A PROVOCATION TO GOOD WORKS.

THere is a Precept of our Religion, which I conceive my self concerned to put in practice, and as I would do it [...]owards all men, as I nave op­portunity, so now my mind is strangely inclined to do it more es­pecially towards you. I am not so fond of my own Notions, as to Baptize them with the glorious Name of Divine Inspirations, yet, I am so well sa­tisfied of my sincere Aims at the Glory o [...] God, the good of Mankind, as also at your own felicity that I am apt to believe the motion came from Hea­ven. Without doubt, the reading of this Paper can do you no hurt (except you will hurt your self, as many do, with the most profitable and useful things.) I can assure you, that the writing of it hath done me a great deal of good, and help't to in­crease in me the virtue, I perswade you to.

The Precept is Heb. 10. and ver. 24. Consider one another to Provoke unto Love, and unto Good Works.

[...]ou see Sir, that I am no Busie-Body in other mens m [...]tters whilst I employ my self in this Ad­dress. The long Knowledge I have had of you, enables me to consider whether you are able for Good Works, or need Provocation thereunto; and this Text obliges me to do it. I shall make the Provocati­ [...]n to Good Works only the Subject of my present Ad­dress: And I believe, I shall find enough to exercise [...] our Patience in treating on that (although it is [...]ertain, you have often spent more time in examin­ing [Page 2] some long Deed, than the reading this Paper wil require) aad I hope you will think it reason­able (for once) to do as much for the securing an Eternal Felicity, as you have o [...]ten done, to prevent a Cheat in some Temporal concern.

Now Sir, when in Obedience to the Precept I began to Consider you, I found, besides what is Common to all Rich men, some things peculiar to your self, God hath not only given you all you are (even your self) and all that you have, even every penny of your E­state; given it you, not to use as you please, but as he will, and as he hath directed by the Laws of Na­ture or Scripture, & told you that he would call you to Account for the use of it at the last day; as it is with all other men: But God hath singled you out as an Eminent instance of his Bounty, and from a small beginning raised you to a vast Estate: If your Estate had been left by your Ancestors, it had been never­theless indeed of Gods gift; but yet when he gives a man power to get Wealth himself, and makes him Founder of a new Family, it gives greater Obligati­on to Good Works: God expects that when we do so plentifully receive, and that immediately at his hands, we should freely give to the purposes he di­rects. And it gives great Ability as well as Obli­gation; he that so receives his Estate, hath it more free & Dissencumberd; and in that respect no man hath greater Ability than your self: Princes and No­bles that have vast Revenues, have them charged with an O [...]ligation to so great Expences, that oft they have less to sp [...]re for Good VVorks than mea­ner men, and all Estates by decent come to the Heirs with like Obligations; whereas your being free, and having nothing that may make it seem an Encumber [...] [Page 3] Estate (except your name may be thought so to do) affords much to spare for such excellent purposes. [...]Tis said the thousands you are worth, suffice to measure the years of your Age, being now Eighty [...]t least; and if so, I believe the imparing your E­ [...]ate ten or twenty thousand pounds, would be to you [...]o more mist, than the paring of your Nails; and it [...]ould but make the world to you, and you to it a [...]ittle Lesser cumber: so that you can plead no dis­ [...]bility to what I am to Provoke you unto, viz. Good [...]Vorks, except it be a disability of your own making; & [...]hat I [...]ear is great; & this induces the second Con­ [...]deration that perswadeth me to Provoke you to [...]ood VVorks, viz. The great Indisposition (I fear) you [...]ave thereunto.

Men that have the greatest Natural Ability to many things, have none at all to the same things [...]s moraliy considered; but in nothing is it more evi­ [...]ent than in this matter of doing Good VVorks. Men [...]hat have great Estates, no Children to inherit them, [...]hat have past all the Offices of charge that can be [...]mposed on them, that are not ingaged to keep great [...]ouses or give great entertainments, or maintain [...] port suitable to their income, or any such matters [...]f charge, one would think such as these have a [...]reat Natural Ability to do Good VVorks: yet have [...] known some such, that, by all the Arts of perswasi­ [...]n, could not be induced to give six-pence to the most [...]ecessary Collection for Charitable or Pious Uses: [...] believe your experience of this, will save me the [...]bour of a demonstration; yet I will here observe [...]hat there is such a power, in an habit and custom of [...]etting and saving money, especially when it is con­ [...]acted by great love too, and long use of the same; [Page 4] that it becomes a second Nature, and carrys afte [...] it all the thoughts and imaginations of the mind, s [...] that such men can scarce have a thought at libert [...] for the entertainment of any charitable motions: n [...] nor to consider how to make due provisions fo [...] themselves; Such I have known that could scar [...] be forced by sharp hunger to think of buying oug [...] to eat, or by shame and cold to think of buyin [...] Cloaths, or by biting of Vermine, to be at the charg [...] of washing their Linnen. The wise man tells us o [...] some such, That set their very Souls to Sale, and c [...] away their own Bowels, Eccles. 10. the world is full [...] storys of this kind, whereof some pretend to ow [...] somewhat to your self; the truth whereof I am n [...] concerned to examin, but may thence suspect (I hop [...] without offence) that a difficulty there is to Prove [...] you to Good VVorks, which yet doth not discourag [...] but excite me to the same. For this being but [...] Moral disability; it may, by Moral means, with t [...] aids of Divine Grace, be cured; and such a contr [...] ry habit induced, that may utterly extinguish and [...] radicate the former; but this not without very gre [...] difficulty, which makes me take the occasion ea [...] nestly to desire, that this thing may be well con [...] dered of others as your self; for many I have know [...] that have suffered much disquiet of mind in the [...] Age, for neglecting to think of this in their Yout [...] when they were young, they thought the securing [...] themselves against the assaults of want & misery of pr [...] viding for a Family & old Age, &c. were matters of [...] great weight, that this would bear them out in so [...] nigardly scraping & backwardness in the matters [...] muniscence & charity in their youth: But by indul [...] ng themselves then in the neglect of these Virtu [...] [Page 5] and accustoming themselves to things of too near approach to the contrary Vices (as afore) they have found that an ill disposition hath been begotten in them, which hath not only betrayed them to many [...]ndecencys & to the trifling away such opportu­nities of doing Good Works in Youth as can never be [...]ecalled, but also hath proved invincible in old Age when it worst of all became them.

Therefore on the by, let me admonish all good [...]oung men to take heed of this: For an extream of munificence to any Good Works, or charity to the Poor, [...]s far more safe and excuseable than its contrary; [...]nd it was never known that such have been forsa­ [...]en, and driven to great want. I confess it is a most [...]ivine thing, when Goodness of mind and affection [...]egets, within it self, a wisdom and prudence, that may minister to it in all its motions and actions▪ & [...]hen when these two emit a zeal and active power [...]or the accomplishment of Good Works, nothing can [...]e a miss therein, but all most deiform and divine: And this all should aspire unto; but where there [...]s a sincere affection to Goodness, it is a Perfection; e­ [...]en though it do not fully effect the prudence fore­ [...]entioned, by reason of some natural or acciden­ [...]al causes hindering the same; and therefore it is [...]ot to be condemned, but improved by the aids of others. There could be no greater excess of mu­ [...]ificence than that of the poor Widdow, to cast all [...]hat she had, even her whole Living into Gods Treasury, yet for this she is not condemned, but [...]ommended by our Blessed Saviour, but to return where I degressed.

To this power of custom we may add that which makes it more difficult yet; The Devil, that Evil Spi­ [...]it, which hates God and Man, strikes in to influence [Page 6] men to Covetousness, and to increase the difficulty of doing Good Works. He knows well enough, that no­thing is more contrary to the love and service of God and our own felicity, than an inordinate love of Money and increase of Riches, therefore he will strive, when he sees the least inclination that way, to make the most pleasant representation to our minds of the great credit of being a Rich man & talk­ed off & pointed at for such, and suggest the various ways and methods of becoming Rich: and if he can but once inveigle the fancy with such thoughts and make the heaven-born Souls stoop to base designs for the gratifying such a Covetous fantacy, he knows he hath given the Deaths wound, as to all Virtue, so to all true felicity in us; the delight of sa­ving their mony, shall be to such instead of all the love and honour they might acquire by acting suit­able to themselves, and their incomes; it shall be instead of all the pleasure of Good Company and Good fare, & of the ease of a Good Horse when they are to Travel, and for them to go a Foot to save part of the charge of a Journey, and carry some light [...]erchandise to bear the rest is a most pleasant thing, (however it would seem grievous & reproach­ful to other men:) Such as these, never enjoy so much of felicity in their whole Estate, as a Begger doth when he gets a liberal Alms, who can [...]east and drink his Benefactors health, and spend his mo­ny more freely than any of these Misers, altho they have great Lordships. I have known very good sport made by their Companions when they travel'd in Company, (which they never do, but when forc'd to't) by observing and laughing at the ingenious in­ventions, and prety excuses these would have to [Page 7] wind themselves out of the Club, to come off with an easier reckoning than the rest, to prevent a Bait at the accustomcd place, or get to their Journeys end a night sooner: yet in such things, these cuning men, cannot see how the Devil be fools them, and while he suggests these tricks to save their mony, tempts others to make them a scorn and laughing-stock, and to tell of their Folly's wherever th [...]y come: how he robs them of all the Comfort and Credit o [...] an Estate, by fixing their minds so intent­ly on the increase of it, and, by a Dream of Felici­ty, induceth the greater misery, as I might pro [...]e by a thousand instances, but a few that you know may be instead of many by hear-say.

But though all this shews some mens disability (in Moral respects) to do Good VVorks, when Nature and Fortune (or rather Providence) hath abun­dantly furnished for the same, yet this should be no discouragement, but a motive to wise men to Pro­voke them thereunto; for although they have brought this disability on themselves, (as I said) and there­fore deserve the less to be pittyed, and are with greater difficulty to be releived, yet their case is no other than what all mankind (yea sometimes God own peculiar people) have, in some respects or other, fallen into. We were all under a disa­bility So much as to think a good thought of our selves, utterly without strength, dead in trespasses, sold under sin, subjected to its Law and Dominion, under the power of Satan, and captivited at his will, the Scrip­ture abounds with Expressions of this kind: God complains of the Jews, that they had destroyed them­selves; accustomed themselves so to evil, that they could not do good: Revolted the more for all his Methods of [Page 8] recevery; but yet for all this, Gods infinite P [...]tty moved him to essay the recovery of the world, and his Patience continued his Methods of Grace to his people, as long as any hope appeared of doing them any good. And it concerns every good man to shew himself merciful, as his Father in Heaven is mer­ciful; and that I may approve my self such in some measure I have undertaken this work, in hope that it may please God (who can do great things by weak means, and oftentimes most delights to work by such;) to make my endeavours, to Provoke; even you to Good Works: success [...]ul to that end.

There is one Circumstance more, which ought chiefly to be (considered) in this matter) and that is, your great Age, Exceeding somewhat consider­ably what men naturally reach: This hath much in it to mo [...]e me to Provoke you to Good Works. First, because I [...]now you are (at such an Age) natural­ly uncapa [...]le as well as morally unable to enjoy a­ny other [...]ind of pleasures; at least any that an E­state can purchase, besides those of doing Good V [...]orks, & those you may. And Sir, if you would but try, you would find them greater than any you ever Experienced. What Barzilai said to David, 2 Sam. 19.35. when invited to the pleasures of his Court, may be supposed applicable to you: Old Age finds no great savour, in Meats or Drinks, or Musick, in frolick some Exercises or Feats of Arms; 'tis only the studys of Wisdom, and performance of Good VVorks, that can give true delight to mankind in this Estate then his Reason is then most perf [...]ct, & if he have im­proved his time well, he may be supposed both to have provided for his Family, and all temporal con­cerns, and yet have sufficient left to Minister to [Page 9] Good VVorks; and he hath no need of bodily strength in this matter: It is hard indeed to convince those that have never tryed what exceeding pleasures Good VVorks afford to old men, because they can fancy no such thing: But if they will believe their own Reason, or the Opinions of the Wise, or the Ex­perience of those that have tryed, & not give them­selves up to sence & fancy, it is impossible for them to doubt of it: The Reason why they cannot fancy a pleasure in this, is because their mind is di [...]eased and distempered: Now as the Appetites of some distem­pered people, that loath the most pleasant Food, is no cause to doubt of a true pleasure in such Food to sound & healthy people: & as the delight of others through s [...]me disease to feed on Chalk and Dirt can never perswade a Wise Man that it is pleasant: So neither the Displeasure some take at being mo­ved to Good VVorks, & their Aversions to the practice of them proveth it unpleasant in it self; nor their pleasure in feeding on the Conceits of their Great Riches (which are, but Dirt neither) & heaping them up with care and labour, can prove that there is any true pleasure in it to any but those that are sick of the same disease. Now I dare warrant you Sir, if you will resolve on the Judgment & Experience of others, to believe there may be a pleasure in doing Good VVorks, & try the practice of them for a little time, that you will find, as the Queen of Sheba did by Solomon [...]s Wisdom, that the half hath not been told you. A pleasant story told me by a Tra­veller while I was writing I must here set down as somewhat to my purpose. There was in Genoa an Eminent Merchant, vastly Rich by trading, having only one Son, to whom (when grown to mans E­state) he gave a plentiful allowance for his expence, [Page 10] but 'twould not do the young Blade (not considering his Fathers pains in getting, but only his own plea­sure in spending, grew to th [...]t hight of Extra [...]agan­cy, that the old man saw his Son would be but a lit­tle while in spending what he had been long in get­ting: he trye [...] by good Council to reclaim him, but; could not do it. At last he resolved, since his Estate must be spent, to take part of the pleasure of it him­self: And then he thus bespeak his Son: Come Son I see my Counsel will not prevail, but you resolve to have the pleasure in spending what I have had the pains of get­ing: I will also resolve to share of the plesaure with you; know therefore, that so much as you spend in ill Courses I will spend in Good VVorks. And according­ly, whenever his Son came to him for a hundred pounds to spend in his way, he laid by a hundred pounds for himself, to spend in his. The Son liked it well enough at first, and finding he could have mony at pleasure, spent freely on his extravagan­cies; the Father also fell to building of Alms-Houses and Free-Schools, and Work-Houses for the Poor, and doing other Good VVorks with his part of the Estate, and found such pleasure therein, that he grudged not his Sons pleasure in his Extravagancies at all, but was as ready to give as he to ask: The Son at last began to consider how soon the Estate would be spent, and that his Father being old had great advantage of him in this that he would enjoy the pleasure, and great Honour of his expence without any danger of wanting it afterwards, whereas when all was gone, himself might live long in disgrace and poverty; I say considering this He resolves to take up, and grow a good husband, and fo both diseases were cured, the Covetousness of [Page 11] the Father, and the Prodigality of the Son, and yet enough to support the Family in a very good Estate preserved.

Now Sir, as this old man would never have fancyed this pleasure he found, if he had not been put upon the Tryal; so you may be sure to find the like, if by this perswasion, or any other means, you be through­ly ingaged to make the Experiment. For tho' that which Herbert observes in his Poems be Uni­versally true.

Yet the Truth of it is most manifest of mankind, and in the State of Old Age.

'Tis Reported also, of an Ancient Gentleman, of Venice that he was wont, when he had observed a poor man, in whose Countenance appeared the signs of necessity and dispondency, to place himself advantageously for the purpose, & then to send his man to pass by & clap a piece of Gold or two, into the poor mans hand, that so he might please himself to see the Transports and Devotion that was occasi­oned by so liberal an Alms. And he used to say he took more delight in so Raising the minds of men from a kind of Death, and winging their Souls for a flight to Heaven, to offer their joys & praise to the most high, and in preventing, (it may be) their bodi­ly death, which such necessity & dispondency o [...]t oc­casion'd then in all other pleasures his Estate could afford him.

But that Consideration which from your great Age most of all moves me to Pro­voke you to Good Works, is this, That you cannot in all [Page 12] probability have long to live in this World; and there­fore it is most fit you hasten the performance of them, being so necessary to your Salvation.

You are now on the brink of Eternity, where you shall Receive according to what you have done in this Body, good or evil: for God will there ren­der a Rewerd to every man according to his works. Now Good Works being the only sure Foundation which we are to lay up against the time to come, if we mean to lay fast hold on Eternal Life, 1 Tim. 6.18, 19. what reason is there to provoke you thereunto? now least for want of Good VVorks than, you should be rejected from the Communion of the God of all Goodness, the Good Angels and Good Men, and Commanded to depart, as Accursed of God, into [...]verlasting Fire, prepared or the Devil and his An­gels. Wherefore here I shall set my Foot, and insist as well as I can on this proposition, That Good Works are of absolute necessity (not only to your Respect and Honour in this World but) to your Eternal Fe­licity in the World to come; I Principally intend the latter of these, the former will come in on the By.

Christ the Son of God, hath indeed undertaken to save us, and no works of our own could ever have done, without him; but he will never do it on any other Terms, than such as shall be most ad­vantageous, first to the pleasure and honour of his most Righteous Father, and secondly to the hap­piness, & wellfare of man himself & to that of the Community of mankind; His participation of the na­ture of God in the second person of the Blessed Trinity, and his taking the Common Nature of Man (and not any ones particular Person) into the Union of his Ever Blessed Deity; this makes it impossible [Page 13] that he could ever undertake to save us otherwise, nor doth his Gospel mention any other Termes of Salvation to be made with any.

The Doctrine taught by the Messenger he sent to Prepare his way, and by his own Preaching in the begining of his Ministry, had this for the Subject of it (Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is [...]t hand) and this was to shew that he would admit none to be his Subjects and to partake of his Salvation, but such as desisted from their Rebellion against God, and gave themselves up to the Conduct of his Laws▪ nor that he ever intended by the Grace of the Gos­pel, to give any dispensation to live in sin: And therefore, if any should ask now, as some did of old, Mal. 6, 7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, or ten thousand Rivers of Oyl? shall I give my first-born for my Transgression, the Fruit of my Bo­dy for the Sin of my Soul? he would receive the same Answer (he hath shewed thee O man what is Good) No dispensation can by any means be obtained for doing Evil, no Thousands, or ten Thousands, nor Goods, nor Children, but Obedience to what God requires of us, in doing Good Works: I say, none but this will be accepted (Although by the way I must observe, that these were a Noble sort of Sinners compared with our Niggarly ones that will not give, nor so much as offer one Groat to please God or attone for their sins.) All the Prophets of Old taught this Doctrine; that no Sa­crifices were acceptable to God without Repentance & Good Works: their oblations where vain; ‘Incense abominable; their Feasts and Solemn Assemblie [...], Burdensome, till they were washed from their sins, and began to releive the oppressed, and do other [Page 14] Good Works Esa, 1st. the wieked must forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and return to the Lord (by obeying his Laws and imitating his Goodness) before he will have mer­cy upon him; for though God hath no pleasure in the Death of the wicked, yet he must turn from his wickedness if he will live: for if he spoil by Violence, or Oppress the Poor, or defile his Neigh­bours Wife, or do any such abominations, he shall surely die, Ezek. 18.’ Now these Prophets Christ came not to destroy, but to fulfill; his Doctrine was of the same import, he declared he came into the world to no other purpose, but to ‘Call Sinners to Repentance, and that he dyed for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity; and purifie to himself a peculiar people Zealous of Good Works. And he therefore Commands that our light so shine before men, that they may see our Good Works, and glorifie our Father which is in Hea­ven: and finally he tells us, that he will acknow­ledge none for his at the last day (be their Pleas never so obliging) if they have been workers of Ini­quity; For not every one that saith unto him Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he only that doth the will of his Father which is in Heaven.’

And his holy Apostles, by Divine inspirations, taught the same Doctrine, ‘That God will render unto every man according to his works, to them that, by patient Continuance in WELL DOING, seek for glory, honour, and immortallity he will give Eternal Life, but Tribulation and Anguish to every Soul that doth evil, and warns us not to be deceived, for that the unrighteous shall not inhe­rit [Page 15] the Kingdom of God, nor Fornicators, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, or any other sort of Sin­ners except they be washed by Repentance, and bring forth such Fruits as are worthy the same:’ for God cannot be mocked with any false appearences of things, but according ‘as a man sows so shall he also reap;’ and no mans pretences of Faith or Re­ligion shall more avail him without Good Works, than his good wishes did avail the poor whilst he gave him nothing to supply his wants. I have hinted these things to shew what the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles was in Conformity to that of the Prophets of Old, and that he remitted nothing of the necessity of Repentance and Good VVorks, but he hath added infinite Obligations thereunto: And this he did for the honour of his heavenly Father; for it would have been an infinite Disparagem [...]nt to the Laws of God, both in Nature and Scripture, (and so to his Wisdom and Goodness, that was Author of them) if Christ should have saved us, without hearty Repentance for what we had done contrary to those Laws, and stedfast resolution for the future, to obey them in doing Good Works, and it is only by our light so shineing before men that they may see Good Works, that they will be moved to glorifie our Father which is in heaven. And the same Repentance and Obedience, which is necessa­ry for the honour of Almighty God, is also most ad­vantageous to the happiness of the person himself that performs it, and is the great effect of Christs Salvation in him. To be saved without Repentance (i. e.) forsaking our sins and practicing the contra­ry virtues, is a contradition in the very Nature of the thing; for it would be to be saved, without being [Page 16] saved; Sin and Misery, Virtue and Felicity are, so Naturally and Inseperably conjoyned, that in the ex­ercise of the one, we most certainly become posses­sors of the other: So that for a man to be abandoned unto Pride, or Malice or Revenge, to Covetousness, Intemperance, or Discontent, is to be damned to a kind of hell upon earth; and only when he is freed from the Dominion of those and indued with Humility, Charity, Wisdom, and Sobriety, & such other Virtues, I say only then, can he be truly said to be saved. To serve God is the most perfect Freedom, and to do kindnesses to Men the highest delight: and if all men would strive together, for this Evangelical Righteousness, this Earth would be a kind of Heaven. A delight in doing Good makes a man like to God, a Companion of Angels, a Delight to Mankind: And this gives him such Joy and Satisfaction in himself, as the Devil nor Wicked men can never disturb. This is indeed, that Heavenly Kingdom which was began on earth, when God in Christ Jesus came down to dwell a­mong us, and this will most certainly consign us to follow him to the possess [...]on and enjoyment of the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven when we go hence and shall be seen no more.

But the advantage of the Terms, whereon Christ Jesus hath undertaken to sa [...]e us, must reach fur­ther than any mans single person even unto the whole Community of mankind: at least so far as they are within reach of each other, and this re­sults (as I shewed) from the Consideration of CHRIST'S Participation of our Common NATURE and uniting it into one person with the Divine; Now what Christ commands [Page 17] doth tend to this, that is most apparent; For in his first Sermon on the Mount, in which he most solemn­ly deliver'd his Blessed Law of our Liberty and Salva­tion, half the Beatitudes are appropriated to such Vir­ [...]ues as make for the happiness of humane Society; [...]uch as humility, or poverty of spirit; Meekness. Mercifulness, Peace-making, and Patience under the Cross; than which nothing can tend more to prevent [...]e mischiefs that disturb the World, and to bless [...]ll Communities with a sweet and happy Conversa­ [...]on. He has also therein told us, that he sets [...]is Apostles and Disciples as the light of the world [...]nd Salt of the earth; and commands, that they [...]lace themselves most advantageously for benign [...]fluences on others, and that they preserve the [...]reatest savour in themselves, that they may most [...]ffectually season all about them; therein also he for­ [...]ds the first risings of Anger, the beginnings of [...]rife, and stirrings of unlawful lusts; and com­ [...]ands that we use the greatest Circumspection, [...]ast any thing from without or from within pro­ [...]oke these injurious lusts and passions; Nay (which [...]s most wonderful) to prevent offending our Bro­ [...]er, by tempting or troubling him, he requires that [...]e offend our selves in most severe instances: as [...]ucking out our Right Eye, and cutting off our [...]ight Hand; & if at any time we do offend or pro­ [...]oke them, he requires the most speedy reconcilia­ [...]on; admitting us to defer the most sacred Offices [...] Divine Worship rather than neglect it: He [...]acheth that every one is our Brother and Neigh­ [...]ur who needs our help, and whom we have op­ [...]rtunity to releive; (contrary to the Doctrine of [...] proud & uncharitable Pharisees) & That no inju­ries [Page 18] they can do us should hinder our doing them good when it is in our power: That though they most uncivilly impose on us to do them a kindness, yet we should do it double; And that we should venture their presuming to do us a second injury, rather than revenge the first; that we love our Enemies, bless them that curse us, and pray for our perse­cutors, and do Good for Evil. These are precepts that have such a strange force to form and preserve Unity, Love, Peace & Concord in the World, that all things contrary thereunto can be imputed to no more certain cause than a defect in the practice of these rules. But more to the purpose yet; he hath made it the very express condition of our receiving mer­cy and pardon at the hands of God, that we be mer­ciful, and forgive our offending Brother; and tha [...] not once, nor twice, but without limit; not seven, but seventy times seven: And only upon condition that we freely give as we have freely recei­ved, hath he promised that we shall have any more and he makes Well using to be the having, and promi­seth they shall have more; but the hiding and detain­ing from good uses is not having, and from the [...] shall be taken away that which they but seemed t [...] have.

Thus our blessed Saviour hath answered his Obligation to both Natures, of God and Man. Bei [...] so God that he was the eternal Word & Wisdo [...] of the Father, he hath ordered the affairs of o [...] Salvation for the greatest Glory of the Deity: An [...] being so man that he is made Wisdom, Righteo [...] ness, Sanctification and Redemption to men, [...] hath so wrought these things in us and for us [...] tend to our uttermost felicity: and so taking o [...] [Page 19] common Nature that he assumed no mans person, he [...]th by his Life and Laws condemned all selfish Vi­ [...]s (of which Covetousness is the Chief) and com­ [...]ended all social Virtues and chiefly Charity and [...]iligence in Good Works.

You see, Sir, how necessary both Repentance & Good [...]orks are to the obtaining Eternal Salvation; and [...]at, by the consideration both of the Person & Do­ [...]ine of our Blessed Saviour, it appears that it can­ [...]t be reasonably hoped for without them; and [...]at notwithstanding all that Christ hath done or [...]fered for us, we must Repent and do Good or be dam­ [...]d. And I must tell you, that these two cannot be [...]ted, there can be no true Repentance without [...]its worthy the same; nor will Good Works ever [...] produced (much less flourish and grow to perfe­ [...]on) if they have not Repentance for their Root. Now Sir, I hope you will not judge me unchari­ [...]le in thinking that in your long life you may [...]e been guilty of many sins and iniquities: The [...]uisition of so great an Estate must necessarily in­ [...]ve you in Temptations to Acts of Injustice and ma­ [...]old Transgressions; which Temptations Humane [...]lty can very hardly withstand; upon this Account [...]s, that the wise man observeth, Eccle. 10. as A Nail [...]keth fast, in the joyning of the Stones, so doth Sin [...] e.) Injustice) between buying and selling, & [...]ay add, between Lending and Borrowing (which [...]f the same Nature as it is used for gain & advan­ [...]e) upon the same account also our [...]lessed Saviour [...] declared, That it is as hard for a Rich man to [...]r into the Kingdom of Heaven, as for a Camel [...] through the Eye of a Needle; these words [...]he wise man supposeth sin to have an easie en­trance [Page 20] but very hard to be got out, especial [...] when by long continuance it is as it were rusted [...] and hath got fast hold of our Souls: for it is as ha [...] to repair an injury done to our Brother, as it is [...] sie to do it (especially for Rich men) 'tis easie [...] them to oppress the Poor and involve them in a [...] cessity of Selling at their own price, but it is not [...] easie to confess that they have wronged their p [...] Brother and to make him due amends: whence [...] seth the difficulty of their Salvation, whereof [...] Saviour speaks. The Doctrine of Old, was th [...] is no Rimission to be hoped for without Restit [...] on and I am sure our new lights can discover n [...] truer; they may lead men, like Ignis Fatuus to t [...] own Destruction, but never find any other way [...] their Salvation.

But, if men should overcome this difficult [...] be willing to make Restitution, there be i [...] merable Cases wherein Restitution cannot be m [...] at least where the injuries are done; and there [...] in such Case it is to be done to the Poor; these [...] the Goodness of God and reason of mankind [...] most like to be designed receivers for those who [...] not receive it themselves: And this shows you [...] the Acts of Charity (to which I am about to [...] monish you) come to be the Fruits meet for [...] pentance especially for Rich men. For as no sin [...] not the least infirmity) can be broken off b [...] sincere repentance, so repentance for these ki [...] sins, can never be proved sincere but by restitu [...] restitution I say, either to the injured person o [...] the poor. It was therefore the Prophets Co [...] to a great man, (who had as it seems been [...] guilty of sins of both kinds) that he would [...] [Page 21] off his Sins by repentance, and his iniquities, by shew­ing mercy to the Poor; and that Council was given by way of prevention of Gods dreadful Judgments denounced against him.

But Repentance must be, not only for sins of Com­mission but of Omission also. Though we do not Rob and Steal; not Cheat, and Couzen, oppress the Hireling in his Wages, or defraud Creditors of due Debts; yet if we omit to do Good Works, to make our thank Offerings to God with a free will, to give Alms to the Poor & that with a Pious & Charitable mind, to help the Distressed out of their straits, & comfort the Afflicted in their Sorrows, & such like, we shall never escape Gods Judgments nor obtain his mercy in Christ to eternal life. The possitive com­mands are as truly Gods Law as the Negative, nay the former are always included in the latter. A Negative Religion is not half so good as the Phari­sees, and is outdone by Publicans and Sinners: the Pharisee, not only was no Extortioner, but gave Tithes to God, and Alms to the Poor, and yet, [...]x­cept our Righteousness exce [...]d theirs, we shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Publican did good to those that did good to him, & lent where he hoped to have again, yet Christ requires us to do more; if not doing were religion, a Stone might be said to be religious. 'Tis true indeed, when we consider man in his lapsed state, it is a necessary preparation to religi­on, ‘That he put off all evil inclinations, habits & actions, cease, to do evil that he may learn to do well mortifie Covetousness, put off Wrath, &c. that, we may put on Bowels of Mercy, but above all Charity which is the Bond of perfectness, Col. 3. Those that are rich in this World must not be [Page 22] high minded nor trust in uncertain riches, that so they may trust in God and do good, yea be rich in Good Works, 1 Tim. 6.18. so Luke 12.15. Be­ware of Covetousness, sell what you have and give Alms, provide your selves Bags that wax not Old, treasure in Heaven &c.’ this I say is of absolute necessity: for except the mind be purged by repen­tance from all Vices, and this of Covetousness a­bove all, it can never operate in Good Works, Vice is the Death of the Soul, we are said to be dead in sin, and the Uncircumcision of our flesh, while Vice lives and raigns in us; which latter Phrase, the Ʋncircumcision of the flesh shews, that as the Vices which are to be cut off by repentance, are our Death, so to cut them off is the way of our recovery to spiritual life. The initial Sacraments of both Testaments declare the ne­cessity of putting off all sinful habits and carnal af­fections in preparation for the Religion of God; Circumcision in the flesh, signified the Circumcisi­on of the Heart, Lips and Life; Bapti [...]m of the Bo­dy, the Baptism made without hands; and the put­ing away the filth of the flesh, signified the answer of a good Conscience towards God (that is) full­filling our Promise to forsake the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this evil World and all the deceitful Lusts of the flesh. That the Sa­crament of the New Testamant is less painful than that of the Old, signifies a greater eas [...]ness of do­ing this by the Aids of the Grace of the Gospel, than was under the Legal Dispensation; & the neces­sity of this is very apparent to reason; for Vice darkens the understanding, the light whereof is its life; corrupts the will, whose vital excellency is [Page 23] Purity, and makes all the Affections and Actions (which are as the Breath and Pulse of the Soul) to be disorderly and unsavory: The Death of Soul and Body are as different as their Nature & Original▪ The Nature of the Body is to be compounded, & mixt of Elementary matter, and so subject to dissolution▪ it is of the Earth and it returns to it again: but the Soul is pure and immaterial, it came from God and returns to him when it leaves the Body; it was in­dowed with such natural powers as Resemble those in the Essence of God himself (of which immortality is one) & made capable of acquiring such perfecti­ons as are ascribed to God with relation to his Crea­tures. These perfections are as it were its life; and it is said to die, not by disolution of its substance, but by such depravation of its powers, as other things are, which, retaining their substance lose their good qualitys: as Salt when it loseth its savour, Flowers, when their beauty and scent is gone, and strong liquors, when their strength & briskness is expend­ed, all these are said then to be dead; and so it is with the Soul, when it is without Goodness, VVis­dom and Activity in doing good. GOODNES is the most primitive of all per [...]ections, the root and soul as it were to the rest, they subsist in it, and in them it subsists and acts: We can form in notion of it in our minds but as a perfection; and as such in and of it self: But WISDOM must be conceived as generated by Goodness, subsisting in it, & acting by it, or else we may think it otherwise; and so of Active Power if it proceed not from both: God therefore calls his GOODNES his GLORY, Exod. 33.19. and it may be in a sence said to be his Life and so meant, Eph. 8.14. For take from the conception of God [Page 24] his GOODNES, and DEITY dies in our mind; for whatever Notions we retain of his infinity, eterni­ty, omnipotency &c. yet except we do conceive him to be good, we cannot apprehend him to be God. Therefore when the Divine Goodness was so Eminently exhibited to the world in our Saviour; he is thence said to be the brightness of his Fa­thers Glory: So the Soul, although it retain the essence of an intelligent and active Spirit, yet if it be ignorant of this most glorious perfection of God, and do not behold it in the Glass of his VVorks▪ and especially that of his word in the Gospel of Christ Jesus where it is most fully revealed; And so behold it as to be Transformed into the same I­mage and Likeness; it is, notwithstanding its natu­ral being, yet utterly Estranged from the Life of God▪ For Charity, (which is the same in us with that we call Goodness in God) is that vital Principle in our Souls, without which, whosoever liveth is count­ed but dead before God (and sure God counts not amiss) so that you see the Death of the Soul doth not conclude any destruction of its Being or natural powers; but a defect of Vertuous qualities and regu­larity in its operations; & this Death is capable of be­ing overcome by Divine aids, natural & supernatural; which are not wholly wanting to any, but bestow­ed superabundantly on us: By which it appears, tha [...] as among all the Appetites and Passions, which con­spire the Death o [...] the Soul, none so pernitious an [...] deadly as this of Covetousness, so none should be more carefully prevented by Education, and Eradi­cated by Repentance: ‘[Page 25]But because this Matter is Weighty, I will make a Di­gression to explain it.’

I say th [...]n that among all the Appetites and P [...]ssions which conspire the Death of the Soul, none is worse than Cove­tousness; because it is so contrary to Goodness. Goodness (as I said) is primitive in the essence of Moral Perfection, that which gives all Virtues their Being, as such; that which can­not but produce them all, if in a capable subject, that which subsists in them, and by which they all subsist, that which works in and by them and to which they subserve. To make this as plain and profitable as I can, I shall first explain the Na­ture of Goodness and then shew how this Vice is against it.

GOODNES is the perfection of all Beings and beginner of all profitable effects, & the more excellent a subject is wherein it resides, the more excellent is it's Nature and mighty it's Power. God over all is Goodness above all, Goodness in all, and Good unto all his Creatures; his Goodness hath all Perfections in it self; and therefore working within it self must beget Wis­dom, whereby to direct and govern all it's Operations ad Ex­tra. The power and seed of Wisdom must needs be contain­ed in perfect Goodness; for none can form a Conception of the latter, as subsisting in intelligent beings, but as it contains the former: Wisdom Being so absolutely necessary for Goodness to work by, we cannot conceive but that, while it hath it within it self, it must operate upon it self for the Generation thereof; and that operation must be Ad ultimum Posse (as they speak) Therefore God being an infinite Om­ni potent Being; and in this his operation within himself, working naturally and necessarily, and so to the utmost of what he can, his Wisdom must be equally infinite and omni­potent as his Goodness, and their subsistance in each other E­qual and Mutual.

From these two working together within themselves must proceed an Active spirit of equal power and infinity: for as there is nothing in God but himself, so whatsoever proceeds from the operations of the Deity within it self must be God infini [...]e and Almighty. No man can conceive of Goodness but as inclining to be Active and Vigorous in doing Good, nor of [Page 26] such a Wisdom, (viz) that which is generated by Goodness and that hath Goodness dwelling essentially within it self; but as it is contriving and suggesting always something of excellent nature to be done, for which therefore (as judging it worthy to be done with Vigor and Activity) it must emit an Active Spirit; so that from the Disposition and Cooperation of Wis­dom and Goodness such an Active spirit must proceed as may be perfectly subservient to both, & of the same nature with both. Now the Divine Goodness affecting, Wisdom contriving, and his Spirit effecting the Creation of man, & that in the Image and Likeness of God himself, with a mind and spirit of like powers, and also capable of like perfections to his own, I say this being so, the perfections in God must be supposed to attend the impression of themselves on man. And mans Duty, to receive them according to the capacity given him, and in such manner as is agreeable to the Nature & Quality wherein he was made: Hence it will follow that the Goodness of God doth still incline, his Wisdom contrive, & his spirit work towards the making us to be like himself, and that chiefly in a great delight in the happiness and well­fare of all men, and a readiness to assist the same according to our capacity and in proportion with our ability; but yet that our Nature being made intelligent and free, God will not work on us by secret impulse, and forcible Necessitation, but by Divine Revelation and Moral Swasion▪ which if we resist, we oppose our selves against God, and pervert our own faculties, and become so contrary to goodness that God must cease to be himself, if he be not contrary to us; and this intro­duceth the second thing, viz. The contradiction that is in Co­vetousness unto goodness; both as it is in God, in his works, & in our selves.

The greatest contrariety to God, that we know among all created Beings, is the Devil; whose Character is the evil One, and evil in the very abstract. A spirit he was, Originally Lucifer­ous and bright above all others (as is probable) and made capable to be impressed with perfections which I call Moral in all equality to those which were Natural in him: But these impressions could be made only by his applying his faculties unto God, when God was manifest unto him (as the Wax is applyed to the Seal, as well as the Seal to it) that from God these perfections might be impressed on his capable Nature, but this it may seem, he was not necessitated unto, but left [Page 27] to perform according to the liberty which he had, even by nature; a liberty equal to his glory in other respects. Being made thus in greatest glory and liberty of any created Being, the infinite goodness doubtless had exhibited to him the glorys of his grace, not only in the excellency of that Nature where­in he had made him, in the Ministrys and Attendances of other inferior spirits, and a mighty Dominion given him over inferior Creatures, but in immediate Communications of himself and of his Divine favours and familiarities, and this not only to atract his Adoration, which might sufficiently have been done by the display of h s glorious greatness, but to impress the Image of his goodness on this glorious Spirit, that thereby he might be made to imitate him in all his operations, to the good of other Creatures. But it may seem that the Devil, rather applying his Cogitations to the maje­sty and greatness; the opulency, self-fufficiency and incompre­hensibleness of the God-head, & such like natural perfections, than to these moral perfections his goodness, &c; and ungratefullly forgetting that those perfections of Gods essence were the Fountain of Being and all Beatitudes to himself, and by him to be adored, but not aspired unto; and preferring the pleasant conceit of being like God in those his incommunicable glo­ries, before the likeness of that goodness, which God esteem­ed his chiefest glory and delight, & yet would most gladly have all his works to pertake of: THIS PLEASURE of their Proud, Ambitious, Covetous conceits and imaginations was the cause of that Malice which turned them from Angels to Devils: for nothing else, in meer Spirits, can we think of that should operate to that end.

For those spirits conceiving that the possession of all things was their felicity, and that conception and ima­gination working a disposition to seek themselves & their own satisfaction in the possession of what they found their de­sires incline to (which is perfectly opposite to the nature of goodness) they had now in themselves the Fountain of Evil, (viz.) a self love that is opposite to the love of God and their fellow Creatures, moving them to maligne others hap­piness & to draw to themselves all things, whither from God or from Man, to add to their own. This was perfectly opposite to the Divine goodness & utterly destroyed his Image (as mo­rally considered) yet so as these Spirits still retained that which was natural viz. spirituallity, freedom, intelligence and [Page 28] activity. This malice therefore subsisting in such a Nature as that of the Devil, could operate within it self for the Ge­neration of a Hellish Wisdom to subserve it, and these two co­operating in such a Nature are apt to emit or send forth an active power working upon all things within its reach for evil and mischief.

The next contrariety that appears in created Beings to the Divine goodness is in man: MAN made at first but a little lower than Angels, and with a mind indued with such powers as resembled Gods Natural perfections as well as they, and made capable also of the impression of those perfections which I call moral, and of the operations tending to effect the same: And God, having made man such a Creature, made also the glorys of his Divine goodness to shine round about him, but most of all to be manifest within himself. He brought also all the Creatures to him and shewed him, that tho they were all his own by Original right of Creation, he would make him Lord over them all, and so he gave him power to impose names on them as his own servants & to be their master. He also planted a Garden of pleasure for him and placed him there, and then entertained him with great Familiarities, and descended from his Palace on high to visit him and that in sensible dis­coveries of his presence. He provided, to preserve him im­mortal in this blessed state, The Tree of Life, and to teach him his duty therein was to govern himself by reason and Reve­lation not by Appetite and Passion, he made the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, with a Command to forbear it to try his Obedience, this, as well as the rest, was a discovery of his goodness and wisdom. All this he did to make him good and wise like himself, & to delight to do good to inferior Creatures; and, when multiplied and increased according to the Divine blessing, that men should mutually delight in the happiness of each other, and should employ themselves in interchange of kindnesses. But the Devil envying this hap­piness of man and coveting to make him his own; as he did all things else, wrought by his Serpentine Wisdom to inspire him with like Malice to himself, which to our sorrow he effected by representing the excellency of that Fruit which God had forbidden as good for Food and very desirable, for that it would make man Wise as God himself, whereby, inveigling the fancy with a secret pleasure, such as was apt to intoxicate the mind and make it sor [...] it God and his goodness and to affect a­nother [Page 29] kind of happiness then what at present they en­joyed. Thus he inspired them with a covetous desire of the possession and use of that Tree, which alone God had reser­ved as his own propriety, while he gave them others in great plenty. It was Evident, if their Eyes had not been blinded by this fantastick pleasure, that they wanted neither Food nor Wisdom, nor could they use more than they had to any other purpose, but to please such an irrational Appetite of Covetousness, and yet when they had received this Poy­son of the Serpent, beginning to suspect, that notwithstanding Gods Bounty towards them he envied their happiness, and thought that too much to give, which they were capable to enjoy and therefore denyed them that Tree which was good and needful for them, they became affected with a Covetous desire to have that also; and here began the work­ing of that Malice which is so contrary to the Divine good­ness and mans true felicity▪ which consists in a Covetous de­sire of what we do not want nor can use to any other purpose than to please our selves in a conceit of being Rich, great, and self-suffici­ent, or in an inordinate desire of what may he needful and useful unto us, but of these two the former sort of evil affection is far the greatest & worst, and also doth infer the latter.

And this Malice contains within it self all manner of Vices, for-that, ill desires are the Root and Spring of them all, and all the Violencies, Perjuries, Murders, Roberies and whatever things you can name that are vitious, are done in prosecution of their satisfaction. The poor man, that immoderately de­sires what he wants; lyes & steals, and cheats and couzens & doth many things more for his supply. And others that want, only because they desire, and for no other cause imagin­able, yet do far worse things for the supply of such want, than the most indigent in the World for supply of theirs.

God, that made man a Necessitous and Dependant Crea­ture, and did provide in infinite plenty for his supply, doth never forbid a moderate and regulated Desire and Appetite unto him; but when men, not considering these appetites were made for use and profit more than for sensual delight, and to be ruled by reason and not to suffocate it: I say when not considering this, and finding a delight in the acting and satisfying these desires, they suffer these Appetites of Na­ture to be ridden and impregnated by Devils and Evil Spi­rits, till they grow big and unsatiable in their desires, and [Page 30] then these desires work on all things, yea, on the very subject wherein they are, to mischief and destruction; This is that Malice which is so contrary unto Gooddnss.

And this Malice becoming the habitual disposition of man, considering his rational and Active Nature, must beget in him a Wisdom to contrive for it's Exhibition and Satisfaction: And an Active Spirit will proceed from these two, influencing and acting all things according to the Evil Nature it hath in it self, but received as aforesaid.

Man being made intelligent, his habitual dispositions must have intelligence within them, and when once Malice is be­come thus predominant, and hath taken possession of the man, it will so work on it self as to generate conceive and bring forth what may be servicable to the pleasing it self, and to operate to that end: the first of which productions is a Wisdom or Subtlety of equal power and operarion with it self, & which partakes of its own Nature, and is such, as this Malice is, earthly, sensual and devilish. For the Malice I speak of consists of the whole Nature of Covetousness, which extends to all things, and works on several Objects as they suit best with the subject wherein it is: & as such it is called by several Names, Ambition, Sensuallity, & Covetousness Properly so called, but all these meet in the love of Mony, which answers all things, and serves to purchase all kind of satisfactions, which is there­fore called the Root of all Evil, or Radical Malice, and is most contrary to goodness of all other sorts of Covetousness whatso­ever.

And when this Malice hath conceived and brought forth this Evil Wisdom and dwells in it, so that by their operation together both are delighted & increased (mans Nature being capable of such increase) these two will send forth such a Spirit as will influence all things near them, and will oper­ate on all things about them, by the direction of that ill Wis­dom, and according to the Nature of that ill Disposition from whence it proceeds.

This Malice thus infused by the Devil, into the Nature of Man was soon propagated, & filled the earth with Violences: Violences, some more secret (like that of a small but migh­ty screw:) that by little and little overturned Families and Estates that seemed strongly founded: others more open (like that of battering Rams) beating down all that oppose their rapacious prosecutions & violent invasions: This was [Page 31] that Evil that made all Mans imaginations Evil and that continu­ally: that malum figmentum (as the Jews called Original sin) which withdraws us from the Contemplation of Gods goodness and the Obedience of his Laws: An Evil Disposition which is perfectly contrary to His Nature who is love and Goodnes it self; and who, being in all, fills all things with Good; And contrary to that Charity & Goodness which is his Image, that Charity which is kind and seeketh not her own things, nor en­vieth those of others, 1 Col. 13.5.

Man living in this World in the midst of various Objects, that tempt and provoke this Evil Disposition, the De­vil always is most intent to improve and inforce the o­peration of them on his mind to increase the same, that there­by he may utterly destroy Gods most beautiful and glorious Image in our Souls, and impress us with his own most ugly Vizage; viz. a temper of mind so ugly, that every man hates it in another, altho' he hath it in himself, so uneasie, that none can be quiet in any state whatever that hath once put it on; at least, not till he have put it off again by Repentance.

GOODNES in God is his very Nature and Essence, and therefore must be conceived to work Naturally and Neces­sarily, and to the uttermost of its power; but goodness in man is not his Nature, but is impressed on his mind in the way of Gods Revelations, and by a Moral swasion given thereby; & in the same way that it receives its Essence, it is also awaken­ed and moved to all its operations; in all which it works, not Naturally, but freely and contingently, and therefore must excite it self, and be excited by others, to work for the Generation of such a Virtuous Wisdom as may serve to render it most profitable to it self and others, without which a Good­ness of disposition oft betrays men to that which is pernitious to both. And so also the Malice I mention being impressed by like means, the Devil is most of all active in the use of all ways of impressing the same on us, both by inward sugge­stions and representations to our minds, and by bringing our faculties and the objects together, and when he hath once done this, he is continually exciting this Covetousness to work for the Generation of this devilish, earthly, sensual Wisdom, and doth effectually assist its operations to that end and in the same manner doth he instigate the cooperations of this Malice and Evil Wisdom together, to the Emission of an Active Spirit to influence all things for mischief; there­fore [Page 32] as I began, so I conclude, that of all Vitious Appetites & passions this of Evil Covetousness is the worst and therefore most necessary to be put off by Repentance, and now I will return where I left.

BUT neither the bare Freedom from this or a­ny other Vice is sufficient of it self, nor is it to be Rested in as our Righteousness, which consists in doing Righteousness, and not only in forbearing to do Evil, for if we do rest there it will but deceive us: if a man be not guilty of ill desires of Rich­es, or of subtil contrivances and base actions for acquiring the same, yet if when God hath given him Riches as a Talent to trade with, he have not used them for the doing him honour and service, and also to inable him to do the more good to his Fellows; If he have not used them in grateful re­turns for Gods Mercys and Expressions of love to his most dear and blessed Saviour, in doing Offi­ces of humanity to all men, and of Christian Cha­rity to all Christians; I say if so, he must see cause to repent for this, as well as for sins of Commission, if ever he will be saved, and that, with a Repentance that hath meet fruits too, which in this case can be only a freeness in maintaining Good Works, and a double diligence in doing them.

And here I must observe the Reason why the Divine Com­mandments are all given in the Negative and why the Sacra­ment whereby we are initiated into the Church (even now as well as that of old) is significant of the excision of sinful habits, and purification of carnal affections; And I conceive the reason to be this; The soul of man being made in the Di­vine Image a Sp rit (i. e.) an Active and most Vigorous principle, Light and Life, continually working as God is said by our Saviour hitherto to work: I say a soul of this Na­ture needs nothing, but what is in it self, to move it to Action: but it needs to be unburdened from that, which clogs it and disables it thereunto; And again, 'tis only the Cor­ruption and disease of the Soul that makes it work ill, remove [Page 33] that and render it sound and pure, and it naturally works to­wards it's true felicity, so that you see the reason why God hath [...]orbidden all that is evil in the first place, that so our soule may act according to the Nature he hath given them and pro­ [...]ecute the felicity designed for them.

And it is to be considered that this felicity is rather in do­ [...]ng, than receiving good, God is the Supream good of man, [...]ut is so as we work on him, rather than as he works on us; & [...]f the soul be not pure and sound, it cannot work on him as our happiness; [...]ight is the pleasure of the Eye, but if this Light [...]our out on the Eye the most glorious & beautiful beams, when [...]he Eye cannot receive them & operate thereon by reason it is Evil, it enjoys nothing but rather suffers; so it is of all other [...]acultys & their objects. The happiness of man is like [...]hat of a Lover, who enjoys more in loving & imbracing the [...]eloved Object, than in being loved and imbraced thereby; [...]nd therefore God represents the congress whereby we are [...]ade happy in him, to that of youth in its greatest Vigor [...]hen Mutually inamored of the chiefest humane beauty. Now [...]e know that he that loves most is most happy; take a Vir­gin, if she be most beloved of a man, and have all the enter­ [...]inments he can possible give her, yet if she be possessed of a [...]ontrary affection, all cannot make her happy: but now, if he set her Eyes on the Beauty of a man, and have her fancy [...]ossessed with his strength and activity, his Nearness and [...]entillity, and other good Qualities; and so grow inamour­ [...]d of him; how doth it then please her to be his Votary, to [...]ke on her the bonds of Matrimonial Duty and Servitude to [...]m, to stoop at his Feet, and to serve him in all Offices of [...]indness and Obedience; and her freedom of injoying and [...]mbracing him, of dwelling in his presence and being active [...] the services of a Wife; is that she rejoyces and exults in as [...]er felicity: And even Man, who is made [...]o govern the Wo­ [...]an, yet if he be first affected with this passion, he so forgets [...]e Dignity of his Sex, that he seems to himself to be only [...]ppy in the Drudgeries and Attendances of his Mistris, just [...] it is with a soul enamoured with the Divine Beauties: [...]othing in the World can make him more happy than an [...]porrunity and an ability to serve and honou [...] his Creator [...]d Saviour. And if he have but Vigorous an [...] Active powers, [...]rged from the Vices and Corruptions that weaken and dispose them, and frequent occasions to exercise himself in [Page 34] Piety and Good Works; Let the World take all its Pelf and Pageantry and bestow it else where, he cares not a Rush as long as he can be thus happy without it.

Thus I have Digressed a little to shew the sub­serviency of ceasing to do Evil in order to the indu­cing a habit of doing Good Work; But because I have observed that it is very difficult to affect mens minds with a sence of the sinful [...]ess of the neglect of Good Works, and to perswade them of the Truth and Justice of Gods dreadful threatnings, and of the necessity of his Judgments for this sinful Omis­sion; I will now mention some particulars to shew wherein the sinfulness thereof consists, and will dis­cover it self to us if we will but consider it; where­by we shall come to understand how justly a [...] highly this provokes the Almighty, and that w [...] may believe that this will surely bring his Wrat [...] and Vengeance on us, except we repent and d [...] Good Works for the future.

I. It perverts the end of all Gods gifts; Go [...] hath given us all things richly to enjoy, that we ma [...] give a plentiful supply to other mens wants, [...] hath given his Son to die for us, that we might lea [...] to lay down our lives for the Brethren, especial [...] when the common interest of Christianity so r [...] quires: Christ once emptied himself of all t [...] Treasures of Divine Glory and appeared in the p [...] verty of our humanity, that he might in rich us [...] serable Mortals with Eternal Felicity, and this [...] did to oblige all them that believe in him to p [...] freely with all that which is most splended, m [...] dear to them, or aptest to minister to their Ca [...] interest, when the necessities of their Poor B [...] thren require it; So that in the Acts of Charity [...] Render unto God the Fruit of all the gifts besto [...] ed [Page 35] on us, and to Christ the Fruit of what he did and [...]uffered for us. God is the common Father of the World and Christ our common Saviour (especial­ [...]y as Christians;) God gives riches to some only [...]s Stewards for the rest, that as they receive the gift from his hands, so they should Minister the same to o­ [...]hers as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God, [...] Pet. 4.8. and Christ hath given various gifts & [...]inistrys to some in the Church, but 'tis that they [...]ay serve for the common benefit of all, and in­ [...]eed the designe of all the gifts of God and Graces [...] Christ is to introduce that Universal Charity [...]wards all men, & brotherly kindness to all Saints [...]hich may recommend the Christian Religion to [...]e World, and give it due effects to its recovery [...]om a miserable and distracted State to the most [...] peace and felicity that is here to be expected: and is most certain that when God makes any Man or [...]hristian a Ruler over others, or sets them upper­ [...]ost in respect either of gifts or riches, it is, that as [...]thful and wise Stewards, they should give to his Fa­ [...]ly their meat in due season (i. e.) employ those gifts [...] talents for the relelf of such as need amongst [...] Children of Men or of the Church: & if any Christ­ [...]s (in whom this paper is most concerned) instead [...] devoting themselves and their Estates to the [...]vice of Mankind & the Church, the Family of God [...] Christ, do wholly use the same, for the grati­ [...]tion of the base lust of Covetousness, not caring [...] do service to God or Man, so they can but get [...]y; and, forgeting their Lords coming to call [...]n to account, Belly-beat their Fellow-servants, these their neglects of Charity to the Poor, they [...] certainly find this to be a mighty Provocation [Page 36] of the Divine Wrath and Vengeance, and th [...] Their Lord will come in a day when they look not f [...] him, and an hour they are not aware of; and cut them sunder, and give them their Portion with Ʋnbelieve [...] Luke 12.42.

II. It frustrates the effect of the Divine Goodne [...] disapoints the design of his Wisdom, and resists [...] operations of the Spirit, as far as man can do.

1st. The effect which all the manifestatio [...] of the Divine Goodness should have on us, is to [...] able us to do Good Works, to oblige us to perform th [...] and to impress on our minds that most Divine C [...] racter of a Gracious Affection and Disposition [...] clining us thereunto; now what can more frustr [...] this effect, than when men disable themselves to [...] by a custom of Scraping, and forget all Obligati [...] to give by reason of their intention on getting destroy the Character of a Charitable mind, & re [...] that of a base selfi [...] disposition, by continual Ap [...] cations to the ob [...]cts that suit their Covetous de [...]

2ly. That w [...]ich was intended and designed the wisdom of God, when it contrived at firs [...] Create us with such excellent powers, and from root to spread us into several Families and Socie [...] to give us the Dominion of inferior Creatures, Possession of Earths Treasures; certainly it was [...] ther than this, that we should exercise our Pow [...] and use our possessions, in doing good mutuall [...] each other, to the honour and pleasure of our [...] ator. And when the same wisdom afterward [...] trived and designed to redeem us from our w [...] fall by labours and sufferings, and to take our [...] ture to capacitate him for the same; when he [...] us one body and united himself to us as our b [...] [Page 37] [...]hen he Filled us with his own fulness Grace for [...]race, yea, emptied himself that he might so fill us, [...] became poor to inrich us; when he poured down [...]bundant influences of Divine Gifts and Graces into [...]s Members, that they might convey and communi­ [...]ate them to each other; what could be the designe [...]f it, but to make us pittiful helpful and munifi­ [...]nt, as he, to love one another as he had loved us [...]l to forgive and to give, to lay out our selves and [...]states in doing Good VVorks, nay to lay down [...]ur lives for the Brethren, in Cases that require it; [...]ow when, notwithwanding a [...]l this, men are so [...]wollowed up with cares and concerns for them­ [...]lves, that they have no pitty or commiseration on [...]thers, when they will neither do nor suffer any [...]ing (if they can help it) but it shall relate [...]holly to their own advantage, when they will ne­ [...]er take on themselves the persons of the miserable [...]d consider what they would have done to them­ [...]lves if they were in such a State, when they will [...]ot part with any thing, or so much as communicate [...]at which thereby is not parted with, for the good [...]f others, I say when it is thus, what can more dis­ [...]oint the design of Gods Eternal Wisdom?

3dly. All the operations of the Divine Spirit tend [...] mortifie all carnal and worldly lusts, to take a­ [...]ay the heart of Stone and make us hearts of flesh, hearts apt to receive the impressions of Pitty and [...]ompassion to our Brethren) to give us a Faith that [...]orks by Love, a belief of the promises of Gods [...]ercy and Goodness to us that makes us partakers [...] a Divine Nature like to his in being merciful & [...]od to others; to fill us with the hope of eternal [...]fe, that we may contemn the Riches of this that [Page 38] is but temporal, to teach us to make us such Friends of this Mamon of unrighteousness as may receive us into those Heavenly Habitations. He is the Spirit of Love and of Wisdom, and through his operations we become full of Goodness filled with all Knowledge for the right Exhibition of it, and able also to instruct others, and thereby to influence them with the same mind. This Holy Ghost is sent by the Divine Good­ness & Wisdom to pour into our Hearts that most excel­lent Gift of Charity, the Bond of perfectness (a [...] we pray Colect next before Lent) his Ministrie [...] serve to form Christ in us, and make us just such a [...] he was, in same-ness of mind and likeness of Con­versation; desirous to do Good though it cost us ou [...] lives, and going about to practice it with unwea­ried labours, all which is known to those who ar [...] conversant in the Scriptures: Now what can mor [...] resist such operations as these, than the hardnin [...] our hearts against the cryes of the Poor, &c. agains [...] motions to Charity and Good Works; than the stuffing our minds with worldly Cares and deceitful Fancy [...] of the Excellency of Riches, so that there canno [...] be That hearing of Faith by which the Spirit enters in­to, and Works in us, Gal. 3.2.5. than the Giving place to those Covetous desires which makes us deride e­ven Christ himself and all the promises and threatning whereby he inforceth a preparation for Death and a pro­vision for the Eternal World, Luk. 16.14. and mor [...] such like which is included in these sins of Omissio [...] greatly resisting the operations of Gods Spi­rit.

Now who can consider the infinite Majesty o [...] God, and the exceeding Meanness, and even No­thingness, of Man in comparison of him, and no [...] [Page 39] think it a very great Provocation of his Wrath, to be so disapointed and defeated. 'Tis true indeed, God can bear down all this Resistance, effect what he desires, and carry on all his designs in dis­pight of us; but having made us free and Voluntary Agents, and being always consistant with himself, he is said to be resisted and defeated, when we will not be wrought on in ways suited to our Natures and the Order he hath established in the World▪ & it is truly said God cannot do, that which cannot be done, but in contradiction to foregoing Reve­lations of his decrees and purposes, whether it be in his word or works.

III. 'tis a practical Denyal of Gods Supream Domi­nion and Lordship over the world, and doth in­ferr a Contempt of his Providence, and that we either Question his Being, or defie his Power: and these things must needs incence his wrath and displeasure against us: Let me a little explain this,

1st. there was never Lord of a Manner on Earth, but in his most bountiful Grants unto his Tennants & Vassals, he still reserved to himself some Tribute of acknowledgment whereby his Original Right and Supream Dominion should be acknowledg'd. And can we think that he who is Author of this Wisdom and Prudence in man, will himself be careless of his own Honour? No Sir, his Glory is dearer to him than a thousand worlds; and therefore though he hath given this Rich & Fruitful Earth to the Children of Men to trade and dwell in, having the infinitely more Glorious Heaven for his own habitation; and though he indulge them to use all things that they can get and possess therein for the purposes of hu­mane life (i. e.) not only to supply the necessity of [Page 40] it, but to maintain a Grandure fit for the Estate they are Masters of therein, yet his Will and Pleasure is, that according to the measure of our possessions, we offer unto him such Sacrifices by way of acknow­ledgment as may preserve in our selves and declare to others the Remembrance we should have of that Original right which he hath reserved to himself in all we have, and that still he hath power to resume it, if we make a Forfeiture by ingratitude or abuse. And as this Duty belongs to all Men, so the signi­fication of it is by that Law which is written in the hearts of all mankind, whence (as many think) the offerings of Cain and Abel, and other Eucharistical Sacrifices, first proceeded (although those that were Propitiatory might come from another cause.) But, whether that be so or not, it is a thing most e­vident, that it is Gods incommunicable Right to be Lord of all, and none of us are more than his Vas­sals and Stewards; and therefore where he gives he expects to receive, and that also much, of those to whom he hath given much; though of them to whom he hath given little he expects the less. Now this can no otherwise be done but by devoting some part of our Estates, to the maintenance of some such things as either tend most immediately to his Worship and Honour (such as all the Ministry's of Religion are) or of some such persons as are more especially related unto him, and these are the Priest and the Poor: 'tis true, God hath not obliged us by any possitive Laws, for the manner or the measure of this, but leaves every one to his free Choice, that being Voluntary, it may be the more rewardable; but thence we cannot conclude, that we are not obliged to do it at all; God loves [Page 41] a chearful giver, but esteems himself robbed if we give not at all; And it is no excuse to say we give Tithes of our Land, and pay our Taxes to the Poor▪ for tho the robbery be the greater when we offend against the Law of Nature and the Laws of the Land at once, yet in paying Tithes we give that which was never ours, and in paying the Poors Tax, the Law may be more properly said to give than we; there must therefore be some other way of acknowledgment besides that, which can be only by doing the Good Works I write of.

2. Another thing that is provoking in the Omission of Good Works is, that it is a Contempt of Gods pro­vidence, for he that believes that God Governs the World and disposes of all Events therein, either to the good of those that please him, or to the punish­ment of evil Doers; I say he can never look on such a man, who neglects a thing so graetful to the Almighty as doing Good Works as any other than a Contemner of his Providence; God hath indeed, E­stablished a fixed Course and Order in Nature, and according to this he mak [...]s all things ordinarily to work: And so the diligent hand maketh Rich and strength prevails over weakness, and the best Legs wins the Race, & the most skilful in their professions find most favour, especially with those that need them, and they get most mony that best understand their Trades; But the wise Solomon hath observed, that it often falls out otherwise, for that there are Seasons and Accidents that God always keeps in his own power, whereby he alters the ordinary course of things as he pleaseth, and this all find true by experience: Besides even when men obtain that which their Natural preparations [Page 42] or their acquired Endowments tend to, there is yet need of Gods blessing to make them happy therein; Solomon had seen (and so have we) that Riches are often reserved for men to their hurt; that the abundance of the Rich hinders their rest, that great Estates makes mens Follys more remarkable (as a Jewel in a Swines Snout) and that very often they render them a more plain mark for the envy of their Inferiors, and the oppression of those above them: And so it is of all other Endowments if Gods gracious providence do not intervene. Now when men, notwithstanding all this, never think how they may oblige the Care and Blessing of the Almighty, either by fidelity in his Service, and fruitfulness in Good Works, as he expects they should, who can think but that God will resent it as a Con­tempt of his All-disposing Providence, and so con­ceive a great displeasure against such proud sinners.

But 3dly. since it seems that the mind of man (if it be not utterrly blind) cannot resist the E­vidence of Truth in the first Case, nor natural self-love suffer us to be such Enemies to our own good in the second, therefore this Omission of Good Works may make men think that we even question the be­ing of a God, and that we dream, with the Atheists, that things came together, into the excellent Order we see them in by a Conjunction that seem'd Volun­tary; and will dissolve again by a fatal necessity; & though this be very rediculous, yet wiser men, in the esteem of the World, have dream'd so, than ever they were, that thought (on the supposition that there was a God & he the Supream Lord of all) that we might omit this of Good Works that is most grateful to him, and the neglect whereof signifieth a [Page 43] Contempt of his Providence (if ever there were a­ny such.) But the holy Psalmist hath put it out of doubt, that the defect I speak of must proceed from this Cause, in that he most plainly r [...]fers the Omission of Good Works to a conceit that there is no God, Psal. 14. for having said in the 1st. Verse, The Fool hath said in his Heart there is no God, it follows Ver. 3. There is none that doth good; no not one: And may we not well think, that those who will not believe there is a God, nor believe it so as to acknowledge it in the way before mentioned, & that notwithstand­ing all they see of his Goodness, Wisdom and Power, in the Creation and Government of Heaven and Earth, shall know it to their sorrow, by what they shall feel of the manifestation of his Wrath, it may be on Earth, but certainly in Hell.

3. There is yet one thing more, which the Omissi­on of Good Works doth seem to speak men guilty of which is worst of all, and that is their defying of Gods Power. And as this is worst, so the Evidence against them in this Case seems clearest, for altho, as I observed before, mans reason be more capable of being deluded by Atheistical thoughts then perswaded that God may be neglected if he be; yet some men think, that the invisible things of God are so clearly seen by the things he hath made, that no man can be a perfect Atheist, (however he or o­thers may endeavour to have it so:) But then it must follow, that so far as men do believe there is a God, and that he hath Sole-Right in all things, and orders them as he pleaseth (whether they belive this willingly or necessarily) I say so far, the neg­lect to do such things as please him, must be refer­ed to the contempt of his power and to a vain con­fidence [Page 44] in their Riches, as a strong Tower that will defend them against all Assaults of his Wrath and Vengeance; and that Rich men are subject to this Presumption, appears by the Direction of S. Paul to Timothy, To charge them that are Rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain Rich­es. And this was the very thing that the Monarch was guilty in, to whom the Council was given, in the beginning of this discourse. It seems he thought there was none above him, and that he might Rule as he pleased in despight of God; who there­fore sent him to Herd with the Beasts till he should better understand that there was one Most High, that Ruleth even in the Kingdom of Men, &c. The Scripture hath many Instances of like kind, but but a little on each head lest I be too long. I have touched these things to show how great a provo­cation of Gods wrath the neglect of Good Works may prove, especially when persons have a great Ability to do them, and can have no just excuse, ei­ther from the greatness of their Charge, or the ne­cessity of an Expence any way suitable to their E­states, for neglect of the same.

But because Mans heart is extream hard and stu­pid in Spirituals, and not easiely moved with the fear of God, let me stay you a little on the Consi­deration of the dreadfulness of the VVr [...]th of God, which we provoke by neglecting Good Works.

Ah! Sir, Had you seen the pouring out of this Wrath in the deluge of Waters that over-flowed a profligate and voluptuous world, or the pouring it down from Heaven, in Showers of Fire and Brim­stone, when God over-threw the proud and lustful Soddomits, and fir'd them out of their ease & sloath [Page 45] that was cause of those Vices; When he consumed their Riches, which being given them for Good Works, were made to minister to such abominable Lusts. Had you beheld when he made the Armys of Israel Ministers of his Wrath, and caused them with a Show­er of Stones to over-whelm Covetous Achan and his Family, to bury them, together with their Prey which they so much loved and lusted after, within that heap, as a Memento to all hoarders of Wealth to the Worlds End: And when with Fire and Sword, they destroyed utterly so many Nations of the Amorites be­cause their iniquities were come to the full. Had you been among the quaking Israelites, when God descen­ded in Thunder & Lightning on a burning Mountain to deliver his threatning Law, or beheld, with the a­mazed Multitude, the Sun turned into blood, the Earth trembling, the Rocks rent, the Graves opened, the dead (as affrighted) arising out of them & running in­to the holy City; when the Son of God suffered on the Cross to introduce his Gracious Gospel, & this, that none might think he did easiely blot out the hand­writing of Ordinances that was against us and take it out of the way by Nailing it to the Cross. Had you seen any of these, or the many more, instances recorded in Scripture of the dreadful effects of Gods Wrath, I doubt not, but it must have made such impressions on your mind, as might dispose you to flee from the wrath to come, by bringing forth fruits meet for Repentance and amendment of Life; which as I have shewed is only (in this particular Case) works of Charity and that in some proportion to past iniquities, and to present possessions. But it may be some may think, on the mention of this last instance, that though Christ had a hard Task of [Page 46] it, yet he hath now finished that frightful dispen­sation; Gods Justice is now satisfied, his wrath appea­sed the Thunder & Lightning ceased, & the stormy Tempest is turned into a soft voice, and God will now accept our Faith and good wishes as sufficient tho we do no Good Works; Christ having done and suffered for us all that the Law required, tis enough that we believe in him, especially since we would do good, but evil is present with us, the flesh lusteth against the the spirit, so that we cannot do the things that we would; By such misunderstanding of the Grace of God and perverting the Text of ho­ly Scripture, men plead against the Honour of God, the interest of their own Souls, and the good of Mankind; all which (as I have shewed) are con­cerned in the necessity of Good Works. But, what­ever indulgence the Gospel gives to the truly peni­tent, and those that faithfully endeavour to main­tain Good VVorks; I am sure it is most severe against all Hypocrites that pretend Faith, against Repen­tance & Good VVorks both; Judas the Ring-leader of those Hypocrites, that enter'd himself Christs Dis­ciple and Menial Servant, only that he might steal, what he should give to the poor, had a more dreadful end, than any we read of under the Law. And so also Ananias with Saphira his wife; so blinded by Covetousness, that they thought they could cheat God Almighty as well as the Poor, were struck Dead in a moment by Gods invisible hand. And many of the Corinthians for some want of respect to the Poor in their Feasts of Love and in administring the Sacrament, were struck with sick­ness and weakness, yea even with Death it self. We may see in the Barren-Ground, and Fruitless Fig-Tree, [Page 47] what it is that hard hearted uncharitable Christians may expect from Christ, of the former he saith it is Nigh to Cursing and its end to be destroy­ed; the latter he actually Cursed, so that it present­ly withered away: and it is no wonder, for these sort of men are none of his Disciples, but are only Christians in Masquerade; when we say a man is an uncharitable Christian, we speak as great a Para­dox as to say, he is a Drunken or a Swearing one, and some think a greater. For Love being the sub­stance of all that Christ taught us whether by his Doctrine or Example; and this love to our Fellow Members being the certain sign of our love and union to himself, and made by him the very Badge of his Disciples; and Love, being vainly pretended when we neglect to releive those that are in necessity; especially when we have so great abi­lity to do it: I say since it is so, it appears that none can be a true Christian or a Disciple of Christ that is thus Uncharitable: And this gives the plain reason of Christs severity against such, which is chiefly declared in that process at the last Judgment, when he is said to refuse to own them, and to send them away with that dreadful Sentence, Depart yea Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels, for I was hungry and ye fed me not &c. for in that you did it net to the least of these my Bre­thren, you did it not to me: And this is founded up­on the Equity of that Law, Heb. 10. If those that dispised Moses Law dyed without Mercy, of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy, who tread under Foot the Son of God, and count his Blood a Com­mon thing; for there are more ways of doing this than one, I mean of contemning Christ and his [Page 48] Blood: And it seems to me very Evident that this sin of Omission is one way of doing it; for when not­withstanding all the indearments of their blessed Lord, they turn a Deaf Ear to that passionate Command of his, of Loving one another, as he bath loved them all; when they will not pitty and relieve those poor distressed Creatures, that are as nearly related to Jesus Christ, as themselves can pretend to be, but will let them dye and perish, notwhithstand­ing the powerful pleas which Christs dying groans, his gaping wounds, or his streaming blood, can af­ford in their behalf; I say such as these, may justly be thought guilty, in one respect, of Trampling on their Saviour, and undervaluing the Sacredness of his blood; and so those sorer punishments than ever Moses Law threatned become their due.

And indeed the representation of the punishment of wicked & unprofitable Christians, such as tram­ple on their Saviour in his Members, and no more regard his precious blood crying for mercy to their poor brethren, than if it were a common or unclean thing; I say the representation of Gods final Judg­ment against such, is far more dreadful than any thing, which the light of Nature or Law of Moses ever discovered. The wrath of God was reveal­ed from Heaven by Plagues, Deluges, Famines, and other bodily Destructions; by abandoning Men to the Devil, and to their brutish lusts; and by o­ther ways among the Gentiles: And the Jews, for their disobedience ro Moses's Law, were threatned with Curses in the Basket and in the Store; in the Fruit of their Bodys and in the Fruits of their Ground; with vexation and terror of mind; with flight before their Enemies and Captivity into [Page 54] strange Countrys with Consumptions and other bo­dily diseases all dreadful enough: But when we con­sider, besides the continuance of all these in this Life, what the Gospel threatens at the Day of Judgment and in the life to come, we must confess the Re­velation of Gods Wrath thereby to be much more dreadful than ever was revealed before.

Would we but consider the dismal darkness that shall over­spread the World at the approach of the Judgment day; the Sun being darkned, the Moon turned to blood and not gi­ving her light, & the stars falling from heaven like the leaves of a shaken Tree. And then would we represent to our selves the following signs and fearful sights both in the Hea­ven Earth and Sea (whereof those to be at the destruction of Jerusalem were but a Tipe & Figure as the Jews held, which [...]herefore our Saviour alludes unto) I say the strange signs be­fore those firm and massy bodys shall pass away, the mighty voices, the Thundrings the Lightnings, the Cracking & Clater­ [...]ng of the Heavens when they shall be rouled up as a scrole of Parchment, the voices of the amazed spirits of the Air, won­dring and astonished at such revolutions▪ the Earth-quakes, the Eruptions of fire, Clouds of smoke and stinking Vapors, arising from the bowells of the Earth: Then the following Confla­grations of it with all the works that are therein, with the [...]ervency whereof the Elements shall be melted, and the Hea­ [...]ens being set on fire shall be dissolved to make way for the [...]ew Heaven & Earth which according to Gods promise we ex­ [...]ect, 2 Pet. 3. To hear the roaring of the mighty Ocean & see [...]he raging of its Waves while it is agitated with the Convul­ [...]ons of the Earth beneath and the storms of Heaven above, [...]his cannot but seem to us exceeding dreadful.

Would we also think of the Horor and Amazement which [...]all then be within the brests of guilty sinners▪ When they [...]all apprehend that all this doth but begin the Revelation of [...]at Wrath which God hath conceived against them for [...]heir past sins. Oh! how their Hearts will then utterly fail [...]em for fear and for looking for those things, which are yet [...] come to pass. Things which they had been forwarned of [...] Christs Ministers and they would not believe them, but [...]ch, as they must now believe & presently see with Terror

To think then in the midst of this Consternation and Hor­ror, when they shall hear the Angels with their great Trum­pets and mighty Voices to call the dead out of their Graves, and gather the Elect from the four Winds, when those then alive shall see the dead begin to arise and spring out of the Earth and Sea round about them, when they shall feel them­selves in a moment, in the twinkling of an Eye, changed from Corruptible to Incorruptible, and from Mortal to Immortal, and shall all stand, together with the raised, to expect the most dreadful hour.

When they shall then hear the mighty shout in Heaven at the proclaming the General Judgment, when all the heavenly Host shall be summoned to attend it; when the Voice of the Arch-Angel, the Trump of God, shall go before to call De­vils and Men to appear at this great Assize, & to give up their Account; when the glorious Company of Angels in their Robes of Lights come before, to make Christ appearing the more ex­pected & revered; & last of all, when they shall see the signs of the Son of man beginning to come in sight; His Chariot of Light first reflecting a Glory upon the adjacent Heavens greater than that of his Angelick fore-runners.

To see then the Son of Man on the Throne of his Glory where­on he shall sit to judge the World; his Face shining with most terrible Majesty; his Rayment bright & splendid far beyond that on the Mount when his Disciples first saw his glory; To see, as Ez. 1.6. In the midst of a great Cloud a fire, infolding it self in bright & curling flames in form of a Circle, & casting a mighty brightness round about it; A glory like the Colour of Amber spreding it self within this Circle of fire; in the very Center whereof, this most worthy Judge Eternal shall sit in great Glory and Maje­sty to perform this last Act of his mediatory Kingdom, & to put all Rule Authority and Power under his Feet, while the greatest in Hell or Earth shall stand trembling at the Bar before his Judgment seat.

To see then Those Righteous whom they scorned and per­secuted, whose pious lives they counted madness & their pa­tient Death dishonourable; to see them now called to atend this great Assize, and assist their Lord in this Judgment of his Enemies and theirs: when both those that are raised in, & those changed into the likeness of Christs own glorious body shall be caught up into the Clouds, and placed at the Right hand of this glorious Throne, & all stand together like a Heaven [Page 51] thicker of suns than ours is of stars: When Christ shall own them and proclaim their innocency, and shall vindicate himself and them, from all the hard speeches and ungodly deeds of wicked sinners against both.

To see the wicked men all driven together by ugly and invenomed Devils, and placed below in this Earth on the left hand side of Christs Majestick Throne, the World all in fire [...]bout their Ears; Heaps of Gold and Silver turned to a sulphurous Lake that shall burn their flesh like Fire, as St▪ Peter speaks, And Heaven, Earth, and Sea, all in Combustion and themselves, made immortal, not able to flie nor die, forc'd to indure it: To think how they will look to see the Righteous so exalted & themselves depressed▪ & how their minds will be galled to hear their opinions so solemnly contradicted & by the justifi­cation of these, an assurance given of their own condemnation.

But all this is but the begining of their sorrow, for when the Judgment of the Righteous is thus past, then they shall see the Gloudy Throne approaching towards them; with Thunders & Lightnings, Storms and Tempests, more dreadful than those on Mount Sina, or any mentioned by Prophet or Apostle, or by Christ himself, in Allusion thereunto.

When they shall behold the Face of this Judge turned towards them; His Eyes sparkling with indignation, sending out of his mouth words more cutting to their hearts than sharp­est Swords; when he shall declare all their daring Impietys and Blasphemys against God and himself, their inhumane Crueltys and Villanys against Men, their secret Wickedness and base Designs, their contempt of the Wrath to come and admiration of present satisfactions; their refusing to lend or give on security of greatest Recompence at this day, and such like things, Oh! how shall they be Lashed and Tormented by their own Consciences, hist and detested by Saints and Angels, mock'd and derided by Circumstant Devils, and fully con­victed as deserving that most dreadful sentence, Go ye Cursed into Everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.

But let me observe here by the way, that none shall find such fulness of Terror and Confusion at this Judgment Day [...]s unfaithful Christians; for that being born within the [...]ale of the Church and nursed as her Children in the know­ [...]edge of this last Judgment, and obliged by her Sacrament [...] [...]o believe & consider it & to live accordingly; when it shall [...]ppear they have been more defective in Piety, Humanity and Charity than Heathens, and that only self Love and base [Page 52] Covetousness hath influenced their Minds and Action [...] that no promises or threatnings that concerned this day could have any effect to perswade them to Good Works, &c whereby their Saviour and his Religion should have been ho­noured Lord! what a look shall these have from the flaming Eyes of this great Judge when his Wrath shall kindle in hi [...] Brest to think how he hath been reproached by them, who, for all his love and sufferings, have represented him to the World by their lives, rather as an Enemy to Men than their Saviour [...] and his Religion as apt rather to Corrupt the World tha [...] reform it. How hateful will these seem to Saints and Angels, those Lovers of Christ; yea many that stand trembling by the [...] wil (it may be) gnash their Teeth at them as the cause of thei [...] unbelief and impenitency. To these, that most dreadful Sen­tence, Go ye Cursed, is most especially accommodated: Many, yea it may be the most of this miserable Company never knew of Christ and his Religion, never understood the relation of t [...] men to [...]im, & of the Poor especially, and therefore could not be so said to slight and disrespect Christ in refusing the ad­dresses of poor m [...]n and in not releiving their miserys.

Sentence thus past, comes the last scene of this dreadf [...] Tragedy, These shall go away into Everlasting Torments. The Devils, exulting in the miserys of those wretched Creatures shall thrust them down to Hell with utmost scorn and vio­lence: and then with merciless Rage and Fury begin thei [...] Torments; the never dying worm shall begin to Act its part and the raging flames to work upon them as matter fitted an [...] prepared to burn. Their Torments will be such, as the weakness of our understanding now cannot conceive, nor ou [...] frail Nature could nor now suffer, no not for a moment, bu [...] the power and Immortali [...]y that Nature shall acquire at the Resurection makes the thing most dreadful▪ To be so incon­ceivably Tormented, and yet have no possibility of dying is a thing none can think of, that hath not a heart of Stone [...] without trembling; and yet thus it shall certainly be.

All that is dreadful in this World may be comprehended under those things that are spoke of the Torments of th [...] Damned, ‘the gnawing and stinging of the worm; the ragin [...] heat of the f [...]r [...]; being insulted over in misery by the base [...] Creatures; and not at all pittyed by God, or those that a [...] Good.’ The miserys and vexations of mind and body a [...] all either corroding or burning. All concupiscible passio [...] [Page 53] when they are denied the presence and enjoyment of their [...]bjects make a Torment of the first kind. viz. like that of [...]e stinging or gnawing of a Worm; & the irascible passions, [...]hen they work on objects they cannot affect, inflame them­ [...]lves with a rage more tormenting than that of the hotest [...]e. And so for all bodily pains and diseases they are either [...]awing and griping, which may be expressed by the Teeth [...] the Worm, or raging and burning like that of fire in the [...]sh or bones; when the mind and body are both afflicted with [...]ins of both kinds, and in great Extremity, it is very wofull. [...]d if we add, a dereliction by all thos [...] whose pitty and [...]d may comfort us, and the continual presence of those [...]at do upraid us and Triumph in our misery; nothing more [...]n be thought on to make up a State perfectly miserable. 'Tis [...]e, there are some bodily diseases that rather destroy the [...]ce than affect it (such as Appolexys, Lethargys, &c.) that are not [...] be expressed by either of these; but such have no place in [...]ll, where Death and Stupidity would be thought a great fe­ [...]ity. Now, could we but imagine a State on Earth made up of [...]ese 4 Ingredients as strong & duly mixt as may be to work [...] us, I believe no man would be in it for a Month, or a Year, [...]r the gain of all the World, nor refuse to purchace the pre­ [...]tion of it (but for such a time) with as great a part of his E­ [...] [...]e as would suffice for all the Good Works God or Man expects [...]m him in his whole life and shall not the Torments of Hell [...]t far exceed that in all its parts, with the eternity of them [...]d all the preparations to them mentioned before, effect [...]s in us? surely if men did believe and consider it, they [...]ld not be so unspeakably stupid.

Thus you see Sir, what dreadful Revelations God hath made [...]his Word of his Wrath against impenitent sinners, and es­ [...]cially, such as notwithstanding all his Commands in Na­ [...]e and Scripture▪ and notwithstanding Christs Example & the [...]igation of his Death, will not be brought from their scrape. [...] and Covetousness, their inordinate love of mony and [...]dless heaping up Wealth, nor will be perswaded to do Good [...]rks, or at least not any suitable to their great Estates, [...]t are meet Fruits for such a Repentance as they should have [...] their former oppressions or unjust dealings, &c. and I [...]e been the longer on this, because the terror of the Lord [...] the great Instrument of our Religion, and if this will not [...]swade men, scarce any thing will, and therefore I hope i [...] [Page 54] will not be counted impertinent, yet I shall try one Instrume [...] more.

Things that are now far past, and such as may possibly be long before they come, are not so apt to affect us, as the things that are present; & those things which we perceive by our sences work more powerfully on us oftentimes than those we only apprehend by Faith, though they be much greater; therefore let me offer something to inforce thi [...] matter to which your own observation may testifie▪

I Appeal to your experience. Sir, have you not often seen in your long Life, how God hath sent [...] prodigal Heir and other Debaucht Children, as th [...] Messengers of his Wrath, to squander away thei [...] Fathers Estate, as they can in his life time; To ve [...] and torment him with their Freaks and Follys, to Rob & spoil him by all the Arts & Methods the [...] can invent, to Curse him and Laugh him to scorn, in their Rants & Revels, & a thousand times to wish him Dead, and do what they can, with safty of thei [...] Necks, to cause it; And some instances there ar [...] of such impatience in such wicked Children to wai [...] the time of their Fathers leaving the World, that they have hastned it by barbarous Cruelty; And af­ter his Death, to be sure they will make more haste t [...] spend than ever he did to get it.

Again have you not seen, when there have bee [...] no Children to inherit an Estate, how Contentiou [...] Kinsmen have wasted the same in Law, how some have ruined themselves & Familys & yet have mis­sed it, and thereby been provoked to Curse the memory of him that occasioned it; and those that gained it, being raised above their Education, have only obtained a more Eminent place to discover [Page 55] their Follys▪ and make sport for others for a little while, and then come down into the same State they were in before, and sometimes into a much worse.

Have you not seen when an Estate hath been left to a Female Heir, or to an Executrix, how God hath sent some Bankrupt Merchant, or prodigal Courtier, to abuse their weakness, and to Com­plement them to their utter Ruin, and to the Ruin of their Estate; to Tempt them into a State of Re­proach and Dishonour; & by promises of great plea­sures to bring them to Cares and Discontent, and it may be to cruel usuage to the hazard if not extin­ction of their Lives, Thus while they flatter them­selves with the hopes of all manner of delights whereof humanity is capable; they are utterly un­done and after a miserable life, left to Pover­ty and Beggery; much worse than death, worse to them, because they have been delicately bred, and used to so much plenty and excess before.

These are but few of the many instances might be named, which might probably occur to your own observation, but I shall pass them over, & mention only one that is not much observed by the foolish World though wise Solomon long since remarked it: 'Tis Eccle. 2.16. God gives (as a sign of his Grace & Favour) to those that are good in his sight, Wisdom, and Knowledge, and Joy (the best of all Treasures) But, to the sinner (as a token of his dis­pleasure) He gives Travel, to gather and to heap up, that he may give it to him that is good before God: This Manifestation of Gods Wrath, to a Man truly wise, will appear greater than any of the former; for a man ought to be dearer to himself than unto any in the World besides, and to do our [Page 56] selves mischief signifies the greatest deliration; an [...] the destruction of the mind and soul by such ma [...] ness, is greater than any miserys, (even Death [...] self) which may happen to the Body: the Blindne [...] and Stupefaction of the mind is far worse than if w [...] had never seen the Sun with Bodily Eyes, or wer [...] utterly incapable of the delights of this World fo [...] want of our other sences. Now when we see ric [...] men deal more hardly by themselves than the Turk [...] do by their Gally slaves, and force themselves t [...] that which their Servants will not indure, when the [...] cast away the things, of which Solomon saith a littl [...] before (that man can have nothing better (i. e.) to eat and drink, & make his Soul enjoy good in hi [...] labour) when they will indure to do no more for their Bodys than to keep them alive for their daily druggery; when they are not pleased with enjoying but with scraping; what is this less than real madness I have heard that a Person vastly rich was wont to [...] say, He never lived so pleasantly as when he spent but a Groat a Day: they grudge themselves the Cloaths they wear, if the necessary State to which they are called require them to be a little better than Ordinary; If their Children or Friends do never so little comport with their Sate or Expect­ations, in Meat or Drink or Cloaths, he hates them for it, and is ready to blot them out of his Will (if he have any) he cannot indure to think of [...]ught but getting, the thoughts of spending or giving are death to him.

I heard a rich man of this sort once confess in a great Company, that he had made many mens VVills (for he was a Country Scrivener) and often began his own, but when he came to Item I give (in his [Page 57] own Will) he never was able to write farther] A­nother, that had a great Estate and few Relations, and those such as did not need or deserve what he should leave, being asked what he meant to do with what he had, made this Answer [that as God had given it him, so he would leave it to him to do what he pleased with it] which was as much as to say, he cared not what became of it when he was Dead, nor had any power to dispose of it by Will while he was alive: now can there be a greater infatuati­on, than for a man to Labour and Travel Night & Day, in Mind or Body, & yet propose to himself no other end than the pleasure of scraping & of think­ing how much he is worth, to beat his Brains, to weary his Leggs, to break his Sleep, for a conceit that he is Rich, nay (which is worse) to pinch his Carkass, to stain his Honour, to loose the Love & Favour of Mankind, and make himself worse than a Begger in the midst of all his Riches; to expose his Name to the scorn and dirision of the people, and Torment himself with Cares & Vexations (to which the Losses and Disapointments incident to great business must needs subject him) and all for nothing but to heap up he knows not why, and cares not for whom; as if he thought it the greatest pleasure [...]n the World to set men a scrambling for his Estate when he is Dead, and that every one might catch [...]hat catch can.

Nor is it ever the less a Token of Gods Wrath [...]gainst such sinners that God takes more care what [...]ecomes of their Estates than themselves, and gives [...]t by the wise disposal of his Providence To those at [...]ast, who are good before God, to such as will shew Pit­ [...] to the Poor; I say, for all this the sinners punish­ment [Page 58] is not the less but the greater; for as it can be no pleasure to him, while he is here on Earth, to know that his Estate shall be used to such purposes when he is dead as he could never indure to apply it to when he was alive; so it shall be one great Aggravation of his Torments in Hell, when he shall see others to be advanced to Glory & well­comed into Heaven with great joy, chiefly upon account of well improving those Riches, which he had all the Toil and Labour of getting, and might have been as happy as they, if he would but have used well what he scarce used at all; Us'd neither for his own good or that of others; whereas now he must be Tormented in Hell for so foolishly tor­menting himself on Earth, and lose an Eternal Fe­licity, because he would not indulge himself or o­thers a Temporal one. These and such like consider­ations, will add a keenness to the Teeth of that never dying Worm which gnaws on Damned Souls with endless vexation.

I have taken all this pains to stir your affections, to awaken and affright you from a secure continu­ance in the neglect of Good VVorks; Because I find, as I said, that few of the Guilty have that concern to repent and amend, which is of absolute necessity to their Salvation. It is far more common to see mens Consciences troubled and affrighted with the sence of their Commissions of Evil than with that of their Omission of Good VVorks. The reason where­of seems to be, because, although it never be lawfu [...] to do that which is evil, and it be ever a Duty to do that which is good, yet we are not bound to do Good VVorks at all times, as we are always to for­bear those which are evil; we are at no time t [...] [Page 59] Cheat and Couzin, but not at all times to be gi­ving Alms. And hence it is, that the Conscien­ces of men, being not bound to it at all times, will not put on the obligation to do it at any time, no not then, when it is most necessary and seasonable; nor hardly will admit any penitential sorrow, for their Life-long neglects of it.

But I am afraid when I have done all, your mind will requoyle upon me (as I find many others do) and you will say; I can never believe that so many shall be Damned, as are Involved with me in the guilt of such neglects. If none but such Generous and Charitable persons as you mention shall be sa­ved, Lord have mercy on the VVorld, No, I hope God is more merciful than so, Christ hath died for sin­ners, and by his Obedience and Good VVorks we are made Righteous, and we must not think that our Good VVork need to be added to make up his per­fect Righteousness, & to eke out his merits; there­fore I will hope well, for all you have said,

I. For the paucity of the Good, it cannot be denyed, but must be lamented; There is none that doth good no not one was the complaint of holy David, may almost as truly be taken up now: I am not willing to Libel the present Age, nor make inquiry where­fore the former times were better than these (an inquiry which the wise Solomon saith none can wisely make) But yet I must lament this, that when so many Nobles and Gentlemen spend vast Revenues in pomp and pleasure, and so many Citizens heap up riches, or spend them in Pride or Luxury and viey with Princes, while they can boast of giving Thousands in Portion with their Daughters and changing the State of their Families from Pesantry to [Page 60] Gentility; that yet for all this, we hear so l [...]ttle o [...] Eminent Acts of Piety and Charity, of Munificence and Galantry, of providing richly for the service of God, the Salvation of Mens Souls, and relief of the Poor: That Me [...]hanicks can find mony to game & be drunk, but none for Good Works: That the most Poor and Miserable can brawl and fight to­gether, but cannot comfort and help each other; that they can revile and complain of each other, to the hindrance of mens Charity to them all, but can­not speak a Good Word for one another when any of them are in great distress, whereby to provoke those that are able to relieve them: That every one seeks for excuses to avoid all occasions of doing Good Works and to paliate their own Covetous­ness, to stop the mouth of their Consciences, and make their Familys and Neighbours to think it is from Reason and not Covetousness that they do not give. That many will reproach those men that are intrusted to receive and distribute Collections of Mony, abuse the poor, multiply the ways wherein Men (if they be Knaves) may pervert mony, given to good works, to secular uses or ill ones, & make as if none but Fools & proud Me [...] were Charitable: & thus, to excuse their own base nigardly humour, they corrupt their Children and Neighbours, and propa­gate uncharitableness to future Generations. These things are for a Lamentation unto Good Men, not for the excuses of the Bad: God hath Commanded that we do not follow a Multitude in doing Evil; & so by consequence in omiting to do Good: & it shall neither aleviate his Wrath, or discourage the Execu­tion of his justice, to see Hand joyned in Hand in brea­king his Laws: Such common affronts do more [Page 61] provoke him and hasten his judgments; which can as easily drown a World as a Man, and con­sume Citys and Countrys, in the flames of his in­dignation, as it can a small Cottage or private dwelling.

Nor 2dly. doth it move him, that for these his punishments, wretched and desperate men, that re­solve to live in sin, will call him cruel and unmerci­ful: he can sufficiently demonstrate himself merciful as well as just in the destruction of a Multitude of them, and severest inflictions on them; they are but the pest and vermin of the Earth, that corrupt and destroy it, & they will do no good therein, & there­fore the Goodness and Mercy of God is seen in taking them out of the way, or so hampering them with his Judgments that they may do no hurt; but especi­ally in that, by the sharpness of their pains he seek­eth to make them repent, he shows himself as Graci­ous to them as they are capable of: But if after all they be incorrigible and will not be healed, they are a stink in the Nose of God and Angels, as the most noisome filth is in ours; they have destroy­ed all of God and Goodness in themselves, and what can it be of unmercifulness in God to destroy them and to sweep them all into Hell which is the Dunghill of unclean Spirits? God hath abundant­ly shewed them mercy in his endeavours to cleanse them, but if they will not be made clean, who is in the fault, tho they be Eternally there shut out, where no unclean thing can enter, and suck'd into the drain and sink of Corruption: If they wilfully re­fuse the Salvation of Christ in this Jubile, what tho they be bou [...]d to a perpetual Drugery and Vassa­lage to the powers of Hell, and punished with [Page 62] labours and stripes by those worse than Egyptian Task-Masters. For altho' it be the most amiable and desireable perfection of God that he is merci­ful, yet not that he be so to VVicked Transgressors, Psal. 59.5. that his mercy be dispenced by his Wis­dom adds to the notion of his Perfection, and so cannot be hoped or desired when the exhibition thereof is against his own interest and that of Man­kind, as it would be here, For it is against his honour and the good success of his Universal Government to to be so merciful as to encourage men in sin, or so as to retard mens Repentance, so as to seem to give any indulgence to their neglect of Good VVorks, or to their doing those that are evil: it is therefore a­gainst the notion of Gods perfection to conceive him to be thus merciful. And therefore Exod. 34.6. when God makes all his Goodness to pass before Moses, he adds (after the most glorious Proclama­tion, of his G [...]ace, Mercy, and Patience) That he will by no means acquit the Guilty (i. e.) the impeni­tent (for that only binds down our guilt under this gracious dispensation) and he threatneth by the same Moyses that, VVhen he denounceth a Curse a­gainst sinners, if any shall bless themselves, & say I shall have peace tho I still walk on in sin, his Wrath shall smoak against such a one, Deut. 29.19. and it is most natural for abused Goodness to turn into greatest fury.

And 3dly. Tho' Christ dyed for sinners, and all of us are such: Yet all are not impenitent sinners; nei­ther did Christ die for any that are so: Christ was the Wisdom of God, and could not design his Death for the encouragement of Rebels against the Divine Government, or to purchase indulgence for [Page 63] the breaking Gods Laws: He died to shew the World a specimen of Gods Justice, as he is its Supream Legislator & Governour; and, that he might be Just in being the Justifier of those that believe: The terrors and Agonys he suffered, when he made his soul an offering for sin, shewed to the World the sence he had of the dreadfulness of Gods Wrath against it; and his accursed painful shameful death, what those may expect that persist in the commission of it. If God do this in the Green Tree what shall be done in the dry? was his own inference when he went to suffer; & it may be ours, that God, who Spared not his dear­est Son, but gave him up to such a cruel Death when he became our Sponsor, will much less spare presump­ti [...]us sinners when they are to answer for themselves, as all such must do; Christ was lift up upon the Cross to draw all men to obey and follow him, to teach none to contradict and contemn his holy Commandments; Can it be imagined, that when Christ, the Wisdom of God, saw so much evil in sin, that he chose so to die that he might abolish it, so much that he ac­counted all his Pains and Agonys a less suffering, than to endure the Reign and Dominion of sin in the World, I say, can it be imagined, when this is so, that any for whom he dyed should give them­selves up to sin in dispight of all this? that they should Crucifie him afresh? & that in the worst man­ner? & put him to a more open shame, by representing him as a Fool or desperate Person, in so suffering for the abolishing a harmless, profitable pleasant thing (as they think sin to be) That they should make that death of his, which he intended to be the means of mortifying and crucifying sin, to minister to the greater strength and Dominion thereof, cherrishing it [Page 64] with his Flesh and Blood (as it were) and making the signs thereof, whereby we should receive Christ to dwell in us, a Vehicle for the Devil to enter into our hearts, as he did after the Sop into Judas's, such as these must needs eat and drink their own Damnati­on & that in the most dreadful sence imaginable, & make that Blood of the Covenant, which should sancti­fie them to God, to consign them for eternal slaves, to the Devil, & seal them up to the day of damnation.

4ly. Concerning the im [...]utation of Christs Righteousness as it must be meant in the Objection, it seems to me as absur'd & impossible as to think one man can be nourished by the Meat another man eats, or made warm by the Cloaths another wears. But to evince the weakness of any such objection, I shall touch these things following.

1. That either this imputation is absolutely or conditionally done: If absolutely, it destroys all Moral Restraints from Vice and Motives unto Vir­tue; renders all the Divine Laws useless and all pu­nishments of sin unjust; It makes the sufferings of Christ needless, it infers the Salvation of all men, and the equallity of their happiness, and it nulls all Distinction between Good Men and Bad, and many such Consequences to be abhorred of us. If Con­ditional, we are but where we were; for no condition can be more Equitable, more excellently accom­modated to the Nature of God and state of Man, more easie & honourable in it self, and accompaini­ed with greater Aids of our mighty and holy Creator to make it feasable, even to us, corrupt and infirm Creatures, than that condition is, which we say he hath required to constitute us Righteous in his sight to the obtaining eternal Life; and if the same [Page 65] should be required to the imputation of Christs Righteousness, what would men get by the change?

I. If any say, 'Tis absolute only to the Elect: I answer, [...]hat (besides that it is utterly unaccountable how men can be justly distinguished unto Elect and Re­ [...]robate with respect to this thing, viz. the impu­ [...]ation of Christs Righteousness;) It is agreed on all [...]ands, That none can know their Election or Reprobation [...]ut by the effects: Now the acknowledged effects of Gods [...]lection being the giving us that Faith which works by [...]ove and produceth Good Works, we are still but [...]here we were, and can have no True hope of Sal­ [...]tion without them.

And indeed, since it is a contradiction in the nature [...]f the thing, that we should be reputed to have done [...]at in our own persons, which was done only by [...]hrist, for that two persons can no way be one per­ [...]n, nor any Act or Habit be seperate from its sub­ [...]ct and Transferred to another; I say, since it is [...]o, [...]is Blasphemy to imagine that God can judge o­ [...]erwise than it is, or impute that to us as our hahitu­ [...] Disposition or personal Action which never was so. [...] But if what Christ did, could, in some sence that I [...] not know of, be imputed to us as our Act, yet the [...]ief parts of our Evangelical Righteousness (i. e.) [...]at Righteousness which belongs to us as Sinful men, [...]hrist could not do for us, because he could not [...] them at all; and that which Christ never acted, [...]ould not be so imputed as they speak; The actual [...]ghteousness whereto man, considered as a Sinner, [...]rimarily obliged, is a hearty Repentance for his [...]s, & a Trust in Gods mercy for pardon; now the [...]less Humanity of Christ was incapable of perform­ [...] this, & so there must still be the great thing left to [Page 66] be done by our selves, the which I am now provoking you unto, Viz. Repentance, bringing forth the Fruits of Good Works, without which we cannot hope for mer­cy at Gods Hands, or obtain his Kingdom.

But because I think it very useful, I will make a Digression to explain this Matter, of presuming on Gods Mercy and Christs Merits, more fully.

There is not a greater Cause of the Eternal ruin of those that profess Christianity, than the abuse of the Grace of Christ Jesus. When men, through the good Providence & preventing Grace of God, are born within the Pale of the holy Church, and received by Baptism to the participation of the greatest means and advantages of Salvation (i. e) of freeing themselves from the power and dominion of the Devil, and that, notwithstanding his most subtil and industrious in­provement of the allurements of the World, and Lusts of the Flesh, thereby to hold them Captive: And when nothing i [...] required but; according to the Vow in Baptism, to use these advantages vigorously to that purpose; I say in this case the Devil hath no more likely way to hold his own, than by sug­gesting, with greatest subtilty, that men need not make so muc [...] a do to be saved, Christ hath done enough, both for himsel [...] and all his; and their Christening makes them his, in that [...] makes them Christians▪ and if they can but believe & hop [...] well, they need not trouble themselves about their Salvatio [...] we are all sinners, and the best are not perfect, and God i [...] merciful, and if we call on the Name of the Lord (i. e.) o [...] Christ our Lord and Master) we shall be saved: By sugge [...] ing these things, & things of like Nature, the Devil feeds t [...] presumptuous Conceits of Men, and so renders the Gospel t [...] savour of Death unto Death, and all precepts of holy fear a [...] Watchfulness, of Piety and Diligence in Good Works, utter [...] fruitless: Therefore that I may counter-work the design of t [...] Devil herein, suffer me to insist a little on this matter as [...] profitable to your Salvation. It is most Evident that as the [...] ing of a God and Superior powers is the first and chief thi [...] of all, those that are above sence, which the mind of man m [...] apprehend and consent unto, when it is proposed to us, [...] unquestionably true; so the next thing is, that the miser [...] & distresses which men fall into in this Life, and somethi [...] [Page 67] worse of which we have a natural dread after death, are effects of the anger and displeasure of the powers above us for what we do amiss; & therefore the whole world have been always busie in inventing & practising ways of appeasing & propiti­ [...]ting the angry Deitys; God, of his infinite Goodness, in pi­ [...]y to our ignorance & to assist our weakness, but chiefly to effect [...] through Repentance in us, made gradual discoverys to the world how he might be propitiated; but, on the other hand, the Diabolical Malice, in prosecution of our utter Ruin, hath ever [...]ttended the darkning and corrupting such discoverys. The Divine Revelations of this kind have always had respect to Christ, the [...]hief, if not only, Propitiation for our sins, Refuge in our fears, [...]nd Advocate for obtaining deliverance in all our Miserys and Necessitys; this, above all, Satan sought to obscure and per­ [...]ert; and when, in the fulness of time, God sent his Son, to declare [...] the World his Righteousness, in the remission of sins past through [...]s forbearance, to make a tender unto men of his freest Grace [...]d Richest mercy; to change the Nature of their miserys & [...]fferings, tho not wholly to remove them; to conquer sin and [...]ath, their great Enemy, and to bring in Everlasting Righteous­ [...]ss and Eternal Life; And to do all this to perswade them [...] repent and turn ftom the practice of evil works, to the [...]ve and performance of those that were good: I say, when [...]od did this, then the Devil summoned all the Councils of [...]ell, and mustered all its force to Counter-work and oppose, [...]m begining to end, this great design.

The Propitiatory Sacrifices of the Heathen, can owe their O­ [...]ginal to nothing but divine Revelation (what ever may be [...]ought of those that were Eucharistical [...]) and they seem ad­ [...]ed to beget in men a sence of the evil of sin & its deserts [...]unishment, and also of the Divine propentions to find [...]d accept a Ransome for those that would repent, and to [...]nsmit the punishment by them deserved, to one that should [...]heir Sponsor; but all this was still to lead them to Repen­ [...]ce.

Concerning the Jews, it is evident that their Laws concern­ [...] Sacrifices and Ceremonys were their School-Master, to [...]g them to Christ, and added because of the great abounding [...]ansgressions, till he who was the promised seed, should be manifested [...]ke them away, by all which, as they were helped so to know [...] acknowledge themselves to be sinners, as to walk hum­ [...] with God and bear his indignation patiently, so also, so to [Page 68] distinguish between presumptuous sins and those of ignora [...] and infirmity, as that they might fear and fly the first as i [...] capable of Sacrifice, and watch against the second as t [...] pardonable without it; Hereby they were helped also to b [...] lieve the gracious Nature of God inclining him to pardo [...] and his infinite Wisdom, enabling him to find a way of s [...] deeming the Guilty from Death, & that without prejudice [...] his Law or Government: So that, although they could not co [...] ceive how the Blood of Bulls and Goats could take away s [...] yet offering them according to Gods Law, they might hop [...] he would pardon them in the Virtue of what those Sacrific [...] typified, tho many knew little of what that was; but still the [...] sign was to cherish in them a sence of the evil of sin, of Go [...] displeasure against it, and of their Duty to cleanse the [...] selves from it by Repentance.

Now, Satans opposing this design appeared, first in t [...] among the Heathen he still endeavoured to represent their [...] vine Powers as not so irreconcilable to sin, especially sens [...] Lusts, He taught them to represent the Gods in the shape [...] Men and Women, and divers other Creatures: that so th [...] might imagine them subject to the same Lusts and Passio [...] with themselves: He taught them to ascribe unto them [...] ny base and unworthy Actions, such as Rapes, Theft, i [...] temperance, Bloodshed, and things not to be Named; he pe [...] swaded that their wrath and punishments were more for ne [...] le [...]t of the things he called Holy Offices, (which were but [...] lish Rights and Ceremonys,) of Cruel and Unhuman Sacrif [...] of mans blood, &c. then for Vices and Immoralitys: He [...] rupted all those Holy Rights of Sacrifices which men b [...] received by Tradition from the Patriarchs, and made all H [...] Offices rather inducements to sin, than institutions of Repe [...] tance.

Among the Jews, he still endeavoured to introduce the C [...] sed Rights and Sacrifices of the Heathen, their Idols [...] Images, and to corrupt and destroy the Worship of the [...] God, to divert their minds from the design and end of th [...] Sacrifices and Ceremonys, and to fix them in the carnal [...] outward part, mere bodily exercise; to puff them up [...] pride of their singular observances, and peculiar previle [...] es, to perswade them that the strict performance of what [...] Cerimonial Law required would compenceat for all im [...] rality, and obtain pardon for all their offences; yea, tho [...] [Page 69] they continued still in their sins; So that, in confidence of this legal Righteousness, they maligned and persecuted the Prophets that were sent to call them to Repentance; & when Christ came to sweep away this Their Refuge of Lies, the hid­ing place of the wicked, wherein they thought themselves se­cure from the wrath of God and accusations of their own Consciences, they maligned and hated him also, they would by no means believe in him as the great Messiah and Prophet whom they were to hear, but condemned him as a Deceiver and Impostor; when he went about to abolish their Sacrifices and Burnt Offerings, as that which God would no longer have, and to exhibite that body which God had prepared him as the only propitiatory Sacrifice for the sins of the World; to re­move the hand-writing of Ordinances that were against us, as more burthensome than profitable (especially as men used [...]hem); to change their outward Ceremonys and observances, into spiritual inward exercises of mortification & repentance, [...]o take away the temporary Law commanding those judi­ [...]ial Observances (proper to the state of that Nation, & fitted for that Land which the Lord their God had given them, & [...]nforced with promises of outward & temporal rewards) [...]nd to preach and explain the Eternal Law, commanding the great Dutys of Love to God and our Neighbour belonging [...]o all mankind, & to inforce it by promises of spiritual & hea­ [...]enly rewards in his everlasting Gospel; I say, when the Savi­ [...]ur of men went about this, who were so much his Enemys [...]s the proud Pharisees, who had learn'd of their Father the Devil to take refuge in a lying and deceitful Righteousness? [...]e knew that their Fasts & Philactaries. their Tithing of Mint, [...]nise & Cummin, &c. would consist well enough with the, [...]eglect of Judgment, Mercy, Faith, and the Love of God. [...]hose weightier Matters of the Law; that their punctual Tith, [...]gs, frequent Fastings, yea, long prayers and ostentations [...]lmsgiving, might stand with their Covetosness and Extor­ [...]on, with their pride and persecution of the Righteous, with [...]heir devouring Widows Houses, and appropriating to their [...]orban what should relieve their Aged & indigent Parents, [...]e such like wickedness; and therefore he strived to promote [...]l that he could, this their Pharisaical Righteousness, in op­ [...]osition to true Repentance and Reformation.

But that which is most to my purpose is, the Devils manage [...]ent of this design with greatest Serpenet in subtilty, & ind-efatigable [Page 70] industry, in the Christian Church. Our Blessed Saviour being now come into the World to call sinners to Repentance by the most powerful Arguments, and to exhibit the final method of the Divine Goodness for preserving us from wilful­ly ruining our selves to all Eternity, it behoves us to attend diligently, that this his design be not defeated by our compli­ance with Satans Temptations, and by our entertaining his suggestions into our minds.

Christ hath now Exhibited the most plain and full dis­covery of our Duty to God, to ourselves, and Neighbours: his Grace which bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared, to teach us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts, and to live Soberly, Righte­ously, and Godly in this present World; He hath given us a new and most perfect Edition of the Law of Nature, and that not only as it respects man in his Original innocency and perfecti­on, but as he is now sinful and depraved; he hath filled up what might seem to be defective in the Decalogue or other the Laws and Doctrines of the Jews, & that by his expositions, particular Applications, and Perfective Additions, in his Sermon on the Mount, and by other parts of his Doctrine. He, hath exhibited a most perfect Law, regulating mans mind and life to the utmost perfection, and raising him to high dignity and felicity: a Law of Liberty: Liberty from all intolerable impositions, unprofitable Ceremonys, and slavish fears and terrors; a Law of Grace, adapted to the capacitys and possibilitys of frail man, and admitting him to Repen­tance after the most aggravated and multiplyed sins: A Law of Universal Charity, taking away all distinction betwee [...] Jew and Gentile and admiting all to a Joynt participation o [...] highest priviledges, and laying on all an equal obligation to the Dutys appertaining to the common good; binding all mankind to dearest amity and the most pleasant and helpful [...] conversation one with another, and making those that will come under the bounds of it, a Divine Corporation, whereof as Christ himself is the Head and Governour, so The Mos [...] High over all is the God and Father of it. A Law inforced by the most glorious promises and dreadful threatnings that can be imagined, & of things far above our thoughts. In sum [...] a Law that exceeds in Excellency all things that can be compared with it, and hath a boundless perfection beyond wha [...] can be thought or spoken of it.

He hath exemplified the possibility and excellency of this Law in his own person, he hath Conquered all the difficul­tys that can be pretended, he hath baffled all Satans Temp­tations, altho baited with all that which is most forceible to work on humane Nature, and assisted with all imaginable ad­vantages of success. And, that none may think his greater assistance of Deity, an excuse from following the Example of his perfected humanity, he hath promised the same Spirit to us wherewith himself was assisted, and given us, one so­lemn Sacrament for the Entrance of this blessed Spirit into us, and another for his constant indwelling in us: By this his Spirit, he is with us, dwells in us, and will as surely Conquer our Spiritual Enemys, and break through all difficultys that do ly in our way to heaven, as he did in his own person; our work is only To attend to this Law. and receive the Communicati­on of this Spirit by a fiducial application of his Holy Sacraments; and not to grieve, vex or quench the same by returning to our Lusts and Vices. And, to assist us in doing this, nothing can be imagined beyond what he hath done for us. For,

First, having taken our Nature into the most perfect Uni­on with Deity, he hath manifested the Natural and Incom­municable perfections of the God-head most comfortably & to the most effectual attraction of our Love and Obedience. Gods Glory, as he subsisted in the pure Deity, was so con­founding and amazing, that no man could see his Face and live: Moses and the Prophets were not able to behold him e­ven in his back-parts without terror and trembling; But the brightness of Divine Glory shining in the only begotten Son of God was full of Grace and Comfort; when he exhibited Gods Omnipotency in commanding the Winds and the Sea, in raising the Dead, in casting out Devils, &c. men attended the [...]ame without terror. When the Divine omniscience appeared [...]n him, searching the Heart and foretelling things to come, [...]t amazed no man; Yet, tho this Glory was not so dreadful, [...]t was more operative than when exerted by the invisible Deity, if we had seen such miraculous Changes in Natures [...]perations: or strange effects on humane bodys, and yet had [...]ot had any outward sence of the power working therein (as we could not if Christ had been only in the form of God) [...]t would not have so convinced us of the being and glory of [...]he Deity, as when he appeared in the form of man, and yet [...]pake and acted as God. He did not work his Miracles as [Page 72] the Prophets, with a Thus saith the Lord; but saith to the Sea, Peace, be still; and Rebukes the Winds as their Lord and Master [...] he commands the dead to rise, the deaf Ears to be opened the blind to see, the lame to walk, the devils to depart, & [...] and speaks all as being God himself, and, as such, all things obey him: Now this must needs affect and convince men mor [...] than if those things had come to pass by a secret and invisi­ble operation of Deity; and they must have a mighty for [...] to beget such a Reverence and Adoration of this our blessed Saviour, as might dispose men to attend to his Law and receive the Communications of his Spirit.

2ly. For those perfections of Deity which we may call Moral [...] the due manifestations whereof are apt to make impressi­ons on us, and that so as to oblige us to love God above all and to obey his Commands, and to form our souls unto th [...] Divine Image, as to their Temper and Disposition, and all are apt to direct all our Actings, Internal and External, to [...] Conformity to his; Those his perfections were, I say, never s [...] manifested to the World as in Christ Jesus. That preventin [...] Grace of God, which wooes and allures the most profliga [...] sinners; that patience and long suffering which bears the affronts and delays of most Rebellious Creatures; that Father [...] love that runs to meet returning penitents; that fathomle [...] bounty that rewards, superabundantly rewards persever [...] ing Saints; these all appear most gloriously in the person a [...] Doctrine of Christ. Gods wise Conduct in ruling all thing [...] the regularity & justice of all his Ministrations; his truth a [...] faithfulness in performing his promises; his restless & unwe [...] ried activity in doing good, and in using all ways and mea [...] whereby he may influence us with a mind and spirit to do s [...] too; an unmeasureable fulness of these divine perfections dwe [...] in Christ bodily: and being as it were contracted in his h [...] manity, as the Sun in a burning-glass, shone more brightly and wrought more powerfully on men; and while they appeared to be so deeply & plainly Engraven in that very N [...] ture which we all partake of, they became more apt to impie [...] the same Image & Likeness on us; to make us to be Holy, Jo [...] Merciful, Faithful, Kind to good and bad, slow to Wrat [...] ready to forgive, long suffering, & watchful of opportunitys be gracious & do good, & finally studious so to order all our [...] fairs that they may all cooperate to good purposes: And also teach us, that exerting a mighty spirit, acting our own vir [...] and influencing others with the like, we should strive t [...] [Page 73] perfect, as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect.

3dly. Besides these, there are some virtues most needful in our recovery from our Fall, and for our Felicity in the sin­ful and miserable state of this World, which could not be at all exemplified in the pure Deity: Such as Sobriety and Ab­stinence, and other mortifications of the flesh, Self denial, & Patience under the Cross, Meekness and Humility, Resignati­on to the Will of God, & obedience to Death, faithfulness in the Trusts God hath committed to us, & diligence in the Offices & Employments he hath called us to; & devotion in his holy worship and service; and such like: Never were these re­presented unto men with that advantage to attract their love and practice, as they were in the Life of the Holy Jesus; For if we consider him as the Wisdom and Power of God, made man to shew to sinful men the way out of a state of sin and misery to a state of holiness & felicity, and that by his own example; we cannot but earnestly remark his Life and Acti­ons; and when we so know the excellent Order and exact Sub­servency wherein those virtues were in him, to render him the desire of all Nations, and fit him to be their teacher and ex­ample; and how he makes them work in us to the healing the Distempers of our minds, regulating the disorders of our af­fections and passions, and rectifying all our words and acti­ons; how they are made to amend the state of the World, and to change it from a Stage of Viliny and Impiety, to a Thea­ter of brave and noble Actions, from a Hellish to a Heavenly Kingdom. When we see the mighty force they have to Conquer Temptations, and destroy the works of the Devil, & support us under the fears of Death; this certainly must effectually dispose us to attend to that his Law requiring these things, and to receive that spirit whereby they are so wrought and cherish'd in us. 'Tis true, our Saviour had no Original sin to be cured in himself, in which respect the effects of those virtues in him and in us do seem to differ; but if it be, as some think it is, that all the power of Original sin be de­stroyed in us, as well as the perfect Grace of God restored to us, in our Baptism; (the Grace whereof is a death unto sin and new birth to righteousness, as our Catechism teacheth) then the thing to be done by these virtues, is the same that was wrought in Christ, who was tempted in all things like as we are (tho without sin) he was made partaker of all the Natural infirmitis and Passions of our Flesh, and lived in [Page 74] the same wicked world, and combated with the utmost Mal­lice, Subtilty and Power of Hell as we do, and yet by virtue of these graces which resided in his human nature, assisted with the Divine Spirit, he overcame all: And through him we may do so too, if we faithfully do our part.

But 4ly. However we may fail herein, if we be such as are sincere and faithful in the Baptismal Vow; and are resolved to attempt constantly and speedily, a recovery to innocency and purity, whenever we fall from it, in & by the use of the other Sacrament; I say for such Christ hath obtained a ‘Cove­nant of grace, whereby they may be assured of Gods favour notwithstanding such infirmities;’ and that we may believe he hath done this, the Gospel reveals these things following.

1st. That being in the form of God and without Robbery equal to him, yet he took on himself the form of a Servant to his heavenly Father, and was made in the likeness of man: in his mysterious conception (wherein as God he was Active though as man Passive) he abhorred not the Virgins Womb, the Holy Ghost, the Power of the Highest, which proceedeth as from the Father so from the Son, came upon her, and overshadowed her, so that the holy thing that was born of her was truly called God, and the Son of God

2ly. His immaculate Birth, without the least stain of impu­rity or any guilt of original sin.

3ly. His sinless and examplary Life, in a most industrious delightful and unwearied prosecution of the work of glori­fying and pleasing God: The unparalel, d meekness and pati­ence of his Death, which he suffered for the propitiating the Divine Justice, and obtaining Grace and Mercy for us: In all which he so pleased his Heavenly Father, that he could deny him nothing, at least nothing which did not infer a denyal of himself, and this Christ could not ask. Therefore whatever Favour towards man was consistent with the essential glory and purity of his Divine Nature, and no prejudice to his Wise, Just, and Supream Government of the World, this he most freely granted, as soon as our Saviour asked it of him: 'Tis true Christ could not ask pardon for the impenitent, or eternal Life for the unholy, but he asked both for such as should believe in him, and become obsignate with his holy Sacraments, because thereby they should be made penitent & holy: and this God most freely gave, as what Christ had fully purchased, as that which was agreeable to his holy & gracious [Page 75] nature, and made for his highest glory and honor. But more­over, so great was his Favour towards our Blessed Saviour on the Account forementioned, that he committed the dispensa­tion of this Grace into his own hands, and because it seemed but a small thing that he should be his servant, to raise up the Tribes of Jacob (those that had been formerly his people) he gave him to be a light to the Gentiles, that he might be his Salvation to the ends of the Earth, Isa. 49.6. so that to Jews and Gentiles he had power to give Glory, Honour, and Peace to every soul among them that worked good or did Good Works, though they failed in many things through human frailtys; and that they might be assured of this, beyond all possibility of ratio­nal doubt, he not only raised him from the dead and set him at his own Right-hand in the highest Heavens, but gave him such Gifts and Powers to bestow on all those men that would list themselves his Disciples and Followers, as astonished the World where they came, and proved his spiritual King­dom to be from God, such as bare down before them all the Wisdom and Policy of Heathen Sages, the Power and Strength of the Kingdoms of this World, yea the very Gods of the Heathen fled before them, and all their Oracles were struck dumb by their Preaching, and who would not then re­ceive the Spirit, and attend to the Law of this our Glorious head, and gracious Governour?

I shall mention but one thing more, whereby Christ hath assisted our performance of our duty, which is, The assu­rance we have of the grateful acceptance it hath with God, and his gracious rewards for the same; and this he hath assu­red us of, by the exempfication of the same in his own per­son, and nothing can be a greater aid and help than this

To see him, after a painful and laborious life in the per­formance of all the parts of his Office, and improvement of his gifts and powers to his Fathers Honour, after patient suf­fering the reproaches, affronts and persecutions of his Ene­mies after watchings, fastings, travels, and other displeasures of the flesh; after a resolute resistance of all the Temptations of Satan, and a perfect resignation to the Will of his heavenly Father, finally after performing this latter in the hardest in­stance imaginable, viz. in drinking that most bitter Cup, the very fight whereof so oppressed his humanity, that his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground; I say af­ter all this, to see an Angel descend from Heaven, as Gods [Page 76] herrald to declare his innocency & Gods acceptance of his fi­delity and patience, to see him, with a Countenance spark­ling like lightning, and Rayment white as Snow, shaking the very Earth, making the Keepers of his Sepulcher to tremble and become as dead men; to see him rolling away the Stone from the Sepulcher door, [...]o make way for his Resurrection; And then to see the Power of Deity raise that Body from the grave which was crucified through the weakness of humanity; to see him take this Body along with him in triumph to Hea­ven; and, being now made most glorious and immortal, to be received there with the Halaluias of Angels, conducted by Cherubims and Seraphims to the Throne of God; to see him placed on the Right Hand of the Majesty on high, attended with the 24. inthroned Elders, four Angel-like Monarchs (represented by the four Beasts) to hear him celebrated with Songs of Angels, ten thousand times ten thousand sing­ing, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches, and Wisdom, and Sterngth, and Honour, and Glory, and Blessing; to hear every Creature which is in Heaven, and Earth, and un­der the Earth, and in the Sea, Ecchoing to the Blessed Angels: Blessing, Glory, and Honour, and Power, be to him that siteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb for evermore; to see him placed in his Fathers Throne (the Shekina or Majestick Glory wherein God formerly appeared to Angels and Men) to see him in­vested with all Power in Heaven & Earth, celeberated in the Assemblies of Saints, and that with the same Divine Honours as God himself, to see him receiving all this glory according to his humanity, and receiving it as the Captain of our Sal­vation, to assure all his followers, that if they fight and la­bour as he did, they shall Conquer & be Crowned as he was, what can be more Effectual to perswade an obedient regard to his Laws, and an humble and thankful reception of his holy Spirit?

Thus you see what abundant means of Salvation those en­joy that live within the Christian Church, and are instructed in her mysteries, so that one would think it to be impossible that Satan should ever be able to blind their minds, or cor­rupt their lives, and hinder their hearty Repentance and re­turn to God. And so indeed it were, if men were not wilfully blind, and loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil; but when mens minds turn away from Gods holy Commandments, and they incline to wickedness in [Page 77] their hearts, the Devil, that old Serpent, will, for all this, effectually deceive them: and it must be so, except God, did not only do what is abundantly sufficient, yea so much, (as he himself saith, that nothing could be done more (i. e.) as consi­stent with the law he had established in Nature.) But also did ordinarily work miraculously in mens Conversion and Salva­tion (as certainly he will never do, whatever men dream.) For the Devil can set up Antichrists against Christ, and send his Ministers that shall sow Tares as fast as Christs do good Corn, he hath Mysteries of iniquity to set up against Christs Sacraments, and such as shall convey his Spirit as powerful­ly as these do the Spirit of Christ; And [...]s Christ hath obliged us in our B [...]ptism by all the indearments of the blessed Tri­nity, to submit to all the means and methods of Gods grace for the purifying and cleansing us by Repentance, that so we may be a peculiar People and holy Nation to himself; so the Devil hath his Moyre, wherein he Baptizeth shall I say, or rather Besmeareth his obsignated vassals, obliging them by all the indearments of his Cursed Trinity, the Pomps and Vanities of the World, the deceitful Lusts of the flesh, and the Raging passions of the Devil, or (if you will) the Lusts of the Eye, of the Flesh, and Pride of Life, that they may con­tinue among the common and unclean people that are his. And, as the amiable beauty and comfortable savour of the Divine Goodness, Wisdom, and Omnipotence is a mighty atractive to Virgin Souls, to Love and Obedience, so to such Lustful and Adulterous minds, the gaudery and rank savour of base, foolish, and weak brutality and develisme, hath a mighty force to Captivate them & oblige their servile attendance. As Christ hath obliged us by the Sacrament of his Death and Passion, who was the Lord from Heaven, to a continual suffering all earthly evils and those hardships and displeasures of the flesh contained in what we call mortification, (and this is all that is required for the preservation of that purity and holi­ness to which we are initiated in our Baptizm (for he that hath suffered in the flesh according to the Gospel institution, hath so far ceased from sin, and nothing but impatience of such suffering can cause any one to commit it) I say as here­by Christ hath obliged us to such patience as may preserve us pure & as by the belief of his Resurrection which (belief is contained in the festival and Eucharistical celeberation of his [Page 78] passion) hath quickned us with spiritual and heavenly affecti­ons, such affections as make the delights and satisfactions of Grace seem to outweigh all that Nature or Flesh can desire, or Satan offer.

So the Devil by the representations he makes to the minds and fancies of men of the sensual devilish life and Conver­sation of most of the great Monarchs & Hero's of the Earth, doth perswade them to such a continual gratification of their carnal lusts and hellish passions and the most greedy prose­cution of worldly glory and Dominion, as is sufficiently ef­fectual to keep them in the mire and pollution of sin, and in the Communion of his cursed crue: And, by the opinion that is had of those Hero's in the world, and the Praise men give them for doing well to themselves, he doth continually beget and cherish such base desires, & earthly minds, that the pleasures of a brave and heavenly life weigh nothing with them, their swill and draffe is more to those swine, than all the Jewels and Treasures that Christ offers (viz.) than all the joys of his Grace and Holy Spirit. And as the Devil can himself put on the appearance of an Angel of Light, that so he may the more effectually lead men into the regions of eternal Darkness, so he hath his Ministers that transform themselves into the Ministers of Righteousness, that so they may privily bring in Damnable Heresies, and poison men with libertine Do­ctrines; The sweetness whereof to carnal minds, being joyn­ed with appearances of great Spirituality and outward San­ctity in those that preach them, make them as catching as the most infectious Plague; and, as Captains and Ring-lea­ders of these, Satan hath set up Antichrists in the several A­ges of the Church, ever since the Apostles time; of these Si­mon Magus is said to be the first, who boasted himself to be the great power of God, as our Saviour is called, and con­tended with his Apostles and Disciples for preheminence in working Miracles; After him followed divers that pretended some to be the Holy Ghost, some Elias, and some Christ him­self. But that which is nearer to us and more concerns us is, the Consideration of him that is esteemed the great Anti­christ prophesied of in the Ravelations, whom the Devil hath set up to oppose Christ, & the Salvation of Men by him; This, pretending himself Christs Vicar, and offering, for money, par­don of the worst sins, & Redemption not only out of Purga­tory but Hell it self, to give dispensations to common Stews, to [Page 97] Incest, Adultery and Sodomy and basest Vices: And some of the Crew Exemplifying the greatest Filthiness and Wick­edness in their own persons, and, by their Ministers, dissemi­tating such principles of Barbarous Cruelty, Falshood and Hypocrisie, Rebellion and Disloyalty, and other Doctrines so contrary to common Humanity and Christian Charity, that never did any of his former designs seem so likely to destroy the Power, if not the Being of Christianity in the World.

Yet (for conclusion) some think his last Essay in the late times to have out-done all the former: For when the Lord Christ, had begun the destruction of that great Antichrist, by the Spirit of his mouth (i. e.) the mighty power accom­panying the preaching his Word in the beginning of the Re­formation.) And by the Brightness of his coming, viz. the convincing Demonstrations of Reason and Providence, con­cerning the imposture and impiety of that Antichristian State: I say, by these, when he laid him open unto the hatred of all those that had any thing of Pity or Probity in them; then, when we might have hoped to see Christs Kingdom flourish among us, I say, then the Devil stirs up an Enthusiastick Spi­rit, that insinuates it self into some of the most Eminent of the Reformers, and Corrupts their minds with false prin­ciples, about the Grace and Worship of the Gospel, about Christian Liberty, and the power of the Keys, and such like things, so that their false Doctrine in such things (assisted with a specious pretence of opposing Popery, and a Novel kind of presizness & sanctity) spaun'd a Numberless Number of Sects & Sectaries, weakned the force of those Truths they held in common with us, taught men how they might evade all the perswasions and Arguments, whereby they should be brought to Repentance and Good Works, & finally how to talk after the Rate of the Objection I have been answering all this while, & that which hath drawn me to this long Digression, but I hope, not without profit to the Reader and furtherance to my Genral Design. I shall only add, that notwithstanding all that Satan hath done or can do to hinder the Efficacy of Gods Grace and keep us in the State of Damnation, yet, if we would do what we can to put off the works of Darkness, especially that of Covetousness and worldly mindedness and put on the Armour of Light (i. e.) apply to our Reason & Con­scence the discoveries of Divine supernatural truth made by our Lord Jesus in his blessed Gospel) and also indue [Page 80] our selves with the Gifts & Graces of his holy Spirit, which is the compleat Armour of God, and above all would learn the greatest dexterity we can possible in managing the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God; if we would wisely apply the mighty Arguments it affords to perswade us to d [...] ­ing our Duty & striving to refell all Satans Temptations to sin; I say if we would do this, 'tis not all the subtilty of that old Serpent, or Power that is in the gates of Hell, shall be able to prevail against us and to detain us from returning to God by Repentance: Again, if we can but obtain of our selves, in the recess of worldly businesses and quietness from cares and concerns of this life, to fix our minds on the glorious and attractive manifestations of God in Christ, on the excel­lency of his Evangelical Laws, and their mighty Sanctions, on the Exemplification of the possibilities of performing them, and the glorious rewards following thereon, which we see in the person of Christ our Saviour; I say if we can but do this, we shall in spight of Hell, be transformed into the Divine Image; And as Zacheus, a chief Publican (who were also chief sinners) by desiring to see Christ, and by en­tertaining him into his house, was changed into a most chari­table, just, and munificent Saint; So Sir, You will I hope, by reading and considering what I have written of beholding Christ by Faith, and receiving him into your Heart by Love, become such as these papers design to make you, Viz. a most Noble and Generous Benefactor to the Poor, and muni­ficent to all other Good Works.

I have been thus long in refelling these presumptu­ous conceipts, because I know while men ca [...] but hope they may be saved in the way that they have long lived in, it is in vain to perswade them to change their course: They must therefore be saved with Fear, and plucked as Fire-brands out of the Fire. And this I hope will plead my excuse to those who think I have been too long.

But I fear I have wearyed you with an unplea­sant subject, nor had I so long insisted on it, but that I believe Bitter things may be often most wholsome; I will conclude therefore with some things of more grateful reception.

Good Works I have said are of absolute necessity to the obtaining Gods Rewards; and they are so, because they are the most meet preparations for them, but not that they bear any due proportion thereunto; The proportion is, not according to our Merits, but according to the Infiniteness of Gods Mercy, and Riches of his Bounty; ‘'Tis true the Fruits shall be according to the Seed (i. e.) the reward according to the Nature of our Works. 'If we sow to the Flesh we can of the Flesh reap nothing but Corrup­tion, but if w [...] sow to the Spirit, we shall of the Spi­rit reap Life Everlasting;’ And it shall be accord­ing to the Degree of them too. ‘For he that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly, but he that soweth plentifully shall reap plentifully.’ But yet still with Regard unto the proportion before mentioned, He that gain'd with his pound, ten pounds, was made Ruler over ten Citys, and he that gained but five, over but five City's; but both, for the gain of a pound, [...]ad the Rule of a City; and besides an admission into the Joy of their Lord: Here is a Proportion with­out Proportion; a Proportion to the Nature and Degree of our Works, but not to the Worth & Me­ [...]it of them; for a Cup of cold water given in his Name (where we have Ability to do no more) Christ will give the Land flowing with Milk and Ho­ [...]ey; All that we forsake for him, shall be returned [...] hundred fold in this World, and in the World to [...]ome with Life Everlasting; to those that give any [...]hing to the concerns of Gods Honour or Releif of the Poor, it shall be given back again; Good Measure, shaken together, pressed down, and run­ [...]ng over, and that in this World; For 'tis said (that Men shall give it into their Bosoms.) It was but [Page 82] little the Apostles had to forsake for Christ, nor had they suffered much for him, before he suffered Death, with greatest Aggravations, for them; yet see how great things he promiseth them, Mat. 19. On Peters question, Behold we have left all and followed thee, What shall we have therefore? (you, saith, he) that have followed me in the Regeneration (i. e.) in the work of Regenerating the world by my hea­venly Doctrine; and (St. Luke adds) have continu­ed with me in my Temptations, shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel, and I will appoint to you a Kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me, &c. This is sufficient to shew how vastly different the Worth & Value of our Works, & of the Reward which God in his infinite Bounty giveth for them, must be acknowledged to be; But since he is pleased so to have it, for our encouragement in the practice of Good Works, Methinks it should be our Duty and Wisdom too, to consider it, for the depres­ion of all Niggardly and Base Thoughts that op­pose the same; and for our greater Excitation there­unto; Therefore, for the inforcement of this Matter, I shall insist a little on this Proposition, That it hath p [...]ased God to assure unto a person that is careful to maintain Good Works, all that he can reasonably d [...]sire in this World, & whatsoever he can possibly hope for in the World to come, and this he doth either by the way of Natu­ral Resultancy, or by his Gracious Promise, or by both.

To begin then with what can be reasonably desired in this World. The first thing which men naturally desire is Food and Rayment because nature subsists by it; & therefore cannot be content without it; where­as it feels the want of nothing else; Now, as this is most necessary, so it is most strongly secured unto [Page 83] Good Works, & that in both the forementioned wayes For, it is Naturally Consequent to▪ Charitable Endea­vours to supply the wants of others in these things, that they should be engaged, and firmly bound to lend their helping hand to our supply, when hunger & cold afflict us: so that we have, not only the security of our own endeavours, but that of others Assistance, against extream wants and poverty; and I am sure it will appear to any considering man, that he that hath been fruitful in Good Works cannot be necessari­ly Poor, (however he may be Volentarily so) by volun­tarily poor I mean mens being so because they will not make their wants known & desire relief: For 'tis incredible, that he that hath made it his delight to relieve others in their Straights & Extremities, should have none that would be pleased and delighted to re­lieve his when he is in the same Case; 'tis true, I have known some that have suffer'd extream want, through their pride and sullen discontent; such as will not be brought to comply with Gods Providence, nor stoop to seek mens Charity; who need not have been so if they had been humble plaintives; But the practice of Good Works either supposeth or intro­duceth such virtues as are contrary to those destru­ctive and impoverishing Vices, and therefore that way also secures us against want, (but I must only touch things.) Then 2dly, He hath manifold pro­mises in Scripture that he shall never be in extream want and poverty, Prov. 10.3. The Lord will not suf­fer the Soul of the Righteous to famish; which place I the rather Cite that I may Remark this, that it was ordinary amongst the Jews to understand by a Righe­ous man one that is Charitable; and so it must be un­derstood here, as appears by the parallel place to [Page 84] which the margent there refers, Viz. Psal. 37.25. I have not seen the Righteous forsak [...]n, nor their Seed Beg­ing Bread, to which, as a Discription of the Righteous man he means, he subjoyns Ver. 26. He is ever Mer­ciful and lendeth, which are two great Acts of Cha­rity; And he had called him a Good man, ver. 23. whom he calls a Righteous man, ver. 26. I shall mention only two places more, Isa. 58.11. and Psal. 41.2. In which God promiseth, To preserve and keep alive the Charitable man, & satisfie his Soul even in Drought or Famine, and make his Bones Fat: This may suffice in the first Case.

The next thing to be desired here is, Ease and Re­lief in the miseries of Life, and Comfort in the Terrors of Death: Nature indeed desires an utter Exemption in both Cases, but Reason forbids That, as inconsistant with the Divine appointment, which is, That all men must dye, and also suffer many things whilst they live, as the Forerunners & appendages of Death. And reason tells us this is necessary to Conform us to Christ, and pre­pare us for Eternal Felicity; but yet reason may well desire Divine Aids to support our Patience, to ease our Pains, and overcome the Fears of Death; & this is certainly Consequent to a Life spent in Good Works; For how can God deny his help to those that are partakers of so Divine a Nature, and so like himself?

Love is of God, and he that Loveth is born of God, And can God be cruel to his dear Children, that so much resemble him? No! it is impossible. His Bowels are tenderer than the most indulgent Mother, and his Compassions beyond those of the most pitiful Father; And he will be sure to ‘Do good to them that have been so good to others; with the Merci­ful [Page 85] he always shews himself merciful; 'tis only those who have shewed no mercy that shall have Judgment without Mercy at his hands:’ And of this the Psal­mists Prayer is as certain a Proof, as if it were a di­rect Promise, Psal. 41. ‘The Lord comfort him, when he lyeth upon his sick Bed, make thou all his Bed in his Sickness;’ and lastly there can be no greater assurance of Comfort in Death, than the Conscience of a well spent Life.

3. Another thing desireable is a Good Conscience, which is a continual Feast; This is so Evidently, as well as Naturally Consequent to this Endeavour to main­tain Good Works, that I shall need only to mention it.

4. The next thing that is Naturally and Reason­ably desireable, is deliverance from our Enemies; There is no man, by the greatest Justice or Goodness, can exempt himself from the hatred and enmity of evil men; the Righteous is an Abomination to the wicked: The Wise: Solomon had observed, that For Right Works Men were hated of their Neighbours, the most Eminent Char­ity provokes the Enmity of Niggards and Covetous men; But as God hath promised ‘that he will not deliver such into the Will of their Enemies, Psal. 41.’ So the Love of all Good men, even of the Poor whom they have relieved, is a great security against them; For a Good Man some will even dare to die; therefore certainly such shall always find some that will dare to defend them against Caluminy and the false Reports of ill men; some to vindicate them when they are accused before their Superiors; to stand up in their defence when they are affronted, &c. So that it will be very hard for ill men to do them a mischief. [Page 86] This is the Reason of the Wise mans Council, Eccle. 11.2. 'Give a Portion to seven & also to eight, for thou knowest not what evil shall be on the Earth. 'Tis ten to one but that a Charitable man, among the multitude of those he obliges by his Alms, may make a Friend that may do him a kindness in ill times. Sometimes it happens, & doth so very often in the Revolutions of States and Kingdoms, that those who were poor and indigent, being made Courageous by hope of advancing their fortunes, rise to Wealth and Power, when those that were wealthy, being Ef­feminated by Sloth and Luxury, fall into Bondage and Poverty; and so it may come to be in the power of some Poor man, to recompence his Benefactors seven fold, by aiding and relieving them in such ill times wherein the Tables are thus turned.

5. Another thing desireable is the success & pros­perity of our Affairs and Undertakings; And this God hath certainly promised to the Charitable: All the Blessings in the Basket, and store in the fruit of the Body and labour of the Hands, at home and abroad, are promised to those that are obedient to Gods Law, Deut. 28. and therefore must belong to these, be­cause the whole Law is fullfilled in this, 'Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self, & he that is exercised in doing all the Good he can to his Neighbour, is got­ten above the Temptations of doing him evil in any instances prohibited by that Law: Deut. 1 [...] 10. 'Tis promised that if ‘we give to our Brother and be not grieved when we do so, but do it heartily & chear­fully, for this the Lord will Bless us in all our works and in all that we put our hands unto. For he that giveth to the Poor, lendeth to the Lord, & he will repay him, & his pay is never without great­est [Page 87] advantage, seven if not a hundred fold.’ But even by way of Natural resultancy this follows also, for those that are given to Good Works, find so much employ­ment for their Reason and Prudence in Study and Contrivances thereabout, that by exercise those Fa­culties grow most perfect, and also by such employ­ment of their minds & faculties men are kept from rash & expensive projects that hinder mens thriving, & success in their undertakings. Charity is most contra­ry to those two Vices that Ruin very many (viz.) Litigeousness and Gaming; Now when men are wise & prudent in ordering their Offices & wary of those things that divert them from their business and that waste their Estates, it is the most sure way to prosper.

Another thing desireable to all Wise men is a Good Name, which is better, in Solomons Account, than great Riches; A Good Name is always a Great Name, but not so econtra: to be famed for Greatness without Goodness, is to be counted a great [...] Rogue; but to be famed for Goodness in a mean & poor Estate is to be counted a great Saint. The first is so because the greatest suffi­ciency cannot keep such a man from doing mischief; For there is no State of Innocency between Virtue & Vice. The other is so, because the greatest penury cannot depress his Generous Mind nor hinder his do­ing good, at least as far as he is able. This Good Name doth result as Naturally from Good Works as the Re­flection of the Sun-Beams from the interposition of a Looking-Glass: besides God hath promised to him that hath dispersed and given to the Poor, that his Horn shall be exalted with Honour, Psal. 112.9.

Another thing very desireable, is the Love and Favour of these we converse with all, which Solomon also values above Silver and Gold; Now 'tis easie to discern how necessary Good Works are for the obtain­ing [Page 88] of this Loving Favour, and the Natural Ten­dancy there is in them to procure it: Every Man is a Friend to him that giveth Gifts, especially those to whom he gives in their Distress, who will have an entire Love for their Benefactors; and the esteem that every man hath of the Bravery of a Generous and Charitable disposed mind, and chiefly when it can express it self by munificence, and plentiful di­stributions to the Poor, will even constrain them to love such a man. Goodness is a Divine Perfection, The fair Beauty of God himself, that which attracts our desires to attend on his Worship and visit his Sanctu­ary, Psal. 27. The Infinitness of his Love there ma­nifested, and the Gifts of his Grace there bestowed, are better than the choicest Wine, more fragrant than precious Ointments, therefore Pure Souls Love him, Cant. 1.3. and can men partake, & that in eminent measures, of the same Divine perfection, and not be beloved also? that's impossible!

There are two things even beyond this Life, which for Men to hope for, while they yet live, is very desireable, and that is ‘a Blessed Memory. and a prospirous posterity:’ And these are both most likely to be the Portion of a Good Man; for How­ever men may obtain a lasting memory by other things, yet, it is only those things which they do to the Benefit and Comfort of Mankind, and of those espceially that are distressed amongst them, that can procure them a Blessed Memory: And for the second, God hath undertaken that, ‘the Seed of merciful men shall be Blessed, Psal. 37.26. And that a Good Man shall leave an Inheritance to his Childrens Chil­dren, and that the Wealth of the sinner shall be laid up for the Just, Prov. 13.22.’ (i. e.) He shall leave a [Page 89] lasting Estate himself to his posterity, or, if he do not, God will provide them one out of some bodys else, and most frequently he will do it of the wealth that sinners scraped together, they did not well know for whom, but God knew better: I have but touched these things because I would not tire you. And now for a conclusion shall only transcribe some Verses out of Isa. 58. where all those things, and more, are summed up together as encouragements to Charity.

‘If thou Deal thy Bread to the Hungry, and bring the Poor, that are cast out, to thy House, and cover the Naked when thou seest him, &c. Thy Light shall break Forth as the Morning and thy Health spring forth speedily; thy Righteousness shall go before thee, & the Glory of the Lord shall be thy Rere-ward: Thou shalt call, and the Lord shall answer thee, thou shalt cry, and he shall say here I am.—Thy Light shall rise in obscurity, and thy Darkness shall be as the Noon Day; The Lord shall Guide thee continually,’ he shall satisfie thy Soul in Drought, and make fat thy Bones, and thou shalt be as a Watred Garden, and as a Spring of Water, ‘whose Waters fail not; And they that shall be of thee, shall build the old waste places, and thou shalt raise up the Foundation of many generations, and thou shalt be called the repairer of the Breach and the Restorer of paths to dwell in;’ Certainly if men had any belief in God, or any sence of their own Felicity, such Words could not but effect in them a wonderful zeal in performing these works of Chari­ty.

I have now only to represent how we are secured, by the practice of such Good Works, of obtaining [Page 90] Whatever can be hoped for in the World to come, and thereby to excite you to the same and so to conclude, and I have left this to the last as the most powerful.

The Soul of man being supposed to be immortal (as it certainly is) and that, when it is freed from all the pressures & incumbrances of the Flesh, it shall be made perfect in Knowledge and Remembrance; I say, this supposed, it cannot be, but that the Soul of Man must be eternally miserable or happy after this Life, according to the dispositions, it hath contra­cted and the Works wherein it hath been employed therein. for it is impossible but that on the one hand its Radical hatred of God, and goodness, & re­newed Memory of his Sins and Follies, must be its continual Torment; and on the other hand, its Assi­milation to God and his holy Angels, and the Re­membrance of its Fidelity and industry in all Good Works, for it must needs compound such Joy and Filicity, as hath no measure nor end.

As the Essence of our Souls is wholly incompre­hensible, so the manner of their Subsistance and Op­perations, when seperated from the Body, is a mat­ter of no easie conception; but this is certain, that ‘they subsist in God, and operate upon him, upon themselves, & upon all things that may be known, remembered or considered by them;’ Therefore since there is a certain militation between things con­trary, they can never be happy, but in their Assimi­lation to God; and when they, contemplating his most glorious perfections, can reflect upon them­selves, and behold there something of the same kind, though below his in infinite Degrees; And when also beholding the Beauty, Order, & Efficacy of the Uni­verse, they find that themselves have been duly place­d [Page 91] therein, and have rightly operated there; (.i. e.) For the Common Good, and for their makers Glory: Again, the Remembrance of their Victory over the Infernal Powers, which having once made Schism from the Fountain of Blessedness, and disturb'd the harmo­ny and order of the World, seek to bring mankind into the same Condemnation; And of their Fidelity to the Captain of their Salvation in the time of this Life, in following the Conduct of his Spirit and Law, and in improving his Aids given thereby, in seeking their own happiness, and assisting the Temporal & Eternal wellfare of all their Companions, I say the remembrance of those things will Minister exceeding greatly to the Felicity of the separate Soul: Besides we may imagine that the Soul by being imployed in this World in the practice of Good Works, had contracted a disposition to Admire, Love & Honour, all that were Eminently perfect in the same practice, as we see it is in all the Arts & Actions of humane Life; Pra­ctitioners in all Arts and Exercises, Love and Honour, those that are Masters in the same. Now, when a soul▪ so disposed comes to have Communion with the Father of Goodness, who filled Heaven & Earth and in­riched all his works with the Treasures of his Mercy and Bounty; when these Souls shall behold the Glo­rified Body of Christ, (for Spirits can see Bodys, though not, econtra) I say that Body of Christ which was the Treasurie of the Divine Goodness, as well as Wisdom, in which dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead Bodily and whence, the Deity dispearsed Gifts of Grace and Offers of his Eternal Glory to man­kind, and that with mighty Advantage: When we shall feel in our Souls the further tho not final Con­summation of that Mystery, which made St. Paul break into admiration, and with a seeming abruptness to [Page 92] say, This is a great Mistery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church, Eph. 5.32. The Mistery of that con­junction unto Christ, which shall make us to be one Spirit with our Lord, as he had been one Flesh with us; When That Spirit whom the Lord is, (2 Cor. 3.17.) both as our Creator and Saviour shall have effected the cleansing and sanctifying us, as to our Souls, that we shall in Soul be presented to himself, Glorious, Holy, and without Blemish, not having Spot or Wrinkle, or any such thing: And shall dwell in us as we in him, and be as it were the Soul of our Souls, and form them to the likeness of the Eternal mind, which is Love and Goodness it self: When it shall affect them with the same passions; that possessed the most perfect, pure, amorous Soul of our Blessed Saviour; when this participation of the Spirit of Christ, shall unite all Saints into one Soul and Spirit, as the participation of his Flesh in the blessed Sacrament united us all into one Body; When, thus united, they shall communicate the plea­sures and delights they had in doing Good Works in this World, and every one shall enjoy the Felicity of all, when they shall love and admire, praise and ce­lebrate each others brave and generous Actions, their free & charitable Distributions, & then shall all joyn in a Chorus to Adore the Father of Mercy, the Fountain of their Good Affections and Good Works, who wrought in them to will and to do: When they shall thus live in the Love and Embraces of God, of Christ, and of each other, and in the continual Com­munications of Joy and Praise, I say, when I consider this happy State, I cannot tell what there is for the Soul of Man, thus considered as in the State of se­paration from the Body, to desire or hope for be­yond it; And I think also, that none that considers how [Page 93] natural it is for Good Works to beget such Dispositions, and how necessary the happiness of the soul so dis­posed must be, in such its Conjunction and Commu­nion, as I have before mentioned, I say, no such will I hope Condemn what I write as having any thing false, or very doubtful in it: But I will proceed to something plainer.

It was not only the Soul, but the Body, that was imployed in Good Works here, and therefore, That must partake of the Reward hereafter. 'Tis true, Reason never discovered any thing or very little of the Resurrection of the Body untill it was helped therein by Divine Revelation; But reason having once conceived that God will raise our Bodys, and unite them again to the glorified immortal Soul, it can easiely conclude that they shall be so qualified as becomes that Union; and that there shall be no Re­pugnancy, between the Felicity of the Body, and the highest perfection of the Soul, as it was here; yea that it shall, not only consist with it, but be adjuvant thereunto; Those Eyes, that ministred unto the Souls Goodness here, by observing the wants and necessi­ties of the Poor, and affecting it with their Miseries, shall minister to its Blessedness there, by beholding the visible manifestations of Gods invisible▪ perfecti­ons, in such discoveries, as shall there be made, far ex­ceeding what was ever made by this lower Creation, or by any thing therein: In beholding the glorified Body of Christ and those of all his Saints, which shall shine with unconceiveable Beauty and Splendour in the Eyes of our own glorified Bodys, and thereby affect our perfected Souls. Those Ears that were al­ways open to the complaints of the Poor and ne­ [...]r turned away from the grones and cryes of the [Page 94] afflicted, shall then be delighted with the songs of Angels, and Musick of the Heavenly Chore, & shall Minister as much to the souls satisfactions, as they did formerly to its Compassions; That Mouth which so often was opened in instructing the ignorant, in comforting and counselling the distressed, shall then be filled with the Divine Praises, and Minister to the expression of the souls joy: the hands that were busi­ed in, helping the Sick & Weak, & releiving the wants of the Poor shall be indued with a rare cunning, to touch the Lute & Harp to sweetest Melody, and thereby shall Minister to the delight [...] of Soul & Body.

The Feet that often had Travelled to visit the afflicted or imprisoned, and been wearied (like those of their Lord) in seeking occasions for the Mini­stries of Piety and Charity, these shall be enabled to Minister to the soul in curious measures and variety of interchanges Whilst it danceth for Joy, when in its songs it praiseth the most High, Psal. 28. In brief howsoever we can imagine that a most beautiful and active body, may minister to a most virtuous and bles­sed soul in the State of Glory, so, and much more, shall it be with them at the Resurrection of the dead.

But as there is a particular Judgment passed on each soul at its departure out of the Body, and then it is conveyed by Good or Evil Angels to its ap­pointed place to receive the beginnings of its Re­ward or Punishment; so there is also a general Judg­ment, when both soul and body reunited, shall ap­pear at Gods Tribunal, to receive according to what they have done here, whether it be Good or Evil; some mens Works indeed go before to Judgment, & some follow after, but all mens works must be there produced; Those that have been so Eminent in Pi­ety and Charity, that all believed them to be un­questionable [Page 95] Saints, these shall 'tis like, be caught up to meet Christ in the Clouds, and come with him in Triumph to judge the World; but those that have been of more imperfect and doubtful Piety shall un­dergo a severer Tryal; But at last a perfect distincti­on shall be made between the Sheep and the Goats, and all prepared to receive the final sentence; In pro­nouncing whereof the greater Reason of the differ­ence is assigned, Ye fed me, or ye fed me not, ye cloathed me, or ye cloathed me not; Because this was the only real and certain proof of our Faith in Christ, and Hope of Gods Mercy through him, viz. that we obeyed the Evangelical precepts of Love & Charity, and imitated our blessed Saviour in the pra­ctice thereof, that we extended the same mercy to men, that we hoped from God; And as without this, no man can reasonably expect to be believed when he professeth to be a Christian, so according to this he must acknowledge himself to be justly judged, at the last Day.

Let us now consider the preparations for the Enter­tainment of this Blessed Company, who were counted worthy to escape all the Horrors and Miserys of the Damned, and to stand before the son of Man in the Heavenly Kingdom: Here are Mansions, many Man­sions, so many that every one may possess more than the Wealthiest and Noblest on Earth ever enjoyed; There are Crowns and Palmes, Robes & Thrones, a most glorious City, and most fruitful Paradice, the most blessed Company, the most perfect security, the highest Delights, and most perfect Appetites; unmixed joys, undisturbed peace, unspeakable plea­sures; no measure, no end of Felicity, my words fall infinitely short, my fancy fails me, in representing [Page 96] these preparations our Saviour tells us; that Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive, the things that God hath pre­pared, even in this World, for them that Love him, but much] less in That; and therefore, though the Scriptures abound in speaking glorious things of these preparations, I shall add no more, but only I must remember you that 'tis to him that overcometh & keep­eth Christs Works, that all this is promised, Rev. 2.26. and that where men yield to base covetous affections, and refuse the practice of Good Works, they will but cheat themselves by the most pleasant conceits of Heavenly Joys; and I should but cheat you neither, if I could Rap you into the greatest extasie of such delights by a Rhetorical description of the Glory of the heavenly Habitations, and not frequently mind you what is of Absolute Necessity, to your Admissi­on thereinto.

Let me therefore, most earnestly intreat you to enlarge these things in your most serious Meditati­ons, and then think thus with your self seriously and devoutly, Lord! who would not make all the Friends he could of this Mammon of Ʋnrighteousness, that when he fails, he may be surely, as joyfully, and gloriously receive­ed into those Everlasting Habitations, and that you may do so, and to help you therein, let me begg your pati­ence a little, while I suggest to you, who those Friends may be, that we should make to that purpose, and shew how they may be so made yours.

Those by whose Favour our Entrance into the Heavenly Joys may be infallibly secured, and by whose Aid the Circumstances of that admittance may be greatly improved to our Joy & Glory, are these fol­lowing.

[Page 97]1st. The Blessed Trinity. 2dly. The Holy Angels. 3dly. The Sanctified of Mankind, among them especi­ally the Poor, all made our Friends by the practice of Good Works.

First then for the Blessed Trinity: These three in one, and one in three are the first and chief of those Friends which it becomes us to make for securing our reception into everlasting Habitations, and they will only be made such by our well using those Riches, that most men use to ill purposes (on which account they are called The Mammon of Ʋnrighteous­ness). The infinite Powers and Perfections of the De­ity are as its Riches, and these God useth to the Good of all his Creatures; whatever therefore may be called our Riches God expects we should use to the Good of our Neigbours after his own example; and that we should do it with the same freedom and chear­fulness as we use them for the Good of our own selves, and if we do so we shall approve our selves his Children, begotten of his Grace in Christ Jesus, and shall be acknowledged by him to be Heirs of his Glory; And, as such, received with Joy and Triumph into the Everlasting Habitations.

But because this is a most weighty matter, and some discourse thereon may very much farther, both your readiness to use well your riches (which to do contains in it all the Good Works I provoke you unto) and also your conceiving a lively hope of that reward which is the great incentive unto the same, I will make this my last Digression, and will treat somewhat more largely on this Head than the Laws of Method will allow.

DEITY is the Fountain of all Blessedness: God the soveraign Judge who shall be received into, or excluded from the Ha­bitations of Eternal Bliss. In the Deity, Life and Blessedness [Page 98] is, and is infinitely and eternally; And thence it is communica­ted, in fit time and due measures, to all things that are or ever shall be: God so hath it that he receives it from none, no not from himself, (tho some improperly so speak) we so have it, that we receve it from him & from him alone: As none is Good but one that is God, so none is blessed but he, (i. e.) in the sam [...] respects: Altho many things contribute to our Blessedness, yet, they being all originally in God, and all received from him, and all virtually to be enjoyed in himself, we must acknowledge that in him a­lone is our blessedness & must seek it from him only & to him alone must we ascribe the Glory and Honour of it by what mears soever he convey it to us. GOD, as thus infinitely, eternal­ly, originally blessed in himself, is called The Blessed, & God blessed for evermore. And said, To dwell in that Light▪ to which no mortal Eye can approach. We are lost and confounded when we think of that which is infinite, as both the measure and duration of Gods Blessedness is: Therefore it becomes our mortal Eyes, ra­ther to be shut in most humble & devout adoration; than, be­ing opened, boldly to gaze on the dazling Glory of this inaces­sible Light: 'Tis true, when this Mort [...]l shall have put on the Immor­tallity, and Mortallity be swallowed up of Life, then we shall know as we are known, Comprehend that for which we are Comprehended of God, but we must wait all the Days of our appointed time till this change comes. For altho Good men shall receive from the Good & Bles­sed God the most perfect Felicity they are capable to enjoy, yet he dispenceth the same gradually unto them. Man in his Birth is most incapable of Felicity of any animall; A poor helpless shiftless thing. In his youth, he is so intent on a sen­sual, carnal Filicity, that he forgets That he was made for (viz.) a Spiritual and Ra [...]ional Felicity: In his Age, when cloyed wi [...] those delights, and disabled for frolicksome Exercises, he begins to use his intellectual powers; when by use they beco [...] more perfect; and, being so, give him a pleasure above wh [...] sence or fancy ever afforded, he then grows fond of Life o [...] that Account; and, while he declaims against the World, [...] made in the way of Brutism and sensuality, he is little bett [...] in prefering time to eternity, & an initial to a consummate Felicity. But God who loves us better than we do our selves, hat [...] forbidd [...]n our long stay in this miserable World, on what Ac­count soev [...]r we desire it; Our Heads, our Hands, our Eye [...] our Hearts must fail, and we our selves must fail, viz. as to a [...] power and possibility of living in this World; But then if w [...] [Page 99] have spent our short life in the studys of virtue and practice of Good Works; if we have so known God, as to become like him, so loved him, as to converse, in frequent Devotions, with him: Then I say we shall oblige the blessed God who inha­bits that infinite and eternal Felicity which here we cannot see nor conceive, to receive us most joyfully and triumphantly in­to those Everlasting Habitations.

This God over all, blessed for ever more can be but one▪ For as there can be but one Infinite, & Almighty, one First and Best, one Supream and Highest, one Immense and Incomprehen­sible Essence; But one absolute & intire perfection, so there can he but one that is Self-sufficient and Self-satisfying in this his in­finite Blessedness and Felicity. God is the Father of lights; All beatitude is radically in him, and is generated and pro­duced by him, he hath made this World capable of giving & us capable of receiving therein a Temporal Felicity; But he hath prepared a world to come, that shall give us an everla­sting State of Felicity, & is preparing us, by more enlarged cap­pacities, to receive it, and will at last bring us to the most assured enjoyment thereof. The first Discovery & Revelation of this eternal Felicity was from him alone; Reason could never have reached it: And that final Possession we hope to have there­of, must be so also; For, as from the Father of lights we have received many good and perfect gifts in order to encourage and perswade our Repentance and doing Good Works in this World, So, if we be perswaded thereby to repent & to do Good Works here, we shall certainly receive from him that which is called The gift of God with a special emphasies, Rom. 6.23 when he receives us into those Everlasting Habitations,

This DEITY The Father of mercy and God of all consolation, even that which reacheth to all Eternity, I say, this Eternal Unity must be conceived by us as subsisting in Trinity. We can have no proper and immediate conceptions of God, but must con­ceive of him by way of analogy & proportion to other things, & so he speaks of himself in all Divine Revelations: The end of all his Works is to Reveal him to us in such manner as 'tis best & easiest for us to know him. All things in the World sub­sist in a Trinity of first and chief principals; as doth the first matter whereof they were made; and to demonstrate this of the latter will give probability to the former, which there­fore shall be briefly touched here. The matter of all that God Created in the beginning, is expressed Gen. 1. by two Words, Heaven and Earth; the first is the Mother of all material Being [Page 100] the last of those which were made of Matter. Now both these must be conceived to subsist in a Trinity, & that as well in themselves, as in all things made of them, and as therein op­eratin [...] according to that subsistence. In the material part of the World men count four Elements, but I conceive, with sub­mission, there are but three. For 'tis impossible for me to con­ceive that Air and Water differ so much, or rather, are so to be distinguished, as Water and Fire are, or that there is not as great a difference between Glass, which it but Earth purified, and Clay, which is Earth commixed, as there is between Air, which is Water rarified, & Water, which is Air, condens'd. In the immaterial part of the Universe, which I humbly conceive is conched under the word Heavens, Gen. 1. and doth contain all Spi­rits or Vi [...]al Beings that are invisible to us. I say in these Heavenly substances we must conceive, first, Something that is, tho we cannot conceive or de [...]ine it, we call it Spiri [...], in pro­portion to the Wind, th [...] most immaterial of sensible things, but we know not absolutely what Spirit means, not as it relates in a proper sence to the immaterial World, much less to God. 2dly: Something that lives, for life is the chief thing we conceive of those glorious Beings. Which neither we cannot know, but by analogy unto that which is in our selves. The 3d. is the Properties and Actings of this life, and this is most notionable of the three; as nearest to us, and most resembled in our Souls. But This also we cannot possibly conceive of but in a Trinity in Unity. LI [...]E is a Power, now we can conceive but these three things as contained in the power or life of these Beings, A Power of willing themselves and other things, a Power of knowing them­selves and other things, and a Power of acting on themselves and other things, as according to their own Nature & the Na­ture of the things they work on. In the material part of the World▪ Earth is that out of which Fire and Water is produced and in which Originally they were contained, and therefore, God is said in the begining to make the Earth, and the other two in that. Moysture proceeds from the Earth by Depression, and Fire is generated by Contusion, or close Application, as in Stones Smitten against each other, and in soft bodys lying ve­ry close that no Air can enter, it is Ordinarily seen. In the ma­terial part, as considered in the first instance, Being must produce Life, from Being, & Life must proceed Action, & all this may be Contained under the name of Heaven, which World gives us a conceipt of things Sublime and Excellent. But as considered in [Page 101] the second instance. The Power of willing must be first, as con­taining, and apt to produce Knowledge▪ and Action, as I have shewed before, and as having the greatest Eminency in hu­mane consideration: VVe will to know, and will to do: To know first, and then from will and wisdom proceeds Action. The will is the Supream Empress of all Spiritual Powers, & the indowments thereof are most excellent among all Moral perfections: There­fore we must think of the Essence and Perfections of Deity, as subsisting in a Trinity, or not think of it, at all; Because all things whereby God is manifested do so subsist, and especially our own Souls (of which before.). Supernatural Revelations speak of God, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Three distinct persons in one undevided Essence. Now it is Evident that in the Supereminency of the Divine Being, Father, Son & Spirit, do not signifie the very same as they do with Relation to our selves, nor doth Generation and Procession neither; But something there is, that we can no better know, nor otherwise express; and he that is humble and modest will not cavel with words which he cannot mend, nor refuse to speak as God himself speak; And as those direct who are his Ministers, and [...]specially the Church, Which is the Pillar of Truth, which hath been taught, by the Experience of former Ages, by the necessity of Con­victing Heriticks, & explaining Divine Truths, and by consent of the Wise [...]t and Best (yea I may say of the most of Men & Christians who have thought or treated of this thing) to teach us thus to speak of this high Mistery.

To UNITY of Deity, multiplicity of Gods is contrary, & so is any thing that hath diversity and contrariety in our conception of its Being; But 'tis not so, to distinguish of Personality and personal Properties and Subsistencies with their mutual Relati­ons; or however the thing may be expressed which is but to signifie our apprehension of the order of Being and Operation in that incomprehensible Essence from something we know in our selves, or other things.

In the Ever Blessed TRINITY, The Father being first, and the Fountain of Deity, and the Son and Spirit subsisting Eter­nally in him, receiving their Nature and Power and Perfecti­on and whatever they have eternally from him, and oper­ating in and upon all things, according to his eternal purpose & decree. The whole Trinity therefore from him is called the eternal Father, & so they altogether, are in perfect equali­ty, as relating unto things without themselves; The destinction [Page 102] being principally as we conceive the Relation that the Divine persons have to each other; in the Divine Essence it self, and in other their operations in the work of our Salvation; And it may be if God had subsisted only in the pure Deity to all Eternity, as from all Eternity he did, before the incarnation of our Lord, we had not heard of a distinction of persons, of first Principles or Primalities in the Deity or God-head, unless from the Schools of the Philosophers where it was long before Christiani­ty came into the World, and is still discours'd of without Rela­tion to Divine Revelation.

But since GOD hath been in Christ Reconciling the World to himself: The Deity is spoken of in Evangelical Revelations, As Related to Emanuel God in Humane Nature; And therefore the analogy between what we speak of God and our Selves, is here greater, & so we may more properly express hereby that which we apprehend concerning the Manner of the Divine Subsistence and operations, Especially as with Relation to the great work of bringing us unto those everlasting Habitations both in Soul and Body.

It is Evident, that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as first in that incomprehensible Unity, hath the name of God & Father, most frequently ascribed unto him, & as such is to be addressed by us in all sacred Offices, & that the Gospel doth require the same; For the other persons are here considered as Ministring to Deity in this wonderful work. Christ Jesus is said to be Gods Servant, his Elect one, the Messenger of his Covenant, sent to confirm and fulfill the promises made to the Fathers; He is Gods great Embassador to us, and our migh­ty Advocate with God. The Holy Ghost, He is Gods gift and Christs witness to the World; Gods Advocate in us and our Paraclete with him, He who maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God, Rom. 8.34. And therefore as the Name Parson which is predicated of the Father, Heb. 1.3. may also be properly spoken of the Son and Holy Gost without prejudicing our Respects to the glory of the indivisible Unity of Deity, so neither doth the glory we give to the Father, as the Fountain of Deity, And, in this Unity, the greatest as well as the first, make his glory unequal to that of the Son or Holy Ghost, or his Majesty more Eternal than theirs, Nor do the Offices which we ascribe to the Son and Holy Ghost, as received from the Father, at all diminish that their Divine Glory which they have in Common with him; Only it is needful, for instructing the [Page 103] meanest in the Truth of this Mistery, for the Exercise & con­firmation of the Faith of all, for preventing Heriticks from cor­rupting th [...] Doctrine of the Trinity, & for purging the Church from them (as such Leaven which should not be near to those who are to be unleavened, as all Christians should be, 1 Cor. 5.7) Isay, for these and such like ends, it is needful that we ac­knowledge the God-head of the Son & Holy Ghost in the pub­lick Offices of Religion solemnly and frequently, that so their Equality with the Father in Glory, and their Unity of Naturc with him (and that notwithstanding the distinction of their personal propertys and inferiority in respect of their Offices and Mnistry's) may be known and acknowledged by all. Which therefore is excellently ordered in the Common Prayer.

From the great Jehovah, The center and perfection of tre­mendous Majesty and inexorable Justice, our great Creator and Supream Lord, I say from him (considered as subsisting in the pure Deity, and out of Christ, altho in a Trinity of Hipo­stasis or persons) Man is now become uncapable of Favors and Blessings, and is without any hope of being Received by him into the Everlasting Habitations of Bliss and Glory.

The Complicated VVickedness of Mans first Sin, the multitude of sins, that have been since Committed in the abounding wickedness of the world, the manifold aggravations of the sins of Jews and Gentils, through the abuse of Divine patlence and long suffering &c. in all which this Adorable Majesty hath been abused, af­fronted, dishonoured and provoked of Men, this makes it unfit for God to shew himself thus kind and munificent towards them untill his just Wrath be appeased, and he, by such means, propi­tiated, as that he may preserve in us an awful fear and dread of offending him, and make it decent and just for himself to ab­solve us from the bonds of our sins, and admit us to Heavenly Joys in those Everlasting Habitations.

The Most High, Being conceived as Willing himself as the only Eternal Self-subsisting Being, of whom, through whom, and to whom all things are, cannot be thought to incline to save us in the State of Rebellion and disobedience against him­self. Being conceived as Knowing his own excellencys and perfections, his Supream Glory and Dignity, his absolute Do­minion and Soverainty, and Mans great Obligations to him, the heinousness of his sins, the ill Consequences of passing them by and not express his Wrath & Displeasure, and Execute against them the just Judgments threatned in his Laws to [Page 104] deter him from comirting them God cannot be imagined I say as thus conceived to judge it fit to save man, & receive him to the eternal Bliss. 3dly. God conceived as loving himself as the chief good, & highest Felicity to himself as perfectly satise­fid in his own Bliss and Glory having no need of Man or any Crea­ture, cannot be thought to move out of himself towards our Salvation or Felicity while we are in a sinful State.

But it was worthy this great God in midest of this his per­fect felicity and Blessedness in the enjoyment of himself & of his just displeasure against man, and notwithstanding the necessary punishments he laid on us, yet to pitty our Folly and Misery, and incline to our help: It could not but seem, a thing becoming his infinite Goodness, to wish that man had not made his own utter Ruin to be necessary for the ends of Gods Righteouss Government; And to become his infinite wisdom to think how, with security of those ends, Mans utter Ruin, might yet be prevented, and he Restored to innocency & felicity: Becoming his Active power to press forwards towards what was to be done for effecting so gracious an intention and so misterious a design; By effecting whereof Heaven and Earth might be made amazed to see the manifestation of the Goodness, Wisdom and Power of Deity; Devils might be con­founded, and Man, their miserable prey, redeemed and sa­ved, and He made immortal and Divine, by occasion of what the Old Serpent did, to make him devilish and subject to Death A mystery which, while we believe. 1st. Our minds will be attracted to the Kmowledge of God. 2dly. We shall retain such a dread of offending him, as is neeessary for the ends of Governments. 3dly. we Shall give Divine Worship to the Lord our God, and to him alone. 4ly: we Shall conceive a lively hope of mercy and pardon. 5ly. We shall aspire to a purity and virtue most Divine- 6ly. VVe shall con­tract the greatest Obligation to obey Gods Laws, 7ly. We shall exult in his Love and Kindness to us; And finally we shall press forward with all our might to enter the strait gate that leads to the Everlasting Habitations; A little of each. For the first, Was their ever Object propos [...]d to the mind of Man so attracting as this of God manifested in our Flesh Justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, preached to the Gentiles believed on in the World and received up into Glory. Had the Deity affected a Maje [...]ick Retirement, and seemed to dis­dain all Converses with Mankind; Had he, like the Grand Signior, made a Creature to be his Grand Vizer, that he might Minister to him in the Government of this Lower World, whilst [Page 105] he himself would not be seen or known of us. I say, if it had been so, it can never enter into the imaginations of man that this would have allured his mind to employ it self in the Cogitati­ons of God in inquiries into his Glorious Perfections and wonderful works, or at least, not comparable so much, as when Deity is become one with us in such an incomprehensible Uni­on; Now the very same person is both God & Man; When, in Christ, he hath so humbled himself to exalt us, emptied himself to fill us, cloathed himself with Flesh, & submitted, yea, desired to be lift up upon the Cross, and then made This his Call to us, Behold me, behold me, was ever sorrow like mine? Look unto me and be saved all ye ends of the Earth: and so I might proceed: But it is manifest to all within the Pale of the Church whose Eyes Sa­tan hath not blinded, that the Representations that God hath made of himself in Christ, are the most attracting, most satis­fying, most ravishing, that can possibly be imagined, & that this is Life Eternal (not only in preparation but prelibation) To know him the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent, and the mind that feeds on the Flesh and Blood of Jesus Christ, as God is manifest therein, & hath a right belief & affectionate Cogitation hereof, while his Body as broken & his Blood as shed, is exhibited in the Blessed Sacrament; That mind I say▪ hath the beginning of Eternal Life, John 6.54. And with­out doubt, there is as great difference, as to the Joy and Com­fort thereof, in Receiving this Sacrament as the Representati­on of the Flesh and Blood of a Creature (tho never so great) and that, of receiving it as The Flesh and Blood of the Eternal Son of God, Ʋery God of Ʋery God, as there is between finite & infinite; Therefore I conclude, that as to them that rightly understand this Mistery all things are counted but as Dung and Dross in Comparison of the excellent Knowledge of it, So it is in it self so exceedingly attracting to the Eyes of our mind, That, if they could but once be turned away from beholding these worldly Vanities on which they are so intently fixed; there would need no more o perswade our frequent attendance on the Representation and Contemplation of this Mistery, than its own exceeding Sweetness. For the second, Whatever men may dispute of the Soveraign Power, Liberty, and Freedom, which God hath to save us, being so guilty as aforesaid, with­out any satisfaction; Yet it can never enter into the imaginati­on of any man, how such a dread and awe of this Almigh­ty God, and fear of doing against his Soveraign Will and Pleasure, should be effected in us, I say in us, so set on do­ing [Page 106] our own Wills and enjoying things that are gratful and pleasant to our flesh, as is necessary for the ends of Go­vernment; Nor how this should still be secured, and yet sin­ners, the most heinous sinners, & after the greatest revoltings & most repeated back-slidings, should be imbraced, and assured of being received into the Everlasting Habitations of Bliss, I say how this, which is so absolutely necessary to the Govern­ment of fallen man, could have been effected in any other [...] it is hard to imagine. It is most Evident That the most glor [...] Creature, if but a Creature, tho he had taken humanity and dy­ed for us as a Sacrifice, could not have effected such a fear of sin; it might have been thought, that the glory of being Saviour of the World, and adored and worshiped, as such, by all man­kind, Angels, and all Creatures, might move him, more than the necessity of the thing, to undertake so to dye: And for God to permit the sufferings of such a Creature, in order to the attain­ment of so great a glory, shewed no great displeasure against sin: But when Christ, very God, who could have no access of glory, being so infinitely filled from the Fountain of Deity (for he was filled from the Father, as with the Essence so, with the glory of the Godhead from all Eternity) When He I say took humanity on purpose to suffer so dreadfully for the sins of the World what love can be greater? When the Eternal Father, that must be con­ceived to have such infinite Love for this his son, (as only E­ternally begotten of him; And now, in the fullness of time, exhi­bited in humane Nature, His only begotten also by Miraculous Generation) yet was pleased to lay on him the sins of the whole World, to bruise him and put him to grief, to make him ap­pear unto men as striken, smitten of God and afflicted, and unto himself as utterly forsaken of his Heavenly Father, and ready to sink into a horror and dispair: This! above all that can be i­magined, must work a dread of sin, and effect the mortificati­on of it.

Besides thirdly, tho it became the infinite Goodness to pitty miserable man and incline to save him, and the Wisdom of God to contrive a way for it, and the Power of God to em­ploy it self in effecting it, yet it can never enter into the ima­gination of any man, that, so long as God did Will himself, Know himself, and Love himself, as aforesaid, I say, that ever he should be so Regardless of his own glory as to give it to a Creature, how great soever (no not altho it were possible for such a one to be capable of all the great Titles gi­ven [Page 107] in Scripture to Christ as God man (which I shall not be­lieve any Creature can be, till it be proved that finite can receive that which is infinite, that which is Circumscriptable can be Omnipresent, & that which cannot sustain it self be Omnipotent, and more such contradictions) and indeed the greater such a Creature is conceived to be, the more difficult would it be to reconcile That great zeal which God must have for his Divine Glory, (if Reason or Scripture be to be believed) with his infinite munificence in raising that Creature to such high Dignity where­in he is worshiped and adored with the very same Divine Ho­nours with God himself, and especially if we ascribe to that Creature a free undertakeing such dreadful sufferings for our Salvation, & believe, that in reward whereof he received the fullness of Divine Power, and that (whatever Right God may re­serve to himself, yet) he hath it in present possession and exer­cise, and that he can reward and punish us at his pleasure; & finally, if we ascribe to him the power I am speaking of, viz. A power to shut us out of the Everlasting Habitations of Bliss and Glory, or at Pleasure to receive us into the same; For then, it being most likely that all men would Love and Honour, Worship and Adore him that is so their Saviour, Be­nefactor and Soveraign Judge; more than the Most High himself, God may be thought most regardless of himself; which it utterly impossible he should be; And therefore I must believe that Infinite and Active Love proceeding from the Compli­ence of Deity in itself & from the eternal Knowledge and Con­templation of its own Perfections, could not but incline rather to unite the Nature of Man unto Deity, and to take it into the highest Communion therewith, than to grant that those Honors which seem to mankind to belong only to the most high God, should be given unto an exalted Creature: And I believe this,, because by the former, altho the greatest Honour be bestowed on humanity, yet nothing doth so much as seem detracted from the adoration and worship of Deity. But by the latter, altho we say that such a Creature is not the most high God, but is only a great and mighty Go [...], receiving a power and dominion from him Equal to his own, and indued with Omni­science and Uniquity &c. for the Ends of Gods Government committed to him, I say altho men profess to believe this; as some say they do, yet, while they give the very same worship to this Creature as to God, while they chiefly invocate him for relief in their Miseries in Life and for receiving their Souls at Death, I say while we do this, Deity cannot but seem slighted: [Page 108] Therefore 'tis infinitely easier for me to believe, That the Deity did so inhabit Humanity, as that God, and Man being one person, what is proper to Deity is ascribed to Humanity, and that which is proper to Humanity is ascribed to God, then to believe that the most high God should Create One, who should be called God over all, Blessed for ever more, the 'Word and Wis­dom of God, and his Power by whom he made all things; And the very same Names, Titles, Attributes, Propertys, and Works, ascribed to him as to the Most High himself, that the same Worship and Reverence should be required of all Crea­tures in Heaven, Earth, & Hell towards him as to the God that made him: That he should call himself GOD, which none of those on whom God put that Tittle ever did, but by instigation of the Devil; that he should claim an Equality with God in all things as being One with him, One, not only in will (as all Angels and Good men are) but in Essence, so that, See one and you see both, what one doth both do; and much more that might be said to this purpose; And that God should send thus Creatures to take Humane Nature, and should, both by his Miraculous Concepti­on and mighty works and Equal Command of his Holy Spirit (which indeed they say is but a singular Angel) bespeak a Cre­dit for him in the world, where he preached himself the Son of God and his Equal; and should, by his Death, Resurrection and Gifts of the Holy Ghost, call the world to his worship, and that far more loudly than ever he called Abraham out of Caldea, or his Seeds out of Egypt to serve himself. But if any man yet think this is not Reason enough for my believing the former before the latter, let him read yet farther.

Fourthly, By believing that Jesus Christ was the second in that Eternal Trinity wherein the most high & only true God doth subsist, we must conceive a far more strong and stedfast hope of mercy and pardon (if we shall Return to God) than by belie­ving (as some do) that he was an inferiour God, made of the first-born of Creatures: For that it must be more effectual here­unto for God himself to descend, & preach Repentance, to take a body, that he might suffer for our sins, to be tempted like as we are in all things that he might succor all tempted persons, &c. than if he had sent the most exalted Creature to do so: The Word of God being more Powerful, the Blood of God more precious, than that of a Creatute; And the same blood Be­ing offered by the Eternal Spirit, as Conceived Third in that Blessed Trinity, & as proceeding from the Eternal Father who is [Page 901] Love itself, and the Eternal Son who is Wisdom it self, being much more effectual to beget in us a hope that God will receive all penitent sinners, than if it had been offered by a Spirit that is but a chief Angel & not God himself; For it would be difficult for us to hope, that the short sufferings of a finite Creature, could he a full, perfect sufficient Sacrifice, Oblation, and Satis­faction for the sins of the whole world, from the beginning of it to the End; And if it should fall short in the least it impares the hope of mercy and pardon in every man; And so sensible of this are the opposers of our Doctrine of the Trinity, that they deny, that there is any need at all of a propitiatory Sacri­fice for the remission of sins; Altho in this they say against the common sence of all mankind; against the signification of many Tipes and Figures under the Law; and against plainest Texts of Scripture, Texts so plain that they cannot be evaded but with such Sophistry, as, being allowed, would make all Speech and Writings utterly unintelligable. But of this, as also of the fifth and sixth Head, I have spoken of before, Page 72. and so forward, But I shall add here a little more.

Fifthly, The Conception of God as subsisting and operate­ing as before said, and that, both eternally in himself, and in Christ Jesus in the fulness of time, is incomparably more effe­ctual to make us most dearly to Love & Honour him, than if we conceive of him without Relation to any such subsistence & o­peration, or then if we conceive of him as not so subsisting, & on­ly as operating in the Creation of another mighty God, and E­mission of a chief Angel or Spirit, first as his own Minister and Messenger, and then in giving the same Spirit to the God aforesaid to be his Spirit and Apostle to be employed by him, in Creating and Governing the world and in gathering and rul­ing the Church, but this under the most high God. This thing to me, is very Evident, and therefore, lest I digress too far I shall only recommend it as a Subject worthy most serious Consider­ation, and say no more of it here.

Sixthly, The Eternal Deity as subsisting in it self in a Tri­nity of first principles, operating within it self as before, is the Prototipe and Samplar of a perfected mind, viz. a mind acting & operating Regularly and Virtuously: Gods willing, know­ing and loving himself, as perfectly good, wise, and active in doing good to all his Creatures, teacheth how we should will, know, and love our selves. The same God, conceived as being in Christ reconciling the world to himself, teacheth how we [Page 112] should be affected to others, especially those that are frail & sin­ful, first seeking their Salvation, & when converted & reformed, what Complacency & delight we should have in them, & how we should imbrace & serve them with a perfect heart. It is im­possible to conceive that the Novel & Heterodox Representations some make of a Trinity, That, into the belief and service of which they suppose we are Baptized, I say that this should have such effect on us, (or at least have it with that Efficacy) as That Representation of the Trinity which is Antient and Orthodox will have. To conceive one most high God, and one great and mighty God, as made by him; and a principal Spi­rit chosen by them both to be sent on their Errands, can never work so to right forming our minds or Reforming our lives as the Conception of one God subsisting and operating as aforesaid will do: And if they can pretend to any such thing let them shew it, and it shall have an Answer, if not, they must know that such belief in God as makes us most good, must certainly be acknowledged to be truest and best, and if they know not this they are wilfully blind.

Seventhly, The belief of this mistery will cause us exceed­ingly to Exult in the kindness and love of God towards us.

God being, by the Holiness of his Nature, greatly averted from us by Reason of our sins; and the Sanctions of his Law and ends of his Righteous Government obliging him to pu­nish us, & that in some proportion to his own greatness, & also unto the heinousness of our sins, which to do, he knew would Eternally Ruin us, I say in this Case, it was exceeding great Love and Kindness in the great Jehovah, that his Good­ness inclined him and his Wisdom advised him to save us: but when the way, in which this infinite Wisdom saw it must be done, had great difficultys in it, so great, as that, while we conceive of this most high God by way of analogy and pro­portion to our selves, we must apprehend in him an infinite Reluctancy against it, than to believe he did so for all that, this will affect us with great exultancy and admiration. If we should conceive of a most Merciful, Holy, & Righteous Prince as having but one only dear and most dutiful Son, and this Prince as being highly provoked by his Rebellious Subjects, and obliged, by such Reasons as before said, to punish them to their D [...]struction; But yet that he was of so merciful a Nature that he Should yet incline to save them; think we then that on Consultation with his own & the publick Wisdom he found [Page 110] it could not be done, but by putting that his dear and only Son in place of those his Rebellious Subjects, and by shewing the same angry Countenance toward him, and by Executing the same punishments upon him (at least for a time) as if he were one of the worst of the Rebels; Can any man think now, that this Princes Bowels would not turn within him at the Motion, That his Relentings to his Son would not so kindle in his Breast as to consume all his former Compassions to his Subjects, and set his heart against them to their Remedi­less Destruction; And might it not be a sufficient Plea against his own Relentings or their murmurings that they have made their Salvation impracticable but in such a Method as none can hope he would take. But could we yet think him so mer­ciful as, considering the multitude of his Subjects, &c, to in­cline to save them this way which is so much against his own Natural Affections: Could we then suppose such a Son to be so wise, that, considering it would be an Eternal Honour to his Fa­mily, his Father, his King, and himself, freely to undertake this hard task for the Salvation of those Rebels, and that it would for ever oblige them to be the best Subjects in the World, and to fall at his Feet, and lament their former Baseness and to offer themselves a Sacrifice to his Honour and Service; Could we a so suppose this Son so Brave that he did now actu­ally and most freely offer himself to serve the most gracious inclinations of that Prince his Father towards his Rebellious Subjects, and most wi [...]ingly to do, and suffer whatever should seem necessary in the Case; Yet then we must conceive that all this would but increase the Love of this his Father towards him, as so wise and brave a Son; and, how great soever his Compassions to his Subjects might be, he must be supposed to feel infinite Reluctancies within himself, at the con­ceit of what this his Son must do and suffer for them; Now in this Case to depress his Natural Affections and all Fatherly Compassions so far, as to resolve and purpose so to do; And finally so as to proceed to accomplish it, must be the highest Expression of Love and Compassion that ever can enter into imagination of man; And since we conceive of God in analo­gy to our selves (as I said) we must conceive him to be infi­nit in his Loving kindness towards us, when, notwithstanding his Love to his dear and only Son Jesus Christ our Saviour, infinitely wise and good as himself, yet his Active Power pressed forward, resolvedly to effect this astonishing thing, [Page 112] not to spare his own and only begotten Son, most dearly beloved of him, but give him up to Death for us; and hence we may exult in the assurance of Gods Future Love and Kindness ‘how shall he not with him freely give us all things, as doth the Apostle Rom. 8.31.32.’ No man can be so stupid as to think there is any Comparison between such Love as this, and that which might only move the most high to give leave to a Creature (tho ne­ver so great) to appear in form of a man and to suffer death on the Cross; Especially when he was to appear with the Ca­racter of the Messia and Son of God, and to suffer with assu­rance thnt he should be soon raised and exalted to a Dignity equal to that of God himself: Alass! what delusion should make men forme such a Comparison; we can easiely imagin that it is an infinite Condescention for the invisible, incompre­hensible, most adoreable and impassable Majesty of Heaven and Earth, I say for Him so to unite himself to humanity, as that, it becoming the same person with himself, he may be said to be visible, to be inclosed in the Womb, to be Scorned, Reviled and Blasphemed to his very Face, & to suffer a painful, shame­ful Death, when yet, by all this, nothing can possibly be acquired to the increase of his Divine Felicity or Glory, but all redounds to our Humanity alone. But we cannot easiely con­ceive any great Condescention, much less so great, if a Crea­ture (tho of a Super-Angelic Nature) should do all that is a­foresaid; Because there would so much encrease of Honour and Glory accrue to him thereby, that it would be valuable unto the utmost of his diminishing himself, and suffering the worst Death imaginable, yet it would be so so far above it, that we may think, first That the most high could not so forget he was God as to permit it. Nor secondly Any Creature but Lucifer himself should aspire thereunto.

For the first, The most high so often calling himself our on­ly Redeemer and Saviour and Exulting in that Name, as much as in the Name of God himself, having often protested against a­ny others being so, and said that he knows not any, nor will have us to know or acknoweldge any such; that as there was no such formed before him, so none shall be formed after him, for which you may consult the 41. 43, 54. Chapters of Isa. and Hos. 13.3. and many more places, I say it is incredible now, that God should make another God after himself to be our Lord, Redeemer and only Saviour, and to be worshiped and honour­ed by all men as such.

Nor can any thing be imagined of greater Insolency than for a Creature to aspire to the tremulous Attributes and Glory of the Great Jehovah, and arrogate to himself the indearing, Titles of their God and Saviour, their Life and Light, &c. whereby Mankind would be attracted to Worship him more than the Supream Creator himself. Therefore while we cannot apprehend that the Most High should give, or any Creature (that knows its distance) ask or receive such Honours, how can we exult in the Love of God, or of Christ, considered but as a Creature.

The belief of this Mystery will excite our Endeavours after the Heavenly Kingdom above, to behold that incon­ceivable Glory of our Humanity which must be conse­quent unto its incomprehendible Union with Deity in Christ, and to receive from him the Communications of the same Glory according to our measure; to Reign and be Enthroned with him among the Glorious Company of Heaven, to sit together at the great Festival above, and to have the Son of God Cloathed with our Nature, to come forth and serve us; such things as these will make Men desirous of Heaven, if they have not destroyed Hu­manity in themselves. 'Tis impossible indeed for the Soul, while cloathed with Flesh, to conceive, explicitly what those Enjoyments are which we shall have of God, as sub­sisting in the pure Deity, or of those meer and pure Spirits which do resemble him in that his Subsistence: But we can better conceive the Enjoyment of God, when mani­fest in the Glory of Christs Humanity, and when he shall be Glorified in all those his Saints which are Members of his Body. ‘We read in the 21 & 22 of the Revelations of that Manifestation and Enjoyment of God, whereby we shall be made happy in the Jerusalem above (viz.) That the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it; that the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb was the Light thereof. That a River of pure Water of Life proceeds from the Throne of God, and of the Lamb; on each side of which grows the Tree of Life. That no Curse shall be there, because the Throne of God and of the Lamb are in it;’ which shews that our Blessed [Page 114] Saviour, even according to his Humane Nature (with re­lation to which he is called the Lamb) shall, in Conjuncti­on with the Almighty, be the Head and Fountain of our Eternal Felicity in the Everlasting Habitations.

But the belief of this depends chiefly on the Considera­tion of Christs being God, and so of the Glory of the whole Trinity (which is unseparable) shining on us through the Vale of his Humanity. Those that hold that Christ is but a made God, have odd conceits of that his delivering up his Kingdom to the Father, when he shall have put down all Rule and Authority under his Feet; spoken of 1 Cor. 15. whereas this truly signifies but the greater assurance of that Glory. The Kingdom of Christ in this World, is the reign of Grace through Righteousness unto Eternal Life, Rom. 5.21. and that Righteousness was wrought first by himself, when, in his state of Humiliation, by his Patience under all Sufferings; and by the death of the Cross he purged our sins, before he sat down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High; and secundarily it is wrought, by his Spirit, in all his Members, when they are made par­takers of his Kingdom and Patience under their suffer­ings in the Flesh, which are to precede their sitting down with him, and ceasing from sin and punishment for ever; to fulfill the Righteousness of this Kingdom. Christ was Baptized as our Head, and we as his Members; and the Obligation of his Baptism he answered, when by his death he overcame him that had the power of Death, and deli­vered us from the fear of it, by taking away the sin of the World (which was its Sting) thus he triumphed on the Cross; and ours we answer when we Reign over the Malice of Men and Devils, and subdue the World by Faith and Patience. Men may talk of a Fifth Monarchy of Christs Worldly Reign, which is of a quite different na­ture from this, and proudly call themselves the Saints that are to govern the Wicked (such they think all Christians to be that are against their way.) But this Spirit, whether working in Papists or Fanaticks, is not the Spirit of Christ, which in Form of a Dove descended on him at his Baptism, and which he communicates in ours. The Spirit of that [Page 115] Faith which is the Victory whereby we overcome the World, and quench the Fiery Darts of the Devil as with a shield; a Faith that is always accompanied with the same Meekness and Patience as was that of; Christ in whom we believe, whereby all things are so put under us, as that neither Tribulation, Distress, Persecution, Famine, Nakedness, Peril or Sword, shall ever be able to separate us from the love of Christ, Rom. 8.35.

But when all Enemies by this means are destroyed, and the Deity perfectly reconciled to our Humanity in Christ and all his Members, when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of Jehovah, in which all our Sins shall be blotted out; then shall the Deity be most conspicuous in the Government of this Divine In­corporation, this Blessed Company who shall be Kings and Priests to God and Reign with Christ for ever; not now, by subduing things grievous through the power of Faith and Patience; but by exulting in our Victory over the Devil and Death, and in having obtained the Crown of Eternal Life. And as Christ was Head and Chief in that Kingdom and Patience whereof all his Saints are par­takers here, so shall he be there in the Joy and Glory of that Kingdom for which he suffered; And our participa­tion shall be with him as Man, but from him as God, the second in that Eternal Trinity, whereof the Father is First and Chief, to whom therefore the Kingdom is said to be delivered. I confess this matter needs more Ex­plication, but I must not inlarge.

These things I have touched, to shew the blessed Ef­fects of a Belief in the Trinity, as manifested in Christ for the Salvation of the World, the Excellency and U­tility of which Mystery is such, that the Blessed Apostle St. Paul seems to be in Labour for words to express it; he calls it the exceeding, abounding, unsearchable Riches of Gods Grace, the Riches of the Glory of the Mystery of Christ; therefore I shall return where I left, page 103. a little farther explain this, and so end this Digression.

The Apostle calls it the Mystery of God and of the Fa­ther, and of Christ, which may be the Mystery of God as subsisting (in Trinity in Unity) in the pure Deity, where­of of the Father is the Fountain, and as subsisting and ope­rating in our Humanity where Christ is so; in the first God was manifest as our Creator, in the second as our Saviour.

I said that from the Trinity, as subsisting in the pure Deity, man by reason of sin is become incapable of be­ing received into the Everlasting Habitations of Bliss and Glory; but that it became the dreadful Majesty of Hea­ven and Earth, whom we had offended by our Sin, yet in mid'st of his infinite Blessedness to pity the misery of his undone Creatures, and to incline to save us; which Salva­tion therefore his Goodness designed, his Wisdom con­trived, and his Active Power was prest to effect in the most excellent and effectual manner.

In God I have shewed we must conceive, while we see him in the Glass of his Works, and especially in that of our own Souls, Will, Knowledge, and Power, the Perfection of which Three is Goodness, Wisdom, and an Active Spirit in doing Good, and that in infinite Wisdom; Man having cut himself off from the Influences of these Infinite Per­fections thus subsisting in the pure Deity. It pleased God to produce Manhood by the miraculous power of his Spirit, yet of the substance of our Flesh (a Manhood pure and imma­culate) wherein he would subsist and tabernacle a­mongst men, and by which he would operate unto their Deliverance and Salvation (for we must believe that al­though the Union was made in the second Person of the Trinity, yet 'tis the nature of God (which is indivisibly one in the Three Persons) that our Humanity in Christ doth (and that in the most intimate manner) partici­pate; for as Mr. Hooker observes; the Persons of Deity are not Three Substances to whom one General Nature is common (as it is with the Persons of Men) but Three which subsist by one Substance, which it self is peculiar to God alone; only their several ways of having the same substance make their personal distinction: so that [Page 117] it is the whole Nature of Deity, as subsisting in the only Person of the Word that was made Flesh; Incar­nation being only in the Person of the Son, but the Ʋnion with that Nature which he hath intire and in­divisibe with the Person of the Father and of the Holy Ghost.

The reason of which Mystery is this, Christ was God, that we might Worship the same as our Saviour whom we honour as our Creator, and he was the Second in the Blessed Trinity, 1. Because the Son of God was the most proper person to be Head of a new Generation of Gods Children; and 2ly To be sent by the Father, and to send the Holy Ghost; and 3ly. Thereby we may under­stand that, in saving us, God exerts (not an absolute unconditional Will or a Physical Power of Necessitation, as in our Creation, but) an Almighty and gracious Wisdom for Moral Swation, such, that it is able to save to the uttermost those that are not so in Love with Death and Damnation, as wilfully to refuse its Methods of Sal­vation; for no Name can be more alluring than that of God the Father (to whom we are united to return) none more obliging than that of the Son of God, (by whom our Acceptance is assured) none so incouraging as that of the Holy Ghost (the Power of infinite Goodness and Wis­dom, by whom we are inclined and directed herein, and assisted against all subtilty and malice that may ob­struct us) therefore God as subsisting in these Three, and so operating as these Names do import, in and by the Hu­manity of Christ, is most powerful in producing Re­pentance, Faith, and Obedience to Eternal Life.

The Eternal Will, Gods Purpose to be as good and gracious to sinful man as would consist with his Holiness and Honour, and not prejudice his Wise and Righteous Government; I say, this was the Spring and Fountain of this Mysterious design: 'Twas this Will that first gave it being, and 'tis this which still gives efficacy to all the parts of it, as the following Texts witness, Ephes. 1. v. 4, 5, 9, 11, and Chap. 3.11. 1 Pet. 1.1. Heb. 10.7. and 9.10. Gal. 4.1. Rom. 18.27. Joh. 1.13. and many more.

Will and Purpose do naturally and rightfully begin all Operations in free and perfected minds; therefore this must be supposed first in that Eternal Mind, which is GOD, That which is perfect Goodness, and can will nothing, but that which is Good: He is therefore said to work all things according to the counsel of his Will, Eph. 1.11. not as if God did things only because he would do them (as wilful men do) for his will hath always Counsel within it self, and a Productive of Wisdom (as I shewed before;) but because such is the infinite Rectitude of the Divine Na­ture, and the perfect Goodness of the Will of Deity, that the same is sufficient to give birth and beginning to all god­like and excellent Undertakings. The great Jehovah then first willed Christs Humanity as the Scene whereon, and Instrument whereby the Blessed Trinity would work what was meet for the Salvation of Man; so Heb. 10.5. A Body hast thou prepared me; and according to the good pleasure of this Will, we were predistinated; of Gods own Will begotten, by Vertue of the same, sanctified by the offering of the Body of Christ and by the mercy of the same saved, through the washing of Regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; as in the places fore­quoted: so that as the Generation of the Son and Mission of the Holy Ghost, is from the Father, so the Efficacy of Christs Sufferings, and of the Spirits Operations, is from the Will and Purpose of Deity.

The Eternal Wisdom, as second in Order, is next Con­versant in this work: It cannot be imagined but that, when the Sovereign Will of Deity hath purposed so great a work, That whereby such glorious ends were to be prosecuted, and, in the due management thereof, certain­ty to be attained; I say, but that then he should call forth his Almighty Wisdom to advise and direct all the Circum­stances of that great Action: Nor can it be thought but that this Eternal Wisdom should agree to the choice of our Humanity, as the Theatre of this Glorious Action, and most freely and willingly unite It to himself, so that It should be one person with him, and acted by him, to the uttermost advantage of the Divine Honour and Pleasure, and Mens Reconciliation and Salvation.

The Eternal Spirit (the Power both of the Goodness and Wisdom of Deity proceeding from the Father and the Son) is here last. (For in the Operations wherein Deity de­scends to us, he is so, tho in those whereby we ascend to God, he is first in Humane Consideration) by him the Humanity of Christ was first miraculously formed of the substance of our Flesh in the Virgins Womb, and afterward inspired with a Courage and Magnanimity, a Compassion and Pitty, a Zeal and Activity, deserving to be called Divine in the highest sense.

Now the Wisdom of Deity according unto the Will and Purpose of Divine Grace and Goodness, by power of the Eternal Spirit, taking our Humanity thus qualified into an incomprehensible Unity with himself, must be thought in­finitly able for the Work whereby our Salvation might be effected, even to the utermost; and the Eternal Spirit having th [...]s fitted the Humanity of Christ as a Mighty Instrument of Reconciling God to us, and us to God, must be sup­posed infinitly efficatious, while he dwells in Christ in unmeasurable fulness, and is from him derived in abun­dant measures to all that unite themselves to him.

Thus the incomprehensible Deity exerts its infinite Per­fections for the Recovery and Salvation of us miserable Sinners, and these exceeding abounding Riches, the Trea­sures of Grace and Goodness, of Wisdom and Knowledge, of Power and Activity, being in God, are poured on upon us, to teach us to be abundant and plentiful in doing good Works for the Honour of God, and Relief and Com­fort of Men; and without this, we are incapable of re­ceiving benefit by these Richest Communications of Deity; for He shall have Judgment without Mercy (even in mid'st of this Rich Grace) that hath shewed no mercy; but those that by the Reception and Contemplation of Gods Grace, are made good and gracious, so that they will the good of all Men, and both contrive and act for effecting the same, must be most dear to God. And the Blessed Trinity, whose Image they bear in their Souls and express in their Lives, will certainly be-friend them with a joyful reception into the Everlasting Habitations.

For the Divine Nature is infinitely inamour'd of it self and apt to unite in Love unto, and have co-habitation with all that are like to it self; (whereas the Diabolical Na­ture can never be pleased with it self or its like, or dwell delightfully with it self or them.) But on the contrary. Light and Darkness may as soon agree, as God and the Covetous dwell together in these Heavenly Habitations: Therefore we read, that, Tho the gates of that glorious place are continually open, and all that do Gods Command­ments, enter in through the same, yet Dogs are still with­out; these Dogs can be no other but men of dogged and churlish Dispositions; these cannot enter, because of the contrariety of their Affections to those of the blessed In­habitants of that place, of their utter unfitness for the work there to be done, and of their incapableness of be­ing made happy by any thing, even in Heaven it self; nor if they would enter, could they ever be admitted by this Blessed Trinity, to which their nature is so contrary, and whom by their Practices have so highly offended, and when they never reconciled them by Repentance and Good Works (the Fruits meet for the same) and not having made them their Friends, they cannot expect to find them so, when they shall be forsaken of all Creature Comforts, and driven out of these Tempo­rary Habitations, and come to seek Admittance into the Everlasting Habitations of Bliss and Glory, as their last Refuge.

The next of those Friends which by well using our Riches we should make, that when we fail, we may be surely and joyfully received into the Everlasting Habitations, are the Blessed Angels. Among all the Creatures which God hath made, these are the first and chiefest Recipients of Blessedness from him, and the very Natives of those Everlasting Habitati­ons of Bliss and Glory; these always had their dwel­ling with God the Father, and never at any time transgressed his Commandments; and therefore, how­ever [Page 121] God may be inclined to shew us mercy, he will never receive us into those Habitations, either to the just Offence of these his Eldest and most Dutiful Sons, or any way to their prejudice: Therefore tho we may hope, if we repent and live again to God after we have been dead in sin, if we are found in Gods ways, after we have been lost in following foolish Devices and sensual Desires in our own, I say, that then these Holy Angels, admonished of by their and our Father; (as Luk. 15.) will also joyfully receive us, and Feast with us on the Entertainments of our Fathers House; yet while they look on us, as in the state of Prodiga­lity, they cannot but be offended, if God should kindly receive us, and joyfully entertain us into his House and Family; and let not covetous Men think that this Prodigality which is so offensive to these Holy Angels, concerns not them; for they are as guilty of spending their Fathers Living on Harlots, as any that spend their Estates in Riot and Excess. Covetousness, of all other Lusts, is called Idolatry, and Idolatry is very often called in Scripture, Spiritual Whoredom; there­fore to use our Gifts and Powers to gratifie this Lust of Covetousness, must be to spend our Fathers Living with Harlots.

Besides, 'twould be to the prejudice as well as to the offence of these Holy Angels, to have such base, dogged natur'd persons come to live among them, and therefore they must be supposed extreamly averse from receiving such to be Co-Inhabitants with them, in these Everlasting Habitations; we call them Good Angels, and they are called in Scripture Elect An­gels, suppose them choicely Good and it takes in both; now as such, they must be thought to detest this base Humour of Covetousness, even from the Perfe­ctions [Page 122] of their own Nature; but besides, when we consider their Office, to be Ministring Spirits for the good of those that shall be Heirs of Salvation, to guide and keep us in all our way, to warn us of dangers, to re­deem our Souls from evil, to pitch their Tents a­bout us for our Defence, to fight for us against the Devil and his Angles, to give secret Influences to things to heal and cure our Diseases (as to the Wa­ters of Bethesda) that they are ready to Minister to the supply of our extream Necessities (when our Faith and Patience hath been sufficiently tried) as they did to those of our Lord in the Wilderness; that they wait at our Altars, not only to pry into those Glo­rious Mysteries, but out of delight to behold our Devotions, to excite us thereunto, and to accompa­ny us in our Hallelujahs and Words of Glory; that they exult to behold our diligent Labours in the ser­vice of Christ, and our couragious sufferings, even to death, for Testimony of his Truth, and readily comfort and help us therein; and finally that they attend at our Death-beds, to carry our Souls, as soon as they leave our Bodies, with joy and triumph unto their Rest in Abrahams Bosome: I say when we consi­der all this and more, that the Scripture speaks of their Good Works towards men, can we think it possible that being of such a nature, and imploying them­selves in such Offices, that they should ever be wil­ling to receive the covetous Misers, or any evil na­tur'd and ungood Men into their Company and Habi­tation, at least, until they arise from their Death in Sin, and be found in the way of Goodness, Cha­rity, and Omnificence to all good Works; and then, as there will be joy in Heaven at their Repentance, so at their Death they may hope to be most safely con­veyed, [Page 123] and joyfully received by them into the Glori­ous Habitation of Bliss.

The next of those Friends which we are to make, by well using our Riches for the end aforesaid, are the Saints. We read Luke 12. That 'tis the Fathers good pleasure to give the Kingdom to these who are Christs little Flock; the gift of the Kingdom is the Sanction of Christs Evangelical Law, Matt. 5.6, and is the first and last reward of the Vertues there pre­scribed as the way to Blessedness; part of which King­dom consists in their Dominion over the Nations, as appears Revel. 2.26. which Christ gives to them even as he had received of his Father: This is no other but the power of receiving into, or shutting out of the Church, called the Keys of the Kingdom of Hea­ven; what the Church binds on Earth is bound in Heaven; this is indeed Administred Officially by such as Christ hath given to his Church for that purpose, but vertually is in the whole Church: from which I inter thus much (which I believe will be agreed to in midst of all Disputes) that those against whom good Men, true Saints, have just cause of offence and dis­pleasure, shall never be received by Almighty God to the Glories of his Kingdom, of his Kingdom in this World or the next; not till they have reconciled them, and made them their Friends as far as they are able; now, that good Men are thus offended at the nigardly and covetous, appeareth not only by the general contra­rity between good and bad Men, (the Wicked of all sorts being an abomination to the Just) but there is a peculiar contrariety in this matter observed in Isa. 32.7, & 8. The instruments of the churl are evil, he de­viseth wicked devices to destroy the poor; But the libe­ral (i. e. the Good Man) deviseth liberal things, and by [Page 124] liberal things shall he stand. So that these can never be friends, whose thoughts and actions are so contrary; therefore such Churls must change Nature and become liberal in good Works, if ever they will hope to have these their Friends to assist their joyful and trium­phant Reception into the Kingdom of Heaven.

But among all the Sanctified fore-spoken of, the Friendship of none ought to be so much sought by Rich Men as that of the Poor; because first, the poor Saints seem to have some peculiar right in the King­dom of Heaven on account of their very poverty, their more eminent Participation of this part of Christs Humiliation (his Poverty) gives them admit­tance to higher Degrees of Glory, and therefore the first Christians that followed Christ in the Regenera­tion of the World (viz. its first birth to Christianity) and in conformity to their Lord, and at his command, became poor, that the World by their Poverty, might be enriched with the Treasures of Evangelical Know­ledg and Grace; these, I say, had the Promise of sit­ting on Twelve Thrones to Judge the Twelve Tribes of Israel; and tho 'twas but little they forsook for Christ, yet because it was their all, that made it so acceptable: Now, tho hence it will not follow, that Men should make themselves poor as they did, because there is not the same reason, yet if God make men poor, for Reasons he knows, and they most willingly comply with his Will, and adore that Wisdom, which in our Humanity, sanctified that Estate, gave Example of the behaviour meet for the same, and Preached his Gospel particularly to such, then it will follow from his rich and exceeding Grace to those former poor, that some singular Favour shall be shew­ed to these latter (even above that which the Rich [Page 125] in this World shall have) in the Heavenly Kingdom: St. James Chap 2. infers from several things the spe­cial respect such should have in the Church on Earth; but I might infer from more things the respect they shall have in the Kingdom of Heaven above those that were Rich here in this World. They that have re­ceived evil things here shall be comforted there; Davids Prayer, Psal. 15.9. as a kind of Prophesie, and I have observed often, even in this World, that men have been comforted according to the time that God hath afflicted them, and for the days wherein they have seen evil; but those that in all their afflictions carry it well and wise­ly, they may be sure that it shall be so with them in the next; therefore our Saviour hath told us possitively Matt. 19.30. That, the last shall be first; I know very well that there is more to be said by way of Explica­tion and caution in this matter than my bounds admit, but 'tis enough to my purpose, that the poor that have been Saints in this World, and so, in both respects, have been in it as Christ was, have in all likelihood a greater concern in the glorious and triumphant Rece­ption of the Rich into the everlasting Habitations, than others (who are Saints also) and this very thing hath made some of the Rich give away all, and betake themselves to a state of poverty; but it seems to me much better, when, in conformity to their Lord, even in midst of all their Riches, great Men can descend to the Exercises of a profound Humility and Self-abase­ment; think themselves Worms and no Men, as com­pared with the Almighty; when they can bear it to be made a scorn among Men, and the reproach of the people, in midst of greatest Honours, Treasures, yea Vertues, because the sense of Gods infinite Greatness and Riches make them small and poor things in their [Page 126] own Eys, so that they can say, What if men tread on a Worm, or scorn a shadow, and such am I: When they can preserve the most perfect temperance in midst of greatest plenty, prefer the mortification of the Flesh before the lawful satisfaction of it, and that for the attainment of a higher Vertue, and when they have no other Reason for it; when their Riches are but the Instruments of Vertue, and made to minister to their abounding in good Works, and otherwise they are as if they had none. Those indeed are the most ex­cellent sort of poor, such as in the highest sense forsake all to follow Christ, and therefore may expect the greatest Right in the Kingdom of Heaven: And because there are some such (tho alas too too few) therefore our Saviour saith, but that many that are first shall be last, whereas of the other, he useth an indefinite Proposition, which is equivalent to an universal, and saith, But the last shall be first; but yet still a Man that can most humbly submit to the Providence of God, and preserve in himself Patience and Composedness of Mind, and Courage and Magnanimity invincible, when he is outwardly in a mean and poor Estate, is the most glorious Person (at least next to him fore-mentioned) in the whole World; and 'tis sure that both these are so obliged to each of other, that they will never strive for Mastery: Such good Rich Men value such kind of divine Poor Men, as Gods Poor, and have a very great respect and veneration for them, yea more than for the greatest and proudest of the Sons of Men if wicked; and they value them most of all, be­cause they have opportunity of expressing Love and Honour to Christ in their Charity unto them, for that they are most peculiarly his Brethren; and his Image they bear in their outward Conditions: Such Poor a­gain [Page 127] have a mighty love and honour for these their Benefactors, esteeming them as Gods among Men, Gods of a better sort than great Men; Gods in such a sense as the Angels are called Gods; Psal. 97.7. For their being Ministers of Favours and Benefits to Mens Souls and Bodies, they Pray for and Praise God for such every day on Earth, and for these (if Saints hereaf­ter Pray for any Body) they will certainly intercede in Heaven in their place and station; and when the Souls of the good Rich Men ascend to Heaven, and their Har­binger Angles bring news before of their approach to that Glorious Place, Oh! the Joy of these (once poor, but now chief of Saints) how will they fly from place to place to call and quicken all Saints and Angels to give them a joyfull Welcome (reporting their Ex­cellent Vertues, and many good Works) and do all they are able to make their Reception thereunto joy­ful and glorious: But for those Rich Men that have despised the Poor, and censured amiss of the meaning of Gods Providences in making them such, that have reproached them as Hypocrites, or secretly Wicked, only because poor and afflicted; those that have op­pressed or injured such, because they are not able to resist them; those that have passed by them without regarding their necessities and sufferings, and never been concerned to help and relieve them, tho in never so great distress; such, I say, as these must reconcile these poor Saints whom they have thus injured and of­fended, or they shall [...]ever be accepted of God, or re­ceived into Everlasting Habitations; for as God would not accept Jobs uncharitable Friends, till they had re­conciled themselves to him, and obtained of him to of­fer Sacrifices to God in their behalf, so much less can these, that are Uncharitable on lesser Reasons and in [Page 128] worser Circumstance, unto any favour with God, and hope to be received by him into those Glorious Habita­tions of Eternal Bliss.

Thus, Sir, I have imployed my little leasure and less strength, to serve the Interests of your Soul, by provok­ing you in the best manner I can to those good Works, for which you have great ability, but very little time left to improve it in (at least in outward appearance 't [...] so) and now I have done, all the success depends on your self under God, and without your self, as I cannot do it or any man else, so am I sure that God will not; if you will not consider what is said to you out of Gods Word and from right Reason, it is neither to be pray­ed or hoped that he will give you Understanding in all things, and in this thing especially. Let me be­seech you therefore deliberately to read what I have charitably written, and now you are neer your passage out of this World, humbly and devoutly to joyn in that excellent Collect 4th after Trinity.

To which you have greatest reason of any I know to say Amen.

AN EXEMPLIFICATION OF Some Particular Wayes OF Doing GOOD WORKS.

SOme things I would premise be­fore this Exemplification. As First, That I intend not to tempt any man from the enjoy­ment of whatever of Good the things of this World may af­ford him: Let every man take his Portion, and rejoyce in his labour, in Gods Name, for it is his Gift that we should do so; nay, so to do is the best Introduction to the practice of good Works: For the Wise Man hath well observed, that he that cannot afford to be good to himself, will never be good to any body else. The sneaking tricks of some rich men are as much [...]n prejudice of their own benefit, as they are of [...]he Relief of the Poor, and other good Works. [Page 2] They cannot give either their Need or their Honour their due, any more than their Friends and the Indigent: They will not take what they need, or have a mind to, though they have to purchase it that which they shall never need, nor can pos­sibly use without some disturbance of their minds. They make themselves a Scorn to their Servants and Acquaintance by scraping without sence or reason, none knows why, or yet for whom: [Ne­ver was Scraper brave man: Get to live, then live and spend it,] saith the excellent Herbert. If men would but get a perfect command of their bodily Appetites, so that they should never dare to re­bell against a well disposed well advised Will, nor to offer any Pleasure as a temptation to Ex­cess, nor to move one Sense to act against the dictates of Reason, and the resolves of the Heaven-born Mind, nor solicit the Fantasie to betray the Soul to the Devil; I say, if men would do this, they might let loose to as great freedom in using the outward Blessings God hath bestowed on them, as any can reasonably desire for themselves, or others justly expect men of their Estates should do. And this would give greater repute and power to Chri­stianity, than either the crabbed Austerity of Monks, or the cramm'd Coffers of Misers can do. But enough of this.

Secondly, That no man should be so intent on doing good Works, not in any way whatsoever, as that he should neglect a due provision for his Re­lations and those of his Family, and such as have just cause to expect his help and succour in the ne­cessities of this life. Charity is to be added to Brotherly kindness, but not to go before it, 2 Pet. [Page 3] 1.5. He that provides not for those of his own house and Family, is worse than an Infidel. And yet that some, on pretence of giving to Pious and Charitable works, do neglect their Duty herein, is evident both by Scripture and Experience. Mar. 7.11. we read of some that said to their Parents, That those things whereby they might be profited by them, were Corban, (i. e.) devoted to sacred uses, and so they did not honour their Parents by such help and maintenance as was suitable to their Estates. It is said that this Evil prevails much in those of the Popish Communion; and some also I have known among our selves, to exceed in such acts of Piety and of Charity to others, so as to disable them­selves to do the good they ought to their own Re­lations. But I have observed, 1^st. Extreams in this kind are very rare: And 2^ly. That where they hap­pen, they have less ill consequences than those on the other hand. And, 3^ly. That it is in Relations ascending that this befalls oftener than in those de­scending, viz. in Childrens providing for Parents ra­ther than in Parents for their Children, yet I have seen it in the latter also: But then I have observed, 4^ly, That God, notwithstanding the defect of Parents in this matter, provides strangely for their Children. Of the last of these Observations I have an Instance near me, (viz.) A Neighbour whose Father was so addict­ed to Charity, that notwithstanding he had a good Living, (for he was a Minister) and other in­come, and was of a good descent, he laid up ve­ry little for his Children, (which were many;) which one would have thought natural love and respect to the honour of his Family, should have caused him to provide better for: But yet there [Page 4] was not one of all his Children when they were grown unto mans Estate, but had the good for­tune, either by their own Industry, good Matches, or the bounty of their Relations, to arrive at a Port suitable to their Birth and Family.

The reason of Gods Providence in this, seems to be, because such a charitable disposition is so rare a­mong us, and it is in it self an excellent perfection, though, through the infirmity of humane nature, it cannot beget such an excellent wisdom as it should, whereby to order the Exhibitions of it self in ex­ternal acts, as I observed before. Therefore not­withstanding this, it pleases God to give testimo­ny to this goodness, which hath so much of his Image, by his gracious providence in favour of such Families.

But among the chief of those which we are thus to provide for, viz. our Children, some may prove such that it were a thousand times better leave them poor than Rich. For if once they have given the Throne to Sense and Fancy, and suffered their Mind and Will to be yoaked for their service, they are then no way so much fur­thered in hastening their own ruine, and bearing down all that God or Man can set against them to prevent them in it, as by being left very rich. This is too evident to need demonstration, and I have no skill or leisure to retoricate; and there­fore shall only say, that had I such a Son, I should exult in any opportunity of lessening his Forunes, (as they call them) and of justly leaving or ma­king him poor: And if others think I am not a Fool in this, I have cut off one great avenue from hindring good Works.

Again, Though Provision for Families is to be premised, yet what that Provision is, must be well considered. 'Tis not whatever we are pleased to call providing for our Families, which will ex­cuse from such Works of Charity and Pious Donati­ons as I am speaking of: For it is not the humour­ing of an ambitious fancy, and desire of raising our Families to the heights of Gentility or Nobility, that is a making provision for them; but the lay­ing up such a stock as may minister to their in­dustry in getting a comfortable Livelihood, or to make them live according to the state of the Fa­mily they are of. But when Citizens affect to make their Sons Gentlemen, or Gentlemen to make their Sons Lords, and for the gratification of such affection neglect to do such things for the ho­nour of God, and good of Mankind, as may just­ly be expected from Men of their Estates; this is a very great fault, and a thing that hath ve­ry evil consequences both in respect of themselves and Families.

1. It hinders themselves from taking their por­tion of what God hath given them in this Life; (i. e.) taking comfort and delight in the free use of the same; from making them serve to the supply of their necessities, giving due satisfacti­on to the appetites of Nature, and such like things in this World; but chiefly from making them minister to Gods honour and their own, and al­so to the laying up a sure foundation of their Eternal happiness in the World to come, in do­ing good Works therewithall.

2. In that it oftener betrays the Happiness and advancement of their Families, than effects it. For [Page 6] it may be, while they are in the midst of their design, death comes, and snatches them away, and they leave their Families between Peasantry and Gentility; and their Children unfit for either state: So that it often comes to pass, that all their Labours effect nothing else, but to raise the minds of their Children above the Estate they were born to, and to render them utterly forget­ful of the duty of such a state, and negligent in making preparation for the same; and so the E­state left being insufficient to Gentillize them, they spend it in an uncertain uncomfortable state, that hath no name, a state which is far less ho­nourable than that of ordinary Tradesmen; and after all, do very often leave the Family, design­ed for Gentility, consign'd to everlasting Beggery. Or if their Parents live to get an Estate suffici­ent for that end, yet they often miss in making their Sons Gentlemen, or Daughters Ladies: for it is a mighty difficult thing for a Citizen to make his Son a Gentleman, and not have him spoiled in the making; spoiled, while he is in prosecuti­on of the Estate he intends for that purpose. For a great Trade (as such must have) obliges men to continual attendance, and begets manifold in­tricacies of business; and this will wholly take them off from doing a Parents part in the Edu­cation of their Children: Or if they could do any thing towards their Education in general, yet that Education which relates to the making them Compleat Gentlemen, they cannot understand; or at least, no more than he that makes Shooes how to order the Trappings of my Lord Maior's Horse: (i. e.) It belongs not to their Trade. And when [Page 7] men have a great deal of other business, and that of Education, which should fit their Sons for Gentlemen, is out of their Sphear; it cannot be, but that the things to be done in this affair, must be left to others: And then (if we consider the fondness of Mothers, the Flattery of Servants, the insufficiency or carelesness of Masters, &c.) we may judge how well the thing is like to be done.

And besides, there is great fear the Man may be spoiled while the Gentleman is a ma­king: For while there are so many Hectors that live by debauching young Gentlemen, these, that are but learning to be such, will soon become their prey; for they have not that defence as Gentlemens Sons usually are provided of; viz. a Fore-warning by their experienced Parents, and a sense of the Honour of their Family, (which is debased by their keeping such Company) and the Conversation of other sober young Gentlemen of their own rank. But such as these are sent raw and unwary into places where these Varlets abound, having no sense of Honour to prevent their con­sorting with them, and so, being little regarded by those that are born Gentlemen, fall of course on the temptation of such Company, with which at first they think themselves honoured, seeing them brave and genteel in Garb and Carriage; and so being used to their Company, they are easily drawn into the fellowship of their Vices; and so intwined with their indearment, that they are in­capable of holding any thing that comes into their possession, but suffer it all to be presently drawn from them, by these Suckers that stick to their Roots, and run up by their sides.

But if they be not of so Sanguine a Comple­ction, as to be inclined to Mirth and frolicksome Company, and so prove more sober; yet they may happen to be so blockish and dull, that it shall be very hard to teach them the qualities that belong to a Gentleman. (Every Block will not make a Mercury:) and if so, by the attempt of making them that they will never be, they are made useless for that which otherwise they had been fit for.

I have said this little of much that the Subject will bear, to prevent such designing among our Citizens as greatly hinders good Works, and yet effects no good to their Children and Families.

Whereas some pretend they have poor Rela­tions abroad in the World, and therefore can­not give so freely to other good Works, I must further observe, that I have never known any man that was very backward to promote what was for general good, to be extraordinary kind to his particular Relations. I have given and must give Brotherly-kindness, that is Liberality, to our Kindred in their necessities; then Preheminence to cemmon Charity; and shall alwayes commend those that begin their Charity at home, as the wisest and best men, so it do not end there: For while we drink waters out of our own Cistern, and running Waters out of our own Well; yet our Fountains must be dis­persed abroad, and Rivers of Waters in the streets, Prov. 5.15, 16. Relations are part of our selves, and therefore must first be provided for; but that being competently done, we must extend our Li­berality further. When the Children are first filled, even the Dogs may have somewhat by our Saviours Rule, [Page 9] Mar. 7.25. And from his practice mentioned af­terward in the same place, I must observe this one thing, that in case of extream necessity this providing for our Families, &c. must be no ex­cuse for our not doing acts of Charity and Mu­nificence to others, and that presently. When a Person or Family is like to perish, when it is a time of extream want with multitudes of People (as of late,) when the saving a City or Kingdom is the consideration; we must not think 'tis the pretence of providing for Families, or poor Re­lations, will excuse us from giving Alms, or do­ing good Works. Therefore let none that have a competent Estate, on that account, think them­selves more excused than they are from doing good Works. Against which I shall offer this yet further: 1. If a man breed his Son a Tradesman, and leave him a competency to drive his Trade, so that he may drive it very well if he be diligent; 'tis full as good as if he leave him 100 or 200 Pounds more than is so needful. He that cannot drive his Trade with five hundred Pounds, will not drive it with six: And he that breeds his Son a Citizen, and leaves him 500 Pounds to trade with; his Son may live as well (if he be industrious) as a Gentleman of 250 Pound per annum, and may lay up more for his Children, (and that 250 pounds a year will cost 5000 Pounds;) So that there is no reason a man should decline the doing good Works that he may make his Sons Gentlemen. The same may be said for Daughters, who may marry Trades­men, with whom they may live as well as with a Gentleman of two or three hundred Pounds a year, having a Portion but of five or six hundred Pounds; [Page 10] whereas to such a Gentleman they must customa­rily bring two thousand. Besides that when they are left great Portions, they are a mark to such ex­travagant Youths, who make it their study to steal the hearts of such Virgins, only that they may have their Portions to spend in Luxury and Excess; (as I observed before.) So that I hope those Citizens that have arrived at so good an Estate as to leave their Children such a competency as may suffice to enable them to live in the same rank with themselves, (if it be not their own fault) will think it reasonable then to addict themselves to some eminent acts of Charity and Beneficence. For, let them but consider this thing; There is so great a difference between the Pro­vision for Children, that they may live handsome­ly as Citizens, and that which enables them to live handsomely as Gentlemen; that many that have made a sufficient provision in the first case, can scarce ever hope to live long enough to pro­vide what is sufficient in the second. And I have be­fore observed, that Children left in a state be­tween Citizens and Gentlemen, are more apt to ruine themselves, or be ruined by others, than any that are left with an Estate suitable to the one or the other: So that it seems to me great pru­dence, for a Person that is growing towards old Age, when he hath laid up sufficient to enable him to give a competent stock to his Sons, and fit Portions to his Daughters, that they may live well in the degree of ordinary Citizens; then to resolve that he will not only give some occasional relief to the Poor in their single Capacity; but do some such eminent good Works as I shall here­after [Page 11] mention. And if the middle sort of Citi­zens would but do thus, this would provoke the more wealthy, as not liking to be out-done by their Inferiours: And to assist this provocation, I will add a word to these also on the same Subject. Such Citizens as these I will suppose to be in such a capacity to Gentilizing their Families as the former sort are never like to attain, being it may be worth ten or twenty thousand Pounds; yet so much as would suffice for them to contribute to such good Works could not hinder their most effectual accomplishment of that design. For suppose now that a man were able to leave his Son three hundred pounds a year, or suffici­ent to purchase it, it would add very little to­wards the support of his Gentility, though he should make it three hundred and fifty Pounds a year; whereas one thousand Pounds spent in such works would render him a brave man, and also lay a Foundation for the Honour of his Family, and secure Gods blessing on his Children, which is beyond all the Estate he can leave them.

And this also will provoke the Gentry to do their part in these Generous Actions; for they are apt to envy Citizens that outdo them in bravery of Cloaths or Entertainments, and the like; and certainly they will not be willing they should out-do them in such honourable works as these: And indeed, al­though it be more necessary for Gentlemen to sup­port the ancient Grandeur of their Family, and encrease it, than for a Citizen to raise his Fami­ly to a higher state; because such Gentlemen are born to such services of their Countrey as require an Estate; and the fall of such Families proves a [Page 12] publick defect: I say, although this be so, yet this is no excuse from doing what is expected from them in this kind; for 'tis not the doing such good Works that ever ruined a Gentelmans Fami­ly, but Debauchery and Gaming, and other Ex­travagancies; and these a Gentleman may without dishonour forbear: And whereas if he do so, in this wicked Age, his extravagant Neighbours may impute it unto Covetousness, and baseness of mind; by being abundant and exemplary in these good Works, he will stop their mouths, and make such suggestions signifie nothing with wise men. These things (which I hope will not be thought needless) being thus premised, I shall offer some wayes of imploying our selves and our Estates in the good Works I provoke to; but as briefly as I can.

The first shall be in such things as tend most immediately to the honour of God, and good of mens Souls.

Of this kind I shall propose, First, The build­ing Churches suitable to the number of those that are obliged by our Religion to attend Gods pub­lick Worship; in which there is a great defect in the out-parts of this City; where there is but one Church for twenty, thirty, or forty, and some say, sixty thousand persons, all such as are capa­ble of receiving the Communion: Now none can think a tenth part of these can be contained in the Churches belonging to such Parishes; or at least, that so many can hear what is spoken there; therefore it must be thought an excellent work to promote and assist the building and endowing of more Churches for entertainment of sueh People. [Page 13] But this being a thing of vast charge, I hearti­ly wish that some Parliament would take it into consideration, and so lay the foundation for such a work, and give such aid in the Bulk and main Body thereof, that these Pious Donations of well-disposed men may be able to effect it, and that neither the insufficiency of all that which can that way be hoped for, may discourage any Benefactors from employing their Estates therein; nor the no necessity of Private help, because that of the Publick will do it in time, may disoblige any from doing their part, as they are single Persons, as well as Members of the Nation.

Secondly, Of this Nature also is the augment­ing the Maintenance of Ministers in some Parish­es in the Countrey, that afford not above five or ten Pounds a year to a Minister; by which means they have either no Minister at all, but live like Salvages, without any publick Offices of Divine Worship, or else such very bad ones, as are un­able and unfit on several accounts for that sacred Imployment. And if the Patronage of such Aug­mentations were committed to two or three pi­ous and judicious men, with Authority and trust, that when either of them die, the Survivers should choose another of the same quality in his place: It seems to me the most likely way to secure such Parishes of the enjoyment of a good Minister.

Thirdly, Parishes where there is a plentiful main­tenance for the Minister, yet by reason of the pro­faneness or carelesness of the Patrons, or their regard to Relation and Friendship more than to the Glory of God, and good of mens Souls, and for other causes, it doth often happen that very [Page 14] unworthy persons have the Cure of mens Souls: Now when it is so, it seems to me a great act of Charity to provide that a fit and worthy Per­son may be taken in to the assistance of the Parson, as a Lecturer or Curate; to which purpose it will be worthy the rich Men of such Parishes to con­tribute freely thereunto.

If it be said, that the Bishop of the Diocess hath Power to suspend such unfit Ministers, and put better in their places; I answer, that there be some cases wherein the power given to the Bishop by the Law, seems to me defective as to this thing; and in those cases wherein he hath power, it is only on such proof of matter of Fact as is not easie to be made against such Ministers, who are often very subtle in their viciousness; especially if they make an interest in the worser part of the Parish (which is usually the greatest) to oppose such Prosecution: And it may often happen, that it is better to bear with an ill Minister, than to divide the Parish about his suspension. And there­fore those that are good men, in such case were best to contribute freely, as beforesaid; which no Minister of a Parish will be against, because it is for his ease; nor the rest of the People (if he be sound and peaceable as well as pious) can have any rea­son to find fault with it.

Fourthly, It seems great Pity to me, that in popu­lous places, such as Countrey Towns where there are no Cathedrals, and in the Parishes of this great City, the excellent order of our Church for pub­lick Prayers Morning and Evening, is not more carefully observed. There are two Reasons of this defect: The one is, that Ministers are by the [Page 15] Rubrick excused in some cases from reading: Now because it is uncertain when these Cases will hap­pen, there can be no constancy of performance; and if it be uncertain whether there will be Pray­ers or not, or at what time it will be, few will mind to come, though they have no business; and many that would order their business to be pre­sent thereat, if they knew that certain time, can­not; so that the good order of the Church in that case provided, is to little purpose, except there be such a maintenance settled, as would en­gage the Minister to read them constantly at a certain hour, either himself, or to provide some other to do it for him: Therefore I think it a great act of Piety and Charity to give freely to the settlement of such a maintinance. 'Tis an act of Piety, because God is greatly honoured by the Solemnities of his publick Worship: And of Cha­rity, because there is nothing tends more to the comfort and edification of good Christians, than this; especially of such as have much time and leisure; and aged people that are going out of this World: For such to have opportunity so fre­quently to be exercised in the excellent Works of praising God, hearing his Word, and seeking his Grace to prepare them for Death and Judg­ment, is an unspeakable benefit and Comfort. And the greater the number of Christians are that may have opportunity to frequent such publick Worship of Almighty God, the greater is the Piety and Cha­rity of such Donations: Therefore in this great and populous City, and in that part of it that hath the closest Habitations, and greatest concourse of people, it is an excellent work to provide for [Page 16] the constant reading of Morning and Evening Pray­er. For as the Honour of a King is in the mul­titude of his People, so 'tis greatly to the ho­nour of God to have multitudes of Worshippers. And in places where there is great numbers of Men, we may hope there may be many devout and pi­ous Christians, that may delight to honour their Creator and Saviour, and to enjoy this the Commu­nion of Saints in most solemn exercises of Divine Worship; and we may hope also that their Exam­ple may draw others to taste and see how good it is to draw nigh to God, to behold his Glory, to triumph in his Praises, to attend to the great Mysteries of his Grace reveal­ed in Christ, and hear the Records of his wonderful Works, &c. and so by such tryal they may be with­drawn from the deceitful and destructive pleasures of sin, to the true and most wholesome pleasures of Grace: I wish this were well considered on the speci­al account which I shall here venture to mention, in hope to provoke the aid of some good rich man in a design of this nature.

There hath been an endeavour by some that are lovers of the Publick Worship of God, to settle a Maintenance for the daily reading Morning Prayers at St. Mary Woolnoth Lombard-street, London, where it is now read, and hath been so for above three years past, at Eleven a Clock, that by the encouragement of such a Maintenance it may be made Everlasting, which else is like to cease. The reason of which endeavour is, because there are many Inhabitants hereabouts that cannot be so early as Six in the Morning at St. Christophers, where Morning Prayers are also read, who at Eleven a Clock have no Avo­cation or Excuse to be absent: Hoping also that [Page 17] among the multitudes of People that frequent the Post-house, to which this Church is next door; or among the greater numbers, about that time, drawn this way by the Exchange, to which it is al­so near, there may be found some, and that not a few that will gladly afford their presence at this Church, there to add to the Solemnity of God's Publique Worship. Now here is an excellent op­portunity for some Rich Citizen or Gentleman to do a very good Work to the honour of God and good of mens Souls, whereby to purchase to himself and Family everlasting honors at a cheap rate (for three hundred pounds wil be fully sufficient for this matter.) And I hope that some one such, (considering the blessing it will entail on his posterity, and the eternal reward he may expect from God for this kindness to His House, and respect to His Honour that dwells there) will embrace the motion gladly. And I dare pro­mise for the Parish that it shall not be wanting in pro­viding for a perpetual memory of him and his boun­ty that shall do this, because they would be obliged to this not only by Gratitude for so great a benefit, but because the Honour done to such a person in so eminent a place as this Parish Church is, would be a great obligation to others both in City and Country to do good Works of like nature: And I am so far affected with these reasons that, if I could not obtain this of the Parish, I would, with their leave) do it my self, (that being within reach of my allowance for such good Works, tho the whole three hundred pounds be much above it.)

After we have provided for places of Publique Worship and Maintaining persons to perform the same, it is a very good Work to take care that such [Page 18] places be kept as clean and beautiful as any in the World; nay that, in that respect, they exceed all places in the World besides; can it be thought that any places deserves such Reverence and Honour as doth God's Sanctuary; or that God doth not expect from us as well as from his people of old, that we Reverence his Sanctuary, Lev. 26. That it will be a good account at last, Spent in beautifying and clean­sing my own House ten pounds a year. Item, Given to the beautifying of Gods House nothing; and what Ci­tizen of any Credit, may not account so as to his own House, 'tis two thirds of their Servants work to keep their House neat and clean, and the two thirds of keeping but one Servant is not less than ten pounds a year; But many keep more, and some only for that purpose, and besides in other waies of whiting and beautifying, spend as much more as in Servants: and yet when we come to these to desire them to give to the beautifying the Church, scarce one peny to be gotten; Oh the shame!

I am not now to answer those that contemn our Churches, but to provoke those that pretend to ho­nour them, and it is but need: I find that it is migh­ty difficult to find any way by a Tax, whereby eve­ry one might be obliged to contribute equally to pro­vide for this thing; and therefore it must be done by Free Gift or not at all; for this Reason, I must use some words to perswade a greater willingness.

Some think that God so requires the inward wor­ship in our Hearts and Souls, that he regards not what the places be wherein we Worship him out­wardly, and therefore we need not regard it neither. But what is said to prove it? Not a word of reason, only one Scripture some bring for it, but 'tis unrea­sonably [Page 19] wrested, and that is John 4.20. Neither in Jerusalem, nor in this Mountain, &c. The plain meaning whereof is this, that Christ's humanity, and what he performed therein, being the Spiritual signification and the truth of the Ark, the Mer­cy Seat, and all the Types and Figures which either the Jews Temple, or that on Mount Gerizim could pretend to, and this Humanity being now exhibited to men as the Temple or Habitation of the Deity, the Mercy Seat, or Throne of Grace, whence are dispenced to men all the Gifts and Graces received from God. Therefore men are not any more to ascribe such use to the Temple of Jerusalem, or to that on Mount Gerizim, but are to worship God as dwelling in Christ, in whom alone he will be pro­pitious to us. But what is all this against that I per­swade to. The Temple was beautiful, because God was worshipped before the Ark, the Type of Christ's Humanity; ours need not be so, because there Christ himself is present as he hath promised, Matth. 18.20. Is not this a good Reason? Besides, the Synagogues where there was only natural worship performed to God, are called his Houses, Psalm 83.12. And therefore our Churches must be also owned such where we offer up our Bodys, made holy and clean, that they may be acceptable to God through Christ, which is our true reasonable service, or our natural worship, Rom. 12.1.. And this holy use of Churches gives them a moral Sanctity, as all things must have that are related to Holy Uses; and being thus Gods House and Holy, can any think they should not be kept more clean and beautiful than his own House, or any mans else. Again, Can we lift up our eyes to Heaven and see the glorious pavement of that [Page 20] Temple above, that where Angels worship, and not think God's making that for himself, teacheth us to make the place where we worship below as stately and beautiful as we can, both as an indication of God's greatness, and signification of the great Ho­nour we have for him. Again, if we will exa­min the Text we shall find that the reason aforesaid, common to us with the Jews, was the chief cause of the beauty and glory of the Temple, 1 Chron. 22.9. 2 Chron. 2.5. and other places. Again, if men would but enter into themselves they would find a desire, when they become great in the world, that the place where they are addressed and attended, where they manifest the glory of their munificence and bounty be more stately and beautiful than any Rooms in their House besides; would any great man wish to have his Chamber of Presence or his Banquetting House, as homely as his Hall or Kitchin; he cannot be a wise man that would so; and shall we impute such a will to the Great and wise God. Nor is the beauty and stateliness of Churches unuseful to us our selves, for that, as the making them such, is a proper and plain signification of honour and respect to God and of our gratitude for his giving us fine Houses, so, there being such, is a help to our Devotion to­wards him. I would ask any man if he do not find as it were another temper of mind when he is brought into a Princes Chamber of Presence that is Richly Furnished and most beautifully kept, than when he passeth through his Common-Hall? and so I cannot think but that where Churches being stately built, are kept so curiously clean and neat as they ought, it would beget a kind of reverence of the God there worshipped and put men into a more [Page 21] fit temper for His Service, than if the places were basely built and slovenly kept. This hath been the common sence of all mankind, and if we deny our Churches thus to be Sacred and separate from com­mon use, and keep them no otherwise than com­mon places, we are worse than the very Heathens themselves; and I do not doubt but that they who give freely to the beautifying their Parish Churches, and keeping them alwaies as if they were new built, and have a great delight to see all things decent and comly therein are far more pleasing to God than those that hold a contrary Opinion and maintain a contrary practice. So much in brief of that which I would have said more of if my bounds would have allowed it.

The next thing I shall mention, is the setting up a Weekly Lecture for the Conversion of the Jews, (whereof there are great numbers in this City) and for Conviction of the Heretiques, Schismatiques and Non-conformists of all sorts (who indeed are not in a much better state while they are out of the Uni­ty of the Christian Catholique Church) and I doubt not but His Sacred Majesty, if Petition'd to that purpose, would oblige them all to be present at such Lectures, and that upon such Penalties or For­feitures as would be able to effect the same. And I think this a very seasonable time to propose such a thing in behalf of the latter sort, because the en­forcement of our good Laws have now made them more pliable to convert on rational Conviction, and no good man desires them to Conform without it; 'tis a false Charge, that we drive men to the Sacra­ment as men do Horses to Smithfield, for to receive those Mystries, they all confess it is their Duty, and [Page 22] that they are such si [...]ners as ought not to come, or so scrupulous that they cannot find in their hearts to come, is their own faults, and may be remedied if they please; but I am not to insist on that here, but I am sure such a Charitable endeavour of creating a full perswasion in them in the matters whereabout they doubt, must be very pleasing to God, and pro­fitable to them, and a great honour to our Church. For the Jews, I am not out of hope, that such as live here may be more perswasible than those in other Countrys, and so the glorious work of their national Conversion (if such a thing may be hoped) shall begin here. I am informed that such Lectures there are in Italy, and the Jews required to at­tend them on very great Penalties, tho there they are hardly brought to because of their offence at the Bestiality, Superstition and Idolatry of that People. And it grieves me that Rome should out-do London in this ot any other Charitable endeavour of mens Sal­vation; and I am sure the success of such an endea­vour, is like to be greater here than there. I hav [...] acquaintance with many of them, and find them men of better lives and principles than those in othe [...] places are reported to be; and very inclinable to hear Discourses in private, that have the same ten­dency, and that there are not many of them tha [...] are learned in the subtleties and evasions wherewith they blind their own Eyes, and those of their Bre­thren, and shut out the light of Evangelical Truth but are more simple and honest in the Religion they have been bred to. Besides, our decrying the wor­ship of Images, a thing which they hate; and per­forming our Devotions and Adorations one way to one God, but before no Resemblance, agrees we [...] [Page 23] with their sentiments. Nor hath any such incivili­ties and ingratitude been here offered towards them, as they complain there hath been in Spain, and other Popish Countries. They have been here obliged by great benefits and loving converses, the Christians of this City have been kind to them above any in the World, and the Government more just and in­dulgent than in other places; and this I think may make their Conversion the more hopeful.

They cannot pretend to any scruple of Consci­ence against this, for they are not to have any force put upon them to own or worship Christ as their Messiah, till they are rationally convinced he is so; they are not here desired to be as in Spain they were, condemn'd to have all their Goods Confiscated, if by such a time they were not Baptized; and then if afterward they were found at a Synagogue, to be burned. But that which is desired, is only that they be obliged by a penalty to hear what we can say to prove it their duty so to own Christ, and that it is also their greatest interest, in that neither in this World or the next they can be happy with­out it.

Some there are, and those men of great Name, that writ of a glorious state of the Church in this World, which the Conversion of the Jews is to be a Prologue unto, according to Rom. 11.15. And this their Conversion they think shall be effected by miraculous Powers and Gifts of the Spirit, and by visible appearances of the Son of God. For my part I cannot see any Argument so cogent as to fix my mind in the belief of these things, or of that of their setled state in their own Land, and restoration to the outward Glories of a temporal Monarchy; [Page 24] nor do I think it will help their Conversion to com­ply with that ambitious and sensual humour in them that makes them fond of such conceits of recovering their former Glory and oppulency, no more than I do that the belief of the Churches outward Glory in the last Age will make us ever the better Chri­stians, but I rather think the contrary in both.

'Tis true, we are too apt to follow Christ rather for the Loaves and Fishes than from a Conviction of his divine Mission; but then, they that do so, will cry Hosanna one day, and Crucifie the next; and I cannot see what real strength will be added to the Arguments for Christianity from belief of such world­ly Glories: The excellency of this Religion lies in this, that as we have born the image of the earthly Adam, that is, have been concerned for an earthly fe­licity; so we shall now bear the Image of the Lord from Heaven, who is the second Adam indeed, but not as he restores us to such earthly felicity, but as he quickens us with desires of that which is Spiritual & heavenly, and teacheth us, as his own Seed, and that a Spiritual Seed and new Generation of God, To seek the things above, as being dead and buried with him to the World, and risen with him to a divine and hea­venly Life. The beginning of this life we have here in the knowledge and belief of the misteries of our Religion and in receiving the Sacraments of it; and the full perfection of it we shall have in Heaven, where the Felicities (I think) are quite of another kind than those which are here proposed: or if any conceive, on account of the Resurrection of our Bodies, that the Joys of Heaven have any thing of kind with these, yet they must confess them infinite­ly greater in degree; now then what strength can be [Page 25] added to Christianity by that belief, That before we come to Heaven such a Glorious State shall be in this World, since none that are wise would be willing to come from Heaven, or stay from thence to enjoy it. I have touched this here, lest any should object, as some do, the impossibility of the Conversion of the Jews without Miracles, and the proof of such a state, which I think cannot be made. There was enough in Christianity to Convert multitudes of them, when they ventured loss of Life and Estate and to be ex­posed to the malice of their Country-men and of all the World by being Christians, and it hath lost none of its force since, and much of that is ceased which might deter them from embracing it.

The inlargement and glory of the visible Church, is, I confess, a thing desirable, because therein men are in a nearer capacity of Salvation; but we must take heed that we make not the carnal advantage of be­ing Christians the chief motives to perswade men to be or continue such, and we may be sure that, how large and glorious soever the Church be, true Chri­stianity will still be Rare, and the False-hearted will hate the Sincere, and of the Kingdom and Patience of Christ we must joyntly partake, the Godly must suffer one way or other, and fall into divers tryals for the exercise and increase of their Graces, for that Prosperity is more apt to depress than to heighten the true Spirit of Christianity, And the Enemy of Christ and the Church hath done no small mischief both to Jews and Gentiles by sowing and cherishing the Opinions of the Churches worldly glory, some sprinklings of which mischiefs we have lately suf­fered, and more do yet threaten us from men of that Spirit, therefore let us beware; But this on theby. [Page 26] My design here proposed is to make the Jews, and that a multitude of them, such good Christians that they may be the Riches and Treasure of those that are such among us that were Gentiles, and our re­ceiving them into our Communion in the Holy Sa­crament, and other Christian Worship may be with such Joy and Triumph as shall be at the Resurrecti­on of the Dead, according to Rom. 11. the place much insisted on: and I am sure this is more desira­ble than such outward Glory; but enough of this.

There are many other things tending to the in­crease and stability of Christian Religion, which I might here speak of, but it will make my Book too long, and doth not so nearly concern us as other matter, therefore I shall omit them, only there is come to my hand a Book entituled, The Indians Advocate, written by a Person long conversant a­mong them, zealously reproving the Cruelties of Masters to their Indian Servants, as to the matter of their Conversion to Christianity; which Book I do here heartily recommend to Consideration.

NExt to the Honour of God to whom we are ob­liged in strongest bonds, and to the welfare of mens Souls, which are more valuable than all their temporal concerns; a good man will esteem the ho­nour and welfare of the Kingdom and Community which he is a member of, valuable before his private benefit, or that of any other single persons, and what is done for such publick good he reckons among the chiefest of good Works. 'Tis much to be la­mented that the sence of this is so much lost among men; and that after so many potent Cities and mighty Monarchys have been utterly ruined by the [Page 27] base Selfishness of their members, yet we should not think our selves concern'd to avoid this odious and destructive vice in our selves. 'Tis evident from the name whereby such Communities of men have been ever known, viz. that of Incorporations or Bodys Corporate that every member thereof should be concerned for the good of all their Fellows, and when one member suffers all the rest should suffer with it, and it is impossible but every man that un­derstands the nature and end of such Societys must commend and approve a Sympathetique mind and ready assistance in every person that takes on him such Membership, or is any way, by birth or breed­ing, &c. obl ged so to be. Now there are two Cases offer themselves to my Consideration, where­in thousands that are Members of the same King­dom and Corporation with me, are exceeding great sufferers, while my self and innumerable more suffer nothing by the same, here I conceive my self and them bound to give what assistance we can to our Fellows, and my own pungent sence of their Calamities, makes me think it impossible but that others must feel something also if they be not dead or stupid. And I think too, that those who have any true sympathy or fellow-feeling of their losses and sufferings will be ready to do what they can for their relief. If the Thing were utterly impos­sible, and the Case such as nothing considerable could therein be hoped, it might suffice to mourn with those that mourn, but when That may be done whereby we may hope to effect it, and we will not do our part, then meer pity is but a kind of Pagen­try and increase of sorrow.

These then are the two great Concerns that I shall venture to recommend, viz. the sad condition of the multitudes that suffer first by Post-poning the Exche­quer Payments, Secondly, by the insalvanry of the Chamber of London; and I believe every man that stands related to City or Kingdom as that Body which he is a member of, is as much concerned to de­sire the relief and reparation of these as my self, and most of them much more; and not to desire it only but to do his part to effect it. I fear the very motion of this will be counted great presumption in such a person as I am. But since I do herein open my mouth for the Poor, and plead the Cause of the Fatherless and the Widow, I am content to bear such Cen­sures. And that I may the more successfully pro­pound these two great Things, I will here insert a Digression about Self-Love written on another occa­sion, as that which by God's blessing may beget in men such a Publick Spirit and Christian temper of mind as may render them pliable to all Charitable motions, even those of greatest charge or trouble that require much Self-denial, and particularly those two I am here to mention.

Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy Self, is the second of those Cardinal Precepts on which all the mo tions of mans Mind and Life do wholly depend, and they move most sweetly and regularly while they do so. Now here Self-love is rather supposed than commanded; for, that being a part of our very nature, we can scarce be said to be our selves otherwise than as we love our selves, we say of those men that, having lost the sence of their own good, do tear and rave and play the mad men, That they are besides themselves; so that Self-love being natural cannot properly be the matter of a Law any more than it can be that men should hunger and thirst, which they must do as long as they have natural Life. But though the being [Page 29] of Self-love be there supposed, yet the Regularity of it is not, but rather the contrary, and therefore in that Precept as annext unto the former of loving the Lord our God with all our Hearts we have the most perfect boundary for the Regulation of this natural faculty which can possibly be imagined. He that commands me to have special regard to the preservation of my life health and strength, and to the making due provision for my Family, gives me the b [...]st rules for restraining the excesses and exorbitancies of hunger and thirst and other bodily appe­tites, and for forbearing such gratifications of these as are against both those being of far higher concern than a little present pleasure. Even so it is here, God in commanding us to love him above all and others as our selves teacheth us the best Govern­ment of our Self-love that possible can be. God is the very life of our lives, the strength and joy of our hearts, the light of our Countenances, &c. And he that prefers any thing before God, how pleasant soever it may seem, his Self-love acts irregu­larly. Again, Our Neighbour is a part of our selves; every one of mankind is our own flesh, we were Created altogether in Adam, made of the same blood, abstracted from the same body originally, and partakers of the very same substance; now if we so love our single selves as to cast off all regard of our Neigh­bour with whom we are so much one, our Self-love must be conceived irregular and disorderly.

And, if it be truly weighed, we shall find that he that loves himself above God, or against his Neigbours good, may be said to hate himself; For altho desire of our own felicity (which is natural Self-love) be so ingrafted in us that no man can be said naturally to hate himself, that is, to desire or love such things as he apprehends evil and hurtful to him as such, yet in a moral sence it is true, because he wilfully chuseth that, for present plea­sure, which his reason tells him will expose him to the hatred or displeasure of God and man, and will leave a pain and sting be­hind it in his own breast, that will be far more grievous than the pleasure was worth to himself while he injoyed it. And I do [...]erily believe, that if a man had the greatest hatred to himself [...]hat can be imagined, he could not contrive any thing for his [...]reater infelicity than not to be subordinate to God, nor con­ [...]oyned in society with mankind. This the Devil knew very well [...]hen he employed all his serpentine subtilty for corrupting [...]od disordering this faculty in our first Parents, striving by his [...]ggestions to impregnat them with his own Spirit of Pride and [Page 30] Self-conceit, and to make them to swell with discontent against the divine Restraints of their sensual appetites and ambitious Fancies: And with the same subtletie he is still working in the hearts of us all, to make us first proudly or foolishly to cast off our dependance on God and take our own way to be happy, and then to set our selves against the common interest of mankind and to strive to make all the World to serve our private interest and fancy: This Poyson of the Serpent having thus infected our Hearts, then flies up into our Heads, intoxicating our under­standings, makes us fotget our absolute dependance on God both for our Being and for our Felicity, And our necessary obli­gation to mankind, as partakers of the same common nature and interests with us, and so to run headlong, in this our deliriation, into all evil and mischief.

Now that this delusion of the Devil was not such at first as man might not have prevented by the exercise of his own Reason, nor any of his cheats since such as can delude his Posterity, if they would but consider, is plain, because, First, Reason can easily discover that man separated from divine supports and influences is nothing, nor can be nothing, for as without any thing he was made by God, So unto nothing would he return if separated wholly from him; therefore so to love our selves, i. e. in a Consideration abstracted from God, is to love nothing, and to love our selves against him, is the way to lose our selves and be­come worse than nothing. Secondly, Reason can tell us, that, tho God by his power should sustain us in Being, yet if His wisdom do not influence us with a power of intellection, we shall be but a beautiful kind of Beasts; for to be a man, is to act by choice and reason not only by sense or fancy, and therefore we cannot love our selves as men, (i. e.) not as our selves, in a Considera­tion abstracted from God in that sence. Thirdly, Reason can al­so tell us that if both the former influences of Duty be supposed. Yet if we are not also influenced by the divine goodness, we shall be but a kind of incarnate Devils; for they (once most glorious Angels) have a more excellent being and higher degrees of Rea­son than the strongest and wisest of us all, And yet these glori­ous Creatures, having cut themselves off by Pride from the in­fluences of the divine goodness, do now bear the hateful name of Devils; and while we love our selves in a consideration (in this sense) abstracted from our dependance on God, our Love is not a Heavenly but a Hellish Flame. But now, though by the use of Reason, we may see in the very nature of our Souls, and [Page 31] of other things, the Dependance we have on God as our Crea­tor both for the being and natural powers of our Souls, and their moral goodness, Yet our dependance on God as our Redeemer for our restoration from the miserable state of the Fall, and the at­tainment of an eternal felicity, we can only know from the Grace of the Gospel; there we understand our selves to be by nature Children of Wrath, Captives of Hell, accursed by Gods Law, in bondage under the terrours of Death, without hope because without God, (i. e. God's favourable influence) in the World. Now this state was worse than Primitive nothingness, and therefore far from being lovely.

There also we understand the mysteries of God's eternal Counsel, for restoring us to his favour, by uniting himself to our natures, and so becoming head of a new Creation (or Re­generate state of the World) calling us into this Union by Gospel Ministrations, promising and exhibiting the greatest Blessings to those that obey it, and threatning more severe punishments on the refusers, than ever befel those that either disobeyed the Law of Nature, or that of Moses. Now if men so love themselves and their sinful gratifications, as to refuse to Love this God with all their hearts and souls, and unite them­selves thereby under his most sweet and blessed Government, if they chose (for the love of sinful pleasure) to provoke God's Jealousie by slighting His Love (His Love I say) when he con­descended to be lift up on a Cross, with extended Arms to offer to all the World His dearest embraces, Is this Self-love a regular thing? Can we expect any other but that God for this will ut­terly withdraw His favour from us, and leave us to the drudgery of Sin and Satan, to vexation and misery in this World, and Eternal Torments in the next; nay, hath he not told us, that he will do so by most clear Revelation? Now for a man that lives (as we do) under these Gospel Ministrations, to love them­selves any otherwaies than in subordination to loving God our Saviour with all our heart, is stark Bedlam madness, for that is to love himself as a Rebellious Sinner running headlong to de­struction, to Dance in the Chains of Sin and shake them in de­fiance of his Deliverer, to cast the Fire-brands of Hell in his Sa- own face, to open his breast to the arrows of God's Vengeance, and dare eternal Death; and all this in sport, and under the no­tion of Loving himself. Lord Jesus! What a thing is a sinner forsaking thee, or forsaken of thee in this time of Love under the Gospel! What! a thing to be beloved? Certainly with [Page 32] no Love but of Commiseration, and scarce with that nei­ther.

But now (on the other hand) how glorious, how lovely [...] thing is man in Union with, and due subordination unto Go [...] his Saviour; not only his nature dignified, by the Hypostatica [...] Union in his Head and Lord, but all his powers and facultie [...] enobled by their use, whilst they are employed in his service▪ of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace (i. e.) such favour with God as he had, and the effusions of the same Spirit, the com­munications of His Titles of Honour (Children, Heirs, Kings▪ Priests unto God and his Father) we are made equal to the An­gels, admitted to the participation of his own Throne, and the Entertainments of his own Table, and such favours as were in­credible, to us wretched sinners, if not so attested as they are in the Gospel. It was the highest favour of our Creation to be made Partakers of the Divine Image in the nature and faculties of our souls, but by the glorious Promises of the Gospel we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature, in the regular operations of these faculties in conformity to the Divine Perfections; by that we had the subjection of the Creatures, by this the Co­operation of all things for our Good; By that provision against mortality in the Tree of Life, by this we triumph over it through our union to the Lord of Life; (but I am transported beyond my bounds by the sweetness of the Subject) I con­clude he must be blockishly or wilfully blind (under this Light of the Gospel) that doth not see that there is nothing more lovely to men (besides God) than themselves being in due subordination to him, But while we set up our Interests against His, nothing more loathsom.

I will but touch the second and con­clude this Head.No man can love him­self that loves not his Neighbour as himself. The reason of man can easily discover that we cannot love our Neighbour aright, except we thus love our selves as standing in due subordination to God, and also that to love our selves as having any interest diverse or contrary to that of our Neighbour can be true or rational Love to our selves. For no man can consider himself as an object of Self-love any other ways than either as a part of the Community of Mankind or as a kind of God over all the rest, for in an abstracted capacity he can have no love (of complacency at least) to himself. Now though the Serpent had infused this poysonous conceit into our first Parents, that they, [Page 33] by following his Counsel, should be as Gods; yet both they and their Posterity have found him a Lyar (as he is) and their attempt to be not only vain and ridiculous, but infinitely mi [...] ­chievous as to themselves as well as to others. For while we all keep our subordination to God and our Communion in Love, His Providence (like the Sun) comforts and cherishes all, and our mutual Aids make the labours and troubles to which we are all born easie. But when we set up our interest above our Neighbours, and seek our selves above the Common Good (which is a kind of Deifying our selves) this tends to bring our selves and them to confusion. For if all the World must truckle to us, and all things be as we would have them, except we were able to defend them against all that's hurtful, keep them in due order among themselves, and in obedience to us, and provide for them what they want, I say, except we could do this it must needs tend both to their confusion and ours: and if we arrogate to our selves their Services, we cannot think God will govern them, and provide for them as our Servants.

Now think with your selves, if God should give you leave to ascend his Throne (as Phoebus did Phaeton to mount the Chariot of the Sun) what work you would make of it. He would no doubt be forced (as 'tis Fabled of Jupiter) to send a Thunder-bolt and strike you into the Sea of Perdition, that he might save the World from Ruin. And yet this is the mean­ing of loving your selves against the interest of your Neigh­bour. Again, consider every one is as dear to himself as you to your selves. Now hence it will follow, that if you may love your selves against another, he also may love himself against you, and so all the World must be brought to confusion. Where­as Reason of it self may conclude, that to love our self as a part of the Community of mankind, and to love our Neighbour as our selves, because he is man as we are. To seek his Good as we wish he would do ours: and to esteem our felicity when we are doing him good to be as great as when Receiving it from him, I say, Reason of it self may conclude that this is the true and genuine Self-Love.

I am not able to express the conceit I have of the felicity of that man that thus Loves God above all, and his Neighbour as himself, especially now in this administration of the Kingdom of Grace; now God is exhibited with the brightest Glory and most ravishing beauties of Deity, and man is not only recovered unto nnocency by the Grace of the Gospel, but, together with Christ [Page 34] Jesus, is raised up to a Glory unconceivable, being made to sit, together with him, in the high and heavenly places which are far beyond that of the earthly Paradice for Glory and plea­sure; now the Unity of Deity in the Trinity of Persons, shining and operating in Christ Jesus, hath united all mankind, that will be saved, into a divine Corporation under God in our flesh as head thereof, to live together shall I say, nay to live in God and each other, and in interchanges of Joy and love, mutual Commu­nications and sweetest embraces in mind and spirit, and freest distributions, in respect of outward possessions, as every one needs. The fixed peace and satisfaction of mind, the pleasant and exhilerating reflections of memory, the decent and delight­ful actings of all his faculties, make him a kind of Heaven on Earth; he never enjoys greater showers of divine blessings and comforts than when he is pouring out himself in watering the dry and thirsty Souls of others as Prov. 11.25. but I must not give scope to my mind here lest I digress too far, only thus much may not, I think, be amiss before such an unexpected offer as I am now to make, and when much of Self-denial and a Christian Ge­nerosity is requisite to prepare men for a kind and successful re­ception of it.. And now I return.

The first thing then I here recommend as a very good work of this kind, that whereby we may ex­press our selves truly members of the body we be­long to, is this: That every English man, according to his capacity, should put to his helping hand to the inabling His Majesties Exchequer to giv [...] place to the post-poned payments forementioned so that every man that hath a Concern there may have his due.

I know the Path I must tread in this Argumen [...] is high and narrow, and, without great wariness o [...] expression, I may speak somewhat to the preju­dice of my self and offence of others: But my, desire being to do good to all and give offence to none and this my intention being fixt and stedy, I ente [...] on this danger with the less fear, and besides, it is [Page 35] great incouragement that I have no manner of in­terest, either my own or my Friends and Relati­ons, to biass me to one side or other.

I know also that private persons, especially in that capacity, cannot do much in such a work, and therefore some may think the motion useless. But tho' they cannot begin it and lay the Foundation for it, yet they may be prepared to do their part against a good day, when they shall be called there­unto by publick Authority: And those who are now in their single capacity but private men may be call­ed to serve in Parliament where they will be Pub­lick Persons, and the major part of these so called are that Authority by whom this work must be be­gan, and by whom we must be called to do our part; and I should be glad to be the fore-runner of such a happy Parliament, and to prepare their way before them: and if I might presume to hope that these Papers may come into the hands of any that shall be so called, and may have that influence I desire to dispose their minds to the thing that is here Justly and Charitably proposed (as I think) in the behalf of the many thousands that suffer in this Case. I say, might I hope this, it would chear my Spirits and make all the repraoches insident from scornful and sensorious men, for this which they will call a bold undertaking, easily tollerable by me. And why should not I hope this, since God hath formerly chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, the weak things of the world to confound the mighty, base things of the world, and things despised, yea things which are not to bring to note the things that are, 1 Cor. 1.27, 28. and naught knows what his methods may be now, I will [Page 36] therefore in the uprightness of my heart, in Confi­dence of Gods Aid and Blessing, set down my thoughts on this Subject, and offer them to publick view.

That Standard whereby all acts of Justice and Charity are to to be tried will direct us here how to take our measures; what we would have done we must do; now I do believe none of those who are con­cerned to be Givers or Lenders towards the satisfacti­on of these Debts, but would be willing, if he were a Creditor, to have others assist towards the pay­ment of his Debt that he might be a receiver at least of some part thereof. That some should suffer the loss of thousands, and that on a Common and Publick account, and some lose not a Groat, yea be great Gainers by the bargain, seems very unequal. When God rained Manna from Heaven, mens ga­therings were very unequal, yet when they came to take the measure of it every one shared alike; what God did by miracle we should do by Wisdom and Charity, that so all may rejoyce and praise God together, and so it will be when, in imitation of the Almighty, equality is made by such prudent and free interchange of supplies, as the great Apostle ob­serves, 2 Cor. 3.15. I need but touch this Subject which hath been the burden of the whole Book, yet I must mention it, as that which is most needful to prepare mens minds to comply with this moti­on according to their several capacities. But that I mainly intend is to remove the prejudices which men have in their minds against this, or make shew of in words, to justifie or excuse their opposing them­selves hereunto.

[Page 37]1. 'Tis mightily insisted on by a Writer of the Bankers Case that the Contrivers of that design should be brought to condign punishment, for that the thing ought not to have been done, and that 'tis such an ill president that we cannot be secure of any thing we possess if it be allowed, but may just­ly fear that under pretence of necessity all mens pro­perties may be invaded.

I know that Discontent and Covetousness may make innocent things seem faulty, and such as are in no great fault intolerable, and some can multiply words on any Subject, and are very pregnant when their minds are agitated with the forementioned pas­sions; but, when they have said all they can, they will be forced to grant, that there may be something of truth, and wisdom too, in the Old Proverb Ne­cessity hath no Law, and, That there are some equi­table cases, incident to the affairs of Princes as well as of other men, in which a dispensation with the Laws of strict Justice may be allowed.

Now if there were such necessity that might justly plead for a judgment according to Equity, & not to be censured according to strict and Common-Law, this quarrelling with evil Counsellors, & reflecting on his sacred Majesty is very blame worthy, and calls for Repentance. For my part I can never think that these their accusations and wordy assaults do not touch his Person and reproach his Government, or that a Prince that hath ever had a sense of the Obligati­on which God hath laid on him to carry his Peo­ple in his Bosome as a Father carries his sucking Child, an Obligation as great as if he had both Conceived and Begotten them all, as Num. 11, 12. that hath Governed with so great Justice and Good­ness during all his Reign, and useth such a sagacity [Page 38] and precedence in Councel as is admirable to those that appear before him (as persons honest and in­telligent have told from their own experience.) I say that such a Prince should not have an infinite concern for his Subjects, when a thing was propo­sed in Councel, which was apparently so grievous provoking and prejudicial to a multitude of them: That his Bowels should not Yerne towards those that should hereby be made miserable; the Widows and Orphans, that would be utterly defeated of the pro­visions made by wise and careful Husbands and Pa­rents; the Decrepid and Old, of their preparations for a state of infirmity and age; the Virgins, that have been generously educated and provided of good Por­tions, that must now marry their Fathers Grooms or Coachmen or else remain solitary; a great many Gentlemen, that had been brave Souldiers and great Sufferers for His Royal Father, that would lose the little they had reserved, to support themselves and families, and to keep them from downright beggery; These, and many lamentable things more, could not but affect the compassionate soul of the best natured Prince in the world; And that this should not awaken all his studies and contrivances to prevent it and set His Great Wisdom and Sagacity as it were on the wrack it is incredible; especially when he considered that the Laws must be broken, (which, above all His Predecessors, he had been careful to keep inviolable, and never dispensed with but in pity of His Subjects; in relief either of the tenderness of their Consciences or of the utter ruine of their Lives and Estates) that the rights of many must be invaded, (whenas he had hitherto been able to say as the good Samuel, whose have I taken or whom have I defrauded) and that [Page 39] he must be knowing and active in all this, and could not acquit himself, as some would acquit him, by saying that he must see with other mens eyes and do with other mens hands; the concern was so great and near that it could never be thought to pass his own observation, and of so great wait, that the act­ing of his own immediate consent and command was of necessity to support it, since if any others had appeared to take it on themselves they must have sunk under the odium and indignation of the suffe­rers and their partakers: this shews that His most Sacred Majesty was awakned to the most intent con­sideration of the thing, and so to weigh all circum­stances, compare the mischiefs that threatned, if this were not done, with the consequent inconveniencies if it were, and being a Prince indowed with so great wisdom and sagacity, and assisted with so wise Councellors, so highly concerned also themselves, and finally when we consider the divine assistance that is intailed on Princes by the promise of God, and the very reason of the thing it self, I say consi­dering all this we must conclude that the case was very extraordinary, and sufficient to plead a dispensa­tion with the Laws objected, and that it is better so to justifie the thing then to represent the King as a ma­chine wholly acted by the Spirits and Councels of o­thers seeing with their Eyes and hearing with their Ears as if he had none of his own, and therefore I hope that Author and all the world will believe that I am actuated in this Discourse with the same im­pulses of mind which he pretends to, viz. such as loosned the Tongue of the dumb Son of Cressus, when, to repress the violence about to be done to his Father, he cryed It is the King, and there can be [Page 40] nothing more effectual with Loyal men and dutifull Subjects to create a good belief in this thing, than this consideration, that the King, being convinced by mighty reasons of the necessity of the thing in that unhappy juncture of affairs, did, very much against his inclination, and with great reluctancy of mind, consent that the thing should be done, verily belie­ving that the next Parliament, being convinced of the necessity of the thing, and being full of the com­passion which he found stirring in his own Breast, would readily grant such supply that the Exchequer payments might return to their former order: And if we had this belief in our minds we should rather use our wits and power in remeding, than in con­demning the thing; for in this case I must believe and perswade others so too, that a Divine Sentence was in the Lips of the King, and his mouth transgres­sed not in Judgement, as Prov. 16.10.

But besides that this makes it highly probable there was an extream necessity for this offensive thing, the evidence of the thing it self is Great. I have not much concerned my self in matters of state, yet I can see enough to evince the necessity of the thing.

1. The preservation of this Nation is a matter of highest concern, a Nation reverenced by all the world for its strength at Sea, a strength that all our Neigh­bours acknowledge by striking of Sail to our Men of War: the preserving it I say, from being insulted over by an Enemy whose very nature is insolent, and whose practices, when ever ours have been un­der their power, hath been most inhumane; whose abuses have been so great to Us and to other their Neighbour Nations, that, were it not that they have [Page 41] the same Religion with us, and are somewhat excu­sed by the borishness of their Education, & that we may hope they may once come to be improved by their conjunction unto the English Monarchy (the hapning of which will make a day most happy to that People of any that ever saw the Morning Light) and made more Gentle and Neighbourly, I say were it not for these and such like things, they were scarce tolerable among men; a Nation that never were, or can be more happy than under our Conduct and Protection, that owe their present O­pulency and Greatness, and, I had almost said, their very Essence as a Nation to us under God; I say this seems to me a very great thing. It is well known among them (and may be to us if we would consi­der it) how they then exulted in the poverty of the Exchequer, and represented the King in Books and Pictures as Poor and Beggerly in a most hateful and provoking manner, and concluded it impossi­ble, as then charged, that the Exchequer should be able to support so expensive a war, and that we must therefore become a prey to their insatiable co­vetousness; they entertained themselves with many pleasing conceits of the great advantages they should have by the ruine of our Fleet, and disabling us to retain our ancient Honour and Power at Sea; and thought the thing so sure, that they could not con­tain themselves within the bounds of modesty in the anticipating the Joy thereof; their Words and Pa­pers so abounding with expressions of the pleasure they conceived, that it became fulsome to all per­sons unconcerned; now can any one think that here was not a great necessity for post-poning the pay­ments of the Exchequer, when to prevent the cause [Page 42] of their insolency, and our own ruine, the order of its payments was changed: a necessity so great, that I have been informed the greatest and wisest of our Enemies thought it sufficient to justifie the action, and could not but approve it, even tho their great hopes were defeated by it; now methinks all this may suffice to evince the necessity of the thing: It may I say suffice to men that have reason that teach­eth all to do as they would be done by, to Christans that have a Religion that teacheth Love and Honour to our Prince, and that above all Religions beside to Subjects that have a Prince of such Grace and Good­ness in Government as exceeds all his Predecessors, suffice I say to perswade them that if any necessitie were ever known in this Nation that might occasion the Proverb aforesaid, and prove the wisdom of it, this must at least bear proportion with the greatest of them, and therefore be exempt from the force of Law taken in strict sense.

2. Would Subjects be as just to their Prince as they desire he should be to them, it could never happen. But that, when he allows them a Chancery for all the equitable cases occurring among themselves, yea such wherein the strict inforcement of Laws for se­curing his Person and Propriety may intrench on E­quity, and doth besides take off their force often­times by using his Prerogative in Acts and Exhibi­tions of Grace and Mercy to Offenders as far as can consist with the innocency and peaceableness of his Government, I say that for all this we should allow the King no Chancery in our own Breast, but rave and rail against him as invading Propriety and not observing exact justice and the strictness o [...] Law, in such a case as this; His Majesties Laws. mo [...] [Page 43] freely made, and his Proclamations to keep them inviolable in this matter, I say both these shew how much the thing was against his Inclination and Re­solution, but neither the one nor the other are ar­guments that the thing might not be done in such a case of extreme necessity scarce possible any other way to be provided for. I know mens brains, that are empty of the knowledge of such great affairs, are apt to be full of Projects how the thing might other­wise have been done: But what if such Projects should have proved like these of the Eternal Motion, which seem very like to effect it, but by experience are found worth nothing, and the ruine of the Nati­on had ensued?

But 3ly. though the necessity were proved never so great, and equity to plead the case never so well, some men well think the thing ought not to be al­lowed, for that the jealousie of having this brought into a president, if it should be so far owned as to pay the Debts, is in their esteem a sufficient argument against all that can be said herein. And indeed jealousie of our Princes is a disease most incident to the peo­ple of this Island, a disease of such nature, that scarce any of the affected will believe it to be a disease, or indure any thing necessary for the cure, nay a disease that is increased by the indeavour of a cure and works on those that prescribe any thing to work it out of our minds. Every one is jealous, of him that speaks against fears and jealousies, that he is of the Court party, a Traytor to his Country, &c. and so long, all he says against it is vain to them, yet I have a great confidence that, where men are not irrecoverably affected herewith, it will not have this effect on me, for, so long as it doth not take away their senses, they must know, that know me, that 'tis [Page 44] scarce possible such a thing should be true, or that any thing but their own and the Publick Good should move me to this Charitable undertaking, and because I believe certainly that nothing can be more contrary to fearing God and honouring the King than an easiness of being impressed with such fears and jealousies. God commands That Charity which thinketh not Evil, no not of any man, much less of Princes that are as gods among men; and can any pretend to fear him, that think all the evil of the King which is possible, yea that which a man who knows him would not think possible to be thought. The chief things wherein our honouring the King doth consist, that without which all the shews of it are but Pagentry, is a hearty esteem of him, as Gods Chief Minister and Favourite, a most joyful and thankful acknowledgement of the excellent indow­ments, whether of Nature or Grace, that God hath bestowed upon him, a great unwillingness to see, or speak of his Nakedness, in either respect, and a care to cover it) when detected by others (with great ex­pressions of our Reverence to his Paternal Autho­rity. Now no man that believes this (as I wonder any one should not) but must conclude the jealousies I speak of are against the honour we owe the King, and 'tis a wonder to me how any man, that ever read the Scripture or learnt his Catechise, can make a shift to keep a quiet Conscience while he indulgeth himself in his Vice. I confess I have heard now, and then by chance, something that intimates some ways for it, (viz.) by odd definitions and distinctions con­cerning the Seat of Supream Power, which they say is the King; and false conceptions of the reverence we are to have of Him, which some Citizens have said [Page 45] (when a major vote made them impudent) is no other than the dread we are to have of Lyons, and other mighty Beasts of prey; these things shew Wit and Impudence, but will never satisfie Consci­ence, nor shall any of them ever enjoy such peace of mind and inward delight in conceiving and sug­gesting these jealousies of our King, as we have in cherishing in our own Breasts, and propagating in the minds of others, a good belief of him.

But I confess I am more afraid of being account­ed proud for attempting a thing of so great difficul­ty, than a Courtier or Traytor for speaking for Cha­rity against these pernitious jealousies; but that being the fate of all that indeavor to effect things truly honourable and praise-worthy, to be so accounted, doth not much concern me; if I could have found it had been done before, and that the circumstances of things were the same now that made it ineffectual then, I had not touched this Subject, but I could not be informed of either. Therefore as to this jealousie of making an evil president by assistng the Suffe­rers, let me add something further.

1. If the thing were not ill done the Argument is void, for we ought to have a jealousie of ill things only, lest they be brought into president. And if it be said that it was such as might be thought ill by succeeding ages, who knew not the circumstances that correct it, and those blamed hereafter who should own now it; I answer, that error might ea­sily be prevented by the preface of the Law for redress of the Sufferers wherein the necessity might be specifi­ed. If it be said that such Prefaces are not regarded, but matter of Fact pleaded and brought into Exam­ple, I can by no means grant it, especially in an [...] [Page 46] case that concerns mens Purses, for men are natural­ly very productive of Arguments against Taxes, and very quick witted in finding flaws in the arguments of those by whom the making them is inforced, and therefore the Preface of a Bill to that purpose well worded (as I believe it might be to the fatis­faction of the most jealous, and yet pass) could not miss of its end to prevent bringing this into a presi­dent to any ill purposes.

I have heard some urge the abuse of the Law made in France, for the Kings raising mony in case of necessity, but very impertinently, because there they gave the King power to raise the mony, and to judge of the necessity, neither of which is here de­sired.

And since the Judgement and Power in this case is in the people and that they are masters of their own Purses; we may think that the necessity must be ve­ry apparent before they part with their mony, and I must take leave to say, that an extream caution in this case hath been more pernitious to this Nation, than any imposition that ever was laid on us by the Prince, and I believe no man, that is forty year old, will put me on the proof of it, for fear of being counted so very dull that the Teacher of Fools could not instruct him, or to have put on the same mufler, with those that could not, or would not, see this plain thing, viz. that mischiefs a hundred fold worse attend the repeated denials of Princes reasonable re­quests for mony, than these that are consequent, ei­ther to their illegal impositions, in case of extream necessity, or to the mispending some part of that mony to uses which it was not designed to; I say that would not see this, until they and the whole [Page 47] Nation felt it with a witness beyond all possibility of ignorance or denial.

But if men will yet insist on this jealousie, let me say this one thing more, That if, as wise men, they will think themselves bound to use so great caution for preventing impositions on the People, I must al­so believe that as good Christians, they ought also when they have done their best, to put their trust in Christ Jesus so far, that they should not refuse to do a thing so Just, so Charitable, so Pleasing to God, so agreeable to His Example, who did not withhold his grace from those that needed it, for fear some might abuse it; I say should not refuse to do such a thing only for fear some ill use may be made of it by succeeding Princes; for Good Christians have such belief in Christ, as the Wisdom and Power of God, that they rest satisfied, that in such cases, he can and will find ways to prevent that and all other incon­veniencies that may otherwise follow the doing so good a work.

If it be said, as I know it is by a great many, that His Majesty is able to do it himself.

I answer, that it is most evident that of his Roy­al Bounty he hath done to his ability yea beyond it for satisfying this Debt, insomuch that the Exche­quer hath been found to retard sometimes the pay­ments he hath ordered; that he hath taken down the Expences of his Court more than any of his Pre­decessors, and abridged his own Grandure, and dis­obliged the Servants and Officers of His Court by short allowances and lessning their Wages, and seve­ral other things that shew how desirous he was to do the most could possibly be expected or reasonably desired for his part, and if he had not some most un­grateful [Page 48] and ill natured Subjects, he had never heard of any such objections, but I hope he hath many, yea the most that are otherwise, and as God hath owned his Pious and Charitable indeavours by break­ing to pieces the Conspiracies of such men against him (the chief Head of whom was (as 'tis said and very probably) one of the chief Advisers of shut­ting the Exchequer) so I doubt not he will at last open the eyes of all that have any honesty among them, that they shall see their fault and become his friends. But some say it is policy, as things stand, to keep the Exchequer poor. To which I answer, That, the policy they dream of, in weakning His Ma­jesties Exchequer, hath so many intreagues in it, and supposeth so many things that may never come, and that I believe God will prevent if they will joyn with us in doing their duty to Him and our Prince, that it is not for me to meddle with it, and it were well if they would not neither; for I am fully assu­red that the jealousies of that kind have brought more mischiefs on themselves and the Kingdom already (and were like to have confined us to tenfold worse hereafter) then ever they can suggest the doing this thing could ever have effected. But discontented minds will still make men grumble, (as I have heard some do) the Parliament were not consulted in the making that War, and therefore why should they concern themselves about maintaining it, especially now the thing is past, let the blame lie where it will they cannot be in fault. To which I shall be bold to reply, That never Prince used the Councel of his Parliaments more industriously, and to the fullest satisfaction of His Subjects and all men; but it is ve­ry unreasonable not to allow any secrets of Govern­ment [Page 49] and render his Prerogative, in this case of ma­king War and Peace, to be vain and useless. It is evident, that there wanted not such Just Pretensions for this War, as were allowable by the Law of Na­tions; That, on his Majesties part, it was manag'd with due Care and Vigor, which appeared in this, that when the Person that lay next his heart freely offered himself to be Chief in that Great Action, he was Commission'd by him so to be, tho his life thereby was put in Eminent Hazard: And if his Majesty, ha­ving unquestionable Power by Fundamental Consti­tutions, did justly undertake and vigorously ma­nag'd that War, which was occasion of this Necessi­ty; my-thinks this that is before objected should be no exception to good and loyal Minds against gi­ving help in the Case. The Charge of this, if Equal­ly divided, would be very small, and Easily tolerable, not like to Exceed that which men, according to th [...]ir several Degrees, when in a good Humor, will be vo­luntarily at in Feasting and making merry with their Friends and Neighbors for one day: Whereas the Sufferings of those Thousands concerned, are for [...]heir Lives, yea it may be to all Posterity, and of [...]ome to their total Ruine, which by such Benevo­ [...]ence may be Relieved, and all of them made Mer­ [...]y and Joyful in thanking God for blessing us.

And now to conclude, I believe, That Parliament [...]hich shall begin with this Good Work, will Merit [...]he Name of the Good Parliament, and be a Blessing [...] the present and future Generations, and they will [...]y the Foundations of so good Agreement between [...]e KING and Themselves, and make way for so [...]eat a Blessing from God, that all their following [...]ransactions will be Prosperous and Lucky; and [Page 50] that Love, Joy, and Peace will abound on all Hands, and also this Unity between the King and his People, will tempt the most Factious and Schismatical to try to lay aside their Ill Nature, and become Friends to CHURCH and STATE, and to One-another; And so all of us living in Peace, and in Exercise of Brotherly Kindness to Each-other, the God of Peace, who is Love and Goodness it self, will delight to dwell among us, and will multiply our Seed thus sown, and Increase the Fruits of Righteousness, as it is 2 Cor. 9.10. So that none of those that are concerned to Give or Pay toward this Good Work, shall have ever the less, but rather much the more. The blessing of the poor Sufferers thus Relieved, will be upon us all, and we shall rest assured of like help in our Necessities, if such should Occur; and we shall certainly enjoy greater satisfaction in our own Minds, in the sense of having done our Duty to God, to our Prince, and to our Brethren, than can possibly accrue from fo­menting Fears and Jealousies, denying Reasonable Supplies when desired, disabling the King's Trea­sure and Power (which is of so great Necessity for De­fence and Honour of the Nation) to prevent Arbi­trary Government, when there is no great cause to fear it, and things of such Nature, sometimes highly Applauded by men of an Ill Spirit. Therefore my Prayer to Almighty God shall be for the next Parlia­ment, That thus to do Good and to Communicate they forget not; because I believe that with such Sacrifices God would be well-pleased. And thereunto I hope not only the Sufferers, but all good Christians and loyal Subjects will say, AMEN.

The second Thing of this Nature, which I sup­posed to recommend as a very Good Work, Is the En­abling [Page 51] of the Chamber of London to pay their Debts both to Orphans and others: There is need of no more to prove this a Good Work, then what was said be­fore; Therefore that which I shall here intend, as far as this brief Discourse permits, is the effecting a Willingness in all Sorts to do their Parts towards it. I shall begin at the Meanest, and so ascend; and I beseech God, that the inward Operation of his blessed Spirit may assist me herein, and work with me in the Hearts of those concerned, to create such a good Disposition as this thing requires.

1. For the Commons in the Country, they have good Reason to have a Kindness for this CITY, as the Place where the more Ingenious of their Children may come to much better Fortunes then ever they could hope by their following the Plow: It hath been known by Experience, that many such who have come hither with scarce a Penny in their Purses, or Shoe to their Foot, that have here found such Ways to Improve their Genius, as hath raised them to a Great Estate, and changed their Pesantry for Gentility; yea sometimes they have Mounted their Posterity even to the State of Nobility: And the very Conceit of this, (which may be the Fate of one man as well as ano­ther) should make every man willing to Give or Pay so small a matter as this thing would require, if a Tax were Generally and Equally laid. But besides, the Country is Obliged to this by multiplied Kindnesses of like nature received from us; I believe for every Shilling we should need from them, in this matter, many Pounds hath been given here on Briefs for Fires, Building of Churches, and other Good Works to be done in the Country, towards which more is usually Expected from this City then from some whole Counties.

[Page 52]2. In the former Head is included much that also concerns the Willingness of the Citizens of other Ci­ties to assist in this Work, for that their Children are oftner sent hither then bred at home, and do here ar­rive at better Fortunes (if they be Industrious and Diligent) then by following their Trades in the Cities they were born in.

3. For the Nobles and Gentry; This City, and its adjacent places, hath been their Paradise of Pleasure, the Repository for their Wealth and Treasure, their chief Wardrobe and Magazine, the Receptacle for their Sons and Daughters, when it was meet to send them from the Aspiring Heir that was to sup­port the Family. Besides, this City hath created so many Noble and Genteel Families, and Educates most of their Sons in Her Inns-of-Court, to be fi for Justices in the Country; Judges, Councellors, States­men, and Chief Justices in our Courts of Judicature; and it teacheth the way very often to the younger Sons to out-strip the elder Brother in Estate and Ho­nour: This is a City, where many of the Fathers of Country-Gentlemen have been Lord-Mayors, and many of their Sons may be so; therefore sure it can­not want their help, either as private Gentlemen and Nobles, or as Parliament-men, when called by the KING, to give him Counsel for the Welfare and Prosperity of His Government.

4. It may be more then hoped, that his most Gra­cious Majesty, that never denied the Help he could give to any distressed Creature, when they sought it at his Hands, that hath given, even unasked, more to his Subjects at his first Restauration, then could be hoped, and even so much, that the Parliament (which is the Nations Representative) refused some Things lest, we should be Rampant and Unruly: I say, [Page 53] it may be more then hoped, that such a Majesty will most readily attend to the Complaints of this City, which is the most Royal Chamber of that Great House He is Master of, and will most willingly set to His Mighty Hand to help Repair the Decays of it, and Restore it to its Ancient Glory and Opulency; and from his Help much may be hoped: His Privy Coun­cil also, now consisting of Persons of such great Emi­nency for Wisdom, Goodness, and Activity in Good Works as can scarcely be parallel'd in any Age, will doubtless give all the Aid they are able in the Distress of this Government, wherein some of their Ancestors have been, and many of their Children and Remains hereafter may be chiefly concerned.

But although Help mey be hoped from all those foregoing, as believing themselves concerned on such general Obligations as I have mentioned; yet more then ordinary may be expected from some that have special Obligations to this Thing; Those are first such as are obliged by Gratitude to Almighty God, for preserving them from Losses by this Insolvency of the Chamber: Thousands there are, that might have had their Estates there, which now lose nothing. I put this first, because it is my own particular Concern and Obligation in this matter; for tho I lose not one Farthing, as things now stand, yet I might have lost almost all, and that very probably: I have been long in a very infirm state, and but a little before the dis­covery of this Poverty of the Chamber, I was so near death, that I was given up by my Physicians as past hope of Recovery: my Wife so well perswaded of the Cities Security, as to resolve not only to let all her Childrens Portions, but also her own part of my Estate to lie in the Chamber at Interest. Now I can­not [Page 54] but think that God Almighty doth expect this from me, in Return of this Great Mercy, whereby my Estate is preserved, and the Distress and Poverty of my Family prevented; That I should do somewhat extraordinary towards the Satisfaction of those who are there insnared to their great loss, and it may be to their utter ruine; and I hope this may plead some­what in my defence for this publick motion, against those who may charge it as a bold underrtaking: And I am resolved it shall engage me to do my part to the good Example of others, if ever the Thing be set on foot. Now how many Thousands will come with­in this Obligation, and if men by serious Considera­tion would but take this bond upon them, I might hope to draw them effectually to assist this Thing with all their Interests and Abilities.

But 2ly, The Greatest Obligation of all lies on Those in whom the Government of the City hath Subsisted from the time that this Insolvency first Commenced, the persons of the Living, and the Po­sterity of the Deceased.

These, besides their Concern in the fore-men­tioned Obligations, have one Greater than any of them; and that is, the Expression of their Repentance for what they have done to bring this loss, or rather not done to prevent it: And here I think it not unprofi­table to enquire into their Guilt, and to assist that Re­pentance, without which it can never be expunged; and to shew that without this Fruit, such Repentance is vainly pretended, and this may, I hope, have a good Influence also on the Government of the City for the future.

I shall observe therefore, that in these Incorpora­tions the Guilt that is Contracted by one Generation, [Page 55] Devolves it self unto all Posterity, in that the Go­vernment is the same in whomsoever it subsists, unless the Sins thereby committed, being considered and owned by the Body in general, every one do ask pardon at the hands of God, and do what he requires unto their Cleansing and Absolution as far as they are able; or unless, being discovered by particular per­sons before they are committed, they do forbear such voluntary Union or Communion in what is evil: And although most will plead Ignorance in this and such like Cases, yet, if that Ignorance proceed from a care­lesness of doing their duty, and such sinful Self-love, as I have before reproved, it can be no Excuse or Extenuation of the Fault: For since every one that becomes a Member of any Society, contracts a Duty thereby, he ought to concern himself how he doth perform the same. Now it must be the duty of all Incorporations, as well as of all single persons, to do justly, and not injure or oppress any, what power or advantage soever they have so to do; and, to prevent such injury, to consider their own Ability and E­state so far, as not to run in Debt, nor to undertake that which they are not able to perform; not to pre­tend themselves that which they are not, not to take up or retain a Power or Trust which is prejudicial to the Incorporation, or to those that are related unto them: Now as this is Evident in its own Light, so it doth most plainly discover the Fault of those, who being as the Eyes and Hands of this Body-Corporate, did not inspect the state of the Chamber, so as at the first to discover the Decay of its Treasure, and Ina­bility to answer its Trust, and look into the Causes thereof, and (long before the Balance of its Account made it a Debtor) did not Concern themselves how [Page 56] they might have been removed, their Stock preser­ved, and re-inforced, and made able to answer those Ends of Governmenr for which it is of absolute Ne­cessity that such a Stock there be, and without which such Incorporations cannot subsist, (except they live by Rapine and Spoyl of others) especially consider­ing that such Poverty is a temptation unto theft, (even to Corporations, as well as to private Persons) as is observed, Pro. 30.9. And I most Earnestly recom­mend to all Incorporations this Care in the matter of Stock and Treasure, because I find that it is much neglected by all Societies, not only Civil, but Eccle­siastical also. It is at this time a great Grief to me to observe the Poverty of many Parishes, but especially of our own in respect of their Common Stock, while the Parishioners are wealthy; so that things most ne­cessary for the Honour and Service of God, for due performance of Holy Offices, and decent keeping the Places and Utensils of Divine Worship, cannot be pro­vided for, but by acciden al and precarious ways, and such as have much Inconvenience, if not some Evil in them; (this by the by.)

It was certainly a great Fault if the prospect of a great Income of Orphans and others on trust, did re­tard the Care and Consideration aforesaid; for tho this might be made use of to answer those ends, yet since if private men should purpose to get a Credit and Reputation, and then use it to take others Estates to maintain Themselves and Families, and take no care to get a Stock and Estate of their own to that use. I say't would be reckon'd a very Evil Design, and the Actors but a kind of Thieves, and I think Thieves of the worst kind, now therefore that the Chief City of this Kingdom should propose to it self to [Page 57] maintain all the Grandeur and Glory that belongs un­to it, and the vast Charges that must occur to the Go­vernment thereof by such Money, when they could never reasonably hope that being once expended in that manner, they should any way be able to raise a Stock to satisfie their Debts: I say, this is a most shameful thing, and not to be mentioned if it could be Concealed. But the Thing is now Notorious, we that are Free men of this City, must know it to our shame; and, if I did travel abroad in the World, I should expect to hear it often cast in my Teeth with Reproach, and it will be an everlasting Blot to all that bear the Name of Citizens of London, that ever such a thing was known; and it is not a sufficient Excuse to say, The thing is common; for that although it be too true (and more common I am afraid among Christians, than with Infidels, and will be found to be oftner in London, than in any City in the World, and in this last age, than in any that went before) yet the Government is never the more innocent: The end of such Government is, not that they should be Com­panions in Sin, or Patrons of any evil Custom, but that they should prevent and reform such. It was once a very sad Lamentation, That the faithful City was become an Harlot; it was full of Judgment, Righteousness lodged in it, but now Murderers. That her Princes were rebellious, and Comapnions of Thieves, that they oppressed the Fatherless, and judged not the Cause of the Widow, &c. Isa. 1.22. And I appeal to wise-men, Whether there be not too much Cause for such a Heavy Complaint against this once Famous City upon this occasion. But to divert my Reader a little, and because I think it may give some light in this matter, and make way for pressing Repentance [Page 58] the more effectually on all that have been this way guilty; I will here make a Digression about Bankers, and Bankrupts, those Thieves that may here be meant, with whom we have had too much Company and Communion; being also desirous to give an end to a thing which hath proved more pernicious to Wi­dows and Orphans, and weak people (that have needed to make some Improvement of what Money was left them by their friends, or gotten by them­selves) then either of the former Accedents; to do this I think may well come into the number of Good Works.

IT is, I say, a thing much to be lamented, that the Government of such a City should give any Coun­tenance to any thing of this nature, whereby men should be insnared by false pretences and appearances, to their loss and undoing, or that any, from observing the working of things in the Affairs of the Chamber of London, should take occasion of such a Conceit as this. I see there is a way wherein a man that is worth no­thing, nay, though he owe much more then he is worth, may have great Credit and live high in the world, and as things may hap, he may be honest and pay his Debts, and get an Estate; but if not, he having vast Sums in his hands, may reserve enough to live better than be­fore, and that this can be no great Reproach, since the Chamber it self must once come to that, as to Compound its Debts, and send thousands away dissatisfied, that come to demand their due. And yet who knows but that some ill men that knew the state of the Chamber, might long ago have such a Conceit, and thereupon give beginning to this naughty Trade of Banking, which hath done so much hurt.

But I know it will be said, Alas, what should the Government of the City have done when they first discovered this? It was a hard case for this Famous City to do as I have heard the King of Spain once did, viz. to declare themselves Insolvent; that is to say; poor and unable to pay what they had borrowed; [Page 69] I confess it was so, but it had been a thousand times more honest and praise-worthy so to have done, than to have Concealed the Thing, and make shew of Op­pulency, and of being Excellent good Security, and to have drawn infinite Sums into their hands, which should be spent in Magnificence and Pagentry in Feasting, and other Bravery, to their own dishonour and eternal reproach, and to the great loss, if not ruine of those that intrusted them: Not that I blame those things absolutely, for I know that Grandure and Magnificence is necessary for the ends of Government, but it ought otherwise to be provided for, and if the Government, being sensible first of their great damage by paying such Interest to Orphans, and of the decay of their Stock by that and other ways, and also consi­dering their Inability to maintain the necessary charge of the Government; had represented the same in Common-Coucil, and petition'd the King to inable them to provide by an Equal Tax on all the Mem­bers of this Great Body, or by asking the free Gift, or Loan of the more Wealthy Citizens, till the Thing could have been accomplished, or any other­wise. I say, if they had in this, or any other good way, provided to maintain the necessary Grandure of the City, it had been a worthy thing; but to imploy Money taken on Credit to that purpose, when no way appeared how it should afterward be paid, was very evil.

It seems to me, that nothing can be pleaded in de­fence of this that may bear any such weight as to make the Balance stand right: Ignorance cannot be pleaded, because there must be such an exact method of keeping Accounts in all such great Concerns, as will discover whether Debtor or Creditor be uppermost in [Page 70] the Balance; or at least, if any that are concerned in such a Government may truly plead Ignorance, they cannot plead Innocence; for it must be a great fault in such not to be concerned, whether the Chamber be rich or poor, just or unjust, a Security to such as trust them, or a Gulf to swallow all that is cast in there (as it would be if the vast Expences to which it is subject be desrayed by such Moneys) and ex­cept such men be so unconcern'd, it seems impossible to me that Ignorance can be by them truly pleaded. Now I have shewn before the Obligation of such our relation to Incorporations, and that God will exact an Account thereof; and indeed he doth seldom dispense wich such Faults in this world, because here only these Bodies do subsist, and there is no resurrection of the dead to such Incorporations, or any life ever­lasting for them to be punished in as such, only God ad­mits Repentance unto these, and if they repent (as such) and bring forth meet fruits, they may long stand in this world; but if not, God lays his Ax to their Roots, and cuts them down: But he is long suffer­ring, and spares them three years (i. e.) a great while first, as long as there is any probability; nay, and after that another year, and makes a second tryal by digging and dunging about them, and spares as long as it is pos­sible to conceive hope of fruit; and so he hath done by us, 'tis a shame to tell the date from which some say, this Insolvency of the City hath commenced, and all this time we should have considered it, and inqui­red into the Causes of the decay of its Treasure, and the Consequences of spending the Stock of poor Orphans that were put (or rather taken) into the Chamber, and taking Money of others at Interest, when they were unable to pay; (but as they robbed Pe­ter [Page 71] to pay Paul) and, considering this, should have ta­ken the very first fit opportunity to have declared the matter, and sought help in the Case: and many an op­portunity they have had; but my-thinks there was one that mightily inhanseth their Guilt not to have taken, and that was, When the Parliament first quar­relled with the King in confidence of the Cities Aid; for if the wisest and best of the Governors of this City had declared to that Parliament the vast Charge that must occur to this Chamber, by assisting them in a War against their King, and their Inability to do it, but with the livelihood of those poor Orphans and others that they were intrusted with; (too much of which had been expended already) and had made use of this Consideration to have depressed the Causes and Incentives to that War, 'tis like the Parliament would never have ventured to ingage the Nation in that rebellious and destructive War. But alass, how justly hath the Royal Martyr complained of our Madness and Folly at that time, in permitting Riots and Tumults to the affronting of Himself and all his Friends, and heartning and provoking his Enemies to abuse and persecute Him, and running headlong in­to an unnecessary and chargeable War, to the ruine of themselves and the Nation, (if miraculous Provi­dence had not prevented it:) 'Tis this I fear hath greatly increased the Debt of this City, and so deeply ingraven that Character of the Prophet in the place fore-mentioned, and that in both respects, that it is beyond all excuse and extermination, and hath been the greatest cause, as I believe, of the overthrow of its Charter, which might have had worse effects, but for a Gracious King, then most men imagin'd.

But now, it may be, some may think that there is no [Page 72] Obligation lies on the past Governours or their Poste­rity in this matter, but that all is dissolved with their Charter; and if so, the King had done them a great kindness indeed, and my present Argument were use­less, but I think it is not so, for their Action was per­sonal, and so must the Guilt be, and so continues as as long as they are persons, however their relation to the Government cease; for I have reason to think that as the possession of that Relation could be no Reward for their well-doing, but only the occasion of it, and that which laid the foundation of a future reward, if so they had answered the ends and obli­gations thereof; so the dissolution of that relation cannot be esteemed any competent punishment for the neglect of their Duty and for their causing the infinite mischiefs consequent on it; for so it is in the relations of Father and Son, Husband and Wife, and all others Oeconomical, National, or Ec­clesiastical, and for the miscarriages in all of them, however the relations be dissolved, shall most cer­tainly be punish'd in this World, in the next, or in both, if we do not repent and bring forth meet fruits, which, in the case under consideration, is the doing whatever we are able, with Person and Purse, to heal the Wounds and Evils that such our neglects and male-administrations occasioned, and to prevent the like for the future, by Confession to God, Restitu­tion to men, and Condemnation of our selves, for having so offended. And this is the thing I chiefly drive at, that those men who are lately discharged from the Government, should think themselves ob­liged, for all that, to assist to the uttermost in this work; and I believe a due sense of their miscarriages in Go­vernment, and the expression of such a temper as [Page 73] becomes them under the just displeasure of God and their Prince, would bring them again into favour with both, and be infinitely more to their own satis­faction in the review, then a sullen discontent; a thing that may expose them to very bad temptation, and beget inward trouble and vexation at the last.

How far the Posterity of those that have been of old concern'd in this Government, and through their male-administration became guilty: I say, how they are obliged in a special regard, is a harder question. But since God visits the Iniquities of the Fathers on their Children, and since those that would be per­fectly freed from the Guilt of their Forefathers, should in reason declare they are not such a Posterity as ap­prove their sayings; and since no better way they can do it then in assisting most freely in the Case before us; methinks those rich men that know, or but proba­bly think their Progenitors had any hand in the Go­vernment of the City since its insolvency commenced, should take on themselves an Obligation to be more than ordinary free and forward in this case.

Lastly, I shall only touch the Obligation of our present Governors, and so end.

These certainly are nearest unto the Guilt and pu­nishment of this Offence, though they may not have been the greatest Offenders; doubtless 'tis with the Government of a City, as well as with that of a Kingdom, That it never dies, and the Guilt remains as long as the Government, except it be some way discharged; and therefore these in whom it presently subsists are in great danger of present punishment if they do not their part for satisfying the Law of God, which shall not fail in any Iota. And indeed, by taking on them the Government, they take all that is [Page 74] inseparably affixed to it, good and bad; which should be well considered of those that take up the Gown: not that I discourage any man, for it is the most He­roick thing that any man can do upon Earth, to take up Sin so as to bear it away, for God himself hath hereby made his Name glorious: and the greatest Glory that ever was acquired by men on Earth, hath this way been obtained. And if the present Court of Aldermen would so take on themselves the considera­tion and guilt of this great Offence whereby God and man hath been so much injured, and resolve on such confession and satisfaction to the uttermost of their power for the present, and for the future lessening themselves as much as the Government will bear, joyning with it a great diligence in their use of all just ways of reinforcing their Treasure for full pay­ment at the last, and the most prudent Consideration, how such Folly and Injustice may for ever hereafter be prevented: I believe it would make their Memory eternal, and he that in reward of the most famous undertaking of this nature: (I mean that of our Lord) gave, A name above every name, will, I doubt not, make this Court honourable above all that have been before it if they heartily and throughly attend this thing; and I do humbly desire them when they bow their knees at the Adorable Name of JESUS, they will remember how honourable a thing it is for any man to be a Saviour to others, and serve God in regenerating a dead and corrupted World or City.

I suppose these cannot believe that the forfeiture of the City-Charter (on which some have been removed, and others taken their place, and some other Alterations en­sued) is such a dissolution of the Government, as that there should be no Obligation on the present Court of [Page 75] Aldermen to seek by all possible ways and means that are just and honourable, to Redress this Extream Grievance occasioned by fore-mentioned neglects of that Court; the City is still the same, and it is the whole body that is the debtor to these persons; & since they are now become Head of this Body, they must be chiefly concerned to pay its Debts, if they will ap­prove themselves good Christians, Citizens, or Ma­gistrates. Let me humbly intreat them to consider this, and that they are now the Masters and Gover­nors of that Chamber that is thus Indebted, and so the Help of these distressed people is in them, and the Help that all others give in this case is given unto them, as those that are to do the thing; and can it be expected that any will help those, that will not do their best to help themselves? Certainly with no rea­son: Let me therefore beseech you, as a good Chri­stian, concerned for the honour of our most holy and charitable Religion, and as a good Citizen con­cerned for the Honour, Wealth, and future prosperi­ty of this City, once famous through the World and the Glory of our own Nation, loved and reverenced of all, now grown poor and contemptible to our selves, and to every body else; Let me beseech you to stir up in your selves the Affections of good Men, of good Citizens, and of good Christians, that all these may solicite and animate most serious Stu­dies, and your most vigorous Endeavours; making all the Interests you are able, and, by Remonstran­ces or Petitions to those that may be able to help, or any other way that you can think of, to shew that you do so, and when you have stirred them up, do not let them cool again till the Work be done. Re­solution and a vigorous activity in so good a Work, [Page 76] proceeding from such Affection as before, and guided by such Wisdom as should be in Persons Eminent as Men, as Citizens, and as Christians: I say, such a Resolution is a mighty thing, and will bear down great Oppression, and attract like a Loadstone the help of all that are near it.

Two things therefore I shall venture to pro­pose to those concerned in the Government of this City, who are sensible of former miscarriages, and desire to Restore the Honour and Wealth thereof: The first is a Declaration of Repentance; and 2ly, Hearty Endeavours to do among themselves what may be done by them in this Case.

It is some satisfaction to the miserable and afflicted, when those that have been Chief Instruments of their Miseries, do but confess their Fault, ask them par­don, lament their Sufferings, and endeavour an A­mends; and this is the least that Offenders in any kind can do; If one do but tread on anothers Toe and make him halt or cry out for pain, he cannot but cry him mercy and hold him from falling; and they that but casually wound any should endeavour to heal them again: And if for involuntary Offences men ex­pect sorrow & satisfaction, much more for those which might have been prevented; and it is Impudence ad­ded to Injury, when men out-brave those they have hurt or wronged, or slight their sufferings as not to be regarded. I have heard it heavily complained of, that some Bankrupt Bankers kept up their port, and rode in state in their Coaches, attended as before, when so many were great Suffererers by their putting the Money lent them into the Exchequer, thereby to raise themselves to that height, where it was now stopt; and may it not aggravate the sorrows of the many sad [Page 77] Orphans, Widows, and others in this City, whose Whole is in the Chamber, to see no abatement of Pomp and Pleasures, of Feastings and Furniture, &c. whereby too much Insensibility is declared, and the Money, that might do somewhat (if but a little) to­wards their relief, is expended: Such as these are apt to think (and speak to) as if mourning Weeds, and Bread of Affliction better became the Debtors of those that must go in Rags and fare hardly, than such Pomp and State; but the greatest Offence is given hereby to God Almighty, who is injured and offended in this matter more then men; those that should have re­presented him, as well in his Righteousness and Good­ness as in his Majesty and Greatness, while they sate in the Seat of Government, when they have so grosly neglected it, and, being made his Deputies in the world to relieve the Oppressed, and to see that the Injured be restored to their right, are become Op­pressors themselves, and have taken away so many Thousands from Orphans and Widows beyond any power of restoration by themselves, and I am afraid beyond any will of doing it by any body else: Cer­tainly such should think themselves concerned to mourn, and not put on their Ornaments, as well as the offending Israelites, Exod. 33.4. For without this, the God of infinite Wisdom as well as Goodness, saith, He knew not what to do to them; (i. e.) not how to do any thing towards their relief and restoration, Verse 5. Whereas when he was highly provoked by that most villainous act of Injustice and Cruelty done by the wicked King Ahab against his good Subject Naboth, his displeasure was relaxed, and the de­creed punishment postponed, on the Offenders Rend­ing off his Robes and lying in sackcloth, 1 Kin. 21. So [Page 78] necessary are outward signs of Repentance for all Of­fenders, whether Incorporations or single persons, for attoning the Justice of God, and for asswaging the displeasure of men.

The next thing I propose is a free Loan by the Al­dermen and chief Citizenss for a year or two, until there be a Parliament, with whose Advice, and by whose Authority, we may hope that his most Graci­ous Majesty will make some Law for a more general and effectual way of Relief; 'tis true, we cannot hope that so much will be lent as may do any thing towards the satisfaction of the principal Debt, but yet we may hope, that which will give some present Relief to the Indigent and Distressed, and keep all in hope of a good end at the last: And here I cannot forbear to mention, to the honour of that worthy Citizen, Sir J. E. a Proposal, I am credibly informed, he made to this purpose in the Court of Aldermen, viz. That notwith­standing the City was much indebted to him before, yet he would lend a Thousand pounds Gratis, for Se­ven years, towards the bringing it out of Debt, and he believed there were a Hundred Men in the City that were as able as he to do the like, if they were but willing thereunto. Although I know not the worthy Gentleman, yet having heard this of him, just as I was writing this Appendix to my Letter, I thought my self obliged to mention it as the most effectual In­forcement of what I here propose: And I do not doubt but if the King's Majesty, and such a Loyal Parlia­ment as we may once hope for, after the instruction we have had by much Experience of our mistakes in many matters of Church and State: I say if they saw the City so affected as they ought with the Suffer­ings of their Creditors, and so careful to do all they [Page 79] could possible themselves toward their help; they would doubtless afford such aid as would be fully sufficient in the case; and, by the blessing of God, might effectually wash off the Blot of former failings, and make this Government so Just and Righteous, so Wise and prudent, so Rich and Opulent, that it will recover the Honour and Grandeur it hath had in former Ages, when, as I have heard say, the Lord Mayor told one of our Warlike Kings, That if he should be taken Captive three times in that year, they could pay his Ransom: Then the Stock of poor Orphans might be securely deposited in their hands, and their fatherly care of them would be a great Com­fort to their dying Parents, and all good men would be encouraged to assist in the Government.

Thus I have offered my sudden Thoughts to pub­lick view, in these two great Concerns; I confess I do it with some fear, because I seem to my self too little for the proposal of such Great Things; but yet with hope that the Integrity of my Mind, and freedom from all possible suspicion of any Secular Design or Interest in the thing, may preserve me from any great blame in the Case: And now I proceed.

The next sort of ways of imploying our selves in doing Good Works, are such as tend to the Relief of the Poor: The Poor are considerable in several Capa­cities; as poor Men and poor Christians: as poor by reason of natural Infirmity, and common Casuality, (to which all are subject) or by their own Idleness, Inconsiderateness, ambitious Adventures, Litigious­ness, Luxury, and other Vices, which neither Natu­ral Disposition, nor Diabolical Temptations can force any man to, and therefore not so excusable but they must be acknowledged voluntary: The one sort are [Page 80] God's Poor, the other may be said, in a sense, to be the Devils; yet not so his neither, but that there is a Charity due to them as men, in order to their preser­vation in this life, and for effecting their repentance, that they may be saved at last; Christ is the Saviour of all men in a general sense, and even for the worst he hath done very much, and so should we. Now of these as most inferiour, but not the least difficult of these Good Works, I shall first speak one Phrase of ho­ly Scripture, whereby the Sin of Uncharitableness is condemned, is, That it is a hiding our selves from our own flesh, Isa. 58.7. Which infers, that there is a Charity due to all Mankind upon the account of our participation of the same Humane Nature, as they are the same flesh and blood as we our selves; in that they sprang from the same Parents at the first, and had the same Original of their being; and therefore those that have a greater kindness for their dogs and horses, than for such poor miserable men, offend against the Laws of Nature as well as Scripture; not but that men that are rich may keep and love these for the delight and service they have by them; but men (though never so miserable) should be loved of us on other accounts; they are not to be loved and relieved only that we may serve our selves of them, but that we may shew our sense of the Relation we have to them, as they are our Brethren and Neighbors; and upon this account it was that our Saviour commended the good Sama­ritan, because he shewed he believed every man to be his Neighbor so far, as that when he saw one in misery whom he knew no otherwise then as a man, yet he relieved him, only for that reason; and did not as the Priest and Levite, who passed by as unconcerned, as if they had seen there but a dying beast, (it may be [Page 81] because they saw no character of his relation to their Nation or Religion, which was their Hiding them­selves from their own flesh. We read of a Dives, who hid himself in his Banquetting house, when he should have appeared for the relief of a dying Lazarus that lay at his Gate full of Sores; while his Dogs were more neighbourly to him than he would be. The World is full of such unnatural rich men, who cannot endure to come nigh the miserable of their own kind: The Brutes shall rise in judgment against such, who are observed to assemble themselves, when they know, by the Cries, that any of their kind are in misery, and willingly run to their relief. But besides their relation to themselves, they have the same interest in God as their Creator, and in Christ as their Saviour, which the richest in the World have; for this being ground­ed on their being men, The rich and poor are both alike, and both meet together, as Solomon observes: God in Christ offereth the participation of his Grace and Salvation to both with the same freedom, and on the same conditions of Faith and Repentance; and without those the richest in the world shall be no more saved than the poorest: But in those the poor have some advantage, as such; for the Scripture speaks as if the very poverty and misery of mens state in this world gave them some singular respect with God and our blessed Saviour, and gave also great help to their repentance. I observed before, that 'tis one of God's glorious Attributes, that he saves the poor out of misery, and is the Comforter of the dejected; and Christ both pronounces a blessing to them, Luk. 6.20. and preaches his Gospel to them, Luke 11.5. in par­ticular, not that they shall actually partake of his Blessings and Evangelical Comforts, only on the ac­count [Page 82] of their poverty without Faith and Repentance, but because the poverty and misery of their outward condition make them more meet Objects of the Divine Pity, and is more like to dispose them for the recep­tion of Christ's Grace than Riches and Glory in this world: And on this account they are more truly bles­sed than the Rich and Pompous, in that they are in a nearer disposition to blessedness; and it will be an high aggravation of the sin I am reproving, that for that for which God and Christ had the greater respect to these, and was more propitious towards them, even for their poor estate in this world, I say that for that we should abhor them, and hide our selves from them. What though it may be said, that they brought themselves into misery by their own default: Have we not all done so with respect to God Almighty? But yet though our destruction be of our selves, yet our help is in him; and so should the help of these miserable Creatures be in us, if we would be like him. 'Tis true, that as the help of God consisted in putting us into such a state as that we might work out our own salvation, which we should do with fear and trembling, because if he once help us out of the state of Infirmity, wherein we had no strength for that work, and we afterward a­buse his Grace, and despise the infinite Benefits con­sequent to the good use of it, and wilfully cast our selves again into misery, there is no ground of hope for a second Grace. I say, as God deals thus with us, so the help that we afford to this sort of poor is in order to their Repentance, and to put them into a state wherein they may provide for themselves and Families, if it be not their own fault; which if the sense of their former misery, added to that of their du­ty, do not perswade them to do in the best manner [Page 83] they can, they have so far abandoned Reason, renoun­ced Humanity, and chosen to herd with the beasts, in following their sensual appetites and passions (though to their ruine) and they should be dealt with as they are, and made work like Horses with a Yoak on their Necks, and a Whip on their Backs; or if they will not work, they should not eat: they ought to be yoaked and made work, and kept under Govern­ment, since they will not be ruled by their own Rea­son, nor obliged by the Bonds of men, as before: And this is a Wisdom and Justice that is no way against Charity, but very subservient thereunto. But if, through the infirmity of humane Nature, or com­mon Casualty, to which all are subject, any man be brought to a poor and afflicted state, then we are much more obliged to relieve them, and that Libe­rally; for this is necessary to shew our thankfulness to God, that hath not left us to the same Infirmities and Casualties which might have made us even as poor as they: And 2ly, To shew our sympathy and fellow-feeling of the common miseries of humane Na­ture, and so to shew our selves men; that is, living Members of the Community of Mankind: And also 3ly, To shew our Humility and Generosity in the state of Dignity and Advancement above others, which is to shew our selves brave and wise men: And 4ly. To provide for our own Honour and greatest Satisfa­ction in this World, and Eternal Felicity in the next.

But lastly, If they be poor Christians, and have given Evidence of their true Piety, this adds mightily to the Obligation, our being liberal in our Charity towards them; we are then not only one flesh with them, in that we are made of one Blood, but by one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body, of which [Page 84] Christ is the Head; and so our uncharitableness to them, is cruelty against Christ himself, and proves us to be dead members of his spiritual body, and meer nominal Christians: If we had the Vital Influences of the Spirit from Christ, we could not but sympathize with all our fellow-members, and be afflicted in all their sufferings, and be like our Lord in kind Con­descentions and liberal Distributions towards them, as I observed in my Letter, and is not unprofitable to be here repeated.

But where all these Obligations meet in any per­son, and yet cannot bind men to the exercise of Charity towards them in whom they are, such seem like the man possessed with a Legion of Devils, in that there must be in them a Complication of a mul­titude of evil affections, making them as averse from true Christian Communion, and the duties thereof, as he, by many Devils, was made averse from humane Conversation: and these are as much inclined to con­verse, in Mind and Thoughts, in the mountainous heights of Pride, Ambition, and Ostentation of a great Estate; and in act, in the practice of such Vi­ces as are the Monuments of many ruined Persons and Families (as well as cause of their ruine;) as he was to dwell only in the Mountains and among the Tombs of the dead.

But it is not sufficient, to the perfection of Christian Charit [...], that we decline not to do good, when Ob­j [...]cts offer themselves, especially when such as may stir C [...]mpassion; for Nature it self in such case inforc­eth pity. The Christian Faith hath for its Object God in Christ, and in him as shewing mercy not on­l [...] to those that se [...]k him, but being found of those that seek him not, found of them in the Exhibitions [Page 85] of his preventing Grace, which is far the largest in Extent. I say, this Faith must work by Love, as to God, so to Mankind, and to the latter so far, that the general knowledge of mans subjection to innume­rable miseries and distresses and that there are many that want relief, should cause us to seek out very in­dustriously for those that want our help; and be more glad of finding occasions for the exercise of our Cha­rity, than the poor are that they have found a good Benefactor: this is Christian Charity indeed.

But he that prevents Poverty, doth better than he that relieves the Poor; therefore it must be reckoned among the chief of good works, when men of great Estates provide so, that no persons that live near them, should have cause to complain, that they would work but can find no body to imploy them; And he that doth thus, prevents a multitude of Sins that men are betrayed unto by Idleness, and as many Diseases, that these Sins and want of Exercise brings on them; and so becomes a kind of Saviour to their Souls and Bo­dies together. 'Tis not for me to propound the many ways of Imployment that may be found out, but I believe it may be demonstrated, that very few be­tween seven and seventy years of age, but are capable of getting their Bread, and that men in their strength are capable of getting so much more as would suffice to provide for their younger Children, and lay up somewhat for their older age; so that if the Rich be defective in providing them work, their miseries are partly imputable to them: And it seems to be a di­vine thing to be able by ones money to put life and activity into a multitude, whether young or old, that else would be as unactive trunks, and their lives use­less to themselves or others.

And were it not for the defect of this, we should not so much need Alms-houses and Hospitals for the Sick, the Maimed, and the Old; especially if due care were taken to prevent Vagrancy, and keep all within such bounds, that they might be imployed, and forced to work according to their abilities.

But alass, the World is out of order, the Rich as will as the Poor neglect their duty; and we are to to take our measures in doing good works, not ac­cording to what should be, but according to what is. Now certain it is, that multitudes, who being utterly unprovided of what is necessary for their support in the fore-mentioned Cases, fall into great distress there­by; and it is also certain, that those who are most able to relieve them, are hindred, either by multitude of business or the greatness of their estate, from making such inquiry as is necessary for the relieving these singly: Therefore it is an act worthy such persons, to build places of Entertainment, and to indow them with a Maintenance, into which such persons may be put; in­trusting the care of inquiring into their necessities and merits, to such persons as are fit for the same: which may be secured for perpetuity, if there be five or six of these Trustees, and as one died, the rest have pow­er to choose another in his room.

It is also a very good work to provide for the in­struction of Children in the knowledge of Letters, that they may be fitted for Humane Conversation; but especially that they may be able to perform their part in Sacred Offices; for which cause alone, he that un­derstood the use of it, would think it worth his cost to have Children learn to Read: I know much is said [Page 87] against the Book, as a hindrance to the Plough, and that especially in such whose bodily labour may seem to tend more to the publick good (which is cer­tainly to be preferred before the pleasures of Fancy) than their Contemplation can do. Yet I cannot ap­prehend but so much Book-learning as will inable them to read the Scriptures, and to perform what is required in the Common Prayer, hath so many more advantages to good than occasions of any ill, that it may be accounted among good works to promote it.

Especially if Schools and Work-houses were joyn­ed together, and Children were kept to work three hours, and taught to read one; by this means their Schooling would not beget a habit of Idleness, which sometimes becomes incurable.

And by this means, if there be any among the poorer sort that are of excellent Capacities, they may be recommended unto the Bishop and Presbytery of the Diocess, to be Educated for the best Service of Church and State: And I believe a good Order in this case would produce great benefits, and prevent manifold mischiefs. And for the rest, their Parents or the Parishes would be directed to put them to such Trades as are suitable to their Capacities; therefore he that by his Purse or by his pains promotes this, I think doth a good work.

If either of these fall to Debauchery, and neglect the improvement of their Capacities, either of Mind or Body, for the publick good and their own, after they have been so educated as before, there is no greater charity for these than a House of Correction; and if the punishment to Scholars were to be kept hard to work, it would bring them to a sense of their folly in negle­cting their Studies for the sake of pleasure, and might [Page 88] effect a reformation sooner than the fear of losing or of taking away the benefit they might otherwise have by their Learning, and leaving them to Idleness and Poverty; and if those that will not work at the Trade they have been bred to, were for a time put to harder labour, and forced to work, by hunger and stripes, it would teach them to govern themselves better afterward: The Vertue of this is such, that in some Countries the Richest, who have Sons that will not govern themselves according to the Rules of Reason and the nature of their Education, do put them (incognito) into such places of hard labour to make them wiser; and I wish Conveniency for the same, and the practice of it here, but this on the by.

A discovery being made of the Capacities of poor Children by the School, the next good work of Cha­rity is to assist their preparations to get a livelihood in the world, and to become serviceable thereunto, by gi­ving somewhat either to help to put them Apprentice to some Trade, or to assist their Education at School, and the University, if they appear to have such eminent Capacities as aforesaid; and this latter is an excellent work, because such Boys having natural Abilities, and Poverty being so great a Spur to their Industry, often prove great Scholars, and make their own way to great Preferments, and do great Service in Church or State; and so the effect of such Charity will be, first, plenty and honour to the Persons and their Families whom we have helped to advance; 2ly, that we shall have a share in the reward of all the good that they do in the world, both from God and men. As for the former, (viz.) Poor Boys that are put Appren­tice to Trades they have a natural fitness for, it seems harder for them to raise themselves without some stock [Page 89] to work on; and therefore in some cases it is a good work to intrust them with such a stock, but yet with this Caution, that they be persons humble, frugal, and prudent; for there are many that are excellently ac­complished to make good Servants and Journey-men, that are so naturally unfit to be Masters, that if their own Parents or Friends do set them up never so ad­vantagiously, they will ruine themselves, or at least run out of all that is lent them: Now such as these ought to know themselves so well, as to be contented to live as Journey-men to others, and not aspire to such a state wherein they may run themselves in debt, and involve themselves in such troubles and snares that they are neither capable of enjoyning them­selves or serving others: And every wise man will so well consider the person on whom he exercises his Charity and Benificence in this kind, that he may be more like to do him good than hurt, and he may be sure he shall do so, if they have the Vertues fore-men­tioned: And those that are intrusted with the Charity of others, ought to be the wisest of men, and more careful that it be well disposed than if it were their own, because herein they shew themselves both faith­ful and charitable.

And here give me leave to note one thing, much as I think for publick good; and it it this, That those who are intrusted in such Affairs, be persons of good Principles in matters of Religion, that they may take care the Youth in such places be well edu­cated in that respect, for this is of great avail both for their own good and that of the publick; and we have a great Example in the Care of his Sacred Ma­jesty, in disposing the Trusts of those famous Foun­dations of His Renowned Predecessor King Edward; [Page 90] I mean the Hospitals of this City, which, however libelled by some, is of great use for the good of City and Kingdom; for the dispose of publick Charity, gets men almost as great an Interest as if it were their own, and in times wherein there is Contest for Supe­riority of Interests, and such are set up as tend to the dissolving all Law and Government by a major Vote: Sure no man of sence can blame a Care in this mat­ter, and I do not doubt but that (whatever discon­tented men suggest against it) the alteration will tend to the increase of good works and advantage of these Foundations; and do most humbly beseech the present Governours, that they will give Testimony to the World, that the Church of England begets and breeds up her Sons to as noble and heroick underta­kings of this kind, as any Conventicles of Schisma­ticks can do theirs, and much more.

I speak not this to offend any man, but to direct those of our way in this matter, as I am sure such as take most offence would do those of their own, if it were in a like case; and then their own practice would justifie what I write, as their reason will, I am sure, do now if it might be heard.

The fore-mentioned acts of Charity tend to the maintenance and support of Life; now that which is next to Life is Liberty, and therefore he that pro­cures Liberty to Captives doth a Good Work.

But of Captives we must make distinction, some there are that bring themselves into Captivity by their Vices; and many of these persons are so perni­cious to humane Society, that a Prison is the sittest place for them, and the best Charity to these is to provide so that they may be kept to work in Prison, that they may not have time and temptation to plot [Page 91] mischief there, nor to act such wickedness among themselves as they commonly do; But to deliver these out of Prison, and set them at liberty to cheat and couzen and run in debt with all they can meet with that are of a credulous temper, or to do worse mischiefs, this deserves not the name of Charity, of a Good Work. But there are some who by misfor­tune or natural infirmity become subject to Arrests, and by the Cruelly of their Creditors are cast into Prison, not that they can expect any thing from them, but for the gratification of their own revengeful hu­mour; for these think I we should first mediate and see to perswade their Creditors to release them; and secondly, If they will not be wrought upon without some part of their debts, assist them to pay it.

But there are another sort of Captives, that it is a greater work of Charity to redeem; and they are such as are taken by Pirats by Enemies as they are trading on the Sea, for that these are snatcht from their Trade and Imployment, and from their dear Relations, being often exposed to great temptations to forsake their Religion, and oppressed with cruel Servitude to Infidels; therefore none that hath any thing in him of a man or of a Christian, none that hath any sense of the honour and welfare of his Coun­try, and of the lamentable condition of Families so bereft of their Heads and Governours, and of the afflictions of generous minds under the Insultations of men more base than such as have been the meanest Servants, (as sometimes happens in this case) but will think himself obliged to do his best to assist the Redemption of such Captives.

Next to Livelihood and Liberty, is the Comfort and Security of Humane Life. In relation to which, [Page 92] I shall mention two or three things which rich men may promote to very good purpose; the first is, Their mending Highways, and making them more safe and pleasant to Travellers; and providing Watches to prevent Robberies; I know the Laws re­quire that these things be done by the Country (as they do also that the poor shall be relieved of the charge of the Parish) but, as there is abundant room for private Charity, notwithstanding any provision made for the Poor by vertue of the Laws, in one kind, so is there also for the Benificence of rich men in the other, besides what the Country will ever be inforced to do on the same account.

The second is, the provision of a place of Retire­ment for those that have a recess from worldly busi­ness, and have little left to do here but to serve God, and provide for their joyful reception into the King­dom of Heaven. I mean this not so much for per­sons that need others Charity, (of which before) but for those that being able to pay sufficiently for their ac­commodation in this kind but can no where find any so desirable as might be thus provided; therefore if one or more rich men would venture the charge, (which I know will not be small) and then make a pub­lick Invitation to persons under such Circumstances to partake of the benefit thereof at a valuable price, it would be a good work, and might have good effects.

And I m [...]t here propose to consideration, that there are multitudes of aged persons both men and women, who having disposed of their Children in marriage, and reserved a competent Estate to themselves, are very m [...]ch to seek where to place themselves to the greatest advantage of their health and content: Some have I known th [...]t go to board with their Children, [Page 93] where (as I observed before) the Authority of a Father or Mother intervearing with that of a Master or Mistress, often produceth such effects as are much to the vexation of aged people; and this is so commonly known, that it need only be mentioned.

Others I have heard of, that have removed into the Country, where the change of Air and Company, and other Circumstances have shortned their lives; and many other inconveniences might be named that men are subject to in seeking a fit Retirement in their old age: Now the provision of such a place as I in­tend, might be a great prevention of such inconveni­ences to persons of that quality, and, were I in such Circumstances, I should rather take up my habita­tion therein than in any other I can think of. I will not undertake to make a description of the Archi­tecture and Appendages of such a place; for I never was nor ever am like to be capable of any great works, but I have heard somewhat of the Charterhouse, which so well pleaseth my Fancy, that if a habita­tion in such a place, among a great many persons of my own Age and Rank, where I might choose some of like affection to my self, for Intimacy of Conversa­tion, and enjoy the society of the rest in publick duties of Religion, and have innocent divertisements be­tween whiles. I say, if a Habitation in such a place were to be purchased for my life, I should (after I had provided for my Family, and when I were bereft of my Wife by death) far rather choose it than to live with any of my Children, or in any Family of my Friends and Relations whatsoever. And I believe there would be hundreds more of my mind, and that on trial would bless the memory of any that should provide so well for the happiness of their old age, and [Page 94] be most willing to pay liberally for it. And I am apt to believe that however the first Contrivers of this (as of other the most useful projects) might be great Losers, (which is the great discouragement of such underta­kings) yet in process of time it might come to be a very beneficial thing to the Heirs of such persons; but I shall insist no further on this, Designing only to offer at such things as come to mind, and leave it to wiser men to perfect them.

There is another thing of like nature that I would propose as a good work; and that is, a place where Orphans and young people, especially Maidens, may have the most pleasant and profitable entertainment and greatest security against the Cheats and Tempta, tions that ruine multitudes of them.

It seems to me very evident, that Boarding-Schools do not give such Entertainment nor Security as such a place might be made to do; and also that it might be so provided without any danger of the introducing such Vows of perpetual Virginity and restraints on any safe and profitable liberty of Virgins, as is among the Papists. And many wise men have I heard to wish concerning those places which were first designed to such uses, that the corruptions (growing by time like the Rust on Iron) had been scowred off, and the thing left in its primitive Glory; and I could wish so to, but wishes avail not, the thing must be begun de novo, and may be so done as to pre­vent all Abuses, as far as is possible, by intrusting the Government of those places in such persons as will di­ligently study the happiness and welfare of such young people, and take care that they be educated in the fear of God, and made daily to attend the publick Offices of Religion, and taught to perform their [Page 95] part therein, in the most decent and graceful manner; That they he taught such ingenious Arts and Curiosi­ties of Work and healthful Exercises, and taught them in a pleasing variety, and that those who excel in any faculty among them have due honour, and the rest taught to give them respect according to their worth, and to learn of them; that if any prove so vicious as to study ways to evade the good Orders of the House, and corrupt others, they should be exclu­ded, &c. Certainly if either the City (who are char­ged with so many Orphans) would undertake the provision of such a place, or any other person would do it, that can spare money without prejudice to their Families, until such a project might take effect; it could not but answer the Charge, and in time pro­duce an Income suitable thereunto.

I shall add but one thing more as advantageous to all the rest, and that is the providing for the perpetual honour of those that do good works, by setting up in Churches and Halls, and other publick places, large Tables, wherein should be written in fair Letters the Names of such Benefactors, with their Donations; and that Parishes and other Corporations should un­dertake to keep the same Tables fair and legible to perpetuity.

Against this some have objected the reproof given by our Saviour to the Pharisees, For seeking glory of men, Matth. 6. his affirming that he honoured not him­self, nor received honour of men, John 5. & 8. His com­manding secrecy in Alms-giving, Matth. 6. and deny­ing the possibility of believing to those who received honour one of another, John 5.44, &c.

To which it may be answered, That neither these or any other Scriptures can be so understood, as to [Page 96] forbid either the publick performance of good works, or a respect unto the honour we may have thereby; for 'tis required, That our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works; that we should think on those things that are praised, seek for glory and hinour by well-doing. Our Saviour himself had respect to the Joy of that reward which was set before him. One chief part of which was, that he should have a Name at which every knee should bow, Phil. 210. A good Name is esteemed by Solomon, better than great riches; and such is the name of being Munificent and Chari­table, and we must esteem and judge of things as they are, and seek them according to their worth; and if we might not, the Scriptures would in vain propose the praise and honour that is consequent to good works, as an encouragement thereunto.

That which seems truth in this matter, is this; Men must not seek their own honour, so as to make any im­pertinent ostentation of their good works, yet as it is subordinate to God's honour, and useful to provoke others to follow them, they may: And although, con­sidering what men should be, the proposal of such ho­nour may seem needless; yet not so, if we consider what most men are; in which respect we should use all ways to excite them to good works; and, after all and a­bove all, our prayers to God to make it effectual.

Wherefore I shall here conclude with that excel­lent Collect of our Church, 25th after Trinity; in which I desire all good men to joyn with me.

Stir up we beseech thee the Wills of thy faithful people, that they, plentifully bringing forth the fruit of Good Works, may of thee be plentifully rewarded, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.