A Good Conscience the Strongest Hold, Treatise · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. Of the laſt Good Conſcience, the Conſcience of Charitie.
THus are we come to ſpeak of the laſt of Of the conſcience of charity.thoſe ten particular good Conſciences which we propounded at firſt, that is, the Conſcience of Charity, which I have reſerved this laſt place for; not becauſe it is of the last or leaſt worth, but becauſe the world hath put it in the laſt place, if ſo be yet it hath left it any place at all. This is that which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, 1 Tim. 1. 5. As the end and perfection of the Law, and Goſpel too, Charity out of a pure heart, and of a good Conſcience, and faith unfaigned. Whereever you ſee truth of Charity, queſtion not there the truth of Conſcience: The more of Charity, the more of Conſcience. And the now totall want almoſt of this in the world, argues the generall want of good Conſcience, in this Iron Age of the world, Theſe are the daies foretold by our Saviour, wherein all iniquity doth abound, Mat. 24. 12and vice increaſe, becauſe Conſcience doth decreaſe, and Charity wax cold. The world was never more full of knowledg, nor emptie of Charitie, 1 Cor. 8. 1. All have that knowledg which puffs up, few that charity which ſhould build up; and while Conſcience in moſt men calls for freedom, Charity is by all left bound. But it is by this badge of Charity that you may know a Diſciple of Chriſt, better then by the Joh. 13. 35Language of a Galilean.
Now this Charity is twofold,Charity of two kinds.
Externall, or Civill.
Eccleſiaſticall, or Spirituall and Chriſtian.
And this Externall Charity is threefold, reſpecting three ſorts of perſons,
1 Poore.
2 Neighbours.
3 Enemies.
1. To the poore is to be ſhewed the love or Outward or civil, and that firſt to the poor.charity of beneficence: To the neighbour and friend, a love of benevolence; and to the enemie, a love of forgiveneſs.
Tranquilla Conſcientia eſt omnibus dulcis, nulli gravis, utens amico ad gratiam, inimico ad patientiam, cunctis ad benevolentiam, & quibus poteſt ad beneficentiam. Bernard. de Conſc.
1. To the poore is to be ſhewed the charity of beneficence and well-doing: This kinde of charity is the worlds grand Benefactor, the poores great Almoner, the widows Treaſurer, the Orphans Guardian, the oppreſſed mans Patron: This lendeth eyes to the blinde, feet to the lame, deals out bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, maketh the widows heart ſing for joy, and brings upon the Donour the bleſſing of him who was ready to periſh. How did Zacheus ſhew the truth of the work of grace upon his Conſcience, but by thoſe firſt-fruits of his charity? Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, Luk. 19. 8.
How did Job vindicate his conſcientiouſneſs and ſincerity, againſt all his friends detracting calumnies, Job 30. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. but by ſuch unqueſtionable demonſtrations of his charity? I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherleſs, and him that had no helper. The bleſſing of him that was ready to periſh came upon me, and I made the widows heart to ſing for joy. I was eyes to the blinde, and feet was I to the lame; I was a father to the poor, &c.
Religious Obadiah left it to Elias to judge of his ſincerity, and whether he truly feared God or no, 1 Kin. 18. 13. Was it not told my Lord what I did when Jezabel ſlew the Prophets of the Lord, how I hid an hundred men of the Lords Prophets, and ſed them by fifty in a cave with bread and water?
Nehemiah, that matchleſſe pattern of a ſelf-denying Magiſtrate, had much comfort in relating what oppreſſions he had removed, and what eaſe he had procured to his Country, how chargeable others had been, how charitable he; not ſo much as ever requiring the Governours bread, nor his ordinary allowance, but had at his own charge redeemed many Captives, relieved many impoveriſhed, and when he hath done, concludeth to the comfort of his Conſcience. Nehem. 5. 19. Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
To be ſhort, it is one of the good mans Characters, Pſal. 112. 5. That he is mercifull, and giveth; and of the good womans, That ſhe ſtretcheth out her hand to the poor, and in her heart and mouth is the law of kindneſs, Prov. 31. 20, 26. Abraham and Lot, ſo famous of old for faith and piety, were perſons as eminent for their charity, liberality, and hoſpitality. What ſhould I ſpeak of the Alms of Cornelius, who hath a compleat deſcription of a god…y man applied to him? That he was a devout man, one that feared God with all his houſe, who gave much Almes to the People, and prayed to God alway. Theſe Alms of his are ſaid to come into remembrance with God, Acts 10. 2, 4. Yea, Every liberall ſoul deviſeth liberall things, and by liberall things ſhall he ſtand, Iſai. 32. 8. When the Inſtruments of the Churle are evil, he deviſeth wicked devices againſt the poor, to make empty the ſoul of the hungry, and to cauſe the drink of the thirſty to fail, Iſa. 32. 6, 7.
Conſcience knows it is bound in duty, as much to ſhew charitie to neighbour, as love to God; and to the poor neighbour this love of beneficence and compaſſion, as to God the love of obedience and complacency.
This is indeed cum aliis ſcire, to know and feel the heart of a ſtranger and widow, and Exo. 23. 9.to ſay with Adrian, What I would have the rich be to me were I poor, that muſt I do to him my ſelf being rich.
Yea this is cum Deo ſcire, who conſiders the poor and needy, relieveth the ſtranger, He doth execute, ſaith Moſes, Deut. 10. 18, 19. the judgement of the fatherleſs and widow, and loveth the ſtranger in giving him food and raiment: Love ye therefore the ſtranger, for ye were ſtrangers in the Land of Egyp.
But alas the ill conſciences of theſe times! What meaneth the bleating of the ſheep, and lowing of the exen, ſhall I ſay? Or, What meaneth the beating of the poor to pieces, and grinding of their very faces, ſaith the Lord? Surely he will enter into judgement with the Antients of the People, and with the Princes thereof, becauſe the ſpoil of the poor is in their houſes, Iſa. 3. 14, 15. What judgments do you read threatened in all the Prophets, for this unmercifull neglecting or oppreſſing of the poor, Amos 2. 6. God threatens Iſrael not to turn away their puniſhment, becauſe they made no more of the poor man and his cauſe, then of a pair of old ſhooes. The like Micah 3. 3, 4.
Surely this is one of the crying ſins of our times, that the cauſe is not judged, the cauſe of the poor, and the right of the needie. But Jer. 5. 28, 29.may we not ſay, Hath not the Lord begun to viſit for theſe things, and ſhall be not be avenged on ſuch a Nation as this ere he hath done? Rom. 14. 15. When the Apoſtle in a certain caſe would tell a man he walks not conſcientiouſly, he tels him, Thou walkeſt not charitably: What is it therefore to walk charitably, but undeniably to walk conſcientiouſly? I conclude this therefore with the Apoſtles exhortation, Col. 3. 12. Put on, as the Elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindneſs, humbleneſs of minde, &c. And 2 Cor. 8. 7, 9. As therefore ye abound in other graces, in faith, utterance, and knowledge, ſee ye abound in this grace alſo, for ye know the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who though he was rich, yet for your ſakes he became poor, that ye, through his pove…ty, might be rich. This is to be like-minded unto Chriſt you ſee.
2. There is another charity of benevolence 2 To thy Neighbourto be ſhewed to thy neighbour, whom thou art to love as thy ſelf; this is the ſecond great Commandment, which ſo great a part of the Law and Prophets do hang and comment upon. Haſt thou a friend, then ſhew thy ſelf friendly; Mat. 22. 39. Pro. 18. 24. Rom. 13. 8.owe no other debt to any man but this, to love one another, and this we muſt owe to every man, yet owe it ſo, as to be alſo paying the debt; and pay it ſo, as alſo to be yet owing the duty; alwaies owing, and alwaies paying. Debts of Juſtice muſt be ſo payed by every honeſt man, that they may be no longer owing, but debts of charitie, though daily paid, muſt daily be acknowledged, and yet we are daily in debt, till we come thither, where the love of God and brother ſhall be conſummate, and where love ſhall be all in all.
O what a pleaſant and delightfull ſight it is, to ſee neighbour with neighbour, brother with brother, living in this mutuall unity and benevolence! there is beſt living, there is beſt air, there is beſt earth, Pſal. 133. 1, 2, 3, 4. There is beſt aire, perfumed with like ointment to that which Aaron was conſecrated with, like which none other for any uſe was to be Exod. 30. 32.compounded; and there the beſt and richeſt Soile, As the dew of Hermon, and as that dew that fell upon the Hills of Sion: There the Lord commandeth his richeſt bleſſings, and life for ever. But what ſtinking Aire is Meſhech, and what noiſome Earth is Kedar? Ill dwelling with thoſe that hate peace, and are ſtill for war.Pſal. 120.
The third Charitie and Love is to thy Enemies, a love of forgiveneſs at leaſt, and a 3. To thy enemie.contending with him for the moſt glorious victorie, not to return him like evil for like, or greater for leſs; but to overcom any evil he hath done thee with all that good which thou canſt do for him. This is the hardeſt, and therefore higheſt pitch of Love; A Leſſon not to be learned in the Philoſophers Schools, Rom. 12. 20, 21. Luke 6. 27, 28.or in the Phariſees Synagogues; but in Chriſts Sanctuarie, and is one of the higheſt points of Goſpel Divinitie, and Chriſtian Perfection.
The Phariſees of old had ſaid, Thou muſt love thy neighbour, but corrupted the Text with another addition, Thou maieſt hate thy enemie. Our Saviours command is that thou Love alſo thy enemie, that thou bleſs them that curſe, that thou pray for them that revile, and perſecute, yea that we reach out the hand to help thoſe, who have lift up the heel to hurt us. What thank is it to be but as Heathens and Publicans? Mat. 5. 46. Luke 6. 32, 33.They are friendly to their friends, yea this may be found in Hell, Satan is not divided againſt Satan, the devil himſelf will carrie it fair with thoſe who correſpond with him. But to croſs thy nature, and to overcome thy ſelf firſt, that thou maiſt overcome thy enemie at laſt. Nobile vincendi genus hoc.—This is a divine, and heavenly Spirit, and a divine kinde of Love; this is to be like Our Father which is in heaven, who is kinde to Luk. 6. 35.the unthankful, and unkinde; and like to his Son on Earth, who praied for his enemies; and gave his life for thoſe who ſought his death. Therefore the Apoſtle addes Col. 3. 12, 13. to bowels of mercies, and kindeneſs which we ſhould put on, humbleneſs, meekneſs, long-ſuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrell againſt any, as Chriſt forgave you, ſo alſo do ye.
This Love then muſt not bee a bare, negative, Magna virtus eſt ſi non laedas cum à quo laeſus es; Magna gloria ſi cui nocere potuiſti parcas: Nobile vindictae genus eſt ignoſcere victo. Bern. de inter. domo. 2. Inward and Eccleſiaſticall.and Non-revenging Love, not to render railing for railing, in…urie for injurie, vim vi repellere, but it muſt bee an over-flowing, over-coming and a Non-removed, and unabated Love, that when hee doth ſtrive to weare out thy patience by continually reiterated and new provocations, thou maieſt ſtrive to out-vie him by a continuall return of new good Offices, that thou maiſt never bee overcome by any evil of his, but maiſt overcome all his evil with much more good.
Secondly, There is another kinde of Charitie, which we call Spiritual or Eccleſiaſtical, which is to be ſhewed in the Love we bear to the Church, and Truth of Chriſt, and to the Souls of our Brethren. This is an excellent and moſt neceſſarie Charitie, and is to bee preferred before any of the former, the love of Beneficence to poor, of Benevolence to friends, of Forgiveneſs to enemies; theſe may bee among Heathens, or Civilized Chriſtians. But this Love I now ſpeak of is the peculiar Badge of Chriſtians: A Love of Symphonie in Judgement and Opinion, of Sympathie in heart and affection, and of Symmetrie or harmonie in an unoffenſive converſation.
Common Charitie may be found among honeſt and ingenuous heathens, yea, there is a Love and agreement among the worſt of men, who have one heart, and one purſe, Prov. 1. 14. and among the devils themſelves Mat. 12. 26.may be found an unanimous conſpiring in opinions and deſignes. But our Love and agreement muſt be in good, an Agreement in the truth, and to be of one minde in the Lord. Phil. 4. 2.Joh. 2. Ep. ver. 1.
There is no dutie preſſed upon Chriſtians either with more ſtore, or ſtrength of Arguments in all the New Teſtament then this. See Phil. 1. 1, 2, 3. If there be any Conſolations in Chriſt, if any comfort of love, if any fellowſhip of the ſpirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye bee like minded, having the ſame love, being of one accord, of one minde. Is the Apoſtle any where ſo patheticall again? He laies out all his affections, and all his arguments to prevail in ſo neceſſarie a dutie. In the ſecond verſe he preſſeth four duties, and hee laieth down five Motives before-hand to carry them home, laying before them All that is in Chriſt, in the Spirit, in Goſpel fellowſhip, and Grace, and what-ever reſpect they had to him, that they be like minded, &c. If there could have been found any thing in heaven it ſelf of more force to perſuade, he would have fetched it thence. There are four particulars exhorted to of like nature: 1 To be like minded, 2 have the ſame love, 3 to be of one accord, and 4 of one minde. All are to be endeavoured after, and if poſſible, to be attained; but if we cannot reach the firſt and last of them, we muſt never part with the two middlemost, if we cannot come to foreign, and foreign, To think and hold the ſame One thing, yet muſt we be foreign, of one accord, and having never the leſs love. S. Peter likewiſe exhorts to the ſame purpoſe 1 Pet. 3. 8. to five things of like nature, Be ye foreign.all of one minde, having compaſsion one of another, love as brethren, be pittiful, be courteous. And here we are to hold theſe five links of this golden chain all intire, and united, if poſſible; but if we cannot reach the firſt and higheſt linke, we muſt nevertheleſs hold all the other four. If we cannot attain to be foreign, we muſt be nevertheleſs foreign, if we cannot be ſame-minded (ſo the word ſignifies) yet muſt we be loving minded. Oh what happie times, and Churches, and Chriſtians ſhould we ſee if theſe duties and Graces were ſtudied! This would keep Ʋnitie of ſpirit in the Bond of Peace.Eph. 4. 3.
The outward and civil Love we ſpake of is the bleſſing of Families, Beautie of Cities, and the ſtrength of Common-wealths: But this, if it were to be ſeen, is farre more excellent and tranſcendent, it is the Street of gold in the holy Citie, the rich pavement of the heavenly Jeruſalem. It would be the Crown of the Church Militant, for it is the Glorie of the Church Triumphant; It would be the Cement of the walls; It would bee the Gates and Bars of the Tower of Sion; It would render the Church fair as the Moon, glorious as the Sun, terrible as an armie with banners. This Love is the Mantle, and Seamleſs Garment which Chriſt left to his Church, that it ſhould not be divided, or rent. What a reproch is it to us, that the barbarous ſouldiers ſhould deal more civilly with his Garment, and with his Bodie when dead, (they did not divide the one, nor break a bone of the other) then we? when we divide and rent both Garment and Bodie, beating and ſtriking our fellow ſervants, biting and backbiting one another, til we be devoured one of another, Gal. 5. 15.
Oh what Encomiums are put upon this Grace of Charitie in the Scripture! It is the Queen of Heavenly Graces, preferred in ſome ſenſe to Faith and Hope, 1 Cor. 13. ult.
It is the End of the Law, the adorning of 1 Tim. 1. 5.the Goſpel, the Vive Image of God, the very Effigies of Chriſt, the firſt fruit of the Spirit. The Daughter of Faith, the Mother of Hope, 1 Joh. 4. 8, 16. Joh. 13. 34. Gal. 5. 22. Gal. 5. 6.the Siſter of Peace, the Kinſwoman (neareſt kinſwoman) to Truth; It is the Life and Joy of Angels; the Bane of Devils; It is the Death of Diſſenſions, the Grave and Sepulcher of ſchiſmes, wherein all Church ruptures and offences are buried; It is the Morning and Reſurrection, yea, the high Noon and cleareſt day of Reformation. It is that which covers all ſins. And what can be ſaid more? In one word, 1 Pet. 4. 8.It is the very bond of perfection, foreign, Col. 3. 14.
This doth nothing il, it vaunteth not it ſelf, is not puffed up, envieth not, doth not behave it ſelf unſeemly, ſeeketh not her own, is not eaſily provoked, rejoyeeth in no iniquitie, rejoyceth onelyonly in the truth, 1 Cor. 13. 4, 5, 6.
This doth all things well, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, 1 Cor. 13. 7.
This is the Head River in Paradiſe, which divideth it ſelf into many Channels, that it may water the Church through the whole earth; It is the womb or breaſts of the Church; It is the Seed of the Goſpel; The Bloud of the dead Martyrs, and the Love of the living Profeſſours, being the beſt ſeed of the Church.
But where is the Havilah where this gold and Bdellium is to be found? How ſad is it that this Manna is onelyonly to be found when the Church is in the wilderneſs, but ceaſeth the morrow after perſecution ceaſeth, when we once eat the bread of common Peacel But how much more ſad that that third part which had eſcaped fire and ſword, ſhould be caſt afterwards into another fire, Out of which a fire ſhall come out into all the houſe of Iſrael, Ezek. 5. 2, 3, 4.
In the Primitive times there were indeed cloven Tongues, but ſingle, and united hearts: Act. 2. 2, 3, 4.but now are cloven tongues and cloven hearts too. Their cloven Tongues ſpake the ſame things to diverſe Nations, that they might unite, gather, congregate, and Head all into Chriſt to make a Myſtical Bodie, and a Citie compact together, the joy of the whole earth. We ſpeak in one Language diverſe things, whereby we divide, ſcatter, looſe and Eſt jam ſerpentum major concordia. Juv. Sat. 15.diſgregate, and thereby endanger more the ſetting up of a new, and literal Babel in England, then the pulling down of the old and Myſtical Babylon in Italy. That we may ſadly complain, that the world was never ſo wofully, and univerſally divided ſince the dayes of old Peleg as now.Gen 10. 25
Their cloven Tongues were ſet on fire from heaven, and ſpake foreign. Our fire is taken from Elias harth, Luk. 9. 54. or Joſhuah's Cenſer, My Lord Moſes, forbid them; if not Num. 11. 28. Jam. 3. 6.lower, as James ſaith, ſet on fire of hel. There the winde filled onelyonly the houſe, but the holy Ghoſt filled their hearts, Act. 2. 4. Here the winde fills the head and heart, and the fire the houſe.
But did our Saviour pray that we might all be Perfect in one, as hee and the Father are One; and ſhall we imagine our Perfection Joh. 17. 21, 22, 23.lies in diviſion? Shall we not ſuffer this Praier to take place any where but in Heaven? Is it the Perfection and glorie of the Church Triumphant to be One, and Harmonious, and is it our perfection to be ever militant and jarring? When all prophecie and ſpeak the ſame thing, the ignorant man comes in, is convinced, and crieth out, God is in you of a truth, 1 Cor. 14. 25. But when all ſpeak with differing and divers tongues, the ignorant and unſettled man goes out, and cries, They are mad, as it is ver. 23.
Nor are we to wonder, that God hath ſuch a Controverſie with his People in this land, and hath poured out ſuch a Viall of contempt upon them, breaking us with breach upon breach, We may read our ſin in the judgement, we can impute it to nothing more then to our unneceſſarie and unkinde Controverſies among our ſelves, whereby we have caſt contempt upon his truth, and made breach upon breach in his Church. When the father ſees ſuch a wrangling, and froward diſpoſition in his children, that they are ſtill Quarrelling, he takes them all in hand and gives them enough of fighting, till they ſee their folly. It hath been many times obſerved by godly Eccleſiaſticall Writers, that when the Chriſtians have abuſed Peace, Libertie, and Fulneſs of Goſpel Bleſſings, to unkinde Contentions one with another, and to wantonneſs in Opinions and carriages; God hath raiſed up ſome enemie to ſcourge and ſtill them. Cyprian gives Cyprian. lib. 4. ep. 4.this for the reaſon why God let looſe that bloudie Decius to be ſo bitter a perſecutor, Patrimonio & lucro ſtudentes, ſuperbiam ſectantes, amulationi …c diſſenſioni vacantes, ſimplicitatis, & fidei negligentes, ſeculo verbis ſolis, & non factis renuncian…es, unuſquiſque ſibi placentes, & omnibus diſplicentes. Vapulamus itaque ut meremur. Confeſſores non tenent diſciplinom. Quoſdam inſolenter extollit Confeſſionis ſuae tumida Jactatio, &c.and waſter of the Chriſtians, as hee was. God is righteous, ſaith he, that our flocks are ſcattered, and all ſpoiled by this perſecution. Our ſins have procured all. Jeſus Chriſt obeyed the will of his Father, but we obey it not. We minde, ſaith he, our pride and profit; we ſtudie diviſions and differences; we contemne faith, ſimplicitie, and plain dealing; we diſclaime the world in words, but not in our deeds. Every one will pleaſe himſelf, none careth to pleaſe other. May not the ſame and worſe be ſaid of this Generation and the Profeſſours in it?
It is very obſervable that of all the Places where Iſrael provoked and offended God, The waters of ſtrife were the moſt famous for greateſt provocation, therefore had that name given them. There were two ſuch Places, the one in Rephidim, the other in Kadeſh; Exod. 17. 7 Num. 20. 13 Pſal. 95. 8. Deut. 33. 8.Both were called Meribah, and both Maſſah. All waters of Bitterneſs are Provoking and Tempting waters. There all offended, They chode with Moſes, and he as meek as he was chode with them at the latter; They ſtrow one with another, and all ſtrove with the Lord, Numb. 20. 13. Here it was that God was angrie with Moſes; here did this holy mortified Saint ſpeak unadviſedly in his Paſſion, Hear now ye Rebels: The worſt word that ever he ſpake, which coſt him dear, even kept him and Aaron from entering Canaan. How many chiding Meribahs have we drunk of? Bitter waters! which have been unto God wrath-provoking Maſſahs, even Moſes and Aaron have not been free from too much faultineſs. Tertullian ſaith, In the Primitive times the Heathens were wont to ſay with indignation, See how theſe Chriſtians love one another, they are readie to die one for another. But is it not a juſt ſcandal now to them that are without, to ſee the contrarie? who may ſay, Behold how theſe Chriſtians hate and maligne one another, how they bite, devoure, and ſeek to deſtroy one another!
But to draw to an end of this complaint, and Subject: We may take up the words of Job in his Parable, ſpeaking of wiſdom, and with a ſad and ſorrowfull Alluſion apply it to our good Conſcience of Charitie, Where is, ſaith he, and where is again the place of wiſdom? and where is underſtanding to be found? Job 28. 12, 20. So may we ſay, Where is Charitie to bee found? and where is the place of this good Conſcience? Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it to be found (ſaith hee) in the land of the living. It cannot be valued with the gold, The price thereof is above Rubies. England may ſay, It is not in me: Profeſſours muſt ſay, It is not in us. Our children may ſay, they have heard the fame thereof; Our ſelves may ſay, We have ſeen the Departure and Funeralls of it, which we have traced leaving us, as the Glorie of the Lord departed by degrees from the Sanctum Sanctorum into the wilderneſs at laſt, Ezek. 11. 23. That we may Ezek. 9. 3. & 10. 18. & 11. 23.crie out in the words of Eliſha, when he ſaw the laſt of his Maſter Elijah, or that King who came to ſee Eliſha, and found him ſick upon his bed, and readie now to leave the world, Oh my father, my father, the Charets of Iſrael, and the horſmen thereof. So may wee 2 Ki. 2. 12. & 13. 14.ſay, Oh my mother, my mother, the Leah and Rachel of Iſrael, the nurſe and breaſts, the beautie and ſtrength of Iſrael. We have parted with the Power and Spirit of Elias, and the Preſence of the Prophet, and have onelyonly caught up a Mantle. How ſad is it that this Holy fire ſhould bee wanting in the ſecond Temple of our latter Reformation! And that we ſhould finde that obſervation of Auſtin made good, who moving the queſtion, Whether Peace or War devoured more Chriſtians? reſolved Peace. Pax cum bell… de crudelitate certavit, & vicit. Peace and War once ſtrove, ſaith he, who ſhould do moſt miſchief in the Church, and Peace carried it.
Thus have I given the Deſcription of theſe ten Good Conſciences, and ſhall name no more. There are more, I confeſs, then theſe ten to bee found in the Word: But this I am bold to ſay, If theſe ten were to be found in the world in this age, in this Nation, God would deal with us yet, as he had done with Sodom had hee found ten Gen. 18. 32Righteous men there, wee ſhould not bee deſtroied, but this whole Nation ſpared for theſe Tens ſakes; yea, doubtleſs had not the Lord reſerved a very ſmall Remnant, in whom theſe ten properties of Good Conſcience have been found, wee had alreadie been made as Sodom, and ſhould have Iſai. 1. 9.been as Gomorrah before this time.