Truth Maintained, Commentary · Part 7
SERMON Paragraffe 15.
Mean time meet private men muſt not be idle but move in their ſphere, till the ſupream Power doth reform they muſt pray to inſpire thoſe that have power. Secondly, they muſt reforme themſelves and their Families.
EXAMINER.
Stil you drive on your deſign thorow many plauſible P inſinuations, you would keep private men doing but ſtill doing in their owne Q circle; I confeſſe I would not improve their intereſt too high, nor too ſoon, for the early ſettings forth of private men is apt to exceed into a tumultuary motion: Yet I would not put them ſo far behind as they ſhould like the lame & the diſeaſed at the poole of Betheſda waiting till a ſupreame R Power came downe amongſt them. There are many publike ingagements which they are capable on, & which providence will often guide them to as in finding S out-ways of facilitation & advancement for the buſineſſe; beſides ſome other arcana and ſecret T preparations; we ſee every thing naturally is ſpirited with an inſtinct of aiding, the whole V water and ayre will part with their own intereſt to ſerve the univerſall in the danger of a vacuity; the very W Romans, by a morrall principle, would contend to be firſt in the ſervice of their Country, and it remains as a crime upon record, that X Gilead abode beyond Jordan, and that Dan remained in ſhips, and Aſhur abode in his breaches; that is, that they would ſit downe encircled with their owne intereſt and affaires.
TREATIS.
P. Still you drive on your deſigne thorow many plauſible inſinuations.) Not inſinuations but poſitions and thoſe no more plauſible then profitable. Truth hath a precious inſide, and withall a pleaſing face.
Q You would keep private men doing, but ſtill doing in their circle.) And good reaſon too for if they be out of their circle, they are very troubleſome ſpirits to conjure downe againe.
R Not like the lame at the poole of Betheſda waiting till a ſupreame Power.) If God in his Word will have it ſo, they muſt wait. Better to lye ſtill in the porch, though not cured then to ruſh headlong into the poole and be drowned.
S Providence will guide them in finding out-wayes of facilitation.) I proteſt againſt all out-wayes if they be any way different from the high-road of the King of Heaven; Reformation however muſt come lawfully, and if it will not come eaſily, let it come hardly, we will tug at it with our prayers (which are alwayes beſt at a dead lift) and will ſweat but not ſin to obtain it. Nor can any better facilitation for private men be found out, then for every one of them to reform themſelves. How doth an Army of ten thouſand men almoſt change their poſtures from Eaſt to Weſt in an inſtant, becauſe every one turneth one, and ſo ſoone would the work be done in a publike Reformation, if particular perſons would take care for their private amendment.
T Beſides ſome other arcana and ſecret preparations.) Good Sir play faire and above board: The ſurface of the earth is wide enough for us both, creep not into crannies, to put me to the pains of Pioners to mine for your meaning: I know the ſecret of the Pro. 3. 32.Lord is with the righteous; but then it is ſuch a ſecret, as being concealed from prophane perſons, is revealed in the Word. This your expreſſion if cleer from fault, is not free from juſt ſuſpition, for hereby you buz into peoples hands (and ſuch tinder I tell you is ready to take fire) that there are ſome ſtrange unknown miſteries of Religion lately communicated to ſome private men. Strange that others of the ſame forme with you for learning and Religion ſhould know no ſuch ſecrets, except you have received from Heaven ſome expreſſe packet of intelligence. You might have done well to have told us what theſe arcana are, unleſſe being of Heavens cloſe Committee you be bound to ſecrecy. Meane time I will be bold to tell you, that if theſe ſecrets differ from Gods will in his Word, they are depths of the Divell and miſteries of Iniquity.
V We ſee every thing naturally is ſpirited with an instinct of ayding, the whole water and ayre will part with their owne interests to ſerve the univerſall in the danger of a vacuity.) I diſtinguiſh betwixt naturall Agents, and voluntary, rationall and Chriſtian Agents. Naturall Agents goe the neereſt way to their owne home, their Center, except countermanded to avoid a vacuity, which being yeelded to, neceſſarily inferres a deſtruction of the whole. In ſuch a caſe heavy bodyes have from God a diſpenſation yea command to aſcend, light bodies to deſcend, forgetting their particular propenſity, to remember the publike good, according to the words of the Pſalmiſt, He hath made a decree which they ſhall not paſſe. But voluntary, rationall and Chriſtian Pſ. 148. 6.Agents, are to regulate their actions by Gods will in his Word; the greateſt and onelyonly vacuity they are to feare is Gods diſpleaſure whoſe glory they are to preferre before their owne temporall ſelf-preſervation; and indeed mans eternall good is wrapped up in his obedience to Gods will. Wherefore except you can produce a place in Gods Word, wherein private men are commanded to make publike Reformations, there is a meer vacuity of all you have alleadged.
W The very Romans by a morrall principle would contend to be firſt in the ſervice of their Country.) It was well done of them. Their forwardneſſe in ſerving their Country will one day condemne our frowardneſſe in deſerving our rending our native ſoyle aſunder with civill diſſentions; but in ſuch caſes as this is which we have now afoot (whether private perſons may reform without the conſent of the ſupreame Power) we are not to be guided by the practice of the Pagan Romans, but by the precept of the Chriſtian Romans, Let every ſoule be ſubject to the higher Rom. 13. 1Powers.
X And it remaines as a crime upon Record, that Gilead abode beyond Jordan, and that Dan remained in ſhips.) Thus it was; Sicera a Pagan generall under Jab in a Tyrant and Uſurper hoſtilely invaded Iſrael. Deborah a Propheteſſe by Divine inſpiration incited Barach to reſiſt him. In this caſe each ſingle man had a double call to aſſiſt Barach: One from Nature to defend his Country, another from Gods, immediate vocation. Here it In publicos hostes, omnius homo miles Tertullianus.was lawfull for all to be active ſinfull for any to be idle: Jacl the woman was valiant; ſhall men be womaniſh and cowardly? Now prove that private men have the like calling in point of publike Reformation and if they be not active, we will not only confeſſe it their crime but proclaime a curſe againſt them with Meros, till this be done this inſtance befreindeth not your cauſe.
EXAMINER.
And Y though you would put private men upon ſuch duties here as are godly & commendable the policy is to keepe them exerciſed in one good duty that they ſhould not advance another & thus you would cunningly make one peece of Divinity to betray another, and make the freinds of Reformation doe it a diſcurteſie in ignorance.
TREATIS.
Y I confeſſe it is an ancient ſubtilty of Satan, to keep men exerciſed in one good duty that they ſhould not advance another. Thus he buſieth ſome men all in praying to neglect preaching, all in preaching to neglect Catechizing all in prayers, preaching, catechizing, to neglect practiſing. Jeſabels body was all eaten 2 King. 9. 35.up, ſave onelyonly her head, hands and feet. But indiſcreet zeal ſo conſumes ſome, that they have neither hands nor feet left, either to worke or to walke in their Chriſtian calling: Yea, of all their head nothing remains unto them but onelyonly their ears, reſolving all Gods ſervice into hearing alone.
But this accuſation is not onelyonly improperly, but falſly here layed to my charge, becauſe I forbid meer private men to meddle with publike reforming, which belongs not at all unto them: That ſo cutting off the needleſſe ſuckers the tree may be fed the better, an that private men leaving off thoſe imployments which pertaine not to them, may the more effectually advance their owne amendment; a taske which when it is done, the ſevereſt Divine will give them leave to play.
And becauſe one dangerous Policy hath been mentioned by you, it will not be amiſſe to couple it with another device of the Divell, as ſeaſonable and neceſſary in theſe times to be taken notice of. Satan puts many meere private men on to be fierce and eager upon publike reforming thereby purpoſely to decline and avert them from their own ſelfe-amendment. For publike reforming hath ſome pleaſure in it, as a Magiſteriall act and work of authority conſiſting moſt in commanding and ordering of others; whereas private amendment is a worke all of paine, therein a man, as he is himſelfe the judge, ſo he is the malefactor, and muſt indite himſelfe, arraigne himſelfe, convict himſelfe, condemne hmſelfe, and in part execute himſelfe, crucifying the old man and mortifying his owne corruptions. And we can eaſier afford to put out both the eyes of other men, to force them to leave their deare darling ſinnes, then to pluck out our own right eye (in obedience to our Saviours precept) Mat. 5. 29.and forſake our owne ſinnes which doe ſo eaſily beſet us. Beſides men may be prompted to publike reforming by covetouſnes to gather chips at the felling of the old Church goverment, by ambition, to ſee and be ſeene in office; by revenge to wreck their ſpight on the perſonall offences of ſuch, whom formerly they diſtaſted. Self-amendment is not ſo ſubject to private ends but goeth againſt the haire yea, againſt the fleſh it ſelfe, in making men deny themſelves in duty to God.
Yea, at the laſt day of judgement, when God ſhall arraigne men, and ſay, Thou art a drunkard, Thou art an adulterer, Thou art an oppreſſor; it will be but a poore plea for them to ſay, Yea Lord, but I have been a publike Reformer of Church and State. This plea, I ſay, will then not hold water, but prove a broken ciſterne. Not will God diſtence with their want of obedience, becauſe they have offered him ſtore of ſacrifice. Such people therefore are daily to be called upon, to amend themſelves and their Families; which is a race long enough for the beſt breathed private Chriſtians, though they ſtate in their youth, and runne till their old age.