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| A Modell of Christian Charity
by John Winthrop
WRITTEN ON BOARD THE ARBELLA, ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
By the Hon. John Winthrop Esqr. In his passage (with a great company
of Religious people, of which Christian tribes he was the Brave Leader
and famous Governor;) from the Island of Great Brittaine to New-England
in the North America. Anno 1630.
CHRISTIAN CHARITIE.
A Modell hereof.
GOD ALMIGHTY in his most holy and wise providence, hath soe disposed
of the condition of' mankind, as in all times some must be rich, some
poore, some high and eminent in power and dignitie; others mean and in
submission.
The Reason hereof.
1 Reas. First to hold conformity with the rest of his world, being
delighted to show forth the glory of his wisdom in the variety and
difference of the creatures, and the glory of his power in ordering all
these differences for the preservation and good of the whole; and the
glory of his greatness, that as it is the glory of princes to have many
officers, soe this great king will haue many stewards, Counting himself
more honoured in dispensing his gifts to man by man, than if he did it
by his owne immediate hands.
2 Reas. Secondly that he might haue the more occasion to manifest
the work of his Spirit: first upon the wicked in moderating and
restraining them: soe that the riche and mighty should not eate upp the
poore nor the poore and dispised rise upp against and shake off theire
yoake. 2ly In the regenerate, in exerciseing his graces in them, as in
the grate ones, theire love, mercy, gentleness, temperance &c., in
the poore and inferior sorte, theire faithe, patience, obedience &c.
3 Reas. Thirdly, that every man might have need of others, and from
hence they might be all knitt more nearly together in the Bonds of
brotherly affection. From hence it appears plainly that noe man is made
more honourable than another or more wealthy &c., out of any
particular and singular respect to himselfe, but for the glory of his
creator and the common good of the creature, man. Therefore God still
reserves the propperty of these gifts to himself as Ezek. 16. 17. he
there calls wealthe, his gold and his silver, and Prov. 3. 9. he claims
theire service as his due, honor the Lord with thy riches &c.--All
men being thus (by divine providence) ranked into two sorts, riche and
poore; under the first are comprehended all such as are able to live
comfortably by their own meanes duely improved; and all others are
poore according to the former distribution. There are two rules whereby
we are to walk one towards another: Justice and Mercy. These are always
distinguished in their act and in their object, yet may they both
concurre in the same subject in eache respect; as sometimes there may
be an occasion of showing mercy to a rich man in some sudden danger or
distresse, and alsoe doeing of meere justice to a poor man in regard of
some perticular contract &c. There is likewise a double Lawe by
which wee are regulated in our conversation towardes another; in both
the former respects, the lawe of nature and the lawe of grace, or the
morrall lawe or the lawe of the gospell, to omitt the rule of justice
as not propperly belonging to this purpose otherwise than it may fall
into consideration in some perticular cases. By the first of these
lawes man as he was enabled soe withall is commanded to love his
neighbour as himself. Upon this ground stands all the precepts of the
morrall lawe, which concernes our dealings with men. To apply this to
the works of mercy; this lawe requires two things. First that every man
afford his help to another in every want or distresse. Secondly, that
hee performe this out of the same affection which makes him carefull of
his owne goods, according to that of our Savior, (Math.) Whatsoever ye
would that men should do to you. This was practised by Abraham and Lot
in entertaining the angells and the old man of Gibea. The lawe of Grace
or of the Gospell hath some difference from the former; as in these
respects, First the lawe of nature was given to man in the estate of
innocency; this of the Gospell in the estate of regeneracy. 2ly, the
former propounds one man to another, as the same flesh and image of
God; this as a brother in Christ allsoe, and in the communion of the
same Spirit, and soe teacheth to put a difference between christians
and others. Doe good to all, especially to the household of faith; upon
this ground the Israelites were to putt a difference betweene the
brethren of such as were strangers though not of the Canaanites.
3ly. The Lawe of nature would give no rules for dealing with
enemies, for all are to be considered as friends in the state of
innocency, but the Gospell commands loue to an enemy. Proofe. If thine
Enemy hunger, feed him; Love your Enemies, doe good to them that hate
you. Math. 5. 44.
This lawe of the Gospell propounds likewise a difference of seasons
and occasions. There is a time when a christian must sell all and give
to the poor, as they did in the Apostles times. There is a time allsoe
when christians (though they give not all yet) must give beyond their
abillity, as they of Macedonia, Cor. 2, 6. Likewise community of
perills calls for extraordinary liberality, and soe doth community in
some speciall service for the churche. Lastly, when there is no other
means whereby our christian brother may be relieved in his distress, we
must help him beyond our ability rather than tempt God in putting him
upon help by miraculous or extraordinary meanes.
This duty of mercy is exercised in the kinds, Giueving, lending and forgiving.--
Quest. What rule shall a man observe in giueving in respect of the measure?
Ans. If the time and occasion be ordinary he is to giue out of his
abundance. Let him lay aside as God hath blessed him. If the time and
occasion be extraordinary, he must be ruled by them; taking this
withall, that then a man cannot likely doe too much, especially if he
may leave himselfe and his family under probable means of comfortable
subsistence.
Object. A man must lay upp for posterity, the fathers lay upp for
posterity and children, and he is worse than an infidell that provideth
not for his owne.
Ans. For the first, it is plaine that it being spoken by way of
comparison, it must be meant of the ordinary and usuall course of
fathers, and cannot extend to times and occasions extraordinary. For
the other place the Apostle speaks against such as walked inordinately,
and it is without question, that he is worse than an infidell who
through his owne sloathe and voluptuousness shall neglect to provide
for his family.--
Object. The wise man's Eies are in his head, saith Solomon, and
foreseeth the plague; therefore he must forecast and lay upp against
evill times when hee or his may stand in need of all he can gather.
Ans. This very Argument Solomon useth to persuade to liberallity,
Eccle.: Cast thy bread upon the waters, and for thou knowest not what
evill may come upon the land. Luke 26. Make you friends of the riches
of iniquity; you will ask how this shall be? very well. For first he
that giues to the poore, lends to the lord and he will repay him even
in this life an hundredfold to him or his.-- The righteous is ever
mercifull and lendeth and his seed enjoyeth the blessing; and besides
wee know what advantage it will be to us in the day of account when
many such witnesses shall stand forth for us to witnesse the
improvement of our tallent. And I would know of those whoe pleade soe
much for laying up for time to come, whether they holde that to be
Gospell, Math. 16. 19. Lay not upp for yourselves Treasures upon Earth
&c. If they acknowledge it, what extent will they allowe it? if
only to those primitive times, let them consider the reason whereopon
our Saviour groundes it. The first is that they are subject to the
moathe, the rust, tbe theife. Secondly, They will steale away the
hearte; where the treasure is there will ye heart be allsoe. The
reasons are of like force at all times. Therefore the exhortation must
be generall and perpetuall, withallwayes in respect of the love and
affection to riches and in regard of the things themselves when any
speciall seruice for the churche or perticular Distresse of our brother
doe call for the use of them; otherwise it is not only lawfull but
necessary to lay upp as Joseph did to haue ready uppon such occasions,
as the Lord (whose stewards wee are of them) shall call for them from
us; Christ giues us an Instance of the first, when hee sent his
disciples for the Ass, and bidds them answer the owner thus, the Lord
hath need of him: soe when the Tabernacle was to be built, he sends to
his people to call for their silver and gold, &c; and yeildes noe
other reason but that it was for his worke. When Elisha comes to the
widow of Sareptah and findes her preparing to make ready her pittance
for herselfe and family, he bids her first provide for him, he
challengeth first God's parte which she must first give before shee
must serve her owne family. All these teache us that the Lord lookes
that when hee is pleased to call for his right in any thing wee haue,
our owne interest wee haue, must stand aside till his turne be served.
For the other, wee need looke noe further then to that of John 1. he
whoe hath this world's goodes and seeth his brother to neede and shutts
upp his compassion from him, how dwelleth the loue of God in him, which
comes punctually to this conclusion; if thy brother be in want and thou
canst help him, thou needst not make doubt, what thou shouldst doe; if
thou louest God thou must help him.
Quest. What rule must wee observe in lending?
Ans. Thou must observe whether thy brother hath present or probable
or possible means of repaying thee, if there be none of those, thou
must give him according to his necessity, rather then lend him as he
requires; if he hath present means of repaying thee, thou art to look
at him not as an act of mercy, but by way of Commerce, wherein thou
arte to walk by the rule of justice; but if his means of repaying thee
be only probable or possible, then is hee an object of thy mercy, thou
must lend him, though there be danger of losing it, Deut. 15. 7. If any
of thy brethren be poore &c., thou shalt lend him sufficient. That
men might not shift off this duty by the apparent hazzard, he tells
them that though the yeare of Jubile were at hand (when he must remitt
it, if hee were not able to repay it before) yet he must lend him and
that chearefully. It may not greive thee to give him (saith hee) and
because some might object, why soe I should soone impoverishe myself
and my family, he adds with all thy worke &c; for our Saviour,
Math. 5. 42. From him that would borrow of thee turne not away.
Quest. What rule must we observe in forgiuing?
Ans. Whether thou didst lend by way of commerce or in mercy, if he
hath nothing to pay thee, must forgive, (except in cause where thou
hast a surety or a lawfull pleadge) Deut. 15. 2. Every seaventh yeare
the Creditor was to quitt that which he lent to his brother if he were
poore as appears ver. 8. Save when there shall be no poore with thee.
In all these and like cases, Christ was a generall rule, Math. 7. 22.
Whatsoever ye would that men should doe to you, doe yee the same to
them allsoe.
Quest. What rule must wee observe and walke by in cause of community of perill?
Ans. The same as before, but with more enlargement towards others
and lesse respect towards ourselves and our owne right. Hence it was
that in the primitive Churche they sold all, had all things in common,
neither did any man say that which he possessed was his owne. Likewise
in theire returne out of the captivity, because the worke was greate
for the restoring of the church and the danger of enemies was common to
all, Nehemiah directs the Jews to liberallity and readiness in
remitting theire debts to theire brethren, and disposing liberally to
such as wanted, and stand not upon their owne dues which they might
have demanded of them. Thus did some of our Forefathers in times of
persecution in England, and soe did many of the faithful of other
churches, whereof wee keepe an honorable remembrance of them; and it is
to be observed that both in Scriptures and latter stories of the
churches that such as have beene most bountifull to the poore saintes,
especially in those extraordinary times and occasions, God hath left
them highly commended to posterity, as Zacheus, Cornelius, Dorcas,
Bishop Hooper, the Cuttler of Brussells and divers others. Observe
againe that the Scripture gives noe caussion to restraine any from
being over liberall this way; but all men to the liberall and cherefull
practise hereof by the sweeter promises; as to instance one for many,
Isaiah 58. 6. Is not this the fast I have chosen to loose the bonds of
wickedness, to take off the heavy burdens, to lett the oppressed go
free and to breake every yoake, to deale thy bread to the hungry and to
bring the poore that wander into thy house, when thou seest the naked
to cover them; and then shall thy light brake forth as the morning and
thy healthe shall growe speedily, thy righteousness shall goe before
God, and the glory of the Lord shalt embrace thee; then thou shall call
and the Lord shall answer thee &c., Ch. 2. 10. If thou power out
thy soule to the hungry, then shall thy light spring out in darkness,
and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfie thy soule in
draught, and make falt thy bones, thou shalt be like a watered garden,
and they shalt be of thee that shall build the old wast places &c.
On the contrary most heavy cursses are layed upon such as are
straightened towards the Lord and his people, Judg. 5. Cursse the
Meroshe because he came not to help the Lord. Hee whoe shutteth his
eares from hearing the cry of the poore, he shall cry and shall not be
heard; Math. 25. Goe ye curssed into everlasting fire &c. I was
hungry and ye fedd mee not, Cor. 2. 9. 16. He that soweth sparingly
shall reape sparingly. Haveing already sett forth the practice of mercy
according to the rule of God's lawe, it will be useful to lay open the
groundes of it allsoe, being the other parte of the Commandment and
that is the affection from which this exercise of mercy must arise, the
Apostle tells us that this love is the fullfilling of the lawe, not
that it is enough to loue our brother and soe noe further; but in
regard of the excellency of his partes giueing any motion to the other
as the soule to the body and the power it hath to sett all the
faculties on worke in the outward exercise of this duty; as when wee
bid one make the clocke strike, he doth not lay hand on the hammer,
which is the immediate instrument of the sound, but setts on worke the
first mouer or maine wheele; knoweing that will certainely produce the
sound which he intends. Soe the way to drawe men to the workes of
mercy, is not by force of Argument from the goodness or necessity of
the worke; for though this cause may enforce, a rationall minde to some
present act of mercy, as is frequent in experience, yet it cannot worke
such a habit in a soule, as shall make it prompt upon all occasions to
produce the same effect, but by frameing these affections of loue in
the hearte which will as naturally bring forthe the other, as any cause
doth produce the effect.
The deffinition which the Scripture giues us of loue is this. Love
is the bond of perfection, first it is a bond or ligament. 2ly it makes
the worke perfect. There is noe body but consists of partes and that
which knitts these partes together, giues the body its perfection,
because it makes eache parte soe contiguous to others as thereby they
doe mutually participate with each other, both in strengthe and
infirmity, in pleasure and paine. To instance in the most perfect of
all bodies; Christ and his Church make one body; the severall partes of
this body considered a parte before they were united, were as
disproportionate and as much disordering as soe many contrary
quallities or elements, but when Christ comes, and by his spirit and
loue knitts all these partes to himselfe and each to other, it is
become the most perfect and best proportioned body in the world, Eph.
4. 16. Christ, by whome all the body being knitt together by every
joint for the furniture thereof, according to the effectuall power
which is in the measure of every perfection of partes, a glorious body
without spott or wrinkle; the ligaments hereof being Christ, or his
love, for Christ is love, 1 John 4. 8. Soe this definition is right.
Love is the bond of perfection.
From hence we may frame these conclusions. 1. First of all, true
Christians are of one body in Christ, 1 Cor. 12. 12. 13. 17. Ye are the
body of Christ and members of their parte. All the partes of this body
being thus vnited are made soe contiguous in a speciall relation as
they must needes partake of each other's strength and infirmity; joy
and sorrowe, weale and woe. 1 Cor. 12. 26. If one member suffers, all
suffer with it, if one be in honor, all rejoyce with it. 2ly. The
ligaments of this body which knitt together are loue. 3ly. Noe body can
be perfect which wants its proper ligament. 5ly. This sensibleness and
sympathy of each other's conditions will necessarily infuse into each
parte a native desire and endeavour, to strengthen, defend, preserve
and comfort the other. To insist a little on this conclusion being the
product of all the former, the truthe hereof will appeare both by
precept and patterne. 1 John 3. 10. Yee ought to lay doune your lives
for the brethren. Gal. 6. 2. beare ye one another's burthen's and soe
fulfill the lawe of Christ. For patterns wee haue that first of our
Saviour whoe out of his good will in obedience to his father, becomeing
a parte of this body and being knitt with it in the bond of loue, found
such a natiue sensibleness of our infirmities and sorrowes as he
willingly yielded himselfe to deathe to ease the infirmities of the
rest of his body, and soe healed theire sorrowes. From the like
sympathy of partes did the Apostles and many thousands of the Saintes
lay doune theire lives for Christ. Againe the like wee may see in the
members of this body among themselves. 1 Rom. 9. Paule could have been
contented to have been separated from Christ, that the Jewes might not
be cutt off from the body. It is very observable what hee professeth of
his affectionate partaking with every member; whoe is weake (saith hee)
and I am not weake? whoe is offended and I burne not; and againe, 2
Cor. 7. 13. therefore wee are comforted because yee were comforted. Of
Epaphroditus he speaketh, Phil. 2. 30. that he regarded not his owne
life to do him service. Soe Phebe and others are called the servants of
the churche. Now it is apparent that they served not for wages, or by
constrainte, but out of loue. The like we shall finde in the histories
of the churche, in all ages; the sweete sympathie of affections which
was in the members of this body one towards another; theire
chearfullness in serueing and suffering together; how liberall they
were without repineing, harbourers without grudgeing, and helpfull
without reproaching; and all from hence, because they had feruent loue
amongst them; which onely makes the practise of mercy constant and
easie.
The next consideration is how this loue comes to be wrought. Adam in
his first estate was a perfect modell of mankinde in all their
generations, and in him this loue was perfected in regard of the habit.
But Adam, rent himselfe from his Creator, rent all his posterity allsoe
one from another; whence it comes that every man is borne with this
principle in him to loue and seeke himselfe onely, and thus a man
continueth till Christ comes and takes possession of the soule and
infuseth another principle, loue to God and our brother, and this
latter haueing continuall supply from Christ, as the head and roote by
which he is vnited, gets the predomining in the soule, soe by little
and little expells the former. 1 John 4. 7. loue cometh of God and
every one that loueth is borne of God, soe that this loue is the fruite
of the new birthe, and none can have it but the new creature. Now when
this quallity is thus formed in the soules of men, it workes like the
Spirit upon the drie bones. Ezek. 39. bone came to bone. It gathers
together the scattered bones, or perfect old man Adam, and knitts them
into one body againe in Christ, whereby a man is become againe a living
soule.
The third consideration is concerning the exercise of this loue,
which is twofold, inward or outward. The outward hath beene handled in
the former preface of this discourse. From unfolding the other wee must
take in our way that maxime of philosophy. Simile simili gaudet, or
like will to like; for as of things which are turned with disaffection
to eache other, the ground of it is from a dissimilitude or ariseing
from the contrary or different nature of the things themselves; for the
ground of loue is an apprehension of some resemblance in the things
loued to that which affects it. This is the cause why the Lord loues
the creature, soe farre as it hathe any of his Image in it; he loues
his elect because they are like himselfe, he beholds them in his
beloued sonne. So a mother loues her childe, because shee throughly
conceives a resemblance of herselfe in it. Thus it is betweene the
members of Christ; eache discernes, by the worke of the Spirit, his
oune Image and resemblance in another, and therefore cannot but loue
him as he loues himself. Now when the soule, which is of a sociable
nature, findes anything like to itselfe, it is like Adam when Eve was
brought to him. She must be one with himselfe. This is flesh of my
flesh (saith he) and bone of my bone. Soe the soule conceives a greate
delighte in it; therefore shee desires nearness and familiarity with
it. Shee hath a greate propensity to doe it good and receiues such
content in it, as fearing the miscarriage of her beloved, shee bestowes
it in the inmost closett of her heart. Shee will not endure that it
shall want any good which shee can giue it. If by occasion shee be
withdrawne from the company of it, shee is still looking towardes the
place where shee left her beloved. If shee heard it groane, shee is
with it presently. If shee finde it sadd and disconsolate, shee sighes
and moanes with it. Shee hath noe such joy as to see her beloved merry
and thriving. If shee see it wronged, shee cannot hear it without
passion. Shee setts noe boundes to her affections, nor hath any thought
of reward. Shee findes recompense enough in the exercise of her loue
towardes it. Wee may see this acted to life in Jonathan and David.
Jonathan a valiant man endued with the spirit of love, soe soone as he
discovered the same spirit in David had presently his hearte knitt to
him by this ligament of loue; soe that it is said he loued him as his
owne soule, he takes soe great pleasure in him, that hee stripps
himselfe to adorne his beloved. His father's kingdome was not soe
precious to him as his beloved David, David shall haue it with all his
hearte. Himself desires noe more but that hee may be neare to him to
rejoyce in his good. Hee chooseth to converse with him in the
wildernesse even to the hazzard of his oune life, rather than with the
greate Courtiers in his father's Pallace. When hee sees danger towards
him, hee spares neither rare paines nor perill to direct it. When
injury was offered his beloued David, hee would not beare it, though
from his oune father. And when they must parte for a season onely, they
thought theire heartes would have broake for sorrowe, had not theire
affections found vent by abundance of teares. Other instances might be
brought to showe the nature of this affection; as of Ruthe and Naomi,
and many others; but this truthe is cleared enough. If any shall object
that it is not possible that loue shall he bred or upheld without hope
of requitall, it is graunted; but that is not our cause; for this loue
is alluayes vnder reward. It never giues, but it alluayes receives with
advantage; First in regard that among the members of the same body,
loue and affection are reciprocall in a most equall and sweete kinde of
cornmerce.
2nly. In regard of the pleasure and content that the exercise of
loue carries with it, as wee may see in the naturall body. The mouth is
at all the paines to receive and mince the foode which serves for the
nourishment of all the other partes of the body; yet it hath noe cause
to complaine; for first the other partes send backe, by severall
passages, a due proportion of the same nourishment, in a better forme
for the strengthening and comforting the mouthe. 2ly the laboure of the
mouthe is accompanied with such pleasure and content as farre exceedes
the paines it takes. Soe is it in all the labour of love among
Christians. The partie louing, reapes loue again, as was showed before,
which the soule covetts more then all the wealthe in the world. 3ly.
Nothing yeildes more pleasure and content to the soule then when it
findes that which it may loue fervently; for to love and live beloved
is the soule's paradise both here and in heaven. In the State of
wedlock there be many comforts to learne out of the troubles of that
Condition; but let such as have tryed the most, say if there be any
sweetness in that Condition comparable to the exercise of mutuall loue.
From the former Considerations arise these Conclusions.--1. First,
This loue among Christians is a reall thing, not imaginarie. 2ly. This
loue is as absolutely necessary to the being of the body of Christ, as
the sinews and other ligaments of a naturall body are to the being of
that body. 3ly. This loue is a divine, spirituall, nature; free,
active, strong, couragious, permanent; undervaluing all things beneathe
its propper object and of all the graces, this makes us nearer to
resemble the virtues of our heavenly father. 4thly It rests in the loue
and wellfare of its beloued. For the full certain knowledge of those
truthes concerning the nature, use, and excellency of this grace, that
which the holy ghost hath left recorded, 1 Cor. 13, may give full
satisfaction, which is needful for every true member of this louely
body of the Lord Jesus, to worke upon theire heartes by prayer,
meditation continuall exercise at least of the speciall [influence] of
this grace, till Christ be formed in them and they in him, all in eache
other, knitt together by this bond of loue.
It rests now to make some application of this discourse, by the
present designe, which gaue the occasion of writing of it. Herein are 4
things to he propounded; first the persons, 2ly the worke, 3ly the end,
4thly the meanes. 1. For the persons. Wee are a company professing
ourselves fellow members of Christ, in which respect onely though wee
were absent from each other many miles, and had our imployments as
farre distant, yet wee ought to account ourselves knitt together by
this bond of loue, and, live in the exercise of it, if wee would have
comforte of our being in Christ. This was notorious in the practise of
the Christians in former times; as is testified of the Waldenses, from
the mouth of one of the adversaries Aeneas Sylvius "mutuo ament pere
antequam norunt," they use to loue any of theire owne religion even
before they were acquainted with them. 2nly for the worke wee have in
hand. It is by a mutuall consent, through a speciall overvaluing
providence and a more than an ordinary approbation of the Churches of
Christ, to seeke out a place of cohabitation and Consorteshipp under a
due forme of Government both ciuill and ecclesiasticall. In such cases
as this, the care of the publique must oversway all private respects,
by which, not only conscience, but meare civill pollicy, dothe binde
us. For it is a true rule that particular Estates cannot subsist in the
ruin of the publique. 3ly The end is to improve our lives to doe more
service to the Lord; the comforte and encrease of the body of Christe,
whereof we are members; that ourselves and posterity may be the better
preserved from the common corruptions of this evill world, to serve the
Lord and worke out our Salvation under the power and purity of his holy
ordinances. 4thly for the meanes whereby this must be effected. They
are twofold, a conformity with the worke and end wee aime at. These wee
see are extraordinary, therefore wee must not content ourselves with
usuall ordinary meanes. Whatsoever wee did, or ought to have, done,
when wee liued in England, the same must wee doe, and more allsoe,
where wee goe. That which the most in theire churches mainetaine as
truthe in profession onely, wee must bring into familiar and constant
practise; as in this duty of loue, wee must loue brotherly without
dissimulation, wee must loue one another with a pure hearte fervently.
Wee must beare one anothers burthens. We must not looke onely on our
owne things, but allsoe on the things of our brethren. Neither must wee
thinke that the Lord will beare with such faileings at our hands as he
dothe from those among whome wee have lived; and that for these 3
Reasons; 1. In regard of the more neare bond of mariage between him and
us, wherein hee hath taken us to be his, after a most strickt and
peculiar manner, which will make them the more jealous of our loue and
obedience. Soe he tells the people of Israell, you onely have I knowne
of all the families of the Earthe, therefore will I punishe you for
your Transgressions. 2ly, because the Lord will be sanctified in them
that come neare him. We know that there were many that corrupted the
service of the Lord; some setting upp altars before his owne; others
offering both strange fire and strange sacrifices allsoe; yet there
came noe fire from heaven, or other sudden judgement upon them, as did
upon Nadab and Abihu, whoe yet wee may think did not sinne
presumptuously. 31y When God gives a speciall commission he lookes to
have it strictly observed in every article; When he gave Saule a
commission to destroy Amaleck, Hee indented with him upon certain
articles, and because hee failed in one of the least, and that upon a
faire pretense, it lost him the kingdom, which should have beene his
reward, if hee had observed his commission. Thus stands the cause
betweene God and us. We are entered into Covenant with Him for this
worke. Wee haue taken out a commission. The Lord hath given us leave to
drawe our own articles. Wee haue professed to enterprise these and
those accounts, upon these and those ends. Wee have hereupon besought
Him of favour and blessing. Now if the Lord shall please to heare us,
and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath hee ratified
this covenant and sealed our Commission, and will expect a strict
performance of the articles contained in it; but if wee shall neglect
the observation of these articles which are the ends wee have
propounded, and, dissembling with our God, shall fall to embrace this
present world and prosecute our carnall intentions, seeking greate
things for ourselves and our posterity, the Lord will surely breake out
in wrathe against us; be revenged of such a [sinful] people and make us
knowe the price of the breache of such a covenant.
Now the onely way to avoyde this shipwracke, and to provide for our
posterity, is to followe the counsell of Micah, to doe justly, to love
mercy, to walk humbly with our God. For this end, wee must be knitt
together, in this worke, as one man. Wee must entertaine each other in
brotherly affection. Wee must be willing to abridge ourselves of our
superfluities, for the supply of other's necessities. Wee must uphold a
familiar commerce together in all meekeness, gentlenes, patience and
liberality. Wee must delight in eache other; make other's conditions
our oune; rejoice together, mourne together, labour and suffer
together, allwayes haueving before our eyes our commission and
community in the worke, as members of the same body. Soe shall wee
keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord will be
our God, and delight to dwell among us, as his oune people, and will
command a blessing upon us in all our wayes. Soe that wee shall see
much more of his wisdome, power, goodness and truthe, than formerly wee
haue been acquainted with. Wee shall finde that the God of Israell is
among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our
enemies; when hee shall make us a prayse and glory that men shall say
of succeeding plantations, "the Lord make it likely that of New
England." For wee must consider that wee shall be as a citty upon a
hill. The eies of all people are uppon us. Soe that if wee shall deale
falsely with our God in this worke wee haue undertaken, and soe cause
him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story
and a by-word through the world. Wee shall open the mouthes of enemies
to speake evill of the wayes of God, and all professors for God's sake.
Wee shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause
theire prayers to be turned into curses upon us till wee be consumed
out of the good land whither wee are a goeing.
I shall shutt upp this discourse with that exhortation of Moses,
that faithfull servant of the Lord, in his last farewell to Israell,
Deut. 30. Beloued there is now sett before us life and good, Death and
evill, in that wee are commanded this day to loue the Lord our God, and
to loue one another, to walke in his wayes and to keepe his
Commandements and his Ordinance and his lawes, and the articles of our
Covenant with him, that wee may liue and be multiplied, and that the
Lord our God may blesse us in the land whither wee goe to possesse it.
But if our heartes shall turne away, soe that wee will not obey, but
shall be seduced, and worshipp and serue other Gods, our pleasure and
proffitts, and serue them; it is propounded unto us this day, wee shall
surely perishe out of the good land whither wee passe over this vast
sea to possesse it;
Therefore lett us choose life
that wee, and our seede
may liue, by obeyeing His
voyce and cleaveing to Him,
for Hee is our life and
our prosperity.
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