to be punished. We see in most places, that it is more than the justice can do to put down one alehouse of many that they confess should be suppressed; and I doubt but few can keep them from increasing. Men say that there is so much ado before they can have justice from many of them, and those that seek it are counted but for busy, troublesome fellows, that men are ready to let all alone. And whence is all this, that men in power can do so little against those that have no power to resist them? Why, alas, the cause is plain; self is against it. They have none but God and ministers, and a few precise fellows to persuade them to it: and they have no greater motives than what are fetched from heaven and hell to move them to it; and these are but small matters with them (I speak of the unsanctified). It must be one that hath greater interest in them than God, that must persuade them to it. It must be more powerful matters than the promises of heaven and the threatenings of damnation, that must prevail with such moderate gentlemen as these. And who is it that can do this, that God and their salvation may not do? Why even self, carnal self. If you know but how to engage their own self-interest in the business, I warrant you it will go better on.. Let but every informer be paid well for his pains, and every justice have a hundred pounds from the exchequer for every due execution of such laws, and how roundly would the work go on! Then they would not say, 'We cannot do it,' or 'We are not bound to look after them.' Do you think I wrong them or speak without proof? I will leave it to your judgment when I have given you but these few instances. Let but the plague break out in the town, and infect but a quarter a many houses as here are infectious alehouses that harbour tipplers and drunkards, and see whether the magistrates of this at any town will not a little better bestir themselves, and bend to search after infected places, and nail up their doors, and write on them, 'Lord have mercy on us,' that all may take warning and keep away. They will-not here be offended with informers, nor say, 'Am I bound to look after them?' And why are they not as zealous against sin as against the plague? Great reason; self is for sin, and God only is against it; but self is against the plague, because it is concerned in it. Sin doth but hurt the soul, and bring them to hell-fire; but the plague destroys their body; and this is the greater matter with them,

because they have flesh and sense to judge of it; but they have not faith to believe the other.

Again, let but one house in the town be on fire, and all are up to quench it, and the bell is rung, and the magistrate doth not think that he wants a call himself to look after it. And when the fire of hell is kindling in an alehouse, that is nothing, but must be let alone; there is no such zeal nor any such haste. And why so? Why, one they see in good sadness, and perceive that it is fire indeed; but the other they believe in jest, as if it would prove but a painted fire.

Again, let but an ungodly fellow slander the magistrate or call him all to naught, especially if he give him but two or three boxes on the ear, and see whether he will let that man alone. But let the same man abuse the name of God, and break his laws, and with too many he may be let alone, unless they be urged to do justice. And how comes this difference? Why self is touched in one, and it is but God (but God! O atheists!) that is touched in the other. Self can do more with them than God can do; (remember still when I say that self can do more with them than God, that I speak not of what God could do by his omnipotency if he would; but of the final causality, or the small interest that God hath in their hearts by holy faith and love).

Again, let but a servant rob the magistrate, and carry his money and goods to an ale-seller to receive; and try whether he will look after him and the ale-seller. And why not as soon and as zealously, when ale-sellers receive men's sons and servants, and drown men's understandings, and turn them into beasts? Why? because in one it is but God and men's souls that are concerned (a matter of nothing); but in the other it is self (a great matter with them).

Shall I give you but one instance more, that the alesellers themselves will take my part in, so far as to bear me witness that it is true! Here are farmers of the excise that have power to know what alehouses are in the town, and their gain lieth on it; and there shall scarce a man in town or country sell ale so secretly but they will know it; nor sell a barrel but what they are acquainted with. They do not say, 'I am not bound to go search after them;' nor that they be not able to discover them, and to bring them to pay excise. But the justices (too commonly) can overlook abundance that the excisemau can find; and they cannot make

one of twenty pay, when the other can: and what is the matter? Why one works for self and money, and the other works but for God, and his own and other men's salvation (a small matter)! See then beyond denial what self and money can do with such men, when God and men's salvation can do next to nothing.

But I must desire you not to mistake me, and think I speak this of any honest, godly magistrate, and abuse the good by joining them with the bad. No, far be it from me to be so injurious. For it is evident that they can be no good men, nor have any true love of God in their souls, that are such in a predominant sense as I have here described. It is not in my thoughts to lay this blame on any honest, godly magistrate; for none but the ungodly would do as I have mentioned, and prefer themselves before the Lord, and the bodies of men before the souls.

And, alas! if the sovereign powers of the nations of the world were not too sick of the same disease, gain would not be accounted godliness, but godliness the greatest gain; and carnal policy would not go for piety, but true piety would go for the surest policy. It would not be so common in most nations to have the truth and cause of Christ disowned, and his servants persecuted, and their lives and blood to be made a sacrifice to carnal self and worldly interests. Nor would the breaches of the churches be so long unhealed, and grow wider and wider, and few much regard them; but all have their own work to do, which must be looked after. Yea, and the cause of Christ and the Gospel must be trod down if it stand in the way of their own. And the churches must be set on fire by their wars and contentions for their selfish interests. And if self were not too strong among us, we should not have had such connivance at doctrinal and practical abominations, nor so'much delay or neglect of healing the discomposed churches, and uniting the divided Christians, or attempting it more effectually than we have done. But because I desire to speak to none but those that are within my hearing, I will return home to ourselves.

The holy ordering and instructing of families, and suppressing sin in children and servants, is one of the most effectual works for the building up of the church, and the glory and stability of the commonwealth. O if parents and masters would but sanctify their houses to the Lord, and

teach their families the will and fear of God, and do their best (by punishment, when instruction will not serve) to hinder sin, how fast would reformation then go on! And what hindereth? why carnal self. If it were but for worldly commodities they would do more. Would you have me prove it? Let experience speak. Let a servant or child go prayerless to their work, and few regard it; but they will not go without meat, or drink, or clothes. The master will suffer them to neglect God's service; but if they neglect his own, and should do him no more or better service than they do to God, they should soon hear of it, and be turned out of door; and they were no servants for him. They will teach their children to do their own work, or set them apprentices to learn it; but the work of God and their salvation, they shall for them have little teaching in, how plainly soever God hath commanded it them; Deut. xi. 18, 19. vi. 6-8. Ephes. vi. 4.

Let a servant or child reproach his master or parent, or call them all to naught, and they think not fit to put up that (nor indeed is it); but let them swear by the name of God, or break his laws, and they can patiently bear with it, and a cold rebuke, like Eli's, will serve turn. They can get them into field or shop to work together, but they cannot get them before and after to prayer together. And why is all this? Why one is for self, and the other is for God: one is for the body, and the other is for the soul. So that you see what self can do, and how commonly it is the master of families, towns and countries, because it is the master in men's souls.

God must be loved above all, and our neighbour as ourselves; but if God were allowed but so much love as a very neighbour should have, it would not be all so ill with the selfish world as now it is. But because I have been so long on this first discovery of the power of self, and the scarcity of self-denial, I will be shorter in the rest that follow.

CHAPTER V.

The Power of Selfishness upon Men's Opinions in Religion.

2. ANOTHER instance of discovering the reign of selfishness in the world, is, The great power that it hath to form men's

opinions and conceptions in religion.' Though the understanding naturally be inclined to truth, yet a selfish bias upon the soul, especially on the will, doth commonly delude it, and make the vilest error seem to be truth to it, and the most use ful truth to seem an error. The will hath much command over the understanding; and when selfishness is become the very habit, the bias, the nature of the will, you may easily conjecture how it will pervert the understanding. But what need we more than experience to satisfy us? Do you not see that where self is but deeply engaged, the judgment is bribed or overmastered, and carried from the truth? So that as the eye that looks through a coloured glass, doth see all things as if they were of the same colour as the glass; so the understanding that is mastered by a selfish inclination, thinks every thing is truth that savoureth his self-interest. And here I shall offer you some more particular instances.

1. We all see that almost all the world is of that religion or opinion which hath the countenance of the government that they live under, and the persons that have greatest power on their reputation; or at least which is consistent with their safety, if not rising and prosperity in the world. The Turks are commonly Mahometans; the subjects of Rome, and Spain, and Austria, &c. are generally Papists; those in Denmark, Sweden, Saxony, &c. are generally Lutherans; those of Scotland, England, Helvetia, &c. are commonly Calvinists (as they are called). I know the power of education is great, and hearing evidence only on one side," may bias a well-meaning man; but Papists and Protestants (as to the learned part) have the books of the contrary-minded at hand; and therefore that opinions should run in a stream, and whole countries almost be of a party, must needs be much from the power of selfishness, because they are swayed by them that have the power of their reputation, and estates, and liberties in the world.

2. Moreover, when a man is by custom grown self-conceited, or by the power of pride is wise in his own eyes, how hard a matter do we find it to convince such men by the clearest evidence! They will not see, when they can hardly wink so close as to keep out the light. It is their opinion, and therefore shall be so; and they will hold it because it is their own.

3. Especially if it be an opinion of a man's own inven