ALBEIT Men are apt to disagree in the Performance of Holy Duties, and every one adheres firmly to that Way, which in his own Opinion seems best; yet they can very readily lay aside all terms of distinction, and unanimously conspire in the Commission of Wickedness. 'Tis deemed a gross Pollution, by many ig­norant Zealots, to joyn with those of diffe­rent Tenents in the Worship of God; but they shall scarce make any Scruple to joyn with them in Drunkenness, and other Acts of Intemperance; and then, as they vain­ly fansie, make Atonement for it, by break­ing [Page 6]forth into passionate Disputations about Religion, and magnifying that, which they profess, above all others in the whole Uni­verse, whilst, poor deluded Creatures, they are acting quite contrary to the Rules of that Religion, they pretend to speak so highly in Commendation of: which may serve to inform us of the great depravity of our Natures, and the absolute com­mand the Devil bears over our Faculties and Powers, when we are so ready to give Obedience to him, and follow his damna­ble Dictates, and engage in his vile Service, and be such forward and ambitious Practi­tioners, in the Unfruitful Works of Dark­ness, which will be our utter ruine, unless we speedily renounce them, and instead of delighting in, and practising of them, and building them up, detest them, and use our utmost Endeavours to pull them down and destroy them. And therefore 'tis mine intent to try if I can write somewhat that may tend to their Destruction, which I propose to do by considering,

First, What the Unfruitful Works of Darkness are.

Secondly, That we are not to converse with those that we know to be guilty of them, unless it be in order to their Conver­sion and Amendment.

Thirdly, That 'tis the Duty of all tho' chiefly of Ministers, earnestly to endea­vour their Abolition, by a continual re­proving of them.

All those Sins that are forbidden in the Gospel, as unbecoming the pure Professors thereof, and daz'ling the lustre of their Profession, which should shine forth, and illuminate those that live in the obscure parts of the Earth, without the knowledge of God, and help to guide them to the true knowledge and Worship of him, may be properly called the Works of Darkness; because they wer ethe continual Practice of those wicked Gentiles, that walked in the Vanity of their Minds, and had their Un­derstandings darkened, and were alienated from the Life of God, through the Igno­rance that was in them, because of the blindness of their Hearts, which were past feeling, and dark'ned, and they were un­willing to retain the Knowledge of God and his Laws any longer, and began to a­bound [Page 8]with horrible Ingratitude towards him: And even as they did not like to re­tain God in their knowledge, so he, in his just Anger, gave them over to a Repro­bate Mind, [...], to a Mind void of Judgment, so that they were filled with all Unrighteousness, and involved in the Unfruitful works, of Darkness; of which you have a Catalogue in the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, from the 29th Verse to the end of the Chapter, which are these, Ʋnrighteousness, Fornication, Wickedness, Covetousness, Maliciousness, Envy, Murder, Debate, Deceil, Malignity, Whi­spering, Back-biting, Hating of God, De­spightfulness, Pride, Boasting, Inventing of evil Things, Disobedience to Parents, Being without Onderstanding, Covenant-breaking, Want of Natural Affection, Implacableness, Ʋnmercifulness, and which is the highest Aggravation of these, and if there are any other such like Works of Darkness, besides the doing of them, the taking pleasure in them that do them. But why are these Works called Unfruitful? Evil Works have fruit, as well as good ones; but here lies the dif­ference, he that does good works, labours [Page 9]for himself, and reaps the fruit of them; but he that does evil works, labours not for himself, but for the Devil, and he reaps the fruit of them; and therefore they are said to be unfruitful to the Person that does them, because not he, but the Devil has the fruit of them; and he will pay him his wages, which will be everlasting Torments in that dreadful place, where the Worm that gnaws upon the Conscience, never dies, and the fire is not quenched. Isa. the last Chapter, at the last Verse. The Con­sideration of which sad effect of these Works of Darkness brings me to the second part of my Discourse, to wit,

That we are not to converse with those we know to be guilty of them, unless it be in order to their Conversion and Amend­ment.

First, Because we were sometimes Dark­ness, but now are we Light in the Lord, and know that 'tis the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us, that we walk circum­spectly, and keep our selves as free, as pos­sibly we can, from all manner of Polluti­ons, and endeavour both to know and do what is acceptable and well pleasing to God, [Page 10]which we cannot do, if we converse with the Wicked; I mean by conversing, bear­ing a part with them in the acts of wicked­ness, and running to the same excess of Riot, that they may not speak evil of us, as Sin­ners frequently do of those that decline their evil Conversation, and will not be their Companions in sin, 1 Pet. 4.3, 4, 5. For the time past of our Life may suffice us to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles, when we walked in Lasciviousness, Lusts, Excess of Wine, Revellings, Banqueting, and abomi­nable Idolatries. Wherein they think it strange, that ye run not with them to the same excess of Riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the Quick and the Dead. And what is more common than for a Commpany of Drunk­ards, which perhaps, in politer Language, call themselves, A Merry Society, to up­braid one that shall refuse to go to one of the Houses of Intemperance with them, with the reproachful Terms of being an Avaricious Person, and one possessed with a Spirit of Covetousness in an intense De­gree; and that'tis not out of any dislike or aversion to the thing, because he thinks it [Page 11]a Sin, that he refuses to go with them, but because he is loth to part with that, which, according to their rash and unadvised Sen­timents, he looks upon as an inestimable Treasure, and not lightly to be parted with, his Money, And thus with vain and uncharitable Arguments drawn from groundless suppositions, and mixed with a few derisive Expressions, they strengthen and confirm themselves in their sinful Pra­ctices, and as brisk Agents for Hell, endea­vour, as much as in them lies, to bring o­thers into them also. But suppose this per­son thus under Derision, because he resists these Solicitations to Vice, should be ad­dicted to Covetousness, it cannot properly be said to be that which keeps him from this Sin, neither can he in the least be said to be guilty of it, by abstaining from it; for he only is the Covetous Man, who, when it is his part to receive, receives more than he ought; and when it is his part to dis­burse, disburses less than he ought; and de­sires that, which of right belongs not unto him, and through Oppression and Injustice encreases his Substance; and not he that refuses to waste what is justly his own in [Page 12]sinful Extravagancies. And as we ought not to speak or think evilly of, or envy those that by their honest Industry, and re­fraining the wastful Conversation of the Uagodly, improve what they have; but to praise and commend them, and endeavour to imitate them; so neither ought we to envy those that enrich themselves by Op­pression, or choose any of their ways, as the Wise Man says, Prov. 3.31. Envy thou not the Oppressor, and choose none of his ways. And here those evil-minded People, that are apt to envy their Neighbours, because they live in better Reputation, and grow richer than they, may see their Folly and Sin in disobeying God's Command. For if they get them fairly and justly, they are the Blessings of God, and 'tis his Pleasure they should have them, because he knows if they will imploy them to a good use; and he that is angry, and through envy re­pines at this, repines at the Mercies of God, and is in effect angry with God, tho' he may level his Anger only at the Man envied, and vainly think it terminates in him, be­cause he gives Riches and Honour to that Person, which he is unwilling should have [Page 13]them; as if he knew better how to be­stow God's Gifts, than he himself does; and this is no small Reflection, tho' perhaps he thinks not of it, upon God's Omniscience, and by consequence a most heinous Sin. And on the other side, if they get them through Dishonesty and Injustice, we are under the like Obligation not to envy them; for tho' God may suffer them to flourish for a while, yet when he sees fit, he can soon stop their sinful Progress, either by extending his pardoning and preventing Grace, if they reform, and sincerely ask for it, or by ex­erting his Power and Justice, if they pre­severe and continue obstinate in their wick­edness, and casting them down into Destru­ction. And the thoughts of this soon made the Prophet David understand his errour in envying the Prosperity of the Wicked, when he went into the Sanctuary to know the reason of it, Psal. 73.16, 17, 18, 19. v. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me. Ʋntil I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castedst them down into Destru­ction. How are they brought into Desolation [Page 14]as in a moment? They are utterly consumed with terrours. And moreover, a Man can­not envy others, without vexing and dis­quieting himself, he carries a Tormentour in his own Breast; and therefore the Holy Spirit of God so severely declaims against this Sin in Sacred Writ, because he would not have Men so foolishly sinful, as to afflict and punish themselves, Prov. 24.19, 20, Fret not thy self because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked. For there shall be no reward to the evil Man, the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

Secondly, We must not converse with the Wicked, because we shall not only de­file our selves, and help to strengthen and confirm them in their ungodly Courses, but entice others by our evil Examples to do the like; for evil Examples will be sooner imitated (if we may credit daily experi­ence) than good ones, especially amongst such People, as this Prophane Age abounds with, which have naturally so strong a Tendency and Inclination to wickedness. For if ever we had occasion to take up the Prophet Hosea's Complaint, Chap. 4. Ver. 2. Now is the time, for by Swearing, and Lying, [Page 15]and Killing, and Stealing, and committing Adultery, they break out, and Blood touches Blood. The word in the Original for Blood, is spoken plurally [...] Bloods, to express the great quantity that was spilt. And what was the cause of all this Blood-shed, but the Sin of the People? And has there not been of late, and is there not still, a great deal of Blood spilt amongst us that call our selves Christians, from the same cause, when such Multitudes fall by the Sword? Which we report only as matter of News, little considering that our wick­edness is partly the occasion of their vio­lent and sanguinary Deaths, and that so far as we by our Sins have been accessary to their Deaths, so far, without a speedy and sincere asking of Pardon and Forgiveness, we shall be obliged to answer for them. And how can we ever expect, that God should bless our Forces with Success abroad, if we lie thus shamefully wallowing in wick­edness at home? But we are so foolishly favourable to our selves, as to overlook this, and attribute these Wars and Com­motions to other Causes; we know, and find there are, as in times past, tyrannizing [Page 16]and persecuting Princes and Potentates in the World, and we fansie they are the sole Causes of them, to satisfie their Ambition, in enlarging their Dominions, and rendring themselves more absolute. 'Tis true, they are the Cause of Wars and Devastations; but 'tis only the Instrumental, not the Ef­ficient Cause, that is Sin. Wicked and Ambitious Princes and Rulers are the In­struments of doing mischief, and making confusion in the Earth, but 'tis the sin of the People, as well as their own, that sets them on Work. For God suffers wicked men to bear Rule, that they may declare themselves Enemies to the Inhabitants of the Earth, and punish them for their Ini­quity. And whensoever a potent Enemy or Enemies begin to disturb the Peace and Tranquillity of a Kingdom, or Common­wealth, they may assure themselves, what­ever other Reasons they may imagine there are for it, that their ways are not pleasing to God. For if they were, he would force them to be at Peace with them, Prov. 16.7. When a Man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his Enemies to be at Peace with him. God draws such a Line of defence about [Page 17]good Men, that live [...] and Ser­vice, that their most inveterate Enemies have not power to hurt them. 1 Pet. 3.13. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But wicked Men lie open to the Wrath of God, and the fury and malice of their Adverfaries, and must never expect any real peace and com­fort, unless they return from the errour of their ways, if the Scripture be true; for God says plainly, there they shall have no peace, Isaiah the 57th. at the teo last Verses, But the wicked are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot rest, whose Waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked. And hence we may learn the Rea­son why we can't enjoy Peace, 'tis because we don't seek it in the right way, we don't seek it in Righteousness: for 'tis not a great number of Men with Swords and Spears that can procure it, without it; and if ever we would have our Nation exalted, it must be by Righteousness, Prov. 14.34. Righ­teousness exalts a Nation, but Sin is a Re­proach to any people. And what pleasure and satisfaction can a considering person take in going in Company, or Conversing [Page 18]with the workers of Iniquity, and walking with wicked Men, whose very Actions car­ry so much shame and reproach in them? What does it avail any one to be accounted a brisk Man, and of a pleasant Conversati­on amongst his airy and injudicious fellow­sinners, and so have their Friendship and Commendation; when in the mean time he does that which is hateful to God, and provokes his anger, the effect of which will be his utter overthrow, and the confusion of his own Face? Jer. 7.19. Do they pro­voke me to anger, says the Lord? Do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own Faces? But you'll say, the World is very full of wicked people, and therefore you must needs converse with them, unless you go out of the World. True it is, you must needs converse with them in a civil way of Commerce, and Offices of kind­ness, and to endeavour the reforming of them; and such a Conversation the Holy Men of former Ages have been forced to have with the wicked, by living amongst them, tho' much to their grief and Vexa­tion, as righteous Lot was vexed from day to day with the ungodly doings of the fil­thy [Page 19] Sodomites. And the Prophet David laments it as his great Unhappiness, that he was forced to live amongst ungodly Men, Psal. 120.5. Wo is me that I sojourn in Me­sech; that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar. As if he should have said, I am sorty that this place, which I sought to dwell in, ho­ping it had been a godly place, should, con­trary to my Expectation, and to my grief, be so ungodly, and that the Works of Darkness should so much abound here, as the signification of the words Mesech and Kedar seems to devote unto us; for by Mesech, which signifies either seeking, or prolonging, is to be understood a People of Arabia that sprang of Japhet, Gen. 10.2. where it appears, that Mesech was one of Japhet's Sons; and by Kedar, which sig­nifies blackness or darkness, is to be under­stood the Ishmaelites, for Kedar is reckon'd among the Sons of Ishmeal, Gen. 25.13. And these were the wicked Israelites that had degenerated from their pious Ancestors, and made continual Oppositions against those that were faithful, and endeavoured to retain the Piety and Integrity of their Just and Godly Patents, as you may see at [Page 20]the last Verse of this Psalm, I seek Peace, and when I speak thereof, they are bent to War. But, tho' this must be granted as true, yet I hope we are nto under a neces­sity of joyning with them in their wicked­ness; we may continue in the World, and live amongst them, without that, and must, if we will imitate those Worthies that are now in the glorious Regions of eternal Happiness, as the Holy Psalmist, who would not suffer a deceitful person to dwell with­in his House nor a Lyar to tarry in his sight. And the Patriarch Jacob, that would not come into the Secrets of Ungodliness, or connive at it, tho' in his own Sons, as in the case of Simeon and Levi, who had defiled themselves with Blood, by killing a Man in their anger, but passionately crys out, In­struments of cruelty are in their Habitations; as it is in the English Translation; but accord­ing to the Hebrew, [...] Instruments of Violence are in their Cove­nants, Treaties, or Assemblies; unless we choose rather to follow R. Salom his Expli­cation of the word [...] who makes it to signifie Swords; then we must read it thus, Their Swords are Weapons of wrong, or [Page 21]violence. O my Soul, come not thou into their Secret, unto their Assembly mine honour be not thou united; for in their anger they slew a Man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel; I'll divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel, Gen. 49.5, 6, 7. And one would think you should seek your own good so far, as to endeavour, in imitation of these pious Men, to refrain the Society of the wicked; but lest you should not, I'll enforce it with the command of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 5.11. But now I have written unto you not to keep Company; if any Man that is called a Brother, (as all Christians are, and ought to live as Brethren) be a Fornicator, or Co­vetous, or an Idolater, or a Railer, or a Drunkard, or an Extortioner, with such an one, no, not to eat. Except it be for the same end that our Saviour did eat with Publicans and Sinners, that is, in order to their Conversion and Amendment, and to have an opportunity of reproving of them, and contributing as much as you can to­wards destroying the unprofitable Works of Darkness, which is the Duty of all, tho' [Page 22]chiefly of Ministers, as I am now to prove.

'Tis not enough for us to absTain from sin our selves, and thence take occasion to pride our selves in our own Righteousness, and boast of it, and deride the Failings of others; but we must use our utmost En­deavours to keep others out of sin also, by a friendly and compassionate rebuking of them, whensoever we see them like to fall under Temptation, according to the express command of God, Lev. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him, or as the Original words, [...] more properly sig­nisie, That thou bear nto sin for him, or against him. So that we may see we can­not withhold reproof from Offenders, with­out being guilty of bearing sin against them, and breaking God's Command. And here­upon St. Jude instructs us how we should do it, in the 22d. and 23d. Verses of his Epistle, to wit, by making a difference, and calmly perswading the more ignorant and flexible Sinners, that will hearken to one reasoning with them for their own good, [Page 23]implied in those Words, And of some have compassion: But to the more brutish and ob­stinate offenders, that despise calm and friendly Reproofs and Admonitions, you must use Arguments, that have somewhat of terrour mixed with them, and try if you can fear and affright them out of their wick­edness, and then keep them from falling into it again, by a pious severity, implied in those words, And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. That is, pulling themout of Sin, which is Metaphorically and eventually called Fire, because it will as certainly consume and destroy the Soul (tho' for the present we may not be sensi­ble of it) as the Fire would the Body, if it were cast into it. And thus far private Men are obliged to reprove Sinners; as for Magistrates, and Men in Authority, they are obliged to go farther, and if these Me­thods will not do, inflict punishment upon them; for they are the Ministers of God, and Revengers to execute Wrath upon them that do evil, Rom. 13.4. And 'tis record­ed to that good Governour Josiah's Praise, that he forced the Israelites to serve the Lord, 2 Chron. 34. at the two last Verses, [Page 24] And Josiah took away all the Abominations out of all the Countries that pertained to the Children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his Days they de­parted not from following the Lord the God of their Fathers. And such punishment would not only be a means of restraining the Offenders, upon whom it is inflicted, but of making others also beware of offend­ing, for, Smite a Scorner (says Solomon) and the Simple will beware, Prov. 19.25. And if the punishment that the Law ap­pointe for obstinate and notorious Offend­ers, such as prophane Swearers, Drunkards, Adulterers, Thieves, and the like was du­ly and impartially inflicted, such horrid Cri [...]s and Offences would not be so com­mon amongst us, as to the shame of our Profession of Christianity, which most se­ [...]ely forbids them, now they are. And this war the method that Moses commanded the Prople of Israel to take to put a stop to presumption, the making the presumptu­ous person suffer, Deut. 17.12, 13. And the Man that will do presumptuously, and will net hearken unto the Priest, (that stands to [Page 25]minister there before the Lord thy God) or un­to the Judge, even that Man shall die, and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. And all the People shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously. But alas! these things are now neglected, and this Duty of re­proving sin his been so long, and by so many suspended, that 'tis commonly look­ed upon as a Soloecism, or fault in a Man's Manners, and a Reflection upon his Edu­cation to do it. But these Excuses are to senseless, and have so little weight in them, that one would think no one should be so soolish as to omit it upon this, or any such like account, especially if he has recourse to St. James's Saying, in his last Chapter, at the two last Verses, Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the errour of his way, shall save a Soul from Death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. And certainly 'tis better, and he gains more that saves a Soul from Death, that is, Damnation, which is called the se­cond Death, or Death everlasting, as 'tis opposite to Salvation, which may be said to be the second Life, or Lise everlasting, [Page 26] Rev. 21.8. than he that gains an Empire: For a Soul is more worth, than all the riches in the World. And now consider, shall I that carry about so precious a Jewel, through neglect and carelesness, suffer the Devil to steal him away from me? What, spend all my time in taking care of the corrup­tible Continent (I mean the Body) which will e're long be turned into Dust, and neglect the incorruptible thing con­tained in it, the immortal Spirit, which shall live to all Eternity? Why shall I suffer the Devil to cast his venomous Dart through the wide Breaches, that sin conti­nually makes into my Soul? Should not [...] use my utmost endeavours to prevent an Enemy of wounding my flesh, and shall [...] putiently permit tghe greatest and most ma­licious Enemy, the Devil, to wound my Soul unto Death, and eternal Damnation But oh, the wonderful subtilty of the grand Adversary of Mankind! He covers his may licieous designs under pretence of gratifying Mens Lusts, and rendering their Live more pleasurable, and slily perswading o [...] them, that these things are consistent with the liberty of the Gospel, which, as the [Page 27]wicked Simon Magus, that great Factour of the Devil, used to say, was not intend­ed to abridge Men of their carnal Delights and worldly Pleasures, and telling of them, If they believe the Scriptures, and are called Christians, and come now and then to their Assemblies, they need not be so strict and cir­cumspect in their Lives, nor so solicitous a­bout their Salvation; which according to his deceitful way of arguing, is so easily at­tainable. And thus he hardens Men against the loving Calls, and earnest Entreaties of Christ, in his Holy Word, and so draws them from sin, to sin, from a less to a greater, 'till at length he brings them to that degree of wickedness, as to commit sin with gree­diness, as the Apostle says, Ephes. 4.19. Who being past seeling, have given themselves over unto Lasciviousness, to work all unclean­ness with greediness. and now he thinks he has them secure, and if at any time their grieved Consciences represent to them the miserableness of their condition, and they are terrified with the distracting thoughts of their ensuing misery into a weak resolu­tion of endeavouring to get out of this la­mentable state, he derides them, and tells [Page 28]them, 'Tis too late, the Season for doing it is over, and they were as good take what plea­sure they can here, for it is in vain for them to coepect any hereafter, for Christ will nto accept those that are so loaded with Iniquity as they are: But, to their unexpressible comfort, if they will turn from the evil of their ways, and diligently follow after Righte-ousnesss, they shall immediately hear Christ contradicting this Father of Lies, and kind­ly inviting of them to come unto him, and graciously promising of them rest, Matth. 11.28. Come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. And here take notice of the extraordinary Love of Christ, who thus kindly invites Sinners, which have been his greatest Enemies, and despised, and disobeyed his Holy Precepts, and so plung­ed themselves into that trouble and vexati­on, which they are in no wise capable of getting out of, without his assistance, to come unto him for relief. Who but a Mad­man would disoblige him, and refuse to ac­cept his Invitation, when it proceeds from the pure motions of his Love towards us, and an earnest Desire of our being everlast­ingly happy? If one Saviour indeed did [Page 29]intreat us, like many frail Mortals, ambiti­ous of Empire and Greatness, to give Obe­dience to his Commands, and live Soberly, Righteously, and Godly in this present World, only for his own Interest and Ad­vantage, the case were somewhat altered; but 'tis purely for our good, that we may escape the eternal Damnation of Hell, and reign with him for ever in the Kingdom of Heaven, and behold his Glory, John 17.24. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast gi­ven me. And now what a strange pass are the people of this Impious Generation come to, that they'll rather obey the De­vil, that never did any thing for them, but always acts against them, as in their first Pa­rents, so ever since, and continually endea­vours their ruine; than they will God, who created them, and redeemed them from that dreadful and everlasting Punishment they were rendered obnoxious to by the Fall, by the most ignominious Death of his dear Son, and continually protects them with his preserving mercy, without which, they would long ago have been consumed [Page 30]and swallowed up in the Gulph of Destru­ction, Psal. 124.1, 2, 3. If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, now may Israel say: If it had not been the Lord, who was on our side, when Men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us. And yet the Alinrements of a Woman, that makes Profession of Obscenity, or the Incitement of a Companion in wickedness, shall soon­er draw a man into Adultery, Drunkenness, prophaning of the Lord's Day, and other horrid Vices than the most tender and bleeding Disswasives of a Crucisied Jesus shall keep him from them: and with their foolish Mirth, and vain Discourses, they drown the Voice of God, crying, Oh that there were such an hearth in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my Command­ments always, that it might be well with them, and with their Children for ever, Deut. 5.29. But if this calm, soft, and requesting Lan­guage from God will not prevail with them, to turn them from their Iniquities, they must expect to hear him speaking to them in another strain, and that very terrible, Mal. 3.5. And I'll come near to you to Judg­ment, [Page 31]and I'll be a swift witness against the Sorcerers, and against the Adulterers, and a­gainst false Swearers, and against those that oppress (or defraud) the Hireling in his wa­ges, the Widow, and the Fatherless, and that turn aside the Stranger from his right, and fear not me, says the Lord of Hosts. God will not always wait, though he does with many obstinate Sinners a long time, with the offers of Mercy, if they will not accept it in that time and manner, that he thinks fit to bestow it upon them; for a Man may defer making his Reconciliation to God so long, 'till he may withdraw his assisting Grace from him, and let angry Justice take place of abused Mercy, and then it can never be done, but he must be content to be amongst those, whose end is Destruction, and may sadly apply that Saying of our Sa­viour. Luk. 19.42. to his own particular case, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy Day, the things which belong unto thy Peace! But now they are his from thine eyes. And you may see an Example of it in wicked Esau, who could find no place of Repentance. though he sought it carefully with Tears, Heb. 12.17. And if a Man [Page 32]did but seriously consider, to what a prodi­gious height of wickedness the World [...] now grown, he may have just cause to ad­mire at the great patience of the Almighty in bearing with such gross Impieties, and no drawing the Sword of his Justice, and cutting the prophane Committers of them from the Face of the Earth; for they are grown more impious than the Idolatrous Ancient of the House of Israel, for they did their wickedness in the dark, every Man in the Chambers of his Imagery, for they say, The Lord sees us not, the Lord has forsaken the Earth; and so endeavoured to conceal it at least they fansied it would not be take so much notice of by the Almighty, Ez, 8.12. but these are more impudent, and com­mit the most heinous sins in the face of the whole World, and are so far from being a­shamed, that they glory in it, and think it an addition to their Reputation, which they foolishly imagine is highly increased by approving themselves men of greater A­bilities in Acts of Debauchery than other men: Otherwise, why do our immoderate Drinkers take such pleasure, and so applaud themselves, in that they are able to drink [Page 33]down others of more infirm Bodies and weaker Brains, and not only triumph over them for the present, but frequently report it afterwards, as if it tended to their credit, with a kind of rejoycing? But let them know themselves to be wicked in so doing, and that the rejoycing of the wicked is not good; and sure I am, that when Men thus rejoyce and glory in their sin, they glory in their shame, as the Apostle says, Philip. 3.19. And as they thus deal with God in wickedness, so must they expect he will deal with them in fury, Ez. 8. at the last Verse, Therefore will I also deal in fury; mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine Ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

But have not those whose profession obli­ges them to be the most earnest and careful Reprovers of Sin, been defective in it, and so permitted this Flood of Wickedness to flow in upon us with greater violence than otherwise it would? We will see what their Office is, and how they discharge it, and we shall soon be resolved: They are set as Watchmen to the People, and are to cry aloud and spare not, and to lift up [Page 34]their voice like Trumpets, and shew the people their Transgressions, and the House of Jacob (that is, the whole Family of Be­lievers) their sins, Isa. 58.1. And this they do in alarming Sinners, though with too much coldness and indifferency, some of them, from the Pulpit; but this is not all they ought to do, for if they find that sin grows so strong amongst their Auditors, that publick Preaching will not suppress it, they might do well to speak unto them by dis­suasive Letters, if they are capable of read­ing and understanding of them: but if they are of so perverse and reprobate a mind that they will not do; then let them try the last Remedy, and have frequent perso­nal conference with them, and not suffer sin, the Devil's Standard bearer, to display his triumphant Banners in the hearts of their people without controul. But ease and idleness will soon frame excuses for them, and tell them, this is the ready way to be accounted busie impertinent persons, and become the common objects of con­tempt and derision amongst their hearers, and what is this, but under colour of being afraid of offending their Hearers, being [Page 35]unwilling to be too buhe for God, and the good of their Souls, and disobeying the com­mand of the Apostle, who bids them be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine? 2 Tim. 4.2. For I would fain know how that Mi­nister keeps a diligent watch over the Souls of his Congregation, as he that must give an Account, when he knows any one of them to live in a continual course of Swear­ing, Drunkenness, and other damnable sins, and does not follow him earnestly with private reproof, when he may better state his case to him, than in a publick Di­scourse; although, I think, Divines might descend more to particular Cases in their publick Preachings, than many of them do if they did not aim more at a learned and exact Method, than a plain edify­ing Discourse. For why should not a Mi­nister, that is preaching against any parti­cular sin, that he knows one Man in his Congregation to be more addicted to than any of the rest, speak plainly to him, as the Prophet Nathan did to David, and say, Thouart the Man; for some must be repro­ved openly, that others may fear, 1 Tim. 5. [Page 36]20. Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear. But what if he should take offence at this, and grow more obsti­nate in his sinful Practices? Then take a convenient opportunity of discoursing with him in private about it, and calmly shew him the reasonableness and necessity of it, and try whether Arguments drawn from the Mercies of God, which he thus shame­fully abuses, will work him into a Refor­mation, and if that will not do, make for­cible application of the Threats of God a­gainst obstinate Sinners, and raise an Epi­tome of Hell in his Breast; wound his Con­science to the quick, and dress the Wounds with Fire and Brimstone, and never suffer him to be at rest 'till he reforms; ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not si­lence, and give him no rest, till he esta­blish, and 'till he make Jerusalem (this Na­tion, every one's particular Congregation) a praise in the Earth. You have Instruments put into your hands for the doing of it if you would make good use of them, The Word of God, which is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged Sword, pier­cing even to the dividing asunder of Soul [Page 37]and Spirit, and of the Joynts and Marrow, and is a dncerner of the Thoughts and In­tents of the Heart; and would soon sepa­rate, if it were well applied, between sin and the sinner. But many Pastors now-a­days, are too much like those blind Watch­men the Prophet Isaiah inveighs against, Chap. the 56th. at the three last Verses, to do this; His Watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb Dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy Dogs which can never have enough, and they are Shep­heards that cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his Quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. And these are they, against whose evil Example the A­postle forewarns us, when he bids us feed the Flock of God, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, 1 Pet. 5.2, 3. Feed the Flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint, but wil­lingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind: Neither as being Lords over God's [Page 38]Heritage; but being Exampes to the Flock. But now Men seem to endeavour rather to feed themselves of the flock, than to feed it, else, why should any one desire two or three Benefices, when through infirmity of Body, weakness of mind, or both, he is not able to serve one, as he ought? And I doubt the very end in taking to the Mini­stery in some is not good; that 'tis rather to get wherewithal to live after the Lusts of their corrupt Flesh, than to do God Ser­vice by instructing the people; otherwise I cannot see how they should be so exempla­ry in Wickedness instead of Righteous­ness, and live such loose and debauched Lives as they do, and not regard God, com­plaining of their spoiling his Tabernacle, and destroying his Church, and telling them, for their punishment, they shall not prosper, and their Flocks shall be (as they are already too much) scattered, Jer. 10. 20, 21. My Tabernacle is spotled, and all my Cords are broken; my Children are gone forth of me, and they are not; there is none to stretch forth my Tent any more, and to set up my Curtains. For the Pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the Lord; there­fore [Page 39]they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. Others there are, who seem to be a little more conscious of their ways, and abstain from these publick and scandalous Enormities, and are apt to com­plain of their Congregations scattering, and going from them, and running into Errours; but they don't take a right Method to pre­vent it: For, if they know that those As­semblies, to which they adjoyn themselves, are erroneous either in their Doctrine, or their Practices, why don't they go to them, or send for them, and shew them their Er­rours? No, 'tis beneath them to enter into a Disputation with an ignorant Mechanick, he is not capable of judging of the strength of an Argument.

Sure he must be a very ignorant person, that is not capable of judging when he is shewed to be in an errour from plain Scrip­ture-proof, which is the only Fountain, from whence a Divine ought to draw his Arguments, for convincing of Gain-sayers. And in truth 'tis a lamentable thing for a Minister to suffer any one in his Parish to live in Superstition and Errour, and not shew him it, and endeavour by frequent [Page 40]conversing with him, and advising of him, to work him out of it, because he would be accounted a meek and quiet Man: Meek­ness indeed is a very excellent Vertue, and our blessed Saviour was very meek in suf­fering, and when he was reviled, he reviled not again; yet he was as fierce as a Lyon a­gainst sin and errour, and in defending his People from the Snates of the Devil, and his Emissaries; and therefore called the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, Rev. 5.5. A Minister may do his Duty in this particular, as well as in any other, without losing the Character of a meek and peaceable person, and shall be better esteemed of by all good Men, if he does it, than if he omits it, and be so accounted of as the Minister of Christ, and Steward of the Mysteries of God, when they see that he is faithful in the business, whereunto he was called, and as an obedi­ent Servant to his Master Christ, is careful and exact in the discharge of his Duty. But I suppose I may give a more probable rea­son of their neglect in this point, for ought I know they may be afraid that these igno­rant Mechanicks, as they call them, that seek instruction elsewhere, though they are [Page 41]not so well skilled in Languages, and have not read so many old Moth-eaten Authors; yet they may be almost as well acquainted with the Scriptures, by making them their daily Study, as they themselves are; and if they cannot free themselves from thence from the errours and mistakes, that are al­ledged against them; yet they may be able to prove, that they, to their great shame and reproach, do frequently contradict their Doctrine by their Practices, and lead Lives disagreeable to the true Apostolical Rules; which they might do prudently to consider of, and try if they can retrieve their sinking Reputation, by keeping the Law of Truth in their Mouths, and not suffering falshood or contradiction to be found in their Lips or Lives, by walking with God in Peace and Equity, and in turnig many away from Iniquity, and in striving conti­nually to subdue Sin, and make Holiness, which is now much eclipsed, and in very great decay, to revive, and shine more brightly amongst us; lest they fall deeper, than they are some of them already fallen, under that severe Accusation of the Pro­phet Malachi against the Priests of his time, [Page 42]when he first told them what their duty was, and then accused them for neglecting of it, Mal. 2.7, 8, 9. For the Priests Lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his Mouth; for he is the Messen­ger of the Lord of Hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stum­ble at the Law, ( [...]) ye have caused many to fall in the Law) ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi, says the Lord of Hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the People, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial ( [...]) and have accepted Faces) in the Law. And yet for all this, they keep up to their former strict­ness and rigidity, in retaining things in the Church that are indifferent, and meerly ceremonial, and in no wise essential to the Worship of God, to the great hinderance of peace and unity amongst us, in the wor­ship and service of the Almighty, under pretence 'tis for the grandeur and dignity of the Church; but I suppose 'tis more for the advantage of the Church-men, that by keeping others out they may have the whole Harvest to themselves, and because [Page 43]they are afraid, that by being more painful in the work of the Ministery, and leading Lives more strict and conscientious, they would be a reproach to theirs, which are commonly more idle, loose, and prophane. And what tho' the Worship of the Jews was by God's allowance attended with a pom­pous Train of Ceremonies, to raise among the People the greater esteem of it, be­cause they depended on Christ only in pro­mise, whereas we have him in possession (I mean in his Gospel) and therefore we have not the like need of them, that they had; especially if we consider what a vast­ly different, and contrary effect they have upon us: For as they strengthened and u­nited them in the Worship of God, they weaken and disunite us. And certainly God takes not pleasure in Ceremonies, but in sincerity of Obedience. And therefore when terms of reconciliation in this point are proposed, they are much to blame that keep not close to the Scripture in their Reasonings, but by quoting of Councils, Fathers, and School men, and by learned and subtile ways of arguing, and by multiplying Distinctions, puzzle and weary [Page 44]their Opponents, and drown them with a flood of words, and then revile them, and triumph over them, as if they had got the Cause; and so rather than they will suf­fer a diminution to their Learning and Judgments, and lose the repute of being able to worst those they argue against, whe­there they have right on their sider, or no, they will imprudently keep a foot at least, if not widen our Diffeences still, though to the offence of their Brethren. But this being an occasion of offence to their Bre­thren. by refusing to comply with them in things indifferent, is not to imitate, but to act quite contrary to the Apostle St. Pauls, who siad, If his eating flesh did make his Brother to offend, he would eat not more whilst the world stood, 1 Cor. 8. at the last Verse. He would not let his weak Brother, for whom Christ died, perish through his knowledge. And spresume we may rea­sonably infer from hence, That if any Gar­ment, which he wore, when he instructed the people, had been offensive to them, and likely to have occasioned their depart­ing from him, he would not have refused to have laid it aside, and removed their [Page 45]Scruple. For he commands the Corinthians to give offence to none, according to his own Example, in things indifferent, I Cor. 10. at the two last Verses, Give none of­fence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God: Even as I please all men in all things (meaning indifferent things) not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. 'Tis strange there should be such a disagreement amontst us in matters of Religion; did we not all spring from the same root? Have we not one Father? Has not one God crea­ted us all? And have we not one Saviour, one Holy Ghost, one Hope, Faith, and Baptism? And as Christ is our Head, and we his Body, by the like proportion as the Members of a natural Body, tend all to the mutual Decency, Service, and Succour of the same Body, so we should do one for another, to make up the mystical Body of Christ, 1 Cor. 12.27. Now ye are the Body of Christ, and Members in particular, And what is the reason we don't do this? 'Tis because we are Carnal, 1 Cor. 3.3. For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye [Page 46]not carnal, and walk as men? ( [...]; and walk according to Man [...], not according to God) And the only way to remedy this, is to be­come more spiritual, and to endervour to abound as much in the fruits of the Spirit, as we have hitherto in the fruits of the flesh; and then we shall not be so desirous of vain Glory, nor so apt to provoke and envy one another: But 'tis to be hoped one party would as readily ascend, as the other should descend, and so they would meet, and agree in the mean; which they must do, if ever there be a lasting Recon­ciliation amongst them: For both Parties are in fault, the Dissenters in requiring too much alteration in our publick way of wor­ship; the Chruch of England in being un­willing to allow enough. And thus having shewn the failings of your Pastors and Mi­nisters towards you, that I may not be liable to an Accusation of partiality, and besup­posed to have done it out of any prejudice towards them. I shall now shew yours to them, that both Priest and People may see their Errours, and forsake them, lest as they are alike in their offences; so also they [Page 47]should be alike in their Punishments, as the Prophet Hosea says in his 4th. Chapter at the 9th, and 10th. Verses, And there shall be like People, like Priest, and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enought; they shll commit Whoredom, and shall not encrease, because they have left off to take heed to the Lord.

And First, You are apt rashly to censure your Ministers, and affirm that they do not take pains enough in their Stations, and therefore do not Preach to you with that liveliness and earnestness that otherwise they might; but don't consider that you your selves are in a great measure the occasion of it. For what can more discourage a Mini­ster, than, when he has preached ten or twenty years against gross and heinous sins, to find them reign as much or more in his Congregation, than when he first came to it, and that almost all his Labour is lost, as to the reforming of his sinful Hearers, and his Doctrine despised and neglected? Is not this the way to help to stop and hinder the Utterance of your Ministers, instead of praying that it may be given to them, ac­cording [Page 48]to the Apostle's Command, that they may be bold to make known the My­steries of the Gospel? Ephes. the last Chap­ter, 18, 19, 20th. Verses. Praying always with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirits and watching thereunto with all Perseverance, and Supplication for all Saints, and for me, that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth hodly, to make known the Mystery of the Gospel: For which I am and Embassadour in Bonds, that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. And if St. Paul had occasion for the Prayers of the People to enable him to speak as he ought; much more occasion have the Pastors of our times, who are far inferiour to him in gifts and knowledge: But truly if they could not in some measure speak as they ought, without them, I know not when they would; for I doubt many People seldom think of praying that their Teachers may be able to teach them as they ought, much less do it. But let them know that their for­getting or neglecting of it, does not in any wife make it cease to be their Duty.

Secondly, You have not that Estimation for them that you ought, but generally con­temn and despise their Office and Authori­ty, and set less by them tha the temporal Physician, and the Professor of the Law; for, though you'll advise with the one, when your Bodys are arrested by a dangerous Disease, and if your Title to your Estate be any way scrupled, you will not be any means omit consulting the other; yet you think it beneath you to advise with your Minister, though your Souls are in danger of perishing throgh Sin, and your Title to Heaven be never so doubtful, and will imprudently rely upon your own Judg­ments in this respect, although it is a matter of the greatest moment t' ye in the whole World, and that which you are highly o­bliged to be as well assured of, as possible yo can: And hereupon 'tis you are so ear­nestly exhorted by the Apostle to make your Calling and Election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. Wherefore the rather, Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. But this may serve to inform us, and that much to our disgrace, that we are generally more careful in the preservation of our Bodies [Page 50]and Estates, which are mortal, and perish in the very using, than we are of our Souls, which are immortal, and can never cease to be, either happy, or miserable. And hence it comes to puss that your Ministers are not worthy to be sent for in your sickness, no, not in the greatest extremity of it, even at the point of Death; but perhaps you think 'tis their Duty to come: I shall not say 'tis not, for I suppose 'tis, if they know it; but I am sure if they do not come without sending for, 'tis your Duty to send for them, Jam 5.14, 15. Is any sick among you? let him call for the Elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with Oil in the Name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed Sins, they shall be forgiven him. But this Text of Scripture is some what intricate, and the true meaning of it may not easily be com­prehended by a vulgar Capacity, and there­fore I shall not think it impertinent a little to explain it. Elders is a Title of Dignity rather than of Age, and there were two sorts of them, the one took care of the Government and Behaviour of the Con­gregation [Page 51]only, the other besides that did pray and preach to them also: And both these Orders were very honourable, as ap­pears from the saying of the Apostle, 1 Tim. 5.17. Let the Elders that rule well be count­ed worthy of double Honour, especially they which labour in the Word and Doctrine. But methinks I hear some conceited ignorants say, How shall any one send for the Elders, there are none in our Church? But that is their mistake: All Ecclesiasticks compleated in sacred Orders, by what Titles soever they are dignified, or distinguished, are Elders; and so were the very Apostles al­so, as they frequently stile themselves, 1 Pet. 5.1. The Elders (that is, those that are Pastors, and have the care of the Church, as you may easily gather from the following Verse) which are among you I exhort, who am also an Elder. But then you'll say, Why don't we call them so? We do in effect so call them; for our word Priest is the ori­ginal word for Elder, which is I [...], contracted, or shortened. And as for the word Bishop, which many seem to take of­fence at, it is derived from the Saxon word Bisceop, and that from the Greek word [Page 52] [...], which is the very Title by which those of the highest Dignity in the Church were stiled in the Apostles days, Tit. 1.7. and signisies an Inspector, or him to whom the Over-sight of the Church be­longs; and this Name I take to be given to them for reason, because, as it was the Office of him that was called by this Name among the Heathens, to see that their tem­poral Food was duly administred to them; so it is the Office of a Bishop to take care that Christians may have their spiritual food duly administred to them: And though some, that delight in Novelties, choose ra­ther to call those that officiate in their Churches, Ministers, and Superintendents, than Priests and Bishop are the same thing, only Priest and Bishop are derived from Greek Fountains, which is the Origi­nal Language of the New Testament, and Minister and Superintendent, the one is a Latin word, and the other derived from a Latin word; and if they abhor the Do­ctrine of the Latin Church, so much as they pretend, I wonder why they should have such an esteem for its Language, as rather to let it enter into their Church by their [Page 53]Ecclesiastical Titles, than the Greek, or words derived from it, which is the Lan­guage Apostolical. And truly those per­sons act very imprudently, that raise Con­troversies about, and contend against, and hate the innocent Names, by which those of the Holy Function are distinguished, for the Offences of the Persons called by them; for they neither occasion their offending, neither can they restrain them from it. And whereas mention is here made of the sick's being saved, and raised up, and his sins forgiven, through the Blessing of the Lord upon the Prayer of Faith; we must understand, that the Elders in the Aposto­lical Days, were endued with miraculous Gifts, as the Apostles themselves were, so as to be able through the strength of their Prayers and Exhortations to heal the sick, and take away the principal cause of Di­stempers from them, which was their sins, by procuring for them the forgiveness of them. And the anointing with Oyl was used as the sign of this miraculous Gift of healing, and obtaining the forgiveness of sick Men's sins by their Prayers, which our Church has very judiciously laid aside, as [Page 54]not necessary, seeing healing, the thing sig­nified by it, as well as all other miraculous Gifts ceased, when the end, for which they were designed, which was a Confirmation and Establishment of the Gospel sufficient for its support, encrease, and further pro­pagation without them, was accomplished: which was, as some Church-Historians tell us, about the end of the third, or shortly upon the beginning of the fourth Century, which is about thirteen hundred years since. And those superstitious persons that still make use of this anointing the Sick with Oyl, as the Elders in the Primitive times did, unless they could in the like miracu­lous manner perform the ting signified by it, and restore them to Health, and obtain the Remission of their Sins, without the use of other means, as they did, do but shew their folly, and render themselves ob­noxious to Ridicule and Derision amongst People of Understanding, that have not renounced their Senses, and imprudently yielded themselves up to fraudulent persons Impositions, and captivated their Belief to the Conduct of Impostors and Deceivers, which are forced to pretend to these, and [Page 55]such like wonderful performances, to bear up their Reputation amongst those they have so far deluded, as in part to satisfie their Ambition and Covetousness by making Merchandize of them, as the Apostle fore­told of them, 2 Pet. 2.3. And through Co­vetousness shall they with feigned words make Merchandize of you, (but let them read the remaining part of the Verse, and see how fast Judgment and Damnation are coming upon them for it) whose Judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their Damnation slumbers not. And these are the evil Men, that by grosly abusing their power in the Church, have made the People unwilling to allow the Reformed Churches so much power as Christ has given them, and will scarce be induced to believe that they ought, or that 'tis to any purpose for them, if their Consciences are loaded and disquieted through any grievous Crimes they have been guilty of, to make confession of them to their Pastors and Teachers, and ask their Advice, and desire them to put them in the best and most effectual method towards the getting of their Grief removed, and their sins pardoned, and that they would help [Page 56]and assist them, by bestowing their servent Prayers upon them, towards the doing of it, although the Apostle expresly commands us to confess our Faults one to another, and pray for one another that we may be heal­ed, Jam. 5.16. and them gives an encou­raging reason drawn from the powerful ef­fect of Prayer; The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous Man avails much. And if we are obliged to confess our faults one to another, and pray one for another towards the healing of them, much rather to the Minister, that he may pray for us towards the healing of our Offences. Nor does the true and faithful Minister's power end here. in hearing the Confessions of his peo­ple, and praying for them; but it extends further, and authorizes him, when he finds the Offender has performed those acts of Repentance, which God's Holy Word re­quires, to apply the merciful Promises of God to repenting Sinners, in the forgive­ness of their sins, unto him, and declare his Crimes pardoned, through the great Mercies of God, and the Merits of his dear Son Jesus Christ, and so reconcile him to God, as having received from him the Mi­nistery [Page 57]of Reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5.18. And all things are of God, who has reconci­ted us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the Ministery of Reconcilia­tion.

Thirdly, Some of you think them bur­densome, and that their allowance is too great, and above their Deserts; and here­upon argue that Tithes are not of Divine Institution, and that you are no where commanded to pay them in the New Testa­ment. But in what part of the same Te­stament are you forbidden to pay them? And although they are not ordained in express words in the Gospel by Christ; yet he has ordained, that they which preach the Gospel, should live of it, 1 Cor. 9.13, 14. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things, live of the things of the Temple? And they which wait at the Altar, are partakers with the Altar. Even so has the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel. And can you find out any better way of raising wherewithal they may live upon, than by giving of them Tithes? And this I may say [Page 58]for the Lawfulness and Authority of them, that our Saviour told the Scribes and Pha­risees that they ought to pay them; which I suppose he would not have done, if he had intended to abolish them, and that they should not have been paid under the Gospel, Matt. 23.23. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites; for ye pay Tithe of Mint, and Anise and Cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, Judgment, Mercy, and Faith; these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone. And here observe that this Woe is not denounced against them, because of their exactness in paying Tithes, even to the very Herbs; but because of their Hy­pocrisie, in not being as exact in things of greater concern, as making right Judgment in deciding of Controversies, shewing Mercy, and relieving the oppressed, and being as faithsful in the performance of their Promises, as they were in paying of Tithes, both which ought to have been done with the like exactness. And this may serve to admonish us, as well as let us know that our Saviour allowed of paying Tithes in his [Page 59]time, against the folly and errour of such Hypocrites, as will be very exact and care­ful in things of less moment, and remiss and careless, and apt to pass over those things that are of far greater concern. And the reason of the Apostle's not requiring Tithes, may be this , because they would not hinder the progress of the Gospel, by giving them the least occasion of thinking they preached it more for their own profit and advantage, than for their Good: And hereupon the Apostle says, he wrought with his own hands that he might not be chargeable to any of them; not but that he had power to forbear working, and live by preaching the Gospel, as well as o­thers; but he did not use this power, but rather suffered all things, lest he should make his Doctrine the less esteemed, and hin­der the Gospel of Christ, 1 Cor. 19.12. If others be Partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Novertheless, we have not used this power, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ. But if the Mi­nisters of our Times were obliged to do the like, we should soon have but mean preach­ing, [Page 60]and a very ignorant and contemptible Ministery: and instead of answering the Controversies and Objections of our learn­ed Adversaries with our Tongues or Pens, we must answer them with our Swords, which I think will hardly be allowed to be the true Evangelical, or Gospel-way of an­swering of them. For it pleased God to furnish the Apostles with extraordinary means to preach and declare his Will; so that if they were disposed to supply their Necessities by any servile Occupation (as St. Paul did by Tent making. Act 18.3.) it could not any ways disinable them for teaching and instructing the People; for what they were to speak and teach was in­fused into them, without any pains or study of theirs, in that very hour, in which they were to speak it, Matt. 10.19. But when they deliever you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given in that same hour what ye shall speak. But God has thought fit to let ordinary means take place in these latter Ages, and Men must or ought at least, by continual study and in­dustry to qualifie themselves for the Work [Page 61]of the Ministery; and must be supported of those they instruct, in the doing of it, and this they ought to do freely, and not to count it a great thing, but most reasonable, that they should reap their carnal things, which sow to them spiritual things, 1 Cor. 9.11. If we have sowen unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

Fourthly, If they inveigh sharply against sin, and a little terrifie you with the fore­thoughts of Hell and Damnation, you are ready to exclaim against the severity of their Doctrine, and to say, 'Tis the ready way to preach you to Desperation; but this is your misunderstanding of them, they in­tend not to preach you to desperation in that sense you take the Word in, that is, so as to make you despair of attaining Hea­ven, but only to make you despair of at­taining of it in the condition many of you are now in, (which sort of Desperation may be a means of putting you into the way of Salvation) for to what purpose is it for you to hope to go to Heaven, whilst you continue in those sins you are told [Page 62]from God's Word will keep you thence? 'Tis impossible for you that are Drunkards, Thieves, Swearers, and Adulterers, and are in the way to everlasting Destruction, without a speedy Reformation and Amend­ment to [...]he [...] it the Kingdom of Heaven; unless you can get the Decrees of the Al­mighty revoked, and make the Apostle a Liar, for he expresly says you shall not, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Know ye not that the un­righteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor Essomi­nate, nor Abusers of themselves with Man­kind, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, nor Drun­kards, nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God. And again, Gal. 5.19, 20, 21. having summed up the Works of the Flesh, he says, of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Read the Verses, and see what the Works of the Flesh are, Adul­tery, Fornication, Ʋncleanness, Lasivious­ness, Idolatry, Witchcrast, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, He­resies, [Page 63]Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Revellings, and such like; and know assu­redly, that if you are guilty of any of them, you must forthwith ask pardon of God for it, and forsake them, otherwise they will keep you from the Seat of the Blessed. Nor is it enough for a Man to ab­stain from these grosser Sins towards the es­caping of everlasting misery, but he must abstain from all sins, as much as is possible, though never so small; for the least sin is in it self damnable: and therefore the A­postle commands us to abstain from all ap­pearance of evil, 1 Thes. 5.22. And if your Ministers should pass this lightly over, and preach unto you smooth things; to­please and delight your Fancies, and not rough and severe things to disturb and a­waken your Conseiences, and disquiet you in the enjoyment of your seemingly plea­sant sins, they would do the Work of the Lord deceitfully, and ruine you, and pull down a Curse upon themselves, and your Blood would be required at their hands as God tells the Prophet Ezlekiel, that as the Blood, that was lost in the Land by the [Page 64]Sword, through the neglect of the tempo­ral Watchman, in not warning the people of their Enemies coming, should be requi­red at his hands, so he would require the Blood of those that perished in their Ini­quity, through his neglect in warning of them at his hands, whom he had made a spiritual Watchman. So thou, O Son of Man, I have set thee a Watchman unto the House of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the Word at my Mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou doest not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his Iniquity; but his Blood will I requie at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy Soul. Ezek. 33.7, 8, 9. So you see the great necessity that lies upon them of using ter­rifying Discourses to you, both in reference to you and themselves; if you would but once renounce your affections to Sin, and endeavour to arrive to some perfection [Page 65]of Holiness in the fear of God, no doubt, they would soon turn the course of their Preaching, and instead of talking of Hell and everlasting Burnings, speak to you of nothing but the Gracious Promises that are made to you, and giving you the best De­scription, that, according to their most deliberate Conceptions of it, they could, of Heaven, and the everlast­ing Joys thereof: which are so great, that there are no earthly Joys, al­though they should much exceed that of the Israelites, at the Coronation of their Peaceable King, which, (as, [...] the original words of the sorneth Verse of the first Chapter of the first Book of the Kings declare) was so great, that the very Earth rent with the sound that they made in ex­pressing of it, can be compared to them. But I doubt you will scarce be so kind to your selves and them, as immediately to forsake your Sins, that [Page 66]they may do this; you'll rather conti­nue in them, and presume upon the Mercies of God for pardon; but the Mercies of God are conditional, and you have no right to them, unless you perform the Condition. The wicked must forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts, and re­turn unto the Lord, if he will have mercy and pardon: ontherwise he can­not have it; for Christ came not into the World to maintain people in sin, but upon their Faith and Repentance to forgive them their Sins; this is the only way in which he will be a Savi­our unto you, as you may learn from hes own Words, Luke the 7th. Chap­ter, at the last Verse. This you'll say you know very well, and that you must part with your sins, or lose Heaven; but you vainly think it's time enough yet, and so defer it from Day to Day, from Week to Week, and form Year to Year, 'till you are habituated to wickedness, and so make it the more difficult to cast it off; and [Page 67]what if by deferring it thus from time to time, you should be suddenly, as many are, taken out of the World, where are you then? I shall not speak my thoughts, but leave you to judge what your place and your Portion must be for ever; very miserable, I fear.

For I must tell you, 'tis a great pre­sumption, and very dangerous for any one to think of doing that in time to come, which God bids him do pre­sently; 'tis as if he knew better when it were to be done than God: And if God says, To day if you will hear his Voice, harden not your Hearts; and tells you, That this is the day in which you should begin to seek after Salvati­on, 2 Cor. 6.2. Behold now is the ac­cepted time, behold, now is the day of Salvation; How dare you defer seek­ing after it 'till to Morrow, much less for a longer time, as hereafter, as you call it? Is to this the ready way to provoke God to anger, and to make him Swear in his Wrath, as he did to [...] [Page 68]stubborn Israelites, Psalm the 95th. at the last Verse, That you shall not enter into his Rest? And then you are un­done to all Eternity. For, although God's Mercies are great, yet we must not carelesly and wilfully forget his Commands, and rely so much upon his Mercy, as to forget his Justice: for as he is merciful, so he is just; and a Man may run on in Wickedness so long till he becomes merciless, and then God's Justice will take hold on him, and destroy him, Jer. 13.14. And I'll dash them one against another, even the Fathers and the Sons toge­ther, says the Lord, I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them: And if you will prevent the passing of this dreadful Sentence upon you, now is the time. Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found, call ye upon him whilst he is nigh. Consider you have a whole Eternity to labour for, and you have, many of you, lost a great deal of time already; there­fore make the better use of what is to [Page 69]come, it may be shorter than you are aware of. Ask Forgiveness forth­with, under all the Circumstances of Humility, on your bended knees, for all the Sins you have hitherto been shamefully guilty of, (for those Knees, which are now too strong to ply in God's Service, will be too weak one day to stand in his Presence) and keep a strict Account of all your Thoughts, Words, and Actions for the time to come, and every Night, before you compose your selves to sleep, bestow a little time in consi­dering how you have spent the day, and see what evil you have com­mitted, and what good you have omitted, that you may certainly and sincerely crave Forgiveness for it; which is the properest and most like­ly method for getting into a Habit of Vertue and Goodness, especially if you are careful to return Thanks to God in the Morning for preserving of you from the perils of the Night, [Page 70]and earnestly desire that his Favour and Blessing may attend you through­out the whole Day, and that he would prevent your evil Actions, and bring your good ones to perfection: And not adventure to lie down in the Sins not only of that Day, but of ma­ny Years, as too many careless Peo­ple do, 'tis much to be feared, lest you should sleep the sleep of Death, spoken of in Psalm 13.3. and the Wrath of God should seize upon you, and cast you into the dismal place of eternal misery: But immediately fix your Resolutions for the glorious Kingdom of everlasting Happiness, and let Piety be your continual pra­ctice, which is the certain way of attaining of it.

Cease to do evil, learn to do well, and be not weary of it, but be di­ligent Followers of them that through Faith and Patience inherit the Pro­mises; and in due season you shall [Page 71]reap your Reward, and be owned by Christ, when he comes in the Glo­ry of the Father, with the Holy Angels, and appears to those that look for him the second time without sin, unto Salvation.