the product of both sums be not soul-satisfaction and blessedness but vanity and vexation of spirit How often is the sword put into mad mens hands the bramble advanced to rule over better trees and walls of mud shined upon while marble pillars stand in shade How often do goats clamber up the mountains of preferments whilest the poor sheep Ambitio te ad dignitatem nisi per indigna non ducit Senec. Natural quaest in Praefat. lib. 1. Ambitio charitatis simia Charitas patiens est pro aeternis ambitio pro terrenis Didac Stella de Contemptu mundi part 1. pag. 88. of Christ feed below yea how often is greatness acquired by base and confounded by weak means Flattery held Absolons stirrup He that is every ones master now was a while since at every ones service Well might Stella call Ambition Charities ape for it also beleeveth all things hopeth all things yea and beareth all things too till what it hoped for be attained then grows intolerable it self It may further be observed that God usually taketh a course to break the staff of such pride by confounding the power of worldly Potentates not with Lions and Tigres but as Pharaohs of old by frogs and lice The Apostle I remember saith An Idol is nothing and yet the silversmiths cried out Great is Diana of the Ephesians Diana then was a great nothing Such are those men of place idolized by common people when the Lord begins to blow upon them in his wrath like those nobles of Idumea concerning whom Isaiah said All her Princes shall Isa 34. 12. be nothing § 9. Secondly as for those saints whose wings are still somewhat clogged with the birdlime of this world I humbly desire them to consider how ill it becomes the offspring of heaven to go licking up the dust of this earth the womans seed to content it self with the serpents food Any one of the posterity of Japhet after he hath been perswaded into the tents of Sem to bring on himself Canaans curse A servant of servants shalt thou be by subjecting his soul to that which God made to serve its servant the body Verily if this present world or any thing in it be over precious in thy sight O Christian thou Cujus anima in oculis ejus est pretiosa in ejus oculis mundus est parvus Dictum Hebraeorum apud Buxtorf in florileg p. 225. Pecuniam habes vel teipsum vel pecuniam vilem habeas necesse est Senec. art become vile in the eyes of God yea in thine own for none can set an high price upon things without him till he have first undervalued his soul Time was when Satan shewed our Saviour all the kingdomes of this world and the glory of them If ever the world appear unto thee temptingly glorious suspect it for one of Satans discoveries Sure I am the Scripture useth diminishing terms when it speaks of creature-comforts as in styling the pomp of Agrippa and Act. 25. 23. 1 Joann 1. 17. Bernice much phansie no reality in calling mens temporal estates this worlds Matth. 13. 22 goods not theirs but the worlds deceitfull 1 Tim. 6. 17. Habak 2. 6. Amos 2. 7. and uncertain riches thick clay and dust of the earth winde grass and the flower of grass the least things hardly things Solomon Eccles 5. 16. James 1. 11. Luke 16. 10. 15. brings them down to the lowest degree of entity yea to nullity saying Labour not to be rich wilt thou set Prov. 23. 4 5. thine eyes upon that which is not § 10. Let Diotrephes then say It is good for me to have the preeminence Judas It is good for me to bear the bag Demas It is good for me to embrace this present world But do thou O my soul conclude with David It is Psal 73. 28. good for me to draw near to God Thou art now as a bird in the shell a shell of flesh which will shortly break and let out the bird This crazy bark of my body ere long will be certainly split upon the fatal rock of death then must thou its present pilot forsake it and swim to the shore of eternitie Therefore O everlasting creature see and be sure thou content not thy self with a transitory portion I do not Lord thou knowest I do not Of a small handfull of outward things I am ready to say It is enough but that which I long so passionately for is a large heart full of God in Christ Thou art my sun the best of creatures are but stars deriving the lustre they have from thee Did not thy light make day in my heart I should languish for all them in a perpetuall night of dissatisfaction There are within me two great gulfs a minde desirous of more truth and a will capable of more good then finite beings can afford Thou onely canst fill them who art the first truth and the chief good In thee alone shall my soul be satisfied as with marrow Psal 63. 5. and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyfull lips APHORISME II. We are conducted to the fruition of God in Christ by Christian Religion contained in the divine oracles of holy Scripture EXERCITATION 1. The safe conduct of Saints signified by the pillar Exerc. 1. in Exodus performed by the counsel of God himself the abridgement whereof we have in the doctrine of Christian Religion How that tends to blessedness § 1. THere is no possibility of arriving at Blessedness without a safe conduct nor at glory without guidance No infallible guidance but by the counsel of God himself All which the Psalmist is like to have had in his eye when in his humble address to God he expresseth himself in this manner Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Aph. 2. and afterward receive me to glory The Psalm 73. 24. husbands duty in relation to his wife is to be the guide of her youth Such Prov. 2. 17. hath Christ one of whose names is Counsellour been to his Church in former Isa 9. 6. times is at this day and will continue to the end of the world In Exodus we meet with the history of the Jewish Church her youth and her strange manner of guidance which when the Levites in Nehemiah came to Nehem. 9. 19. commemorate they do it thus Thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day to lead them in the way neither the pillar of fire by night to shew them light and the way wherein they should go It was not onely a seasonable act of mercy to them in that age but may be looked upon as an emblem of that safe conduct which the Church in all ages may expect from Jesus Christ For as in that cloudy-fiery pillar there were two different substances the sire and the cloud yet but one pillar So there are two different natures in
faithfull and true witness when speaking of those whom the Father had given him he uttered that remarkable assertion This John 17. 3. is life eternall that they may know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Also when he made his followers that promise of rest Come unto me all ye that labour Matth. 11. 28 29. and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you c. and ye shall finde rest to your souls God would not rest from his works of creation till man was framed Man cannot rest from his longing desires of indigence till God be enjoyed Now since the fall God is not to be enjoyed but in and through a Mediatour Therefore when any man closeth with Christ and not till then he may say with the Psalmist Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee That which the King of Saints testified will be most readily attested by all his loyall subjects Enquire of such as are yet militant upon earth wherein their happiness consists the answer will be in their having fellowship with 1 John 1. 3. the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Let those who are triumphant be asked what it is that renders their heaven so glorious their glory so incomprehensible ye shall have no other account but this it is because they have now attained a complete fruition of that alsufficient alsatisfying ever-blessed and ever-blessing object God in Christ § 4. Nor can it easily be denied by such as consider that in this object there is found a threefold fulness opposite to the threefold vanity in the creatures which I discoursed of before First a fulness of utility opposite to their unprofitableness Infinite goodness extends it self to all cases and exigents without being limited to particulars as created bonity is Hence in the Scripture God and Christ are compared to things most extensive in their use and of most universall concernment Philosophers look at the Sun as an universal cause Christ is called the Sun of Malac. 4. 2. righteousness by the Prophet and The Psal 84. 11. Lord God saith the Psalmist is a Sun and shield In a Tree the root beareth the branches and the branches fruit Christ is both root and branch A root in Isaiah In that day shall there be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensign of Isa 11. 10. the people to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious A branch in Zechariah Behold I will bring forth my servant the Branch In a building the Zech. 3. 8. foundation and corner-stone are most considerable in point of use Christ is both Thus saith the Lord God behold I Isa 28. 16. lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone a pretious corner-stone a sure foundation In military affairs what more usefull for offence then the sword for defence then the shield The Lord is both Happy art thou O Israel who is like Deut. 33. 29. unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thy help and who is the sword of thine excellency In civill commerce money is of most generall use for the acquiring of what men need of which Solomon therefore saith It answereth all Eccles. 10. 19. Quicquid nummis prasentibus opta veniet clausum possidet arca Jovem Petron. Arbit things whence it is that worldlings look at a full chest as having a kinde of Deity in it able to grant them whatsoever their hearts desire of God in Christ it is most true He onely can answer all the desires all the necessities of his people and is accordingly said to be their silver and gold as Junius renders the place in Job To him a soul may not onely say as Thomas did My Job 22. 25. Erit Omnipotens lectissimum aurum tuum argentum viréâ—que tibi Lord and my God but as another Deus meus omnia My God and my all § 5. Secondly a fulness of truth and faithfulness opposite to their deceit The creatures do not cannot perform whatsoever they promise but are like deceitfull brooks frustrating the thirsty travellers expectation We reade of Semiramis that she caused this Motto to be engraven upon her tomb If any King stand in need of money let him break open this monument Darius having perused the inscription ransacks the sepulchre finds nothing within but another writing to this effect Hadst thou not been unsatiably covetous thou wouldest never have invaded a monument of the dead Such are all the things of this world They delude us with many a promising Motto as if they would give us hearts ease but when we come to look within instead of contentment afford us nothing but conviction of our folly in expecting satisfaction from them With God it is otherwise He is faithfull that promised saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 23. And again Faithfull is he that 1 Thess 5. 24. calleth you who also will do it I am the way saith Christ of himself the truth John 14. 6. and the life In him beleevers finde not less but more then ever they looked for and when they come to enjoy him completely are enforced to cry out as the Queen of Sheba did The half was 1 Kings 10. 7. not told me § 6. Thirdly a fulness of unchangeableness opposite to their inconstancy This God challengeth to himself I am Malac. 3. 6. the Lord I change not And Jesus Christ is said to be the same yesterday and to day Heb. 13. 8. and for ever Another Apostle speaking of the father of lights from whom descends James 1. 17. every good and perfect gift therein alluding as Heinsius conceives to the Heinsius in locum High Preist his Urim and Thummim that is lights and perfections to Urim in these words father of lights to Thummim in these Perfect gift tells us that with him is no variableness neither Exerc. 3. shadow of turning The metaphor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pareus in loc thought by some to be borrowed from the art of painting wherein pictures are first rudely shadowed then drawn to the life In the creatures we finde a full draught and lively pourtraiture of mutability but not so much as the rudiments of a draught as the least line or shadow of it in God and Christ EXERCITATION 3. Two conclusions from Psalm 73. 25 26. The Psalmists case stated The frequent complication of corporal and spiritual troubles How God strengtheneth his peoples hearts against their bodily distempers how under discouragements of spirit The secret supports of saving grace What kinde of portion God is to the Saints A congratulation of their happiness herein § 1. FRom that patheticall passage in one of the Psalms Whom have Psalm 73. 25 26. I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is
which Rev. 13. 1 5. Infronte purpuratae merelricis scriptum est nomen blasphemiae id est Romae Aeternae Hierom. ad Algusiam quaest Aeterna cum dicitur quae temporalis est utique nomen est blasphemiae cùm supplices dicunt Altaribus vestris Perennitati vestrae c. Prosp de praedic promiss in Dimid temp cap. 7. practise of theirs two ancient writers Hierome and Prosper interpret those names of blasphemy mentioned in the Revelation They accounted such no less then blasphemers as called Rome the Eternal city and saluted the Emperour thereof by the title of your Eternity A thing usually done among them Yea this Calenture had taken the brains of some even amongst the Christian Emperours so exceedingly contagious are words and examples that contain blasphemy in them Ammianus Marcellinus reporteth of Constantius an Arrian Exerc. 8. Prince that being puft up by the ostentation Ammian Marcell initio lib. 5. of his flatterers and the prosperous success of his affairs he was come to that height of insolence as to presume he should never die and in his writings to style himself Our Eternity His words are these Immunem se deinde fore ab omni mortalitatis incommodo fidenter existimans confestim à justitia declinavit ità intemperanter ut Aeternitatem meam aliquoties subjeceret ipse dictando Yea Justinian himself feared not to say concerning some of his Edicts Nostra sanxit Aeternitas Vid. Contem. politic lib. 7. cap. 4. § 3. EXERCITATION 8. Divine Immensity shadowed out by the breadth of the Sea Divine Omnipresence cleared and vindicated The proposall hereof as an antidote against sinning in secret Five practicall Corollaries from the greatness of God in generall § 1. THe fourth dimension is still behinde in that clause Broader then the Sea It may be thought to relate unto divine Omnipresence and Immensity which is though not set forth to the life yet some way shadowed out by the breadth of the Sea In that the vast ocean stretcheth its arms far and near so we call them arms of the Sea to the embracing of certain shores very much distant each from other and is in that respect in a manner omnipresent with the several parts of the earth which it is united to in one Globe So and much more then so the Immensity of Gods essence is such as to render him actually and at all times present with every creature in the upper and lower world for which cause he is said to fill the heaven Jerem. 23. 24. and the earth To a certain Philosopher who asked one of our profession Where is God the Christian answered Apud Jo. Gerhard in Exeges pag. 797. in 4o. Let me first understand from thee where he is not to intimate his being present every where Which he is not onely by his power and providence as some would confine it but also by his essence according to the true meaning of that which Paul said at Athens concerning God He is not far from every one Acts 17. 27 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys homil 38. in Act. Apost of us For in him we live and move and have our being He said not as Chrysostome observed By him we live and move but in him to note the intimacy of his presence and that with all sorts of things whether they be such as have life or motion without life or barely Being without motion Yea where-ever they be whether in heaven or earth or hell as the Psalmist expresly If I ascend up into heaven thou Psal 139. 8 9. art there if I make my bed in hell behold thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the Sea even there shall thy hand lead me To which accords that of Seneca Turn Quocunque te slexeris ibi illum videbis occurrentem tibi Nihil ab illo vacat Opus suum ipse implet Senec. de Benefic li◠4. cap. 8. thy self which way thou wilt thou shalt there see him meeting thee There is not any thing void of him He filleth whatsoever he hath made § 2. This truth having been so fully acknowledged by a wise heathen it will argue but too much weakness in any Christian to stumble as some notwithstanding have done at this sorry cavil against it It seems unworthy of God say they to afford his presence with all things even the least and filthiest Neither do we see how he can possibly do it without receiving some defilement from them For if God were not lessned by creating the meanest things then surely he is not by affording his presence to them after they were made As for defliement there can be no fear of that Can the sun shine upon dunghils and worse places without being thereby defiled and shall not Gods essence which is infinitely purer then the light preserve it self from contracting filth from any thing it cometh near unto The soul of man united to a sickly and leprous body doth notwithstanding retain its purity Much more God in the forementioned case Be we therefore carefull in spite of all heretical cavils firmly to beleeve the truth of divine Omnipresence and Immensity for the clearing up whereof to our understandings Divines have invented sundry comparisons two whereof I shall instance in One out of Austin The whole world Augustin Confess lib. 7. cap. 5. saith he is so in God as a little sponge in a vast ocean The Sea besides its encompassing the sponge on every side doth also throughly penetrate moisten and sustain the whole substance within and every part of it Another out of Lessius He compareth Lessius de Perfectionibus divinis lib. 1. cap. 3. § 20. the world to a crystal Ball hanging in the light of the Sun In which case the light would intimately pierce the whole Ball and also extend it self far and near round about it Such and so intimate is Gods presence with every creature in every place § 3. The contemplation whereof should be effectual for the preventing of all sins especially such as are usually committed in secret upon this grand presumption which the Prophet denounceth a curse against the subjects of saying Wo unto them that Isai 29. 15. seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord. and their works are in the dark and they say Who seeth us and who knoweth us a presumption that there is none by to take notice of them Suppose it were so yet men are bound to reverence themselves That of Ausonius is excellent advise When thou art about to act any thing unseemly be afraid of thy Turpe quid ausurus te sine teste time self although there be no other witness But so it is not for conscience is by concerning which Lactantius produceth an admirable speech out of Seneca O thou mad man what will it profit thee to Demens quid prodest non habere conscium habenti
conscientiam have none conscious of thy crime so long as thou hast a conscience that is But that thou wilt say is part of thy self True wherefore I add God is by of whom the Apostle emphatically saith If our 1 John 3. 20. heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things Conscience we are wont to say is a thousand witnesses and let it be withall considered that God is as a thousand consciences both for intimacy of presence and perspicacity in discerning It is worth observing how the mention of Gods immensity is brought in by the Prophet in that forecited place of Jeremy where the whole verse runs thus Can any hide himself in secret places Jerem. 23. 24. that I shall not see him saith the Lord Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Our most secret sins are in reference to God no more secret in regard of his Omnipresence then if committed in the most open light Witness that in Moses his prayer Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret Psal 90. 8. sins in the light of thy countenance Jacob once said of Bethel God was once in this Genes 28. 16. place and I knew it not How fearfull is it Let every place be a Bethel to thee O watchfull Christian a place of fear and in some sence an house of God be it market or shop or field be sure the Lord is in that place not present onely but looking on nor onely looking but weighing and pondering whatsoever thou doest there in all the circumstances and aggravations thereof as Solomon testifies The waies of man Prov. 5. 21. are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings § 4. Having alreadie made improvement of the several branches let me now for a conclusion draw certain Corollaries from the greatness of God in general in number five First Let him be greatly praised for this by all mankinde 'T is the Psalmists inference Great is the Lord and greatly Psal 145. 3. to be praised The world is wont to commend greatness both in persons and things Great Princes have had Panegyrical Orations made in their praise as Trajan by Plinie great cities as Grand Cair great monuments as the Colossus are greatly extol'd by writers and travellers How much more should the great God whom the Prophet accordingly magnifies saying Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance Isai 40. 14 15 16 17. behold he taketh up the isles as a very little thing And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less then nothing and vanity The drop of a bucket is nothing to the whole ocean nor the dust of the ballance to the whole earth no more is the whole earth with all the inhabitants of it to God In so much as if he were to be sacrificed to proportionably to his greatness all the beasts in Lebanon would not suffice for a burnt-offering nor all the wood thereof for a fire nor all men in the world for a priest to offer it § 5. Secondly Let him be greatly confided in by all his people That of St. John 1 John 4 4. Ye are of God little children and greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world should be made use of by the Saints as a precious receipt against the most deadly poison that can at any time be administred to them The Church indeed is very often put upon renewing Jehosaphats complaint and crying out We have no might against this great company perhaps both of 2 Chro. 20. 12. wicked men and wicked spirits that comes against us neither know we what to do But so long as she can add as he there doth Our eyes are upon thee Tit. 2. 13. this contemplation of her great God and Saviour may support her against the fear of them all The divel is mighty I confess it said Luther but he will never be Almighty as my God and Saviour Esto diabolus magnipotens nunquam erit omnipotens is upon these grounds a believing Christian living up to his principles may well say Shew me a danger greater then my God a Destroyer greater then my Saviour I will then fear it and him Till then pardon me if I do not let my confidence go what though Jacob be small as the Prophet speaks By whom shall Jacob arise Amos 7. 5. for he is small Yet arise he shall in spight of opposition and that because Jacobs God is great Thirdly Let the world learn to seek after interest in him Many saith Solomon Many seek the rulers favour And Prov. 29. 26. reason good because he is able to protect the persons and reward the services of his followers Behold here a Ruler indeed whose favour was never sought in vain if sought in time Dulcis inexpertis cultura potentis amici expertus metuit Horat. one that can protect from hell and bestow heaven yea that which is the heaven of heaven the fruition of himself Being great with great men is a thing much affected by some although in experience it often becomes not a burden onely but a mischief whereas the love and favour of the great God and our Saviour alwaies proves shall I say beneficial that 's too little it proves and that alwaies beatificall Fourthly Let such as have obtained interest from him look for great things from him To Baruch it was once said Seekest Jerem. 45. 5. thou great things for thy self seek them not because he sought them in the creatures but if we seek them from and in the great Creator we may lawfully seek great things neither shall our doing so be attended with disappointment For open thy mouth wide saith Psal 81. 10. the Lord and I will fill it We are wont either not to open our mouthes at all or not wide enough and therefore it is that most of us continue so empty Ye have not because ye ask not James 4. 〈◊〉 so the Apostle let me say ye ask perhaps and yet have but little because ye do not expect much O Consider as Samuel once bespake the men of Israel how great things God hath already done for 1 Sam. 12. 24. you that so your experiments may be your encouragement to expect yet greater remembring that of our blessed Saviour to Nathaniel Believest thou thou shalt see greater things then these John 1. 50. He in whom ye trust O believers is a great God and loves to do all things like himself Wherefore look for great things from him great assistances great enlargements great deliverances yea the forgiving of great sins and the obtaining of great salvation § 7. Fifthly Let such as have received great things from God maintain a certain greatness of spirit sutable to
neck of the true Spouse of Christ which makes her to look pleasingly and amiably in the eyes of her Beloved and distinguishes her from all false and counterfeit lovers To all this we may finally add what it is in the very work it self and the contrivances of it wherein not to anticipate the thoughts of others that shall peruse it soundness of judgement with elegancy of expression Sublimity of Notion with sobriety of spirit Variety of reading with accurateness of composure Sweetness of wit with savouriness of heart do seem to be linked together in so rare and happy a conjunction as which makes this Chain of Principles to be a chain of Pearls The Lord by his holy spirit set home the Truths in it upon the hearts of all those who shall be made partakers of it To him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen Cambridge Novemb. 2. 1659. THOMAS HORTON WILLIAM DILLINGHAM A Collection of the several Aphorismes and Exercitations contained in the ensuing TREATISE APHORISME I. Pag. 1. MAns blessedness consisteth not in a confluence of wordly accommodations which are all vanity of vanities but in the fruition of God in Christ who onely is the strength of our hearts and our portion for ever EXERCITATION 1. Pag. 2. Psal 144. end opened Blessedness what Solomons scope in Ecclesiastes Why he stiles himself Coheleth His testimony concerning the creatures Their threefold transcendent vanity Intellectual accomplishments brought under the same censure by reason of the folly enmity anxiety and insufficiencie that attend them An apostrophie to the world EXERCITATION 2. Pag. 20. A gloss upon Psalm 36. 8. God in Christ a soul-satisfying object The circular motion of humane souls and their onely rest A threefold fulness of God and Christ opposite to the threefold vanity of the creatures EXERCITATION 3. Pag. 29. Two conclusions from Psalm 73. 25 26. The Psalmists case stated The frequent complication of corporal and spiritual troubles How God strengtheneth his peoples hearts against their bodily distempers how under discouragements of spirit The secret supports of saving grace What kinde of portion God is to the Saints A congratulation of their happiness herein EXERCITATION 4. Pag. 43. The first inference grounded upon Isaiah 55. 1 2. by way of invitation backed with three encouragements to accept it viz. The fulness of that soul-satisfaction which God giveth the universality of its tender and the freeness of its communication The second by way of expostulation and that both with worldlings and Saints A conclusion by way of soliloquy APHORISME II. Pag. 61. We are conducted to the fruition of God in Christ by Christian Religion contained in the divine oracles of holy Scripture EXERCITATION 1. Pag. 61. The safe conduct of Saints signified by the pillar in Exodus performed by the counsel of God himself the abridgement whereof we have in the doctrine of Christian Religion How that tends to blessedness EXERCITATION 2. Pag. 72. The insufficiencie of other Religions for bringing men to the enjoyment of God inferred from their inability to discover his true worship John 4. 24. opened God to be worshipped in and through Christ a lesson not taught in natures school Faults in Aristotles Ethicks EXERCITATION 3. Pag. 84. Oracles of God vocal or written Books of Scripture so called in five respects viz. In regard of their declaring and foretelling their being consulted prized and preserved EXERCITATION 4. Pag. 95. How Scripture-Oracles far excel those of the heathen in point of perspicuity of piety of veracity of duration and of Authority The divine authority of Scripture asserted by arguments An inference from the whole Aphorisme APHORISME III. Pag. 111. Scripture-Oracles supposing it sufficiently clear by the light of Nature that there is a God make a further discovery of what he is in his Essence Subsistence and Attributes EXERCITATION 1. Pag. 111. 1 Corinth 15. 34. expounded Opinionists compared to sleepers and drunkards Three observations from the end of the verse What knowledge of God is unattainable in this life What may be had The knowledge we have concerning God distinguished into Natural Literal and Spiritual EXERCITATION 2. Pag. 120. That there is a God the prime dictate of natural light deducible from mans looking backward to the creation forward to the rewards and punishments dispensed after death upward to the Angels above us downwards to inferiour beings within our selves to the composition of our bodies and dictates of our consciences about us to the various occurrences in the world EXERCITATION 3. Pag. 129. Reasons three ways of discovering God fall short of manifesting what he is The expression in Exod. 3. 14. most comprehensive A brief exposition thereof Satans impudence Nature and art both unable to discover the Trinity What Scripture revealeth about it Basils memento Julians impiety Socinians branded The three Persons compared to those three wells in Genes 26. EXERCITATION 4. Pag. 143. Divine Attributes calling for transcendent respect They are set down in the Scripture so as to curb our curiosity to help our infirmity to prevent our misapprehensions and to raise our esteem of God Spiritual knowledge superadding to literal clearness of light sweetness of taste sense of interest and sincerity of obedience APHORISME IV. Pag. 155. Goodness and Greatness are Attributes so comprehensive as to include a multitude of divine perfections EXERCITATION 1. Pag. 155. God described from goodness and greatness both without and within the Church A lively pourtraiture of his goodness in the several branches thereof Exod. 34. 6 7. Bowels of mercy implying inwardness and tenderness Our bowels of love to God of compassion to brethren Mercy not to be refused by unbelief nor abused by presumption EXERCITATION 2. Pag. 169. Grace what From it spring Election Redemption Vocation Sanctification Salvation A Caveat not to receive it in vain It purgeth and cheereth Glosses upon Tit. 2. 11 12. and 2 Thess 2. 26 27. The exaltation of free grace exhorted to Long-suffering not exercised towards evil Angels but towards men of all sorts It leadeth to repentance is valued by God and must not be sleighted by us A dreadfull example of goodness despised EXERCITATION 3. Pag. 181. The bounty of God declared by his benefits viz. giving his Son to free us from hell his Spirit to fit us for heaven his Angels to guard us on earth large provisions in the way and full satisfaction at our journeys end John 3. 16. James 1. 5. and Psal 24. 1. Glossed Isai 25. 6. Alluded to Inferences from divine Bounty beneficence to Saints not dealing niggardly with God exemplified in David Paul and Luther Truth in God is without all mixture of the contrary It appears in his making good of promises and threatnings teaching us what to perform and what to expect EXERCITATION 4. Pag. 201. Keeping mercy for thousands explained Men exhorted to trust God with their posterity Luthers last Will and Testament Iniquity transgression and sin what Six Scripture
the strength of my heart and my portion for ever these two conclusions may be raised 1. There is no person or thing in heaven or earth short of God in Christ to be looked upon and desired as our utmost good 2. The fruition of God in Christ is able to make and to continue a man happy even in the midst of utmost extremity The former I have treated of in the foregoing exercitations intending to handle the latter in this That I account an utmost extremity as to kinde though as to degrees it may be either more intense or more remiss when there is a complication of sufferings both in body and minde at once Such was the Psalmists case here It is not flesh alone or heart alone but my flesh and my heart in conjunction both failed him at one and the same time Such is the sympathy of soul and body that when it fares ill with one the other commonly is disturbed If the soul be in an agony the body languisheth Satans buffeting Paul with blasphemous thoughts as some conceive proved a thorn to his flesh On the other 2 Cor. 12. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 side if the outward man be tormented the inward is wont to be dismaied even to failing of heart The Stoicks indeed those magnificent boasters talk of an Apathie and Plutarch tells us that Agesilaus when he lay sick of the gout and Carneades who came to visit him observing what pains he conflicted with was about to leave him as one not in case to be spoken to bad him stay and pointing at once to his own feet and to his heart said Nothing Mane Carneades Nihil enim illine huc pervenit comes from thence hither as if his minde were no whit disquieted for all the sufferings of his flesh But far better men then any of them have born witness to the contrary Our flesh had no 2 Cor. 7. 5. rest but we were troubled on every side without were fightings within were fears So Paul David in one of his Psalms thus O Lord heal me for my bones are Psal 6. 2 3. vexed my soul also is sore vexed In another thus There is no soundness in my Psal 38. 7 8. flesh I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart § 2. But as when Peter walking upon the waves and perceiving how boisterous the winds were began to sink Jesus immediately stretched forth his hand and caught him So when the Psalmists flesh and heart failed God even then was the strength of his heart according to the Original The rock of it Rocks are not more fortifying to Cities and Castles built upon them then God is to his peoples hearts A sincere beleevers soul is therefore assimilated by our Saviour to an House Matth. 7. 25. founded upon a rock which was every way assaulted in the roof by rain descending upon that in the foundation by flouds washing upon it in the walls by winds blustering against them and yet stood because it was strong was strong because founded on a rock Such a rock is our God and that even in such a case as hath been described § 3. Hezechiah whom God had Isa 38. 1. chosen to life was sick unto death Lazarus whom Jesus loved sickned John 11. 3. and died Timothy had his often infirmities 1 Tim. 5. 23. The Psalmists flesh failed him or to speak in Pauls phrase his outward man perished yet God mean-while 2 Cor. 4. 16. was the rock and strength of his sick servants heart First by preserving therein an expectation of such fruit as saints use to reap from such tryals Fruit which relates partly to sin and partly to grace To sin by way of cure Diseases when sanctified drain the inward as well as the outward man and help to spend out the bad humours of both Sickness saith Isidore woundeth the flesh but healeth Adversa corporis remedia sunt animae Aegritudo carnem vulnerat mertun curat Isidor l b 3. de Summ. bono the minde is the bodies malady but the souls medicine For instance weakness kills the itch of worldliness Let pleasure open all her shops and present a sick man with her choicest rarities Let Mammon bring forth all his bags and gingle them in his ears produce all his Crowns Sceptres Mitres and lay them at his feet how ready will he be to cry out Away with them Behold I am at the point to die as Esau once reasoned and what Gen. 25. 32. can these vanities profit me The like may be said of self-confidence and pride which are also frequently antidoted by diseases A speciall end as Elihu tells Job which God aims at in his chastening with pain is to hide Job 33 17. pride from man that is to remove it as what we hide is removed out of sight A Christian Emperour one of the Ferdinands Ab. Scultetus Idea Concion in Isaiae cap. 9. pag. 1. 7 In agone Invistissimi titulum agnosâ—eâ—e noâ—bat c. when his Chaplain Matthias Cittardus came to visit him as he lay upon his death-bed and according to the mode of the Court styled him most Invincible Emperour finding himself overcome with sickness would not admit of that compellation but charged him not to use it more whereupon the Chaplain made his next address on this wise Go to dear brother Ferdinand endure hardship as a good souldier of Jesus Christ § 4. Next to Grace in point of growth The rise of grace is sometimes occasioned by a sore disease Beza tells Morbus isle verae sanitatis principium c. Epist praefix Confessioni us of himself that God was pleased to lay the foundation of his spiritual health in a violent sickness which befell him at Paris The growth of grace is always promoted when God makes use of this means It is not more usual with children to shoot up in length then with Christians to wax taller in grace in or after a sickness See it exemplified in the famous Protestant Divines Olevian said upon his death-bed In this disease I have learned to know Mel. Adam in vitis Germ. Theol. p 601. aright what sin and what the majesty of God is Rollock upon his I am not ashamed Idem in vitis Exterorum pag. 189. to profess that I never reached to so high a pitch in the knowledge of God as I have attained in this sickness Rivet upon his Danberi Orat. funeb in excessum Andreae Riveti pag. 90. In the space of ten days since I kept my bed I have learned more and made greater progress in Divinity then in the whole course of my life before § 5. Secondly by infusing and exciting a principle of Christian patience which is therefore able to support and strengthen the heart when Philosophical Stoical patience cannot do it because it self is strengthened from such divine Topicks as Philosophy knows but little if any thing
Christ his Divinity shining as fire his Humanity darkening as a cloud yet but one person As that pillar departed not from them by day or by night all the while they travelled in the wilderness So whilest the Churches pilgrimage lasts in this world the safe conduct of Christ by his Spirit and Ordinances shall be continued But as at their entrance into Canaan a type of heaven the pillar is thought to have been removed because not mentioned in the sequele of the story and because when Israel passed over Jordan we reade not of the pillar but the Ark going before them So when the Church shall arrive at heaven her resting place the mediatory conduct of Christ is to cease and the Ordinances which are here of use to disappear § 2. Mean while this infallible counsel of God hath been most effectually administred by the Prophets and Apostles especially by Christ himself whose words were such as led directly to everlasting bliss Insomuch as when Jesus said to the twelve will John 6. 67 68. ye also go away Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go Thou hast the words of eternal life As if he had said Go whither we will to other teachers we shall be sure not to meet with words of eternal life any where else Such are proper to Christs school taught onely by himself and his under-officers whereof one hath left this profession upon record That which we have 1 John 1. 3. seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ So the Disciple whom Jesus loved in his first epistle Another this I take you to record this day Act. 20. 26 27. that I am pure from the bloud of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God So Paul in his valedictory speech to the Elders of Ephesus Which he could not have said had not the doctrine he preached among them been sufficient to have led all his hearers to the fruition of God in Christ and therein to complete happiness That by the counsel of God he intended to decipher Christian Religion is manifest because that was the sum of all his ministery as we finde him declaring elsewhere Having obtained help of Act. 2â— 22 27. God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come That Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead c. § 3. Counsel it is and therefore styled sometimes mystery and that a great one Without controversie great is 1 Tim. 3. 16. the mystery of godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Religion as others render it meaning the Christian an epitome whereof followeth God manifest in the flesh and 1 Cor. 2. 6 7. sometimes wisdome and that not among punies and novices who see not into the depth of things but among them that are perfect Sometimes The wisdome of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Maâ—t Expos fidei God in a mystery even the hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world unto our glory Which made an ancient writer affirm that the mysteries of our Religion are above the reach of our understanding above the discourse of humane reason above all that any creature can comprehend Yea it will be found the Counsel of God himself and not of man if we do but consider a few of its materials viz. principles above the reach of mans wit A resurrection of the dead a mysticall union of all beleevers among themselves and to their head A Trinity of persons in one Essence two Natures in one person God reconciled to men by the bloud men to God by the spirit of Christ with others of the like elevation Doctrines contrary to the bent of mans will As that of original sin which represents him to himself as a childe of wrath worthy before he see the light of being cast into outer darkness And that of self-deniall which taketh him off from confidence in his own abilities whereas proud Nature challengeth a self-sufficiency and will hardly be content with less Lastly Promises and threatnings beyond the line of humane motives and dissuasives exhibiting to the sons of men not temporal rewards and punishments onely but the gift of eternal life and the vengeance of eternal fire Things which not any of the most knowing Law-givers and Princes of this world did or could hold forth till the onely wise God was pleased to reveal and urge them in the sacred authentick records of Christianity § 4. Now Christian Religion promotes our guidance to the fruition we treat of these two ways viz. by discovering God in Christ and by uniting to him the former it performeth as Christian the latter as Religion First as Christian it discovers God in Christ which other Religions do not No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son which is in the bosome of the John 1. 18. Father he hath declared him So the Evangelist or as others think the Baptist All things are of God who hath reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 18 19. us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given unto us the ministery of reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ c. So the Apostle The poor Pagan knoweth neither God nor Christ but ignorantly turneth the truth of God into a lie worshipping creatures and in stead of Christ is directed by his Theology to the service of a middle sort of divine powers called Daemons and See M. Mede his Apostasie of the latter times pag. 9 10 sequent looked at as Mediatours between the celestial Sovereign Gods whom the Gentiles worship and mortal men The modern Jew acknowledgeth the true God of his fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob but owneth not Jesus the son of Mary for the true Christ yea disowneth him so far as not onely to expect another Messias but if writers deceive us not to blaspheme and curse him and his followers The deluded Mahometan confesseth one God the Creatour of heaven and earth yea conceiveth so well of the Lord Jesus as not to suffer any Jew to take up the profession of a Musulman till he have first renounced his enmity against Christ yet will neither acknowledge his satisfaction upon which our salvation is founded nor his Divinity by vertue whereof that satisfaction is meritorious Whereas the true and pious Christian is by his Religion taught to say with Paul in direct opposition to all the three forementioned sects We 1 Cor. 8. v. 4 5 6. know that an Idol is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one For though there be that are called Gods whether in heaven or in earth as there be Gods many and Lords many yet to us there is but one God the Father of whom
Quae omnia saptens servabit tanquam legibus jussa non tanquam Diis grata Sic adorabimus ut meminerimus cultum magis ad morem quà m ad rem pertinere c. August De Civit. Dei lib. 6. cap. 10. will keep them all as things commanded by our laws not as things acceptable to the Gods for custome rather then conscience sake Thereby shewing as Austine observeth that he himself misliked what he practised and did not approve his own adoration What else was this but mock-worship And although it must be granted that some of them were more serious in that way of superstition which the Gentiles Theology prescribed yet was not their worship in Truth for being destitute of Christ who is the way the truth and the life they John 14. 6. Psal 51. 6. wanted that Truth in the inward parts required by God in all holy services The Pelagians indeed were of opinion that those vertues which appeared in heathen Philosophers and others of eminent note for morality though they had not received the knowledge of Christ were true graces But if Austin may be credited this above all their Hoc est unde vos maximè Christiana detestatur Ecclesia Contr. Julian pelag lib. 4. cap. 3. corrupt tenents was that for which the Christian Church did most abominate them their doctrine Yea Paul whom we are bound to beleeve in the fourth Chapter of his epistle to the Ephesians is thought to have concluded the contrary we finde there the life of the Gentiles Ephes 4. vers 17. 18. 21. 24. clearly opposed to the life of God which they saith he were alienated from as also to the truth as it is in Jesus and to that true holiness or holiness of truth wherewith every spiritual worshipper is endued And so far is the Apostle in that place from excepting their philosophers that as Grotius thinks he aims especially at them because his phrase in the seventeenth verse That ye Vide Grotium in Ephes 4. 17. in Rom. 1. vers 21 22. walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minde is fully parallel with that in his epistle to the Romanes They became vain in their imaginations which is certainly meant of their philosophers for it follows professing themselves to be wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name whereby that sort of men were commonly known witness the seven wise men of Greece before Pythagoras invented that other of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of wisdome as more modest § 4. The second grand direction about the manner of worship is that it be performed in the name and through the mediation of Jesus Christ who saith of himself I am the way No man Joh. 14. 6. comes to the Father but by me And of whom Paul saith Whatsoever ye do in Coloss 3. 17. word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus whereupon Luther was bold to Quicquid oratur docetur vivitur extra Christum est idololatria coram Deo peccatum Luther tom 3. edit Jenens p. 300. assert That all the prayings teachings and actings of men are out of Christ idolatry and sin in the sight of God Now although the first direction were not altogether unknown to some of the Gentiles as may be gathered from sundry passages in their writings cited by Grotius in his notes upon John the fourth at the four and twentieth verse and by Doctour Meric Casaubon in his second book De cultu the third chapter yet of this second they had no knowledge at all for it is not a lesson to be learned in Natures school The heavens indeed and so the earth with all the creatures in them both declare the glory of God in himself but the glory of God in the face of Christ as mediatour is not declared by any of them Insomuch as Paul tells the Ephesians that while they Ephes 2. 11 12. were Gentiles they were at that time without Christ although Ephesus then was full of Philosophers and eminent scholars witness the proverb of Ephesian letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 19. 19. and that story in the Acts which mentions the burning of books there to the value of fifty thousand pieces of silver by such as were taken off from the study of curious arts upon their conversion to the faith As for Jews and Mahometans the former we know have espoused long since another Messias and the latter set up that impostour Mahomet for their mediatour § 5. Now the argument built upon the foundation of these premised considerations stands thus No religion or doctrine can bring us to the fruition of God but such as instructs us how to worship him aright No religion or doctrine but Christianity teacheth the right worship of God Therefore none but it can bring us to enjoy him The proposition is bottomed upon that necessary connexion which is between the fruition of God and his adoration he being wont to communicate himself in or after acts of worship according to these and the like places He that hath Joh. 14. 21. my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Behold I stand at Rev. 3. 20. the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me The Assumption hath been already cleared But if further proof be needfull I shall add one argument more So far is the light of nature from making a full discovery of what belongs to divine worship that the wisest Philosophers in their morall tractates have not onely been silent as to faith in Christ and repentance from dead works and such other eminent duties of religion but commended to their readers some habits and actions for vertues and duties which in Scripture are represented as vices and sins For example Aristotle one of Natures high priests in his Ethicks one of the choicest pieces of morality extant maketh a vertue of Eutrapelia which Paul under that very term prohibits as a thing inconvenient for Christians Neither filthiness nor Ephes 5. 4. foolish talking nor Eutrapelia Jesting which are not convenient So also Nemesis that is grief and indignation at the prosperity of unworthy men is by him reckoned among such affections as are near of kin to vertues but condemned at large by David in Psalm the thirty seven and by Solomon in the Proverbs saying Fret not thy self because of evil Prov. 24. 19. men neither be thou envious at the wicked Another of his vertues is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnanimity which he describeth to be the judging of a mans self worthy of great things when he is so Whereas our Saviour directeth us even when we have Luke 17. 10. done all things that are commanded us yet to say we are unprofitable
handy-work Nor these alone which have so much of magnificence in them but the least flie if it could be anatomized would be found to have in it more miracles then parts such proportion of members distinction of offices correspondence of instruments as speaketh the infinite power and wisdome of the Maker Well might Job say as he did Ask now Joh. 12. 7 8 9. the beasts and they shall teach thee and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this V. If he do inspicere look within himself and that either to the composition of his body or to the dictates of his conscience We are so fearfully Psal 139. 14. Galen lib. 3. de usu partium Compono hic canticum in Creatoris nostri laudem c. Multa miser timeo quia feci multa protervè Exemplique metu terecor ipse mei Ovid. l. 1. Amor Eleg. 1. and wonderfully made that the great physician Galen though an heathen being amazed at the wisdome which he discovered in the frame of every member in mans body could no longer contain himself but fell to praising the Creatour in an hymn As for conscience there is nothing more common then for wicked men after the commission of gross sins to be inwardly tormented and affrighted by reason of somewhat it suggests the substance whereof is that there is a God and that he will judge them for what they have done Calvin telleth us of a certain profane fellow who was ranting at his Inn and blasphemously wresting that of the Psalmist The heaven of heavens is the Lords and the earth hath he given to the children of men as if God left us to do what we list upon earth confining himself and his providence to the heavens thereby as far as he openly durst disavowing a Deity Whereupon he was struck suddenly with extreme torments in his body and began to crie out O God O God So natural it is even for the worst of mankinde to acknowledge a God in their extremities and for others more ingenuous even among those that want Scripture-light as Tertullian hath observed to be frequently saying God seeth I commend it to God God will recompense which drew from him an exclamation that must be warily understood O the testimony of a soul naturally O testimonium animae naturaliter Christianae Tertull. Apolog Christian § 4. VI. If he do circumspicere look round about him to the various occurrences in the world the great deliverances vouchsafed to some the great calamities brought upon others both beyond all expectation The Lord is Psal 9. 16. and cannot but be known by the judgements which he executeth so by the blessings which he bestoweth Who can see a Daniel rescued from reasonable lions unreasonable men a Moses preserved in an ark of bulrushes a Noah in a deluge of waters others in a furnace of fire Who can behold a Pharaoh plagued an Herod eaten up with worms an Achitophel making away himself a Judas bursting asunder in the midst an Arius voiding of his bowels and not crie out as it is in the Psalm Verily Psal 58. last there is a reward for the righteous doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth We meet with a passage in Atheneus not unworthy as I conceive to be taken notice of and recorded here When at a publick meeting in some place of receit a beam of the house suddenly falling had dashed out the brains of a notoriously wicked man in the sight of many by-standers to whom he was known one Stratonicus brake out into a speech so emphatical in the Greek as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athen. Deipnosophist l. 8. it can hardly be translated without much loss yet take it thus Sirs said he the beam of light which I have convinceth me that there is a God if any of you be otherwise minded this beam of wood may suffice to beget in him the same perswasion § 5. But notwithstanding all this as it fared with the wise men from the east who although they were assured by the appearance of a star that a King of the Jews was born yet needed the prophets manuduction to give them notice who he was and where they might finde him so though natural reason improved can make it appear that there is a God yet there is a necessity of Scripture-revelation to inform us who and what he is in regard of his Essence Subsistence and Attributes in all these the written word goes far beyond whatever was or could be discerned in Natures school and becomes the fountain of that literal knowledge which we are now to treat of EXERCITATION 3. Reasons three ways of discovering God fall short of manifesting what he is The expression in Exod. 3. 14. most comprehensive A brief exposition thereof Satans impudence Nature and Art both unable to discover the Trinity What Scripture revealeth about it Basils memento Julians impiety Socinians branded The three Persons compared to those three wells in Genes 26. § 1. DIvines tell us of three ways Exerc. 3. whereby reason goes to work in her enquiry after God but none of them all is able to make a full discovery of his Essence The first is via causalitatis when from the creatures whereof God is the supreme universal cause reason begins to contemplate him as their efficient because they could not make themselves But hitherto it onely discovereth Quod sit that there is a God to whom all things ow their beings not Quid sit what he is The second is via remotionis when it considereth the several imperfections of creatures and removeth them all from God as inconsistent with a Deitie Thus it conceiveth him immortal impassible impeccable because to die suffer sin are imperfections But this onely sheweth Quid non sit what he is not she is still to seek for what he is The third is via eminentiae when reason considereth the sundry perfections which are scattered here and there among created beings and ascribes them all to God in an eminent and transcendent way As when finding in Angels and men wisdome holiness and strength it conceiveth God to be most wise most holy and most strong Yet even this doth but shew Qualis sit non quis what kinde of being God is not who is he Reason for that must be beholding to revelation In which respects I cannot but applaud the wise answer of that Philosopher Epictetus as some report who when his hearers said to him Sr you have uttered many excellent things concerning God Joh. de Carthag hon il Catholic lib. 1. hon il 8. p. 47. but we cannot as yet understand what he is told them plainly Were I able fully to set forth God I should either be God my self or God himself cease to be what
he is Si omnino ego Deum declararem vel ego Deus essem vel ille Deus non foret § 2. Were all such passages set aside as are not originally the Heathens own but borrowed from Jewish or Christian authours I should not be afraid to affirm that there is one very short expression in Scripture to wit this I am that I am which revealeth Exod. 3. 14. more of God then all the large volumes of Ethnick writers An expression so framed as to take in all differences of time according to the idiome of the Hebrew tongue wherein a verb of the future tense as Ehieh is may signifie time past and present as well as that which is to come Hence ariseth a great latitude of interpretation for according to different readings it implieth different things Reading it as we do I am that I am it importeth the supremacie of Gods being The creatures have more of non-entity then of being in them It is proper to him to say I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Septuagint Or the simplicity thereof whereas in creatures the Thing and its Being Ens and Essentia are distinguishable in him they are both one Or the ineffabilitie as if the Lord had said to Moses enquiring his name I am my self and there is nothing without my self that can fully express my Being Which put Scaliger upon inventing that admirable Scalig. de Subtilit Exercit. 365. § 2. epithet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Ipsissimus Ipse Or lastly the Eternitie thereof since there never was never will be a time wherein God might not or may not say of himself I am Whence it is that when Christ would manifest his goings out from everlasting as Micah phraseth Micah 5. 2. it he maketh use of this expression Before Abraham was I am not I Joh. 8. 58. was for that might have been said of Enoch Noah and others who lived before Abrahams time yet were not eternal but I am If it be rendered I am what I was as Piscator would have it then it speaketh his Immutability I am in executing what I was in promising Yesterday and to day and the same for ever If as others I will be what I will be then it denotes his Independency That essence which the creatures have dependeth upon the Creatours will None of them can say I will be not having of and in it self any power to make it self persevere in being as God hath It may perhaps intimate all these and Quae verbulo hoc continentur omnium hominum capacitatem transcendunt Andr. Rivet in Exod. 3. 14. much more then the tongues of Angels can utter Verily it is a speech containing more in it as a learned writer acknowledgeth then humane capacities can attain § 3. I shall therefore forbear to enlarge upon it Let me onely observe before I leave it the notorious impudence of apostate spirits Satan not contenting himself to have got the name of Jove in imitation of Jehovah the incommunicable name of God prevailed with his deluded followers to ascribe unto him that which the Lord of heaven and earth assumeth to himself in this mysterious place of Exodus saying I am that I am For over the gate of Apollo's temple in the city of Delphi so famed for oracles was engraven in capital letters this Greek vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Thou art vvhereby those that came thither to vvorship or to consult Satans oracle vvere instructed to acknovvledge him the fountain of being and the onely true God as one Ammonius is brought in discoursing at large of this very thing in the last Treatise of Plutarchs morals vvhereunto I refer the reader § 4. As to the point of divine subsistence Jehova Elohim Father Son and Holy Ghost three persons but one Deus indivisè 〈◊〉 in Trinitate inconfusè trinus in unitate God or in Leo's expression One God without division in a Trinity of Persons and three Persons without confusion in an Unity of Essence it is a discovery altogether supernatural yea Nature is so far from finding it out that novv when Scripture hath revealed it she cannot by all the help of Art comprehend or set it forth as she doth other things Grammar it self wanting proper and full words whereby to express Logick strong demonstrations whereby to prove and Rhetorick apt similitudes whereby to clear so mysterious a truth The terms Essence Persons Trinity Generation Procession and such like which are commonly made use of for want of better have been and will be cavilled at as short of fully reaching the mystery in all its dimensions Of the similitudes usually brought for its illustration that which Hilary said is Omnis comparatio homini potiùs utilis habeatur quà m Do apta Hilar. lib. 1. de Trin. most true They may gratifie the understanding of man but none of them exactly suit with the nature of God For example Not that of a root a trunk and a branch the trunk proceeding from the root the branch from both yet but one tree because a root may for some time be without a trunk and a trunk without a branch but God the Father never was without his Son nor the Father and Son without their coeternal Spirit Neither that of a chrystall Ball held in a river on a Sunshine-day in which case there would be a Sun in the Firmament begetting another Sun upon the chrystall Ball and a third Sun proceeding from both the former appearing in the surface of the water yet but one Sun in all for in this comparison two of the Suns are but imaginary none reall save that in heaven whereas the Father Word and Spirit are distinct Persons indeed but each of them truly and really God § 5. Well therefore may Rhetoricians say It is not in us and in our similitudes fully to clear this high point Logitians also It is not in us and in our demonstrations fully to prove it For however reason be able from the creatures to demonstrate a Godhead as hath been said yet it cannot from thence a Trinity no more then he that looks upon a curious picture can tell whether it was drawn by an English-man or an Italian onely that the piece had an artificer and such an one as was a prime master in that faculty because the limbner drew it as he was an artist not as one of this or that nation So the world is a production of that Essence which is common to all three not any personal emanation from this or that subsistent which is the reason why a Deity may be inferred from thence but not any distinction of Persons much less the determinate number of a Trinity The doctrine whereof is like a Temple filled with smoke such smoke as not onely hinders the view of the quickest eye but hurts the sight of such as dare with undue curiosity pry into it A mystery which my faith embraceth as revealed in the
expressions in Solomons song Because of the savour of thy Cantle 1. 3. Nescit divina qui non optat qui non amal Jo. Euseb Nicomb Theopolit pag. 91. good ointments thy name is as an ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee He doth not know the things of God saith a late writer well who doth not desire and love them § 6. Thirdly Sense of interest Of the Zidonians God said They shall know that I am the Lord But of his own people Ezek. 28. 22. compared with verse 26. Ephes 1. 13. Israel They shall know that I am the Lord their God Paul of the beleeving Ephesians concerning Christ In whom ye trusted after that ye had heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation Others may consider the Gospel as a word of truth and a doctrine holding forth salvation but such as are savingly enlightened and sanctified by the Spirit view the salvation it holdeth forth as theirs and are ready to say of every truth therein contained This is good and good for me Happy man whosoever thou art that canst look by an eye of faith at the Gospel as the Charter of thy liberties at the condemning Law as cancelled by thy Surety at the Earth as the footstool of thy Fathers throne at Heaven as the portall of thy Fathers house at all the creatures in Heaven and Earth as an heir is wont to look at his fathers servants which are therefore his so far as he shall have need of them according to that All 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Fourthly Sincerity of obedience No doubt but Elies two sons being Priests had a literal knowledge of God yet being profane they are said expresly not to have known him They 1 Sam. 2. 12. were sons of Belial they knew not the Lord. When Lucius a bloudy persecuter offered to confess his Faith in hope thereby to beget in the auditours a good opinion of his orthodoxy Moses the religious Monk refused to hear him saying The eye might sometimes judge Ruffin histor Eccles lib. 2. cap. 6. of ones faith as well as the ear and that whosoever lived as Lucius did could not beleeve as a Christian ought Fully consonant hereunto is that of James I will James 2. 18. shew thee my faith by my works That of John He that saith I know God and keepeth 1 John 2. 4. not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him And that of Job Behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdome Job 22. last and to depart from evil is understanding APHORISME IV. Goodness and Greatness are Attributes so comprehensive as to include a multitude of divine perfections EXERCITATION 1. Exerc. 1. God described from goodness and greatness both without and within the Church A lively pourtraiture of his goodness in the several branches thereof Exod. 34. 6 7. Bowels of mercy implying inwardness and tenderness Our bowels of love to God of compassion to brethren Mercy not to be refused by unbelief nor abused by presumption § 1. THe most learned among the Heathen made account they had sufficiently characterized their Jupiter when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Optimus Maximus they styled him Good and Great yea the Best and Greatest of Beings Neither can it be denied that these two attributes if we take them in their latitude Aph. 4. comprehend very many of those perfections which commonly go under other names And this perhaps may be the reason why David in Psalm one hundred fourty fifth which the Rabbins are said to have esteemed so Coppen in argumento Psal 145. highly of as to determine but with more superstition then truth that whosoever repeated in thrice every day might be sure of eternal life having set himself to extoll God and to bless his name as appeareth by the first and second verses insisteth chiefly on these two Great is the Lord and greatly to be Psal 145. v. 3. praised and his greatness is unsearchable Shortly after They shall abundantly utter Vers 7. 8 9. the memory of thy great goodness The Lord is gracious and full of compassion slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works I shall accordingly treat of both and first of his Goodness § 2. Moses was skill'd in all the Acts 7. 22. learning of the Egyptians yet as not content herewith he becometh an humble suiter to God for some further and better knowledge I beseech thee saith he Exod. 33. 18. shew me thy glory Other notions may fill the head of a moral man nothing short of the knowledge of God can satisfie the heart of a Saint Wherefore in answer to this request the Lord maketh him a promise saying I will make Verse 19. all my goodness pass before thee The thing desired was a sight of his glory the thing promised a view of his Goodness Which intimateth that however in themselves all the Attributes of God be glorious yet he glorieth most in the manifestation of his goodness neither doth any bring him in so much glory from the creatures who are wont to magnifie this most I will mention the Isai 63. 7. loving kindnesses of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses So the Church in Isaiah Now the forementioned promise made to Moses in Exodus the three and thirtieth was made good in chapter the thirty fourth where the Lord is said to have passed by him and proclaimed The Lord the Lord God mercifull Exod 34 6. 7. Totum hunc locu◠ad bonitatem Dei pertinere asserit Ludovic de Dieu Auimadvers in loc and gracious long-suffering and abundant in bounty and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth generation All which clauses even the latter expounded by most of Gods Justice may be so interpreted as to relate to his Goodness rather It is twofold one Essential that wherewith God is good in himself the other Relative that whereby he doth good to his creatures The former is here set forth by the term Jehovah which is doubled and doth most fully serve to express it as coming from a root that signifieth Being For Goodness and Entity are convertible and Diabolus in quantum est bonus est August p. de Natur. 〈◊〉 c. 5. every thing so far forth as it partaketh of Being partaketh also of Bonity wherefore God in whom all degrees of Entity meet is undoubtedly most good The latter in
them in these a little before he was to be executed afforded a few whorish tears asking whether he might be saved by Christ or no When one told him that if he truly repented he should surely not perish he brake out into this speech Nay if your Christ be so easie to be intreated indeed as you say then I defie him and care not for him Horrible blasphemy desperate wickedness for a man to draw himself back from repentance by that very cord of love whereby he should have been drawn to it The next degree of impiety is when men are therefore bold to continue long in sinning because he with whom they have to do is a long-suffering God A vice which the Preacher of old took notice of Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil But let such fear and tremble at what followeth Though a sinner doth evil Eccles 8 11 12 13. an hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know it shall not be well with the wicked The Lord valueth every moment of his forbearance as in the parable Behold these three years I come seeking Luke 13. 7. fruit on this fig-tree and finde none Christ sets an high price upon every exercise of his patience as in the Canticles Open to me for my head is filled with Cantic 5. 2. dew and my locks with the drops of the night Take we heed of sleighting that which God and Christ value Know and consider that patience may be tired that however the Lord be long-suffering yet he will not suffer for ever but be weary of repenting in case men will not be weary of sinning Hear what was once said by himself to Jerusalem Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou Jerem. 15. 6. art gone backward therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee and destroy thee I am weary with repenting EXERCITATION 3. Exerc. 3. The bounty of God declared by his benefits viz. giving his Son to free us from hell his Spirit to fit us for heaven his Angels to guard us on earth large provisions in the way and full satisfaction at our journeys end Joh. 3. 16. James 1. 5. and Psal 24. 1. Glossed Isai 25. 6. Alluded to Inferences from divine Bounty beneficence to Saints not dealing niggardly with God exemplified in David Paul and Luther Truth in God is without all mixture of the contrary It appears in his making good of promises and threatnings teaching us what to perform and what to expect § 1. OUr Bibles in the next clause making use of the generical term have it Abundant in goodness I will make bold to vary a little from the common translation and to reade it Abundant in bounty because the word as Zanchy and others have observed most properly signifieth that kinde of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè significat benignitatem seu liberalem beneficentiam Zanch. de Natur Dei l. 1. câ— 18. Vide Fulleri miscellan lib. 1. c. 8. goodness which we call Bounty or Benignity and which maketh a fourth branch This God is abundant in witness the greatest of his gifts by which we are wont to measure the bounty of benefactours I shall instance in some of the chief He bestoweth upon us First His son to free us from hell God Joh. 3. 16. so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son He did not grant him upon Non concessit sed purissime dedit Stella the request and earnest suit of lapsed creatures but freely gave him unasked not a servant but a Son not an adopted son such as we are but a begotten begotten not as Saints are of his Jam. 1. 18. will by the word of truth but of his Nature he himself being the Word and the Truth not one of many but an onely Son thus begotten and this not for the procuring of some petty deliverance but that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Well might this gift of royal bounty be ushered in with a God so loved the world Majesty and love have been thought Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede morantur Majâ—stas amoâ— hardly compatible Yet behold the majesty of God bearing love and that to the world the undeserving yea ill-deserving world of mankinde Herein is love saith St John elsewhere let me say herein is bounty not that we loved 1 Joh. 4. 10. God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Loved and So loved that particle is most emphatical and noteth the transcendency of a thing either good or evil Paul speaking of the incestuous Corinthian decyphers him thus Him that hath so 1 Cor. 5. 3. done this deed so impudently so abominably so unchristianly The officers being astonied at our Saviours doctrine cried out Never man spake so as Joh. 7. 46. this man so excellently so powerfully so incomparably Here God so loved the world that is so freely so infinitely so unspeakably The Apostle himself who had been rapt up to the third heaven and there heard things not to be uttered wanteth words when he cometh to utter this and useth an accumulation of many because no one could serve his turn to express it sufficiently Not content to have styled it love mercie grace as not having yet said enough he calleth it great love glorious grace rich mercy yea exceeding riches Ephes 2. 4 5 7. of his glorious and mercifull grace in his second chapter to the Ephesians § 2. Secondly His Spirit to fit us for heaven Our heavenly Father is he that giveth the holy Spirit to them that ask Luke 11. 13. him The Spirit thus given worketh in us regeneration we are therefore said to be born of the Spirit and that real holiness Joh. 3. 5. 6. concerning which the Apostle saith without it no man shall see the Lord Hebr. 12. 14. So preparing us for that place which our Lord Jesus is gone before to prepare Joh. 14. 2 3. for us A daily conversation in heaven is the surest forerunner of a constant abode there The Spirit by enabling us hereunto first bringeth heaven into the soul then conducteth the soul to it Whence it is that Nehemiah recording the acts of Gods bounty to Israel reckoneth this as one of the principal Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct Nehem. 9. 20. them Thirdly His Angels to guard us on earth After David had said The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that Psal 34. 7 8. fear him and delivereth them he addeth immediately O taste and see that the Lord is good herein good in bestowing such a guard upon us It was an act of royal benignity towards Mordechai in king Ahashuerus to make Haman the favourite his attendant as he rode through the streets Lo here a
far greater the holy Angels those favourites in the Court of heaven are all ministring spirits Hebr. 1. 14. sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation A task which they perform without grudging although in themselves more noble creatures then we are both out of love to their younger brethren of whom they have a most tender care and out of obedience to God their Father and ours Psal 91. 11. Mittis Unigenitum immittis Spiritum nè quid vacet in coelestibus ab opere solicituelinis Angelos mittis in ministerium who hath given them charge so to do as it is in the Psalm He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways Lay this to the former as Bernard did and we shall see the whole heaven at work for our preservation God the Father sending his Son to redeem us the Fathet and Son sending their Spirit to guide us the Father Son and Spirit sending their Angels to minister for us O taste and see that the Lord is good bountifully good § 3. Fourthly Large provisions in the way We consist of body and soul he provideth plentifully for both giving 1. Tim. 6. 17. us richly all things to enjoy as one Apostle phraseth it yea as another giving unto Jam. 1. 5. all men liberally and not upbraiding Whereas ordinary benefactours by reason of their stinted abilities give either but a few things or to a few persons onely or if to many but sparingly and are besides apt to corrupt and blemish their good turns by casting them in the Authores pereunt garrulitate sui Martial receivers teeth and making their boast continually of them all these are here removed from God whilest he is said to give unto all men and that liberally yea and so as not to upbraid although whatever men receive yea whatever they are sin excepted be wholly his That of the Psalmist is very emphatical and well deserveth our consideration The earth is the Lords Psal 24. 1. and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein The house wherein a man dwelleth may be his landlords but the furniture his own Here we are told that not the earth onely but the fulness of it is the Lords Both house and furniture may be anothers but he that inhabiteth it his own man Here they that dwell therein are the Lords the inhabitants themselves as the room and the stuff To which agreeth that of St Paul ye are not your own 1 Cor. 6. 19. and that of an ancient writer cited by Heinsius Our very being is none of Nostrum non est quod sumus multò minùs quod habemus ours much less the things we have in possession As for spiritual provisions his people use not to be scanted in them Another particular reckoned up by Nehemiah when he set himself to celebrate the acts of divine bounty towards Israel◠was the institution of Ordinances Thou camest down also saith Nehem. 9. 13. 14. he speaking to God upon mount Sinai and spakest with them from heaven and gavest them right judgements and true laws good statutes and commandements and madest known unto them thy holy Sabbath One way whereby great Princes are wont to manifest their royal bounty is the making of great feasts as Ahasuerus and Solomon did we may safely allude to the Prophets expression though the place have another meaning and say of the Church in that respect In this mountain doth the Lord of hosts make Isai 25. 6. unto all people a feast of fat things of wine on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wine on the lees well refined Good Sermons and Prayers are like well refined wines and as Christ himself is a Saviour full of merits so is his Gospel a doctrine full of promises his Supper a Sacrament full of mysteries his Sabbath a day full of opportunities all his Ordinances fat things full of marrow § 4. Fifthly Full satisfaction at our journeys end Now indeed as the natural so the spiritual eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the spiritual ear with hearing because we see but as through a 1 Cor. 13. 12. glass darkly not face to face and know but in part that of which we hear Then shall eye and ear have enough when we shall see God as he is and hear Christ 1 Joh. 3. 2. saying Come ye blessed of my Father inherit Matth. 25. 34. the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Here although beleeving souls have fellowship with Sistitur appetitus in via satiatur in patria God in Christ sufficient to stay their stomachs as at a breakfast yet that degree of fruition is wanting which should satiate them fully as at a feast beyond that of Ordinances What shall there be enjoyed will replenish every chink of rational appetites the first Truth filling up our understandings and the chief Good our wills to the very brim Then shall that be to the utmost verified which David once said of regenerate persons They shall be abundantly Psal 36. 8. 9. satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountain of life in thy light shall we see light § 5. For improvement hereof As our Saviour once said Be ye mercifull so Be ye bountifull let me say as your father is bountifull St Paul having praised the Macedonians for their deep poverty abounding unto the riches of their liberality urgeth the grace and benignity of Christ as a principal motive to excite his Corinthians to a like exercise of bounty towards the poor Saints at Jerusalem For ye know saith 2 Cor. 8. 2 9. he the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be-rich More especially let us all learn from hence not to deal niggardly with God himself but to think no pains too great no expence too much no time too long that is spent in his service Not as the manner of some is who so manage the profession of religion as if their main care and study were how to serve him with most ease and to come off with the cheapest performances David Paul and Luther were men of another spirit The first as he delighted in the commemoration of divine bounty to him saying I will Psal 13. 6. sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me And again Return Psal 116. 7. unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee so he was no niggard in his returns but ever and anon enquiring what he should do to testifie his thankfulness What shall I Psal 116. 12. render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me And as providence offered occasion laying himself out for God witness that his resolution testified to
their own mercy § 2. Well may we therefore trust God with our posterity seeing he that hath shewed mercy to us keepeth mercy for them As that fountain of light the Sun is not weary with shining it giveth us light and keepeth light for our Antipodes so this fountain of mercy is never tired with communicating goodness to one generation after another Good parents in bad times are often troubled with great solicitude when they think what will become of their children after them Let such consider that they leave them in his hand who is a God keeping mercy for thousands as Luther did who had this passage in his last Will and Testament Lord God I thank thee for that thou hast Melch. Adam Vit. German Theol. p. 134. been pleased to make me a poor and indigent man upon earth I have neither house nor land nor money to leave behinde me Thou hast given me wife and children I restore them to thee Lord nourish teach and preserve them as thou hast hitherto done me O thou that art a Father of the fatherless and a judge of the widows Let them remember how much mercy is entailed upon the issue of beleevers by vertue of these and the like places He will bless them Psal 115. 13 14. that fear the Lord both small and great The Lord will increase you more and more both you and your children The just man walketh Prov. 20. 7. in his integrity his children are blessed after him And that Satan never can God never will cut off this entail unless either the children degenerate or the parents distrusting providence make use of some unlawfull means for their promotion In which case Wo to him saith the Prophet that coveteth an Hab. 2. 9 10 11. evil covetousness to his house that he might set his nest on high Thou hast consulted shame to thy house For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beam out of the timber shall answer it If Jeroboam out of design to secure the kingdome and settle the crown in his own line will take the practise of Idolatry as a means to this end This thing becomes sin unto the house of 1 King 13. 34. Jeroboam even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the face of the earth No wonder then if when Gods own peculiar people begin to distrust him and by reason of unbelief take irregular courses for their advancement in the world this very thing prove an obstruction to that mercy which they and theirs might have otherwise been partakers of Such as would be sure to finde him a God shewing and keeping mercy unto Exod. 20. 6. thousands must be carefull to be found in the number of those that love him and keep his commandments as he himself informeth us in the Decalogue § 3. The seventh branch is forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Where the terms are multiplied to note the readiness of God to forgive our offences how many soever they be though transgression be added to iniquity and sin to transgression How great soever See Muis on Psal 51. 2. they be Pescha which signifieth rebellious as well as Chattaah which imports failings and of what kinde soever they be whether original viz. the crookednes perversnes of nature intimated in Avon the word used in that speech of David Behold I was shapen in iniquity or actuall expressed by the two other terms To help our understanding herein the Holy Ghost in Scripture is pleased to make use of sundry expressions very significant when he speaks of Gods pardoning sin viz. I. Taking it away as in that place of Hosea where the Church is directed to make her addresses on this wise Take Hos 14. 2. with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips Not as if when iniquity is forgiven it were presently to be taken out of the memory but that which the Saints desire is to have it taken out of the conscience that their hearts may accuse them for it no more As a thorn in the hedge is a fence but an offence in the midst of a garden So sin in the memory may do well to keep us from relapsing but is a grievance in the conscience Which made Austin after assurance Quid retribuam Domino quòd recolit haec memoria mea anima mea non metuit inde August Confess lib. 2. c. 7. of forgiveness when he had made confession of his former aberrations bless God that he could now call them to minde without being affrighted at the consideration of them II. Casting of our sins behinde his back So in Hezekiahs song Thou hast in love to my soul saith he delivered it from the Isa 38. 17. pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back This God doth with a purpose never to view them more Oculo vindice so as to take vengeance for them though Oculo judice he cannot but by reason of his Omniscience see and discern them All the while Davids sins were before his own face and he making a penitent confession of them as in the one and fiftieth Psalm I acknowledged Psalm 51. 3. my transgressions and my sin is ever before me they were cast behinde the back of God as the Prophet Nathan assured him saying The Lord hath put 2 Sam. 12. 13. away thy sin thou shalt not die III. Scattering them as a cloud or as a mist So the Geneva translation hath it in that cheering passage of Isaiah I have Isa 44. 22. put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sins as a mist Sin is that which interposeth it self between the soul and the light of Gods countenance But whether it be a slender mist or a thick cloud an infirmity or a rebellion the sun of righteousness eyed by faith can and will dispell it so as to make it vanish § 4. IV. Covering or hiding them So in the Psalm Blessed is he whose transgression Psalm 32. 1. is forgiven whose sin is covered Men never Si texit peccata Deus noluit advertere Si noluit advertere noluit animadvertere Si noluit animadvertere noluit punire August in loc punish hidden sins because the law taketh notice of none but such onely as come to light by breaking out in words or actions God is accordingly said to cover and hide those sins as it were out of his sight which he never intends to inflict punishment for V. Throwing them into the depth of the Sea Thus in Micha's Prophesie Who is Micah 7. 18 19. a God like unto thee that pardoneth c. He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the Sea Alluding perhaps to what befell Pharaoh and his host in the red sea which drowned the greatest Egyptian Commanders as well as the meanest
understanding God is greater then our heart and knoweth 1 Joh. 3. 20. all things Everlasting duration Behold Job 36. 26. God is great and we know him not neither can the number of his years be searched out Omnipresent immensity Great is our 2 Chr. 2. 5 6. God above all gods Who is able to build him an house seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him Secondly each particular dimension is elsewhere applied to these very attributes though some with more clearness then others Height to Gods Sovereignty He that is higher then the Eccles. 6. 8. highest regardeth and there be higher then they Depth to his Omniscience O the Rom. 11. 33. depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! Length to his Eternity He asked life and thou gavest it to him even length of days for ever and ever Psal 21. 4. Which Calvin and the Chaldee paraphrase apply to Christ understanding thereby the eternal duration of his kingdome Lastly breadth to his Omnipresence but covertly in that of Isaiah The glorious Lord will be unto us a Isa 33. 21. place of broad rivers and streams to signifie that protection and safety which his presence with his Church in every place affords to all the members thereof like a broad river encompassing a fenced town on every side Thirdly Me thinks there is somewhat exprest in Zophars speech which as to the two former particulars tends to this interpretation For having said It is as high as heaven he presently adds What canst thou do meaning perhaps what are thy weak abilities to his omnipotence He in regard of his Sovereign power can do all things but thou alas what canst thou do And after affirming It is deeper then hell he subjoyneth what canst thou know as if he had said what are thy shallow apprehensions to the depth of his thoughts He in regard of his omniscient understanding knoweth all things but thou poor man What canst thou know § 2. If it be asked why I expound all these clauses of God seeing the particles It and Thereof It is high as heaven The measure thereof seem to relate unto somewhat else My answer is that Expositours differ much about this very thing and according to their several apprehensions translate the words after a different manner The vulgar Latine and our old English translations carry all to Almighty God who was mentioned in the verse before Canst thou finde out the Almighty reading it thus He is higher then heaven what art thou able to do His length exceeds the length of the earth c. Others considering that divers words in the original text being feminine will not agree in construction with Eloah and Saddai whereby God is there exprest have therefore looked back to the sixt verse for an antecedent where they meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome and expound all of it inserting the word Sapientia into their Latine translations as Oecolampadius and Junius do But for my part there is I conceive a word nearer hand which will serve the turn better and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perfection Canst thou finde out the Almighty unto perfection It that is the Perfection of God is as high as heaven c. And herein I joyn with Castellio whose translation is fully squared to this sense for so he readeth the place Tune Dei intima pervestiges aut ipsam adeò perfectionem Omnipotentis invenias Quae cùm coelum altitudine adaequet quid ages c. Now I interpret the words as before because however they be read whether God or wisdome or Perfection be taken for the antecedent it cometh to one and the same issue for the Wisdome of God is himself and his Perfection comprehends not Wisdome onely but all his other excellencies whatsoever insomuch as Lessius intitleth his book concerning the Attributes De perfectionibus divinis The way thus cleared I now proceed without further interruption to single out the particular dimensions and discourse of them in their order § 3. Seeing all divine perfections far transcend humane capacities the safest way as I humbly conceive for us to make a due estimate concerning the height of Gods sovereignty is to compare it with that of earthly potentates which is within the compass and reach of our understandings Verily it is not without cause that S. Paul styles him the 1 Tim. 6. 15. blessed and onely potentate the King of kings and Lord of lords that Moses Melchisedech and Abram entitle him the most high God Gen. 14. v. 18 19 20 22. four times in one chapter For upon search it will appear that his Sovereignty excels that of the high and mighty ones upon earth in point of Extensiveness of Unaccountableness and of Almightiness I. In point of extensiveness His kingdome Psalm 103. 19. ruleth over all The whole earth and sea which make but one globe is to the Universe but as a little central point the mightiest potentate hath no more but his share in that little Whereupon Seneca bringeth in his wise vertuous man with this censure and sarcasme in his mouth Is this that Point Hoc est illud punctum quod inter tot gentes ferro iâ—ni dividitur O quà m cidiculi sunt mortalium termini Punctum est istud in quo navigatis in quo bellatis in quo Regna disponitis minima c. Senec. Natural quaest lib. 1. in Praefatione which so many Nations of the world do so strive to divide among themselves by fire and sword O how ridiculous are the bounds of mortal men All that in which they sail to and fro manage their wars and set up their petty kingdomes is but a Point Whereas the Sovereignty of God extendeth it self to the whole earth and sea yea to heaven and the heaven of heavens giving laws not onely to the visible host of sun moon and stars but also to the invisible host of Angels who are said to Psalm 103. 20. excell in strength and to do his commandments hearkning unto the voice of his word Yea there is not a Devil in hell that can go beyond the length of his chain for even those legions of darkness are though much against their wils subjected to the empire of the father of lights Yea whereas the dominion of worldly Potentates reacheth but to the outward man and their laws cannot directly oblige the conscience so as to bring upon it a guilt binding over the soul to death his do And in this respect St James telleth us that there is one James 4. 12. law-giver one and but one who is able to save and to destroy The style which Paul giveth earthly governours is masters Ephes 6. 5. according to the flesh but Moses calleth Numb 17. 16. God the God of the spirits of all flesh to imply that however there be many who lord it sufficiently over the flesh and outward man there
over the creatures But every man since the fall is a slave born a servant to divers lusts and pleasures Neither is there any way for getting out of this estate but getting into Christ who restoreth all such as close with him to a spiritual Sovereignty Making them kings to God and his father Rev. 1. 6. and upholding them with his royall Spirit as some reade that in the Psalm Till then Psal 51. 12. what are whole Nations of men but to speak in the Prophets language as the drops of a bucket which in their fall Isa 40. 15. are so licked up by the dust of the earth as they are no more discernable or as the small dust of the ballance which is of no moment at all towards turning of the beam one way or other And if Nations be so inconsiderable what shall we say of particular persons I will suppose a mighty Prince but an unbeleever styled your Highness or your Majesty at every word and be bold to present him upon this occasion with Zophars interrogatory What canst thou do When God leaveth thee to thy self how impotent are thy best abilities as to the things of a better world Seeing they are such as no natural man can either receive for they are foolishness to him and must be spiritually 1 Cor. 2. 14. discerned or close with when they are discovered for the carnal minde is Rom. 8. 7. enmity against God it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be May these and the like considerations work so kindly upon us as Canutus his not being able to set bounds to the ocean did upon him It is an history worth the remembring This Canutus Cambden Britannia out of H. Huntington was one of the ancient kings of England who really to refute the flatterers by whom he was told that all things were at his command caused his royall Pavilion to be set upon the sands when the tide was coming in then said to the sea Thou belongest to my dominion and this earth which my throne standeth upon is mine I charge thee therefore not to flow in upon my ground nor to wet the feet of thy Sovereign Lord. But in vain for the tide kept its course and came up to his feet without doing him any reverence Whereupon he removed further off and said Be it known to all men in the world that the power of Princes is but a vain empty thing and that none fully deserveth the name of a Sovereign Lord but he at whose beck heaven and earth yield their obedience who can say to the sea hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be staid It is also reported that after this he never put on his crown more O that all the sons of men would accordingly learn from this branch of divine greatness never to boast more of their own abilities but to throw down all their crowns at the feet of Christ who though omnipotence be incommunicable leaveth upon such as receive him by faith some impressions and footsteps of it For whereas divine Almightiness standeth in two things especially to wit in Gods being able to do all things that are regularly possible and his not being able to do any sinfull thing there are some prints of both upon Christians I can do all things saith Philip. 4. 13. St Paul through Christ that strengtheneth me And whosoever is born of God 1 John 3. 9. saith St John cannot sin because he is born of God EXERCITATION 7. Exerc. 7. The depth of divine Omniscience seen in discerning the deep things of man yea of Satan yea of God Our Nescience discovered and acknowledged The longitude of Gods perfection stated Eternitie proper to him Not assumed by or ascribed to men without blasphemy § 1. THe second dimension is the depth of Gods Omniscience which appears in that he is able to found and fadome the deepest things whether of man or of Satan or of the Divine essence and will First There are deep things of men Their words are deep and again The Prov. 18. 4. words of a mans mouth are as deep waters Their hearts and counsels much more Both the inward thoughts of every one of them and the heart is deep So David of Psal 64. 6. the churches enemies Counsel in the Prov. 20. 5. heart of man is like a deep water So Solomon of wise sages who are therefore compared by a learned writer to coffers with double bottoms which when others look into being opened they see not all they hold on the suddain Sr. Walter Ralegh's hist book 5. p. 359. and at once But these are no depths to God to whom David said There is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord Psal 139. 4. thou knowest it altogether And elsewhere The Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth Chron. 28. 9. all the imaginations of the thoughts Neither is it the least act of Gods goodness to mankinde that he is pleased to reserve the searching of hearts to himself as part of his own prerogative royal because if men were able to dive into one anothers thoughts there would be no quiet in the world no peaceable living one by another in regard of that hidden hypocrisie and malice which lurks in the most § 2. Secondly Deep things of Satan spoken of in the Revelation As many as have not this doctrine and which have not Revel 2. 24. known the depths of Satan as they speak Seducers are wont to boast of their mysterious tenents and to speak of them as great depths not to be fadomed by common christians Christ in that Epistle of his to the church of Thyatira makes use of their own term Depths as they speak but so as to brand them for Depths of Satan fetch'd from hell whereas they perhaps held them forth as new truths glorious lights and revelations from above Thus popery is a mystery but a mystery of iniquity as Paul styleth it and Socinianisme a depth but a Depth of Satan There is not a serpentine winding or turning in any of those corrupt opinions which pester and poyson the Church of Christ at this day but God seeth and knoweth it how hard soever it be for his servants to discover and refute To these may be added all those other hellish designs which go under other names in the Scripture as The wiles of the divel and his devices Ephes 6. 11. 2 Cor. 2. 11. all which dark secrets are not in the dark to divine understanding And he that now sees them all will one day reckon with Satan for them yea and sink him so much the deeper into hell by how much his depths have done more mischief upon earth I say into hell where he shall have those agents and factours by whom he now carrieth on his cursed work for his cursed companions to eternitie according to that in the Apocalyps The divel that
Spiritus Dei stultificaverit Then and there onely will our doctrine of predestination have a sweet rellish when and where the Spirit of God shall have befooled the conceits of wicked reason That which Paul celebrateth as the true cause of our election is 1. The good pleasure of Gods will according 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which he disposeth both of persons and things arbitrarily as himself liketh best And in this our reason would better acquiesce were it throughly defecated by grace That of Christ which never had any corruption in it fully did as appeareth by that famous address of his to God the father I thank thee O father Matth. 11. 55. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight 2. The counsel of his will Although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God may be truly said to act arbitrarily yet he never doth any thing unadvisedly but according to the counsel of his will which is always rational though our shallow reason in this state of degeneracy and mortality be not able to fathome the depth of its contrivements and thereupon ready to cavil at and call in question the equity of them Such as do so if any such shall cast an eye upon these papers must give me leave to say unto them as one of our ancient writers did to their forefathers The Apostle saith he having discoursed of these mysteries acknowledgeth Hieron in epistola ad Ctesiphontem their depth and adoreeth the wisdome of God in them Dignare tu ista nescire Concede Deo potentiam sui Nequaquam te indiget defensore Be thou also willing to be ignorant of such things Leave God himself in the modelling of his decrees and dispensations He will be sure to do it so as not to stand in need of any apology or defence of thine To which let me add a saying of Luther and with it conclude Tu Ratio stulta es non sapis quae sunt Dei. Itaque nè obstrepas mihi sed taâ—e non judica sed audi verbum Dei 〈◊〉 this Exercitation Reason saith he thou art a fool and dost not understand the matters of God Wherefore be not obstreperous but hold thy prating make not thy self a judge of these things but attend to the word of God and beleeve EXERCITATION 2. Preterition described The term defended Ephes 1. 4. compared with Revel 17. 8. Ephes 1. 9. and Rom. 9. 13. expounded God not bound to any creature except by promise The parable in Matth. 20. urged The three consequents of negative reprobation Dr Davenants Animadversions against Mr Hoards book recommended The goodness of God manifested in Election as in a most free peculiar ancient leading and standing favour § 1. HAving so fully discoursed of Election by which the Decree of preterition is to be measured there will be less need of enlarging much upon that Take onely this description of it after a brief explication whereof I intend if God will to proceed unto other concernments Preterition or negative Reprobation is an eternal decree of God purposing within himself to deny unto the Non-elect Exerc. 2. that peculiar love of his wherewith election is accoÌ„panied as also that special grace which infallibly bringeth to glory Of which negations permission of sin obduration in sin and damnation for sin are direct consequents This description carries in the face of it a clear reason why the thing described goeth under the name of Negative reprobation because it standeth mainly in the denial of those free favours which it pleaseth God to bestow upon his elect As for the term of preterition we neither are nor ought to be ashamed thereof however some bold writers have jeered it because it is very significant and hath been made use of by their betters Prosper by name and that both in verse and in prose For in one of his Poems he recordeth this as a Pelagian tenent Quòd gratia Christi Nullum omnino hominem de cunctis qui generantur Praetereat That of all mankinde the Grace of Christ passeth by none And in his Treatise de Vocatione Gentium he beginneth the thirteenth chapter of his first book with this saying Quòd si aliquos Salvantis gratia praeterierit c. If saving grace have passed by any it is to be referred to the unsearchable judgements of God and those ways of his which are past finding out by us in this life This premised let us take a transient view of the chief particulars in the description § 2. It is First an eternal decree coeternal with that of election for the very choosing of some to salvation implieth a passing by of such as were not chosen Let the Reader compare that passage in Ephes 1. 4. He hath chosen Agnoscendum est secreti hujus profunditatem nobis in hac vita patere non posse us before the foundation of the world with that parenthesis Rev. 17. 8. whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world Secondly a decree which God purposed in himself We reade in one place of the purpose of God according to Election and in another of Gods good pleasure Rom. 9. 11. Ephes 1. 9. Deus in negatio praedest nationis non egreditur extra sâ—ipsum Institut l. 3. cap. 22. which he hath purposed in himself The like may be said of preterition His good pleasure is the sole fountain of both The root of both is within himself and not in any thing without him as hath been well observed by Calvin Thirdly the eternal purpose of God was to deny the Non-elect that peculiar love wherewith his election is accompanied in which respect he is said to hate them Jacob have I loved but Esau Rom. 9. 13. have I hated A term by which some Divines are willing to understand no more then his not being willing to bestow everlasting happiness upon them because Hatred in Scripture is often put to signifie a less degree of Love We may not beleeve that Leah was odious to her husband yet the text saith God saw that Leah was hated which is certainly to be expounded out of the verse foregoing where it is said of Jacob that he loved Rachel more Gen. 29. 30 31. then Leah He loved Leah perhaps less then he ought surely less then he did her sister and in that respect is said to have hated her That to the Romanes concerning Esau some interpret in proportion to what is there said concerning Leah and among the rest Aquinas God saith he loveth all men In quantum quibusdam non vult hoc bonum quod est vita aterna dicitur eos habere odio vel reprobare Tho. part 1. qu. 23. art 3. ad â— um in as much as he willeth some good to all but in as
all things that stretcheth sorth the heavens alone that spreadeth abroad the earth by my self Yea so necessary was the confession of this truth with the utmost hazard to distinguish God from Idols that to the end the Jews who were then captives in Babylon might not be wholly to seek for a profession of their faith they had this verse in the Hebrew Bible written then and so still in Chaldee letters Thus shall ye say unto them The Gods that have not made the heavens and the earth even they shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens Jerem. 10. 11. ' E◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. de Monarthia Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trismegistus Not unsutable whereunto is that of Pythagoras long since cited by Justin Martyr Whosoever would from henceâ—orth challenge any Diety to himself must be able to shew such a world as this and to say in truth This is of my making and that of Trismegist an heathen too in one of his books There are mainly three to be considered God the World and Man the world made for man and man for God § 2. But we have a more sure word of Prophesie and to that let us take heed It will shew us First How we Christians by faith understand that the Hebr. 11. 3. worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Well might a Gilb. Voetius Disput Theol. part 1 p. 881. late writer conclude his Discourse of Creation with this Epiphonema Quantum est quod nescimus The truth is it is but little that we can learn from Philosophers even concerning Creation it self the onely Article of the Creed which they speak fully too unacquainted with Scripture Which made Maximilian the first to say that the Audiâ—ndi sunt Ethâ—ici non â—anquam Philomeâ—e sed tanquam Ranae Apud Voetium ibid. pag. 680. Ethnicks were to be heard not as singing Nightingales but as croaking frogs And two great Physicians betake themselves to the study of Scripture for understanding the secrets of Nature One Sennertus who findeth much fault with those who perverted the text of Moses and interpreted him out of heathen writers ausu infelici saith he non tolerando by an unhappy and intolerable undertaking The other Vallesius Huic lectioni consecrari senectutem statui in his philosophari c. Vallosius who in the Preface to his Sacra Philosophia telleth us that whereas he had in the former part of his life commented upon all Aristotles Acromasticks and many pieces both of Hippocrates and Galen he was resolved to devote the remainder of his days to the study of the holy Scriptures and to seek his Philosophy out of them for time to come By faith we understand A Christian firmly beleeves those truths concerning the time and manner of the worlds creation because he hath Scripture testimony for them That the worlds were framed speaking after the Jewish mode though there be indeed but one world in the plurall number for the Hebrews then were wont to mention a threeâ—old viz. an inferiour a middle and a superiour world as Camero Cameron Myrothec pag. 288. telleth us Framed by the word of God saith this place When Solomon was to build a magnificent Temple he needed many workmen and they many tools Not so God who did all without any coadjutour any instrument by the sole word of his command By the word of Psaâ— 33. 6. the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth Let Psal 148. 5. them praiâ—e the name of the Lord for he commanded and they were created Art can work if Nature first afford it some complete matter Let an artificer have a stone he can make a statue otherwise not Nature can work if there be a principle to work upon though incomplete Let there be seed it can produce a plant let there be spawn a fish But to work without praeexistent matter Dr Jacksons Commentary on the Creed 2d part chap. 6. § 4. pag. 64. so as to bring forth the first plant without seed the first fish without a spawn yea the first principles of these and all things else out of nothing by his sole word is proper to God So that things which are seen as it followeth here were not made of things which do appear That Rule Ex nihilo nihil fit holds in natura constituta now that God hath set nature in a course of working by secondary causes enabled to produce effects like themselves but in natura constituenda it was otherwise when God wrought by his word of command and is therefore called Elohim by Moses two and thirty times in his history of creation as Mercer observeth The Schoolmen for the most part express that which is here called Things that do not appear by the term Nothing either simply Nothing or No such thing as it appeared to be at first yet when they speak of Non-ens they take not the word materially as if mear Nothing were the matter of which any Being were framed but Terminatively as the term from which the Creatour moved For example the Angels they say and the souls of men together with the Essential forms of natural bodies were not then educed ex potentia materiae as they are since in the ordinary course of generation by Vâ—ssii Thes p. 12. particular agents but induced in materiam by God himself the universal cause and had an immediate Production by the Creatour whereas some other things as the Sun Mans body had a mediate creation as being produced ex non-ente tali from such things as of themselves could not have caused such effects but by virtue of Gods creative word B. Hall contemplat of creation Doctor Hall hath given us the true notion of this in a compendious saying of his God made something out of nothing and of that something all things So as if all things be run to their first Original they will be found to come up out of the womb of Nothing from whence nothing but Almightiness could have fetch 't them § 3. That although the creatures be now subject to vanity yet the goodness of God did shine forth in their first production and is still abundantly manifested in them The creature saith Paul speaking of its present state Rom. 9. 21. was made subject to vanity Whatsoever thing had any being of it self and was not for ever but did receive a being in time and that from God is a creature saith Daneus well thereby excluding the Divinity of Christ which was Creatura est res omnis quae neque à sciâ—sa est neque semper fuit sed ut aliquando à Deo producta est Daneus Physic Christ in p. 59. from everlasting as the Angels were not but produced by God in time and sins of all sorts because though God be
his being swallowed up with overmuch sorrow lest Satan saith he should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices 2 Cor. 2. 7 11. V. Because if we look to our selves cheerfulness is advantageous both to our bodies therefore compared to the best food such as men use to have at feasts He that is of a merry heart hath a Prov. 15. 15. continual feast and the best physick too A merry heart doth good like a medicine Prov. 17. 22. but a broken spirit drieth the bones And also our spirits Uncheerfulness maketh the soul of a man drive heavily as the chariots of Pharaoh did in the red sea but the joy of the Lord oyleth the wheels Cheerfulness supples the joynts of our hearts and so rendereth them nimble and active in holy performances See Nehemiah 8. 10. VI. Because if we cast our eyes upon others the uncheerfulness of professours often bringeth a bad report upon the profession and maketh the world ready to beleeve that Christians serve a bad master or have but an hard service of it whereas their rejoycing in the ways of the Lord would help to bring others in love with religion See Acts 9. 31. and Esther 8. the two last verses § 7. Fifthly Endure afflictions so as in the day of adversity duly to consider the Nature Authour and Ends of Crosses I. The Nature of those afflictions that befall men in Christ They are not Inter vincula carnisicis Chirurgi Chamier Panstrat from vindicative justice which is wholly removed from such by the mediation of him in whom they have beleeved and so not formally punishments but from fatherly discipline whereby it cometh to pass that although the matter be the same there is as much difference between the sufferings of beleevers and of ungodly persons out of Christ as there is between the cords wherewith an executioner pinioneth his condemned malefactour and those wherewith the indulgent Chirurgion bindeth his patient the ones design being to kill the others to cure They are crosses indeed which beleevers undergo but no curses and have no such malignity in them as the world imagineth II. The Authour Well might Eliphaz Job 5 6. say Trouble springs not out of the ground for it cometh from heaven and that out of love As many as I love Rev. 3. 19. saith Christ I rebuke and chasten How bitter soever the cup be which I am to drink and by whomsoever it is handed to me the comfort is it was of my heavenly fathers mixing who I am sure would not put any poysonfull although he do put some displeasing ingredients into it I will therefore say Christ enabling as Christ himself did The cup which my father hath given me shall John 18. 11. I not drink it III. The Ends Which are specially three 1. The mortifying of our corruptions By this shall the iniquity of Jacob Isa 27. 9. be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin All the harm which the fiery furnace did the young men in Daniel was to burn off their cords our lusts are cords cords of vanity in Scripture-phrase the fiery tryal is sent on purpose to burn and consume them Afflictions help to scour off this kinde of rust Adversity like winter-weather is of use to kill the vermine which the the summer of prosperity is wont to breed 2. For the enlivening and quickning of our graces I spake unto Jerem. 22. 21. unto thee in thy prosperity and thou saidst I will not hear But elsewhere Lord in Isa 26. 16. trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when they chastening was upon them These two places compared shew how apt prosperity is to make men Gallio's adversity to render them Zelots As bruising maketh aromatical spices to send out their savour and collision fetcheth fire out of the flint which was hid before so pressures excite devotion The cold water of persecution is often cast in the Churches face to fetch her again when she is in a swoon 3. For the furthering of our glory Christ went from the Cross to Paradise so do Christians He was made perfect through Heb. 2. 10. sufferings so are they It became him to Luke 24. 26. suffer and to enter into his glory It becomes them to tread in their masters steps When the founder hath cast his bell he doth not presently hang it up in the steeple but first try it with his hammer and beat upon it on every side to see if any flaw be in it Christ doth not presently after he hath converted a man convey him to heaven but suffers him first to be beaten upon by manifold temptations and after advanceth him to the crown spoken of Jam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptations for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him this crown the cross makes way for although no cross can merit it but that of Christ Yet as law is said to work wrath occasionally So Our light afflictions which are but for a moment work 2 Cor. 1. 17. for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory APHORISME VI. Aph. 6. Providence extends it self not onely to all created beings and to all humane affairs especially those that concern the Church but even to the sins of Angels and men EXERCITATION 1. Introduction concerning the contents of this Aphorisme Providence over all created beings Preservation of men to be ascribed to God himself not to good men yea not to good Angels in whom heart-searching and patience wanting Providence reaching to humane affairs Oeconomical Civil Military Moral and Ecclesiastical Anastasius his design frustrate Rome and our nation instanced in I. G. castigated § 1. THis Aporisme requireth a clear demonstration of these propositions 1. That divine providence extends it self to all created beings 2. That it reacheth to Exerc. 1. all humane affairs 3. That it is especially seen in such affairs as concern the Church And 4. That although God be not the authour of sin yet his providence is an actour in it Unto these when I shall have added an answer to objections and from each proposition an inference the whole will be completely handled The first proposition which I am to begin with is Divine providence extends it self to all created Beings Well may we strike in with the Levites in that form of acknowledging God wherein they went before the people saying Thou even thou art Lord alone Nehem. 9. 6. Thou hast made heaven the heaven of heavens with all their host the earth and all things that are therein the seas and all that is therein and thou preservest them all David bringeth it down a little lower Thy judgements are a great deep O Lord Psal 36. 6. thou preservest man and beast Job lower yet What shall I do unto thee O thou preserver Job 7.
20. of men As God made all things by the word of his command He commanded and they were created so he upholds them all in being by the word of his Psal 148. 5. Heb. 1. 3. power Heaven earth sea man and beast especially man It is not with God as with carpenters and shipwrights who make houses for other men to dwell in vessels for others to sail in and therefore after they are made look after them no more God who made all things for himself looks to the preservation of all It is accordingly said of Christ All things were created by him and for him and by him all Col. 1. 16 17. things consist The creatures are all as vessels which if unhooped by withdrawing of Gods manutenency all the liquor that is in them their several vertues yea their several Beings would run out and they return to their first nothing Schoolmen compare God to the sun creatures to the air The sun shines by its own nature the air onely by participation of light from the Sun So whatever good the creatures have is by derivation from Jehovah the fountain of Being Take away the light of the Sun the air ceaseth to shine and so it is here As things Artificial are preserved in their being by the duration of such natural things as they consist of v. g. an house by the lasting of stones and timber so things natural which depend upon God by the continuance of that Divine influence by which they were at first made § 2. It is not in good men to preserve themselves or others They derogate from God exceedingly that ascribe too much in this kinde to any man as some luxuriant French wits did to Cardinal Richelieu of whom they said That God Almighty might Howels Lustra Ludovici p. 166. put the Government of the world into his hands That France in Gods and the Cardinals hands was too strong that what Idem in the proem to â—is hâ—stâ—ry of Lewis 13. fol. 2. the soul was to the body the same was he to France Si foret his nullus Gallia nulla foret Yea one frivilous pamphleter profanely and ridiculously called him The fourth person in the Trinity Yea not in good Angels themselves Who Hebr. 1. 14. though they be all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation yet are none of them governing spirits appointed to provide for mankinde the utmost rewards and punishments They are wanting in two qualifications which should enable them hereunto one is the knowledge of mens hearts where the truth of grace or venome of sin lieth the other patience whereof no Angel hath enough to bear with men without destroying them for their continual provocations Whereas in God there is a meeting of both these See for the former Jerem. 15. 9 10. The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it I the Lord search the heart I trie the reins even to give every man according to his waies and according to the fruit of his doing And for the latter Hosea 11. 9. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man we may add and say God and not Angell § 3. The second proposition follows viz. That Divine Providence reacheth to all humane affairs which we may for methods sake subdivide into Oeconomical Civil Military Moral and Ecclesiastical Humane affairs are I. Oeconomical such as do belong to a Family For example Riches and Poverty Preferment and Debasement which in Hannah's song are ascribed 1 Sam. 2. 7 8. to the sole Providence of God The Lord said she maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil c. yea to instance in blessings highly prized by Christian Families Grace and Peace which are the things prayed for by the Apostles in most of their benedictions We read of Saints in Cesar's houshold Quisquis Cristianum se esse coa fitetur is tanquam generis humani hostis sine ulteriore sui defensione capite plectatur Camerar Orat. 1. cap. 39. p. 135. Phil. 4. 22. Nero that monster of men was Cesar then he that had published a bloudy law That whosoever profest himself Christian should be apprehended as an enemy to mankinde and put to death without any further defence Yet even in his house the Providence of God hath so wrought as to convert and preserve such men as were men of grace Saints indeed not onely in his Empire and under his Government but in his Family and under his Roof As for Peace that of the Rabbins although it be somewhat a quaint yet may be Take â—the first letter of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vir and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foe-mina there remains 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignis M. Gaâ—akers Serm. on Eleazars prayer Gen. 24. 12 13 14. p. 8. an usefull observation Take the first letter say they of Gods name out of the name of the man and the last out of the womans name and there remains nothing but fire implying that there is like to be nothing but the fire of contention and strife jealousie and heart-burnings between man and wife where they come not together in Gods name Whereas if wisdome make the match as it doth when people marry in the Lord happy are they who are so met For her waies are waies of pleasantness and all her paths are Prov. 3. 17. peace II. Civil such as belongeth to Kingdomes Republicks Corporations or to men as combined in such Societies Many are the contrivements of men to work themselves and others into places of Government but when all this is done that of the Psalmist is most true Promotion comes neither Psalm 15. 6 7. from the east nor from the west nor from the south But God is the judge he pulleth down one and setteth up another And that of Daniel He changeth the times Dan. 2. 21. and the seasons he removeth kings and setteth up kings Witness this history Anastasius a Grecian Emperour having no Male issue to succeed him was desirous to transfer the Throne to one of his three Nephews whom he had bred up and not being able to resolve which of them he should take put the thing to lot thus He caused to be prepared three beds in the Royal-Chamber and made his Crown to be hanged within the tester of one of these beds called the Realm being resolved to give it to him who by lot should place himself under it This done he sent for his Nephews and Causinus his Holy Court part 2. pag. 239 after he had Magnificently entertained them commanded them to repose themselves each one choosing one of the beds prepared for them The eldest accomodated himself according to
God careth for The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX hic eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year That land was then the onely habitation of Gods Church and besides a lively type of the Catholick Church which was afterwards to be spread over the whole face of the earth whence it is that beleevers in all places were styled inward Jews and the Circumcision Rom. 2. end Philip. 3. 3. This continual care of God over his Church and the members thereof appeareth I. From the provision made by him for inferiour creatures So our Saviour argueth Behold the fowls of the air for they Matth. 6. 26. sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them Are ye not much better then they They have no caterers to bring in provision from them no barns to fetch provision out of yet want it not but go cheerfully on chirping continually because God feedeth them and that sometimes in a way little less then miraculous if that be true which is reported by some good writers namely that when the young ravens are forsaken of their dams and left bare out B. Andrews pattern of Catechistical doctrine pag. 60. of their own dung there ariseth a worm which creepeth to their mouths and becomes nourishment to them § 2. II. From the conduct of Israel after the flesh in former times A breviate of that Nations story will presently let us understand how they were brought into that land whereof this place in Deuteronomy speaketh and cared for there by a thousand providences Time was when Joseph was raised up to be a nursing father to them that by a most remarkable dispensation He had been formerly sold into Egypt was imprisoned without cause cast as Junius thinketh into that prison whereunto such were put as had most highly offended the king to be sure into one where his feet were burt Psal 105. 17 18. in the stocks and he laid in irons Had not his prison-house been so bad it is like he should not have had opportunity to make himself known to butler and baker of Pharaoh who were his fellow-prisoners The butler being restored to his place according to Josephs interpretation of his dream forgets to acquaint Pharaoh with him till all other means had been used to quiet the kings minde and none found effectual then he speaketh and then is Joseph speedily advanced Being so he becometh a preserver of the Church in his father brethren and their families Afterwards when there was risen another generation that knew not Joseph and the king of Egypt had set himself by force and art to extinguish Israel the bush although burning was not consumed in the midst of the fire their burdens were increased yet their persons multiplied and Moses ere-long raised up to deliver them out of their bondage A man preserved by the daughter of that Pharaoh whom he was called to destroy and by that means brought up at court yea instructed there both in the Art and Government and in all the learning of the Egyptians Under his conduct God did for them as one Prophet speaketh terrible things which they looked not for Puls them out of Pharaohs bosome in spite Isa 64. 3. of his heart at their departure sendeth them laden away with the jewels and treasures of Egypt maketh a passage for them through the sea and accompanieth their hosts into the wilderness There providence fetcheth them water out of a rock then which nothing drier and bread from heaven which is wont to grow out of the earth There their food is Manna Quails a cloud and pillar of fire their guides when this servant of God was dead up steps Joshua in his room bringeth them into and settleth them in the promised land which proved to them after their settlemement by lot an habitation of righteousness and mountain of holiness A land flowing not onely with temporal but also with spiritual milk and honey after Solomon had erected a magnificent Temple for them which was the wardrobe of those ceremonies wherewith God was then to be served Then were they as the Psalmist hath it abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Gods house and made to drink of the river of his pleasures But their sins having at length cast them out of that good land and occasioned the burning of their Temple God left them not destitute of his help but ordained for them sundry refreshments in the time of their captivity This among others in Esthers time King Ahasuerus under whom they then were in a state of captivity had his sleep taken from him would spend the time not in this or that exercise but in reading of all books cals for that of the Chronicles of all places hath that read to him which concerned a good service done by Mordechai a Jew doth not onely take notice of it but enquire what reward had been given him understanding he had received none causeth Haman his favourite to be called putteth him upon doing singular honour in the view of all men to this Mordechai giveth his wife Queen Esther occasion of impleading this Haman discovering his plot against all the Jews and preventing that massacre of them which should speedily have been executed Yea providence went on to work so happily in the hearts of those Monarchs who then held them captives as not long after to proclaim their deliverance and liberty for them to rebuild both Jerusalem and the Temple which they also attempted Whilest the second Temple was building by Herod not so magnificent as the former yet in some respect more glorious if Josephus misinform us Nunquam interdiu nè interrumperetur aedificatio pluisse Joseph Antio Judaic lib. 15. cap. 14. not for the space of almost ten years it never rained all that while in the day time the providence of God so ordering it lest the work should be interrupted Yea so remarkable was the power and greatness of God in assisting the builders then that we finde him in Haggai and Zechary their Prophesies which were both written about that time frequently styled by that name The Lord of hosts particularly five times in four verses of Haggai Thus saith the Lord of hosts yet once Hagg. 2 6 7 8 9. it is a little while and I will strike the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land And I will shake all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts The silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts The glory of this latter house shall be greater then of the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts That which raised the glory of this second above that of the first Temple was the personal presence of Jesus Christ in it His coming
preaching suffering so ripened the sins of this people who began again to degenerate after their return as hot weather doth the corn that ere long they and their Temple became a prey to the Romane Eagle § 3. III. From the experiments and acknowledgements of godly persons in several ages The Blessed virgin Mary after her journey to Bethlehem and lying in of her childe there may be probably thought to have been straitned in her means as being but poor and not to have sufficient for the maintenance of her childe her self and Joseph in the journey they were to take presently after into Egypt See Chemnit harmon how God provideth hard before that he sendeth the wise men from the east and they bring costly presents with them gold among others which was certainly of no small use for defraying their ensuing charges In the year 1573 when the Protestants were besieged in Rochel by the French kings forces God Collection of French massacres p. 288. sent them in daily with the tide an infinite number of small fishes such as before that time were never seen within that haven and presently upon the end of the siege retired again We reade of Wolfangus Musculus a late Germane Divine that having received by Luthers books the light and sence of the Gospel he forsook his Monastery and married that after this he was so poor as to let his wife go out to service and betake himself to work with a weaver who proved an Anabaptist That during his abode there he solaced himself with this distich Est Deus in coelo qui providus omnia curat Credentes nusquam deseruisse potest Melch. Adam in vit Theol. Germ. p. 373. That is There is a God in heaven who such as cleave T' his providence on earth can never leave That the Anabaptist within a while turned him off and he being then to seek for maintainance was hired to work at Strasborough about the town ditch which was then to be new cast and enlarged and to have begun the next morning That Bucer having notice hereof and of his parts prevailed over night with the Consul to give him a call to the work of the Ministry which he gladly embraced Suitable to these and the like experiments are the following acknowledgements Jacob I am not worthy of the Ge◠32. 10. least of all thy mereies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant for with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands David Thou hast been my help leave me not neither Psal 27. 9 10. forsake me O God of my salvation When my father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Another Psalmist Psalm 71. 5 6 7. Thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth By thee have I been holden up from the womb Thou art he that took me out of my mothers womb my praise shall be continually of thee I am a wonder unto many but thou art my strong refuge Sic gressus meos considerans c. veluti si totius creaturae oblitus tantùm me solum consideres August solilo◠c. 14. Austin again and again to this purpose The Lord hath so looked after me as if he had in a manner forgot the whole creation to consider me and my ways He so careth for every Saint as if he cared for none besides Deus ità curat unumquemque nostrûm tanquam solum curaret ità universos ut singulo Id. confess l. 3. c. 11. so for all as if he had but one to care for And Piscator in Ursins life reports that he to wit Zacharius Ursinus was wont to say I had often lyen in the streets had not the Providence of God been mine hostess and afforded me a lodging Nisi hospita fuisset divina providentia § 4. IV. From the effects of care ascribed to God when Scripture speaks of him after the manner of men For example we men are by our cares made sollicitous and thoughtfull about the person or the thing cared for So the Psalmist saith of God I Psalm 40. ult am poor and needy and the Lord thinketh upon me Thou art my help and my deliverer make no tarrying O my God We are rendred inquisitive what to do for them So the Scripture brings in God saying How shall I do for the daughter Jerem. 9. 7. of my people O Ephraim What shall I do Hosea 6. 4. unto thee We are grieved if they miscarry Of God it is said His soul was Judges 10. 16. grieved for the misery of Israel We are not content till we have taken a particular survey of whatever concerns them So of God it is said That he Matt. 10. 30. numbreth their hairs bottleth their tears Psal 56. 8. hath a book of life for their names Luke 10. 20. Psalm 139. 16. a book of providence for their members and a book of remembrance for Mal. 3. 16. their discourses Lastly as men endeavour the good of such as they receive into their special care and do what they can to make things operate to that end so we know saith S. Paul that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according Rom. 8. 28. to his purpose Make me this assertion good and the abundance of his care will be presently visible to any man Now this may be done by shewing how God makes use of things and of acts of all sorts to this end § 5. I. Of all sorts of things whether Natural or Artificial Necessary or Contingent Real or Imaginary The reflexion of the Sun-beams upon water is a natural thing If Providence orders so as the Moabites taking 2 Kings 3. 22 23 24. it for bloud conjecture a mutiny in the armies of the king of Israel and Judah come up disorderly and perish So this deceptio visus in them wrought for the Churches deliverance Those Trumpets Pitchers and Lamps in the seventh of Judges were things artificial no way able of themselves to produce such an effect as the defeat of an huge hoste yet the Lord so disposeth of the sound of the Trumpets breaking of the Pitchers and burning of the Lamps as by them to strike a terrour into the great army of Midian and make them flie That the fire should burn and the sea keep it's channel according to the order of nature were necessary things yet did providence so over-rule in the case of those three Worthies in Daniel that the fire though it burnt up their accusers should not so much as scortch them and semblably in the Israelites case that the sea though it swallowed up the Egyptians their enemies should afford a safe passage to the Hebrews What more contingent then that Pharoah's daughter should go with her maids to wash in the river at that very place where Moses was exposed that
Plinies unbelief The Psalmists stumble at the prosperity of the wicked His recovery by considering it was not full was not to be final The superintendency of Providence over military and civil affairs in particular The Churches afflictions Promises cautioned Duty of casting care upon God He no authour of sin The attestation of this State and of this writer § 1. TWo things are still remaining viz. Objections against and Corollaries from the formentioned propositions to which in their order Objection against the first Some think Ex hoc Deus beatus est quia nihil curat neque habet ipse negotium neque alteri exhibel Lactant. de ira Dei cap. 4. Credat Judaeus Apello Non ego namque Deos didici securum agere aevum Hor. the extending of divine Providence to all created beings how mean soever unsutable to the perfection of God whom they say it doth not become to stoop so low Epicurus is cited by Lactantius as speaking to this purpose and after him Horace Answ They speak like heathens not knowing the Scripture nor the power of God The Psalmist otherwise Who is like unto the Lord our God Psal 113. v. 5 6 7 8. who dwelleth on high Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in earth He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil He maketh the barren woman to keep house to be a joyfull mother of children Of his care and providence it is beleeved Providentia Dei nec fallitar nec fatigatur Eam nec magna onerant nec parva effugiunt Molin Enod quaest p. 23. and asserted by divines that it is neither deceived nor tired that as the greatest things do not overburden it so least things do not escape it That of our Saviour to his Disciples is a most express assertion Are not five Luke 12. 6 7. sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered Wherefore by way of Corollary from hence let God himself alone be acknowledged the Preserver and Governour of all things Let no man think by his strength of parts or extremity of pains to take the work out of his hands Melancthon was beyond Monendus est per vos Philippus ut desinat esse Rector mundi Wolf memorabil measure solicitous about Church-affairs in that age wherein he lived insomuch as Luther once wrote to his neighbour-ministers that they should do well to give him a serious admonition not to attempt the government of this world any longer That of Maximilian the Emperour in the time of Pope Julius the second was an honest acknowledgement Deus aeterne nisi vigilares Historia Pontificum Romanorum contract per Jacobum Revium pag. 259. quà m male esset mundo quem regimus nos Ego miser venator ebriosus ille acâ—sceleratus Julius O eternal Lord God if thou thy self shouldst not be watchfull how ill it would be with this world which is now governed by me a miserable hunter and by this drunken and wicked Pope Julius § 2. Against the second proposition it hath been objected that there is no such thing as the providence of God superintending humane affairs especially considering the great prosperity which is enjoyed by wicked men Pliny the great Naturalist speaketh of Irridendum est si quis putet illud quicquid est summum agere curam rerum humanâ—rum Natur. hist l. 6. c. 7. Psalm 73. v. 2 3. it as a thing to be entertained with laughter rather then belief And the Psalmists words are these As for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Behold V. 12 13. these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency Answ That which then satisfied him should now suffice to answer us He went into the sanctuary of God then understood V. 17 18. he their end Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into destruction Their prosperity was not full was not to be final I. Was not full The places wherein they stood were slippery their felicity varnished over but rotten within That in S. John and onely that is perfect prosperity when the inward and outward man thrive together I wish 3 John 2. above all things saith he to Gaius that thou maist prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth With them it is quite otherwise They have it may be fat bodies but lean souls full purses but empty heads and hearts blest in their estates but cursed in their spirits Have Lament 3. 65. houses and lands worth many thousands but hearts little worth according to that The tongue of the just is as Prov. 10. 20. Nulla verior miseria quam falsa laetitia Nihil infelicius felicitate peccantium choice silver the heart of the wicked is little worth Call you this prosperity It is in truth nothing less It is unhappiness rather and there are those who have not stuck to name it so II. Was not to be final Thou castedst them down into destruction The world came in fast upon them one way and the wrath of God came as fast another This fair day of theirs is but a weather-breeder as a calm before an earth-quake To Deut. 32. 35. me belongeth vengeance and recompence saith the Lord their foot shall slide in due time for the day of their calamity is at hand and the things that shall come upon them make haste David expresseth it most emphatically I have seen the wicked in great Psalm 37. 35 36. power and spreading himself like a green bay-tree A tree that retaineth its viridity and freshness even in winter when fruit-bearing trees have cast their leaves yet he passed away and lo he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found Let such an one be sought in his counting-house which was wont to be the temple wherein he worshipped his God Mammon he is not there At Court where he was so magnified and almost adored he is not to be found in the lodgings there He that would finde him must seek him in hell For there he is This is the end of such worldly prosperity as cometh from God and yet defieth him § 3. The Corollary from hence is let the superintendency of divine providence over all humane affairs in particular over Military and Civil be humbly acknowledged I. Over military Those French-men were undoubtedly to blame who in their flattering applauses of Richelieu did ascribe Howels lustra Ludov. p. 166. the reduction of Rochel solely to him insomuch as one of their Chroniclers writeth That in the taking of that town neither the king nor God Almighty had a share in