How to Do Good to Many, Treatise

How to Do Good to Many · Treatise

p. 1How to do Good to Many: OR, THE PUBLICK GOOD IS THE CHRISTIANS LIFE, &c.

1 Gal. 6. 10.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all Men, eſpecially unto them who are of the houſhold of Faith.

GOOD is an Epithite of the higheſt ſignification of any, in humane Language. Some think the Name GOD is thence derived. Greatneſs and Wiſdom are equally his Attributes, but Goodneſs is the completion, and ſweeteſt to the Creature. Chriſt appropriateth it to God, to be good, that is, eſſentially, primarily, and perfectly, and univerſally communicative: When it is ſaid that God is Love, the ſenſe is the ſame, that he is the infinite, eſſential, and efficiently, and finally amiable, perfect Good.

But tho no one of his Attributes in propriety and perfection are communicable (elſe he that hath one part of the Deity muſt have all) yet he imprinteth his ſimilitude and image on his works: And the impreſs of his Love and Goodneſs is the chief part of his Image on his Saints: This is their very Holyneſs: For this is the chief part of their likeneſs to God, and dedication to him, when the Spirit of Sanctification is deſcribed in Scripture, as given upon believing, it ſignifieth, that our faithful perception of the redeeming, ſaving love of God in Chriſt, is that means which the p. 2Spirit of Chriſt will bleſs, to the operating of the habit of holy Love to God and Man, which become a new and divine nature to the Soul, and is Sanctification it ſelf, and the true principle of a holy Evangelical Converſation. And as it is ſaid of God, that he is Good and doth Good, ſo every thing is enclined to work as it is: Chriſt tells us the Good, Tree will bring forth good fruits, &c. And we are Gods Workmanſhip Created in Chriſt Jeſus to Good Works, which God hath ordained, that we ſhould walk in them, Eph. 2. 10.

Yet man doth not Good as the Sun ſhineth, by a full bent of natural neceſſitation, elſe the World would not be as it is: But as a free undetermined Agent, which hath need to be commanded by a Law, and ſtirr'd up by manifold Motives, and Exhortations; ſuch as the Holy Ghoſt here uſeth in the Text.

Where 1. Doing Good is the ſubſtance of the duty: 2. Men are the objects: 3. To all men is the extent: 4, Eſpecially to them of the Houſhold of Faith, is the direction for precedency: 5. And while we have opportunity is the ſeaſon, including a Motive to make haſte. So large and excellent a Theme would require more; than my allotted time to handle it fully: Therefore I ſhall now confine my ſelf to the duty Extended; Do Good to All men.

Doct. To do Good to all men is all mens duty, to which every Chriſtian eſpecially muſt apply himſelf.

All men ſhould do it: True Chriſtians can do it, through Grace, and muſt do it, and will do it. A Good man is a common good: Chriſts Spirit in them is not a dead or idle Principle. It makes them in there ſeveral meaſures the Salt of the Earth, and the Lights of the World: They are fruitful branches in the true Vine. Every Grace tendeth to well doing, and to the Good of the whole Body, for which each ſingle Member is made. Even Hypocrites, as Wooden Legs, are ſerviceable to the body, but every living Member much more, except ſome diſeaſed ones, who may be more troubleſome, and dangerous than the Wooden Leg. It's a ſign he is a branch Cut off and withered, who careth little for any but himſelf. The malignant Diaboliſt hateth the true and Spiritual Good: The ignorant know not Good from Evil: p. 3The erroneous take Evil for Good, and Falſhood for Truth. The ſlothful Hypocrite wiſheth much Good, but doth but little: The formal Ceremonious Hypocrite extols the Name and Image of Goodneſs: The worldly Hypocrite will do Good if he can do it cheaply, without any loſs or ſuffering to his Fleſh: The Libertine Hypocrite pleadeth Chriſts Merits againſt the neceſſity of doing Good, and looketh to be ſaved becauſe Chriſt is Good, tho he be barren and ungodly; and ſome ignorant Teachers have taught them to ſay, when they can find no true Faith, Repentance, Holineſs, or Obedience in themſelves, that it is enough to believe that Chriſt Believed and Repented for them, and was Holy and Obedient for them. He was indeed Holy and Obedient for Penitent Believers; not to make Holineſs and Obedience unneceſſary to them, but to make them ſincerely Holy and Obedient to Himſelf, and to excuſe them from the neceſſity of that perfect Holineſs and Obedience here, which is neceſſary to thoſe that will be Juſtified by the Law of Works or Innocency. Thus all ſorts of bad men have their oppoſitions to doing Good; But to the ſincere Chriſtian it is made as Natural: His heart is ſet upon it: He is Created and Redeemed and Sanctified for it; as the Tree is made for Fruit. He Studieth it as the chief Trade and Buſineſs that he liveth for. He waketh for it: Yea, he ſleepeth and eateth and drinketh for it; even to enable his body to ſerve his Soul, in ſerving that Lord, whoſe Redeemed peculiar People are all Zealous of Good Works, Tit. 2. 14. The Meaſure of this Zeal of doing Good, is the utmoſt of their power, with all their Talents, in deſire and ſincere Endeavour: The extent of the Object is to All (tho not to all alike) that is to as many as they can.

But for order ſake we muſt here conſider.

1. Who this All meaneth, and in what order.

II. What is Good: And what is that Good which we muſt do.

IV. What Qualifications he muſt have that will do Good to many.

III. What Rules he muſt obſerve in doing it.

V. What works are they that muſt be done by him that would do good to many.

p. 4VI. What motives ſhould quicken us to the practice.

VII. Some uſeful conſectaries of the point.

I. It is Gods prerogative to do good to all; Mans ability will not reach to it. But our all is, as many as we can do good to. 1. To Men of all ſorts: High and Low, Rich and Poor. Old and Young: Kindred, Neighbours, Strangers, Friends, Enemies, Good and Bad; none excepted that are within our power.

2. Not to a few only, but to as many perſons of all ſorts as we can: As he that hath true grace would ſtill have more for himſelf; ſo he that doth good would feign do more good; and he that doth good to ſome would fain do good to many more. All good is progreſſive, and tendeth toward increaſe and perfection; why are the faithful ſaid, to love and long for the day of Chriſts appearing; but becauſe it is the great Marriage day of the Lamb, when all the Elect ſhall be perfected in our Heavenly Society? and that makes it a much more deſirable day than that of our particular glorification at death. The perfection of the whole body addeth to the perfection of every part: For it is a ſtate of felicity in perfect Love. And Love maketh every mans good whom we love, to be as ſweet to us as our own; yea, maketh it our own. And then the perfection and glory of every Saint, will be our delight and Glory: And to ſee each ſingle ones love united in one perfect joy and glory, will add to each perſons joy and glory. And can you wonder if our little ſparks of Grace do tend towards the ſame diffuſed multiplication; and if every Member long for the compleating of the body of Chriſt; O how much will this add to every faithful Chriſtians joy? It will not be then a little flock; not deſpiſed for ſingularity; nor hid in the Crowd of impious ſinners, nor diſhonoured by infirmities, or paltry quarrels among our ſelves, nor with the mixture of hypocrites: It will not be over-voted or trod down and perſecuted by the power, or number of the ignorant Enemies: O Chriſtians, go on in doing good to all men with chearfulneſs; for it all tendeth to make up the body of Chriſt, and to prepare for that glorious ſtate and day: Every Soul you convert, every brick that you lay in the building tendeth to make up the Houſe and City of God.

p. 5But as all motion and action is firſt upon the neareſt object, ſo muſt ours; and doing Good muſt be in order: Firſt we muſt begin at home with our own Souls and lives, and then to our neareſt Relations, and Friends, and Acquaintance, and Neighbours, and then to our Societies, Church and Kingdom, and all the world. But mark that the order of execution, and the order of eſtimation and intention differ. Tho God ſet up Lights ſo ſmall as will ſerve but for one room, and tho we muſt begin at home, we muſt far more eſteem and deſire the good of multitudes, of City and Church and Commonwealth; and muſt ſet no bounds to our endeavours, but what God and diſability ſet.

II. But What is that Good that we muſt do? Good is an attribute of Being; and is its perfection, or well-being: Gods Goodneſs is perfection it ſelf: And as he is the fountain of being, ſo alſo of Goodneſs; and therefore his Goodneſs is called Love, whoſe higheſt act is his eſſential ſelf-love, which is infinitely above his love to the world; But yet it is Communicative Love; which made all things good, and reſted in ſeeing them all good. And as he is the fountain, ſo the ſame Will or Love is the meaſuring Rule, and the end of all derived good. The prime notion of the Creatures goodneſs is its Conformity to the Will of God: But the ſecond is its own perfection as its own, which indeed is but the ſame Conformity.

Therefore the true good which we muſt do men, is to make them conformable to the Regulating Will of God, that they may be happy in the Pleaſed Will of God; and to help them to all means for ſoul and body neceſſary hereunto: And this for as many as poſſibly we can.

III. The Rules for judging and doing good are theſe. 1. That is the greateſt good which is Gods greateſt intereſt: And his intereſt is his Glory and the complacence of his fulfilled Will.

2. Therefore the good of the world, the Church, of Nations, of multitudes, is greater than the good of few.

3. The good of the Soul is greater than of the body.

p. 64. The avoiding the greateſt evil is better than avoiding leſs.

5. Everlaſting good is better than ſhort.

6. Univerſal good which leaveth no evil, is better than a particular good.

7. That is the beſt good as to means which moſt conduceth to the evil:

8. There is no Earthly good that is not mixt with ſome evil, nor any Commodity that hath not ſome inconvenience or diſcommodity.

9. No ſin muſt be done for any good.

10. Some things may be done for good, which would be ſin, were it not for the good which they are done for. It would be ſin to give a robber your mony, were it not to ſave your life, or ſome other Commodity: It would be ſin to do ſomethings on the Lords day, which neceſſity or a greater good may make a duty: Your own defence may make it a duty to ſtrike another, which elſe would be a ſin.

11. In ſuch caſes there is need of great prudence, and impartiality to know whether the good or the evil do preponderate: And a great part of the actions of our lives muſt be managed by that prudence, or elſe they will be ſinful.

12. Therefore it is no ſmall part of a Miniſters duty, to Counſel men, as a wiſe, skilful and faithful Caſuiſt.

IV. To do good to many requireth many excellent qualifications: This is ſo far from being every ones performance, that we ſhould be glad if a great part of Mankind did not do more hurt than good.

1. He that will do his Country good, muſt know what is good, and what is bad: A fools Love is hurtful: He knoweth not how to uſe it: He will love you to death; as an unskilful Phyſitian doth his moſt beloved Patients: Or love you into calamity, as amorous fondlings oft do each other. This is the great enemy of humane peace: Men know not good from evil: Like him that kild his Son, thinking he had been a Thief, or like routed Soldiers, that run by miſtake into the Army of the Enemy. p. 7Malignity and errour make mad and doleful work in the World, and worſt in thoſe that ſhould be wiſeſt, and the greateſt inſtruments of publick good: The Scripture miſtaketh not, which tells us of Enemies and haters of God: And moſt of the World are profeſſed Adverſaries to Chriſt: The Jews Crucified him as an Enemy to Caeſar, and to the ſafety of their Law and Country: And if we may Judge by their enmity to Holineſs, the Spirit of Chriſt is taken for an intolerable Enemy, by no ſmall part of nominal Chriſtians: The Laws of Chriſt are judged too ſtrict: The Hypocrites that bow to him, and hate his Laws, do call them Hypocrites, that are but ſerious in the practice of Chriſtianity, and hate them that have any more Religion than Complements, Ceremony, and Set words: The Image of a Chriſtian and a Miniſter is ſet up in Militant oppoſition to them that are Chriſtians and Miniſters indeed: If men that are Called to the Sacred Office, would ſave Souls in good earneſt, and pull them out of the Fire, and go any further than Pomp and Stage-work, they paſs for the moſt inſufferable men in the world: Elias is taken for the troubler of Iſrael, and Paul for a peſtilent ſeditious Fellow, and the Apoſtles as the off-ſcouring of all things: Many a Martyr hath died by Fire, for ſeeking to ſave men from the Fire of Hell: And when the Bedlam World is at this paſs, what good is to be expected from ſuch men? When men called Chriſtians hate and oppoſe the God, the Chriſt, the Holy Ghoſt, to whom they were vowed in Baptiſm; when Drunkenneſs and Whoredom, and Perjury and Lying, and all debauchery is taken for more friendly and tolerable, than the moſt ſerious Worſhip of God, and Obedience to his Laws, and avoiding Sin: In a word, when the greateſt good is taken for unſufferable evil, you may know what good to expect from ſuch.

They will all tell you that we muſt Love God above all, and our Neighbours as our Selves; but to fight againſt his Word and Worſhip and Servants, is but an ill expreſſion of their Love to God: And ſeeking their deſtruction, becauſe they will not Sin, is an ill expreſſion of Love to their Neighbours. When men, judge of Good and Evil, as Satan Teacheth them, and as ſelfiſh p. 8Pride and Worldly intereſt incline them, what wonder if ſuch Love have murdered 30000 or 40000 at once in France and 200000 in Ireland, and have filled the Chriſtian World with Religious Blood? Read but the doleful Hiſtories of Church Contentions for 1300 years, the Stories of their Wars and mutual Perſecutions, the Streams of Blood that have been ſhed in Eaſt and Weſt, the inquiſitions and bloody Laws ſtill kept up, and all this as Good Works, and done in Love, and you would think that the Sacred Roman Hierarchy did Believe that Chriſt hath put down the Legal Sacrificing of Beaſts, that he might inſtead of it have the blood of men; and that he who requireth his Diſciples to lay down their lives for him, would have a Prieſthood kept up to Sacrifice their lives to him, that will not wilfully break his Laws. And all this is but as Chriſt foretold us, that his Servants ſhould be kill'd as a piece of Service to God. No wonder if ſuch men offer God a ludicrous mimical ſort of Service, and Worſhip him in vain by heartleſs lip-labour, according to the Traditions of men, when they dare Sacrifice Saints to the Lord of Saints, and quiet their Conſciences by calling them ſuch as they are themſelves. But to the honour of Goodneſs, and the ſhame of Sin, to ſhew that they ſin againſt the Light of Nature it ſelf, they put the Name of Evil upon Good, before they dare openly oppoſe and perſecute it; and they put the Names of Good upon Evil before they dare defend and juſtifie it.

But alas! it is not only the Ungodly that do miſchief, thinking verily that it is good: How many doth the Church ſuffer by, while they proſecute their miſtakes, who yet do much good in promoting the common truth which Chriſtians are agreed in?

2. He that will do Good to all or many, muſt have an unfeigned Love to them. Hatred is miſchievous, and neglect is unprofitable: Love is the natural Fountain of Beneficence: Love earneſtly longeth to do good, and delighteth in doing it. It maketh many to be as One, and to be as ready to help others, as each Member of the Body is to help the reſt. Love maketh anothers wants, ſufferings, and ſorrows to be our own: And who is not willing to help himſelf? Love is a principle ready, active, ingenious and conſtant: It p. 9ſtudieth to do good, and would ſtill do more: It is Patient with the infirmities of others, which men void of love do aggravate into odiouſneſs, and make them their excuſe for all their neglects, and their pretence for all their Cruelties. Could you make all the ſlanderers, backbiters, revilers, deſpiſers, perſecuters, to love their Neighbours as themſelves, you may eaſily Judge what would be the effect; and whether they would revile, or proſecute, or impriſon, or ruine themſelves, or ſtudy how to make themſelves odious, or ſuborne perjured witneſſes againſt themſelves.

3. Yea, he that will do good to many, muſt Love many better than himſelf, and preferre the Common-good much before his own, and ſeek his own in the Common-welfare. He that loveth good as good, will beſt Love the beſt. And an honeſt old Roman would have called him an unworthy beaſt, that preferred his Eſtate or life before the Common welfare. To be ready to do, ſuffer or die for their Country, was a vertue which all extolled. A narrow-Spirited ſelfiſh man will ſerve others no further, than it ſerveth himſelf, or at leaſt will ſtand with his own ſafety or proſperity. He will turn as the Weathercock, and be for them that are for his worldly intereſt. I confeſs that God oft uſeth ſuch for common good: But it is by raiſing ſuch ſtorms as would ſink them with the Ship, and leaving them no great hope to eſcape by being falſe; Or by Permiting ſuch Villanies as threaten their own intereſt. A Covetous Father may be againſt gaming and prodigality in his Children: The men of this World are wiſe in their generation: Many that have Abby Lands will be againſt Popery. And even Atheiſts and Licentious men may be loth to be ſlaves to Politick Prieſts, and to come under Confeſſion, and perhaps the Inquiſition: And thoſe that have not ſinned themſelves into madneſs or groſs deluſions, will be loth to ſet up a Forieign Juriſdiction, and become the Subjects of an unknown Prieſt, if they can help it. God often uſeth vice againſt vice, and if no worldly ſelfiſh men were the Countries or the Churches helpers, it muſt ſuffer or truſt to Miracles.

But yet there is no truſt to be put in theſe men, further than p. 10their own intereſt muſt ſtand or fall with the Common good: If God and Heaven and Conſcience be not more powerful with a man than worldly intereſt, truſt him not againſt the ſtream and tide, or when he thinks he can make a better bargain for himſelf. He that will ſell Heaven and Chriſt for the world, will ſell you for it, and ſell his Country for it, and ſell Religion, truth and honeſty for it. And if he ſcape here the end of Achitophel and Judas, he will venture on all that's out of ſight. Chriſt was the grand Benefactor to the world, and the moſt excellent teacher of Love and ſelf-denyal and contempt of the world, to all that will follow him in doing good to many.

4. He that will do much good muſt be good himſelf: Make the tree good if you would have good fruit. Operari ſequitur eſſe. A bad man is an Enemy to the greateſt good that he ſhould do. Malignity abhorreth ſerious piety, and will ſuch promote it? If Elias be a man of Miracles, he ſhall hear, Haſt thou found me, O my Enemy: And Michaiah ſhall hear, I hate him, for he Propheſieth not good of me but evil. Feed him with the Bread and Water of Affliction.

And a bad Man, if by accident he be engaged for a good cauſe, is ſtill ſuſpected by thoſe that know him: They cannot truſt him, as being a ſlave to luſt and to ſtrong Temptations, and a ſecret Enemy to the true intereſt of his Country. Alas! the beſt are hardly to be truſted far, as being lyable to miſcarry by infirmity, how little then is to be hoped for from the wicked?

5. He that will do much good in the world, muſt be furniſhed with conſiderable abilities: Eſpecially prudence, and skill in knowing, when, and to whom, and how to do it. Without this he will do more harm than good: Even good men when they have done much good, by ſome one miſcarriage, tempted by the remnants of ſelfiſhneſs and Pride, and by unskilful raſhneſs, have undone all the good they did, and done as much hurt as wicked enemies. There goeth ſo much to publick good, and ſo many ſnares are to be avoided, that raſh ſelf-conceited halfwitted men do ſeldom do much, unleſs under the conduct of wiſer men.

6. He that will be a publick bleſſing to the world, muſt p. 11have a very large proſpect, and ſee the ſtate of all the world, and foreſee what is like to come. He muſt not live as if his neighbourhood were all the Land, or his Country, or his Party were all the Church, or all the World. He muſt know what relation all our actions have to other Nations, and to all the Church of Chriſt on earth: The want of this Univerſal proſpect involveth many in cenſorious and dividing Sects, who would abhor that way, if they knew the caſe of all the Church and world.

And we muſt not look only to a preſent exigent or advantage, but foreſee how our Actions will look hereafter, and what changes may put them under other judgments, and what the fruits may be to poſterity. Many things cauſe death which give the Patient preſent eaſe.

7. He that will do good to many, muſt have Chriſtian fortitude, and not be diſcouraged with difficulties and oppoſition: He muſt ſerve God for the good of men with abſolute reſolution, and not with the hypocrites reſerves: He muſt be armed with patience againſt, not only the malice of enemies, but the ingratitude of friends: The follies, and quarrels, and mutinies and diviſions, and often the abuſes of thoſe that he would do good to, muſt not overcome him. He muſt imitate God, and do good to the Evil, and bleſs thoſe that curſe him, and pray for them that deſpightfully uſe him: He muſt not promiſe himſelf more ſucceſs than God hath promiſed him; nor yet deſpair and turn back diſcouraged: But Conſcience muſt carry him on to the end through all, whatever ſhall befal him.

8. Therefore he muſt look for his reward from God, and not expect too much from Man. Men are inſufficient, mutable and uncertain: Their intereſts and many accidents may change them. The multitude are of many minds and tempers; and if you pleaſe ſome, you ſhall diſpleaſe others. And it is hard to pleaſe even one perſon long. Some great ones will not be pleaſed, unleſs you will prefer their Wills before the Will of God, your Countries good and your own Salvation: The poor are ſo many and ſo indigent, that no man can anſwer their deſires; If you give twenty pound to twenty of the poor, forty or an hundred, that expected the like, will murmure at you and be diſpleaſed. What p. 12Man ever did ſo much good in the world, as not to be accuſed by ſome, as if he were a Covetous or a hurtful man.

Therefore he that will do much good, muſt firmly believe the life to come, and muſt do that he doth, as the work of God, in obedience to him, and look for his reward in Heaven, and not as the Hypocrite in the praiſe of men, much leſs as the worldling in the hope of temporal advantage: He muſt not wonder if he be rewarded as Socrates was at Athens; and as Chriſt and his Apoſtles were in the world: Themiſtocles likened himſelf to a great Fruit Tree, which Men run for ſhelter under in a ſtorm, and when the ſtorm is over they throw ſtones and cudgels at it, to beat down the fruit. Reckon not on a reward from men, but from God. By what is ſaid you may perceive what are the great impediments of doing good to many, which muſt be overcome.

I. One, and the worſt, is Malignity, which is an Enmity to Spiritual good: For who will promote that which he is againſt?

II. Another is unbelief of Gods Commands and Promiſes; when men take not themſelves to be his Subject and Stewards, nor can take his promiſe for good ſecurity for their reward.

III. Another is the forementioned ſin of Selfiſhneſs, which makes a mans ſelf to be his chiefeſt love and care, and more to him than Chriſts intereſt, or the Church or Kingdom.

IV. Another is a falſe conceit that a man is ſo obliged to provide for his Children and Kindred, that all that he can get, how rich ſoever he be, muſt be left to make them rich, except ſome inconſiderable pittance.

V. Another is the great neglect of Parents to prepare their Children to be profitable to the Commonwealth, but only to live in proſperity to themſelves. 1. Children ſhould be taught as much as may be, to become perſons of underſtanding, and ſuch wiſdom as may make them uſeful. 2. And eſpecially to be truly Religious: For then they will be devoted to do good, in love and obedience to God. 3. They ſhould be taught what it is to be members of Societies, and what duty they owe to Church and State, and how great a part of their duty lyeth in careing for the Common good, and how ſinful and damnable it is to live only to themſelves; and how much this ſelfiſhneſs is the ſum p. 13of all iniquity. 4. Thoſe Callings ſhould be choſen for them which they are fitteſt for, and in which they may do moſt publick good.

VI. And a timerous Cowardly diſpoſition, is a great hinderance to publick good: For ſuch will be ſtill for the ſelf-ſaving way, and afraid of the dangers that attend the greateſt duties: If they are called to Liberality, they will fear leſt they ſhould want themſelves: In all coſtly or hazardous duty, there will ſtill be a Lyon in their way. They cannot truſt God, and no wonder then if they are not to be truſted themſelves.

VII. Laſtly, Sloth and Idleneſs are conſtant Enemies to well doing. There are two ſorts eſpecially guilty of this; one and the better is ſome Religious people, who think that their buſineſs is only with God and their own hearts, and that if they could ſpend all their time in Meditation, Prayer and ſuch like exerciſes, it would be the beſt kind of life on Earth: Among the Papiſts multitudes by this conceit turn Fryars and Nun's. Among us ſuch ſpend all their time, in hearing Sermons, and in Reading, and Meditating and Prayer, and ſuch like exerciſes of Religion towards God, if they are but rich enough to live without bodily labour: And the Example of Mary and Martha, they think will make this good.

I know that this is no common error. The wicked are of a far different mind. And I know no man can do too much to ſave his Soul: But we may do one ſort of our work too much to the neglect of other parts. We have Souls in fleſh, and both parts have their proper neceſſity and work: Mary did ſomewhat elſe than hear, tho ſhe wiſely preferred it in its ſeaſon. And no one is made for himſelf alone: You feel that Religious exerciſes do you good: But what good is it that you do to others? I confeſs a Monks Prayers for others is a good work: But God will have Praying and endeavouring go together, both for your ſelves and others. Bare Praying God to relieve the Poor and to teach your Children, and inſtruct the ignorant, will not excuſe you from relieving, teaching or inſtructing them: Yea, and your own good will beſt come in by your fulleſt obedience to God: Do what he bids you, and he will take care of your Salvation: p. 14Your own way may ſeem beſt, but will not prove beſt: It will but caſt you into Melancholy and diſability at laſt; ſix days ſhalt thou labour, is more than a permiſſion. Its Saint Paul's Canon, he that will not work (if able) let him not cat. And it was King Solomons Mother who taught him the deſcription of a virtuous Woman, Prov. 31. She eateth not the bread of Idleneſs, ver. 27. God will have mercy and obedience as better than Sacrifice. The Sentence in Judgment is, upon doing good to Chriſt in his members; Mat. 25. When many that heard much and Propheſied ſhall be caſt out, Mat. 7. 21. Doing good is the ſureſt way of receiving good. The duties of the firſt, and ſecond Table, muſt go together. He that is not zealous to do good as well as to get good, hath not the peculiar nature of Chriſts Flock, Tit. 2. 14. And zeal will be diligent and not for ſloth.

2. The other ſort of the Idle are rich, ungodly, worldly perſons, who live as if God did give them plenty, for nothing but to pamper their own fleſh, and feed their own and others ſenſuality: They think that perſons of wealth and honour may lawfully ſpend their time in idleneſs: That is, in Sodoms ſin, Ezek. 16. 49. As if God expected leaſt where he giveth moſt. How little Conſcience do many Lords and Ladies make of an Idle hour or life? when poor mens labour is ſuch as tendeth to the Common good; the rich by Luxury, Sacrifice to the fleſh the fruits of other mens endeavours; and inſtead of living in any profitable employment, devour that which thouſands labour for.

It is not the toilſome drudgery of the vulgar, which we take to be all rich folks duty. But Idleneſs and unprofitableneſs is a ſin in the richeſt: Any of them may find good work enough that's ſit for them, if they be willing. Children, and Servants, and Friends, and Neighbours, and Tenants, have Souls and bodies which need their help. None can ſay, God found us no work to do. Or that God gave them more time or wealth than they had prosuable uſe for. Little do they think what it will be ere long, to reckon for all their Time and Eſtates, and to be Judged according to their works. And their own fleſh often payeth dear for its eaſe and pleaſure, by thoſe pains and diſeaſes which p. 15God hath ſuited to their ſins; and which uſually ſhortens the Lives which they no better uſe; or ſnatch them away from that Time and Wealth, which they ſpent in preparing fuel for Hell, and food for the Worm that never dyeth.

V. But what is it that a man ſhould do, that would do good to all or many? There are ſome Good Works which are of far greater tendency than others; to the good of many, ſome of them I will name to you.

I. Do as much good as you are able to mens bodies in order to the greater good of Souls. If nature be not ſupported, men are not capable of other good. We pray for our daily bread before pardon and ſpiritual bleſſings; not as if it were better, but that nature is ſuppoſed before grace, and we cannot be Chriſtians if we be not men: God hath ſo placed the ſoul in the body, that good or evil ſhall make its entrance by the bodily ſenſes to the Soul. This way God himſelf conveyeth many of his bleſſings, and this way he inflicteth his Corrections: Miniſters that are able, and willing to be liberal, find by great experience, that kindneſs and bounty to mens bodies openeth their Ear to Counſel, and maketh them willing to hear inſtruction: Thoſe in France that are now trying mens Religion in the Market, and are at work with Money in one hand and a Sword in the other, do underſtand this to be true. All men are ſenſible of pain or pleaſure, good or evil to the fleſh, before they are ſenſible what's neceſſary for their Souls. You muſt therefore ſpeak on that ſide which can hear, and work upon the feeling part if you will do good.

Beſides this, your Charity may remove many great impediments, and temptations: It is no eaſie thing to keep Heavenly thoughts upon your mind, and ſpecially to delight in God, and keep the reliſh of his Law upon your hearts, while pinching wants are calling away your mind and diſturbing it with troubleſome paſſions: To ſuffer ſome hunger, and go in vile Apparel is not very difficult: But when there is a Family to provide for, a diſcontented Wife and Children to ſatisfie, Rents, and Debts, and Demands unpaid, it muſt be an excellent Chriſtian that can live contentedly, and caſt all his uſeleſs care on God, and keep up p. 16the ſenſe of his Love, and a delight in all his Service. Do your beſt to ſave the poor from ſuch Temptations, as you would your ſelves be ſaved from them.

And when you give to the poor that are ignorant and ungodly, give them after it ſome Counſel for their Souls, or ſome good Book which is ſuited to their Caſes.

II. If you would do good to many, ſet your ſelves to promote the practical knowledge of the great truths neceſſary to Salvation.

I. Goodneſs will never be enjoyed or practiſed without knowledg. Ignorance is darkneſs, the State of his Kingdom, who is the Prince of darkneſs, who by the works of darkneſs leadeth the blind World to utter darkneſs: God is the Father of Lights, and giveth wiſdom to them that ask and ſeek it: He ſent his Son to be the Light of the World: His Word and Miniſters are ſubordinate Light: His Servants are all the Children of Light: Ignorance is virtually Errour, and errour the cauſe of ſin and miſery. And men are not born wiſe, but muſt be made wiſe by skilful diligent teaching: Parents ſhould begin it: Miniſters ſhould ſecond them: But alas! how many Millions are neglected by both? And how many neglect themſelves when Miniſters have done their beſt? Ignorance and errour are the common Road to wickedneſs, miſery and hell.

2. But what can any others do for ſuch? Two things I will remember you of. 1. Set up ſuch Schools as ſhall teach Children to read the Scriptures, and learn the Catechiſm, or Principles of Religion. Our departed Friend, Mr. Thomas Gouge did ſet us an excellent Pattern for Wales. I think we have Grammar Schools enough. It is not the knowledg of Tongues and Arts, and Curious Sciences which the common people want, but the right underſtanding of their Baptiſmal Covenant with God, and of the Creed, Lords Prayer, Decalogue and Church Communion. A poor honeſt man, or a good woman, will Teach Children thus much for a ſmall ſtipend, better than they are taught it in moſt Grammar Schools; And I would none went to the Univerſities without the ſound underſtanding of the Catechiſm: Yea, I would none came thence or into the Pulpit without it,

p. 172. When you have got them to read, give them good books, eſpecially Bibles, and good Catechiſms, and ſmall practical books which preſs the fundamentals on their Conſciences: Such books are good Catechiſms: Many learn the words of the Creed, Lords Prayer, Commandments and Catechiſm, by rote, and never underſtand them, when a lively book that awakeneth their Conſciences, bringeth them to ſenſible conſideration, and to a true underſtanding of the ſame things, which before they could repeat without ſenſe or ſavour. It is the Catechiſtical truths which moſt of our Engliſh Sermons preſs. And the lively preſſing them maketh them pierce deeper than a Catechiſm.

If men that in life, or at death, give a ſtated revenue for good works, would ſettle the one half on a Catechizing Engliſh School, and the other half on ſome ſutable good books, it may prove a very, great means of publick reformation. When a good book is in the Houſe, if ſome deſpiſe it, others may read it, and when one Pariſh is provided, every years rent may extend the Charity to other Pariſhes, and it may ſpread over a whole Country in a little time. Moſt of the good that God hath done for me, for knowledge or Conſcience hath been by ſound and pious books.

III. A great means of publick good is the right ordering of Families all the week, but eſpecially on the Lords day: Tho the Miniſtry be the uſual means of Converting Heathens and Inſidels, Chriſtian Education by Parents, is the firſt means appointed by God for the holy principling of youth: Parents muſt teach them with unwearied diligence, lying down and riſing up, Deut. 6. 11. And they that will expect Gods bleſſing, muſt uſe his appointed means. Nature teacheth men and brutes to provide for their off-ſpring with diligence and patience: And as Grace teacheth believers to expect far greater things for themſelves and their Children, than this world affordeth, ſo it obligeth them to be at ſo much greater diligence to obtain it. An everlaſting Kingdom deſerveth more labour than a trade of full eſtate for the fleſh. If all Parents did their parts to make their Children Sanctified Believers, as well as they expect the Schoolmaſter ſhould do his part to make them Scholars, and the Maſter do p. 18his part to teach them their Trades, we might hope that Miniſters would find them fitter for Church work, and that Godlineſs would not be ſo rare, nor ſo many wicked Children break their Parent hearts. But of this I have ſpoken lately in my Counſel to young men.

Religion is never like to proſper if it be not made a Family work. If it be there made the chief buſineſs of the houſe, and done with reverent ſeriouſneſs, and conſtancy, if Magiſtracy and Miniſtry ſhould fail, yet families would propagate and preſerve it. Begin with a reverent beging the help and bleſſing of God: then read his word and call upon his name: Speak ſerious words of Counſel to inferiours; ſpend the Lords day as much as may be in publick worſhip, and the reſt in reading Godly books, and in ſinging Gods praiſe and calling on his Name: Put ſuitable books into the hands of Servants and Children to read when they have leiſure: Encourage them in it with Love and rewards; and keep them out of the way of temptation: And then Gods bleſſing will dwell in your Families, and they will be as Churches of God. If any complain of negligent Miniſters, or perſecuting Magiſtrates, and will not do their own Family duties, which none forbids, they condemn themſelves.

IV. If you would be publick bleſſings, and do good to many, do your beſt to procure a skilful, faithful Miniſtry in the Church. 1. Send no Son to the Univerſity, who doth not firſt ſhew theſe three qualifications, a capable natural wit and utterance, a love to ſerious practical Religion, a great deſire to ſerve God in the Miniſtry, tho it ſhould be in ſuffering from men. If they want any one of theſe, deſign them to ſome other Calling; devote not an undiſpoſed Lad to the Miniſtry, in hope that God will make him better, but ſtay till he is better.

2. Seeing Paſtors are here obtruded on the flock, it is a work of great importance for Religious Gentlemen to buy as many Advowſons or Preſentations, as they can, that they may introduce the beſt that they can get.

God hath hitherto made uſe of the qualifications of the Miniſters, as the ſpecial means for the welfare of his Church. The bare p. 19title and office is ſo far from ſufficing without the skill and fidelity of the perſons, that ſuch have been the great corrupters and diſturbers of the Church: When pious men have heaped up riches and honours on the Clergy, theſe have been baits for the worſt men to become ſeekers, and make the ſacred Miniſtry but a trade for wealth. And if carnal worldly men be Miniſters, alas! what plagues may they be to the people and themſelves? They will hate the Spiritual practice of doctrine which they Preach; when they have told men of a Heaven and Hell, and the neceſſity of a holy heart and life, as if they had been in jeaſt; they will take thoſe for hypocrites that believe them, and live accordingly: They will take the beſt of the flock for their Enemies, becauſe they are Enemies to their hypocriſie and vice: Inſtead of imitating Saint Paul Act. 20. who taught them publickly and from Houſe to Houſe, day and night, with tears; they will turn the Miniſtry into Complement and formality, and think that by ſaying a cold unskilful Sermon, and by roteing over a few heartleſs words, they have laudably performed their part. They will take thoſe for their beſt hearers who will moſt honour them and beſt pay them, tho never ſo ignorant and ungodly; and their ſpleen will ſwell againſt the beſt, and moſt Religious people, becauſe they diſlike their unfaithful lives and Miniſtration. If Religion ſhould be in publick danger, theſe will be the Judas'es that will ſell it for gain. They will do anything rather than ſuffer much. They are Miniſters of the world, and not of Chriſt: Readier to make Croſſes for others than to bear the Croſs of Chriſt: For it is Gain that is their Godlineſs: And when their treachery is ſeen and hated, they will hate the haters of it: And the ſtudies of Malignant men will be their Laboratories, and the Pulpits the place where the ſublimate and eſſence of malice muſt be vended: How effectually will Satans work be done when it is performed in the formalities of the Sacred Miniſtry, and in the name of Chriſt? O what hath the Church ſuffered by a worldly graceleſs Miniſtry theſe thouſand years and more; and what doth it yet ſuffer by them in Eaſt and Weſt!

But on the other ſide, a skilful faithful Miniſter, will Preach ſound Doctrine, and worſhip God with ſerious devotion, and p. 20live to Chriſt, and the Churches good. He will ſpeak the word of truth and life, with truth and livelineſs: As one that believeth what he ſaith, and feeleth the power of it on his heart: Tho he muſt have Food and Rayment as other men, it is the ſaving and edifing of Souls, which is his work; to which he bendeth all his ſtudies; for which he prayeth and longeth, and in which he rejoyceth; and to which all his worldly intereſt, not only giveth place, but is made to ſerve. He will think no price, no pains or ſuffering too dear, ſo that the Souls of men be ſaved; this is the riches and preferment which he deſireth: He hath nothing too good or too dear for Chriſt, or for the meaneſt of his Servants when Chriſt requireth it. He is willing to ſpend and be ſpont for their ſakes: It is them and not theirs that he deſireth. He feareth the unbelief and hard heartedneſs of his hearers, and leſt they ſhould reject their own Salvation, more than all the ſlanders or perſecutions of the Enemies. In a word; his heart, his ſtudy, his life and buſineſs is to do all the good he can; And they that under ſuch a Miniſtry remain impenitent and hardened in ſin, are the moſt hopeleſs, miſerable people in the world.

V. And it greatly conduceth to publick good, to keep up true order and Chriſtian diſcipline in the particular Churches: Tho Popiſh Church-Tyrants have turned the Church Keyes into a Military Reigning, or revenging Sword, yet Chriſt did not in vain commit them into his Miniſters hands. Religion ſeldome proſpereth well, where the Church is no incloſure, but a Common; where all ſorts undiſtinguiſhed meet. Where, as the people know not who ſhall be made their Paſtors, but muſt truſt their Souls to the care of any that a Patron chooſeth; ſo the Paſtor knoweth not who are his Communicating flock, till he ſees them come to the Lords Table, no, nor when he ſeeth them. When it goeth for a ſufficient excuſe to the Paſtors if the rabble of wicked men Communicate, or paſs for his Churchmembers, tho they Communicate not, if he can but ſay, I knew them not to be wicked; (and how ſhould he, when he knew them not at all?) And that none accuſed them, when they are meet ſtrangers to each other. In Chriſt Jeſus neither circumciſion p. 21nor uncircumciſion availeth any thing, but a New Creature, and Faith that worketh by love. And if Chriſt made his Servants no better than the world, who would believe, that he is the Saviour of the World? There will be ſome Tares in Chriſts field, till his judgement caſt them out for ever. But if it be not a Society profeſſing Holineſs, and diſowning Unholineſs, and making a difference between the clean and the unclean, him that ſweareth and him that feareth an Oath, him that ſerveth God and him that ſerveth him not; Chriſt will diſown them as workers of iniquity, tho they had eat and drunk with him, and done Miracles in his name, Mat. 7. Much more if it be a Society where Godlineſs is deſpiſed, and the moſt Godly excommunicated, if they differ but in a formality or ceremony from Diotrephes; and the wicked rabble tolerated and cheriſhed in reviling ſerious godlineſs, on pretence of oppoſing ſuch Diſſenters. Chriſt will not own that Paſtor nor Society, which owneth not Conſcience and ſerious Piety.

If the Paſtors ſet up their Wills and Traditions before the Laws and Will of Chriſt, and call out, who is on our ſide, inſtead of who is on Chriſts ſide, and fall out with the Sheep and worry and ſcatter them, and cheriſh the Goates, and tolerate the Wolves, woe to thoſe Shepheards when Chriſt ſhall judge them: I wonder not if ſuch incline to infidelity, tho they live by the name and image of Chriſtianity; and if they be loath to believe that there will ſuch a day of judgement be, which they have ſo much cauſe to fear.

But the prudent loving guidance of faithful Paſtors is ſo neceſſary to the Church, that without it there will be envy and ſtrife, confuſion and every evil work: and a headleſs multitude, tho otherwiſe well meaning pious people, will be all wiſe, and all Teachers, till they have no wiſe Teachers left, and will crumble all into diſſolution, or into ſhameful Sects: St. Paul told us of two games that Satan hath to play, Acts 20. One by grievous Wolves, that ſhall devour the Flock (tho in Sheeps cloathing, yet known by their bloudy jawes.) The other by Men from among your ſelves, who ſhall ſpeak perverſe things, to draw Diſciples after them.

VI. If you would promote the good of all or many, promote p. 22the Love and Concord of all that deſerve to be called Chriſtians.

To which end you muſt 1. Know who thoſe are, and 2. Skilfully and faithfully endeavour it.

1. Far be it from any Chriſtian to think that Chriſt hath not ſo much as told us what Chriſtianity is, and who they be that we muſt take for Chriſtians, when he hath commanded them all ſo earneſtly to love each other. Is not Baptiſm our Chriſtening? Every one that hath entred into that Covenant with Chriſt, and underſtandingly and ſeriouſly profeſſeth to ſtand to it, and is not proved by inconſiſtent words or deeds to nullifie that profeſſion, is to be taken for a Chriſtian, and uſed in love and Communion as ſuch.

Conſider of theſe words, and conſider whether all Churches have walked by this Rule, and whether ſwerving from it have not been the cauſe of corruption and confuſion.

He is a Chriſtian fit for our Communion, who is baptized in infancy, and owneth it ſolemnly at age. And ſo is he that was not baptized, 'til he himſelf beleived.

He is a Chriſtian that beleiveth Chriſt to be true God and true Man in one Perſon, and truſteth him as our only Redeemer by his Merits and Paſſion, and our Mediator in the Heavens, and obeyeth him as our Soveragin Lord, for pardon, for his Spirit and for Salvation. And as a Chriſtian this man is to be loved and uſed, tho he have not ſo much skill in Metaphyſicks, as to know whether it be a proper ſpeech to call Mary the Mother of God, or that one of the Trinity was crucified, or to know in what ſenſe Chriſts Natures might be called One or Two, and in what ſenſe he might be ſaid to have One Will or Two Wills, One Operation or Two: And know not whether the tria Capitula were to be condemned; yea tho he could not define, or clearly tell what Hypoſtaſis, perſona, yea, or ſubſtantia ſignifieth in God; nor tell whether God of Gods be a proper Speech.

This Man is a Chriſtian, tho he know not whether Patriarchal, and Metropolitical, and Dioceſane Church formes, be according to the Will of Chriſt or againſt it; and whether ſymbolical ſigns in the Worſhip of God, may lawfully be deviſed and impoſed by Men, and whether ſome doubtful words in Oaths and Subſcriptions of Mens impoſing, being unneceſſary, be lawful, and how p. 23far he may by them incur the guilt of perjury or deliberate lying: And tho he think that a Miniſter may preach and pray in fit words of his own, tho he read not a Sermon or prayer written for him by others, who think that no words but theirs ſhould be offered to God or Man.

2. If Chriſts deſcription of a Chriſtian be forſaken, and meer Chriſtianity ſeem not a ſufficient qualification for our Love and Concord, men will never know where to reſt; nor ever agree in any ones determination (but Chriſts:) All men that can get power will be making their own Wills the Rule and Law, and others will not think of them as they do; and the variety of fallible mutable Church Laws, and terms of Concord will be the Engine of perpetual diſcord; (as Ulpian told honeſt Alexander Severus the Laws would be, which he thought to have made for ſober Concord in faſhions of Apparel,) Thoſe that are united to Chriſt by faith, and have his ſanctifying Spirit, and are juſtified by him, and ſhall dwell with him in Heaven, are certainly Chriſtians, and ſuch as Chriſt hath commanded us to love as our ſelves. And ſeeing that it is his Livery by which his Diſciples muſt be known by loving one another, and the falſe Prophets muſt be known by the fruits of their hurtfulneſs, as Wolves, Thornes and Thiſtles, I muſt profeſs, tho Order and Government have been ſo amiable to me, as to tempt me to favourable thoughts of ſome Roman power in the Church, I am utterly unreconcilable to it, when I ſee that the very complexion of that Hierarchy is malice and bloodineſs againſt Men moſt ſeriouſly and humbly pious, that dare not obey them in their ſinful uſurpations, and that their cauſe is maintained, by belying, hateing and Murdering true Chriſtians.

And on the other ſide, too many make Laws of Love and Communion to themſelves, and confine Chriſts Church with their little various and perhaps erroneous Sects. And all others they Love with pity, but only thoſe of their Cabin and ſingular opinions, they love with complacency and communion; thoſe that condemn ſuch as Chriſt juſtifieth, and ſay that Chriſtians are not his, are near of kin to one another, tho one ſort ſhew it by Perſecution, and the other but by Excommunication or Schiſmatical p. 24ſeparation. We are all one in Chriſt Jeſus Gal. 4. 28. And therefore I adviſe all Chriſtians to hate the cauſes and ways of hatred, and Love all the cauſes and means of Love. Frown on them that ſo extol their ſingular ſentiments, as to backbite others, and ſpeak evil of what they underſtand not: Eſpecially ſuch as the Pamphleters of this Age, whoſe deſign is weekly and daily to fight againſt Chriſtian Love, and to ſtir up all men to the utmoſt of their power, to think odiouſly of one another, and plainly to ſtir up a thirſt after blood: Never did Satan Write by the hand of man, if he do it not by ſuch as theſe: The Lord of Love and Mercy rebuke them.

And take heed of them that can find enough in the beſt that are againſt their way, to prove them diſhoneſt, if not intolerable; and can ſee the Mote of a Ceremony, or Nonconformity to a Ceremony, in their Brothers Eye, and not the Beam of Malice or Cruelty in their own. Take heed of thoſe that are either for confounding Toleration of all, or for diſſipating cruelty on pretence of Unity.

That Land or Church ſhall never truly proſper, where theſe three ſorts are not well diſtinguiſhed: 1. The Approved that are to be encouraged: 2. The Tolerable that are to be patiently and lovingly endured: 3. The Intolerable that are to be reſtrained. They may as well confound Men, and Beaſts, Wiſe Men and Mad Men, Adult and Infants, as confound theſe three ſorts, in reference to Religion.

I add this Note to prevent Objections, that tho meekneſs and gentleneſs promote peace, yet to ſpeak ſharply and hatefully of hatred, un peaceableneſs and cruelty, and all that tends to deſtroy Love, is an act of Love, and not of an uncharitable, unpeaceable man.

VII. If you love the common good of England, do your beſt to keep up ſound and ſerious Religion in the publick Pariſh Churches and be not guilty of any thing that ſhall bring the chief intereſt of Religion, into private Aſſemblies of men only tolerated, if you can avoid it.

Indeed in a time of Plagues Epidemical infection, tolerated Churches may be the beſt preſervatives of Religion, as it was in p. 25the firſt 300 years, and in the Arrians Reign, and under Popery: But where ſound and ſerious Religion is owned by the Magiſtrate, tolerated Churches are but as Hoſpitals for the ſick, and muſt not be the receptacle of all the healthful. And doubtleſs, if the Papiſts can but get the Proteſtant intereſt once into prohibited or tolerated Conventicles (as they will call them) they have more than half overcome it, and will not doubt to uſe it next as they do in France, and by one turn more to caſt it out. The countenance of Authority will go far with the Vulgar, againſt all the ſcruples that men of Conſcience ſtick at, and they will moſtly go to the allowed Churches, whoever is there. Let us therefore loſe no poſſeſſion that we can juſtly get, nor be guilty of diſgracing the honeſt Conformiſts, but do all we can to keep up their Reputation, for the good of Souls: They ſee not matters of difference through the ſame Glaſs that we do. They think us unwarrantably ſcrupulous. We think the matter of their Sin to be very great: But we know that before God the degree of guilt, is much according to the degree of mens negligence or unwillingneſs to know the Truth, or to obey it: And prejudice, education, and converſe maketh great difference on mens apprehenſions: Charity muſt not reconcile us to ſin, but there is no end of uncharitable cenſuring each other.

It hath made me admire to hear ſome mens words againſt Comprehenſion, as they call it, that they would not have Rulers, revoke that which they judge to be heynous ſin in their impoſitions, unleſs they will revoke all that they think unlawful, leſt it ſhould ſtrengthen the Pariſh Churches, and weaken the tolerated or ſuffering part: I will not here open the ſin of this policy as it deſerves; But I wiſh them to Read a ſmall book called, The whole Duty of Nations (ſaid to be Mr. Thomas Beverleys.)

VIII. If you love the common good, take heed leſt any injuries tempt you into ſedition or unlawful Wars; No man, that never tried them, can eaſily believe what an Enemy Wars and Tumults are to Religion, and to common honeſty and ſobriety. Men are there ſo ſerious about their Lives and Bodily ſafety that they have no room or time for ſerious Worſhipping of God; The Lords day is by neceſſity made a common day; And all p. 26mens Goods are almoſt common to the will of Soldiers; Either Power ſeems to authorize them, or neceſſity to allow them, to uſe the Goods of others as their own; as if they were uncapable of doing wrong: It is their honour that can kill moſt: and how little place there is for Love it is eaſie to conceive.

I doubt not but it is lawful to fight for our King or Country in a good Cauſe. As Nature giveth all private men a right of private ſelf-defence (and no more), ſo the ſame Law of Nature, which is Gods Law, giveth all Nations a Right of publick ſelf-defence, againſt its publick enemies; that is, againſt any that by his Religion, or his own profeſſion bindeth himſelf to deſtroy that Nation if he can, or by open arms, ſeeketh no leſs than their deſtruction: But as few calamities are worſe to a Land than War, ſo much is to be endured to prevent it. It is like a red hot Iron, which Fools lay hold on, thinking it is cold, till it fetch off skin and fleſh to the bones, and perhaps ſet the houſe on fire. If your Cauſe be bad, God will not be for you: and he that ſo taketh the Sword ſhall periſh with the Sword; and if you bite and devour one another, you ſhall be devoured one of another. And alas thouſands of the innocent uſually periſh or are ruined in the flames, which furious men do kindle: No doubt as ſuffering a Priſon, ſo venturing in War is a duty when God calls you to it; But in its ſelf a Priſon is a far more deſireable ſort of ſuffering than a War. Therefore between the danger of the miſeries of an unlawful War, and the danger of betraying our King or Kingdom, for want of neceſſary defence, how cautelous ſhould all ſober Chriſtians be?

IX. If you would promote the common good, do your beſt to procure wiſe and faithful Rulers.

Queſt. What can private men do in this?

Anſ. 1. In Caſes where they have chooſing Voices, they ought to prefer the beſt with greateſt reſolution, and not for ſlothfulneſs to omit their part, nor for worldly intereſt or the fear of men betray their Country, as ever they would eſcape the puniſhment of the perfidious. Wo to that Judas that ſells his Country and Conſcience for any bribe, or by ſelf-ſaving fear.

2. In other Caſes where you have no Chooſing Vote with p. 27men, you have a praying Voice with God: Pray for Kings and all in Authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceable life, in all godlineſs and honeſty. God hath commanded no duty in vain: Do it earneſtly and conſtantly, and hope for a good iſſue from God: Do it not ſelfiſhly that you may have proſperity or preferment by them, but ſincerely for their own and the Common good: God is the Fountain of power, the abſolute Soveraign of all the world. Men are but his Provincial officers, none claimeth an univerſal Government of the world, but one that pretendeth to be Chriſts Vicar General, and none believe his claim but blinded men. There is no power but of and under God, who hath made Rulers his Miniſters for our good, to be a praiſe to them that do well, and a terrour to evil doers; that they that will not be moved with the hopes of Gods future rewards, and the fears of his puniſhments, may be moved by that which is near them within the reach of ſenſe. And all men regard their bodies, tho only believers are ruled by the everlaſting intereſt of their Souls.

Therefore pray hard for Kings and Magiſtrates. For if they be good they are exceeding great bleſſings to the world. They will remember that their power is for God and the Common Good, and that to God they muſt give a ſtrict account: They will take Gods Law for the only Univerſal Law to the world, and conform their own as By-Laws to it. They will take their own intereſt to conſiſt in pleaſing God and promoting the Goſpel and Kingdom of Chriſt; and the piety and ſaving of Mens Souls. They will be Examples of ſerious Godlineſs, of Juſtice and ſobriety, truſtineſs and temperance and Chaſtity to their ſubjects; in their eyes a vile perſon will be contemned, but they will honour thoſe that fear the Lord, Pſal. 15. 4. They will Love thoſe moſt that Love Chriſt beſt, and moſt deligently obey him, and tenderly fear to ſin againſt him: Thoſe pleaſe them beſt that pleaſe God beſt, and are moſt uſeful to the common good: They will ſet their hearts on the peoples welfare, and are watching for all, while all ſecurely live under their vigilancy. They will cheriſh all that Chriſt cheriſheth, and ſpecially the faithful Paſtors of the Churches, that ſeek not the world, p. 28but the welfare of the flocks: When ſome are ſaying, In this Mountain we muſt worſhip God, and ſome at Jeruſalem, they will teach them all to worſhip God in Spirit and truth: When Paſtors and people grow pieviſh and quarrelſome for their ſeveral intereſts, opinions and wills, a Conſtantine will caſt all their Libels into the fire, and rebuke the unpeaceable, and reſtreine the violent, and teach them to forgive and love each other, and will be the great Juſtice of Peace to all the Churches in the Land, and pare their nailes that would tear and ſcratch their Brethren: He will Countenance the ſound and peaceable, and tolerate all the tolerable; but will tie the hands of ſtrikers, and the tongues of revilers: He will contrive the healing of exaſperated minds, and take away the occaſions of diviſion, and rebuke them that call for fire from Heaven, or for the Sword to do that which belongeth to the word, or to execute their pride and wrath: Godlineſs will have all the encouragement they can giveit, and innocency a full defence: Malignity and Perſecution and Perjury, and unpeaceable revenge, will be hateful where they rule; and they had rather men feared ſin too much than too little; and would have all men prefer the Law and honour of God to theirs; where the Righteous bear rule, the people rejoyce. The wiſdom, piety, and impartiality of their Governours ſuppreſſeth prophaneneſs, oppreſſion, and contention, and keepeth men in the way of love and peace; and as the welfare of all is the care of ſuch a Ruler above his own pleaſure, wealth, or will, ſo he will have the hearts, and hands, and wealth of all with readineſs to ſerve him: No wonder if ſuch are called Nurſing Fathers, and the light of our eyes, and the breath of our Noſtrils, and the ſhaddow of a rock in a weary Land. As they bear the Image of Gods Supereminency, and doubly honour him, they are doubly honoured by him; ſo that the names of pious Princes ſhew not only the ſenſe of Mankind, but the ſpecial providence of God in making the memory of the Juſt to be bleſſed: And as they could not indure to ſee in their days, ungodlineſs triumph, or ſerious godlineſs made a ſcorn, or Conſcience and fear of ſinning made a diſgrace, or the Goſpel hindred and faithful Miniſters forbid to preach it; ſo God will not ſuffer their p. 29Conſciences to want the ſenſe of his Love, nor their departing Souls to fail of their everlaſting hopes, nor their memories to be clouded by obſcurity or reproach. Even among Heathens; What a name have thoſe Emperours left behind them, who lived in juſtice, charity, and all virtue, and wholly ſtudied the good of all? What a wonder is it that M. Antonine ſhould be ſo extolled by ſo many Writers, and not one of them all, that I remember, ſpeak one word of evil of him; ſave that a ſmall and ſhort perſecution of the Chriſtians was made by ſome in his time, till he reſtrained it? And all the people almoſt deified him, and would have perpetuated his Line and Name in the Throne, but that the horrid wickedneſs of his Poſterity forced them to a change. What a name hath excellent Alexander Severus left behind him? And what a bleſſing have wiſe and godly and peacemaking Chriſtian Princes been in divers ages to the world?

And both the inferiour Magiſtrates and the Clergy uſually much conform themſelves, at leaſt in outward behaviour to their example: For they will chooſe men of wiſdom, Conſcience and Juſtice under them, to judge and govern. The Biſhops and Paſtors which they chooſe, will be able, Godly, laborious men; not ſeekers of worldly wealth and Honour; not envious ſilencers of faithful Preachers, nor jealous hinderers of Religious duties, nor flattering man-pleaſers, nor ſuch as Lord it over Gods heritage; but ſuch as rule not by conſtraint, but willingly, as Examples of Love and piety to the flock. Pray hard therefore for Kings, and all in Authority, and honour all ſuch, as unſpeakable bleſſings for the good of all.

But on the contrary, wicked Rulers will be Satans Captains againſt Jeſus Chriſt, and Mens Sanctification and Salvation. They will be Wolves in the place of Shepherds, and will ſtudy to deſtroy the beſt of the people, and to root out all ſerious Godlineſs, and Juſtice: Conſcience and fearing ſin will be to them a ſuſpected, yea a hated thing: If any abuſe it, it ſerves them for a pretence againſt it. They take the peoples welfare and their own intereſt to be enemies, and preſently look on theſe whom they ſhould rule and cheriſh, as the adverſaries whom they muſt tread down: They will purpoſely make Edicts and p. 30Laws that are contrary to Gods Law, that they may have advantage to perſecute the faithful, and to deſtroy them as diſobedient: They will ſtudy to conquer Conſcience and obedience to God, leſt his Authority ſhould be regarded above theirs; and Chriſt is uſed by them as if he were a Uſurper, and not their Soveraign, but were again to be taken for an enemy to Caeſar; and their hatred to true Miniſters will be ſuch as Pauls accuſers intimate, who ſaid, he Preached another King, one Jeſus: Wicked Rulers will be the Capital Enemies to all that will be enemies to wickedneſs, and reſolved to pleaſe God and ſave their Souls: They will not be obeyed under God, but before him; nor ſerved by the faithful Servants of Chriſt; nor pleaſed, but at the rate of mens damnation by diſpleaſing God. All men love their like. The worſt men, if flatterers, will ſeem the beſt to them, and the beſt the worſt and moſt intolerable. And Church and State is like to be Written by their Copy. O what dreadful Plagues, have wicked Rulers been to the world, and what a diſmal caſe do they continue the Earth in to this day! Not but that People, and eſpecially Prieſts, do contribute hereto: But the chief Authors are men in greateſt power. Five parts of ſix of the World at this day are Heathens and Infidels: And what's the Cauſe? Rulers will not ſuffer the Goſpel to be Preached to them. The Eaſtern Chriſtians were all torn in pieces by the wickedneſs and contention of the Governours of the State and Church; baniſhing and murdering one another; ſo that when the Turks invaded them, the promiſe of Liberty to exerciſe their Religion tempted them to make the leſs reſiſtance, thinking they could not be much worſe than before: But the Vulgar are ſo apt to follow the Rulers, that ever ſince, the moſt of the Eaſterns are apoſtatized from Chriſt, and turned to Mahometaniſm; And tho in thoſe Countries where the Turk alloweth the Chriſtian people to have Governours of their own, Religion ſomewhat proſpereth, yet where that priviledge is denied them, and Turks only are their Rulers, it withereth away and comes to almoſt nothing.

And what keepeth out Reformation that is, the Primitive ſimple Chriſtianity, from the Popiſh Countries that have Religion corrupted by humane ſuperfluities, but the ſeduction of Prieſts and p. 31the Tyranny of Rulers, that will not endure the Preaching of the Goſpel, and the opening of the Scriptures to the people in a known Tongue? How much holy blood have Roman and Spaniſh Inquiſitors, and French and Iriſh Murderers, and moſt other Popiſh Rulers to Anſwer for? Even Walſh the Papiſt in his Iriſh Hiſtory tells us all, out of Ketin and others, how commonly in Ages they lived there in the Sin of bloody Wars and Murders, yea, even when they profeſſed greateſt holineſs. Wicked Rulers are as the Pikes in the Pond, which live by devouring all about them. It is Satans main deſign in the world to corrupt Gods two great Ordinances of Magiſtracy and Miniſtry, and turn them both againſt Chriſts Kingdom, and to deſtroy Chriſtians in Chriſts Name; Oh therefore! pray hard that all Chriſtian Nations may have good Rulers, and be very thankful to God for ſuch.

X. And if you would be inſtruments of publick Good, know what are publick ſins and dangers, that you may do your part againſt them; and joyn not with any that will promiſe never to endeavour any reforming alteration, The chiefeſt are Ignorance, Pride, and Self-willedneſs in Teachers and People, malignant enmity to goodneſs, impatience with the infirmities of good men; judging of perſons and things by ſelf-intereſt, covetouſneſs, ſenſuality, and taking Chriſtianity but as the Religion of the Land, without diligent Study to be rooted in the Truth. And the ſcandals of Hypocrites and tempted Chriſtians, hardening the enemies, eſpecially by diviſions and publick temerities and miſcarriages, is not the leaſt.

XI. I would alſo in order to publick good, perſwade ſerious Chriſtians to be more zealous in Communication with their Neighbours, and live not over-ſtrangely to others, and ſay not as Cain, Am I my Brothers keeper? Be kind and loving to all about you, and live not as unknown men to them; nor alienate them by ſourneſs, contempt or needleſs ſingularity; But become all things lawful to all men to ſave ſome; Lend them good books, and draw them to hear Gods faithful Miniſters: Perſwade them to pray in their Families, even with a Form or Book, till they need it not.

XII. Laſtly, if you would do good, be ſuch as you would p. 32have others be, and teach them by Examples, of Piety, Charity, Patience, Self-denial, Forbearing and Forgiving; And not by meer words contradicted by your lives. Theſe are the materials by which you muſt do good to all.

VI. What now remaineth, but that we all ſet our ſelves to ſuch a fruitful Courſe of life? I greatly rejoice in the Grace of God, which I daily ſee in many ſuch of my familiar acquaintance: who ſtudy to do good to all, and to live in Love and Peace, and Holineſs, by example and by ſelf-denial and conſtant Charity, uſing Chriſts Talents to their Maſters ends, for the temporal and eternal good of many. But alas! too many live as if it were enough to do no harm, and ſay as the ſlothful Servant, here is thy Talent which I hid.

And ſome there be that in a blind jealouſie of the Doctrine of Juſtication (not underſtanding what the Word Juſtification ſignifieth) Cry down even the words of James, as if they were unreconcileable with Pauls, and can ſcarce bear him that ſaith as Chriſt, Mat. 12. By thy words thou ſhalt be Juſtified, and by thy words thou ſhalt be Condemned; As if they had never read, well done good and faithful Servant, &c. for I was an hungry and ye fed me, &c. Nor Heb. 5. 9. He is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him; or Heb. 13. With ſuch Sacrifice God is well pleaſed, or he that doth righteoſneſs is righteous, or that we ſhall be judged according to our works, or Rev. 22. 14. Bleſſed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the tree of Life, and may enter in by the Gates into the City: Or Gal. 6. What a man ſoweth that ſhall he reap: He that ſoweth to the Spirit, of the Spirit ſhall reap Everlaſting Life: With many ſuch.

No man well in his Wits can think that any thing we do can merits of God in commutative juſtice, as if he received any thing from us: This were even to deny God to be God. But are we not undera law of Grace, and doth not that Law command us obedience and the improvement of our Talents in doing good? And ſhall we not be judged by that Law? And what is Judging but Juſtifying or Condemning? No works of ours can ſtand the tryal, by the Law of Innocency or Works, but only the p. 33perfect righteouſneſs of Chriſt: But he that is accuſed of final impenitency, Infidelity, Hypocriſie or unholyneſs, if truly accuſed, ſhall never be juſtified; and if falſely, muſt be juſtified againſt that charge by ſomewhat beſides what is done out of him by Jeſus Chriſt.

It is an eaſier thing to be zealous for an opinion (which is ſound or ſuppoſed ſuch) about works and grace, than to be zealous of good works, or zealouſly deſirous of grace. How ſad uſe did Satan make of mens zeal for Orthodox words, when the Neſtorian, Eutychian and Monothelite Controverſies were in agitation? He went for a hollow hearted Neuter, that did not hereticate one ſide or other: And I would that factious ignorant zeal were not ſtill alive in the Churches. How many have we heard on one ſide, reviling Lutherans, Calviniſts, Arminians, Epiſcopal, Presbyterians, Independents, &c. To render them odious that never underſtand the true ſtate of the difference? And how fiercely do ſome Papiſts and others cry down Solifidians, and perſwade men that we are Enemies to good works, or think that they are not neceſſary to Salvation (becauſe ſome raſhly maintained, that in a faction againſt George Major long ago) or at leaſt that they are no further neceſſary; but as ſigns to prove that which God knoweth without them? And on the other ſide how many make themſelves and others believe that the true expoſitors of Saint James's words are almoſt Papiſts, and teach men dangerouſly to truſt to works for their Juſtification, while they underſtand not what either of the Apoſtles mean by Juſtification, Faith or Works. Many ſo carefully avoid truſting to good works, that they have none or few to truſt to. No doubt, nothing of man muſt be truſted to for the leaſt part that belongs to Chriſt: But all duty and means muſt be both uſed and truſted for its own part.

Conſider well theſe following motives, and you will ſee why all Chriſtians muſt be zealous of doing all the good they can.

1. It rendreth a man likeſt to God, to be good, and to do good: On which account Chriſt requireth it even towards our enemies, Mat. 5. That we may be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, who doth good even to the unjuſt: And he that is likeſt God is the beſt man, moſt holy and moſt happy, and ſhall have moſt Communion with God.

p. 342. And when Chriſt came down in fleſh to call man home by making God better known to the world, he revealeth him in his attractive goodneſs, and that was by his own beneficence to Man: He came to do the greateſt good; to be the Saviour of the world, and to reconcile revolted man to God, and all his life, yea his death and his Heavenly interceſſion, is doing good to thoſe that were Gods Enemies. And to learn of Chriſt, and imitate his example, is to be his true Diſciples. And what elſe do his Laws Command us? They are all holy, juſt and good; and our goodneſs is to love them and obey them. By keeping theſe we muſt ſhew that we are his Diſciples. When he tells you who you muſt do good to in the inſtance of the Samaritan, he addeth, go thou and do likewiſe, Joh. 15. He largely tells us of what importance it is for every branch that is planted into him, to bring forth fruit.

3. It is much of the end of all the Sanctifying operations of theholy Spirit. Grace is given us to uſe. Even natural powers are given us for action. What the better were man for a Tongue, or hands or feet, if he ſhould never uſe them? Life is a principle of action. It were as good have no Life, as not to uſe it: And why doth God make men good, but that they may do good, even in their duty to God, themſelves, and one another?

4. It is Gods great mercy to mankind that he will uſe us all in doing good to one another; And its a great part of his wiſe Government of the world, that in ſocieties men ſhould be tyed to it, by the ſenſe of every particular mans neceſſity; And it is a great honor to thoſe that he maketh his Almoners, or Servants to convey his gifts to others; God bids you give nothing but what is his, and no otherwiſe your own than as his Stewards. Its his bounty and your ſervice or Stewardſhip which is to be exerciſed. He could have done good to all men by himſelf alone, without you or any other, if he would: But he will honour his Servants to be the Meſſengers of his bounty. You beſt pleaſe him when you readily receive his gifts your ſelves, and moſt fully Communicate them to others: To do good is to receive good: And yet he will reward ſuch for doing and receiv.

p. 355. Self-love therefore ſhould perſwade men to do good to all. You are not the leaſt gainers by it your ſelves. If you can truſt Chriſt, ſure you will think this profitable Uſury: Is not a Cup of cold Water well paid for, when Chriſt performs his promiſe? And is it not a gainful loſs, which is rewarded in this Life an hundred fold, and in the world to Come with Life Eternal?

Thoſe that live in the fulleſt exerciſe of Love, and doing good, are uſually moſt loved, and many are ready to do good to them. And this Exerciſe encreaſeth all fruitful Graces. And there is a preſent delight in doing good, which is it ſelf a great reward. The Love of others makes it delightful to us: And the pleaſing of God, and the imitation of Chriſt, and the Teſtimony of Conſcience make it delightful. An honeſt Phyſitian is far gladder to ſave mens lives or health, than to get their Money. And an honeſt Soldier is gladder to ſave his Country than to get his pay. Every honeſt Miniſter of Chriſt, is far gladder to win Souls than to get Money or Preferment. The believing giver hath more pleaſure than the receiver; And this without any conceit of commutative meriting of God, or any falſe truſt to works for Juſtification.

6. Stewards muſt give account of all: What would you wiſh were the matter of your true account, if death or judgment were to morrow? Would you not wiſh you had done all the good you could? Do you believe that all ſhall be Judged according to their Works? Did you ever well ſtudy that great prediction of Chriſt? Matth. 25.

And it is ſome part of a reward on Earth that men that do much good, eſpecially that to whole Nations, are uſualy honoured by Poſterity, however they be rewarded by the preſent Age.

7. Every true Chriſtian is abſolutely devoted to do good. What elſe is it to be devoted to God our Creator and Redeemer? Wha… live we for, or what should we desire to live for, but to do good?

II. But this Exhortation is eſpecially applicable to them that have ſpecial opportunity.

1. Magiſtrates are the Capitals in the Societies and Publick Affairs p. 36of mankind. They are placed higheſt that they may have an univerſal influence. Tho it be too high a word to call them Gods, or Gods Vice-gerents (unleſs ſecundum quid) yet they are his Officers and Regent Miniſters; but it's for the common good. In them God ſhews what Order can do in the Government of the World: As the placing of the ſame figure before many, doth accordingly advance its value in ſignification, ſo it is a wonder to Note, what the Place of one man fignifieth at the Head of an Army, of a City, of a Kingdom. They are appointed by God to govern men in a juſt ſubordination to Gods Government, and no otherwiſe. To promote obedience to Gods Laws by theirs, and by their Judgment and Execution to give men a foretaſte, what they may at laſt expect from God. And by their Rewards and Puniſhments to foretel men whom God will Reward and Puniſh: And by their own Examples to ſhew the Subjects, how temperately, and ſoberly, and godly, God would have them live. Atheiſts can ſee and fear a Magiſtrate, that fear not God, becauſe they know him not.

They that prefer thoſe as the moſt worthy of honour, whom God abhorreth for their wickedneſs, and hate and oppreſs thoſe whom God will honour, do ſhew themſelves Enemies to him that giveth them all their power: And they that by countenance or practice do teach men to deſpiſe the fear of God, and to make light of Drunkenneſs, Whoredom, Lying, Perjury and ſuch like odious Crimes, do in a ſort blaſpheme God himſelf, as if he who exalted them were a lover of Sin, and a hater of his own Laws and Service. There are few Rulers that are unwilling of Power, or to be accounted Great: And do they not know that its a Power to do Good, that God hath given them? And that Obligation to do it, is as eſſential to their Office as Authority? And that they who govern as the Officers of God, and pretend to be liker him in Greatneſs, than their Subjects, muſt alſo be liker to him in Wiſdom and Goodneſs?

Wo to that man who abuſeth and oppreſſeth the Juſt and Faithful in the Name of God, and by pretence of Authority from him to do it. Wo to him that in Gods Name, and as by his Authority countenanceth the wicked whom God abhorreth, and p. 37under Chriſts banner fighteth againſt him. As Chriſt ſaith of the Offenſive: It were good for that man, that he had never been born, Prov. 24. 24. He that ſaith to the wicked, thou art righteous, him ſhall the people Curſe; Nations ſhall abhor him, Prov. 17. 15. He that juſtifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the juſt, even they both are an abomination to the Lord.

God looketh for great ſervice from great men: Great Truſt and Talents muſt have great account: A Prince, a Lord, a Ruler, muſt do much more good, in promoting Piety, Conſcience, Vertue, than the beſt inferiors; To whom men give much, from them they expect the more. It greatly concerneth ſuch men ſeriouſly to ask their Conſcience, can I do no more to encourage Godlineſs, Conſcience and Juſtice, and to diſgrace Malignity, brutiſh ſenſuality, and fleſhly luſts, than I have done? O when they muſt hear, give account of thy Stewardſhip, thou ſhalt be no longer Steward, little think many Rulers what an account it is that will be required of them! O what a deal of good may the Rulers of the earth, do if inſtead of overminding their partial Intereſts, and ſerving the deſires of the fleſh, they did but ſet themſelves with ſtudy and reſolution to promote the common good, by diſgraceing ſin, and encouraging Wiſdom, Piety and Peace! And where this is not ſincerely done, as ſurely as there is a righteous God and a future Judgment, they ſhall pay for their omiſſive treachery. And if Satan do prevail to ſet his own Captains over the Armies of the Lord, to betray them to perdition, they ſhall be deepeſt in miſery as they were in guilt. One would think the great delight that is to be found in doing good to all, ſhould much more draw men to deſire Authority and greatneſs, than either riches, or voluptuouſneſs, or a dominering deſire that all men ſhould fulfil their Wills.

II. The Miniſters of Chriſt alſo have the next opportunity to do good to many: And it is a debt which by many and great obligations they owe to Chriſt and men. But it will not be done without labour and condeſcention and unwearied patience. It is undertaken by all that are ordained to this office, but O that it were performed faithfully by all! What a doleful life would the perſidious Soul-betrayers live, if they knew what a guilt they p. 38have to anſwer for? Even the contempt of the peoples Souls, and of the blood of Chriſt that purchaſed them? O hear that vehement adjuration, 2 Tim. 4. 1, 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall judge the quick and the dead, at his appearing and Kingdom, Preach the word: Be inſtant, in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long ſuffering and Doctrine. Speak with holy ſtudyed skill; ſpeak with Love and melting Pity: Speak with importunity: Take no denyal: Speak as Saint Paul, Act. 20. Publickly and from houſe to houſe: Speak before you are ſilenced in the duſt: Speak before death have taken away your hearers. It is for Souls, it is for Chriſt, it is for your Selves too: While you have opportunity, do good to all. But of this, I have formerly ſaid more in my Reformed Paſtor.

III. And let all men take their common and ſpecial opportunities to do good: Time will not ſtay; your Selves, your Wives, your Children, your Servants, your Neighbours are poſting to another world: Speak now what you would have them hear: Do them now all the good you can. It must be now or never. There is no returning from the dead to warn them: O Live not as thoſe Infidels, who think it enough to do no harm, and to ſerve their carnal minds with pleaſure, as born for nothing, but a decent and delightful Life on Earth. You are all in the Vineyard or Harveſt of the Lord: work while it is day: the night is at hand when none can work: Wo to the ſlothful treacherous Hypocrite when the Judgment cometh.

Stay not till you are intreated to do good: Study it, and ſeek it. Give while there are men that need, and while you have it, eſpecially to the Houſhold of Faith. Fire and Thieves may deprive you of it. At the furtheſt death will quickly do it. Happy are they that know their day, and truſting in Chriſt do ſtudy to ſerve him in doing good to all.

And the Doctrine in hand doth further teach us ſome conſectaries which all do not well conſider.

I. That living chiefly to the fleſh in worldly proſperity, and dropping now and then ſome ſmall good on the by, to quiet Conſcience, is the property of an Hypocrite. But to ſound Chriſtians, p. 39fruitfulneſs in doing good is the very trade of their lives, of which they are zealous, and which they daily ſtudy.

II. That all Chriſtians ſhould be very careful to avoid the doing publick hurt: It woundeth Conſcience to be guilty of wronging of any one man: We find it in dying men, that cannot die in peace till they have confeſſed wrongs and made ſatisfaction, and ask forgiveneſs. And who knoweth, but the many Apparitions that have certainly been on ſuch occaſions, may be done by miſerable Souls, to ſeek ſome eaſe of the torment of their own Conſciences? But to hurt many, even whole Pariſhes, Cities, Churches, Kingdoms, how much more grievous will it prove? And yet alas! how quickly may it be done, and how ordinarily is it done? What grievous miſchief may even well meaning men do, by one miſtaken practice or raſh act? by the fierce promoting of one error? By letting looſe one paſſion, or carnal affection? By venturing once on ſecret ſin: Yea, by one raſh ſinful word? How much more if they are drawn and ſet in an unlawful intereſt and way? And little know we when a ſpark is kindled how it will end? Or how many wayes Satan hath to improve it? And one hurtful action, or unwarrantable way, may blaſt abundance of excellent endowments, and make ſuch a grievous dammage to the Church, who elſe might have been an eminent bleſſing. And if good men may do ſo much hurt, what have the Enemies of godlineſs to anſwer for, who by wordlineſs and malignity, are Corrupters, dividers and deſtroyers?

III. The Text plainly intimateth that it is a great Crime in them, that inſtead of doing good while they have opportunity, think it enough to leave it by Will to their Executors to do it. When they have lived to the fleſh, and cannot take it with them, they think it enough to leave others to do that good, which they had not a heart to do themſelves: But a treaſure muſt be laid up in heaven before-hand, and not be left to be ſent after, Matth. 6. 20, 21. And he that will make friends of the Mammon of Unrighteouſneſs, muſt now be rich towards God, Luk. 12. 21. Its no Victory over the World, to leave it when you cannot keep it: Nor will any Legacy purchaſe Heaven for an unholy worldly ſoul.

IV. Yet they that will do good neither Living nor Dying are p. 40worſt of all. Surely the laſt Acts of our Lives, if poſſible, ſhould be the beſt; And as we muſt live in health, ſo alſo in ſickneſs, and to the laſt in doing all the good we can; and therefore it muſt needs be a great ſin, to leave our Eſtates to thoſe that are like to do hurt with them, or to do no good, ſo far as we are the free diſpoſers of them.

The Caſe, I confeſs is not without conſiderable difficulties, how much a man is bound to leave to his Children, or his neereſt Kindred, when ſome of them are diſpoſed to live unprofitably, and ſome to live ungodlily and hurtfully. Some think men are bound to leave them nothing, ſome think they ought to leave them almoſt all: And ſome think that they ſhould leave them only ſo much as may find them tolerable food and raiment. I ſhall do my beſt to decide the caſe in ſeveral propoſitions.

1. The Caſe is not with us as it was with the Iſraelites, who might not alienate their Inheritances from the Tribes. Yet even they had power to prefer a younger Son, that was more deſerving, before an Elder that was worſe.

2. Where either Law or Contract have diſabled a man to alienate his Eſtate from an ungodly Heir, there is no room for a doubt what he muſt do.

3. Nature teacheth all men to prefer a Child that is pious and hopeful, in his proviſions and Legacies before a ſtranger that is ſomewhat better, and not to alienate his Eſtate for want of a higher degree of goodneſs.

4. When there is a juſt cauſe to diſinherit an elder Son, a younger is to be preferred before a Stranger; or a Kinſman if there be no tolerable Son.

5. And a Son that ought not to be truſted with Riches or a great Eſtate, yet ought to have Food and Raiment; (unleſs he come to that State of obſtinate rebellion in ſin, for which Gods Law commanded the Iſraelites to bring forth their Sons to be put to death: In ſuch Caſes the houſe of Correction is fitteſt for them.) Yet ſhould he have ſuch food as may humble him, and not to gratifie his luſt.

6. If a man that hath the full power to diſpoſe of his Eſtate, real or perſonal, have Sons and Kindred that according to the p. 41judgment of ſound reaſon, are like, if they had his Eſtate, to do miſchief with it, or maintain them in a wicked life, or in a meer unprofitable Life of idleneſs, living only to themſelves and fleſhly eaſe and pleaſure, That man ought to give his Eſtate from ſuch to ſome that are liker to do good with it, and to uſe it for God, and the publick benefit.

This is much contrary to the common courſe of moſt, that think no Eſtate too great for their Heirs, nor any Portion too great for their Daughters, be they what they will, or what uſe ſoever they are like to make of it: But theſe following reaſons prove it to be true.

1. Every man hath his Eſtate from God, and for God, and is bound as his Steward accordingly to uſe it. This is paſt doubt: And how doth that man uſe it for God, who leaveth it to one that is liker to uſe it for the Devil in a fleſhly unprofitable Life? What account can ſuch a Steward give? Did God give it you to maintain idleneſs and ſin?

Obj. O but it is a Son whom I am bound to provide for. Anſ. Are you more bound to your Son than to your Self? God doth not allow you to ſpend it on your ſelf, to maintain Idleneſs and Vice, Rom. 13. 13, 14. Make no proviſion for the fleſh to ſatisfie the luſt (or will) thereof. And may you leave it for ſuch a uſe as is forbidden both your Son and You? It is God that is the owner of it, and it is to him that you muſt both uſe and leave it: Whether you Eat or Drink or whatever you do, do all to the Glory of God. And will you leave it to be the fuel of luſt, and ſin?

Obj. I leave it not for ſin: but if he miſuſe it, I cannot help it. Anſ. Would that excuſe you if you put a Sword into a mad mans hand, to ſay, I cannot help it if he uſe it ill? You might have helpt it: Its ſuppoſed that you fore-knew how he was like to uſe it.

Obj. But he may prove better hereafter, as ſome do. Anſ. It is not bare poſſibilities, that muſt guide a wiſe mans Actions when probability is againſt them. Would you commit your Children to the care of a Mad man or a Knave, becauſe he may poſſibly come to his Wits, or become honeſt? Have you not long tried him, and have you not endeavour'd to cure him of his Idleneſs, p. 42wickedneſs or luſt? If it be not done, what ground have you to preſume it will be done when you are dead? You may have ſo much hope as not utterly to deſpair of him: But that will not allow you to truſt him with that which God made you Steward of, for his uſe and ſervice.

But if ſuch hopes may be gratified, give your eſtate in truſt to ſome Conſcionable friend, with ſecret order to give it your Son or Kinſman, if he become hereafter fit to uſe it, according to the ends for which God giveth it.

Reaſ. 2. The Obligation in my Text of doing good to all, extendeth to the end of our lives: And therefore to our laſt Will and Teſtament. Therefore you muſt make your Wills ſo as may do good to all, and not to cheriſh ſin and idleneſs.

Reaſ. 3. You are bound to your beſt to deſtroy ſin and idleneſs, and therefore not to feed and cheriſh it.

Reaſ. 4. Doing good is the very thing which you are Created, Redeemed and Sanctified for; and therefore you muſt extend your endeavours to the uttermoſt and to the laſt, that as much as may be, may be done when you are dead. If Magiſtrates and Miniſters took care for no longer than their own lives, what would become of the State or Church?

Reaſ. 5. The Common good is better than the plenty of a ſinful Child: Yea it is to be preferred before the beſt Child, and before our ſelves. And therefore much more before the worſt.

Reaſ. 6. Its a dreadful thing to be guilty of all the fleſhly ſins, which your ungodly Sons will commit with your eſtate; when they ſhall by it maintain the ſins of Sodom, Pride, Fulneſs of Bread, and abundance of Idleneſs: If not to ſtrengthen their hands for oppreſſion or Perſecution. To think that they will ſpend their days in voluptuouſneſs, becauſe you gave them proviſion for the fleſh.

Reaſ. 7. It is cruelty to them that are already ſo bad, to make their temptations to ſin much ſtronger, and their place in Hell the worſe, and to make the way to Heaven as hard to them as for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle: To prepare them to want a drop of water in Hell, who were clothed richly and fared ſumptuouſly on Earth. To entice them to ſay, Soul take p. 43thine eaſe thou haſt enough laid up for many years, till they hear, Thou fool this night ſhall they require thy Soul; to cheriſh that love of the world, which is enmity to God, by feeding that luſt of the fleſh, and luſt of the eyes, and Pride of life, which are not of the Father but of the world.

Reaſ. 8. When this preferring unprofitable and ungodly Children before God and the Common good, is ſo common and Reigning a ſin in the world, it is a great fault for Religious Men to encourage them in it, by their example, and to do as they.

Reaſ. 9. It is a ſin to caſt away any of Gods gifts. When Chriſt had fed men by a Miracle, he ſaith, gather up the fragments that nothing be loſt: If you ſhould caſt your mony into the Sea, it were a crime: But to leave it to ſuch as you foreſee are moſt likely to uſe it ſinfully, is more than caſting it away.

If you ſaw men offer Sacrifice to Bacchus or Venus, you would abhor it. Do not that which is ſo like it, as to leave bad men fuel for fleſhly luſt.

Reaſ. 10. It is the more dreadful, becauſe it is dying in ſtudyed ſin without repentance. To put ſo much ſin into ones Will, ſhews a full conſent and leaveth no room and time to repent of it.

On all theſe accounts I adviſe all the Stewards of God, as they love him and the publick good and their own Souls, while they have opportunity, even to the laſt breath, to do good to all, and to provide more for the common good than for ſuperfluities to any, and than for the maintaining ungodly Children in ſin, to the increaſe of their guilt and miſery.

Indeed in the choice of a Calling, employment and condition of life, and place for their Children, doing good ſhould be preferred before their riſing in the world: And they that juſtly endeavour to raiſe their Families in wealth, honour or power, ſhould do it only; that they might do the more good. But it is Satans deſign to turn all Gods mercies to the cheriſhing of wickedneſs, and even the Love of Parents to their Children to the poiſoning of their Souls, the ſtrengthening of their ſnares, and the hinderance of their own and other mens Salvation. But its ſhame and pity, that they who in Baptiſm devoted their Children to God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, renounceing the world p. 44the fleſh and the Devil, as under the banner of the Croſs, ſhould labour all their life, that impenitently at death they may leave all that they can get to ſuch as in all probability will uſe it in pride, fulneſs and idleneſs, for the fleſh, the world and the Devil, againſt him and his intereſt from whom they received it, and to whom both they and all they had were once devoted.

When men are loth that their eſtates ſhould remove from the Name and Family (for which there may be juſt cauſe) I take it for the ſafeſt way, (as aforeſaid) to truſt ſome (as men do their Children with Guardians) by the adviſe of Lawyers, to ſecure all from their unworthy heirs, for the next or ſome other of the name and lineage that proveth worthy.

There are many other good works by which ſome rich men may be very profitable to the Common-wealth, ſuch as ſetting all the poor on work, and building Hoſpitals for the Impotent, &c. But theſe this City is happily acquainted with already, and tho ſtill there be much wanting, yet there is much done.

V. But one more I will preſume to name only to you that are Merchants, (For I am not one who have the ear of Princes who are more able), might not ſomewhat more be done than yet is, to further the Goſpel in your Factories, and in our Plantations? Old Mr. Eliots with his helpers in New-England have ſhewed that ſomewhat may be done, if others were as Charitable and zealous as they. The Jeſuites and Fryars ſhewed us in Congo, Japan, China and other Countries that much might be done with care and diligence. Tho the Papal intereſt was a corrupt end, and all the means that they uſed was not juſtifiable, when I read of their hazards, unwearied labours, and ſucceſs, I am none of thoſe that would deprive them of their deſerved honour, but rather wiſh that we that have better ends and principles might do better than they, and not come ſo far behind them as we do (if half be true that Pet. Maſſoeus, and the Jeſuites Epiſtles and many other writers tell us of them.) I know that they had the advantage of greater helps, from Kings and Pope and Prelates, and Colledges endued with trained men and copious maintenance: But might not ſomewhat more be done by us, than is yet done?

p. 451. Is it not poſſible to ſend ſome able zealous Chaplains to thoſe Factories which are in the Countries of Infidels and Heathens? Such as thirſt for the Converſion of ſinners, and the enlargment of the Church of Chriſt, and would labour skilfully and diligently therein? Is it not poſſible to get ſome ſhort Chriſtian books, which are fitted for that uſe, to be tranſlated in ſuch languages that Infidels can read, and to diſtribute them among them? If it be not poſſible alſo to ſend thither Religious Conſcionable Factors, who would further the work, the caſe of London is very ſad.

II. Is it not poſſible, at leaſt to help the poor ignorant Armenians, Greeks, Moſcovites, and other Chriſtians, who have no Printing among them, nor much Preaching or knowledge; and for want of Printing have very few Bibles, even for their Churches or Miniſters? Could nothing be done to get ſome Bibles, Catechiſms, and practical books printed in their own tongues and given among them? I know there is difficulty in the way: But mony and willingneſs and diligence might do ſomething.

III. Might not ſomething be done in other Plantations as well as in New-England, towards the Converſion of the Natives there? Might not ſome skilful zealous Preachers be ſent thither, who would both promote ſerious piety among thoſe of the Engliſh that have too little of it, and might invite the Americans to learn the Goſpel, and teach our Planters how to behave themſelves Chriſtianly towards them, to win them to Chriſt?

IV. Is it not poſſible to do more than hath been done, to Convert the Blacks that are our own ſlaves or ſervants to the Chriſtian faith? Hath not Mr. Goodwin juſtly reprehended and lamented the neglect, yea and reſiſtence of this work in Barbados? and the like elſewhere? 1. Might not better Teachers be ſent thither for that uſe? 2. Is it not an odious crime of Chriſtians to hinder the Converſion of theſe Infidels, leſt they loſe their ſervice by it, and to prefer their gain before mens Souls? Is not this to ſell Souls for a little mony, as Judas did his Lord? And whereas the Law manumits them from ſervitude when they turn Chriſtians, that it may invite them to Converſion, and this occaſioneth wicked Chriſtians to hinder them from p. 46knowledge, were it not better move the Government therefore to change that Law, ſo far as to allow theſe Covetous Maſters their ſervice for a certain time, uſeing them as free Servants? 3. And whereas they are allowed only the Lords day for their own labour, and ſome honeſt Chriſtians would willingly allow them ſome other time inſtead of it, that they might ſpend the Lords day in Learning to know Chriſt and worſhip God, but they dare not do it, leſt their wicked Neighbours riſe againſt them, for giving their Slaves ſuch an Example, might not the Governours be procured to force the whole Plantation to it by a Law, even to allow their Infidel Servants ſo much time on another day, and cauſe ſome to congregate them for inſtruction on the Lords days? Why ſhould thoſe men be called Chriſtians, or have any Chriſtian reputation, or priviledges themſelves, who think both Chriſtianity and Souls to be no more worth, than to be thus baſely ſold for the gain of mens ſervileſt labours? And what, tho the poor Infidels deſire not their own Converſion; Their need is the greater, and not the leſs.

VI. I conclude with this moveing inference: The great oppoſition that is made againſt doing good by the Devil and his whole Army through all the world, and their lamentable ſucceſs, doth call aloud to all true Chriſtians to overdo them. O what a Kingdom of Malignants hath Satan doing miſchief to mens Souls and bodies through the Earth! Hating the Godly, oppreſſing the juſt, corrupting doctrine, introducing Lies, turning Chriſts labourers out of his Vineyard, forbidding them to Preach in his name the ſaving word of life; hiding or deſpiſing the Laws of Chriſt; and ſetting up their own Wills and Deviſes in their ſtead; making dividing diſtracting Engines on pretence of Order, Government and Unity: Murdering mens bodies, and ruining their Eſtates, and ſlandering their names, on pretence of love to the Church and Souls; encouraging Prophaneneſs, Blaſphemy, Perjury, Whoredom, and Scorning Conſcience and fear of ſinning: What diligence doth Satan uſe through the very Chriſtian Nations, to turn Chriſts Ordinances of Magiſtracy and Miniſtry againſt himſelf, and to make his p. 47own Officers the moſt miſchievous Enemies to his Truth and Kingdom, and ſaving work? to tread down his Family and Spiritual worſhip, as if it were by his own Authority and Commiſſion? To Preach down Truth, and Conſcience, and real Godlineſs, as in Chriſts own name, and fight againſt him with his own word, and to teach the people to hate his ſervants, as if this pleaſed the God of Love?

And alas! how diſmal is their ſucceſs? In the Eaſt the Church is hereby deſtroyed by barbarous Mahometans; the remnants by their Prelates continued in Sects, in great ignorancé, and dead formality, reproaching and anathematizing one another, and little hope appearing of recovery. In the Weſt a dead Image of Religion, and Unity, and Order, dreſt up with a multitude of gawds, and ſet up againſt the Life and Soul of Religion, Unity, and Order, and a War hereupon maintain'd for their deſtruction, with ſad ſucceſs: So that uſually the more Zealous men are for the Papal and formal humane Image, the more zealouſly they ſtudy the extirpation of Worſhipping God in Spirit and Truth, and thirſt after the blood of the moſt ſerious Worſhippers; and cry down them as intolerable Enemies, who take their Baptiſm for an obliging Vow, and ſeriouſly endeavour to perform it, and live in good earneſt as Chriſtianity bindeth them; and they take it for an unſufferable Crime, to prefer Gods Authority before mans, and to plead his Law againſt any thing that men command them. In a word, he is unworthy to be accounted a Chriſtian with them, who will be a Chriſtian indeed, and not deſpiſe the Laws of Chriſt; and unworthy to have the liberty and uſage of a man, that will not ſin and damn his Soul: So much more cruel are they than the Turkiſh Tyrants, who if they ſend to a man for his head, muſt be obeyed.

And is the Devil a better Maſter than Chriſt? and ſhall his work be done with greater zeal and reſolution? Will he give his Servants a better reward? Should not all this awaken us to do Good with greater diligence than they do evil? and to promote Love and Piety more earneſtly than they do malignity and iniquity? Is not ſaving Church, and State, Souls and Bodies, better worth reſolution and labour, than deſtroying them?

p. 48And the prognoſticks are encouraging: Certainly Chriſt and his Kingdom will prevail: At laſt all his Enemies ſhall be made his footſtool; yea, ſhall from him receive their doom, to the everlaſting puniſhment which rebels againſt omnipotency, goodneſs and mercy do deſerve. If God be not God, if Chriſt will not conquer, if there be no life to come, let them boaſt of their ſucceſs. But when they are rottenneſs and duſt, and their ſouls with Devils, and their names are a reproach, Chriſt will be Chriſt, his promiſes and threatnings all made good, 2 Theſ. 1. 6. &c. He will judg it righteous to recompenſe tribulation to your troublers, when he cometh with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, to take vengeance on rebels, and to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all true Believers. And when that ſolemn Judgment ſhall paſs on them that did Good, and that did Evil, deſcribed Matth. 25. with a [Come ye bleſſed inherit the Kingdom] and [go ye Curſed into everlaſting fire] doing Good and not doing it (much more doing miſchief) will be better diſtinguiſhed than now they are, when they are rendred as the reaſon of thoſe different dooms.

FINIS.

End of the text · Richard Baxter, How to Do Good to Many (1682)