SERMON X.

ROMANS xii. 5, 6, 7, 8.

Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake, &c.

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another, &c.

TH

HE wisdom and goodness of God, that shines in the natural order and dependence of things in the frame of the great world, appears likewise, and commends itself to us, in the civil order he hath instituted in the societies of men, the lesser world. As out of the same mass he made the Heaven and the earth, and the other elements betwixt them, one higher than another, and gave them different stations and qualities, yet so different as to be linked and concatenated together, concordia discordiá, and all for the concern and benefit of the whole. Thus for the good of men, hath the Lord assigned these different stations of rule and subjection, though all of one race, raising from among men some above the rest; and clothed them with such authority, as hath some representment of himself, and accordingly communicating to them his own name, I have said, you are gods. And the very power that is in magistracy to curb and punish these that despise it, the Apostle useth as a strong and hard cord to bind on the duty of obedience, a cord of necessity. But he adds another of a higher necessity, that binds more strongly and yet more sweetly, that of conscience: Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

a Acts xvii.

Observe 1. This is the main consideration that closes the discourse, the great cord that binds on and fastens all the rest; all the arguments foregoing therefore, are mainly here to be prest. "Have a reverent and conscientious respect to the ordinance of God in the institution of government, and to the providence of God in his choice of those particular persons whom he calls to it. Contain thyself in thy own station, and submit to those set higher by the Lord, in obedience to him." This indeed is the only true spring of all obedience, both to God and to men for him, and according to his ordinance. To regulate the outward carriage, without the living principle of an enlightened and sanctified conscience within, is to build without a foundation. This is the thing God eyes most, he looks through the surface of mens actions to the bottom, follows them into their source, examines from what-persuasives and reasons they flow; he sees not only the handle of the dial, but all the wheels and weights of the clock that are the cause of its motion, and accordingly judges both men and their actions to be good or evil as the inward frame and secret motions of the heart are in his own worship. The outside of it may have the same visage and plausible appearance in a multitude convened to it, and concurring in it, and no human eye can trace a difference, and yet, oh! what vast difference doth God's eye discover amongst them. He sees the multitude of these that are driven to his house, by the power of civil and church laws, or carried to it only with the stream of company and custom, and those I fancy take up the most room in our churches. But he sees here and there, where such are in any corner that worship him in singleness of heart, out of conscience to his holy command, and of their many obligations, that dare not let pass any opportunity they can reach of doing service to their Lord, and that dare not slight his word. And thus coming for conscience sake, they do present their souls to

receive his word, give their hearts up to receive the impression of it, put themselves under it, to be stampt by it according to that. But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. So likewise he sees those that bear his name to his people, the ministers of his word. If they preach constantly and live blamelessly, and are diligent and irreprovable in all the external parts of their walking; this last satisfies mens questions in their inspection and visitings: but God's enquiry and visiting searches deeper; he asks from what heart all this comes, if from a holy conscience of the weight and high importance of their holy calling, and a faithful respect to the interest of their master's glory and his peoples souls. And thus, he, as supreme judge, sits and considers the proceedings of judges and magistrates, not only whether they do that which is just; for often they cannot, easily or safely, do otherwise; but whether they do it with regard to him, or not, that is, whether they judge righteously, for conscience sake, or not; whether they do consider him, as sitting above them, when they sit down upon the bench or seat of justice, and do indeed, truly speak righteousness. Or if in heart they work wickedness, if they have any corrupt end, or hearts that are not straight, he sits on their heart and judges it. Or if this be done either for base gain, or rain glory, or by compulsion, or outward necessity, or danger of censure; or if it be this latter, an inward necessity of conscience, which makes a true willingness.

Thus people, if they obey for wrath, which is, for fear of the magistrates sword, more than for conscience of the Lord's command, God accounts not this obedience, but in his judgment it goes for no better than rebellion. It is to be feared, too many magistrates, and others, have in this nation embraced the reformation, not at all for conscience sake, but only for wrath, fear of laws and autho

rity. But although we are not able to follow forth this search to the full, that being the Lord's own prerogative; yet, truly, where it is evident to us, that there is nothing of conscience, though in civil things, it may pass, yet in things that are peculiarly matters of conscience in religion, men ought to be somewhat wary, according to the utmost of due discerning, and are possibly somewhat to blame in promiscuous admitting of such, whose carriage, yea, whose profession and religion speaks aloud, that their compliance was wholly constrained obedience, only for wrath, and not for conscience.

If civil authority is to be obeyed most for conscience; then church authority, that is more symbolical with conscience, and hath nearer reference to it, ought to aim most at that. Conviction and conversion is our work, and not constraint, to bring people both by the word, and by a way of discipline, suiting and backing it, to a sense of sin, and spiritual thoughts of God and his holy law, that they may be subject more for conscience than for wrath.

And ye people, labour more to find the actings of that holy fear of God, and conscience of his will, in all your ways; study to have an inward light, a practical sanctifying light, directing you, and be not merely held in as beasts, by the authority and laws of men, but learn to know, and be sensible of the sovereign authority of the most high God and his law, and to have respect unto all his commandments. If this were once done, how regular a motion would it keep amongst all superiors and inferiors of all sorts, in families and states, the one commanding, the other obeying in God? It would be as sweet music in the celestial choir of their lives and affairs. Right informing, and right moving consciences, would be as continual teachers within, directing all in obedience, and would make it both more constant, sweet and pleasant, as natural motion; whereas, it is grievous and violent, that is from

wrath or outward power, and therefore lasts not: As the Israelites worshipped God aright while their good judges lived, and run after idols when they were removed.

Again: This same obedience for conscience ennobles and sublimates mens actions, even in civil things, makes them have somewhat divine, turns all into sacrifice to God, when all is done for God; even servants and children obeying masters and parents; subjects magistrates, for his commands sake: And still thinking, in the whole course of their regular due carriage, in their very callings; "This I do for God; my ordinary labour and works, and my just obedience to men I offer up to him. This is the philosopher's stone, that turns actions of lower metal into gold; I set the Lord always before me.

Obs. 2. Kings, and other powers of the world, who are the enemies, and sometimes the enraged persecutors of our holy religion, mistake their quarrel, and are very wrongfully misprejudiced against it, and upon that false supposition do hate and oppose it, suspecting it as an enemy to their dignity and authority; whereas there is nothing that doth so much assert their just power as religion doth. Civil laws may tie the hands and tongue to their obedience, but religion binds all due subjection to them upon the very consciences of their people. Therefore they are both ingrate and unwise, in using their power against religion, which it so much strengthens. Their power should strengthen it, both by way of due return, to correspond with it in that, and even for its own interest, receiving a new establishment to itself by establishing religion. Even that master of irreligious policy confesses that the profession of religion is a friend to authority; but if the shadow of it do any thing that way, we see, contrary to his profane supposition, the substance and truth of it doth it much more.