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<DATE>2014-09-05</DATE>
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<NAME>Simon Charles</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A SERMON Preached to the Loving Society At St. <HI>Dun&s;tans</HI> in the <HI>We&s;t;</HI> on <HI>Wed|ne&s;day</HI> the 1&s;t. of <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">y.</HI> 1685. And Publi&s;hed at their De&s;ire.</P>
<P>By <HI>Thomas Aston,</HI> M. A.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>W. Wilde</HI> for <HI>Dan. Brown.</HI> at the black <HI>Swan</HI> and <HI>Bible,</HI> without <HI>Temple-Bar,</HI> and <HI>Benjamin Crayle</HI> at the <HI>Lamb</HI> in <HI>Fleet&s;treet.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO COLLONEL John Friend,</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YOu have &s;hew'd me &s;o many Favors, that I am neither able to requite, nor to number them. Yet I have a further request, being [in a nature] compell'd to publi&s;h
<PB REF="3">a Sermon; I humbly pre&s;ume to lay it at your Feet, and beg your Patro|nage.</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Worthy SIR,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>your mo&s;t obliged Affectionate Mini&s;ter Thomas A&s;ton.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="5" REF="3">
<HEAD>A SERMON Preached to the <HI REND="blackletterType">Loving Society,</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>I&s;aiah, 57, 21.</BIBL>
<P>There is no Peace &s;aith my God, to the Wicked.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>SO ill &s;ounding an accent, is the Alarum of War, that it makes tho&s;e that hear it to tremble: &s;o &s;weet is the me&s;&s;age of Peace, that it is as a Cordial to the Heart. The proclaimer of War is terrible, but <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;aiah. 52.7.</NOTE> <HI>how beautiful upon the Moun|tains
<PB N="6" REF="4">are the Feet of tho&s;e that bring Tydings of Peace?</HI> they have both the &s;ame Ma&s;ter, the &s;ame Prophet proclaims the&s;e different tenours, from the &s;ame Authority. This Herald was &s;ent to <HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;aiah. 40.2.</NOTE> to <HI>tell her that her Warfair was ended:</HI> Then he brought an <HI>Olive</HI> Branch of Peace; here he proclaims War and both &s;ealed with the Kings Sig|net. Comfort ye my People <HI>&s;aith your God,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;aiah. 40.1.</NOTE> there is no Peace <HI>&s;aith my God</HI> to the Wicked.</P>
<P>Wherein ob&s;erve 1^&s;^t^. the Thing pro|claimed, 2d^l^y^. the Per&s;on proclaiming and 3d^l^y. the Parties again&s;t whom. The Proclamation is War, negative|ly &s;et down, <HI>there is no Peace,</HI> which is more binding than a po&s;itive A&s;|&s;ertion. The Herald or Party Pro|claiming; is no le&s;s then a Prophet
<PB N="7" REF="4">but not from him&s;elf, but from the King of Kings, which has an indi&s;|putable Power to grant a Commi&s;|&s;ion, being <HI REND="blackletterType">God;</HI> to whom he expre&s;&s;eth his Relation <HI REND="blackletterType">my</HI> God. The Parties again&s;t whom, <HI>viz.</HI> <HI REND="blackletterType">VVicked.</HI> Tho' God is a God of Peace, yet he hath Enemies again&s;t whom he doth wage War from ge|neration to generation. <HI>There is no Peace to the Wicked.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t of the Proclamation, <HI>There is no Peace.</HI> I &s;hall not lead you in|to a common place, to &s;hew the &s;weet Fruits of Peace, and the bitter Effects and lamentable Calamities of War; I may &s;ay of it with wi&s;e King <HI>Solomon,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 1.18.</NOTE> <HI>He that encrea&s;eth Knowledge, encrea&s;eth Sorrow.</HI></P>
<PB N="8" REF="5">
<P>I &s;hall conjoyn the War and the E|nemy, the <HI REND="blackletterType">VVicked</HI> and <HI REND="blackletterType">no Peace,</HI> Oh heavy Doom aggravated by the generality of the Per&s;ons and the univer&s;ality of time and place: no wicked Man at any time, in any place can be exempted. The propo|&s;ition will bear this, being an univer|&s;al Negative.</P>
<P>A wicked Man hath neither Peace of Grace here, nor Peace of Glory hereafter, but as he pa&s;&s;eth from &s;in to &s;in, from one wicked|ne&s;s to another; &s;o he pa&s;&s;eth from one puni&s;hment to another, from one War to another, from one Hell to another, from Fla&s;hes into Flames from the inward Torment of the Fiend of Con&s;cience, to the eternal Torments of the Devil and his Angels.</P>
<PB N="9" REF="5">
<P>Thus you &s;ee <HI>there is no Peace to the Wicked,</HI> at any time, nor in a|ny place, nor [indeed] with any Per&s;on. 1&s;t. not with God 2ly. not with Man, and 3dly. not with them|&s;elves. Upon the&s;e three I &s;hall ground my pre&s;ent Di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the Wicked have <HI REND="blackletterType">no Peace with God.</HI> The Scripture tells us plainly they <HI>Enemies to God,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm 21.8</NOTE> <HI>Sons of Wrath,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 2.3.</NOTE> <HI>&s;et on fire of Hell.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">St. Jam. 3.6.</NOTE> <HI>Ali|ens from the Common-Wealth of</HI> I&s;|rael, <HI>and Strangers from the Covenant of Grace.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph, 2.12.</NOTE> Being &s;uch they are with|out Chri&s;t, and con&s;equently with|out peace, for <HI>he is our Peace.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">14.</NOTE> He is our Peace-maker. <HI>When we were E|nemies, we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 5.10.</NOTE> <HI>In him God is well plea&s;ed,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">St. Luke 3 22.</NOTE> and for him he is well plea&s;ed with us. Without Chri&s;t we
<PB N="10" REF="6">are Enemies; through him we are Friends of, and United to God.</P>
<P>The Apo&s;tle affirms, that &s;ome Men have not Faith. 2. <HI>The&s;&s;a.</HI> 3.1.2. <HI>Pray for us,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>That we may be delivered from unrea&s;onable and Wicked Men: for all Men have not Faith. Heb.</HI> 11.6. <HI>Without Faith it is impo&s;&s;ible to plea&s;e God.</HI> And this great King will not be at Peace with tho&s;e that di&s;plea&s;e him. With|out Faith no ju&s;tification, and we mu&s;t be ju&s;tified before we can have peace with God. So long then as men continue in their unbelief, they can have no Peace.</P>
<P><HI>Rebellion is as the Sin of Witch|craft</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Sam. 15.23.</NOTE> and Withchcraft is a kind of de|throning God Almighty, and [as far as the Creature is able] a &s;et|ting
<PB N="11" REF="6">the Devil in his place. This hainous Sin we are guilty of, if we rebel, and we do rebel if we di&s;o|bey Gods Commandments: and this is one of his Statutes; <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 105.15.</NOTE> <HI>Touch not mine anointed.</HI> This is one Com|mandment, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13.1.</NOTE> <HI>Let every Soul be &s;ub|ject unto the higher Powers.</HI> This is one Precept, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 2.2.</NOTE> Pray <HI>for Kings and for all that are in Authority.</HI> This is one Commandment, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. St Peter. 2.13.</NOTE> <HI>Submit your &s;elves to every Ordinance of Man, for the Lords &s;ake, whether it be unto the King as Supream,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. St Peter. 2.14.</NOTE> <HI>or unto Governours as unto them that are &s;ent by him.</HI> He then that draws his Sword, or lifts up his Hand again&s;t his lawful So|veraign, the Lords anointed, is not only an Enemy, a Traytor, a Rebel to the King, but al&s;o to the King of Kings, he proclaims open War a|gain&s;t him, he &s;hall have <HI>no Peace.</HI></P>
<PB N="12" REF="7">
<P>And he doth not only proclaim, but hath joyned Battle, and fought with the Wicked from Heaven, on Earth, and &s;ummon'd Powers from under the Earth.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t from Heaven. There is men|tion made of three Heavens, and from all he has oppo&s;ed the Wick|ed. From the highe&s;t Heaven by his Angels; An Angel was &s;ent to de&s;troy the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Kings. 10 35.</NOTE> an Angel was &s;ent to be the Death of <HI>Herod.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 12.23.</NOTE> By his Saints for tho' they know not the de&s;ires of Men in particular, yet they pray in general, that God may be avenged of &s;uch as mole&s;t his Church. Rev. 6.10. <HI>Crying with a loud Voice, &s;aying how long O Lord, Holy and True, do&s;t thou not judge, and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth.</HI></P>
<PB N="13" REF="7">
<P>He has fought with them from the &s;econd Story, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Judges. 5.20.</NOTE> <HI>The Stars in their Cour&s;es fought again&s;t</HI> Si&s;era. <HI>The Sun &s;tood &s;till, and ha&s;ted not to go down about a whole day, and the Moon stayed until the People had avenged them&s;elves upon their Enemies.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jo&s;hua. 10. <HI>v.</HI> 13.</NOTE> <HI>For the Lord hearken'd unto the Voice of a Man; and fought for</HI> I&s;rael.</P>
<P>From the lowe&s;t Heaven. <HI>He bringeth the Winds and Storms out of his Trea&s;ure, and per&s;ecuteth the Wicked with his Tempe&s;t. Hail&s;tones from Heaven were &s;howred down, to &s;lay the wicked</HI> Amorites. P&s;alm. 11.6. <HI>upon the &V;ngodly he &s;hall rain &s;nares, fire and Brim&s;tone, Storm and Tempe&s;t: this &s;hall be their Portion to drink.</HI></P>
<PB N="14" REF="8">
<P>Secondly, He hath fought with them on earth. The earth opened and &s;wallowed the Rebellious <HI>Chorites.</HI> The Sea drowned the <HI>Aegyptians.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, He hath brought For|ces from beneath to War again&s;t them. <HI>An evil Spirit from the Lord vexed</HI> Saul. And we read in the Go&s;|pel, of foul Spirits that haunted ma|ny, made &s;ome deaf, &s;ome dumb, drove &s;ome into the Water, &s;ome into the Fire. All which as acti|ons proceed from God; for <HI>there is no Power but of God.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13.1.</NOTE> The Devil can|not &s;tir but when and &s;o far as God plea&s;eth.</P>
<P>God Almighties hand is not &s;hor|ten'd; what he hath done, we may certainly expect he will do. He
<PB N="15" REF="8">will vex, overthrow the wicked, they &s;hall have <HI>no Peace.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, The Wicked have <HI REND="blackletterType">no Peace with Men. <HI>Solomon</HI></HI> tells us, <HI>there is a time for War, and a time of Peace:</HI> But the time of Peace, the Wicked cannot be &s;aid to enjoy; for when they &s;ing Peace, Peace, then De&s;truction is hard at hand, Like Oxen they are pampered and fed, but it is but for the Slaughter; But generally, <HI>The Wicked are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot re&s;t; who&s;e Waters cast up Mire and Dirt.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>ver&s;e.</HI> 20.</NOTE> They are turbulent in their own Nature, and in&s;tead of Peace on Earth, they &s;end a Sword, and are Seminaries of Di&s;cord.</P>
<P>But there is little need to trouble my &s;elf, or you, to prove that the Wicked have no outward Peace with
<PB N="16" REF="9">Men; &s;ince both Nature, and the Holy Scripture gives us So convin|cing a rea&s;on, which is this: Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s is the elder Si&s;ter to Peace.</P>
<P><HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> in his Aethicks tells us, that Agreement in Evil, is not Amity, but Con&s;piracy. <HI>The Tabernacles of the</HI> Edomities <HI>and</HI> I&s;hmalites, <HI>the</HI> Mo|abites <HI>and</HI> Hagarens may ca&s;t their Heads together with one con&s;ent, and be confederate. <HI>Herod</HI> and <HI>Pilate</HI> may agree again&s;t Chri&s;t. All the Di&s;&s;enters [tho' they differ among them&s;elves] agree in their Oppo&s;iti|on to the Church: but this agree|ment does not not proceed from a Principle of Love, 'tis only the pro|duct of a joynt hatred in them to|wards others, and doth not de|&s;erve the Name of Peace, 'tis meer Confederacy.</P>
<PB N="17" REF="9">
<P>The Royal Prophet, who &s;pake part of the lively Oracles of God, clears this Point. <HI>P&s;alm.</HI> 85.10. <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s and Peace have ki&s;&s;ed each other:</HI> For that Man can never be a true Friend to any, that is not a Friend to Truth it &s;elf; he can never be Faithful to any that con|fide in him, that is perfidious to his God. <HI>What Peace</HI> [<HI>&s;aid</HI> Jehu <HI>to</HI> Jehoram] <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. King 9.22.</NOTE> <HI>&s;o long as the Whoredoms of thy Mother</HI> Jezebel <HI>and her Witch-crafts are &s;o may?</HI> And how can we expect Peace on Earth, and good Will among Men: &s;o long as Whore|dom, Drunkenne&s;s, ra&s;h, and fal&s;e Swearing, Lying, Deceit, Rebellion, &amp; Trea&s;on are &s;o frequent among us? Peace is as incon&s;i&s;tent with Wicked|ne&s;s, as Light with Darkne&s;s. St. <HI>James,</HI> 4.1. asketh the que&s;tion <HI>From whence come Wars, and fight|ings
<PB N="18" REF="10">among you? come they not hence, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> of your lu&s;ts?</HI> This is the rea|&s;on; becau&s;e Men keep not the uni|ty of the Faith, they have broken the Bond of Peace. We put up our Pe|titions for Peace, and may the Prince of Peace accept our Devotion. But we cannot pray for it, but with St. <HI>Pauls</HI> limitation; <HI>if it be po&s;&s;ible,</HI> and 'tis impo&s;&s;ible to be at Peace with Sci&s;maticks and Phanaticks, &s;ince they are profe&s;&s;ed Enemies both to Truth and Peace: <HI>When we &s;peak of Peace</HI> [&s;aith King <HI>David</HI>] <HI>they make ready for Battle.</HI></P>
<P>But [my Friends] I can &s;hew you the good and right way, to make even your Enemies to be at Peace with you; <HI>Viz. When a Mans Ways plea&s;e God:</HI> this great King will be his <HI>Advocate</HI> to tho&s;e that <HI>plead with him, and fight against tho&s;e that fight again&s;t him.</HI></P>
<PB N="19" REF="10">
<P>Now I come to the 3d. Po&s;ition; <HI>viz.</HI> that the Wicked have <HI>neither Peace one with another, nor in their own Con&s;ciences.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t they have very &s;eldom <HI>A|greement</HI> among them&s;elves. <HI>I will</HI> [<HI>&s;aith God</HI>) <HI>&s;et</HI> Aegyptians <HI>again&s;t</HI> Aegyptians, <HI>and they &s;hall fight every one again&s;t his Brother, and every one again&s;t his Neighbour, Kingdom a|gain&s;t Kingdom, and City against Ci|ty,</HI> Ephraim <HI>again&s;t</HI> Mana&s;&s;eh, <HI>and</HI> Mana&s;&s;eh <HI>again&s;t</HI> Ephraim, <HI>the</HI> Sadduces <HI>against the</HI> Phari&s;ees, <HI>and the</HI> Phari&s;ees <HI>again&s;t the</HI> Sadduces, <HI>and a Mans Foes may be tho&s;e of his own Hou&s;ehold.</HI></P>
<P>Do &s;o, Oh Lord, to our Enemies, divide them, let every Mans Sword be again&s;t his Fellow, but let us ever e&s;cape them.</P>
<PB N="20" REF="11">
<P>Secondly, they have <HI REND="blackletterType">no Peace in their own Con&s;ciences.</HI> I have &s;hew|ed you already, that they have no Peace with God; and Peace of Con|&s;cience ari&s;eth from Peace with him. The Con&s;cience is never at Peace until &s;in be pardoned, and be|ing without Chri&s;t, their &s;in remain|eth: and their Con&s;cience will one day be a thou&s;and Witne&s;&s;es to ac|cu&s;e them.</P>
<P>This Evil Con&s;cience may be con&s;idered two ways, either too quiet, or too unquiet; both di|rectly oppo&s;ite to a peaceable Con|&s;cience.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Con&s;cience may be <HI REND="blackletterType">too quiet,</HI> This [you'l &s;ay] is a Paradox. A Con&s;cience quiet and not peaceable! This overquiet Con&s;cience is, when a
<PB N="21" REF="11">Man <HI>&s;eared</HI> as <HI>with a hot Iron</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Tim. 4.2.</NOTE> is pa&s;t feeling, <HI>viz.</HI> when the cu&s;tom, and habit of Sin hath taken away the &s;ence of it. When a Man is given up to <HI>a reprobate mind to work all un|cleane&s;s with greedine&s;s,</HI> when neither threatnings can terrifie, judgments move, nor promi&s;es allure him; then Con&s;cience is too quiet. That Ar|my mu&s;t needs be &s;urprized, where there is no Watches, no Alarums to give Warning. When the Pul&s;e beats not, the Party is near his Death. He that is ignorant of his Sickne&s;s, will never apply him&s;elf to a Phy&s;itian. He's mo&s;t de&s;perately &s;ick, who feels not his Di&s;temper. So if Con&s;cience do not do its Office to accu&s;e and excu&s;e, 'tis dangerou&s;ly ill. There is the greate&s;t danger in &s;uch a calm, or rather in&s;en&s;ibility of Con&s;cience; nay, &s;uch a Numne&s;s, or Lethargy is
<PB N="22" REF="12">the greate&s;t puni&s;hment. The Lord threatned the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> that he would <HI>&s;mite them with Blindne&s;s, and A&s;toni&s;hment of Heart:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deu. 28.28</NOTE> meaning, that he would inflict upon them &s;uch an in&s;en&s;ible dulne&s;s, that in doing Evil, they &s;hould be without appre|hen&s;ion of the Evil; and &s;uch a hea|vy Judgment fell upon them; for when they were pre&s;&s;ed by <HI>Pilate</HI> to relea&s;e Chri&s;t, they in their impla|cable Fury neither knowing what they did, nor &s;aid, horribly curs'd them&s;elves, crying out, <HI>his Blood be on us and on our Children.</HI> And God Almighty is ju&s;t and true in his dea|ling with them; for ever &s;ince to this day they have been Vagabonds, and have no City to dwell in, and are hatred of God, and Man.</P>
<PB N="23" REF="12">
<P>Thus you &s;ee what a &s;ore Judg|ment &s;tupidity of Con&s;cience is. Such are naked, and not a&s;hamed: they drink deadly Poi&s;on, and can|not perceive it: their Wounds are &s;o deep, that they had rather they &s;hould fe&s;ter, than be &s;earched. They will not War again&s;t &s;in, but are at peace with Hell.</P>
<P>Con&s;cience is privy to all our good and evil actions; and doth ei|ther vindicate, or condemn us. It is a practical Syllogi&s;m in our under|&s;tanding; the Major whereof is Gods Law, the Minor is our application of that Law to our &s;elves, approving in our Actions what is good, and di&s;liking what is evil. As Gods Se|cretary, it Records all our Actions, and Thoughts, and Words in a Book of remembrance; and if it be
<PB N="24" REF="13">not called to give Te&s;timony here, it will be called at the general Au|dit to make an&s;wer for what&s;oever has been <HI>done in the body, whether it be good, or bad.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5.10.</NOTE></P>
<P>Men are now &s;o carried away with the Delights of this Life, that they have no lea&s;ure to take notice of the checks of Con&s;cience: but in the day of Judgment they &s;hall be brought to light, and every Mans Con&s;cience will acknowledge the Ju&s;tice of the Sentence of the Right|eous Judge. Con&s;cience is now a &s;ecret Witne&s;s, only known to the Per&s;on who&s;e it is; but then all &s;hall be made manife&s;t, and apparent to all.</P>
<P>But this Con&s;cience will appear a greater Enemy, if we con&s;ider the next degree, which is a <HI REND="blackletterType">too di&s;quiet
<PB N="25" REF="13">Con&s;cience.</HI> This is fain'd by the Poet to be one of the three Furies of Hell. For tho' a Man u&s;e all means imagi|nable; Wine, Mu&s;ick, Society to qui|et it, when it is once awaked out of that pa&s;t feeling, and deluding Dream, he endures a Hell upon Earth. This moved <HI>Solomon</HI> to ask the Que&s;tion. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 18.14.</NOTE> <HI>A Wounded Spi|rit who can bear?</HI> Then no Wi&s;|dom can coun&s;el him, no Eloquence per&s;wade him; then no Phy&s;ick can cure, nor Riches ran&s;om him from this tormenting Fiend. And it is &s;uch a Tormentor, as the Wretch always carries about him; he continually feels tho&s;e inward Fla&s;hes, and Flames: he can find no comfort abroad, nor plea&s;e him&s;elf at home; but in all places, and at all times helli&s;h Haggs, and infernal Furies afright him. A Man may
<PB N="26" REF="14">fly from, and e&s;cape an outward E|nemie, but he cannot fly from him|&s;elf. The Murderer of <HI>Symmacus,</HI> [being at Supper] thought he &s;aw his Vi&s;age in the head of a Fi&s;h, &s;erved up to the Table. And it is reported of <HI>Richard</HI> the third, that [as a Judg|ment for his bloody Act upon his two Nephews] <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prince <HI>Edward</HI> and <HI>Richard</HI> D. of <HI>York</HI> in the <HI>Tower.</HI></NOTE> he dreamed the De|vil did haul and pull him in mo&s;t hideous and ugly &s;hapes. <HI>Cain</HI> and <HI>Judas</HI> were dogg'd at their heels by their tormenting Con&s;ciences: the death of the former is not &s;o noto|rious; but you know how the other was brought to his di&s;mal end. His Con&s;cience was a Bayliff to arre&s;t, a Ju&s;tice to commit him, a Jaylor to impri&s;on, and a Witne&s;s to accu&s;e him, a Jury to find him guilty, and a Judge to condemn him, a Sheriff to convey him to the Place of Exe|cution,
<PB N="27" REF="14">and a Hangman to end one Mi&s;ery, and begin a greater.</P>
<P>'Tis true a <HI REND="blackletterType">Tender Con&s;cience,</HI> is a ble&s;&s;ing, it <HI>worketh Repentance never to be repented of;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 7.10.</NOTE> it prevents &s;in, and makes a Man circum&s;pect in his Ways. It was happy for King <HI>David,</HI> that his Con&s;cience check'd him for his Adultery, and Murther, and num|bring the People; this wrought in him a Godly Sorrow, expre&s;&s;ed by his poe|nitential and hearty Prayers. It was happy for the <HI>Apo&s;tle Peter,</HI> that his Con&s;cience check'd him for deny|ing his good Lord and Ma&s;ter; he wept bitterly, di&s;covered his own weakne&s;s, and became a &s;tronger Pillar in the Church of God. But there may be a tender Con&s;cience in Ma&s;querade, I do not need to take up much time to di&s;tingui&s;h.
<PB N="28" REF="15" MS="y">'Tis very apparent, &s;ome pre&s;ume upon a tender Con&s;cience when real|ly they have none. By their Fruits you may know them. When you &s;ee a Man &s;crupulous at an innocent Ceremony, bowing at the name of <HI>Je&s;us,</HI> kneeling at the Sacrament, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and yet make no Con&s;cience to lye, to deceive, to &s;peak evil of Dignities, to be drunk, to commit uncleanne&s;s: you may well conclude that Mans &s;crupulocity proceeds not from Con&s;cience [properly &s;o called] but from erronious Fancy; and this is that our pretended con|&s;ciencious Schi&s;maticks, [who di&s;turb the Peace of our Church] are po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ed off. Indeed he is not a good Chri&s;tian who is not con&s;cious of his Failings, and Aberrations, and doth not earne&s;tly be&s;eech a Pardon for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, with &s;trong cryes, pray|ers,
<PB N="29" REF="15">and Tears, wherewith God is well plea&s;ed to be importun'd. But a Man may as ea&s;ily &s;ee the diffe|rence between the&s;e two, as between a real Monarch and a per&s;onated King, on a Stage: The one cryes out again&s;t <HI>Sin;</HI> the other again&s;t <HI>Super&s;tition</HI> and <HI>Idolatry,</HI> nicknaming <HI>Decency</HI> and <HI>Order.</HI> The counterfeit Con&s;cience is hateful to the true God, the unfeigned is his Delight; and the gracious Redeemer of mankind will wipe away all Tears from &s;uch: they &s;hall &s;ee their Obligation can|cell'd, their Debt paid; for <HI>the Blood of Je&s;us Chri&s;t clean&s;eth them from all Sin.</HI> But the Wicked are condem|ned by their Con&s;cience. Their &s;ecret Faults, [whereof they would take no Cognizance, when it might be ad|vantagious to them,] their lying in wait for Blood, their private lurking
<PB N="30" REF="16">in thievi&s;h Corners, their &s;ecret &s;lan|ders, their Covetou&s;ne&s;s, their Re|bellion, covered over with a &s;uper|ficial Holine&s;s; all the&s;e, and what|&s;oever el&s;e they are guilty of, are well known to Con&s;cience; and it will accu&s;e, and condemn them.</P>
<P>Thus I have briefly &s;hew'd, that the wicked have no Peace with God nor with Men, nor among them|&s;elves, nor in their own Con&s;ciences. For tho' for a time, they may &s;eem quiet, they are not peaceable, 'tis on|ly from carnal &s;ecurity. I &s;hall now de&s;cend to &s;ome practical Conclu&s;i|ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t we may conclude, that <HI REND="blackletterType">Sin in the Habit without Remor&s;e;</HI> [which amounts to Wickedne&s;s] <HI REND="blackletterType">inevitably brings Mi&s;ery. no Peace!</HI> con&s;equently War, ruine <HI>to the Wicked.</HI> Yet <HI>becau&s;e Sentence against an Evil Work is
<PB N="31" REF="16">not executed &s;peedily; therefore the Hearts of the Sons of Men are fully &s;et in them to do evil.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 8.11.</NOTE> <HI>But it &s;hall not be well with the Wicked, nei|ther &s;hall he prolong his days.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>v.</HI> 13.</NOTE> The wicked Man [becau&s;e he is not pre|&s;ently &s;truck with a Thunderbolt] Fancies that God takes no notice of his actions, and will not puni&s;h him for them; <HI>the&s;e things hast thou done and I kept &s;ilence: thou thoughte&s;t that I was altogether &s;uch a one as thy &s;elf, but I will reprove thee, and &s;et them in Order before thine Eyes.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm. 50.21.</NOTE> Now con&s;ider this yee that forget God, yee that approve, and care&s;s your &s;elves in any known &s;in, whether concupi&s;cence, drunk|enne&s;s, ra&s;h &s;wearing, di&s;obedience to Governours, or deceit and fraud. Con&s;ider this yee that <HI>&s;peak of good evil and of evil good,</HI> that give ba&s;e
<PB N="32" REF="17">Schi&s;m, and ungodly Rebellion, the glorious Title of Religion; and the true Wor&s;hip, and Service of God, the ignominious name of Super&s;tition: yee <HI>put Light for Darkne&s;s, and Dark|ne&s;s for Light.</HI> Yee can have no Peace; God will War again&s;t you, he will break you in pieces while there is none to help. Man will War a|gain&s;t you; like <HI>I&s;hmael</HI> your <HI>hand will be again&s;t every Man, and every Mans Hand again&s;t</HI> you. Your own Con&s;cience will War again&s;t you, pro&s;ecute and condemn you. You &s;hall have no <HI>Peace.</HI> Con&s;ider how fearful a thing it is, to be at vari|ance with all the&s;e, and therefore la|bour to be at Peace with God, and then what Man? what Angel? what Devil can be again&s;t you? If as yet you apprehend him your adver&s;ary, <HI>agree with him quickly; &s;eek him
<PB N="33" REF="17">early whil&s;t he may be found, call upon him, while he is near;</HI> 'tis not yet too late: be&s;eech him to forgive you your unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, and to cover all your Sin, and to be at peace with you through the interce&s;&s;ion of your ble&s;&s;ed Mediator; &s;o &s;hall you not only enjoy the un&s;peakable Ble&s;&s;ing, <HI>The Peace of God which pa&s;&s;eth all understanding.</HI> But Peace with Men. Not only with good Men, who are not apt to be at variance; but even with your Enemies, and Peace in your own Con&s;ciences, which is a continual Fea&s;t. But if you fight again&s;t God, by an uncha&s;t Conver&s;ation, and wicked Life, then the Lord will fight again&s;t you even with the Rod of the ungodly; tho&s;e that are as wicked, or more wicked than your &s;elves, &s;hall be
<PB N="34" REF="18">your Scourges. For we may be well a&s;&s;ured that if the Wi&s;e Di&s;|po&s;er of all Things, &s;hould give the Rebel Enemies the Victory, [which God in mercy forbid, I hope there is no danger of them] it is not for any love to them, but partly for the Cha&s;ti&s;ement, and &s;o for the amendment of Gods erring and &s;traying Servants; and partly, that the Wicked being promoted, may have the greater Downfal.</P>
<P>Secondly, We may conclude that, <HI REND="blackletterType">The only way to obtain Peace, is to do Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> Men generally re|gard their own advantage, what more forceable inducement to per|&s;wade Men to be ju&s;t, good, meek, religious than this? This
<PB N="35" REF="18">great ble&s;&s;ing <HI>Peace,</HI> is the portion, the inheritance of the Righteous; wherefore the wicked intermeddle not in it. <HI>Peace</HI> is Gods Creature. <HI>I create the fruits of the Lips, Peace, Peace.</HI> As in this <HI>Chap.</HI> he can con|vert cur&s;ing Traytors and Rebells: and make cruel <HI>E&s;au</HI> di&s;&s;olve into Tears in his Brothers Bo&s;om, whom he had vowed to kill. In a word, the only way to wound our Ene|mies is to mortifie our &s;elves; &s;o &s;hall Sinners be converted unto us: &s;o &s;hall God even our God, give us his Ble&s;&s;ing: the Ble&s;&s;ing of all po&s;&s;i|ble Peace; the Ble&s;&s;ing of Plenty, all good things <HI>&s;hall be ministred unto us</HI> in this Life, and after this Warfair is ended, he who is the <HI>Prince of Peace</HI> will Crown us with Victory.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
