into their Society, and the Snare of the Devil. Be you therefore kind and obliging, and ufe all the honest Infinuations you may to win others firft to a Love of your Perfons, and then of Virtue. Thirdly, They boaft much of Love and Agreement among themselves; which, though it be very false, yea, and impoffible, that thofe who do not agree in God, who is Love, fhould ever cordially agree in loving each other: Yet because they maintain a kind of League and Confederacy among themselves, whereby they draw others to join with them; therefore let true Chriftians, who are all united to Chrift Jefus by Faith, be likewife united one to another by Love. Shall the Members of Satan agree, and not much more the Members of Chrift? Never caft that Shame either upon your Lord and Mafter, who is the Prince of Peace, or upon his Holy Gofpel, which is the Gospel of Peace. But by the Indearedness of your mutual Affection one to another, win over others to the Obedience of the Truth, who will be much the fooner perfwaded to it, when they are once convinced that only in the Society of true Chriftians, they fhall find true Friends, and fuch who who will most fincerely and cordially love them. Fourthly, They boast much of their Charity and good Works; how liberal they are in relieving the Wants and Neceffities of the Poor. Let them not carry away this Glory from you. But as we have Opportunity, let us do good unto all, and thereby lay up for our felves Treasures in Heaven, 'till we come to our own, that is, our Heavenly Country, where we shall be repaid with abundant Intereft and Advantage. Where we fhall converfe with God and with Chrift, with Angels, and the Spirits of juft Men made perfect. Where we shall for ever be freed both from the Contagion and Trouble of wicked Company. Where we shall with infinite Joy and Satisfaction embrace the Society of thofe good Men with whom we have here taken Sweet Counsel together, without Fear of Difunion or Separation, when both they and our felves fhall be made infinitely better. AGAINST AGAINST REBELLION. PROV. XVII. 26. REASON and Rebellion are fuch if they should appear in their Native Vifage and genuine Deformity, they could never form a Party, nor allure Men to divorce their Allegiance, and efpouse a Cause whofe very Look is hideous, and whofe Portion is Shame and Damnation. And therefore, they always with themselves under fome goodly Vizor, and infinuate into the Affections of the unwary and eafily deceived Multitude, under the fpecious Pretences of Piety and Purity, Zeal for the Reformation of Religion, the Extirpation of Superftition and Idolatry; the 365 the Security of our Liberties and Properties, the Prefervation of the Kingdoms from Tyranny and Arbitrary Government : And to View, they expofe no other Confequents, but glorious Days, Godliness in its Power, Chrift upon his Throne, and Heaven upon Earth ; and fuch golden Dreams, that too many of the People, in the Simplicity of their Hearts, have followed Abfalom, and transported with the Witchcraft of Rebellion, have abominated thofe who are truly Loyal and Orthodox, as Enemies to the Scepter and Kingdom of Chrift, fecret Favourers of Popery, and open Abetters of Profaneness. When this Zeal (and I may well call it a Zeal without Knowledge) hath once turn'd their Brains, freight they receive a Commiffion from Heaven, to bind their own Kings in Chains, and their Nobles in Fetters of Irontreight 'tis trumpeted into their Ears, that rurfed is be who goes not forth to the Help of the Lord, to the Help of the Lord against the Mighty's that curfed is be who withholds his Sword from Blood, and who doth this Work of the Lord negligently. We have already feen the direful Effects of this popular Frenzy, and if we are not wilfully blind, we may well fee that the fame-Artifices are still made Ufe of to the fame 3 4 Ends. |