Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	according_a	spirit_n	word_n	3,484	5	4.1248	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15579	Iacobs staffe To beare vp, the faithfull. And to beate downe, the profane. Touching the one's assured, and the others conceited title, vnto God himself, and all his precious promises. VVherin. The saints interest is justified, to be absolutely infaillible, the sinners clayme detected, to be apparantly deceivable, notwithstanding all infernall suggestions of feare, and infidelity in the one, or of presumption, and security in the other. Formerly preachcd [sic] at Hamburgh by Iohn VVing late pastor to the English Church there, as his farewell to the famous followship [sic] of Merchant Adventurers of England resident in that city. And now published, and dedicated, to the honor and vse, of that most worthy Society, there, or wheresoever being.; Jacobs staffe to bear up, the faithful and to beate downe, the profane	Wing, John, of Flushing, Zealand.	1621 (1621)	STC 25846; ESTC S120115	141,154	226

his image but the same was his owne It is not more assured that a man-childe is the son of a man then that a holy man or woman is the childe of God all his children are like himself he hath power to make them soe and it is his revealed resolution that soe it shal be and therefore it must follow that if we carry not the image of God we can clayme no interest in him Adam I meane the first Adam was the son of God by creation and how like himself the Lord made him may be collected both out of his resolution before his creation let vs make man in our image and by the act it self when he endowed him with such singuler excellency of grace as wherin he carryed the admirable impressions of his most glorious maker in such holines knowledge and righteousnes as in a creatures perfection might be a representation of the infinitenes of them all in God himself the creator And while but alas it was but a litle while that Adam stood in these perfections of created grace the Lord acknowledged him for his owne But assoone as he lost these his title was gone he was now no more the Lords but Satans that misled him Christ Iesus the second Adam was the son of God by an eternall and inconceivable kinde of generation and how did his sonship when in times fullnes he was incarnate shew it self wherby was he knowne to be the true naturall son of the most high why even by this that he was so like his father that as himself saith he that hath seene me hath seene my father and as the Apostle saith Joh. 14.9 Heb. 1.3 he was the bright and expresse image of his person By this lively similitude was he knowne to be the son of the living God And as he never had any naturall son but he soe never was any soe like him as this son was for he was the same with him even one with him in all those supernaturall excellencyes which might expresse the nature of God And as it was with these two wherof the one was his son by creation the other by generation soe must and will it be in their measure with all his sons and daughters by grace and regeneration They must also be like vnto him who in his loue hath begotten them anew Ezeh 6.3.26 and to the end they may be soe the holy ghost tell 's vs we must have now harts new spirits new affections new mindes and dispositions all new according to that of the Apostle 2. Co. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature or as the word importeth a new creation made all new beholde J make all things a-new and againe Gal 6.15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avayleth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature or creation and thus new we must be that we may be like to Iesus Christ who in opposition to the old Adam is called the new man by whome we must be cast into a new moulde to be made conformable to him And therefore the apostle vrgeth our consimilitude to Christ and newnes of life together and inferreth them one vpon another that wheresoever newnes of life is Ro 6.4.5 there is a cleare conformity to Christ Iesus And this jmage or similitude vnto our saviour is abundantly pressed vpon vs and made knowne to be the minde of God and a manifest evidence of our interst in many particulers Nothing is more frequently called for at our hands then that we should be holy as he is holy mercifull as be is mercifull perfect as he is perfect followers or imitators of Christ lyke mynded to him learning of him all patience kindnes humility meekenes and every saving grace whereby it may appeare that we are made partakers of the divine nature in the cōmunicable qualities therof 2. Pet. 1.4 soe assuredly interessed into him of whose nature we doe partake That soe as we have borne the image of the earthly Adam in sin and corruption and thereby made it too evident that we are his children and heires of condemnation soe also we should beare the image of the heavenly Adam in holines sanctification therby be sealed to be his sons and daughters yea his members reserved to the glory of Gods kingdome And that this image of his to wit our conformity to Christ is an evidence infallible vndoubted herof is most cleare by that which the Apostle directly layeth downe and avoucheth when he telleth vs that those whome the Lord did fore-know to be his elect them Ro. 8.26 he did predestinate to be like the image of his sonne soe that we see how the depth of this profound doctrine of praedestination may be sounded and soundly discerned as touching the evidence of the same by every man in himself and one may ceartainly know himself to be predestinated of God to live for ever with him in life and glory if he be cast into a new moulde made a new lumpe like to Iesus Christ Most true it is that Gods praedestination is touching the doctrine therof in the causes and reasons of the same why some and so few should be ordayneth to happines others and so many to hell torments may be matter of amezement vnto vs but the discerning of the same in our owne particuler is nothing difficult but most easy and manifest For if a man doe carry the image of the Lord Iesus in grace and holines he is without controversy appointed to be glorifyed with him but while he continueth in a cursed conformity to sin and corruption and beares the likenes of the old Adam or rather of the olde serpent he may know he belong's not to Gods decree of election because all such as appertaine therevnto are as well predestinated to be gracious on earth as to be glorious in heaven These two were never parted yet in any person whatsoever Gods predestination of grace is as absolute as of glory and the former must be the forerunner of the latter But we will not digresse into any further discourse of this matter The point we have in hand is vndeniably true and cannot be doubted off that if we be like him we are his and he that is not the same is none of his Now then let every man search himself and endeavour to apprehend aright how it is with him herin that he may well vnderstand whether he hath belyed the Lord or noe when he hath called him his For he that doth soe and is not like him hath lyed vnto God fo oft as he hath layd clayme to him Enquire then and see what piety what zeale what humility patience holines purity and vprightnes is in thee looke well vpon thy self nay into thy self and let others looke vpon thee what characters and impressions of God are to be seene whose image and superscription thou carryest in thy conscience before God in thy conversation before men

much more easy to ouer-abounde then want any evidence But we will not cloy your memories with a multiplicity Shall we enquire at the Law according to the holy Prophets counsell why it is cleare for this point It is a ruled case with the great law-giver even the Lord who is that one law-giuer which is able to saue and destroy hath given it once and againe and many times in expresse charge to his people Consider seriously what he saith by Moses And these words which I commandeth thee shal be in thy hart And thou shalt teach them to thy children c. Dent. 6.6 ver 7.8 And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thy hand and they shal be as frontlets betweene thine eyes Now what meanes all this what may all these injunctions intend which are set downe here and itterated elswhere Surely there is something in it that we must have them so engrauen that our mindes may posesse them our mouthes may publish them at home and abroade by day and by night at bed and borde to our posterity daily to others occasionally can all this be for formall discourse or supersiciall accquaintance with the word of God no sure there is more meant then this come's to which alone is nothing the Lords minde is that we should have speciall familarity with his word and be in continuall meditation and practise therof signified by the binding of it on our hands and eyes all these particulers that are named here are to perswade vs to that one principall truth that we teach to wit that we must take home all the holy truth of God into our soules From the law we may passe to the Prophets but as we goe we will see what Solomon saith to it which if we doe we shall heare of many heavenly sayings to this purpose both in his Proverbs and his booke called the Preacher In the former we have many consells to this practise with comforts belonging to them As first where he exhorteth men to receiue Gods words and to hide his commandements Pro. 2.1 ver 2. to encline their eare apply their harts to knowledg and vnderstanding And againe that men should not forget the Law of God cap. 3 1. but let their harts keepe his commandements and yet againe that we ought to endeavour that our harts doe retaine God words cap. 4.4 and that we embrace them and in noe wise ver 8. let them goe he is much vpon this matter as vpon a thing of much consequence and mighty importance often advising all men hervnto And in his latter booke Eccles 12.11 he tell 's vs that the words of the wise should be vnto us as goades and as nailes fastned vpon us yea into us sticking close to vs and keeping fast within vs. Thus we see Solomons minde and know well what it is and now let vs aske the Prophets and they wil soone tell vs theirs for Moses and the Prophets and all the men of God are all in one tune for this truth it hath beene evermore their manner to come to men with Gods message and to tell them their owne from him not going behinde the dore or speaking behinde their backs but personally and to their heads delivering the minde of God to the mightiest of them as it were easy to instance in innumerable examples not only of these more generall prophecies that concerne peoples and nations but in those most speciall which were indiuidually directed against Princes Potentates the great one's of the earth as the king of Iudah Israell Babell Egipt Nineveh c. the like every of which with many more were spoken too to their faces in those particulers wherin the Lord did intend they should know his minde Soe we see we have the Law and the Prophets sure to vs in this particuler if now we shall also give eare to the Gospell it will also give abundant evidence hervnto both from Christ himself also from his Apostles in this point Christ sometimes spake plainely and spake noe parable as where he saith Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it sometimes and more then once in divers parables he is againe vpon it as in the parable of the seede which must be layd deepe and covered close in the grounde and not supersicially sowed for every foule to carry away in the parrable of the leauen which must be raked vp into the midst of the meale and be mixed soe with it that it may never be severed from it againe but leaven every part of the lumpe And for the apostles they are of the same minde with Christ their master and speake to the same purpose Peter would haue vs receive the word as new borne babes receiue milke which is not only eaten swallowed 1. Pet. 2.2 but concocted and digested and becometh nutrimentall and is converted into the substance of their bodies col 3.16 Paul would haue it dwell in us richly that our harts might be a habitation Jam. 1.21 or house to receive and harbour the same Iames he would haue it engrassted in us and soe incorporated that it might as it were become one with vs and being soe he assures vs of the saving power therof saying it wil be able to saue our soules And now having all these witnesses what can we have more or what neede we soe much to confirme a truth so cleare here you see is the vniver sall assent and concurrence of all Gods servants yea and of his sonne too every one that spake by his spirits inspratiō spake more or lesse to this truthes confirmation But it would be needelesse to adde more testimony Let vs come to consider of such reasons as may further leade vs into the light and perswsiaon herof that we may see as well why we must thus take home Gods truth as only to know that soe we must doe It is a wise mans part not only to know what he must doe but also to vnderstand why that the reason of his duty may be discerned of him as well as the jnjunction And if we apply our selves to consider wherefore we must apply Gods truth in this manner we shall soone perceive that it is a thing consorting with cleare and apparant reason and that in divers respects some few wherof we will lay downe before you First our application of Gods worde Reason 1 was in regarde of vs the mayne end of his publishing the same vnto vs he reuealed it that we might recetue it it was left written to us that it should be written in vs. Doth not God himself give vs this as a reason in plaine tearmes and that by more then one or two of those whome he sent to deliver his minde VVhat saith Moses to all Israell Deut. 27.29 and in them to all the Israell of God Things reuealed belong to us and to our children what God hath revealed is revealed to vs and for vs and

or faint-hartednes one or other any or all these or any thing els it is to me vncertaine but sure it is that the Diuell it is that make's them soe froward and affrightfull that they doe not and they pleade they dare not take home Gods holy truth to their harts but forbeare it as forbidden fruit fearing to taste touch or handle any of that which the Lord in infinite favour jntendeth to them being that which doth clearly concerne their states and would would they be so wise as to apply it assuredly comfort their harts Nay Satan is so mighty in them herin and doth soe strongly posesse and strangly perswade them that they doe not only not accept or entertaine but doe shun decline and auoyde the words of grace and fly from every precious promise as from some deadly poyson or stinging serpent and when we have vrged and pressed all that we can conceive to be of any power to perswade men to participate of the sweete sayings of God they put of all from themselves and send vs away with sensles exemption and alienation of all that the Lord meaneth in mercy to them saying of themselves as Iehu to wicked Iehoram 2 king 9.22 what hast thou to doe with peace or as the wicked Iewes to Iudas what is that to vs mat 27. Thus are we put off and thy put out of the possibility of any of this comfort when we or rather the Lord by vs speake's peace vnto them what have I to doe with peace if we open Gods good treasure vnto them and endeavour to convay the riches of Gods truth vnto their poore distressed harts then what is that to me They will graunt all we say to be true in it self as it is Gods word and give full and free assent to the same but if you offer to bring it home to them it is none of theirs not true of them they have a superseadeas for it from Satan to make it all voide and of none effect in their particuler the property is altered if it come to be their case that which we speake is all true but it is much mistaken if it be brought home to their harts and states as if all that God spake were true but all he spake to them were false then which conceit what can be either more vnreasonable or more abhominable Thus doth Satan labour to pervert and frustrate the faithfull word of God which he hath left to prop vp and sustaine the soules of his saints in their distresses In which attempt of his Eph. 4 27. who have giuen more place to the diuell then the children of God who are expressly forbidden to doe it and who have not knowne their heavēly father soe well as to trust him in the truth of his blessed promises but have an eare open to every infernall suggestion and shut against Gods owne sure consolations refusing those sweetest words of grace which might if they did receive them make them truly happy A practise of such peevishnes and jmpiety as must needes be very hatefull and displeasing to God very hurtfull and pernicious to those that are faulty in it because it is most apparantly repugnant to the nature of God to all his precepts to all his childrens practise It is every way against the nature of God as doing infinite jnjury disgrace and indignity To that wisdome that revealed these his promises and sorted them out according to our afflicted state To that truth that confime's and seal'es them to vs and vs to them To that loue wherby we are accepted into the number of those who are capable of them which is not the case of every one no it is noe common thing but proper to the Lords owne sheepe to feede here and to them alone are the comforts of his blessed promises enclosed And as against his nature in his wisdome truth and loue soe further is this practise against his law comanding vs to doe otherwise for are we not enjoyned as we were before informed to lay them to our harts to binde them on our hands to hyde them within vs to have them still about vs as the ornaments we weare to adorne vs or the weapons that defend vs is it not the minde of God doe not we know it to be soe that he would have the soules of his saints to be the harbour receptacle storehouse of all commodity and advantage spirituall that comes from heaven And as it opposeth both his love and his law two wofull things to be withstood soe also goe's it against the holy practise of all those his most beloved one 's whose examples ought to have beene our instructions encouragments herein whose faith we should have followed considering what was the end of their conversatiō their forwardnes in this particuler shame's your sloath their holy violēce your base cowardice grosse negligence Doe but looke vpon some few practices set them before you for your further conviction Exod. 31.10.11 O yee of litle faith Moses was after a sort forbidden to fasten vpon God his promises promised fayre too if he would let the Lord alone not presse him on Israells behalfe with his words of truth yet he will not cease or be set downe ver 13.14 or sayd nay but come's vpon God with many a strong argument drawne from his owne evidence and doth not leave him till he hath prevayled with him And if he did this for others and that when God did seeme to diswade him what would he have done for himself where God did command him Nehemiah Neh. 1.5.10 whome we named in the former point doth also most eagerly entitle himself and the people to the ancient promises of God made long before is an earnest suitor to the Lord to make that good vpon them which in his goodnes he had many yeares agone promised to them But of all other and aboue all other Dauid doth exceede in this one thing and may be the speciall patterne of all Gods people in this practise he was good at it indeede as we might see in many Psalmes Psal 119. but if we survey but some particulers of that one wherin he aboundeth we shall see cause of wonder and admiration to see the odds betweene his faith and the infidelity of Gods people now adayes Let vs see how he behave's himself Sometimes ver 49. he putts God in minde of his promises Remember thy promise made to thy seruants wherin thou hast caused me to trust Sometimes he reveale's the comforting ver 50. yea the quickening power of them it is my comfort in my trouble for thy promise hath quickned me Sometimes he prayes for them and rests vpon them and doth after a sort challenge God of his promise ver 76. Let thy mercifull kindnes be for my comfort according to thy promise Sometimes he proclaimes the sweetnes of them to his taste and that he could not if he had not

against you and your owne confusion before him Ro. 2.5 and so store vp wrath against the day of wrath and the iust declaration and excecution of his iudgement vpon your soule and body for ever And that you may see I speake not this without booke I pray you looke what God saith in his booke to this purpose how read you in the sift booke of Moses called Deuteronomie read there striue to understand what you reade and out of your vnderstanding of it ponder that saying and lay it vp in your harts There you shall heare God speaking thus touching the point we haue now in hand Dent. 29.18 ver 19. Least there should be among you any roote that beareth gall and worme wood and it come to passe that when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his hart and say I shall haue peace though I walke in the imagination of my owne hart ver 20. to adde drunkenesse to thirst The Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his iealousy shall smoake against him all the curses that are written in this booke shall lye vpon him ver 21. the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heaven And the Lord shall separate him vnto evill out of all the tribes of Israell according to all the curses of the covenant c. ver 21. So that the generation to come shall say when they see these plagues c. Thus you see the Lord doth manifest and that in many words his minde concerning this matter and that we may the better discerne his meaning we may bretfely abridge all that these words doe import into two particulers 1. how haynous a thing it is in Gods sight sinfully to shift off the saving truth of God from our selves 2. how heavy the hand of God wil be in the extreame extraordinary punishment of him that doth soe The act is exceedingly amplified and aggravated if we doe well consider the particulers of the text wherin we finde it branched and blazed out to be an evill consisting of many evills a very composition of many impietyes and much corruption First it is an impious thwarting of God a crossing of him even a giving him the lye to his face when any man shall dare to say I shall have peace though c. Is not this extreame impudency thus to out face the Lord of heaven in his owne truth to tell him as it were to his teeth that we shall have peace whē he saith resolutely we shall have none in any vngodly way are we nor vndertakers against the wisdome power and justice of God by all which that which he hath here vttered against this sin shal be assuredly executed vpon the sinner shall we offer to say I shall have peace when the Lord who is only wise allmighty and most just saith we shall not is not this to make the world beleeve that we thinke our selves able well enough to secure our selves against him and know a way how to avoyd that which he saith he will inflict as if we could goe beyond God and overeach him by some policie or power of our owne Secondly it is a proude exalting of our selves aboue the Lord a trusting vpon our owne vayne lying and blasphemous words blessing our selves and giving no creddit to his most stable and immutable words of truth as if our blessing of our selves had farre more efficacy to save and comfort vs then his words of cursing have to cast vs downe and terrefy vs. Thirdly it is an encreasing of sin we adde one evill to another and soe lade our soules with more and more impiety augmenting our evill before the Lord and encouraging our selves in the same by this blessing of our selues in our sinfull courses and casting aside Gods righteous and heavy curses All these three amplifications of this impious and hellish act are apparant in the text and thus much sin doth he commit that applyeth not but putteth off the sacred word and truth of God from himself The punishmet due to this threefolde act of impiety followe's in the text too it is layd out both negatiue and affirmatiuely Negatiuely in that one wofull sentence The Lord will not spare or the Lord will not be mercifull to that man a truth clearely contradictory to the conceit of these accursed miscreants who are soe be sotted that they can beleeve nor apprehend nothing in the Lord but mercy and soe make him a notorious monster therin as if he had nothing els in him Affirmatiuely and that many wayes in such miserable sayings as follow every one worse then other if we note them Such a sinner shall feele 1. the anger of God and to put him out of hope of appeasing it it is added that 2. the jealousy of the Lord shall breake out and smoake against him and jealousy is jmplacaple rage such as will heape vpon an offendor 3. all the curses written in Gods booke none no not one to be avoyded or escaped among the rest 3. notorious curses are named to wit 1. that his name shal be blotted out from vnder heaven 2. that the Lord shall separate him unto euill 3. that the ages to come shall fall into admiration of that mans fearefull condition Loe thus shall it be done to the man that the Lord will avēge himself vpon for this one sin of shifting off the sacred truth of God from himself He shall have no mercy from God but all the misery that may be he shal be the vnhappy object of Gods heavy anger of his fearfull jealousy of all his curses vnto which the Lord shall soe set him apart and pick him out that he shal be the wonderment of all succeeding times This is the Lord doome vpō him who fawneth vpō himself in his prophanes and flyeth as much as in him lyeth and wil not heare of the justice of God revealed in his word against his wickednes Let vs then deare christians take heede and beware of a stubborne hart a stiffe necke an jmpious spirit to throw away what the Lord saith to vs Doe not provoke him to jealousy we are not able to deale with him he is stronger then we know we that nothing well more vexe or sooner prouoke him herevnto then this jmpiety of refusing to apply his worde to our selves He is heavily jealous as well he may be of that mans estate that will not endure his truth For why consider I pray you what good can be in him what evill can be out of him who rejecteth what God saith it is not possible he should haue any good who will none of that word which is the only ground of all good to vs and the only guide of vs vnto it neither is any euill jmpossible but all most easy to be fastened vpon the man who forsaketh the sole and soueraigne meanes of his good That man must needes heare Satan that heareth not

take them are they not left voyd as serving for none as good for nothing Besides how many sins are wrapped vp in thy refusall of these threatnings O thou wicked man consider soe is there not infidelity Joh. that thou belevest not they belong to thee and he that beleeveth not is condemned already Is there not pride of hart that stoope's not to that which may humble thee Pro. all that are proud in hart are abhomination to the Lord. Is their not grosse ignorance that thou knowest not the state of thy hart to require this physike and hath not God sworne that ignorant persons shall never come to heaven Psal 95.10.11 They have not knowne my wayes therefore I sware in my wrath they shall never enter into my rest Nay what impiety is there not in this neglect to take notice of that which the Lord would fasten vpon you for your humilitation and soe consequently for your saluation if you would receive the same And doe you not in thus doing forsake your owne mercy and force Gods justice vpon your owne soules How happy were it you could see your vnhappines herin But because you will not conscionably looke after it the Lord will not shew it and soe you sinke and perish in the indignation of God for want of due consideration of it Thus you have your motives such as we can give vnto you to perswade your better care and circumspection touching your selves and your soules estate before the great God of heaven by whome you must be adjudged at the last and great day of his glorious appearance You see that as yet you condition is miserable and accursed for either you apply none of his truth at all or you misapply all you meddle with and his majesty cannot beare either of these both being dishonorable to him and damnable to you Gather these few motives into your myndes and ponder well and throughly vpon them thinke how it is in each perticuler and in them all together let them take place vpon you give no more place to the divell that Gods heavenly word should have no place in you Desire to open your harts to his voyce but first desire him to open them to himself he never opened heaven to any whose hart he did not open to heare and apply his word aright If therefore after all that is sayd you remaine as before closed stopt up that the truth of God cannot enter know for a surety from the God of truth that heauen is shut against you hell only is open to you and thither must you goe to him even Satan that would not suffer you to come to God whose suggestiōs as you obayed soe now shall you receive of the Lord the just recompence of reward due therevnto from his infinite wrath and vengeance for ever and ever But if you will returne and repent he will leave a blessing behinde him ●ocl 2. there is mercy with him for you here there is glory with him for you in heaven And thus much for those motiues that may incite all sorts of men to apply the truth of God Now if any childe of God or any other would know vpon what tearmes they might be bold to apply the promises of grace let them looke back into the signes of their interest into Christ layd open in the former point pag. 55. c. and they will also serve for sound warrant herevnto for whatsoever doth interest vs into him doth together with him give vs right to all other things The end of the second sermon NOw from the application of the things God spake vnto Iacob wee are by due order to proceede to the things that were spoken to him which he doth apply vnto himself and they are lying in these latter words of the verse Returne into thy country to thy kindred I will deale well with thee which words doe containe in them these two particulers 1. a precept Returne into thy country to thy kindred 2. a promise And J will deale well with thee I might take them a sunder and handle them severally and I did intende it but because time will not suffer me to doe soe I will gripe them togeather and intreat of them both at once in one generall instruction and that is this That Doct. 3 whosoever wil be willing to doe as God will haue him shal be sure to fare well The onely way to be well dealt withall is to resolue to be ruled by the Lord to be ordered by him to be at his finding disposing for all our wayes of setling or remooving going or abiding to or from any place to set vpon or let alone any practise This is the high way to be truely happy the onely course that can be to be in a state assuredly comfortable that a man will cast himself and his affaires vpon the Lord and doe in all things as he will have him God himself shall tell vs the truth of this point from heaven and avouch and seale it vnto vs by his owne most sacred word to Iacob which words we see Iacob doth plead before the Lord and fathers them vpon him and vrgeth them to him and the Lord doth graciously acknowledge them as his owne and doth actually accomplish them vpon him as in all other cases he had done before soe in this particuler now in hande wherin though he feared nothing more then hard and rigourous dealing cruell and tyrannicall carriage yet being willing to doe as God bade him he sounde nothing lesse but in stead therof he had all loving intreatie and most kinde brotherly entertainement that might be Now then seing God first spake it to Iacob Iacob doth now vrge it to God God in this ever after made it good to him it is a truth past controversy an vndoubted truth that may passe without all colour of doubt or question It may well goe for a rule That he that wil be ruled by God shall ceartainely fare well Neither did this begin to be a truth now at this time as if it had never beene soe before but it was thus from the beginning and began to be experimentally true as the first man that ever God made gave a law vnto for doing his will can well and soundly certify vs that well doing well-being went ever togeather How much present happines comfort welfare was provided for Adam in the state of his innocency and obedience it had beene happy for him and vs had he continued in his subjection to the law of his maker doe this liue How well was he in his paradice wherin what he was in his person by created nature and grace what he had for his portion in things naturall and spirituall wee can give some guesse out of the records of sacred writtings but what he should have beene had he continued his obedience without transgression when from earth he should have beene translated to heavens happines that

seruice to a King so we might well take vp this for a more true even for a most true proverbe yea principle no service to the King of Kings which thing he wil soe evidence and make good that not only his owne shall see it but wicked men shall assent to it Psal 58.11.12 and be forced to say verily there is a reward for the righteous Thirdly Reason 3 the Apostle tell 's vs that piety hath the promise both of this lyfe the lyfe to come of things present and future now how can this be true in case our doctrine were false if it have the promise of both sure it shal be well with them indeede and they cannot but be well dealt with all who wil be ordered by God The Lord cannot frustrate neither will make voide any whitt of that worde of truth he hath spoken but justify and verify every jott in his worke vpon his faithfull one 's But if he should not deale well with his owne he should nullify and anihilate all his truth and faithfullnes all his mercie and kindnes all his love and goodnes The glory of his righteousnes and honour of his holynes were gone his owne saints had nothing to settle and rest their soules and harts vpon nothing at all to trust to Besides what occasion would the slaves of Satan and vassalls of sin take to vpbrayde vs that we serve a master that will doe vs good as farre as good wordes will goe and no further I might adde as many manifest reasons as testimonies herof it were as easy to abound in the one as in the other but what needeth it The good pleasure of his will that thus it shal be is infinitely aboue and beyonde all allegations which he or any lym's of his have or can have to contradict it in the least the divell and wicked men are to weake to wage evidence or arguments with God in the prooffe of the truth of any point of divinity And seing this his gracious pleasure is to this purpose so apparently revealed let us rest and trust therin resolve our selves as fully satiffied for the truth herof I but that the divell will not let vs doe if he can chuse and therfore he bend's his greatest forces against this blessed instruction and doth besiege and lay battery to the soules of Gods saints to see if he can enforce them from the truth herof and on the other side he fortifyes the prophane spirit of impious persons in the contrary perswasion Two things are principally obiected A double Objectiō first the hard measure and vnhappy condition of Gods saints Secondly the wellfare prosperity of vngodly persons The one being rebells to the Lord are raysed on high and have what they will yea more then their hart can wish as the Psalm saith Psal 73.7 The other being Loyall and obedient subjects ever ready to doe his will to the vtmost are in the worst case of any other mē none so perplexed within none so persecuted without as they scarce any are in so bad a case none in worse These are the two hornes like those of Hananiah that he doth runne at men with with all might and maine endeavoring the overturning both of this sacred truth and the true comfort of it the setting vp of a godles liberty of sinning to all men But wee that wee may save harmeles the honor of our God and the glory of this his holy truth and at once confute yea confounde every such absurd and infernall argumentation as may make any insurection against the maiestie of the most high to abate any mans hart or heate in goodnes or to C●ette any soule in any sinfullnes it shall become vs well to answer these cavills and to quitt the Lord in his truth and to comfort his servants in the same notwithstanding this diabolicall opposition Know wee therfore and beleeue that what soever seemeth to bee true either in the one allegation or the other either for the ill vsage of Gods chosen or for the peace and contentment of sinfull persons yet neither jndeede is any thing against the truth wee have spoken which shall remaine infallible vndoubted and vndeniable so longe as the heaven and earth shall have a being Touching the ill vsage of Gods children consider I pray you these things First that the world may deale ill with men when that the lord deales well with them Answer to the 1 branch Joseph found it so in his particular Christ tolde his disciples soe in the world yee shall haue troubles but be of good comfort Though therfore the world doe offer vs hard measure yet it noe way hindereth the heavenly truth of what we speake Secondly the worse the world deal's with the Lords people the better will the Lord be to them Ro. 8.28 So saith the Apostle for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glorie which shal be revealed in vs So againe 2. Cor. 1.5 as our sufferings abound for Christ so shall our consolations abound much more by Christ And yet againe the Apostle saith that the saints rejoice with joy vnspeakeable glorious though they be in heavines through many afflictions And yet once more Saint Iohn in his relevation tell 's vs Reu. 7. what Gods Angel tolde him therfore they are in the presence of God day night c. And the reason hereof is because by the worlds bad vsage their graces by tryed more throughly and soe themsclues are crowned more gloriously Thirdly that all this evill which Gods saints finde here is not indeede evill but the outside of it the onely appearance therof not the substance so sayth the Apostle when he tell 's them that he was as anknowne as dying as sorrowing as poore as hauing nothing c. yet though it seemed thus it was not soe indeede but farre otherwise as the text avoucheth Nay which is yet more we may be assured that all those things that be accounted soe evill by men are in Gods intention truly good and soe shal be to vs in the issue and consequence of them if with the eye of faith we endeavour to looke vpon them So Dauid sayd of Shemeis rayling God will doe me good c. againe it is good for me that I was afflicted Fourthly though the Lord say as in this our text that he will deale well with all his children yet he doth not tye himself evermore to make it true in externall and temporall things but will giue it vs it may be even in these two sometimes but howsoeuer in things spirituall and eternall and these are the things wherin he deals well with vs indeede other favors are both too common and too meane to be the reputed either the best fruits of his favor or the only reward of his churches faithfulnes Fiftly nothing could ever be infallibly concluded from the externall state only of a christian How God