revilers Extortioners such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 10. 12. It is then the Spirit of sanctification which cleanseth this corruption at the root whence it appears that the Reason why men do not seek Peace and follow after it with all men is because they want Holinesse and seek not after it that is they set not their hearts aright to take hold of Grace whereby they may serve God acceptably with Heb. 2. 28. reverence and godly fear For if this Grace as it is offered were apprehended and in the holinesse of the Spirit of our God his service were above all things heartily set upon and followed it is evident that the spirit of strife would be quenched and the unrighteous motions thereof cease because the promise is made to such as are under grace that sin shall not have dominion over them Rom. 6. 14. Now those are under grace who by faith in the promise of grace walk with God under his ordinances over such sin shall not have dominion neither continually nor against their will because it is said that when we are made free from sin which is done whensoever we take hold of Christ by faith in his blood we become servants Rom. 6. 22. unto God and have our fruit unto holinesse And where-ever this fruit doth grow up effectually there the fruit of malice and hatred will never break forth unto wickednesse For the naturall property of Holinesse as it is originally in God and from him derived unto us doth put an extreme distance between the desires of Saints and those inclinations which beget strife in other men For in God originall Holinesse is a property of his eternall being by which we conceive him to be most gloriously pure in himself and
are the chief unto mankinde can be none other but some mutuall assurance of their true desires to set forward this which is the onely common and reall good of all Common-wealths therfore if I may upon this demonstration of that which is to be counted good in the common aime of Magistrates and Ministers offer without seeming to presume some advice unto the present Rulers of this State I would intreat them chiefly now in laying the foundations of our settlement to make these things their main and reall designes towards this Nation and that they should manifest the realitie of their intentions herein by sowe way which may not onely be sutable to their places of Authority but which may give unto all men a rationall And how a good intelligence may be wrought henceforth in the procurement thereof assurance that the designes are truly meant and likely to be accomplished to this effect then I conceive that this might be done without difficultie and very profitably viz that the Counsell of State in the name of the Parliament should as it becometh the Authors of Publick concernments and those that preside in matters of Order and Justice by some Act of State lead others to be conversant with themselves about these thoughts inviting all that have abilities but especially the Ministery of the Nation to entertain impartiall counsels concerning these objects and to communicate the same severally or joyntly as they should think most expedient to some men who should be appointed to receive all advises in that kinde to be made use of so far as publickly they should be found practicable and that the counsels which should be suggested by such an invitation might all be directed to one mark and not wander at randome from the true designe which is to be prosecuted I would have some Questions proposed concerning Religiousnesse and Rationalitie Godlinesse and Honesty Conscionablenesse and Industrie all which are Homogeneall matters which should oblige those that give their advices to limit and determine their thoughts within the bounds thereof and I would have them engaged to bring the matters which they should advise about the tenor of the Questions into some Aphorismes which should be set in order under certain heads readily to be found Concerning Religiousnesse Pietie and Conscionablenesse for these are inseparable I would have their advises determined to the resolutions of three Questions which are these 1. How the Knowledge Practise and Power of Godlinesse may be most effectually advanced throughout this Nation either by the impartiall settlement and regulating of Catecheticall Exercises of Propheticall Conferences and of a Preaching Ministery or by other means which may tend to the same effect 2. What the scandals and disorders are which may fundamentally destroy this designe and how they should be prevented 3. How without prejudice to good order on the one hand and to true Christian liberty on the other the causes of present breaches and offences may be remedied especially between those that acknowledge each other to stand fast in the doctrine which is fundamentall Concerning Rationality Honesty Moral Industry which things go hand in hand I would have not onely Ministers but the wisest School-masters and other men of parts and experience to be invited to give in their advices to this Question How throughout the Nation the Schools of Learning and the education of youth therein may be rectified and reduced to a more compendious profitable and uniform way of teaching tongues Morall vertues Industry and Sciences then now it is If these Questions were upon the grounds of common advice rationally and fully resolved as I suppose they may be and some men of choise parts of free and publick spirits deputed to gather the substance of all those counsels into one orderly summe so far as they shall be found agreeing together and inoffensively practicable this would not onely hold forth the true sense and unanimous desires of all the godly wise of all parties in the Nation to give them content therein so farre as possibly may be but a ground would be layed for their union and better understanding of each other and a great deal of good confidence would be begotten in the minds of all ingenuous men of all parties towards the upright meanings of the Government which is over them The rationall frame and righteous constitution of a well-ordered Common-wealth should be so settled that all men that are true to it should be admitted in a regular way to interest themselves into the counseis of the Government thereof about the wayes of common safetie peace and Plentie nor ought the Governours to take upon them except in cases of necessitie and imminent danger to rule as Monarches and determine any matters by meer Authority and the dictates of their own will But the more they can engage others to be of their counsell and endeavour to give conscionable and rationall satisfaction to the desires of every one the more successefull their settlement will be chiefly if these grounds be followed and if they make their Authority to be not that which proud and foolish men by a Principle of Tyrannicall greatnesse pretend it is viz a prerogative to law to appear and to command over others either at will without law or by their own sense of the law without being obliged to hear others but that which it ought to be amongst rationall men viz a prerogative to go before others in minding common concernments to lead them rationally and conscionably to see their own good therein and a right to make things publicke and oblige every one to take notice thereof For Authoritas ab Authore derivatur Nam qui Actares primi Auctiresque rerum sunt in humana societate publicarum publicandarum ij sunt cum Authoritue Therefore as it is the ordinary Policy of sole-rulers to be like unto Tiberius close and secret that no man should dive into their counsels so I think it would be the best Policy of Common Wealths to lay all counsells upon such Principles as these are open to all and to suffer no man to be ignorant or in doubt thereof This onely will be their strength and this will be their glory And thus much concerning the way how in reference to future designes a good intelligence may be wrought between those that are in publick places in the Church and State Now followeth to be considered how in all present undertakings of a publick nature a friendly concurrence may be framed between them or at least a distracting dissonancie such as is now apparent amongst us may not be continued but lovingly composed and hereafter prevented 2 By concurring in present undertakings by way of mutuall counsell Concerning this I cannot be so free as in the foregoing deliberation for fear of giving offence yet briefly I shall offer something I hope without any just cause of exception because in other reformed Churches Common wealths it is healthfully practised as a means of good correspondency