true believer is more dreadful to violate, than it is to suffer death.

Yea, God hath written such a law against perjury, even in nature itself, that he must needs be afraid of it that is not a flat atheist, lest his appeal to God do bring the vengeance of God upon him. And in this life the perjured ordinarily meet with that divine revenge which is the forerunner of eternal vengeance. The perjured are unfit for human society; hated by God, and never more to be trusted by man, till sound repentance make a change. Which made Augustine determine, that he that urgeth another to forswear himself, is as much worse than a murderer, as killing the soul is worse than killing the body. Seeing then that religion doubleth these sacred bonds, and casteth hell-fire into the face of the perjured and perfidious, it must needs be a singular preserver of kingdoms and all societies, which fall in pieces where these bonds are loosed; and fall into the hands of God, who is a consuming fire, especially to perjured men.

13. Moreover, it is only godliness that obeyeth with true loyalty, and carrieth on all works methodically for the common good. As he that will obey every justice of peace in all things that he commandeth, without respect to the laws or will of the sovereign power, may be sooner a traitor than truly obedient, (for every justice or lord may arm him against his prince); so he that will obey the princes of the earth, without respect to the will or interest of the eternal God, will be but a traitor to God, under pretence of obeying princes, that are but his officers and servants. But the godly begin at God in their obedience; and therefore they proceed methodically, and obey men upon right grounds and in their proper places. It is not the vast absolute obedience to man that is the best. He that should command men causelessly to fire his country, or to destroy the innocent, or to ravish virgins or men's wives, were not to be obeyed, as Doeg obeyed Saul; but God is first to be obeyed. It is he that begins, proceeds, and ends with God, that is sure to do no wrong, nor be misled.

14. Holiness possesseth men with a public spirit, and maketh the case of others to be our own, and teacheth us to do as we would be done by; and giveth every man that hath it, a compassion to others in their distress, and an earnest

desire after their welfare, and a rejoicing in it; when ungodly men are all for themselves; Psal. cxxxvii. 1 Cor. xii. 25-27. xiii. Acts ii. 44. Matt. vii. 12. Mark xii. 33.

15. Godliness engageth men in doing good, as the very business of their lives, which is to be rewarded with everlasting happiness. So that besides what is forced from men by law, they are to be still in the exercise of charity, and to be " zealous of good works ;" and to make it their study to do all the good they can. And therefore they are certainly the most profitable members in any society, that are most truly godly; Luke x. 29, 30. &c. Deut. xv. 9. Luke vi. 38. Gal. vi. 9, 10.

16. Moreover, holiness teacheth men to forgive wrongs, and to love our enemies, and to let go our right, rather than to break peace and revenge our wrongs; and to forbear even going to law contentiously, and where our putting up injuries merely to ourselves may suffice for the avoiding it; Luke vi. 27-29. Matt. vi. 14, 15. 1 Cor. vi. 7. And what contention can there be when these rules are practised, except when the interest of God or others is violated, which is not in our power to remit. If you say, that these things are good if they are practised, I answer, 1. You confess then that holiness is good; for the rule is good, whether it be practised or not. 2. I answer, that so much as any man is sanctified, he doth practise it. And therefore if any man live not according to the rule which he professeth to live by, that is, from the remnant of that sin within him, which the wicked plead for, and for want of more of that godliness which you distaste. Make him more holy, and he will do all this.

17. Holiness secureth every society, and interesteth them in the most impregnable defence; even in the love and favour of the Lord; and in his many sure and precious promises. He hath engaged his almightiness and fidelity for such, and tendereth them as the apple of his eye, and hath promised that he will be their defence (Zech. ii. 8. Psal. v. 11. vii. 10. lix. 9. 16, 17. lxii. 2.), whereas the ungodly are under his curse; Psal. i. 6. xxxvii. And which of these societies is more like to be happy?

18. Godliness is the surest way to furnish every society with all the blessings that are truly good for them. For they have the favour and promise of him that is the giver of them

all; Rom. viii. 28. Psal. xxxiv. 10. lxxxiv. 11. xxiii. “Godliness is profitable to all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come;" 1 Tim. iv. 8. vi. 6. Matt. vi. 33. But wickedness is the certain way to ruin. "Even one sinner destroyeth much good;" Eccles. ix. 18. And one godly man hindereth much evil, as the case of Joseph, Moses, Daniel, and many others tell you.

19. Moreover it is godliness that is the honour of all societies. Without this their wisdom is mere folly, and their riches are but the fetters of their slavery, and canker to gnaw them and testify against them, and their greatest victories may be but murders which shall damn them; and their splendour in the world is but the sign of their misery in the eyes of all foreseeing men. "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people;" Prov. xiv. 34. What glory can be equal to the glory of our interest in God, and of our being his people, and doing his work, and having his presence?

20. Lastly, How can that be worst on earth, that is so good in heaven? The perfection of holiness hereafter, with the holy love, and praises, and enjoyments of the saints, will be their glory. If you think this worst in your societies on earth, what do you but renounce it? If heaven be worst for you, come not hither. If the participation of that which is the felicity of the glorified, be not the felicity of all societies, I desire none of their felicity.

What if saints from heaven would come down and dwell among you here on earth? I beseech you as men of reason, answer me these two questions.

(1.) Whether you do not know or verily believe, that they would be more holy, and pure, and exact, and strict, and more averse to all sin, than any of those are that now you dislike as too precise?

(2.) Whether you would therefore call them Puritans, and hate them, and cast them out, or imprison them, or take them for the troublers of your countries, or rather for the honour and blessing of your countries? What you would do by them that do by those that come nearest to them among you.

CHAPTER V.

Times of Holiness are the best Times.

AND now I have been giving you all this evidence, I dare leave it to the judgment of any man that is fit to judge, whether it be the godly or ungodly that are the better magistrates, or better pastors of the churches, or better members of the commonwealth, or of any society. Judge now whether the places and times are not better that are most godly. And whether it be the godly or the ungodly that are the troublers of the world.

And yet it hath ever been the practice of ungodly men, to charge it upon them that fear the Lord, that all the troubles of the world are long of them. 'We were all quiet, (say they) before this religion and preciseness troubled us; and this is it, that since it came among us, hath set us all together by the ears.' But if these men be yet unreasonable, I desire them to consider,

1. That this hath always been the old complaint of the most wicked men, which God himself hath testified against. When Lot did but gently admonish the abominable Sodomites to forbear a villany not to be named; "I pray you brethren do not so wickedly" (Gen. xix. 7-9.), what said they to him, and how did they take it? Why, "they said, Stand back: and they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge; Now will we deal worse with thee than with them." Is not this the case between us now? How are we unpeaceable? Because we are against sin? If we would hinder men from wronging God, and from condemning their own souls, and others, then forsooth, we are their troublers, and we judge them, and we disturb their peace? Just like the Sodomites,' These precise fellows (say they) will needs be our judges, and we must be ruled by them; before they came among us we had none of this ado.' But did not God, think you, decide the controversy aright? He first took Lot and his family away that the Sodomites. might be troubled with that precise and busy fellow no more; and then he sent fire from heaven on Sodom, and consumed them all," making them an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire;" Jude 7. Jude 7. Or as it is fully set forth by the

Holy Ghost, "Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, he condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example to those that after should live ungodly. (Mark this.) And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished;" 2 Pet. ii. 6-9.

And now who is it that was troublesome, and the cause of evil? Was it Lot, or was it Sodom? Take heed lest God take the Lots that trouble you from among you, and when you are rejoicing that you are rid of them, he serve you worse than he served Sodom.

In the days of Noah, no question but that preacher of righteousness seemed to the world a singular and a selfconceited fellow. But did not God decide the controversy whether it were Noah, or they, that were the troublers of the world? Saith Peter, 2 Pet. ii. 5. "God spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly."

When Israel fell before the men of Ai, it was a doubt who it was that was the cause of that calamity; but God proved it to be Achan, who is stoned upon this sentence of Joshua; "Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day;" Josh. vii. 25.

2. And consider, I pray you, what a quietness it is that you have, before you are troubled by the godly? It is a quietness in the highway to hell. You had the privilege of damning your souls without disturbance from these precise controllers. Hath not Christ told us, that the devil is thus like "a strong man armed, that while he keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth the spoils ;" Luke xi. 21, 22. The hearts and the nations that are not conquered by Christ, are the devil's garrisons and possessions. Do you think that it is best that he possess them still in peace? Or that the preachers of Christ, that plant his ordnance against them, and batter them, till they are