The Christian conventicle, or, the private-meetings of God's people in evil times, vindicated and warranted by the Word of God Being some-time since delivered in several sermons, and now published for publick benefit.

THE Christian Conventicle, &c. Malach. 3.16, 17.

Then they that feared the Lord ſpake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a Book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his Name: And they ſhall be mine, ſaith the Lord of hoſts, in that day when I make up my Jewels, &c.

THis Prophecy of Malachi may fitly be ſtiled, A holy Dialogue; wherein many are brought in to ſpeak their minds.

Firſt, you have here the Prophet; Secondly, the Meſſias; Thirdly, Wicked and Prophane men; Fourthly, the pious and holy perſons; And, laſtly, God himſelf. The Prophet, he ſpeaks thunderingly: Chriſt, he ſpeaks threatningly; The Prophane, they ſpeak blasphemingly: God's People, they ſpeak frequently: And God himſelf, he ſpeaks moſt comfortably.

1. For the firſt: The Prophet, he ſpeaks thunderingly; he lets fly thunderbolts of wrath both againſt the Prieſts, and againſt the People of that Age: Their ſins were very many, and very great both, as their Sacriledge, their mixtures in the Worſhip of God, their marrying to the daughters of a ſtrange god; and many ſuch things, as may be read in the firſt and ſecond chapters. But that that did aggravate their ſin, was, that this was done preſently after their deliverance out of a ſeventy years captivity. And this is that which is very much diſpleaſing unto God, that he ſhould loſe all his labour and love in afflicting of a people, and that after reſtoring of them to their former priviledges, they ſhould make ſuch evil returns unto the Lord God.

2. The Meſſias, he ſpeaks, and he ſpeaks very threateningly. The Jews they had a flattering conceit, that when Chriſt came, there ſhould be nothing but honey, and oyl, and fatneſs, i. e. all manner of pleaſure; they had a fooliſh falſe conceit, that Chriſt ſhould come as another Alexander, in great glory and pomp, conquering all before him: But our Meſſias tells them here, that he would come in another way, they ſhould find him to come in a way of purity and holineſs; it's to purifie the ſons of Levi: he would be as the Refiners fire, and the Fullers ſope; He ſends his Herrald of Arms before him, to proclaim War.

3. Prophane men, they ſpeak; and they ſpeak blasphemouſly, as you may ſee in chap. 2. laſt verſ. and in chap. 3.13. Theſe Vipers they ſpit their venom in the very face of Almighty God; Wherein have we wearied him? when ye ſay, Every one that doth evil, is good in the ſight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or, where is the God of Judgement? (Oh, my Brethren, that ever the juſt and righteous God ſhould be ſo much ſcandal'd and blaſphemed, that he ſhould delight in ſinners!) And then he goes on, — And, your words have been ſtout against me, — Ye have ſaid, It is in vain to ſerve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance, and walked mournfully before the Lord of hoſts? We count the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedneſs are ſet up, and they that tempt God are delivered. And then,

4. You have the People of God, they ſpeak; and they ſpeak frequently; Then they that feared the Lord, ſpake often one to another. What it was that was ſpoken by them one to another? It is thought they ſpake contrary to what the wicked did; they bleſſed God, when others blasphemed him; and ſpake for him, when they ſpake against him. And then,

5. God, he ſpeaks; and he ſpeaks comfortably to them; — They ſhall be mine, ſaith the Lord of hoſts, in the day that I make up my Jewels, and I will ſpare them, as a man ſpareth his children that are near and dear unto him.

Thus have I (as briefly as I could) brought you unto the Text. And you may ſee what my Text (at the very firſt view of it) ſeems to be; (I ſhall make ſome uſe of it, and (I hope) to ſome purpoſe;) My Text is nothing elſe but An Holy Conventicle, (For, how could they ſpeak often one to another, if they did not often meet together?) and you have the probation and approbation of it;

1. The probation of it, from the practice of God's People. And 2. The approbation, from the ſpeech of God himſelf.

1. The probation. They don't aſſemble themſelves together (as the prophane rabble of the world would make it) for evil practices, and for evil purpoſes. And

2. It cannot be ſo bad; nay, it muſt be ſingularly good for them ſo to meet together, or elſe it would not have that promiſe made of God unto it, as you ſee in the words.

In the Text, 1. You have Chriſtians regarded, And 2. Recorded (for the credit of them) for their meeting together.

1. Regarded. The Text ſayes, The Lord hearkened and heard. 'Tis a word that implies a diligent attention unto any thing; and (as one obſerves well upon the place) there is the attention of the ear, and the intention of the mind. And then,

'Tis recorded. That whatever they ſpake, all their ſpeeches, prayers, &c. they were entred into God's Book of Remembrance. As God has his bottle, ſo he has his book; as he is preſent in the Aſſembly, to bottle up their tears; ſo he is there with his Book, to write down all their performances. God has but two books, the book of his Documents, and the book of his Monuments: now if we learn & live according to the book of Gods documents, we ſhall be ſure to be recorded in, and rewarded according to God's Book of Monuments, where he hath written down the carriages of his Saints and People.

But now, for the matter of the Text it ſelf: you may be pleaſed to obſerve theſe particulars; 1. The Perſons, who; 2. The Act, what; 3. The Time, when; 4. The Manner, how; 5. The Subjects, with whom they were thus meeting.

1. The Perſons, who. Who? They are they that fear the Lord.

2. The Act, what they are about. Some may think, ſure they are about ſome vain fooliſh thing or other. No, they are talking and diſcourſing of God, and of holy things. And then,

3. The time, when. When wicked and ungodly men were • laspeming God, when they were feaſting, and in the midſt of their jovialty, then theſe were keeping a Conventicle. And then,

4. The manner, how. Some may ſay, They will be quickly weary of thus ſpending time together; they may do it once it may be. No, but they do it often. — They ſpake often one to another. And then

5. The Subjects, with whom they did it; and that with thoſe of their own party, opinion, and perſwaſion, thoſe that were fellow-Jewels with themſelves, thoſe whoſe names were written in the Book of Life.

Thus have I given you the diviſion of the Text. The Obſervations are theſe;

1. Obſer. That let the Times be never ſo bad, and never ſo prophane, yet the Lord has a certain number of people that are good at that time. Though the Devil has moſt, yet God ever has the beſt; he will take the choice unto himſelf: Then they that feared the Lord, &c.

2. Obſer. That when wicked men are the worſt, then God's People are the best; — Then they that feared the Lord, they ſtood up, and there was a holy courage within them: It was winter with the wicked, and therefore it was fire with the righteous, they burnt the hotter.

3. Obſer. That the fear of God is a ſingular Antidote againſt Atheiſm and Apoſlacy. — They that feared the Lord, then they ſtood up.

4. Obſer. That holy Conference, 'tis a moſt neceſſary duty in unholy times. As here you ſee, the Times the Prophet conplains of moſt bitterly, how full of vileneſs and wickedneſs they were; Now the People of God, they met often one with another, conferred and diſcourſed often one with another.

Brethren, you ſee here are four very ſweet and ſoveraign Doctrines; they are all ſo ſingular, that (I confeſs) I can't tell which of the four to chuſe, and to make the ſubject of my diſcourſe.

Here is that that is matter of comfort, of credit, of ſafety, and of duty unto you; As

1. That the times are never ſo bad, but that God has ſome that are good in thoſe times, (ſeven thouſand in the Prophet Elijah's time, though he did not know it; ſo, there may be many now that we do not know of.) That's matter of comfort.

2. That the worſe others are, the better will God's People be. Brethren, this is matter of credit and commendation to God's People, that they will not be made the worſe, but are made the better by bad times.

3. That the fear of God is a preſervative againſt the infection of Atheiſm and Apoſtacy: This is matter of ſafety and ſecurity. We ſee Cedars blown up by the root, but ſo long as we have the fear of God in us, we ſhall never be blown up.

4. Theſe are the moſt unholy times (I am perſwaded) that ever England ſaw: Now, Brethren, for us to meet together, and confer together, and pray together, is but a performance of that duty that is required of us. And this I could chuſe very well, to make the ſubject of my diſcourſe:

But, as Samuel, when many were brought before him, 1 Sam. 16. This I could think the Lord's Anointed, and another, and another; but it was a David, a little younger ſon that the Lord had choſe: O ſo (me-thinks) I could think of theſe four Doctrines; yet there is a little Doctrine, a little David yet behind (methinks) that I would deſire to ſpend a little diſcourſe on at this time, and that is, Doct. That the Fearers of God are, and ought to be frequenters of Conventicles.

I choſe this ſubject upon this double account,

1. Becauſe no thing is more derided by wicked men than theſe are; and truly, nothing more ſlighted (for the moſt part) by the Godly themſelves than theſe are. Now to raiſe the honour of Conventicles againſt the contempt of wicked men, and the value of them againſt the contempt of godly men, I thought good to ſay ſomething of it, to declare the excellency of it.

2. I choſe it, becauſe that in this Doctrine is contained the extract of all the other Doctrines: For,

1. If I can make this good to you, (as I hope I ſhall) here you ſhall be ſure to meet with ſuch as are good in bad times: and there you meet with the first Doctrine.

2. By frequenting of Conventicles, you will be made the better by the prayers and exhortations of God's faithful Miniſters, and thoſe that fear the Lord. And this will make the ſecond Doctrine, That the worſe others are, the better they be.

3. By frequenting of Conventicles, you will attain to the more fear of the Lord, and ſo attain to more ſafety; And there you meet with the third Doctrine.

4. By frequenting of Conventicles, you will perform Duty; And that's the ſumme of the laſt Doctrine.

Now, in the proſecution of this point, I ſhall a little make bold, 1. To explain this Doctrine. 2. To confirm it.

And ſo to make application of it.

For the firſt. For the explication. There is but two things to be explained, 1. What's meant by a Conventicle? 2. What by the Fearers of God?

Firſt, for a Conventicle: 'tis nothing elſe but a meeting together of men and women in one place. That's the proper meaning of that word, Conventicle. And then

You muſt know, there are two ſorts of Conventicles; ſuch as are the greater, and ſuch as are the leſſer Conventicles: the great ones in the Churches, and the leſſer ones in Chambers, or in private Houſes, and no more difference, but with reſpect to the degrees of them; and more or leſs does not any way vary the kind. And if there be any ſuch that deride private Meetings in Chambers as Conventicles, they do throw dirt into the Congregation of God. And

Again; There is a twofold Conventicle, a bad, and a good.

1. A bad: A Convention or meeting together of ungodly men, for wicked ends, and to accompliſh wicked deſigns. [And indeed, they are only theſe which may properly be called Conventicles.] This (in Scripture) hath many names given unto it; It is called the Convention of Deriders: 'tis called the Councel of Scorners, Pſal. 1.1. 'tis called the Congregation of Hypocrites, &c, Job 15.34.

Now, for the matter of their ends, why they convent themſelves, they are ordinarily theſe ſix;

1. They meet to offer up worſhip to Idols, 1 Kin. 18.20, & 26.

2. They meet to defile themſelves and bodies, 1 Tim. 1.10.

3. They meet to abuſe the creatures; to run on in exceſs of riot, 1 Pet. 4.4.

4. They meet to ſlander, to cenſure, and to ſcandalize the People of God. Pſal. 41.5, 6, 7, 8.

5. They meet to lay their deſign for the ruine and deſtruction, and extirpation of the Churches and People of God, Prov. 30.14. Act. 22.22. And

6. They meet to diſturb the peace of the Place and Nation where they are. Pſal. 140.2.

Theſe are ſuch as (in their ſenſe) they call Conventicles. And I know none more guilty than they that frequent Play-houſes, Whore-houſes, Alehouſes and Taverns, where wicked men come to make their Songs againſt the People of God. And theſe (in Scripture-ſenſe) may more fitly be called Confederacies than Conventicles. For my part, I think ſuch places worthy to be puniſhed by the Judges.

Secondly, (Brethren) There is a good and a holy Conventicle; That is, when God's People meet together for holy ends, to perform holy actions. And this (my Brethren) is called the Congregation of the Righteous, Pſal. 1.5. the Aſſembly of the Saints, Pſal. 89.5. the meeting together of the upright ones, Pſal. 111.1. And many ſuch names are given to it in Scripture.

And the ends that they meet for, they are very many, and as good as many; (And when I ſpeak of this Conventicle, I mean nothing but the Communion of Saints.)

That God's People meet together in private in evil times; —

1. 'Tis not in contempt of the Publick Aſſemblies. The Lord (that knows our hearts) knows, that while we had Publick Aſſemblies, and the Ordinances in purity, without the mixture of diſtaſteful things, we did prize Publick Ordinances, and did highly eſteem them; and the loſs of them is our grief, and the ground of our mourning. 'Tis not therefore out of contempt that we meet in private; for when we are together there, we do mourn for our loſſes, and pray for the freedom of Publick Ordinances again. Much leſs —

(2.) is the ground of our meeting in private for lewd practices, as the wicked are apt to charge us. The Heathens were wont to charge the Primitive Chriſtians, That they met in the evening, and put out their Candles, and then they were guilty of all manner of lewdneſs. They muſe as they uſe; They themſelves are wicked in private, and they think others ſo: But now God's People, they mourn for the wickedneſs of the wicked; they detect the lewd practices of the wicked, and therfore are far from being guilty themſelves. Nor,

3. Do God's People convent together to move Sedition, (That's another thing that's charged upon them.) No, Religion teacheth us better, to pray for Kings, and thoſe in Authority. And God, and the Places where we meet, can bear witneſs, that we make it our work to call on God for mercy for our King, and for our Governors. But—

When the People of God meet together in private, 'tis

1. To confer one with another. This is plain in the Text; — Then they that feared the Lord ſpake often one with another.

2. Another end why they meet together, it is to pray with one another, to pour out their ſouls into the boſom of God, to call and cry to God for mercy for the Nations, and mercy for their own Souls, and mercy for their Friends, and to ſupplicate God's return to them again.

3. A third end is, to obſerve the Gifts and Graces one of another.

4. To break Bread one with another.

5. To humble our ſouls exceedingly, for the ſins and calamities of the Age and Time wherein we live; to humble our ſelves for thoſe ſins that have provoked God to deprive us of Publick-Meetings. Such as fear the Lord, O they mourn for the ſins of their nature in private Meetings, and for the ſins of their lives; for their omiſſions and commiſſions; for their ſins of proſperity, for wantonneſs under means and mercies; for the ſins of Profeſſors, (for their formality and lukewarmneſs) that have laid ſtumbling-blocks before the weak; and they mourn for the enmity and debauchery of the Wicked now, and for all thoſe diſhonours that are done to God.

6. Another end of their meeting, is, to exhort one another.

7. To warn one another.

8. To edifie one another. The People of God they find themſelves weak, dull, ſad, therefore they go into the communion of Saints in private places, that they may be ſtrengthened, quickened, and comforted by conference, and by the diſcharge of their duties.

9. The People of God meet thus together, that they may meet with Chriſt, that they may have his ſweet preſence, and may be inſtructed of him, that they may have Chriſt's Spirit, and the graces and comforts of Chriſt. Act. 2.1, 2, 3, 4.

10. They thus meet to advance the Name of God, and of Chriſt. That's rendred as the reaſon of their meeting here in the Text; When they were met together, the Text ſayes, they thought on his Name; every one was propoſing what they ſhould do to promote the Honour of God, what courſe they ſhould take to advance the Intereſt of Jeſus Chriſt, how to further the Salvation of Souls.

11. When you are met together, you muſt be ſure to praiſe the Lord; As you ought to begin with prayer, ſo you ſhould end with praiſe; God muſt never loſe the praiſe that is due unto his Name.

12. You ought to meet together to excommunicate wicked men, to curſe them in the Name of God, (i. e.) ſuch as are impenitent, and nothing will ſerve their turns but to reproach Gods People. Thus much for the explication of the firſt thing, (viz.) a Conventicle, what it is.

Secondly. The Fearers of God, What's mean by that? (This is as large to explain as the o • ther.)

1. You muſt look upon the fear of God wit • reverence to the Object of Fear, and the Autho • of Fear: The Object of Fear, ſo God is; the • Author of Fear; ſo God muſt be. Take it thus 〈◊〉 We muſt look unto God as the Object of Fear, and we muſt look unto God (as he is the Author of Fear) to make us the Subjects of Fear. And theſe two, they end in that ſame fear which is called a fear to offend.

2. There is a ſervile Fear, a ſlaviſh Fear, and a filial Fear, a Religious Fear. Some fear God becauſe he is a juſt God, and an avenger, more than for his goodneſs: but the other is a filial fear, whereby a gracious ſoul fears to offend God becauſe he is good and gracious.

3. This Fear is taken two wayes, (1.) for the Worſhip of God; (2.) for our walking with God; our worſhipping God aright, and for our walking with God aright.

Theſe two Fears are like two great Poles, on which the body of our Spiritual-Life doth move and turn.

And this fear of God it wil over-aw our hearts; it will keep us from ſinning; it will caſt out the fear of men; it will quicken to duty; it will draw out love; it will make you willing to lay down your life for him, who ſo readily laid down his life for you.

Thus I have done with the firſt Particular, the • xplaining of the Text.

Secondly. For the proving on't, (though there • e no great need, yet) take two or three Texts;

In Jer. 23.25. 'tis ſaid, That the people ſhall meet together, and enquire one of another, What hath the Lord anſwered? what hath the Lord ſpoken? They ſhould come together and enquire what the Lord had delivered to the Prophet.

So, in 1 Theſſ. 5.11, 14. Comfort your ſelves together, and edifie one another, even as alſo ye do. And, We exhort you, Brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, ſupport the weak, be patient towards all men.

And, in Heb. 10.23, 24, 25. (ſpeaking there that we ſhould continue conſtant in the profeſſion of our Faith, ſaith he) Let us conſider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good-works, [not forſaking the aſſembling of our ſelves together,] as the manner of ſome is. No, God's People muſt not forſake the Conventicles.

One Text more, (and that's very full to this purpoſe;) in John 13.34, 35. There you ſhall find that our Saviour was telling his Diſciples, that he was going away from them; and, thinking that that would take away much of their comfort, ſaith he, A new Commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another. The meaning of the Text is this, (as ſome render it) 'Tis true, you will have a great loſs by my abſence, but you may make it up by the preſence one of another: Frequent comm • one with another, help one another, and this make up the loſs, this will make up your comfort •

For matter of preſidents, the Scripture is 〈◊〉 full.

When the Diſciples (for fear of the Je • were met together in a holy Conventicle, C • he came and ſtood in the midſt of them, and 〈◊〉 parted his mind to them freely and fully, J • 20.19 & 26 verſes.

And the Apoſtles themſelves ſpent their t • in little elſe than in meeting together; we re • of their being met all together in one place with 〈◊〉 accord, Act. 2.1. of their going into an upper ro • and continuing there with one accord in prayer 〈◊〉 ſupplication, Act. 1.13, 14. and again, of th • being aſſembled with one accord, Act. 15.25.

And it was their common courſe in the p • mitive times thus to meet together; As ſa • Tertullian in his Apologie; ſaith he, We all m • together in a Conventicle, and we knock at Heav • doors with our prayers, and we will not let God al • till he be pleaſed to come down graciouſly unto 〈◊〉 Know thus much, that all places are now ſa • ctified for our aſſembling. I confeſs, 'tis beſt 〈◊〉 publick; Truth needs not to ſeek corners. Bu • In every place Incenſe ſhall be offered up unto 〈◊〉 Name, Mal. 1.11. And,—I will—that men pr • every where, lifting up pure hands, 1 Tim. 2.8.

But now, what's the ground or reaſon that the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be ſuch a care amongſt God's People, that ſhould thus frequent the Communion of Saints? anſwer,—

Becauſe there are many duties that are en • ed God's People to perform, that if they • t conventicle, they can never perform; as, • ling up one another in their moſt holy Faith, • . 20. and their ſtrengthning and watching over another, &c. How can theſe duties be done • hey don't meet together, and aſſemble themſelves together, to ſtrengthen, encourage, ex •• , reprove one another?

2. Another reaſon is, That God hath given 〈◊〉 of Gifts, of Abilities and Graces unto his • ple, that they ſhould communicate them one • rother. That God has given light unto the 〈◊〉 'tis that it ſhould diſtribute its beams to Earth for the good of its Inhabitants. That • d hath given water unto the Sea, it is, that it • uld ſend forth of its abundance in Rivers and • eams, that it may come to be ſerviceable un •• the uſe of man. And ſo truly, that God hath • de the light of the Sun of Righteouſneſs to ariſe the hearts of any of his People, and the beams his Graces and Gifts to be in them, 'tis that • y ſhould disperſe them, and communicate them 〈◊〉 the uſe and ſervice one of another. As in Co • . 10.7. The manifeſtation of the Spirit is gi • n to every man to profit withal. And, in Luke 〈◊〉 from ver. 13, to ver. 26. Chriſt (there) gave variety of Talents, Why? For Improven • There is no Gift, Grace, or Ability that God 〈◊〉 given to any one that is a member of his Chu •• but he ought to be ſerviceable and inſtrume •• with the ſame for the good of others. 'Tis enough for Merchants to have an Eſtate, but 〈◊〉 muſt have a trading, they muſt go to the 〈◊〉 change. So it is with Chriſtians; 'tis not eno • for them that they have gifts and graces, but t • muſt meet together in ſome place; that is th • Exchange, where they do ſell ſuch and 〈◊〉 things to others, and buy ſuch and ſuch thing • them again; I mean in a Goſpel ſenſe; (vi • ) imparting Counſels and Admonitions to othe • and receiving Exhortations & Counſels of othe • Some have the gift of reſolving Caſes of Conſ • ence; others have a ſpecial gift to pour out th • ſouls in Prayer: Some (again) God has given gr •• abilities to in the imparting of Experiences; ſo • to comfort and heal wounded Spirits, and ſuch lik • Now, every one of theſe muſt be improved a • imployed; And how could this poſſibly thus be, it were not that they had meetings together? B • then—

3. Another reaſon is, Becauſe that in the Meetings, they are ſure to meet with the Lo •• Jeſus Chriſt. O my Brethren, whither wou •• not a gracious heart go, if he were ſure to me • with Chriſt there? Why, if thou comeſt thith •• to the end thou oughteſt to come, (i. e. to me •• 〈◊〉 Chriſt) he will be ſure to meet with thee • e.—Where two or three are met together in my me, there am I in the midſt of them. He will • chſafe his ſpiritual and bleſſed preſence, and 〈◊〉 be giving out of his graces, and making • arer diſcoveries of himſelf and of his love to • m that come there to that end, to meet with 〈◊〉 . Whence ſhould we come to have thoſe • athings of ſoul after Jeſus Chriſt? comes it • m the Miniſters words? No, but from Chriſts • rit. O therefore (Brethren) I beſeech you, • t ſeeing Chriſt promiſeth his preſence in ſuch 〈◊〉 • ce, do not withdraw your ſelves from the • ne. Again,

4. Another reaſon is, Becauſe in theſe Meet •• gs we are ſure to meet with pure Ordinances, •• th holy and heavenly Adminiſtrations and In •• tutions; we ſhall have God's Worſhip in a • oſpel-mould, without humane Inventions or • ens Traditions. In the publick (many times) 〈◊〉 Elephants hoof has been too deep in thoſe wa • rs, ſo that there is a great deal of need of the • icorns horn: but here is nothing but what comes •• m an upright heart, guided and ordered accor • ng to the Rule. And as God has ſet us apart 〈◊〉 his Worſhip, ſo we ſhould uphold his Worſhip. • here the Carcaſe is, there the Eagles are gathered •• gether; And (not where the ſhew of an Ordinance is, but) where the true Ordinance of the • ord Jeſus Chriſt is, there the Eagles are upon •• eir wings. Again,

5. Another reaſon is, Becauſe this is an Article of our Faith; We believe the Communion 〈◊〉 Saints. Now, my Brethren, we believing it in ou • principle, it would be ſad if we ſhould deny it i • our practice. It is ſtrange to me, that men ſhoul • be ſo zealous to ſtand up at the Creed, and not t • ſtand up to the Creed, to keep all the Article there repeated. For a man to hold the Communio • of Saints, and to oppoſe the Communion of Saints 'tis ſomewhat ſtrange: I ſhall not give much fo •• this man's faith. Thoſe men that hate and derid • the Communion of Saints, I can't believe that they believe any ſuch thing as the Communion of Saints let their Creed be what it will. I fear there are too many that have no better account to give o • their belief, but that it must be ſo. Again,

6. The People of God muſt be frequenters o • Conventicles, becauſe of the great good that may be done and received by theſe Chriſtian Meetings. My Brethren, true communion, 'tis nothing elſe but the communication of our ſpiritual ſtrength, of our graces and of our comforts unto one another. Here (my Brethren) the tongue of the Wiſe is a • choice Silver, and the lips of the Righteous feed many. Many times there are thoſe that have got ſo much comfort, ſtrength, building up in faith and reſolution at ſuch a Meeting, that they have had cauſe to bleſs God for it forever. Many times a • Merchant gets more mony in one hour on the Exchange, than in a whole day in his own Warehouſe: So, many times God's People get more in one • ou • at the Exchange, at the place of the meeting of • od's People, than at home in a whole day.

7. For the People of God thus to meet together, it is one way of owning and honouring of Chriſt. That when good things are frequently left off, we ſhould be found in the practice of them, ſuch as Pſalms are, and the like, thus we honour our Lord Jeſus.

8. Thus to aſſemble our ſelves, and perform our duty to the Moſt-High, does much hinder the prevalency of corruption. If we ſhould leave off aſſembling our ſelves, corruption would get head; you can't omit a duty but your ſin will be encouraged by it. Thomas was abſent from that holy Conventicle, John 20.24, 25. and his unbelief got nead; I will not believe (ſayes he) till I ſee his wounds. Omit Prayer in a morning, and Paſſion will get head that morning. Therefore the People of God ſhould thus meet together, to prevent the growth of their corruptions.

Now, all this laid together, I hope you will give me leave to conclude, That it is a very neceſſary duty, for God's Peopls to meet often one with another.

Now for the Application of this point.

Let it be,

Firſt, A Uſe of Information. If it be thus, (Brethren) that the Fearers of God are and ought to be frequenters of Conventicles, the Old-Teſtament-Believers were ſo, and the New-Teſtament-Believers were ſo, as you have heard, Then

1. It does inform us what we ſhould think of thoſe men that hate, abhor, deride, detect, oppoſe, make Laws againſt, and perſecute the Aſſemblies of God's People: What to think of them? why that they are ignorant of that very Religion that they profeſs; to think of them as enemies of goodneſs, as limbs of Satan, and Factors for Hell; yea, worſe than very Heathens and Infidels themſelves. Nero, and other Roman Magiſtrates, will one day riſe up againſt that Generation that do oppoſe, oppreſs, depreſs the Meetings of Gods People; for they permitted Paul to dwell in his own hired houſe, and let ſuch as would come unto him, and (ſaith the Text) no man hindered him, Act. 28.30, 31. Nay, the Grand-Turk (that great enemy of Chriſtianity) will riſe up againſt this Generation; for, pay him but Toll and Tribute, and he will let you enjoy your Liberty in Religion.

2. What does it inform us of them that will needs be accounted Profeſſors of Chriſtianity, and very good Chriſtians would be thought to be, yet will be ſo ſhy as to ſhun all theſe Meetings, they will not come nigh them? Why, that they have too much of the fea • of men, and too little of the fear of God: that's the reaſon they will not come thither. It was a very great blemiſh in Nichodmus's Coat of Arms, that he would not come to our Saviour's Conventicle but by night, (Joh. 3.2.) when none ſhould take notice of him: and 'tis a greater diſhonour to them that will never come at all, neither in the day, nor at night neither. Even as it was with Nichodemus and others of the Jews, they were afraid they ſhould be thruſt out of the Synagogue: So (I have cauſe to think) many of theſe are afraid of Communication, and all becauſe they are afraid of Excommunication.

Object. I know what ſome will plead for themſelves, to take off all ſuch kind of cenſures as theſe, viz. That there are Publick Meetings and Aſſemblies—.

Anſw. Take heed of touching any ſuch Pitch, leſt you ſhould be defiled with the ſame. Take this for a Rule, That Worſhip which we ought to perform to the Moſt-High, and be found in the practice of ought to be both for the matter and manner thereof, according to the preſcribed Rule of Gods Word only, no men on Earth having authority to deviſe according to their own fancies and imaginations, any forms of God's Worſhip and Service. Any Worſhip which is not bottom'd and grounded upon the Word of God, is a falſe Worſhip, and ſuch as we may not lawfully be preſent at, unleſs ſome way or other we do ſhew our diſlike, or declare our diſſent.

I ſhall now give you (1.) ſome diſcoveries of a falſe Worſhip, and then (2.) prove to you the unlawfulneſs of being preſent at ſuch a way of Worſhip, when by our preſence we do ſeem to own, or to countenance, or to approve of it.

Firſt, To give you ſome diſcoveries of a falſe • orſhip.

1. When it's ſuch a worſhip, the patern where • f is taken from Idolaters, and not from the practice of the holy Prophets and Apoſtles of God. Thus, if you obſerve that place in 1 King. 16.31. Ahab taking to wife Jezebel, the daughter of Eth • aal King of the Zidonians, went and ſerved Baal, and worſhipped him. Ahab marrying Jezebel, he will preſently be of his wife's Religion. And we might note this by the way, That it's a very dangerous thing for thoſe that are of the true Religion, to marry with thoſe that are of a falſe Religion. When the children of Iſrael began to fall in love with the daughters of Moab, they ſoon fell to commit Idolatry with them. Solomon's Wives you know how they drew him to Idolatry. Wives when they are naught, are oftentimes great Inſtruments to draw their husbands unto falſe worſhip. So that hence they took their pattern for this worſhip of Baal, from the Idolaters. Yea, when God had preſcribed Moſes the pattern of his Houſe, how he ought to frame the Tabernacle for his Worſhip; if Moſes ſhould have left that, and gone to the Nations round about him, and taken patterns from them, would not this have been a great abomination in the ſight of God? Why, ſhould we lay by the Rule of the Word, and the practice of the Churches in the dayes of the Apoſtles recorded in the Scriptures, and go unto Turkie, to take our pattern of Worſhip from the Pagans, or go unto Rome, and borrow our forms, and rites, and modes of Worſhip from the Papiſts; would not this be to preſent an unclean thing unto the Lord, who hath ſo ſtrictly commanded his People, that they ſhould not ſo much as enquire after other Nations, how they worſhip their Gods, nor imitate them in any of their actions? Deut. 12.30, 31, 32. Why ſhould Light go to borrow of Darkneſs? ſhall the Church of Chriſt take their pattern of Worſhip from Antichriſt? can there any pure Water (fit for the ſervice of the Sanctuary and the City of our God) flow out of the Romiſh puddle? or, can a man pick any Gold (for the adorning of the Temple of Chriſt) out of the Popes dunghil, where there is nothing but mire and filth? Though you ſhould take a Spaniard, or a French-man, and put an Engliſh coat upon him, yet this does not make him an Engliſh man: So, if there be one thing in the way of Worſhip that was not preſcribed nor practiſed in the dayes of Chriſt, or in the dayes of the Apoſtles recorded in Scripture, it is born out of due time, and is the innovation and invention of Antichriſt, and it is certainly a falſe worſhip.

2. Such a worſhip as has been caſt out by the People of God in reforming times, and afterwards in corrupt times is brought in again, this is (certainly) a falſe worſhip. So it was here in this • ame worſhip of Baal which we have been ſpeaking of. You ſhall find it was in Iſrael many years before Ahab, for (in Judg. 2.11.) 'tis ſaid, That the children of Iſrael did evil in the ſight of the Lord, and ſerved Baalim; and they forſook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the Land of Egypt, and followed other gods, &c. And afterwards (in chap. 6.) you find how that they raiſed up ſome other forms, pull down the Altars of Baal, and aboliſh all the worſhip of Baal in Iſrael. And indeed, you may obſerve concerning the people of Iſrael, that when (for their running a whoring after falſe worſhip) the judgements of God were upon them; Then they cried unto the Lord, and God delivered them. And you ſhall then often find a very zealous ſpirit upon them againſt falſe Worſhip; then they pul down the Altars of Baal, & cut down the Groves, and break in pieces the Idols, and enter into a Covenant with God, that they will keep cloſe to his Worſhip: but after a few years are over again, (by means of ſome evil Princes or Governours, who did diſcountenance the true wayes of God, and were favourers of Idolatry) the people fell to falſe worſhip again, and did build again the things that they had deſtroyed. Now, God commands his People to come out of Babylon; now, when they have come out (in any degree or meaſure) by caſting off corruptions in worſhip, the Lor • likes not that they ſhould go back again, tha • they ſhould return to thoſe corruptions fro • whence they had before departed.

3. When 'tis ſuch a way of worſhip as is matter of great offence, and a burden to the Godly in a Nation. So it was here too in this worſhip of Baal; though the moſt and worſt of the people of the Jews fell in with it, yet there were thouſands in Iſrael (which feared the Lord) that were greatly offended with it, and cryed out againſt it, and withdrew from it. Surely it's one ſign that Worſhip is not of God, when the moſt holy and gracious and ſtrict-living people in a Nation are greatly offended with it, and cannot ſubmit unto it; and when 'tis the wicked and ungodly tout in a Nation that do ſo exceedingly deſire it, and take their reſt in it. Why, that a way of Worſhip is ſo well lik'd of by the ſuperſtitious and ungodly people in a Nation, is argument enough how much it is diſliked of by God. In Exod. 8.26. when Pharaoh would have had Moſes to have ſacrificed in the Land, (—Sacrifice to God in the Land.) Sayes Moſes, 'Tis not meet ſo to do; for we ſhall ſacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: • o, ſhall we ſacrifice the Abominations of the Egyptians before their eyes, and ſhall they not ſtone us? will they not ſtone us? Mark, The pure and ſincere Worſhip of God, tha • would have been an Abomination to the Egyptians, they would not have endured it, but would have faln upon them and ſtoned them. Ah! my Brethren, the pure Ordinances of God, are hated by the carnal world, they don't like of them. I but when a way of worſhip is ſo well liked, and approved of by thoſe that are the worſt, and the moſt prophane in a Nation, that may be argument enough to prove that 'tis not of God; for, if it were God's Worſhip, they would not love it nor delight in it. So then, I ſay, when the multitude of thoſe that are the moſt vicious, ungracious and unholy, thoſe that are the groſs, looſe, ſuperſtitious and wicked in a Nation, are the people that do like and love it, ſurely this is another ſign that Worſhip is not of God.

4. And laſtly. When 'tis ſuch a way of Worſhip as people are forced into by violence and compulſion, whether they like or approve of it or no. Thus it was alſo with this Worſhip of Baal; it was as much as their lives were worth not to ſubmit to it. Thoſe that would not bow down to the golden Image, they muſt be thrown into the fiery Furnace, Dan. 3.6. And 'tis the known mark of the Beaſt and his falſe worſhippers, Rev. 13.16. that he cauſeth all, both ſmall and great, rick and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their righthand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or ſell, ſave he that had the mark. That is, thoſe that would not by ſome act or other, by ſome kind of teſtimony or other, teſtifie their conformity unto his worſhip, they muſt be impriſoned, they muſt be baniſhed. The worſhip of Antichriſt, 'tis an Iron yoke, it will break thoſe that will not bow unto it. If men will not believe their Doctrines, and ſubſcribe their Articles and ſubmit unto their Worſhip, what then? Why then they muſt be fined, then impriſoned, then baniſhed. Why now, certainly, this is not the way of Chriſt, that men ſhould be whipped and ſcourged, and driven into the profeſſion of his Religion, and the practice of his Worſhip; that they ſhould be forced into it by fire and faggot, ſtrappado's and gallows's: No, the way of Chriſt is, to teach people, and to inſtruct them; to perſwade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem: he would not have his Religion forced on any one; that people (by Fines, Impriſonments and Baniſhments) ſhould be forced into the acknowledgement of him; He would have men drawn to him, and not compelled to him; for indeed, no man's judgement can be commanded by another man's will.

But now, having given you ſome diſcoveries of a falſe Worſhip, I come to the proof of the ſecond thing which I propoſed, That it is not lawful to be preſent at ſuch worſhip, (i. e.) when by your preſence there you ſeem to own it, to approve of it, to aſſent or conſent to it: You have a clear proof of it in 1 King. 19.18. Yet I have left me ſeven thouſand in Iſrael, all the knees that have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kiſſed him. They would not bow the knee to Baal, nor kiſs him with the lip. This denying to bow the knee, and to kiſs with the mouth, ſheweth, that they did not only in heart abhor this falſe worſhip, but that they would not by any outward act ſo much as ſeem to own it, or countenance it; The meaning (in ſhort) is, they did no way conform themſelves to that corrupt ſervice of the times. Another Scripture for this you have in 2 Chron. 11. the 15th & 14th verſes compared. When Jeroboam had ſet up Calves there, and commanded all the people to Worſhip them, in ver. 15. 'tis ſaid, He ordained him Prieſts for the High-places, and for the Devils, and for the Calves which he had made. But now, in ver. 14. The Levites left their ſuburbs, and their poſſeſſions, and came to Judah and Jeruſalem (for Jeroboam and his ſons had caſt them off from executing the Prieſts Office unto the Lord:) and after them, out of all the Tribes of Iſrael, ſuch as ſet their hearts to ſeek the Lord God of Iſrael, came to Jeruſalem to ſacrifice unto the Lord God of their Fathers. Mark that; ſuch as ſet their hearts to ſeek the Lord God of Iſrael. Though the generality of the people went with Jeroboam to Dan and Bethel to ſacrifice to the Calves, yet a remnant of Iſrael ſet their hearts to ſeek the Lord God of Iſrael, who knew that God would be worſhipped at Jeruſalem: therefore they would not joyn with others, and go with others; no, the Prieſts would loſe their Lands and Livings, rather than they would own Jeroboams falſe gods, and worſhip them. You know what is commanded, in Hoſ. 4.15. ſaith the Lord there, Come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth • aven; What was this Gilgal and Bethaven, that God commands them not ſo much as to come thither? O they were the principal places and ſeats where Jeroboam had ſet up his falſe worſhip: now God layes a Command on them that feared his Name, not to come thither, no, not for curioſity-ſake to pleaſe their fancies; they muſt not come there where that falſe worſhip was. So ſome would fain be preſent with them that worſhipped falſe gods in the Temple, that yet did not approve of them; ſee how the chief Apoſtle reproves them for it, in 1 Cor. 10.20. The Gentiles, they ſacrifice to Devils, and not to God; and I would not that ye ſhould have fellowſhip with Devils: Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of Devils; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and the table of Devils. Why do we provoke the Lord to jealouſie? So, again, in 2 Cor. 6.14. Be not unequally yoaked with unbelievers; for what fellowſhip hath Righteouſneſs with Unrighteouſneſs? and what communion hath light with darkneſs? and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? For ye are the Temple of the living God;—wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye ſeparate, ſaith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. — Mark how the Apoſtle dot multiply expreſſion upon expreſſion; Come out — Touch not, — Be ye ſeparate, and have nothing to do with them.

And I might ſhew you, how that by joynin • with others in their falſe worſhip, 1. You ſin againſt your ſelves. 2. You ſin againſt others. 3. You ſin againſt God.

I ſay—

1. Joyn not with others in their falſe worſhip becauſe hereby you ſin againſt your ſelves; for, by being parties in any falſe worſhip, (i. e.) by owning of it, you come to be acceſſory to their ſin. In Revel. 18.4. Come out of her my people, be not partakers of her ſins, that ye receive not of her plagues. — My People: Why if God's own People will defile themſelves with the Corruptions of Babylon, they muſt expect to partake of the Judgments of Babylon. And indeed, many times God is more quick with his own People in this reſpect than with others, becauſe 'tis their duty to ſtand reſolutely againſt all the Innovations and Corruptions in matters of Religion; therefore when they ſhall comply with the times, and defile themſelves, many times (I ſay) the Lord is quick in cutting them off, when he may ſuffer others to go on. And beſides, hereby they throw themſelves into the mouth of a temptation. God commands (you know) Thou ſhalt not come near 〈◊〉 houſe of an Harlot, Prov. 5.8. becauſe of the • ptation. Why, you know what's ſaid concerning King Ahaz. (in 2 King. 16.10.) that • ing unto Damaſcus to meet the King of Aſſyria • ere, (out of a Complement it may be, to con • atulate him, or the like) he ſaw an Altar that 〈◊〉 as at Damaſcus; and King Ahaz ſent to Uriah • e Prieſt the faſhion of the Altar, and the pat • rn of it, according to all the workmanſhip • ereof; and the Prieſt built an Altar, &c. He 〈◊〉 as preſently in love with the Altar; to ſee it, 〈◊〉 as a temptation to him to make it, and to ſacri • ce on it, and worſhip in like manner. This Uriah 〈◊〉 it ſeems) was one that was a Temporizing Prieſt, • hat would do any thing the King commanded • im; therefore when once he had gotten the Al • ar made, and the King comes home, he preſent • y falls to Idolatry: they lay on their Offering, • hen they eat it, and then they go to worſhiping. Peter goes to ſee what the High-Prieſt hath done, • e goes to warm himſelf, and is accuſed. It's dangerous to come into the High-Prieſts Hall, • o warm at his fire, leſt we go away with a ſcorched conſcience. And again—

2. You ſin againſt others too, that ſet up theſe ſuperſtitious wayes; whom you herein do abet, and encourage, and harden in their evil wayes. Do not communicate with them. Though you be not as Maſter-builders to draw out a Platform, yet you ſhould have a care of bringing any brick or mortar to build Babel. In ſhort; in practice yo • do offend others, and (it may be) by example d • draw them aſide too: As in Gal. 2.11. Pete • (there) by his diſſimulation, was a means to dra • Barnabas and others of the Jews to ſide with him. And ſpecially, ſuch a one as is look'd on as 〈◊〉 knowing and a religious perſon, he is herein mor • dangerous than a Pagan or a Papist is; you hat • them, and will not be led by their example. An • again,

3. You ſin herein againſt God too, by bringing him the blinde, the halt, and the lame: (For ſuch is every way of Religion, every way of Worſhip that is of mans deviſing.) The Lord has not required any ſuch ſervice at your hands, and therefore you have no promiſe (and ſo no reaſon to expect) to be accepted in it. Nor can you do it in faith. As you muſt not believe for Doctrines the Commandments of men, neither are you to ſolemnize for Worſhip the Commandments of men. The People of God are bound to maintain the Integrity and Purity of God's Ordinances. Take heed of any thing that does but look like falſe Worſhip. VVe muſt abhor the garment that is but ſpotted with the fleſh. VVe muſt not ſo much as touch the unclean thing. God forhad the Iſraelites to have a falſe god in their houſes: though they did not worſhip it, yet they muſt not have it in their houſes. And, in Iſa. 65.4. he reprehends them, not only for eating • he abominable thing, Swines fleſh, but for having the broth of that abominable thing in their veſſels.

Object. 1. But, you will ſay, Was not Elijah himſelf preſent at the Worſhip of Baal? ſo we find, • n 1 King. 18.26, &c. Elijah, why he ſtands by • hem, and is a looker-on, and bids them cry aloud unto Baal: therefore (it ſeems) we may be preſent at falſe Worſhip, and yet not ſin.

Anſw. Though Elijah was preſent, yet he did not by his preſence any way countenance or allow that worſhip of theirs, but he did reprove them for it; he was preſent to convince them of the evil of it, and to ſhew them the vanity of their worſhip. And thus indeed the Prophets and Apoſtles of God, they were ſometimes preſent at Sacrifices that were performed to Idols, but it was on purpoſe to reprove them for it, and to convince them of their Idolatry.

Obj. 2. But (you will ſay unto me) though we be preſent at it, yet we can keep our minds to our ſelves; we will not ſay Amen unto their prayers, we will not joyn with them, but will keep our minds ſtill unto our ſelves.

I anſwer. That is but to diſſemble, and to play the Hypocrite both with God and men. To ſay you will be preſent with your bodies at falſe worſhip, and yet abſent in your ſpirits, it is in effect to ſay, you will ſerve God with your ſouls, and the Devil with your bodies. You know, the worſhip that is done in an Aſſembly, 'tis look'd on as the joynt action of the whole Aſſembly; to which you ought to ſay your Amen, if lawful; and if not, to ſhew your diſlike of it. And therefore, if it be an Ordinance of God that thou beeſt preſent at, thou oughtſt to come to it with thy whole heart and ſoul; and if otherwiſe, 'tis ſuch, any act of which worſhip thou canſt not warrantably joyn in, or be preſent at.

Obj. 3. I but (you will ſay unto me) what if the Worſhip be corrupt in part, yet not in the whole? there may be many good prayers and good words in it; now, muſt we reject the good becauſe of the bad that is mingled with it?

I Anſw. There are many good things in the Turkiſh Alcoran, as well as in the Popiſh Maſſebook, yet may we not lawfully make uſe of either. The Iſraelites did halt betwixt God and Baal; that is, they did retain a great part of the true Worſhip of God, though they did joyn their own inventions with it: Now, 'tis not the retaining ſome part of the true Worſhip, that will ſanctifie any part of the falſe Worſhip that is joyned with it; no, nor the true matter of worſhip that will ſanctiſie the falſe form of it. A little leaven (here) will leaven the whole lump. VVhat though the Philiſtines did ſet up the Ark in the temple 〈◊〉 Dagon; yet that neither honoured Dagon nor 〈◊〉 Temple the more. VVhat though there may 〈◊〉 ſome tares among the corn; yet ſtill both retain their own nature; this doth not make the tare or weeds to become Corn. The Inventions and Devices of men in God's Worſhip, they are but unclean things, that nothing is able to waſh, or to make clean. In Ezek. 43.8. God does reprove them there for ſetting up their poſt by his poſt, and their threſhold by his threſhold. They did not pull down God's poſt or threſhold, and ſet up their own in the room; but they ſet up their own by it. And in Zeph. 1.5. They there would ſwear by the name of the Lord, and of Malcam too. So in 2 King. 17.33. There were ſome that would ſerve Baal, and yet fear the Lord. That is, they would not caſt off all the Worſhip of God, but would retain ſome parts of it, onely they would joyn their own Inventions with it. Now, God hates to ſhare his VVorſhip between Chriſt and Antichriſt; that men ſhould have in their right-hands many Truths of Chriſt, but in their left many falſities of Antichriſt. Indeed, ſometimes ſome part of God's VVorſhip covers a great deal of Superſtition; There are many evils, much ſuperſtition uſed in the VVorſhip of God at this day, yet becauſe they retain ſome principal Truths of the Goſpel therwith, that's a great cover to all their corruptions. And indeed, the nearer you come to the true VVorſhip of God, and yet retain falſe worſhip with it, the more danger there is of ſwallowing up many people.

Obj. 4. I but (you will ſay unto me) there may ſome things be found amiſs in the prayers and preaching of the beſt Miniſters, that we cannot joyn in faith with. If we may not joyn with ſome good becauſe there is ſome evil mingled with it, why in this caſe more than in that?

I anſwer. That preaching and praying of Miniſters, when they do exerciſe their own gifts, and have not Prayers and Sermons made for them, 'tis an Ordinance of God, and being an Ordinance of God, you may ſafely communicate therin, notwithſtanding that there may be ſome failings in the Miniſter: in which caſe the rule is, To prove all things, and only to hold faſt that which is good, 1 Theſſ. 5.25. I but, when any thing is brought into the worſhip of God that is not God's Ordinance, but mans, here you cannot communicate in it ſafely, becauſe 'tis that that God has not required, nor promiſed any bleſſing unto; and therfore you are to reject it, and not to have communion with it. Indeed, there are corruptions in the beſt hearts, and mixtures in the holieſt duties: I but when the People of God do worſhip God in ſpirit and in truth, as long as they don't ſet up any Idols in their hearts, nor regard any iniquity in their ſouls, (as David ſays) ſo long the Lord doth not reject their ſervices, though there are ſome perſonal infirmities that attend them.

Obj. 5. I but (you'l ſay) we hear worſe things than theſe can be every day; as we go along the ſtreets we hear men ſwearing and curſing; and though we are preſent, yet we hope we are never the worſe for that.

I anſwer. Though you hear ſuch things in the ſtreets, yet if you by no act of yours joyn with them in it, but do grieve in your ſpirits when you hear them, the ſin is theirs, and not yours.

Obj. 6. I but (you'l ſay) ſuppoſe it be ſuch a way of Worſhip that (it may be) many holy and godly men uſe, and they have found good and comfort in it?

Anſw. We muſt follow the examples of holy men, no further than they follow the example and rules of Chriſt. 'Tis no ſufficient argument to prove that ſuch a thing is good, becauſe ſome holy men have uſed it; then it might be an argument that taking of Concubines is good, becauſe we reade of ſome good men in the old Teſtament that uſed it. Aſa and Jehoſaphat (I think) were good Kings; yet 'tis ſaid, that in their dayes the High-Places were not taken down, and they are blamed for it. Hezekiah comes after, and he removes them, and is commended for what he did. I queſtion not but when theſe good men went into theſe High-Places, though they did evil in what they did, yet the Lord might manifeſt himſelf good to them. Though ſome good men have uſed the Ordinances of God with ſome corruptions and mixtures, yet the Lord hath ſo far accepted of the integrity and uprightneſs of their hearts in what they did, as that they have found peace and comfort in ſo doing: I but this was the mercy of God to them. You muſt not think it enough to juſtiſie any evil or corruption in worſhip, that ſome good men have uſed it, and yet found comfort in the Ordinances: the times of their ignorance God might wink at, if they did but ſeek and ſerve him according to what they knew.

Obj. 7. I but what if ſuch a way of Worſhip be impoſed on us, and commanded, then 'tis their faults that impoſe it, and not our faults that do it.

I anſwer: That no man can without ſin compoſe, or impoſe any forms or wayes of Worſhip of his own deviſing, for which he hath no ground in the Word of God; ſo neither can any ſubmit to them without ſin. VVhat is unlawful in him that impoſeth, muſt needs be unlawful in him that doth receive it, and ſubmit to it. The King in commanding Daniel not to pray, did not make Daniels praying ever the more unlawful: And the King's commanding the three Children and the reſt to bow, did not commend the act, or make it ever the more lawful. 'Tis not mans allowing or commanding that doth make lawful any way of Worſhip that is not warranted by the Word of God. No man can lawfully do any thing in the Worſhip of God, but that which he is ſatisfied in his conſcience he may do, whether commanded by man or not.

Obj. 8. I but (you will ſay) the matter is not great, and we will yeeld but a little for peace and quietneſs ſake.

I anſwer: There is not a more dangerous and deceitful temptation than that in the world, for men to yeeld to the beginnings of evil under this pretence, that they will yeeld but in a little. He that is not faithful in a little, will not be faithful in much. The Prieſt that yeelded to the King ſo far as to make the Altar, and ſet it up, afterwards muſt yield further, to offer upon the Altar, 2 Kin. 16. the 11th, 15 & 16 verſes compared. As, many good men, they have thought to yield thus far, and thus far, for peace and quietneſs ſake: I but when once their feet have been in the ſnare, they have after ſwallowing ſome gnats, ſwallowed Camels too: and if the Serpent once get in his head, he will ſoon get in his whole body. 'Tis a dangerous thing to go after the inventions of men, though in never ſo little, (the Rule is certain;) becauſe they know not how far they ſhall go. As a Nobleman of England once ſaid, I will pin my faith on no mans ſleeve, becauſe I know not whither they will carry it. The true Religion hath the Word of God for its Rule, which remains certain and unalterable; ſo that when I guide my ſelf by that, I know how far I muſt go, and where to ſtop; but when I make the Traditions and Inventions of men my Rule, here is no certain ſtop at all; for men may be multiplying their Traditions and Inventions every day. Therefore 'tis dangerous to yield in little things in matter of falſe Worſhip.

Obj. 9. I but (you may ſay) it's poſſible hereby we may deprive our ſelves of many of the Ordinances of God, and ſo deprive our ſouls of comfort, and we had better do it.

Anſw. 1. Let me ask you, What comfort and benefit can you expect from the Ordinances of God, if you may not enjoy them as appointed by • he Lord? If you cannot enjoy God's Ordinances without committing ſin, 'tis your duty to forbear them; for this is the Rule, You may not do evil for the enjoyment of good, Rom. 3.8. And therefore, 'tis not ſimply the want of Ordinances that is your ſin, but your contempt of them. I but now, when you can't enjoy them in the way and after the manner enjoyned of the Lord, and forbear them upon that account, this is no contempt, therefore not your ſin. But further,

Anſw. 2. Bleſſed be the Father of mercies, there is yet a poſſibility of enjoying the Ordinances of God according to his own appointment; Though we may not have them ſo publickly as we could deſire, yet we may have them elſwhere, and 'tis our duty (as you have heard made good to you) to follow Goſpel-Adminiſtrations to what-ever place they are confined, and in whatever place they may be enjoyed; if they are driven into corners, we muſt follow them into thoſe corners.

But now, here I meet with another Objection, and it has reſpect

1. To our abſenting our ſelves from the Publick Aſſemblies. And —

2. To our betaking of our ſelves to the more Private-Meetings of God's People.

And both of them have their riſe from the Laws made in that behalf.

1. Reſpecting our abſenting our ſelves from the Publick Aſſemblies.

Object. You will ſay unto me, 'Tis poſſible, if we do not yeeld, we may ſuffer; we may be undone both We and our Families too.

Anſw. All I will ſay to that, is this; When you may not obey the Commands of men, without ſinning against God, you had better ſuffer than ſin: you had better ſuffer from men, becauſe you are afraid of offending God; than to ſuffer from God, becauſe you are afraid of offending men. This indeed is a great temptation to many a good ſoul, and holy man, O what will become of my Wife and Children? if I loſe my Living, my means of Livelihood, they may ſtarve, and my Conſcience is against that: I have peace neither day nor night. Why it was the caſe of thoſe we ſpake of but now, (in 1 King. 19.18.) they ventured Lives and Eſtates and All, rather than they would bow the knee to Baal: I but yet God was a Sanctuary to them, he provided an Obadiah that fed them, 1 King. 18.4. And when Elijah was forc'd to flee for his life from the Prophets of Baal, God commanded an Angel one time, and a Raven another time to feed him, 1 King. 19.17. & 1 King. 14.4, 6. If ordinary means fail, God knows how to raiſe up extraordinary means, and will do ſo in time of his Peoples diſtreſs. Mind that place in Iſa. 66.5. Hear the Word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his Word; your Brethren that hated you, that caſt you out for my Name ſake, ſaid, Let the Lord be glorified; but he ſhall appear to your joy, and they ſhall be aſhamed. Mark, my Brethren: There are a company among you that do tremble at my Word, (q. d.) that dare not do any thing in my Worſhip without my Word; but there are others of your Brethren that will find out wayes to avoid ſufferings; and will adventure upon things in my Worſhip that I never commanded them; and they hate you, and caſt you out, excommunicate you, becauſe you are not of their judgment, becauſe your conſciences are more tender than theirs: I but he ſhall appear to your joy, and they ſhall be aſhamed: though for the preſent you may lie under contempt, and be reproached as factious perſons, and they may flatter it out, and have preferments from the world, yet in time to come, the Lord will appear to your joy, and their ſhame. And certainly, Brethren, the time is a coming, and not far off, when the Lord will appear for his Worſhip, & for his Ordinances in the purity of them; and when he will caſt ſhame and contempt-upon all falſe worſhip and worſhippers. Let me ſhut up this, with a ſtory concerning a Chriſtian Souldier, who being in the Heathen Army, and it being a day whereon the Heathen Souldiers did alwayes uſe to wear a Vail upon their heads, in honour to ſome Idol god; the Chriſtian Souldier in ſtead of wearing his Vail on his head, he carried it in his hand: whereupon his fellow-Souldiers did begin to ſcoff at him, and a great mutiny there was preſently in the Army, and he brought before the Officers to anſwer for his fact; and his anſwer was, I am a Chriſtian, I dare not conform to them in their ſuperſtitious obſervation of dayes. At which they were exceedingly enraged, and ſo, that not only he, but other Chriſtians were like to ſuffer by his means: ſo that many other Chriſtians were hugely offended with this Chriſtian, that he would ſtand upon ſuch a ſmall thing. Now, Tertullian commends him, as being one that was holier than any of the reſt, who for fear of Perſecution would comply and yeeld to their ſuperſtitious obſervations. And though the other Chriſtians ſaid, Where are we [forbidden] to wear a Vail on our heads? He anſwered, But where are we [commanded] to do any ſuch thing? So, ſome indeed may comply, and yeeld to ruperſtitious obſervations; yet thoſe that are of a true Chriſtian Spirit will not comply, whatever perſecutions or ſufferings may fall upon them for it. As in that fore-quoted place, 1 King. 19.8. I have left me ſeven thouſand in Iſrael, that have not (no, nor never will, come what will) bowed the knee to Baal, nor kiſſed him with their lips. But now,

2. The other part of the Objection reſpects our betaking of our ſelves to the more Private-Meetings of Gods People; and it is this: There are Laws made againſt them, and we ſhall run our ſelves into danger if we be taken in theſe Conventicles. To this I anſwer:

1. If you will be afraid of danger, then never think of performing duty: if you will ſtil be afraid of danger, you will be ſure to keep your ſelves as much as you can out on't, what-ever duty you neglect for it: if you will be afraid of danger, little hope then that you will ever either do, or be good at all; ſeeing that if any man [will] live godly in Chriſt Jeſus, he [must] ſuffer perſecution. The fearful did never yet ſet up any Trophies of Victory.

2. Had the Saints in former Ages and Times been afraid of danger, they had never left us ſuch examples as they have done. They would do their duty, and truſt God with their ſafety, let whatever would come on them.

3. Let me tell you, 'tis a very ſhameful and a very ſinful thing, to ſhun ſervices and duties, becauſe we would avoid ſufferings and dangers. You muſt have a care you don't ſuffer as evildoers, but never fear ſuffering as well-doers. In 1 Pet. 4.15, 16. But let none of you ſuffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as a buſiebody in other mens matters; yet, if any man [ſuffer as a Chriſtian] let him not be aſhamed, but let him glorifie God in this behalf.

And thus I have done with the ſecond Inference. Again—

3. It doth inform us what to think of theſe Conventicles, of theſe meetings together of God's People. You ſhould think of them as things of conſequence, as things of concernment, as things of ſoul and ſalvation-concernment, as things that we ought and are bound as much to come to, as to any other duty whatſoever.

Now there are ſix or ſeven things this way that I would lay before you.

1. Look on them in God's Dictionary, and find how you reade them there: There they are call'd the Communion of Saints; the Paradiſe of the Earth; the Harbingers of Heaven; the Firſtfruits of Canaan; the Earneſt of Eternal Joy, and this is all.

2. Look upon them as the only Worſhip that God had in the pure and primitive times, in the beginning of the Goſpel-dayes, when no place in publick was admitted them, or allowed to them.

3. Look on Conventicles as all the means of comfort that you your ſelves are like to have in times of perſecution and fiery tryal. When Miniſters are driven into corners, follow them into thoſe corners.

4. Look upon them as the great Hammer, to break and beat down Antichriſt's Kingdom.

5. Look upon them as Evidences of your Grace, of the truth of your Grace, and of the ſtrength of your Grace, that you are neither afraid to confeſs Chriſt, nor yet aſhamed to confeſs him.

6. Look upon them as a great help of your Faith, to encreaſe it, to ſtrengthen it; to get and procure joy and comfort.

7. Look on them, as things very highly pleaſing unto God: as you may ſee in the Text; —The Lord hearkened and heard; even as a man that hears ſome curious Muſick, he gives his mind with all intention to the ſame. —O let me hear thy voice; for thy voice is ſweet, Cant. 2.14. 'tis ſpoken of the Church in her Meetings. When they came together, O how delightful it was to God! But—

Secondly. The next Uſe ſhall be of Lamentation. Is it thus, that there ought to be ſuch Meetings, and for ſuch ends as you have heard, among which (I told you) this was one, To humble and afflict our ſouls? then let us put it into execution this day. Give me leave to ſtrike this nail to the head, yea, to the heart, that it may be a day of great lamentation, and of great mourning, that we may every one pour out our ſouls before the Lord. (Beloved, this is very neceſſary.) And—

Firſt, Begin with your own ſouls, ſearch them to the very bottom; labour to find out your ſins, and endeavour to bring your hearts to a godly ſorrow and repentance for them, ſuch a one as may be unto life. O that as your ſins have been as clouds over your heads, ſo now they may break down into your hearts by a ſhower of godly ſorrow! Conſider ſeriouſly how highly and heavily God is provoked againſt you. Methinks that very one thing, That God is become our Enemy, hides his face from us, ſtops his cars againſt us, and turns his back upon us, were enough to kill any gracious heart, and to ſtrike him dead at his ſoul.

Look but upon what your ſin has provoked God to do, and upon what it may provoke God to do, and I hope that will humble you at this day, for fear your peace, and the things thereof ſhould be hid from your eyes.

Firſt. What it has provoked God to do, viz. to rid you of your choiceſt mercies, your precious opportunities, to ſtrip you ſtark naked of all your glorious priviledges; except now and then a bit in a corner, we can elſe get no pure bread, but a ſtone in ſtead of bread, and a Viper in ſtead of Fiſh. Sayes David, My tears are my meat and drink day and night, while they continually ſay unto me, Where is thy God? Pſal. 42.3. The loſs of God's preſence may well humble us, and cauſe us to water our couch with our tears. And then,

Another thing that may make us humble is this; God has ſpit in our faces. O this ſhould go to our hearts. If a Father ſpit in his Daughters face for her Adultery and Uncleanneſs, will ſhe not be aſhamed? yea, and grieve too? Now, ſhall God ſpit in his Peoples face, and we not be aſhamed, and grieved? Why, 'tis ſo, that God has ſpit in our faces. For,

1. God has (in a large degree) given us over to the power and luſt of our enemies. There is not a greater cut to God's People, than to be in their enemies hand, or in their enemies Land. —He delivered his glory over into the enemies hand, becauſe they had provoked him, Pſal. 78.58, 61. Why truly, the Philiſtines have gotten us into their hands, and whether they will put out our eyes, or take away our lives we cannot tell.

2. Not only ſo; but we have provoked God ſo to ſpit in our faces, as that we ſtink in the noſtrils of our enemies, ſo that they ſcorn and deride us, becauſe we have ſinned againſt the Lord. Jacob's complaint was of Simeon and Levi, — You have made me to ſtink among the inhabitants of the Land, Gen. 34.30. Truly, ſo have our ſins made us to ſtink in the noſtrils of all our enemies round about us. This it has provoked God to do. But now,

Secondly, Conſider what your ſins may provoke God to do. If ſo be you don't lament, return, reform, you will provoke God to proceed yet further againſt you. Brethren, there are ſad things, rods laid in brine for you, if you don't lay your ſouls in brine: There are Fines, Priſons,— carrying of you into ſtrange Lands, &c. In Lev. 26. ver. 27 to 33. there God tells them plainly, becauſe they would not be inſtructed nor reformed by thoſe puniſhments that he had brought upon them, therefore he would ſend them into their enemies Land; he would make the Nation to caſt them out, ſo that they ſhould have no more ſanctuary in that place. Again,

Thirdly. Let me tell you (by way of comfort) if you will repent, lament, reform, and return, there is hope in Iſrael concerning this thing: Oh there is mercy with God, that he might be feared. With God there is pity, pardon, peace; and God is ready to beſtow it, yea, more ready than we are to receive it. But—

Secondly. As we ſhould mourn over our own ſins, ſo we ſhould lament over the ſins of the people of the Land among whom we live; we ſhould weep for them that laugh at us, and mourn for them that mourn not for themſelves.

And know, there are (1.) the ſins of the Prieſts, and (2) the ſins of the People. Now take either of theſe:—

Firſt, The ſins of the Prieſts. Jer. 23.15. For from the [Prieſts] prophaneneſs is gone out into the Land. Truly, ſo we may ſay; God's Houſe that was a Houſe of Prayer, is [now] become a Den of Thieves and Robbers. The Wine of the Sanctuary is now become the Venom of the Sanctuary.

And I might divide them over again, into the Fathers of the Church, and the Sons of the Church, (as they call themſelves:) they have their great and grievous ſins of both ſorts:—

Firſt. The Fathers: Look upon their Pride and Prelacy, their ſetting up of will-worſhip, their lording it over Chriſt's people, their perſecuting of God's People for Conſcience-ſake, &c. And,

Secondly. The Sons of the Church; their Apoſtacy and Atheiſm.

1. Their Apoſtacy. Divers that were among us once, their compliance with them that hate the Lord, and putting ſtumbling-blocks before the weak; and their horrible ſubſcription, whereby they do interpretatively deny the Faith it ſelf.

2. Their Atheiſm: their baſe Ignorance, their groſs Drunkenneſs & Covetouſneſs, their ſlaviſh 〈◊〉 of him they call their Dioceſſan, being more 〈…〉 of offending againſt a Biſhops Canon, than Gods Commandment; and their preferring the Book of Common Prayer above the Bible. O that we could lay theſe things ſeriouſly and ſadly to heart, even the wickedneſs of the Clergie! O the ſins of the Clergie are very great and grievous! And then,

Secondly. For the People. (And 'tis very like, if the Prieſts be bad, the people will be worſe; and if the ſons of the Church will be the ſons of Belial, the people will be apt to learn any wickedneſs that they ſhall teach them, either by their principles, or by their practices.) O the Blaſphemy, the hatred of Holineſs, Swearing, Curſing, drinking of Healths, yea, even in their own blood; yea, many drinking Healths to the Devil himſelf! We reade in Act. 14.11. that the people there cryed out concerning Paul and Barnabas, that the Gods were come down from heaven to them in the likeneſs of men: but if they were now in England, they would ſurely ſay that the Devils were come up into the Land among us.

Let us therefore (my Brethren) now do our duties, carry our ſelves as friends to them, though they carry themſelves as enemies to us. Let us be the Lot's, the Noah's, the David's, the Jeremiah's, the Paul's, whoſe eyes were Rivers of waters, and did run down night and day, becauſe men did break the Law of God. I have told you often, and now tell you weeping, that they are enemies to the Croſs of Chriſt; whoſe end is deſtruction, whoſe God is their belly, and whoſe glory is their ſhame, who mind earthly things. O let us pray for their ſouls, their conviction and converſion. Brethren, though you have been praying long already, and ſee but little account of your prayers, yet follow it on ſtill, you do not know but that the hearts of your enemies may be given in unto you: O pray that they may be reformed, and that they may return, and may ſet up the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom they have dethroned.

And then, my Brethren, if ſo be that your prayers (you ſee) can't prevail for them, then (there is another duty remains for you to do, (The firſt muſt be done firſt; but afterwards) pray that the ſtrong East wind of the Lord would come, and blow theſe 〈◊〉 , and Locuſts, and Droans out of the Land. I ſhall not need to give you many places of Scripture to prove this Truth, ſeeing it is ſo very plain from that fourth chapter of Nehemiah, the 4th and 5th verſes, where when the enemies of God ſet themſelves againſt the building of the Temple of the Lord, Nehemiah prays unto the Lord that he would preſerve them, but overturn, their enemies. And truly, my Brethren, though I ſpeak of this as our duty, yet I could more abundantly wiſh, that God would hear our prayers for their converſion, than for their deſtruction.

Here I might have added a third Uſe, and that is, To exhort and perſwade you all, that whenever theſe is any ſuch opportunity of private meeting together, never to be diſcouraged from it, becauſe you ſhall be derided, or may come other wayes to ſuffer by it: No, 'tis your Glory, 'tis your Crown, at ſuch times as theſe are, that you dare ſo bravely and boldly acknowledge the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, againſt ſo many oppoſers and deniers of Him, that are in the times and places where you live. But I ſuppoſe it would be needleſs to urge it any further: you ſee 'tis a duty, and the very Reaſons (that I have given you) of the Point, will be Arguments ſufficient: Therefore I ſhall leave this with you, and both this and you with God, deſiring of the Lord to adde his bleſſing to what has been ſpoken, that it may be of good uſe to you.

FINIS.