I speak only as to the general (for me, let all particulars find mercy) with a sad remembrance of the late workings of things amongst us, with those vile, sordid compliances which grew upon the spirits of magistrates and ministers with those, whose garments were died with the blood of God's saints and precious ones, as formerly they were called, for now these names are become terms of reproach. And would this complying went alone, but pretences and accu- sations must be found out against such as follow with them. When they begin to call darkness light, they will ere long call light darkness ; by which means our eyes have seen men of their own accord laying down the weapons where- with at first they fought against opposers, and taking up them which were used against themselves, as hath happened more than once, to penmen both in our own, and our neigh- bour nation.
Now this revolting from principles of religion and righ- teousness, to a compliance with any sinful way or person, is a treacherous opposition to the God of heaven. For,
1. It cannot be done but by preferring the creature be- fore the Creator, especially in those things which are the proximate causes of deviation.
Two principal causes I have observed of this crooked walking.
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(1.) Fear.
(2.) That desire of perishing thingvS, which hatli a mix- ture of covetousness and ambition.
The first maketh men wary, what they do against men ; the other maketh them weary of doing any thing for God, as whereby their sordid ends are not like to be accomplished. (1.) Fear. When once magistrates begin to listen after • quid sequitur's,' and so to withdraw from doing good, for fear of suffering evil, paths of wickedness are quickly re- turned unto, and the authority of God despised. ' Let this man go, and take heed of Caesar,' John xix. 12. did more prevail on Pilate's treacherous heart, than all the other clamours of the Jews. Yea, was not the whole Sanhedrim swayed to desperate villany, * for fear the Romans should come and take away their kingdom V John xi. 48. When men begin once to distrust that God will leave them in the briers, to wrestle it out themselves (for unbelief lieth at the bottom of carnal fear), they quickly turn themselves to con- trivances of their own, for their own safety, their own pros- perity, which commonly is by obliging those unto them by compliances, in an opposition to whom they might oblige the Almighty to their assistance ; surely they conclude he wants either truth, or power to support them in his em- ployment.
If a prince should send an ambassador to a foreign state to treat about peace, or to denounce war ; who, when he comes there, distrusting his master's power to make good his undertaking, should comply and wind up his interest with them to whom he was sent, suffering his sovereign's errand to fall to the ground, would he not be esteemed as arrant a traitor as ever lived? And yet, though this be clip- ped coin among men, it is put upon the Lord every day as current.
From this principle of carnal fear and unbelief, * trem- bling for a man that shall die, and the son of man that shall be as grass, forgetting the Lord our Maker;' Isa. li. 12. are all those prudential follies, which exercise the minds of most men in authority, making them, especially in times of difficulties, to regulate and square all their proceedings by what suits their own safety and particular interests, coun- selling, advising, working for themselves, quite forgetting
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by whom they are intrusted, and whose business they should do.
(2.) A desire of perishing things tempered with covet- ousness and ambition. Hence was the sparing of the fat cattle, and of Agag by Saul; 1 Sam. xv.
When those two qualifications close on any, they are diametrically opposed to that frame which of God is required in them, viz. ' That they should be men fearing God, and hating covetousness.' The first will go far, being only a contrivance for safety; but if this latter take hold of any, being a consultation to exalt themselves, it quickly carrieth them beyond all bounds whatsoever. The Lord grant, that hereafter there may be no such complaints in this nation, or may be causeless, as have been heretofore, viz. That we have poured out our prayers, jeoparded our lives, wasted our es- tates, spent our blood, to serve the lusts, and compass the designs of ambitious ungodly men.
The many ways whereby these things intrench upon the spirits of men, to bias them from the paths of the Lord, I shall not insist upon, it is enough that I have touched upon the obvious causes of deviation, and manifested them to be treacheries against the God of all authority.
Use. Be exhorted to beware of relapses, with all their causes and inducements ; and to be constant to the way of righteousness, and this I shall hold out unto you in two par- ticulars.
1. Labour to recover others, even all that were ever dis- tinguished and called by the name of the Lord, from their late fearful returning to sinful compliances with the enemies of God and the nation. I speak not of men's persons, but of their ways. For three years this people have been emi- nently sick of the folly of backsliding, and without some special cordial are like to perish in it, as far as I know.