God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, as in all times some must be rich some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity; others mean and in subjection.
1. Reas: First, to hold conformity with the rest of his works, 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, so this great King will have many Stewards counting himself more honored in dispencing his gifts to man by man, than if he did it by his own immediate hand.
2. Reas: Secondly, That he might have the more occasion to manifest the work of his Spirit: first, upon the wicked in moderating and restraining them: so that the rich and mighty should not eat up the poor, nor the poor, and despised rise up against their superiors, and shake of their yoke; 2ly in the regenerate in exercising his graces in them, as in the great ones, their love mercy, gentleness, temperance etc., in the poor and inferior sort, their faith patience, obedience etc:
3. Reas: Thirdly, That every man might have need of other, and from hence they might be all knit more nearly together in the Bond of brotherly affection: from hence it appears plainly that no man is made more honourable then another or more wealthy etc., out of any particular and singular respect to himself but for the glory of his Creator and the Common good of the Creature, Man; Therefore God still reserves the property of these gifts to himself as Ezek: 16.17. he there calls wealth his gold and silver etc. Prov: 3.9. He claims their service as his due honor the Lord with thy riches etc. All men being thus (by divine providence) ranked into two such sorts, rich and poor; under the first, are comprehended all such as are able to live comfortably by their own means duly improved; and all others, are poor according to the former distribution. There are two rules whereby we are to talk one towards another: JUSTICE and MERCY. These are always distinguished in their Act and in their object, yet may they both concur in the same Subject in each respect; as sometimes there may be an occasion of showing mercy to a rich man, in some sudden danger of distress, and also doing of mere Justice to a poor man in regard of some particular contract etc. There is likewise a double Law by which we are regulated in our conversation one towards another: in both the former respects, the law of nature and the law of grace, or the moral law or the law of the gospel, to omit the rule of Justice as not properly belonging to this purpose otherwise then it may fall into consideration in some particular Cases: By the first of these laws man as he was enabled so with all [is] commanded to love his neighbor as himself upon this ground stands all the precepts of the moral law, which concerns our dealings with men. To apply this to the works of mercy this law requires two things first that every man afford his help to another in every want or distress Secondly, That he perform this out of the same affection, which makes him careful of his own good according to that of our Saviour Math: [7.12] Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you. This was practiced by Abraham and Lot in entertaining the Angels and the old man Gibea.
The Law of Grace or the Gospel hath some difference from the former as in these respects first the law of nature was given to man in the estate of innocency; this of the gospel 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 also, and in the communion of the same spirit and so teaches us to put a difference between Christians and others. Do good to all especially to the household of faith; upon this ground the Israelites were to put a difference between the brethren of such as were strangers though not of the Canaanites. 3ly. The Law of nature could give no rules for dealing with enemies for all are to be considered as friends in the estate of innocency, but the Gospel commands love to an enemy. proof. If thine Enemy hunger feed him; Love your enemies do good to them that hate you Math: 5.44
This law of the Gospel 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 also when a christian (though they give not all yet) must give beyond their ability, as they of Macedonia. Cor: 2.6 likewise community of perils calls for extraordinary liberality and so doth Community in some special service for the Church. Lastly, when there is no other means whereby our Christian brother may be relieved in this distress, we must help him beyond our ability, rather than tempt God, in putting him upon help by miraculous or extraordinary means....
From hence we may frame these Conclusions.
1. first all true Christians are of one body in Christ 1. Cor. 12. 12. 13. 17. [27.] Ye are the body of Christ and members of [your?] part.
2ly.The ligaments of this body which knit together are love.
3ly. No body can be perfect which wants its proper ligaments.
4ly. All the parts of this body being thus united are made so contiguous in a special relation as they must needs partake of each others strength and infirmity, joy, and sorrow, weal and woe. 1 Cor: 12. 26 If one member suffers all suffer with it, if one be in honour, all rejoice in it.
5ly. This sensibleness and Sympathy of each others Conditions will necessarily infuse into each part a native desire and endeavor, to strengthen defend preserve and comfort the other.
To insist a little on this Conclusion being the product of all the former the truth hereof will appear both by precept and pattern 1. John. 3.10. ye ought to lay down your lives for the brethren Gal: 6.2. bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ...
It rests now to make some application of this discourse by the present design which gave the occasion of writing of it. Herein are 4 things to be propounded: first the persons, 2ly, the work, 3ly, the end, 4ly, the means.
1. For the persons, we are a Company professing our selves fellow members of Christ, In which respect only though we were absent from each other many miles, and had our employments as far distant, yet we ought to account our selves knit together by this bond of love, and live in the exercise of it, if we would have comfort of our being in Christ, this was notorious in the practice of the Christians in former times, as is testified of the Waldenses from the mouth of one of the adversaries Aeneas Sylvius, mutuo [solent amare] penŠ antequam norint, they use to love any of their own religion even before they were acquainted with them.
2ly. for the work we have in hand, it is by a mutual consent through a special overruling providence, and a more then an ordinary approbation of the Churches of Christ to seek out a place of Cohabitation and Consortship under a due form of Government both civil and ecclesiastical. In such cases as this the care of the public must oversway all private respects, by which not only conscience, but mere Civil policy doth bind us; for it is a true ruler that particular estates cannot subsist in the ruin of the public.
3ly. The end is to improve our lives to do more service to the Lord the comfort and increase of the body of Christ whereof we are members that our selves and posterity may be the better preserved from the Common corruptions of this evil world to serve the Lord and work out our Salvation under the power and purity of his holy Ordinances.
4ly. for the means whereby this must be effected, they are 2fold, a Conformity with the work and end we aim at, these we see are extraordinary, therefore we must not content our selves with usual ordinary means whatsoever we did or ought to have done when we lived in England, the same must we do and more also where we go: That which the most in their Churches maintain as a truth in profession only, we must bring into familiar and constant practice, as in this duty of love we must love brotherly without dissimulation, we must love one another with a pure heart fervently we must bear one another's burdens, we must look only on our own things, but also on the things of our brethren, neither must we think that the lord will bear with such failings at our hands as he doth from those among whom we have lived...
Thus stands the cause between God and us, we are entered into Covenant with him for this work, we have taken out a Commission, the Lord hath given us leave to draw our own Articles we have professed to enterprise these Actions upon these and these ends, we have hereupon besought him of favour and blessing: Now if the Lord shall please to hear us, and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath he ratified this Covenant and sealed our Commission, [and] will expect a strict performance of the Articles contained in it, but if we shall neglect the observation of these Articles which are the ends we have propounded, and dissembling with our God, shall fall to embrace this present world and prosecute our carnal intentions, seeking great things for our selves and our posterity, the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us to be revenged of such a perjured people and make us know the price of the breach of such a Covenant.
Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck and to provide for our posterity is to follow the Counsel of Micah, to do Justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God, for this end, we must be knit together in this work as one man, we must entertain each other in brotherly Affection, we must be willing to abridge our selves of our superfluities, for the supply of others necessities, we must uphold a familiar Commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality, we must delight in each other, make others Conditions our own rejoice together, mourn together, labour and suffer together, always having before our eyes our Commission and Community in the work, our Community as members of the same body, so shall we keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as his own people and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of his wisdom power goodness and truth then formerly we have been acquainted with, we shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when he shall make us a praise and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantations: the lord make it like that of New England: for we must Consider that we shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us; so that if we shall deal falsely with our god in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world, we shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of god and all professors for God's sake; we shall shame the faces of many of gods worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into Curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whether we are going: And to shut up this discourse with that exhortation of Moses that faithful servant of the Lord in his last farewell to Israel Deut.
Beloved there is now set before us life, and good, death and evil in that we are Commanded this day to love the Lord our God and to love one another to walk in his ways and to keep his Commandments and his Ordinance, and his laws, and the Articles of our Covenant with him that wemay live and be multiplied, and that the Lord our God may bless us in the land whether we go to possess it: But if our hearts shall turn away so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced and worship [serve cancelled] other Gods our pleasures, and profits, and serve them; it is propounded unto us this day, we shall surely perish out of the good Land whether we pass over this vast Sea to possess it;
Therefore let us choose life, that we, and our Seed, may live; by obeying his voice, and cleaving to him, for he is our life, and our prosperity.