A sermon preach'd at the Church of St. Mary le Bow to the Societies for Reformation of Manners, June 26, 1699 by Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester.

A sermon preach'd at the Church of St. Mary le Bow to the Societies for Reformation of Manners, June 26, 1699 by Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester.

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ERRATA.

Some BOOKS Printed for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill.

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Ephes. vi. 7, 8.‘With good Will doing Service, as to the LORD, and not unto Men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord; whether he be Bond or Free.’

THE Design of these Quarterly Sermons being to Encourage those Worthy Persons, who are Entred into Societies for Reformation of Manners, to persevere and abound more and more, in the Extraordinary good Work they are Engaged in; as also to Excite others, in their respective Stations, to follow their Example: And it being moreover very Seasonable, to Discourse at this time of [Page] the Principle, by which we ought to be acted in all our Services; and especially in a Service of this high Nature, I thought I could not make Choice of a more proper Subject for this Occasion, than the Words now read.

I. We meet with in them a great Duty: With good will doing Service; as to the Lord, and not unto Men.

II. A most Perswasive Motive thereto: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any Man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, &c.

I. As to the Duty. We find an Injunction of the same, Col. 3. 23. Whatsoever you do, do it heartily; as to the Lord, and not unto Men.

With good Will, [...], as 'tis in the foregoing words, from the Soul, i. e. most freely and chearfully.

[Page] Doing Service, or any Service you do, whether Sacred or Civil. Whatsoever you do, as 'tis in the parallel Text. And these Words do immediately relate to Services of a mere Civil Nature, because they are in both places directed to Servants of Men, for their Instruction in reference to their mean Services particularly. But if even these are to be done as to the Lord, much more should far higher Services; and most of all those which immediately relate to Almighty God.

As to the Lord, and not unto Men; or, not as to Men. i. e. Having a greater Regard to the Lord than to Men. This is an Hebreism, which expresseth what is not to be done, but in a certain limited Sence, as if it were not to be done at all: Of which Forms of Speech there are in Scripture abundance of Instances. I will name but one, viz. those Words of our Saviour, Labour not for the [Page] Meat which perisheth, but for that Meat which endureth to Eternal Life.

And not unto Men, i. e. for the pleasing of them, and obtaining from them a Reward for your Service.

We will, in discoursing on these Words, shew

I. What is Implyed in thus doing our Services.

II. Under what Obligations we are thus to do them.

I shall defer speaking to the Motive, to the Application.

I. What is Implyed in this doing our Services as to the Lord, &c.

These three things are herein implyed, Having a respect to God's Command: And to his Glory: And to both Chiefly and Principally.

[Page] 1. Having in our Services a Respect to God's Command. To His Command either particularly or in general, expresly or by evident Consequence, requiring them. And therefore in the two Verses before the Text, Servants are enjoyned to perform their Services in Singleness, or Simplicity and Sincerity, of Heart, as unto Christ. Not with Eye service as Men Pleasers, but as the Servants of Christ, doing the Will of God from the Heart. Which is exprest in the Verse before the other Text by fearing God,—in Singleness of Heart, fearing (or as fearing) God. Whatsoever Service we are employed in without any Consideration of the Divine Law, we are not therein obedient to God: Obedience to Him being not a mere doing what He requires, but doing it because He requires it; under the Notion of its being required by Him.

2. Herein is implyed doing our Services, with Respect also to the [Page] Glory of God. To have Respect to God's Command, and to His Glory, are different things; so different, that the one may be without the other. As when a Man obeys God from a slavish Dread of Him, as the poor Americans worship the Devil. Or when Obedience to the Divine Majesty proceeds from no higher a Motive, than hopes to obtain thereby temporal Blessings, or a sensual Happiness in the other World; such a Sort of Heaven as is the Turkish Paradise. But that our Services ought to have Regard to God's Glory, as well as to His Command, must necessarily be implyed in the Text, in that our Apostle expresseth it in that Injunction of his, Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the Glory of God. Or, make all your Actions subservient, as far as they are capable of being so, to the Honouring of God.

The Glory of God, which we so often [Page] read of in the H. Scriptures, is the displaying of some or other of His Glorious Perfections; or the making Reasonable Beings to feel or observe them in their Effects. And We are said to Glorifie Him, when we are His Instruments herein; and when his Moral Perfections do shine in our selves; which are those alone wherein we are inabled to imitate Him, and which are called His Image. These are His Loving Kindness, Righteousness and Holiness; and may be all comprised in this one Word Goodness. To do good consequently from the Love of Goodness, is an Instance of designing God's Glory in the good we do; as also to do good with a Design to be like to God, and by this means to be qualified for the Enjoyment of Him.

God glorifieth Himself by Exerting His Goodness, or His Power and Wisdom in doing good, from the Delight he takes therein. I am the [Page] Lord, which Exerciseth Loving-kindness, Judgement and Righteousness in the Earth; for, or because, in these things I delight, saith the Lord. Jer. 9. 24. Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardon [...]th Iniquity, and passeth by the Transgression of the Remnant of His Heritage! He retaineth not His Anger for ever, because He Delighteth in Mercy, Mic. 7. 18. Thou art good, saith the Psalmist, and dost good; or, therefore thou dost good. because Thou art good; and what is God's being good, but His delighting in Goodness? Loving-kindness & Righteousness are too Excellent things, to be Exercised as a mere means to a farther End; for these are the very best things (as Tully discourseth admirably in his Book de Naturâ Deorum) and as they are in God they are the Divine Nature it self, not as qualities in their Subject. It may be said, that the same may be affirmed of the Divine Power and Wisdom: That's certain, but these Perfections do [Page] concur to the Constituting of the Divine Nature, as they are necessarily determined to the Serving of the Ends of Loving kindness and Righteousness; as it is easie to demonstrate. And in saying, that God Glorifieth Himself in Exerting His Perfections in doing good, from the Delight he takes therein, I say also, that We do glorifie Him in herein resembling Him.

So that, in short, to have Respect to God's Glory in our Services, is the same thing with being acted from a Principle of Love to God and Goodness. Of Love to God, not considered meerly as good to us or ours, but chiefly as infinitely good in Himself, & as unspeakable good to His whole Creation. And he who loves Goodness as such, with what is implyed therein, will so as we now said love God; as he who so loves God, will necessarily love Goodness as Goodness.

[Page] 3. To have Regard to the Command and the Glory of God, chiefly and principally, must needs also be implyed in doing Service as to the Lord. This rather is expressed, in that it is said as to the Lord and not unto Men, or more to the Lord than to Men. But indeed it is too little a thing to say, that in all our Services we are obliged to a merely greater Regard to God than to Men; or than to the Serving of any selfish worldly Interest; for nothing is more undoubted (as will be shewn presently) than that the Serving and Glorifying of God must be so the Principal, as to be the Ultimate End of all our Services: Such an End, as that whatsoever other Ends we propose to our selves in them, should be intended to be subservient thereunto; should be designed as Means to the promoting thereof. For instance, our Blessed Saviour saith, Let your Light so shine before Men, that they may see your good Works; or let the immediate [Page] End of your doing good Works publickly be, that Men may take Notice of them: But in what follows, he saith, that their being taken Notice of should be wholly designed as means to the Glorifying of God, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven. Not to the having the Praise of Men, but to glorifie God, by doing Credit to your Religion, and so bringing the Observers of your good Works, to the embracing thereof, and to the following of your Example; whereby they will bring Glory to God too.

Nay, the Praise of Men, or a good Name, may very lawfully be designed in doing good Works; but then it is a bad End, a very bad one, when our Motive thereto is the gratifying of fond Imagination, and an Ambitious Humour (for which our Saviour so condemned the Pharisees) and not from a Desire to be enabled to do the more good in the World, by [Page] the means of our good Name, or the more to Glorifie God. I proceed to shew,

II. Under what Obligations we are thus to perform our Services as to the Lord. I shall speak to three, and they are the greatest imaginable.

1. We are obliged hereunto, in that all we have, or are, is from God. All the Faculties, Abilities and Powers, both bodily and spiritual, whereby we are fitted for any Service; all the Means, Opportunities & Advatages we have for the doing of good; nay, our very Willingness to improve them for that purpose: These are all from God. What a devout Acknowledgment doth K. David make of this! 1 Chron. 29. 14. But who am I, and what is my People, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. And once more, All the good Success [Page] of our Endeavours is from God too. O Lord (saith the Prophet) I know that the way of Man, is not in himself; it is not in Man that walketh to direct his Steps. It is not in Man, either to do what is most eligible, for the bringing about this or that good Design; nor, when he is directed to the best and fittest Means, to bring his Affairs to a good Issue. Paul can but Plant, Apollos but Water; it is God alone that giveth the Increase.

Now, who is not able, at first fight, to perceive the mighty Force of the Obligation which ariseth from hence, to do all his Services as to the Lord? Are we our Selves, all our Powers, all our Opportunities for the Doing of them, from God? Are we not sufficient of our selves, so much as to think any thing as of our selves (as the Apostle speaks) but our Sufficiency is of God? Is our very Willingnefs to endeavour owing to the Grace (tho' [Page] not the irresistible Grace) of God; and is all our Success from his Blessing; and can any thing then be more evident, than that we are bound to have principally, and ultimately, an Eye to Him in them?

There is no First Principle more apparent, than that the Glory of Him who is our First Cause, and who is All in All to us, ought to be our last End. Of Him and through Him, and to Him are all things: To whom be Glory for ever and ever, Amen. Rom. 11. ult. Or, therefore to Him be given Glory by the whole Universe for ever and ever. There is so inseparable a Connexion between that Premise and this Inference, that they can not be parted by the Divine Power it self. Especially since,

2. We are farther obliged hereunto, in that God made us and all things belonging to us, for the glorifying of Himself; the exerting and [Page] displaying of His glorious Perfections. This Consideration doth very much heighten our Obligation to do all our Services as to the Lord. Had He only made us, and placed us in the Circumstances in which we are; and then left it free to us (which 'tis impossible he should) whether we would serve Him, or not serve Him, with our Souls and Bodies, His own Gifts and Blessings, we should notwithstanding be eternally Obliged hereto by the Law of Gratitude: But when He hath given us our Being, and all we enjoy, that we may glorifie Him, we contradict the Design of our Great Creator and Benefactor in making us what we are, and doing as He hath done for us. I need not tell those who are acquainted with the Divine Oracles, that there had been no such Creatures as our selves, but for this End. But were this never revealed, we are assured of nothing more from natural Light, than that it must necessarily [Page] be so. For He who is infinite Wisdom and Goodness, can not but have the best of Designs in all His Actings; but what Design can be Comparable to this, of making His Creatures to observe and teel, how Glorious He is in His Power, Wisdom and Goodness; and those of them to be His Instruments in setting forth the Glory of these, which he hath made capable of being so?

If it be Óbjected, that the Brutes and inanimate Creatures are made to Glorifie God, as well as Men and Angels; and therefore Designing His Glory is not necessarily implyed in Glorifying Him: I answer, that God aims at His own Glory, in a far higher and more excellent Manner, in rational Agents, than in Creatures void of Reason. That is, He hath made those so to Glorifie Him, as to Intend and Design the Glorifying of Him. And farther, we can not conceive, how Brutes, and insensible [Page] Creatures, can be said otherwaies to Glorifie their Maker, than as they give occasion to Reasonable ones so to do. Origen, indeed, was of Opinion, that because the Sun, Moon and Stars are called upon by the Psalmist to praise the Lord, they are endued with Reason as well as our selves: But he might for the self-same reason as well have asserted, that Cattle, and Fowls, and all creeping things; nay, Mountains and Hills, Fire and Hail, Snow and Vapours, and all God's Works, are reasonable Creatures too; these also, and that in the same Psalm, being called upon to praise Him. But Plato was, in this matter, a better Divine than that holy Father; for having stiled the World God's Temple, wherein all His Creatures do joyn together in the Worshiping of Him, he calls Mankind His Priests, by whom the Worship of the Universe is Performed.

3. Our Obligation to the Duty in [Page] the Text, is also founded upon our own Interest; our infinitely greatest Interest. And therefore, as it appears from the two former Considerations, that it is the most disingenuous and the most unjust thing, not to make the Glory of God the chief and ultimate End of all our Services; so this Consideration speaks it to be the most unkind thing to our selves: Since it is only our good God aims at, in desiring to be Glorified by us: For none can accrue to himself from any thing without Him, nor the smallest drop added to His Fountain-Fulness. If there could, He could not be God; that is, a Being of Absolute, Infinite Perfection.

The Apostate Emperour was much disgusted at the Second Commandment, and would have had it struck out of the Decalogue (as the Romish Church, for a reason too well known, hath left it out of her daily Offices) because God in that Commandment [Page] expresseth so great Jealousy for His own Honour; which he would have to be very unworthy of the Divine Majesty: But St. Cyril well answered him, That it is by no means so, Because Man's greatest Happiness consisteth in the due Apprehension of God, and giving Glory to Him.

God, I say, is not more Glorious in Himself, by means of the Glory His Creatures give Him, but all the Gain thereof is their own; they by this means becoming like to Him, and therefore qualified for everlasting Communion with Him.

I will farther observe to you suitably to the two former Considerations, That God Almighty must needs also expect our designing His Glory in all our Services, as it is a necessary Act of Righteousness, it being (as has been shewed) most highly reasonable, sit and just, that we should have such a Sense of His infinite [Page] Goodness, as thus to do, He cannot but look for it for this reason from us, and oblige us thereto. So that, as God exerciseth Goodness and Righteousness because He delights therein, so will He have us to exercise the same, because He delights in our so doing. Not (as we said) in regard of any Advantage that He can reap thereby, but because the Exercise of Goodness & Righteousness wheresoever it is, is as such most highly pleasing to Him; and the contrary thereto, as abhorrent to His Holy Nature.

And now, to make Application of what hath been discoursed, To You, my Brethren, who are Members of of our Societies for Reformation of Manners: The Service in which you have engaged your selves, is incomparably the most Noble, the most highly Praise-worthy, that it could be possible for you to be employed in. So it is, as the most Publick and General [Page] Good is the Design of it; not the Good of some particular Persons, or Bodies of Men, or onely of this Great City, but of our whole Nation: In several Parts of which a good Progress is made therein. Nor is this Design confined within our own Country, but it hath taken in that of Ireland too; where (thanks be to God) it hath had as good Success, as could reasonably have so soon been hoped fer. And to what People may not the Influence thereof reach, sooner or later, according as it prospers where it is undertaken? And the setting it on foot hitherto is, under God, wholly owing in every Place to your worthy Example, Gentlemen, and to the Directions they have received from Some of you.

And as this is a Service of the most Publick Nature, so is it of the greatest Concernment imaginable to the Publick; as highly conducing to both the Temporal and Spiritual Interest [Page] thereof. He knows not what this Phrase Spiritual Interest signifies, who can question, whether a Reformation of Manners be absolutely necessary thereunto. And he must be sunk below Paganism, who can doubt of its being necessary also to the Temporal Wellfare, both of particular Persons, and of Nations as Nations. Even that Atheist Epicurus (as Tully has demonstrated him to have been, as much better Thoughts as many since have had of him) as he forbad Adultery to his Disciples, in regard of the great Mischiefs which he saw attended that Vice; so he condemned the indulging of any unreasonable and vicious Appetite, as inconsistent with all Tranquillity of Mind, and Self-Enjoyment. And as to Nations, the wise King Solomon hath observed, that Righteousness exalteth a Nation, but Sin is a Reproach to any People. And 'tis easy to shew, that there is no one Maxim wherein the wisest of Pagans are [Page] more agreed. That excellent Tully hath this very remarkable Saying, Omnia Prospera eveniunt colentibus Deos, sed Adversa spernentibus. All things happen well to those People, who have a Care of Religion; but as ill to the Contemners thereof. And those who are acquainted with Divine Revelation, and such as have only Natural Light, together with Experience and Observation, for their Instruction, are very unanimous in declaring the Toleration of Vice to be the most pernicious thing to Bodies Politique, both in regard of its Natural Consequents, and the Provocation it gives to the Divine Majesty severely to visit for it. Surely therefore those among our selves, who have no Sense of the fatal Consequence of a general Corruption of Manners, upon both those Accounts, must either have little more of Men than the Figure and Shape; or (which is infinitely worse) be given over to a Reprobate Mind.

[Page] Now, notwithstanding God Almighty has constituted one Order of Men, whose whole Business it is, to turn Sinners (with the Assistance of His Grace) to Righteousness; and to Advance Piety and Virtue in the World, by inlightning Men in the Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion; by instructing them in the Divine Laws, and exciting them to the Observance of them, by the Glorious Promises, and Terrible Threats annexed to them; and by the Exercise of Spiritual Discipline: Yet such is the Depravation of Humane Nature, that He saw it moreover necessary, to ordain Civil Magistrates for the Punishment of Evil-Doers, (as St. Peter speaks) and for the Praise, or Incouragement, of those that do well. For the Punishment of Evil-Doers, by inforcing their Creators Laws, with Laws of their own Enacting, with the Sanction of Corporal and Pecuniary Penalties; and the due inflicting of them on those [Page] who are too much hardned in their wicked Practices, to be reformed by the Menaces of Punishment in another Life; and by Spiritual Methods.

And it being the Business of the foresaid Societies, to do their utmost to Awaken the good Laws of our Land against Prophaneness and Immorality, which have for the most part a long time lain a sleep, and served to little better purpose, than the reproaching of those (too generally speaking) who have been intrusted with the Execution of them: What more worthy Enterprize, or of greater, or so great Importance, could enter into the hearts os you, my Worthy Brethren, who have entered into these Societies, to undertake! And the method you have pitched upon for the carrying on of this Blessed Work, is so excellently well contrived, that it hath succeeded, by the Blessing of God, to Admiration, [Page] in and about this City. This hath been a great Age for Projects; but this of Yours (tho' I undervalue it in so calling it) doth infinitely excell them all; as very beneficial as some of them are found to be.

It must be Acknowledged, that no Man is the more Religious for abstaining from the Practice of any Vice, merely for fear of temporal Penalties: Yet those on whom this fear works an outward Reformation, are in a much more hopeful way to a thorow Conversion from Religious Motives, than the more hardy Sinners. Besides, by the vigorous Execution of the Laws, wicked wretches are restrained from doing open dishonour to Almighty God; that dishonour to his Authority, which may well be called National, when Connived at, and as such deservedly punished: And, by this means they are forced to give over offending Scandalously, and debauching [Page] others by their infectious Example, and insnaring Practices. Whereupon will necessarily follow, that our Youth for the future, will be nothing so liable to be corrupted; and a happy stop will be put to that propagation of Vice, which for so many Years hath been greatly encreasing.

And as nothing is more evident, than that this your Undertaking is the most excellent one considered in it self; so we ought not in the least to doubt but that it is likewise so, with respect to the Principle by which you are acted. For what Motive can you have thereto, besides the Love of God and Goodness, and an earnest desire to promote both the Temporal and Eternal Wellfare of your Fellow Citizens and Country-Men; together with the hope of being qualified thereby for greater degrees of that Happiness which our Blessed Lord has promised to [Page] his faithful Servants, and chiefly confisteth in Likeness to GOD, and the Eternal Enjoyment of him? Which hope must as much proceed from Love to God, as to your selves.

Can you design any Secular Advantage, by being thus employed? Expense it brings upon you; but can it make you a Recompence for it, and for all your pains, by bringing in what the World calls Profit? I must be an idle Man, if I seriously asked you these Questions. There is a Reward from Men, which you could not but expect, when you entred into this Service; and you have accordingly found it: But I verily believe this was no Motive to you. I mean, the Reward of hard Censures, as a Company of Busybodies, and Medlers in Matters that don't concern you; tho' if they concern not you, they can concern no body. But, indeed, nothing is more evident, than that every Man [Page] without Exception, is obliged to Concern himself in this great Work, suitably to the Circumstances in which Providence hath placed him. And none can accuse those of you who are not Magistrates, as Seizing upon their Office. The best of it is, you cannot be Censured, as Exercising your selves in things too high for you (tho' you do in great Matters) this your Success demonstrates.

Brow-beatings also from too many, who ought to have given you the greatest Encouragement, is a Reward which I suppose did not neither come unlookt for; nor yet that of Vexatious Prosecutions; nor that of running imminent dangers from Lewd Mobs: Neither these, nor worse things can surprize those, who are bent upon doing their utmost towards the Overthrowing of the Devils Kingdom; who express the greatest Emnity to the darling Lusts of his Children, and to the Ungodly [Page] Trades of a great number of them.

And, whether you Expected them or no, you cannot be ignorant what Reflections upon your proceedings, many Sober People have been too forward to make; and some who have the Repute (and very justly I doubt not) of truly Religious People too; thro' their rash Credulity, and lending too favourable an Ear to idle Tales; and from jealousies of what Consequence such Combinations may in time prove to be to our Constitution in Church and State. On which Topick I never yet heard one wise word; and do perswade my self I never shall. And since Experience assures us of nothing more, than that no great Undertaking can be managed with any considerable Advantage, otherwise than by Societies; and therefore in all Professions they are found to be necessary: It is very wonderful to me, that the least danger to either of these [Page] Constitutions can be suspected from such Societies, as are formed wholly for the promoting of the grand Design of both; as I need not say the Reformation and Regulation of Manners is. But it will be well for those Regular Persons, who are so forward to find fault with these Societies, if there be nothing of Envy at the bottom, arising from their Consciousness of being much out done by them, in Concern for the Publick Weal, in Activity in doing good, and in Zeal for the Honour of Almighty God. And, mentioning their Zeal, I cannot but observe, that were it not as Prudent as Pious, their Adversaries would never have been baffled in Courts of Judicature, as they have been.

And as, my Brethren, you might reasonably have made account of far worse requitals for your Pains, than any of you have found hitherto, through the special protection of the [Page] Divine Providence, and yet you would run the Venture; so have I not heard, that the furious Rage which some have met with, for giving informations against Impious and Profligate People, hath in the least discouraged any of them. And by the way, none but such as are either wicked, or very silly, can look upon this as a base Employment; as infamous as the Trade of Informing was against another sort of Men, we know when. For since Crimes must ever go unpunished, if there be no Informations; and therefore no care can be taken, either of the Honour of God, or the Honour of the Government, and the Welfare of the Publick, or of the Souls of Obdurate Sinners; this cannot be a more necessary than Honourable Service.

But to return to what I was now saying, the principle of this your Zeal may not, without great Uncharitableness, [Page] nor apparent Injustice, be called in question: Since, considering what has been said, you must be the Weakest Men in the World, if you do not this Service, as to the Lord, and not as to Men: Considering likewise, how not only Atheism and Deism, speculative Prophaneness, and Contempt of Religion, but also a Gallio like indifferency in such as retain the Profession of Christianity, have gotten ground amo [...]g us; and how much the very form of Godliness is grown out of fashion among such as may not be accused of being irreligious in their Principles. So that there can be very little Temptation now, what so ever was heretofore, to the vice of Hipocrisy: It being become also very Modish, to give jerks at all Zeal as a fanatical, enthusiastical, and hot-brain'd thing. As indeed Zeal is, when it is not according to Knowledge; and the World hath had lamenrable Experience, and particularly our Church and State, [Page] of the horrible Mischievousness of such a Zeal. But this is a Superstitious, it may by no means be called a Religious Zeal.

But doth not St. Paul say, It is good to be always zealously affected in a good thing? And it is the Best of things, in the Opinion of all but the worst of Men, in which these Societies are zealously affected. To be inspired with a Zeal in things of this weighty Importance, which is well Principled and well Governed, is the most Blessed Thing we can pray for. The more we have of it, the more shall we be filled with all the Fruits of Righteousness, unto the Praise and Glory of God. The more like shall we be to our Blessed Saviour, whose Zeal for His Father's Glory, and the Salvation of Men, and their bodily Welfare too, did put Him upon always going up and down doing good. And I need not stand to shew, that the greatest [Page] Blessings that ever have accrued to the Church of God, by the Ministry of Men, have been the Effects of a warm Zeal: Nor was ever GOD much glorified, nor the publick well served without it; let our Fleerers at Zeal think what they please. And therefore to be called Zealots in such a Cause as you, my Brethren, have espoused, is so far from a Disparagement, that it is a Name to be glorified in.

So that I once more say, Your doing this Service as to the Lord, and not as to Men, may not be in the least doubted of; and the less may it, for what was now sadly observed, viz. That the prevailing Humour of the present Age, is such, as gives as little Temptation as can be, to affect Popularity by Undertakings of this Nature.

And having reflected upon the [Page] deplorable Degeneracy of the Age, I can not forbear professing to you, That the greatest Hope I have, that God hath still Mercy in store for us, notwithstanding the intolerable Returns we have made to as mighty Obligations, as he hath ever laid upon any People, is, from the excellent Spirit with which He hath of late indued so great a number of good Christians among us, for the running down of Wickedness, by the most justifiable Means, in their respective Stations: And from His Majesty's having given them so great Encouragement, by his late Proclamation, For the more effectual Suppressing of Immorality and Prophaneness; and his recommending this great Work, again and again, to the special Care of the Houses of Parliament.

And I pray God, they may comply with the King's Desire the next Session; by preparing for the Royal [Page] Assent as effectual a Bill or Bills, against the other Reigning Vices of the Age, as is the late Act against Prophane Swearing and Cursing. And who were the Contrivers, and chief Promoters of this Act, some Gentlemen of the chief of these Societies do best know.

But I must not forget to take notice of Another most Pious and Charitable Design, which hath for some time been carrying on with very great Industry, by these Societies, viz. The Setting up of Free Schools in the great Parishes within and without this City; for the Teaching of poor Children to Read and Write, and cast Account, to enable them for honest Callings; and especially for the imprinting in them the Principles of Christianity; and the forming of them to true Piety and Goodness.

There are several of these Schools [Page] already set up by them; particularly in the Parishes of Aldgate and Wapping, and St. Margarets Westminster. And an Account will be shortly published of the Progress of their Endeavours; and their Methods and Orders for the Securing, and rightly applying what is and shall be given, for the promoting of so excellent a Design.

And surely 'tis impossible that any good Christian, should not freely contribute according to his Ability, to such a Work as this. Nay all such, certainly, must needs be very glad of the opportunity now given them, of being engaged in the best of all Charities; and of having such faithful and skilful Hands at their Service, for the imploying and Management of this their Charity.

Now for your Encouragement, my worthy Brethren, to persevere [Page] in doing these incomparable publick Services as to the Lord; and the more powerfully to excite us all thus to do all our Services, of what Nature soever, I shall lay before you a few Considerations; upon which I want time to enlarge, as I would do.

I. This doing our Services as to the Lord, will make those very pleasant and delightful, which would otherwise be as grievous and burthensome. You have heard, that thus to do, is to Act from a principle of Love to GOD and Goodness: And who knows not, that Love is an Affection most highly Pleasing? And therefore how much there is of it in any performance, so much of delight there must needs be. Now, if Love, whatsoever is its Object, carrys pleasure with it; what Pleasure must necessarily arise from that Love which is placed upon the Infinitely most Lovely Object, [Page] GOD, and that which is the next Lovely, Goodness; or rather, which is scarcely to be distinguished from Him; and no otherwise at most, than as Rayes from the Sun, or streams from their Fountain.

II. This will greatly Dignifie our Services, and therefore our selves. 'Twill make all Acts of Justice and Charity, Acts of Piety: 'i will hallow all our Civil Employments, and make them Sacred; it will make even drugery Divine, saith our devout Poet Mr. Herbert. The meanest Servant of Men, by having respect to God in his Services, becomes HIS Servant, and a Fellow-Minister with the Glorious Angels: For, the doing God's will on Earth, as it is done in Heaven; for which our Blessed Saviour hath taught us to Pray, consisteth in doing it from This Principle; many of the Services of Angels being, for the Matter [Page] of them, such as We are utterly uncapable of performing, in This state at least.

The Angels, considering the Dignity of their Nature, may be said to be more meanly employed than the meanest of Men; as being Attendants on us poor Worms, who are mueh more their Inferiors, than the poorest Peasant is the greatest Peers: But they designing their Great Creators Service, in being serviceable to us, makes them to be employed Honourably, and like themselves.

III. Nothing but this hearty Regard to God in our Services, will secure our Constancy in well-doing. The discouragements we shall therein find, upon the failing of our expectations, will sooner or later quire dishearten us, when we chiefly propose to our selves the poor low ends of Gain or Credit; but [Page] especially, upon our meeting with a quite contrary Reward to what we hoped for. We shall be ready then to say, with those profane Jews, It is vain to Serve God; and what profit is it, that we have kept His Ordinances?

IV. This will be consequently a great Support to our Spirits, when we find our good Services not accepted by Men; or not to have their desired success. When we do good Offices either to the Bodies or Souls of Men, and find our selves unworthily requited, it goes to our Hearts: But we are soon easy again, when we can thus Reflect, I did these Services as to the Lord, more than to Men; and God is not Unrighteous to forget my Work and Labour of Love, which I have shewed to His Name; which is the Encouragement Given by the Apostle, Heb. 6. 10. and was that which enabled him, to express [Page] himself so bravely as he did. 2 Cor. 12. 15. I will very gladly spend, and be spent for you, tho' the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

V. Nothing will secure to us the Divine Assistance in difficult Services, but being governed by this Divine Principle. Nor can we reasonably have the least suspicion, of Gods readiness to go along with us in those Services, to which we are induced by the love of Himself, and a generous desire of doing good.

VI. This is that only which can give us a well - grounded hope of Success in any good undertaking. I know no Argument that Man can urge, to encline God Almighty to give a Blessing to his Endeavours, who is chiefly acted by little private selfish ends.

[Page] VII The successes those have who Chiefly design themselves, or the gratifying of their Animal Appetites, will prove more unhappy to them, than their greatest disappointments: They will help to make them so much the more miserable, both here and hereafter. Hereafter, as they will aggravate their Punishment, by aggravating their Sins; and here, as they will more and more Encourage them in those gratifications.

The Self-designer who obtaineth that Credit, that Profit, or Sensual Pleasure, he hunteth after, becomes by this means more uneasy than he was before: For the more any Lust is pampered, the stronger it grows; and there is nothing a Man's Observation, Experience and Feeling, do more fully prove to him, than that all Lusts are very troublesome things; and therefore no wonder that Perturbationes was [Page] the common Philosophical Name for them.

There may also be given not a few Instances of Outward Mischiefs, that attend on Mens prosperous Successes in Selfish Designs: But I proceed to our last Consideration, viz.

VIII. By principally designing the Glory of God in all our Services, we infinitely best consult our own Interest. This was touched upon in the Doctrinal part. By our own interest, we are to understand the interest of our Souls: Our Souls being our selves, our Bodies ours not our selves; as some of the Philosophers, both Greek and Latine, have observed. And therefore the interest of our Bodies, is no otherwise Our interest, than as it is subservient to that of our Souls. The Glory of God, and our Happiness are so inseparably conjoyned, that [Page] in promoting the one, we promote the other also. So that he loves himself best, who loves God most; and he who chiefly designeth His Glory, in the best and truest sence is the most Selfish Man.

And thus are we come to the Motive in the Text, knowing that whatsoever good thing any Man doth, (viz. as to the Lord, and not unto Men) the same shall he receive of the Lord, Or (as we have it in the parallel place) Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the Reward of the Inheritance. And this Reward of the Inheritance, we find in our Text shall be proportioned to the Services we do: To our Services, not to our Successes; Endeavour only being our Work. This the Prophet Isaiah did [...]mfort himself withall. Chap. 49. [...]. 5. Then said I, I have laboured in vain; I have spent my Strength for nought, and in vain: [Page] Yet surely my Judgment is with the Lord, and my Work (or Reward) is with my God. And now, saith the Lord, who formed me from the Womb, to be his Servant, to bring Jacob again unto Him; tho' Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be Glorious in the Eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my Srength.

Oh how Admirable, how Astonishing, are the Expressions by which this Reward of the Inheritance is set forth to us! It is called an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, reserved in Heaven for us: A Building of God, and an House not made with hands, Eternal in the Heavens: A Crown of Life, of Righteousness and of Glory: A Kingdom prepared from the Beginning of the World: A being with Christ, and beholding the Glory which the Father hath given Him: A Sitting with Him upon his Throne, even as he Sits on his Father's Throne: A [Page] transcendently transcendent (as the Words may be rendred) and everlasting weight of Glory. By these and more such Amazing Words, is this Reward expressed by our Blessed Saviour Himself, and His holy Apostles.

But by our interest, I understand likewise the interest of our Souls, with respect to the Bodies with which they shall be Cloathed: Since the happiness of the other Life is set forth by St. Paul, by having our vile Body so changed by Christ, as to be fashioned like unto his Glorious Body. And our Saviour might have a special reference to the Glorified Bodies of the Righteous, in saying, that They shall Shine forth like the Sun, in the Kingdom of the Father.

And by the Exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospel, as St, Peter calls them, viz. The [Page] Promises of so unspeakable a Happiness as is therein described, What may we not be Encouraged to do, for the Glorifying of our most Blessed Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier! And What may we not be Encouraged to Suffer too, for the same end! The Sufferings of this present Life, being not Worthy to be Compared with the Glory, that shall be revealed in us; as saith St. Paul.

And therefore, my beloved Brethren (to conclude with the Exhortation of that great Apostle) be ye stedfast, immoveable, alwaies abounding in the Work of the Lord; for as much as you know, that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord: Our Labour will be so far from being in vain, that we have now heard our Reward will infinitely exceed the greatest Services, we can ever be capable of performing: Through the Merits of [Page] our Dear Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be Ascribed by Us and the whole World, all Honour and Glory, now and for ever.

Amen.

FINIS.

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The Bishop of Gloucester's SERMON Preached before the SOCIETIES FOR Reformation of Manners. June 26. 1699.

§

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A SERMON Preach'd at the Church of St. MARY le Bow, TO THE SOCIETIES FOR Reformation of Manners. June 26. 1699.

By EDWARD Lord Bishop of Gloucester.

LONDON: Printed for B. Aylmer, at the Three Pigeons in Cornhil, 1699.

§

§

Published at the Request of the Societies, Which should have been plac'd in the Title.

ERRATA.

PAge 13. line 14. read sight. Page 35. line 13. read gloryed.

Some BOOKS Printed for B. Aylmer at the Three Pigeons in Cornhill.

[Page]

AN Account of the Societies for Reformation of Manners in London and Westminster, and other parts of the Kingdom; with a Perswasive to Persons of all Ranks, to be zealous and diligent in promoting the Execution of the Laws against Prophaneness and Debauchery, for the effecting a National Reformation: Published with the Approbation of these Lords, with many more.

Lords Temporal, | Lords Spiritual, | Judges,
Pembroke P. | T. Carliol. | Ed. Ward.
Lonsdale. | H. Bangor. | Ed. Nevill.
Leeds. | N. Cestriens. | Nic. Lechmere.
Bedford. | S. Eliens. | Tho. Rokeby.
Lindsey. | J. Oxon. | John Turton.
Kent. | E. Gloucestr. | John Blencowe.
Bridgwater. | R. Bath & Wells. | Hen Hatsell.
Thanet. | J. Bristol.
Guilford, &c. | J. Cicestriens.

A Discourse of the Great Disingenuity and Unreasonableness of Repining at afflicting Providences; and of the Influence which they ought to have upon us, Job 2. 10. Published upon Occasion of the Death of our gracious Sovereign Queen Mary of Blessed Memory; with a Preface containing some Observations, touching her excellent Endowments, and exemplary Life.

[Page] Certain Propositions, by which the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, is so explain'd, according to the ancient Fathers, as to speak it not Contradictory to Natural Reason, together with a defence of them; in Answer to the Objections of a Socinian Writer, in his newly printed Considerations on the Explications of the Doctrine of the Trinity; occasioned by these Propositions among other Discourses, 4to.

A second Defence of the Propositions, by which the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity is so explained, according to the Ancient Fathers, as to speak it not Contradictory to Natural Reason; in Answer to a Socinian Manuscript, in a Letter to a Friend. Together with a third defence of those Propositions, in Answer to the newly published Reflections contained in a Pamphlet, Entituled, A Letter to the Reverend Clergy of Both Universities, in 4to. All three by the Right Reverend Father in God Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester.

A Sermon Preach'd at St. Mary le Bow, to the Societies for Reformation of Manners; by Lilly Butler Minister of St. Mary Aldermanbury.

A Sermon Preach'd at St Mary le Bow, to the Societies for Reformation of Manners; by Samuel Bradford Rector of the said Parish.

A Sermon Preach'd at St. Mary le Bow, to the Societies for Reformation of Manners; by John Hancock D. D. and Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Bedford.

FINIS.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A sermon preach'd at the Church of St. Mary le Bow to the Societies for Reformation of Manners, June 26, 1699 by Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester.

Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714.

Edition statement

1699

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Date

2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A40098

ID [STC]

Wing F1725

ID [STC]

ESTC R27371

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

09822414

ID [OCLC]

ocm 09822414

ID [VID]

44193

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A40098)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 44193)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1357:11)

Source

— A sermon preach'd at the Church of St. Mary le Bow to the Societies for Reformation of Manners, June 26, 1699 by Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester., Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714..

Extent

50 p.

Printed for B. Aylmer,. London :: 1699.. (Half title: The Bishop of Gloucester's sermon preached before the Societies for Reformation of Manners, June 26, 1699.) (Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library.)

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