true goodnes He who gets this generall grace to have his heart indeed and seriously bent upon the course of piety towards God and innocency towards men the Lord wil not so far suffer to erre in his way as to misse of heauen in the end notwithstanding his particular aberrations of humayn frailty which God will cover under the veyl of his rich mercy by the persons sincere fayth and generall repentance CHAP. XXV Of Means MEans are so called of the middle place which they hold betweene the efficient and finall causes serving the one for the furthering and atcheiving of the other And so all creatures whether persons or things come under this account in respect of him from whom and for whom all things are God is able without meanes to doe whatsoever work of power he doth or can doe by them and the reason is playne for that he both creates and provides the meanes and also giues the blessing upon them by which they are avayleable Neyther if we minde it hath the Lord ever done greater workes then those which the hand of his power hath wrought eyther immediately or by meanes very weake and feeble which being improved by Gods omnipotency haue produced wonderfull effects Thus God and froggs could plague Pharaoh and all Egipt So can the H. Ghost and simple preaching make men wise unto salvation God often useth meanes verie weake and base not because he wants better but partly for his owne glory as first for the glorie of his goodnes that being so mightie and excellent in majestie he will vouchsafe to imploy them and secondly of his greatnes in bringing to passe what he will by them as he tould Gedeon the people were too many for him to saue Israel by when men make wars they geâ—t the powerfullest helps they can therein bewraying their owne weaknes whereas God on the contrary wanting no mans help oft times makes choyse of weake meanes as needing none Partly the Lord doth this for the means themselvs that they which God so farr honours specially for good to men should not be despised and partly for others that none should be overmuch affected with or to them To trust to means is Idolatry to abuse them want of wisdom or of conscience or both to neglect them eyther desperatenes when a man is without hope of good by them or presumptuous tempting of God when he expects good without them or sloath when he will not trouble himself with them With all which unthankfulnes to the Lord is joyned who provides them as helps against our infirmities and therewith profane sawcines also if with the contempt of the means which we have we long after such as we have not as did the Israelites in the wildernes in loathing manna and lusting after flesh and the Iewes in despiseing Christs miracles upon earth and desiring to see a signe from heaven of him We must then as one sayth mingle our owne sweate with faith to make a sweete odour withall to God For though his power be not bound to means yet his will bindes us to such as he in mercie affoardeth partly as helps of our fayth which need such glasses wherein to see Gods helping hand and partly to exercise our obedience and partly to stir up our diligence And this we must do the rayther for that when God purposeth good to or by a man eyther he commonly provides him means accordingly which when opportunity servs he expecteth he should use in good conscience for atteyning to the good unto which they as it were lead him which to neglect is to disobey a kynde of reall calling from God In the carefull use of naturall means we shew most wisdom and that we are not like beasts without understanding and of supernaturall means prayer and the like the most grace and that we are not as men which know not God A man must be sure in his most carefull use of means alwayes to bear in mynde the end for which he useth them that he be not like the messenger who so myndes his way as he forgets his errand To sever the means and end to which they lead ordinately is vanity in all courses in divine matters mere madnes He that sinning without repentance looks to escape hell separates the end from the means He that without fayth and obedience lookes for heauen separates the means from the end which he aymes at Both would pervert Gods word and work of providence CHAP. XXVI Of Labour and Idlenes GOD who would have our first father even in innocency and being Lord of the whole world to labour though without payne or wearisomnes in dressing the Garden and when he had sinned to eat his bread with the sweat of his brows would haue none of his sinfull posteritie lead their life in Idlenes no nor without exerciseing themselvs diligently in some lawfull calling or other I say diligently For as poore men play for recreation now and then so do rich men work But that sufficeth not For God who hath in the naturall body appointed unto every member its office and function which it is constantly to exercise would have no member in any societie or body of men ordinarily unimployed Neyther doth that man how great or rich soever keep a good conscience before God who makes labour but an accessorie and not a principall and that which takes up his ordinarie tyme. Man is borne to sore labour in body or minde as the spark to fly upward In heauen is onely rest without labour in hell restles payn and torment and as sin makes the earth which is between both liker to hell then heauen so God for sin hath given to the sons of man soar travail to afflict them upon earth And that in most wise and gratious providence considering the mischiefs that come by idlenes as The weakning of the endowments of nature whereas labour brings strength to the body and vigour to the mynde yea the consumption of grace as rust consumes the iron for want of using yea whereas idlenes brings bodily poverty like an armed man it brings not onely spirituall povertie in graces with it but withall a legion of vices like so many armed divels puffing up the flesh with pride and makeing the heart Sathans anvile who is commonly least idle when men are most whereon to forge a thowsand vanities and sinfull lusts as having a fit opportunity to perswade men to doe evill when he findes them doing nothing that so they who will not sweat in earth eyther with the labour of the hand or heart though king Alphonsus sayd that God and nature had given kings hands as well as other men might sweat in hell and that if they will not bear their part in the payns of men they might partake in the payns of the Divils Whereas on the contrary if we doe that which is good and well done though with labour and
betimes that so we may be old long But who would desire to be that loâ—g which is but a long infirmitie Save as age accompanyed with wisdom and godlynes ads authoritie to the aged for the more effectuall enforceing of these and the like vertues upon others CAP. LXII Of Death NAturall death stands in the separation of the soul from the body spiritúall of the soul and whole man from God in respect of grace eternall in respect both of grace and glorie with the sense of the contrarie evils By sin death in all three degrees came into the world For albeit God onely have immortalitie and unchangeablenes from and in himself and that all creatures and so man with the rest in regard of his elementarie body be subject to change save as they do depend upon him that uncreated beeing and are susteyned and upheld by the word of his power and by a continuall influx from him yet God having engraven his image in man did both so temper his body and order all creatures under his providence for him as that nothing but sin could possibly impeach his life or welfare By his sin he actually lost spirituall life and the right both to temporarie and eternall The first death is a naturall evill the second a spirituall the third both For although in regard of the universall and of Gods supernaturall ends it be better that a man bee to be continued though in eternall miserie then that he should cease to be altogether yet in regard of the persons particular as better eye out then ever akeing better never to have been born or by death utterly to be abolished as the bruit beasts are then to live and continue alwayes accursed and miserable By naturall death divers men how like soever they have been in their temporall state become most unlike in their eternall the wicked miserable without hope and the godly happy without fear And by the same death both they and all other in other things altogether alike how unlike soever they have been in them formerly After death remayns no naturall or civill relation as of father son housband wife or the like all these are for this life onely The liveles earth unto which the body returns is altogether uncapable of them so is the soul being a spiritual substance whether in heaven or hell With them in glory after the end of the world God shall be all in all and men shall be like the angels neyther taking wives nor giving in mariage nor remayning maryed Peter and Paul neyther are nor shall be Apostles there neyther is the virgin Mary Christs mother there but they onely remayn those persons which sometimes upon earth had these states and relations upon them If there be any naturall or bodily difference after death it is that the bodyes of the richer sâ—inck the more by reason of their greater fulnes and aboundance whilst they lived And for the good and bad which are mingled together in this life but cannot agree death parts them for ever being hastened of the Lord that the godly dying may no more be vexed with or by the wicked nor the wicked any longer persequute the godly If men should live alwayes in the world or but so long in our age as did the first patriarks to what a height would many come in worldly happines or misery How extreamly rich would many be how many extreamly poore How mightie and powerfull some how dejected and depressed many more But the wise providence of God is to be honoured herein by which it comes to passe that the more men are set to drive things to extreamitie the lesse time should be allowed them for their courses one or other in the world Onely man being both mortall and reasonable can think of his death Not the angels for though they can by understanding conceav of death yet are they by their spirituall state set without the reach of it nor bruit beasts though mortall because it is not perceaved by sight or other sense but being a privation to wit of life is onely discernable by understanding If a beast see never so many of its own kinde slaughtered before its eyes it fears not death which it sees not though it may fear the instrument which it sees or other terrible and sensible object And hence it comes to passe that the more brutish men are they have the lesse thoughts or fear of death for the most part It is appointed unto men once to dye ordinarily and after this the judgment I say as the Apostle means ordinarily for some dye not but are changed onely Some dye twice as Lazarus and others This death which will certeynly once come and with it eternall and unchangeable happines or miserie we should alwayes bear in mynde as if Phillips deaths head were set before us For though the thoughts of death be not sufficient to rayse the heart to heavenly things yet are they so avaylable to draw it from earthly which is first to be done as no thing is more then the frequent and serious meditation thereof We should think seriously of that part of our life which remayns unfinished that we may provide things necessarie for it and also of our death that we may cut off superfluityes and use that moderately which we must not use long The saying Nothing more certayn then death and yet nothing more uncertayn then the hour of death is common and commonly abused The certayntie of it should teach us moderation in the use of the world and all worldly things and that we abuse them not because the fashion of this world passeth away But contrary-wise many take hereby occasion to lay the faster hold of it eyther in the profits thereof for themselvs or theyrs or pleasures saying let us eat and drink to morrow we shall dye And whereas God would have us ignorant of our last day and hour that suspecting it alwayes we might alwayes be ready we are apt on the contrarie because we know not the certayn tyme to be the lesse ready at all times and which is worse not to take warning neyther as we ought by any or all those known messengers of death which are reckned three 1. Casualâ—ie 2. Weaknes and 3. age the first shewing our death to be doubtfull the second and third to be near and at hand Hardly any so old but thinks he may yet live a year or so sick but that he may live a day longer Not onely the foolish but even the wise virgins are too prone to slumber if the bridegroome defer his coming a litle Few regard the good counsayl given to account every day the day of our death and as that wherein we are it may be to appear before the Lord. Few watch because they know not what hour the Lord wâ—â—l come as all are warned But the servant that so doth and is
to the knowledg of God This knowledg we must seek with all earnest diligence and store it up carefully in the treasurie of our hearts that knowing God we may love him and trust to him and fear him and honour him that as the Daughters of Ierusalem though before marvailing what ailed the Spouse of Christ to be so affectioned towards her beloved and so earnestly to seek after him as she did when they once came to take knowledg of his perfit beautie would then seek him with her So we knowing God specially in the face of Christ Iesus may so be ravished with love of his Majestie as to have our whole heart set to seek and find him in whose presence is satietie of joyes evermore CAP. II. Of Gods love GOd loveth himself first and most as the cheifest good and all other good things as he communicates with them lesse or more the effects of his own goodnesse And from this infinit love of his own infinit goodnesse is it that he so severely punisheth some Creatures though the Work of his own Hands which he alwaies loveth For first The Creature by sin violating Gods Holinesse and despising his authoritie in his righteous Commandments and so going on in impenitencie and unbelief and withall it being impossible that Gods love of his own Holinesse and Iustice and the honour of the same and the love of the Creatures happinesse so obstinatly dishonouring him should stand togither it cannot be but that the latter must give way to the former and greater and the Creature so sinning become miserable rather then God forgetfull of his own honour and glorie God reveales his glorious Majestie in the highest Heavens his fearfull Iustice in the Hell of the Damned His wise and powerfull Prouidence is manifest through-out the whole World but his gracious love and mercie in and unto his Church here upon Earth which he therefore hath chosen and taken near unto himself that in it might be seen the riches of his glorious grace And albeit all things in God are infinit and one yet are the effects of his love more wonderfull and excellent then of any other his Attributes as appeares in that his greatest and strangest work of giving his only begotten Son to the cursed death of the Crosse for his Enemies out of his love and mercie This the Scriptures and worthily call a great mysterie and which for the rarenesse of it was not onely hidden from the Sons of Men but also from the verie Angels in their perfection of created knowledg Which manifold grace and wisdom of God they therefore desire to look into and learn by the Church Love in the Creature ever presupposeth some good true or apparent in the thing loved by which that affection of union is drawn as the Iron by the Load-stone But the love of God on the contrarie causeth all good wrought or to be wrought in the Creature He first liveth vs in the free purpose of his will and thence worketh good for and in us and then loves us actually for his own good work for and in us and so still more and more for his own further work And hence ariseth the unchangablenesse of Gods love towards us because it is founded in himself and in the stablenesse of the good pleasure of his own will And although the arguments of comfort be great which we draw from the certain knowledg of our love to him yet are those infinitely greater which are taken from the consideration of his love to us as being not onely the ground of the other but in him also infinite and vnchangable And hereupon it was that the Sisters of Lazarus seeking help for their sick Brother sent Christ word not that he who loved him though that were not nothing but that he whom he loved was sick As by the hand of a friend reached unto us we are made partakers of the strength of his whole body to hold or help us up so by the hand of the love of God reached down from Heaven in the Gospel we become interessed in the most comfortable apprehension and happy use of all other his attributes whatsoeuer The more wise powerfull holy glorious eternall and infinite God is the more happy are we by means of his love and mercy in Christ which moveth him to use and improve them all for our good and to communicate them with us as his friends in their effects so far as serves for our happinesse He whom God loves though he know it not is an happy man He that knows it knows himself to be happy Which caused the Apostle to make in his own name and in the names of all the beloved of God that glorious insultation over all the enemies of his their happines that they could not seperate him or them not from the power or wisdom or holinesse but not from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus From this love of God as from a Spring head issueth all good both for grace and glory Yea by it which is more all evill by all Creatures intended or done against us is turned to good to us By it our afflictions work together with our election redemption vocation c. for our good By reason of it the stones of the Feild are at league with us the beasts of the Feild at peace with us yea even the very Sword that killeth us the Fire that burneth us and the Water that drowneth us is a kinde of Spirituall and invisible league with us to do us good Vpon the knowledg of this love of God shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Ghost is laid the foundation and ground-work of whatsoever good thing we return again unto God with acceptation at his hands Vpon this we do build our Faith and confidence in him By this our cold and frozen hearts are not onely thawed but inflamed also with love again to him and to men for him As the Earth being heated by the beams of the Sun beating upon it reflecteth heat again towards the Heavens upon all the bodies between it and them Lastly from hence arise all the pleasing services wherewith we present his Majesty For howsoever we ow our selvs and whatsoever we are or can do vnto him as our gracious and powerfull Creatour absolute Lord yet can we do nothing heartily as we ought but from the Faith feeling of his love in Christ by the motion of the Spirit of a sound minde given unto us But being once drawn sweetly by the coards of Gods goodnes love we readily pleasingly follow after him as being debters and constrained not by necessity but w ch binds more strongly by love The tokens of this love of God in Christ are not onely by us highly to be prized but carefully to be discerned lest we bring our selves into a fools paradise and grow presumptuously secure which is the fore-runner of suddain and
person that sinneth with all his parts and powers of soul and body is Gods work so is the preservation and sustentation of both person and personall abilities so is the naturall motion it self whether within or without the person in which the sin is like the halting in the Horses going and lastly so is not onely the voluntarie permission of the sin which he could easily hinder by his omnipotent power if he would oppose it but also the ordering both of sin and sinner to his own supernaturall ends For example The act of Iudah and Thamar morally considered was sinfull and impure but naturally good and blessed of God with a Son of whom Christ came according to the flesh So the abhominable sins of Absolom were ordered of God unto most just punishments of the sins of his Father David There is a two-fold use of the world and works of God in it the one naturall the other supernaturall The former is common to men with beasts who are alike cherished with the heat and influence of the Sun alike nourished by the Fruits of the Earth The other is peculiar to men with the holy Angels by which they behold the face of the Creators power wisdom goodnesse c. as in a most clear Looking-glasse and are provoked accordingly to praise and glorifie him in his wonderfull works even as by beholding some curious piece of workmanship much more if therewith we have singular use of it of a skilfull Artificer we are led in the view of the work to the commendation of the workman And look how much the Soul excelleth the body yea the Spirituall man the naturall so much is this use of Gods creatures more excellent then the former And so the opinion of the Philosopher who thought he was born to look upon the Sun and Heavens was not wide but short nor absurd but defective For he should have pierced further even through the Heavens unto him that made and governs them whose glorious power and goodnesse shineth in them that so he might have glorified him as God in his works For though by that glimpse of light in the Creatures we cannot attain to the knowledg of God as our Father in Christ yet are we both to honour him according to it and to be provoked by it to further search and enquirie after him in such means of revelation as by which he further manifests himself which are his Word and Gospel of Salvation Even as he that lying in a dark Dungeon spies some small glimpse of light will groap toward it by the wall hoping to finde some dore or window by which it comes in For neglect of this the verie wisest of the Heathens were left inexcusable and not glorifying God whom they knew in his works of creation of the World but vanishing in their own imaginations and serving the Creature rather then the Creator who is blessed for ever were given over of God to a minde void of judgment to do the things which are inconvenient Now of how much sorer punishment shall we be guiltie if together with this lesser glimpse of Divine light by the creatures we despise also the more glorious light of the Gospel not honouring God aright either as our powerfull Creatour or mercifull Redeemer by Christ Iesus But if we so honour him and make him great in our own hearts and before men what we can as he hath manifested and made known himself in his Word and Works he will honour us with himself for ever in glorie CAP. V. Of created goodnesse EVerie thing that is and hath being is in that regard good and of God The naturall parts and powers of body and Soul of most wicked men remain in themselvs notwithstanding all infection of evill in them Gods good Creatures so do the naturall acts and motions of those parts and powers in themselvs considered notwithstanding any morall accessorie of evill in them ariseing either from the evill affection wherewith or unlawfull object upon which they are performed There can be no evill in the Work which is not first in the Worker as the cause And so a wicked person being worse then a wicked action if the sin prevail not so far as to make the part or facultie of the person in which it is to cease to be a part or power created of God neither doth it so far prevail in the action or work as to make it cease to be in it self a created motion and therein a naturall good thing God is and so by all is to be acknowledged for the giver of everie good gift that is of everie thing save sin which sin is nothing that hath being in nature but an absence of and crosnesse to that which should be as darknesse is of and unto light And so the good Father would not say that his Mother gave him Milk but God by her And though the good which we enjoy come unto us by never so ready and ample means yet must we alwaies religiously minde that both the means are of Gods raysing and ordering and the blessing upon them for our good And if Iob saw by Faith that all the evils and harms that came unto him and his though by the Divels and wicked mens means were from the Lord as supream orderer of all things how much more should we look upon God as the Authour and worker of all the good that befalleth us Notwithstanding if God so far honour any persons as to make them hands and instruments specially voluntarie for the reaching of any blessing unto us from himself we also and that even therefore are to love and honour them as David not onely blessed the Lord as the Authour but Abigail also as the Minister of the good counsell which she gave him for the not avenging of himself upon Nabal Actions besides their naturall entitie or being are by one distinguished and that aptly according to a four-fold goodnesse First An action is sometimes good in it self and to them to whom it is done but not to the doer as works of mercie done but not for God Secondly Good in it self and in the doer but not to him to whom it is done as the Preaching of the Word to them that despise it Thirdly Good in it self and the doers and to them to whom it is done as the same Preaching to him that receivs it Fourthly Though neither good in it self nor in the doer nor for him to whom it is done as an evill or injurie yet good as it is ordered by God to an end supernaturally good Who as saith another would not suffer evill but as knowing how to work good out of it In actions of the third kinde onely goodnesse is entire in all it parts and relations A man should never glorie in that good how great soever which is common to a beast with him nor a wise man in that which is common to a fool with him no
by occasion of temptation practise some particular and the same grosse evils Out of which in time he recovers himself by repentance Who not foolish himself will say that David was simply a fool even when by occasion of speciall temptation of Satan he did a verie foolish act in numbring the people We are not therefore to measure a persons state by some one or few acts done as it were by the way and upon instance of some strong temptation but according to the tenour and course of his life Els what wise man should not be a fool also Or what fool should not be a wise man What Nabal should not be liberall yea bounteous when he makes a feast like a King A Rebell lurking in a Kingdom may by some advantage watched and taken prevail against the lawfull King in a conflict or two and yet for all that not raign in the Kingdom so may the treacherous flesh lurking in a Spirituall man get the masterie in some combat and yet not therefore drive the Lord quite out of his Kingdom there Yea the same flesh ever lusting against the Spirit even in them which are led of the Spirit and leading them into captivitie to the law of sin doth oft so far prevail in them as to captive them in some particular by-paths both of judgment and practise not so easily discerned all their life long For who can understand his errours And for these particular enormities whether actions or courses of godly persons howbeit considering them in themselvs and in their externall acts there appear in them no difference from those of the same kind practised by men utterly godlesse yet is there a great difference in Gods ey not onely in the person of the doer in Gods account but also in his own heart and affection even in the verie doing of them In which the Lord sees the inward struglings of grace though alas too weak by the persons default tending and bending the clean contrarie way and therein plainly differencing the doer from the profane contemners of God doing the same things in whom there is either altogether peace without any strife and resistance whilst the strong man keeps the house or that resistance which is meerely of naturall conscience terrifying with fear of punishment onely without the hatred of sin which is though too weak and feeble in the other Although it be a greater work of grace to become of vicious and evill good and vertuous then so to continue or to grow therein yet considering the mightie and many enemies of our salvation and the great stumbling stones in our way and with these the heavie clog of our own corruption which we draw after us it will be and is found a matter of no small difficultie not to be wearie of well doing nor to faint before we come to reap in due time that which we have formerly sown to the Spirit And this the experience of all ages confirmeth in which there are few which do the first works and leav not their first love fewer that bring forth more fruit in old age and are fat and green And yet we know that albeit of the labourers in the Vineyard who receaved ech his pennie some entered sooner and some later and some not till the very last hower of the day yet all continued their labour till the evening So for our selvs we must make account that at what time soever any begins onely he that continues to the end shall be saved And indeed it is a great honour to God when a good man notwithstanding all discouragements either from within or from without persevers in the course of goodnesse begun and gives not over till he come at the Goal how tirering soever his way be Such a one shews that the Lord is faithfull and that there is no unrighteousnesse with him To which purpose the saying of Polycarpus is verie remakable who being provoked by the Proconsul to blaspheme Christ answered that he had served him now eightie and sixe yeeres and had never had hurt by him in any thing why then should he speak evill of him On the contrarie he that departs from the Lord in the course of godlinesse formerly held greatly dishonours him as the Servant doth his Master in leaving him before his time be out Such a one makes shew as if out of judgment and experience he disliked goodnesse and therein really accuseth God as if he had found some evill in him or at least not that good which he promised and the other expected And to that purpose the Lord in great indignation expostulates with the Iews and asks What iniquitie they or their Fathers had found in him that they were gone from him after their vanities It is dangerous in course of Religion and godlinesse to fall forward by errours preposterous zeal or other misguidance yet not so much as to fall backward by an unfaithfull heart The former may break his face thereby and loose his comfort in a great measure both with God and men but the latter is in danger utterly to break the neck of his conscience as old Ely brake his neck bodily by falling backward from his seat and dyed Are there not many Elyes in all Ages And as the least declension from God is dangerous so is totall desperate neither will God ever forgive that sin or give repentance to any so sinning but hath utterly excluded everie such a one out of the otherwise infinite bounds of his mercie in Christ. The Preaching of the Word of God is the means to beget Faith and grace but for the nourishing and encreasing thereof we must therewith joyn the observation in our places of whatsoever Christ hath appointed his Apostles to teach in the vse whereof as the sanctified means for the obtaining of that end we shall keep our selvs in the fear of God and not fall from our stedfastnesse and withall grow in grace and in the acknowledgment of the Lord Iesus if not in bulk yet in firmnesse as when the body leavs growing in bignesse it knits better then before Neither indeed can we be safe from being drawn away from God otherwise then by continuall drawing nearer unto him For our way to Heaven is up a hill and we drag a Cart load of our corruptions after us which except we keep going will pull us backward ere we be aware The Holy Ghost in those vehement exhortations of the faithfull to perseverance inforced with so many promises and threatnings both shews therein mans pronenesse and danger in himself to fall away and also affoards the means by which God will preserv his sanctified ones from Apostacie using the same as Evangelicall conducts of grace for his working of that perseverance in them which he requires of them and that rather by our being apprehended of Christ as the Apostle speaks then by our apprehending him As the Father leading his weak Childe in
hand of his providence bend their hearts by mutuall affection unto thee at least so far as is good for thee and wherein they are inflexible and defective he will make supply out of the aboundance of his love and goodnesse that so it may be verified which is written With the same measure that ye meet with all it shall be measured to you again To conclude this point Let the grace of God herein specially triumph over our corruption that whereas by nature we would be loved of them whom we hate by grace we may love them Which hate us And this is a great work of grace in deed and yet most necessarie for all Christs Disciples We must not be like the Pharisees who in stead of enlarging their own affections streightned the Law of loving their neighbours unto such as loved them or dwelt within a certain compasse of them but we must account all our neighbours that need pittie or help from us and our Christian neighbours and brethren also if the Lord have receaved them though they be neither minded in all things as we are nor towards us as we are towards them Lastly as Faith is to rule Love that it prove not lust and Hope that it prove not presumption so also must it Reason and Sense in all their operations which it no way abolisheth but orders and sanctifies And as in Nature the denomination is from the predominant qualitie so is it in our course of life To live by Reason is to live the life of a man To live by Sense is to live the life of a beast But to live by Faith is to live the life of the Son of God and to be in its effects partaker of the Divine nature and that not onely in the reasonable but in the sensitive faculties also For these three Faith Reason and Sense being all Gods works in a man cannot be contrarie in their right use one to another neither can any thing be true in one which is false in another neither doth or can any one of them destroy another but use order and perfit it Reason Sense and Faith both Sense and Reason For Faith comes by hearing at the first and is nourished and encreased both by hearing and seeing and by the benefit of all other Senses afterwards Neither can it possibly either be begot or nourished or encreased but by the discourse of Reason ordered and sanctified by the Spirit of God Which Spirits work is so effectuall as it makes even the meanest powers of nature created in a man to serv effectually for the furthering of the highest works of supernaturall grace Sweet is the harmonie of all the powers and parts both of the Soul and bodie of a sanctified person Reason is that wherein man goes before all other earthly creatures and comes after God onely and the Angels in Heaven For whereas God and Nature hath furnished other Creatures some with horns some with hoovs others with other Instruments and weapons both defensive and offensive man is left naked and destitute of all those but may comfort himself in that one endowment of Reason and providence whereby he is enabled to govern them all Now who would not strive to excell other men in that wherein men excell all other Creatures How much more in that to which few men attain true faith and the life thereof CAP. XI Of Atheism and Idolatry SOme are Atheists in opinion others in affection but many more in conversation of life There are but few of the first coat and which can so wholy blot out the remainders of Gods Image written by Creation in their hearts as to leav them altogether emptie and devoyd of the knowledg conscience and reverence of a Divine Majestie and which come to conclude roundly in their hearts that there is no God Yet some without doubt in time and by degrees proceed from Atheism in conversation to Atheism in affection and from Atheism in affection to Atheism in opinion and judgment Men civilly honest seldom or never become Atheists in perswasion but lewd and flagitious persons do who being pursued by the furie of an accusing conscience for hainous evils wish and no marvail that there were no Iudg in Heaven to condemn them and so come at last to be perswaded in themselvs of that which they gladly would have true and are justly left of God to such horrible delusion that so sinning without fear they may perish without remedie And this is the reason why there are more Atheists in opinion in our dayes then of old even because so many are more bent upon mischief and liveing wickedly in this world bear themselvs in hand and so get to beleev that there is no justice in the world to come Another reason is the proportion of wit to which our Age is come above the former In regard hereof it is that Atheism though dissembled and concealed by the same ungracious wit which begets it is a thousand times more to be feared in the Land then Papism Men have too much wit to become Papists in any generallitie and just enough to fit them for Atheists if Gods powerfull hand restrain them not The verie simple dare not become Atheists but are more in danger to prove superstitious and to beleev everie thing the verie understanding hardly can but have by sound reason and sad thoughts will they nill they some acknowledgment of a Divine Majestie forced upon them But persons of froathy wit and vicious life are fitly tempered for the impression of Atheism for the Divel Atheism is incomparably worse and more odious then Idolatry as it is more intollerable in a State or Kingdom to enterprize the overthrow of all Kingly Power and Soveraigntie then to detract how much soever from the lawfull Kings or Magistrates due honour and to give it to a Stranger Besides whereas Idolaters and superstitious persons having in them some reverence of a Divine Power are thereby both restrained from many mischiefs and provoked to many good actions the Atheist wanting both this Divine restraint and motive both runs riot in wickednesse and villanie and is barren of all good things neither doing good nor forbearing evill further then for meer fear or shame of men Atheists use to be verie confident in their assertions as the Orator observs in Vellejus partly lest they should seem unto others to doubt or fear that there is a God who will punish heir impieties and partly to encourage themselvs in their wickednesse as fearing lest they should be drawn into some conscience and aw of Gods Majestie It is oft true in this case amongst others that the most cowards are the greatest boasters Idolatry either makes that to be God which is not or God to be that which he is not It is exercised either in intending Divine worship so known to be to that which is not God or in intending a devised worship to the true God
not so much as our affections do encline but that on the contrarie we wholly abhor from it in the very first rising we may gather it to be rayther by suggestion from Sathan then of our own concupiscence And as it is not in our power to avoyd the outward presentations of evill by wicked men to our eye or ear but we are compelled oftens to see and hear their unlawfull works and words as did Lot the Sodomites so neyther seemeth it to be in our power to avoyd the bare thoughts of evill which are not alwayes evill thoughts by Sathans Suggestions but that he being a spirit and spirituall wickednes can present them to our spirits more effectually then can any man object and offer outward and corporeall provocations to our outward and bodily senses As Christ our Lord after the glorious testimonie given of him by his Father from heaven and by the Holy Ghost sitting upon him in the form of a dove and by Ihon the baptist both in word and deed was immediately led into the wildernes by the spirit to be tempted of the divell so must christians make account after the speciall testimonies of Gods love receaved of some singular combat of temptation for their tryall wherein if they overcome the love of God is thereby as it were sealed up unto their hearts Holy men therefore prospering in vertue must exult and count it all joy when they fall into divers temptations and are exercised in them by the divine providence for the tryall of their fayth and therewith of Gods gratious power which is perfited in their weaknes this way There are none of Gods servants but in the case of temptation have reaped the fruit of his singular providence towards them sometimes in preventing such temptations as if they had come upon them in their full strength would have been most like if not clean to have overthrown them yet to have caused their greivous fall by which they have through Gods providence sitting at the stern glyded as a ship by the side of a rock sometimes in guyding them even in the verie midst of temptations compassing them about like so many sands and sometimes by helping and haleing them off even when they have stuck fast and been ready to sinck in them Many have been the bodily dangers known and not known which by Gods good providence we have escaped but how many more those that are spirituall in which we had been utterly swallowed up a thousand times if his gratious hand from heaven had not releived us Now besides those common to all everie person hath his speciall temptations arising eyther from his temper of body or sex or age or education or custome or state or calling or company or other occasion against which he must watch most carefully as men use to watch in the gates of a câ—ity beseiged and in such other places as in which the enemy is likest to make his assault in which if we quit our selvs as men and stand fast we shall have our part in his comforts who sayd I was upright with him and I kept my self from mine iniquitie Some have thought it a wise Christian course in the confession of our secret sius resydeing in the heart unto God not to use the outward voyce for fear of acquainting Sathan with them thereby and so of advantageing him to tempt us by applying himself to that wherein he seeth us likest to sin As it is certain that he knows not our hearts at all as God doth by immediate insight but gathers them by the motions and manifestations of the body so considering that he himself is the originall of all evill mediately or immediately it is like he is for the most part acquainted with his own work in men And so it is good wisdom in us to prefer the best manner of acknowledging our sins to God for the advantaging of our repentance before the fear of discovering our corruption to the divell Christ our Lord teaching us to pray that God would not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evill one would warn us not to lead our selvs into temptations nor to deliver our souls into Sathans hands which yet we do by affecting familiaritie with wicked men which are as it were his brokers by omitting duties of religion publiquely or privately or doing them unfruitfully by neglecting our speciall callings and doing nothing and thereby giveing him opportunitie to tempt us to do evill and lastly by opening too wide the windows of our outward senses towards allureing objects By these means we not onely tempt God to leav us but the divell after a sort to tempt us We have a promise that if we resist him he will fly from us but that is when he assalts us and not when we challenge him as it were with his own weapons wherewith he hath foyled so many He that thus puts himself within the reach of his paws shall hardly scape being torn in peices by him Let us commit our selvs unto Gods safe keep-in all our wayes but not come in Sathans way lest we advantage his mallice and put our selvs out of Gods protection As the saylers skill is seen in carrying his ship through a storm so is the strength of fayth in vanquishing dangerous temptations Yet must we not measure the state of a man too much by that which befals him in some or other such dangerous tryall There are few so evill but have at times their temptations that I may so speak to some particular good by which they are caryed lesse or more that way and few or none so good but on the contrarie have temptations to evill in which at times something humayn befals them Now to judg of mens persons according to some such few particulars contrary to their generall course were partiallitie The wicked fall not into evill but lye groveling in evill The godly fall sometimes by occasion but God is faythfull who with the temptation maketh a way for his to escape by their renuall of repentance and victorie of fayth And though in those their wrestlings they get a wrench and limp afterwards as Iacob did yet they have power and prevayl and go on as he did in their way CAP. XLVII Of Conscience EVerie mans conscience is as it were a second God within him both to judg of his actions within and without him and also of his person and personall state and whether in it he be accepted of God or not And surely a great good work of God it is that he hath created and set such an overseer as this conscience is in the soul of man by which if he doe any thing amisse he is checked in secret that so by repentance he may finde mercy at Gods hands And how good is it sayth one that this worm should be felt whilst it may be killed and gnaw for a time that it may be
choaked for ever As on the contrary if a man do the thing which good is the conscience gives testimonie of Gods acceptance and therewith boldnes before him making him chearfull even in the sorrows of the world quiet in its turmoyl and happy in all extremitie of torments and withall satisfying him with the testimony from within himself against mens unjust accusations This Conscience makes a man eyther a conquerer over the whole world or a craven and ready specially in danger and being wakened to thrust his head in a hole But now the comforts are not greater in having this good conscience then are the dangers in mistaking it Many do craftily pretend it without cause merely for their credits before men whose hearts condemn them before God and whom God who is greater will condemn much more Many more are securely presumptuous and being ready to beleev that which they wish true are bold upon their good conscience so deemed not because they know and try themselvs and their wayes before the Lord by his word as they ought but because they know not nor will know and examine them And this is the vulgar conscience of ignorant persons that are free from those grosser sins which the light of nature condemns and of some others also not without understanding being of bold spirits and stout hearts and which will not easily be in fault eyther before the world or God himself There are besides these whose consciences are benummed and seared with an hâ—at iron who by practising at first and continuing after in sins against their naturall conscience have obteyned from the Lord this miserable priveledg and seal of their condemnation that their mindes should be voyd of understanding and hearts of sense and feeling even of heynous sins in time Better sayd the godly martyr sit in the stocks of this world then of an ill or accusing conscience And yet better a conscience accusing if not desperately then benummed and without feeling The dead flesh must be eaten out of the wound and sorenes come before soundnes so must a benummed conscience become accusing before it can become excusing aright The larger conscience the better if rightly informed To know that to be lawfull for me which indeed is lawfull is the perfection of understanding and strength of fayth as on the other side to be ignorant of it is to be weak both in knowledg and fayth But we must here put a difference between the conscience it self and the use of it for the largest use of conscience is not alwayes best though the judgment be Some things are so commaunded as they absolutely bynde conscience as to love God and our neighbour c. Some things again are so commanded in the generall as for example the obedience of the Magistrate keeping peace with all men and the like as yet they have this particular exception If we can without sinning on our parts for we must not do evill that we may do good But yet in these cases we are to be as large as we can and to go as far as possibly we can see it lawfull in conscience of the commandement of God Other things are in their kinde indifferent and such as we perform for our profit pleasure credit or other worldly commoditie In these we are to use lesse liberrie of conscience and to take heed that we give not the divell advantage by some blast of temptation or other to blow us into the ditch if we go to near the side of it And in observing this difference we have a conscionable use of our conscience It is a great question whether an erroneous conscience be to be followed or no and as ill resolved by many affirmatively after much dispute Not to follow it is evill and to do or leav undone that wherein the man so doing or not doing condemns himself and therein hath God also condemning him To follow it is for the blinde to follow the blinde the blinde person his blinde conscience into the ditch and to have God condemning him in his word though he justifie himself Besides then the violation of the conscience which is alwayes evill and a by-path on the left hand and the following it in evill as a by-path on the right which is sometimes worse then the former as in sins against the light of nature there is a third and midle way safe and good and that is the informing of the conscience better by Gods word and following it accordingly unto which also every person is bound for the duties of his generall and speciall calling It is the first dutie of a man to inform his conscience aright and then to follow the direction which it gives A good conscience is as the ship in which fayth sayleth to heaven and which they that put away make shipwrack of fayth We must therefore first get a good conscience by the sprinkling of the heart with the blood of Christ from the guilt of sin and with his spirit from the filth thereof and having got it must keep the same with all care and tendernes specially by eschewing presumptuous sins in which is much transgression and by which the conscience is wasted and consumed as iron by the rust We offend too much alasse through ignorance and infirmitie let us not ad to provoke the Lord by sinns against conscience in which we sin against a double voyce of God first speaking in his law and secondly in our own hearts Where this is no marvayl though the voyce of fayth and witnes of Gods spirit cease and that the conscience so violated excuse not but accuse CHAP. XLVIII Of Prayer NO christian exercise hath so many counterfeyts as prayer which whilst all would seem to practise few in truth experimentally know We may say prayers sing prayers and read prayers and hear prayers and yet not pray indeed Yea we may out of a kinde of naturall instinct by reason of the indissolible relation between the creature and creatour be caryed towards God so far as to appeal unto him or heartily wish good from him wherein as one sayth the soul gives testimonie to God and yet be far from praying aright that is from making known our requests to God according to his will with fayth in his love and the feeling of our own wants in our hearts And the reason why this true prayer is not every mans work is because God must first work it in mens hearts by powring upon them the spirit of grace and supplication thereby to teach them both what to pray as they ought for matter and how for manner and without the hand-leading of which spirit we dare not in truth approach unto God but do by reason of the guilt of sin flye from his presence as Adam did how nigh unto him soever we seem to draw Where with the Apostle I speak of making our requests known to God my meaning is not
good his satisfaction to whom we swear and for the ending and not the beginning of strife els we prostitute Gods name eyther to our own or other mens lusts Common and light swearing argues such a degree of irreverence of Gods Majestie as we may truly boldly say that the heart of a common and customary swearer is voyd of all grace and true fear of God And in weighing with my self with admiration and horrour the customarie swearing amongst so many considering that there is nothing in it as in other sins eyther profitable or pleasant or of credit in the world or that brings eyther reasonable or sensuall good I have made account that besides imitation of one another and custom which makes it half naturall to some and a conscience guiltie of want of credit in others which moves many to swear that they may be beleeved and want of wit in not a few who strive by accessory oaths to supply their defect of matter or other inabilitie of speach there is in this swearing veyn a deeper mysterie of mischeif then ordinary and that indeed men take it up specially in the divels intention who sets them a work and not a litle in their own in direct opposition of God and because he in his law hath so severely prohibited it If God had not in his word so expresly and severely forbidden it as he hath done certeynly there would not be the least part of it used that is Gracelesse men seem therein to affect a professed contempt of God and withall an opinion from men that they fear nothing neyther God nor divell as they say But God will make them feel that fear not the guilt of taking his glorious name in vayn which all creatures ought to honour and reverence This sin being directly against Gods majestie he reservs by his providence the punishment of it ordinarily to himself spiritually by hardnes of heart and impenitencie in this life usually to the end thereof and both bodily and ghostly by hell-fire for ever Where it is also like that the divels and damned men do and will swear and curse in their utter rejection from God and intollerable torment and so make their sin and course of blaspheaming as endlesse as their punishment for it CHAP. L. Of Zeal ZEal is by some well defyned the heat and intention of all affections and not eyther any one simple affection or composition of divers I add of the understanding also So men meditate zealously and love zealously and hate zealously and rejoyce zealously and mourn zealously and with great intention of heart The like is to be sayd of all the rest of the affections As nothing lives without naturall heat so neyther lives he the life of Christ indeed who is destitute of christian zeal to warm him in his affections and actions specially in matter of Gods worship and service in which whether wrong or right luke-warmnes is odious and loathsom The Lord will spue out of his mouth the luke-warm whether wyne or water Worldly wise-men despise zeal as prejudiciall to wisdom discretion So Festus judged Paul mad Michall accounted David as one of the fools for the singular zeal of God which they manifested But even this foolishnes of God is wiser then men Yet is it certeyn that men of great knowledg and judgment do seldom make that manifestation of Zeal which weaker persons do The former have their spirits most in their brayns and are exercised specially in the disquisition and discerning of truth from falshood and of good from evill The latter have them most in their hearts and accordingly give themselvs to the affectionate pursuit of that which they conceav to be true and good and alike to the avoyding and impugning of the contrarie Some deceav others by the pretence of zeal which they put on for their advantage as stage-players do vizours till their part be played And thus Ismaell deceaved the fortie men of Samaria with his crocodiles tears Also there are not a few who deceav both others and themselvs by seeming to both eyther to have the Zeal of God which they wholly want or much more then they have And of this number was Iehu how loud soever he cryed to Ionadab Behold the zeal which I have for the house of the Lord whereas in truth that which most set him awork was zeal for his own house though it may be he thought not so Besides craftines in this Iehues zeal there are two other properties the one suspitious where it is found and the other odious The former is a furious march against evill without an answerable pursuit of and affection unto the contrarie good Many are vehemently carryed against Antichristian devises in truth or so appearing unto them in whom yet appears litle love and affection to that which is of Christ in their own judgment Such are rayther carried by their own flesh then led by the spirit of God The other is crueltie To be aright and truely zealous cannot but be good seeing so many and those wise men desire at times to seem so though they be not True zeal must be for God and from God and according to God and having God both for beginning and end and rule of direction it cannot but it self be good and godly It must be for the Lord and for the furtherance of his glorie in the obedience of his will and in mans salvation and not for our own or other mens by-purposes And if it so fall out that by one and the same thing Gods cause and our own profit credit or other worldly advantage be promoted we had need keep a jealous eye over our selvs that we serv not our turn on God by making his ends as it were a bridg to our own as Iehu did Secondly as the fire of the altar came from heaven so must our coal of zeal be fetched thence as being the work of Gods spirit in our hearts in the use of prayer meditation upon the word of God read and heard the examples of others godly as it were ryding in the fierie chariot of Elyas and the like holy means by which this divine fire is kindled and nourished in mens breasts Thirdly it must be according to God both for the qualitie of the matter and quantity of the intention of affection For the former It is good alwayes even then and then onely to be zealous in a good matter and that neyther lightly presumed nor partially conceipted so to be but certeynly known els we burn not sweet incense with holy fire but dirt and doung in stead thereof Our zeal also must be apportioned to the object and that not onely considered in it self but also in the circumstances attending upon it in regard whereof things not alwayes the most good or evill in themselvs may justly deserv at our hands a great bent eyther of love to them or hatred against them And amongst other circumstances we must be carefull
that we pray to the intent to inform God but our selvs both what our wants are which we desire supply of and from whom also we expect it nor yet to move God to doe that which before he purposed not as one man is moved by the importunity of another but to move our selvs and make our own hearts beleev the performance of that which God before both purposed and promised for therefore David found in his heart to pray unto God to establish his house because God had revealed unto him that he would build his house And if we look for this honour at our childrens hands that they should ask of us such things as they want and as we purpose to bestow upon them how much more is it agreeable to our duty and Gods right that we by prayer begg at his hands all good things both purposed and promised by him afore hand By this all things are sanctified to our use which are sanctified in themselvs by the word of God by it we have spirituall right to our dayly bread in what aboundance and by what naturall or civill right soever we possesse it before by it we obteyn many good things of all sorts at Gods hands unto which we could atteyn by no art or industry or other help as the favorites of kings get more by begging then any other can do by any other facultie Besides as by conversing with men we do by litle and litle learn their manners and have bred between them and us a certain mutuall affection so by our conversing with God in prayer we learn the manners of heaven and feel encrease both of love in us to God and of God to us Lastly by prayer we obteyn with the good things prayed for the confirmation of our fayth in Gods goodnes towards us whereof he giveth us testimonie in hearing and granting our requests put up unto his majestie And in this respect a good thing receaved by prayer hath a double good in it God is to be invocated not onely with the heart and with the tongue but as one speaks with the hand also as Asa and the men of Iudah prayed to God and fought with their enemies And for us to ask any thing at the hands of the Lord which withall we do not offer our selvs ready instruments to effect and bring to passe is to tempt Gods power and to abuse his goodnes To pray for that which we desire not is to mock with his majestie as Austin confesseth of himself that in his youth he begged of God chastitie and continencie but was affrayd lest he should be heard too soon of him All things live by heat and the life of prayer stands in the heat of earnest and fervent desire And how should we make account that God should hear us if we hear not our selvs or look that God should be mindefull of us if we our selvs mynde not with intention of thought and desire what we ask of him I sayth the Father prayed when I was litle with no litle affection that I might not be beaten in the school But how many grown men pray but with litle if any affection that they may not be beaten in hell Our prayers must be earnest as well for small things as great temporall as eternall but with difference of degrees of earnestnes according to the degrees of goodnes or necessity of the things prayed for But as for fayth our very degree should be the same whatsoever the thing be which we pray for according to Gods will seeing the truth of his promise upon which our fayth resteth is the same in all things small and great and alwayes infallible We ought as wel and as much to beleev a small thing as a great if God have promised it and as he hath promised because his truth and power are as great in performing all things though with different degrees of his love He hath not absolutely promised temporall good things in the particulars and so sometimes denyes them in love to his children as seeing them unfitting for them and sometimes again he grants the desires of his enemies in wrath and indignation as he did of the rebellious Israelites desiring quayls Besides if the Lord should not sometimes grant unto his that ask them the good things of this life even plenteously men would think they belonged not to him If he should grant them to all and alwayes it would be thought that for them and them alone he were to be served and so in serving him men should not be godly but covetous But above all things we must take heed we ask nothing evill of God for that were to transform and turn him what in us lyes into Sathan himself Whosoever sayth one will bring his enterprizes to good effect must begin with prayer to God and end with praysing of him And he that begins not his work in that manner specially being of any difficultie or weight is in danger if it succeed rayther to end in his own prayses then in Gods And if it succeed not he may thank his own prophanenes in passing by God And as we are to pray upon all occasions so specially in the time of trouble as children are alwayes running to their fathers but cheifly when they get hurt or fear danger Then even hypocrites are forced to God and this partly out of a naturall desire of releif and partly by a naturall perswasion of the power and goodnes of the creatour by which he is able and willing to help his distressed creature and so Ionahs maryners in the extremitie of the storm went every one to his God But as God is a sanctuarie to flye unto for his faithfull servants in the time of need whither he leads them by his holy spirit given them so is it not fayth but impudency for hypocrites and such as in their quiet prosperous estate have not hearkned to God speaking to them in his word and works to presse upon him in their affliction for help and succour without true and unfeyned repentance and sorrow as well yea more for sin then punishment accompanying it And though they call upon him he will not answer though they seek him early they shall not finde him And if he that stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poore shall crye himself and not be heard how much more he that stops his ears against the Lord calling and crying unto him in his word The prayers of such are abhominable and sin And how miserable must his state needs be unto whom that becomes sin by which the godly obteyn remedy against sin and all other miseryes A readines to pray earnestly to God for good things the same improved accordingly is a kinde of pawn from heaven to him that hath it that he shall receav the good things prayed for both because all true prayer is by the teachings
of the spirit of God which searcheth the minde of God and so acquaynts him therewith in whom it dwels and also because such a disposition hath fayth not onely joyned with it as a companion but as the very parent of it which fayth on mans part ever presupposeth a promise on Gods From the use and fruit of this heavenly grace of prayer nothing can keep him that keeps himself in the favour of God though many things can from other exercises of religion Not want of fellowship of men nor solitarines of place nor depth of dungeon nor darknes of the night nor thicknes of wals neyther but his devout prayers will finde way of ascending unto God Blessed be his name who hath provided for his poore servants in their most dolefull and desolate estate this ready means of divine comfort whereof they in whom his spirit dwels cannot possibly be deprived Prayer in secret and by him that is alone with God hath these advantages above that which is publique and in the church First that it is lesse in danger of the taynt of hypocrisy The proud Pharisee as well as the humble publican goes to the temple to pray And the hypocrites love to pray standing in the Synagoguâ—s and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men He that prayes in secret doth it to be seen of God Secondly In private a christian may descend to such particulars as in publique or before others he will not nor ought to mention Thirdly He may in private use such expressions and outward manifestations for the better passage of his hearts affection specially being perplexed with sorrow or fear as before others were unseemly and immodest In that day of the great mourning in Ierusalem when they shall look upon him whom they have peirced and shall mourn for him in bitternes everie house and family shall mourn apart and their wives apart On the other side publique prayer wants not its prerogatives as first that it is performed in the order and ordinance of the church which the other is not Secondly that in the Church and Congregation many agreeing touching a thing to be asked have a speciall promise that it shall be done for them of their father in heaven upon whom they set by their prayers as it were in a troup Lastly in our publique prayers and prayses of God we do give testimonie of his providence in governing the world and all our affayrs and that he is present with his Church and hears their requests for the convinceing of Atheists and Epicures and confirmation of others in beleeving undoubtedly his care over his people and servants CHAP. XLIX Of Oaths and Lots THere is great affinity between an Oath and a Lot Both the one and other serv to end controversies and cause contentions to cease not easily or conveniently otherwise to be decided In both men as it were renounce themselvs and all other creatures and appeal to Gods speciall providence In an oath we appeal to God as a wise and righteous witnesse and judg knowing what is truth and hating and punishing falshood and lyes In a Lot we appeal to God as to an absolute Lord for the disposing of persons and things by his more singular work of providence unto which alone he that casts the Lot referrs himself if he mock not both God and man wholy renounceing his own wit and skil every way for the furthering of this chance event or Lot rayther then that Some may be and are too scrupulous in both But a thousand times more are too profanely prodigall of the one and other In an oath we desire God as the searcher of hearts and patron of truth to testifie with us that we deceav not and withall to take vengeance on us if we do deceav It is a part of Gods worship though much used civily as civill things are religiously in which we make clear and solemn confession of Gods presence wisdom truth justice and omnipotency There is in it no shadow of any shadow or type and therefore no colour why it should not be morall and perpetuall and as lawfull for us now as for the Church before Christ. It must be taken in truth in wisdom and in righteousnes In truth of thing so the same known to him that takes it in an oath assertory and with firm purpose of heart in an oath promisorie There are sayth one three bonds or degrees of confirmation of truth First a bare affirmation Secondly an assertion Thirdly an oath In the first of the three we onely give our word as they say by yea or nay and whatsoever is above this to wit in ordinary communication is of evill When our bare word will not be taken and the weight of the matter requires it we do pawn our best jewels as our truth fayth and veritie in an asseveration as Christ our Lord confirmed divers his weightie sayings with a doubled Amen But now if men will not accept of our pledg neyther we procure God for our surety in an oath unto whose justice we also enter counter-bond for punishment by him if we deceav And an oath being the strongest bond of truth that is and so avowed by God himself who when he would confirm unto the heyrs of promise the immutabilitie of his counsayl when he had no stronger bond interposed an oath and sware and when he had no greater to swear by sware by himself it followeth that they who are eyther without conscience what they swear or can dispence or be dispensed with in their consciences having sworn though to their own hinderance are both impious towards God and treaâ—herous to men and such as do really out-law themselvs from all humayn societies as neyther deserving credit with them nor fellowship amongst them Secondly we must swear in judgment with prudent consideration of the thing together with the circumstances to which we so streytly bynde our selvs as in an oath promissorie first that it be possible unto us els we mock both men to whom and God by whom we swear Secondly that the thing be lawfull which we tye our selvs unto To bynde our selvs to that which is evill by an oath is to make sure work to do evill Lastly the matter must be of some weight and such as becomes the Majestie of God whom we thus far interest in it Now what Christian heart any way tender of Gods glorie bleeds not at the worlds impietie this way which fears not to call the glorious majestie of God to witnesse upon such trifling occasions as for which no wise man but would be ashamed to call his meanest neighbour yea or servant eyther Lastly we must swear in righteousnes that is both according to his meaning being made known unto us to whom and for whose satisfaction we swear as also for warrantable and good ends as the glory of God our own and others