Concerning Ministers Meddling with State Matters in their Sermons, application · Section 20
And our behaviour therein before God to make it our happineſſe.
If then, in this caſe of dangerous unſettlement, wherein the Maſter-builders are at variance, and moſt that are under them, ſeeme willing rather to pull down what others have built; then by counſell to uphold joyntly what ought to be ſetled, (which is a ſad preſage,) we ſhould every one ſeriouſly conſider what becometh us in our places: leſt we be given over to delight in each others deſtruction, let us reflect upon our wayes, and order our behaviour rightly therein towards God and men; that upon the diſcoverie of that which is a miſſe, we may henceforth labour to make them ſuch as beſeems Chriſtians. For if we ſet our ſelves to murmure at the changeableneſſe of humane affaires, this is nothing elſe but to controul Gods counſell, whereby he hath appointed that to be one of the ſpeciall meanes of our felicitie: if we murmure and fight againſt the afflictions, which our outward man muſt ſuffer under theſe changes: this is nothing elſe, but to kick againſt the pricks, and to ſtrive in vain againſt the unalterable law of nature: and if we ſet our ſelves to diſcover, and condemn the faults of other men under theſe changes, to trouble our ſelves and others at the ſuppoſed cauſes thereof, rather then to finde out a way to redreſſe the ſame, this is nothing elſe but maliciouſneſſe and madneſſe: but if in all theſe trialls and changes, we ſtudie the conſtant and equall rule of Chriſtianity, to order our wayes therein before God and men, without partiality, this is that, which will make us truly happie in all our unſetlements: for as concerning the ſtate, wherein at the preſent we are, (ſeeing it is evident that God by an extraordinary hand of judgement hath caſt us into it) as it is now unavoidable, ſo to be under the changes thereof, is not to be counted our ſinne, but rather our triall; and through the lot of our affliction, the way to a bleſſing, if we behave our ſelves as Chriſtians ought to do therein. For if all the good or evil, of every outward condition as to us, doth wholly depend upon the frame of our ſpirit, and upon the way of our behaviour before God therin; then it doth follow, that according to our ſpirituall temper or diſtemper, and our orderly or diſorderly carriages in this condition, the event thereof will be our happineſſe, or our miſerie; for if our ſpirits are diſtempered, and our courſe diſordered againſt the rule of our profeſſion, it is evident that this will redouble the evill of our affliction, inwardly and outwardly, making it both wayes ſinfull, and thereby miſerable: but if our outward changes take us not off from the way of Chriſtianity, which is unchangeable, we have juſt cauſe to beleeve, that by the increaſe of vertue and grace, they will become our onelyonly happineſſe, becauſe we have a promiſe, that in all theſe things we ſhall be more then conquerours through him that loveth us: Rom. 8. 37. And we are further taught, that as the ſufferings of Chriſt abound in us, ſo our conſolation alſo ſhall abound by Chriſt. Now the2 Cor. 2. 5. ſufferings of Chriſt are ſaid to abound in us, when in all our afflictions we walk ſted faſtly with him in the profeſſion of his way: for then whiles the outward man doth decay, the 2 Cor. 4. 16.inward is renewed day by day: is there any thing even in the midſt of greateſt diſtreſſes, that can obſtruct the enjoyment of this conſolation, but the diſcompoſure of our ſpirits, and the diſorderlineſſe of our behaviour in the work of our employment. And leſt by theſe means we may be deprived of our comforts, and loſe the fruit of our labours which are undertaken for the reparation of that which is laid waſte among us; let us point at the chief diſtempers and diſorders which obſtruct our work, that they may be removed, and the courſe ſutable to the Rules of our holy profeſſion, heretofore ſet down, ſeriouſly taken up, and ſincerely followed.
I have already given you my ſenſe of ſeverall diſtempers and diſorderly carriages of ſome particular men, in their diſtinct wayes, which have a ſpeciall influence upon our ſpirituall affairs, to make us, as the confuſed builders of Babylon, the authors of our own diſſipation and ruine: I ſhall now mention a few diſorderly courſes, which are incident unto all men more or leſſe, and ſeeme to diſcompoſe the healthfull conſtitution of our whole ſocietie, in the management of all outward affaires: and here, although I am not ignorant, that the diſtemper of the ſpirit, and the diſorder of the behaviour are things very farre diſtant in their nature, and diſtinct in their properties: yet becauſe in matters of outward concernment they are ſeldome ſeparate, and going hand in hand, they beget interchangably and are begotten by each other; therefore, and for brevities ſake, I ſhall not heed their diſtinction at this time; but leave it to every ones thought in that which I ſhall offer: here then let me ſpeak of the diſtemper and diſorderlineſſe proceeding from theſe following roots of bitterneſſe, viz: from envie, from jealouſies and fears; from tale bearing and private cenſuring; & from revenge, which I conceive to be the chief cauſes of our preſent diſeaſes: and of all theſe this is to be ſaid in the generall, that as no man can exempt himſelf from the danger of theſe ſinfull motions, ſo thoſe that are moſt remarkably engaged either by their places or proceedings in the management of publick affaires, are moſt lyable to the temptations thereof, which are ſo much the more hurtfull to the Societies of mankind, by how much the perſons upon whom they ſeize are found more eminent in parts or places: and the affaires upon which they reflect are more important; and by how much the complication of theſe diſtempers in thoſe that are acted by them is more powerfull, leſſe corrigible, and leſſe diſcernable.