The measures of Christian obedience, or, A discourse shewing what obedience is indispensably necessary to a regenerate state, and what defects are consistent with it, for the promotion of piety, and the peace of troubled consciences by John Kettlewell ...

BOOK III. What degrees and manner of Obedi∣ence is required to all the Laws forementioned. (Book 3)

CHAP. I. Of Sincerity.

The CONTENTS.

The first qualification of an acceptable Obedience, that it be sincere. Two things implied in sincerity, truth or undissembledness, and purity or unmixedness of our ser∣vice. Of the first Notion of sincerity, as opposite to hypocrisie, or doing what God commands out of a real intention and design to serve him. Of a two-fold in∣tention, actual and express; or habitual and implicite. Of intention in general, and of these two in particular. Where an actual intention is necessary, and where an habitual is sufficient to our obedience. Of the second Notion of sincerity, as it notes purity of our service in opposition to mixture and corrupt alloy. This Point sta∣ted, viz. What intention of our good together with Gods service is consistent with an acceptable and sincere Obedience, and what destroys it. Integrity of our O∣bedience a sure mark whereby to judge whether it be sin∣cere or no.

THE Qualifications which must render our obedi∣ence acceptable to Almighty God, and make it avail us unto life and pardon at the last Day, are com∣prehended in these two;

• 1. Sincerity.
• 2. Integrity.

1. To render our obedience to the forementioned Laws of God acceptable and available to our salvation at the last Day; it is necessary that it be sincere.

Sincerity is a a 1.1 true and undissembled service of God, opposite to hypocrisie, or a false and feigned pretence of obeying him, when in reality we only serve our own selves.

For we must take notice, that God has been so gra∣cious to us in chusing out the instances of our Duty and of his Commands, as to adopt for the most part those particular sorts of actions into the matter of our obedi∣ence, which by the natural Order and Constitution of things make for our own present pleasure, reputation, or interest. And every one of these, from the first and fundamental principle of our Natures, self-love, are suf∣ficient inducement to us to practise them, although God had never laid his Commands upon them. So that although we have no kindness at all for God, nor would do any thing for his sake; yet shall we observe many things which he enjoins us, not for his pleasure, but our own. Thus, for instance, may we be chast, and sober, and practise all other Vertues that are gainful, not because we love God; but only because we love mony. We may be just and honest, and seemingly religious; not for the sake of a Commandment, but of our own

credit, because the contrary practice would wound our good Name in the world, and stain our reputation. And now when our own lusts and vices, our carnal plea∣sures, and temporal advantages strike in after this man∣ner with Gods Laws, and command the same service which he enjoins us; we may pretend, if we will, and as too oft we do, that all is for his sake, and that these performances, which are really owing to our own self-interests, come from us upon the account of Religion and Obedience. And when we falsifie and feign thus, it is flat dissimulation. It is no more but acting the part of an obedient and religious man, seeing, like an b 1.2 A∣ctor on the Stage, we are that person whom we repre∣sent, not in inward truth and reality, but only in out∣ward shew and appearance, which is the very nature of hypocrisie.

But for a man to be sincere in Gods service, is the same as really to intend that obedience which he professes. It is inwardly and truly to will and do that for his sake, which in outward shew and appearance we would be thought to do. It is nothing else, as the Psalmist says, but truth in the inward parts, Psal. 51.6; the having our inward design and intention to agree with our outward profession; and being verily and indeed those obedient persons which we pretend to be.

And as for this sincerity of our performance of what God requires, viz. our doing it for his sake, and because he commands it: it is altogether necessary to make such performance become obedience, and to qualifie us for the rewards of those that obey. For without it we do not observe c 1.3 Gods will, but our own; his Command

had no share in what we did, because it had been done although he had said nothing; so that in our per∣formance of it we served not him, but our own selves. And what has God to thank us for, if we do nothing but our own pleasure? Wherein do we serve him, by act∣ing only according to our own liking? That cannot be charged on him which is not designed for him; and if we do what he commands no otherwise than thus, it is all one as if we had done nothing.

But if ever we expect that God should judge us at the last Day to have obeyed him, we must be sincere in our obedient performances. For the Lord looketh not on the d 1.4 outward appearance and pretence, saith Samuel, but he looks on the inward intention and design, which is the heart, 1 Sam. 16.7. He saves, as the Psalmist tells us, the upright in heart, Psal. 7.10. And again, As for the upright in heart, they, and they alone, shall glory, Psal. 64.10. For it is not from the bare outward appearance and profession, but from the heart, says Solo∣mon, that proceed the issues of life, Prov. 4.23. And this is plainly declared in the express words of the Law it self. For it accepts not a heartless service, nor ac∣counts it self obeyed by what was never intended for it. But thus it bespeaks us: The Lord thy God requires thee to serve him with all thy e 1.5 heart, and with all thy soul. For he is a great God, a mighty and a terrible to all that do otherwise, and who in his Judgement regardeth not persons, nor to corrupt him taketh rewards, Deut. 10.12, 17. And the Apostle tells the Philippians, that their being sincere is the way to be without offence till the Day of Christ, Phil. 1.10.

And thus we see, that to render our obedience acce∣ptable at the last Day, it is absolutely necessary that it be sincere and unfeigned. We must do what Gods Laws prescribe, not only because our own credit or in∣terest

sometimes requires it, but because God has com∣manded it. In all our obedient performances our heart and design must go along with him, before ever he will recompence and reward us.

So that 'tis plain we cannot obey God, either a∣gainst our will and intention, or without them; seeing our wills and intentions themselves are the very life and soul of our obedience. The prime part of our Duty consists in the directing of our Design: for even that which is done agreeably to Gods Command must be aimed and intended for him, or else it will never be owned and approved by him.

But that we may the better judge of this sincerity of our service which is measured by our intention and design; we must take notice of a two-fold intention. For it is either,

1. Actual and express. Or,

2. Habitual and implicite. Now it is this latter which is always and indispensably required to the sincerity of our service; but as for the former, it is not always ne∣cessary, though oftentimes it be.

Intention is the tendency of the soul towards some end which it likes, and which it thinks to compass and endea∣vour after. And this is one prime requisite in the acti∣ons of men, and that which distinguisheth our operati∣ons from the actions of brute Beasts; for what they do, proceeds from the necessary force of uncontriving Na∣ture and instinct; but what we, from reason and de∣sign.

And the cause of this difference is this, Because God has given the brute Beasts no higher Guide and Com∣mander of their actions, than appetite and passion, whose motions are not chosen with freedom, and raised in them by reason and thought; but merely by the ne∣cessitating force of outward objects themselves, and those

impressions which they make upon them. For they act altogether through love and hatred, hopes and fears; and they love and hate, not through reason and discourse, but through the natural and mechanical suitableness or offensiveness of those objects which they act for.

But as for us men, he has put all our actions under the power and in the disposal, not of outward things, but of something within us, even our own free will. They are not imposed upon us by the force of any thing without us, but are freely chosen by us; we are not their Instruments, but their Authours; they flow from our own pleasure and undetermined choice.

Now as our actions are at the disposal and command of our wills; so do our wills themselves command and dispose of them, not blindly and by chance, but always for some reason, and upon some design. For in them∣selves they are indifferent, to make us either omit or act, neglect or exert them. And therefore to determine our wills one way rather than the other, to act them ra∣ther than to let them alone, they must be moved and perswaded by such Arguments as are fit to win upon them. Now that which can move and gain upon our wills, is only goodness. We will and desire nothing but what we think is good for us, and which tends some way or other to better and advantage us. For what we believe is insignificant and useless, we contemn; and what is hurtful and evil, from the first Principle of our Natures, self-love, we straightway entertain with hatred and avoidance, but never with love and good will. So that whensoever we will and chuse to act, rather than to sit still; it is always for some end which we propose to our selves, and by reason of some good or other which we expect to get by it. For no man will be at pains for nothing, or labour without aiming at any re∣compence; but some end or goodness there must still

be, which is to move our wills, and make them choose rather to act, than to sit idle. All our Actions there∣fore are only as means, and there is alwayes some end or other of them which we propose to our selves to reap from them; something which we like, and which we think they tend to, that makes us employ our Powers in the production of them. And this eying or aiming at the End or Motive whereunto we see our Action tends, and for the sake whereof we set about it, is our Intention of it.

Thus we see that all our Actions agree in this, that they are chosen for the sake of some end, and exerted upon some intention and design.

But in the manner of this Intention there is some dif∣ference: For sometimes in acting we actually and ex∣presly think of, and look up to that End or Good which we are moved by, and act for, and operate in direct order, and respect to it; which is an actual and express intention. But at other times we do not look expresly further than the act it self; but through a setled Inten∣tion before made, and, as to its full force in determi∣ning of our Wills towards that Good which we act for, yet continuing; we readily do what tends to∣wards it, without ever expresly eying or designing of it. Our former Intention was so full and so effectual, that it has determined our choice of the action so far, as that our Wills need nothing more to make them command that it be done, than to be offer'd the op∣portunity of doing it. They are sufficiently moved by the End for which the Action is to be undertaken, and their constant temper and inclination is to bend after it. So that when a particular Action occurs, which is to be chosen for the sake of it, they need not actually to think of it, and look up to it; but are sufficiently in∣clined to act in order to it, through their habitual ten∣dency

and propension towards it. And this being no express intuition, and particular designing of the end which we act for, but only a setled tendency and incli∣nation in the soul after it, which through long use and custome is become its constant temper and habitual; it may be called an habitual, or implicit intention.

Now both these sorts of Intention have their place, as in all our other Actions, so particularly in those of Vir∣tue and Obedience. For sometimes our performances of those things which God requires are studied and delibe∣rate; we pause at them before we exert them, and think and perswade our selves into the production of them. And in regard the great motive or end of ex∣erting them, (viz.) Gods command and injunction of them, is the great Argument to win us over to them; when we take time and ponder so, we act through a particular and express intention. But then at other times we do what God enjoyns before we are aware; we need not deliberate about it, or argue our selves into the practice of it; but stand ready to perform it as soon as opportunity is offered. And here the will be∣ing already inclined of it self to exert the action, be∣cause God has commanded it, it needs no arguments to move, nor any express intuition of the end to per∣swade it, but indeliberately chooses to obey out of its own habitual temper, and implicit intention.

And as for the cause of this difference of our Inten∣tion in doing those things which God commands; it is plainly the different degrees and perfection of our Obe∣dience. For when our Virtue and Obedience are of small strength, and in an imperfect degree; there our Lusts have a considerable Power with us, as well as our Religion; and although they have not force enough eventually to hinder, yet they have so much as will suffice them to contend with, and to oppose the doing

of our duty: So that even when we do obey in this state, and close with Gods command, it is by a strife and a war, by conflict and victory. Now here our wills are in doubt what way they shall determine their choice, for they are canvassed and beset on both sides, both by God and by our own Flesh, by our Duty and our Appetites. And to enable Religion to prevail with them in this conflict above our Passions, there is a ne∣cessity of representing all its force, and of setting all its motives before them, that thereby they may be in∣duced to strike in with it, and to choose what it com∣mandeth. But now as for the main end and motive of all our Religious Services, it is Gods having injoyned and commanded them. It is for his sake, that we per∣form them; that we may endear our selves to him by doing of his pleasure. So that to enable us to choose obedience to Gods Laws, rather than to our own Lusts, we must set him and his command before us. They are the end for which we are to work, the motive and ar∣gument that must bear us out, and make us effectually willing to do what we are required. In this state then of strong lusts and imperfect obedience, to enable us to choose to do what God injoyns, when our own Lusts do powerfully incline us to do the contrary; we have need of an actual thought and intuition of God and his command, which is the great end and motive that must determine us for him, and bear down all that opposition which our Lusts make against him: So that all the obedience which we perform here, is through a particular and express intention.

But then on the other side, when our Virtue and Obedience is of full growth, and we are so accustom∣ed to do what God requires, that now we find no re∣luctance or opposition to it, but use has made it be∣come, not so much our considerate choice, as our natu∣ral

and indeliberate performance; here our wills are rea∣dy of themselves to embrace the instance wherein we are to obey as soon as it is offered: We need not to consider and think our selves into a choice and pra∣ctice of that which is commanded; for our natural bent and habitual tendency is towards it, and nothing more is wanting to our performance of it, than our being shew'd it. The Action of Obedience is chosen before it is offered, and all our Principles of working stand ready and prepared for it. For the intention of serving God is confirmed without all reserve; and the decree of our wills is past already to perform what we have intended; so that as soon as ever an opportuni∣ty for obedience is presented, we have nothing left to deliberate and consider of, but without all doubtings or delay go on to work and practise it. And all this, as I said, is a genuine and direct effect of our Obedi∣ence having acquired great degrees of strength, and be∣coming customary and habitual. For Custome, as it is truly said, is a second Nature; such things as have been long used by us, stick as close to us, and flow as easily, as quickly, as indeliberately and naturally from us, as those things that are born with us. They do not stay for our particular contrivance and designation of them, but run before it. A man by long custome shall have his fingers move so fast upon a Lute, that thought it self shall not be able to keep time with them, and an∣swer every stop with a particular intention and com∣mand of it. An habitual Swearer, when occasion is of∣fered, or without any, will rap out Oaths when he is not aware; and so little many times was there of a∣ctual contrivance and express design in it, that when he hath done he doth not know it. And the case is the same in other habitual sinners, whose transgressions, proceeding not so much from a particular and express

choice, as from an habitual temper, and even natural inclination, are unconsidered and indeliberate. And therefore when our Obedience it self is become custo∣mary, and use has wrought it into our very Nature; we have no need, upon every return of opportunity, to eye Gods command which is the end, and to in∣tend his service as a motive to our wills, to engage them to choose the Action before us which tends to it. We stay not to bethink our selves what it tends to, and who is to be served by it, and after that to in∣tend expresly to serve him in it. No, all these were done to our hands before the time of obeying came, so that now when we have the opportunity, we do not busie our selves in exciting them, but in this habi∣tual state of things, and perfection of obedience, act ordinarily in the force of them, which is obeying through an habitual and implicite intention.

And now from what has been said of this Perfection, and customariness of our obedience, being the cause of our obeying only through an habitual intention; it plainly appears, that not the actual, but habitual inten∣tion of serving God, is that which is alwayes, and in∣dispensably required to a sincere service of him. Indeed when we pause, and deliberate, and take several things into our consideration, a particular intention of his ser∣vice is necessary to make what we do upon such deli∣beration an acceptable obedience: For if in the delibe∣ration our choice was doubtfull as to the event; such particularity of intention was necessary to make us choose the Action of obedience; and if it were doubt∣full as to the motive, when other things sufficient to make us act as we did, (as the service of our Lusts or Interests) concurr'd to it as well as Gods Command; then is it necessary to make us choose the acceptable ser∣vice of obedience. But for that intention, I say, which

is not only here in this case, or some others, but uni∣versally, and in all, indispensably necessary to the since∣rity of our obedience, it is an habitual intention. For the very reason why we do not intend his service par∣ticularly and expresly, but only habitually and implicite∣ly, is because our obedience has arrived to good per∣fection, and long use and custome has made it, not so much at every turn our considerate choice and contri∣vance, as our unstudied inclination and very nature. Now this exaltation of Obedience into a natural temper is so far from rendring it unsincere, and making God look upon it as none at all; that in very deed it is the height and perfection of that which his Gospel com∣mands us to aspire and aim at. For there our Duty is expressed by our being f 1.6 born again, by our becoming g 1.7 New Men, h 1.8 and New Creatures, and by our being made i 1.9 partakers of the Divine Nature, and so like un∣to God himself, who is carried on to all actions of Vir∣tue and Holiness, not by the motives of Reason and Ar∣gument, but by the exact and infinite goodness of his own Nature it self.

So that in measuring the sincerity of our Obedience by the reality of our intention and design for Gods ser∣vice, we see that we are not alwayes to exact of our selves a particular and express intention, because God requires it not; but may, and often must, when our Obedience becomes natural and habitual, take up with an intention that is so too.

But for the fuller understanding of this condition of our Obedience, Sincerity, we must consider, not only the reality and undissembledness of our service and in∣tention, which have been discoursed of hitherto, but their uncorruptness, and unmixedness likewise. And this, as well as the former, is sometimes signified by sinceri∣ty, which is used to denote, not Truth only and reality

in opposition to Fiction and Hypocrisie; but k 1.10 Purity also, in opposition to mixture and alloy. And thus we read of the sincere milk of the Word, (i. e.) the pure and unmixed parts of it, or the Christian Doctrine as freed from all adulterate mixtures of Gnostick Impu∣rities and Jewish Observances, which were those compo∣sitions, wherewith in the Apostles times so many went about to corrupt the Word of God, 1 Pet. 2.2.

So that to serve God sincerely in this sence, is to per∣form what he commands us for his sake, and with a design to please him, without mixing therewith any by-ends of our own, or intending our own self interests together with him.

But this we are to understand with much restriction. For it is not all intention of Pleasure, Profit, or other Interest to our selves in the performance of Gods com∣mands which he has forbidden us: We may design to advantage our selves by our Obedience, and be sincere still; provided that this design be only upon those spi∣ritual and eternal advantages which God himself promises to the obedient; or upon temporal ones so far as they minister to Obedience, and are subordinate under it. But that mixture of intention only is corrupt and unsin∣cere, when together with our intention of serving God, we joyn another intention of serving sin, or when we design some temporal ends as much, or more than we do Gods service, which makes our self interest, instead of being subservient to Obedience, to become fit to op∣pose and undermine it.

First, I say, God has not forbidden us all intention of our own advantage in the performance of his Command∣ments. When he requires us to obey him, he doth not prohibit all Love of our own selves, and regard to our own self interests; which will appear from all these Reasons, both because some eye at our own good,

and respect to our own advantage is of that nature that it cannot be forbidden us; because Gods Laws themselves have offered and proposed it to us; because the necessity of our faith to our obedience shews plainly that it cannot be denied us; and because the best men that ever were have not been able to obey without it, and yet their obe∣dience has been most graciously accepted.

First, Some respect to our own good, and intenti∣on to advantage our selves by our obedience is of that nature that it cannot be forbidden us. It cannot fall un∣der a Law, or be a matter of a Commandment, because it can never be performed.

As for any one particular advantage, and self-interest indeed, we may deny our selves in it, and therefore any Law may very well require it. For we have ma∣ny particular self-interests to serve, and they clash and interfere among themselves; and so long as we are in pursuit of any one, by virtue of it we are able to re∣strain and deny our selves in any other. And thus all men daily deny their Ease for their Interests, and their Gain for their Liberty, and their Liberty for their Lives. And all good men daily over-rule that Love which they have for their Bodies, by that higher and stronger love which they have for their Souls, and deny themselves in any Temporal Interests, to secure their Eternal. And because all men have this power of denying their own Self-love in small instances, to serve it in greater, and of parting with any goods and advantages of this world, to purchase to themselves incomparably better in the next; God has enacted the denial of our selves, in all such particular Interests as hinder our Obedience into a Religious Duty, and made it universally obli∣ging to all the world.

But as for the casting off this love of our selves, and respect to our own advantage, not only as to some parti∣cular interests, whilst our eye is upon others, but as to all self-interests whatsoever; this in the matter of Duty and Obedience, no man can perform, and therefore no Law can command it. For in that Constitution of Nature, which God has given us, self-love is the first and over-ruling Principle. It has a share almost in all our actions, and influences all our faculties; so that in all that variety of operations which flow from us, there are very few wherein we have no eye at our own ad∣vantage.

In some actions, 'tis true, we are influenced chiefly, and almost wholly by our love of others, which is a noble and a generous Principle. For there are several good Of∣fices which we daily do to others, in doing whereof we no way prejudice our selves; and these our love of o∣thers makes us perform, and our own self-love doth not withstand it; which is seen in all the Offices of humani∣ty and common courtesie. And other things again there are wherein we advantage them, though it be conside∣rably to our own trouble, and our own hindrance: and here, although our own self-love oppose it self, yet our love of them prevails and over-rules it; as is daily shown in the Offices of Christian Charity and particular friendship. In these Cases our love of others and of our selves are separate; our kindness for them shews it self in such things, wherein our own self-love is either not concerned at all, or wherein it is opposed and over-power∣ed: so that here we are not influenced and governed by it. And if this were the Case in all our obedient actions, there might be more pretence for performing them pure∣ly out of love to God, without mixing therewith any love of our own selves.

But in them quite contrary our love of God and of our

selves are neither repugnant, nor so much as separate; but most closely conjoined. For God hath made the same things the matter both of our Duty and of our interest; so that in serving him we do in the highest measure serve our own selves too. And in this Case, where our own self-love is so much concerned, and has not the love of God to oppose and over-rule it, but to jump in and conspire with it; it is not possible but that we shall be influen∣ced and acted by it. For it naturally issues out upon our own good, and here it has an object in the highest ad∣vancement, and there is nothing to hinder or restrain it. So that whatsoever we may do through a bare abstracted love of others, without any regard to our own selves, in those Cases where our own self-love and it are separate, or repugnant: yet in the matter of obedience, where they are so close conjoined, and Gods service is so infi∣nitely our own interest; 'tis plain that we cannot be wholly free from it. For since in obeying we do that which we know is most highly advantageous to us, we are not able perfectly to abstract our thoughts, but we shall intend whether we will or no to be advantaged by it.

And since no man can wholly abstain from intending his own advantage in Gods service, no Law can require it. It is no fit matter of a prohibition, nor capable of being retrenched by a Commandment; being it is at no mans choice whether or no he shall observe it. So that God must work a Change in his own Creation, and form us into something different from what we are, be∣fore he can in reason demand it of us.

2. Some respect to our own advantage in performing what God commands is lawful and allowable in us; because Gods Laws themselves do authorize and propose it to us.

God has not required us to serve him for nothing,

but has offered us an abundant recompence for all our labour, and added such allurements to his Laws as infi∣nitely surpass all the difficulties of our Duty. He has proposed every thing to us that may any way work up∣on our self-love, and care for our own advantage; whe∣ther it be the promises of good to intice, or the threats of evil to affright us into obedience.

For thus saith our Law, Verily, verily, (I double the Asseveration, that you may give the greater credit to it) I say unto you, He that keepeth my Sayings or Com∣mands, shall never see death, John 8.51. To my Sheep that follow me, and hear or obey my voice, I will give e∣ternal life, John 10.27, 28. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, for they shall have right to the Tree of Life, and enter in through the Gate into the City, Rev. 22.14. But on the other side, The wrath of God com∣eth upon the Children of disobedience, Col. 3.6. For at the Day of Judgment, when the Lord Jesus shall be re∣vealed from Heaven with the Guards and Attendance of his mighty Angels; then will he in flaming fire take ven∣geance on them that obey not the Gospel, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, 2 Thess. 1.7, 8, 9.

Thus have we in Christs Laws, to omit other things, a promise made to us of Heaven and endless joys to induce us to obedience; and a threatning of Hell and eternal miserie denounced to us, to make us afraid to disobey. And these make our obedience to become in∣finitely our greatest self-interest, and render it impossi∣ble for us not to serve our own advantage in the highest measure, if we do obey at all.

And since Gods Laws themselves propose such incom∣parable Arguments, to perswade us to obedience, they can never forbid us to have an eye to them, or to be excited to obedience by them. For the very end why

God annexes such allurements to his Commands, is, that they may be a motive to win our choice, and make us willing to obey them. But now our wills are moved by nothing further than they desire it, and intend to pur∣chase it. We cannot be drawn by it longer than we have an eye to it, nor can we endeavour after it fur∣ther than we design to obtain it. For we must always design the end before we chuse the means, since it is only for the sake and hopes of that, that the trouble of these is undertaken. So that if any thing must be the final cause and encouragement of our endeavour, it must be the matter of our intention and design also. And therefore seeing God himself has placed such infi∣nite advantages and self-interests at the end of our Du∣ty, to perswade and excite us to a willing performance of it; 'tis evident he designs first of all that we should have an eye to them in obeying, because otherwise it is not possible that we should be moved by them.

Nay, so far is God from forbidding all respect to our own advantage, in our obedient performances of his Laws; that

3. In asserting so clearly as he has done the necessity of faith to our obedience, he plainly tells us that, If we must obey at all, it cannot be denied us.

Faith is a most necessary Principle of all natural as well as Gospel service. For without faith, saith S^t Paul, it is impossible for any man, whether he be Heathen or Christian, to please God; because he that cometh to God in whatsoever Religion, must believe thus much of him at least, that he is, and also that he is a rewarder of all them that seek him, without an eye whereat no man would ever be perswaded to seek after him, Heb. 11.6. And as for the belief of the Gospel in particu∣lar, which is the faith of us Christians; so necessary is it to make us obey the Laws of Christ, that our obedi∣ence,

as being effected by it, is called the obedience of faith, Rom. 16.26; and disobedient men in the Scri∣pture language are ordinarily styled unbelievers; and disobedience, unbelief.

But now what is there in our faith so indispensably necessary to effect this obedience, but our belief, as S^t Paul says, of Gods readiness to reward us, and of those advantageous promises which the Gospel proposes to us upon our performance of it? And how is it possible for our belief of them to carry us on to obey, further than we concern our selves for those things which are promised▪ and intend by such obedience to procure them? The Gospel indeed has furnished us with all manner of Motives, if we will believe it, without which it is not possible that we should be moved by it. It tells us of a most surpassing love and infinite kindness, which God and Christ have shown to us; and if we believe this, it is fit to raise in us a most exalted love, which will make us perform any thing for their sakes out of very gratitude. Now this is a most noble and ingenu∣ous Principle of obedience, which although it have some∣thing, has yet the least of self-love in it. But it is weak and insufficient, unable of it self to carry us far, and to bear us through our whole Duty. And therefore be∣sides it, for a perfect supply of all our wants, we have in it moreover the greatest good things, and such as we are most in love with, promised to our obedience; and the greatest evils, such as we most fear, threatned if we disobey. And if we believe these, we must take obe∣dience to be our highest, not service only but, self-inte∣rest; and that no temptation can either promise or threa∣ten so much to our own self-love, as God doth. And this indeed carries us through all, and makes us obey in∣tirely. It overcomes every difficulty, and overballan∣ces all contrary inticements. But this it doth only so

far as we intend to purchase all those surpassing advanta∣ges by our obedience which infinitely exceed all those o∣ther inticements that are attained by men who diso∣bey.

And as this respect to our own advantage in our o∣bedient performances is nothing more than the conditi∣on of our Nature absolutely requires, than the necessi∣ty of Faith supposes, and than Gods Law it self offers and proposes to us; so neither is it any thing more

4. Than the best men have always used, who yet were graciously accepted upon such obedience. For just Noah obeyed Gods Law through the fear of that destruction which it threatned, and with a design of e∣scaping it himself, when all the wicked of the World should be overwhelmed in it. Noah, saith the Text, was moved with fear to the preparing of his Ark, as God had commanded, and to the saving of his house thereby. And for that very reason, because he believed Gods threatning, and was effectually afraid of it, he is in that very place called an Heir of the righteousness which is by Faith, Heb. 11.7. The obedience of Moses is ascri∣bed in plain words to his design upon those rewards which God had promised, and which he hoped to com∣pass by it. For he had respect, saith the Apostle, to the recompence of reward, Heb. 11.26. And to put it be∣yond all doubt that this respect to our own advantage in our performance of Gods Laws, is not only the necessi∣ty of some men, but, as I said before, the very frame and constitution of the humane nature: we are told that it was found in it in the highest advancement, which it either ever did or possibly can receive; I mean in our Saviour Christ himself. For even of his obedience, and of the highest instance of it, his death it self; the Apostle assures us that it was performed

through a design upon his own advantage as well as up∣on that Glory which would thereby redound to God. It was, says he, for the sake of the joy that was set be∣fore him, that he endured the Cross, and despised the shame of it, Heb. 12.2.

Thus upon all these accounts it appears, that the ha∣ving respect to our own advantage in our obedience to Gods Laws, is not only an innocent, but an absolutely neces∣sary thing. God can never be offended with it, because the necessity of our nature requires it, because his own Laws propose it, because our faith is made effectual by it, and lastly because the best men that ever lived have stood in need of it, and obeyed through it.

And since some respect to our own good, and inten∣tion of our own advantage in Gods service is so plain∣ly lawful; that surely must be such where the good things which we intend for our selves are only those spiritual and eternal advantages which his own Law has promised to the obedient, or other temporal ones, so far as they minister to obedience, and are subordinate un∣der it.

For the spiritual and eternal advantages which we are to reap by our obedience, they are the forgiveness of our sins, the peace of Conscience, the assistance of the Spirit, and the joys of Heaven; together with deliverance from all the contrary evils of guilt and Hell. And these God himself has expresly promised to us upon our obedience, to perswade us into a performance of it. He uses them as Arguments to us to gain our choice, which they must do by actuating our intention. He proposeth them to our aims, that they may enliven our endeavours; and annexes them to our obedience for this end, that we may be won to perform it for their sakes, when we should not barely for its own. So that it must needs be lawful for every man to intend these in Gods service,

because God himself has proposed them expresly in his Laws to every mans intention.

And as for the temporal advantages which accrue to us from Gods service, they are length of days, and health of Body, and riches, and honour, or good reputa∣tion; with a freedom from all the opposite evils of sickness and death and shame and poverty. And these al∣so are promised to the obedient. Let thine heart keep my Commandments, saith Wisdom; for length of days, and long life, and peace shall they add unto thee, Prov. 3.1, 2. And as length of days is in her right hand, so in her left are riches and honour, ver. 16. The memory of the just shall be blessed, when the name of the wicked shall rot, Prov. 10.7. There neither is, nor shall be any want to them that fear the Lord. For though the Lions, that seem best able to get it, and are most careless how they come by it, do lack, and suffer hunger; yet they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing, Psal. 34.9, 10.

But if there were no express promises of these tem∣poral advantages proposed to us upon our obedience in God's Word; yet were it enough to warrant our in∣tention of them, that God has annexed them to it in the very order of things and course of Nature. For ac∣cording to the ordinary course and constitution of the World, Sobriety, Justice, Peaceableness, Diligence, and other instances of Vertue and Obedience, are natural∣ly fitted to bring down all these temporal advantages upon us. And this Course of Nature and Order of things is of Gods establishment. It is as much his ap∣pointment, as are the promises and revelations of his Gospel. For he is the Authour of the World, as well as of the Bible. He made the Frame and Order of it to be what now it is, and after he had formed it, he saw that all was very good, Gen. 1.31. His Word and

Works are both his own, and the advantages of Vertue and Obedience in the one are as much of his appointment as in the other.

So that as for our temporal advantages also, which are much improved and ministred to by our obedience, they are such as God has given us for motives and encou∣ragements in his service. He has set before us things pre∣sent as well as future, to quicken us in our performances of his Commandments, and has appointed us to intend both, because otherwise it is not possible that we should be quick••ned and excited by them.

But the only thing which we are to take care of in this matter, is, that as these temporal advantages are established by God, whether in the course of Nature, or in the express revelations of his Word, as motives and inducements to Obedience: So we use them according∣ly as helps and instruments to enable us to obey. We must make them assistant and subservient to those Laws which they are annexed to; they are to minister to them, but by no means to exalt themselves above them, or to make against them. For they are offered and authorized by God no further than they make for him; Obedience to his Laws is the chief thing which he intends; and these good fruits and advantageous effects of it, are laid only as baits and allurements to excite us on to it. But if once they lose this service∣ableness and subordination to the doing of Gods will, they lose all that can warrant them, and all the place which he has assigned for them; and make our perfor∣mance of Gods Commands to be no Obedience to him, nor to give right to any recompence or reward from him. For, as I said, then

Secondly, our intention of our own advantage in Gods service is forbidden, and renders our obedient perfor∣mances corrupt and unsincere; when together with our

intention of serving God, we joyn another intention of serving sin; or when we design some temporal ends as much, or more than we design Gods service, which makes our self-interest, instead of being subservient to obedi∣ence, to become fit to oppose and undermine it.

Sometimes, I say, together with their intention of serv∣ing God, men joyn another intention of serving sin. And this is done in these and the like cases; (viz.) If a man prosecutes a malefactor, which is an action agreeable to the command of Justice, out of the sinfull end of spite and revenge, as well as out of a purpose of Obedience. If a Priest shall take Confessions from women with a design of Lust, as well as of Religion. If a man shall be temperate and sober, chaste and industrious, out of a principle of covetousness, as much as out of Duty. If he do, as our Saviour tells us the Pharisees did, make long Prayers, and other professions of Religion, to enable him the better and without suspicion to devour widows houses, as well as to serve God. In these instances, and in all others that are like unto them, there is a mixture of light and darkness, of good and evil design. Men joyn God with Belial, and Obedience with something of a quite contrary nature, intending at once to serve both the Lord, and their Sins too.

But as for their performances which flow from such a mixture of design as this, they will in no wise be owned as an obedient, but punished as a sinfull service. For that evil motive which is mixed with the good, is such as God has expresly threatned. He has plainly de∣clared that he will damn men eternally for Revenge, for Lust, for Covetousness and Rapine, and for all those acti∣ons that proceed from them. So that as for such per∣formances as arise from such sinfull principles, they are judged already, and the dreadfull sentence is long agoe gone out against them.

And then as for their mixing this damnable design of sin, with a design of obedience to God in the same acti∣on; so far is that from lessening, that it is rather an ag∣gravation of their crime. For it adds to all that evil which it contains within it self, a prophanation also of what is holy, or an abuse of what is sacred; and toge∣ther with the service of the sin, joyns an immediate and direct affront of God too.

At other times, I say, men design some temporal ends for themselves as much, or more than they design Gods service. And this also renders their performances un∣sincere, and qualifies their own temporal self-interests, instead of being subservient to obedience, to oppose and undermine it.

Their temporal advantages they intend sometimes as much as they do Gods service. They make them equal and co-ordinate, and are moved by the one as much as by the other. Their love for the world is as great as their love for God, and they are induced to perform what he commands them as much for its sake, as they are for his.

Now this is an indignity which God will by no means endure. For it is plainly an intolerable degrada∣tion of him, and a bringing him down to nothing more than an equal amiableness with those earthly plea∣sures, and temporal interests, which we joyn in co-ordi∣nation with him. It is a setting up the world for his rival, and making the Creature equall in our estimati∣on to him who is the Creator and Lord of all. But the peremptory words of his Law are,—Thou shalt have no other Gods before me, or in my presence, Exod. 20.3. He will be served and respected above all; and to bring other things into competition with him▪ he looks upon to be the same thing as to renounce him. For he is jealous of the preheminence of his service above

all other things, as a husband is of his wives love to him above all other men; I the Lord, saith he, am a jealous God, Exod. 20.5.

And since this intending of our temporal advantages equally to Gods service, is looked upon to be so great an affront and degradation of him; the making them supe∣rior to him, and being won more for their sakes than for his, must do so much rather. For this is a setting up other things above him, and is like making and serv∣ing of another God. Upon which account, as some ex∣pound it, Covetousness, which is a loving and serving of Riches more than God, is called Idolatry, Col. 3.5.

And when any Temporal Interest of our own has got as great power over us, or greater than God himself has; as it makes for the performance of his Command at one time; so will it at another be as ready to make against it. For although our Duty and our Interest do ordina∣rily strike in together, yet always they do not; but are sometimes divided. And then this hank, which our own advantage has got over us, will not determine us for God, but contest with him. It will make us neglect his Service, that we may serve our selves; and carry us on to transgress his Commands, whensoever we may there∣by promote our own worldly interests.

So that the intending to serve our sins together with our intending to serve God; or the intention of our own temporal interests in a degree either equal or superior to our intention of obedience to him; by both which ways all worldly advantages are qualified to oppose him: this mixture of intention, I say, makes our performance of his Commands to be no acceptable obedience, but an unsincere service, and a damning sin.

As for that unmixedness of intention therefore which is implied in sincerity, and which is necessary to the acce∣ptance of our obedience of all the forementioned Laws;

it excludes not all intention of our own advantage to∣gether with Gods service. No, to have respect to the spiritual and eternal advantages which in Gods Laws themselves are expresly promised to our obedience, is al∣ways lawful: and to have an eye upon those temporal advantages which will accrue to us by obeying is lawful so far, as we intend them, not in a degree, either equal to Gods service, or superior to it, by both which ways they are empowered to undermine it. But then only our mixing a design of our own self-interest, together with our design of serving God, makes our service un∣sincere and our damning sin, when together with our design of serving God we join a design of serving sin; or when we design some temporal ends of our own as much, or more than we design obedience unto him.

And therefore it is a vain fear wherewith many good people are wont to perplex their souls, when they doubt of the sincerity of their obedience, because it was performed with an eye at their own advantage; through their fears of Hell, or their hopes of Heaven. For what∣soever some, out of a mistaken zeal for God's honour, may have said to the contrary; this is not only inno∣cent, but, as I have shewn, plainly necessary. If they scruple at this, they must scruple eternally. For it is not their choice, but their very Nature to act thus, and they cannot help it. This, I say, is their very Nature, and they must leave off to be men before they can get quit of it. Men may speak loftily, and talk of obey∣ing purely for God's sake, without seeking any thing at all for themselves. But this is mere talk, and empty rant, that can never come beyond words, or appear in a∣ction. For they must be made something else than what they are, before they can practise it. If any man doubts then whether God will accept his obedience, because in obeying he had an eye at his own self interest; he

doubts whether God will accept him because he obeys as a man. Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, nay Christ himself might have doubted at this rate; for in their o∣bedience they all intended their own good as well as God's Glory, and had respect unto the recompence of re∣ward. If this be a sufficient ground of scruple, every Chri∣stian man must of necessity scruple without end. For all our obedience is an obedience of Faith; and our faith or belief of Heaven and Hell makes us chuse to obey, in making us first to intend by such obedience to obtain the one, and escape the other. So that either our own nature, and Christ's Gospel must be changed into some∣thing different from what they are: or we must ac∣knowledge that such honest intention of our own good, as I have mentioned, is lawful for us in God's service, since it is made so necessary and unavoidable for us in the one, and so much encouraged by the other.

And thus at last we see what is the first requisite to an acceptable obedience, viz. sincerity. And that it implies both the reality of our intention in Gods service or our performing it truly for Gods sake, as we pre∣tend to do; and also the uncorruptness of it, or our performing it for his sake more than for any thing else whatsoever, and without regard to any other advanta∣ges of our own, than such as are allowed by him, and are subordinate under him.

But in regard the degrees of our intention and design are not so obvious and easily d••sc••verable in themselves, but are better known to us in their fruits and effects than in their own natures: fo•• ••he greater ease in judg∣ing whether we do intend God••s Service most of all or no, I shall, before I conclude this Point, lay down a plain and certain mark, whence any man of common apprehension may easily discern wheth•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 doth indeed design God's service most, and wh••••••er his heart and obedience be sincere or no.

And the Rule which I shall lay down whereby cer∣tainly to try and examine that, is this, If our obedience be intire, it cannot but be sincere likewise. For he that obeys God in all times and i•• all instances, cannot but serve him with both these ingredients of sincerity, viz. Truth and Preheminence. He must needs intend God's service really, and above all; who intends it so, as to serve him constantly, and universally. And the reason is this, Because although our temporal interest and present advantage be for the most part united with Gods ser∣vice, yet always it is not; but sometimes in all instances of obedience, and at most times in some, it is separated and divided from it. So that as long as we are true to our own Principle of acting, which we may safely con∣clude we always are, if we either design not God's ser∣vice at all through hypocrisie, or design it not above all through a corrupt mixture of intention; at those times, when these instances happen, we shall not be acted by the Command; but through the love of our own interest, which we intend really, and design more, we shall cer∣tainly act against it. For our actions go where our wills lead them; and our wills always follow that which is the prevailing motive to them, and has most power with them. And therefore if we still chuse God's service in all its parts, and in all times, whether it make for our present advantage, or against it: we may be assured that we intend his service truly, and al∣so that we intend it most; since we serve him when no bye-interests of our own can be served, and disserve all other interests for his sake. He must needs be our highest aim; because, where we may please him, though no secular advantages concur, we chuse any thing; and where he would be offended, though all other advantages invite, we chuse nothing.

So that in the matter of obedience, our integrity is the

great and last measure of our acceptance. And if upon examination we find that our obedience is intire, we need not doubt but that it is sincere also.

And this is that very mark, from which, according to that version of the Psalms which is used in our Liturgy, the Psalmist himself concludes concerning the obedience of the Israelites. For he collects it to have been a dis∣sembled and unsincere, because it was not a whole and in∣tire service. They did but flatter him with their mouth, saith he, and dissembled with him in their tongue; for their heart was not whole or intire with him, Psal. 78.36, 37.

To clear up this enquiry then, What qualifications of our obedience to all the forementioned Laws of God, must render it acceptable to him, and available to our sal∣vation at the last day; I shall proceed to discourse of the second condition of all acceptable obedience, viz. integri∣ty; of which in the next Chapter.

CHAP. II. Of the second qualification of all acceptable obedi∣ence, viz. integrity.

The CONTENTS.

Of the second qualification of an acceptable obedience, viz. integrity. The Notion of integrity or uprightness. A three-fold integrity. Of the integrity of our powers and faculties. Or of the obedience with our minds, affecti∣ons, wills, and bodily powers. How God is to be o∣beyed with the first faculty, our minds or understand∣ings. God is to be obeyed with the second faculty, our

affections. This Question stated, How God and his Laws, which are spiritual things, are proportionate ob∣jects for our love and affections, which are bodily facul∣ties. Of the difference betwixt our love of God, and of the World: that this is more warm and sensible; that more lasting and powerful. An account of what mea∣sures of obedience in our minds and affections, is necessa∣ry to the acceptance of our service. That contrivances and consultations for evil things, and such mere appre∣hensions as are particularly forbidden, are deadly and damning: but that all other bare apprehensions; and that all our affections after good or evil things will be re∣warded or punished, not merely for themselves, but on∣ly as they are Causes and Principles of good or evil choice and practice. God to be obeyed with the third faculty, our wills. He cannot be served without them. Men are guilty of sin if they chuse it and consent to it, though they cannot act it. All this service of our in∣ward faculties is in order to our outward works and o∣perations.

INtegrity of obedience is such a perfection and com∣pleatness of it, as excludes all maimedness and de∣fects. Which is well intimated by S^t James, when he explains intire by wanting nothing; Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and intire, which you will be by wanting nothing, Jam. 1.4.

And this in another word is ordinarily expressed in Scripture by uprightness. For in the most common Me∣taphor of the holy Books our course of life is called our way; our actions, steps; and our doing, walking. And, to carry on the Metaphor, our course of obedience is called our right or straight path; our course of sin and transgressions a crooked path; our committing sin, stum∣bling and falling; and our doing our duty, walking up∣rightly.

So that for a man to be upright in God's ways, is, not to stumble or fall by sin and disobedience; i. e. to be perfect and intire, or wanting nothing in our obedient performances.

Now this integrity or uprightness which is necessary to our obedience that it may stand us in stead at the last Day, is three-fold.

1. An integrity of our powers or faculties, which I call an integrity of the Subject.

2. An integrity of seasons and opportunities, which is an integrity of Time.

3. An integrity of the particular Laws of Duty, and instances of obedience, which is an integrity of the Object.

And all these are necessary to render our perform∣ance of God's Laws an acceptable service. For if e∣ver we expect that he should reward our obedience at the last Day, we must take care beforehand that it be the obedience of our whole man, in all times, to the whole Law of God. To begin with it.

1. That our obedience of the forementioned Laws may avail us to life and pardon at the last Day, we must take care to obey with all our powers and faculties, which is an integrity of the Subject. And for this the very Letter of the Law is express. For when the Lawyer asks, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? Christ sends him to what is written in the Law, and repeats that to him for an Answer;* 1.11 Thou shalt love (and serve, as it is Deut. 11.13.) the Lord thy God with all thy heart or will, and with all thy soul or affections, and with all thy strength or executive and bodily pow∣ers, and with all thy mind or understanding, Luke 10.25, 26, 27, 28. Obedience with all these powers and with our whole Nature, is the means of life, and the indispensable condition of our eternal happiness.

First, We must keep all Gods Commandments with our minds or understandings. It is a dangerous conceit for any man to phansie that he may be as sinful as he will in his thoughts, so long as he only loves and chu∣ses, projects and contrives for the forbidden instance in his mind; but doth not proceed so far as to obey it in his outward practice. For at the last Day we must be called to account, and justified or condemned by the counsels and imaginations of our minds, as well as by the works of our lives. For not only the works and practice, but also the thoughts of the wicked, or of wick∣edness, are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 15.26. The thought of foolishness is sin, Prov. 24.9. And since God forbids and hates them; as ever we hope for his fa∣vour, we must repent of them and forsake them. Let the wicked man forsake his thoughts, saith the Prophet, and turn them from his sin unto the Lord; and then he will have mercy upon him, and abundantly pardon him, Isai. 55.7. For the warfare that God has set us, after which we are to attain the reward of eternal happiness, is a casting down imaginations, as the Apostle tells us, and bringing into captivity every rebellious thought to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5.

In particular, this obedience of our minds to the Law of God must be, as a doing what he enjoins, so likewise a keeping off from every thing which he for∣bids.

First, In our imaginations. We must not phansie it in our minds with love and delight, nor indulge to any thoughts of it with such pleasure as may be a bait to our choice, and weaken our aversation and hatred of it, and thereby ensnare us into the practice of it. Our warfare, as we have heard from the Apostle, must not be against actions only, but against imaginations also, and insnaring phancies of evil; casting down rebellious

imaginations, and making every thought obedient to the Laws of Christ, 2 Cor. 10.4, 5. And in the old world, when the imaginations of mens thoughts were always evil, it repented the Lord that he had made man, insomuch as he resolved to destroy him, Gen. 6.5, 6, 7.

Secondly, In our counsels and contrivances. We must not study what means are fittest, what times are best, and what manner is most advantageous for the acting of our sins. They must no more have our care and con∣trivance, than our service and obedience. For if we cast about in our thoughts, and consult about the most commodious way of committing any sin; although all our designs be defeated before we come to any effect, yet shall we be damned for our contrivance, as well as we should for the compleat action. And this our Lord him∣self has plainly determined in one instance, and the Case is the same in all the rest. For of the contrivan∣ces and machinations of murther he assures us, That they, as well as murther it self, are of the number of those things which pollute a man, and so utterly unfit him for Heaven, where nothing can ever enter that is polluted or unclean. Out of the heart, saith he, proceed evil thoughts or a 1.12 murtherous machinations, and besides them, compleat murthers, adulteries, &c. and these de∣file the man, Matth. 15 19.

And as for that particular sort of contriving for sin, which is the height and perfection of villany; viz. the inventing of new, and before unknown ways of trans∣gressing: it, of all others, is sure to meet with the se∣verest punishment, and to thrust men down into the deepest Abyss of Hell. Of this sort are all invention of new Oaths, new Nick-names or evil speakings, new frauds and methods of couzenage, new incentives of lust, new

modes of drinking, and arts of intemperance. But of these, and of all others that are like unto them, God will one day exact a most rigorous and terrible account: For he that deviseth to do evil, saith Solomon, although he himself doth not act, but only devise it, he shall be call∣ed and dealt with as a mischievous and wicked person, Prov. 24.8. And S^t Pauls words are full to this pur∣pose. For he tells us expresly, that in the judgment of God inventers of evil things shall be declared worthy of death, Rom. 1.30, 32.

As for our minds or understandings then, they are one faculty which is plainly implied in the Integrity of our service, and without the obedience whereof at the last day God will not accept us.

And another faculty implied in it likewise is,

Secondly, Our Soul or Affections. It is a vain thing for any man to love and set his heart upon any parti∣cular sin, and yet for all that to expect that God should love and reward him. If I regard iniquity in my heart, saith the Psalmist, the Lord will not hear me, Psal. 66.18. No man, as our Saviour sayes, can serve two masters, for if he love the one, for his sake, when their interests enterfere, he will hate the other; so that we cannot serve God, if with our affections we continue to serve sin, Mat. 6.24. To pretend obedience to God, and yet to love what he sorbids, to make a show of his service, and yet in our very hearts to hanker after his vilest enemies whom above all things his soul abhors: this surely is not honestly to serve, but grosly to collogue, and slatly to dissemble with him. For in very deed, if any man love sin, he sides with Gods enemy; but for the service and fear of the Lord, it is to hate evil, Prov. 8.13. If ever we expect that God should accept our works, we must offer up our affections with them. For if our hearts go along with our lusts, whilst our pra∣ctice

is against them; we serve God only against our wills; we submit to him as a slave doth to a tyrannous Lord, not through any kindness for him, but through a hatefull fear of him. We utterly dislike what he bids us, but yet we do it, only because we dare not do otherwise. But now this is such a way of perform∣ing obedience, as God will never endure to accept of. For he scorns to be served by a slavish fear, and an un∣willing mind; he will never look upon a heartless sa∣crifice; but it is the affection that we do it with, which makes him set a price upon any thing that we do; and our love that he regards more than our performance. For this is that very thing which was thought fit to be mentioned in the command it self. Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, Mat. 22.37.

'Tis true indeed, we do not find our affection so quick and sensible for God and his Laws, as it uses to be for the things of the world, neither can we reasonably expect it should. For our affections are bodily powers, and it is their very nature, as Philosophy instructs us, to be a vehement sensation upon some certain commotions of our bodily spirits; so that God and his Laws, which are things immaterial and insensible, are no proper and proportionate object for them. For it is only matter that is able of it self to affect matter; and material and sen∣sible objects, which can excite our material and sensitive passions and appetites. One bodily faculty is no more fit in its own nature to be moved by a spiritual object than another: and we may as well expect that our eye should see, or our fingers handle it; as that our affecti∣ons should of themselves issue out upon it, either to love, or desire, or delight in it.

So that considering things barely in themselves, I say, and the natural agreeableness that is betwixt them, which

is the ground of their natural operations; it is only bo∣dily pain or pleasure that is of it self fit to move our bo∣dily passions. But as for spiritual and insensible objects, such as God and Virtue are, whatever fitness to work upon our affections they may have upon other accounts, yet in themselves they have none. Virtue and Obedi∣ence, which are spiritual things, may gain upon our wills and understandings, which are spiritual and rational fa∣culties; but upon our bodily appetites and affections for their own sakes barely they never can.

But that which makes our affections to issue out up∣on God and Virtue, is not the spiritual nature of God and Virtue themselves; but those sensible and bodily things which flow from them, and are annexed to them. For although God be immaterial in himself, yet infinite are those material and bodily delights which we receive from him. And although Virtue and Obedience are in their own natures spiritual and insensible, yet exceed∣ing great, and exceeding many are the sensible goods and pleasures that are annexed to them. For Heaven, and eternal life, which are promised to our obedience, will give a full delight, not only to our souls and spi∣rits, but even to all our senses likewise. It will end∣lesly entertain our eyes with most splendid sights and glorious objects; it will feast our ears with melodious songs, and most ravishing halelujahs, and refresh our whole bodies with a most exalted and everlasting ease and pleasure. As on the other side, hell and eternal misery, which are the established punishment of all sin and dis∣obedience, will bring not only upon our spirits, but upon our bodies too as full a scene of most exquisite pain and sorrow. For so violent and intolerable will the torments of our bodies there be, that God could find nothing too high to set them out by, but has ex∣pressed them by one of the most raging and torment∣ing things in nature, eternal fire.

Now as for Heaven and Hell, they indeed are such things as can of themselves stir our affections and bodily passions with a witness. When they are set before us, they are able to make us love God and our Duty above all things else, and to hate nothing so much as Sin and Disobedience. For no Sin can promise us so much bo∣dily delight, as is to be injoyed in Heaven; neither can Obedience in any possible instance expose us to so great bodily pains, as the damn'd for ever undergo in Hell. So that when once Heaven and Hell are proposed to our affections, and act upon them, they will prevail with them more than any thing else can, and make nothing so dear to them as the performance of their duty, nor any thing so hatefull as the transgression of it.

And thus may God and Virtue become a fit object even of our bodily passions, and a most cogent matter of love, desire and joy; as on the contrary sin and wick∣edness are of sorrow, slight and hatred. They are most powerfull to excite all these affections, although not in their bare spiritual selves, yet in their bodily dependants, and annexed consequences. For the greatest bodily joys shall one day crown our Obedience, and the acutest bo∣dily torments will certainly befall us if we disobey. And these, although as yet they are at a distance, and future to us, are most fit to work upon us, and most strongly to affect us. For we are Creatures endowed with un∣derstanding, and have Reason given to us to set future things before us, and to think our selves into passions and affections, and not to be idle and altogether pas∣sive, like the brute and unreasonable Creatures, and suffer the bare force of outward and present objects to excite them in us: So that with our bodily affections we may love, and delight in God and Religion, which are spiritual things, because of their bodily joys and at∣tendancies; and sensibly hate and grieve at our sins and

disobedience, which are moral and immaterial evils; because of their sensible pains and punishment. And we may love the one and hate the other above all things else, because no bodily joys are in any the least comparison so great as those which are laid up for the good in hea∣ven, nor any bodily pains so tormenting, as those which are prepared for the damn'd in hell. And since God has given to our bodily affections even in their own way, the greatest motives to love him above all, and above all things to hate sin; it is the highest Reason that he should require it of us, and demand the preeminent service, not only of our spirits, but also of our lower soul or affections also.

But although our bodily affections, when they are em∣ployed about Vice and Virtue which are spiritual things, by reason of this supereminence of sensitive rewards in the one, and punishments in the other, be more strong and powerfull, yet are they not, as I said, so warm and sensible as they use to be, when they issue out upon sen∣sible and bodily objects. We feel one in our own souls, and are affected in them much more violently, than we are in the other. And that it must needs be so is plain: For our affections for worldly things are raised in us by the things themselves, and by those impressions which they make upon us; and they act to the highest, and according to the utmost of their power. But our affections for spiritual things are to be raised in us by our own Reason, we are to argue and think our selves up to them, and our thoughts are free, and go no fur∣ther than we please to suffer them. And indeed we find so much difficulty in fixing them upon any thing, and there are so many other things obtruding daily upon them to divert and call them off from these; that we seldom stay so long upon them, or are so well ac∣quainted with them, as to be wrought up into a ve∣ry

warm and inflamed affection for them.

Besides, what is the chief Reason of all, that Good and Evil in worldly things which affects us is present with us, and therefore our passions for, or against them are raised in us by our sense and feeling. But as for spiritual things, and those bodily joys and sorrows that are annexed to them, for the sake whereof we are sen∣sibly affected with them; they are not present with us, but future and at a distance; and therefore our pas∣sion for them cannot be raised by our sense, whose ob∣ject are only present things, but meerly by our fancy and imagination. But now as for the sensible warmth and violence of a passion, it is nothing near so quick when it is excited by fancy, as when it is produced by sense. For no man is so feelingly affected with hearing a sad story, as he would be by seeing of it. A man will be moved abundantly less by imagining a battle, a mur∣der, or any other dreadfull thing, than by beholding it: And the reason is, because the impressions upon our sense are quick and violent, and their warmth is commu∣nicated to our affections which are raised by them: whereas our imaginations are calm and faint in compa∣rison, and the passions which flow from them partake of their temper, and are more cold and less perceptible: So that our passions for worldly things being passions upon sense, and our passions for things spiritual with their bodily pain or pleasure annexed, being only upon fancy and imagination; we must needs be more warmly and sensibly, although not more powerfully affected with the things of this world, than of the other.

But that which is to distinguish our passion for God and Virtue above all things else, from our passion for worldly things, is not the warmth and sensibleness, but the power and continuance of it. For it must be a pre∣valent affection, which doth more service, although it

make less noise. It must be such a setled and overpow∣ering Love, answerable to the prevailing strength, and surpassing greatness of its motive, as gets the upper hand in competition, and makes us, when we must despise one to disregard all things else, and to adhere to Gods ser∣vice, what other things soever be lost by it: What it wants in warmth, it has in permanency and power; it sticks faster to us, and can do more with us than our love of any thing besides. For in our affections we must needs prefer God and his service before every other thing when they stand in competition; or we have none of that Love with the whole soul which the Com∣mandment requires of us; as will be shewn more fully b 1.13 afterwards.

And because our thoughts and affections have in them a great latitude, and in a matter of so high concern e∣very good soul will be inquisitive after some determi∣nate accounts of that compass and degree of them which is necessary to our acceptance: before I conclude this Point, I will set down what measures of obedience in these two faculties, what thoughts and imaginations of our minds, and what degrees of love and delight in our affections, shall be judged sufficient at the last Day to save or to destroy us.

As for our thoughts, there is one more elaborate and perfect sort of them, viz. our counsels and contrivances. And when they are employed about the compassing of forbidden things, they are our sin, and, without repen∣tance, will certainly prove our condemnation. For he that deviseth to do evil, saith Solomon, he shall be called and dealt with as a mischievous person, Prov. 24.8. The machinations of murther are joined in guilt and punish∣ment with murtherous actions themselves, Matth. 15.19. And as for that particular sort of Contrivers, the inven∣ters of evil things, they are pronounced by S^t Paul to

be worthy of death, Rom. 1.30, 32.

And as for other of our thoughts which are not come up to the height of a contrivance or consultation, but are only simple apprehensions; some of them also are pro∣perly and directly good or evil, and an Article of our life or death. God has imposed several Laws, which he has backed both with threats and promises, upon our very thoughts themselves. Of which sort there are some to be met with under all the three general Parts of Duty, viz. to God, our Neighbour, and our selves. For our thoughts of God are bound up by the Law of honour, which forbids us to lessen or prophane him by dishonou∣rable Notions and Opinions; our thoughts of our Neighbour by the Laws of Charity and Candour, which suffer us not either to reproach or injure him by under-valuing Ideas, or groundless suspicions; and our thoughts of our own selves by the Law of humility, which pro∣hibits us to be exal••ed in our own conceits through false and over-high apprehensions of our own excellence. Pious and charitable opinions both of God and men, and hum∣ble and lowly conceits of our own selves, are Duties in∣cumbent upon our very minds themselves. And all the opposite vices of impious and reproachful Ideas of God; of censorious, suspicious and lessening thoughts of other men; and of proud and arrogant conceits of our own worth; are transgressions within the sphere and compass even of our understandings. For the exercise of the first is not only a Cause and Principle, but a part and in∣stance also of obedience, and an Article of life: as the exercise of the other is an instance of disobedience, and an Article also of damnation.

As for these Instances then, of bare thought and naked apprehension, they are essential parts and necessary instan∣ces of an acceptable obedience; and the wilful transgres∣sion of any one of them, without repentance, is dange∣rous and damning.

So that as for all our perfected and studied thoughts of evil, viz. our counsels and contrivances; and as for all such simple thoughts and ••ore apprehensions as have parti∣cular Laws imposed upon them; they are not only prin∣ciples, but parts and instances of disobedience; and if we are guilty of them, unless we retract them by repentance, we shall be condemned for them.

But then there are several other bare imaginations and simple apprehensions, which are not under any of these particular Laws, that are imposed upon our thoughts themselves, but are employed upon things commanded or forbidden by any of the other Laws forementioned. And as for all these apprehensions, in themselves they are neither sin nor Duty, nor a matter either of reward or punishment; but so far only as they are causes and principles either of a sinful or obedient choice and practice of those good or evil things, which they are employed upon.

In themselves, I say, these mere apprehensions are nei∣ther sin nor Duty. We may perceive sin in our minds, and have it in a thought or notion, without ever be∣ing guilty of it, or liable to answer for it. For the Sun shines upon a Dunghil without being defiled by it: and God sees all the wickedness in Hell, but is not taint∣ed with it. And so long as we sojourn in a World of iniquity, every good man must needs know and behold all the vices of the Earth; but bare understanding of them doth not make him partake with them, or subject to be punished for them.

But to make these meer apprehensions and imaginati∣ons either of good or evil an instance of obedience or disobedience; they must be c 1.14 causes and principles of an obedient or disobedient choice or practice. For our in∣ward thoughts and imaginations are Springs and Princi∣ples both of our inward choice, and also of our outward

operations. And the service which God requires of them is the service of the principle. He demands the obedience of our minds as a means, and in order to a further obedience of our hearts and actions. He ex∣pects that we should think so long and so often upon the absoluteness of his authority, the kindness of his Na∣ture, the reasonableness of his Commands, the glory of his rewards, and the terrour of his punishments; till in our hearts we chuse those things which he has com∣manded, and perform them in our works and practice. For our thoughts of him, and of his Laws, are not in themselves Obedience, but only a Spring and Principle of it, and a good step and degree towards it. Our knowledge shall be judged an acceptable service as it carries us on to performance, but no otherwise. For hereby alone, says S^t John, we know that we know him with such knowledge as shall be accepted by him, if we keep his Commandments, 1 John 2.3. And on the other side, our bare imaginations and apprehensions of some forbidden sin are then only disobedient, when they carry us on to chuse or practise those things that are sin∣ful. We must go on from thought to choice or practice before the vices thought of become our own, and our apprehensions of sin become themselves sinful. For the thoughts of sin have the sinfulness of means and causes; they are sinful so far as they help on either our consent or performance. So our Saviour has determined in one instance, viz. that of lustful looks and apprehensions, Matth. 5. He that looks upon a woman so long as to lust after her or to consent in his heart to the enjoyment of her, he hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart, ver. 28.

As for our thoughts and imaginations then, we see what obedience in them is required to our acceptance, and when they are disobedient and will destroy us. For

our counsels and contrivances of evil are always sinful; and so are all such simple thoughts and apprehensions as have particular Laws imposed upon them. And as for our imaginations and apprehensions of things command∣ed or forbidden by any other Laws; they are imperfect things, and not fully grown up to the perfect Stature ei∣ther of obedience or of disobedience; So that they are neither punished nor rewarded in themselves; but so far only as they are causes and principles of an obedient or dis∣obedient choice or actions.

And then as for our affections, their measures are the very same with those already mentioned of our bare imaginations and simple apprehensions. For their service and obedience is that of the principle, and their Sentence shall be according to those effects, either in our wills or practice, which flow from it.

If we love and desire obedience, so far as to chuse and act it; this degree of affection will gain us God's love and favour, and secure his rewards; but less than it no o∣ther shall. He that keeps my Commandments, saith Christ, he it is that loveth me, and they only who so love me in o∣beying me, shall be beloved again of my Father, and I will love them, John 14.15, 21.

But if our love and desire of evil things carry us on to d 1.15 chuse or act any instance of disobedience, for the sake of that which is loved and desired; then are our affections sinful, and such as will destroy us. The desire of evil is not so truly the state of mortal sin, as of dange∣rous temptation, it is not deadly in it self, but kills by carrying us on to a sinful and deadly choice and actions. For when once it has got to that degree, it is obnoxious to a dreadful Sentence. Whereof the Psalmist gives us one instance in the love of violence. Him that loveth vio∣lence, the soul of the Lord hateth, Psal. 11.5. And S^t John says the same of the love of lying, and the Case is

alike in every other sin. Without in outer darkness, are murtherers, and whatsoever loveth or maketh a lye, Rev. 22.15.

And thus we see what measure of obedience is requi∣red in these two faculties, and what kinds and degrees of thoughts and affections are to be used or restrained to make theirs an acceptable Service. For we must abstain from all evil counsels and contrivances; from all simple apprehensions which are particularly forbidden, and put in use all such as are particularly enjoined: and as for all o∣ther our bare thoughts and imaginations, and all our affe∣ctions and desires, we must fix them upon our Duty so long, till they make us perform it; and never suffer them to issue out upon evil so far, till they carry us on either to chuse or practise it.

But besides these two faculties, viz. our minds and affections, there is yet another whose service is necessa∣ry to render ours an acceptable obedience; and that is,

Thirdly, Our hearts or wills also.

It is an absurd Dream for any man to think of ser∣ving God without his will, because without that none of his actions can be called his own. For that only is imputed to us, which is chosen by us, and which it was in the power of our own wills either to promote or hin∣der; no man deserving praise or being liable to answer for what he could not help. But of all persons God most of all regards our hearts in all our performances. He perfectly discerns them, and he estimates our servi∣ces according to them. So that it is not possible for any of us to obey him unwillingly, in regard the choice of our will and heart it self is that which renders any acti∣on a saving and acceptable obedience. For out of the heart, as Solomon saith, proceed the issues of life, Prov. 4.23.

The choice then as well as the practice of our Duty

is plainly necessary to render it available to our salva∣tion. But on the other side if we chuse sin, although we miss of opportunity to act it, the bare choice, without the practice, is sufficient to our condemnation. For e∣ven by that, when we proceed no further, our heart has gone astray from God, and we are polluted by the sin which we resolve upon in our own choice; since out of the heart, as our Saviour tells us, proceeds the pollution of the man, Matth. 15.19, 20. We may commit all sort of transgressions, and incurr the punishment of them merely by consenting to them inwardly in our hearts, without ever compleating them in our outward operati∣on. For our Lord himself has thus determined it in one instance, and the Case is the same in all the rest. Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, or so long till his heart consent to commit lewdness with her if he could, he, though he never meet with an e 1.16 opportuni∣ty to act it, or before any, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart, Matth. 5.28.

No man then may venture to will and chuse any one sin, and yet presume he is innocent. For if fear, or shame, or interest, or other bye-motive and worldly end, or want of opportunity, hinder him from the outward a∣cting and compleating of his sin; yet if his heart stands for it, and all the while he wills and chuses it, he is guilty in the Accounts of God as if he had committed it. We disobey in willing as well as in doing, and shall suffer for a wicked choice, as well as for a wicked practice. So that as ever we hope to have our obedience to the fore∣mentioned Laws avail us unto life and pardon at the last Day, we must take care to perform it, as with our minds and affections, so with our hearts or wills like∣wise.

As for these three faculties therefore, viz. our minds,

our wills, and our affections; they must necessarily be devoted to God's service, to make up an intire obedi∣ence. As ever we hope for Heaven, we must employ our minds upon God and his Laws so far at least, till we love them in our souls, and chuse them in our hearts with full purpose and resolution of performing them. Our understandings must consider of our duty, and of the motives to obedience so long, and so well, till our affections are inflamed with a desire of it, and our wills are firmly resolved upon it. And as ever we expect to e∣scape the torments of Hell, we must take care that we entertain no thoughts or desires of any sin so long, till in our hearts we become concerned for it, and willing to fulfil it. But if we will look on it, it must be in order to loath and disdain it. We must consider how disingenu∣ous, how shameful, and how mischievous a thing it is; and indulge to no apprehensions of it in our minds, that are like to insnare either our choice or practice; nor dwell upon any but those that are apt to kindle our indignation and zeal against it, and arm our wills with full purpose to overcome it.

This must be the use and exercise of all our inward powers and principles of action. They must be used as instruments of good life, and made the great Springs and productive Causes of all vertuous practice and obe∣dience. It is this holy and obedient practice that is the end, whereto all these obedient thoughts, desires and re∣solutions are directed; so that if they fall short of this, they miss of their chief effect, and appear to be weak and idle things, that are insignificant and useless.

CHAP. III. Of Obedience with the fourth faculty, viz. our exe∣cutive or bodily powers, and outward operations.

The CONTENTS.

God is to be obeyed with the fourth faculty, viz. our exe∣cutive or bodily powers, and outward operations. The great difficulty of Obedience in this instance. Four false grounds whereupon men shift off the necessity of this service with their works and actions. First, A hope to be saved for a true belief or orthodox opinions. Mens confidence in this represented. The folly of it. Orthodox faith and professions no further available, than they produce obedient works and actions. Second∣ly, A hope of salvation upon an obedience of idle desires and ineffective wishes. An opinion of some Casuists, That a desire of Grace is Grace, refuted. This stated, and a distinct explication of what is promised to the desire of Obedience, and what to Obedience it self. The pretence for this acceptance of idle desires from Gal. 5.17. considered. An account when the will and desire is taken for the deed and performance. That Text 2 Cor. 8.11, 12. plainly vindicated. Thirdly, A hope of being saved notwithstanding they do sin, because they are insnared into it through the strength of temptations. The folly of this. Our own lusts make temptations strong. The Grace of the Gospel is suffici∣ent to overcome them. Fourthly, A hope of being excu∣sed because they transgress with an unwilling mind. These mens state represented. Vnwillingness in sin a

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mitigation, but no sufficient excuse. Some strugling in most actions both of good and bad men. The strife of the Flesh and Spirit. Two sorts of men feel nothing of it, viz. the Saints in Heaven after the Resurrection, and some prostigate sinners here now on Earth. All good men, and the generality of evil are subject to it in this life. Mens peremptory will and last choice deter∣mines their condition.

A Fourth faculty that is indispensably necessary to the integrity of our Obedience, and which is the chief end and perfection, and gets acceptance for all the rest, is our strength, or bodily and executive powers.

For the completion and crown of all, we must do as well as think and desire, and our obedient choice must end in an obedient practice. For all our inward moti∣ons are in order to outward operations, they must go on to good effects, before they are fit for the great re∣ward; we must work as well as desire, and not only will, but do our duty, because upon nothing less than that we shall at the last day be accepted.

This indeed is the severe service, and the distastfull part of duty. It is a matter of much labour and pains, of much strife and contention. For the doing of our Duty is the top of all, every hinderance must be re∣moved, and every difficulty overcome before we can attain to it. Our scruples and gainsaying reasonings must be silenced, our discouraging fears quieted, and all our repugnant desires cooled or conquered: Every doubt of our minds must be solved, and every hostile lust sub∣dued e're we can act what we are required. A secret wish, or a sudden desire of Obedience may start up in our souls unawares, and there is not much opposition made to it, because our lusts receive no great hurt from it. For the pleasure of our lusts lies in acting and fulfilling

them, they are secure of their own delights, so long as they are of our practice. And therefore they will al∣low us to think of good, to spend a faint wish, a sud∣den inclination, or a fruitless desire upon it. But if once we would go on to do our Duty, and to work Obedi∣ence, then begins the conflict. Our Lusts then bestir themselves with might and main, and set every faculty awork to resist and defeat it. For our thoughts begin to argue, and to pick quarrels with our Duty. They sug∣gest all its difficulties and dammages. They represent all the pains of the undertaking to cool our love; the appendant dangers to raise our fears; and the great ha∣zards to shake our hopes, and make us despair of success. For the sake of our sins we arm all discouraging passions, and quite stifle all the obedient suggestions of our con∣sciences. For either we soften our sin by excuses, or ju∣stifie it by arguments, or overlook it by ignorance, heed∣less inconsideration and forgetfulness. Either we will act it rashly through the power of a strong lust, and not consider it at all, or else think of it only to lessen or de∣fend it. And when by the opposition of our Lusts to the perfecting and performing of our Duty, our spiritual strengths are thus weakned, and our lusts advanced, when our passions rise, and our minds plead against it; then is the strife, and there's the toil and difficulty of obe∣dience.

And because in this obedience of our works and acti∣ons there is so much difficulty, therefore are most peo∣ple so desirous to shift it off, and so forward to take up with any thing which will save them the labour of it. They perswade themselves that God will admit of easier terms, and build their hopes upon cheaper services; in particular upon these Four:

First, A true belief, or orthodox opinions.

Secondly, An obedience of idle desires, and ineffective wishes.

And if for all these they continue still to do what God forbids, and to work disobedience; then their hope is to be saved notwithstanding it, because

Thirdly, Their falling is through the power of a great and overpowering temptation, which they see and resist, but cannot prevail over. So that

Fourthly, Their transgression is with reluctance and unwillingness, their service of Sin is an unwilling and a slavish service.

1. The first false ground whereby men elude all the necessity of serving God with their strength or executive powers in outward works and operations, is their confidence of being saved for a true belief, or a right knowledge in religious matters, and orthodox opinions. They turn all Religion into a matter of study and speculation, as if it required only a good head, and a discerning judgment. They make it a mat∣ter of skill, but not of practice; an exercise of wit and parts, but not a rule of action. For the faith which they expect should save them, with some men goes no further than the mind, and consists barely in right no∣tions and apprehensions. They take it to be nothing more but an understanding what Christ has said, a being able to reason upon it, and to argue for it, and in their own minds approving and consenting to it. And that not to all that Christ has revealed neither. For the Precepts or Commands it overlooks, and doth not med∣dle with; the threatnings it either considers not at all, or if it do, it takes them not to be due to that whereunto God has fixed them, (viz.) disobedience of practice, but only to ignorance and unbelief. But all that which their faith eyes, and which their minds solely, or at least prin∣cipally approve of, is the historical passages of Christs life and death, the doctrinal points which he has told us concerning God or himself, and the comfortable promises

of the Gospel. They believe what Christ is, what he has done and suffered for us, and what he has promised to us: they think right in all the Religious Controver∣sies that are on foot in the world, joyning themselves with the Orthodox men, and siding, as they presume, with the true Opinion; they profess Christs Religion, and are Members of his Church, and adhere to the right party of Christians, and to the purest Congregation, and that they conclude is enough to bring them to Hea∣ven.

But if any think, as God be praised, many do, that God requires more than the bare service of our minds and right apprehensions; yet even a great part of them fancy, that all which he requires besides is only the obe∣dience of their tongues and discourses. If they believe with the mind, and confess with the mouth, although they are rebellious and reprobate in their practice, they are satisfied of their Godly estate, and presume that God is so too. Their Religion is made up of lip-service, for they think to content God by heavenly talk, and pious conference, by larding all their discourses with the Name of God, and shreds of Scripture; all their conversation is holy phrase, and sanctified form of speaking; and this they hope will attone for all the lewdness and disobe∣dience of their lives and actions.

And if they proceed yet further to a Faith that reacheth beyond the mind and the tongue, and think it necessary that it sink down from the head into the heart; yet there they will allow God to expect no great matters. They hope he will be well pleased, al∣though it summon not up all our Affections for his ser∣vice, if it produce in us these two easie passions, which are raised without much adoe, and may well be spared, (viz.) a strong confidence, and a warm zeal. If to make it saving it must imply a joynt concurrence of our Af∣fections,

it shall be only of these two. It shall add hope to knowledge, and be a belief that God will save sinners, with a special hope, and fancifull confidence that he will in particular save them. It shall add Zeal to Ortho∣doxy, a warm heart to a sound head, and be no more but a maintaining of and stickling for right opinions, and against erroneous and false ones, with heat and fierce∣ness.

Thus do men delude themselves into great confi∣dences, and vain expectations from a faith that is with∣out fruit, from an orthodox, but empty knowledge, which is void of all obedient practice.

But a knowledge and belief which is not more compre∣hensive in its nature, nor has other effects than these; they will find to their cost in the event of things, is miserably delusive and vain. It will serve to no other end but the heightning of their crimes, and the encrea∣sing of their condemnation. For do but consider:

If we will believe and understand Christs Doctrines and his Promises, but overlook or deny his Laws and Precepts; what is this, but instead of honour and ser∣vice, to affront and renounce him? By picking and choosing at this rate▪ we cast off his power of molding for us a Religion, and fixing the terms of his own mer∣cy, and make to our selves a condition of our own sal∣vation. We follow him so far only as we please our selves, but no further. The compass of our belief it self is not bounded by his authority, or measured ac∣cording to his mind, but our own. For we understand and assent, not to every thing that he has said, but only to what we our selves like. We refuse to take every thing upon his word, and credit him in what he speaks no longer than it agrees with us. If we believe him, it is only where we matter not whether what he sayes be true or no; but we either give no heed to him, or

flatly disbelieve him where we have any temptation. His veracity and truth it self has no power over our very minds, beyond what our own lusts and beloved sins will suffer it: but the Devil and the World must be served in the first place by our Opinions, and God must be forced to take up with their leavings.

Nay what is yet more, by such a partial and squeam∣ish belief as this, we do not only give or take at our own liking from that attribute of his, which in believing we would be thought to honour, viz. his Truth: but even where we seem to submit to it, we wrong and per∣vert it. For we wrest his sense, and spoil his meaning, and undermine all that he intends: So that even that which we do believe is not his mind, but our own. For the true meaning of his Promises, which run all upon condition of our Obedience, we pervert; the force of all his threatnings, which denounce woes to every sin and transgression, we cancel. We do as much as in us lies, to corrupt his Word, and to belie his very Gospel. We make his whole Religion signifie another thing than what he intended. For we make it allow what he for∣bids, and encourage such as he threatens; and save those whom at the day of Judgment he will condemn. And since this perverse faith and knowledge, which believes what it likes, and is infidel to all the rest; which sets up one part of his Word against another, by making his Promises to undermine his Precepts, and the Truth of his Doctrines to render all his threatnings false and useless: I say, since such an untowardly partial, and gainsaying knowledge and belief as this, is in very deed so plain a Libel to his Person, so hateful a violence to his Truth, and such a contradicting piece of Infidelity to his Gospel, it can never be thought to be that Obe∣dience which he commands and encourages, but such a piece of contumelious flattery, and fawning disobedi∣ence,

as he will most severely punish and condemn.

But if we believe his whole Gospel, and besides the faith of his Doctrines and Promises, take moreover all his Precepts to be such as he injoyns, and all his threat∣nings, in their true meaning, to be such as he will ex∣ecute; and yet, for all that, in our works and practice despise, and sin against them; then is such our faith and knowledge so far from rendring our condition safe and comfortable, that in very deed it makes it quite despe∣rate, and utterly bereft of all colour and excuse. For it takes from us all plea for disobedience, and leaves us not so much as the common refuge of all misdoing, the pretence that we did offend but did not know it. It makes every sin which we commit to be acted with a high hand, and all our offences to become contempt, our disobedience, rebellion, and our transgressions, presumptu∣ous. For we sin then with open eyes, we know Gods Commands, but refuse to practise them; we discern our duty, but despise it. It makes us not only to re∣nounce his Authority, but also to defie his Power. For we know his Almighty Strength, but we will not fear it; we see his dreadfull threatnings, but yet dare to commit the things which he has threatned in despite of them. We see and believe that our Death is entailed upon our disobedience, but for all that we choose and run upon it. We contemn all his Commands, and set light by all his Promises, and despise all his Threatnings: We see and believe them all, but prefer the pleasure of our sins before them, and transgress in open affront to them. And such a state as this, every man must needs see is so far from gaining his favour, and ascertaining his acceptance; that in reality it is a continued heightning of every provocation, an habitual hostility, and state of crying sin.

But if ever our Orthodox Faith and Professions avail us unto Life and Pardon, they must end in our Obe∣dient Works and Actions. We must do that which we know God requires, and practise that Pure Religion which we profess; If ye know these things, sayes our Sa∣viour, happy are ye if ye do them, Joh. 13.17. It is not every verbal Professor, every one that saith unto me, or calls me Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he only that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven, Mat. 7.21. We are condemn'd out of our own mouths if we commend Christs Religion, whilst we contemn and disobey it: Every word which we speak in its behalf, is a charge against our own selves, and every Plea which we make for it, is to us an accusation. For if it be a Religion so pure, so good▪ so worthy of God, and so beneficial to men as we profess it is, the more unpardonable wretches we that transgress and act against it. All the praises which we heap up∣on our Duty, are a most bitter invective upon our own practice; and the more we commend Christs Re∣ligion and Laws, the more we condemn our own trans∣gressions; so that now God in exacting the punish∣ment, be it as severe as it well can, only executes our own sentence. We are made the worse for our know∣ledge if our Actions are not ruled by it; for it shews plainly, that our Lusts are most obstinate, and our wills most wicked; when for all we are clearly shewed the Laws, the Promises, and the threats of God, we can yet despise them all, and for the short pleasure of a silly sin transgress, and act against them. And since it doth thus enhanse our Sin, we may be sure that it will pro∣portionably encrease our punishment. For he that knows his masters will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes, Luk. 12.47.

And thus we see, that this thinking to be saved by the labour of our minds, without any works of our lives and practice; and coming to Heaven barely by a True Belief, and Orthodox Opinions, and Right Professions, without ever obeying in our works and actions; is one of those false and delusive grounds, whereupon men shift off the necessity of this service with all their strength, the service of their Actions.

And another false ground of shifting off the same service is,

2. The delusive confidence which wicked men have of being saved at the last Day for an obedience of idle desires, and ineffective wishes.

It is a strange conceit which some people have been taught, viz. that the desire of Grace is Grace, and that God will at the last Day judge men to have obeyed, al∣though they have not wrought, but only desired it. There is a complaisant sort of Casuistry, and a much ea∣sier than ever God made, that has been brought into the World, which bids men to hope well, though they do nothing, so long as they find in themselves a desire that they could do it. They wish they were what God expects, and that they performed what he com∣mands; but they do no more but wish it. They sit still, and work no more now they have wished it, than they did before. Theirs is a weakly infant-desire, it just lives, but that is all, it can effect nothing. For the smal∣lest lust is too strong for it, and the least temptation over-bears it; the desire of the Vertue is hush'd when the opportunity of the Sin returns, for notwithstanding all the contrary desire, this is acted at the next offer. O∣bedience is not desired so much as their ease; for they love it not so well, as to be at the necessary pains for it. It is a squeamish delicate desire; it would obey if that could be without trouble, but it will undergo nothing for obedience.

But this is a conceit as strange as it is destructive, and such wherewith the simplest of men suffer themselves to be imposed upon in no other matters, but only this which most of all requires their care and caution, viz. the eternal welfare of their souls, and the truth of their obedience. For who ever took his desire of gain to be gain, his desire of ease to be ease, his desire of meat to be food, his desire of cloaths to be rayment, or his desire of knowledg to be knowledg? And why then must that be true in Religion, which is always false in common life? and the desire of Grace be said to be Grace, and the de∣sire of obedience, obedience? Our desires are one thing, but the thing desired is another. Our desires are within, but the object desired is without us. Our desires are our own, but the thing desired is wanting. For so far is our desire of any thing from being the very thing it self which is desired, that it is not always joined with it, but we possess one, whilst we are without the other. For alas! we find that those things which we need, and have a mind to, do not come at the beck of a desire, nor are procured by a wish; but we must do more than desire them, endeavour after them, and work or act for them, or else we shall sit without them. A man doth not presently possess meat because he is hungry, or is Own∣er of a great Estate because he is covetous; no, he must labour and seek, as well as desire, both for the one and the other, or else let him desire what he will, he shall get neither.

'Tis true a desire of money is a great preparative to get money, and a desire of knowledg a good disposition to attain knowledg; because our appetites and desires are, of all the passions, the great and most immediate Spring of our outward works and operations. For delight be∣gets love, and love ends in desire, and desire carries us on to work and labour for the thing desired. We seek af∣ter

a thing, because we long for it; and take pains a∣bout it, because we desire it. And thus our desires of Grace and Obedience are Grace and Obedience. That is, Our desire of Grace is not Grace it self; nor our desire of Obedience, Obedience; but a good step and degree to∣wards them. It is so metonymically, it is the Principle and the Cause of it. For therefore we acquire Grace, and perform Obedience; because we desire them. We should take no pains about them, were it not for our de∣sires of them; but because we have a mind to them, therefore we labour after them.

But till our desires come on to this effect, they have no title to the rewards of it. Because although they are a gift of Gods Grace, 'tis true, as well as Obedience it self is; yet are they not that Grace which in the Judg∣ment shall entitle us to pardon and happiness. For the promise to the Desire of Obedience is one; but the promise to Obedience it self is another. If we sincerely desire to do Gods will, i. e. if we desire it so, as according to the best of our power to endeavour after it; the promise to that is, That we shall be inabled to do it. For one promise of the New Covenant is, That God will grant unto us to serve him in holiness and righteousness, Luke 1.74, 75; which he will then do, when we desire it of him, by giving his holy Spirit to them that ask him, Luke 11.13. But if we do indeed obey it, the promise to that is, That we shall be saved by it. For Christ is become the Authour of eternal salvation to them that obey him, Heb. 5.9. And it is said expresly of them that obey, That they shall have right to the tree of life, Rev. 22.14. So that to the honest desire of obedience, all that God promises is the power to perform and work obedience; but that whereunto mercy and life is promised, is nothing less than obedience it self. For to the working out our salvation it is required, as S^t Paul says, that we be

wrought upon, not only to will what God commands, but also to do it, Phil. 2.12, 13.

The great pretence whereby men of idle, unworking desires would plead for their unfruitfulness, and support their hopes of a happy Sentence under a life of disobe∣dience; is a mistaken sence of these words of S^t Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians: The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would, Gal. 5.17. Which words they interpret thus: The Spirit in all good men lusteth against the Flesh, but not so far as to prevail over it: for although they may will and desire with the Spirit, yet they cannot do those things which they would. And if this be so, 'tis plain that we have warrant enough to hope for mercy notwithstanding we only desire, but are not able to perform.

But this is a plain perverting of the Apostles words from the Apostles own meaning. For although he says that the lusting is on both sides, both of the Flesh against the Spirit, and of the Spirit against the Flesh; yet as for the ineffectiveness, or not doing what is willed and desired, that he charges only upon one. He leaves it purely and solely to the Fleshes share, which can indeed lust and desire evil things even in regenerate men, but is not able to prevail so far as to work and effect them, because the over-ruling will of the Spirit checks and re∣strains it. Through the victorious lusting of the Spirit a∣gainst the Flesh, saith he, it comes to pass that you can∣not do or a 1.17 do not those things which from the instigati∣on of your Flesh you desire and would do. And to shew this to be his sense, I need do no more than set down his words in that order wherein they stand; which is as follows: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not work and fulfil the lusts of the Flesh. Not work and fulfil them, I say, notwithstanding you

will still feel an ineffective and unconquering stirring of them. For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh, and these two are contrary one to the other. So that in walking or working, as I said, after the lustings and desires of the Spirit, you fulfil not the lusts of the Flesh which are contrary to it; ye cannot do, or you do not the things that your Flesh lusts after, which yet, through its lusting, ye would, ver. 16, 17. Whereas if this last Clause were expounded thus, Ye do not the things that your Spirit lusts after, which yet, through its lusting, ye would do; it would destroy that which the Apostle brings it to confirm, viz. their not wil∣ling and desiring only, but doing or walking also after the Spirit, so as not to fulfil the works of the Flesh, ver. 16. Which in plain English is to make the Apostle in the same breath to say and unsay, to tell them of walk∣ing in the Spirit, and not fulfilling the lusts of the Flesh; because they do not after the Spirit, but do fulfil the lusts of the Flesh. Which is flatly to make the Apostles proof to contradict the Apostles affirmation.

If therefore we would approve our selves regenerate, and have a just hope of life and pardon at the last Day; we must not only wish and desire, but live and walk af∣ter the Spirit, The service of the Flesh indeed must go no further than desire; and although we shall all of us more or less have lustings from it, yet must we not b 1.18 fulfil them. But as for the service of God, it must have our hands as well as our hearts; for it is not e∣nough to will and desire what he commands, but we must moreover practise and perform it.

As for the affirmative Commands of God; it is not required that we perform every one of them at every time; for so our whole life would be taken up in the keeping of one Command, and we could never observe all, since we cannot do any two things, and much less

such a multitude at the same time. But all that obedi∣ence which God requires of us to them, is that we act them as his Providence, and ordering of times and occa∣sions gives us opportunity. Now although for the main Body and greatest Number of them, every man has op∣portunities returning almost every day; yet for a perfect and compleat performance of some of them, some men have not opportunity at some times, nor others in all their lives. I instance in the affirmative Command of Alms-giving. A man that has but little, can give but little at any time; and a rich man, if he be in a strange place, and have no great stock about him, although he have a great Object of Charity, can yet make but small relief. So that in both these the work of Alms and out∣ward performance, must needs be very strait; al∣though both of them in their hearts and desires are ne∣ver so liberal. They have not power and opportunity to act as they would; they would perform more if their circumstances would allow it. And now in this Case God doth not measure their obedience by the size of their outward performance; he looks not so much at what was done, as at what would have been done had they had ability. So that they shall be accepted according to the greatness of their will, and not according to the narrowness of their deed; and their reward shall be fit∣ted to what was in their heart, and not that which ap∣peared in their action.

And this very Case is expresly determined by S^t Paul in his second Epistle to the Corinthians. For exhorting them to contribute to the relief of the Saints in Judea, as the poor Christians in Macedonia had already done most liberally, he encourages them to give what they could out of their present livelihood, by telling them, that albeit it were not so much as they could wish, and were forward in their own hearts to give if they were

able; yet in Gods acceptance it should be estimated as if it were. For if there be first a willing mind, saith he, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not ac∣cording to what he hath not, chap. 8. vers. 11, 12.

This is the very case for which the Apostle layes down this rule, as any man may see who will be at the pains to peruse that Chapter. He speaks it upon no o∣ther occasion, but where our wills are really ready to perform farther than our outward fortune enables us. He gives it as an Axiome only where our inward reso∣lutions are larger than our possessions. For where our heart is indeed ready to do more, than in our neces∣sitous circumstances we can do; there God looks upon the will, and not upon the work; and rewards us ac∣cording to the compass of our desires, but not accord∣ing to the scantiness of our performance.

But if any man shall conclude from hence, that when it is in his Power to do what is commanded, God will still accept of an idle desire without an active perfor∣mance; he may use S^t Paul's words indeed, but he per∣verts them wholly to his own meaning. For the Apo∣stle spake them in one case, and there they are true; but he applies them to another, and there they will de∣ceive him. Because the will is never accepted for the deed, when it is in our power to do as well as to will; and wheresoever we have opportunity to do what we desire, it is not the willing, but the doing that must save us; as the Apostle himself intimates in this very place, when he presses them to compleat their readi∣ness to will, by performing according as they were able, vers. 11.

So that this thinking to be saved by an idle desire, and an ineffective wish of obedience, without ever obey∣ing in our works and actions, is very whit as false and delusive as the former deceitfull ground was, of being

saved at the last day barely upon the account of an Or∣thodox Faith and Opinions.

Thirdly, Another false ground whereupon men hope to be saved, though they work disobedience, is because when they do so, it is through the violence of a great and overpowering temptation, which they see and resist, but cannot prevail over. They are drawn in by a great gain, or a great pleasure, the bait laid for them is very enticing, and there is no withstanding it.

This indeed is a great and an usual pretence. For men would gladly shift off their sin, and charge it up∣on any thing but their own selves. They would have the pleasures of their flesh, and the pride of their hearts both served at once, enjoy all the pleasures of sin, and yet have the praises of virtue. c 1.19 Whensoever they do well, as a great Philosopher has observed, they would arrogate that to themselves; but when they do amiss, they would impute that to the pleasure that mislead them, and to the strength of temptation.

But this is a very vain shift, and a thin pretence. For what is it that makes any temptation strong, but the wickedness of mens own hearts? They are slavishly in love with it, and therefore they cannot resist it, but are overcome by it. d 1.20 It is ridiculous to think, sayes the same excellent Philosopher, that the pleasure of the sin which is without us, is the cause of our sinfull action; and not rather that we our selves are, who are so wicked∣ly inclined, as to be so easily taken by it. It is only the strength of our own sinfull lusts, that gives such an ir∣resistible strength to the outward temptation. A great offer of gain indeed cannot be withstood by a covetous heart; and an inviting beauty, and a fair opportunity are irresistible to a slave of lust, and a lascivious reigning inclination. But if the man is above the world, and his heart is chaste, they are of no force, nor can they offer any violence at all.

It is the wickedness of our own hearts lusts therefore, which are so deeply in love with them, and so un∣bridledly bend after them, that gives all the prevailing force, and overpowering strength to the outward tempta∣tion. But now this is our Sin, and so can by no means plead our excuse; it is our damnable disease, and there∣fore it can never prove our saving remedy. For this is that reigning power of Sin which the Gospel has indis∣pensably required us to mortifie, but not to submit to. It is only if you through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body, says S^t Paul, that you shall live, Rom. 8.13. Col. 3.5.

But if we are not under this damnable servitude to Sin, there are no temptations so strong, but that God has given us sufficient defensatives against them. For the present offer of a Gibbet would fright away the most endearing temptation; the near expectation of a great Estate, or of a Crown, would make us prevail over it. And what are these to hell fire, and an eter∣nal Crown of Glory? Heaven therefore and Hell, when they can be considered of, are an answer to all tempta∣tions in the world; they will engage our hearts more than all the endearments of a lust, and infinitely out do all the baits and allurements of sin.

If we commit sin then, it is no sufficient excuse to us that the temptation was strong, because it was only the strength of our own unmortified lusts that made it so. For we loved the sinfull pleasure too well, and that was the reason why it overpower'd us. And since the strength of temptation is owing only to the strength of sin, it can never excuse us from undergoing punishment. So that this must needs be a false hope, to think of being excused for our sin, because we acted it through the violence of a great temptation.

Fourthly, Another ground of false confidence where∣upon men hope to be saved although they do not obey in their works and actions, but are workers of sin and disobedience; is, because when they do transgress, it is with reluctance and unwillingness. Albeit in their acti∣ons they do serve sin, yet in their minds they do not approve of it, their service of it is an unwilling and a slavish service. They cannot sin freely, and at their own ease, but with fearfulness and regret. For the Con∣viction of their duty abides in their Consciences, the fear of hell torments sticks fast in their souls; they cannot shake off either their sense of duty, or their fears of pu∣nishment. So that even when they do sin against God, it is with remorse of mind and fearfulness of apprehen∣sion. They cannot embrace their sin with a full choice, because they know that it is not an unmixed pleasure. They believe and know it to be of a compound and mixt nature; to have some present pleasure which will delight, but withall much future punishment which will torment them. And since they know it to be a com∣position of good and ill, they do not perfectly either love or hate, choose or refuse it. Their will is distracted by different motives in the same choice; for the future pains would draw them to reject, but the present joyes invite them to embrace it. So that in a different degree they both will, and nill the same thing; they would have it, and yet they would avoid it. For they would enjoy what they desire, but withall they would keep off from what they fear: they have a mind to commit the sin, because it will please them for the present; and yet they are afraid of it, because of that wrath which it treasures up for them against the time to come.

But notwithstanding all this conflict in their own choice, yet at last their sin prevails, and they obey it. For they had rather hazard all its torments, than miss

of its delights; they are unwilling to venture upon those dangers which it brings, but yet they had rather venture on them than go without it. They sin unwil∣lingly just as a labourer works, or as a soldier fights un∣willingly; that is, they do not will it for it self, they would not do it unless they were hired to it. For con∣sidering all things they will to act, and not to omit it; their will is against it indeed at the first sight, but up∣on better consideration it resolves upon it, and all things laid together they choose to commit the sin rather than to forbear it.

But now this is such a State as will never bring any man to Heaven: For whether he transgress willingly or with reluctancy, is not the question; but if he choose at last to disobey, when God comes to judgment he shall be sure to pronounce upon him that death which he has established for the punishment of disobedience. Be∣cause for all he fears and mistrusts, grumbles and repines; yet he serves and obeys his lusts all the while notwith∣standing. He works at their will, and doth what they command him. He serves not with a full heart, or a fearless mind; but yet he is their servant still.

'Tis true indeed, it is some mitigation of his sin that he doth it with regret, and the transgression is some∣thing the less for being acted not without reluctance and aversion. It shews that his sense of duty is not quite lost; his Conscience, wholly fear'd, or his fear of God utterly extinguished. It is some extenuation that he startles at the offence; for it argues that his soul is not wholly depraved, or his heart harden'd in disobedience. But although his sins be not of the highest rate, yet he is a lost sinner still. For so long as his lusts prevail, and he chooses at last to act and commit them, he serves and obeys them. It is his works and actions that must deter∣mine his service and obedience; so that if he commit sin,

he is the servant of sin. Willing or unwilling may exte∣nuate or heighten his disobedience, but not utterly de∣stroy or alter the nature of it.

For indeed something of struggling and regret is to be found in the obedience and disobedience of the greatest part of the world. There being few so good, as to obey without all reluctance; and few so wicked as to sin without all remorse. For as long as we are in this life, we are a mixt and compound substance of Soul and Body, Flesh and Spirit. Our carnal appetite draws us on to forbidden things, to transgress those restraints which Gods Law has set to it, and to sin. And our Conscience being enlightned with the knowledge of Gods Laws, and allured by his Promises, and affrighted with his threatnings; would perswade us to keep within his bounds, and to act obedience. Now these two contrary and gainsaying Principles distract our choice, and divide our wills; so that when we close with one of them, it is not without the grudging and reluctance of the other. We would, and we would not; one inclines us for a thing, and the other against it. The flesh, says S^t Paul, lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary one to the other, so that you can∣not fulfill both their desires, and do each of the things that you would, Gal. 5.17. If we obey, it is through the repining of our appetites; and if we transgress, it is with the remorse and lashings of our Consciences: On both sides there is something that is evil, whereof we are afraid, and which we would not; our will is imperfect and with reluctance; and we will and choose in some measure unwillingly, whether it be to work obedience or sin.

As for the Saints in Heaven indeed after the Resur∣rection; 'tis true that they shall have no gainsaying ap∣petites. For their flesh will be in perfect subjection to

the spirit; their will shall have nothing to seduce it, but shall stand alwayes firm and entire for God; so that they shall obey without any thing of reluctance or re∣gret.

And as for some of the profligate and prophane sinners here on earth; they have now already so quite benum'd their Consciences, that they neither allure nor threaten, admonish nor accuse them. And they sin without all contention; they transgress, and do not dispute; their lusts hurry them without any opposition; so that they disobey most willingly, and free from all remorse.

But as for all the good, and the generality of the wicked here on earth, they are of a middle rate. They both of them act through strife and conquest; their consent is courted on both sides, and when they com∣ply with one, they must refuse the other. Both Flesh and Spirit struggle in them, although at last but one prevails. For in the Regenerate good man, the flesh stirs, but it cannot conquer; they have bodies, and bodily appetites, but they subdue them, and as S^t Paul says, keep them under, 1 Cor. 9.27. So that all the while the Spirit rules in them, when the flesh doth but in vain solicite; this may tempt, but it cannot go∣vern; for the spirit gives them Laws, its pleasure they perform, and what it commands, that in their actions they obey: But in the wicked and disobedient the case is quite opposite. For in them, although their Con∣science smite them, yet can it not prevail with them; it suggests, but they will not hearken; it shews the way, but they will not follow it; in all things their Lusts are the governours of their lives and actions; so that although the lashes of their consciences may sharpen and embitter, yet are they not able to disappoint the service of their sin.

In all the obedience therefore, and in the greatest

part of the transgressions here on Earth; there is still something of strugling and reluctance. Men act not by a will that is void of all restraint, or by a desire and choice that is free from all unwillingness; but there is a mixture of love and hatred, an unwilling will that car∣ries them on either to act obedience, or to disobey.

But notwithstanding their ineffective wishes and imper∣fect wouldings to the contrary; it is their peremptory will and last choice which shall determine their condition. For if they will and chuse to do what God commands, in spight of all the gainsaying wishes raised by their fleshly Appetites; they shall be pardoned and acquit∣ted. When the good man overcomes the temptation, and prevails over his unwillingness, and triumphing o∣ver it goes on to practise and obey; he shall receive the reward of his obedience. But if they will and chuse to do what God forbids, in spight of all the contrary Admonitions and Threatnings of their Consciences; they shall dye in their disobedience. The Sinner who is carried on to do what he disallows, to work what he fears, and to commit what at first sight his will is a∣verse to; he shall undergo the smart and punishment of his transgression.

And the reason is plain; for he serves his sin, and fulfils his lust; and his thraldome to it is so absolute that no aids of the Spirit, nor any suggestions of his Consci∣ence can deliver him from it. He that committeth sin, saith our Saviour, is the servant of sin, John 8.34. So long as it conquers, it doth indeed inslave him; For of whom a man is overcome, of the same, says S^t Peter, he is brought in bondage, 2 Pet. 2.19. If we yield our selves up to serve it, we do indeed obey it; and must ex∣pect that death which is denounced upon such obedi∣ence. Know you not, saith another Apostle, that to whom you yield your selves servants to obey, his servants

you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness, Rom. 6.16. If we are at the beck of our Lusts, and go where they send, and do what they command us, and acknowledge their pleasure in all things to be a Law to us; we are perfect Slaves to them, and liable to all that misery which is de∣nounced upon them. We serve and obey them; and that shall surely bring us to suffer for them. For it is the fulfilling of our lusts, the doing or walking after them, and the obeying of our sin which Christs Gospel threatens so severely, whatever mind we do it with. If you live after the Flesh, saith the Apostle, you shall dye; and it is only if you through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body that you shall live, Rom. 8.13. When Christ comes to Judgment, the enquiry will not be, Whether we sinned with a full delight, or with fear and reluctance; but whether in very deed with∣out repenting of it afterwards, we sinned wilfully, or transgressed at all. For we have what shall be his Sen∣tence at that Day, from his own mouth already, Depart from me ye that work iniquity, Matth. 7.23.

So that it will be no sufficient Plea for any man at the last Day, who has disobeyed in deed and wrought wick∣edness, to say, That he did it with backwardness and re∣morse. For that which God indispensably requires, is, that h•• should not do it at all; and he will only deceive himself if he ever expect to be accepted otherwise. For as the hopes of salvation upon mere orthodox opini∣ons, or ineffective desires of obedience, or sinning through a strong temptation are utterly delusive, and sure to fail them that trust to them: so is this fourth ground like∣wise, viz. our hopes of being accepted notwithstanding our sins, because we transgressed with reluctance and unwilling∣ness▪

CHAP. IV. A further pursuit of this last ground of shifting off the Obedience of our actions, in an Exposition of the seventh Chapter to the Romans.

The CONTENTS.

A further pursuit of this last ground of false confidence. The Plea for it from Rom. 7. represented. This re∣futed. A Metaschematism usual with Saint Paul in an odious Topick. The Apostle shown not to speak of him∣self in that Chapter, because of several things there spoken which are not truly applicable to him. This evi∣denced in sundry instances. Nor to have spoken in the person of any regenerate man, which is proved by the same reason, and manifested in sundry Particulars. But to have personated a strugling, but as yet unregene∣rated Jew, who had no further assistance against his lusts, but the weak and ineffective Law of Moses. This shown from the order and design of that Chapter. This whole matter represented in a Paraphrase upon the seventh Chapter, with part of the sixth and the eighth. Two Reasons of the inability of Moses's Law to make men wholly obedient; and the perfection, as to them, of the Law of Christ, viz. First, The promise of eter∣nal life. Secondly, The promise of the Spirit. Both these were wanting in the Law; and are most clearly supplied in the Gospel. The Jews had the assistance of the Spirit, not by virtue of any Article in their Law; but by the gracious Covenant of the Gospel, which has been confirmed with the world ever since Adam. The

Law mentioned in Scripture as a weak and mean instru∣ment upon the account of these defects. This weakness of the Law set off particularly in this seventh to the Romans. No hopes to any man who acts sin from this Chapter; but plain declarations of the necessity of a work∣ing obedience shown in several expressions of it to that purpose. A proof of the necessity of this fourth part of integrity, the obedience of our executive powers in our works and actions; and the insignificancy of all the rest when it is wanting.

THAT which has been the great occasion of this last pretence whereby men justifie themselves in the practice of disobedience, viz. because when they do transgress, it is with reluctancy and an unwilling mind; is a wrong understanding of the words of S^t Paul in the seventh Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans. For thus says he,* 1.21 That which I do, I, being sufficiently in∣structed in the Law which forbids it, in my mind and conscience allow not. For what, through the Laws commanding, I would do, that do I not: but what, from the Laws prohibiting, I hate, and would not do, that do I.* 1.22 The good that I would do, I do not. For although to will it is present with me,* 1.23 yet through the prevailing power of my Flesh how to perform and practise that which is good I find not. But the evil which I would not do, that do I. And all this happens to me by reason that the Law of my lusts or members wars against the Law of God in my mind or Conscience,* 1.24 and that with so much success as to make me act against my Consci∣ence, and bring me into a slavish observance or captivi∣ty to the Law of sin, which is in my members. So that I my self, or the a 1.25 same I who, with the mind and Con∣science, in approving and willing serve the Law of God, do yet, with the Flesh, in my bodily and outward works

and operations, serve the Law of sin.

Now since no less a man than S^t Paul himself speaks thus of sinning against his will, of doing what he disal∣lows, and transgressing through the power of a ruling lust against his Conscience: it may well be thought reasonable for any other man to conclude himself in a safe condition although he do so likewise. For who would desire to be more perfect than S^t Paul? Who would ever scruple to have the same Lot in the next World with an Apostle? If an unwillingness in sin, and transgressing with reluctance could bear him out not∣withstanding he did against his Duty, and in works and actions disobeyed his Lord; who can ever questi∣on but that it will be a sufficient Plea for us also?

And indeed if S^t Paul had spoken all that of himself, and meant it of his own Person; the Inference is unde∣niable, and it is not to be doubted but it would. But for a full Answer to this Allegation, it is plain that S^t Paul, when he expresses all those things in the first per∣son, uses that merely out of modesty, but not out of truth. For he was upon an odious Topick, represent∣ing the unmortified state and sinful condition of those persons, who had no other help against their Lusts, but the Religion and Law of Moses. And because this was a Charge which they who were most guilty would not love to hear of, that he may soften the matter as much as may be, and discover things of so much re∣proach with the least offence; he wisely takes all the business, and fathers all the shameful Narrative up∣on himself; and expresses it, not in theirs, to whom it re∣ally did belong but in his own person.

And as for this Metaschematism, or speaking things that are odious in his own name, when indeed they belong not to him, but to other men; it is very u∣sual with the Apostle. For in this Disguise he recites a

most blasphemous perversion which some men had made of his most pious Doctrine, Rom. 3. If the truth of God, or his faithfulness in performing his Covenant with us, hath more ahounded to his Glory through my lye or unfaithfulness in breaking my Covenant with him (which makes the most that can be for the honour of Gods faithfulness, since no perfidiousness of ours can weary or provoke him out of it) why yet am I, not I Paul, who could never act thus falsly, or argue thus prophane∣ly, but I blasphemous Objector judged as a Sinner? ver. 7. And the same way of speech he observes again, when he charges the wicked lives of those who have given up their names to Christ▪ not upon his Religion, but upon their own selves. If while we seek to be justified by Christ in the profession of his Religion and not of Mo∣ses's Law, we our selves are still found Sinners and as fla∣gitious in our lives as ever, is therefore Christ the Minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which at my very Baptism into Christianity I destroyed, as 'tis plain all Christians do who after Baptism prove custo∣mary Sinners; it is no longer Christ who would rescue and free me from sin, but I my self, not I Paul, but I flagitious Christian that make my self a Transgressor, Gal. 2.17, 18. Thus also he speaks in his own person, when he only personates the strong but uncomplying Christian, 1 Cor. 6. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient, ver. 12. And when he perso∣nates the uncharitable Christian, 1 Cor. 13. If I have all faith, and have no Charity, what doth it profit me? ver. 2. And the same inoffensive way he uses in noting faults in a 1.26 other places.

And such an obliging disguise in reprehending and ex∣posing the faults of others is most usual among our selves. Nothing being more common in our ordinary Discourse, than when we would be sharp in repro∣ving,

and inveighing against any thing, by a most courteous Fiction to put it in our own Case, and to suppose that we our selves should do this or that. When∣as in the mean time we are no further concerned in it, than to be able under this disguise with more success and less offence to disparage and chastise it.

And this way of transferring odious things to our selves when we would describe and reprove them, which is so usual with all the world, and with S^t Paul in other Cases, is particularly used by him in his Character of the ineffective Striver in this seventh Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. He speaks not those things a∣bove recited, of willing but not performing, &c. in his own person, or in the person of any regenerated man; as will plainly appear from this reason.

Because in that Chapter such things are said of the person there spoken of, as can by no means agree to S^t Paul, or to any regenerate person; so that the Apostle must be made to falsifie, if he should be understood to speak so of them.

Such things, I say, are there spoken, as can by no means agree to S^t Paul himself. For we read

Of the person there spo∣ken of,

That he lived and was alive without the Law of the ten Commandments, once, ver. 7.9.

That the Law of his mem∣bers wars against the Law of his mind, and brings him into captivity to the Law of sin, which is seated and rules in his members, ver. 23.

That how to do or per∣form what is good, he finds not, ver. 18.

That sin works in him all manner of lust or concu∣piscence, ver. 8.

That he is captivated and conquered, and, as a vanquished Slave, sold un∣der sin, ver. 14.23.

That he sinned against his Conscience. For what I do, says he, in my pra∣ctice, that I allow not in my mind or Conscience: but what I hate and disapprove, that I do, ver. 15.19.

That he is in a state of death: For sin revived, and he died, vers. 9. and by deceiving him, it had slain him, v. 11. The good law he had found to be unto him the occasion of death, by his falling into that disobedi∣ence whereto it had threat∣ned it, vers. 10. For the motions of sin, which were not, and could not be re∣strained by the law, wrought in his members to bring forth damning sins, or fruit unto death, vers. 5.

Of Saint Paul himself elsewhere,

That he was both born and bred up under the Law, being circumcised the eighth Day, of the Stock of Israel, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, or an Hebrew both by his Fathers and his Mothers side, Phil. 3.5,

That he keeps under his Body, and is not led cap∣tive by it, but on the con∣trary brings it into subjecti∣on and captivity, 1 Cor. 9.27.

That he can do all things which are good through Christ that strengthens him, Phil. 4.13.

That it works none, but that instead of lusting and coveting worldly things, the world is crucified to him, and he unto the world, Gal. 6.14.

That he has fought a good fight against it, 2 Tim. 4.7. And that by the ‖ 3.1 Grace of God through Christ he is delivered from it, Rom. 7.25.

That he knew or was * 3.2 conscious of nothing by him∣self, 1 Cor. 4.4. but that he trusted he had a good Conscience, and that in all things, being willing to live honestly, Heb. 13.18. Acts 23.1. For this had all a∣long been his care, he ha∣having

made it his business, and exercised himself to have, not now and then, but al∣wayes a conscience void of offence, or not wounded and smitten with the sense of any offences either to∣wards God or men, Acts 24.16.

That the law of the spi∣rit of life hath made him free from the law of sin and death, Rom. 8.2. That he has finished his course to his advantage; so as there is laid up for him, not a pain∣full death, as the punish∣ment of his disobedience; but a Crown of Glory, as a reward of his righteousness, which the righteous judge will give him at the last day, 2 Tim. 4.8.

If therefore we will believe S^t Paul, and let those accounts which he gives of himself explain his own meaning; he cannot be that very person who is there spoken of. For they are persons altogether of a diffe∣rent stamp, and a contrary character: they are as op∣posite as a servant of God, and a slave of sin; as a spi∣ritual, and a carnal man; as one whose conscience ap∣proves, and another whose conscience condemns him; as a child of God, and a child of darkness; as an heir of

Heaven, and a subject of Hell. So that he cannot speak of himself in that seventh Chapter, and in the other places too; because then he would appear inconsistent with himself, and be found false in his own story. And therefore as sure as S^t Paul is true, he sayes all that is spoken there in an inoffensive disguise, not intending to give a character of his own person, but to personate another man.

Nay, I add further, that the person whom he repre∣sents in that Chapter, is not only another from himself, but also one of a quite opposite and contrary character. He is not only no Apostle, but even no good Christian or regenerate man. For such things are there said of him, as, if S^t Paul and the other Apostles say true, are inconsistent with a regenerate state, and destructive of salvation. As will plainly appear by considering those things which are said

Of the person described there,

That with his flesh or fleshly members, he obeys the law of sin, vers. 25. And this he is forced to do, and cannot help it. For the law of his members wars a∣gainst the law of his mind, and brings him into capti∣vity to the law of sin and death, ver. 23. He is as ab∣solutely enslaved to it, as ever any servant was to his master who was sold in the market. For, says he,

I am carnal, and sold under sin, vers. 14.

That sin works or accom∣plishes, and brings on to * 4.1 outward act and perfection in him all manner of concu∣piscence, vers. 8. For taking occasion by the nakedness of the tenth Commandment, whereto no punishment was expresly threatned, it deceived him into the cu∣stomary commission of it by that wile, and thereby slew him, vers. 11.

That the law he found to be unto death, in discerning himself to be fallen under the curse and condemnati∣on of it, vers. 10. For the motions of sin which were incouraged and embolden∣ed by means of the fancied impunity of the, law wrought in his members, which are the seat of their Empire, so far as to bring forth damning sins, or fruit unto death, vers. 5.

That in his flesh dwells no good thing, vers. 18. For sin dwells and inhabits in him, vers. 17. and that so as to rule and govern, or have all the force of a law in his members, vers. 23.

That he sins against his own conscience. For what he doth, that he allows not; but what in his own mind he hates and disapproves, that he doth, vers. 15.19.

That to do good, al∣though he might wish, or approve it, he found not, v. 18.

That he stands in need to cry out, O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death, being as yet not rescued from it, but labouring un∣der it, vers. 25.

Of the regenerate else∣where,

That as for their mem∣bers, they yield them not to be instruments unto sin, but unto righteousness; because now since their regenera∣tion into true Christians; Sin is not to reign in their mortal bodies, that they should obey it in the lusts thereof, Rom. 6.12, 13. In becoming Christians they are dead, and crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might, not be maintained

to live and rule in them, but destroyed, that thence∣forward they should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin, vers. 6, 7. The Gospel of Christ, or the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath not enslaved, but freed them from the law of sin and death, Rom. 8.2. So that sin now shall not have domi∣nion over them, because they are not under the law, through the weakness whereof it tyrannized, but under Grace, Rom. 6.14.

That their body is dead because of sin, Rom. 8.10. And that they make no provision for the flesh to ful∣fill and accomplish the lusts or concupiscence thereof, Rom. 13.14. Because if they should, they would cease to be sons of God, and heirs of happiness, and be rendred obnoxious to misery and death. For the plain declaration of Christs Gospel concerning the heirs of life and death is this. If you live after the flesh in accomplishing its lusts, you shall die; and 'tis

only, if you through the spi∣rit, instead of acting and compleating, do kill and mortifie the deeds of the bo∣dy, that you shall live, Rom. 8.13.

That against them there is no condemning force of any law, Galat. 5.23. For the law of the spirit of life hath not left them still en∣slaved, but made them free from the law of sin and death too, Rom. 8.2. And being become the servants of God, they have their fruit, not to sin and death, but to holiness at present, and the end thereof at length everlasting life, Rom. 6.22.

That their bodies or flesh∣ly members are temples of the Holy Ghost, and sacred places wherein it inhabits; and that they glorifie God in their bodies, as well as in their spirits, seeing both are Gods, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20.

That they hold faith and a good conscience, without which, of faith in dangerous times they would soon make shipwrack, 1 Tim. 1.19. And that they are saved by the answer of a good consci∣ence,

which comforts and applauds, but cannot ac∣cuse them, 1 Pet. 3.21.

That he only who doth good is of God, 3 Joh. 11. and that there is no con∣demnation to them who do and walk after the spirit, Rom. 8.1. And that with∣out these new fruits, it is in vain to lay any claim to a new nature; because, as our Saviour sayes, if men were the children of Abra∣ham, they would do the works of Abraham, Joh. 8.39.

That the body of sin is already destroyed in them, that henceforth they should not serve sin, which the o∣ther complains so much of, Rom. 6.6. For they are de∣livered from the law, upon occasion of the weakness whereof sin brought forth in them fruits unto death, to serve now in newness of Spirit, Rom. 7.5. So that what the weak, ineffective law could not do for them; that the Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord hath done in an effectual deliverance of them, v. 25.

So that if we will take the word of S^t Paul, and of the rest of the Apostles in this matter; we must needs believe that regenerate men, and heirs of heaven are not in any wise such persons as are described in that seventh Chapter to the Romans, there being no agreement or resemblance at all between them. Their tempers and behaviour are utterly inconsistent, and as far distant as Heaven and Hell: For one serves and fulfills the lusts of his flesh, the other crucifies and subdues them; one yields his members servants unto sin, the other unto righ∣teousness; one is made a perfect captive, and sold under sin; the other is made free from it: one is forced to act against his conscience, the other alwayes acts accord∣ing to it; one complains of being oppressed by the body of death, the other rejoyceth in being deliver'd from it; one can perform and do no good, the other doth all good; one brings forth fruit unto death, the other to eternal life.

These, with others that might be mention'd, are the lines of difference, and the contrary characters of the person represented in the seventh Chapter to the Ro∣mans, and the regenerate man described by S^t Paul him∣self in all his other Epistles, and in the following and foregoing Chapters of this. By all which it appears, that they are descriptions contradictory and incompatible, which cannot at the same time be affirmed of the same man. And that to give such an account of a regenerate man, as is there set down, would not in all appearance be the way to describe, but rather slanderously to libel and revile him.

If any therefore enquire now how I know that S^t Paul doth not speak of himself in that Chapter, nor of any other regenerate person; but of an unregenerate man, who is yet in the state of death and sin: he has his Answer full and undeniable already. I know he doth

not mean so, because he cannot mean so, the things which he sayes not bearing to be so understood. For that meaning would make his speech to be no Apostoli∣cal Truth, but an open falsehood; it would make S^t Paul inconsistent with himself, and to unsay at one time, what he had said most peremptorily at another. It would make him flatly to gainsay all that he has taught elsewhere, yea, even what he had affirm'd almost in the same breath, in the foregoing and the following Chapters. So that he cannot be understood of himself, or of any o∣ther regenerate person, but must be allow'd, accord∣ing to his usual custome in such odious topicks as this was, to speak all in a borrowed disguise, and in the per∣son of a sinfull and a lost man.

For indeed, to be yet more particular, all that dis∣course in that seventh Chapter is not meant either of S^t Paul, or of any other regenerate Christian; but of a struggling and contending, although yet unconquering and unregenerate Jew. For the Apostle is there describing the state, not of a perfect debauch, nor of a perfect Saint, but of a middle man. He is one whose Consci∣ence is awaken'd; for he delights in the Law of God af∣ter the inner man of his mind and reason, vers. 22. and when he doth evil, he doth not allow, but disapproves of it, vers. 15. but yet his practice is enslaved; for to per∣form what is good he finds not, vers. 18. what in his mind he hates, that he doth, vers. 15. the law in his members bringing him into captivity to the law of sin, so that with his flesh, or in his bodily actions, he obeys the law of sin still, vers. 23, 25. He strives something indeed, but not enough; he is not far from the kingdom of heaven, but as yet he is short of it. He is a sinner of the middle rate, such as I have described in the last Chapter: For he is not as yet either quite hardned in sin, or perfect in goodness; he is offering to go off from sin, but still

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it lays hold of him, and keeps him under; he is in the rank of unwilling sinners, but he is a lost sinner still. He is something above the forelorn condition of meer Nature, and something below the more perfect institu∣tion of Christ; he is in a middle state between both, under the discipline and assistance of the Jewish Law, or the Religion of Moses.

And that this is the person there characterized will appear, not only from the things themselves that are said of him, and which I have already noted, (viz.) his Conscience being awaken'd, but his practice still en∣slaved, which is the very state of midling sinners; but also from the whole order and design of that seventh Chapter.

For the business which the Apostle drives at in the sixth, seventh and eighth Chapters, (to go no farther) of that Epistle, as any man that attentively peruses them may plainly see, is this; (viz.) To shew the Jews at Rome a double change, which they had come under by their becoming Christians. One was in their subjection, and the other in the consequent of that, their service and obedience.

One change he tells them is in their subjection; for now they are not subject to, and under the law of Moses, but under the Grace and Gospel of Christ, chap. 6. vers. 14, 15.

And upon that change in their subjection, there is likewise another change in their service. For now they serve not sin as they did formerly, but they serve and obey God, chap. 6. vers. 15, 16, 17, 18; and chap. 7. vers. 4, 5, 6.

And because this seems to be a great reflexion upon the Law of Moses, as if it encouraged them in their sins, and helped to make them sinners; this latter part, (viz.) their being wrought into this change of service by change∣ing

their Master and Religion, he explains more fully.

For to take off all reproach from the Law, under which he had affirmed they served sin; he shews that the reason why they sinned under it, was not the sin∣fulness of the Law it self, for it is holy, and commands holiness, chap. 7. vers. 12. but the power of their own sinfull lusts, which were too strong to be corrected and restrained by those aids which it offer'd towards it, vers. 11, 13,—23.

In the management, and evident proof whereof he shews two things:

One is the goodness and innocence of the Law, because, so far as they were influenced by it, they were for that which is good. For their mind and Conscience, wherein the Law was seated, did approve of it, and their heart desired it, chap. 7. ver. 15, 16, 18, 22.

The other is the weakness and inability of that Grace which was offered in the Law to work mens reformation, and to make this change in their service and obedience. For notwithstanding it, they served and obeyed sin still, chap. 7. ver. 15, 19, 21, 23, 25.

Wherein yet to be more particular, he shows further that those good effects, which the Law was able to work in them, were only in their mind and conscience, chap. 7. ver. 15, 18, 22, 23. But that still the Law in the Members proved all the while too strong for it, and kept possession of their life and practice, ver. 15, 17, 18, 21, 23, 25.

But then as for that change in their service, which the Law of Moses had not strength enough to work in them; he shows that the Gospel and Grace of Christ has wrought it effectually. For now, since they became subject to him, they had thrown off the service of sin, which the Law could not enable them to get quit of, and had begun to serve and obey him, chap. 7. ver. 25. and ch. 8. v. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c.

This is the Argument which the Apostle pursues, and the way wherein he manages it, as every man will per∣ceive who will be at the pains to peruse those three Chapters as I have pointed them out to him. So that as for all the ineffective striving and sinning, with regret, which is so often mentioned in the seventh Chapter; it belongs not to the Apostle himself, nor to any other regenerate Christian, but only to a midling Sinner among the Jews, who is changed something by Moses's Law, but not enough; and who is in a way to become a Child of Grace, although for the present he be a Son of Death and Hell.

This, I say, will appear to be the person, whom S^t Paul sets forth in that so much mistaken Chapter, to any man who shall fairly consider those three Chapters, ob∣serving that help for the understanding of them which I have already offered.

But because this is a matter of highest importance, and I would not seem to shun any pains which may in probability make for the satisfaction of any, though but one single man, concerning this necessity of an a∣ctive obedience; I will here set down what I verily take to be the sense of those three Chapters (or so much at least of the sixth and eighth as makes for the under∣standing of the seventh) in this ensuing Paraphrase. Which I hope will not be altogether unuseful for com∣mon Readers, because they will thereby see what, as I take it, is the Apostles meaning, in full and at length here, whenas they read it more contracted and involved in their Bibles.

And to take our rise from thence, that being suffici∣ent for our present purpose, at the fourteenth Verse of the sixth Chapter thus the Apostle discourses:

* 5.1Hereafter now you are not in subjection under the Law of Moses, but under the Grace and Gospel of Christ.

But what then? Shall we serve sin,* 5.2 because we are not under the Law which condemns, though it cannot con∣quer it; but under Grace, which pardons it? God for∣bid that ever any of us, who are come now under the Gospel which proffers pardon for sins past, should think of refusing it all service for the time to come; and continue still to serve and obey sin, as much, or more than we did under the weak aids of the Law before it came. That we should continue to serve, by continu∣ing to obey it, I say, For

Know you not this,* 5.3 That to whom you yield your selves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey? So that there you will be judged to pay your service where you pay your obedience, whether that be in the performance of sin, unto the purchase of death; or of obedience, unto the obtaining of righteousness.

But whatever some licentious Renegado Christians may think of obeying, and so serving sin,* 5.4 after they have put themselves under subjection to Christ, who proffers to pardon it for the time past, only that he may thereby encourage them to leave it for the future: yet God be thanked that you for your parts have quite o∣ther apprehensions. For although indeed you were for∣merly in your time of Judaism, and subjection to the Law of Moses, the servants of sin: yet now, since your coming into subjection under Christ, ye have, together with your subjection, changed your service also, and have obeyed from the heart that New Gospel-Form of Doctrin, b 5.5 whereunto, or into the hands whereof, ye were delivered, when you were exempted from all subjection to the Law.

Being then,* 5.6 by this change of subjection from the Law, under which sin had power, to Christ's Gospel, which enables you to destroy it; made free from the service of sin; ye became, as the Subjects of Christ, so

likewise the servants of righteousness.* 5.7 And for this change of your service, together with the change of your subjection, there is all the reason in the World.

Whereof I will speak after the most moderate expe∣ctations,* 5.8 and equitable manner of men, because of the infirmities of your Flesh, whereby I know you are dis∣abled from making such high returns as the reason of the thing calls for. For this is the least that the mildest man would require in this Case, and yet it is all that God exacts of you; as ye have formerly, when you were subject to the Law, under which sin took so great advantage, yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity, unto the bringing forth still of more i∣niquity; even so in the same manner now, since you are become subject unto Christ, give the same fruits there of your subjection, and yield your members servants to righteousness, unto the encrease of greater holiness.

* 5.9This, as I say, is no more than you did upon your subjection to the other. For when ye were the servants of sin, and under subjection to his Law, ye were free from all that service of righteousness, which God expects of you now upon your subjection to a better Law.

* 5.10And as this change of your service, together with the change of your subjection, is most highly rea∣sonable; so let me tell you withal it is most beneficial. For when ye were subject to the Law, and thereby ser∣vants unto sin; what fruit had you then, either in en∣joyment or expectation, besides death and disgrace, in those things and services whereof you are most justly now ashamed? And not only so, for besides that one effect of shame, there is moreover another end of those things, and that is death too.

But now on the other side, being, by means of your subjection unto Christ,* 5.11 made free from the Law and Authority of sin, and become, as it is meet for Subjects,

servants unto God;* 5.12 you have your fruit at present unto holiness, and the end thereof at last everlasting life.

This difference there is, I say again, between the fruits of your former subjection and service,* 5.13 and those at present. For the wages of sin to its Subjects and Ser∣vants is death; but the gift of God to his is eternal life.

And this service of God, which gets you right to e∣ternal life, I must still tell you is owing to your being freed from subjection to the Law, under which you served sin; and to your becoming subject unto Christ.

For in the first place,* 5.14 as for your being freed from subjection to the Law, and being now no longer under it; that is very plain. For know you not, my Brethren, (for I speak to them that know the Law, or the nature and quality of those Laws which give one person in∣terest and power over another) how that the Law, when considered as a person that hath such power, hath domi∣nion over a man who is under it as long as he liveth indeed, or as it liveth in force to bind him, but no longer.

A mans subjection to a Law,* 5.15 is just like that of a Woman to her Husband; where, as we all know, the subjection ceaseth, and all the Laws pertaining to it, when her Husband dyes whom she was subject to. For the woman which hath an Husband, is bound indeed by the Law of that subjection to her Husband as long as he liveth; but if the Husband be dead, she is then no lon∣ger subject, but loosed from the Law of wedlock made in favour of her Husband, as she is from that subjecti∣on wherein it was founded.

So then if while her Husband liveth,* 5.16 during whose life all the Laws of Wedlock belonging to that subje∣ction are in force, she be married to another man; she shall be truly called an Adulteress; but on the other side, if her Husband be dead, that subjection, and all the Laws which could oblige her in it, are dead with him; and

she is free from the obligation of that Law which for∣bid her to marry another upon pain of being accounted an Adulteress;* 5.17 so that she is no Adulteress now, that Law being dead which made her so, though she be married to another man.

* 5.18And this is just your Case, the Law of Moses, which held you in subjection formerly, being dead and abo∣lished now by the Death and Doctrine of Christ; or you being dead to it, which comes to the same thing. Wherefore, my Brethren, ye also, as the woman is to the dead man (the Duties of this relation living or expiring at the same time on both sides equally) are become dead to the Law, which was your former Husband, (unto which therefore now you are no longer subject) by the body and sufferings of Christ crucified, who has abroga∣ted and c 5.19 abolished Moses's Law under which sin reign∣ed; which abolition of the Law he wrought for this end, that ye, by this death of it, being freed from all subjection to it, might now be married, and thereby be∣come subject to another, even to himself, who is raised from the dead to a state of d 5.20 absolute Authority and Do∣minion over us; to whom, I must tell you, we are e∣spoused for this purpose, ••••at upon becoming his Sub∣jects we should be freed ••••om our former sinful service; and, agreeable to our p••••sent subjection, perform ser∣vice, or bring forth fruit unto God.

* 5.21And this alteration of our subjection from the Law to himself, was necessary, as I said, for this altering of our service from sin to righteousness. Which is mani∣fest from comparing what we were formerly, with what we are at present. For when formerly we were in subje∣ction to the Flesh, or Law of Moses under which the Flesh had so great advantage, we generally felt, as they do now who are still under it, that the motions of sin, which were occasioned and strengthened by the weakness

and inability of the Law, which could not restrain them,* 5.22 did work such service and obedience to them in our members or bodily powers, as to bring forth fruit unto death.

But now, upon our becoming subject unto Christ, we are delivered from the subjection of the Law,* 5.23 whose weakness gave sin so great advantage over us, that Law, I say, being now dead and abolished, wherein, whilst we so served sin, we were held in subjection; which de∣liverance is vouchsafed us, as I said, for this end, that being made, not the Laws, but Christs Subjects now, we should answerably to that serve in newness of Spirit, or in such sort as the new Spirit and Grace of his Religion enables us, and not as we served formerly, un∣der our subjection to the Law, in the oldness of the let∣ter, or in those weak and ineffective degrees whereto the helpless letter of the old Law could assist us.

But upon what I say of this change of service from sin to God (which we have all felt upon our becoming Christians) being an effect of this change of subjection from the Law to Christ;* 5.24 some of you 'tis like may think, that the Law, which I affirm we sinned under, is aspersed and reproached by me, and thus object: What e 5.25 say we then? Is the Law, under which you say we sinned so much, and from which being now de∣livered, we have ceased to serve sin, the cause of sin to them who live under it? Now to this I must answer, God forbid that any man should either say or think so. No, we served sin under the Law, but yet the Law was no cause of sin. And both these all they who live under it feel in themselves, and must acknowledge. To avoid offence, suppose that I my self were this Sub∣ject of the Law now, as I was formerly; 'tis very true, as I have said, that I do serve sin under it; but is the Law the cause of it? By no means. Nay, so far is

the Law from causing or encouraging sin in me,* 5.26 that, on the contrary, it points it out to me, and forbids it. I had not known what things are sin, but by the help of the Law which shews it; for I had not known lust or concupiscence for instance, which is only in the heart, and not in the outward action, to be a sin, except the Law of the tenth Commandment had said expresly, thou shalt not covet.

* 5.27But for all the Law both shews and prohibits sin, and so can contribute nothing to produce, but rather to destroy it: yet I must truly tell you still, that whereas Sin has other causes more than enow that are sufficient to produce it; the Law is so weak and im∣perfect, as not to be able to hinder it. For in this in∣stance of Concupiscence especially, whereto in the Law there is no express punishment threatned, the sinfull in∣clinations of our flesh, which are cause enough of all sin, grow bold, and, hearing of no express threatning from it, will not be restrained by it. And by this means the Sin of Concupiscence taking occasion from the impunity of the Commandment, instead of being restrained by it, took liberty and presumed upon it; and so without all fear wrought and accomplished, or brought on to c 5.28 compleat action and practice, in me all manner of concupiscence. And seeing the Law only forbid, but could not restrain it, it helped on in the end rather to make, and let me see my self to be a sin∣ner, than to deliver me from sin; for without the pro∣mulgated Law, Sin was almost dead, being both little in it self, and less upon the Conscience. For the less knowledge there is of the Law, the less is there of sin in transgressing it, and also the less sense of it. And therefore, as I say, as for this instance of Concupiscence, which I had not known to be a Sin unless the Law had told me so; without the Law I had neither offended

so highly in it, nor had so great a sense of my offence.* 5.29

And this was found by experience in the men of our Nation. For any one of them, who was alive at the promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai, might say: I was alive to my thinking, and as to great degrees of that guilt which I contracted afterwards, without the Law once, or before such time as it was there proclaim∣ed to us: for till then I knew not lust to be a sin, and so, by reason of my ignorance, neither sinn'd so much in it, nor was so sensible of it as now I am; but when the Commandment came, and was plainly made known to me by Moses; then Sin, I say, which was only shewn and forbid, but could not be restrained by it, revived and begun to have the fulness of guilt and terrour in it, and I, thenceforward, being warn'd against it, and not being able to keep back from it, became liable to that death which is the wages of it, and died by it.

And thus the Law or Commandment,* 5.30 which was not only holy, and innocent in it self, but moreover in∣tended by God for my good, and ordained to life which it promised could I have obeyed it; I notwith∣standing found to be unto death to me, because that be∣came my due when I sinn'd against it.

Not as if the Law can be said to be the Author of death to me, more than it is of sin in me:* 5.31 For it was aim'd to destroy sin, which it shews and forbids; and to procure life, which it offers and promises. But the true cause of this effect so contrary to its intention, (viz.) its producing Sin and Death, whenas it was or∣dained to Holiness and Life, is its being, as I said be∣fore, weak, and unable by all its aids to conquer fully, and restrain that Sin which brings Death upon us; for it cannot subdue, but only shew and forbid it. And therefore our habitual Lusts finding themselves too strong for it, burst through it, and, in spite of all its

restraint, make us commit the one, and so become li∣able to the other.* 5.32 For in very deed it is not the Law, which is the cause of Death to me, but Sin it self, which, taking occasion or advantage by the literal and fancied impunity of the tenth Commandment, deceived me through a false hope into the commission of it; and by it made me in reality liable to that Death which is truly the wages of it, or in a word, slew me.

* 5.33Wherefore notwithstanding we sinn'd, yea, and died also during our subjection under the Law; yet for all that neither can our Sin, nor our Death be charged upon the Law it self; because, instead of contributing to them, it tends to destroy them, by expresly forbid∣ding the one, and offering to deliver us from the other. And therefore as for this difficulty that was made at the seventh verse against my saying, that we served Sin under the Law; (viz.) its following thence that the Law was the cause of our Sin and Death; this we see is quite taken off, and doth not follow at all. For al∣though we sinn'd, yea, and died too under the Law; yet was not the Law the cause of these, but the strength of our own Lusts. But the Law is holy still, and so no cause of sin; and the Commandment forbidding sin, and promising Life to the obedient, is not only holy, and just, but over and above that good too, and so no cause of death and suffering.

* 5.34But upon this you will say how was it then, that that which is so good in it self, as you say the Law is, should be made the cause of the greatest evil, even of Death unto me? Could it prove so to me if it were not so in it self? And to this I answer with abhorrence, God for∣bid that I should say the Law is Death. No, this Death as I have told you, is not the effect of the Law, for it was ordained to procure Life for me. But it was Sin, I say again, that was too strong for the Law, which could

only forbid,* 5.35 but was not able by all its aids to restrain it; this Sin it was, that it might appear Sin indeed, that went on working transgression unto Death in me, by ad∣vantage taken over that Law which is good, although not strong enough to overpower the setled habits of evil. And by this conquest of Sin over the good Law, which was set up as a bar against it, and should have destroy'd it, it appears to be most mischievous. For this comes of it, that Sin, by proving too hard for the Commandment, might by such prevailing over all that is set against it, be extremely heightned and aggravated, and become exceeding sinfull.

And that the Law should thus be worsted by Sin is no wonder. For we know, that although the Law,* 5.36 which commands, is spiritual, to shew and suggest better things; yet I, who am to obey, in that state of sensua∣lity and sin, wherein the Law finds me, and out of which it is too weak to rescue me, am carnal so as to serve sin notwithstanding it. Which I am to such a degree, as if I were sold under sin, and my actions were as much at its command, as the actions of a slave bought with money are at the command of his master. So that although the Law shews me that which is good, and commands me to perform it; yet cannot I obey it, in regard I am under anothers power, under the beck of sin.

And in very deed, to speak yet more particularly to this business, the good Law can,* 5.37 and doth produce good effects in the mind and conscience, which is the throne wherein it is seated; but still the law of sin, which is seated in the members or executive powers, prevails over it, and engrosseth all our actions: So that the utmost that it can ordinarily do with us, is to make us in our mind to disapprove sin; but when it hath done that, it cannot hinder us in our lives from pra∣ctising

it.* 5.38 And of this the complaints of those, who are subject to it, are a sufficient proof. For who is there among them for the most part, that is not ready to confess and cry out thus, that which through the prevailing power of my lusts I do in my practice; that, through the power of the Law, I allow not in my mind and conscience: for what, being excited by the Law, I would do; that, being hindred by sin, do I not; but what, from the Laws prohibiting, in my mind I hate and disapprove; that, from my own lusts forcing and overpowering me, in my actions still do I.

* 5.39And this by the way, as it is an evident argument of the weakness and inability of the Law to restrain sin; is also a clear testimony to the holiness and goodness of the Law it self, which shews plainly that it is no fa∣vourer, or author of Sin▪ as was objected, vers. 7. Be∣cause if even then when I do sin, I do not approve of it, but in doing so, I do what I would not; I thereby con∣sent in my own conscience unto the Law, and acknow∣ledge, by my approving what it commands▪ that it is good. Yea, I shew moreover that all that, which it produces and effects in me, is good also. For even when I do sin, sinning thus against my conscience, the sin can∣not in any wise be charged upon my conscience where the Law reigns, so as that the Law in my mind may be stiled the cause of sin, as it is vers. 7. but only upon the power of my habitual sin and fleshly lusts that reign in my members, which are so strong as that the law of my mind cannot restrain them.

And now then, (in this state of sinning thus with re∣gret,* 5.40 and against my conscience) even when I do sin, it is no more I, (or my mind and conscience that is go∣verned by the Law, and which may be called my self) that do it, seeing it disapproves it; but it is sin that dwells in me, and reigns in my members.

It must not be charged upon the Law in my mind,* 5.41 I say, but upon this inhabiting Sin which rules in my members. For I know, and confess freely that in that other part of me, that is to say in my flesh and mem∣bers, (which for all the Law rules in my mind, doth yet keep possession of my practice) dwells no good thing. Nay, on the contrary, there dwells so much evil as proves too strong for the good Law, restraining all its effect to the approbation of my mind, but not suffer∣ing it to influence my practice. Which we, as I said, who are subject to the Law find by sad experience. For almost every one of us feels, and must confess this, that to will upon the account of the Law, is present with me; but then how to perform that which is good af∣ter I have will'd it, that I find not.

For after the Law has done all that it can upon me,* 5.42 this is still true, that the good that, being instructed by the Law, I would do; that, being hindred by the pre∣valence of my lusts, I do not: but as for the evil, which, because of the prohibition of the Law, I would not do; that, being over-master'd by my lusts, I do.

But now all this while, as I said,* 5.43 if what my lusts make me practise, through the Law in my mind I do not approve; but in doing it, I do that which I would not; then 'tis clear, that my sinning cannot be charged upon the Law, as it is vers. 7. because it hinders it as far as it can. It cannot, I say, be attributed to that, for it is no longer I, or my mind and conscience, that do it; but to the power of habitual Sin which the good Law cannot conquer, to that sin which dwells and rules in me, i. e. in my bodily members.

And therefore to summ up all,* 5.44 I find another Law in my members opposite to the Law of God in my mind which strives against it, and prevails over it; and makes me practise contrary to what my mind approves. So

that when, being enclined by Gods Law, I would do good;* 5.45 then, being over-ruled by the law of sin, I can∣not, but evil is laid before me and present with me.

Gods Law, I say, I serve with the mind. For I de∣light in the Law of God after the inner man of my mind and conscience.* 5.46

* 5.47But all this while I only approve of it, but no more. For all the effect which it has upon me, is only to create a liking of it in my mind. But as for my practice and Outward performance, it is under anothers power. For I see another opposite Law, (viz.) that of Lust and Sin, which is seated in my bodily members, not only war∣ring against the Law of God in my mind, but conquer∣ing also and prevailing over it, bringing me into capti∣vity, that absolute sort of subjection and slavery, to practise the Law of Sin which is seated in my members.

And since I am so far enslaved to the Law of Lust and Sin when the Law of God undertakes me,* 5.48 that even that Law it self, which God has appointed for my remedy, is not able to rescue and deliver me: I have too great reason to cry out, O! wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me, since this Law given me by Moses is not able to do it, from the slavery and misery of this body of death.

* 5.49This indeed was our condition under the Law, which shews at once the Laws holiness and goodness, and withall its inability and weakness; because notwith∣standing it offer'd some Grace, yet was not that enough, but that during our subjection under it we commonly served sin still. But now as for that slavish service of sin, which a bare Jew, who has no other help against it but Moses's Law, complains of, and longs to be deli∣vered from: that, as I told you at first, we Christians, through the surpassing Grace of Christs Gospel, are de∣livered from already. So that to such a complaining

Jew as I have here personated,* 5.50 I Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ can readily make answer. Alter your sub∣jection, and you shall alter your service too; for in becoming subject unto Christ instead of the Law, you shall become servants of God instead of serving sin. I thank God there is a way now in Christ for such deli∣verance, or, as it is read by some copies, f 5.51 the Grace of God which comes through Jesus Christ our Lord shall deliver you, although the Law could not which came by Moses. But without this Grace I must still tell you that the Law it self will not generally have any such effect upon you; seeing, as I said, it will only awaken your conscience, but not reform your practice. So then, to shut up this discourse, this you must still conclude upon, that whilst you continue subject to the Law, you will serve sin in your practice, however you may dis∣approve it in your minds. For I my self, or the g 5.52 same I under the Law, who with the mind, as has been of∣ten observed, serve, in approving, the Law of God; do yet with the flesh, so long as it has nothing else but the Law to restrain it, serve, in practising, the Law of Sin.

But to return to what I said, vers. 5, 6. of the last Chapter,* 5.53 from whence we have hitherto diverted to answer this objection. I say having by this passage from subjection to the Law, to subjection unto Christ upon the Laws being abolished, changed our service together with our subjection, and become servants now, not unto Sin, but unto Christ: All we Christians are safe from that Death which the Law of the members brought forth fruit to (Chap. 7. vers. 5.) and have right to that Eternal Life, which as I said, is the gift of God to all his servants (Chap. 6. vers. 22, 23.) So that what reason soever a poor Jew under the Law, who serves and o∣beys Sin, may have to cry out of the body of Death: yet we Christians, who began to serve God upon our

becoming subject unto Christ,* 5.54 may comfort our selves to see that we are delivered from it. And therefore whatever there be to a striving, but yet unconquering Jew, there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus's Religion, because they are such who have changed their service together with their subjection, and walk not now after the Flesh, as they did formerly whilst the Law held them in subjection, but after the Spirit.

* 5.55This change of service, I say, is wrought in all true Christians by the Law of Christ, although it could not generally be wrought in the Jews by the bare Law of Moses. For the Law and power of the Spirit of life which is given to us in Christ Jesus, and is expresly promised in his ‖ 5.56 Religion though it were not in the Law of Moses; that enabling Spirit, I say, hath made me Christian free from the so often mentioned Law of sin, and from the punishment of it, Death.

For what the Law of Moses could not do towards our deliverance from the service of sin,* 5.57 in that it was too weak through the overpowering wickedness of the Law of lust in the Flesh; even that hath God done in send∣ing his own Son Jesus Christ in the likeness of sinful Flesh, and in making him a * 5.58 Sacrifice for sin, that in his death he might found his own Religion, whereby he hath condemned and destroyed, what the Law of Mo∣ses was overcome by, viz. the Law of sin seated in the Flesh.

So that by the help of Christs Law perfecting what the Law of Moses wanted,* 5.59 the righteousness which was shown to us and required of us in the Book of the Law of Moses, might be performed and fulfilled in us Christians, although it was not ordinarily in the bare Jews, because we are such, who being Christs Subjects, must be his Servants likewise, and in our works and practice walk not after the

lusts of the Flesh, but after the motions of the Spirit.

Thus have I given a Paraphrase upon this involved, and so much mistaken Chapter. Wherein I have large∣ly, and, as I hope, truly represented the Apostles mean∣ing, his design and manner of arguing in this place. In all which we see he intends not at all to give a Chara∣cter of himself, or of any other regenerate man, but on∣ly of a midling Sinner, who sins against his Conscience, and transgresses with reluctance. Which Transgressor of a middle rank he particularly represents under the person of an awaked, but as yet unregenerate Jew; who was one on whom the Law of Moses had wrought some change, but could not work enough; being able only to awaken his Conscience, but not to reform his practice.

So that all that is there said in that seventh Chapter of willing but not performing, &c. only sets off the weakness and imperfection of the Law of Moses as to the making men compleatly obedient; and the perfection as to this particular of the Law of Christ.

The Law of Moses was unable to work a general re∣formation by reason of several defects, two whereof I shall particularly mention, which in the Religion of Christ are fully supplied; and they are the great mo∣tive to all obedience, eternal life; and the great encou∣ragement of all endeavour, the promise of the Spirit.

Eternal life are words that are never heard of in all Moses's Law. Indeed the good people under it had all some rude thoughts and confused expectations of it; but the Law it self did no where clearly and expresly propose it. Whereof this may serve for a probable proof, be∣cause a whole Sect among them, the Sadducees I mean, did flatly deny it; and this for an undeniable Argument, because those very * 5.60 places of the Law, which are

brought to confirm it by those Jewish Doctors that are most for it, are in all appearance so remote from it. Nay even our Saviour himself, when he goes to prove it against the Sadducees out of the Books of Moses, can find no other Testimonies for it, than such as are fetched about to speak it by art, and brought to it by con∣sequence, Luke 20.37, 38. So that well might S^t Paul say in triumph over all other Religions in the World, That life and immortality were brought to light by the Gospel, 2 Tim. 1.10. And in the comparison of that Covenant which came by Moses, with that other which came by Christ; to affirm that the Covenant which came by Christ was the bringing in of a better hope, Heb. 7.19; and a better Covenant, for this reason, because it was established upon better promises, Heb. 8.6.

And then as for the promise of the Spirit to enable men to do what was required of them; of that Mo∣ses made no mention. By this Law, as S^t Paul says, was the knowledge of sin, Rom. 3.20. It shewed men what they should do, and denounced a ‖ 5.61 Curse upon them if they failed to do it; but it stopt there, and went not on to promise any inward Grace and help that might enable them to be as good as it required them. No, the promise of that was reserved to another dis∣pensation, and to be the hope of a better Covenant; it was not to come by Moses, but by Christ; nor to be an express Article of the Law, but of the Gospel. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, saith the Apostle, that now, being under the Gospel, we might receive the promise of the Spirit, which comes not by the Law of Moses, but through the Faith of Christ, Gal. 3.13, 14. The Law, by its prohibition, made several actions to be sinful, it shewed us what was sin, and it threatned the curse to it; but that was all that it did towards the extirpation of it; for, as for any inward

strength and ability to overcome it, it offered none, but left us there to our own selves. And because sin was too strong for us, and had got possession of our Bodies and executive Powers, insomuch that we were quite enslaved to it, and as it were sold under it: therefore the Law, by making more things sinful through its prohibition, and not strengthening us against sin through spiritual assistance, instead of lessening the Empire of sin, proved in the end to encrease it. For our lusts not being restrained by it, and more of them becoming sinful by being prohibited; when the Law entred, as S^t Paul says, the offence did more abound, Rom. 5.20; and the Law be∣came, not the bane and overthrow of sin; but, by ma∣king its services more numerous, it was rather, as the same Apostle says, the strength of it, 1 Cor. 15.56. And forasmuch as the Law did only thus outwardly shew and reveal sin to our eyes, but brought along with it no∣thing of inward Grace and assistance to help us against it; therefore is it called a Letter without us; opposite to the Grace of the Gospel, which is an enlivening Spi∣rit within. And since it did nothing more but out∣wardly shew and threaten sin, but did not inwardly as∣sist and rescue us from it; it served only to condemn us for what we did, from the doing whereof it brought no inward Grace to hinder us; and so proved the mi∣nistration of death and condemnation, not of life and pardon. All which is plainly affirmed of it in the third Chapter of the second Epistle to the Corinthians. God, says S^t Paul, hath made us Apostles ministers of the New Testament, or * 5.62 Covenant, not of the external Letter only, as Moses and the Ministers of the Law were; but of the internal Spirit also. For the Letter or old Law shews sin, and curses men upon the breach of that which they cannot keep, and thereby kills them; but the Spirit or new Law enables them to do what it com∣mands,

and thereby giveth right to life, which is the mercy that it promises. That was the ministration of condemnation; for it shewed men the curse which it did not enable them to shun: this is the ministration of ju∣stification and righteousness, which it both promises and enables them to attain to, ver. 6, 7, 8, 9.

'Tis very true indeed, that several of the Jews them∣selves under the Law of Moses, had really such assistan∣ces of Gods Spirit, as enabled them to do, as well as to know what was required of them. For David in all his life and behaviour was a man after Gods own heart, 1 Sam. 13.14. Zacharias and Elizabeth, as to their walking in all the Commandments of the Lord, were blame∣less, Luke 1.6. And the Case was the same with a num∣ber of other honest and godly Jews.

But then this assistance which they enjoyed was no Article of their Law; although God afforded it, yet had their Law no where promised it, nor was he bound to it by the Mosaical Covenant. For in very truth all this inward Spirit which was vouchsafed to them, was reached out, not by virtue of the Covenant of the Law, but of the Covenant of Grace. For the Covenant of Grace was not first made with the World when Christ came into it; but was established long before with A∣dam, Gen. 3.15; and after that confirmed again with Abraham, and all his Seed after him, Gen. 12.3. Gal. 3.8, 17. So that under it, as well as under Moses, all the Jews lived; and by the gracious terms and assisting Spirit of it, all the righteous people, that have been since the beginning of the World, were justified. It being, as S^t Paul says, by faith, which is the righteous∣ness of the second Covenant, that the Elders who lived before the Law, obtained a good report, Heb. 11.2; and that the Jews, who lived under it, were delivered and justified from all things, from which they could * 5.63 not be ju∣stified

by any virtue of the Law of Moses, Acts 13.39. And therefore that which the Apostle affirms of the defe∣ctiveness of the Mosaick Law, viz. its having no promise of the Spirit to enable men to do what it commanded, is true still. For the Law did not promise it, although several both before and under the Law enjoyed it: but they who had the benefit of it, received it, not from the Covenant of the Law, but from the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel, which has been more or less on foot through all times ever since the World began.

And in this Covenant, since Christ has given us the last Edition and perfection of it, both these great defects of the Mosaick Law, which rendered it so unable to work this intire reformation and obedience, are fully supplied. For in every Page of Christ's Gospel, what is so legible as the promise of eternal life? The joys of Heaven are as much insisted on by Christ, as the delights of Canaan were by Moses. And then as for the other promise, viz. that of the Spirit; it is now as plainly re∣vealed as words can make it. For we need not to guess at it by signs, or to presume it from probabilities, or to believe it upon Syllogism and consequence: but Christ has spoke out so as to be understood by every capacity, —God will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him, Luke 11.13.

Now because the Law of Moses laboured under these two great defects, which are happily supplied by the Gospel of Christ, by reason whereof it was very una∣ble to effect that reformation of the World which was necessary; therefore doth the Apostle in several places speak very meanly of it, as of a weak and ineffective In∣strument. He affirms plainly, and proves also, That it neither could nor did make men throughly good; and that therefore God was forced in the fulness of time to make known, and, in Christ's death, to establish a better.

If there had been a Law given by Moses which could have given life, then, saith he, verily righteousness should not have needed to be sought by another Covenant; but have been by the Law. But this we see it could not, for the Scripture hath concluded all those who lived under it to be still under the dominion of sin, that so, since the Law of Moses could not do it, the promise of eternal life, of the Spirit, and of other things which we have by the faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to work and effect it to those that believe, Gal. 3.21, 22. Something indeed the Law did towards it, for it armed their consci∣ences against sin, so that they could not take their full swing, and transgress without all fear and remorse. And this was some restraint, and kept them from be∣ing so ill by far as otherwise they would have been, although it was not able to make them so good as they should. And to lay this hank upon sin, and to check it in some measure, till such time as the Gospel should be more clearly revealed to subdue it perfectly, was that very end for which the Law was at first given, and whereto, so long as it was in force, it served. Wherefore, saith he, serveth the Law of Moses? It was added to the rude draught of the Gospel-Covenant made with Abraham, because of the transgressions of men which grew very high, that it might in some degree re∣strain them, till Jesus Christ the seed of Abraham should come, to whom, as to the head and in behalf of his Church, the promise of such Grace as would restrain it fully was made. And to fit it the more for imprint∣ing an awe upon peoples Consciences, whereby it might lay this restraint upon sin, it was ordained at the first giving of it by terrible fire and thundrings made by the Angels, which were so dreadful, that the people desi∣red of God that those formidable Angels might be no more employed in delivering it to them, but that it

might be put into the hands of another Mediator, (viz.) Moses, who was a man like unto themselves, Gal. 3.19. But although this restraint upon Sin were something, yet was it far from sufficient; so that still it is true of the Law of Moses, that notwithstanding it could begin, yet it could finish and make nothing * 5.64 perfect; but that it was the bringing in of a better hope than was warrant∣ed by the Law, which should do that, Heb. 7.19. And as for this imperfection and faultiness, which the Apo∣stle imputes to the first Covenant or Law of Moses in these and other places; it is nothing more, as he ob∣serves, than God himself has charged upon it, when he speaks of establishing a better instead of it. For if the first Covenant by Moses had been faultless, and void of imperfection; then should no place have been sought for the introduction of the second, which it is plain there was. For finding fault with them for their breach of the first Covenant, he saith (in Jer. 31.31.) the dayes come when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel, such as shall make me to be for ever unto them a God; and enable them to be unto me an obedient People, Heb. 8.7, 8, 9, 10.

Now this Inability of the Law of Moses to work a compleat conquest over sin, and a thorow reformation, which the Apostle affirms so clearly in these other places, he sets out more largely and particularly in that seventh Chapter to the Romans. For from the beginning of this Discourse, which I have taken at the 14^th Verse of the 6^th Chapter, to the end of it at the 5^th vers. of the 8^th; this weakness and inability of the Law is that still which is every where endeavour'd to be made out, and which returns upon us as the conclusion and inference from every argument. Sin must not have dominion o∣ver you, saith he, because you are not under the Law, where is the place of its reigning, but under the Grace

of Christ, at the 14. verse of the 6^th Chapter. And in the 7^th it is taken notice of at every turn. When you were in the flesh (or under the Law, which, from its consisting so much of Carnal Ordinances, and giving the flesh so much advantage, is called flesh, Galat. 3.3.) the motions of sin, which were encouraged by the weakness of the Law, brought forth fruit unto death: but now be∣ing delivered from the weak Law, you serve in newness of spirit, not as you did then, in the oldness of the let∣ter, vers. 5, 6. Sin taking occasion or advantage over the weak Commandment, wrought in me all manner of con∣cupiscence, vers. 8. When the weak Commandment came, sin revived, and I died, vers. 9. Sin taking occasion or advantage by the Commandment, slew me, vers. 11. by which prevailing over the Commandment it appears to be exceeding sinfull, vers. 13. And at the end of the discourse at the 8^th Chapter, we are told again of the Law of Moses being weak through the conquering power of the flesh, which made it necessary for God to send his own Son with a better Law, which was strong enough to rescue us not of the dominion of it, vers. 3, 4.

So that upon the whole matter it plainly appears, that all that is said in that seventh Chapter of willing but not doing, of sinning against conscience, and trans∣gressing with regret; doth not at all set forth the sava∣ble state of a true Christian under the Gospel of Christ; but only the state of a midling sinner, of a lost Jew who only struggles but cannot conquer, being yet un∣der the weakness and imperfections of the Mosaick Law.

Nay, I add further, So far is any man who conti∣nues to work and act his sin, from having any real grounds of hope and encouragement from this place in so doing: that in very deed, if he rightly consider it, it will possess him with the quite contrary. It holds

out to him a sentence of death, and shews him plainly the absolute necessity, not only of a willing, but also of a working obedience. For the man who disobeys thus unwillingly, and sins with regret, is so far from being in a state of Life and Salvation notwithstanding his sins, that he is here expresly said to be undone and slain by them. The motions of sin under the law bring forth fruit unto death, vers. 5. when sin revived by the coming of the Commandment, I died, vers. 9. The Commandment which was ordained unto life, I on the contrary found to be unto death, vers. 10. Sin taking occasion and advan∣tage by the Commandment, slew me, vers. 11. Sin wrought death in me by that Law which is good, vers. 13. O! wretched man that I am by reason of this subjection un∣to sin, who shall deliver me from this body of Sin and Death, vers. 24.

But on the other side, if we would belong to Christ, and appear such Servants as he will own and reward at last; we are taught in this very place that we must not be worsted by sin, but overcome it; that we must not work evil, but righteousness; that we must not walk af∣ter those sinfull lusts which are seated in the flesh, but after the Law of God which is enthroned in the Spirit. Sin shall not have dominion over you if you are under Grace, Chapter 6.14. Now yield your members ser∣vants unto righteousness, vers. 19. you are become sub∣ject, and as it were married to Christ, that you should bring forth fruit to God, Chap. 7. vers. 4. Now being delivered from the Law, we must serve, not sin, as we did under it, but God in newness of spirit, vers. 6. The Grace of God through Jesus Christ hath delivered me from this body of death, vers. 24, 25. The Law of the spi∣rit of life in Christ Jesus, when I became truly and ac∣ceptably Christian, hath made me free from the law of Sin and Death, Chap. 8. vers. 2. So that the righteous∣ness

of the Law, which it was not able to work in me, is now, by means of the Gospel, wrought and fulfilled in me; for since I came under it, I am one who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, vers. 4.

So that all the while we see, this is a Truth most sure and stedfast, which S^t Paul is so far from opposing in this seventh Chapter to the Romans, that in reality he avers and confirms it, (viz.) that if we do commit sin and work iniquity, it will not excuse us to say that we did it unwillingly. The regret in sinning may be allow∣ed, as was shewn in the last Chapter, to lessen our crime, and thereby to abate our punishment; but that is all which it can do, for it cannot quite exempt us from it.

And thus at last we see, that this fourth ground of shifting off the necessity of this service with our actions, (viz.) our hope of being saved at the last day, although we have not obeyed in our works, but have wrought dis∣obedience, because when we did so, it was with reluctance and unwillingness; is no less delusive than are all the former. It will certainly fail any man who trusts to it, and, if he will not see it before, make him know the falseness of it, when it is too late to rectifie and amend it.

As for all those foundations therefore whereupon men build their hopes of a happy sentence, without ever obeying with their strength or bodily powers, (viz.) the conceit of being saved for Orthodox Opinions, for ineffective desires, for never transgressing but through a strong temptation, or with an unwilling mind: they are all false grounds, snares of death, and inlets to damna∣tion.

But as ever we expect that our obedience should a∣vail us unto Pardon and Life, we must obey with our strength or bodily powers, as well as with our wills, our passions, and our understandings. If we would have

God at the last day to approve our service, and to re∣ward and justifie our obedience, this, and nothing less than this must be done towards it. We must not only desire, but do; it is not enough to will and approve, but we must work and practise what is commanded us. We must not barely think right in our minds, or desire with our affections, or choose with our wills; but, as the Perfection and Crown of all, we must put to our strength and executive powers, and work the will of God in our lives and actions. Without this, if we have life and opportunity, all other things will signifie nothing. For it is he who doth good, saith S^t John, who will be looked upon to be of God, 3 Joh. 11. Little children, saith the same Apostle, let no man deceive you, for it is only he who * 5.65 doth righteousness, who in Gods judge∣ment is righteous, 1 Joh. 3.7. It is this service of our strength or bodily powers, in our outward works and operations, which makes up our duty, and secures our reward: Blessed are they that do his Commandments, for they only have right to the great reward, the Tree of Life, Revel. 22.14.

But on the other side, if we do evil, and work ini∣quity; no service of our other faculties can stand us in any stead, but in Gods account we shall be esteemed wicked wretches, children of wrath, and heirs of destru∣ction. For the words of our Saviour Christ himself, who is to judge of it, are vehement and plain. Verily, verily I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the ser∣vant of sin, Joh. 8.34. He who commits sin is of the devil, for whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, but a child of the devil, 1 Joh. 3.8, 10. And as this working wickedness, howsoever we are against it in our thoughts and desires, makes us, in Gods account, sons of sin and disobedience; so will it be sure to render us withall children of wrath and destruction. If you live

after the flesh, saith S^t Paul, you shall die, Rom. 8.13. And whatever men think in their minds, or desire in their hearts, or profess in their words to the contra∣ry; if for all that they have sinned impenitently in their actions, Christ has told them plainly that he will pronounce, when he comes to sit as their Judge, —Depart from me all ye that work iniquity, Mat. 7.23.

As for this fourth faculty therefore, our strength or bodily powers in outward works and operations; it is one necessary ingredient of an entire obedience. The service of our works is indispensably required to our pardon and happiness, as well as the service of our minds, our wills, and our affections; so that as ever we hope to live, our obedient thoughts and desires must end in an obedient practice.

And thus at last we see what those powers or facul∣ties are, whose concurrence in Gods Service is necessa∣ry to make up an entire obedience. We must obey all the particular Laws that are recounted in the for∣mer Book with our whole man, both with our minds, and souls, and hearts, and strength: all these several powers must unite in Gods Service, before it will be upright and compleat, such as at present his Law requires, and such as at the last day he will accept of.

CHAP. V. Of the second sort of integrity, an integrity of times and seasons.

The CONTENTS.

Of the second sort of Integrity, viz. that of Times and Sea∣sons. Of the unconstancy of many mens obedience. Per∣severance necessary unto bliss. The desperate case of A∣postates, both as to the difficulty of their recovery from sin, and the greatness of their punishment.

BUt besides the Integrity of our powers and facul∣ties, or the Integrity of the Subject, whereof I have discoursed hitherto; there is a second sort of Integrity which is plainly necessary to make our obedience avail∣able to our salvation at the last day; and that is an Integrity of seasons and opportunities, or our obeying the forementioned Laws, not now, and then, but at all times.

We must not think to please God by an obedience that comes and goes by fits; or by serving him only at such times as we are in humour, or have no temptation to the contrary. But our service of him must be con∣stant and uniform, we must obey him at all times, and wilfully transgress in none. For although all other things have their proper season, yet sin has not; it is alwayes forbidden, and alwayes threatned; so that when∣soever we commit it, it puts us under the curse, and makes us liable to death and hell.

Some indeed there are who parcel out their time, and divide it betwixt God and their sins. They ob∣serve a constant course of transgressing and repenting, of sin and sorrow. For they are alwayes won when they are tempted, and they are alwayes sorrowfull when they have done. They are all holy purpose and good resolution before they are tryed; but when the tem∣ptation comes they can make but a poor resistance, for all their good thoughts quickly vanish, and they are taken. They are never constant either in pious pur∣posing, or in well-doing. Their actions are not all of a piece, but a medly of good and bad; for they still keep on in an uninterrupted vicissitude and succession of works of obedience and sin.

Others again there are who act more agreeably to themselves, and, whilst they are for God, are more con∣stant in their obedience; who yet fall off at last, and sin against him for altogether. For either they grow faint and weary by the tediousness and length of their journey; or they are turned out of the way by some great difficulties; or drawn aside by the importunate allurements of some temptation: and when once by any of these wayes they are put beside their duty, they turn their backs thenceforward upon God, and never more obey him. They are seduced by ill company, or drawn away by interest, or frighted by persecution; and from that time their care slackens, and their lusts encrease, and grow too hard for Grace and the Go∣spel. And thus, what from inducements from with∣in, and what from occasions from without, they are quite cut off from the service of God and Religion, and give themselves up to serve their lusts for altoge∣ther, and to an uninterrupted obedience of sin.

But now as for such a broken service and obedience as this; God will by no means accept of it, nor shall any

man be ever the better by it. For when Christ comes to Judgment, he will pass Sentence upon men according to what they are then, and not according to what they have been formerly. If the righteous man turn away from his righteousness, saith Ezekiel, and commit iniquity, and do according to all that the wicked man doth; shall he live? No, by no means. For all his righteousness that he hath done formerly shall not be mentioned, but in his trespass that he hath since trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned; in them shall he dye, Ezek. 18.24. It is only if you continue in my Word, saith our Saviour, that you are my Disciples indeed, John 8.31. You must perse∣vere in obedience if you expect to have the reward of it. For he only who endures to the end shall be saved, Matth. 10.22; and none but they, who by PATIENT CONTINVANCE in well doing seek for Glory and Immortality, shall inherit eternal life, Rom. 2.6, 7. Perseverance is the indispensable condition of bliss, we cannot have it cheaper; Be thou faithful unto death, and then, saith Christ, I will give thee a Crown of life, Rev. 2.10.

But as for all those who fall off from a good course, and turn Apostates from obedience; their case is despe∣rate, and their condition extreamly damnable. For they grow wicked to the highest degree, and their state is almost irrecoverable. They have, by their con∣tinued rebellion and provocations in spite of all the suggestions of Gods Grace, and the checks of their own Conscience, not only grieved, but even quench∣ed the Spirit of God. So that God, for the most part, leaves them to themselves, and seeks no further to re∣duce them. For if men are idle, and will not use it; and much more if they scornfully cast it from them, and reject it; Christ hath told us plainly that the Grace which any man hath shall be taken from him, Matth. 25.

29. And when once God and his good Spirit have de∣serted them, they are under nothing but an unbridled lust, and run on, without all restraint, into an exorbi∣tant pitch of wickedness.

And this any man may easily observe in the world. For who is usually so evil as the backsliding Sinner? Who is ordinarily so irrecoverable as the Apostate Saint? They are quite lost to all goodness, and sin beyond all bounds and past all retrieve. No Creatures in the World were ever so much out of all capacity to be re∣stored to Heaven, as those Angels that fell from it; and no men on Earth are so hardly reclaimed from a wicked to a holy life, as they who once knew what it was, and yet utterly renounced it. For God for the most part lets them alone to enjoy their own choice, and to go on in their own way; and the good Spirit, which has been almost quenched by them, contends no more with them, nor acts any more upon them. They have trampled already upon all spiritual aids, and benummed and silenced their own Consciences, and quite hardened themselves in their wickedness; so that now they have nothing to hinder them, but ad∣vance to work all manner of sin with greediness and wantonness, and thereby fall under the severest curse that can be met with in Hell and damnation.

And as for this progress of all Renegado Saints and revolting Sinners, both in sin, and also in suffering; the Scripture is express and plain. When the unclean Spirit, which is once gone out of a man, returns into him again, says our Saviour, he taketh unto himself seven other Spirits, which are more wicked than he himself is, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is made worse in all respects by this means, than the first, Matth. 12.43, 44, 45. The man becomes a greater Sinner, and a greater Sufferer than otherwise

he ever would have been. For if after men have once escaped the pollution of the world, through the knowledg of Christ's Gospel, they are again entangled therein, and o∣vercome by it; then is the latter end worse with them than the beginning. For it had really been by much the better for them not to have known the way of righteousness at all; than after they have known and walked in it, to put such a slur upon it, and to revolt and turn from the holy Commandment, which was delivered unto them, and for some time embraced by them, 2 Pet. 2.20, 21.

As for an obedience then which goes but half way, and breaks off before it has got to the end: so far is it from availing us unto pardon and life, that in very deed it renders our present case more desperate, and our fu∣ture punishment more insupportable.

But that obedience which God will accept, and in which alone we may safely place our confidence; must be, as of our whole man, so of our whole time likewise. We must persevere in it through all Seasons, and take care both to live and dye in it. For our reward will be dispensed out to us according to the nature of our ser∣vice at the time of payment, and he only, as our Savi∣our says, that endureth to the end shall be saved, Matth. 10.22.

CHAP. VI. Of the third sort of integrity, viz. that of the Object; or of obedience to all the particular Laws and parts of Duty.

The CONTENTS.

Of the partiality of mens obedience from their love of some particular sins. Three pretences whereby they justifie the allowed practice of some sins, whilst they are obedient in some other instances. The first pretence is the preser∣vation of their Religion and themselves in times of per∣secution. A particular account of mens disobedience un∣der this pretence. The vanity of it shown from the fol∣lowing considerations. Religion needs not to be rescued from persecution. The freedom of outward means of Religion is restrained by it, but the substance of Religi∣on it self is not. It is extended in some parts, and ennobled in all by sufferings. Where it needs to be defen∣ded, disobedience is no fit means to preserve it, because God cannot be honoured, nor Religion served by it. Religion and the love of God is only the colour; but the true and real cause of such disobedience is a want of Religion, and too great a love of mens own selves. Men are liable to be deceived by this pretence from a wrong Notion of Religion for religious opinions and professions. A true Notion of Religion for religious practice upon a religious belief, as it implies both faith and obedience. The danger of disobedience upon this pretence. The practice of all religious men in this case. Of Religion in the narrow acceptation, for religious professions and

opinions. The commendable way of mens preserving it. First, By acting within their own sphere. Secondly, By the use only of lawful means. Thirdly, By a zeal in the first place for the practice of religious Laws, and next to that for the free profession of religious o∣pinions.

BUT to render our service perfectly intire and compleatly upright, it is not enough that there be an integrity of the Subject, by our obeying with all our powers; or an integrity of time, by our obeying in all Sea∣sons; of which two I have discoursed hitherto: but it is further necessary that there be an integrity of the Ob∣ject also; or that what we do thus obey with our whole man, and our whole time, be nothing less than all the particular Laws of Duty and instances of Obedience; no∣thing under the whole will of God.

We must not a 5.66 pick and chuse in the doing of our Duty, for if we do not obey all, we obey not b 5.67 right in any. Because all the Laws of God are bound upon us by the same power, and enjoyned by the same Au∣thority; so that if we fulfil any one upon this account of his having required it, the same reason holds for our fulfilling all the rest.

This indeed is very hardly believed, because it is so hard to practise. For almost every man has some sin or other, which he can as well dye as part with: It has got his heart, and is become the Master of his affe∣ctions; and since he loves it so dearly, he hopes that God will bear with it too. He will part with any thing else for Gods sake, he will not stick at any other ser∣vice, nor repine at any other imposition; all that he

craves is only to be tolerated in his Darling Lust, and to be allowed to serve him without cutting off what is as useful as his right hand, or pulling out what is as dear to him as his own right eye, to please him.

And when men are thus desirous of reconciling the service of God with the service of their lusts; when they are resolved to hope, and yet resolved to sin: they have no other way but to perswade themselves that the keeping of some Precepts shall attone for the transgression of others, and to bear up themselves with the delusive hopes and false confidences of a partial and a half obedience. They presently forge new terms of life and pardon which God never made, and which he will never stand to: for finding that they do not perform all his Laws, and yet resolving that what they do per∣form shall be sufficient for them; they straightway fansie that if they do keep some, for the rest they shall have a Dispensation. It shall be enough for them to part with such lusts for Gods sake as they can best spare; but some they will keep, and them he must al∣low; and so instead of a perfect and intire, they put him off with a partial and a maimed service.

Now this partiality of obedience is in so many kinds, as men have sins that are endeared to them, which they will not leave for God's sake, but join with him. For every beloved sin can make an interest and Party, and if it reign in us so far as to make us fulfil it, and to dis∣obey in it, our obedience in other things is all that we have to shew besides, and therefore it must be our ex∣cuse for it.

And this being an errour of such eternal moment, and a Rock whereupon all the souls, which miscarry under any appearances of piety, are split; I will be particular in recounting and evacuating those colours and pretences wherewith men deceive their own souls,

and think that they justifie and defend it.

Now as for those false grounds and pretensions, whereby men seek to shelter themselves under the pra∣ctice of such bosome-sins as they overlook, because they have no mind to leave them, hoping to be secured, whilst they continue in them, because of their obedi∣ence in other parts of Duty, which is a partial obedi∣ence: Those pretensions, I say, which are most plead∣able in this matter, are these that follow, viz. because their indulgence of themselves in those instances wherein they disobey is either upon one or more of these accounts.

1. For the preservation of their Religion and of them∣selves in times of danger and persecution.

2. For the supply of their necessities, by sinful arts, compliances and services, in times of want and indi∣gence.

3. For the satisfaction of their Flesh in sins of temper and complexion, age, or way of life.

1. The first pretence whereby men justifie to their own thoughts the indulged transgression of several Laws, whilst they obey in others; is because those transgressions, wherein they allow themselves, are neces∣sary for the preservation of their Religion and of themselves in those times of danger and persecution, wherein Gods Providence has placed them.

Religion is in danger, and like to be undermined by the close and subtle arts, or overborn by the more open and powerful violence of strong and witty Enemies. And this is Gods Cause, and Christ our Lord and Savi∣ours interest; so that whatever is done here, we think is in service of our Maker. If we fight, it is his bat∣tles; if we spitefully persecute and devour, it is his e∣nemies; if we rob and spoil, it is to weaken his adversa∣ries; if we lye and dissemble, it is to defeat the designs

of such as he will call Rebels; if we transgress in all the instances, and use all the lawless liberties of war, it is because we are engaged in his quarrel. The Cause which we contend for, and have to manage, is sacred; and that we believe will justifie all means, and hallow any services whatsoever. So that our heat and fierceness, wrath and bitterness, envy and malice, revenge and cruel∣ty, endless strife and ungovernable variance, spoils and rob∣beries, seditions and murthers, wars and tumults: in a word, all the transports of passion and peevishness, an∣ger and ill nature, rigour and revenge, are all sacred un∣der this Cover; and pass for holy zeal and pious vehe∣mence, and religious concern for God; whenas, in reali∣ty, they are a most impious throwing off, and bursting through all the Tyes of Religion, and Bonds of Duty to∣wards men.

All these enormous effects and horrible instances of an indulged disobedience, are at this Day the conse∣quents of this pretension.

For some on one hand, who call us Hereticks, and ene∣mies to Christ and holy Church, think no means sinful whereby they can weaken and divide, seduce, surprize, or any way destroy us. For they esteem it lawful to dissemble under all shapes to gain a Proselyte, or to dis∣affect a Party to our Communion and Government. They act a part and play the Hypocrite in all Disguises, and un∣der cover of all Trades, the better to insinuate them∣selves among all sorts of men; they will affirm falshood, even of their own Church, when it serves their turn; and deny any Doctrines, Precepts, or Parts of it, when they are a scandal to the persons whom they would pra∣ctise upon, and make against them. They make no conscience of lyes and perjuries in conversation, when thereby they can promote the Churches interest. For they have found out ways to deceive without lying, and

to lye without sin, and to forswear without perjury, and to perjure themselves without danger; by their pious frauds, and religious arts of equivocations, mental reser∣vations, dispensations, pardons and indulgences. They can be treacherous and faithless without breach of faith, if it were made to Hereticks; they assassinate and mur∣ther Magistrates, embitter and embroil Subjects against their Governours, and against one another; they conspire the death of Kings, the confusion and fall of Kingdoms, the ruine of all that dare oppose them, yea even of all that differ from them. And all this they do for Christ's sake, in a zealous concern for God and Religion, and for the utter extirpation of all heresie and schism. It is this pretence which bears them out through all, and makes them believe that they are serving God, whilst after this extravagant rate they are overturning his whole Go∣spel.

And others again even of our own selves, who justly abhor these damnable instances of disobedience upon the pretence of preserving or propagating Religion in some furious and fiery spirited sort of Papists, (for God forbid that we should think them all to be of this temper) do yet run into the same extravagance, which upon so great reason they condemn in them.

For if we look into our zeal for the common Religi∣on of Protestants, we shall find that we transgress many, and those most material and weighty Laws of it, whilst we express our affection and concern to defend and preserve it.

For doth not this pretence of preserving our Religion carry us beyond all the bounds of peaceableness, and good subjection? Our great fears about its defence make us daily to distrust our Governours, to think and speak irre∣verently and reproachfully of their persons, to undervalue all their counsels, to misconstrue all their actions and

proceedings, and with much undutifull credulity and un∣christian rashness to believe and spread abroad concern∣ing them most odious suspicions and invidious reports; they make us pragmatical and busie-bodies, to go out of our own sphere, and to usurp upon the Magistrates, in projecting means and expediencies, prejudging Criminals, and irreverent censuring, reproaching, yea, and oft-times slandering of our Governours, if they, either in Court or Council, at the Board or on the Bench, determine con∣trary to our anticipations. They make us to disturb the quiet, and to unsettle the peace of our fellow-sub∣jects, in filling their minds with endless jealousies about their Princes care, and their own safety, and in posses∣sing them with discontents, and undutifull suspicions, words and actions, to the great weakning of Government, and disturbance of the publick peace.

Yea, I add further, these same fears for our endan∣gered Religion transport us into the transgression of sundry weighty Laws, which oblige us towards our very enemies who have contrived to destroy us. For they have made us most partially backward to believe any thing that is good, and forward to catch at every thing that is spoken ill against them. They have made many of us fierce and implacable, malicious and revenge∣full; they have caused us to thirst after their blood, and to be in pain when they escape; to measure our Religion, and the soundness of our piety, by a reproach∣full, spitefull, and implacable usage and behaviour to∣wards them. All which are tempers and practices most contrary to those Laws of forgiving injuries, of loving enemies, of praying for our persecutors, of returning good to all that have evilly entreated us, of meekness and pa∣tience, mercy and placableness towards the worst of men, yea, even the worst of enemies, which are so much the soul and spirit of that Religion, which we pretend to be so zealously concerned for.

And if we look into our Zeal for our several parties, how many other Laws shall we find to be daily trans∣gressed, I will not say for the preservation, but even, where that is sufficiently secured, for the higher ad∣vancement and encrease of them? For what rude and unmannerly, envious and ill-natured reflections are dai∣ly cast upon those persons, especially Ministers, and men of Note and Eminence, who differ from us? How forward are many among us to undervalue and dispa∣rage, to contemn and affront them; to heap reproach and infamy upon them, thereby to render their persons ridiculous, and their pains useless? For are not several of us perpetually censuring and speaking evil of them, undervaluing all their real virtues, putting hard and un∣candid interpretations upon all their actions, prying di∣ligently and maliciously into all their defects, and aggra∣vating all their faults or follies, raising continually, and spreading to their disparagement uncharitable and envi∣ous, yea, oft-times false and slanderous reports? We envy and hate, reproach and censure, revile and slander, bite and devour one another; and all this fierceness and uncharitableness we use for that meek, that charitable, gentle, quiet thing, Religion. For in its service we take our selves to be engaged, and so long we fancy that we have a liberty of saying, or doing any thing.

Thus full of Sin and Disobedience is this sanctified pretence. It is the cover for every offence, and the common shelter for all transgressions; for we boggle not at any Sin so long as it tends to preserve us in the prosperous profession of our endangered or oppressed Re∣ligion.

But if men would consider calmly, and have patience to look beyond the surface and bare outsides of things, they would soon discern the vanity of this pretence, and how far it will be from excusing any such sinfull

and disobedient practices as they seek to justifie and warrant by it.

For as for true and substantial Religion, for protecti∣on on whereof they would be thought to venture upon all these transgressions, it stands in no need of their help to preserve it in persecuting times, although they should use innocent and just means, not such as are sin∣full and disobedient. It would live then without their care, and whether they went about by any politick means to preserve it yea, or no. For Religion is not lost when Religious men are persecuted; it doth not suffer, when they do that profess it, seeing it is not one jot impaired when men are buffetted and imprison'd, nay, bleed and dye for it.

Indeed as for the freedom of the outward means of Religion, (viz.) the publickness of preaching, the commu∣nity of prayers, the unrestrained use of Sacraments, and the like; they are much straitned by persecutions, and we must expect to feel either a great want, or at least a great difficulty in them when Times are troublesome. A persecuting Government can in great measure deprive us of them, when after our utmost use of all such means, as are no wayes undutifull or against any Law of Christ, we are not able longer to preserve them.

But as for the substantial part and main body of Reli∣gion it self, which consists in sound faith, and upright obedience, and which those outward means are appointed to beget in us; no state of Times need make them want∣ing. For they are within our selves, and depend alto∣gether upon Gods Grace, and our own Free Wills; so that all the Powers of Earth and Hell are never able to rob us of them. Could the violence of persecution have oppressed our Religion, it had been stifled in the birth. For it entred in a persecuting age, and yet it was not overborn by the pressure of its sufferings, but bravely

overcame them. It begun, grew up, and conquer'd all the world in the very heat of affliction and opposition; the more it was burdened, the more still it spread; and the more men sought to straiten it, the further was it enlarged; the common observation then being this, that the c 5.68 unparallel'd sufferings of its professors, were the true prolifick, cause of the vast encrease of the Church.

And indeed what should hinder Religion from thri∣ving in evil times? For the same Religious Duties, which are practised with more ease in a prosperous, are exercised also, but with greater honour, in an afflicted state of things. To believe, and do well; to be pious and pure, chast and sober, just and charitable, meek and gentle, quiet and peaceable, with all other instances of a substantial and acceptable Religion, are indifferent and undetermined to any turns of Providence. They may be shewn under fines and imprisonments, axes and hal∣ters; as well, and much more honourably, than in times of ease and softness.

Nay, some of its most eminent parts and noble in∣stances are not capable of being exercised at other times. For the duties of patience, and taking up the cross, of forgiving injuries, and doing good to enemies, of praying for them that persecute us, and despitefully use us, which are the most exalted strains, and glorious heights of our Religion, are such, for which a peaceable and prosperous, a favourable and flourishing age affords no famous op∣portunities. For we must be in a state of suffering evil, and labouring under a load of persecution, before we can sufficiently evidence how readily, how magnani∣mously, how meekly, how charitably and Christian-like we can undergo it.

So that as for Religion and Sufferings, they are at no such distance but that they may very easily be made to meet; they bear no such mutual opposition, but that they may very well consist together; nay, I add far∣ther, but that they may honour and ennoble, and in ma∣ny instances, enlarge and improve each other. And therefore Religion needs not to be preserved from suf∣ferings, since it can not only live in them, but is also much extended, heightned, and advanced by them.

But where Religion wants our help, and calls for our assistance; yet is it not possible for us to please God, or to secure it by sinfull means, but only by such as are either virtuous, or at least innocent.

It is not possible for us, I say, to please God by sinfull means, although we intend them for his own service. For what is there in God that should be served by our sins? Is his Love for any thing greater than his hatred is for sin, so as the gratefulness of that should make this, otherwise most offensive, an acceptable service? Is any thing that we can offer to him so pleasing as our obedience? Is he more delighted when we follow our own counsel, than when we follow his; when we do our own, than when we do his pleasure? For all those Laws of the Gospel, and instances of obedience, which under this pretension we transgress, are wayes of Gods own appointment; they are a service of his own choosing, a Religion that is most agreeable to his mind, and fitted in all things according to his liking; a rule that he has thought most absolute to direct our acti∣ons, and most fit for us to walk by. If then we would exp••••ss our concern for God, our venerable esteem of his wi••dom, our acquiescence in his choice, our submission to his ordering, our acknowledgement of his authority, and our chearfull compliance with his pleasure; let us do it by a religious observance of these Rules which are of

his own prescribing. Let us honour him in his own way, by doing our duty, and practising such things as he has made expressions of honour, by making them in∣stances of obedience. For disobedience can serve no interest of God, nothing that we can do being so effe∣ctual a reproach to all his Attributes, as to disobey him.

Nor is the use of evil and unlawfull means in any wise a fitter expression of our care for Religion. For what is there in Religion, that can be honoured and advanced by disobedience? Is there any thing in it so sacred as the Divine Laws; and dare any man call that his care of them, when he lays wast, and plainly rejects them? It is gross impudence for any man to pretend Piety in the breach of Duty; and to cry up Religion whilst he is acting irreligiously; he prides himself in the empty name, when it is clear to all that he has lost the thing; for as for Piety it self, and true Religion, by transgressing and trampling upon the Divine Laws, he doth not further and defend, but impiously and irreligi∣ously destroys it.

It is not Religion then, whatever men may vainly pretend, that makes them run into the breach of Laws, and contempt of Duty lest they should suffer in the profession of it. For God and Religion owe them no thanks for such a course, because he is not honoured, nor it strengthned and preserved, but ruined and destroyed by it.

But the true and real cause of such disobedience, where∣of God and Religion are only the colour and false pre∣tence, is plainly a great want of Religion, and of the love of God, and too great a love of the world, and of mens own selves. Men are hurried away by an unmor∣tified love of pleasures, honours, and temporal interests; and they have not Religion enough to restrain and over∣rule them. For these it is, and not Religion, which suf∣ferings

and persecuting times take from them: and an ungovernable desire to preserve these, which makes them so violent, as that, at such times, no Laws of Religion can hold them. When men set at nought and disparage Governours, disobey Laws, disturb the Publick Peace, in∣jure their Fellow-subjects, and commit several other sin∣full acts and irreligious violations of the Laws of Christ, that they may keep off Persecution for the profession of the Christian Faith: they shew plainly that they will follow Christ only in a thriving, but not in a suffering Religion. They will serve him no longer than he sets them uppermost, and above their Brethren. For rather than suffer any loss, and fall into any dangers for their adherence to him; they will leave him and his Laws to fend for themselves, and flatly disobey him. But when they do so, it is shameless hypocrisie to pretend, that all their transgressions and disobedience is still upon the Prin∣ciple, and from the Power of Religion; since it is not Religion, but a resolution to be uppermost; not duty, but ambition, covetousness, sensuality, revenge, or a nest of some other unmortified and reigning vices of like nature, which makes them under pretence of a conscientious care for religious profession, to destroy all religious practice.

This, one would think, is plain and evident to any man who can have the patience to consider it; that True Religion can never be the cause of sin, or make men irreligious and disobedient. That must not for shame be called mens Religion, but their Lust which makes them wicked, and carries them on to transgress Gods Laws, that are the chief and sovereign part of his Religion, which, who so keeps, is a religious, as whosoever breaks them, is an ungodly and irreligious man.

This indeed is clear Doctrine, and obvious to any common, if it be withall a free and considerate under∣standing. And it were scarce possible that any men

should think otherwise, had they not either by acci∣cident, hast, or ill design, taken up an odd notion of Re∣ligion altogether different from that which the Scri∣ptures give, and which all considerately religious men have of it.

For by Religion they mean only their adherence to the Doctrines and Opinions, but not to the Laws and Precepts of the Gospel. And when they talk of defend∣ing and maintaining of Religion; they intend not a de∣fence of Laws, but of Notions; not a maintenance of the practice of Christian Precepts, but only of the pro∣fession of Christian Doctrines. They are of the Religi∣on which Christ reveals, but not of that which he com∣mands; they will know and believe what he pleases, but do what they please themselves. They are only for a Religion of Orthodox Tenets, but not of Vpright Pra∣ctice; and if thereby they can preserve men safe in thinking and professing well; they fancy that God will not be offended with their use of any means, though never so wicked and disobedient.

But this is a most gross mistake, and a most dangerous Notion of Religion, which is quite another thing than what this conceit doth represent it to be. For,

First, The prime part and matter of Religion is the practick part, (viz.) the Laws and Precepts, the Pro∣mises and Threatnings of the Gospel. And agreeably thereto the prime business of all Religious men is an obe∣dient practice, and performance of them, or a virtuous discharge of duty and a holy life. This is that Religion whereby all of us must stand or fall, and that great condition, which, as I have shewn, we must for ever live or dye by. When Christ comes to judgement, sayes Saint Paul, he will render to every man according to his deeds, Rom. 2.6. And in that prospect of the last judg∣ment, which S^t John tells us God vouchsafed him, men

were judged every one according to their works, Rev. 20.13. This Religion of Obedience and a good Life, is that which the Gospel is full of, wherein every Chapter, nay almost every verse of it instructs us, and some way or other directs, exhorts, encourages and excites to. And therefore, as ever we would pass for Religious men in the Scripture Notion, we must be carefull to live in all Piety towards God, by complying readily with all his Laws, depending upon his Providence, and resigning our selves up to his pleasure; in all purity and soberness, be∣ing free from all lust and intemperance, all sinfull plea∣sures, and covetous practices; in all justice and charita∣bleness, doing right, and keeping peace, and shewing mercy towards all men. This, sayes S^t James, will pass for pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father at the last day, if in such instances as these we have ex∣pressed, not our Opinions, but our Obedience; by vi∣siting the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and by keeping our selves unspotted from all filthiness and disobe∣dience of the world. But if any man pretends to be re∣ligious, who is destitute of this obedience, that mans re∣ligion is vain, Jam. 1.26, 27.

Secondly, Another great part and object of Religion, is the Doctrines of the Gospel. And agreeably another act or instance of Religious Service, is Faith, or Ortho∣dox Belief. And this is intended by God himself as a means to produce the former; Faith being the great instrument in working out our obedience. For this is that victory, sayes S^t John, which makes us conquerors, and overcometh the world, even our Faith, 1 Joh. 5.4. An obedient practice is all that a righteous faith aims at; it is its end and perfection, that which consummates and compleats it. It being, as S^t James assures us, by works which faith d 5.69 co-operates and concurs to, that faith is made perfect, Jam. 2.22. And this all the points of our

Christian Faith are most admirably fitted to effect in us. For in that epitome and compendious account of them, whereinto they were contracted by the Apostles, and which is usually called the Apostles Creed, there is not any one purely speculative Article, or point of idle no∣tion, and meer belief. But every one is influential up∣on our practice, and helps on our obedience; as any man, of competent skill and abilities, may discern by running over the particulars.

These two then, (viz.) Knowledge and Practice, or Faith and Obedience, take in the compass, and inte∣grate the nature of our Religion. Obedience is the chief thing, and first in Gods design; and Faith or Knowledge is the great means which God has prescri∣bed us, whereby to compass and effect it. So that Re∣ligion in that sense wherein the Scriptures use, and God at the last day will reward it; is the same, as obedience to the Gospel proceeding from a belief of it, or, in Saint Paul's phrase, an Obedient Faith, or a Faith which work∣eth by Love, Gal. 5.6.

And now let any man, who considers this, bethink himself, and tell me whether the transgression of Gods Laws can ever be called Religion in the Scripture-sense; or whether it be possible for men to evidence them∣selves to be Religious by their disobedience. For the making us obedient to Gods Laws is the great design, and ruling part of all true and acceptable Religion; and the belief and profession of Gods Truth is an ex∣ercise and instance of it that avails us only so far, as it concurs to, and effects this Religion of Obedience. So that Religion is not preserved, but lost by breach of Duty; it is never strengthned by disobedient and sinfull means, but is alwayes wasted and destroyed by them.

Let no man therefore ever dare to make Religion a cover for unlawfull Lusts; or dream of protecting it

from sufferings and persecutions this way. For God will by no means endure such gross mockery and hy∣pocritical pretensions, as for men to feign piety in the breach of Duty; but if they wickedly transgress his Laws, and continue impenitently to disobey him, let their Forms and Professions of Religion be what they will, he will take severe and endless vengeance on them for their impious and irreligious disobedience. If they are scandalized at the Cross, that is, if they fall off from religious and obedient walking into irreligious transgres∣sions, to prevent those crosses that in persecuting times are annexed to a religious practice and profession; they are scandalized, or e 5.70 offended in him. The Cross is to them a f 5.71 stumbling-block, and a rock of offence, it makes them trip, and turn out of their duty; because they will disown their Lord, and break all his Laws rather than undergo it. And this is a most provoking sin, and subjects men to a most dreadful punishment. For as God will abundantly recompence any losses which be∣fall us through the exercise of an obedient Religion, and a pious conscience; so will he also inflict such torments, as infinitely surpass all those light and present advan∣tages, which we may at any time promise our selves from our politick disobedience. For whosoever, by sin∣full means, will seek in perillous and persecuting times, such as those were, to save his life in this world; he shall certainly lose it for ever in the next world: but whosoever shall lay down his life for Christs sake (in ta∣king up that cross which is laid upon a Christian pro∣fession, and a Christian practice) that same man shall save and encrease it eternally, Luk. 9.23, 24. So that no dangers in obedience, can ever render it secure for any man to disobey. But that which God indispensa∣bly exacts of us in perillous cases is this. Fear not them which kill the body, but, after that is done, have nothing

more to fright you with, being utterly unable to kill, or so much as touch the soul; but fear him who exacts obe∣dience of you even at such times as your bodies are like to perish for it, for he, after he hath killed the bo∣dy, which is all that they can do, is able eternally to destroy both body and soul in hell, Mat. 10.28.

No dangers then can make obedience cease to be our Duty, nor any sufferings make it cease to be our Inter∣est: So that neither Religion, nor Prudence will ever allow of sinfull means; but every Religious, yea, eve∣ry wise man must take up the Cross, and patiently bear any sufferings that come upon him for Religion, ra∣ther than use any breach of duty, or unlawfull wayes, either to prevent, or remove it.

And this the Saints of God and Religious men al∣wayes did. For no dangers or hazards, no pains or suf∣ferings in obedience could ever draw them to seek for shelter by disobeying. David was tryed with hazards and persecutions of all sorts, but neither sense of pre∣sent, nor fears of future evils could ever chase him from his duty, or make him seek relief from iniquity and sin. He could not be forced upon it by the most ap∣parent dangers even of the most affecting loss, the loss of life it self. The wicked, saith he, have laid a snare for me, yet I erred not from thy Precepts. My soul is conti∣nually in my hand ready to be snatched out of it, yet do I not forget thy Law, Psal. 119.109, 110. He was not grieved, or frighted into it, either by the pressure of his pains, or by the number of his persecutors: They had almost consumed me upon earth, but I forsook not thy Commandments, vers. 87. and many now still are my per∣secutors and enemies, yet do I not decline from thy testi∣monies, vers. 157.

The Holy Apostles of our Saviour conflicted with more difficulties and distress, persecutions, and suffer∣ings

for the Religion and Obedience of their Lord, than any men, I think, ever did, or it may be ever will do. I think, sayes S^t Paul, that God hath set forth us Apostles last, as it were men appointed to the bloodiest, which is usually the last, scene of all, even to death it self. For we are exposed to slaughter, as men were, in the tragical sports of that time, upon a publick theatre, being made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. From the first entrance on our office even to this present hour, we both hunger, and thirst, and are na∣ked, and are buffetted, and have no certain dwelling place, being made as the very filth of the world, and the off-scouring of all things from the first to this day, 1 Cor. 4.9, 11, 13. If any straits could authorize an evil action, or if any pressures could justifie a disobedient escape, sure these would. But they knew too well the nature of their Religion ever to dream of a liberty to sin that they might avoid persecution; and they were too re∣solutely addicted to it ever to attempt it. For neither the extremity of their sufferings, nor the desperateness of their danger, could ever make them transgress their du∣ty, or go beyond the Laws of their Religion to lessen or prevent them. But they obeyed bravely and entire∣ly, even in the highest strains, even in the most ungrate∣full instances, even in those matters, wherein, if any where, the malice and violence of their enemies would provoke, or rather force them to disobey. For in the midst of all these pressures, sayes S^t Paul, being reviled, we bless, being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we do nothing worse than entreat and pray for our defamers, 1 Cor. 4.12, 13. In patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in popular tu∣mults, in manual labours, in all these things, and in the throng and distraction of all our sorrows, we approve our selves as the true obedient Servants, and faithfull

Ministers of God; shewing that, not by any selfish, disobedient, politick shifts, but by pureness of conver∣sation, by long-suffering, by kindness, even to our very enemies; in a word, by the most excellent of all gifts, and the Epitome of all Duty, Charity or love unfeigned, 2 Cor. 6.3, 4, 5.

Religion then can never give protection to any disobe∣dience, nor our concern and zeal for God be pleaded with any shew of modesty or reason in vindication of our transgressions of any of his Laws or Precepts. For Religion needs no defence from times of suffering, it can live in them, it is improved by them, nay some of its most glorious parts and eminent instances are never shown in any lustre, but when we fall under them; and where it ought to be defended, the breach of Laws is in no wise a fit instrument for its advancement and protecti∣on. For God cannot be honoured, nor Religion advan∣ced by disobedience. Obedience is so essential and super-eminent a part of its Nature, and so preferable to any idle profession or ineffective belief; that to transgress Chri∣stian Laws, for the maintenance of an undisturbed liber∣ty, in professing Christian opinions, were not to strengthen and preserve, but dangerously to wound, if not wholly to destroy it. This disobedience to Christian Laws that we may avoid suffering for the profession of Christian Do∣ctrines, is such as the very temper of the Gospel, which is made up in great part of passive Precepts and a suffer∣ing Religion, plainly contradicts; such as its Laws and Precepts strictly forbid; such as Christ our Lord and Judg will certainly and most severely punish; and such as the most persecuted religious men could never be pro∣voked or forced into, either by the greatness of their fears, or by the violence of their pains, although the most exquisite that could be invented by the most searching wits and keenest malice in the world.

So that whensoever men sin to avoid suffering, and disobey the Laws of Religion to preserve the profession of it from persecution; it is not Religion, but their Lusts, not their love of God, but their love of their own selves which makes them disobedient. Religion will upon no accounts justifie their transgressions, but utterly condemns them; and unless their repentance prevents it, God at the last Day will endlesly punish and avenge for them.

But as for Religion in that narrow sense wherein some understand it, i. e. the use of religious Ordinances, and the profession and belief of religious Opinions; if men would shew their care and concern to preserve the free liberty and unpersecuted use of that, so as both God and all good men should honour and commend them; let them shew it in a pious and discreet management. Which they will justly be thought to do, if they keep within their own sphere, and use even there no sinful and disobe∣dient means, and are zealous in the first place for the pra∣ctice and preservation of religious Laws, and next to that for religious Ordinances and Opinions.

1. In shewing their care to preserve the free liberty and unpersecuted use of religious Ordinances and Professi∣ons, they must act within their own sphere. We private Christians must not prescribe methods of preserving it to publick Magistrates, or censure their proceedings, and speak irreverently of their persons and administrations, when they determine otherwise than we had thought fitting. We must not, without consent and approbati∣on of Authority, combine in Bodies, and associate in solemn Leagues, Bonds, and Covenants, to be aiding and assist∣ing to each other with our Persons, Armes, and Purses, to protect it against all Opposers. For these are such things as are no part of our business; but God has hedged them in, and entrusted them in other hands.

He has delegated that power to Kings and Governours to take care of the common good, and to judge of pub∣lick expedience. He has put the sword into the Magi∣strates hands, and has authorized him, and him only, to have power of life and death, and to decree and esta∣blish peace and war. And if any man, without his or∣der, shall take the Sword, and use it against his Bro∣ther; he may read his Sentence which is writ in plain words already, They that take the sword, as every man doth when Authority doth not allow or reach it out to him, shall perish by the sword, Matth. 26.52.

These means then, and any others which God has ap∣propriated to the care, and entrusted in the hands of other men, can be no lawful expressions of our care, but an unlawful intruding into anothers Office; a sinful use of what is put out of ours, and committed to an others management. Our exercise and use of them is a proud usurpation, an unpeaceable encroachment, a busie medling in other mens Offices and Affairs, against the plain Precept of studying to be quiet, and to do our own business, 1 Thess. 4.11.

But the endeavours which we are to use, and the means whereby we must try to secure to our selves an unpersecuted freedom in religious Ordinances and Pro∣fessions; must be such as are within the sphere of pri∣vate men. We must be upright and exemplary in the practice of it our selves, and press a like exemplariness in the practice of it upon others. By our humble, mo∣dest, quiet, peaceable and submissive carriage, we must convince such as are in Power that it deserves prote∣ction; and by our affectionate, fervent and importunate g 5.72 prayers to Gods we must endeavour to have it put in∣to their hearts to protect and preserve it. We must plead its Cause, and represent that truth and goodness which may recommend it; and try to wipe off the aspersions,

and rectifie the mistakes of such as plead against it, or think hardly of it. These, and such like means, are the laudable service in this Case, and the proper busi∣ness of private Christians. And whilst their care is contained within this compass, and they act thus with∣in their own sphere, it is excellent and praise-worthy: they seek to preserve Religion, and their seeking to do it in this way, is it self very pious and religious.

2. In shewing their care to preserve the free and un∣persecuted profession of Religion, they must exercise such only of those actions within their own sphere, as are lawful and innocent, but by no means endeavour to maintain it by such as are sinful and disobedient. They must not defend it by lyes and forgeries, by wrath and bitterness, by fierceness and revenge, by slandering and reviling of their Opposers. They must so defend Religi∣on, as not to disobey it; because that is not defending, but betraying it. A free profession is no further desira∣ble than it tends to an upright practice. So that to diso∣bey for it, is to lose all that wherefore we endeavour after it. Truth must never be bought with the loss of innocence; nor must we ever commit any one sinful action to promote a freedom of orthodox and true pro∣fessions.

3. In evidencing their care in preserving the free and unpersecuted profession of Religion, they must be zealous in the first place for the practice and preservation of religious Laws, and next to that for religious Ordi∣nances and Opinions. S^t Paul directs us to the great Object of all religious zeal, when he tells us that Christ came into the world to purchase to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good WORKS, Tit. 2.14. Nothing in the world is so warrantable a matter of a mans zeal, as Gods Laws, and mens obedience. For the Laws of Christ's Gospel are that part which he esteems most; he

has made them the measure of life or death, the Rule of our eternal absolution or condemnation. And as he ac∣counts of them, so should we too. Our zeal for them must be more warm, and our care more watchful than for any other thing; because God himself is most espe∣cially concerned for them, and all men are most highly concerned in them; they being that whereby all men must live or dye eternally. This I will, says S^t Paul to Titus, that thou affirm constantly, That they which have be∣lieved in God may be CAREFVL to maintain GOOD WORKS; these things are good and profitable unto men, Tit. 3.8. So that the practice of religious Laws must be the great point, wherein we are to be zealous and careful in the first place.

Next to which we must take care of those opinions which have a great influence upon, and are the great productive instruments of all obedient practice; such as are all opinions which are either motives or inducements, helps or encouragements to obedience. In which sort of opinions our Religion abounds, there being, as I said, no idle Article in the Christian Creed, but such Doctrins and Declarations concerning God, and Christ, and our selves, and the other world, as are either absolutely neces∣sary, or very helpful to a holy life. All which, accord∣ing to their several proportions in promoting piety and obedience to Gods Laws, we are to be zealously con∣cerned for in the next place, as we are for that pious o∣bedience which is wrought by them in the first.

But when we have shown our good affection to sub∣stantial piety and Religion by a just zeal for obedience, and plainly practical opinions; then may it be very fit for us to shew our zeal for other true Doctrines and Profes∣sions likewise. For it is a great honour to God, and an ornament to Religion, that we have it pure and sin∣cere, free from all things that are liable to just excepti∣on,

and from all mixture of errour and falshood. And it is also a great happiness to men to have orthodox ap∣prehensions in Religion, and to embrace nothing for Gospel truths, but what God has thereby declared to them. But it is a further happiness still, and such whereof men are the most sensible, to be free from the imperious imposition and tyranny of errour; so as neither to be forced upon the impossible belief of that, which in our own minds we see is false, and therefore cannot believe; nor upon the feigned and hypocritical profession of believing a thing, when really we do not believe it; one of which two is mens unhappiness, when their pro∣fessed Religion falls under persecution. Now both these are severe and rigorous impositions. For the first is ut∣terly impossible to any, so long as it continues a free and impartial, head; as the latter is to any, whilst it remains an honest and obedient, heart. So that all men have ve∣ry great reason, so far as they can by all innocent and ho∣nest ways, to be zealous against them, and to use all the lawful care and caution that possibly they can, to a∣void so powerful a motive, as a sharp persecution is, to tempt them to a thing so unreasonable as is the first, and so wicked and sinful, as is the latter.

So long then as men will moderate their zeal for the unpersecuted use of religious Ordinances, and profession of religious Opinions, with this discretion; let them be zealous and concerned for it in God's Name. For it is their Duty so to be; and God will reward, and all good men commend them for it. If they take care that their zeal transport them not beyond their own sphere, that it carry them not against their Duty, and that it be con∣cerned in the first place for Laws and practical opinions; they may allow it after that to spend it self upon other Points which have more of speculative truth, but less of practice. This zeal now is excellent, 'tis truly pious, 'tis religious.

But if they have a zeal without obedience; if for preventing of persecution in the profession of true o∣pinions, they run upon sinful means and undutiful transgressions; their zeal is ungodly, and all their pre∣tended care of Religion is plainly irreligious. For Re∣ligion is not beholding to them, but their own lusts; it condemns their disobedient actions, and unless their timely repentance prevent it, God will most severely punish them. So that as for this first pretence for a partial obedience, viz. our allowing our selves in the transgression of some Laws, whilst we obey in others, be∣cause those wherein we indulge our selves are necessary to keep off persecution for the sake of Religion; it is a vain, deceitful ground, and will certainly fail any man who relies upon it.

CHAP. VII. Of the two remaining pretences for a partial Obedience.

The CONTENTS.

The second pretence for the allowed practice of some sins whilst men obey in others, is the serving of their necessi∣ties by sinful arts in times of indigence. An account of mens disobedience upon this pretence. The vanity of it, and the danger of disobeying through it. A third pre∣tence is bodily temper and complexion, age, and way of life. A representation of mens disobedience upon this pretence. The vanity of it, and the danger of sinning through it. No justifying Plea for disobedience from

our age. Nor from our way of life. Nor from our natural temper and complexion. So that this integrity of the object is excusable upon no pretence. It was al∣ways required to mens acceptance.

ANother pretence whereby men justifie to their own thoughts the allowed transgression of several Laws whilst they obey in others, is the serving of their necessities; because those instances of disobedience, wherein they indulge themselves, are only such sinful arts, compliances and services, as are necessary to relieve their want and indigence.

They are in great streights, and deep poverty; and since God has not provided conveniencies, nor it may be necessaries for them; they think that they may be al∣lowed to be their own Guardians, and to use any means within their own compass whereby they can make pro∣vision for their own selves. For they are born with the same appetites and indigencies as other men, and some way or other they must satisfie and supply them. And this they cannot do if in all things they must religious∣ly obey, and keep themselves intirely innocent. They must lye and overreach, cheat and cozen, if not pilfer and steal, to get maintenance. And they must also use wick∣ed arts and sinful compliances to get favour. For not having of their own wherewith to relieve the wants, to comfort the weaknesses, and to appease the cravings of their natures; they must be beholden, and cannot help it, to the good will and kind charity of others. And o∣ther men are proud and humorous, acted by self-will and vicious interests; and will therefore reach out no help to them unless they please them, and do any, or all such things as they would have them do. They must lye and dissemble, fawn and flatter, drink and swear, bear them company in their sins, and serve their vicious

interests, and boggle at no sort of sinful arts and disobedi∣ent compliances; or else they are not for their turn, nor must expect to feel any effects of their kindness.

This is the hard fate, and the great temptation of a poor and indigent condition. They who labour under it, are brought thus into a seeming necessity of many sins, because they cannot otherwise provide for their own maintenance and appetites. For God has made their nature subject to several wants; and he has made their condition low, so that they are unable to relieve themselves in any comfortable degree, but must depend, as for that, either upon the fraud and overreaching cun∣ning of their own wits, or upon the good will of others: and his Providence has placed them among such Neigh∣bours, whose kindness and good will they cannot pur∣chase, but at the cost of their Vertue and Obedience. And therefore if in this hard Case they disobey, they hope that he will excuse it. Their necessity they think will bear them out, so long as all their transgressions are only to provide for themselves, and for the competent satisfaction of their own appetites where his Providence has left them unprovided.

This is the wicked arguing and disobedient practice of men of a soft and delicate Religion. They will obey God in any thing, where they must not disoblige their appetites; but no further than they will suffer them. They are Servants of their own Bellies in the first place, and God shall have just so much, but no more, than they can spare him. For they will live easily, and want for nothing in this world, as well as be for ever happy in the next: and if God will allow them both these, then they are for him; but otherwise they have nothing to say either to him or his Religion. For they will not en∣dure to serve a man of sorrows, to follow Christ in wants, to be subjects to that Sovereign who has no temporal re∣wards

wherewith, even in this life, to recompence their service. They will serve God just so long as he will suffer them to serve themselves and their own appetites; but if his service doth not provide them all supplies, or cros∣ses the satisfaction of these, they beg of him that he would excuse them. In other things they will serve him, if that will content him; but here charity must be∣gin at home, and if they disobey, he must give them a dispensation.

But God will not endure to be thus undervalued, and served in the second place. He can in no wise bear to have the world and our fleshly appetites set above him; to see them served, and himself sleighted: because by this means we do not honour, but debase; not serve, but renounce him. For he can be no faithfull servant of God, who loves any thing better than his master; nor is he truly united unto Christ, who can be drawn to disobey him by any temptation. If we love any thing in the world then, though never so dear to us, better than him, we are utterly unworthy of him, and must never hope to be the better by him. For he that loveth father or mother, son, or daughter, more than me, saith he, is not worthy of me, Mat. 10.37. Nay, he that hateth not these, and all things else when they stand in competition with my service; that hateth not, I say not barely his worldly goods, and rich neighbours, but even his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he can∣not be my disciple, Luk. 14.26.

If any cravings of our own flesh then cannot be sa∣tisfied without disobedience, we must not seek to plea∣sure, but subdue; nor endeavour to fulfill, but to deny them. And if any wants or losses are brought so close to us, that we cannot avoid them without breach of duty; they are the burden of the Cross imposed upon

us, and, unless we would cast off all relation to Christ, we must not shun them. For whosoever doth not bear his Cross, sayes our Saviour, when Gods Providence layes it upon his shoulders, and come after me even then when he must suffer under it; he cannot be my dis∣ciple, Luk. 14.27.

This God peremptorily and indispensably exacts of us; and there is all the reason in the world why he should. For he will infinitely recompence in the next world, either the want, or loss of all those things which for his sake, we are content to be without in this. Hea∣ven and eternal life will be an abundant, and incompa∣rably surpassing compensation; all the wants and suf∣ferings of this present time being, as S^t Paul sayes, utter∣ly unworthy to be compared with that Glory, which shall then be revealed in us, Rom. 8.18.

Let no man therefore disobey Gods Laws for the love of the world, for the supplying of his wants, and the satisfaction of his appetites; and yet for all that per∣swade himself that God will own him, and connive at his disobedience. For in doing so, he plainly renounces God, and sets the World above him; he makes his Duty truckle to his Interest; he slights obedience, and submits to a temptation. He does the work of sin for the inter∣est which tempts to it; and that will certainly bring up∣on him that death, which God has established for the wages of it.

Thirdly, A third pretence whereby men justifie to their own souls the indulged transgression of several Laws whilst they obey in others; is, because those trans∣gressions wherein they allow themselves, are only such as are sins of temper and complexion, age, or way of life.

Sometimes mens place and way of life is a continual temptation to some particular sin; and if they may but have leave to indulge that, they will abandon every

other. The Courtier takes himself obliged by the fashi∣on of his place to lies and dissimulation, ostentation and vanity, to sinfull compliances, and faithless engagements, to promise all, but to perform nothing. The Merchant in pursute of his gain, serves the end of his trade by fraud and dishonesty. He accounts it a piece of his Art to over-reach, to defraud customes, to vend false wares, and set exacting prices. The Lawyer thinks it a part of his profession to encourage strife, and foment difference; the malice and revenge, the wrath and bitterness, the slan∣ders and evil-speakings, the strife and contentions which are other mens sins, are his livelihood. These sins, being ever before them, are alwayes a snare to them; for they are continually importuned by them▪ and it must be a toilsome pains, and an uninterrupted watchfulness which can preserve them from being either won, or wearied into the commission of them. And since obe∣dience in these instances is a thing which they can so very hardly spare; they hope that God in mercy will not exact it; but will graciously accept them upon their service in other particulars, although here they continue to disobey him.

Other sins men are invited and importunately tempt∣ed to by their age and condition, their particular temper, and complexion. Lust and rashness are the vices of youth, as craft and covetousness are of the gray hairs. Some sins are rooted in mens very natures; for some are natural∣ly inclined to be passionate and hasty, some to be pee∣vish, and others to be malicious and revengefull. The temper of their bodies hurries on some to lust and in∣temperance, some to turbulency and fierceness, and others to slavish fears, and sinfull compliances. Nay, a sharp and long affliction will sometimes embitter even a good nature, and make it habitually sowr and fretfull, peevish and morose. So that mens very natural temper, their age,

and condition prove many times an uninterrupted solli∣citation to some sin or other, and they alwayes fall, by being alwayes under the power of their temptation.

Now when men find that some sins have got thus near to them, and have taken such deep root in their way of life, nay, in their very natures; since they will not be at the pains to reform and amend, they expect that God should be so gracious as to dispense with them. As for all the instances of this kind, he must a∣bate them, seeing they will not perform them; his par∣doning goodness must supply all the defects of their sloth. For God and they must still be agreed, and therefore because they cannot well abandon some of their darling lusts, and bosom sins for his sake; the com∣pliance must fall on his side, and he must desert and cancel all those severe and grating Laws to serve and pleasure them. They will obey him most willingly in all other things; only in these they beg that he would excuse them: they will do any thing else for his sake, which doth not contradict their beloved sin, and never displease him, but when they cannot otherwise fulfill and pleasure it.

Thus, for instance, the Covetous man will obey in keeping back from drunkenness and whoredom, from am∣bition, and profuseness, and all other sins which are ex∣pensive: But as for those other duties of suffering loss our selves rather than defrauding and over-reaching o∣thers, of a contented mind, and contempt of the world, of alms and beneficence, and all the chargeable expres∣sions of an active love, and an operative charity: here he stands upon his points, and chooses to dispute rather than to perform; to article rather than to obey.

The peevish and angry man will readily keep the com∣mands of Justice and Temperance; he will neither spoil his neighbours Goods, nor wrong his Bed, nor pamper

and defile his own body; he will do any thing, which either ministers to his reigning lust, or which doth not contradict and make against it. But then as for the com∣mands of meekness and patience, of long-suffering and for∣giveness, of speaking well, and doing good to enemies, of passing over provocations and peaceableness, and all other instances of pardoning, and forgetting injuries; in these God must excuse him, for his dear lust opposes them, and he can not, he will not serve him in the practice of them.

Some who are of a tractable and submissive, of a soft and governable temper, will observe readily all those du∣ties which their constitution has made easie, and which their natural genius enclines them to. They will be constant performers of all the cheap, because agreeable duties of submission to Governours, and obedience to pub∣lick Constitutions, of uniformity in worship, of honour and observance of the Laws and establishments, and of all things belonging to the Churches Vnity and outward peace. But as for the severities of an inward and hearty Religion, in mortification and self-denial, in paring off all sinfull lusts, and exorbitant desires, in patience, and taking up the Cross, and in all other hard instances of duty and a holy life: here they withdraw their service, because they must contradict their natures, and go a∣gainst their ease; and set themselves, not to obey these Laws, but to evacuate or evade them.

Whereas others, who are of a temper more severe, but withall of a querulous and restless, a busie, and ungovern∣able spirit, will keep off from atheism and prophaneness, from idolatry and witchcraft, and other heinous impie∣ties; from drunkenness and revellings, from fornication and adultery, from oppression, and fraud, and other alike gross and notorious instances of injustice and immorality. For all these their strict temper can easily avoid; they

have no great temptation to them, and are therefore able without much pains to abstain from them. But then as for those other sins, which agree with the bent and inclination of their busie and ungovernable humour; they will still indulge themselves in the practice of them, for all they are of an equal guilt, although indeed of a more spiritual and refined nature. For they will strive to weary laws, to vilifie and contemn, to undervalue and disparage Governours; they will permit themselves to be overswayed by spite and malice, by wrath and bit∣terness, by envy and emulation, by strife and sidings; to be drawn aside into censoriousness, and evil-speakings, in∣to the raising and spreading of uncharitable, and envious, yea, false, and slanderous reports: they will be forward to magnifie themselves, to publish their own praise, and to boast of their own actions and attainments; but with∣all to detract and lessen, to shame and disparage others.

Thus will even these men, who make the fairest ap∣pearance of abominating all impious and ungodly, all immoral and debauched actions, halt still in their obedi∣ence, and think to please God, not by a perfect and en∣tire, but a partial and a maimed service. For their Con∣version goes but half way, not from sin to righteousness, but from some sorts of sin to some others. All the alte∣ration that their Religion has wrought in them, is not a forsaking of sin, but an exchange of it; a turn from what is more easily left, to a more liberal practice of that which they find it hard to part with; a remove from grosser, and more scandalously fleshly sins, to other more spiritual and refined, but still as deadly and dam∣nable transgressions.

And thus by all these instances it appears, that when men have got some sins that are close and pleasing, such as their temper and complexion, their age, or condition, or way of life, has endear'd to them so far, as that even

for Gods sake they will not part with them; their re∣course is presently to some more cheap and easie instances of obedience, that they may attone for them. And the same might be shewn in all other instances of a partial and a maimed service. In all things they will obey God no further than their beloved sins will suffer them, but as they yield to the Law in other things, so must the Law yield to them in these; for neither God nor their Sin shall rule alone, but the service shall be shared be∣tween them, and both shall enjoy a divided empire.

But this is a most damnably delusive, and a desperate∣ly false pretence. For whatsoever fond conceits men who Love, and are resolved not to let go their sins, may please themselves withall: yet God, when he comes to judge us, will accept of nothing less than an entire obe∣dience. All his Laws are established under the pains of death, and he will exact all that he has required, whatever, at that day, be our concern in it. For he comes not then, as a corrupted party, to judge for us, to make his own Laws bend and bow to serve our In∣terests, and to cancel and disanull all such among them as make against us. No, he comes, as an upright and even Judge, to execute all his Laws, but not to destroy any; he comes to inflict what his Gospel threatens, and his sentence will then be what it sayes, not what we can bear. So that if we have wilfully disobeyed, and have not repented, whether in one instance or in many; we must undergo the punishment of our disobedience. For God is a friend to no Vice, neither one nor other, but he alwayes forbids, and he will most severely pu∣nish every one. And as for all these pretences, whether that of our age, or our way of life▪ or of our very natural temper and inclination it self; there will be no shelter or excuse in any of them to bear us out in any.

There is no protection to any sin from our Age; for no young man may pursue lusts because they are youth∣ful, but is bound to fly and avoid them, as those things which war against, and would destroy his soul, 2 Tim. 2.22. Gods Laws make no distinction of young or old, but the same Duties are the Rule for both their practi∣ces; and the same rewards or punishments will be re∣turned indifferently to them both upon their obedience or transgressions.

There is no justifiable Plea for any sin from our way of life; for a constant a 5.73 practice or trade of sin, as S^t John says, can be no mans employment, but his who is born of the Devil, and must inherit under him, 1 John 3.8. But the way of life whereunto God calls us, is a way of piety and obedience. He has given us his own Laws for the way which we are to walk in, and in that alone it is that we can escape death, and obtain salvation.

Nay so far is any thing in the world from sheltring us under the service of any one sin, that even that, which may have the highest pretence to it of all things else whatsoever, viz. our very natural temper and inclinati∣on, is no excuse to us if it makes us continue in any dis∣obedience. If any thing in the world could be a just defence for the practice of any sin, surely this must. For our Nature is not of our own chusing; and there∣fore its effects ought least of all to be charged on us, seeing they least of all proceed from us, but are in great degrees determined to our hands before we have any power either to will, or to refuse them. But such is the purity and strictness of Christ's Gospel, that it indis∣pensably requires us to conquer sin, not only where it makes no opposition, but even where it has the greatest strength, and the highest force of all. For if our very Nature draw us on to disobey, it enjoins us under all our hopes of Heaven not to submit to it, but to b 5.74 strive

against it so long till we vanquish and subdue it. For if we would be judged to be Christ's Disciples at the last Day, we must deny our selves, Matth. 16.24. As we hope to live, we must not perform and fulfil, but kill and c 5.75 mortifie those deeds whereto we are hurried on by the temper of our Bodies, Rom. 8.13. We must renounce and forsake all sin, although never so dear and useful to us, before Christ's Gospel will acquit, or he will save us. If a lust so dear to thee as thy right eye offend thee, or d 5.76 cause thee to offend; pluck it out, says our Saviour, and cast it from thee: or if one so useful to thee as thy right hand; cut it off likewise, and cast it from thee: and that for no less reason than this, Be∣cause it is more profitable for thee that one of thy members should in this manner perish, than that thy whole body should be cast for ever into Hell fire, Matth. 5.29, 30.

Thus vain and helpless are all these excuses and pre∣tensions, under which men endeavour to shelter them∣selves in the indulged transgression of some Laws, whilst they obey in others. For whether their pretence be the saving of their Religion from times of persecution, or the serving of their necessities in times of want, or the satis∣fying of their own natural temper and inclination; we see that none of them can justifie their indulged allowance of any one sin, nor serve any other turn than to delude them to their own destruction.

But whosoever would obey to his own salvation, must obey in every instance, and continue wilfully to transgress in none. He must never hope to please God by performing nothing but what he lists himself. No, every particular Law of God, as we saw above, is bound upon us by all our hopes of Heaven, and under the pains of Hell; so that we cannot transgress in any, and yet be safe: but that obedience which can secure us, is nothing less than performing in every instance.

For this third sort of integrity, viz. that of the Ob∣ject, or performing all and every of those Laws which God has given us, both is, and always was, indispensa∣bly required to life and pardon since the world began.

Thee have I seen righteous before me, said God to No∣ah, because Noah did according to ALL that the Lord commanded him, Gen. 7.1, 5. And in the repetition of the ten Commandments, Deut. 5. O that they would fear me, says God to the Jews, and keep e 5.77 all my Command∣ments always, that it might be well with them for ever, ver. 29. It is nothing less than our obeying in all, which God declares that he will accept; and upon nothing less than their performing all, that good men have ho∣ped to be accepted. Then shall I not be ashamed, saith the Psalmist, when I have respect unto f 5.78 all thy Command∣ments, Psal. 119.6, 7. Those persons to whom the Lord doth good and shews kindness, are only the upright in heart. But as for them, who although they are right as to the main, do yet turn aside in some things to their crooked ways, he will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity, Psal. 125.4, 5.

And as this integrity in doing the whole will of God, was required of Noah before the Law, and of the Jews under it; so is it likewise exacted every whit as strictly of us Christians under the Gospel. For the obedience of that Covenant, whereinto Christ commis∣sions his Apostles to baptize Converts, is nothing below an intire obedience. Go, says he, and baptize all Na∣tions, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Matth. 28.19, 20. And this is no more than what he himself had preached before, in his own Sermon upon the Mount. For of the Moral Law and the Prophets, (which he came to confirm and esta∣blish) and also of his own Law, (which he came then to publish and proclaim) he affirms plainly, That the

observance of it in every particular is necessary to the at∣tainment of God's favour and eternal life. He that breaks the very least of these Commandments, shall be cal∣led least (or shall be least, or none at all, which is the sense of the Hebrew Phrase) in the Kingdom of Hea∣ven, Matth. 5.17, 18, 19. And agreeably to this Pat∣tern, and this Commission, the Apostles themselves, when they came afterwards to discharge their Office, did most strictly require it, and most severely threaten all those in whom it was wanting. Let us cleanse our selves, says S^t Paul, from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, perfect∣ing holiness in the fear of the Lord, as we hope to attain those good things which he has promised, 2 Cor. 7.1. There is no remedy, but we must either do this or dye. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against, not only some, but all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, Rom. 1.18. The Curse takes place upon the transgression in any instance. For the threatning is not barely to some one, or to some few Laws; but to the whole Code which comprehends them all: so that if we transgress any one, the Covenant is broken, and the pe∣nalty takes place. For whosoever shall keep the whole Law besides, saith S^t James, and yet offend in one Point, that subjects him to all the evil, and he is guilty of, or obnoxious to that punishment which is appointed for the wages of all, James 2.10.

As for this integrity of the object therefore, or mens obedience to the whole will of God; we see that in all times and ages it was necessary unto life, and indispensa∣bly required to salvation. For neither the Sons of the Patriarchs, nor the Subjects of Moses, nor the Servants of Christ; no Professors of any true Religion in the World were ever accepted upon any service less than intire, upon any obedience that was maimed and defe∣ctive. But so much as he thought fit to enjoin, God always

exacted of men that they should perform; so that if they did not obey in all, they should certainly be con∣demned as if they had done nothing.

So that as for this third sort of integrity, viz. our o∣bedience to the whole will of God, or to all the particu∣lar Laws forementioned, which is the integrity of the Object; it, as well as both the former, is plainly necessa∣ry to our acceptance, and to render our obedience avail∣able to our salvation.

And thus at last it appears what that integrity is, which will render our obedience to all the particular Laws of God above recounted acceptable in God's sight. For it is nothing less than an obedience of the whole man, to the whole Law, and that not for some short, but for our whole time, and to the end of our lives. He who thus intirely obeys, cannot, as was be∣fore observed, be other than sincere; and he who obeys sincerely and uprightly has all that God requires of him, enough to support his hopes, and to secure his happiness. Sincerity and uprightness is neither more nor less than is exacted of us; without them we shall surely dye, but through them we cannot miss of being happy eter∣nally.

CHAP. VIII. Of obeying with all the heart, and all the soul, &c.

The CONTENTS.

Of obeying God with all the heart, and with all the strength, &c. It includes not all desire and endeavour after other things, but it implies, First, Sincerity. Se∣condly, Fervency. Thirdly, Integrity, or obeying, not some but, all the Laws of God. These three in∣clude all that is contained in it; which is shown from their obedience, who are said in Scripture to have fulfil∣led it. Integrity implies sincerity and fervency, and Love with all the heart is explained in the places where it is mentioned, by loving him entirely. Sincerity and uprightness the Conditions of an acceptable Obedience. This a hard Condition in the degeneracy of our man∣ners; but that is our own fault. It was easie and uni∣versally performed by the primitive Christians. This shown from the Characters of the Apostles, and of the Primitive Writers. Hence it was that they could despise Death, and even provoke Martyrdom. Some Pleas from our impotence against the strictness of this obedience, which are considered in the next Book.

NOW as for this intire obedience of the whole man, at all times, to the whole will of God, whereof I have hitherto discoursed in the foregoing Chapters; it is that very obedience with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the mind, and with all the strength, which is so expresly called for in the words

of the Commandment, Luke 10.27. Deut. 11.13.

It is not to be expected that all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength should be so wholly devoted to God, as that we should never either will, or think, or desire, or do any other thing than what he has commanded us. No, that is a Dream of utter absurdities and impossibilities. For God has not only allowed us, but he has made it plainly necessary for us to employ our thoughts, and desires, and endeavours, upon several other things besides himself and his Com∣mandments. Because we cannot live without meat and other necessaries, and these we cannot get without seek∣ing, nor seek without desiring, nor desire without think∣ing on them. All the innocent enjoyments of Nature, and all the necessaries of life, all the laudable advantages of converse, and all the lawful benefits of trade and em∣ployment, require our minds, and hearts, and souls, and strength, as well as God and our Duty; all our Powers not only may be exercised about them, but they needs must. For God himself has so ordained it, it being a ne∣cessity of his own making; so that we must employ our endeavours about them, and we cannot do otherwise. And therefore when the Commandment calls for all our hearts and all our strength, &c. it is utterly absurd and unreasonable to understand it of such an all, as excludes the exercise of these faculties upon any thing besides. It doth not ingross all our power to God's use alone, and shut out all other things from any place in them; but may and must be understood so as to leave room for them likewise.

But all that is included in the latitude of that expres∣sion, with all thy heart, &c. is set out, agreeably to the use of the Phrase at other times, in these three Parti∣culars.

1. It notes the sincerity and undissembledness of our

faculties; so as the Phrase, with all the heart, signifies the same as in simplicity and honesty, without guile or a double heart. For a dissembling hypocritical man has one heart in shew, and another in reality. His heart is not one intire thing, but double and divided. He appears to will what indeed he doth not will, and to desire what in truth he doth not desire; so that his whole heart doth not go together, that which he outwardly professes be∣ing one, but that which he inwardly intends another. And this simplicity and sincere honesty of intention, is expressed in the course of our common speech by this Phrase, all the heart; nothing being more usual in our daily converse than to give assurances of our sincerity in any thing which we do, by saying it is with all our heart. And as sincerity is expressed by all the heart, so is dissimulation and hypocrisie on the contrary set out by a double heart. And thus the men of war who were faithful to David, and undissembled in their service of him, are said not to have been of a double heart, Psal. 12.2. Which sence the word double has, not only when it is applyed to this particular faculty, viz. our wills and hearts, but also when it is attributed to any other. And thus we read of a double, that is, of a dissembling tongue, 1 Tim. 3.8▪

2. This Phrase, all the heart, &c. implies the fervency and concernedness of our faculties. And thus the Latines use the word whole, when they express their being very busie, or industriously intent upon a thing, by saying they are a 5.79 whole upon it.

And as this Phrase, all the heart, &c. in respect of our faculties themselves, denotes these two things, viz. since∣rity, and fervency; so likewise in respect of their object, or that will of God which they are to be employed a∣bout, doth it imply

3. Integrity, so as that this fervency and sincerity be

shown in obeying, not some, but all the Commandments; not part, but the whole will of God. For our heart, and soul, and strength must be all or whole for God; that is, they must be constant and uniform, not various and di∣vided, being sometimes for him, and at other times a∣gainst him. They must be for all things which he com∣mands, and for nothing that he forbids; for we must neither think, nor desire, nor do any thing against him. And in this sense the word all or whole is opposed to di∣vided; and expresses thus much, that our faculties do not stand for some commands▪ and against others; that they do not divide and parcel, pick and choose with Gods Laws; but that they obey wholly and universally, ob∣serving all and every one.

Now these three, (viz.) the sincerity and fervency of our faculties, and the integrity of our obedience, which are conveniently expressed by the word all or whole, are all indispensably required of us; as appears plainly from what has been above discoursed upon this subject. So that they are all implied in the latitude of this Com∣mandment: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, &c.

But besides them nothing else is. For if we should extend that precept further, and make it include all that the largest compass of those words would compre∣hend; we should give it a sence which is, as I said, ab∣surd, and utterly impossible.

And to clear this a little more, wherewith so many good souls are oft-times perplexed, we may further ob∣serve, that those very men who will'd, and thought, and desired, and acted other things, as well as Gods Laws; are yet in the Scriptures expresly recorded to have performed all that is meant in this Commandment, because they served God in the particulars which I have mention'd, (viz.) sincerely, fervently and entirely. For

b 5.80 Caleb and Joshua are said to have followed the Lord wholly, Numb. 32.12. David kept my Commandments, saith God, and followed me with all his heart, 1 King. 14.8. Josiah did what was right in the sight of the Lord, 2 Kings 22.2. Now these persons were men, not only of as great necessities as others, but also of far higher place, and greater business in the world. For their sta∣tion required them to be much employed about it, and to spend frequent thoughts, and many desires, and great pains upon it. So that their whole heart, and mind, and soul, and strength, could not be employed in Gods ser∣vice any otherwise, than as they loved and served him entirely and above all things; and neither will'd, nor acted any thing besides, when it stood in competition with him. The sincerity, fervency and integrity of their service was all which they had to shew in answer to this Commandment; and upon the account of them God did accept them, and has left it on record to all the world that they have fulfilled it.

As for the last of these, (viz.) Integrity, it indeed in∣cludes in it all the rest. For it is the greatest warranty and effect of fervency, and the best evidence of the sin∣cerity of our service. Because this, as I said before, is the great measure of acceptance in our thoughts and af∣fections, (viz.) that they carry us on to acceptable works and actions. And this is the great Rule whereby to judge of a sincere service, (viz.) that men be universal and entire in their obedience. So that if once we per∣form all that God requires of us; there is no further question to be made but that we perform it honestly, and with that fervency and concernedness which is sufficient to our acceptance.

And this integrity of obedience including both the o∣ther, is that very thing which is meant by the service with all the heart, and with all the soul, which is exact∣ed

of us in the Commandment. Whereof we have still a further argument, because in almost all the places where any man is said to fulfill this, we find that annex∣ed as its explication: Which is a plain interpretation of the Scripture to it self, that to obey with all our pow∣ers in its sence is nothing else, but to be uniform, undi∣vided, and entire in our obedience.

David, sayes God, followed me with all his heart; which appears in this, because he followed me so as to fulfill all my will, and to act nothing against it, but to do that only which is right in mine eyes, 1 Kings 14.8. Caleb and Joshua followed the Lord wholly; which was seen in that their obedience was entire to him, and they did not transgress in those particular Laws of Duty, by the breach whereof others provoked him, Numb. 32.10, 11, 12. And of Zacharias and Elizabeth, S^t Luke sayes that they were blameless, because they walked, not in some, but in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, Luk. 1.6. But on the other side, as for all such as were partial in their obedience to God, and kept some instances of duty, but transgressed others ac∣cording as they themselves listed; they are said not to be whole in their hearts and other faculties towards him. Jehu, sayes the text, took no heed to walk in the Law of the God of Israel with all his heart, for of this there is a clear proof, in that his heart run after some sins as well as some duties, because he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, although he did from others, 2 King. 10.31. If you return unto the Lord with all your heart, sayes Samuel, then put away that particular sin which you still adhere to, your strange Gods, and serve him only, 1 Sam. 7.3. And that this is true in every mans case, as well as it was in theirs, the Psalmist plainly as∣sures us, when he layes it down for an universal ma∣xime, that they seek the Lord with their whole heart, who do no iniquity, Psal. 119.2, 3.

And thus upon all these accounts it appears, that to serve the Lord with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength, accord∣ing to the tenour of the Commandment; is neither more nor less than to serve him universally and entirely. For it can bear no other sense, because upon no greater or better service than this, God himself has declared that men have served him with all their heart according to the Commandment; and more cannot be required when this fulfills it. It can mean no more, because that all which it should mean further is impossible in the present conditi∣on of humane nature, and therefore is no fit matter of a Law, nor subject to a Commandment. And lastly, it doth mean no more, because the Scriptures themselves, where they set it down, are wont to annex this interpreta∣tion, and thus explain it.

And thus at last we have seen what degrees and man∣ner of obedience to all the Laws recounted in the for∣mer Book, is necessary to our acceptance. For we must obey sincerely and entirely, if ever we expect to reap the rewards of obedience. We must keep every particular Law of God, and that through our whole lives: we must think on them in our minds, and pursue them with our affections, and choose them with our wills so far, till we perform them with our strength, in outward and bo∣dily operation. This uprightness of obedience, which is a certain evidence of its sincerity, is all that Gods Law requires of us; and it will infallibly save us at the last day, although less than it nothing in the world will.

As for that condition of life and pardon then which the Gospel indispensably exacts of us, we now see plain∣ly what it is. For it is nothing else but our obedience to all the forementioned Laws of God in sincerity and upright∣ness. It is by this that all the world must stand or fall at the last day; according to their performance or neg∣lect

whereof they shall then be judged either to live or die eternally.

This indeed, though it be a very great, will seem a very uncouth and severe truth in the degeneracy of man∣ners, and loose lives of our times. But if it do, that is wholly our own fault, and can be no prejudice at all to the declarations of Christs Gospel. For our Lord has proclaimed it to us plainly enough, and if our own wicked hearts make us shut our eyes, and willing to o∣verlook it; for that we must blame our selves, but can never hope thereby to evacuate his sentence. This in very deed is the Gospel that he has published, and these are the terms of mercy which he has procured for us: So that if we live up to them, we shall be saved by him; but if we fail to perform these gracious demands, we have no benefit at all by his death, nor any ground of hope from his Gospel. All that can be said is, that he offered us Grace and Pardon upon most fair and easie terms, but that we would not accept them. But we preferred the pleasure of our sins before all the glo∣ry of his rewards, and chose to hazard all those evils which he threatned, rather than to be at the pains to perform that condition which he peremptorily injoyn∣ed.

But although by our wicked lives we in these dayes cast off the light yoke of Christ as over-burdensome, and make the Covenant of Grace it self to become a rigo∣rous condition: yet once the case was otherwise, and the world was more Christian. For they who professed Christs Religion then, performed all that he command∣ed, and practised all that, which, as we have seen, his Gospel doth injoyn. And to go no further for an evi∣dence of this, we will take those accounts of the obe∣dience of Christians in the first times, which the Apo∣stles themselves give us.

You, sayes the Apostle to the Colossians, that were sometimes, in your Gentile State, alienated from God, and enemies in your minds by means of your wicked works; yet now, since you become Christians, hath he reconciled in his death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and un∣reproveable, according to the terms of the Gospel, in his sight, Col. 1.21, 22. And to the same purpose he speaks of the Ephesians yet more fully. You, saith he, hath God quickned by the preaching of the Gospel, who, before you heard of that, were dead in trespasses and sins, where∣in, in times past of Gentilism, ye walked, as well as o∣thers, according to the wicked course of this world, ac∣cording to the instigation of the Prince of the powers in the air, who is the spirit that both aforetime, and e∣ven now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all, as I say, had our conversation in times past, living, just as they did, in the lusts of our flesh, ful∣filling and performing the desires of our flesh, and were thereby the children of wrath as well as others. But God, even when we were thus dead in sins, hath, upon our em∣bracing of Christs Religion, quickned us together with Christ, by that same spirit whereby he raised up him, Ephes. 2.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. But the character which he gives of the Corinthians is more particular and compleat still. No unrighteous, saith he, of one sort or other shall en∣ter into the kingdom of heaven. For neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor revilers, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such indeed as these were some of you once, (viz. in your Gentilism;) but since you were Christned I bear you record, that you are washed from those impurities, that you are sanctified from those wick∣ednesses, and that you are justified from the condemn∣ing force of all these Commandments in the name of the

Lord Jesus, and by the help of the enlivening and con∣verting spirit of our God, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10, 11. These places are very full and particular for the power of Chri∣stianity, and the perfect and entire obedience of Christi∣ans in those dayes. And yet there is one testimony more of this Apostle, which I must not omit, because it is so very comprehensive; and that is the account which he gives us of the Reformation which the Gospel wrought among the Romans. For before it was preached among them, they were strangely debauched, and unaccountably wicked; as we may be fully informed, were there no other register of their vices, from that prodigious Ca∣talogue of their sins, which S^t Paul himself has given us, Rom. 1.* 5.81 For they worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator. Their very women were so unna∣tural in their lusts, as to change their natural use, into that which is against nature.* 5.82 And the men leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lusts towards one another, men with men working that which is unseem∣ly. They were filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,* 5.83 wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; being full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, back-biters,* 5.84 haters of God, despitefull, proud, boasters, inventers of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understand∣ing, covenant-breakers, without natural affection,* 5.85 impla∣cable, unmercifull. Thus had they degenerated from all sense of common honesty and honour; and fallen into the vilest sink of vices. But when once Christianity took place among them, it quickly turned them from a most impious and monstrously unclean, into a most religious and holy people. For so S^t Paul himself bears witness to them. You were, sayes he, in your time of Heathen∣ism, the servants, nay, the rankest slaves of sin, but God be thanked that ye have now, since you became Chri∣stians, obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine, which

was by us Apostles delivered to you. For being made free from that strange inventory of sins, ye became the ser∣vants of righteousness, Rom. 6.17, 18. And what S^t Paul tells us of these particular Churches under his care; S^t Peter will also inform us was true of all the Churches in Pontus and Asia with whom he was concerned, and to whom he directed his first Epistle. The time past of our life may suffice us, saith he, to have wrought the will of the Gentiles; when we walked with them in lascivious∣ness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquettings, and a∣bominable idolatries. Yea, indeed this doth suffice us. For since we became Christians we have left off to ac∣company them in these vices, for which they are e∣stranged to us, and revile us. For they think it strange that we run not with them to the same excess of riot as we used formerly, speaking evil of us for abstaining from them, 1 Pet. 4.3, 4.

Thus honest was the service, and thus entire was the obedience of Christians in the Apostles dayes. And when they had finished their course, and were called out of the world, Christs Gospel had still the same effects, and his subjects continued to pay him the same ser∣vice. b 5.86 As for the Religion and Laws of Christ, sayes Lactantius, what excellent effects they have upon the minds and lives of men, is plain from every dayes experience. For give me a man that is fierce, hasty, and ungovernable; and with this Law I will make him as tractable and gen∣tle as a lamb. Give me one who is covetous, greedy and te∣nacious; this Religion shall quickly make him liberal and

generous. It will make the cowardly and timorous, to be∣come bold and venturous; the lustful and intemperate, to turn chast and sober; the cruel and revengeful, to grow merciful and placable. In one word, it works a perfect change and alteration, making the wicked and injurious, to become forthwith most innocent and holy men. For all manner of sin is renounced at their entrance, all filthy habits are washt off at the Font, and never again resumed. They are so wholly altered in their life and temper by embra∣cing of our Faith, that you will scarce know them to be the same men. Thus were the Christians in those Days the holiest sort of men, and the most noble patterns of Ver∣tue and Goodness: being c 5.87 distinguishable from other men, as Tertullian says, in nothing so much as this, That they had left off all their former vices. For they lived what they taught, and performed what others only could discourse of; their common Motto being this, d 5.88 Although we have not the skill to talk, yet we have the Grace to live as well as any. Nay, their very enemies themselves, who would be sure to spare no pains nor skill in fastening some immoralities upon them, were yet forced at last to confess that they had no fault but one; and that was, that they were called Christians. For it is a known Story and usage which Tertullian complains of, that the very Heathens themselves could not but cry out, * 5.89 Such or such a one is a very good man, bating only this, That he is a Christian.

And when the World of Christians were thus intire∣ly obedient, and compleatly vertuous; it was no won∣der that they could so bravely despise Death; and not only suffer, but even seek and f 5.90 provoke martyrdom. They durst dye for the Gospel, because they were sure to g 5.91 live by it. For they performed all that it required,

and were thereby secure of all the happiness which it promised: and when by this means Death was become to them only a passage to a most glorious and eternal life; it had nothing in it that could fright them. All Sorts, Sexes, and Ages, had lived their Religion so well, that they feared not to dye for it; but with the most undaunted courage, and h 5.92 assured hope, they every where in great numbers sealed their profession with their blood, and gave testimony to the truth of their Faith with their own lives.

And now if we fall short of that obedience that God requires, and which was performed by former Ages; whose fault is that, or who must in reason suffer for it? For Christ's Gospel is the very same that it was sixteen hundred years ago, the Precepts are still unchan∣ged, and the penalty altogether unaltered. It always was, and always will be the same Rule of Faith, and the same measure of mercy or damnation. And there∣fore if we lose what it promises, we may thank our selves for neglecting what it enjoyns. For the same terms of life have stood fixt hitherto, and shall stand through all Ages; the primitive Christians kept, and were saved by them, and if we break them, we shall certainly be condemned for them.

How small soever therefore that be which in these loose times men perform; yet an intire obedience is that which God indispensably enjoins. It is the perem∣ptory Demand of his Gospel, and will at the last Day be the inviolable Rule of his Judgment. It saved the antient Christians, and less than it nothing in the World will save us.

But this, some will be ready to say, instead of a graci∣ous and merciful, is a very rigorous and severe Condition. It binds us to more than is in our power, and threatens us for what we cannot help, and is a task too heavy for

any mere man, and proportioned only to the strength of an Angel. For to obey all God's Laws, and that at all times, who is sufficient? God's Laws themselves are not Rules so general as to admit of no exception. For we are commanded, for instance, to live in peace; but yet sometimes we may, and must be engaged in striving and contention. And as it is in this, so it is in other parts of Duty; the Commandment holds not in every Case, but some are excepted. And who now is of an under∣standing so discerning and sagacious, as to see in all things where he is fast and where he is loose, and never to mistake that for his liberty, which is indeed his Du∣ty? To be infallible in judgment, and to think right in all things, is the property of a God, not of a man; And if through this weakness of understanding, where∣to all mankind are subject, we are ignorant at any time and do not see, or erroneous and mistake our Duty; how is it possible that we should in all instances, and at all times perform and fulfil it.

But even where we do know God's Law, yet neither there can we always observe it. For since we have ma∣ny other thing to do besides our Duty, and opportuni∣ties for action call frequently upon the sudden; we are oft-times drawn to act before we have time to think, and so although we know what we should do in the general, yet in this particular Case we have not leisure to attend to it. We are surprized into action e're we are aware, and perform before we can consider; and therefore, as the chance happens, many times do ill, because we have not time to look about us, and to see what is well doing.

But if an opportunity for some sin happen when we are at leisure to consider of it, and to avoid it; yet many times, although for the present it doth not, after∣wards it shall win upon us. For all temptations do not

come upon us suddenly, and pass away as suddenly a∣gain; but some stay long with us, and persist to ob∣trude themselves upon us. And although we can con∣sider for a while, and watch well, and resist long: yet such is the imperfection of our very faculties, that they cannot be held long at stretch, but they will at last grow weary. They will be tired out by continuing so strict a Guard, and begin at last to remit of their care, and to slacken their diligence: and when they unbend, the temptation encreases, and our lusts take advantage; so that albeit we were not surprized at first, yet we shall at last, and be tired and wearied into a transgres∣sion.

And since all these, with others, are infirmities not only incident to, but inseparable from our Natures, and such as we cannot throw off till we shake off our Bo∣dies, and all converse with the tempting world: how can it be thus exacted of us, who cannot always stand upright, that we should never fall, but obey God in∣tirely, in all things, and at all times?

But to give a clear Answer to these difficulties, which are here with great truth objected; having shown that Obedience is the Condition which is indispensably re∣quired of us, and what those particular Laws are which we are to obey, and what degrees and measures of obe∣dience is required to them: I shall now proceed to en∣quire into that which I promised in the next place, viz. What are the mitigations and allowances of this Condition of happiness, and what those defects are which it bears and dispenses with; of which in the next Book.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 qu. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: that be∣ing true, and not counterfeit, doth not fear the light, but is willing to be tryed in the brightest Sun. And the Apostle joins these two, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, opposing sincerity to fraud, and a double heart, and making it the same with simplicity, 2 Cor. 1.12. And again he joins it with Truth, The unlea∣vened ••read of sincerity and truth, 1 Cor. 5.8. And so sincerus by the Latine Grammarians is derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as signifying the same with cum corde, heartily and unfeignedly.
• b 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is joined with 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Matth. 6.5.

  Which is an intimation of its being taken from publick Plays and Theaters.
• c 1.3

  Si pro arbitrio suo S••rvi Domi∣nis obtem••••rant, nec in iis quidem, in quibus o••t••mp••rarint, obs••quuntur. Quando enim Servus ex Domini jussis ea sacit tantummodo quae vu•••• ••••cere; jam non Dominicam implet voluntatem sed suam, Salvian. de Gub. Dei. l. 3. p. 79. Ed. Oxon.
• d 1.4

  Rom. 2.28, 29.
• e 1.5

  Matth. 22.36, 37, 38.
• f 1.6

  Joh. 3.3.
• g 1.7

  Ephes. 4.24. Coloss. 3.10.
• h 1.8

  Gal. 6.15. 2 Cor. 5.17.
• i 1.9

  2 Pet. 1.4. Mat. 5.48.
• k 1.10

  Thus sincerum mel, is honey without any mixture of wax in it; and since∣rum is explain∣ed by the Grammarians to signifie the same as sine cera.
• * 1.11

  Mark 12.30.
• a 1.12

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

  Which being set immediate∣ly before 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and the sins here being reckoned up according to the order of the ten Commandments, de∣termine the wicked machinations to this particular, viz. murtherous only.
• b 1.13

  Chap. 8.
• c 1.14

  See this slated Lib. 5. Cap. 3.
• d 1.15

  See this stated Book 5. Chap. 3.
• e 1.16

  Cum ab homi∣ne mala ressolâ necessitate non a∣gitur, ipsa rei turpis cupi••itas pro actione damnatur, Salvian de Prov. l. 6. p. 205. Ed. Oxon.
• a 1.17

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 1.18

  Rom. 13.14.
• c 1.19

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Andron. Rhod. Paraph. in Eth. Arist. l. 3. c. 2.
• d 1.20

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ibid. and Arist. Eth. ad Nicom. l. 3. c. 1.
• * 1.21

  Verse 15.
• * 1.22

  19.
• * 1.23

  18.
• * 1.24

  23.
• a 1.25

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Verse 25.
• a 1.26

  1 Cor. 10. ver. 22, 23. and ••••, 30.
• ‖ 3.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in exem. Claromont. & vers. Lat. Not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 3.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 4.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 5.1

  Chap. 6. Verse 14.
• * 5.2

  Chap. 6. Verse 15.
• * 5.3

  16.
• * 5.4

  17.
• b 5.5

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 5.6

  18.
• * 5.7

  Chap. 6.
• * 5.8

  Verse 19.
• * 5.9

  20.
• * 5.10

  21.
• * 5.11

  22.
• * 5.12

  Chap. 6.
• * 5.13

  Verse 23.
• * 5.14

  Chap. 7. Verse 1.
• * 5.15

  2.
• * 5.16

  3.
• * 5.17

  Chap. 7.
• * 5.18

  Verse 4.
• c 5.19

  Ephes. 2.15. Col. 2.14, 16, 17.
• d 5.20

  Matth. 28.18.
• * 5.21

  5.
• * 5.22

  Chap. 7.
• * 5.23

  Verse 6.
• * 5.24

  7.
• e 5.25

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉;
• * 5.26

  Chap. 7.
• * 5.27

  Verse 8.
• c 5.28

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 5.29

  Chap. 7. Verse 9▪
• * 5.30

  10.
• * 5.31

  11.
• * 5.32

  Chap. 7.
• * 5.33

  Verse 12.
• * 5.34

  13.
• * 5.35

  Chap. 7.
• * 5.36

  Verse 14.
• * 5.37

  15.
• * 5.38

  Chap. 7.
• * 5.39

  Verse 16.
• * 5.40

  1••.
• * 5.41

  Chap. 7. Verse 18.
• * 5.42

  19.
• * 5.43

  20.
• * 5.44

  21.
• * 5.45

  Chap. 7.
• * 5.46

  Verse 22.
• * 5.47

  23.
• * 5.48

  24.
• * 5.49

  25.
• * 5.50

  Chap. 7.
• f 5.51

  In exemp. Cla∣rom. 'tis not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which reading is also follow'd by the old La∣tin Vers.
• g 5.52

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 5.53

  Chap. 8. Verse 1.
• * 5.54

  Chap. 8.
• * 5.55

  Verse 2.
• ‖ 5.56

  Luke 11.13.
• * 5.57

  3.
• * 5.58

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 5.59

  4.
• * 5.60

  Such as Deut. 14.1, 2. Ye are the Children of the Lord your God, ye shall not cut your selves for the dead. Which, say they, were rather to be done for that reason of their being Gods Children and a Kings Son, were it not for the blessed immortality of the de∣parted Soul which this reason suggests to them. Such also are Deut. 32.39.47. Deut. 4.4, &c. All which must be brought about to speak it by Rabbinical Art, and unwonted fetch of conse∣quence. See witness to Christ. pt. 2. chap. 13.
• ‖ 5.61

  Gal. 3.10.
• * 5.62

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 5.63

  Gal. 3 9, 10, 11, 12.
• * 5.64

  Galat. 4.9.
• * 5.65

  1 Joh. 2.17.29.
• a 5.66

  Neque est justa causatio cur prae∣ferantur aliqua, ubi facienda sunt omnia. Sal. de Prov. l. 3. p. 80. Ed. Oxon.
• b 5.67

  Si pro arbi∣trio suo Servi Dominis obtem∣perant, ne in iis quidem, in quibus obtemperaverint, obsequuntur. Quando enim Servus ex Domini jussis ea facit tantummodo quae vult facere; jam non Dominicam implet voluntatem, sed suam. Id. p. 79.
• c 5.68

  〈…〉〈…〉 exqai••tior quae∣que crudelitas ••es••ra, ill••cebra est magis Secle.•• Plures essi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quoti••s metimu•• •• v••bis, semen est sanguis Christianorum. Tertul. Apol. c. 50.
• d 5.69

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• e 5.70

  Mat. 11.6.
• f 5.71

  1 Pet. 2.8. Galat. 5.11.
• g 5.72

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, says Na∣zianzen of the putting by Ju∣lian's designs against the Christians. O∣rat. 3. adv. Ju∣lian.
• a 5.73

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 5.74

  Psal. 18.22, 23.
• c 5.75

  Col. 3.5.
• d 5.76

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• e 5.77

  Exod. 23.21, 22.
• f 5.78

  Psal. 119.2, 3.
• a 5.79

  Totus in hoc sum.
• b 5.80

  Numb. 14.24. Deut. 1.36.
• * 5.81

  Vers. 25.26.
• * 5.82

  27.
• * 5.83

  29.
• * 5.84

  30.
• * 5.85

  31.
• b 5.86

  Dei autem praecepta, quan∣tum valeant in animis homi∣num, quotidia∣na experimenta demonstrant. Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus, maledicus, ef∣fraenatus; pau∣cissimis Dei verbis tam placidum quam ovem reddam. Da cupidum, avarum, tenacem; jam tibi eum liberalem dabo, & pecuniam suam plenis manibus largientem. Da timidum doloris ac mortis; jam cruces, & ignes, & Phalaridis taurum contemnet. Da libidinosum, adulterum, ganeonem; jam sobrium, castum, continentem videbis. Da crudelem, & sanguinis appetentem; jam in veram cle∣mentiam furor ille mutabitur. Da injustum, insipientem, peccatorem; continuo & aequus, & pru∣dens, & innocens erit. Vno enim lavacro malitia omnis abolebitur; pauca Dei praecepta sic totum hominem immutant, & exposito vetere, no••um reddunt, ut non cognoscas eundem esse. Lactant. de Fals. Sap. l. 3. c. 26.
• c 5.87

  Non aliunde noscibiles quam de emendatione vitiorum pristi∣norum. Tertul. ad Scap. c. 2.
• d 5.88

  Non magna lo∣quimur, sed vi∣vimus. Cypr. de bono pati∣entiae Ed. Rig. p. 222.
• * 5.89

  Bonus vir Cai∣us Sejus, sed malus tantùm quod Christia∣nus. Tertul. A∣pol. c. 3.
• f 5.90

  Quid facies de tantis millibus hominum, tot vi∣ris ac foeminis, omnis Sexus, omnis Aetatis, omnis Dignitatis, offerentibus se tibi? Tertul. ad Scap. c. 4.
• g 5.91

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ignat. Epist. and Smyrn.
• h 5.92

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is S^t Cle∣ment's Chara∣cter of good men, 1 Ep. ad Cor. c. 26.