you should see why we are to beleeve the Scriptures but this wee must leave till the next time We will now come to some use of the point for wee are not to dismisse you without some application but we must insert some uses here and there Vse 1 When you heare these arguments and this conclusion proving that there is a God the use you should make of it is to labour daily to strengthen our faith in this principle and to have an eye at God in all our actions for this is the reason given in the Text why one man comes to God because he beleeves that he is and another doth not because he beleeves it but by halves if they did beleeve this fully they would serve God with a perfect heart What is the reason that Moses breaks thorow all impediments he had temptations on both sides Prosperitie and preferment on the one side and adversity and afflictions on the other yet he passeth thorow wealth and povertie honour and dishonour and goes straight on in the way to heaven and 〈◊〉 reason is added in the Text because hee saw him that was invisible even so if you did see him that was invisible the God wee now speake of as you see a man that stands before you your wayes would be more even and wee should walke with him more uprightly than we doe if we did but beleeve that it is he that fills the heaven and earth as he saith of himselfe Ier. 23.24 Some may here say Object How can we see him that is invisible here is oppositum in adjecto to see him that is invisible Answ. Come to the body of a man you can see nothing but the outside the outward bulke and hide of the creature yet there is an immateriall invisible substance within that fils the body so come to the body of the world there is a God that fills Heaven and Earth as the soule doth the body Now to draw this a little nearer that invisible immateriall substance the soule of man which stands at the doores of the body and lookes out at the windows of the eyes and of the eares both to see and heare which yet wee see not yet it is this soule that doth all these for if the soule be once gone out of the house of the body the eye sees no more the eare heares no more than an house or chamber can see when there is no body in it and as it is the spirituall substance within the body that sees and heares and understands all so apply this to God that dwells in Heaven and Earth that as though you see not the soule yet every part of the body is full of it so if we looke into the world we see that it is filled and yet God like as the soule is in every place and fills it with his presence he is present with every creature he is in the aire and in your selves and seeth al your actions and heareth al your words and if we could bring our selves to a setled perswasion of this it would cause us to walke more evenly with God than we do and to converse with him after another manner when a man is present yea are sollicitous thinking what that soule thinkes of you how that soule is affected to you so if you beleeved God were in the world it would make you have an eye to him in all your actions as he hath an eye to you and to have a speciall care to please him in all things rather than to please men And this is the ground of all the difference betweene men One man beleeves it fully that there is such a mighty God another beleeves it but by halves and therefore one man hath a care only to please God in all things and to have an eye to him alone the other beleeving it but by halves he seeketh and earnestly followeth other things and is not so sollicitous what the Lord thinkes of him The thing therfore which we exhort you unto is that you would endevor to strengthen that principle more and more We speake not to Atheists now but to them that beleeve there is a God and yet we do not think our labour lost For though there be an assent to this truth in us yet it is such an one as may receive degrees and may be strengthened for I know that there are few perfect Atheists yet there are some degrees of Atheisme left in the best of Gods children which wee take not notice of for there is a two-fold Atheisme 1 One is when a man thinkes that there is no God and knowes he doth so 2 Another kinde of Atheisme is when a man doubts of the Deity and observes it not There are some degrees of doubting in the hearts of all men as we shall see by these effects that this untaken-notice-of Atheisme doth produce As when men shall avoid crosses rather than sinne not considering that the wrath and displeasure of God goes with it which is the greatest evill that can befall us What is the reason of it That whereas the greatest crosse is exceeding light if the wrath of God be put in the other ballance what is the reason that yet this should over-weigh the other in our apprehension if wee be fully perswaded of this principle that God made Heaven and earth What is the reason that when crosses and sinne come into competition as two severall wayes that we must goe one way why will men rather turne aside from a crosse to sinne against God and violate the peace of their consciences rather than undergoe losses or crosses or imprisonment Againe what is the reason that we are so readie to please and loth to displease men as a potent friend or enemie rather than God If this principle were fully beleeved that there is a God that made Heaven and Earth you would not doe so The Prophet Isaiah doth expresse this most elegantly Isai. 51.12 13 14. Who art thou that art afraid of man that shall die and the sonne of man which shal be made as grasse and forgettest the LORD thy Maker which stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundation of the Earth As if he should say what Atheisme is this in the hearts of men Whence else are also those deceits lyes and shiftings to make things faire with men when they know that God is offended with it who seeth all things What is the reason that men are so sensible of outward shame more than of secret sinnes and care so much what men thinke of them and speake of them and not what God sees or knows Doth not this declare that men think as those Atheists of whom Iob speakes Iob 22. and doe they not conceive in some degree as those doe as if GOD did not descend beneath the circle of the heavens to the earth and his eyes were barred by the curtaines of the night that he did not take notice of the wayes of men and
looke how men doe this in a greater measure so much greater Atheisme they have Againe if you doe beleeve that there is such a God what is the reason when you have any thing to doe that you runne to creatures and seek help from them and busie your selves wholly about outward meanes and seeke not to God by prayer and renewing of your repentance if you did fully beleeve that there is a God you would rather doe this Againe What is the reason that men are carried away with the present as Aristotle cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this same very nunc doth transport a man from the wayes of vertue to vice that they are too busie about the body and are carelesse of the immortall soule that they suffer that to lye like a forlorne prisoner and to sterve within them Would you doe so if you did beleeve that there is such a God that made the soule to whom it must returne and give an account and live with him for ever Againe what is the reason that men doe seeke so for the things of this life are so carefull in building houses gathering estates and preparing for themselves here such goodly mansions for their bodies and spend no time to adorne the soule when yet these doe but grace us amongst men and are only for present use and looke not for those things which commend the soule to God and regard not eternity in which the soule must live I say what is the reason of this if there be not some grounds of secret Atheisme in men What is the reason that there is such stupidity in men that the threatnings will not move them they will be moved with nothing like beasts but present strokes that they doe not fore-see the plague to prevent it but go on and are punished And so for Gods promises and rewards Why will you not forbeare sinne that you may receive the promises and the rewards Whence is this stupiditie both wayes Why are we as beasts led with sensuality that we will not be drawne to that which belongs to God and his Kingdome Is not this an argument of secret Atheisme and impiety in the heart of every man more or lesse Againe what is the reason that when men come into the presence of God they carry themselves so negligently not caring how their soules are clad and what the behaviour of their spirits is before him If you should come before men you would looke that your cloaths be neat and decent and you will carry your selves with such reverence as becomes him in whose presence you stand this proceeds from Atheisme in the hearts of men not beleeving the Lord to be hee that fills the Heaven and the Earth Therefore as you finde these things in you more or lesse so labour to confirme this principle more and more to your selves and you should say when you heare these arguments certainly I will beleeve it more firmely surely I will hover no more about it To what end are more lights brought but that you should see things more clearely which you did not before So that this double use you shall make of it One is to fix this conclusion in you hearts and to fasten it daily upon your soules Vse 2 The second is if there be such a mightie God then labour to draw such consequences as may arise from such a conclusion As if there be such a one that fils Heaven and Earth then looke upon him as one that sees all you doe and heares whatsoever you speake As when you see a ship passe thorow the sea and see the sailes applied to the wind and taken downe and hoysed up againe as the wind requires and shall see it keepe such a constant course to such a haven avoiding the rockes and sands you will say surely there is one within that guides it for it could not doe this of it selfe or as when you look upon the body of man and see it live and move and doe the actions of a living man you must needs say the bodie could not doe this of it selfe but there must be something within that quickens it and causeth all the actions even so when you looke upon the creatures and see them to doe such things which of themselves they are no more able to doe than the body can doe the actions that it doth without the soule therefore hence you may gather that there is a God that fils Heaven and Earth and doth whatsoever hee pleaseth and if this be so then draw nigh to him converse with him and walke with him from day to day observe him in all his dealings with us and our dealings with him and one with another be thankfull to him for all the blessings wee enjoy and flye to him for succour in all dangers and upon all occasions THE SECOND SERMON HEBREWES 11.6 He that commeth to God must beleeve that GOd is c. BEfore we come to the second sort of arguments to prove this principle that GOD is by faith we thinke it necessarie to answer some objections of Atheisme which may arise and trouble the hearts of men Object 1 Men are ready to say that which you shall finde in 2 Pet. 3.4 All things have continued alike since the creation That is when men looke upon the condition of things they see the Sunne rise and set againe and see the rivers runne in a circle into the sea the day followes the night c. the winds returne in their compasses and they have done so continually and there is no alteration therefore they doubt whether there be such a God that hath given a beginning to these things and shall give an end Answ. 1 For answer to this consider that these bodies of ours which we carry about with us which we know had a beginning and shall have an end that there is something in them that is as constant as any of the former as the beating of the pulse the breathing of the lungs and the motion of the heart and yet the body had a beginning and shall have an end Now what is the difference betweene these two It is but small this continueth only for some tithes of yeares but the world for thousands the difference is not great and therefore why should you not thinke it had a beginning as well as your body and likewise shall have an ending See what the Apostle saith in this place though all things continue alike yet there are two reasons whereby hee proves that God made the world and that the world shall have an end 1 The first is laid downe in verse 5. For this they are willingly ignorant of that by the Word of GOD the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the waters and in the waters That is naturally the waters would cover the earth as it did at the beginning for the naturall place of the waters is above the earth even as of the aire above the waters Now
prerogative if thou looke upon future times as thine and sayeth with the rich man in the Gospel now soule take thy rest this is sacrilege against God It is as if a man should say I have three thousand acres of land when he hath not three foot or if a man should say I have three thousand pound and hath not three pence It is the use made of it in Iames 4.13 14. Goe to now yee that say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a Citie c. Whereas yee ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and doe this or that if hee will give us leave to come in upon his ground This phrase is out of use with many men as clothes that are out of use we are unwilling to weare them but Christians should bring them into use againe and say if the Lord please let them labour to doe this in feare and trembling Thou shouldst thus thinke of time thou shouldst looke upon it as on a large field given by God and nothing of it belonging otherwise unto thee and looke what ground the Lord God gives thee thou art to sow seed in it and apply it to seeke him that thou mayest receive an harvest in future time and let men not say I will repent and turne to God hereafter but doe it presently in feare and trembling Boast not of time why doest thou deferre the time thou breakest into the Lords right and oftentimes he cuts thee off for it because thou breakest into that which doth nothing belong unto thee THE TENTH SERMON EXODVS 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM And he said thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you WEE come now to the next Attribute and that is the Simplicity of God he is without all composition without any parts not having soule and body as we have not being compounded of substance and accident as we are but hee is simple without all composition Which I gather out of these words I AM WHAT I AM that is whatsoever is in mee it is my selfe I am a pure act all being a whole entire simple and uniforme being without parts not like to the creature for the best of them is compounded of actions and qualities but whatsoever is in me it is my selfe Now in this simplicity and immixture of God wee will first fall upon that which the Scripture sets downe in plaine words Iohn 4.24 God is a Spirit that is he is not mixt he is not compounded of body and soule as men are but he is a Spirit The word Spirit both in the Hebrew Greeke and Latine tongue doth signifie breath A breath is indeede a body but because it is the finest body the most subtile and most invisible therefore immateriall substances which we are not able to conceive are represented to us under the name of a spirit or breath Besides this is to be added though God bee said to be a spirit yet he is not properly a spirit as Angells are for an Angell is a creature and though it want a body and be a spirit yet it is a created substance but yet because that is neerest to the pure and incomprehensible nature of God therefore he calls himselfe a spirit as Angells are and our soules are To shew you what a spirit is these foure things are to be considered 1 It is proper to a Spirit to be invisible impalpable not to bee discerned by any sense Therfore Christ bids his Disciples to feele him Behold my hands and my feete saith he that it is I my selfe handle and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as I have A Spirit is that which is drawn from the sight of any corporeall sense whatsoever and in this sense God is called a Spirit because he is invisible and therefore Moses is said to see him that is invisible not by any bodily eye but by the eye of faith 2 Every Spirit moves it selfe and other things also The body is but an earthy piece that is not able to stirre it selfe at all as you see it is when the soule is gone out of it it is the spirit that both moves it selfe and carries the body up and downe where it listeth and it moves it selfe with all speed and agility because it finds no resistance Bodies beside their elementarie motion vpward and downeward have no voluntarie motion they cannot move themselves whither they will as spirits doe And this I gather out of Ioh 3.8 the Holy Ghost is compared to the wind that blowes where it listeth 3. It is the propertie of every Spirit to move with exceeding great force and strength and with much vehemency so that it farre exceeds the strength of any body Therefore in Isa 31.3 speaking of the strength of the Aegyptians he saith that they are flesh and not spirit as if hee should say all flesh is weake but the spirit is strong Therefore you see the Divells that are spirits what strength they have and the man in the Gospell that was possessed it is said that he could breake the strongest bonds and you see it commonly in those that are possessed and you read how he threw downe the house over Iobs children This is the strength of the spirit exceeding the strength of any body 4 It insinuates it selfe and enters into any bodily substance without all penetration of dimension that is it is not held out of any place by reason of a body that is in it it may be in it though the place be otherwise full as you see the soule is in the body you shall find no where an emptie place the body is every where whole yet the Spirit insinuates it selfe in every part and no body can keepe it out And so is God he is invisible not seene by any eye hee moves himselfe and all things in the world as he lists and he doth what he doth with exceeding great strength and then hee fills every place both heaven and earth what bodies soever be there yet he may be there notwithstanding And thus you see in what sense this is to be understood God is a Spirit Now we will come to apply this Vse 1 If God be a Spirit first then this we may gather from it 1 That his eye is cheifely vpon the spirits of men There are many things in the world which his hand hath made but that which he chiefely lookes to is the minde and spirit of man Whereas a man consists of two parts a body and a spirit it is the spirit that is like to God and in regard of the spirituall substance of the soule it is said
thorow performance For as it was in the old law a lame sacrifice was accepted as none so a lame prayer a lame hearing the word a lame performance of any exercise God reckons as none Therefore in these things God sends them away empty as they came What better are they doe their hearts get any thing Beloved God is a fountaine and if he meet with a fit pipe as is an ordinance rightly performed there he usually conveyes his grace but if he meet with a foule pipe and obstructed there hee doth not conferre any blessing Now if thou saist I have thus behaved my selfe and have not beene answered Doe not deceive thy selfe for if it be truly performed you shall be answered so that looke if it be truly done expect a blessing GOD will not suffer his ordinance at that time to be a pen without inke or a pipe without water I hope there be none of us here that neglect prayer to GOD morning and evening that live as if there no GOD in the world as if they were not his subjects if there be GOD will wound the hoary scalpe of such But these are not the men I speake to but they are those that doe it from day to day they pray from time to time and omit it not these are the men whom wee are to advertise in this case Take heede though you pray every day yet it may be thou hast not made a prayer all thy life yet and this is the case of many For if thou considerest what an ordinance is indeed thou shalt know that the Lord doth not reckon all petitioning as a prayer nor set it downe for the ordinance And it may bee the case of the Saints sometimes though we speake not now to them they may pray often and yet the Lord not register nor set it downe for a prayer and therefore it may never come into remembrance before him And this I take to be Davids case in the time of his adultery the ground of which you shall see Psal. 51.16 17. Open thou my lips O LORD and my mouth shall set forth thy praise David had as it were mistaken himselfe he thought that he had prayed and offered a sacrifice but saith he I was deceived all this while I was not able to open my mouth to any purpose therefore Lord open thou my mouth I brought sacrifice in but thou regardest it not till my heart was humbled Therefore a broken and a contrite heart O GOD thou wilt not despise Therefore you deceive your selves that goe on in a customary performance of holy duties and thinke that you pray for all this that thinke this worship to be in the spirit onely when your outward man carries it selfe negligently this is but a lame performance they must goe both together Therefore looke that it be an ordinance which then it is when not onely the spirit of a man is well set but the whole man is applied to the duty that is when all the strength of a man goes to it Object If you say May not a man pray sometimes when he is walking or lying or riding by the way or the like Answ. I answer There be two times of prayer one is ordinary and in private when you may have all opportunity to doe it in a holy and solemne manner and then you ought to doe it solemnly The other is when you pray occasionally and there the occasion and disposition doth not admit such outward solemnity as when a man gives thankes at meate or prayeth when hee rides Here the Lord accepts the will for the deed GOD requires not this upon all occasions yet when you may you ought to doe it in a reverent manner not onely of spirit but of the bodie also You may gather it from Christ he fell on his face and prayed Luke 22.42 and Daniel and Abraham it is said that they bowed themselves to the ground And it is said of Christ that hee lifted up his eyes to heaven when he blessed the loaves Why are these set downe If any man might be freed Iesus Christ might but it pleaseth the holy Ghost to set downe that circumstance of him that he fell on his face and that hee lift up his eyes to heaven Indeed in this case when it is hurtfull to the body there it may be omitted the Lord will have mercie rather than sacrifice even mercie upon your bodies So also when you finde that it hurts the inward man and hinders it when the heart doth it out of a conceit that it may performe it the better then there is a libertie left unto you to dispense with it As I say for prayer so for other duties when a man comes to heare the word hee saith my minde is intent enough though I make not such a shew yet notwithstanding know this that thou must behave thy self reverently when thou commest before God You shall see in Luke 4. when Christ preached it is said that the eyes of all the people were fastened upon him Why is such a corporall gesture noted in the text is it in vaine No because it is a comely gesture therefore it is to be regarded Quest. 2 How should we conceive of GOD in prayer seeing he is a Spirit and a Spirit we never saw what conceit and apprehension of GOD should we have then when we come to call upon his name Answ. Wee may not conceive him under any corporeall shape for he is a Spirit and therefore they that thinke they may worship the humanity of Christ disjoyned are deceived we are not to worship it as separated from his Deity for we are to worship the Trinity in the Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity which we cannot doe if we worship his humanitie as separated from his Deity Therefore when you come to pray before GOD you must remember that he is a Spirit filling heaven and earth strong gracious mercifull full of goodnesse and truth c. concerning which three things are to bee considered First That he is a Spirit Object But how shall I conceive of a Spirit Answ. How doest thou conceive of the soule of another man when thou speakest to him thou never didst see it yet thou knowest that there is such a spirit that fills the body and that doth understand what thou sayest and speakes to thee againe so remember this of the Lord that he is a Spirit Compare Ier. 23.24 with this Can any man hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Secondly That the Lord fills heaven and earth as the soule fills the body so that thou must thinke that hee sees all things and heares all things Indeed the Lord is not in the world as the soule is in the body but in an incomprehensible manner which we cannot expresse to you yet this is an expression which wee may helpe our selves by and is used every where
he cannot change it suddenly But it is not so with God hee can alter a thing as easily to the left hand as to the right and that in an instant Object But what dependance is there between things doe we not see strange things come to passe that we can see no reason for as the Churches overthrowne the godly afflicted the wicked exalted Answ. Well saith the Lord this is to bee considered further that one wheele is within another and the wings of the Angels are one within another there is a sutablenesse and an agreeablenesse betweene them so that take the changes of a thousand yeares and if you summe them up you shall finde them as wheeles one within another Therefore I would summe up the answer thus this deceives us we look upon Gods providence in some few particulars only that we looke upon a wheele or two and not as they are one within another for then indeed we should see things that might cause us to wonder as we see Ioseph an innocent man lying in disgrace and imprisonment and David though innocent yet a long time disgraced in the Court of Saul and afterwards Shimei cursing him yea wee see Iesus Christ himselfe delivered and condemned for an impostor and that by witnesses and in a legall manner so we see Paul one that was a man full of zeale yet accounted one of the worst men that lived in his time and Naboth an innocent man condemned to death by witnesses stoned and who shall rise againe to shew his innocencie If you looke but upon a wheele or two you shall finde the Church ready to bee swallowed up in Esters time but if you looke upon them all at once then you will see that these passages have eyes in them and that they have Angels and the Spirit to guide them As for example looke on all the wheeles of Iosephs life you shall see the envie of his brethren selling him to the steward of Pharaohs house and there his falling out with his mistresse his casting into prison and there meeting with Pharaohs officers he was thereby made knowne to Pharaoh and so he became great in Pharaohs Court and then you see it is a goodly worke So in David take all the wheeles together and you shall see a glorious work how God brought him along to the Kingdome God was with him and wrought his works for him when he did sit still and when his hand was not upon Saul then he sent the Philistines to vex him and to end his dayes and first hee gave David the Kingdome of Iudah and then afterwards Abner and Isobosheth fell out about a word and one of them was slaine and then also came two wicked men and tooke off the others head and so came home the whole Kingdome of Israel into his hand So also in Esthers time take all the wheeles together and you shall see an excellent act of Gods providence when the Church was ready to be destroyed when the neck was upon the block and the sword drawne out ready to strike and that that night the King should not sleepe but that a booke must be brought and rather that than another and that the place should be opened where he should finde Mordecai his revealing of the treason against him and thereupon the decree was revoked and the Church delivered I say take all these together and we shall plainly see that in this strange administration of things there is still a providence and that there are eyes in the wheeles and a spirit to guide them Object 3 If there be such a God that made the Heaven and the Earth what is the reason then that wee see things are brought to passe by naturall causes If there be a cause for such a thing the effect doth follow when there is no cause then the effect doth not as a wise man doth bring a thing to passe but the foolish miscarry in them we see the diligent hand maketh rich and hee that labours not hath nothing and things that are strong prevaile against those that are weake and so God is forgotten in the world and his wisdome and power is not seene Answ. 1 It is not so God doth carry it often another way as it is Eccles. 9.11 Alway the battell is not to the strong but chance and accident befall them all that is the LORD of purpose doth often change them that his power and might may be seene We see often that Princes walke on foot like servants and servants ride like Princes as in Chap. 10. that is things doe not alwayes come to passe according to their causes for when the cause is exceeding faire to bring forth such an effect yet we see it is an abortive birth and such things come to passe that we looked not for as he that was diligent many times comes to povertie the wise doe often miscarry in bringing their enterprises to passe Answ. 2 Though the immediate cause produceth the effect yet who is the first cause As for example though folly be the cause that such a businesse doth miscarry yet who is the cause of that folly It is sin that bringeth destruction and doth precipitate a man thereunto but who is it that leaveth men to their sins and lusts You see what was the immediate cause of the losse of Rehoboams Kingdome the ill counsell that was given him by the young men but who was it that fitted the cause thereunto was it not the Lord So on the contrary wee see that godlinesse is the cause of good successe and makes men to prosper but who is the cause of that cause is it not the Lord himselfe Object 4 But oftentimes it is ill with those that are good and well with those that are wicked the wicked prosper many times when it goes ill with those that feare the LORD oftentimes it commeth to the wicked according to the worke of the righteous and contrarily If there be a God what is the reason that this comes to passe Answ. It is certaine that whensoever any wicked man doth an evill act and a good man doth well and serveth the Lord with a perfect heart that there is a sentence of good and evill goes with it but God doth often suspend the reward to the godly and of punishment to the wicked the execution of them is deferred Besides we are often mistaken for that which we thinke to be ill to us is many times for our good and that which we thinke is very happie and prosperous may be hurtfull to us As for example when Iacob came from Laban GOD said to him Be not afraid I am with thee and I will doe thee good You see Iacob was no sooner gone but Laban follows him and would have done him much hurt had not the Lord taken him off No sooner was Laban gone from him but Esau comes against him and when the Lord had rescued him from him when he was come neerer home when he might have
I have had experience of him heretofore c. Even so when you beleeve the Scriptures you can give a reason for it it is because God delivered it and he cannot lye but now how doe yee know that God delivered it Because the men that delivered it in his Name did confirme it by workes and miracles and predictions of times so that reason runnes along together with Faith Onely there is this difference betweene them Faith addeth to the eye of reason and raiseth it higher for the understanding is conversant as about things of reason so about things of Faith for they are propounded to the understanding onely they are above it and must have faith to reveale them as when Moses saith In the beginning GOD made the Heaven and the Earth when we heare such a proposition reason doth but looke upon it and cannot see it at first but Faith helpeth reason to goe further therefore Faith is but an addition to the strength of reason when it could goe no further Faith makes it to goe further as one that hath dimme eyes he can see better with the help of spectacles even so doth the eye of reason by a supernaturall faith infused So that all the things which we beleeve have a credibilitie and entity in them and they are the objects of the understanding but we cannot finde them out without some supernaturall help As if you would choose a right jewell you know there are many counterfeit ones how should you know a true one The stander by cannot tell but brings it to a Lapidary or a Ieweller and he knowes it because he is skilled in it Now as there are the Iewels and they are to be discerned and differenced but all lyes in the skill So is it in the things that are revealed by God and by naturall reason to know which are of God which not there are the things and they are to be seene yea the things themselves have characters by which they may bee discerned but let two men looke upon them one beleeves and the other doth not one man goes no further than reason but the other doth the reason is because one is helped from above and the other is not he wants that light that habit of skill which another hath Now this being premised in generall let us see how faith gathers that the Scriptures are true and that all that is in them is true and consequently that there is a God that made the world It gathers it by these three heads When a man lookes into the Scriptures and sees the phrases of the Prophets and Apostles saying Thus saith the Lord he considers if this be from God then it must needs be true But now the question is whether it was delivered truly and therefore hee lookes upon the men that did deliver it as upon Moses c. and if he can finde any evidence in them that they delivered it truly without collusion then he beleeveth that it is so and so faith layes hold and pitches upon it and gives solide assent unto it Now the proofes whereby we shew that these men have spoken by the Holy Ghost are these three The miracles which they wrought wherein this is to be considered that they were such miracles as were done before many witnesses they were not done in a corner where two or three were and so related to the people as many false miracles are but they were done before many thousand as the standing still of the Sunne the plagues of Aegypt the dividing of the waters the Mannah that came downe from Heaven the water flowing out of the rockes the miracles that were wrought by Eliah and Elisha they were all openly done in the view of all the people They were such miracles as had a reality in them false miracles stand onely in appearance they have onely a shadow and not the substance they have no solidity in them as the miracles that Inchanters doe they are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as wee call them they are onely appearances and no more as if they give money it will afterwards prove but drie leaves and such were the miracles of the Inchanters in Aegypt but looke upon the miracles of Moses they were solide as the Mannah fed the people many yeares the water that came out of the rockes did refresh them the plagues of Aegypt were reall the miracles of Christ were all of use to mankinde as when he turned water into wine it was such as they were refreshed by so when hee healed the people when he gave sight to the blinde they were all usefull and had a reality in them Besides consider the miracles which were wrought at the delivery of the Law Exod. 19. as the thunder the lightning the sound of trumpets c. whatsoever was done then all the people saw it and their senses were taken up about it so that they could not be deceived The lawes that Numa Pompilius brought from the gods he related to them but the people saw and heard nothing but these miracles the people all saw the Mount burnt with fire and thick darknesse round about it and there was thunder and lightning and the Mount trembled And as their eyes did see 〈◊〉 things so their eares were busied In hearing the voice of the trumpets sounding louder and louder a great while and hearing the voice of God himselfe And this was not done only in the sight of the Elders of Israel but all the people saw it and heard the voice of the Lord. And such were all the miracles of the Apostles and of all the Prophets And this argues that they came from God himselfe because they could not be done but by a supernaturall power Againe I will adde to this the prophecies for that is one of the wayes by which the Lord confirmes his word unto the sonnes of men Isa. 41.22 23. Shew to us the things to come that we may know that you are Gods c. As if hee should say If any man be able to foretell things to come he is God for it is the propertie of God alone and therefore he can doe it Now I will name some prophecies to instance in and I will shew the difference betweene them and the predictions of Southsayers for you shall finde that these prophecies were Particular and not generall they were Perspicuous and plaine and not obscure and they had fixed times set and not left at randome As in the prophecie delivered to Abraham that the Children of Israel should be strangers and in bondage in Aegypt foure hundred yeares now saith the Text that very night they went forth of Aegypt the foure hundred yeares were expired Moreover that prophecie that Iudah should have the Scepter it was a thing could not be foreseene Iudah was not the elder brother and it was long first before it was brought to passe therefore Moses could not see it by any thing at
their hands And Paul that was the meanes of converting so many thousands he ascribes nothing to himselfe but it was the grace of GOD that was with him So Samson was strong but yet he had his strength from God and therefore this is an argument that the Scriptures were written by holy men inspired by the Holy Ghost Seeing we have such just ground to beleeve that there is a GOD that made Heaven and Earth and that this word which testifies of him is indeed the word of GOD. This use we are to make of it that it might not be in vaine to us it should teach us to confirme this first principle and make it sure seeing all the rest are built upon it therefore we have reason to weigh it that we may give full consent to it and not a weake one Object But you will say this is a principle that needs not to be thus urged or made question of therefore what need so many reasons to prove it Answ. Even the strongest amongst us have still need to increase our faith in this point and therefore we have cause to attend to it and that for these two reasons Because these principles though they be so common yet there is a great difference in the beleefe of the Saints and that with which common men beleeve them the difference is in these foure things both of them doe beleeve and they speak as they thinke yet you shall find this difference A regenerate man hath a further and a deeper insight into these truths he gives a more through and a stronger assent to them but another man gives a more slight and overly assent that faith with which they beleeve them is a faith that wants depth of earth therefore if any strong temptation comes upon them as feare of being put to death c. they are soone shaken off and doe often fall away when they are put to it they shrink away in time of persecution for their faith wants depth of earth that is the assent they give to the Scripture is but an overly and superficiall assent it doth not take deep root in their soule and therefore it withers in time of temptation they doe not so ponder them as others doe and therefore they are not so grounded in these first principles as others are though they have some hold 〈◊〉 yet not so great a hold as the godly have So as they are not so firmely established so grounded in the present truth they are not so rooted as the Saints are That which breeds this assent in them is but a common gift of the Holy Ghost but that with which the Saints beleeve them is a speciall grace infused wrought by the Holy Ghost now that which hath a weaker cause must needs have a weaker effect that which is wrought by a common cannot be so strong an assent as that which is wrought by an infused habit of the Holy Ghost therefore the faith of the Saints is stronger than the faith of the wicked The Saints the regenerate men build their hope comfort and happinesse upon the truth of these principles as that there is a GOD that rules Heaven and Earth and that the Scriptures are his Word and whatsoever is in them is truth they build all upon these therfore if any doubts arise they can never be at rest till faith hath resolved them and wrought them out with another man it is not so he takes these things upon trust and beleeves them as others do but he doth not much trouble himselfe about them and therfore if any doubts come against them he suffers them to lye there and goes on in a carelesse manner But with the Saints it is not so they building their hope upon them doe therefore resolve to suffer any thing for God they will be content to lose all for Him if occasion requires and therefore they are upon sure ground but the other they doe but receive upon trust and therefore they doe not cleave to him in that manner that the Saints doe Regenerate men have a lively and experimentall knowledge that there is a GOD and that the Scriptures are his Word from the communion that they have had with this God and from the experience they have had of the truths delivered in the Scripture They know very well and that experimentally what difference there was betweene what they were once and what they are now what it is to envie the Saints and what it is to have an affection of love to them they know the time when they slighted sinne when they made no reckoning of it they know againe the bitternesse and sorrow of sin when the commandement came and shewed it unto them in its colours they know a time when they judged perversely of the wayes of God when they had a bad opinion of them and how now they are changed besides they know how that once they did admire and magnifie worldly excellencie and preferment but since they were inlightned their opinion is otherwise I say they know all this experimentally Take the whole worke of regeneration they know it in themselves and so for God himselfe as hee is described in the Scriptures such have they found him to themselves Now where a man doth know things thus experimentally it is another kinde of knowledge than that which is by heare-say so that though there is a beleefe in them both yet there is a great difference betweene them We must labour to confirme our faith in these principles because they are of exceeding great moment and consequence in the lives of men though they seeme to be remote yet they are of more moment than any other as of a house you see a faire top but yet the foundation is of more moment and that cannot be seene the streames are seene but the Well-head cannot so all the actions of the lives of men are built upon these principles and as they are more strongly or weakly beleeved so have they more or lesse influence into the hearts and lives of men As take a man that beleeves fully that there is a GOD and that the Scriptures are his Word this breeds an unresistable resolution to serve and please him notwithstanding all oppositions he meets with Take the greatest things that use to daunt men as take a man that is to die if he considers that there is a God with whom he is to live for ever what is death then no more than the stones flying about Stevens eares when he beheld the heavens opened so when men speake against him and slander him when they scoffe and revile him and trample upon him yet if God be with him he can boldly say I care not for mans day nor for the speaking against of sinners he is not moved a whit with them they passe away as a vapour that moves him not so when hee sees the current of the times to runne against him yet when he
converted many It is not in vaine that phrase of the Scripture hee was a man full of faith and therefore many were added to the Lord. And you shall finde it by experience when you converse with worldly men they will be readie on every occasion to attribute the event of things to naturall causes but the godly they ascribe it to God Now good words strengthen our faith but the evill words of naturall men they corrupt good manners And not only the words of the godly worke so but the very manner of the delivery of it is emphaticall for they doe beleeve it themselves now if a man deliver an history that he beleeves he will deliver it in such a manner that hee will make others beleeve it also Act. 14.1 They so spake that a great multitude of the Iewes beleeved that is in such a manner that many were turned to the faith Iunius professeth in his life that the very first thing that turned him from his Atheisme was the talking with a country-man of his not farre from Florence and his manner of expressing himselfe The next was the majesty of the Scripture which he observed in Ioh. 1. but the other was the beginning of it So it will still be true that walking with godly men will increase our faith but with worldly men it will weaken it Therefore use all these meanes to strengthen these principles in you for they will have many excellent effects in your lives As When a man beleeves this throughly he will take the judgement of the Scripture against his owne fancy and the opinions of men with which we are still ready to be misled so that when the Scripture saith of riches that they are nothing whereas before thou thoughtest them to be a strong tower now you thinke them to be but a staffe of reed so of sinfull lusts that are so pleasant to us the Scripture saith of them that they fight against the soule though they are sweet for the present yet they are sowre in the latter end so that thou takest the judgement of the Scripture against thy own reason So for the praise of men see what the Scripture saith he is praise-worthy whom God praiseth so thou judgest vaine-glory to be but a bubble I say if you could beleeve this throughly you would set the judgement of the Scripture against your owne reasons and the opinions of men Besides this it will breed a notable fervencie in prayer when a man knoweth that there are such promises it will make him never give over it will make him watch and pray continually with all perseverance though many times hee prayeth and hath no answer as the woman of Canaan yea though he hath sometimes a contrary answer and effect to what he asketh yet when he hath laid hold on the promises he will not let goe he will never give over hee knowes Hee who hath promised is faithfull therefore he is not like a wave of the sea tossed up and downe with every wind But it is not onely a ground of all this but it brings forth the effect it doth exceedingly strengthen our faith in matters of justification for it is certaine that the same faith whereby we beleeve and apply the promises of salvation through Christ it is the same faith whereby we beleeve the Scripture and that there is a God that made both Heaven and Earth There is no difference in the faith yea that justifying faith by which thou art saved it ariseth from the beleefe of these principles as it was the same eye whereby the Israelites did see the mountaines and trees and other objects and by which they saw the brazen Serpent No man beleeves justification by Christ but his faith is mainly grounded upon this Word of God for whereas in Scripture we finde that IESVS CHRIST is come in the flesh and that he is a Lambe slaine for forgivenesse of sinnes that he is offered to every creature that a man must thirst after him and then take up his Crosse and follow him Now come to a beleever going out of the world and aske him what hope hee hath to be saved and what ground for it he will be ready to say I know that Christ is come into the world and that he is offered and I know that I am one of them that have a part in him I know that I have fulfilled the conditions as that I should not continue willingly in any knowne sinne that I should love the LORD IESVS and desire to serve him above all I know that I have fulfilled these conditions I say if the ground whereon our faith is builded be the Word then it is builded on a sure rocke and the gates of hell Satan and all his temptations shall not prevaile against it but against a strong fancie it may Therefore let us labour to strengthen our faith in these principles that there is a GOD that made Heaven and Earth and that the Scripture is his Word whereby his minde is revealed to us that so you may know what his will is and what to expect of him upon all occasions There is one thing which remaines in this point which we added in the third place That that God which we worship is this GOD for either it is that God whom we worship or else there is no true God in the world we are to propound it negatively to take away all other false religions For if there was ever a God revealed in the world he was the God of the Iewes and if he was the God of the Iewes then of the Christians and if of the Christians then surely of the Protestants and not the Papists for they doe in most points adde to the garment of Christ and the Protestants doe but cut off what thy have added before and if of the Protestants then surely of those that doe make conscience of their wayes that doe not live loosely but doe labour to please him in all things THE FIFTH SERMON ISAI 46.9 Remember the former things of old for I am GOD and there is none else I am GOD and there is none like mee THe third thing which remains is this that there is no other GOD and it is an argument which is often used in Scripture to prove that the Lord is God because there is none besides him for so you are to understand it I am GOD because there is no other this particle is so used many times Esay 45.22 I am GOD and there is none else there is none beside me and this shewes the falsenesse of all other gods and all other religions and the argument stands thus That if you looke to all former times you shall see that there was never any other God or any other religion but this which wee professe There are two arguments set downe in the Text 1 Remember the former times and you shall alwayes finde it thus that there is none besides mee 2 There is none like
arguments are enough to shew the vanitie and falshood of this their religion Vse 1 Seeing there is none other god besides the Lord we should fix this principle in us and labour to strengthen it by this other medium also When more candles are brought into a place the light is greater and you may see the objects the better Therefore adde this to the other that there is no other god for this expresseth not only that the Lord is God but that it is he whom we worship for if there be a God that made Heaven and Earth he would have revealed himselfe to the sonnes of men but there hath never beene any other revealed Remember the former things and you shall see that there was never any other Make this chaine and every linke of it is exceeding strong see if ever there hath beene any god besides him For if there was ever any God revealed to the sons of men it was the God of the Iewes that was revealed by Moses and the Prophets For all the dunghill gods of the Gentiles they were but vanitie and they appeared to be so and if it was the God of the Iewes then of the Christians because the New Testament is builded upon the Old and then surely he is that God whom the Protestants worship and not whom the Papists worship For if you take all those things wherein they differ from us as in their worshipping of Images their Purgatory their Indulgences their Prayers to and for the dead their Prayers in an unknowne tongue and so all other points of difference and you shall finde that they were added and taken in in continuance of time now one then another and there are many that have taken paines to shew the pedegree of them when they came in and therefore they that have not seduced hearts whose eyes the god of this world hath not blinded may see that what our devices cut off is nothing but that which they have added before the Papists agree in all with what wee teach only the difference is betweene the additions which have come in from time to time Therfore you must learne from hence to confirme your faith by that argument which Peter useth Ioh. 6.68 Whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life There are two things which make us cleave to any thing 1 The firmenesse of the thing 2 When we can goe no whither else So that looke to any time or place and consider that all other gods they are but vanitie For looke upon the world and the creatures and they have no bottom to stand on they have no state to hold by Therfore let this teach us to cleave to him without separation looke upon every side as David did to the right hand and to the left and you shall see that there was no other god Only here the soule hath sure footing therefore say that if the dissolution of all things should come as death and martyrdome as wee know not how soone they may yet God shall be our God we will forsake all to follow him Consider the present time of the Church consider how soone the times may come upon us when we shall be put to it for now things are in praecipitio hasting downe to the bottome of the hill and we know not how neere we are to that houre of temptation spoken of in the Revelations when it shall be as it was in Esay's time 2 Chron. 15.6 Nation shall rise against Nation These times are growing and gathering strength more and more therefore let us strengthen our faith and prepare for a triall Hitherto religion and peace have walked together in one path but when they shall goe in different paths it will appeare then whose servants we are So when the times of triall come it will be a great matter to have this principle laid If you should come to suffer death and to lose your lives it will be a great matter to be rooted and grounded in the faith for there is a great difference betweene those that have much earth and betweene those that are not well rooted that have not received this anointing that teacheth us these things Only this I will say to you in the second place to comfort you though you see the Lord laying the Churches waste so that they are wallowing in their bloud and yet that you might hold up your heads consider that he is God alone and therefore will rouse up himselfe in due time for He will not give his glory to another therefore though you see all the Churches in Christen dome laid waste yet the Lord will raise them up againe and the ground of it is in Esay 48.11 For mine owne sake even for mine owne sake will I doe it for how should my name be polluted and I will not give my glory to another speaking there to the Churches in that time saith the LORD I have refined them but not with silver I have chosen them in the furnace of affliction that is I have thus and thus dealt with them yet will I not cast them off though they be sinfull yet will I not put them away for mine owne sake for my name should be polluted if I should suffer them to lye thus It should be thought that the other religion was true and so I should lose my glory And againe will God now say I will not doe so for should Antichrist prevaile it would be an argument that they had the truth and not we So Esay 42.8 I am the LORD that is my name and my glory will not I give to another neither my praise to graven images As the graven images there should have had the praise so should the Papists now if God should suffer his Church to be so but for his owne sake he will not suffer it Let this encourage you then to be earnest with him in prayer for the time will come when hee will turne his head when the just period is come he will be seene in the Mount Vse 3 If there be no other God then let us be carefull to keep our hearts from all kinde of idolatry not to set up any other in our heart or affections For there are two kindes of Idolatry 1 One is grosse as the worshipping of Baal Mahomet c. and that you are free from because there is light enough in the Church to see the vanity of them 2 There is another kinde of Idolatry which Saint Iames speakes of Iames 4. Yee adulterers and adulteresses you make riches your god and honour and your belly your god and when you sacrifice to your owne nets that is to outward and secondary meanes or when we joyne any other thing with God now this is Idolatrie which is common amongst us Our nature is as prone to Idolatry as any though not in that kind for man is a weake creature and therefore hee seekes something to repose himselfe upon
in Scripture Thirdly consider his Attributes that hee is a Spirit filling heaven and earth and hee is exceeding fearefull powerfull almighty exceeding gracious and long-suffering abundant in mercy and truth that hee hath pure eyes and cannot see any iniquity Deut. 24. So Exod. 34.6 As Moses could not see him but his Attributes his backe parts so thou must conceive of him that he is exceeding strong potent and fearefull one that will not holde the wicked innocent but shewes mercie to thousands of them that feare him and to sinners if they will come in unto him And thus you must conceive of him when you come before him FINIS THE TVVELFTH SERMON EXOD. 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. HAVING finished that point that GOD is a Spirit which is a particular expression of the Simplicity of GOD we come to speake of the Simplicity it selfe which is that Attribute by which he is one most pure and entire essence one most simple being without all composition so that there is no substance and accident matter and forme body and soule but he is every way most simple nothing in him but what is God what is himselfe The rise that it hath from hence we shall see hereafter All those phrases of Scripture where God is said to be love truth light and wisedome it selfe all these shew the Simplicity of God for of no creature can you say so The creature is wise and just and holy and true but to say it is truth it selfe love it selfe light it selfe or wisedome it selfe that cannot be attributed to any creature So that this you must know that God is one most pure intire and uniforme being or essence I AM shewes that he is a being and if we should aske what kinde of being he is he is a most simple and uncompounded being And that hee is so wee will make it cleare by these reasons Because if there be many things in him they must not be the same but different if different one hath one perfection which another wants if so there must be something imperfect in God for if the defect of that were made up it would be more perfect If there be two things in God then there is multiplication now all multiplication ariseth from some imperfection from some want and defect for if one would serve two would not be required As if one could draw a ship or boate up the streame two were needlesse if one medicine would cure two would be unnecessary so in all things else so that the reason of multiplication is because one will not serve the turne Therefore GOD being all-sufficient it is not needfull yea it cannot be that a breaking into two should be admitted in him and consequently he must be most simple without all composition a pure and intire essence full of himselfe and nothing besides If GOD should have love in him or justice or wisedome or life or any other quality different from his essence as the creatures have them he should be what he is not originally of himselfe but derivatively and by participation and so imperfectly as to be fiery is more imperfect than to be fire it selfe to be gilded is more imperfect than to be gold it selfe So to be wise loving holy that is to be indewed with the qualities of wisedome love holinesse is more imperfect than to be wisedome and love and holinesse it selfe Therefore there is not a substance and a quality in GOD as in the creature but he is love and light and wisedome and truth and so the Scripture expresseth him Wheresoever there is any composition there must be two or three things so that there may be a division they are seperable though not separated but where division may be there may be a dissolution and destruction though it never be But of GOD we cannot say that this may be and consequently there cannot be two things in him but what he is he is one most simple most pure and most intire being without all composition and multiplication If GOD be not simple there must be parts of which he is compounded But in GOD blessed for ever there are no parts because then there should be imperfection for every part is imperfect Againe Parts are in order of nature before the whole but in God there is nothing first or second because he is simply first Againe Parts cannot be united and knit and compounded together without causes to doe it but here is no cause to knit and unite any part together because he is without all cause as hath beene shewed before I will conclude this with a reason out of the text He is a being I AM hath sent mee unto you If he be a being then either the first or second being A second being he cannot be for then there should be some before him and above him upon which he should be dependent but this cannot be therefore hee is absolutely the first being Adam was the first man but God onely is the first absolute being Now the first being was never in possibility to be and therefore he is a pure act in regard of his essence Againe there are no qualities springing from him for if there were they should have had sometimes no being and so in possibility to be and consequently have a beginning and be a creature Therefore there is neither Potentia substantialis nor accidentalis in him and so hee must be purus actus as the Schoolemen say and therefore he is most simple without all composition This I speake to schollers for it is a mixt auditory and therefore you must give mee a little liberty Now I come to those Consectaries which flow from hence and they are these three If God be such a simple first pure and absolute being then hence you may see what a stable foundation our faith hath to rest upon we are built upon the lowest foundation in all the world that is upon the first most absolute and simple and pure and intire being which I say is the lowest foundation that depends upon no other but all upon it and this is the happy condition of all Christians and of them alone Angels men heaven and earth are foundations to some things which are built upon them but they are all built upon this and therefore dependent For if this foundation shake it selfe for so he hath power to doe they all fall to ruine But God is the first simple and lowest foundation being the first absolute and simple being therefore he that is built upon him hath the greatest stability which is the transcendent happinesse of Christians above all men in the world And this is a great priviledge
desire Answ. There is no way in the world but this Labour to be humbled for thy sinnes to get a broken heart for them for then a man comes to prize grace exceeding much and worldly things as nothing For this is a sure rule When thou feelest thy sinnes to lie heavie upon thee then all the things in the world will appeare light therefore labour to know the bitternesse of sinne it is that which sets an edge upon all our spirituall desires without this a man doth but cheapen the kingdome of heaven he doth as the people did with Rehoboam they expostulated with him about their serving him so wee doe capitulate with the Lord as it were and stand upon termes with him untill we are humbled and then we are ready to take heaven upon any condition Till a man be thus humbled his desires are remisse and weake and flaggy desires they raise up great buildings upon no foundation the foundation is weake and crazie and so the building comes downe And hence is it that men put their hand to the plough and looke backe againe A scholler will serve the Lord if hee may have eminency in gifts and outward excellency or some honour in the flesh but all this while his desires are remisse but when he is once humbled then he will say with Saint Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to doe and I will doe it whatsoever it is and whatsoever thou wouldest have me to suffer I will suffer it He will take the kingdome of heaven by violence and then his resolutions continue constant that way For what can Satan do to him wil he take away his pleasure from him his wealth or his credit they are things that hee hath despised before he can take nothing from him but what he cares not for It is the bitternesse of sinne that makes him now to prize Gods love and favour above all thing Thirdly thou must renew thy resolution oft it is not enough to set the heart in a good frame of grace for a day or two or for a moneth but thou must have a constant course in doing of it ever and anon as the Dutch men use to doe with their bankes that keepe them with little cost because they looke narrowly to them if there be but the least breach they make it up presently otherwise the water makes a breach upon them So thou shouldest doe with thy heart observe it from day to day marke what objections come that thou canst not answer what lusts and desires doe overballance thee and learne still to renew thy reasons and resolutions against them and this will make thee constant and firme and peremptory in well-doing NOw I come to the next Attribute and that is The Greatnesse of God or his Infinitenesse We follow in this rather the rule of the Scripture than the tract of the Schoolemen and wee insist upon those that God doth especially take to him in Scripture Now that God takes this Attribute to himselfe you shall see in 2 Chron. 2.5 For great is our God above all Gods Psal. 135.5 For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all Gods But the place that I would chiefly commend to you is this Psal. 145.3 Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is unsearchable Where you see that it is an infinite and incomprehensible greatnesse that the Lord takes to himselfe So Psal. 147.5 Great is our God and of great power and his understanding is infinite In handling of this I will shew you these two things First I will shew you how this greatnesse of God is gathered from the Scriptures Secondly I will shew you the reason of it as I have done in the rest The greatnesse of God is declared to us in the Scripture by these sixe things First By the workes of his creation The greatnesse of the workes doe shew the greatnesse the maker Isay 40.12 Who hath measured the heavens in the hollow of his hand and meted out the heavens with a spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hills in a ballance that is If you would looke upon any worke you may judge of the workeman by it if you see a great building you conceive it to be made by a man of some power now when you looke upon the great building of heaven and earth you may thinke that he that handles the materialls as an Architect doth handle the stones and lay them in their place is great now the Lord doth put the waters together as if he held them in his hand and hee measures out the heavens as a workeman measures out the roofe Againe every workeman must worke by plummet and by weight now consider the great mountaines saith he he weighes them in scales and the hills in a ballance as this building doth goe beyond mans so doth the greatnesse of God exceed the greatnesse of man and by this you may take a glimpse of the greatnesse of the Lord. Secondly by the ensignes of his greatnesse The greatnesse of Princes is set out by those outward signes which are the declaration of it Now when the Lord would shew his greatnesse you shall see how he expresseth it Deut. 4.36 When he came out of the Mount they heard a great voice and on the earth there was a great fire by that you may know the greatnesse of God For why doth hee come out with those ensignes clothed with them as it were but that by this you might have a crevice opened to shew you the greatnesse of God So when he appeared to Elias and in his apparitions to Moses to the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel It is said also that his voice was as the sound of many waters and he was so terrible that is was a vsuall saying among the Iewes Who can see God and live why so Because when he appeared when he shewed any shadow of his greatnesse weake flesh could not behold him but was swallowed up as it were with the greatnesse of his Majesty Thirdly By the workes of his providence Ezek. 36.23 And I will sanctifie my great Name which was prophaned among the heathen which yee have prophaned in the middest of them and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD saith the Lord GOD when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes As if hee should say They make no account of me now but when they shall see me to bring downe great Babel then they shall know and beleeve that I am a great GOD. So else where in Ezechiel hee compareth Ashur and Tire to a Lyon and Eagle and a Cedar and hee saith that hee will put a hooke into the Lyon and deplume the Eagle and overtop the Cedar that is hee will shew forth his greatnesse at that time when he shall bring downe those great nations So the greatnesse of GOD is seene
1.14 Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his flocke a male and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts and my name is dreadfull among all Nations that is the reason that the Lord there useth to stirre them up I am a great King So that the consideration of his greatnesse should cause us to feare before him When hee appeared to Iacob when hee fled from his fathers house to his uncle Laban Gen. 28.17 Iacob saith of the place wherein God appeared to him Surely this place is exceeding fearefull the reason was because God appeared there because hee was present there his presence strooke him with an awefull reverence that he said the place was exceeding fearefull So wee should thinke of his dreadfull presence when we come before him Eccles. 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter ony thing before God for God is in heaven and thou on earth therefore let thy words be few that is he is exceeding great and he is in heaven therefore learne to feare him when you draw nigh unto him That which may help us in this is to consider how glorious his apparitions were when hee appeared to Moses to the Prophets as Eliah and Ezekiel and you must remember that though you see not these apparitions yet consider that you have the same GOD to deale withall and though hee doth not shew it so now yet hee is as great now as then and so feare before him And this is to sanctifie GOD in our hearts that is when wee conceive of him as he is and doe accordingly feare when wee come before him And thus much in generall of this Attribute Now this greatnesse of God is seene in foure particulars First In the Infinitenesse of his presence Secondly In the Infinitenesse of his power which is his Omnipotence Thirdly In the Infinitenesse of his wisedome Fourthly In the Absolutenesse of his will that it is without all bounds and limits THE SEVENTH ATTRIBVTE OF GOD The Jnfinitenesse of his presence Or His Jmmensity FOr the first The Infinitenesse his presence that is another Attribute which hee takes to himselfe in Scripture As Ier. 23.24 Can any man hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord That is he is present every where in all the parts of heaven and earth even as water when it fills every place and as the light when it shines throughout the whole world So Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord So Eph. 4.6 One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all GOD fills all in all Quest. Onely this question may be asked Whether he be without the world as well as he is in the world Because some have disputed it therefore we will briefly answer it Answ. The Scripture is cleare in it that he is without the world there is no limits of his essence that wee can set downe hee is not contained within the compasse of heaven and earth as you shall see in 2 Chron 2.6 But who is able to build him an house seeing the heaven of heavens cannot containe him But this is but a curious question therefore I will leave it and will come to shew the reason of his omnipresence why hee is immense why he is every where as I have done in the rest 1. This property or Attribute of immensity must needes be given to God because his essence is infinite which hath beene before proved Now as the argument holds good that according to the substance of every thing such must the quality be in things that have quantity if the body be great so must the quantity bee So if God be an infinite essence as he is there is as good reason that he should have an infinite presence accompanying it as that a great body hath a quantity answerable to it So that he is of an infinite being and therefore also of an infinite presence 2. You see see it by experience and cannot deny it that his power is every where he guides all things he puts forth his power every where Now in the Lord seeing there is no facultie as is in man but whatsoever is in him is himselfe it cannot be but that he himselfe must be in every place where he doth any thing The fire may heate afarre off and so may the Sunne give light to the whole world and yet abide in the firmament because it hath a quality of heat and light but Almighty God is most simple there is no composition in him no quality no executive power but hee is himselfe what he is and therefore what he doth is done by himselfe immediatly immediatione suppositi as the Schoolemen expresse it Lastly I adde that GOD must bee every where present not onely within the world but as Salomon expresseth it The heaven of heavens cannot containe him that is hee is without the world as well as within it because wee cannot deny but that hee is able to make other worlds as well as this and then if hee should not be without the world he should move himselfe and change his place and there should bee a world where hee is not present but he is not capable of any change of any motion or alteration of place Onely one caution must be taken in You see that the light is in many places throughout the world but the presence of GOD is not like to that presence nor the presence of any creature because he is totally present the creatures are not so but according to the parts of them one part here another there but GOD being without all parts whereso ever he is he must be totally there Therefore you must not conceive God is commensurable by the place as if he were partly here and partly in another place but he is every where all present The heavens you see have a large place but they have one part here another there but the Lord is totally present wheresoever he is present Vse 1 First If God be every where present so that he doth not doe any thing by a mediate vertue or power but he doth it by the presence of his essence hence we gather first that he governes the world immediately For though there bee meanes vsed yet hee is present with those meanes Other Kings must needes governe by Deputies and Viceroyes and inferiour Magistrates of justice because they cannot be every where whence it comes to passe that Kings may be good and yet the people may be oppressed by their wicked instruments But with the Lord it is not so but he guides immediatly and being every where present he needeth no Deputies for he is not capable of information as Kings are but sees all with his owne eyes and heares all with his owne eares And againe he useth
further But consider what an enemy God is who is every where present fly whither thou canst he followes thee if thou goest into another Country hee will be with thee there or if thou diest and goe into another world yet still he followes thee I presse it the rather because when some great man makes request to a man and God commands the contrary when the commands of God and men differ they will rather make God their enemy than a powerfull man Thus men wrench their consciences because they choose rather GODS enmity than mens Doe but consider what it is to have the Lord your enemy he will meet thee in every place Though man be thy enemy yet he meetes not with thee every where if thou be in thy chamber hee cannot come at thee but God will meete with thee there And how will he meet thee Hee will meet thee as a Lyon and as a Beare robbed of her whelpes You shall see how the Lord expresseth it Amos 9.2.3.4 Though they digge into Hell thence shall my hand take them though they climbe up to heaven thence will I bring them downe c. It is a common opinion that if men have strong freinds strong Towers and a strong Land that is well beset the Sea and clifts or great estates that will defend them then they are safe but if the Lord be thine enemy none of these will doe thee any good verse 2.4 and yet if a man hath made peace with his enemies he thinkes himselfe safe as if there were no other enemy but mortall men So the Iewes not being killed but going into captivity onely thought their lives safe their peace made but saith the Lord If you goe into captivity yet there I will command the sword to slay you verse 4. The meaning is this no condition that a man can be in no greatnesse though he be compassed about with friends and safety on every side can availe if God be his enemy he will pull thee from the midst of the sea verse 3. and which yet is an hard thing to finde a man in the midst of the sea and all this is but to describe that no condition is safe when God is a mans enemy And thus much for this Attribute THE EIGHTH ATTRIBVTE OF GOD His Omnipotence THE next Attribute is the Omnipotence of GOD for wee tolde you that this Infinitenesse of GOD consisted in foure things First In the Infinitenesse of his presence Secondly In the Infinitenesse of his power Thirdly In the Infinitenesse of his wisedome Fourthly In the Absolutenesse of his will The first of these we have spoken of his Omnipresence now we come to speake of his Omnipotence I will not stand to prove it It is observed by some Divines that God is almighty is expressed seventy times in the Scripture Mat. 19.26 Luke 1.39 To God nothing is impossible He doth whatsoever he will and in Genesis it is said The God almighty be with thee c. Genes 28.3 In handling this Attribute I will shew you what it is and the reasons of it and the objections against it as I have done in the rest The Omnipotence of God lyes in this that hee is able to doe whatsoever is absolutely simply and generally possible to be done Other things can doe what is possible to doe in their owne kinde as fire can doe what belongs to fire to doe and a Lion can doe what is possible for him to doe so men and Angels but no creature can doe what is simply and absolutely possible to be done Now whatsoever can be done when the nature of the thing is not repugnant to it without any limitation that the Lord is able to doe and herein is his Omnipotence seene And the ground of it is this Because all creatures are put into their severall kindes a man is one kinde of creature he is not an Angel Angels are another kinde they are not men and as they are put in severall kindes and hedged in and limited with bounds and definitions so is their power limited they can doe what is in their owne sphaere and according to their essence and being such is their power But the Lord is a being without all limits and restraint an absolute being and an unlimited essence and therefore he can be said not onely to doe things within such a compasse within this or that kinde but whatsoever is simply and absolutely possible to be done even that his power reacheth unto and this is properly his Omnipotence There is no Attribute of GOD that doth need a greater degree of faith than this therefore reasons are not unnecessary The first reason therefore is this First consider that he that made these great things he that made the highest heavens and those heavens that thou seest he that made the earth and the deepe sea he that made the wind and the treasures of snow and haile hee that made the Angels hee that wrought so many miracles thou must thinke that hee that doth these things can doe the like as hee that hath made a faire picture or statue hee can make another he that makes a faire house you are ready to say that he is able to build another Looke then upon his great workes and you will thinke that he is able to doe the like This is an argument very frequent in Scripture when there is any occasion of expressing Gods great power to bring any thing to passe as hee that made heaven and earth he that brought the children of Israell out of Egipt he that divided the red sea he that wrought the wonders in Egipt before Pharoh and all his host and such like Secondly consider the manner how the Lord did all these things You know he did no more but say Let there bee light and there was light Let the trees bring forth let the fishes multiply and the aire bee filled with fowle and it was so Now to doe such things with a word with such facility is a signe of an infinite power for when one can doe great things with his breath or little finger we are apt to say what could he doe if he put his whole strength to it So the manner of his working doth shew the infinitenesse of his power Thirdly the further any thing is off from being the more power it requires to bring it to Being As take base materialls and there is greater power required to make a faire building of them to make a goodly statue of a crooked piece of wood is harder than that which comes neerer in propinquity to it Now no being at all is in a thousand times greater distance than the basest materialls are from such or such a being and therefore the power must bee infinitely greater that brings it to being Now the Lord hath done this therefore his power must bee infinite great To make this more plaine to you Consider what it is that restraines mans power so that he can goe no
Affections Affections inordinately set on a thing make it a god Part. 1 Pag. 90 Affections sinfull must be purged out Part. 2 Pag. 62 Affections to the creatures what raiseth them Part. 2 Pag. 204 Affections strong breed strong afflictions Ibid. Agreement Agreement of the prophecies in Scripture Part. 1 Pag. 52 Alcoran Alcoran of Mahomet barbarous Part. 1 Pag. 84 Almighty God is almighty Part. 2 Pag. 128 That God is almighty 70 times repeated in Scripture Part. 2 Pag. 177 VVee should rejoyce that our God is almighty Part. 2 Pag. 186 Alone To beleeve that God is God alone Part. 1 Pag. 85 To behold God alone in serving him Part. 2 Pag. 36 VVhy men are not content with God alone Part. 2 Pag. 187 Angels Angels used in guiding the course of things Part. 1 Pag. 35 Antiquity Antiquity of Scripture proves them true Part. 1 Pag. 57 Apprehension Apprehension of things makes them heavy or easy Part. 2 Pag. 30 Arts. Arts why invented Part. 1 Pag. 3 Assent Assent double Part. 1 Pag. 46 Assent bred differently in the Saints and others Part. 1 Pag. 62 Atheisme Atheisme of two kindes Part. 1 Pag. 24 Atheisme the effects of it Part. 1 Pag. 25 Iunius converted from atheisme Part. 1 Pag. 56 Attributes Attributes of God of two sorts Part. 1 Pag. 119 B. Beast see Man Before God before all things Part. 1 Pag. 120 If God had any cause somewhat was before him Part. 1 Pag. 140 Being Being properly onely in God Part. 1 Pag. 97 Being of God explained in five things Ibid. Being given to all things by God Part. 1 Pag. 99 VVee should give God the praise of his being 1.112 All things but God are capable of not being 1.142 VVhat being hee must have that is eternall Part. 1 Pag. 157 God the first being Part. 2 Pag. 50 God not capable of any new being Part. 2 Pag. 73 Beginning He that is eternal must be without beginning Part. 1 Pag. 157 Body Body must bee kept downe Part. 2 Pag. 23 Body gestures of it used in Gods worship Part. 2 Pag. 38 Busie VVhy men are so busie in worldly things Part. 2 Pag. 132 C. Cast off VVe should take heed God cast us not off Part. 2 Pag. 80 The time of Gods casting off unknowne Part. 2 Pag. 83 Cause The creatures should be without cause if they were not made Part. 1 Pag. 8 God the first cause Part. 1 Pag. 39 God without all cause Part. 1 Pag. 140 God a voluntary cause Part. 2 Pag. 181 Change Change in the creature whence it is Part. 2 Pag. 75 Change in us a token of good Part. 2 Pag. 94 VVhen we thinke our condition cannot change we doubt of Gods power Part. 2 Pag. 195 See Imperfect Chronology Chronology of Scripture exact Part. 1 Pag. 55 Church Churches testimony proves the truth of Scripture Part. 1 Pag. 58 Scriptures of greater authority than the Church Part. 1 Pag. 59 God will shew himselfe God in raising the Churches Part. 1 Pag. 87 Not to faint in the misery of the Churches Part. 1 Pag. 109 Christ. Christ his humanity alone not to be worshipped Part. 2 Pag. 45 See Mahomet Cleaue What makes us cleave to a thing Part. 1 Pag. 86 Conceive God is beyond all that we can conceive Part. 2 Pag. 129 Complaint Complaint and griefe whence it ariseth Part. 1 Pag. 104 Command The creature at Gods command Part. 1 Pag. 138 Confusion Confusion when the body rules the spirit Part. 2 Pag. 21 Comfort see God see Heaven Composition God without composition Part. 2 Pag. 49 Counsell see Eternity Covenant How to know we are in covenant with God Part. 2 Pag. 85 Covenant twofold Part. 2 Pag. 86 Covenant not frustrate by our sinnes Part. 2 Pag. 87 Constancy To judge of our spirits by constancy in well-doing 2 111 Constancy in ill nothing worse Part. 2 Pag. 113 Constancy to beg it of God Ibid. Constancy two meanes to get it Part. 2 Pag. 115 Company Company why it is desired Part. 2 Pag. 166 Companions that a man may alway have Part. 2 Pag. 167 Company the more griefe in want of it the lesse wisedome Ibid. Contradiction see Infinite Content To be content with GOD though with crosses Part. 1 Pag. 130 To be content with a simple condition Part. 2 Pag. 54 Content bred by godlinesse Part. 2 Pag. 58 Creature Creatures to learne the vanity of them Part. 1 Pag. 116 Creatures of themselves can doe nothing for us Part. 1 Pag. 137 Creatures difference betweene God and them Part. 1 Pag. 146 Creatures not to goe to them but God Part. 2 Pag. 67 Creatures difference betweene God and them in respect of his unchangeablenes Part. 2 Pag. 103 Creatures not to expect much from them Ibid Creation Workes of creation shew the greatnesse of God Part. 2 Pag. 123 Gods omnipotence in the creation Part. 2 Pag. 178 Crosses Crosses God doth his good by them Part. 1 Pag. 41 Crosses faith strengtheneth in them how Part. 1 Pag. 105 See Content D. Dead Death He that beleeveth not Christ would not beleeve one rising from the dead Part. 1 Pag. 42 We cannot see reason for many things till death Part. 1 Pag. 103 Death sweetned by walking with God Part. 1 Pag. 165 Decree Decree of God unchangeable yet unknowne Part. 2 Pag. 92 Defend GOD is able to defend us Part. 2 Pag. 166 Delay Delay of GOD should not offend us why Part. 1 Pag. 168 Delay seemes long why Part. 1 Pag. 169 Depend Dependent Not to depend on many things Part. 2 Pag. 56 Dependent felicity to trust in the creature Part. 2 Pag. 106 Desires Desires must bee strong that helpe resolution Part. 2 Pag. 121 How to get strong desires Ibid Despise What makes a man despise outward things Part. 2 Pag. 138 Destroy A man destroyeth himselfe how Part. 1 Pag. 10 Die Dying Mortifying of lusts a dying daily Part. 1 Pag. 66 Heathen gods die therfore false Part. 1 Pag. 81 Direction Men desire company for direction Part. 2 Pag. 166 Discontent Discontent whence it is Part. 1 Pag. 123 Dispose Affliction and prosperity disposed by GOD Part. 1 Pag. 40 To be content with GODS disposing of us Part. 1 Pag. 124 Doe Doing VVe are present with GOD by doing his will Part. 2 Pag. 161 To consider what GOD doth to us Part. 2 Pag. 162 Some things that GOD cannot doe why Part. 2 Pag. 182 Double Double-minded man who Part. 2 Pag. 60 Sinful affections make the heart double Part. 2 Pag. 62 E. Effects Three effects of a firme assent that there is a GOD Part. 1 Pag. 70 Efficacy Efficacy of the creature from GOD Part. 1 Pag. 137 Enemy VVhat an enemy GOD is to wicked men Part. 2 Pag. 175 End All creatures have an end Part. 1 Pag. 9 VVe should doe nothing for our owne ends Part. 1 Pag. 146 End of mens callings appointed by GOD Part. 1 Pag. 147 VVhen a man makes himselfe his end Part. 1 Pag. 148 Ending
high and loftie one that inhabiteth eternitie whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place c. As if he should say there is no house fit for him to dwell in that is high and excellent but only the house of eternitie Where eternity is compared to an house or habitation to which none can enter but God himselfe because he onely is high and excellent all the creatures are excluded out of this habitation It is required to eternity that there be no beginning which description you shall see of it in Psal. 90.2 LORD thou hast beene our dwelling place in all generations before the mountaines were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth or the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou art GOD. And here also you have the third expression and that is to have no ending he is not only from everlasting but to everlasting There is no succession as suppose all the pleasures that are in a long banquet were drawne together into one moment suppose all the acts of mans understanding and will from the beginning of his life to the end could be found in him in one instant such is eternity God possesseth all things altogether he hath all at once Ioh. 8.58 Verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am As if hee should say there is no time past present or to come with me he doth not say before Abraham was I was but I am and therefore he is eternall He is the dispenser of all time to others he is Lord of all time al times do but issue out of him as rivers from the sea he dispenseth them as it pleaseth him Psal. 90. compare verse 2. and 3. together Before the Mountaines were brought forth c. even from everlasting to everlasting thou art GOD. Thou turnest man to destruction and sayest returne yee children of men He sets time to the sonnes of men where we shall see that this is the property of him that is eternall to set times and seasons to men c. The reason why God must be eternall is this because he is what he is of himselfe he is without all cause and therefore can have no beginning or ending and therefore he must of necessitie be without all motion and without all succession for all succession presupposeth motion and all motion presupposeth a cause and effect for whatsoever is moved is either moved from no being to a being or from an imperfect to a more perfect being that is to be moved to an higher degree now God that hath nothing in him to be perfected is not capable of a further and higher degree The third thing is the difference betweene the eternitie of God and the duration of all creatures which consists in these particulars They even the best of them have but an halfe eternitie they are not from everlasting though they are to everlasting That eternall duration that they have is not intrinsecall to them it is dependent they receive it from another They cannot communicate it to another nor extend it beyond themselves the Angels though they bee eternall yet they cannot make other things to be eternall God onely can doe this All the acts of the creatures all their pleasures and thoughts and whatsoever is in them doe admit a succession a continuall flux and motion but in God it is not so he is as a rocke in the water that stands fast though the waves move about it so is it with God and though the creatures admit of a continuall flux and succession about him as the waves doe yet there is none in him And these are the differences betweene the eternity of God and the duration of all the creatures Now followes the fourth thing The consectaries that flow from hence they are these two If this be the eternity of God then to him all time that is to come is as it were past Psal. 90.4 A thousand yeares in his sight are but as yesterday when it is past that is a thousand yeares that are to come thay are to him as past they are nothing to him And againe a thousand yeeres that are past are as it were present to him as we heard before Before Abraham was I am For he possesseth all things together by reason of the vastnesse of his being to him all things are present As he that stands upon an high mountaine and lookes downe it is a simile that the Schoole-men often use though to the passenger that goes by some are before some behinde yet to him they are all present So though one generation passeth and another commeth yet to God that inhabits and stands upon eternity they are the same they are all present there is no difference And then this followes from hence that to God no time is either long or short but all times are alike to him therefore he is not subject to any delayes or expectances he is not subject to any feares for they are of things to come nor to the translation of griefe or pleasure or the losse of any excellencie that before hee had not as all creatures are therfore we should consider of the excellencie of God to give him the praise of it this use is made of it in 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible and the only wise GOD be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen As if he should say this very consideration that God is eternall should cause us to give him praise and so is that in Isai. 57.15 Eternitie makes that which is good to be infinitely more good than it is and that which is evill to be much more evill and that not onely in respect of duration that which is good for a weeke is better for a yeare and an evill when it continues an infinite time it is infinitely more evill but also in regard of that collection into one which is found in those things that continue to eternitie as when all joyes are collected into one heape and all griefe into one center so that you shall joy as much in one instant as ever hereafter so that though the thing be still but the same yet the continuance makes it infinitely more good Vse 1 Seeing eternitie is a propertie of God wee should learne hence to minde most the things that are eternall for they are of all other things of the greatest moment because they doe most participate of this transcendent propertie of the almightie God is eternall the soule is eternall heaven and hell are eternall therefore they are more to be regarded of us You shall see this in 1 Ioh. 2.17 as a reason why we should not minde the things of the world because the world vanisheth it passeth away and the lusts thereof saith the Apostle that is looke upon all the things below and both the things passe and your affections and desires passe that which you love to day
the waters move though the ship stand still there is motion but God stands still and all things stand still to him likewise Doe not wonder therefore that the Churches lye so long in misery that the injuries of the Saints are so long unrevenged doe not accuse God doe not mistake him doe not thinke amisse of him doe not thinke that hee is forgetfull and doth not remember that hee is slacke and doth not regard that hee cannot or will not helpe Beloved it is not so you shall see the very same use made of it 2 Pet. 3. if you compare vers 4 and 8 9. together In the latter dayes there shall come scoffers c. saying where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the creation vers 8 9. But be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the LORD as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day The LORD is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance It is not slacknesse in God For saith the Apostle a thousand yeares with him are as one day We thinke it a great matter that the Church should lye so long and cry How long LORD and yet no remedie saith the Apostle thinke not much at it For a thousand yeares with him are but as one day Vse 3 If God be eternall then consider with whom you have to doe even with him whose love and enmity are eternall with him whose soveraignty and power is eternall if a man be angry we regard it the lesse if we know it is but for a fit but consider what it is to have to do with him whose love and enmitie are eternall Therefore learne not to regard men as wee doe but to regard the Lord only and that in these three respects 1 Learne to trust the Lord and not man for God is an everlasting refuge Psal. 146.3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no helpe c. that which they can doe for you is but for this life at most trust in him that is able to defend you for all eternitie for he that made heaven and earth hee continues for ever This use you have made of it in Psa. 90.1 LORD thou hast beene our habitation for ever and ever as if hee should say Lord thou wast an habitation that is a refuge as our house is to the Churches thou wast so in Abrahams time in Pharaohs time Consider that God is not onely an habitation to his Church from generation to generation but also from everlasting to everlasting 2 Learne from hence likewise to feare him feare him that can cast body and soule into hell for ever his eternity should make us to feare him Feare not man Isai. 5.13 14. Why because he is of short continuance and if he can do you any hurt it is but for a short time for he shall be made as the grasse but feare the Almighty GOD who laid the heavens and stretched the foundations of the earth Vse the Lords arguments they are the arguments that can work on the soule it is the holy Ghosts argument why we should feare him because he is eternall as the opposition in that place shewes 3 Labour to serve him 1 Ioh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lusts thereof but hee that doth the will of the LORD abides for ever that is the world cannot make you to abide for ever it passeth away if you fulfill the lusts thereof if you fulfill your owne will you are not able to continue your selves but you will passe away what should wee doe then why fulfill the will of the Lord consider what he would have you doe and so you shall abide for ever Vse 4 If God be eternall then we should learne hence to comfort our selves when we looke upon the mutabilitie that we and all creatures are subject unto in this vale of misery it is a thing that may comfort us exceeding much if wee serve him who is constant without change who is eternall that can make up the changes that we are subject unto it is the use that is made of it in Psal. 102.11 12. My dayes are like a shadow that declineth and I am withered like grasse but thou O LORD shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations Why doth he put these two together thus my shadow and Gods enduring for ever c. as if he should say this is my comfort that though I am of short continuance yet God with whom I shall live for ever hee is eternall and abides for ever It is as if the beame should reason thus though I am brickle and fading yet the Sun that maintaines me abides for ever or if the streame should reason thus though I may be dried up in Summer yet the fountaine that maintaines me continues for ever So though men be subject to change yet the Lord that maintains them is immutable and abides for ever You that have the life of Christ in you have the beginning of this eternity and though the old building be pulled downe yet you have a building not made with hands eternall in the heavens even as when one skin fals off another comes on and what though the outward man perish yet the inward man growes daily more and more till it come to perfection This is not only a comfort to us but also it is a great motive and we should use it as a great argument to God that because we are subject to change yet because hee is immutable therefore he should helpe us Psal. 102.26 27. The heavens shall wax old as doth a garment but thou endurest for ever and ever therefore cast me not off in the midst of my dayes as if he should say Lord thou hast Time enough to bestow thou art full of eternitie the heavens that seeme to be of long continuance yet are nothing to thee therefore I pray thee to fill up my wants and make me eternall with thee so because thou inhabitest eternity therefore comfort mee Isai. 57.15 Seeing God is eternall learne hence to know that he is the Lord of all Time Vse 5 Doe not thou looke upon Time as belonging to thee but to him he overflowes all it is the phrase used in Psal. 90.5 Thou carriest them away as with a floud they are as sheepe c. that is all times are subject to him he over-reaches them and makes them long or short as it pleaseth him he is not only in himselfe eternall but hee is the lord of all and hee disposeth all times and appoints the seasons to every thing if hee be thus then take heed of looking upon future times as thine owne thou breakest in now upon the Lords
Hee that is eternall must be without ending Part. 1 Pag. 157 See Advantage Ensignes Ensignes of GODS greatnes Part. 2 Pag. 124 Equall Attributes of GOD equall Part. 2 Pag. 53 Equality of GODS Attributes prove him omnipotent Part. 2 Pag. 180 Erre see Rule Essence Essence of GOD what Part. 1 Pag. 94 Essence of GOD infinite 2 148 Eternall Eternity Eternity of GOD Part. 1 Pag. 156 Eternity 5 things in it Part. 1 Pag. 157 VVhy God must be eternall Part. 1 Pag. 158 Foure differences betweene the eternity of GOD and duration of the creatures Part. 1 Pag. 159 Eternall things to be minded more Part. 1 Pag. 161 Eternity an exhortation to consider of it Part. 1 Pag. 165 Eternity motives to consider it Part. 1 Pag. 167 Eternity what Part. 1 Pag. 168 Love and enmity of GOD eternall Part. 1 Pag. 171 Hatred and joy in GOD from eternity Part. 2 Pag. 78 Counsels of God from eternity Part. 1 Pag. 81 Evill Things are not alway evill that we think are Part. 1 Pag. 42 Everlasting GOD from everlasting other gods new Part. 1 Pag. 79 GODS being everlasting Part. 1 Pag. 98 Events Events contrary to mans preparations Part. 1 Pag. 39 Exalt To exalt GOD as GOD Part. 1 Pag. 135 Excellency Excellency outward not to be sought after Part. 2 Pag. 17 Excellency outward of 3 sorts Ibid F. Faculties Men desire company to exercise their faculties Part. 2 Pag. 166 Faint see Church Faith That there is a GOD proved by faith 1 19 45 Faith what Part. 1 Pag. 20 Faith in this that there is a GOD should be confirmed Part. 1 Pag. 61 Faith of elect and others differ Part. 1 Pag. 62 Faith though the same hath severall acts Part. 1 Pag. 72 Faith strengthened by revealing GODS name Part. 1 Pag. 103 False The gods and religion of the Gentiles false Part. 1 Pag. 80 The religion of Mahomet false Part. 1 Pag. 82 Feare VVhy we should feare God Part. 1 Pag. 171 See Goodnesse Fire The Spirit as Fire Part. 2 Pag. 15 Fill. The Lord fills heaven and earth Part. 2 Pag. 45 Flee God such an enemy as the wicked cannot flee from Part. 2 Pag. 174 Force Force in the motion of a spirit Part. 2 Pag. 3 Foundation Foundation of faith stable Part. 2 Pag. 51 Friendship Friendship of God to be esteemed Part. 1 Pag. 129 Future Future things knowne onely to God Part. 1 Pag. 79 G. GOD. God that he is Part. 1 Pag. 3 That there is a God Part. 1 Pag. 5 Creatures should be God if they were not made Part. 1 Pag. 8 A God sought naturally by all Part. 1 Pag. 14 That there is a God consequents of it Part. 1 Pag. 28 Meanes to confirme our faith that there is a God Part. 1 Pag. 68 That God is God and none besides him Part. 1 Pag. 75 5 Arguments that there is no other God Part. 1 Pag. 76 God what he is Part. 1 Pag. 94 God how to conceive of him in prayer Part. 2 Pag. 44 GOD how said to come and goe Part. 2 Pag. 77 GOD the comfort of all things in him Part. 2 Pag. 188 See Affections Good Goodnesse The commands of GOD for our good Part. 1 Pag. 127 Eternity makes things infinitely good Part. 1 Pag. 160 To feare GOD for his goodnes Part. 2 Pag. 14 See Observe Government Government of the world by GOD Part. 2 Pag. 150 See Spirit Grace Gracious Grace of GOD free Part. 1 Pag. 125 The Lord is gracious Part. 2 Pag. 46 To goe to GOD for grace Part. 2 Pag. 69 See Light Sin Vnchangable Grieve see Himselfe Greatnesse Greatnesse of GOD Part. 2 Pag. 123 Greatnesse of GOD declared in sixe things Ibid Greatnesse of GOD compared Part. 2 Pag. 126 Greatnesse of mind to be sought Part. 2 Pag. 129 VVhat makes the mind great Part. 2 Pag. 130 Greatnesse outward why men are led away with it Ibid Greatnesse of minde how gotten Part. 2 Pag. 137 To feare GOD for his greatnes Part. 2 Pag. 140 H. Hate Pollution of spirit to hate it Part. 2 Pag. 12 How to come to hate it Part. 2 Pag. 13 Heathen Passages of Scripture acknowledged by Heathen Part. 1 Pag. 53 Heaven No want of outward comforts in heaven Part. 2 Pag. 19 See Humble Helpe No case so desperate but GOD can helpe Part. 2 Pag. 203 Hindred GOD cannot be hindred Part. 2 Pag. 52 High Not to put our selves to things too high Part. 1 Pag. 149 Himselfe Being of God of himselfe Part. 1 Pag. 98 GOD may doe things for himselfe Part. 1 Pag. 144 what he doth that greiues most for things that concerne himselfe Part. 1 Pag. 150 Hope Hope of the Saints whereon built Part. 1 Pag. 63 Holinesse Holinesse of Scripture Part. 1 Pag. 52 Holinesse what Part. 2 Pag. 37 Holinesse expressed outwardly Part. 2 Pag. 39 Holinesse of God shewes his greatnesse Part. 2 Pag. 127 Holy ghost Holy ghost guided penmen of Scripture Part. 1 Pag. 48 Humble An Humble man takes heauen how Part. 1 Pag. 121 Humanity see CHRIST I. I am I am what meant by it Part. 1 Pag. 95 Idolatry To keepe our hearts from Idolatry Part. 1 Pag. 88 Idolatry of two kinds Ibid Idolatry 3 grounds of it Part. 1 Pag. 82 Idolatry to resolve on things by our owne strength Part. 1 Pag. 112 Image Image of God Part. 1 Pag. 15 Image of God in the soule double Part. 1 Pag. 16 Immediate see Government Impure The life and doctrine of Mahomet impure Part. 1 Pag. 84 Immense The Immensity of Gods being Part. 1 Pag. 97 Immensity of Gods being shews his greatnesse Part. 2 Pag. 127 Immensity of God Part. 2 Pag. 147 Immensity of God we should rejoyce in it Part. 2 Pag. 152 Immensity of God we should studie it Part. 2 Pag. 153 Imperfection Imperfection negatiue in the Saints Part. 1 Pag. 121 Imperfection where there is change Part. 2 Pag. 73 See perfect Impenitence Impenitence punnished in Gods children Part. 2 Pag. 99 Immutable Immutability of God Part. 2 Pag. 72 5 reasons of Gods Immutability 2 73 Grace in it selfe not immutable Part. 2 Pag. 115 Inconstancy Inconstancy to be humbled for it Part. 2 Pag. 112 Inconstancy two causes of it Part. 2 Pag. 115 Inconstancy from weaknesse Part. 2 Pag. 117 Indeavour Indeavours help not when God hath cast off a man Part. 2 Pag. 83 Indeavour not taken away by Gods decree Part. 2 Pag. 92 Infinite God is infinite Part. 2 Pag. 74 To make a creature infinite were a contradiction Part. 2 Pag. 186 See Essence Presence Invisible To be invisible a property of a spirit Part. 2 Pag. 2 Inquire Somewhat in God we must not inquire into Part. 1 Pag. 100 Injuries Injuries of men why we are so affected with them Part. 2 Pag. 133 How to be patient in injuries Part. 2 Pag. 156 Influence To beleeve there is a God hath influence into the whole life Part. 1 Pag. 64 Iustification Faith strengthened in matters