Background Image
Table of Contents Table of Contents
Previous Page  12 / 504 Next Page
Information
Show Menu
Previous Page 12 / 504 Next Page
Page Background

our

walking with

God,

in

Gofpel obedience, and in love

without

diflimularion one

towards

another, yet

)

inflantly more weight

is

layd upon

it,

more paines laid

out

about

it, and zeale

difpended for

it's

fupportment

,

and

propagation,then about

all

other molt

neceffary

points

of

Chriftian Religion.

Have we

not

a deplorable cloud

of

Examples

,

of

men contending

about

force

Cirtumftance or other,

in

the Adminiftration

of

an

ordinance,biting

and

devou-

ring

all

that

Rand

in

their

way, roving up and

down

to

gaine Profelytes

,

unto

their perfwa-

fion , and

in

the

meane time

,

utterly ignorant or negligent

of

the great doélrines

and

com-

mands

of

the

Gofpel

oficfus Chrift,which

arc as

in

him,the head

&

Life

of

Soules?How

many

a

man

feemes

to

have

no mannerofReligion

at

all, but

Tome

one errour.

That

is

his

God

,

his

Chríft,his worfhip

;

that

he

preaches,

that

he difcourfeth of,

that

he laboursto propagate; un-

til

by

the righteous judgment

of

God it

comes

to

pafs

that

fuchmen in all

other

things wi-

ther,

&

dye away; all

the tap and vigour

of

their fpirits,feeding that one monftrous

excrefcen_

cy ,

which they grow up dayly into. Delire

of

emerging and being notable in the world,e-

fteem and

refpeel in

the hearts and

smoothes

of

them

, whom

peculiarly they draw after

them,with the

like

unworthy

aimes

of

felfe

advancement, may

without

evill

furmizing(when

fuch

attempts are,(as

in

too many,)accompanied with irregularity

in

Converfation)be

fuppo_

fed

to

be

Advantages

given

into the hands

of

the

enviares

man

to make ufe

of

them

for the [ow-

ing

of

his

tares,

in

the

field

of

the poor feduced world.

.

That

this procedure

is

alto furthered

by

the

burdenfomenefse

f

found

dottrine

onto

the

generality

of

men, who having itching

cares

,

as

farce

as

they

care

for

thefe things , do fpend

their

time

in

Religion in

nothing

elfe,

but either

to

teller

to heave

fame

new

thing,

cannot be

denyed.

Betides

to defend, improve,

give and

adde

new

light,unto

old

truths(

a

worke which

bath

fo

abundantly and excellently

been

labour'd

in,

by

to

many worthies

of

Chri

ft,efpeci ally

fince

the Reformation

)

in any

eminent manner,fo

as ro

bring

praife

and repute unto the un-

dertakers (which whether

men will confefs

or no,it

is

evident

that too

many are

enflaved

un-

to )

is

no

eafy

taske:

and for the molt part

of

what

is

done

that

way, you

may fay,

,h

leget

hac2T

he world

(

fayesevery one

)

is

burden'd with

difcourles

of

this nature. How many have

we

in

our

dayes, who might havegone

to

the grave

in filence

among the relidue

of

their bre-

thren

,

and their names have remained

for

a

feafon in

the

voifrnage,

where they might have

done God

the

fervice

require$

of

them in their generation,would they

have

kept

themfelves

in the

forme

ofwholfome

words andfound

doftrine; that

havenow delivered

their

names

into

the

mouthes

of

all men, by engageing

into

force

ungular

opinions,though

perhaps raked

out

of

the

altars

of

Popery,Socinianifine,

or

force fuchfruitful heap

of

errour ,

and falle notions

of

the

things

of

God?

I

defire

not

to

judge before

the time;the

day

will

manifeft all things :and the hidden ferrets

of

the hearts

of

men

thall

by

it

be

layed open : when

all

the waies,cautes, and

occafions

of

their

deceiving, and being deceived, ¡hall be

brought to

light, and

every man

according to his

work fhall have

praife

of

God. Only

I fay

as to the

relent

flare

of

things

,

this

is

evident

(

not

to

fpeake

of

thofe locufts from

the

borrow/eft

pit ,

that

profefledly oppofe their

ftrengih, to

all

that

is

of

God,

his name,

word,worfhip

or truch,will,and

commands,rafing the

foundation

of

all hopes

ofeternity;nor

of

Him,and

His

Affociates,whoexalterhhimfelfe

above

all

that

is

called God

,

being full

of

names

of

blafphemy,

fealed up

to

deflrullion)vety

many

amongft our felves,of

whom we hoped

better

things, do, fomein

greater,

force in leffer

mat-

ters give up themfelves

to that

unhappy labour

we before

mentioned

of

oppofing

the truths

of

God,

and exalting their own darknefs,in the roome

of

his

glorious light,

Vt

jugulent

homines

furg-ut

de

noble

latrones;

7l

t

teiplum

ferves

non

expergifi

eris

Reverend

Brethren

t

if

other

men can

rife

early,

go to

bed

late ,

and

Bate

the bread

of

care

-

felne¡s,

fpend

their

lives

and

ftrength to do their own

work and propagate

their own

conceptions', under

a

pretence

of

doing the work

of

God

:

if

the

envious man Watcheth

all

night

and

waites

all

advantages

to

few

his

tares

how

will

you

be

able to

lift

up

your

hands with

joy,

and behold

your

Mailers

face

with

boldnefs

at

his

coming,

if

having

received

fuch

eminent Abilities endowments and furnifhments from him

forhis

fer-

vice ,

and the

fervice

of

his

Cheep

and

lambs

,

as

you

have

done , you

ird

not up the ¡cines

ofyour minds,and lay

not out your ftrength to the urtermoft,for

the

weeding

out

of

the

field

and

vineyard

ofthe

Lord

every

plant

which

our heavenly

Father bath

not

planted , and

for

feed-

ing the

flock

of

Chrift with

ftneere

milk,

and prong

meat

according

as

theyare

able

to bearer

what you

have received ,

more then others

,

is

of

free grace

,

which

is

God's

way

of

dealing

with them

on

whom he layes

themolt unconquerable,

and indefpenfable

obligation unto

fereiee

Flefh and bleed

bath

not

revealed

unto you the truth

of

God

, which

you do profile

but