of Orien Canst thou bring forth Mazaroth in his season Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons Seek him that maketh the Seven stars Amos 5.8 Job 9.9 Psal 136.9 and Orien Which maketh Arcturus Orion and Pleiadâ—s and the chambers of the South The Moon and Stars to rule by night Of a Year After God had created the Lights in the Firmament of the Heaven to divide the Day from the Night Gen. 1.14 He commanded also Let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and years The Year is a remarkable standard of time consisting of twelve Moneths about the quartering out of which there have passed especially two distinctions 1. The first in frequent use with Astronomers according to the cardinal intersections of the Zodiack that is the two Aequinoctials and both the Solstitial points desining that time to be the Spring of the Year wherein the Sun doth pass from the Aequinox of Aries to the Solstice of Cancer The time between the Solstice and the Aequinox of Libra Summer From thence unto the Solstice of Capricornus Autumn and from thence unto the Aequinox of Aries again Winter 2. A second division is observed by Hippocrates and most of the ancient Greeks establishing the account of Seasons from usual alterations and sensible mutations in the Aire discovered upon the rising and setting of divers Stars Accounting The Spring FRom the Aequinoctial point of Aries This is properly the pleasant Quarter of the Year being the Emblem of Man in his Youth Of this season the Song of Songs gives a most dainty description far past any of the Poets who yet have shewed themselves very witty that way The Winter is past Cant. 2.11 12 13. the rain is over and gone the flowers appear on the earth the time of the singing of birds is come and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell The Summer From the rising of the Pleiades or the several stars on the back of Taurus This is properly the hottest season in the Year and the Emblem of Man in his full strength Metaphorically it signifies opportunity or fit time to do things in Prov. 6.8 according to that The Ant provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest Autumn From the rising of Arcturus a Star between the thighs of Bootes This is the proper season of gathering in the fruits of the Earth and the Emblem of Man in a declining condition Of this the Psalmist The time that corn and wine are increased Psal 4.7 Winter From the setting of the Pleiades It is a dead season in which the weather is cold ways foul days short and the air muddy the clouds commonly returning after the rain It resembles Old age It is figuratively taken for the doleful and dismal condition of such as are not effectually called by Christ Omnis illis dies hybernus est It is ever Winter with them no Spring of grace no Sun-shine of sound comfort The Day is thine the Night also is thine Psal 74.16 17. thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made Summer and Winter Of the Lowest Heavens THe Lowest Heaven is distinguished from the Sky by waters as the Sky is from the Coelum Empyreum by the Primum Mobile This is the Air whereon we breathe and wherein birds flie clouds swim c. Fire Est elementum callidissimum siccissimum levissimum permeans per omnia omnia pervadens It is an Element dreadful painful sudden in eruption active mereiless and devouring It hath a strong stomack what will not Fire digest It will digest stones iron c. nay the sublunary world at last for 1 Pet. 3.10 the Elements shall melt with fervent heat Lightning and Thunder Fulgetrum seu corruscatio est splendor flammae emicantis per totum aerem uno momento transcurrens per intervalla vel cum nullo vel parvo sonitu ortus ex modicà tenuique exhalatione in nube accensa splendor est eminus apparens longéque sparsus Tonitru est sonitus in aëre aut exagitatione vaporis calidi sicci in nube frigida humida propter antiperista sui excitatus aut ex ejusdem vaporis è nube violenter fracta eruptione generatus aut etiam noâ—unquam ex nubium cavarum collisione coortus Tonitru à terrendo Thunder is so terrible that it hath forced from the greatest Atheist an acknowledgment of a Deity Caligula who dared his Jove to a duel yet if it thundred or lightned but a little would be ready to hoodwink himself Alladius King of the Latines striving to imitate the Thunder by an Engine made him justly perished by a Thunderbolt from heaven His house also where he attempted so to do was consumed with fire In Thunder and Lightning there is much of God to be seen and heard these being the harbingers as it were and officers to make room for him and to manifest his power which the Saints may take comfort in and the greatest must acknowledge He hath made a way for the lightning of the thunder Job 28.26 Psal 77.18 Psal 29. The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven the lightnings lightned the world the earth trembled and shook The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundereth c. Clouds Nubes est corpus velex copioso vapore è locis humentibus in sublime adscendens vel ex maximè humidis partibus aeris in media aeris regione concretum Breviter est vapor humidus adensatus qui in mèdia aëris regione à frigore circumstante constrictus quasi congelatus pendet Vapores enim in sublime elevati vel maximae humidae aëris partes condensatae quae gemina materia est ex qua nubes generantur constant caliginosum aërem efficiunt vapores autem copiosi ex mari adscendune unde aquae maris sunt velut radices nubium Job 36.30 A Cloud is a thick vapour Illiâ— enim fiunt miracu'a magna Vatab. Haec sunt sanè admiranda tremenda Mer. raised up by the heat of the Sun to the middle region of the Air and there by the cold condensed becomes so thick that it stops and intercepteth the Light so that Clouds and Darkness go together How the Clouds are hanged up even in the Air like Archimedes his Pigeon equally poised with their own weight how they are upheld and why they fall here and there and now and then we may well wonder but know not In these God bottleth up the Rain and there keepeth in by main strength though those vessels are as thin and thinner than the liquor that is contained in them Now that God binds up these heavy Vapours and keeps them in the Clouds as a strong man in a cobweb till brought by the Winds
This fire of the Spirit must be fetcht from heaven Lumen de lumine from the Father of lights who giveth his Spirit to them that ask it By water because of its clensing cooling 2. Ezek. 36.25 Joh. 3.5 refreshing and fructifying vertue and quality Indeed many are washed with the water of baptism that are not washed with this water Simon Magus of whom it is said Fonte quidem lotus sed non in pectore mundus Let us ever say with the woman of Samaria But with more sensibleness than she did Lord ever give us of this water then shall we be clean and fit for the holy Jerusalem He is said to proceed from the Father and the Son Joh. 15.26 to shew the Essence and Nature that he is of for as the spirit of man must needs be truly of mans nature and is the most formal and essential part of man So and much more it must be thought of the Spirit of God upon whom no composition falleth And this in effect is the Apostles Argument What man knoweth the things of a man 2 Cor. 2.11 save the spirit of man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God That is none knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God who is in him and of his own Essence and Nature That was a sweet promise I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 The best thing upon the basest What can God do more for his people This is to give them all good things in one so many are the benefits we receive by the Spirit Eph. 5.9 Delicata res est Spiritus Dei therefore we must observe and obey his motions We should lay our selves as instruments open to the Spirits touch submitting to his discipline as Paul did who said I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Which requires a great deal of self-denial Serpents they say can do no hurt in water no more can that old Serpent where the holy Spirit dwells This is the Instructer which teacheth us the Spirit of life which quickens us the Advocate which speaks in us the Comforter which relieves us and the everlasting Fountain and Spirit of truth from whom all truth and celestial riches do flow unto us Your Father which is in heaven Mat. 7.11 Luke 11.13 Eph. 4 â—â— will give good things to them that ask him Your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption De Sacrâ Scripturâ I Will not stand to search how ancient Writing is Exod. 24. wherein some have lost time and labour I know that many do make God the first immediate Author of it and do affirm that the first Scripture that ever was was Gods writing of the Law in two Tables But because we find that Moses wrote all the Word of the Lord and Josephus doth report a tradition of the Hebrews for writing and graving before the flood I hold it probable that both Scripture and Sculpture are as ancient as the Old World However we see the care that God hath taken for the publishing of his Will to the Church which he hath done both sufficiently that we need no more knowledge for eternal life than what is contained in Scripture and so clearly that the Word giveth understanding to the simple Scripture is twofold 1. Inward called Scriptura Cordis 2. Outward called Scriptura Testimonij The inward Scripture of the heart is that which the Spirit of God immediately writeth in the fleshly tables of the hearts of all the Sons of God and by this all that are to be saved are taught of God Jer. 31.33 Hebr. 8.10 2 Cor. 3.3 The outward Scripture of the Testimony is that which was inspired by the Holy Ghost and committed to writing by the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists to preserve and transmit sound and saving doctrine by their pens to all Posterity Of this latter Moses was the first writer in the world as may be proved by the Evangelist Luke 24.27 Hence we conclude that our Religion grounded in these writings is the old Religion even as old as the day of mans creation and fall whereas all other Religions are but of yesterday nay the gods themselves worshipped by Heathens and Turks were long after the time of Abraham There is no Question more worthy satisfaction in Divinity Appâ—llatur ab Arminio Instrumentum Religio tis than that which enquireth into the Authority of Scripture 1. For all Religion depends upon it and wavering in this principle openeth a wide door to beastly Epicurism Devilish Atheism and all contempt of Religion and Justice 2. If the heart be not perswaded that the Scriptures be of God it will easily reject hearing reading practise and all the means of salvation 3. The doubting of this cutteth off all faith Rom. 14.23 and the comfort and strength of faith for a man must first believe Gods Word to be true Titubabit sides si Scripturarum vacillat authoritas Aug. before he can believe it to be true to him and what comfort in temptation without the Sword of the Spirit or what peace in terrour of Conscience without the Word which is the Well of salvation 4. The doubting of this cuts off all self-denial mortification and sound repentance for who will abandon his carnal delights and pleasures and undertake the strict course of godliness that doth doubt whether the Scriptures be the Word of God or not But it is clear that the Scriptures are the Word of God 1. The Lord professeth them to be his own words Isa 55.11 Mic. 2.7.2 The Prophets begin with the Word of the Lord and the Apostles 1 Cor. 11.23.3 The matter of the Scriptures they treat of the great works of the eternal God as Creation Providence justice and mercy both temporal and eternal c. Speaking of great mysteries above the reach of humane wisdom yea of things contrary to natural wisdom Searching the heart and discovering the thoughts Hebr. 4.12 And containing most ample and large promises of a blessed and eternal happiness by faith in the Messiah Amongst us Stephen Langton Arch-bishop of Canterbury first divided the Bible into Chapters in such sort as we now account them Robert Stephens into Verses Goodw. Catal. pag. 109. But not much commended by Scultetus who saith Imperitissimè plerunque dissecans which Covenant none could make or can make good but only God himself blessed for ever 4. Concerning the Instruments and pen-men of Scripture Their extraordinary calling infallible assistance 1 Pet. 1.11 unblameable conversation 2 Pet. 2.21 sincerity and uprightness in writing sparing neither others nor themselves their stile together with their joint-consent
which the former was a dark shadow is the third Heaven which for the fulness of pleasure and joy is so called Hierom comforting a young Hermite bade him look up to Heaven Paradisum mente deambulare to take a few turns in Paradise by his meditations assuring him that so long as he had Paradise in his mind and Heaven in his thought Tamdiu in eremo non eris He should not be sensible of his solitariness To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life Rev. 2.7 which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Of the Sea Sea THE Sea is the seat and source of waters Mare quast amarum because the Sea-water is bitter and salt There are three things in it specially considerable viz. 1. The turbulency of it so stormy and turbulent that it threatneth to overwhelm all To overwhelm the ships sailing upon it to overwhelm the dry land encompassing of it and it would do both if God did not bound it saying Hitherto shalt thou come but no further here shall thy proud waves be stayed Did not God put an everlasting Law upon it it would be lawless 2. There is a wonderful capaciousness in the Sea the water they say is ten times bigger than the earth the Air ten times greater than the water and the fire than the Air. It is so big and broad so extensive and vast that it takes in all the waters that come off the land into its bosome and yet feels no access 3. The Sea is of mighty strength Though we say Weak as water water is a weak element in one sense yet in another water is a strong element so strong that it bears down all before it and bears all the storms that rage upon it Canutus confuted his flacterers who told him that all things in his Dominions were at his beck and check by laying his command on the sea to come up no higher into his Land but it obeyed him not Illi rebor as triplex Circa pectus erat Horat. Od. 1.1 3 Virgil. qui fragilem truci Commisit pelago ratem Primus nec timuit praecipitem Africum c. Tollimur in Caelum curvato gurgite Gen. 1.10 iidem Subduct â ad manes imos descendimus undâ Hence some have doubted whether Mariners were to be reckoned amongst the living or the dead But wisely said he Qui nescit orare discat navigare He that cannot pray let him go to Sea and there he will learn And the gathering together of the Waters Gen. 1.21 called he Seas Fish The power of God is great in forming the fishes of the Sea Especially if we consider three things about them 1. Their number Inter omaes bestias nibil est faecundius piscibus igitur tranâ—fertur ad multiplicationâ— immensum as tous they are infinite Therefore how emphatically is their encrease exprest When God created them it is said The Waters brought forth abundantly No sort of creatures that multiply so fast as fishes Who is able to report the number of these Sea-inhabitants 2. If we consider their various kinds Naturalists observe that there is no creature upon the earth but hath as I may say its representative in the Sea besides those that have nothing like them on the earth 3. Many of these inhabitants of the waters are wonderful for the vastness and greatness of their bodies The greatest of all living creatures are in the Sea We will only instance in the Leviathan unto whom the Elephant is little Pliny tells of one taken that was 600. foot in length and 360. in breadth Plin. lib. 32. cap. 1. when they swim and shew themselves above water Annare insulas putes saith the same Author you would think them to be so many Islands so many Mountains saith another who also addeth that when they grow old they grow to that bigness and fatness that they keep long in a place Insomuch as ex collectis condensatis pulveribus frutices erumpere cernantur the dust and filth gathered upon their backs seems to be an Island which while shipmen mistake and think to land at they incurre a great deal of danger The great and Wide Sea wherein are things creeping innumerable Ps 104.25 26. both small and great beasts There is that Leviathan made to play therein Ships The use of ships was first shewed by God in Noah's Ark whence afterwards No art which helps more to enrich a Nation Audax Japeti genus Japhets off-spring sailed and replenished the Islands Of the Low-Countrey-men it is said Peterent Coelum navibus Belgae si navibus peti posset A ship is a fabrick for the Sea a house upon the Sea a moveable house and as it moveth variably so it moveth swiftly the inconstancy of the winds makes the motion of the ship unconstant and the strength of the winds makes the motion of the ship swift Whatsoever they do who are within the ship the ship moves on if they prepare it for motion Labitur uncta vadis abies Virgil. The ship seems willing to be at the Haven as soon as may be Let our souls be like a ship that is made little and narrow downward but more wide and broad upward Let them be ships of desire hasting heaven-ward and then let our days pass away as they can we shall be but the sooner at home Mortality shall appear to be no small mercy There go the ships They that go down to the Sea in ships Psa 14.26.107.23 24. that do business in great waters These see the Works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep c. Homo NVllum animal morosius est nullum majore arte tractandum Senec. quà m homo Nay which is worse Homo homini lupus homo homini Daemon Therefore saith David Let me not fall into the hands of men as though they were like Cadmus souldiers ad internecionem nati Yet man is magnum miraculum mundi Epitome imaginis image Imago mundi in corpore Dei in animâ In mans composition there is a shadow of the Trinity for to make up one man Ea fere bominum natura 〈◊〉 omnes sua mirentur aliena despiciant Julian there is an elementary body a divine soul and a firmamental spirit Here is the difference in God there are three Persons in one essence in us three essences in one person So in the soul there is a Trinity of powers vegetable sensitive and rational The former would only be the second be and be well the third be well and be for ever O excellent Nature in which Cabinet ten thousand forms may sit at once Vocabulum Homo est duorum substantiarum fibula Man is a heavenly thing for his soul though earthly in regard of his body Man being Lord of these graces should sit no longer in the vale of tears but ascend the Mountain of glory he should fly to the Trumpet calling to
the Ghost in Jeronimo cry for revenge they shall haunt you and set no colour before you but red and crimson yea and throw bowles of blood upon your faces never leaving you till they have brought you from a dying life to a violent and cursed death like the poor fish that feeling the heat of the water thinks to mend her self and leaps into the fire Would not our hearts bleed within us to see an army of men marching against the mouth of a Canon to be wounded discomfited some groaning and crying out some slain out-right and cut off by the middle some crawling on the ground with their lungs peeping out through their sides some stooping with their bowels in their hands some sliced down their legs some cloven down the chin some their brains dasht out and besprinkled on the drumme All these and thousands such are but as fleebitings to that horrid slaughter and horrible blood-shed of the damned in hell fire And when all is done we must dye A grave onely remaines to receive us Three cubits are allotted to us None telluris tres tantum cabiti te expectant A little quantity of ground hath nature proportioned though sometime thou didst possesse as much as ever the tempter shewed Christ The remainder of mighty Hercules will scarce fill a little pitcher When certain Philosophers intentively beheld the tom be of Alexander Heri fecit ex aurò thesaurum hodie aurum ex eo facit thesaurum yesterday the world did not content him to day three cubits contain him Alcibiades bragging of his lands Socrates carried him to the Map of the world and bid him demonstrate them but he could not find them for alas Athens it self was not discernable This earth would serve the wicked still had they not better lye in rottennesse than combustion were not a cold grave more welcome than a hot furnace Now they beg not a city though a little one a Zoar nor a house though poor and bleak as Codrus nor an open aire though sharp and irksome scortched with the Indian sun or frozen with a Russian cold for of such favours there is now no hope Give them but a mountain to fall on them or rock to hide them and they are pleased Here is a strange alteration for the wicked when they shall go from a glorious mansion to a loathsom dungeon from a table of surfeit to a table of vengeance from fawning observants to afflicting spirits from a bed of down to a bed of fire they that commanded all the earth cannot now command a piece of earth to do them service God will wound the hairy scalp of him that goeth still in his wickednesse there remaineth for impenitent sinners a worme that knaweth the conscience and there is prepared for the wicked a fire which never goeth out where is horrour terrour weeping wailing wringing of hands gnashing of teeth continual death yet those that are there never dye Tantalus his Apples Sisyphus his stone and those ravening Harpies whereof the Poets do speak are nothing in respect of those torments whereof the wicked shall tast unlesse in this world they do repent and cast their accounts a fresh The pains of Hell as a reverend father of the Church observes make a four-fold impression in the soules of men 1. A carefull fear that declineth them 2. A doubtfull fear that conflicteth them 3. A desperate fear that shrinketh them 4. A damned fear that suffereth them Then the will shall be a hell in it self the memory shall be continually troubled with a fixed recordation of things passed which it once possessed the understanding shall be darkned with innumerable waves of imaginations the light shall be affirighted with ugly Devils and darknesse the hearing with odious and hideous out-cries the smelling with noisome stinkes the tast with raging thirst and ravishing hunger the feeling afflicted in every part with intollerable paines in comparison whereof our earthly fires are no more but painted flames Depart from me is a cursed condemnation viz. from my Quire of glorious Angels from the communion of blessed Saints Apostles Martyrs and Confessors from me from my holy hill Well may the wretched soul Esau like weep and howle To be secluded from the presence of God is of all miseries the greatest in so much that a father on Matthew saith Many do abhorre hell but I esteem the fall from that glory to be a greater punishment than hell it self Better to endure ten thousand thunderclaps than be deptived of the beatifical vision O the madnesse of most that will rather lose God and Christ and heaven and all than lose a lust Lysimachus King of Lacedemonia being forced to surrender himself his Army and his Kingdome into his enemies hands for a draught of water they being all ready to die for thirst when he had drunk his water he breaks out O how short a pleasure is this that for one draught of water I have lost a glorious Kingdome Truly infinite greater cause will the damned have to complain of their losse Something 's do perfect a good feast viz. Good company good chear good place and good time But all those good things are awanting Varro apud Gelljum at the black banquet in the nethermost hell At other feasts the more the merrier but that 's a sorry supper where the more the more miserable Oh! do not do not run the hazard of these eternal torments for enjoying the pleasure of sin for a season He that playes the thief is a very fool it may be he may not be an hour in stealing the commodity and yet he may lye a whole year in the Goal for it and have hanging when all is done But oh how many greater fools are there than these that will haply for an hours pleasure or at the most for a lifes-time lye in the Goal and prison of hell not for a year but to all eternity Suppose that by your unjust gain you increase your estate and get large revenews if you lose God what get you if you lose a soul what gain you if you lose Christ what advantageth it you We read of a certain salt in Sicilia Aug. de civit the which if it be put into the fire swims as water and being put into water crackles as fire Among the Garamantes a people dwellidg in the middle of Lybia we read of a fountain the which in a cold night is hot and in the hot day so cold that none can endure to drink it And we read of a stone in Archadia the which being once made hot can never be cooled Certainly the fire into which the damned souls are cast Cupient mori et mors fugit ab illis and tormented is without all intermission of time or punishment They shall desire to dy and death shall she from them Rev. 9.6 Propound to thy self a bottomlesse gulfe hideous to behold in darknesse dungeon-like in torments horrible to the smell most odious breathing out
the twelve Tribes of Israel He went into the Sanctum Sanctorum once a year and offered up the prayers of the people Besides him there were a great number of Priests and Levites throughout all the towns and Cities of Israel they offered the sacrifices of the people and made attonement for them before the Lord they taught the people and instructed them in the ways of the Lord. Yet all these are nothing to our Saviour Christ he excells them as much as the Sun doth the Starres or the body the shadow They were all but shadows of him he is the true high-Priest They were but men he is God and man they sinful he without sin they mortal he immortal their sacrifices were but figures of his sacrifice the blood of Lambs Goats offered by them took away no sin his blood purgeth us from all sin they received tithes of their brethren but they themselves paid tithes to Christ they prayed for the people in the Temple Christ prayes for us in heaven Wherein we may behold the supereminent dignity of Christ his Priest-hood It cannot be denied but that Aarons Priest-hood was most glorious As the Psalmist speaketh of the Church many glorious things are recorded of it There was a costly Tabernacle a sumptuous Temple the wonder of the world there was an admirable Altar many oblations and sacrifices there were sundry Sabbaths and new Moons divers festival days the feast of unleavened bread of the blowing of Trumpets of Tabernacles of Dedication c. Which were kept with wonderful solemnity there were many washings and purgings for the clensing of the people Therefore let us magnifie God for this our high-priest by whom we have an entrance into the Kingdom of heaven The high Priest went into the Holy of Holies himself but he carried none of the people with him they stood without Our high-Priest is not only gone into heaven himself but he hath also brought us thither That high-priest offered Bulls Calves Lambs for the sins of the people this high-priest offered himself for us all Therefore let us honour and reverence this our high-priest yea let us subject our selves to him in all things which hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father that we may reign with him for ever and ever The Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever Psal 110.4 after the order of Melchisedeck For such an high-Priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens Hebr. 7.26 27. Who needeth not daily as those high-Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himself Seeing then that we have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Heb. 4.14 16. And let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Of Christs Prophetical Office Christ is said to be a Prophet like unto Moses that is both in the Participation of nature and of office A true man and a true Mediatour Similes they are but not Pares Christ being worthy of more glory than Moses Christ is a Prophet and more than a Prophet the Arch-Prophet to whom Moses and all must vail bonnet Let our mind then be wholly fixed on Christ consider that in him all the treasures of wisdom lie hid he is a rich and plentiful store-house in whom we may find all the pearls and jewels of wholesome doctrine In him there is salvation and in no other therefore all other teachers set aside listen to him When the Judge of an Assizes gives the charge all that be present especially they of the grand Inquest consider seriously what is spoken Christ Jesus the Judge of the whole world gives a charge by his Ministery When the King makes a Speech in Parliament the whole House considers earnestly what he sayes Christ Jesus the King of kings speaks to us in the Ministery of the Word The Queen of Sheba observed Solomon well Behold here is a greater than Solomon therefore let us diligently consider him Besides the matters which this great Prophet declareth are of great moment touching the eternal salvation of our souls If one should talk to us of gold or silver we would be attentive Christ speaks to us of that which surpasseth all the riches in the world what mad-men are we that regard him no more But alas since the Fall every man hath Principium lasum his brain-pan crackt as to heavenly things neither can he recover till Christ open his eyes and give him light Moses truly said unto the Fathers Act 3.22 Quinque dicuntur de Deo Paternitas in nascibilitas filiatio proc ssio communis spiratio Aug. Paternitas innascibilitas conveniunt solum modò Patri Filiatio tantum modò Filio Spiâ—itâ—i verò Sancto processio Communis Spiraâ—io Patri filio respectu Spiritus Sancti A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever I shall say unto you De Spiritu Sancto THE Holy Ghost is the third Person in Trinity proceeding from the Father and the Son being himself most holy and the worker of holiness in all Angels and good men He is distinct from the Father and the Son equal unto the Father and the Son and the same God in Nature and Essence with the Father and the Son though not the same person He is called The Spirit The Holy Spirit A Spirit because he is that essential vertue proceeding and as it were spired or breathed from the Father and the Son Or from his effect who blowing where he listeth inspireth holy motions and graces into the hearts of the Elect. Or because he is a spiritual invisible and incorporeal essence And Holy Spirit 1. For distinction sake for Gods Spirit is holy that is it hath all holiness and it hath it in it self not by illumination from any higher cause and so are not the spirits of Men or Angels holy mens spirits have sin in them on earth And the Angels and blessed souls in heaven have no holiness but what they received 2. Gods Spirit is holy by effect for it is his proper work to sanctifie the Elect and so to work holiness upon the spirits of men by spiritual regeneration The Holy Ghost is oft-times in Scripture signified by Fire Water We shall find it according to the nature of fire 1. To illighten us 1. Mat. 3.11 Isa 4.4 as the least spark of fire lightens it self at least and may be seen in the greatest darkness 2. To enliven and revive us fire is the most active of all other elements as having much form little matter so whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit that is nimble and active full of life and motion
whithersoever he pleaseth to appoint them and that they drop upon the Earth by little and little to make it fruitful this is a wonderful work of God This duly weighed were enough to convince an Atheist and should bring us to the knowledge of his power wisdom and goodness He bindeth up the Waters in his thick clouds Job 26.8 cap. 36.29 and the cloud is not rent under them Can any understand the spreadings of the clouds Rain Est fluxus humidae nubis Great rain is called Nimbus small rain Imber quâ— Ã calore solis paulatim soluta aquam guttatins è media aeris regione demittit It is the flux of a moist Cloud which being dissolved by little and little by the heat of the Sun lets down Rain by drops out of the middle region of the Air. This is reckoned and rightly among the marvellous works of God 1. Marvellous power in causing and giving rain 2. Wonderful goodness in thereby cooling refreshing and nourishing all earthly living creatures So that we may say In every drop of rain there is an Ocean of wisdom power goodness and bounty The Rabbins have a saying That Rain is the husband of the earth because those showers foecundate the earth and make the great Mother of Plenty fruitful in bringing forth all things useful and comfortable for the use of Man Who giveth rain upon the earth and sendeth waters upon the fields Job 5.10 Cap 28 26. Cap. 36.27 28 He made a Decree for the rain For he maketh small the drops of water they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof which the clouds do drop and distill upon man abundantly Rain-bowe It is the effect of the Sun shining against a cloud Thauman is filiam dixere Iridem Poetae Colores ejus tam exacti ut vix artificis possit exprimerâ— manus and is Nuntius foederis serenitatis the Angel of Gods Covenant and of fair weather It is Signum gratiae foederis a sign of grace and of the Covenant of mercy and therefore alwayes fresh and green about Christs throne of grace Revel 4.3 c. 10.1 Ezek. 1.28 It is very likely that from the beginning it was in its causes which are clouds and the shining of the Sun and those causes did sometimes produce the effects before this time and so it is like it was often seen before the flood But now God made choice of it for a sign of his Covenant with the world that there should be no more an universal flood as before there was This Bowe was most proper to be a sign of Gods Covenant and in it there are many wonders For the former 1. Because of the place which is in the clouds of heaven whence came the rain that drowned the world before Ambros 2. It is there planted as if man were shooting at God and not God at man Besides of Gods bow we read but not of his arrows 3. It appeareth commonly with rain that so where men might begin to fear the judgement they may take comfort against it For the latter 1. The beautiful shape and various colours Plin. N. H. lib. 12. c. 24. The waterish colours signifying the former overthrow of the world by water The fiery the future judgement of the world by fire The green that present grace of freedom from both 2. Where it toucheth upon any shrubs it leaveth a sweet and fragrant smell behind 3. It hath in it two contrary significations Scaliger viz. of rain and fair-weather of this in the evening of that in the morning Adde whereas naturally it is a sign of rain yet it is turned by God into a sure sign of dry weather Let us learn to look upon it not only in the natural causes Tam Dei meminiss opus est quà m respirare Bern. but as a Sacramental sign of the Covenant of grace and a Monument of Gods both justice in drowning the world and mercy in conserving it from the like calamity I do set my how in the cloud Gen. 9.13 14. Job 37.15 and it shall â—e for a token of a Covenant between me and the earth And it shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth that the bow shall be seen in the cloud He caused the light of his cloud to shine Winde Est exhalatio sicca copiosa à terrâ sursum tendens quâ— ordinatione Dei repressa ab occurrente nube frigidâ in mediâ regionâ— aâ—rit succedente novâ exhalatione per aërem oblique propulsâ lateraliter in locum opposiâ—um loco unde flare incipit fertur The wind in the nature of it is an exhalation arising from the earth drawn upwards by the power of the Sun and other heavenly bodies Ventus à violentiâ vehementiá nomen habet quòd veniat abundè magnâ vi iâ—â—uat in unum aliquem locum Magir. Phys but meeting and conflicting a while with the cold of the middle region of the air is beaten back again And being so light that naturally it cannot descend and so resisted that it cannot peaceably ascend it takes a course between both slanting with mighty violence through the air Much of God may be seen in the winds for it is he alone who holdeth them in his fist hideth them in his treasures rideth upon them as his Chariot and checks them at his pleasure Yea God weigheth them in a balance and when they seem to blow where they list piercing through the air with their violent blasts God sets them their bounds and appoints them their proportion Hence is that phrase of making the weight for the Winds Job 28.25 He bringeth the Wind out of his treasuries Psa 135 7. Psal 104.3 Joh. 3.8 Who walketh upon the wings of the Wind. The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh not whither it goeth Nos motum sensimus modum nescìmus Hail Est pluvia in aëre inter descendendum conglatiata propter antiperistasin aëris calidi frigiditate naturaliâ—sese contrahente The broad flowing water of the clouds by the force of the cold is narrowed up into hail Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail Job 38.22 23. Which I have reserved against the time of trouble against the day of battel and war Snow Many wonders there are in snow as that it should be made in the lowest part of the air and not above where it is coldest that it should snow upon the earth but never upon the Sea if Pliny may be believed that snow should lie continually not only upon the Alps but upon Mount Aetna where fire flames out that it serves for a cover to preserve earth's heat though it self be cold that being white it should sometimes bring forth red worms c. It is compared to wooll Psal 147.16 for whiteness lightness plenty softness warmth for though it be very cold yet by keeping in the vapours and exhalations
Mount Tabor where he shall be transfigured for ever Give thy possession on earth for expectation in Heaven Not as that French Cardinal who said He would not give his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Man is to be considered in a four-fold estate In statu 1. Confectionis as he was created 2. Corruptionis as he was corrupted 3. Refectionis as he was renewed 4. Perfectionis as he shall be glorified In the first estate we give to man a liberty of nature Adamus habuit pâ—sse si vellet sed non habuit velle quod posset In the third we grant a liberty of grace for if the Son make you free ye shall be free indeed And in the fourth estate we confess a liberty in glory All the doubt betwixt us and the Papists is of the second estate how man corrupted is renewed how he cometh into regeneration after degeneration And yet herein we consent that the will of man is turning unto God and in doing good is not a stock or stone in all and every respect passive for every man is willingly converted and by Gods grace at the very time of his conversion he willeth his own conversion And so the will of man is in some sort co-worker with grace for this cause Paul exhorteth us not to receive the grace of God in vain And to this purpose that saying of Austin is very remarkable Qui fecit te sine te nen justificabit te sine te Fecit nescientem justificat volentem The difference then is this they write that our will is a co-worker with grace by the force of nature we say that it works with grace by grace we will indeed but God worketh in us both to will and to work Man is called earth thrice by the Prophet Jeremiah Cap. 22.29 O earth earth earth hear the Word of the Lord that is as Bernard expounds Earth by 1. Procreation 2. Sustentation 3. Corruption Alas what is man Nothing I had almost said Somewhat less than nothing embarqued nine months in a living vessel at last he arives in the world Lord of the Land yet weeps at his possession in infancy and age fourfooted in youth scarce drest makes not his Will till he lie a dying and then dyes to think he must make his Will O quà m contempta res est homo nisi supra humana se erexerit Tantus quisque est quantus est apud Deum And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2.7 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul After the man is the woman made Gatak as a yoke-fellow standing on even ground with him though drawing on the left side Mulier quasi mollior the weaker vessel therefore to bo born withal Origen speaks somewhat contemptibly of women When Christ came into the Coasts of Tyrus and Sidon In Mat. 15.22 Behold a Woman Mira res Evangelista A strange thing O Evangelist that is the Author of transgression the mother o sin the weapon of the Devil the cause of our expulsion out of Paradise But Christ honoured women in lying in the womb of a woman He appeared first to women after his Resurrection and made them Apostolas apostolorum Apostles to preach his Resurrection to the Apostles There have been women of special note Sarah the Mother of the Faithful Hester the Nurse and preserver of the Faithful Women that ministred to Christ of their own substance c. There have been learned women Theano Crotoniatis was a Philosopher and a Poor too Pythagoras learned his natural Philosophy of his sister Themistocleas Clem. Alex. Olympia Fulvia Morata an Italian of the City of Ferrara taught the Greek and Latine tongues at Heidelberg Anno 1554. Aratha read openly in the Schools at Athens Leoptia wrote against Theophrastus c. Neverthelesse neither is the man without the woman 1 Cor. 11.11 neither the woman without the the man in the Lord. Mans Body PVulchrum corpus infirmis anima Isocrat est tanquam bonum navis malus gubernator The Philosophers say in respect of the substance of the body it consists most of earth and water but in respect of the vertue and efficacie it consists more of fire and ayre and so the body is kept in an equal temperature in the operation of the elementary qualities Omnia operatus est Dominus in pondere numero mensurâ that the humours may keep a proportionable harmony amongst themselves if this harmony be broken it bringeth destruction to the body As if the heat prevail then it bringeth Feavers if the cold prevail then it bringeth Lethargies if the moist prevail then it bringeth Hydropsies So that the extreme qualities heat and cold must be temperate by the middle qualities moist and dry For the body of man is like a Clock if one wheele be a misse all the rest are disordered the whole fabrick suffers Bodine observeth that there are three regions within mans body besides all that is seen without answerable to those three regions of the world Elementary Etherial and Caelestial His entrails and whatsoever is under his heart resemble the elementary region wherein only there is generation and corruption The heart and vitals that are divided from those entrails by the Diaphragma resemble the etherial religion As the brain doth the heavenly which consisteth of intelligible creatures Austin complaineth that men much wonder at the high mountains of the earth Hugo waves the sea deep falls of rivers the vastnesse of the Ocean the motion of the Starres Et relinquunt seipsos nec mirantur but wonder not at all at their wonderful selves And truly the greatest miracle in the world is that little world or rather Isle of man in whose very body how much more in his soul are miracles enow betwixt head and feet to fill a volume The body is not one member but many 1 Cor. 24.44 Head The head is the most excellent part of the body therefore the chief part of any thing is called the head Christ is called the Head of the Church and the Husband the head of the Wife And Israel is promised upon obedience to be made the head and not the taile Hence we uncover our head when we do homage to any man to signifie that our most excellent part reverenceth and acknowledgeth him In the head our reason and understanding dwells and all the senses are placed in the head except the touch which is spread thorow the whole body Besides the head is supereminent above the rest of the body and giveth influence to it There is also a conformity betwixt the head and the rest of the body And thus it is betwixt Christ and his Church he hath graces above the rest of his members he giveth influence and grace to them and he is like them The hair of the head as also the nails is an excrement 1 Cor. 11.14 and not to be
understood so Sin spiritually The Regenerate mans actions are as contrary to those that he did before as fire and water so that it may be said of him as it was once of Troy being taken Senec. Thalamis Troja perlucet novis every act word and work are all altered every chamber made new and swept to entertain the Object of the regenerate It was a strange change that Satan mentioned and motioned to our Saviour of turning stones into bread But nothing so strange as the work of Regeneration and Renovation a turning of stony hearts into hearts of flesh In this great work the substance of the Soul is the same only the qualities and operations are altered In Regeneration our natures are translated not destroyed no not our constitution and complexion The melancholy man doth not cease to be so after conversion only the humor is sanctified to a fitness for godly sorrow holy meditation c. and so of the other The fountain of blessed Immortality is the new birth which is the unmaking of a man and the making of him up again The whole frame of the old corrupt conversation is to be dissolved that a better may be erected The dignity and necessity of this work are motive enough to labour it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s a being heaven born as the word imports from above and without it Heaven will be too hot a place to hold us A man with Job may come to curse the day of his first but shall never have occasion to curse the day of his new-birth Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God John 3.3 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit vers 5. he nannot enter into the Kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit vers 6. is Spirit Justification There is a twofold Justification by 1. Infusion 2. Imputation Justificare est ex imputatione justitiae Christi pro justo reputare Inquit Lorinus Jesuita in Psal 45. St. Paul saying we are justified by Faith without works Rom. 3.28 And St. James saying that we are justified by works and not by Faith only Jam. 2.24 may be thus reconciled His Sermon of Christ crucified pag. 68. There hath been saith Mr. Fox a long contention and much ado in the Church to reconcile these two places of Scripture but when all is said that may be said touching them there is none that can better reconcile these two different places than you your selves to whom we preach And how is that I will tell you saith he do you joyn the lively Faith that St. Paul speaks of with those good works that St. James speaks of and bring them both together in one life and then hast thou reconciled them for so shalt thou be sure to be justified both before God by St. Pauls Faith and before men by St. James works That we are justified only by the righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith is the very Basis Foundation and State of Christian Religion whereby it is distinguished from all other Religions whatsoever Jews Turks Pagans and Papists explode an imputed righteousness yea Papists jear it calling it a putative Righteousness Let us therefore hold fast this comfortable and faithful word and transmit this doctrine safe and sound to posterity It was Luthers great fear that when he was dead it would be lost again out of the world Christ is in the midst of his Church whose righteousness is communicated to every true Believer who only comes within the Sphear of his activity The more vertuous the central Agent is in any thing the larger will his Semidiameters be and consequently his circumference The more powerful the fire is the further will it cast its heat circularly By Christ all that believe Act. 13.39 are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses For what saith the Scripture Rom. 4.2 Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for Righteousness Therefore we conclude Rom. 3.28 that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Vnion with Christ This Union is neither natural nor corporal nor Political nor personal but mystical and Spiritual Unitas not compaginat uni Our unity with Christ makes us one â—ith him and yet it is no less true and real than that of God the Father and God the Son For as the Holy Ghost did unite in the Virgins womb the divine and humane natures of Christ and made them one person by reason whereof Christ is of our flesh and of our bones so the Spirit unites the person of Christ his whole person God-man with our persons by reason whereof we are of his flesh and of his bones Our Union with Christ is exprest in Scripture by five Similitudes 1. By marriage Christ the Husband we the Spouse 2. By a body Christ the Head we the Members 3. By a building Christ the Foundation we the Superstructure 4. By ingraffing Christ the Vine we the Branches ingraffed into him 5. By the Similitude of feoding Christ the food we the body nourished As the Spirit of man quickens no seperate part Ezek. 37.9 neither could those dry bones live till they came together bone to his bone and the wind breathed upon them Aug. so nor Christ any that are not united to him Christ and his Members make one spiritual body Whiles Christ layes hold on us by his Spirit we lay hold on him by Faith Hence the Church is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 And the fulness of Christ Eph. 1.23 Yea hence we have the honor of making Christ perfect O happy union the ground of communion Omnis communio fundatur in unione O happy Interest the ground of influence Hence we have communication of Christs Secrets 1 Cor. 2.16 The Testimony of Jesus 1 Cor. 1.5 Consolation in all Afflictions 2 Cor. 1.5 Sanctification of all occurrances Phil. 1.21 Participation of Christs merit and Spirit and what not I am the vine ye are the branches Joh. 15.5 He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 For we are Members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Eph. 5.30 Sanctification Justification and Sanctification are inseperable concomitants indeed they are not to be confounded but withall they ought not to be severed distinguished they must be divided they cannot and therefore they are fitly called Twins in the womb of Free Grace Hence it is that we find those two frequently joyned together 1 Cor. 6.11 Ezek. 36.26 Mic. 7.19 One bade his Fellow at the Sun-rising look towards the West instead of the East where he might the better see the appearance of the Sun upon the tops of the Turrets even so the assurance of Election is best seen in Conversion and Sanctification 2 Pet. 1.10 Malac. 4.2 Sanctification is an universal healing of all the
docetur When God by his Spirit taketh in hand to teach a man he soon becometh a skilful scholar Nescit tarda molimina saith Ambrose Spiritus Sancti gratia The Spirit is not long in teaching those that commit themselves to his tuition Pimenta writes Epist ad Claudium Aquavivum de statu rei Christi apud Indos Orientales that the Barbarians of Ciandegri in the East-Indies seeing the Sun eclipsed Anno Dom. 1600. did fast and weep all day crying out O nos miseros quoniam Draco devoravit solemâ— shewing themselves as great Wizards as the Countrey-lad who watering his Ass when the Moon was going under a cloud presently conceived that his beast had drunk up the Moon But blessed be God the Red Dragon cannot devour our Sun There is nothing so sweet to a good soul as the knowledge of dark and deep mysteries The little Book of the Revelation was in John's mouth sweet as hony cap. 10.10 But as the Unicorns horn separated from the beast if any such Animal be is soveraign but on his head hurtful so is Knowledge as it is sanctified or unsanctified Austin desired no more of God but Noverim te noverim me that I may know my self and know thee Claritas in intellectu quae parit ardorem in affectu That light in the understanding that kindleth the affections is sweet knowledge But knowledge without love is like as rain in the middle region which doth no good to the ground Nummos habuerunt Athenienses ad numerandum scientiam ad sciendum But knowledge is not sufficient unless we have love too Knowledge puffeth up saith the Apostles but love edifieth Yet those were foolish persons whom Austin maketh mention of that neglected the means of knowledge because knowledge puffeth up and so would be ignorant that they might be humble and want knowledge that they might want pride This was to be like Democritus who pluckt out his eyes to avoid the danger of uncleanness The greatest part of our Knowledge is but the least part of Ignorance yet we are apt to think we know all that 's knowable as in Alcibiades his Army all would be leaders none learners Epicurus said That he was the first man that ever discovered Truth and yet in many things he was more blind than a Beetle Aratus the Astrologer vaunted that he had counted the Stars and written of them all Hoc ego primus vidi said Zabarel Laurentius Valla boasted Which he therefore called Logicam Laurentinam Scire tuum ulbil est Juven that there was no Logick worthy to be read but his And Nestorius the heretick braged that he alone understood the Scriptures and that till his time all the world was benighted But well saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.2 If any man think that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know Open thou mine eyes Psal 119.18 that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see Rev. 3.18 Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments 1 Joh. 2.3 Ignorance Ignorance is threefold 1. Purae negationis 2. Privationis 3. Affectata As for that which is by negation when God in wisdom hath denied to us the knowledge of some things it is no sin to be ignorant of them This ignorance was in Christ which knew no sin He was ignorant of the Day of Judgment But privative ignorance is a sin Quia aliud est nescire aliud est nolle scire nescire ignorantia est scire noluisse superbia est Bern. For us to be deprived by the fall of Adam of that excellent light wherein we were created this is a sin and may justly be required of us But affected ignorance is most fatal and damnable It is hell upon earth that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Some Papists make a vertue of Ignorance she is the mother of Devotion whereas in truth she is the mother of Destruction Ye erre saith our Saviour not knowing the Scriptures And Christ shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God Therefore let us not sooth up our selves in our ignorance but labour to be pluckt out of that pit daily more and more Ignorance may excuse à tanâ—o but not à toto When the Sienois having rebelled against Charls the Fifth Vt mitiùs ardeat Aug. Emperor sent their Ambassador to excuse it He not able to apologize for it any other way thought in a jest to put it off saying Shall not we of Siena be excused seeing we are known to be all Fools But the Agent replied That shall excuse you but upon the condition which is fit for Fools that is to be kept bound and enchained He that committed things worthy of stripes though he knew not his Lords will shall be beaten though with fewer stripes Ignorance is the ground and mother of many sins displeasing to God who complains of it and punisheth it And argues that a man hath no interest in the Covenant of grace Ignorat sanè improbus omnis Arist Nay it is the mother in some sort of all sin For in all sins we commit though we be endowed with singular knowledge our understanding for the time is blinded by Satan and our own corruption Diogenes being asked in mockery How it came to pass that Philosophers were the followers of Rich men and not Rich men of Philosophers answered soberly and sharply too Because the one sort knew what they had need of and the other did not Into the second tabernacle went the High Priest alone Heb. 9.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once every year not without blood which he offered for himself and for the ignorances of the people Wisdom Aristotle in many places of his works distinguisheth between Wisdom and Prudence Wisdom he maketh to be a right apprehending of truths in general Prudence Xenophon de dict fact Socrat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an applying them to particular cases and uses But Socrates said That there was no such difference sith he that knoweth good things to do them and evil things to avoid them is to be held a wise man and none else So that true Wisdom draws all into practice teaching men to prove by their own experience what that good and holy and acceptable will of God is Sapiens est cui res sapiunt prout sunt saith Bernard He is the wise man that savoureth things as they are And herein lieth the whole wisdom of a man saith Laetantius Vt Deum cognoscat colat Lib. 3. c. 30. that he know and worship God aright that with a practical judgment he ponder the word and ways of God in order to salvation But alas Of the most that would be knowing men it may well be said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Tully says the Proverb went of
who are of the day be sober 1 Thes 5.8 Luxurie Luxuria negligentia mores sunt hominum non temporis vitia Seneâ— Epictetus may say semper aliquid discâ—ns senesco But Polixenus semper aliquid bibens nihil ex timesco Seneca speaks of some that singulis auribus bina aut terna dependent patrimenia hanged two or three Lordships at their eares And such are those amongst us as one saith that turn their lands into laces and rents into ruffs c. Usually such persons spend all till they leave themselves nothing at all Preter celum canum M. Livius but ayr to breath in and earth to tread upon as a certain Roman prodigal boasted That 's for the back Quid enim majore Chachinne Excipitur vulgi quà m pauper Apicius Iuv. Sat. 11. Valer. now for the belly It is reported that the expences of Apicius his kitchin amounted to more than two Millions of gold He having eaten up his estate and finding by his account that he had no more then 200000. Crowns remaining thought himself poor and that this sufficed not to maintain his luxurie whereupon he drank down a glasse of poyson Some say he hanged himselfe The glutton Philoxenus is said to inveigh against nature for making his neck so short and to wish himself a Cranes neck that the pleasure and tasâ— of meat might be longer in rellishing To such a one neither water land nor air is sufficient Suttan Solyman was so given to it Turk Hist fol. 144. that when his brother Musa drew neer unto the place where he lay as his manner was banqueting with great pleasure in his camp and full of wine he was not sensible of the danger Nay when newes was brought unto him that his brother was at hand with a great power he in his drunkennesse caused the messenger that brought the newes to be beaten and when he had with greater earnestness than was to his liking affirmed that his report to be true he commanded him to be slain for troubling his mirth But Strabo writes of the Gaules Grimst p. 58. the ancient inhabitants of France that they were so temperate as that they did avoid by all meanes to be fat and big-bellied and if any young man were biggar than a certain measure he was blamed It was said of Ninias second King of the Assyrians Summum bonum in ventre aut sub ventre posuit that he was old excellent at eating and drinking And of Sardanapalus one of the same line Tully tells us that his gut was his God And Plutarch that he hired men to devise new pleasures for him What mines are able to maintain the expences of Prodigality It was usually said of Henry Duke of Guise that he was the greatest usurer in France because he had turned all his estate into obligations These three saith one B. B. B. Back Belly and Building fine clothes sumptuous feasts and over-stately structures like the daughters of the horse-leech suck out the blood of mens substance The Prodigal makes his own hands his Executors and his own eyes his overseers drawing much of his Patrimony through his throat and spending the rest upon harlots who usually leave him as bare as crowes do a dead Carcass Ruine follows riot at the heeles Luxurie is attended by beggery A famous and ample instance we have in that Parable Luk. 15 And daily experience shews it to be a plain truth But behold a worse mischief As the clouds darken heaven so intemperate banqueting the mind Chrysologus As the violence of winds and waves sinkes a ship so luxurie our soules and bodies in the depth of Hell He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich Prov. 21.17 We to them that are at ease in Zion Amos 6.1 4 6. That eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall That drink wine in bowles and anoint themselves with the chief ointment c. Zeal It is the Extream heat of all the affections when they are seething or hissing hot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when we love God and his people out of a pure heart fervently He loveth not at all in Gods account whose love is not ardent desires eager hopes longing Non amat qui non Zelat Aust hatred deadly anger fierce grief deep fear terrible voyce eyes hands gestures actions all lively Unto true Christian Zeal there be these six things required Will. Dict. 1. A desire after something which is truly good or against something which is evil indeed 2. That in this desire there be earnestness and vehemency 3. That there be a grief for this good thing we desire or for some abuse done to it 4. That this desire and grief be tempered with charity and discretion 5. That we seek not our own but Gods glory 6. Lastly that all this do proceed and come from sincere and distinct knowledge of the word Gal. 4.18 Rom. 10.3 1 Cor. 10.31 Zeal without knowledge is dangerous as appeared in the Jews and doth in many others It makes men proud and having drunk in an opinion they cannot be removed with reason As a man cannot write in a paper already written nor plow in a ground over-runne with bushes so it is hard to fasten any reason upon a mind prepossest with fancy Zeal is such a thing which if it be well ordered is most beautiful in a Christian but if not a thing of exceeding danger as fire in moderation is most comfortable in extremity most fearful Seperate Zeal and knowledge and they become both unprofitable But wisely join them and they perfect a Christian being like a precious Diamond in a Ring of Gold For Zeal without knowledge is like a little ship without ballast and fraught but with a great many sailes which is soon either dasht against the rocks or topped over And knowledge without Zeal is like a goodly great ship well ballasted and richly fraughted but without any sailes which quickly falleth into the hands of Pirates because it can make no speed It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good matter but Zeal misplaced how dangerous is it It is better to creep in a good way than to run in a wrong way Even idleness is better than such dillgence Yet they who misplace their Zeal are commonly more in diligence than they who place it aright and they who are in a false way make more hast than they who are in a true The nature of man will carry him two miles at his own bidding rather than one at Gods Zeal without knowledge is as wild-fire in a fooles hand it is like the Devil in the Demoniack that casts him sometimes into the fire and sometimes into the water Examples of holy Zealots were Bucholcer Luther Laurentius Athanasius Ignatius Paul Baruch of whom it is said Nehem. 3.20 Seipsum accendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
theft John 8.4 whiles the child of a stranger carries away the goods or lands of the family Besides this sin strikes at the very sinew heart and life of the marriage-knot and dissolves it Clytemnestra Agamemnons wife was a notable Adulteresse But nothing like Messalina who said Se inter diem noctem viginti quinque passam concubitus Adulteri sunt ulcera reipublicae The wide womb of the earth can never find a grave to hide their shame Nebuchadnezzar rosted in the fire Zedekiah and Ahab two false Prophets of Judah because they committed Adultery with their neighbours wives Jer. 29.22 23. The Egyptians used to cut off the nose of the Adulteresse the Prophet alluâ—es to this Ezek 23.25 The Athenians Lacedemonians and Romans were very severe against this sin as Plutarch reporteth The old French and Saxons also as Tacitus tels us The Law of God was strict this way and where men have failed to punish God hath done it remarkably In Anno 1583. in London two Citizens committing Adultery on the Lords day were struck dead with fire from heaven in the very act of uncleannesse their bodies being left dead in the place half burnt up sending out a most loathsome savour for a spectacle of Gods controversie against Adultery and Sabbath-breaking God did it effectually on Charles 2. King of Navar who was much addicted to this sin which so wasted his spirits that in his old age he fell into a Lethargy To comfort his benumbed joynts he was bound and sewed up in a sheet sleeped in boiling Aquavitae The Surgeon having made an end of sewing him and wanting a knife to cut off his thread took a wax candle that stood lighted by him But the flame running down by the thread caught hold on the sheet which according to the nature of the Aquavitae burned with that vehemencie that the miserable King ended his dayes in the fire Master Cleaver reports of one that he knew who had committed the act of uncleannesse and in the horror of conscience he hang'd himself But before he wrote in a paper and left in a place to this effect Indeed I acknowledge it sâ—id he to be utterly unlawful for a man to kill himself But I am bound to act the Magistrates part because the punishment of this sin is death This act was not to be justified but it shews what a controversie God hath with Adulterers and what a deep gash that sin makes in the conscience Adultery is 1. Mental 2. Actual What need therefore with Job to make a Covenant with our eyes Lusting is oft the fruit of looking as in Joseph's Mistresse who set her eye upon Joseph and David who saw Bathsheba bathing Lust is quick sighted Sampsons eyes were the first offenders that betrayed him to lust therefore are they first pulled out For this is an heinous crime yea it is an iniquity to be punished by the Judges Job 31.11 Heb. 23.4 Adulterers God will judge 3. Incest In a strict acceptation it signifieth that kind of naughtinesse which is committed between two near of kin Take heed of intemperance Lot in a drunken pang forgets he is father and does that that heaven and earth are afterwards ashamed of Est Venus in venis ignis in igne furit The text saith he neither perceived when either of them lay down Gen. 19.33 nor when they arose Indeed drunkennesse drowns both the understanding sense and conscience for surely he would never have done that abominable act if he had not been overcome with wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which might make him forget what was become of his wife and so cause him not to doubt but that she was in his bed Yet it is observed there is a tittle extraordinary in the Hebrew to note that it is a thing incredible Ne nos abeamus in securitatem Coire quempiam necientem Cajetan and Pererius conclude it possible and give reasons for it Calvin saith best that it was not so much his wine as a spirit of slumber sent upon him from God for a scourge of his intemperance Luther adds that we may watch against security It is well observed by our Divines Gen. 19.8 that Lot offended against the chastity of both his daughters in offering them up unto the Sodomites and they now conspire against his chastity so is he punished in the same kind wherein he offended which was just as from God though evil in them God permits him to fall most horribly in the solitary mountain whom the wickednesse of Sodom could not overcome It is ordinary with the Pope to dispence with incestuous marriage Instance in Philip 3. Sands in his Survey of Spain of whom it is said that he might call the Arch-Duke Albert both Brother Cousin Nephew and Son for all this was he unto him either by blood or affinity Being Uncle to himself Cousin-German to his Father Husband to his Sister and Father to his Wife And all by Papal dispensation God suffers such commixtions to take effect whiles he makes more lawful conjunctions fruitless for the greater shame of the fact Abhorr'd filthiness 1 Cor. 5.1 not so much as to be named without detestation 4. Sodomy This soul sin is so called from the men of Sodom It is an abuse of either sex against nature Such may be men in shape but are worse than beasts in their lusts Two ways a thing may be said to be against the nature of man 1. In regard of the constitutive difference of man which is Reason and so all sin is against nature 2. In regard of the Genus of man which is Animal a living creature Now the sin here spoken of is also against mans nature in this last respect For such filthiness is not sound amongst the beasts for God hath ordained that the male and female should couple together and not the female and female nor male and male But in this horrible manner did the Sodomites Romans and other of the Gentiles It is a sin saith Aristotle that is repugnant not only to nature in her greatest depravation but which fighteth with the nature of beasts But it is cleer that when God for sakes men they are ready to do things which the very beasts abhor At this day in the Levant Blunts Voyage Sodomy is held no sin The Turkish Basha's have many wives but which is far more abominable more Catamites This is a sin so against nature that Children natures end and Posterity are utterly lost by it God gave them up to vile affections Rom. 1.26 27. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one towards another men with men working that which is unseemly Adde unto these that of Moses Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death Exod. 22.19 Father Latimer B. of Worcester gave Henry the 8. a
New-years gift which was a New Testament and an Hand-kercher with this posie about it Fornicatores adulteros judicabit Dominus God judgeth them sundry kind of wayes 1. His judgment is on their souls which are translated from God to the Devil Hos 4.11 2. On their bodies Fornicatio quaesi formae necatio 3. On their goods Prov. 29.3 4. On their good names One principal thing that the Orator cast in Catelin's dish was Cane pejus angus his beastly and incestuous life 5. On their children Corpus opes animum famam vim lumina scortum Debilitat perdit necat aufert eripit orbat Long lasteth not the summer-fruit of wanton love or rather lust blasted most time in the blossom and rotten before it be well gathered Demosthenes went to Lais the Strumpet for a nights lodging Laeta venire Venus eristiâ— abire solet she asked 10000 Drachmes Nay soft saith he Nolo tanti emere poenitere Concupiscence is like an hot fire and our bodies like a seething pot Now this pot is cooled four ways especially By taking away some of the fuel under it Even so the less we eat and drink Incrementum gastromargiae initium luxuriae the less is the heat of lust It is Fasting-spittle that Kills this Serpent If we stuffe our Corps like Cloak-bags making our Mouths as Funnels our Throats Wine-pipes and our Bellies barrels there must follow some vent The pot is cooled by stirring of it So the furious heat of lust is abated by stiring of our bodies and exercise of our minds Unchaste folly for the most part is begot of an idle brain and hatched in a lazy body So sang the Poet Quaeritur Aegistus quâ re sit factus adulter Ovid. In promptu causa est desidiosus erat The Crab-fish when as the Oyster doth open slips in a little stone that she cannot shut herself again and so devours her If the Devil find us idle and gaping he takes his opportunity to confound us Let every generous spirit then resolve with Maximinus Quò major sum eò magis laboro quò magis laboro eò major sum We may cool the pot by casting some cold water into it In like manner abundance of tears are a good means to quench the outragious flames of this unruly fire The Amalekites we find in Sacred history burnt Ziglag and took the women captive which when David and the people found they lift up their voice and wept until they could weep no more 1 Sam. 30. and after that they smote them as the Text saith from the twilight until the evening of the next morn Lust is an Amalekite it burns our Ziglag sets on fire this little City captivating our senses and making us prisoners unto it But if we with David weep so that we can weep no more if we cast cold water into the pot if our eyes be fountains of tears and we weep day and night assuredly we shall pursue this cursed Amalekite and overcome our untamed affections we shall smite them from the twilight of our youth to the evening of our old age Also as a showre of rain extinguisheth the force of fire Chrysost so doth meditation of the Word the fire of lust in the soul The pot is cooled by taking it altogether by the fire so we may the sooner cool this hot lust which so boileth in us if we shun opportunities and occasions of sin Ne sedeas sed eas Ne pereas per eas Whereas other vices are conquered by strugling and striving with them the best way to subdue this vice is to fight with it after the manner of the Parthians who did fight flying Tu fugiendo fuga nam fuga sola fuga est 1 Cor. 6.18 Flee Fornication Simpilicity It is taken in an ill sense Pro. 1.22 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity By which understand such as are easily drawn into a fools Paradise These may be called the best sort of bad men These simplicians are much better than scorners and far beyond those fools that hate knowledge All sinful men are not alike sinful It is taken in a good sense and so it signifies one that hath a plain heart void of wiles and wrinkles Simplicitas sine plicâ having not the wit and skill to contrive any mischief or harm to others It comprehends 1. Faithfulnesse without deceit 2. Humility without pride 3. Gentlenesse without fierceness 4. And uprightnesse without respect of persons Being opposed to fraud vain-glory morosity and partiality Christ was a simple man all the treasures of wisdom were hid in him he was wiser than Solomon than any Politick Achitophel than any Matchiavel whatsoever yet a simple man He would not imploy his wits and wisdom about such things as might be hurtful to any So must all Christians be though God have given them never so sharp a wit Simplic husp aesâ—ns Deus est offâ—nditur astu Mant. Eclog. 7. so searching a head never so great wisdom experience and learning yet they must not use it to the hurt of any but to the good of all so neer as they can Jacob was a plain man Gen. 25.27 I would have you wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil Rom. 16.19 In simplicity and godly sincerity 2 Cor. 1.12 Subtilty It is sometimes taken in good part 1. For a singular wit or natural policy for one that is more provident and wise than others with this were the serpents indued at their creation Gen. 3.1 This was a good quality for God made every thing good but Satan abused it to a bad end 2. For sacred sagacity a sharp wit a deep reach a spirit that searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 of this Pro. 1.4 And sometimes it is taken in ill part for guile and deceit craft and wicked willnesse whereby men are made fit to deceive others A number there be that have the Serpentine wisdom and want the Dove-like simplicity They think they cannot be wise men unless they be crafty and hurtful men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are more like the Devil than Christ The Devil hath a plaguy wit á subtil pate of his own but he never doth any good with it but all the mischief he can So do those that are the Devils brood they have wit enough but what good do they with it Nay what hurt How dangerous be they in a town or a Countrey And certainly as a murderer desiring to wound deeply that he may strike deadly will look that his weapon be sharp Diabolus à te ornari quaerit so the Devil as at first chooseth the sharpest and subtilest wits for his instruments of mischief that having seduced them he may by them prevail the more for seducement of others O full of all subtilty and all mischief Acts 13.10 thou child of the Divel thou enemy of all righteousnesse wilt
to the lustre or brightness in gold Godliness to the weightiness or that propension in it which in the motion of it carries it toward the center Holiness respects the nature and quality of the action and engageth to a serious and zealous rectitude in these Godliness respects the end of the action and carries the agent in his intentions herein upon God Besides they are different in their nature in that Holiness is ascribed to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but never Godliness He is often said to be holy never godly And the holy Apostle exhorts to these as to two several graces 2 Pet. 3.11 Yet they are never divided in their subject For the holy man is stirred up of God to make God and his glory the soveraign end of all his ways which is Godliness To promote Holiness in the world God useth various engines viz. Precepts or commands Lev. 11.44 45. Motives and arguments 1. God himself is holy and he would have men communicate with him in his darling attribute 2. Men and women are brought into a capacity of being holy by the death of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.17 3. God hath made many great and precious promises unto it wherein he stands engaged to the sons and daughters of men 2 Cor. 7.1 4. God is unable to bear the world in an aversness from holiness Heb. 1.14 5. The beauty and glory of it hence often called by that name 2 Cor. 3.18 Eph. 5.27 6. The peace it brings 7. And joy it begets Examples The Scripture in the memory of those that were holy seems to embalm them with honour to posterity on purpose that being preserv'd the world by them might learn and follow holiness in all succeeding generations It hath the superscription express and image of the glorious God upon it What manner of persons ought we to be 2 Pet. 3.11 in all holy conversation and godliness Civility As there are some things that glister but are not true Gold so some things shining which are not true Grace Civility and Morality are far from true Sanctity Yet herein it is not only possible but easie to mistake Learn therefore to difference them Civility and Morality hath respect only to the outward carriage and comportment but true Sanctity hath respect chiefly to the heart searching into the secret corners the very spirit of the mind So did good David when he prayed Cleanse thou me from secret faults That teacheth a man to avoid gross vices notorious offences scandalous enormities But it is only Holiness which causeth a man to make conscience of the least sins as well as the greatest Serm. 1. de Sp. â— To which Bernard saith excellently Hanc sollicitudinem non facit nisi Spiritus Sanctus qui ne minimam paleam intra cordis quod possidet habitaculum patiatur residere Holiness inlightens a man to look on the same sins which Morality and Civility discovereth with another and a cleerer aspect since whilst the Civil person only abhors them as enemies to his good name and the Moralist as repugnant to reason the Holy man loaths them as breaches of Gods law and offences to his Majesty Thus repenting David and the returning Prodigal looked upon their sins as against and before God Psal 51.4 Luk. 15.21 Civility restraineth sin but Holiness conquereth it Civility lesseneth the actings yet taketh not away the power whereas Holiness though not all at once yet by degrees subdueth the power of corruption Lastly This is the peculiar efficacy of true Holiness that it doth not only irradiate the understanding but inflame the will and affections with a love to God and zeal for his glory In which respect it is that they whom Christ purifieth to himself a peculiar people are said to be zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 The soul hath her senses as well as the body and these must be exercised Heb. 5.14 A Bristol-Stone looks like a Diamond We had need to try the things that differ that we be not cheated and so undone as many a man is by purchasing a counterfeit commodity at an unreasonable rate This I pray Phil. 1.9 10. that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment That ye may approve things that are excellent Honesty By it generally all kind of duties are signified which men are mutually to practise one towards another without doing any uncomely or wicked thing An honest man had rather complain than offend and hates sin more for the indignity of it than the danger He hath but one heart and that lies always open All his dealings are square and above board he bewrays the fault of what he sells and restores the owner gain of a false reckoning He esteems a Bribe venemous and only to be gilded over with the colour of a Gratuity When his name is called in question his Innocency bears him out with courage His Conscience over-ruleth his Providence Finally he hates falshood worse than death He is a faithful client of Truth No mans enemy and it is a question whether more anothers friend or his own But contrariwise too many are like the Dragons of Armenia that have cold bodies and yet cast fire out of their mouths Like the Sea-fish which gapes as if she would swallow up the Ocean but being ript up and her entrails opened there is no water found in her belly Christians in shew Devils indeed In all godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 Liberty Deus operatur omnia in omnibus necessitate infallibilitatis non coactionis Zanar Metaph. Deus efficaciter in homine libero operatur sed tantùm abest quòd hac efficatia tollat libertatem quòd magis eam ponit voluntas non potest cogi servata sua natura Quia eâ—si Deus potest cogere voluntatem meam ut lucrem poenas meorum delictorum tamen hoc non esset ex vi meae voluntatis nec ex coactione intrinsica libera sed ex violentia intrinsicâ— impellentis Deus autem agere solet per concursum influxum naturam agentem modificantem ideo ei non infert violentiam Liberè operari dicitur dupliciter 1. Quoad electionem sic est libera quia potest eligere non eligere 2. Quoad executionem sic potest impedire ab extrinsico per multa impedimenta Quod probatur locis multis Scripturae Cor hominis disponat viam suam sed Domini est dirigere gressus ejus In homine reperitur triplex libertas 1. Prima dicitur libertas à culpa quia in libertate natura est non peccare 2. A poena quia possumus evadere angustias mala quibus premimur 3. A coactione in electione quia possumus liberè eligere Duas priores libertates per peccatum primi parentis amisimus si stemus in puris naturalibus solùm tertia libertas remanet Bern. de grat lib. arbitr Liberty though but bodily is such an inestimable good thing
manu Herculis extorqueas But when a man gives an alms being drawn to it with many and violent intreaties he loseth the grace of his gift both with God and man Nemo libentur debet quod non accepit sed expressit Among men he accounts not himself a debter who hath not freely received but wrung out a penny from a rich man That which is extorted from a man he properly giveth not Necessity in this kind and liberty cannot well stand together Pliny writeth that it was observed among the Romans Senec. Râ—nitentem trabentem se ab aris that never any good came to a man by offering a beast in sacrifice that violently drew back from the Altar and could not be brought to it but with much force And most certain it is that God esteemeth of no offering of ours which is not as free as liberal Give Alms of such things as you have Luke 11.41 Heb. 13.16 To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased He that sheweth mercy Rom. 12.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with chearfulnesse Hospitality Nihil interest habere estium apertum vultum clausum Cicero It is nothing worth to admit man with an open door and to receive them with a shut and reserved countenance Saith the Oratour Hospitality is an excellent duty and we have many spurs to prick us to it 1. God requires it 2. We have many examples of it 3. We our selves may be strangers therefore do as we would be done to In it these things are required that it be done 1. Frequentur one swallow makes not a spring It was the continual practice of Lot and Abraham as may appear by their behaviour 2. â—eleriter we must not tarry till strangers offer themselves we must pull them in as Abraham and Lot we must constrain them as Lydia did Paul and Silas 3. Hilaritur without grudging we must not repine at it speak hardly of them when they be gone 4. Humiliter after a meek manner as if we were rather beholden to them than they to us 5. Abundantur according to that ability wherewith God hath blessed us 6. Perseverantur be not weary of well doing But alas most men are too much wedded to the world Where are our Abrahams to entertain Gods messengers Our Lots to compel his Ministers to come in but many a rich glutton to barr the door and deny the very fragments of his table The Prophet Elias lacketh his host of Sarepta the Prophet Elisha his hostess the Shunamite Paul cannot find the Purpurisse nor Peter the Tanner Job we find not Captain Cornelius is a black swan in this generation No Philip to feast the poor nor Martha to give the courteous entertainment nor Mary to pour oyntment on their heads Christ is a beggar in his membeâ—s Lazarus lyes still at the door and cannot by long craving and crying obtain some crummes his pillow is the Pavement stones the rich mans horses chew and spew upon gold and silver and his Mules go under rich velvet Dogges are deer and feed more daintily Foolish Nabal who like Sodom and Gomorrah was full of bread yet he denies distressed David of the superfluity of his house Yea they that make a great shew of Christianity are ready to say with that very churle shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be Habet semper unde det Aug. cui plenum est pectus charitatis Coronat Deus voluntatem ubi non invenit facultatem Idem Given to hospitality 1 Tim. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coaction It is a received Axiom Quod ex necessitate bonum est non est bonum that which is good of necessity is not good yet it is to be understood de necessitate coactâ of a coacted necessity not of a voluntary God is necessarily good yet willingly good Death comes necessarily upon all yet some dy willingly I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ But the good which is done upon a constrained necessity loseth the name of good Patience perforce is no patience A willing mind in a good action is all in all If Solomon had not willingly built the Temple it had not been pleasing to God If the Centurion had not willingly set up the Synagogue God would not have respected it If the woman of Shunem had not willingly entertained the Prophet it had been no good work in the sight of God If Dorcas had not made the coates willingly they had not been acceptable unto God Not by constraint 1 Pet. 5.2 but willingly Beginning or Original Dimidium facti qui benè Caepit habet First actions make deepest impressions either of fear or courage Great lakes are made from small rivers Great matters from small beginnings Small matters saith a Divine art not to be neglected Mr. Mâ—ntâ—n in nature Art Religion or Providence In nature matters of moment grow up from small beginnings Nature loveth to have her cause and seed of every thing small A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Thin exhalations end in great showers Small breaches in a Sea bank let in great inundations We must therefore not consider matters in their beginning only but progress and ultimate issue A little sin doth a great deal of mischief and a little grace is of great efficacy Penes Râ—ges est inferre bellum penes antem Deum terminare Contention at first is but as a spark but afterward it being fomented and blown up by unsober spirits putteth whole Kingdomes into combustion Heresy at first is inconsiderable but it creepeth like a Gangrene from one place to another till it have destroyed the whole body Men begin to quarrel one with another about trifles and God inferreth great mutations and changes of States and Kingdoms Learn we then not to neglect evils that are small in their rise and original Resist sinnes betimes give no place to Sathan Principiis â—bsta we know not the issue of his tyranny and encroachment And learn we also not to despise the day of small things the low beginning of grace Providence and deliverance God useth to go on when he hath begun a good work Behold Jam. 3.5 how great a matter a little fire kindleth Progresse in Sanctification Non progredi est regredi The cessasion or sleep of grace makes such a confusion in the whole man as Christ sleeping in the ship did to it Christians like waters of the Sanctuary should rise higher and higher As the morning Sun they should shine more and more unto the perfect day The blessing on man in the first creation was increase and multiply in the second grow in grace A Christian how perfect soever hath still his Plùs ultra Runners in a race look not how much they have run but how much remaineth A Christian hath his degrees of growth and his several ages of
a sweet savour behind it Wheresoever it comes it will procure favour of God and men When the name that the wicked have gotten shall rot the faithful shall be had in everlasting remembrance Therefore let us be all Zealous this way so shall we be renowned in this world Quà m magnus mirantium tam magnus invidentium populus est Senec. and eternally famous in the world to come Plato was once in such esteem that it was an ancient Proverb Jovem grecè loqui si vellet non aliter loquuturum quà m Platonem But the common people are apt to praise and dispraise with one breath Fame followes desert as the sweet sent doth the rose A man shall be sure to have both the comfort and credit of his worthy parts and practises In the Olympick games those that overcame Dignum laude virum Musa vetat moriâ— Hòâ—at did not put the garlands on their own heads but stayed till others did it for them That which had been much to a mans commendation if out of another mans mouth sounds very slenderly out of his own It is an hard thing to recover a mans good name if once lost It happened Lauâ— proâ—rlo sordescit in â—re that upon a time Fire Water and Fame went to travel together but before they set forth they consulted that if they lost one another how they might meet again Fire said where you see smoke there you shall finde me Water said where you see marsh or moorish low grounds there you shall find me But Fame said take heed how you lose me for if you do you will ran a great hazard never to meet me again Still the Euge of a good Conscience and Gods approbation is principally to be sought after Whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. â— 29 Merâ—t Caelum gratis non accipiam said the Jesuite before grace I had free will to it and when I had grace I deserved glory Satan had perswaded the Scottish Knox he had merited by his Ministery but that God brought to his mind those scriptures What hast thou that thou didst not receive And yet not I but the grace of God which was in me The Jewes of old did seek to be justifyed by their own works and these latter Jewes being asked whether they beleeve to be saved by Christs righteousness or not Answer that every Foxe must pay his own skin to the flear The Church of Rome seekes to be justified by her own righteousness and the righteousness of Christ They hold that Christs righteousness merits that our works should merit And Bellarmine saith De Iustif Opera sanctorum tincta sanguine Christi merentur that is the works of the Saints dipped in the blood of Christ do merit And truely that 's a slie and nice distinction of the Jesuites which they invented of late to make us beleeve that by the doctrine of merits they derogate nothing from the glory of Christ Indeed they say that we make satisfaction for sin and merit heaven yet it is not we that do it but Christ by us not our works simply in themselves but as dyed in the blood of Christ Our Merits are Christs merits and therefore they may deserve heaven I but Christ hath purged our sins by himself not by our selves he hath done it by his own blood immediately not mediately by our works dyed in his blood Therefore that is a meer delusion to mock the world withall Upon those word Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love The Jesuites say It is a world to see what wrything and wringing the Protestants make to shift off this place whereby it is cleer that good works are meritorious and causes of salvation If it be an unrighteous thing with God not to give heaven to our works then we have it not on meer mercy but of justice But we say It is just with God so to do not in regard of our merit Justum est ut reddat qui debet debet autem qui promisit but of his own promise They that came into the vineyard at the last hour had as much as the first yet not of merit but of Covenant It is an unrighteous thing for one to break his promise God hath promised to reward our works with eternal life therefore he should be unrighteous if he did it not yet we must not depend on our merits but on Gods promise ratified by an oath as he sheweth in the following words And for Opus operatum it is not sufficient so much as to acceptance with God because it is not enough to do a good work which God requireth at our hands but we must perform it in such a manner as the Lord requireth We must not only do bonum but bene Besides Merit is a meer fiction sith there can be no proportion betwixt the work and the wages It is well observed Coâ—â—on on Cant. Certum est nos facere quod faimus sed ille â—acit ut faciasmut Aug. Like as Roma is become Amor inversus that the Church in the Canticles is no where described by the beauty of her hands or fingers Christ concealeth the mention of her hands that is of her works 1. Because he had rather his Church should a bound in good works in silence than boast of them especially when they are wanting as Rome doth 2. Because it s he alone that worketh all our works in us and for us We do what we do but it is he that causeth us so to do St Paul is so directly against Popish justification by works that one saith both wittily and well The Epistle of Paul to the Romans is become the Epistle of Paul against the Romans Certainly those misled and muzled soules did worse than lose their labour Act. Mon. fol. 1077. that built religious houses Pro remissione redemptione peccatorum pro remedio liberatione animae pro salute requie animarum patrum matrum fratrum sororum c. These were the ends that they aimed at as appears in stories The Papists think that as he that standeth on two firm branches of a tree is surer than he that standeth upon one onely so he that trusteth to Christ and works too is in the safest condition But 1. They are fallen from Christ that trust to works 2. He that hath one foot on a firm branch and another on a rotten one stands not so sure as if he stood wholly on that which is sound But let them be Moses disciples let us be Christs set not up a candle to this sun of righteousness mix not thy puddle with his purple blood thy rags with his raiment but detest all mock-stayes And account accursed for ever that blasphemous direction of Papists to dying people Conjunge Domine obsequium meum cum omnibus quae Christ us passus est pro me Join Lord mine obedience with all that Christ hath
safe in any place without Gods protection In 1. Field Witnesse Abosolom and Saul In 2. House Witnesse Pharaoh In 3. Bed Witnesse Ishbosheth In 4. Chamber Witnesse Jezabel In 5. Church Witnesse Senacherib Joab God snatcht Lot out of Sodom David out of many waters Tutus sub umbrâ leonis Paul out of the mouth of the lyon Jonah out of the belly of hell c. Cur timeat hominem homo in sinu dei positus He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee Job 5.19 Affliction Water properly is that element cold and moist contrary to fire Psal 42.7 Fluctus fluctum trudit But frequently signifies amongst many other things afflictions and troubles which threaten dangers as waters threaten drowning Often in the Psalms and elsewhere it is so used And I conceive that ever after Noah's flood that dismall destruction great and grievous afflictions were set forth by the rushing in of waters and overwhelming therewith Afflictions are that Sea that all the true Israelites in their journey to the everlasting Canaan must go through But yet these rivers of Marah are sweetned they are to the godly pleasant and they going through the vale of misery use it for a Well whereout they draw living water Psal 84.6 There are light crosses which will take an easy repulse Others yet stronger that shake the house sides but break not in upon us Others veliement which by force make way to the heart Others violent that lift the mind off the hinges or rend the barres of it in peices Others furious that tear up the very foundations from the bottome leaving no monument behind them but ruine Anton. Pius The wisest and most resolute moralist that ever was looked pale when he should taste of his hemlocke Christ went to Jerusalem the vision of peace by Bethany the house of grief so must we to heaven God useth to lay the foundation low when he will build high afflict much when he will destinate to some excellent end As in the creation first there was darknesse then light Or as Jacob first God makes him halt and then the place becomes a Peniel Therefore take knowledge of the low deeps into which Gods Children are brought That soul that feels it self hand-fasted to Christ though it meet with a prosperous estate in this world it easily swells not and if it meet with the adverse things of the world it easily quails not for it hath the word of Christ and Spirit of Christ residing in it Whereby you shall behold their faith victorious their hope lively their peace passing all understanding their joy unspeakable and glorious their speech alwayes gracious their prayer full of fervour their lives full of beauty and their end full of honour Apollonius writes of certain people that could see nothing in the day but all in the night In mirabil Histor Many Christians are so blinded with the sun-shine of prosperity that they see nothing belonging to their good but in the winter night of adversity they can discern all things Christians are never more exposed to sins and snares than in prosperity Though winter have fewer flowers yet also fewer weeds And fishes are sooner taken in a glistering pool than in a troubled Fen. Besides while the wind is down we cannot discern the wheat from the chaffe but when it blows then the chaffe flies away only the wheat remains Witnesse that masculine resolution of him Ful gentius who in the midst of his sufferings used to say Plura pro Christo tolleranda Here we live in the valley of Achor from Achan that was troubled that day wherein he was stoned Lorin Cap. 2. Prolcgom in Eccles Josh 7. Petrus Tenorius Archbishop of Toledo having a long time considered the weighty reasons on each side whether King Solomon were damned or saved and not knowing how to resolve the houbt in the end caused him to be painted on the walls of his Chappel as one that was half in heaven and half in hell The darker the foil the lighter the Diamonds Fealty A child of God in respect of his manifold afflictions he meets with here seems many times to himself and others to be in hell But having also tasted the first-fruits of the Spirit and the consolations that accrue unto him thereby he seems to be half in heaven Our light affliction 2 Cor. 4.17 which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Hurt It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt saith Laban to Jacob Gen. 31. though indeed it never was farther than given him from above Rideo dicebat Caligula consulibus quòd uno nutu meo jugulare vos possim Vxori tam bona cervix simul ac jussero demctur And Caesar told Metellus that he could as easily take away his life as bid it be done But these were but bravado's for that 's a royalty which belongs to God only to whom belong the issues of death Wicked men do not only pull manifold miseries upon themselves but are many wayes mischievous to others and have much to answer for their other mens sins How many are undone by their murders adulteries robberies false testimonies blasphemies and other rotten speeches to the corrupting of good manners What hurt is done daily by the Divels factors to mens souls bodies lives estates Besides that they betray the land wherein they live into the hand of divine justice whiles they do wickedly with both hands greedily When Christ gave his Disciples a commission to preach the Gospel he promised that they should take up Serpents and if they drank any deadly thing it should not hurt them No more shall the deadly poyson of sin hurt those that have drunk it if they belong to God Provided that they cast it up again quickly by confession and meddle no more with such a mischief Foolish and hurtful lusts drown men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ita demorgunt ut in aqua summitate rursus non ebulliant Loss What tell you me of goods in heaven say many let me have my goods on earth A bird in the hand is better than two in a bush The Grecians comprehend both life and goods in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew perhaps men had as lief lose their lives as their goods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fronte nubila Mat. 19.22 He came hastily but went away heavily This is an hard thing it made the young man go sorrowful away that Christ should require that which he was unwilling to perform If heaven be to be had upon no other terms Christ may keep it to himself Many now adayes must have Religion to be another Diana to the Crafts-masters however are resolved to suffer nothing Jeroboamo gravior jactura regionis quà m religionis The King of Navarre told Beza that in the cause of Religion
out of their bellies For which cause also the Hebrews called them Oboth or bottles because the bellies of those women that were thus made use of by the Devil were swelled as big as bottles In the year of Grace 1536. a certain Damsel at Frankfort in Germany being possessed with a Devil and stark mad swallowed down pieces of money with much gnashing of her teeth which monies were presently wrung out of her hands and kept by divers Bucholc Chr. Luther's advice being requested it was this To pray hard for her Vrbanus Regius in a Sermon of his at Wittenberg made mention of a certain Maid possessed by the Devil and when she should have been prayed for in the Congregation the Devil made as if he had been departed out of her But before the next publike meeting Satan returned and drove the Maid into a deep water where she presently perished Melanchton tells a story of an Aunt of his that had her hand burnt to a coal by the Devil appearing to her in the likeness of her deceased husband And Pareus relates an example of a Bakers daughter in their countrey possest and pent up in a Cave she had digg'd as in a grave to her dying day Much like unto that poor creature mentioned Mat. 8.28 It is to be feared the Devil that was cast out of the Demoniacks bodies is got into many mens hearts oft casting them into the fire of Lust and water of Drunkenuess Athanasius had a conceit that the Devil may be driven out of a body by repeating the 68. Psalm Possessed with Devils Mat. 4.24 and lunatick Sorrow Secundum Deum 2 Cor. 7.10 Mundum 2 Cor. 7.10 For the first Sin bred sorrow and sorrow being right destroyeth sin as the worm that breeds in the wood eats into it and devours it So that of this sorrow according to God we may say as the Romans did of Pompey the Great Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is the fair and happy daughter of an ugly and odious mother But the sorrow of the world is that which carnal men conceive Act. Mon. fol. 1901. either for the want or loss of good or for the sense or fear of evil Thus Queen Mary who died as some supposed by her much sighing before her death of thought and sorrow either for the departure of King Philip or the loss of Calice or both Thus Nabal sorrowed To these may be added a third An hellish sorrow a desperate grief for sin Virtus nolentium nulla est as was that of Judas Fained or forced grief is nothing worth He grieved and yet miscarried It was squeezed out of him as verjuice out of crabs But Peter went forth to weep bitterly Gods people are commanded to afflict themselves with voluntary sorrow Some shadow of it we have in Epaminondas the Theban General who the next day after the Victory and Triumph went drooping and hanging down his head And being asked why he did so He answered Blur. Yesterday I found my self too much tickled with vainglory therefore I correst my self for it to day But we have a better example in holy David whose heart smote him and made him smart inwardly saith the text 2 Sam. 24.10 after he had numbred the people The soundness and sincerity of sorrow is shewed by the secrecy of it Ille dolet verâ— qui sine teste dolet He grieves with a witness that grieves without a witness Zech. 12.12 Sorrow is a breaker It breaks no bones but it breaks the heart Worldly sorrow breaks the heart to death Godly sorrow breaks the heart to life Sorrow shortneth the spirit of man that is Sorrow over-acted weakens the whole man and leaves him unable to put himself forth in action Joy is the dilatation or widening of the heart much joy makes the spirit free to act So sorrow is a straitner of it it makes a man narrow-hearted and narrow-handed it stops him in his actings or stays him from acting We commonly say Sorrow is dry 'T is so because it is a drier A broken spirit drieth the bones Pro. 17.22 Aristotle in his book of Long and short Life assignes Grief for a chief cause of death All immoderations saith Hippocrates are great enemies to health We have heard of some whose hearts being filled with vexing cares Quia spiritus tristis exiceat â—ssa have filled their heads with gray hairs in a very short time As some have an art to ripen fruits before nature ripens them so the Lord hath a power to hasten old age before nature makes us old Many troubles in one year may make a man as old as many years Grief is like Lead to the soul heavy and cold It sinks downward and carries the soul with it Mans Mind is like the stone Tyrrhenus which so long as it is whole swimmeth but being once broke sinketh David was decrepit with much grief at seventy years of age Jacob attained not to the days of the years of the life of his fathers as being a man of many sorrows And this some think was the reason our Saviour Christ at little past thirty was reckoned to be towards fifty Lam. 3.1 Joh. 8.57 He was the man that had seen affliction Mention is made of a German Captain at the Siege of Buda Anno 1541. Turk Hist. who seeing the dead body of his unfortunate but valiant Son presented to him a sudden and inward grief did so surprise him and strike to his heart that after he had stood a while speechless with his eyes set in his head he suddenly fell down dead The Casuists and Schoolmen affirm sorrow for sin to be the greatest of all sorrows In 1. Conatu 2. Extensione 3. Appreciatione 4. Intensione Though other Mourning coming down hill having Nature to work with it and nothing to hinder it make more noise Mine eye is consumed because of grief Psal 6.7 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop Prov. 12.25 When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me c. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am in trouble Mine eye is consumed with grief Psal 42.4 yea my soul and my belly For my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing My strength faileth because of mine iniquity and my bones are consumed Psal 31.9 10. Desire It is a passion which we have to attain to a good thing which we enjoy not Est voluntarius affectus ut res quae bona existimatur deâ—st vel existat vel possideatur that we may imagine is fitting for us There is a threefold desire 1. Natural 2. Reasonable 3. Spiritual And every one of these by their order are subordinate to another and there is no repugnancie amongst them In Fevers we desire to drink and yet we will not And so in Apoplexies to sleep and yet we will not A mans hand is gangren'd a Chyrurgeon comes to cut it off The
the hearts of all that should read those stories Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Now if any Anabaptistical Humorist who hath a company of Phanatique toyes whiffling about his understanding should censure me for inforcing Bowing and Kneeling I have no more to say to him than this Being that God is the Creator and Redeemer of soul and body that therefore as well with the body as the soul we are to worship him by kneeling bowing and that especially when the act of our Redemption is presented unto us by visible signs as it is in the Lords Supper I conclude this with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternal immortal invisible and onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen I follow still the Angels strain and pitch my thoughts on the second part the words are these And on earth peace From the time of Mans capital apostasie effected by the cunning project of the subtile Serpent all the creatures of God were at odds with Man affected with reciprocal enmity The fiery Dragon had set the world on fire Combustion and Confusion the two extremities of distempered Passion came on after Hence by reason of the perpetual opposition of the creatures Iniquity did abound and the love of many waxed cold The burden of these disturbances was so ponderous that all things did groan under it So many blustering storms did succeed one upon the neck of another as that the world seemed to despair of peace Mans wicked disobedience was taken so ill at Gods hands as well he might as that he was incensed against him and his posterity and for their sake cursed the earth Here then we find Man in hostility with God with himself with his brethren with all Gods creatures both in heaven and in earth So that he is excluded felicity whereof he was before possessed inviron'd with that deplorable misery which he then could not and we now cannot without Christ Jesus avoid His rebellion against God caused the creatures to rebell against him He neglecting his Creator is both by the Creator and creature neglected His falling from the Lord made the Lord and the servants fall out with him Because the sons of Adam had such aspiring minds as to seek after that which is proper unto God Peace is therefore departed from the sons of Adam Now there was no peace within none without until the Prince of peace Jesus Christ by grace put a period to the mutinous disposition of ill-affected humors until he had so salved the matter betwixt God and us as that all things might work together for the good of us that are the elect of God Wherefore as the Dove after the â—sswaging of the waters of the Deluge brought an Olive branch into the Ark of Noah so Christ as innocent as a Dove came unto the world and brought Peace and Reconciliation with him into the Ark of God which is his Church floating in a restless Ocean of intestine troubles Who was no sooner come but the Heavenly Courtiers invite us men on earth to give glory unto God in Heaven because that the God of Heaven did by his own Son send peace on earth to men For when he came he brought peace to us when he departed Zanch. he left his peace with us Qui pacem dicit dicit uno verbo omnia bona saith Zanchius Who names but peace comprehends in one word all that 's good And indeed all that 's good did in and through Christ descend to us from the Infinite Good out of the inexhaustible treasures of whose uncomprehended fulness we have all received Since then O my God that my soul and discursive faculty must now be fixt upon all that 's good refine I beseâ—ch thee my diviner thoughts and let not all that 's good be in any wise tainted by any unhallowed imperfections of mine Assist with thy Divine power in setting out this Olive-branch of Peace fetcht from Heaven that may in time spring up unto eternal life Our Saviour the Everlasting Son of the Father and blessed Peace-maker of Heaven and Earth wrought for believing men such as shall receive him by faith for whose sake he came into the world a foursold inviolable Peace Viz. 1. Peace with our God 2. Peace with our selves 3. Peace with one another 4. Peace with all the creatures First he wrought our peace with God What befell Adam for his insolent behaviour and disobedience against the Author of his life no son of Adam that hath but the least sense of misery can be ignorant of Upon the apprehension of the transgression he found himself and we since our selves miserably plung'd in a depth of inselicity for by the offence of that one man that first man all became enemies to God and God an enemy to all Thus God and man stood off at a distance never to come together but by a mediation Whereupon the God of mercy that delights not in the death of a sinner unwilling to see so noble a creature perish everlastingly provides and sends a Mediator that Son of his who was in his own bosom to reconcile us unto himself to bring us unto the bosom of his Father ratisying such a league as may if it were possible outlast Eternity Hence it was he took our flesh upon him whereby being God and Man he might bring man to God Oh the hardness of my stony heart saith Bernard in a heavenly extasie Bern. Vtinam Domine sicut Verbum caro factum est ita cor meum carnem fiat I would to God my God and Lord that as the Word was made flesh so were my heart hereby to be seelingly apprehensive of thine infinite mercy in granting pardon to my sin and peace unto my soul through the Lord Jesus It is the Apostles speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is Christ is our Peace Eph. 2.14 our Peace in the very abstract By him our eternal quiet is procured Gods consuming wrath appeâ—sed and by his light are our feet guided into the way of peace A Jesuite spake it and to speak truth 't is Gods received truth Ex inimicis amicos ex servis filios ex filiis irae haredes regni fecit nos per Christum Deus God the God of peace hath made us through Christ that of being his enemies his friends of being his servants his sons of being sons of wrath heirs of a Kingdom not subject to mortality Buâ—lest an headstrong credulity arising out of a flattering misconceit should draw some into a precipitate presumption of concluding themselves to be reconciled to God and restored to favour though they persist in sin and infidelity Learn this Orthodox truth grounded on that of the Apostle That they only who are justified by faith and sanctified by his Spirit have peace with God Rom. 5.1 through our Lord Jesus Christ Happy is that soul alone that hath faith it hath Christ Happy
warfare and fight the combates of Jesus Christ all that maintain the profession of the truth in sincerity and uprightnesse of heart all that with hearty resolutions begin and prosecute the ruine of the Romish Synagogue the dissolution of their superstitious worships wheresoever within the limits of their jurisdiction Of this order are all those Christians that beholding their sins lay hold on Christs merits and Gods mercy by an unmovable faith for this hold is taken by the strength of Gods Spirit wherewith he doth endow us Of this order are all those who resist the temptations of Satan the provocations of the flesh the alluring vanities of this perishing world these are all vanquisht by the power of the most high that rules in our hearts Of this order are all those who are content to sacrifice their lives for the Name of Christ that so they may be found in him stout hearts have they and full of spirit that spurn at the present pleasures and commodities dignities of this world and are content to part with all hopes of these and all that he hath for the glorious hope of eternal life purchased unto them with the precious blood of the Son of God Such a spirit as this no worldling can be partaker of and such a spirit as this we read to have been in Martyrs even at the stake To conclude this point Of this order are all such as in their greatest necessities and most desperate extremities acknowledge and rely on the gracious protection and fatherly Providence of Almighty God who against all hope rest in hope which is as much as one saith as for a man to shake the whole earth and is as hard a work Hence by reason that the Spirit doth communicate this strength unto us he is called the Spirit of strength thus his strength is shewn in our weaknesse Isa 11.2 whereby great and difficult matters beyond expectation or the reach of our nature are brought to passe All these are sufficient restimonies whereby we may undoubedly and safely conclude that where they are to be found Gods Spirit it is to be found God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts Wherefore my dearly beloved into whose hearts the Spirit of God hath entred make it appear by his holy conversation that he is in your hearts if ye live in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 ye must walk in the Spirit if by the potent operation of the Spirit ye berdead unto sin and raised up unto newnesse of life you must expresse it by serving in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all they dayes of your life it cannot be said flatly there is any life in him in whom there is no expression of life so unlesse you forsake and abandon your wayes of wickednesse your adultery your pride your extortion your grinding of the faces of the poor by your oppression your cheating your bribery your riot your unjust dealing and whatsoever Gods pure eyes cannot endure to behold by hearty and unfained repentance and sincere obedience unto all that God commands it cannot be truly affirmed that the Spirit of God is in your hearts or that he hath as yet breathed upon you the breath of supernatural or spiritual life Vita animalis probat animam esse in corpore vita spiritualis spiritum in anima Your natural life is an infallible demonstration of the soul's presence in the body your spiritual life of the spirits presence in the soul As they that have no soul have no natural life so they have not spiritual life that have not the Spirit Let therefore your life be such as that all may take notice of what spirit ye are and that the Spirit is in your hearts that so you by your works and others by your example may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Again 1 Thes 4.4 7. if any of you be perswaded of the Spirits dwelling in your hearts let it be your principal care to possesse your vessels your hearts in sanctification unto the Lord for God hath not call'd you hereby unto uncleannesse but unto holinesse Christ could not endure in the Temple of God profane Merchants that defiled it Remember that ye are the temples of God and if any man desile the temple of God 1 Cor. 3.17 Justitiâ verccundia observantia legum communitum Contra Aristog him shall God destroy for the temple of God is holy which temple ye are Demosthenes could say That mans heart was Gods best temple Cleanse therefore your souls from all pollutions of sin that ye may be fit to receive and entertain the Lord of glory If an earthly Prince were to come and lodge in your houses what labour would you take to sweep them clean What provision would you make for him What care would you have of ordering all things decently that your houses may be answerable to his slate And shall your care and provision be lesse in entertaining the King of heaven Let it not be said of you but purifie your hearts and the King of glory shall come in and abide with you to the end of the world Cast off all the works of uncleanness that ye may be blameless in the sight of God Saint Paul biddeth us not to grieve the holy Spirit that is Delicata res est Spiritus Dei Ephes 4.30 seeing that he is pleased to tak up his habitation in us we ought not in any case by our sins to disquiet and vex him but with an awful reverence shew him all service and dutiful respect lest by abusing our selves we make him to depart from us and unclean spirits come in his roome The graces of the Spirit are likened to sparks of fire which a little water may soone quench take heed that ye quench not the Spirit in you by drinking up iniquity like water for hereby as ye deprive your selves of the Spirit so of all spiritual blessings and heavenly comforts which redound unto us by his comfortable fellowship by which as we are guided into all truth in this life so after this life go into the joyes of our Master which is in heaven When I do seriously consider with my selfe the great love of God extended without all desert unto the sinful sons of men I am carried away with a strong admiration thereof I see men plung'd in the depth of misery I see God viewing them in the height of mercy the extremity of our misery moving God to pity Our captivity unto Satan had been endless had not God of his infinite goodness sent forth his Son to bring us forth We were for ever sold under sin without redemption had not God sent forth his Son to redeem us to have bought us with his precious blood Sin and Satan had made us their servants their slaves eternally had not God in the fulness of time sent forth his Son that by him we might receive the Adoption of sons Thus of Captives of bondslaves of servants to our
stand ye idle So say I Quid stamus otiosi To what end stand we idle as if we had nothing to do Let our first time be our worst time our last the best Think that time lost wherein we do not think on God Thus may we carry an upright Conscience made able and at all times ready to yield a good account of our years moneths days and hours to friend or soe If to friend to comfort them if to foe to confute them as Paul did here the false Apostles And thus much for the first part of these words Then after three years It follows I went up to Jerusalem This is his journey He grants here that he went up not commanded not sent for but of his own accord unbidden Here the moral and natural action agree together in the intent of the Agent He went to Jerusalem not to learn any thing but to see Peter That which Luke makes mention of in the 9. of the Acts when Barnabas presented him to the rest of the Apostles acquainting them with Pauls passages in and since his conversion how he saw the Lord in the high-way to Damascus and how he had spoken with him and that he had preached in the name of Christ with audacity there unto them whom he went with letters to apprehend shews plainly that he received not the Gospel of the Apostles neither was he compelled to teach the Gospel according to prescript of the Apostles They were afraid of him at the first sight until after a further and more deliberate trial I will not insist hereon but I proceed to the intent or the impulsive cause of this his Peregrination which was to see Peter Actions of reasonable creatures are to be allowed or disallowed according to the intents of the Agents Therefore I join all three in commission I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter The whole marrow of the matter lies in these words to see Peter shewing most expresly that he came not to Jerusalem to better his knowledge for he had before received the Gospel fully from Christ Peter was not his master nor he Peter's scholar he onely came to see him to salute him or congratulate him as his Coadjutor in the Gospel as also to manifest unto the company of Apostles what he was and to clear himself for a false opinion that some put of him Hierom. and how for the matter of doctrine there was no disagreement between them and him And here Hierom wittily flouts at the flim-flams of Pope Clement who said that Paul went to Jerusalem to behold Peters eyes cheeks and countenance to see whether he were macilent or fat whether his nose were crooked or even set whether his forehead were covered with hair and whether he had a bald pate or no. Certainly saith Hierom he thought to find Peter a God not a man This is but bald stuff all Popish foppery But here we see what love should be betwixt the Ministers of the Gospel to be careful of one anothers health The love he had to the gospel made him to visit Peter Religion and love joins hearts together and that is a religious love And where Religion makes an opposition hearts must not admit a conjunction Both in this are fearful aspects I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter This wâ—s a good deed of him therefore I make this collection That some kind of Peregrination or Pilgrimage is lawful So Jacob with all his family went down to Egypt to see Joseph So the Israelites through fire and water to take possession of Canaan So the Queen of Sheba went to see King Solomon So Paul Peter to Jerusalem The reasons may be these Because that their love may be seen by greeting with a holy kiss And because it increaseth joy Hearts meet with mouths at the meeting of friends It dispels all mists of conceived sorrow John leapt in his momothers womb at the salutation of the Virgin because Christ was there And without all doubt this bred a great comfort in Peter to see Paul converted to Now in that I said that some Peregrination is lawful it follows that there is another unlawful and that is Popish Pilgrimage by Vow or imposition of Popish Impostors Papists out of these words collect a twofold doctrine viz. 1. That Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and other such devoted places is a religious work and merits heaven They ground upon this example of the Apostle I went up to Jerusalem Their second doctrine a main pillar of their Religion is this That Peter had the supremacie of Paul Their reason is because Paul here went to see Peter But I hope it was not as one saith to kiss his feet as if he were Pope The first argues but a piece of poor Papistical Logick out of one particular act of one man to draw a general rule Secondly to make a rule of Religion in a thing where there is no such thing intended Here Papists take their mark amiss and therefore miss the mark of truth I confess in the Old Testament there was an appointed place whither the Israelites were bound to resort to worship God as we may see Deut. 16. They were to hold three feasts they were to go to one certain place three times in the year at these three feasts ver 16. Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall chuse In the feast of unleavened bread and in the feast of weeks and in the feast of tabernacles that is the feast of the Passover the feast of Weeks and the feast of Tabernacles Now this place was first where the Tabernacle of Moses was and so we read how Elkanah with his two wives went out of his city to Shiloh where the Tabernacle then was to offer sacrifice 1 Sam. 1. This continued for the space of four hundred seventy eight years or thereabouts unto the time of King Solomon Then after the Temple was built at Jerusalem Templum Domini the Temple of the Lord all came thither Yea Josephus saith that they came from all places to the feast of Unleavened bread then all of them were killed to the number of Eleven hundred thousand Jews they came when they should not come But now the Sun is come to the Meridian there is no shadow that Law is abolished the places then appointed are quite brought to ruine these were only types of Christ Again God commanded that for his honor the Pope in his own and Papists conceit a little diminutive god but a great man commanded this for his profit But God gave an Item for this Deus non superstitione coli vult sed pictate Mat. 15. In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Frustra me colunt In vain do they worship me It is not commanded in any part of the New Testament and therefore no part of Gods honor More than this It is against the Scripture being meer
from One unchangeable God on whom if we rest contented not overruled with prejudicate opinions never shall fear distract us Plura sunt quae nos terrent Senec. ep 13. saepius opinione laboramus quà m re I borrow this from Seneca Many things terrifie us and we are oftner vext and pain'd in opinion by furmises than in very deed by truth But it is otherwise with the well-inform'd Christian who ponders all events and examineth the causes the defect whereof sets some at their wits end 'T is ignorance and rashness that makes way for misprision and misprision for fear The best things sometimes scare us Gods merciful goodness not understood puts us to a stand his very favourable presence which should move joy did and shall move fear in some I do not think there lives that man this day on earth so resolute did God appear not in flaming fire in thundering and lightening to render vengeance but in a soft wind as to Elijah or as here another way to Jacob in every respect full of respect but would be sore afraid Devout Jacob whose dream portended nothing but happiness at the end of his Divine rapture was afraid What he saw and fear'd was no other but a welcom prediction of his future glory and perpetual safety and yet was afraid That magnificent greatness and blessed eminency to which the Lord promised to advance him left him not undaunted Yet this must I needs say he was more afraid than hurt 'T is a certain truth though God terrifie his children yet he harms them not No disadvantage is taken to undo them by it but to raise their spiritual fortunes After the fall of their courage one way at the brightness of his Majesty he puts spirit into them another way to further their exaltation thorugh a sense of his mercy Thus he doth with this religious man whose fear gave the occasion of my writing Here men may admire so good a man would be taken napping and then fear when he had most reason to rejoice The Father of Heaven did from Heaven look upon him with a benigne aspect yet he trembles Observe what ensues and cease to wonder Religious hearts are in a continual awe of God yet not bereft of comfort 'T is their blessedness Pro. 28.14 that they always fear Happy is the man that feareth always So it is to be referr'd the well ordering of our conversation aright Piety puts all things straight in us that rectifies all the passions of the soul directeth our hearts to the fear of the Lord which brings in time a crown of rejoycing Hence he requires it of us upon our Allegiance to his Supremacie Royal which should we deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 timor were no less than Rebellion than Atheism The Greeks therefore derive the Name of God from a word that signifies fear intimating that God above all must be feared of all as well as acknowledged Hereupon the Heathen Latine Poet grounded his invention Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor Fear first made Gods on earth Divine Truth sometime calleth God by the name of Fear Jacob sware by the Fear of his father Isaac Gen. 31.53 that is by that God whom his father Isaac feared If any desire to know what kind of fear this of Jacob's was I dare not entangle better thoughts in the perplexing briars of School-niceties sprung out of the rank grounds of acute Philosophers but will use my endeavours to satisfie expectation by painting out a smoother way of far less danger and of more profit This holy Pilgrim as he was deckt with the ornaments of Grace so was he clogg'd with the infirmities of Nature As he was of a good heart so withal without disgrace of a timorous disposition His fear might well consist with his goodness It was not carnal or worldly arising out of an afflicting distrust of Gods providence Nor yet humane begotten by an excessive desire to this fugitive life Nor servile as proceeding from self-love so from the threatned judgments of an angry God for the violations of his pure sanctions This with the rest is sever'd from grace Gregor Mag. Ignorat mens gratiam libertatis quam ligat servitus timoris saith Gregory in his Pastorals The grace of liberty proper to the sons of God is unknown to the mind tyed to the slavery of a base fear A Divine calls it Esau's with which Jacob had no medling he bought his brothers birthright not his vices Jacob's fear was natural initial filial Natural whereby he declined hurtful objects when presented to him initial whereby for the love of God he rejected all desire of sinning filial whereby his obedience to the Highest Power was kept sound and entire None of the sons of men are exempted from the first since the first man The first man had it not actually in his Integrity because there was nothing to hurt him his Apostacie gave it a being in time Our blessed Saviour the Lord Jesus had it but without sin 't was long of sinful men he was so weak so infirm Who foreseeing the bitter Cup he was to drink to the Worlds health Aug. Enchir. cap. 24. his heart drew back his soul was heavy even unto death Austin defines it Fugitantis animi motum the motion or passion of a yielding mind which is no more separable from us than our nature This makes good that expression of it in the Book of Wisdom A betraying of the succours which Reason offereth Wisd 17.12 So powerful is our weakness above the strength of Reason that the very suspition or conceit of approaching evil puts us oft out of heart Nothing almost lays open our imperfections to the worlds eye more than it Faintness of heart at the sight of unavoidable mischiefs seifeth upon our choicest metallâ—d men upon our most heroick spirits Wherefore Origen upon the Book of Judges notes it to be Humanae fragilitatis indioium Orig. in cap. 7. lib. Judic Hom. 9. a bewraying note of humane insufficiency Take it in the excess it unmans a man and makes him like a Sword-fish to which Themistocles compar'd a Coward which hath a weapon but wants a heart Take it in the mediocrity and just temper it subscribes to what Reason dictates and then doth us good If Religion moderate it as it allays the â—orce of its corruption so it gives it a purer essence and brings us off with a greater grace This I believe in part was Jacob's case who frightned with the suddenness of such an unaccustomed spectacle as was presented to his view gave place to fear which be knew not speedily how to shun Yet without doing Jacob wrong we may not say this was his onely fear but as he was by nature thus inclin'd so was he by a spiritual emanation of grace above nature indued with initial fear All that are born of God have by the transcendent working of his Almighty power all that is old in them renewed and
their defects out of the largeness of his bounty copiously supplied with a proportion of grace Old things are past behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 Among which All there is a new Fear by the secret influence of Mercy at the conversion of a sinner diffused into the heart that Fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom Psal 111.10 By it all our desires are cast into a new mould so we frame our dispositions to a corâ—eâ— spondency to the rule of justice Gods will whereof as there is some part reserved in his own bosom from the knowledge of man not to be prayed into so there is aâ— much as concerns us both for faith and fact in acquiring a future everlasting blessed state Divino afflatu by Divine inspiration reveal'd lest to us in writing To this an hearty obedience is expected at our hands which is effected in us by us not by the strength of Nature that 's corrupted but by the power of the Holy Ghost that 's purely vigorous When we are thus wrought upon we become so fâ— in good that worldly persâ—sions be they never so plausible cannot without much reluctation work us to evil Gods elect when called are so altered by spiritual irradiations in their intellectual part by unresistible motions in their concupiscible that the whole bent of their desires of their thoughts through begun fear looks directly at the glory of their Maker Heavenly considerations do so affect them and an actual sense of Gods goodness doth so transport them that the Serpent like insinuation of the World the Flesh the Devil fastens not on them without oppugning what disple seth God Sin is loathsom as making them abominable to him Piety delectable as procuring favour from him His love rightly conceived of them and their expectation of highest preferment in the Heaven of heavens makes them fear lest they should lose both to offend him that dwelleth there So zealous is their care through a sense of misery so affectionate their fear through a sense partly of mercy and of justice partly that they become Argot eyed to look about lest they be foully overtaken with the pollution of sins running source What through infirmities which make them uncapable of perfection in this life they cannot accomplish they through this holy fear compass in desire which of God is graciously accepted accepting the good will for the good deed After this manner was Jacobs mind first moved with a multitude of ambiguous thoughts surprised fearing he had offended through an unreverend incivility His rushing into that place without requisite preparation where he received an heavenly Oracle and of which he held a reverend opinion as being the House of God begat in him such a strong suspicion of respassing that he was afraid Yet not so as to have been diffident of Gods mercy or in an academical suspence of his favour to have grown desperate but his fear was prudently tempered with three pure Ingredients growing in the Paradise of God Faith Hope and Love That fear therefore which was in him at first imperfect and initial by the mixture of these graces with it acquired perfection in him and became filial Comparatively alone are things on Earth perfect Absolute perfection is not here no not in cases spiritual to be aspir'd unto that 's for Heaven What the Apostle writ to the Corinthians cometh to pass as well here below as there above When that that is perfect is come 1 Cor 13.10 then that which is imperfect shall be done away So initial fear which by multiplicity of acts proves in time habitual comes to that height of excellency that it is made filial which also usher'd in by servile and initial causes them to cease and does all it self Not unlike the Dictator in Rome who ruling 1 Joh. 4.18 Timorem sciliceâ— servitem illum non amicalem other Officers did nothing Divine John seeing the Saints love to be full of confidence concludes it perfect and that perfection to exclude fear Perfect love casteth out fear This perfect love is coincident with filial fear which is of the children of the Free-woman The fear that it expels is servile proper unto vassals and is but of Hagars brats Rom. 8. We have not received saith the Doctor of the Gentiles the spirit of fear to bondage but of freedom They that are the freeborn of Heaven Denizens of the New Jerusalem are free from pannick terrors whereunto through the thundring threats of the Law slaves alone are subject and for which Devils tremble That ignoble brood of the Bondwoman who have no heart to serve God have no heart to come boldly to him base spiteful fear captivating their senses makes them flinch and decline his presence who allotteth to the slavishly fearful Rev. 21.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their part as the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death But whose hearts are planted in a noble height being descended from the most High ravish'd with a loving fear of Divine Majesty scorn baseness and through fire and water neglecting themselves run to do him service Glorious are those attributes where with this above all other Fear is honored It is said to be filial where of Bernard gives the reason Quia non timet Deum quasi servus crudâ—lem dominum Rernâ— de timore Dei sed quasi filius dulcissimum patrem Because who hath it fears not God as an offending servant a severe master but as a gracious son a most indulgent father Not without Apostolical authority is it reputed Evangelical because wrought by the Gospel the law of liberty and subject to the Spirit of freedom For good cause it is reported chaste as is observed by learned Zunchy Zanch. lib. 1. de Relig. Quia qui sic timent castum habent cor For who are so given have a chaste heart toward God they fear him as a good wise her loving husband only out of love faith one Weemse In Psal 18. Hierom graceth it with the title of holy for that it is a sacred quality peculiar unto Saints through the propitious infusion of the Most Holy One of Israel Spiritual vigilancie over all our ways in our Christian deportment toward God and toward man springing from it moved a conceited Friar to call it Ostiarium anima the soul's Door-keeper As it admits not the Malignant spirit to break into the soul as it expelleth all unruly motions and unmannerly behaviours in the sight of God as it beats back and shuts the doors against all importunate suggestions of the black Prince of darkness and impious practices of malecontented sinners so it opens the everlasting gates of the immortal soul for the King of Glory to come in to take possession 'T was truly spoke of Siracides They that fear the Lord will keep their hearts to wit to receive him To express what happy security we enjoy by it in the state of
Socer and after banished into France with his wanton Herodias died an Exile The Jews that persecuted Christ and his Apostles what punishments they had their lamentable wars and more lamentable destruction is a sufficient testimony Herod Agrippa that put James John's brother to death was put to death by vermine as his Grandfather was If we take a slight view of the Ten Persecutions Nero who robb'd Peter and paid Paul Peter of his life Paul with death was his own death kill'd himsel Domitian that banished John into Pathmos and crucified Simon Bishop of Jerusalem that put Publius Bishop of Athens to death was killed and his statues and monuments taken quite away Trajan that caused Simeon Bishop of Alexandria to be crucified and Ignatius Bishop of Antioch to be devoured of wild beasts suffered many miseries in his time Tiber overflowed all Rome Pantheon burnt with thunderbolts Cities in Asia shaken with grievous Earthquakes and the whole Empire almost wasted by a most wretched dearth Adrianus in whose Persecution Alexander Bishop of Rome with Hermes his wife children and household to the number of twelve hundred and fifty persons were burnt all in a furnace and Theodorus a Deacon had his tongue cut out of his head his hands and feet cut off afterwards beheaded and was cast to dogs at this time there were ten thousand crucified in Mount Ararat round with thorns and their bodies pierced through with darts at last he died doubting of the life to come Antoninus Verus and his brother Luâ—us persecuted Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and Justin the Philosopher put to death but in their time there did an unheard of Plague spread over a great part of their Empire Severus a most severe Emperor in persecuting the Christians caused Irenaeus Bishop of Lions and Calixtus Bishop of Rome to be martyred but after he himself was slain and the Roman Empire afflicted with Civil wars Maximinus who martyred Hypolitus Bishop of an head City in Arabia was killed by his soldiers Decius in whose reign another Bishop of Antioch suffered death died miserably in the Scythian war suffocated in a fen In the persecution under Valerian died Cypriun Bishop of Carthage that Caesar of the Christian But he was vanquished by Sapor King of Persia and served instead of a footstool when the Persian took horse I had almost forgot one thing A Judge in the time of Severus condemned one Agapeius a youth of fifteen at whose execution the Judge fell down from his seat and cried his bowels burnt within him and so died Dioclesian and Maximian raised a Persecution which like a flood ran over all the Roman Provinces Syria Tyre Egypt c. But at last Dioclesian in his old days poyson'd himself and Maximian died a dogs death he was hang'd up for a sign of Gods wrath by Constantine Thus in these Ten Persecutions Gods Ministers run through fire and water as the Prophet David speaks of the afflictions of Gods children and were not spared But God spared not to punish those wicked Emperors the raisers of them Then after Julian the Apostate plays the devil but God the Lord of Hosts for the Persian got the honor of the day and Julian wounded sprinkling his blood up toward heaven died blaspheming Vicisti tandem puer Galilee Vulence seduced by the Arrians made havock of the Church but being taken of the Gothes in a Cabin whither he fled was burnt there I could proceed The Mahumetan Persecution I need not insist on Only The Saracens they are vanished Selymus the first Turkish Emperor rooted out of that Nation and the Turks they never are at ease but at continual war whose end by the judgment of the more learned is at hand Neither need I and therefore will not insist on the Persecutions continued under the Popes in Italy Germany Spain France England and in the Eastern tract of the world But who knows not the state of that Church from whom are hidden what deaths many and most of them died Take one for all Boniface the 8. of whom it is reported He came in like a Fox he reigned like a Lion and died like a Dog Let these Examples be as so many arguments to induce Gods Ministers howsoever persecuted to rejoice for Blessed are you when for Christs sake ye suffer persecution for yours is the kingdom of heaven Mat. 5. They that will not receive your crying aloud without sparing shake the dust off your feet against them Sodom and Gomorrah shall be in a better case at the last day than they Mat. 10.14 cap. 11.22 cap. 12.42 It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Siaon than for them The Ninevites and the Queen of the South shall rise up in judgment against them Therefore tell them their own soundly and fear not Though ye be among scorpions as the Lord said to Ezekiel spare not for fear of the ensuing dangers For whosoever spareth incurs his own destruction and the destruction of the people both shall be overwhelmed in the flood of Gods wrath both shall sink into the gulf of everlasting perdition both being as the Prophet Jeremy speaks sifted in the sieve of vanity Yea Press things home to the Conscience and spare not though no hope of amendment of their life appear God bids thee and duty birds thee because God bids thee 1.2 Though ye will not be believed as Jeremy was not where Azariah Johanan and all the proud men said to him Thou speakest falsly Yet cry aloud and spare not leave the event to God Go saith he to Ezekiel and tell this people whether they hear or hear not If they do they shall have life if not judgments are prepared for scorners and stripes for the back of fools Prov. 19. ult For if they heir not you when you cry from God to them God will not hear them when they cry to him or you for them Jer. 7.16 Now God Almighty enable embolden and encourage all his Ministers to cry aloud to those whose minds are wandring that their hearts may turn to God to those that are in pursuit of their own wicked lusts that they may be reclaimed to those that are afar off that they may hear and return homeward to God to those that are asleep in sin that they may awake to righteousness to those that stop their ears that they may open them with gladness to those that hear carelesly that they may hear diligently to those that are dead in sins that they may arise and be quickned with the life of grace to the life of glory Again As we must take heed of our Doctrine so we must take heed of our Lives that we be unspotted of this wicked world Mundamimini qui fertis vasa Domini Ye that carry the vessels of the Lord be clean The Breast-plate of the Priest had this inscription HOLINESS TO THE LORD signifying that we should have Holiness imprest in our hearts Remember the Orders ye have taken they are holy Holy Orders Be
none can see him and live Exod 33.20 So terrible the other that the Israelites trembled cap. 19.16 His sight so full of Majesty that Woe is me saith Isaiah I am undone for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts cap. 6.5 So full of terror his Voice that the Israelites said to Moses Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die Exod. 20.20 Thus would God come unto us his sight would dash us his voice would daunt us His presence is accompanied with lightning when he speaks he thunders Sinai was in a burning sever before God the Earth was troubled with a shaking ague the floods ran back at his presence the heavens dropt at the first sight Psal 68.8 The voice of the Lâ—rd is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of majesty Namper Câ—dros intelligit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quicquid est eximium in mundo the voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars the voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh c. Psal 29. So that the Lord considering that Man is but flesh as weak as water he refrains from coming but not from sending to us for us Not Angels though ministring spirits as he did before the Law but having an eye to mans imbecility flesh of our flesh bone of our bone Men. Because himself would not thunder he sends Boanerges sons of thunder He sends not Angels spirits but Men-angels messengers Mat. 2. but little inferior to Angels And this he doth for several reasons besides that of his love and care viz. 1. To shew us in what reputation Man is with him He makes men not mean men but his Embassadors to men Such as do reveal his secrets Privy Councellors such as represent his Person a kind of Kings And this honour all his Saints have Psal 149.9 2. To exercise us in that high grace of humility God exalts man to humble man If the Lion roar who will not fear Amos 3.8 If the Lord speak who will not who cannot but obey No thanks to him then But when Man speaks and men obey hoc opus this is the work of humility Here he shews himself a true subject when he yields obedience to Gods word spoken by man albeit in dignity he be far inferior unto him 3. Because it is the surest bond of Amity If one needed not the instruction of another but every one should think himself sufficient of himself such is the pride of man what division what debate what contempt of one another Now this is the surest True-loves knot between man and man Let therefore a man so account of us saith the Apostle as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4.1 And Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 SCALA JACOBI OR St James his Ladder JAMES â— 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed ANTIQUITY reports that the statute of Merciery was erected where crosse wayes met to point out to passengers and pilgrims the direct paths they desired to travel So I may conceive of this blessed messenger of God the Apostle James made in the likeness of God In this world we are pilgrims and strangers where we have no abiding City but seek for one to come our way to that City which is the heavenly Hierusalem is through many tribulations and crosses where this Apostle being set up doth shew the way to us wherein we must walk if we will possesse the treasure of our hopes and long'd for felicity And because the way is ascendant leading gradually upward I therefore may compare it to a pair of staires or call it Scalam Jacobi St James his ladder wherein are to be observed 1. The bottome or ground 2. The several steps placed in a due proportion 3. The top or upper part which we aime to arrive at As for the bottome it is that good word of God the Gospel of Christ Jesus which the Holy Ghost by this Sainted Penman is pleased to stile a law describ'd by two singular attributes the one of perfection the other of liberty it is a prefect law of liberty As for the steps they are four the first is Speculation Whoso looketh the second is Perseverance and continueth therein the third is Remembrance he being not a forgetful hearer the fourth is Practice but a doer of the work As for the top of these staires it is the end of this Scripture and shall be I trust of my discourse blessedness this man shall be blessed in his deed I must stand a while upon the bottome of the staires the Gospel of salvation term'd a law the law of the spirit the law of faith the law of the spirit as the prime inditer the law of faith as the prime effect the law of the spirit in regard of the spiritual graces of God produced by it the law of faith as the special duty enjoined us in it Rat io nominis primum inquirenda we are now by the lawes of accurate teaching to enquire specially why the Gospel is called a law and that is 1. Because what is delivered therein to be observed of us is obligatory coming by way of command and having in it the regal stamp of supream authority 2. Because it prescribes punishments to the disobedient transgressors thereof sincere obedience and essectual beleeving in Christ being exacted of us upon pain of death 3. Because it containeth large promises of great rewards to the faithful observers of the sacred contents thereof Bernard as Bernard saith in his Meditations Si tormenta non terreant saltem invitent praemia if threatned punishments do not deterr us promised rewards may the more invite us As it is a law so it is a perfect law perfect in the Author Gods Spirit which is infallible not admitting either Popish legends to delude the People or traditional writs to destroy them Integra est doctrina ac proâ—nde animos redintegrat Jun. Psal 19. Perfect in the manner of delivery divine inspiration as proceeding from the will of God not from the will of man Perfect in operation as converting the soul making wise the simple rejoycing the heart in lightning the eyes and making the man of God perfect thorowly furnished unto every good work Perfect in the contents and matter as full and wanting nothing conducing to the bet tering of our knowledge in the wayes of piety our knowledge contemplative in matters of faith our knowledge practical matters of fact And perfect in the end Gods glory the glory of his mercy