21. which St. Paul presses Heb. 12. 1 2. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame Fourthly these sharp humours have run in all the veines of the mysticall body of Christ hitherto no afflictions befall us but such as are accomplished in our brethren that are in the world Joseph was in prison Daniel in the Lion's den the three Children in the fiery furnace Job on the dunghill Lazarus prostrate at the rich Man's gates the blessed Virgin 's heart was pierced with a sword the Apostles in the gaole And we have a promise that the God of all grace after we have suffered a while will make us perfect stablish strengthen and settle us And that God of his fidelity will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it Fiftly God hath put bounds to the storms of this troublesome Sea huc usque thus far the waves shall rage and no further Thirty years were appointed the sick man at Bethesda's pool twelve years to the woman with the bloody issue three months to Moses ten daies of tribulation to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna three daies plague to Dâ—vid Yea the number of the godly mans tears are registred in Gods book and the quantity kept in his bottle they are but a showr that will end in sun-shine a troublesome torrent that will waft us to the haven of rest Be faithfull unto death and thou shalt receive a Crown of life Sixtly we are called to give an account of our Stewardship how we have improved our Talent to repetitions in Christs school to see how much faith patience and godlinesse we have learned all this while and whether we cannot like â—ob receive at the hand of God some evill as well as we have hitherto received a confluence of good As therefore we have alwaies prayed Thy will be done so let us not be now offended at this which is done by his holy will Seventhly meditate that all things shall work together for the best to them that love God insomuch that neither death nor life nor Angells nor principalities nor powers shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Every pang is a prevention of hellish pains every sanctified respite an earnest of heavens rest It is but the Crosse of Christ sent before to câ—ucifie the love of the world in us let us therefore with Simon of Cyrene carry it after him the pains will shortly passe the joy will never passe away Lastly consider there is no equality no proportion betwixt the houre of temptation here and the everlasting jubilee hereafter As is the centre to the circumference an instant to eternity a molehill to a mountain a drop of water to the sea so are the Saints crosses to their crownes as is the earth little or nothing in respect of heaven so is our earthly sufferings in respect of it therefore glory is called the kingdome of God of the Father of Heaven Abraham's bosom Matth. 8. 11. it 's called a Paradise of pleasure wherein is the Tree of life the house of our Father all fulnesse of joy the new Jerusalem an inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fades not away reserved in the highest heavens It 's called the glory of God our glory rest refreshment such felicity as neither eye hath seen ear hath heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man For it is the habitation of God of Christ of the holy Ghost as great a difference as there is betwixt a Snailes house and a Palace a Tortoise shell and Solomon's Temple Jonah's Gourd and the Towers of Ninivey so much and more difference is betwixt heaven and any thing that can be upon earth We see this is the composure of the World that finest things are scituated in the highest places the earth as grossest is put in the lowest room the Water above the Earth the Aire above the Water the Fire above the Aire the Sphears of Heaven purer then any of them above the rest which you see beautified with Sun Moon and Stars shining more gloriously then all the pretious Stones in the world and all this but the neather side of the pavement of that Palace then what shall be the glory of the Heaven of Heavens within able to drink up all afflictions as the Sea does the River Iordan There are three distinct places in which every Saint successively is resident first in his mother's wombe secondly in the world thirdly in heaven As much as the whole Universe is larger then our mothers wombe so much is heaven larger and ampler than it for if one star exceed the earth so much in bignesse then what shall the heavens that contain infinite stars Secondly as in largenesse so in time our time to be in our mothers wombs is but nine months but on earth it may be an hundred times nine months but our beeing in heaven is without period of daies months or years Thirdly as no man can remember what sorrow he had in his mothers wombe so shall our joies in heaven drink up all our sufferings upon earth And this glory consists either essentially in the beatificall vision or operatively in the effects it works in us Essentially in the beatifical vision though the Familists and Millenaries understand it not confounding grace and glory but no man upon earth hath seen God neither can he be seen that is perfectly it is true we may see God here in a naturall vision in his Creatures as in a Glasse wherein some splendour of his glory shines he may be seen in a specular or symbolicall vision by signes and characters of his glory so Moses is said to have seen Gods hinder parts Esa 6. 1. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne high and lifted up his house was full of majâ—sty and the Seraphims stood about him We see God here by the vision of faith when by Doctrine of Christ his Son and the operation of the Spirit we know the will of the Father But the beatificall vision in heaven is to behold God and Christ Jesus face to face we shall see him as he is no veiles being put betwixt us Stay here and pause a while What comfort will this be to see the Lamb sit upon his seat of state If the wise men of the East came so far and rejoyced to see him in the manger what will it be to see him sitting in his glory If St. Iohn Baptist did leap at his presence in his mothers wombe what shall this his presence do in his royall and eternall Kingdome If the Queen of Sheba was astonished at the sight of Solomon what shall we be at the sight of millions of Saints in his Court
vale of tears which drawes on apace shall present it selfe you may look Death in the face without dread the Grave without fear the Lord Jesus with comfort Thus let all the saving blessings of Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity be gloriously shining upon your selves your children and posterity which is the daily vote of him who is Your Worships most humble and devoted Servant in the Lord Jesus JOHN CRAGGE Octob. 10. 1656. A SERMON Preached formerly in the University of CAMBRIDGE The Text Psalm 144. 4. Lord what is Man A Time there was before all Times when there was no Day but the Antient of Dayes no Good but God no Light but the Father of Lights Arts were but Idea's the World a Map of Providence Heavens the Book in Folio Earth Water Aire and Fire in Quarto Hell the Doomes-day pageant Men and Angells but Capitall Letters in the Margent of Gods Thoughts Elohim Bara But loe the World and Time begun the Heavens were spread as a Curtain the Sphears incircled round Comets and blazing Stars Lightnings and Tempests Birds and feathered Fowls seated in the Aire Leviathans and Fishes in the Sea The Earth infoulded within the armes of the Ocean embraces the Centre beset with Plants and Herbs and Garlands of all Flowers gives nourishment to Beasts and Creeping things Sanctius his Animal Lastly Man was made Lord Paramount of all he calls Earth Heaven and Elements Birds Plants and Beasts according to their Nature each by their names clear light of Reason makes him a Logician Stars an Astronomer Nature of all Creatures a Philosopher Earth and Paradise a Geographer Thus nothing is hid from him while he is unknown to all The Stars shine Heavens smile upon him the Aire cherishes him Fruits nourish him Lions and all Beasts couch before him all at once as with a sudden rapture admire and know not what to call him It 's thou O Lord alone that madest him that pouredst him out as Milk that curdedst him as Cheese that writst all his members in the volume of thy Book that knowes him Lord what is Man Man that was here David's mirrour of admiration must be our glasse of speculation Ignorance in not knowing the true cause of things is the true cause of Admiration in things David a man after Gods owne heart knowes Man and yet he knowes not Man he knowes him in respect of the efficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the ofspring of God as Aratus said he knowes him in respect of the matter Adam quasi Adamah composed of red earth he knowes him in respect of the form his soul is spiraculum vitarum breath of lifes life vegetative common with the Plants life sensitive common with the Beasts life reasonable peculiar to himselfe temporall and eternall He knowes him in respect of the end all his thoughts words works are so many motions God is the Centre his speculations imaginations meditations are so many Lines God is the Circumference in God from God and for God is all his good in whom we live move and have our being But in this he knowes not man Reason is at a stand why God that stood in need of no Creature should create Man to delight in him so vile a creature that Angels more glorious Creatures than he should minister unto man that Heaven with all her Hosts and Armies should serve man that Christ that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both God and Man should be accursed and dishonoured for Man that Man might be blessed and honoured with God should leave Heaven and his Father's Throne that Man might live for ever in Heaven and before the Throne All Creatures confesse your ignorance in this confessing it admire admiring give God the glory Fountains clap your hands Mountaines bend your heads skip you little Hills like Lambs old men and Babes young Men and Maids Angells and Choristers of Heaven joyne in this hymne Glory be to God on high peace on earth and towards men good-will But why peace on earth and towards men good-will cease to scan and leave it to him that is the Lord of Man Lord what is Man Which words are an Epiphonema or conclusion following an Eucharistia or spirituall gratulation inforced from a soul deeply solaced with the meditation of mercy in the depth of misery The parts are two First an Apostrophe or Appellation Lord Secondly an Erotema or Interrogation What is Man There is a what of objurgation a what of interrogation a what of admiration a what of meditation David meditates of Man the more he meditates the more he admires the more he admires the more he asks the more he asks the more is his task till mirrour is changed into terrour and every glance into a trance Earth that sustaines him tell me Fruits that nourish him tell me Aire that cherishes him tell me Creatures that serve him tell me Stars that shined at his Nativity tell me Astronomers calculate Gymnosophists unfold this Riddle Angells unvail your faces and tell me Man unmask thy selfe and tell me What is man Mount up my Meditations higher pierce through the clouds towards Heavens Glorified Saints Principalities and Powers tell me If all these be silent let wretched Man be bold to ask of Him that sits upon the Throne concerning man Lord what is man Man before the Fall created Man after the Fall degenerated Man by grace regenerated Man after death glorified What in his creation What in his degeneration What in his regeneration What in his glorification Man by creation wholly pure an Angell by degeneration wholly impure a Devill by regeneration partly sanctified a Saint by glorification entirely crowned a King An Angell in Eden a Devill in the World a Saint in the Church a King in Heaven and all this but silly Man Lord what is Man First Man created before the Fall what Man was in God's decree and intention before the Creation what in his union and composition in the Creation what in his rule and dominion after the Creation Man in Gods decree and intention a creature next to the Creator that Hell envied Earth admired Heaven desired a Gemme of beauty a Pearl of vertue a Star of glory Heir to a Crown if he had not crossed himselfe What in his union and composition in the Creation The Son of God moulded by God and yet not as the Manichees dream of the Substance of God the Image of God and yet not that Image which was God a Spirit from Heaven breathed into a Body of Earth and yet not all earth Fire gave him naturall heat Aire gave him vitall breath Water humours the Fire was purified the Air clensed the Water purged the Earth refined to make up this fine complexion of Man and yet materiam superabat opus the workmanship surpassed the matter as far as Heaven surpasses its matter At the contemplation whereof Davâ—d bursts out into admiration Psal 139. 14. I was fearfully and wonderfully made And Gaâ—en before an Atheist composes an Hymne in the
whether in their time and if they had it all is but to make Gold a little glittering Clay What then should we do to gain Christ in gaining whom we gain Heaven and all How often have we heard and pittied some whom the world accounts her dearest Minions beyond an ordinary pitch of Epicurisme or Atheisme Midas-like to cram their soul with wishes to themselves to their Children of the flesh-pots of Aegypt trash of this world ballast to fill the guts not one poor wish I fear scarce a thought for Heaven for Christ Me-thinks I could resolve my selfe into Jeremie's lamentation and Nehemiah's tears to see the preposterous course worldlings take to provide earthly garbage for their Children advancing them by Marriage when ignorant of the principles of Religion they go together like Brutes They themselves tumbled into the grave like the rich Glutton leaving their posterity in as pittifull a plight as he his five brethren Tell me I beseech you what comfort is it to a damned soul in hell to leave Children upon earth wallowing in abundance without Christ they shall be as Fellons apprehended with the Mannure in which they glory and cast into the same Prison The Rich without Christ are so far from having all things that they have nothing like the mad lunatick man at Athens they may perswade themselves that every ship that is landed is their own like the Lamâ—ae or Witches think they feed upon delicacies like Sanguine-dreams fancy they have Earldomes Dukedomes Mountains of Gold yet all is but a fancy And admit the meat thou eats the cloaths thou puts on the pleasure thou enjoyes the lands thou possesses be truely thine own without Christ they are but as Trees without fruit Clouds without rain Combes without honey have no more proportion to that a Christian enjoyes than a house of Cards hath to a Palace a Mole-hill to a Mountain a King on a Stage to a King on a Throne And admit thou receive some reall comfort here the more will be thy sorrow hereafter for every minute of sugered delight thou shalt have an eternity of horrour the more thy strength thy beauty thy riches thy honour here the more will be thy feeblenesse thy deformity thy want the deeper thy disgrace hereafter Boast now O Worldling of that thou enjoyest without Christ glory as a Cripple of his soars a Prisoner of his Fetters a Pirate of his robberies at the Gallowes of the things thou usurpest till Judas-like thou throw them away as the cursed price for which thou hast sold thy soul to Satan and confesse as thou wilt be once compell'd that only he that hath Christ hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things All things in this world are like Sun-dials blaze-Torches Tapers Candles all Stars at once they are of no use flow Riches Honour Strength Wives Friends Children to our contentment without this Sun of Righteousnesse it is still night They may be Copies of Gods grace but without Seal Ciphers of no value till the Unity in the Trinity by Christ the Meadiatour be joyned with them When this union is once made then as if the whole World were a Globe of Gold the Earth a Centre of Diamond the Heavens poured down Balme the Clouds showred down pretious Oyntments all for the solace of that man God shall replenish his Soul with comforts and no wonder seeing he hath given him his Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How shall he not with him give all things This is the three-fold Emphasis by which this Argument is amplified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a note of Interrogation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Negation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Augmentation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How shall he not also As if he had said It is a thing beyond all possible certainty and more then certain that he will give us all things and more then all things if it be possible and all of this because he hath given us his own Son who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all of all and all in all and more than all And the reason of this inference may be either taken from the Cause Christ that made all things containes all things or from the Signe He that could give Christ can give all things He that would give Christ will give all things God hath given to Satan power in the world and therefore he is styled in Scripture god of this world the prince that rules in the the aire To the blessed Angells he hath given power in Heaven therefore they are called Thrones dominions principalities and powers but to neither of them hath he given his Son Some Divines make this the occasion of Lucifer's fall and the Angells they ambitiously aspired desired the union with the Unity in Trinity envyed that the seed of Woman should be united with the eternall Word the second Person in the Trinity God hath given eternall Crownes to the Angells in Heaven power to the Devills upon Earth but Christ to neither of them But he hath given us Christ therefore he wil with him give us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things in Heaven and Earth Wherefore art thou then perplexed within me O my Soul still trust in God Ille providebit He will be thy great reward Quid dubitas de possessionibus saies St. Chrysostome herum dominum cum habeas Why doubtest thou of possessions when thou possessest the Lord of all even Christ the Son of God Now O Lord thou that sparedst not but crucifiedst thy Son for our sins-sake crucifie our sins and spare us for thy Son's sake Spare us for thy Son's merits who wouldst not spare thy Son for our sins demerits Receive us by the red Sea of his Blood through the dead Sea of Death to the Land of Promise To whom with thee O holy Father c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A SERMON Preached before these times as prognosticating the storms that were then impendent whereof part are fallen since The Text Psal 76. 7. And who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry THE time when the occasion why and the Author by whom this Psalm was penned is not generally agreed upon but that it was as all Scripture is from the holy Ghost in time of spirituall joy and exaltation after some glorious victory none makes question And if Moses and the Israelites sung a Song of deliverance for the overthrow of Pharaoh Barak and Deborah for the death of Sisera why may â—ot we think with the Septuagints that this is a Song of deliverance for that miraculous discomfiture of Senacherib's army in the daies of Hezekiah But we leave that as more then probable come to the parts of the Psalm which are four The first is a Preface in the two first verses laying down the Argument that God is to be praised enforced by two reasons the one drawn from his wonderfull works whereby he hath shewed himselfe to the Jewes the other from his speciall presence at Jerusalem and
which are two the one young Samuel revealing who by this occasion received primam tonsuram his first unction to prophecy the other is old Eli who like Sexagenarius de ponte as his bodily so his spirituall eyes grew dim for 1 Sam. 3. 1. The word of the Lord was pretious in those daies there was no open vision Secondly we have the thing revealed which is either the sin or the punishment of sin sin either the father Eli's for not correcting and chastising his sons or the sin of his sons Hophni and Phinehas who being Priests of the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 12. were sons of Beliall knew not the Lord by their rapine made men abhor the daily sacrifice 17. lay with the women that assembled at the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation 22. The punishment of sin either threatned first by a man of God not otherwise named 1 Sam. 2. 27. secondly by Samuel himselfe that the Lord would cut off the whole family of Eli from the priesthood and that the iniquity of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever 1 Sam. 3. 14. Or executed in the fourth Chapter for thirty thousand of the Israelites were put to the sword the whole Camp scattered Hophni and Phinehas the Priests slain the Ark of God taken captive by the Philistims the Wife of Phinehas hearing of it fell into the pangs of childbirth and was delivered of a Son calling his name Ichobod the glory is departed from Israel and so expired and at the relation of the messenger Eli being ninty eight years old fell back from his chair and brake his neck Thus the whole Family was dysastered rarò antecedentem scelestum deseruit pede poena claudo Seneca Punishment and shame like a blood-hound alwaies pursues sin at the heeles the Ark was taken the Army routed the Priests slain Phinehas his Wife perished in the after-pangs Eli brake his neck Hence observe that sin is the deserving cause procuring the ruine and calamity of Church and State Cities and Families Sin it is that infects our purest aire that damps our richest mines that poysons our sweetest dainties that laies thornes in our softest beds of down that undermines Palaces pulls down Crowns shakes Thrones and ruinates Kingdomes that sets all mortall Wights at opposition heat against cold cold against heat winter and summer light and darknesse moysture and drought in arms one against another That the whole world is become a boyling furnace of contradictions where man is the mettall the body is the drosse which must first be burned by the refining fire of death before the soul can become pure gold fit for the heavenly Sanctuary For the proof of this hear Jeremie's lamentation Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull Heaven and earth answers his Interrogatory with a soul 's sad Eccho Man suffereth for his sins Come on further and see all Creatures Angells Men Beasts Plants Elements Heavens in sorrowes discord sighing out the sad Epitaphium of mans mortality 42. We have sinned and rebelled therefore thou hast not spared thou hast covered us with wrath and persecuted us thou hast slain and not spared Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death As tooth for tooth eye for eye hand for hand one talent for another so death is a deserved reward for sin death first seizing upon the body while we live by the canker of corruption and mortality bringing at the length death of the body by dissolution and all this hatched and brooded under the Cocatrice sin Come on and travail with St. Paul to Corinth 1 Cor. 11. 3. For this cause saies he many are weak amongst you and sick and many sleep For this cause that is for the poyson of sin the canker of corruption in generall for spilling of our Saviour's blood piercing his side nailing his feet unworthy receiving of the holy Sacrament in particular Are sick that is feavours boyle you consumptions waste you plague and pestilence devour you And many sleep sleep in an everlasting Lethargy and apoplexie of death never to be awaked before the last doom Many that Biers are become restlesse Peripateticks the Spade and Mattock tyred the Sextons still digging the Graves still gaping passing-Bells without any stop or period confounding the language one of another the Church-yards more peopled then the Theaters Mista senum ac juvenum densantur funera no sex nor age nor young nor old are spared but are made a subject for death to read mortalitie's lecture upon This made David complain that his bones waxed old and that his moysture was turned into the drought of summer Psal 32. made him houle and cry that his daies were consumed like smoak his bones were burned as hearth withered like grasse he was become like a Pelican in the wildernesse or a sparrow on the house top Ps 102. This made Job complain that his griefe was heavier then the sand of the sea that the arrowes of the Almighty were within him that the poyson had drunk up his spirit the terrours of God had set themselves in array against him Job 6. This makes all Mankinde rot as a Pomgranate shiver as a Potsheard splinter as a Venice Glasse corrupt as a standing Pool and vanish into ashes like Sodom's Apples And the reason of all this is because the justice of God requires it sin is daily in the view of his all-piercing eye sends up cries aloud into his holy ear piercing through the clouds for revenge importuning his vindicative hand to whet his glittering sword to feather his arrowes to make sharp the point of his spear to wash his footsteps in blood And then shall not he that hath called his footstool the Earth and his throne the Heavens to witnesse and hath sworn by himselfe the greatest that sin shall not passe without revenge shall not he be just Besides this consider all Creatures as daily Oratours that miserably complaining put up their petitions to him The higher House the suburbs of Heaven sits drooping the Sun is turned into blood and eclipsed the Stars unsnuffed burn dim within the socket of their sphears their naturall force abated their influence impaired all waxes old as does a garment and saies that sin is the cause The aire is stifled with the poysoned breath of meteors and insteed of comforting the inhabitants of the earth is become a stage of prodigies and terrours flying Dragons amaze blazing Stars as Beacons of astonishment affright Thunder with her loud Canon-shot makes roaring the impetuous fury of the Bolts brings death the Clouds in time of need are barren in time of harvest intoxicate the earth with deluges no dew sometimes but mildew no light but lightning no blast nor gale of winde but blasting and saies that sin is the cause The sea roules the windes blow unmercifully the waves rage impetuously all things are troubled unnaturally which makes the Leviathans roar and the fishes die and saies that sin is the cause The earth quakes
here is one salve for every soar made up by the Physitian of the Soul in this one Electuary Zeal If thy Grace be waining Zeal will increase it if thou be poor Zeal will present thee Gold tryed in the fire if thou be blinde Zeal is a Collyrium or Eye-salve to annoint thine Eyes withall if thou beest naked Zeal is a Garment to cover thy nakednesse withall if thy Soul be drowned with a deluge of carnall humours Zeal is a flame to drye it if thou be luke-warm Zeal is a fire to kindle thee if thy Heart be frozen Zeal is a heat to thaw it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous It containes an Exhortation brought in by way of illation with this Illative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous therefore God loves us therefore we must be zealous for zeal is more then an ordinary heat of love God who is infinite loved his Church infinitely the Church which is his Darling must love him fervently this fervency of love is zeal Because he rebukes us we must be zealous inkindled with zeal of anger at those sins that he rebukes us for moved with a zeal of love towards God for rebuking us with Words when he might afflict us with Swords Zealous because he chastens us with Rods and not with Scorpions sparkling with the fire of zeal at sin that chastises us but zealous of those sparks of Gods love and mercy that chastises and subdues sin in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous The word hath its name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seeth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Greek Letter Z the sound that liquor makes in seething Seething presupposes boyling boyling heating heating fire This fire is affection the seething pot the soul Knowledge the fuell prayer and meditation the bellowes these inflame the heart and soul and conscience and every faculty of the inward Man neither staies it there but sparkles out into the outward Man the tongue is tipped with zeal the eye sparkles with zeal the hand brandishes the sword of zeal the feet are shod with zeal all are zealous at once for the Lord of Hostes This heat of zeal if it be right tempered in a fit quantity as heat in the third Degree is an Antidote against vice a Cordiall in afflictions a purger of corruptions But if it be too hot as in the fourth of fifth Degree it becomes a poyson a wild-fire that no waters scarce many waters scarce the milk of the Gospell will queneh It is a fire that burnes without knowledge as Châ—ysogonus his pot at Rome seethes without any fire of knowledge at all it is an ignis fatuus a blinde fire leading us in a blinde way this blinde way is the broad way that leads to destruction In briefe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zeal generally taken is an earnest affection to any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing indifferent neither good nor bad and yet either good or bad as the thing to which it is referred differences it When it soars aloft at Heaven and the Sun of righteousnesse then it is a Phoenix of vertues for this Phineas his Sword imitating the flaming Sword of the Cherubim and blind Samuel his zeal though not blinde zeal is commended By this one of the Apostles conquered more then he that was the greatest Conquerour Scipio by conquering Africk was called Africanus but Simon by conquest of Zeal was called Zelotes this Conquest was Heaven a greater than can be imagined in somnio Scâ—pionis This Simon was not Simon Peter for his Motto was not Zeal but Love Simon lovest thou me But it was Simon the Canaanite not of the land of Canaan with Caph that comes from a Root that signifies he was made vile but written with Kuph comming from a Root in Pihel Kinne and signifies He was moved with zeal But Zeal when it lookes asquint and is not fixed upon the right object when Icarus-like it towers aloft without the wings of Knowledge when like an unruly flame bursting out of the Furnace it sets our neighbours house on fire it 's vitious bitter as Colliquintida for which St. James calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter zeal The zeal here meant is in Nature true zeal in regard of the object zeal according to knowledge in degree moderate zeal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be zealous The party exhorting was Zelotypus a zealous God out of whose mouth went a sharp two-edged Sword The parties exhorted the lukewarm Laodiceans whom neither sincerity had made hot nor hypocrisie would suffer to be cold The thing exhorted to is Zeal Zeal which when it is true drives out the distempered feavourish heat of opinion that brainsick frenzie heat of obstinacy and cures the senslesse security of that Lethargy of sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Zealous It cannot be divided into many Propositions for it is but one and that implicite nor into many words for it is but one though explicite yet consisting of many Letters and that without superstition a sacred septenary which like the seven heads of Nilus meets all in one Chanell but here is the difference the heads of Nilus are scarce known the Head of zeal well grounded knowledge must be known Those that dwell near the heads of Nilus with the found thereof are made deafe and cannot hear but those in whose heads or rather hearts Zeal dwells are made more judicious and more quick to hear The word is one the Proposition one the Exhortation one the point of Doctrine it yields is also one Christians must be zealous Be zealous is as much as if he had said You Pastours you People must be zealous Though the Laodiceans Angell and Church be Christians in profession yet not spoke to them alone but to all Christians as the Oyntment poured on Aarons head runs down to the skirts All Christians must be zealous All Scriptures Prophets Apostles Saints Evangelists as so many Virgins with Oyle in their Lamps yield fewell to this Torch of Zeal by precept by practice Noah's zeal dryed the waters of the Flood which overtopped the Mountains and drowned the VVorld Lot's zeal by a more holy fire quenched the fire of Sodome and preserved his life in Zoar. The brightnesse of Moses his zeal was admirable outshining the brightnesse of his face Exod 32. 32. If thou wilt not forgive their sins blot me out of the book which thou hast written Blot me Does Moses his zeal as Eagles at the Sun flie at things impossible or does he wing his speech with Seraphick raptures to elevate his Rhetorick to Him that thunders in the Clouds Or is he rapt with St. Paul into the third Heaven where he conceives things unutterable and utters things unconceivable Or does he dart this by way of supposition that he would be contented with damnation upon condition of their salvation it is uncertain Yet this is most certain though
Lord alwaies and again I say Rejoyce By this zeal John Baptist leapt in his Mothers wombe at the presence of Mary conceiving By this zeal Simeon's trembling armes received heat to embrace our Saviour By this zeal the Angels rejoyce in heaven at a sinners conversion Surely it was a high pitch of affection and no affection but zeal that lift the soul of Diagoras of Chylon the Lacedemonian of the Roman VVidow off the hinges this affection was joy And as a high pitch of joy so strain the pegg of sorrow and it will prove zeal Joy a rapture for the present good sorrow a pressure for the present evill Rachell's sorrow for her Children Mourning and weeping and great lamentation Jeremiah's mourning for the captivity of the people Come and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow may make up the tale of zeal David's mourning all the day long watering of his couch Ezekiah's chattering as a swallow or crane in the desert is the fruit of zeal Hope when it is wafted with full sailes towards the Haven and like the Heliotrophium spreads it selfe towards the Sun of righteousnesse is zeal It was this zeal of strerched forth Hope that put this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or full assurance in Paul's mouth I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8. 38. And as hope so fear when it is a Graduate in the University of the Soul puts on the habit of zeal this fear must be filiall Such zeal as this was the fear of Martyrs which feared God more then thousand deaths and burnings This zealous fear of God wrought in Ignatius this heavenly resolution Fire gallowes wilde beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body and all the tortures of hell come upon me so that I may enjoy my Lord Jesus and his kingdome Anger when in the forge of the affections it receives a heat more than ordinary becomes zeal In this zeal Moses broak the Tables when he saw the golden Calfe set up Phinehas in this zeal thrust through the Adulterers Samuel slew Agag Hatred when it growes inveterate and headie Aeternum servans sub pectore vulnus is zeal This is the zeal that all Saints have towards sin Satan corruption Love when it is elevated to the height is zeal such love such zeal was that of Jonathan's love stronger than death stronger then the love of a woman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rejoycing at anothers hurt when it is fixed upon the right object in a high measure is zeal that object must be malum poenae the evill of punishment not malum culpae the evill of sin In this zeal Moses and the Israelâ—tes sung a song of deliverance for the overthrow of Pharaoh Barak and Deborah for the death of Sisera This zeal wings David's Apostrophe to God VVash thy footsteps O Lord in the blood of thine enemies and laugh at their destruction Thus you see zeal consists not in anger love or sorrow alone but in a high pitch of all the affections or any of them In the second place we come to distinguish the severall kindes of zeal or by the touchstone of tryall to difference true from false All zeal is a fire and then true when like Eliah's fire it is from Heaven then false when like Nadab's and Abihu's it is strange fire such as God commands not False zeal may be fixed either upon the true or false object true zeal onely upon the right object When zeal is set upon the false object it may be great setting Churches and Commonweales in combustion but can never be good This wildfire is either Doctrinall in opinion or Practicall in conversation Doctrinall so the Turks are zealous for their Mahometan superstition and Alcaron the Ephesians for their Temple of Diana and silver Shrines the Church of Rome for their Popes Supremacy Images Indulgences the Brownists against the buildings of our Churches which they call Antichristian Synagogues Practicall in conversation when our zeal towards riches makes Mammom our God and things below that should be our Perspective-glasse to look towards Heaven proves our Looking-glasse when such is our zeal in Prayer that though we seem to petition first for spirituall things after for temporall our affections reads them backwards like figures valuing the latter ten times more than the former Again zeal may be false when it is fixed even upon the right object and that either in regard of the measure or means In regard of the measure either too cold which is remission or too hot which is superstition too cold and this is the temperature of carnall worldlings time-serving polititians formall professours that will seem to be Christians and yet will give no sheafe of their corn no penny of their talent no oyle of their cruse to the poor members of Christ Christians in name yet Devills incarnate indeed zealous for the smoak of their chimney's the watercourse of their channells the dust of their waies the bubble of their fame yet without any touch of conscience hear the name of God blasphemed see his Church profaned ruinated see the Fatherlesse wronged the Widow oppressed see the bleeding wounds of both Church and Common-wealth gaping Zeal upon the right object too hot which is superstition this zeale is either of them which are too hot for Ceremonies that they advance them into the chair of Substance punish the neglect of them as severely as blasphemy as murther as theft Too hot against Ceremonies that while they brand others with superstition surmount the highest Tower of superstition forsaking holy solemnities for a Ceremony the Sacrament for a gesture the Ministry for things of the least moment pay Tithe of Annise Mint and Cummine let passe the wonderfull things of God strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camell False zeal yet fixed upon the right object in regard of the means and ground upon which it is builded builded either upon ignorance our own ends or other men Ignorance of them that are hot in themselves a spur to others a censurer of all men that are slacker then they in duties that ought to be done yet they know no ground in Scripture no reason in Nature why This is false zeal the zeal of ignorant Romists to believe as the Church believes Zeal upon the right object for our own ends thus Judas was zealous for the bag the People in the Wildernesse for the Bread the Priests of Bell for the Wheat and Oyle those in Tertullian's time that went with the Christians to the Assembly of Prayer because they were commonly attended with Love-feasts This is false zeal because it is not a heat of the heart but of the stomack and may be so sincere as to arise out of the bowells yet it ends in the belly False zeal upon the right object when it is builded upon men zealous of the Word when it is
all things Omniscient to know all things infinite in Wisdome to contrive in Mercy to dispose in Bounty to bestow He only that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the maker of all things He only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the giver of all things It was the dream of Avicen that Angells by the power of God did make the Heavens the Heavens the inferiour Bodies But he was a Turk and his Doctrine in this relishes more the Alcaron than the Evangelists As unsound is that Sentence of the Master of the Sentences That God could communicate to the Creature the power of Creation For Creation is a production of a thing out of nothing to make a thing of nothing an act of Omnipotency Omnipotency an incommunicable Attribute of God as incommunicable as that Attribute of giving every good and perfect gift to be attributed to none but Him that made all things for Man Gen. 1. 29. Behold I have given you every herb every tree the fruit of every tree every beast of the field foul of the aire fish in the sea creeping thing upon the earth O curva in terris animae O fond souls like the poor lunatick man at Athens to presume upon that which is Gods prerogative Vermis crastinò moriturus a worm that must die to morrow Before God had given Man a Beeing by Creation he gave every thing for the Well-beeing of Man by his everlasting purpose Predestination Election Purpose to make Man in his own Image to make so many in number of men though not all their souls at once as Origen said as there are Angells fallen so many as the Angells that remain in purity say some so many as the Angells pure and impure say others how many uncertain and that 's the truth most certain By Predestination in which gift or chain of Gods mercies are three links First the decreeing of man to a supernaturall end Secondly the gift of eternall life which is the supernaturall end Thirdly the disposing of all saving means to this supernaturall end all effected in time yet ordained before all time By Election which is a culling and picking of some out of the masse of sin leaving others in the masse of corruption As a Jeweller purifies what Gold a man sifts what Wheat he pleases so God purifies the Elect his Gold sifts the Saints his Wheat for his Granarie passes by the rest for their sin I will not determine whether Originall or actuall sin nor deny them Christ in some sense whom the Father spared not but delivered up for all The reason why Christ was not effectuall for all was their infidelity and sin It is true as the School-men say Predestinatio nihil ponit in praedestinato Predestination is an act of meer mercy in God not of merit in man neither in regard of the Decree which was when he was nothing of the first infusion of Grace when he was worse than nothing in which God was the sole Agent man the Patient yet man is an Agent and operative in using of grace which he was a Patient in receiving of Whether God gives this grace to all indifferently I will not here question But to the purpose to whom he gives this grace in Christ he will give all And as God was a giver in intention before he made any thing so he was a bountifull giver in execution after he had made all things By Creation by Preservation to sustain the body by Vocation Justification Sanctification to adorn the soul here by Glorification to crown both body and soul hereafter By Creation making that of nothing which was neerest nothing the first matter of all as the Philosophers calls it Moses Tohu vebohu the Septuagints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Poets a Chaos or rude masse of unpiled Matter out of which was made the starry Heavens to give light the azured Skye a Throne for the Clouds the Aire for birds to flie men and beasts to breath in the Earth paying her yearly revenue of herbs Plants flowers the Sea an unsteady Element for fishes made rather for use and wonder than pleasure All made by God all gifts given by him And as given by Creation so continued by Preservation garding of us by his immediate providence by Angells by Secondary causes By immediate Providence For as omnia fecit sic omnia fulcit that hand that made all things supported all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his eye behold all things Spiritus intùs abit his Spirit that moved upon the waters moves every where in him all things live and move and have their being And as he gards us with his Providence so with his Angels whether with a good Angel to support us as a bad to tempt us whether every man have one ordinarily deputed whether from his Birth or from his Baptisme curious speculations more befitting the Schooles than the Pulpit I 'le not dispute My present Theme is to prove that it is God that gives that He in my Text that gave his Angells charge over his Son hath given his Angells charge over all for whom he hath given his Son and he hath given his Son for us all that they should take us up in their armes lest we dash our feet against stones And shall not He that gave his Angels as ministers his Cherubims as flames of fire give us an inheritance with the Angells and free us from eternall fire To his immediate Providence as he hath substituted the Angells so all Secondary causes the Heavens with motion light influence the Fire to refresh the Aire to cherish the Earth and Sea to nourish Food to feed Physick to cure Cloaths to cover these our bodies All these he gives us as Aquinas saies non propter defectum suae virtutis sed propter abundantiam suae bonitatis not that his power fails but that his mercy overflowes For he could feed us without food cure us without physick save us from cold without covering Neither is he only the giver of temporall things for the body but spirituall for the soul by Vocation either externall the Word preached Aaron's golden Bells ringing the Sacraments as nails of the Sanctuary or internall the Law by the Spirit hammering the Gospell softning Grace seasoning our Souls By Justification in forgiving our sins and imputing to us the merits of his Son By Sanctification as the Gold by filing so our Souls by purifying are made clean The Sun enlightens the dark Moon the Sun of Righteousnesse enlightens by his Spirit our dead members By Glorification non nostra merita sed sua dona coronans crowning not our merits but his own mercies These we touch briefly because in giving his Son he gave these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is the giver of all And if God be the giver of all as Rivers receiving their Springs from the Sea return them to the Sea let all things give praise to the God of gods to the Lord of lords for his