wee meete with some great house we conjecture that some person of account dwells there and therefore Job saith that the basenesse of man in respect of the Angels is great for that he dwels in the houses of clay whose foundation is of the dust Job 4.19 But here our Saviour tells us that God our Father hath his dwelling in the stately Tabernacle of Heaven whereby we may gather what is the greatnesse of his power But before we come to these things which are particularly to be considered in these words First we are to take heed that wee run not into their errour which so confine and compasse God in Heaven as if he had nothing to do in earth such as they who say How should God know can be judge through the darke cloud the clouds cover him that hee cannot see Job 22.14 For when he is said to have his beeing in heaven the Holy Ghost thereby doth not expresse his presence but his power therefore we are to know that God is not so in heaven that he is not in earth also for so doth the old Testament witnesse of him Coelum terram ego impleo Jer. 23. Behold the heaven and heavens and the heaven of all heavens are not able to comprehend thee 1 Reg. 8.27 and the Prophet David saith If I goe up to heaven thou art there if I go downe to hell thou art there also Psal 139. Whereby it appeareth that we may not limit Gods power and presence to any one place who is every where present for when God is said to be in heaven we learne thereby what his excellencie is which doth especially shew it selfe there for as the glory Majesty of earthly Princes doth chiefly appeare in their thrones so the glory and Majesty of God doth especially shew it self in heaven which is his Throne Esay 66. Matth. 5.34 He hath not his denomination from earth a place of wormes and corruption but from heaven a place of eternall glory and happinesse Secondly the use of this is to temper our confidence in God for albeit we love him as he is our Father yet withall we must feare him for as much as he dwelleth in heaven as we may in regard of his goodnes pray unto him with confidence so withall considering his power we must pray with due devotion and reverence unto his Majewy for he is not as an earthly father that dwelleth in houses clay but his dwelling is in heaven and therefore as he is a Father and consequently will be honoured so because he is our Lord he requires feare at our hands Mal. 1.6 With thee is mercy that thou mayest be feared Psal 130.4 Whereby the Prophet would have us so to esteeme of Gods mercy that withall we be bound to feare him and that we be not like those that contemne the riches of Gods mercy the more that he laboureth with his bountifulnesse and goodnesse to bring us to repentance Rom. 2. for as sweet things have an obstructive power to stop the passages which are in our bodies and on the other side sowre and bitter things do fret and consume and so open the veines So it fareth with the soule for it is stopped when we consider nothing but the mercy of God and contrariwise when we cast our eyes too much upon the Majesty and power of God the force thereof casts us into an astonishment and brings to desperation and therefore that we neither have Nimiam trepidationem nor Nimiam ostentationem too much terrour nor too much security we must know that God is so in heaven as that yet he is a Father and as he is a Father so not an earthly but an heavenly Father and we cannot but feare and reverence God if we in humility consider our basenesse in respect of him for though he be our Father yet so long as we be on earth we are strangers and exiles from him and howsoever it please him to account us sonnes yet as it fared with Absalon we cannot see our Fathers face 2 Sam. 14. untill he take us hence that we may be at home with him in his kingdome of Glory Thirdly these words lead us also to a confidence in God and serve to raise up our faith There is Paternitas both in heaven and earth Ephes 3.16 There are Fathers of the flesh and Fathers of the spirit Heb. 12. But when the Holy Ghost saith that God our Father hath his being in heaven we are thereby to distinguish him from other fathers If he be an heavenly Father he is of a more excellent nature then other fathers that are earthly and carnall for they are mortall as they live on earth so by death they shall be brought sub terris and do forsake us but our heavenly Father is immortall his yeares change not Psal 102. and though our Fathers and mothers forsake us yet the Lord will take us up and succour us Psal 27. Secondly though earthly fathers were immortall yet they are not able and their affections are turned away either by meanes of some lewd parts in the children or for that they beare not that naturall affection towards their children which they ought But God is immutable in his love so that although Jacob will not acknowledge us and Abraham will not know us yet God will be our Father Esay 63.16 The Apostle saith There are wicked parents that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without all naturall affection Rom. 1. And it falleth out that sometime a woman will deale cruelly with her owne child but though she forget it yet God our heavenly Father will not forget his children nor turne his fatherly affection from them Esay 49. and therefore Tertullian saith Nullus pater tam pater no father so fatherly Thirdly though they wish us never so well yet many times they cannot do us that good they would for want of ability yea though they be never so able yet they cannot deliver from sicknesse and death for the sonnes of Princes die daily they can give us bread and fish Luk. 11. they have a care to provide and lay up for their children 2 Cor. 12.14 but it is such treasure as the moth and rust will corrupt Matth. 6.19 But God our heavenly Father can deliver us from all evill he can give us not onely bread and fish and other things necessary for this life but his holy Spirit if wee aske it Luk. 11. The treasure that God layeth up for us is not earthly but an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet. 1. such things as neither eie hath seene nor eare hath heard Esay 64. 1 Cor. 1. For God is not onely carefull in this life for our well doing the knowledge of that is spes mortua but his care extendeth to the life to come and therefore the Holy Ghost saith not Pater in coelo sed in coelis in the heavens whereby he hath begotten us unto a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.4 Quaecunque optant vel timent homines
Whatsoever things men either with for or are affrayd of all things come from heaven whether it be raine drought or contagion or plague and from the first heaven Ubi vultures coeli Matth. 6. From this heaven Saint Paul tels the heathen that God sends us raine and fruitfull seasons Act. 14. And when Job saith that God sends raine and frosts and snow and thundreth and worketh marvellous things c. Job 37. that is done in Primo coelo But in the second heaven are the Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone there he workes in the signes of heaven He binds the seven starres together Job 38.31 whatsoever wonders are wrought there it is God that worketh them and therefore he saith to his sonnes Nolite timere à signis coeli Jer. 10. he is in the second heaven and will not suffer any thing to hurt them The third heaven is that whereunto the Saints of God shall be received in the life to come where Saint Paul heard things that were not lawfull to be uttered 2 Cor. 12. So that as God will not suffer the first or second heaven to do us hurt so hee will bring us to the happinesse of the third heaven for he is Pater noster in coelis whereby we have hope and comfort not in this life onely which is but a dead hope but a lively hope touching the life to come For Christ doth not expresse Gods power by an action saying Our Father which madest heaven and earth Psal 121. nor which ridest upon the heavens Psal 68. But by a locall word to shew that as God is in heaven so we have an interest in the same place and that he will at the length bring us to the same place where he is Fourthly this word Heaven serveth to prepare us to prayer to the end that we should lift up our hearts and affections from earth to heaven seeing we speake not to an earthly father but to one that is in heaven and this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sursum corda Touching which thing one saith Aquilarum est hoc negotium this businesse belongs to Eagles which as they flie highest so they look most stedfastly upon the Sunne non Talparum not belonging to moules nor of such as are blind and will not open their eyes nec Milvorvm neither of Kites which albeit they flye aloft yet cast their eyes still downeward to the dunghill wee must wish with the Prophet O that I had the wings of a Dove Psal 55. and labour more and more to flye up with the Eagle into heaven into the presence of God the Father and his Sonne who sitteth at the right hand bodily for ubi cadaver ibi congregantur aquilae Luk. 17. As the consideration of Gods Majesty who is in heaven doth bring us downe and make us bow our knees before God our Father Eph. 3. So it must cause us levare manus corda Lam. 3. and to lift up our eyes to the hills Psal 121. and to have such a continuall meditation of his power that we may say with David Providebam Dominum in conspeclu meo semper I have set the Lord alwayes before mee Fifthly this word doth admonish us what things we should sue unto God for he is a heavenly Father therefore we must aske of him heavenly things his answer to the sons of Zebedeus was Matth. 20. Ye aske yee know not what honour and wealth are not things proportionable to him that is in heaven and an earthly Prince will count it a disgrace if a man aske at his hands meane things such as may be had of every man The gifts we are to aske of our heavenly Father are the eternall salvation of our soules this gift of the holy Ghost which he hath promised to them that aske it Luk. 11. and all spirituall blessings in heavenly places Eph. 1.3 God is a Father as Abraham was and as he had moveable goods which he gave to the sonnes of Keturah so he bestowed the inherinance which was immoveable upon his sonne Isaas Gen. 25. So we that are the children of the promise as Isaac was Gal. 4. must seeke for the inheritance of Isaac and not content our selves with that portion which was given to the sonnes of Keturah Salomon saith not amisse Two things have I desired of the Lord Prov. 30. But David saith better Unam perii à Domino I have sought one thing of the Lord Psal 27. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord that I may be partaker of Grace in this life and may be received into glory in the life to come Unto Martha that was troubled about many things our Saviour said Unum est necessarium Luk. 10. and this is the reason why it is not said qui es in terris For God sheweth himselfe a Father rather in heaven then in earth Deus pater est in coelis he is in heaven by assuring us of Gods heavenly blessings for they are the signes of Gods fatherly bounty to such as are his heires by promise as for earthly things he sheweth himselfe in them rather to the sonnes of Keturah then to Isaac and in respect of this world Martha is said to have chosen the better part Luk. 10. Sixthly as it teacheth us what we must pray for so also we learn hereby what wee are to judge of our selves and how we are to dispose of our minds when we come to pray if God our Father be in heaven then because we are yet on earth we must esteeme of our selves as strangers and pilgrims This did all the Fathers acknowledge I am a stranger and sojourner upon earth as all my Fathers were Psal 39. and therefore having a longing to be in our City Wo is mee that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech Psal 120. The Apostles Peter and Paul confessed the same the one writing to the Church of God calleth them Pilgrims and strangers 1 Pet. 2. the others reporteth of the Fathers that they confessed themselves strangers and Pilgrims upon earth and in saying these things they shew that they sought a country not the land of Canaan from whence they came for they had time to returne thither if they had beene mindfull of it but they sought a better that is an Heavenly City Heb. 11.13 and we have no abiding City here but do looke for one to come Heb. 12.13 These shew us that albeit we have our dwelling in earth and be subject to many calamities yet for this our exile we do genus de coelo ducere we take our pedegree from heaven When therefore as the Poet saith os homini sublime dedit it is a shame for us to have our hearts downeward we must remember that we are of a more excellent nature then other creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are his kindred Act. 17. we have received from God a soule and spirit indued with many heavenly qualities which beeing dissolved from the body returneth to God that gave
ditches Deus antem habet viam suam regiam God hath his owne high way 2. Besides the goodnesse of wit paines are necessarily required and divers are commonly of such weake natures Gods way is so easie that aswel the weake â—s the strong may walke in it that they cannot take such paines Many also cannot intend such paines because their callings are not for it but are busied otherwise so that the most part should be excluded from this way But that way is inconvenient which lieth through many inconveniences 3. We see by daily experience before we come to Divinity how many yeeres we spend so that all who are cut off before they come to these yeeres should be debarred this felicity But God hath set downe his way a short way so that we need no more but believe assecuti sumus and we have attained Porphyriâ—s his objection against saith But they use to object one thing against faith which Porphyrie against the Christians of his time That it is a signe of simplicity to be too credulous and that was a stoppe to many at that time that they would not come to God by beleefe lest they should be misliked But the Philosopher can tell them that none is too credulous Nisi qui aut stulto The solution aut improbo credit but he that believeth either a foolish or a wicked man But these two necessarily are excluded from God Deus enim ipsa veritas falsum dicere non potest Deus ipsa prudentia neque fallere neque falli potest Ideâ— perfectae veritati perfecta sapientia perfectae honestati perfect a conjuncta est justitia nullus ergo incredulitati locus For God who is truth it selfe cannot lie God who is wisedome it selfe can neither deceive nor be deceived therefore to perfect truth is joyned perfect wisedome to perfect honour perfect justice no place therefore is left for incredulity That the way of beleefe is firme and grounded upon Gods Word â—s proved from foure effects Now that this way of beleeving is sure and that this whereon it is grounded is the Word of God though set forth by men it may appeaâ—â— by tâ—ese foure effects or circumstances as Origen against Celsus 1. healing of incurable diseases as leprosie dropsie palsie men possessed with foule spirits such as physicke durst never attempt to cure 2. They raised divers from death 3. They shooke the powers of Heaven 4. Simple and unskilfull men proved wonderfull and skilfull in one day of all tongues Therefore there must needs have beene in them a Divine power that wrought these things in them Therefore we see it in the certainety of the effect though not in the certainety of the cause Credulity more in reason then in faith This suspition of credulity is more in the way of reason then of beleefe three reasons 1. There being 288. sects of philosophy and every one having his reasons for his opinion therefore in that way there must needs be many crosse-waies Cum veritatis via sit simplex unica since the way of truth is simple and one therefore impossible it is that a man seeing such diversity of opinions should not be but in greatest uncertainty and doubt Adeóque in incredulitatem labatur vel maximam and so fall into great incredulity 2. Arist 1. Demonstr That there is no necessary thing without the mixtion of contingency in it therefore no absolute demonstration Therefore nothing but is subject both to knowledge and contingency ubi hoc where this is there is uncertainety Therefore nothing but may have diversity of opinions by reason of our memories and the confusion of our notions 3. And chiefely in cognoscendis primis causis In knowing the first causes they themselves confesse that they are in the darke both in respect of the object quia immaterialia because immateriall and in respect of the fountaine and cause of our knowledge quia principia rationis meae a sensibus ducuntur Deus coelestia sensibus non subjiciuntur The memory is able to reteine distinct notions because the principles of my reason are drawne from sence but God and divine things are not subject to sense as the Philosopher saies in his metaphysicks God is a thing above reason God above nature and sense Sense can give no rules of God and celestiall natures For our reasons and understanding are confounded illa autem simplicia inconfusa but they are simple and unconfounded Therefore we cannot come to him by reason therefore there must be some other way Now that it is necessary that there can be no other way then beleefe If they should take away beleefe Without beliefe no humane society there should be an overthrow of all things and so they should neither be friends to any nor any to them If any one were to report any thing to another that was not at the sight of that thing and he to whom this thing were reported should not beleeve them unlesse they brought their proofs for the least circumstance non adigeret eos ad insaniam would it not make them mad 2. August in his booke to Honoratus August cap. 10. de utilitate credendi of the utility of beleeving If one should come to me and say to me Augustine shew me the true way by reason then I say to him you come to me in dissimulation and hypocrisie not in any good meaning then will he protest his good meaning and bolster it out with words as much as he can Faith which they deny in words they prove by their acts then will I say I beleeve you yet you cannot perswade me by reason now therefore seeing you will have me to beleeve you in this is it not equity that you beleeve me seeing the profit of your beleefe doth not redound to me but to you 3. None of them all dare once call in question the words of a Prince and God being at least as good as a Prince ipsius verbo non credendum existimare quanta impietas to thinke hat this word is not to be beleeved what impiety 4. Arg. apertum manifestum de actu quem vocant patres explicito it is plaine and manifest concerning the act which the fathers call explicite There is none of them all but doth beleeve and ought to beleeve therefore the way of beleefe is not altogether to be rejected The necessity of beleeving There are certaine matters which are to be knowne that cannot be demonstrated by reason or sense c. but must necessarily be beleeved as whâ—ther he whom he calleth his father be his father c. Istiusmodi quotidie creduntur quia ratio ea persuadeâ—e non potest Such are daily beleeved because reason is not able to perswade them in these we can say no more but that we beleeve them Among which is the comming to a place We therefore making God the end of our journey must beleeve that he is Si
and suiters unto him And not only this glory but also a double glory returneth to God by it so the action is so much the more to be commended to us and so much the more to be esteemed of us for both this when we acknowledge that we have it not from our selves but from him this is great magnifying of Gods bounty as also when we have received thanksgiving i. that homage that we do to him that is a thing that he maketh most account of Psal 50.15 when he hath given commandement to call upon him in the time of trouble and hath made promise that he will heare So I will heare thee and thou shalt praise mee But more excellently in Psal 107. it is five times repeated and it is the keep of the song he entreating of five sorts of men that are especially bound to God 1. those that goe astray in the wildernesse out of the way and find no City to dwell in 2. Those that are at the point of death and escape 3. Those that are delivered from prison and from the sentence of death 4. Those that be saved from the raging of the tempest 5. Those that are delivered from the enemy he saith v. 6. So they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble then commeth performance of promise and he delivered them from their distresse and then last O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men For when as the prayer of the poore afflicted is heard then seeing both the humble mind by the having of his request granted is raised up and beginneth to be glad Psal 34.3 and secondly forasmuch as sinners when they see the fulfilling of their prayers and forgivenesse of sins granted them Ps 51.13 are converted and thirdly Psal 107.42 that the mouth of sin may be stopped all these three waies there doth still glory returne to God Then if it be so necessary and God without it is defrauded of much honour it imposeth on us a necessity diligently to consider of it and to practise it in regard of Gods glory so in regard of our selves thus Luk. 18.1 Christ being in exhortation sheweth his Apostles by a parable that they ought to pray alwaies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not to faint for the which end he that never did any superfluous thing being as the Apostles call him our Advocate 1 Joh. 2.2 it is said Luk. 11.2 hee hath indited us a forme of prayer In the use whereof that commeth first to mind that Chrysostome hath in his 1. booke de orando Deum out of Dan. 6.10 that death of hody being set before his eyes on this onely condition to abstaine from prayer 30. dayes tanquam si as if the forbearing from it for that time could be the death of the soule so he was content rather to hazzard his life then not to performe his daily custome As in that respect in Numb 28.3 8. there is set downe by way of figure that God requireth of the Israelites as a necessary thing beside the hallowing of the Sabbath a morning and evening Sacrifice What this in truth is it is expounded Ps 141.2 the lifting up of his hands he compareth to the morning and evening sacrifice as the first is burning of incense so the morning prayer is nothing else but as an incense that goeth up into the nostrils of God the lifting up of his hands in the evening is the true evening sacrifice of the Christians If a man should read what the fathers have written in this point as Cyprian on the Lords prayer Gregory in his booke of Prayer Austin ad Probam c. he shal rather see them spent in perswading the necessity then in teaching the manner to performe it that being an especiall meanes to performe it to thinke it so necessary They call it Clavim diei et seram noctis the key that openeth the day and the barre that shutteth in the night Chysostome calleth it signaculum diei the seale of the day Out of 1 Tim. 4.5 where the use of the creatures be noysome without blessing by prayer and thanksgiving and out of Mat. 14.19 and out of Mat. 26.26 Christs prayer before supper and Mat. 26.30 his last seale and the end of his supper was hymno dicto after an hymne it having beene no new thing but the outward practise having continued so from the dayes of Abraham as the Jewes record their manner remaining that the chiefe of the family taketh first the bread and with that delivereth prayer and then breaketh it as the last thing he taketh is the cup and then he delivereth the second blessing this being so holy an use as that it was used generally in the whole Church from this generall custome of the Church Christ translated it to his owne supper In Eph. 6.18 for the necessity of it as head foot breast were armed before by the Apostle there being no place to put it in yet in all cases and times he recommendeth it unto us Prayer goeth through out all things which the Fathers call armaturam armaturae the very armour of armour without which all the armour we put on beside is of no greater strength then if we were naked as in regard of the necessity of the spirituall enemies they call it flag ellum Daemonum a scourge for the Devills Athanasius standeth very stiffe on this assertion that at the bare Psal 68.1 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered c. but hearty recitall of the 68. Psal v. 1. it is a verse that makes all the devils of hell to quake and as Maximus another of the Fathers commendeth the 1. v. of the 70. Psal to be that which as an instrument or meanes he found alwayes effectuall to deliver him from any temptation Jam. 5.13 when he will commend it he taketh no other course to shew the great strength that it hath for as in hope it saw nothing of it selfe to be performed but that which was impossible to us was possible per alium by another so there being the same in Prayer It hath its force in miracles it is the more to be esteemed That in Jam. 5.17 is nothing but a certaine miracle wrought in the aire by prayer that the Prophet Elias shut up the middle region that no raine could come downe for three yeares and an halfe If we desire to see it in other elements we may see it in fire by the same Elias 2 King 1.10 at his call fire descended from heaven and devoured the Captaine with his 50. men and in the earth Psal 106.17 at the prayer of Moses the earth opened and swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram with their Companies In Water Exod. 14.16 the division of the red sea And we see the performance of it from Gods behalfe not in elements onely but also as Josh 10.12 it hath an efficacle on the heaven it selfe at the prayer of
should have put this condition in if that the restoring of his health would not make him proud otherwise that his sicknesse might come againe and he put it in and as Nazianzen reports of him it did so So in regard of our owne benefit this correction or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee see is needfull Father in detaining some good thing from us longer then we would oâ— if malum pâ—â—nâ— he continued upon us 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 triall that is two sorts 1. for there is either dilatio â—ou a deferring of good touched before in hope which alwayes hath rationem mali a shew of evill Prov. 13.12 spes quae differtur affligit animam hope deferred maketh the heart sicke the bearing of that oft is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 longanimity for the Commandement Habak 2.3 he will stay yet waite and he will surely come Psal 37.7 waite patiently for the Lord and God will at the last come This vertue in all the points of patience it said to be in God This ought to be deare unto us because this is the onely patience that is in God whereby he doth expect ut misereatur nostri that he may have mercie on us Aug. de patientia Dominus patitur neglectus patitur contemptus patitur negatus the Lord though we neglect despise deny him he still beares with us ought not we therefore with the like patience waite for his approach That man falleth into infidelity that thinketh him long a comming for he seemeth to make this conclusion it is long a comming therefore it will never come 2 Pet. 3.3.4 In passione mali it hath his ground Luke 12.48 To whom most is given hee must suffer most 2. The second indeed is the bearing of some reall affliction not for sinnes as in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but for righteousnesse sake To whom more is given of him more is required the Devill shall have a larger licence to tempt him And the Philosopher said very well Deus non habet amorem maternum erga bonos viros sed paternum God loveth not as a mother but as a father i. he will not keepe them in his lap and cocker them as a mother but put them to triall as a father the triall is between facere malum pati malum do ill suffer ill and this is it that Austin saith utrum velint malum non patiendo facere or non faciendo pati And this reall affliction 1 Pet. 1.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the triall of faith is a thing which as he expresseth it is better then the finest gold of Arabia i. in the eyes of God farre more precious then any thing Now this is separate from the former i. suffering for our sins but this is a suffering for righteousnesse because we will not be constant unlesse we be kept under the yoke The reasons be foure why God set downe this 1. That commonly we see that res prosperae are mare mortuum that lacus asphaltues that dead and noysome lake where once Sodom and Gomorra stood that standeth and corrupteth as armour contracts rustinesse a body evill humours fallow ground weedes c. So we quickly settle upon our lees if not emptied from vessell to vessell graces grow bright by exercise and for want of use die within us there must be a stirring up of them else there will be a fogginesse of the soule by want of triall therefore necessary it is that there should be a triall The right of desert was given to us and consequently we are to hold it by his right of his desert 2. He setteth downe Rom. 8.29 that betweene Christ and us there might be a conformity Christ hath two rights in Heaven first by inheritance as he is the first begotten Sonne of his Father and secondly in his desert by obedience We see the clause that be holdeth it by he setteth downe Luke 24.26 Know ye not quod oporiuit haec pati Christum that Christ ought to have suffered these things so he holding of the inheritance by Christ includeth this condition that we be conformable to him in his sufferings In mans law it is a principle that the inheritance goeth to no other but by him which held it and hath no other right then he had which had it before It is that that the Apostles plead Acts 14.22 quod oportet per multas tribulationes pervenire ad regnum Dei that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of God and lest any should thinke himselfe excepted 2 Tim. 3.12 Omnes qui volunt pie vivere in Christo Iesu persecutionem patientur All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution And for this cause whereas it hath sixe resemblances 1. to a Campe 2. to a Ship 3. a Building 4. Corne 5. a Vine 6. a Flock the nature of all these import a patience 2 Tim. 2.4 To a Campe the Souldiers life is nothing else but agere sub die to lye abroad to a Ship Matth. 8.24 tossed with winds and waves Matth. 9.37 to Corne which commeth not to the table but under the sickle flaile milstone oven unto a Vine Esa 5.1 and in the Vine-yard there is a Wine-presse where the Grapes must suffer the presse Iohn 10.1 to a Flock they are to be shorne and carried to the shambles and in a Building there are Axes and Hammers daily heard nails such other things are required 3. The third is that which we said before when God gives great gifts as the gifts are so is the Devils sieve Satanae ventilabrum Luke 22.31 and the larger gifts one hath the larger patience and the larger triall for Satan he hath and where there are most gifts there the Devill sueth most for his indulgences and licences therefore every man must prepare himselfe for Satan will have his Sieve a Sieve is to make a separation of that which is good of the corne and the refuse therefore it is that God doth permit evill and evill men in the world because God should not use good men as scourges for good men therefore this benefit we have that there shall be a separation and how A note of separation Matt. 3.12 the separation is this that as we see that vituli triturantes quotidie ligantur c. even by the Crosse August saith vituli iriturantes quotidie ligantur ad stabulum vituli mactandi quotidie in pascuis libere relinquuntur the Oxen that are for use are kept tied up when those that are fatted for the shambles are let loose into the pastures to feede at their pleasure Generally most of the Fathers use the similitude of the Reds Sea through which the Israelites were to passe to the land of promise not without mire and dirt and intangling their feete in the weeds as Saint Gregory speakes so in our journey from earth to heaven to the new Ierusalem to the land of Canaan there is something to passe
sinne indeed but those that are cast into us are no sinne if they infect us not 1. Now we are infected of those sixe wayes 1. for the fruit when sinne beganne Gen. 3.6 was holden out to be 1. profitable and 2. pleasant and 3. to be desired in regard of the knowledge or preferment it should bring And so the first thing was and is to turne our selves to Satan 1 Tim. 5.15 Gal. 4.9 to entertaine him this is prostitution of the soule to his temptation when they would have it 2. Which affection if it be sudden Ierome on Mathew calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first passion or motion that is desires upon sight but if it be more impressed he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passion that is a setled lust This is Iob 20.13 poyson to the mouth which if it be spit out hurteth not but if it be retained under the tongue it breedeth woe 3. And this retentio seminis consensus in delectationem retentation of the fuell is a consent to the pleasure of sinne for consensus in opus est suppuratio for the consent to the lust is the very impostume of sin to delight in it And this is conceptio peccati the conceiving of sin 4. Morosa delectatio a lingring delight to stay in it and to consider every circumstance and this is articulatio foetus the forming of this deformed issue 5. Aberratio cordis in peccato the wandring of the minde in sinne reasoning of it and after it once left to call it backe againe and to make a contrary covenant to Iob that is to looke still upon it or else to make figmentum cogitationis a wicked imagination in the heart Gen. 4. of that which was never seene And this vita peccati is the life of sinne for here it moveth 6. Nixus the endeavour and as the fathers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laying hold on the occasion si tanta voluptas in animo quid si potiar if there be so much pleasure in the imagination what in the fruition And these sixe are in every sinne though many have not the spirit of God to watch them all for that saepe iniquitas mentitur sibi wickednesse often cousens it selfe The Devilâ— fetches Now Iames 1.14 we are brought into this two wayes 1. by the esca the baite the allurements 2. by uncus the hooke force 1. For this concupiscence will make pleasure libido a sensuall delight libido and this delight will make consuetudo custome consuetudo and custome will make necessity for the concupiscence is like an hot Oven Hose 7. which will ever have matter So the Devill hath those two also by these two speciall termes unto the which the rest may be brought as to allure Revel 20.6 which doth not as they cogge a Die but hath Ephes 4.14 methodum decipiendi a cunning craftinesse or the art and method of deceiving by subtilty And this distinguisheth his allurements from ours And this his craft extraordinarily the Apostle could know 2 Cor. 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his fetches 2. To draw by force 1 Pet. 5.8 a roaring Lion and Matth. 8.31 cast them headlong as he did the Swine 2 Cor. 7.5 his thrusting sore that if he might he would cast us downe and this also could Paul perceive 1 Thes 2.18 that Satan hindred him Mundâ— illâ—â—â—â—ae So the world also hath these three to allure us 1. profit 2. pleasure 3. preferment And contra if they will not prevaile it will be violent with 1. losse 2. griefe 3. reproach As Aug. saith aut amor erit mali inflammans aut timor mali humilians either love shall be the inflamer and kindler of evill or feare the humbler and bringer downe to evill so that these two meanes are in our selves the Devill the world to bring us to the danger of this fin â—â—itas quid After simulationem dicti simulation in words we come to consider simulationem facti simulation in words and deeds for first the truth is nothing but an agreement or equality betwixt the heart and minde and that which we conceive in our minde 2. a consent of the minde with the tongue 3. a consent of our minde with our deedes and actions If there be agreement betwixt these then are we witnesses of the truth for as veritas oris truth is in the mouth if the speech and heart goe together so is veritas vitae truth in our life if it be agreeable to the word which is signum ejus rei quae menie signata est the signe and fruit of that thing which is sealed up in the minde which is plaine by Christs assertion By their fruits yee shall know them Mat. 7. and Matth. 12.36 the Scribes require a signe from Heaven to testifie to them the greatnesse of Christs power And workes and not onely words but deeds may be called signa ejus rei quae in mente est signes of such things as are in the minde This also is manifest by common experience For we see not onely by precept and speech but also by example and action good and hurt done therefore we must expresse the truth as well in action as in word avoid simulation in both which opposite in this place for this cause God taketh order that neither in deede nor in word men should counterfeit to be that which they are not Notwithstanding as before a man may lawfully occultare partem veritatis in dictis conceale a part of the truth in his discourse so also so he may doe it in factis in his actions except it be manifest to the eyes of all men as that of the Sodomites Gen. 19. or of the Benjamites Iudg. 19. and that of Zimri and Cozbi Numb 25. who were not ashamed to make their sinne manifest even to the sight and view of all men and not to this end to make them loath and detest their sinne but rather to glory in it Also there may be significatio ejus quod deest an intimation and signification of what is wanting As he is not bound to tell that forth in word which he knoweth so neither is he bound by conscience to utter that by countenance which he knoweth Otherwise in time of warre to oppose our selves to such as resist the truth a man may with Iosua 8.15 simulare fugam make as if they fled As also for triall as our Saviour Christ did Luke 24.28 he made as though he would have gone further if intreaty had not stayed him and it is plaine by Gal. 4.20 A principall part of this vice is hypocrisie which is an outward resemblance or cloke of religion without any ground of it in the heart of this we have spoken heretofore we will therefore passe it over and come to that which the Prophet hath Psal 26.4 hee saith he hath not kept company with vaine persons For as in Commandement 8. not onely injury was forbidden but also superfluity
it Eccles 12. During this our exile and pilgrimage we are not onely to consider that we looke upwards with our faces which moved the Heathen to meditate on heaven but chiefly that in our soules wee have the Image of God imprinted ought to move the people to thinke of God and to set our minds onthings above Col. 3. Albeit we be here in a farre country farre from our fathers dwelling yet we must not forget our fathers dwelling house Luk. 15. The poition is in heaven which our Father will give us and that we seeke to be acquainted with the lawes of that country where our inheritance lyeth that we may guide our lives according to the same lest being rebellious we deprive ourselves of our right and be disinherited Secondly seeing we know that we are not in our owne country we must say as Absolon did Why am I come hither if I may not see the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. He being an ungratious sonne was desirous to see his father then it shall be a shame for us that are all the Sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. if we have not a longing desire to come before the presence of God our Father Psal 42. and except we have a desire to enter into the Courts of the Lord Psal 84. except that with the Apostle we desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1. the first begotten of many brethren and if with our Father God we lay up our treasure in heaven and count it our chiefe felicitie to be there then would we thinke upon heaven more then we doe For where our treasure is there must our hearts be also Matth. 6. But because we altogether set our hearts on earthly things therefore it falls out that our heart is as a heavy clodde of earth and unable to lift it selfe up to heavenly meditation Thirdly as wee desire to be in heaven in our Fathers house so our conversation must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. we must not live by the lawes of earthly Princes and Acts of Parliaments but by an heavenly law though we be strangers on earth yet we are Citizens of heaven and must carry our selves according to the lawes of our country being alwayes desirous to do that which pleaseth our heavenly Father though there were no humane law to compell us thereunto and whereas naturall men have for the end of their civill actions bonum commune a common utility we that are spirituall must make bonum coeleste the heavenly good our end we must do well because God will behold our well-doing favourably and the Angels of heaven will be glad of it Luk. 15. Christ who is the Lord from heaven did subject himselfe to the will of God his Father Not my will but thy will be done and as hee that is heavenly so must they that will be heavenly as we now beare the Image of the earthly so shall we port are imaginem coolestis 1 Col. 15. He while he lived on earth did guide himselfe by an heavenly law and we that remaine on earth must expresse his image by the imitation of his obedience It is true which both our Saviour Christ and John Baptist said That that is borne of the flesh is flesh and so that that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth Job 3. But there must be an imitation and we must set our selves forward towards our heavenly country But because it is not in our power to doe this of our selves for that as Christ sayes No man can come to mee except the Father draw him Joh. 6. therefore wee must pray with the Church in the Canticles Cant. 1.4 Trabe me and to this end doth the holy exercise of fasting and mortification serve greatly that wee may as it were with Doves wings flye up into Heaven As the word Father doth shew us not onely our dignity but our duty also so the word Heavenly doth not onely give us a hope of heaven but also teacheth us that seeing our Father is heavenly wee must live by the lawes of Heaven As we are carefull to be made partakers of the inheritance which God hath prepared for us so we must be as carefull to please him and to do those things which are agreeable to his will We must not onely know Quid sperandum what is to be hoped for but Quid praestandum what is to be performed of us If we pray not onely with confidence because God doth take us for his sonnes but also with invocation with devotion and reverence knowing that our Father hath his dwelling in heaven and we are pilgrims in earth Thus shall we be veri adoratores Joh. 4. true worshippers As we know we shall have our part in heaven so we must begin our heaven here on earth and this shall be done if we adde our endeavour to those things which we pray for at the hands of God as August prayeth Da Domine ut pro quibus oramus pro iis laboremus Grant Lord that the things we pray for and crave of thee for them we may also labour THE NINTH SERMON Hallowed be thy Name HAving ended the first part of this prayer which we called Invocation consisting upon the power and goodnesse of God we come to the petitions themselves which are seven of which the first concerneth God the other concerne our selves or they may be divided as the dayes of the weeke whereof as one falleth out to Gods portion the other to be imployed in our owne affaires So of these petitions the first doth immediately concerne the glory of God the other sixe the supply of our owne necessities in the beginning we heard that it is expedient to know not onely what we are to aske but in what order what first and what second touching which point we are taught by this forme of prayer that that petition which concerneth the sanctification of Gods name is Caput votorum and that all other things that we either desire or pray for in our owne behalfe ought to stand after it and that wee must both desire and pray for the sanctification of Gods name before any thing that we desire either for our selves or for our brethren whether it be for the removing of evill or for the obtaining of good for as before we learned what his love is to us in that he vouchsafed to be our Father so hereby we shall expresse our love againe to him if when we come to pray to him for our necessities we be carried away with such a desire of the glory of our heavenly Father that we forget our owne selves and desire onely that his name may be sanctified which duty Christ doth by his owne example commend unto us In this forme of prayer we are put in mind of that which before was required in the law of works for as there vve learned that God is not honoured aright except he be loved above all things because he
but to thy name give the glory Psal 115. So that all men are no lesse desirous of their owne honour and glory then the builders that built Babell that said Let us get us a name Gen. 11. But such as are thus affected and carried with the love of themselves are not fit to sanctifie the name of God as our Saviour speakes How can yee beleeve seeing yee receive glory one of another and seeke not the glory which is of God Joh. 5.44 As we may not usurpe Gods honour for our selves so we may not defie Princes for we see how ill that voyce was taken Vâ—x Dei non hominis the voyce of God and not of man Act. 12. neither may we give divine honour to the Apostles and Prophets of God The Heathen people said of Paul and Barnabas Gods are come downe to us in the shape of men and they would have sacrificed unto them but the Apostles not willing to admit this sacriledge rent their cloathes and cryed We are men subject to the same passions that you your selves be Act. 14. for we are desirous to give honour if not to our selves yet to others but here Christ tels us that no other name is to be sanctified but the name of God whereof we should be so carefull that we ought to pray that Gods name may be sanctified by others if not by our selves though we in our owne persons cannot hallow it yet sanctificetur nomen tuum Let thy name O Lord be sanctified Hereby as we pray for the gift of the feare of God which is one of the seven vertues which are set downe Esay 11. because wee do truly sanctifie God when we make him our Feare and Dread Esay 8.13 So wee pray against the vice of pride which is the contrary to the vertue of Feare so shall we obtaine the blessings Matth. 5.23 Blessed are the poore in spirit c. And upon this petition is grounded not only whatsoever Hymne or Psalme is sung of the Congregation but even the end of all Assemblies is to ascribe Holinesse to God and to sanctifie his Name for his benefits bestowed upon us And in this they acknowledge first their owne unworthinesse secondly they blesse him for his goodnesse extended toward them thirdly they do not acknowledge it in themselves but do tell it forth as the Psalmist speaketh O come hither and hearken all yee that do feare God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soule Psal 66. Fourthly to this end they lift up their voyces in singing to the end they may make the voyce of his praise to be heard Psal 66. And among other benefits we are to praise and blesse his name for the benefit of Sanctification which we have in the name of the Lord Jesus secondly for the Meanes whereby this Sanctification is offered and wrought in us which is the Word as Christ saith O Father sanctifie them in thy truth Joh. 17.13 For the perfection of sanctification that we shall have after this life when we shall be Partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 when we shall continually sing with the heavenly Angels Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Esay 6. And howsoever when we desire of God that his name may be sanctified we seeme like naturall children to forget our owne necessities in respect of the care we have to Gods glory yet even then we pray no lesse for our selves then for God for the Lord hath promised Them that honour mee I will honour 1 Sam. 2.30 and Christ saith That if the Name of the Lord Jesus be glorified in us we also shall be glorified in him 2 Thess 1.12 Et sanctificando nomen adveniet Regnum In sanctifying his name his kingdome shall come as the next Petition is If while we remaine on earth our whole desire be to sanctifie Gods name we shall at length come to the place where we shall day and night sing as the Cherubims do Esay 6. And with the heavenly Host of Angels sing Glory to God on high Luk. 2. we shall fall down before his Throne saying alwaies Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and praise for ever Rev. 4.11 THE TENTH SERMON Thy Kingdome come HAving intreated of the first petition touching the holy estimation of Gods name we are consequently to speake of those sixe that concerne our selves whereof the first three are spent in praying for that which is good in the other three we pray for the removing of evill The first two petitions or the summe of them is excellently expressed by the Propher Psal 84.11 And by our Saviour Matth. 6.33 for agreeable to the words of David and of Christ our Saviour in the first petition wee aske for glory and seeke for the Kingdome of God in the second for grace and righteousnesse in the third for the good things of this life which shall not be withheld from them that leade a godly life but shall be ministred unto them that upon earth doe seeke Gods Kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof Wherefore as of things which concerne our good the first both in order and nature is the Kingdome of God for the first thing in our desire ought to be the Kingdome of God according to the commandement of our Saviour and we are to account all things but dung in respect of it Phil. 3.9 Hereunto is required the spirit of Wisedome and Vnderstanding Isa 11.2 that may teach us to contemne all earthly pleasures in respect of the heavenly Kingdome Here our Saviour condemneth that capitall vice that reignes in those men which in the world live of their owne and take no further care but to establish for themselves a Kingdome upon earth But if according to his direction we fixe our desire upon the Kingdome of Heaven and by despising the world doe labour for the vertue which consists in the purity of the heart then shall we have the blessing that is promised to the pure in heart Matth. 5.8 that is they shall be exalted to see God Now when he saith None shall see my face and live Exod. 33. they that truly make this prayer shall behold his face in the Kingdome of glory These two first petitions have relation to the Invocation for as God by the word Father doth expresse his love to us and for that he is in Heaven doth give us hope for an heavenly estate so we in these petitions doe first desire that whereby our love towards him may appeare while we prefer the sanctifying of his name before the regard of our owne good secondly we declare our heavenly Hope that may come of being partakers of his heavenly Kingdome Howsoever God will not have any mans name Hallowed or Glorirified but his owne as he speakes of himselfe Esa 42. My glory will I not give to another yet he will communicate his Kingdome to us and therefore in our owne behalfe weare taught to pray Thy Kingdome come In the
of their enemies Josh 10.13 Thirdly the earth it selfe and things contained in it do yeeld obedience to heaven for if the heaven be favourable in sending downe raine and fruitfull seasons Act. 4.17 Psal 65. the earth answerably will bring forth her encrease for the good of man but if the heaven be brasse the earth also will be Iron Deut. 28. Lastly as the powers of the heavens are such as that they can draw up clouds from the earth Psal 13.5 which do distill raine upon the earth to water the Furrowes thereof so we desire that the spirituall heaven may transforme us into an heauenly nature not setting our minds on earthly things but on things above For the things contained in heaven as they are heavenly so we desire that we living on earth may have our conversation in heaven that earthly man to whom God said Terra es Gen. 3. may by this meanes be made heavenly In the third heaven is contained in respect of his humanity first Christ himselfe who is both in heaven and earth for as he is called the head Ephes 3.23 of his Church he is in Heaven but in respect of his body which is called Christ 1 Cor. 12. he is on earth Therefore we pray that Christ on earth that is the Church may do Gods will even as Christ the head who is in heaven hath done it that as Christ our head came not to doe his owne will but the will of him that sent him Joh. 6.38 so the whole body of Christ may labour to fulfill the same Secondly in heaven thus are Angels which fulfill his Commandement and hearken to the voyce of his word Psal 10. So our prayer is that men to whom God hath made the promise that they shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 20. may labour to be like the Angels in doing Gods will as they hope to be like them in nature Thirdly in heaven there is the Congregation of the first borne Heb. 12.23 that is the Saints departed wherefore our prayer is that as they have and still do carefully fulfill Gods will so the Saints on earth and Church militant may do the same Againe whereas Saint Cyprian out of the 16. Psalm 2. and 19.1 saith that heaven is here upon earth for when the Psalmist saith The Heavens declare the glory of God the Apostle applyeth that to himselfe and to the rest of the Apostles Rom. 10. of whose preaching he saith No doubt their sound went out into all Lands and their words unto the ends of the World So that the Apostles were heavens living on earth So our prayer is that as they living on earth lived an heavenly life and began heaven here so our carnall heart may be applyed to the meditation of heaven that we may be Saints on earth Ps 16. The Wiseman saith of the body That it being dust at the houre of death turnes it self to dust from whence it came and that the spirit returnes to God that gave it Eccl. 12.17 Thus must the spirit returne to God in our life-time and we must while we be on earth and beare the Image of the earthly man seeke still to be in heaven and here labour more and more to beare the Image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15.49 As the heavenly part of man that is his spirit is willing and doth not only consent that Gods Law is good but delight in it Rom. 7. so must we be carefull to bring our flesh in subjection that our old man and outward man may conforme himselfe to the inward and new man 2 Cor. 4. Eph. 4. Secondly touching the question How Gods will is done in heaven the answer is that where his will is both dulcis and amara voluntas a sweete and a bitter will it is there obeyed and performed in both kinds for the heavens do not onely at Gods commandement keepe a continuall motion which is agreeable to nature but against nature Sunne and Moone stand still at his will Jos 10. whose obedience tels us that our duty is to doe his will not only in things agreeable with our nature but when his will is contrary to our liking This obedience was performed in Christ Not my will but thine be done Luk. 22. and in the Angels which at Gods commandement are ready not onely to ascend but also to descend Gen. 28. to shew that they are content not onely to appeare in heavenly glory which is their nature but also to be abased according to the Apostles rule I can abound and I can want Phil. 4. The heavenly bodies do service to all Nations and the Angels are ministring spirits Heb. 1. As naturally they have a desire to ascend to beare rule so at Gods commandement they are content to descend to do service here below they do altogether fulfill Gods will Psal 104. whereas the nature of man doth hardly grant to obey Gods will in that which seemeth strange to flesh and blood as Agrippa affirmeth of himselfe Thou somewhat perswadest mee Act. 26.25 The Saints in heaven confesse to God Thou hast created all things and for thy wils sake they are and were created Rev. 4.11 And therefore refuse not to subject their will to the will of God be it pleasant to them or not but as our Saviour speaketh Yee seeke mee not because ye saw the miracles but for that ye did eate of the loaves and were filled Joh. 6.26 So if we do that which God requireth it is rather for our owne sake with regard to our owne private profit then to do Gods will The heavenly Angels do Gods will with willingnesse and readinesse of mind which is the fat of their sacrifice and therefore they are said to have every one sixe wings Esay 6. From whose example wee must learne to do all things commanded of God without murmuring or disputing Phil. 2.14 and that because it is Gods will we should do it In earth when God willeth any thing that is not pleasant to our wils we make excuse Luk. 14. or we post it off to others as Peter said to John Joh. 21. Quid autem hic We are ready to communicate with flesh and blood Gal. 3.16 and to say with the Disciples Durus est hic sermo this is a hard speech Joh. 6. If we cannot shift it off from our selves yet as the Devill reasoned Cur venisti ante tempus Matth. 18.29 and as the people say It is not time yet to build the house of the Lord Hagg. 1.5 So we are ready to deferre and prolong the doing of Gods will as much as may be when we do it as the uncleane spirit would not come out of the child but with much crying and renting of him Mark 9.26 so we cannot do Gods will but with great murmuring and grudging and when men do Gods will in this sort they do it not as it is done in heaven by the Angels and Saints that willingly obey it but as the Devills in hell which against their
repentance The persons to be delivered are expressed in the word nos which implyeth a twofold reason the one in regard of the word libera We are thy servants therefore make us free and suffer us not to be slaves to Satan So the Prophet reasoneth Psal 116. 143. Secondly againe deliver us for we are thy children those whom thou hast taught to call thee Father therefore though we be Mephibosheths for our deformity and Absolons for our ungraciousnesse yet shew thy selfe a Father to us and of servants though we be not only unprofitable Luk. 17. but evill and wastfull Luk. 16. yet because we are thy servants deliver us Thirdly we are thy workmanship therefore despise not the workes of thine owne hands Psal 138. Fourthly We are thy Image Gen. 1. Fifthly the price of thy Sonnes blood Sixthly Vessels to carry thy Name we are they upon whom thy name is called therefore deliver us else wee shall be a reproach to them that are about us Dan. 9.18 Seventhly we are the members of thy Church which is the body of Christ Jesus our Saviour our head Rom. 12.5 Eph. 1.22 The other reason is from the word mala the devill as hee is our enemy so he is Gods and he hateth us because we are thine and therefore laboureth to draw us from thee but save thou us that wee fall not from thee as he hath done Lastly us for we may not pray for our selves alone but for our brethren also that God will be good to them likewise and though we be out of trouble yet because we be of the body we may truly say deliver us when we pray in the behalfe of our brethren that are under the crosse Untill the last enemy death be destroyed 1 Cor. 15.26 we shall never be fully freed but have one evill or other Therefore we are to pray for that time when we shall hunger and thirst no more when God shall wipe all teares from our eyes Rev. 7.16 at the least if he take us not presently out of the world yet to keepe us from the evill of the world Joh. 17.15 till that day when there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine Rev. 21.4 but God shall be in all to us for ever THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON For thine is the Kingdome Power and Glory for ever and ever SAint Paul willeth that all things in the Church be done orderly 1 Cor. 14. which no doubt he tooke from Christ whose answer to John Baptist Matth. 3.14 was Sic enim decet for so it becommeth whereby wee see that both Christ and his Apostles have alwaies observed a decorum or decency in all things So touching prayer our Saviour Christ to shew that it is an undecent thing for any having done his Petitions to breake off suddenly or to beginne his prayer without any introduction hath not onely made an entrance to his prayer wherein he acknowledged Gods goodnesse but also addeth a conclusion wherein hee confesseth his Kingdome Power and Glory which the Fathers call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hee tooke the patterne of this conclusion out of the old Testament where King David acknowledgeth Thine O Lord is greatnesse power and glory and victory and thine is the Kingdome 1 Chron. 29.11 In the beginning we heard that all Prayer and Invocation is nothing else but a testimony and confession The Petitions that are severally made in this Prayer are confession of our weaknesse want need and unablenesse to do any thing that may please God The beginning and end of it are an acknowledgement of Gods riches power and goodnesse whereby he is inclined to supply our wants for that hee is not onely willing as a Father but able as a King so that whatsoever prayer we make whether Tekinnah or Tehillah whether we pray that we may receive some good thing of God or praise him for good received is a confession and both these confessions make for Gods glory not only to him that was to make confession of his sin it was said Da gloriam Deo Josh 7.19 but the blind man that had received a benefit by the recovery of his sight was said to give glory to God Joh. 19.24 The beginning of this prayer was a confession of Gods goodnesse the end of his power for unto doing of good is required not onely willingnesse but power and ability To shew that God is willing we are taught to call upon him by the name of Father for any father is willing to do his child good but with this willingnesse there must concurre an ability to do good which howsoever it be wanting in earthly Fathers yet it is not wanting in our heavenly Father for whereas nothing doth more expresse power then the name of a King Christ acknowledgeth God to be such a Father as hath Kingdome power and glory and therefore is able to do us whatsoever good he will So God himselfe affirmeth of himselfe I am a great King Mal. 1.14 Rev. 19.16 he is called King of Kings and Lord of Lords so that if wee will pray to God the Father wee have cause to conceive hope that hee will heare our Petitions and help us because he is not onely willing as a Father but able as a mighty glorious and powerfull Prince Secondly if to God the Sonne his dying for us doth assure us of his good will and readinesse to do us good and his rising againe from the dead when he hath broken the yron barres doth assure us of his power Thirdly if to the Holy Ghast we shall not need to doubt of his willingnesse for he is the essentiall love of God which is shed in our hearts Rom. 5. Besides he is the spirit operative by whom God worketh all good things in the hearts of his people and therefore able to do whatsoever good for us and those two to wit the assurance of Gods goodnesse and power are the two parts of the anchor of our hope Heb. 6.18 19. and he gives us not onely audaciam petendi but also fiduciam impetrandi not only boldnesse to aske but also assurance to obtaine The make requests in our owne behalfe and acknowlegement to God of his love and power are both confessions but the principall is the acknowledgment of his gooodnesse and Kingdome power for to make request to God for good things that we want concernes men but to confesse Gods power and goodnesse is that wherein the heavenly Angels are occupied in they feele no want of any good thing and therefore they have no neâ—d to make petition to God as we on earth and therefore all the confession that they make is of Gods goodnesse and power whereof they cry continually Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts the earth is full of his glory Esay 6.3 The same is done by the Saints in heaven Blessing and glory and wisedome and thanks and honour and power and might be unto our God for evermore Rev. 7.12 Whereby we learne that wee
and darknesse shall not be able to comprehend the light And it is even in the worst natures if at any time they be straighted by afflictions as in Aeschylus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Persians being put to flight at the lake Strimon When danger commeth then the light breaketh forth must needs goe on the Ise thawing by the heate of the Sunne then every one that before said there was no God fell on his knees and prayed God that the Ise might beare them So Dion Boristhenes as the Italian Histories report Antonius Vrceus Codrus when the Lord attached them of age Cephalus 1. Plat. de rep saith to Hippocrates while I was a young man when they told me of Styx Acheron I could thinke that there was none and I scoffed at them but now in my old age when I am to depart I begin to doubt how if there be such So we see danger sicknesse and age will shew us that there is a God The maine argument The major The notions naturall in us are universally true The minor Of the essence of God we have a notion Conclusion therefore we must beleeve that there is a God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath revealed them Argument 2. Ab altera animi notione a reali sc distinctione boni mali contra Pyrrhonem from the other notion of the mind namely from the real distinction of good and evill against Pyrrho that said That nothing was simply good or evill We see Gen 9.22 though Cham was such an ungodly person Genes 9.22 yet he seeth this that it was an uncomly thing to lie as his father did Therefore in him a power to distinguish betweene decorum non decorum that which is comely and not comely Genes 14.21 the most wicked Sodomites knew Genes 14.21 that good was to be requited to Abraham Gen. 27.41 Esau would kill his brother Jacob yet not whilst his father lived 2. Sam. 19.17 Absalom though in Armes against his father yet seeth this wickednesse in Hushai his fathers friend and rebuketh it Math. 26.48 Judas though he would betray his Master yet hee would not doe it in open manner but gave them a privy token Whomsoever I shall kisse c. The ground of reall distinction betweene good and evill So then seeing the most evill would seeme good and deny evill in themselves and reprehend it in others this is really to distinguish betweene good and evill The ground of this distinction either the consent of men betweene themselves as Pyrrho saith which cannot be for then every thing at mans appointment should be good or evill Or from a nature above man and so it leadeth us to God an unchangeable nature Gen. 3.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who told thee c. From a manifest part of the soule sc conscientia the conscience which is Gods Deputy That is also a demonstration against those that thinke that religion is a devise Conscientia 3. 3. Those that committed any offence are alwaies troubled and never in quiet If any object least they should be revealed to the Law Then give them security let them doe it in the wildernesse in the darke Object Sol. where and when none shall see them yet shall they never be quiet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conscience shall smite the soule They shall have their surda verbera deafe strokes yea they themselves will be constrained to tell it in their sleepe or in their madnesse or as Plutarch saith of Bessus he shall thinke that the Birds of the aire will tell it Then is not religion a devise of man as they say nor shall be Of Gods fearefull vengeance as long as they have the Vicegerent of God in them And Christ useth this to condemne them out of Esay 66.24 Vermis eorum non moritur their worme dieth not 4. To conclude this point They that have denied it in their lifes their deathes have proved it for them Genes 7. the overwhelming of the Flood the punishing of Sodome with utter destruction Pharaoh And whereas the Lord useth in all sinnes to punish them most severely at the beginning and after to suffer them yet in this sinne he hath taken another course to confute the Atheists lives by their death to confute them by the end of their daies Pherecides the Syrian never almost durst come into company yet once at a banquet amongst his friends being merrily disposed saith that he had lived a long time yet never done sacrifice nor offered up prayer to any God And within few daies after he was eaten up with lie◠So Diagoras was the cause of his proscription at Athens and of the sacking and destruction of his whole Country in revenge of that wicked opinion of his Julian the Apostata being overcome of Necromates in battaile The horrible death of Atheists pulled out his owne guts and cast his blood into the aire and so died with miserable yelling Lucian keeping for recreation a kennell of hounds leaving them fast bound and safe when he went out to supper at that supper having spoke much against the truth of God as he came home his dogges ran mad and breaking loose fell upon him and tare him in pieces Appion against whom Iosephus writeth scoffing against the old Testament but especially at the point of circumcision the Lord in that very same place strooke him with ulcers so that he made him a spectacle to all that came after him Machiavels end was in the prison of Florence rotting in pieces Therefore for a conclusion as the heathen men write upon Zenacharibs tombe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whosoever looketh upon me let him learne to be godly so may we conclude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever looketh upon these let him learne to be godly The second station is that God is a rewarder of them that seeke him The second station Gods providence God in regard of his essence is as a stranger to us in a farre Countrey Foure false opinions 1. No providence therefore we must not onely acknowledge his essence but also his providence for denying of his providence is semiatheisme and the Epicures erred in this For though they were by reason compelled to confesse that there was a God yet they said Non curare eum nos that he hath no care of us Then of the providence of God 1. what God is to us the knowledge whereof must be joyned with his essence there be foure branches of opinions 1. That God at no hand medleth but that he hath drawne the Heavens betwixt him and us 2. That God had providence and governement in the beginning of the world but after set his Deputy to rule the world that we should not see what he doth nor he what we doe 2. That there is a providence but of generall things a generall providence rewarder to two causes but not to every particular individuum individuall 3. Grant both these esse etiam
sufficiently sifted They give us money and say it is good but will not suffer us to weigh it 2. If ever there were mulierum fabulae old wives fables 2. It is fabulous it is very like they are in the Alkoran its full of untruths Andreas Maurus not onely a Saracen but also a Bishop of theirs hath set downe 900. untruths out of the Alkoran whereof these be two first 15. chap. Eluiraim that Abraham was the sonne of Lazarus a beggar whereas it is certaine that there are about 3000. yeeres betweene them Secondly 18. section That Mary the mother of Christ was Moses sister whereas there are 1600. yeeres betwixt 3. Doctrine the manner of it it came of the will of man that was captivated wholly to his sence and could goe no further Thirdly their doctrine foolish vulgar carnall altogether belonging to the body there is nothing in it but is visible sensible c. 16. section Mahomet saith he was in Heaven and saw God as an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having the forme of a man but his face he could not see but he felt his hand and that was seven times colder then the Ise Of the Angels that they have bodies and many heads and some of them 70000. heads Of the divels that they were circumcised and being circumcised must needs have bodies Of the Starres chap. 23. that they are nothing else but Candles in a round Glasse hanging downe by chaines And this is the manner of his doctrine 4. The promises of this religion brutish wicked 4. His Promises chap. 35.52.54 His Paradise after this life he maketh of those brutish pleasures of gluttony of leachery c. 5. His doctrine or precepts 65. chap. A plaine indulgencie for swearing and perjury 5. the precepts satanicall And there for a small matter they will sweare and forsweare for revenge and murder chap. 41. non ulcisci injuriam impium it is impious not to revenge an injury For Polygamie and divorcing 3. chap. the practice doth confirme it and the precept is plaine And for Adultery chap. 23. none may accuse one without foure witnesses Every man hath foure wives fifteene Concubines he may have 41. chap. they may couple themselves with beasts and those that doe this are counted the holiest men among them for spoile whatsoever they can get in Via Dei Polygamy hath almost made all the countrey robbers because otherwise they are not able to maintaine their owne wives 6. The miracles false and without witnesses in the way of God as they call it is their owne 16. chap. And that is the cause why there goes none into their dominions unlesse they be well furnished who neverthelesse are then commonly spoyled 6. For his miracles there are some set downe but all without witnesses 92 ch When he was a child being sent into the fields with Cattell for he was a driver of Asses he met with the Angell Gabriel which ript his belly tooke out his heart cut it in two out of the middest of it tooke a lumpe of blacke blood which as he said maketh men to sinne and is the beginner of temptation in man after closed up his heart and did put it into his place againe First there is no such lumpe say all the Anatomists Secondly there cannot be a naturall cause of temptation which is spirituall Secondly being with one of his kinsmen in a faire Moone-shine night his kinsman required this of him that he would cause the Moone to come downe and breake it selfe into two halfes and that the one part might come into one of his sleeves and the other into the other sleeve and come out whole at his brest and so goe up into her place againe and so it did But its marvell that the Astronomers did never misse her out of Heaven and one would thinke it impossible for such a great body to come into such a slender body seeing they have noted the very least Eclyps it was a close miracle betweene him and his cosen 7. It s propagation by force Lastly by what meanes the propagation of his Kingdome came 9. chap. That God delivered him a sword to compell men to his religion if they would not otherwise be brought to it but as before is said unnaturall meanes for truth And so it hath beene his practise alwaies At the first he was of very base condition subject to the falling sicknesse and troubled with divels First he was a servant but afterward by the bignesse and comlinesse of his body after his Masters death married with his Mistresse whom he served before whom he entised by sorcery after was banished by the men of the same City for his evill demeanor Machah his wife and his 15. concubins After that by the helpe of his wifes friends and his parents recovered the City got the rule of the City warred against the King of Scythia to whom they were then in subjection having overcome him by meanes of the negligence of the Emperour Heraclius entering a league of peace with the Emperour and after breaking it got all the Emperours Dominions It prevailed when the world was at the worst when religion was cleane worne out when there were fewest learned men it hath never taken hold of any excellent man The Turke himselfe standeth in awe of the robbers so that he is faine to feed them with money that they might not be troublesome to him either for the gifts of nature art or grace It agreeth not with the proceedings of Christian religion the manner of the proceeding of Christian faith was not by killing but by being killed The effects of their religion in perjury in swearing in murther in sheading of blood of their children and kinsfolkes Some have slaine 17. of their kindred to convey the succession of the Empire to one of their owne in divorces their spoyling about Arabia deserta Last they live in a most servile estate for they can convey nothing to their successours but after their death all is the Turkes Mancipia sunt sui imperatoris 2. Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have a more sure word of prophecie whereunto ye doe well that ye take heed How we know that those Scriptures are the true words of God Men in old time spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Religion is the coupling of relations between God the Creator and man the creature God is provider and man that is the provided for Quod propter aliud pâ—sterius est eo propter quod est That which is for some other thing then for it selfe is posterior to that for which it is as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts Now the fourth is ours That it is to take place before in the other three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of confutation or negatively Now in the fourth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 positively But because the fourth
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle c. God saith to the woman that is the Church that he will give her two wings even the wings of a great Eagle These two wings by the interpretation of the learned are 1. the providence of God 2. His especiall grace Dei providentia in hoc seculo ala una gratia Deispecialis ala Ecclesiae altera The providence of God in this world is the one wing his speciall grace the other wing of the Church As in a wing there is an infinite number of feathers so in each of Gods wings infinite number of particular benefits but especially these three 1. Gods care over us whereby he abaseth himselfe to number the haires of our head to our dough bread c. 2. The use of all his creatures both for necessity and pleasure 3. The gard of his Angels for us base matter wormes compassed about with sinne His providence is thus considered He being a God infinite and eternall yet he considereth to looke upon every particular little thing of ours Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. to our dough our bread Psalm 41. to the turning and making of our bed In the Gospell the number of the haires of our head which we never doe Last of all he hath allotted to us poore wormes an handfull the most excellent guard of his Angels Heb. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation He hath commanded them to waite on us Yea he hath made this goodly Theater and all creatures and hath given them for our use Adeo ut sit inexhaustus fons divinae bonitatis so that the fountaine of the goodnesse of God is inexhaustible For his speciall grace in vouchsafing his sonne to redeeme the world by his death 2. A measure of sanctification and vertue to doe well 3. The outward ministery of his Word and Sacraments are as seales of his promises 4. Revel 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man will heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will suppe with him and he with me Pulsationes spiritus good motions to doe well Generall grace is first preventing 2. Following God bestoweth his benefits on us before we looke for them they are acceptable and accepted by the following The use of his meanes his Word Sacraments and motions of the Spirit the judgements of God Particular grace In particular the good gifts of nature of grace of those among whom we live of whom we have benefit Beside these if we come in particular to weigh every man by himselfe Gods particular graces 1. by bond of nature 2. of charge 3. of friendship in these graces particular we are to consider 1. that God seeing he hath done thus much for us must needs love us 2. That loving us he will command us no other thing then that which is good and profitable for us But adde to those benefits that are promised the promises that are to come Prae his illa nihil sunt in comparison of these those are nothing namely beneficia futura in futuro seculo benefits to come in the World to come The Prophet Esay 64.4 valueth them by the eye eare heart and he denieth that eye hath seene or eare hath heard or that it hath entred into the heart of man to understand those joyes that are for them which seeke him For since the beginning of the World they have not heard nor understood with the eares neither hath the eye seene another God beside thee which doth so to him that waiteth for him The eye may see much for Christ saw all the world 1. Cor. 2.9 The place of Esay recited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The eare can heare many things but the heart can conceive infinite things Therefore the joyes of the World to come must passe infinite being compassed about with the flesh when as yet it was never seene heard nor conceived of any And this is that name which is said Revel 2.17 No man knoweth it but he that receiveth it Revel 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the hidden Manna and will give him a new name written which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it No knowledge of it till we receive it But for some taste of it whereas this Earth and this Heaven is too good for us yet he promiseth that he will make a new Heaven and indeed the uttermost of his power will he shew in heaping joyes and creating anew for those that seeke him so it is proved by manifest demonstration that he will shew the uttermost of his power in increasing our pleasures Therefore this is it that we conceive of it that it is more then we can conceive So that this shall be more then excellent or over-excellent because we are not able to conceive it All this tendeth to this end to stirre up in us a love and if that come we shall finde ease and delight these will diligence and continuance follow And there are but three things to move us to love 1. Pulchritudo the beauty of that we are to love 2. Consanguinitas neerenesse of kindred 3. Beneficentia benefits these make the most savage beasts to love For the excellency of the beauty of the Lord and his house his creatures and the sparkes we have by nature will sufficiently shew us 2. For the neerenesse what greater can be then betweene creature and Creator and then by the second bond of adoption we shall be his sons 1 Sam. 18.18 What am I and what is my life that I should be sonne in law to the King David maketh it a wonderfull great matter to be sonne in law to the King much more to God 3. For Benefits The Asse knoweth the Masters Cribbe and the Oxe the Stall he hath not onely bestowed on those that were before rehearsed but his love was such to mankind that he was faine to have his onely begotten sonne to come downe and die for us And if this move us not then let Jeremies saying take place Obstupescat coelum terra let Heaven and Earth be astonished And thus much to make us willing The second point is in the 10. vers Moreover the Lord said to Moses 2. Point goe to the people and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their clothes and let them be ready on the third day For the third day the Lord will come downe in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai As the first was to make us willing so the second is to make us able and giveth us ability Before in the preface was said Sacta sanctis
saith that then shall be blacknesse of darknesse and that because as it is in Joel 3.15 The Sunne and the Moone shall be darkned and the Starres shall loose their light For the third namely 3. Thunder-claps Thunderclaps 2. Pet. 3.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the day of the Lord will come as a Thiefe in the night in the which the Heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up The beames of the earth shall cracke in pieces And no doubt the noyse of the Heavens passing away of the elements melting of the earth burning must needs be greater then a thunderclap That spectacle both to the eye and eare must needs be much more fearefull then this The effect of this last day not temporall for the other 4. Fire they had a remedy but for this they had none at all 4. For fire It was then but on one simple mountaine Sinai but here it shall be on all the earth this fire was but as the fire in the bush the bush was not a whit consumed by it no more was Sinai by it But our God Heb. 12. v. last is himselfe a consuming fire and such Revel 19.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And her smoke rose up for ever and ever As it shall inflict on us paines for ever so the smoke of it shall ascend forever 5. Earthquake and the flame never be quenched 5. For the shaking of the earth this shall passe that there one mountaine quaked but here both Heaven Earth shall shake Heb. 12.26 27. Whose voice then shooke the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also heaven c. So as that there shall be a manifest moving of them Hag. 2.7 Yet a little while I will shake the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and dry Land Whereas this hill standeth stil as it did before 6. Sound of Trumpet in the wildernesse 6. For the sound of the Trumpet that pierced the eares of the living this shall raise up the dead also Here shall be the Trump of the Archangell That removed not the mount nor the wildernesse but here shall be such a sound that it shal raise the dead And as we compare the circumstances of both so may we compare the effects of both The giving made Moses to shake and tremble but at the requiring againe of it as it is 1 Pet. 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare There shall be a like trembling of all For Justus vix servabitur the righteous scarce shall be saved And as for the unjust they shall smite their knees together and shall cry to the mountaines though in vaine for they cannot be heard to fall on them and to cover them from the face of the just judge Apoc. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they said to the mountaines and rockes fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe So that thus we see by way of comparison that the delivery did in some part answer the requiring of it but the terriblenesse of that day cannot be expressed Let us therefore say as the people to Moses Lord let us heare the ministerie of man Hebr. 12.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore we receiving a Kingdome which cannot be moved Let us have grace whereby we may serve God with reverence and godlinesse for Deut. 33.2 The Lord came from Sinai and rose up from Seir unto them and appeared clearely from mount Paran and he came with 10000. of Saints and at his right hand a fiery law for them No doubt when Christ commeth from Heaven he shall bring with him a fiery law executed with fire and brimstone And thus much for the preparation The use and end of the Law 4. Circumstance THere is yet one thing to be considered namely the use or end of the law which shall be explained out of the circumstances of a proposition of the giving of the law The proposition is Heb. 7.19 Heb. 7.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope by the which we draw nigh unto God The end of the law bringeth two uses 1. It bringeth us to know perfection it selfe 2. It leadeth us to a better thing it is our schoolemaster to Christ 1. For the first though it be a law that carrieth with it the marke of the Law-giver as Solons lawes a marke of their giver to wit mildnesse and Dracoes lawes cruelty and stubbornnesse And that it is Mandatum sanctum a holy commandement in respect of the duties to God Justum just in respect of the duties to other men bonum good in respect of our selves Rom. 7.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandement holy and just and good yet by occasion of transgression and infection it bringeth no perfection with it as may be shewed out of the circumstances 1. Of the place a waste and barren Wildernesse that yeelded no fruit which signifieth that the law should be so barren that it should not yeeld so much as one soule to God Legem non perficere è circumstantiis legis cum traderetur 1. á loco That the law bringeth no perfection appeares from the circumstances of the law when it was delivered 1. From the place Secondly this Agar Galat. 4.25 standeth in Arabia therefore it holdeth of Ishmael the sonne of Agar the bond-woman And the effect and right of bond-men is to be cast out with their children and not to receive the inheritance due to Isaac so those that thinke to bring forth fruit of their owne righteousnesse they are as Ishmael which was borne by nature and not by promise not as Isaac whose birth was supernaturall not consisting in the likenesse of the parents but in the promise and the inheritance is by promise therefore the children of the law because they cannot be perfected by it are to be cast out with their mother Those that seeke to bring forth fruit by their owne nature must be cast forth for the inheritance is not by nature but by promise 3. Againe this mountaine namely Sinai none might ascend into none might touch it but the condition of the Gospell is contrary Sion the hill of grace must be gone up to and many have ascended it Esay 2.3 And many people shall goe and say come and let us goe up into the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach us his waies and we will walke in his paths For the law shall goe forth of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Salvation is from Sion the Law unperfect before it was perfectly delivered 2. A
Lord have spoken it in my zeale when I have accomplished my wrath in them Thou shalt bring thy judgement upon them and they shall know that thou art Iehovah 2. Title Thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy God This is the title of his jurisdiction to which title he hath claime in a double respect 1. Generall 2. Particular Generall Psal 148.5 6. For he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created He hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a Law which shall not be broken So this jurisdiction is over every thing as it is a creature The creatures as they have their law so we see 2 Pet. 3. vers last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him be glory both now and for ever All the creatures have their rule from him Esay 1.2 Heare O Heavens and hearken O Earth for the Lord hath said I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me Deut. 32.1 Hearken O Heavens and I will speake and let the Earth heare my words The creatures of the Lord are called to beare witnesse against Israel that they were breakers of the Law of God But that law or jurisdiction being broken it gave occasion to the second namely the particular which is conditionall 1. God is our Iehovah by covenant Deut. 5. Heare O Israel the Lawes and Ordinances which I propose to you this day that you may learne them and take heed to observe them Audis sum Deus non audis non sum Deus hearest thou I am God hearest thou not I am not God Hereupon saith a Father Audias Deus sum ne audias Deus non sum If thou hearest I am God Ierem. 31.33 if thou dost not heare I am not God Ierem. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people Meum and tuum are relatives But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people He is ours and we are his so long as we keepe his Commandements Deut. 10.14 Behold Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy Gods and the Earth with all that therein is 15. Yet the Lord hath set his delight in thy fathers to love them and did choose their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day In which words Moses telleth the children of Israel a strange thing Behold saith he the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens is the Lords and the Earth with all therein and yet hath he separated thee from the rest even an handfull for so is the Church to make a covenant with thee And this is a marvellous strange mercy of God that when he will be described he will condescend to come into our description He rejecteth all his excellent titles that he might have of his most excellent creatures as the God of Heaven of Earth c. onely to have this his jurisdiction being so vile in nature and so wicked in our workes which is a great argument of his goodnesse to us ward Heb. 11.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now they desire a better Countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City God was not ashamed to be called their God And as one saith very well Conjunxit utilitatem tuam cum gloria sua He hath joyned thy commodity with his own glory So he might better have said Conjunxit gloriam suam cum gloria tua He hath joyned his owne glory with thy glory So will that be verified Psal 144.15 Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 3. Which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt 3. Title c. A title from the last act he did but yet it serveth for a proofe of both the former in two points 1. By their estate in the house of thraldome Their estate was miserable they were servants in the servilest worke that could be they were put to the Furnace to make Bricke Exod. 5. They were in servitude unto their enemies yea to cruell enemies yea in servitude not to be rewarded but to be punished daily They were compelled to worke and yet they had no instrument provided for them for their worke they were faine also to gather their owne straw By his contemptible creatures that the delivery might be more strange and yet nothing of their tale of Bricke that they made before when they had their straw gathered them was diminished They had their children drowned before their eyes every day 2. The delivery with a mighty hand and stretched-out arme out of Egypt most strange in drowning Pharaoh and all his host by a most contemptible creature in the red Sea His two first titles have alwaies stood this last in respect of his last noble act it hath alwaies beene altered First after the worke of his creation he was called God the Creator of Heaven and Earth Secondly after the flood he was called Iah paean i. as was among the heathen Io paean Dominus dispersor aquarum The Lord that scatereth about commandeth the waters To the daies of Abraham 3. Genes 15.7 I am the Lord that brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees to the time of Moses In his time Exod. 3.6 The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob till the delivery out of Egypt here The Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Ierem. 16.14 When God should deliver them from the captivity of the North it is said that the other title should perish and it should be said The Lord that delivered us out of the captivity of Babylon and this lasted till the daies of Christ The last is prophecied of Ierem. c. 23. v. 6. Jehovah justitia nostra God our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 For Christ is become to us righteousnesse Gal. 1.8 The Father of Christ Now this great benefit being not full six weekes before the delivery of the law it must needs sticke greatly in their minds and now they being in the wildernesse where they were wholy to depend on the safegard of God so that in regard of Memoria recentis beneficii spe◠jamjam futuri the memory of a new received mercy and the hope of a future as also the place where they could rest nothing on themselves that was both a fit time and place to give the law in So that seeing the Law could not well be given in Egypt for they had evill will to goe thence nor in Canaan for there they murmured against God it was most fitly given here For their delivery was not that they should be
which is a greater miracle then any of the other so grant we must a miracle whether we will or no. Such were the Prophets and Apostles for they wrought such workes as no man else could worke seeing they came from God These warrant us that these men that is the Prophets and Apostles they came from God and God hath spoken to us by them Now whether we be able to performe these things Luke 1.37 with God nothing is impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both for his knowledge power and will for so he saith Mat. 19.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with men this is unpossible but with God all things are possible and the reason is if it were not so there must needs be a want in his knowledge for every impotency it is for want of abilitie of knowledge but for his knowledge Heb. 4.15 all things are naked to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto his eyes For his Power Esay 59.1 his hand is not shortned it is able to reach to all and that we may see out of Numb 11.23 where God promising flesh enough for all the Host We see Moses his unbeliefe insomuch as he said Shall all the Fish of the Sea bee gathered together or all the Beasts of the Field come together and God saith ver 23. Is the Lords hand shortned thou shalt see now whether my words shall come to passe or no to thee The order Lastly for his Will that in Lament 3.25 The Lord is good to them that trust in him and to the soule that seeketh him A Father Scioposse scio scire cuperem velle I am perswaded of the Power and Knowledge of God but it is his Will I stick at 1. Faith Heb. 11.1 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance of those things that are hoped for and the ground evidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or demonstration of those things that are not seene Both words argue the great necessity of the Order of it If it be a substance it is to be handled first or if it be not the whole substance but the first part yet it commeth first to be handled For in totis ordinatis in all things where there is Order as Religion hath an order the first part dicitur substantia reliquarum is said to be the substance of the rest as the substance of an house is in the foundation of a ship in the sterne of a tree in the root Col. 1.23 it is compared to a Foundation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if ye continue grounded in the faith Col. 1.23 to a root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rooted in the faith and there is a Shipwrack of our faith as 1 Tim. 1.19 and consequently it is compared to the sterne of Ship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Argumentum or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first Principle Rom. 4.14 if the Law stand still in effect then faith is voyde and then the principle of Religion is denyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1 Cor. 15.17 If Christ be not risen then is your faith vaine making faith the first Principle And this for the Order Necessitas fidei There is a further thing to be considered in Faith that is the necessity of it That is necessary without which nothing can be done of a Christian man Faith is a diffused thing every where a Cor. 1.24 if we stand it is by Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for by faith yee stand 2 Cor. 5.7 if we walke we walke by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we walke by faith and not by sight 1 Cor. 7.37 if we sit it is our seat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he that standeth firme in his heart c. or Rom. 14.23 whatsoever we doe if we have not faith it is sinne and in this respect Faith is called mater obedientiae the mother of obedience because all duties arise out of it at every thing that it apprehendeth it bringeth forth a new Vertue Luther hath a saying and if it be taken in a good sense it is true That in Faith all the Law is fulfilled before we have fulfilled any part thereof or worke of it in act And therefore in regard of this great necessity it pleased God to cast away the great names of the jolly wise men of the world and Philosophers 1 Cor. 1.19 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. for seeing the world knew not God in the wisedome of God it hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to save them that beleeve Prima â—â—x christians credo and to entitle his flock onely by the name of Faithfull And Eusebius Emissenus hath a good reason for it for the first word of a Christian is Credo I beleeve which maketh a Christian If we be not faithfull we are unbeleevers and God giveth us no other name then that he is contented to take to himselfe 2 Cor. 1.18 Fidelis Deus God is faithfull and his sonne Heb. 12.2 is in no other sense called Author fidei finitor fidei the author and finisher of our Faith 1. Tim. 3.1 4.9 his word is called Sermo fidelis a true or faithfull saying This inchoatio visionis is begunne in this life and performed by faith and in the same place 1 Tim. 4.6 Sermo fidei and Rom. 10.8 Verbum fidei the word of Faith Gal. 6.10 the Church is called the Houshould of Faith Jam. 5.15 Prayer is called the Prayer of Faith Rom. 4.11 the Sacraments are called the Seales of Faith The kingdome of Heaven being compared to a marriage So we see it goeth cleane through all duties * * * Every good duty in this life is an inchoation of the blessednesse in the life to come And not only this but also that which was said in knowledge may be said of Faith for knowledge is for faith That it is the beginning of our blessednesse John 20.29 the faith without sight blessed are they that see not The necessity of the Negative The reason of the necessity why it should be so punished for else woe make God a lyer and yet beleeve Hosea 2.20 there is a fit similitude to expresse this God likening the knowledge that we shall have to a Marriage and the knowledge that we have now to Espousing as the inchoation and certainty of marriage is in sponsalibus in true espousals When hands are given so our sponsalia espousals are in fide in Faith therefore it is said Mar. 16.16 that qui non crediderit condemnabitur he that will not beleeve shall be damned And as it is John 3.18 it is not differred but the sentence is gone on him Et quanto major tanto migis expetit the greater any one is the more tender is he of his word he is already condemned Then we may conclude
with that Heb. 11.6 that without faith it is impossible to please God And the reason why God dealeth thus streitly with them that beleeve not for there is no man but desireth this to be credited To argue that the Princes word must be so stedfast as if that no other disgrace or dammage might come to him but the breaking of his word yet in that respect he is to stand to his word The honourable man thinks the venturing of his honour sufficient for his credit the Prince his word if there be such majesty in an earthly Prince then much more in the word of God not only giving his word but also sweaâ—ing writing sealing pledging c. as you have heard before and the greater person he is the more he desireth it as a private man would be credited upon his honesty a man of greater state upon his Worship or Honour the Prince upon his own word Teste me ipso witnesse my selfe and if on any of these offers credit were denyed to any of these they would thinke great discourtesie offered them If there be a God he must set himselfe higher then a Prince and consequently he may with greater right say teste meipso witnesse my selfe because he is above all Job saith none dare say to a wicked Prince Impius es much lesse to a good Prince and least of all can any say it to God Especially seeing he ads on his part that it is true 1 John 3.33 If ye beleeve signastis quod Deus est verus you have set to your seale that God is true and on the contrary 1 Joh. 5.10 Qui non crediderit facit Deum mendacem he that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyar and there can be nothing more to Gods disgrace then to say that he is a lyar Bernard upon that sine fide impossibile est placere Deo without faith it is impossible to please God Quomodo potest placere Deo cui non placet Deus how can he please God saith he that is not pleased with God that likes not of him And this is for the necessity and end of Faith Unbeliefe forbidden Now we come to our Rules As we have seene the Affirmative and what is commanded so we must see the Negative and what is forbidden Here is forbidden first Unbeliefe Ephes 5.1 it is a note of the reprobate to be the children of unbeliefe whether it be a proud imagination of our owne reason as Habac. 1. ver 5. saith or in contempt or any other wretchednesse that notwithstanding the forbidding of it yet in carelesnesse the world is like to grow to be Scepticks and to come to this that Machiavell holdeth God punisheth unbeliefe by it selfe Non curandum quid boni credat sed quid faciat it matters not what our beleife is if our actions be good And it is thus punished 2 Thes 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye If thou any way reject the truth thou shalt be given over and beleeve a lye Because they beleeved not Christ when he came in his Fathers name one shall come in his owne name and shall prevaile and they shall beleeve him So in our age those that would not cleave to the truth shall be given over to untruths in this World and for the world to come And so the promises of God they shal see them performed in this life albeit in the life to come thy shall have no communication that punishment shall befall them which is 2 King 7.19 when the Prince on whose hand the King leaned would not beleeve the Prophet prophecying of great plenty of victuals though the Lord should make windowes in Heaven the Prophet said to him Videbis sed non gustabis thou shalt see it but shalt not tast of it So they shall see the glory of God and their children after them but they shall have no tast of it 2. A scanty measure of faith forbidden And as unbeliefe is forbidden so also a scant measure of faith is forbidden when a man doth partly beleeve but it is mingled with many doubts Rom. 12.3 there is mention of a measure of faith and if we want that we are not of the faithfull Mat. 8.10 verily I say to you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel Mat. 15.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must pray for faith and I 〈…〉 when â—is setled ad 〈…〉 then bring it to the measure O woman great is thy faith there is a great faith and Mat. 14.31 Christ to Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt here is a little faith Luke 17.5 there is a prayer made by the Apostles to the Lord for the increase of Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord increase our faith and this is if we have faith if we have it not then in Mark 9.24 Credo Domine adjuva incredulitatem meam Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleife We must first pray to God to helpe it Secondly to increase it The reason of the quantity why it must come to a measure If it be not in some measure it will not be able to hold fast as Heb. 11. the quantity we see is not great no greater then a graine of Mustardseed Luke 17.6 It is Roman 14.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let every one have a full assurance a full resolution The Interpreters thinke it is a metaphor taken from a Ship This is our power and our strength 1. against Satan 2. against the world that commeth with full sailes Our strength it is of God Ephes 6.16 there is commended unto us a speciall defence against the Devill and his firy darts scutum fidei the shield of faith against the World 1 John 5.4 This is your victorie wherewith ye overcome the World Fides vestra even your faith Against the Flesh 1 Thes 5.8 the Apostle willeth us to be sober and to put on loricam fidei the breast-plate of Faith And no marvaile that faith is a thing of so great might and hath such strength seeing the Apostle maketh the strength of the Sacraments to come by Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who through faith subdued Kingdomes Heb. 11.33 c. beside that which we see Matth. 14.29 It prevailes with things above nature as also in things naturall Peters faith made his body so light and brought it to such a temper that he walked on the sea and sunke not and that Mark 6.5 that except faith be his power is restrained not but that he can worke miracles but that he hath so compounded it and as this was to prove the concurrence of Faith with the mercy of God so he ascribeth the strength of all the Sacraments to Faith Christ could not worke any more miracles because of their unbeliefe so that it seemeth by Gods owne ordinance that he must have helpe
the land of promise this to that part of the land that is beyond Iorden and the other to that on this side where Ierusalem and Sion stood And for amor gratuitus the love that aimes not at reward as Bernard saith though it be gratuitus yet Deus nunquam sine praemio diligitur tametsi sit sine intuitu praemii diligendus Our love to God shal not be unrewarded though we should love withoutâ— respect to the reward and so they beginne I love because I have received But Rom. 9.3 there is a strange end of it where the Apostle respected his owne commodity so little that he wished himselfe accursed that the glory of God might shine to the salvation of Israel This distinction is profitable that we may know we are not in the state of reprobates though we love not God propter se meerely for himselfe Vsius ameris the use of this love Now we come to the use of this love there is a chap. 1 Cor. 13. to end where he plainely sheweth the necessity of it he setteth it down thus If a man for his knowledge were an Angel and for his Faith were able to remove mountaines and for his liberality had given away all that he had and had left himselfe nothing and for his constancie had endured Martyrdom yet they should not prevaile they should bee nothing except he had the love of God with him and in the end of the same chap. there is a singular commendation of it though not to shew the necessity of it yet it may be a great motive to love Faith hope and love it is the greatest of the three if we take it in quantity it is the greatest both for the breadth and for the length for whereas faith and hope consist in the bounds of mans person and in singular men this spreadeth abroad and reacheth to God and man and in man to our selves and to others and in others to our friends and even to our enemies Austin Beaâ—us qui te amat amicum in te inimicum properte Blessed is he that loveth thee O Lord and his friend in thee and his enemy for thee And this for the breadth Now for the length whereas the other are in us but in the forme of a lease but for the term of our life the gift of charity shall be even as a freehold and continue for ever in Heaven In these respects and of that honourable place that Christ and God vouchsafe it is that of our Saviour Matth. 22.40 saying all the Law and the Prophets make two heads and both these are love and Saint Paul Rom. 13.9 11. maketh but one head of all and calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulfilling and abtidgment of all and that in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt love thy neighbour c. Iohn 13.34 it is called mandatum novum a new Commandement admitting that though all the old Commandements were cancelled yet we have it in the new Commandement and 1 Iohn 2.7 it is but the old Commandement for both the old and the new are all one there is in the old and the new Diliges thou shalt love But that which goeth beyond these and which imposeth a necessity in this that whereas all other before spoken as faith hope c. or that shall be spoken as patience c. none of them are mutuall nay they are not in God at all and when as he dealeth in them we are not to answer him as hee dealeth with us if he promise or threaten we must not likewise promise or threaten but here in this there is muâ—ua vicissitudo a mutuall vicissitude if God love us we must love him againe and therefore most necessary Gregory saith Magnum est vinculum charitatis que ipse Deus ligari se voluit strong is the bond of love seeing God himselfe will be bound with it this affection saith Bernard Solus triumphat de Deo doth onely get the victory over God and as he also saith Nescio quid magis dici debeat in laude tua O charitas I know not what can be spoken more in thy praise divine love then that thou hast brought God out of heaven into earth and hast lift up man from earth into heaven hominem Deo reconciliasti Deum homini pacasti Therefore as on this side we are to consider how willing God is that this should grow in us so now we must consider what is on Gods behalfe performed to stirre us up unto it The Heathen say magnes amorisamor nothing is more effectual to move love then to love and therfore that is it that continually is first set down on Gods part i. where the love of God is beaten on that on Gods part is set first which how great it is it appeareth by nothing more then that of Bernard he in his booke de diligendo Deo sets it down in these six quod nos 1. prius dilexit 2. tantus 3. tantillos 4. tales 5. tantum 6. gratis For the first the Priority 1 Iohn 4.10 herein is that love Prior. Prius not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes and vers 19. We love him because he lved us first for our prior it was his love because he loved us first Aug. Nulla est major ad amorem invitatiâ— quam praevenire amando nimis enim est darus animus qui etsi noluit impendere noluit rependere no more kindly atractive in love then in loving to prevent for exceeding stony is that heart which though it like not to love first will not love againe neither neither first nor second For the second â— Tantus tantus the greatnesse of his love and the consideration thereof Aug. saith in the same place tantus ut non liceat conaridicere quantus it is so great that it is not possible to say how great For the third 3. Tantillos tantillos for our estate he loved us when wee were wormes our smalnesse is set downe Rom. 9.11 applied to Iacob and Esan and to all that are elect Cum nondum essemus when as yet we were not we cannot be smaller then so not to be at all and yet he loved us even before we were For the fourth 4. Tales Tales what we were Rom. 5.10 he loved us when we were his enemies we estranged our selves so farre from him that we served his very enemy For the fifth 5. Tantum Tantum i. for the exceedingnesse of it we may say as we said before but yet we have great light in the Scriptures God being not willing that it should be buried The Fathers upon Iohn 3.13 Sic Deus dilexit mundum c. So God loved the world to that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So saith Chrysostome a man may put all the adverbs that will set up a comparison in the highest degree Patru
conclusion to set downe that when all the world have forsaken God therefore to love God the more this is the nature of the worldly man while there is a liking his liking goeth with other mens liking but when a man can continue his affection so that his love is when others mislike and the more a thing is hated the more he will love it this is a good signe 6 If we can say as the Church saâ—â—h Câ—nt 8 7. Mâ—ch water cannot quench love neither can the flouds drowne it if a man should give al the substance of his hâ—use for love they would greatly contemne it that it is strâ—nger then death i. when any affliction commeth it is stronger then it He that loveth for his owne commodity feareth â—est the quantity of that he loveth be diminâ—shed In concuâ—iscence quo quis vult lâ—men suuâ—n there the fewer the better but in bâ—no â—â—â—â—â—lâ—niiae in quo vult vâ—lle attâ—â—tus there we wish that all had him Deus omnibus eo inunis cuique tâ—tus 6. The last signe is out of Cant. 8.7.8 that the true love can abide triall and false love cannot abide it the Heathen man saith falsus amor inde fugit unde probatur false love will not stand the triall but when water cannot quench it nor fire consume it and we can bee contented to foregoe all and our jealousie can wrestle with death and the grave and overcommeth them then we may say as Christ saith Iohn 15.13 greater love then this cannot be The sixth precept As we must our selves love God so likewise we must be desirous to bring others to his love and here appeareth the difference betweene amor mercenarius gratuitus that love which is mercenary and that which is free for in the former because a man seeketh his own profit he is loth that another should love that that he loveth and have any part with him lest by the communicating of that thing to other it should be restrained to himselfe thereof commeth jealousie but in the other where our owne commodity is not sought where we wish not our owne good but good to him whom we love for himselfe there is a desire to communicate all the good things we have so as that all men may have them in commune so they that love God would bring all men to love that they love for it selfe and yet all in whole Ps 31.24 the Prophet shewing his good mind in this point i. he desired to draw all to the love of God Ps 31.26 O love the Lord all ye his Saints c. As on the contrary Psal 139.21 that is also a signe of love Lord doe not I haue them that hate thee Yea I hate them with a perfect haired as though they were mine enemies and had done me injury Psal 94.16 he to draw all men into the hatred of the Lords enemies there his challenge is Who will rise up with me against the wicked or who will take my part against the evill doers and as he would take part himselfe against them so he laboured that others would joyne with him The second principall signes as proper effects of love are obedienâ—â— patience Obedientia Obedience there is no saying of all the Fathers of greater use then that of Gregory Probatio dâ—lectionis exhibitio est operis and that indeede is a true signe of love when it worketh for the Will being inflamed with this affection and having the government of all the parts and powers of the body and minde necessary it is that wheresoever desire in the Will taketh hold it must elicere motum cause motion as if a man be given to the love of wine that love kindleth in him a desire to have it and that desire doth elicere motum that he may work and earne so much money and after still he worketh to get a vessell or bottle till he may have that too This active part doth depend thus of love Iohn 14.15 If you love me as Christ said to Peter Lovest thou me Feede my sheepe shew it by your obedience keepe my Commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 if a man obey not he is so farre from love that he doth not know God Obedience the proper effect of love among them that are unequall but not equall We must understand that where the parties are equall betweene whom love is that mutuall affection is called amicitia friendship but where one party is superiour there they are not called friends though the Prince on her part and good will call other so but they properly call it observantiam observance the very naturall actus wherof is obedience Iohn 15.15 Christ calleth us his friends and by the nearest names of consanguinity Matth. 12.49 yet Paul and the rest of the Apostles presumed not upon those titles but acknowledged this observantia and in the beginning of their Epistles and writings entitled themselves the servants of God and of Jesus Christ Rom. 6.16 Paul saith Looke whom ye obey his servants ye are so of this duty this is the perfect signe of obedience The order of the petitions sheweth the end of the Commandements and so consequently in regard of this glory that God hath by our obedience Now the applying of obedience to the end of the Commandement in our petitions that is first that Gods name may be hallowed and glorified How if he be a King and if he beare rule over us how shall this Kingdome and rule be established if we fulfill his will here in Earth as his Angels doe in Heaven and so is his name glorified And it is so necessary as that Gen. 2.17 God for his glory appointed in Paradise the obedience of Adam when he was in that state and therefore ordained a Commandement that he should not eate of the tree of knowledge that in the obedience of that prescript his glory might be shewed The manners of the gâ—ory of God two The glory of God commeth either directly from us to him or by others from us Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me this is for every one that is for the first glorifying But being not content with this Matth. 5.16 God will have glory of us both mediately and immediatly Jam. 2. So let your light shine that other men seeing your good workes may glorifie your Father for your sakes there is that by other he may be glorified for us which is the second justification the first is to him by faith alone but the other before men by such workes as God may be glorified by them and so other by them reconciled to God this glory commeth to God Now for manners Augustin Si mores Christianorum sint amabiles neque quicquam facit bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores for amor male inflammans timor male humilians If the manners of Christians be any way amiable we must
it or not As after this of the Apostles Matth. 26.40 some departed nay all left him some forswore him this measure of apostasie is to be feared But howsoever it standeth in respect of Gods punishments and mercies yet the former reasons doe condemne it but especially Luke 24.32 The heart rightly affected is ARDENS COR and a Father saith It is not possible that Sub gravi Oculo should be a burning heart Againe seeing every sinne is to bee weighed and esteemed In primo partu prima poena as of disobedience in Adam Murther in Cain unlawfull marriage in the old World Pride in Sodome so in the New Testament unreverent hearing punished in Eutiches Acts 20. vers 9. and in the Apostles that after it forsooke their Master And this is the second signe The third is that our hearts be present Many there be that outwardly watch yet their gesture testifieth to all that looke on them that they are praesentes absentes Where the heart is absent it is impossible but that the outward members should give a signe of his absence If we have Cor fatui Eccles 7.6 it will be in the house of mirth the minde runneth on the place where his sport lyeth and so as Prov. 15.7 14. Non dilatabit scientiam non quaerit scientiam as the wise heart doth which doth not let knowledge passe but Eccles 21.14 the inner parts of a foole are like a broken vessell they can keepe no knowledge it runneth out as fast as it is powred in the wise not so Eccles 21.17 They inquire at the mouth of the wise man in the Congregation and ponder his words in their heart That the fooles heart is such as ante will be testified by some signe Proverbs 17.24 by having his eye in all quarters and corners not as they Luke 4.20 that fastned their eyes nor an eye searching out the places of Scripture Acts 17.11 and his hands and feet will tell you that he is not present Proverbs 6.13 And when he heareth his fault reproved it is but a laughing matter Proverbs 14.9 to behave himselfe in this sort Patrare scelus hoc And it is nothing to heare except we looke how we heare and be attentive Luke 8.18 or be affected as Lydia was Acts 16.14 To give an eare is nothing but to give a wise eare Proverb 18.15 and 3.13 and happy is he that speaketh to a wise and understanding eare Proverbs 25.12 it is compared to a golden earing The foolishnesse of the eares of this Generation is such that you shall see the same attention given to him that giveth out a sort of words as to him that telleth us the message of God It is a sore plague and often repeated in the Scriptures Esay 6.10 a fearefull place repeated by Christ Matthew 13.15 Mark 13.12 Luke 8.10 John 12.40 Acts 28.26 Rom. 11.8 beside three times in the Prophets Give this people an heavy eare that they may heare and not heare give them a fat heart This is the extremity of his wrath and a heavy curse and so to be accounted If it be true and the heathen could say Pietas non est vultu laedenda sive serio sive simulate then our owne reason will lay on us an hard rule of framing our gesture when haec pietas is in place The fourth That we talke not in the time for that is cleane opposite unto it not to allow unto it so much as silence Preacher 4.17 When yee come into the house be ready to heare and not to offer the sacrifice of fooles to prate and talke Joh 29.21 If I spake every man gave eare and there was not a word a note of reverence in them for if any man should turne from us to talke with another whilest we tell him a tale wee will thinke hee maketh little regard of us and that is to offer the Sacrifice of fooles Zephe 1.7 When the Lord speaketh let all the earth give eare and keepe silence and he speaketh when his messenger speaketh for that Qui vos audit me audit therefore Deus loquitur And the Fathers say that that place is taken out of Esay 32.17 Cultus justitiae silentium So in the primitive Church the first word was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is out of Paul Act. 13.16 he made silence with his hand The fifth not to depart from it till it be done and ended set downe Exod. 33.11 and may be gathered out of Tit. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said there of Joshuah that hee dealt faithfully in the Lords service because he departed not Used in Psalm 119.118 they had a relation to the departing out of the Congregation when the Law was a reading As preaching is the speaking of God to us so prayer is a speaking of us to God We pray that hee would heare us Psalm 30. and 38. Goe not farre from us O Lord Why then should we goe farre from him The Law is equall as we deale with God Psalm 130. so will he deale with us and if we be attentive to him he will be attentive to our complaint and so there shall be talio Psalm 38.21 we shall have occasion to say Goe not from me O Lord Why then goe not from him forsake him not Else when we say Quare dereliquisti me Domine he will say againe Serve mi quare dereliquisti me that sentence Discedite à me Mat 25.41 shall be a punishment for them that goe farre from him here in this kingdome of grace where he is willing to keepe them In the primitive Church from the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none might depart for the punishment of it was no lesse then Excomunication Concil 4. Carthag 24. so that none might goe out till the end The fourth Rule the meanes The first in Eccles 4. ver last well considered and with it Heb. 12.22 25 28. These by meditation well digested before the service of God Take heed to thy feet when thou entrest into the house of God Give not the sacrifice of fooles Be not hasty In the other place Ye are not come to the Mount that might not be touched but to Mount Sion c. Despise not him that speaketh He maketh it more to come to the Church then to the Mount Secondly to consider that the Angels are present among us 1 Cor. 11.10 and 1 Pet. 1.12 the Doctrine of the Gospell is such as the Angels of Heaven desire to behold Therefore if they see any not to esteeme it which they so much esteeme shall they not be ministers of Gods wrath c therefore the Angels presence another meanes Thirdly we live to glorifie God by our worke and how shall we doe that if we heare not Ut audies ita facies for glorification commeth from instruction and instruction from hearing Fourthly but if you put too Ut audies ita audieris of God and men it may be a fourth meanes therefore
that they wondred at it John 7.15 it is sure that Christ was learned in all and taught so After Christs instruction it was necessary 1 Tim. 1.13 to keep the true patterne 1. Cor. 4.13 to teach it and read it verse 14. to write it and Mat. 23.24 to meditate it to shew our progressus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to make our fruit knowne to all men 1 Tim. 4.5 1 Cor. 6.5 to be Wise and Learned and Paul denieth not of himselfe 2 Cor. 11.6 and Festus confesseth of him Acts 26.24 For though Peter and John were unlearned men yet Luke and Marke were learned when Christ chose them And the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or free gifts are five Charismata doctoris quinque 1. Of Nature 2. Doctrine 3. Education 4. Exercise 5. Laying on of hands After in the Primitive Church when they were all moved against it Acts 13.1 it removed to Antioch and there were learned men and thence to Alexandria where Mark was cheife whence it were easie to bring it to us For the duty of the Teacher Offic. doctoris The Teachers duty Christ chose but one out of three so he must know and choose them that be fit for this as Lucas would discerne Joseph to be fit for a Nazarite For all be not apart Luke 10.13 so there must be a choice in the behalf of this Teacher For there must be a Cephas as Peter Mat. 16.22 in that he gave counsell and in his courage and willingnesse to heare of his Fault Gal. 2. And James and John were called the sonnes of Thunder Luke 9.14 And this is such a name as hath in it some signe and such as Job 23.33 Unus inter mille one of a thousand And thus a choice must be in the behalfe of the Teacher and the Learner The Learners duty Of the Learner for as Zach. 13.5 such as acknoweldge themselves neither to be Prophets nor sonnes of Prophets For Pro. 17. what should cost be bestowed on them that are not apt Pro. 26.1 And he that teacheth those Dolts is as if he should lift up a lame man from the ground for he will fall againe Therefore as Plato would have those that are to be of the Schoole or Common-wealth to be either Gold or Silver at the least for Pro. 27.2 and Jer. 6.28 they turned his bellowes and wearied his arme because they were but Brasse so that in vaine he melted them therefore Esay 28.9 Quem docebo Whom shall I teach knowledge Not such as must have precept upon precept and be ever in the Principles but those that can take stronger meates And if they cannot doe thus then must Zacharie say they are more fit to be Husbandmen The Popes opinion for choyce The Popes opinion of this choice which they have in the Canon is thus That it is better 〈◊〉 strict in it then otherwise for it is better to be a wiseman in the Church or Common-wealth without this dignity then to be foole with it The neglect of this choice Mal. 2. to take into this place of Prophecie all that commeth was the cause why the Sunne was darkened For thus the Prophets became Bardi stupid blockheads Jer. 23.13 without common sense o◠it Thus Prophecie faileth and so the people perish Signa eligendorum The signes of such as are to be chosen There be therefore three signes of them that are to be chosen Pro. 16.7 First in the Ant is noted a naturall quality to provid without gaine which is called Solertia the duty of the active part of understanding together of it selfe As we see many of the Fathers Ambrose c. were very wonderfull men this way The second is 2 Kings 4.29 Docilitas To be able to conceive which is the duty of the passive part of the understanding to have cor latum a dilated heart to conceive so that Solertia the active part of the understanding may have matter to be occupied in Thirdly Eccles 11.6 Instanter operari to take paines which made Paul more excellent then all So that we have that cor latum and solertiam with this diligence to shew both at morn and at even and never to rest then are we fit to be chosen If we have not these there will rise between the Teacher and the Scholer Difficultas quaedam quae arguit errorem some kind of difficulty and consequently errour And if there be so in this first step it is like the errour in the first concoction which cannot be holpen by those that follow So for all that follow we must presuppose that the choice is made aright Then seeing some things have outward principles as res artificiosae things artificiall some inward as naturall things and some both as health And that these that are done extraordinarily are done without these Principles sometimes as health procured by nature it selfe without medicine so is Prophecie extraordinarily gotten without teaching And as in medicine it addeth nothing to nature but ministreth to it and helpeth it so teaching addeth nothing to the internall Principles of Prophecy that is the light of our hearts but helpeth it This light is that which John 1.9 is in every man and this teaching helpeth it by sensible things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and similitudes as by bringing conclusions into or by the right disposing of the medicine So that to make knowne that which is unknowne and bring to order that which is confused is the effect of Teaching Generally then for mutuall duties Mutua doctores discipuli officia Mutuall duties of Teacher and Scholer First we must be perswaded that this lumen this light commeth from God and therefore we must goe to Heaven for it Psalm 36.9 in lumine tuo lumen videbimus in thy light shall we see light c. 2 Cor. 4.6 his light must shine into our hearts And the way to this is prayer Psalm 6. toto and Psalm 119.66 Teach thou me c. Secondly we must have regard to the Commandement wherein it is that is his Law that is fuller of all knowledge and in better manner then all the works of the Heathen Thirdly we must Ephes 5.14 wake out of sleep that is sinne for wisedome will not come in cor malevolum into a heart malevolent by the avoyding of which the Fathers were farre more excellent then we in all their meditations though they had not so good meanes as we Thus as Aug saith there must be magister intus a teacher within us which Esay 30.27 stands behind us and tels us when we are right without which our study and care is bootlesse The Teachers duty Particular duties First of the Teachers set downe wholly Pro. 22.10 20. to make known to them to write it for them to counsell them in the practise of it But particularly this is done First by parables as did both Balaam and Moses and Matth. 13.3 by sensible things make knowne such things as are more removed
a Scholer then the other Proverbs 26.16 It is incident to those that are nothing but Lumpes enformed by abuse that thinkes himselfe wiser then seven that can give a reason The conclusion of this part seeing Eccl. 7. there is a time to be silent and a time to speake the first is when he is a learner And Christ was conversant in hearing and inquiring not setting downe Positions of his owne so we must not be such as are conceited of their owne wisedome but such in whom wisedome doth dwell We must be humble contra Pro. 5.13 when a man will not heare his teachers he shall after say How hath my owne conceit rent mee in peeces as a mad Bull how hath it brought mee to nothing 3. Duty of the Teacher Come to the third It is tueri to defend according to the name of Tutors practised by Christ Mat. 9.14 and Mat. 12.2 15.2 defending his Disciples and thereby shewing that in every matter wherein they transgressed not he would stand with them Scholers duty The first duty answering this in regard of defence God saith The Nazarites Numb 6.14 15. shall bring besides every one what he is able 1 Sam. 1.22 Anna carryeth up her Sonne and three Bullocks c. that she might not be chargeable to Elie. 1 Sam. 9.7 Shall we come to the Prophet and bring him nothing was Sauls care when he went up to Samuel So Luke 2.29 we read the entertainment of Christ by Levi. Matth. 8.14 by Peter and likewise of a counsell that was held against the Hereticks fratricelli where it was concluded against them that Christ lived of his Stipend and not of begging as they make him and so of his Disciples and hee had of his owne and Judas had the Bagge The second duty is to minister to them 1 Sam. 2.11 Samuel to Elie coram Domino before the Lord 1 Kings 19.21 Elisha though elder then Elias yet ministred to him and 2 Kings 3.11 powred water on his hands the like we have in the Gospell of John towards our Saviour So Mat. 11.2 he sent two of his Disciples of his errand Mat. 26.17 he sent two of his Disciples to prepare him the Passeover Mar. 3.10 to provide him an Asse to ride on c. Iohn 4.8 to provide meat for his Dinner Thirdly there must be that resultans officium So Iohn 19.27 he chargeth some of his Disciples that were best able with the maintaining of his mother and more after his death they brought odours c. for his buriall Mat. 14.12 Iohns Disciples did the like and more they spake of him with praise and a perpetuall memory of him Luke 24.19 He was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people Therefore they must not be forgotten after death Death must not end the duty to them But there is another duty that is though we be not in charge to them if he be in the roome and calling of a Prophet we are bound to owe honour unto him and so 1 Sam. 9.6 as Sauls servant honoured Samuel so eo nomine as he is a Prophet he is to be accounted of them that bee not under his charge an honourable man as Gamaliel Acts 5.34 and this being performed 1 Tim. 2.2 we shall have men faithfull and such as are able to teach others that is the University shall bring forth such as shall be fit for the Church or Common-wealth The end of the erection of Schooles The end of the erection of Schooles is to bring forth men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to teach 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 able to governe the first in the Church the later in the Common-wealth first of the former The Ministers of the Church First they are called Fathers both ab Ecclesia Dei by the Church of God 1 Cor. 4.15 and also even among the Irreligious Judges 27.12 and after that cap. 18.19 And because as before all paternitie that is cometh from Christ and there was no other Fatherhood in him but only that he was the only Priest and Prophet of the New Testament reserving that that was before in the beginning said that God because he is fons omnis boni the fountaine of all good he must needs have this quality of goodnesse to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communicative and make others partakers of it which was the cause of the creation of the World even as it is called the Mysticall incorporation and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that coelestiall policie is partaker of all that goodnesse and glory that God hath The earth made for man with his three divisions Now God purposing to make this created World with the three divisions in it 1. Heaven as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His place of reward 2. Earth as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His work-house 3. Hell as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His prison To the end that men exercising here in the place of worke as they receive grace and increase the talent given them so they might be rewarded either with blisse in Heaven or damnation in Hell So the earth and all that is in it being a place of exercise All things made for the Church was made for the Church and Heaven for reward For this cause hath he ordained the whole World and consequently these former paternities the naturall to beget holy seed and all oeconomicall for education and this last the Fatherhood of the Families of the Prophets for instructing and making them fit for the principall paternitie to the worke of the Ministery So that those that follow are nothing else but Pales and Railes for the Church to make that this worke may the better goe forward In Ephes 4.12 is this order set downe All that Christ did his comming downe suffering c. all was first for the gathering of the Saints which was to be effected secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the worke of the Ministery and then the third to build them up in the knowledge of faith and vertues ver 13. they being 1 Pet. 2.5 living stones and consequently partakers of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the growth ver 13. unto the stature of Christ to be coupled with him here by a spirit and after in Heaven by presence This is the great work of all because it had all other works ordained for it 1 Cor 3.21 And so because ye boast in men ye labour your selves in vaine all things are yours Paul Apollos Cephas the World c. speaking to the Church that yee might be Christs Christ Gods and so consequently that union performed spoken off Eph. 4 1◠Then we see the institution and ordaining of and withall the end of all those that take on them to be these Fathers and so we see what we are to thinke of their worke There is nothing more plaine then this that both Families and Schooles and Common-wealths and the whole World was created to the worke
hath a monstrous end or that it returneth to the naturall end Sâ—â—â—us râ—spectu Deâ— For the scope or aime that God the Law-giver had in this Commandement that after a mans chastity or purenesse which pertaineth to his Essence is principally his wealth And that as Iames the principall effect that he accounteth is his mercie and doing good And in this point Luke 6.35 that in respect of God himselfe the end is we should be like him in mercie and doing well and furthering the good of our neighbours â— Raueâ—â— Fâ—ctesiae Then secondly for the Church Because the end in regard of the Church 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timothee serva depositum keepe that which is committed to thy trust unto the end Chrysost Not onely Timothy had a depositum but every man whether it be learning strength or art it is his depositum and is therefore put into his hands that he may employ it to the benefit of the whole body as 1 Cor. 12. The sight is not received for the eye alone but for all the body that there may be a communion of Saints For when goods are detained there is an interverting and defrauding So the communion of Gods Saints is the end of this depositum for this cause given of God to the Church For the Common-wealth 1 Cor. 6.6 It is not the peace thereof that keepeth men from bloudshed 3. Ratione â—eiâ—ablica but it is the other peace i. a peace whereby every man is willing to doe good to his neighbour and rato part from his right then to doe injurie whereby that the labourer might have his hire Matth. 10.10 that Caesar might have his right his tribute and custome Rom. 13.7 that they that sow spirituall things of duty should reape temporall things 4. Ratione cujusque privati Now for every private man it is the defence of his possessions and blessings that he hath Exod. 21.22.23 cap. So soone as he had done with the morall law he commeth to the politicke law For much suite is about that Come to the matter commanded and forbidden but yet because we are commanded to deale with right and propriety and with alienation we must first make this plaine Because indeed as we see res aliena nostra that other mens goods seised upon as if our owne and the unjust detaining and taking of them is the matter of this Commandement therefore we will first speake of the object of this Commandement of the object of this concupiscence Meum Tuum Meum Tuum Mine and Thine The civill Lawyers define * * * Definitie Furtâ— Justinianâ— mutiâ—ata a Pauâ—o Castâ—ensi â—ac est Furtum est contrectatio fraudulosa lucrifacienda gratia vel ipsius rei vel etiam usuâ— possessionisve quod lege naturali prehibitum est admiâ—â—ere Ray mundus de penna forti quam siquuntur Iurisperiti hoc mâ—do Furtum est coâ—tâ—estatio rei alienae moâ—â—lis â—eâ—pâ—â—ralis fraudulenta invito Domine gratia luerandi â—em â—psam â—el usum ejus vel possessionem veram Martinus Aâ—pilencâ—a Navat â—em 3. in hoc praec in Euchar. confess â—oenit hoc mâ—do Fuâ—â—um est dolosa connectatio rei alienae 〈◊〉 ito Dominâ— suo ad proprietatem ejus aut possessionem aut usum acquirendum Tho. Aquin secundae secundae Quaest 66. art 3. in hunâ— medum Fuâ—tum est occulta acceptio rei alienae At communiter Theologi furtum est occulia rei alienae acceptiâ— imito Dominâ— Furtum or furari theft or to steale to be Rem alienam contrectare the laying of hands closely upon other mens goods our Divines consentire contrectationi rei alienae to consent to the close laying of hands upon other mens goods In the which Commandement we shall shew that concupiscere reâ—â— alienam is furari to covet another mans goods is to steale So here how commeth it to passe that there is Res mea aliena How 〈◊〉 comâ—s that theâ—â— i◠〈◊〉 mea aliâ—â—â— a property of goods appertaining to me and to another this must first be knowne It is therefore plaine by Psal 24.1 he saith The earth is the Lords c. i. it is his he made it and so consequently he hath right to it alone After that he made it Psal 115.16 Coelum coeli Domino terram dedit filtis hominum the Heaven yea even the Heavens are the Lords but the Earth hath he given to the children of men And so there is a giving over of Gods right unto men And the warrant hereof we have Gen. 1.28 Fill the earth and dominamini have dominion there is the warrant for the possessing and subduing of the earth by man This in generall Particularly that if man had continued in innocencie there is none but in the state of innocencie would have beene contented with that that is sufficient we should not have beene troubled with our unruly appetites for the earth would have beene sufficient for all But after the entring in of sinne it was necessary there should be a division and so it pleased God For though the occasion hereof was evill for as good Lawes come out of an evill cause as it was Cains persecution of Abel that made Seth to gather together So that first inclosure or impropriation of a City Gen. 4.17 Caine chose out a plot and there he built a City and called it after his sonnes name This gave occasion to the Fathers and Patriarchs themselves seeing the usurping of Cains government and seeing the expediencie of it in regard of well ordering of private possessions it made them to doe the like This is it that Noah did presently after the floud so it beganne presently after the floud So it beganne jure primae occupationis by right of the first possessing or seising on it by the right of prima occupatio whether the allotting of Noah of the chiefe parts unto his three sonnes he gave Africa to Cham Asia to Sem and Europe to Iapheth or whether it were by consent and agreement among themselves the former Gen. 11.31 the other Gen. 13.9 10 11. It is said there that Abraham and Lot agreed to part the Countrey betweene them and Lot though he were the younger had the choyce So then we see how matters stood at the first Epictetus sheweth it by a familiar Simile Where a dish is brought to the table before it is cut up it is said to be common to all that sit at the table but after it is cut of that every man hath shared his part then quam quisque occupavit partem what part soever a man hath shared for himselfe it is no justice or civility to take it off his trencher So first all the earth was mankinds and then they divided it as Deut. 11.24 Omnem locum quem calcaverit pes vester every place whereon the soles of your feete shall tread I give it to you it is yours So it was pedis calcatio or
faith i. they shall be brought even to the estate that they shall not care for the Commandements of God nor his threatnings that was the punishment of Iudas that when he made no conscience of carrying the bagge Iohn 12.6 fur erat loculos gerebat he was a thiefe and carred the bagge we see afterwards he came to make little account of Christ and to sell him And from this which is very heavie they fell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into destruction and perdition that is of substance it selfe as Zach. 5.3 he saith there was a booke flew out that had the curse of God and it should enter into the house of the thiefe and swearer and should consume the house and burne up timber and the stones and there should come no good end of such as the Heathen man saith if you would have your chests full of riches Evill gotten goods will not prosper long to continue see that you get them well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is unjustly brought into the house hath no footing Iob. 20.15 It shall make him cast up his gorge againe So for a mans life Psal 58. vers last They shall not live out halfe their dayes as it is well said dies Domini veniet tanquam fur nulli autem ita tanquam fur ut furi the day of the Lord will come as a thiefe but to none so like a thiefe as to the thiefe But this is not the point of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the casting away and perdition of the soule concerning which Matth. 25.35 40 45. they held it for a rule for those which have beene takers from others non controvertitur de iis there is no question of them but of those that did not give to others is the plea but for eripuistis such as have taken by violence there is no question of them Ezek. 13.19 Then they shall see the truth of the saying of the Prophet that they have gotten an bandfull of barly and have sold the Kingdome of Heaven and they shall see that it advantageth them not to win the whole world and to lose their owne soule Tâ—â—â— covâ—◠〈◊〉 man like hâ—â—d â—nd like will to like And because the wiseman Prov 30. compareth a wicked man to Hell as if he would hold as much as Hell therefore there is an affinity and just adequation betweene them and Hell so the Apostle setteth downe his conclusion 1 Cor. 6.10 he saith no thiefe no covetous man no extortioner c. none of them shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven Come now to the roote or place a contented minde or heart and that is the way to avoid and destroy covetousnesse Heb. 13.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let your conversation be without covetousnesse how is that being contented with those things they have i. when a man for personall or naturall necessity hath that that is sufficient 1 Tim. 6.8 that he stay and be contented with them and for the better supply of statuall necessity and of our degree which is a thing that hath not his medium in indivisibili and therefore not so to be regarded for if once he be contented he must stand upon equall conditions if he be not contented Matth. 6.25 Luke 6.22 there commeth in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the division of the soule a disquietnesse he beginneth to distrust the providence of God which the righteous 1 Pet. 5.7 out of Psal 55.23 they cast all their care upon God and Psal 34.9 they have this perswasion that they shall not want a very Lion shall want before they want Now Paul 1 Tim. 5.8 allowing men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 providence and industry for the necessity of nature and person and if they have not that he saith they have denied the faith But he maketh a difference of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 providence from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an anxious care for the one is able to exempt and avoid it selfe cleane out of the soule so that it is a way to give the heart wholly to God in prayer whereas the other taketh up the most part of the heart Ezek. 33.31 Worldly cares compassed their hearts not the exercise of religion that was preached unto them in so much that with their mouthes they made jests and their heart ranne after their covetousnesse and doe what they can they cannot bring it in from thence Hosea saith cor corum divisum est their heart is divided which with a great desire and carefulnesse and distrust withall groweth so strong and so deep that when they present themselves before God he shall not have it hole nay many times it taketh up their heart therefore this contentednesse grounded upon Gods providence not excluding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the first thing Then the second in Psal 128.1 Feare God and outwardly walke in his wayes i. he must set himselfe in a calling he must eate his bread either in the care and study of his soule or in the sweate of his browes either jure manus or jure oculi by the labour of his hands or of his eyes 2 Thes 3.11 he saith there they be altogether out of order that live idely and they are such persons as must be cast off therefore it is certaine that every man must keepe himselfe in an honest calling Being come to this Calling he must stand thus resolved 1 Thes 3.8 First to have a desire not to be chargeable to others Secondly Ephes 4.28 not onely that but also to be helpfull and beneficiall to others if it please God Now for the attaining of that this we must know Deut. 15.11 that God will have some poore So whosoever is rich and without cares and sorrowes as Aug. saith he hath divitias sine verme he must be perswaded that it is God that maketh rich and poor and therefore that riches is the gift of God that whomsoever God will have to be rich he will also have him to use lawfull and direct meanes in attaining to them 1. doing nothing but according to the strict rule yet God will extraordinarily blesse him Gen. 26.12 wee see it in Isaac God blessed him strangely so that he made him fearefull to the Philistims which was a signe that God would have him rich and so it is said of Iacob Gen. 30.43 that he did labour in righteousnesse and increase in wealth exceedingly and as he confesseth Gen. 32.10 that he went over Iordan onely with a staffe but came backe againe with two great bands and flocks So as God will have some rich and they are divites dei Gods rich men indeed using onely lawfull meanes so there are other that shall not grow up but God will have them poore they shall not have Isaacks increase hee will blesse their labours no further then they need And againe of evill men benedictio Domini ditat the blessing of the Lord enricheth and addeth no sorrowes with it there are some that are rich but with great sorrowes The Heathen
see the word was no sooner out of her mouth Gen. 39.20 but presently there is commandment given that Ioseph should to prison Putiphars wife was beleeved without examining Whereas Ier. 40.16 Aug. saith The righteous are liker to Gedaliah when Iohanan told him that Ismael would slay him yet because he did not suspect any such thing by him he would not beleeve him that is they are not credulous either to admit them or non indulgere not to have regard unto them that is when a man maketh a conclusion of it or a action upon it or maketh a shew by gesture as if he thought it were true without examination and sheweth himselfe so against him as if he were guilty Irrigatio soli the watering of the soyle is that which Peter called 1 Pet. 4.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irrigatio â—â—li to take care of another mans Dioces that is a curious searching that is a note of an Hypocrite Cur aspicis why spyest thou not cur vides not why lookest thou that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to espie into other mens affaires to looke for it and to know what they thinke and what they say that Paul maketh the opposite to the former Commandement for indeed it is idlenesse he saith They doe not onely come to be idle but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busie bodies an affection much mis-becomming a discreet man and certainely to be condemned 2 Sam. 18.19 there is the image of this vice in Ahimaah many would not have stood for the best office in all Iury to be the tydings carrier And so we see that it is the vice and quality Act. 17.21 wherewith Athens was infected They intended nothing in the world but to heare what tydings And surely by this meanes when we looke onely outward it sheweth either a neglect of a mans selfe or else they fall in jucundum spectaculum into pleasing dotage in themselves Ierome Qui sua non ornani aliena eupiunt they that are carelesse of their owne behaviour are alwayes observing other mens carriages They are still noting of other mens lives as to prate asking what shall Iohn doe Iohn 21.22 Christ saith what have you to doe Care not for him but follow me and sheweth his appetite to know what Iohn must doe it is not for Peter to doe it he must keepe himselfe in his owne Diocese And so if we can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe our owne businesse 1 Thes 4.11 and search them as we ought we shall have but little leisure to looke to other mens And for the remedy the Heathen Qui confidit virtuti suae non invidet alienae he that can rest confidently in the assurance of his owne vertue needs not envie anothers And so we see both what is in the minde first and after the disposition and what is that that watreth it So we are come to the outward actions Actus evill words The actuall sin is in words specially which as Christ Matth. 12.35 are according to the treasure in the heart so that there is not onely an evill treasure that bringeth forth evill things but also an idle treasure that bringeth forth vers 36. idle things idle words Divisie actuum hujus mandati Now these two comprehend the division of false and vaine For false things and then either as disagreeing from the truth and essence of things or else from our minde And againe both these either as they concerne either our selves or our brethren for whatsoever it is that is prejudiciall to us or to our neighbour it is therefore condemned because it is against charity But though it doe no hurt to us or to our brethren yet if it be a falshood it is against the truth of God 1 Cor. 15 15. We are found false witnesses to God though not as in the third Commandement because the falshood that is in the truth of doctrine there as it toucheth Gods glory here as it hurteth our brethren Prov. 30.6 by adding to the word by taking from or by changing Gal. 1.9 or by making alium Iesum by preaching another way of salvation this was touched before So not now onely this we are to know that as there so here it is a good rule of Basils not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all lies and falshoods all turnings of the Scripture and one thing and the speciall thing hee beateth against it that making of the literall sense typicall it giveth an occasion to an heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placet they so please themselves though thus they displease others Now to make man the reasonable part and Eve the sensuall and naturall part and thereupon to inferre this maxime as a positive doctrine deducible thence and Adam imperare Evae cave Serpentem that if reason command sense we shall escape temptation A man may allude to it but to say that by Agar and Sarah is meant this or that is nothing else in the world but to make the Scripture cothurnum a buskin with will serve either legge or a Welshmans hose and bringeth in an uncertainty in religion Ezekiel maketh it an opprobrie to God to say that in obscuris scripsi vobis I have written to you in dark speeches that as for the third Commandement so here in regard of men because they shall be brought in doubt to have nothing to hold to Testim in judicio extra judicium We consider first the testimony as it is given in judgement and then as it is out of judgement Prov. 19.5 and the very selfesame three verses after is repeated vers 9. Solomons division there is this They that speake lies and false witnesse this is applied to the judgement-seate and these propositions that stand thus Non feres contra proximum Thou shalt not beare against thy neighbour c. shew plainely that there may be falsum testimonium a false testimony that is not de proximo concerning our neighbour So it may be resolved into two so that this is one to speake lies though they doe not concerne our neighbour and the other that may c. Of lies in generall Mendacium that seeing Iohn 8.44 the Devill was alwayes a lyer from the beginning for the first word he spake was a lie and they that utter lies belong to him And seeing Psal 58.3 it is a property of wicked men even from the very wombe to speake lies and that is not onely a light fault but as Psal 5.6 Perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacia Thou shalt destroy all those that speake lies so whether it concerne our selves or our neighbours or none yet it is false witnesse to God and as Revel 22.15 out of Heaven in the place of torments shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that make or love to heare lies So we see that these things are condemned whether they be Actively or Passively Come to that that
towards our heavenly countrey such as Iob speakes of Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit Iob 1.21 By gift he meaneth the felicity that is reserved for us after this life the Kingdome of Heaven that whereof our Saviour saith to Martha Luke 10. Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her That which is a stay to us in this life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the things which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard all which are reserved for them that love God 1 Cor. 2. these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as well the one as the other come from God So much we are taught by the adjectives that are joyned to these words Givings are called good and the Gifts of God are called perfect In which words the Apostles purpose is to teach us that not onely the great benefits of the life to come such as are perfect are of him but that even that good which we have in this life though it be yet imperfect and may be made better is received from him and not else where Who doth despise little things saith the Prophet Zach. 4.10 God is the Author both of perfect and good things as the Image of the Prince is to be seene as well in a small peece of coine as in a peece of greater value so we are to consider the goodnes of God as well in the things of this life as in the graces that concerne the life to come yea even in this To thinke that which is good 2 Cor. 3. Of him are the small things as well as the great Therefore out Saviour teacheth us to pray not onely for that perfect gift ut advenia Regnum but even for these lesser good things which are but his givings namely that he would give us our daily bread Under Good is contained all gifis both naturall or temporall Those givings which are naturall as to live to move and have understanding are good for of them it is said God saw all that he made and lo all was good Gen. 1. Of gifts temporall the Heathen have doubted whether they were good to wit riches honour c. but the Christians are resolved that they are good 1 Iohn 3. So our Saviour teacheth us to esteeme them when speaking of fish and bread he saith If you which are evill can give your children good things Luke 11. And the Apostle saith Hee that hath this worlds good 1 Iohn 3. For as Augustine saith That is not onely good quod facit bonum sed de quo fit bonum that is not onely good that makes good but whereof is made good so albeit riches do not make a man good alwaies yet because he may do good with them they are good The gift which the Apostle cals perfect is grace and glory whereof there is in this life the beginning of perfection the other in the life to come is the end and constancie of our perfection whereof the Prophet speaks Psal 84.12 The Lord will give grace and glory The Apostle saith Nihil perfectum adduxit Lex The Law brought nothing to perfection Heb. 7. that is by reason of the imperfection of our nature and the weaknesse of our flesh Rom. 8.3 To supply the defect that is in nature grace is added that grace might make that perfect which is imperfect The person that giveth us this grace is Jesus Christ by whom grace and truth came Iohn 1. And therefore he saith Estote perfecti sicut Pater vester coelestis perfectus est Matth. 5. And by this grace not only our sinnes are taken away but our soules are endued with inherent vertues and receive grace and ability from God to proceed from one degree of perfection to another all our life time even till the time of our death which is the beginning and accomplishment of our perfection as our Saviour speakes of his death Luke 13.32 In the latter part of the proposition we are to consider the place from whence and the person from whom we receive these gifts the one is supernè the other à Patre luminum Now he instructeth us to beware of a third errour that we looke not either on the right hand or on the left hand that we regard not the persons of great men which are but instruments of God if we have any good from them all the good we have it is de sursum the thoughts of our hearts that arise in them if they tend to good are not of our selves but infused into us by the divine power of Gods spirit and so is whatsoever good thought word or worke proceeding from us This is one of the first parts of divinity Iobn Baptist taught A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above Iohn 3.27 This was the cause of Christ ascending into Heaven Psal 68. He went up on high and dedit dona hominibus and the Evangelist faith the holy Ghost which is the most perfect gift that can come to men was not yet given because Christ was not yet ascended Iohn 7.39 Therefore if we possesse any blessing or receive any benefit we must not looke to earthly meanes but to Heaven The thing which is here mentioned excludeth the fourth errour we thinke that things come to us by fortune or customably he saies not that good things fall downe from above but they descend qui descendit proposito descendit Our instruction from hence is that they descend from a cause intelligent even from God himselfe who in his counsell and provision bestoweth his blessings as seemeth best to himselfe for as the Heathen man speakes God hath sinum facilem but not perforatum that is a lappe easie to receive and yeeld but not bored through to let things fall through without discretion When the Prophet saith Tu aper is manum Psal 145.15 he doth not say that God lets his blessings droppe out of his fingers Christ when he promised to his Disciples to send the Comforter saith Ego mittameum advos Iohn 16.7 Whereby he giveth them to understand that it is not by casualty or chance that the holy Ghost shall come upon them but by the deliberate counsell of God so the Apostle postle speaks Of his owne will begat he us by the word of truth The person from whom is the Father of lights The Heathens found this to be true that all good things come from above but they thought that the lights in Heaven are the causes of all good things therefore is it that they worship the Sunne Moone and Starres Iames saith Be not deceived all good things come not from the lights but from the Father of lights The naturall lights were made in ministerium cunctis gentibus Deut. 4. and the Angels that are the intellectuall lights are appointed to do service unto the Elect. Heb. 1.13 It is the Father of lights that giveth us all good things therefore he onely is to be worshipped and not the lights which he hath made to
knew not what Luke 9.32 we cannot receive the truth But if as Moses speakes we seeke the Lord with all our heart Deut. 4.29 If we doe with Paul orare spiritu orare mente 1 Cor. 14. then we may conceive hope to be heard for the commandement to aske is given Cordi non pulmoni to the heart not to the lungs Id quod cor non facit non fit that which the heart doth not is not done Secondly touching the manner as with fervencie so we must pray with reverence not having our heads covered as we see many doe which behaviour how rude and unbeseeming it is we may easily discerne as the Prophet speakes Offer this kinde of behaviour to thy Lord or Master and see whether he will accept it Mal. 1. If thou having a suite to an earthly Prince darest not speake but upon thy knees with all submission how much more ought we to reverence the Lord God in comparison of whom all the Princes in the earth are but Crickets and Grashoppers Esa 40. Therefore the manner of our prayer to God must be in all reverence Solomon prayed upon his knees 2 Chron. 6. Daniel fell downe upon his knees Dan. 6. So did Saint Peter Acts 9. So Paul Ephes 3.14 And not onely men upon earth but the glorious spirits in Heaven cast themselves and their crownes downe before him that sits upon the Throne Apoc. 4. Yea Jesus Christ the Sonne of God fell downe upon his knees and prayed to his Father Luke 22. exauditus propter reverentiam Heb. 5. So did Paul serve God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20.19 Secondly If we would obtaine any thing at Gods hand we must not onely aske it but seeke for it He that having prayed sits still without adding his endeavour shall not receive the thing he prayes for for he must not onely orare but lahorare pro quibus enim orandum pro eis laborandum est to this end the Apostle would have us to pull up our faint hands and weake knees Heb. 12. And when we have asked grace we must be carefull that we our selves be not wanting unto grace as well as we were carefull that grace should not be wanting unto us This diligence is noted in the word petite which as it is used in the first place so also it signifieth to goe to or to hit and knocke so that it containeth all the three vertues that are required unto prayer but for our instruction our Saviour hath expressed them in three severall termes Thirdly having found the way we may not rest there there is a dore whereby we must enter and that shall not stand open for us against we come we must knocke at it It pleaseth God to entreate us 2 Cor. 5. to seeke and finde us when we are lost Luke 15. He stands and knockes at our dore Apoc. 3. Therefore as Moses speakes in Deut. We are to consider what he doth require at our hands The service that we owe him is likewise to entreate him to seeke for grace at him to knocke continually till he open the gate of his mercie If God heare us not so soone as we aske we may not cease to knocke as Saul did who because that God answered him not neither by dreames nor by Urim nor Prophet asked counsell of a Witch 1 Sam. 28. Importunity as our Saviour speakes Luke 11. is a meanes whereby often times men obtaine their suites The unjust Judge will be content to heare the Widowes cause at length even because he would bee rid of cumber if she be earnest with him she shall at last obtaine her suite by importunity So howsoever God be not inclined to doe us good and have his eares open to our prayers yet he is much delighted with our importunate suites If the unjust Judge that neither feared God nor reverenced man may be overcome with importunate suite much more will God revenge them which give not over their suites but cry to him night and day Luke 18. Let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not These conditions being performed that we seek in the desire of our heart and in humility secondly that we be not wanting to grace but worke with it thirdly if we doe it with continuance not giving over then we shall finde it true which Christ saith Omnis qui petit accipit The summe is as when God said Seek ye my face David answered Thy face O Lord I will seeke Psal 27. So when Christ saith to us aske our answer must be we will at least dispose our selves thereunto especially seeing he doth not onely praeire exemplo but dicere ut petas seeing he doth not onely by his commandement permitiere but praecipere ut petas Lastly seeing by his promise he doth not onely allure them ut petani but doth minari si non petas threaten if thou aske not for if we aske of any but from him he is angry as he was with the King of Israel that required of Baal-zebub when he should recover 2 Reg. 1. Is there not a God in Israel And Christ was offended with his Disciples for the neglect of this duty Hitherio ye have asked nothing Iohn 16. And when we come to aske of God we must not cease our suite if he grant us not our suite at the first but say with Iacob Non dimittam te Gen. 32. We must be instant as the Canaanite was Mat. 15. We must be earnest as he that came at midnight to borrow bread Luke 11. and importunate as the Widow with the Iudge Luke 18. and then we may assure our selves of a comfortable effect of prayers THE FOVRTH SERMON ROM 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh request for us with sighs which cannot be uttered OUt of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 3. we may see first that of our selves we are not sufficient at all to do good and that all good comes from the Father of lights Jam. 1.17 and that in that regard we must aske and receive at his hands from whom it comes Matth. 7.7 Now the Apostle meeteth with another difficulty which is how we may pray for as we cannot performe any good thing of our selves unlesse God minister power so we know not how to aske this grace at his hands Therefore to answer that question of the Disciples which desired that Christ should teach them how to pray Luk. 11. the Apostle saith that because we know not what to pray for as we ought therefore the Spirit doth helpe our infirmities The Apostle begins at our infirmities which he laies downe in such sort as wee may plainly see that our defects and wants are many for as there are infirmities of the body which the Scripture calls the infirmities of Egypt Deut. 7.15 Whereunto the Saints of God are subject as well as other as the Apostle speakes
the Use of Duty for prayer is an offering The Prophet compareth it to Incense Psal 41. a Reasonable service Rom. 12. Our Spirituall sacrifice 1 Pet. 2. It is compared to Incense which giveth a sweete smell to all our workes words and thougths which otherwise would stinke and be offensive to the Majesty of God This use of prayer we have not onely for the supply of our wants in the time of adversity but at all times as Job saith Chap. 27. Thirdly there is the Use of Dignity when a man doth abstract himselfe from the earth and by often prayer doth grow into acquaintance and familiarity with God for this is a great Dignity that flesh and blood shall be exalted so much as to have continuall conference with God Now as Christ was the Sonne of God he had no cause to pray in any of these three respects but as he was Principium omnis creaturae Col. 1. as he was the head of the Church Eph. 1. he had use of prayer in these three respects as he was a creature he stood in need of those things which other creatures of God were wont to desire Againe as he was a creature though the chiefe of all creatures hee ought this duty of Invocation unto God his Creator and as hee called on God in these two respects so he was heard as Christ speakes I know thou hearest mee alwaies Joh. 11.41 But as he was in the state of a Creature the last use doth most of all concerne him for which cause having told Martha that one thing was needfull Luk. 10. because the obtaining of the same is not in our power hee presently withdraweth himselfe unto prayer in the beginning of this Chapter teaching us to do the like Before we come to the Petition these words ut cessavit are to be considered for there are some with Saul will call for the Arke and will presently cry Away with it 1 Sam. 14. that is will begin their prayers and will breake them off in the midst upon any occasion but the Spirit of God doth teach us to be of another mind when he willeth us to avoid whatsoever may be a meanes to interrupt our prayer 1 Pet. 3. The Disciples forbare to make their petitions to Christ till hee had done praying and therefore from their example we are to learne so to settle our selves to prayer as that nothing should cause us to breake off and so to regard others that are occupied in this duty as by no meanes to interrupt them In the Petition we are to consider first the thing that they desire secondly the reason why they make this Petition First whereas they make request that Christ would teach them how to pray they do by implication acknowledge as much as Saint Paul speaks of Rom. 8. that they know not what to aske not that they were without that generall institution which we have from nature that is to desire that which is good but because they know not how to limit their desire as in temporall things they know not whether it were good for them to be the Chiefe men in a Kingdome that was the ignorance of the sonnes of Zebedee Matth. 20. In spirituall matters they will be like Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. who thought it good for him to be saved from the temptation whereas God told him that his grace was sufficient for him and yet that the temptation should continue still As James and John made a request ignorantly for themselves Matth. 20. So they make another in the behalfe of Christ Luk. 9. Lord wilt thou that wee command that sire come downe from Heaven and therefore were reproved by Christ for it and as we see both by examples of Christs owne Disciples that we may pray amisse Jam. 4. So in the old Testament David saith We may pray so as prayer which is a part of Gods service shall be turned into sinne Psalm 109. For prayer is nothing else but an interpreter of our desire as one saith Ea petimus quae appetimus and as our desires are many times not onely vaine and unprositable but dangerous and hurtfull so it fals out likewise that our prayers are vaine and so are turned into sinne The Disciples therefore being privie to their owne infirmities in this case are stirred up by Gods Spirit to seeke for a perfect forme of prayer of Christ in whom all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hid Col. 2. And this they do to the end they might not faile either in the matter or manner of their prayers and that having received a platforme of prayer from Christ they might use it as a patterne and complement of all their petitions The Pharisees were great prayers Mat. 6. but they under a pretence of long prayers did devour Widows houses Matth. 23. and therefore their prayers turned into sinne The Heathen used also to make long prayers Matth. 6.7 but they erred for they thonght that they should be heard for their long babling Therefore the Disciples that they might not pray amisse do make their request to our Saviour Lord teach us to pray which Petition was therefore acceptable to Christ because profitable for themselves for thus he professeth of himselfe Ego Dominus Deus tuus docens te utilia Esay 48.17 Not subtilia saith August So Saint Paul confirmeth that he with-held nothing from the Church that was profitable for them to know Act. 20. The world is full of curious questions The Pharisees move questions totching matrimony The Sadduces asked what should come to passe after the end of the world whether we shall know one another Matth. 22. These were unprofitable and curious the inventions of flesh and blood not those that proceeded from the holy Ghost The Disciples question is here how they may serve God and how they may performe that duty for which they came into the world Curious things are those abscondita which belong to God with which we may not meddle Deut. 29. we must enquire of things which concerne us Of the sons of Cain and Abell who were inventors of tents some devised to worke in brasse and copper others found out Musicke as they thought it most profitable for the publique-weale The trade that the sons of Seth used and professed at the same time that they thought to be most profitable was the calling upon the name of the Lord Gen. 4. and they were occupied therein as an Art no lesse profitable then the building of houses or making of armour and ever since howsoever the worldido addict themselves to other things that serve to make most for their private profit yet the Church and City of God are busie in studying how they may by prayer receive mercy and obtaine grace to help them in time of need Heb. 4. The reason whereby they urge their suit is as John taught his Disciples which reason in the judgement of flesh and blood might seeme of small efficacie for whereas John confessed himselfe unworthy to
unloose Christs shooe Mat. 3. he might have tooke it in scorne that the Disciples of John should teach him his duty after the example of John but Christ to commend his humility is content both in his preaching and praying to follow John John said Every tree that brings not forth good fruit Matth. 3. And Christ though he were the wisedome of God and furnished with all manner of doctrine yet was content to borrow that sentence from John Baptist as appeareth in his Sermon Matth. 7. So he was content to follow him in prayer So that the example of Johns diligence in teaching his Disciples that duty was a motive to him to do the like unto him Whereas the Disciples of Christ tell him that John was wont to teach his Disciples to pray they speake by experience for divers of them were before-time Disciples unto John as appears Joh. 1.37 The ordinary prayer that was used in the Synagogue among the Jewes was that prayer which is intituled the prayer of Moses Psal 90. and as Christ saith The Law and the Prophets were untill John Luk. 16. So that prayer of Moses continued in the Church of the Jewes untill Johns time when he was come he used another forme of prayer which endured to the comming of Christ who having taught his Disciples a third forme of prayer Johns prayer ceased the reason was because as the Apostle speaketh of Moses Heb. 3. Albeit both Moses the Prophets and John were faithfull in the house of God yet they were but servants but Christ was that Sunne of righteousnesse and the day-starre that was long before promised and therefore seeing he being come hath taught a more perfect forme of prayer hee beeing onely wise all other formes ought to give place to his Secondly according to the rule of John Baptist a man can receive nothing except it be given him from above Joh. 3.2 Then if wee will obtaine any thing we must put up our supplications to God for it but in making our prayers we may offend for he that is of the earth is earthly and speakes earthly things Therefore John according to his owne confession may mingle some corruption with his prayer But Christ that is from heaven is above all Joh. 3. and therefore if he teach us to pray it shall be in such sort as God shall accept it and for this cause Christs prayer doth excell the prayers both of Moses and John and all the Prophets Touching which forme of prayer as before he had given them an abridgement of that obedience which the law requireth Luk. 16. So here he doth briefly set downe a forme of prayer As it is said of him that grace and truth is by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. so when in the other Chapter he had shewed them the truth of the Law so now he tels them that grace must be sought for of God by prayer whereby wee may be able to obey that Law The suit of the Disciples being both profitable to themselves and no subtile question Christ is content presently to grant their request and therefore his answer is When yee pray say c. Wherein we are to observe two things first whereas there are certaine practicke spirits that crosse that saying of our Saviour and tell us we may not use this prayer which Christ gave saying Our Father but that we are to frame our prayers of our owne as our state shall require these words are a contradiction to their ne dicite Christ himselfe hath commanded us to use this forme of prayer and therefore we may be bold to say Our Father whatsoever prayers we make of our selves they have some earth because wee our selves are of the earth but the prayer instituted by Christ is free from all imperfection because it was penned from him that was from above Joh. 3. In this prayer there is not one word wanting that should be put in nor any word more then ought to be Therefore both in regard of the Author of it and the Matter we may safely use this forme of Prayer Secondly these words are an opposition betwixt Cogitate and Dicite It is not enough to thinke in our minds this prayer but our prayers must be Vocal so that as in this Christ casteth out the dumbe devill so here he casteth out the dumbe prayer It is true that the life of prayer and thanksgiving standeth herein That we sing praises with under standing Psal 47. that we do or are mente spiritu 1 Cor. 14. Herein stands the soule of prayer but as we our selves have not onely a soule but a body also so our prayer must have a body Our tongue must be the penne of a ready writer Psalm 45. We must at the time of prayer bow our knees as our Saviour Christ did Luk. 22.41 We must lift up our hearts with our hands Lam. 3. Our eyes must be lift up to God that dwelleth in the heaven Ps 123. And as David sayes Psal 135. All our bones must be exercised in prayer The reason why we must use this forme of prayer is taken from the skill of him that hath penned it and from his favour with God We are not acquainted with the phrases of the Court and we know not what sure to make unto God But Christ who is our Advocate in whom all treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hid Col. 2. He can forme us a bill and make such a petition for us as shall be acceptable at the hands of God None knowes the things of God but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. So none knowes what pleaseth God but Christ who hath received the Spirit from God and in this regard as he knowes Gods will best so he is best able to frame a forme of prayer so as it may be agreeable to Gods will Secondly touching the Authority which Christ hath with God his Father it was such as God proclamed from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne and Christ saith Thou hearest mee alwayes Joh. 11. So greatly was he respected with God In both these respects we may be bold to say Our Father c. We have the promise that if we aske any thing in the name of Christ he gives it us Joh. 16.17 Much more may we have confidene to be heard Si non modo in nomine ejus sed verbis ejus The Apostle saith If I had the tongue of Men and Angels 1 Cor. 13. His meaning is that the tongues of Angels were more glorious then the tongues of men and therefore that song of the Angels Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. is magnified in the Church But this prayer was formed by the tongue of Christ who is the Lord of Angels The Cherubims hid their faces before th◠Lord of Hosts Esay 6. And he that made this prayer was the Lord of Hosts of whom it is said Os Domini exercituum locutum est This prayer as one said is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ingaging of our charity and love for we
desire to have remission of sinne no otherwise then as we forgive our brethren whereby the love of our brother is continually increased And this prayer is breviarium fidei it teacheth us to beleeve those things which we pray for Lastly our perfection in obeying the Law and in beleeving those things which we ought to intreat with such a hope by prayer Legem implendi legem credendi lex statuit supplicandi THE SIXTH SERMON LUKE 11.2 And he said unto them When yee pray say Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come Let thy will bee done even in earth as it is in Heaven c. IT is the answer of our Saviour Christ to that Disciple of his which in the name of the rest desired to be taught a forme of prayer Concerning prayer among other things already noted we te to know that it is the doctrine of the Fathers that God not prayed unto on our parts and his holy Spirit not yet possessing our soules hath notwithstanding promised that he wâ—ll poure his Spirit upon all flesh Ioel 2. as it was poured upon the Apostles after Christs Ascension Acts 2. Namely that Spirit which he cals the Spirit of Grace and Prayer Zach. 12.10 When he thus vouchsafeth to send the Spirit of Grace into our soules then from thence there doe runne two streames into the two severall faculties of our soule that is the Spirit of Grace hath a working on our Vnderstanding by the light of Faith and secondly in our Will by inspiring us with holy desires of which holy desires the interpreter betwixt us and God is Prayer For that as the Apostle speaks Our requests are made knowne to God by prayer and supplication Phil. 4.6 Now as prayer is properly the effect of Grace so whatsoever wee obtaine of God by prayer it is the gift of Grace which prayer is therefore our reasonable service of God because we doe therein acknowledge not onely our owne wants and unworthinesse but also that as God hath in his hands all manner of blessings to bestow upon us so if we sue to him for them he will with hold no good thing from us Psal 84.12 Before we can pray for good things it is required that we doe conceive a love of them which if it be in us then we shall not onely bee inflamed with a desire of them which is an effect of love but shall be stirred up to pray for them But it is the peculiar worke of the holy Ghost to shed in our hearts the love not onely of God Rom. 5. but of all other good things which work he performeth not in all in differently for he is compared to the Wind that bloweth where it will Ioh. 3. But those whom it pleaseth the holy Ghost to inspire with a love and affection towards good things they doe not onely desire them but withall doe pray earnestly for them unto God for as it is the worke of Jesus Christ the eternall Word to enlighten every one that commeth into the world so it is the office of the eternall Spirit to inspire our hearts with holy desires In this answer of our Saviour we are to consider three points first a time limited for prayer secondly the contents of the word Oratio thirdly what is to be noted out of the word Discue Touching the time limited for prayer we have heard already that there are three uses of prayer one was the use of dignity and persection when men doe converse and enter into familiarity with God by abstracting their mindes from humane affaires and sublevating them into Heaven by a continuall meditation of God and things pertaining to the life to come which because it is peculiar to them that have already attained to some perfection we must say of it as Christ did of another matter Qui poâ—est capere capiat Matth. 19. Our weaknesse is such as cannot by any meanes come to this use yea the infirmity of the Disciples themselves was so great that albeit Christ had so many other things to tell them of yet they were not able as yet to beare them Iohn 14. Therefore we are to consider the two other uses which doe more neerely concerne us whereof the one is the Vse of necessity which standeth either upon feare or upon want and when necessity lyeth upon us in either of these respects they are so forcible that they make all flesh to come unto him that heareth prayer Psal 65. Of feare the Prophet saith Lord in trouble they visited thee they powred out a prayer when thychastening was upon them Isa 26.16 And the want of outward things is so vehement a motive as when nothing else can move men to prayer yet they will assemble themselves before the Lord for corne and oyle Hos 7.14 These two the one being as Solomon termeth it Plaga cordis 1 Reg. 5. the other Defiderium cordis Psal 5. doe point to us two times of prayer namely when either we are oppressed with misery as the effect of sinne or disquieted with our selves with the conscience and guilt of sinne it selfe which is the cause of all our miseries Touching sinne the Prophet saith While I held my tongue my bones consumed away but after he had confessed his sinnes unto the Lord and craved pardon he forgave his wickednesse And because it is not his case onely for as much as we have all sinned his counsell is in this behalfe pro hoc orabit omnis pius Psal 32. Which being done as the Prophet speaketh the weakest of them that is every sinner shall be as David Neither are we of necessity to pray that God will forgive the guilt of our sinnes past but that he will prevent us with his grace against temptations of sinnes to come for in this regard our Saviour Christ would have his Disciples occupie themselves in this holy duty Orate Pray ye that ye enter not into temptation Luke 22. For the effect of sinne which is adversity Then is prayer necessary in the time of affliction when outwardly through the malice of our enemies we are in misery In which case the Prophet saith when the ungodly for the love he bare to them requited him with hatred Then he gave himselfe to prayer Psal 109.3 Or else inwardly by reason of crosses which it pleaseth God to bring upon us against which the onely remedy is to use prayer as the Apostle exhorts Iames 5. Is any afflicted let him pray A timore iuo concepimus spiritum salutis Esa 26.8 That is for feare And when we consider our owne wants the troubles that are upon us though for a time we hold our tongues and speake nothing yet a fire will kindle in us we cannot long be silent but the desire of our heart must have a vent by prayer as the Prophet had experience in himselfe Psal 39. So that as well the feare of danger to come as present want and affliction will leade us to prayer But
yee call him Father without respect of persons c. Then passe the time of your dwelling here in feare 1 Pet. 1.13 Our is a word of hope as Father is a word of faith for he that saies noster our includes himselfe and by hope applyeth Gods favour in particular to himselfe which by faith he apprehends to be common to all neither doth appropriate it to himselfe saying My Father but includes them with himselfe and so the word our is also Vox charitatis the voyce of Charity As the first word did teach us the Father-hood of God so the word our implyeth the fraternity we have one with another for God to shew what great regard he hath of the love of our neighbour hath so framed and indited this prayer that there is neither Ego nor mi nor meum nor mea neither I nor mine nor my but still the tenor of it is Our Father our bread our trespasses us from evill Therefore one saith that prayer is not onely breviarium fidei an abridgment of our faith but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mutuall pledge of our love towards our brethren which is then especially testified when we pray to God for them For this prayer which our Saviour sets downe for us and all Christians prayers are not the prayers of nature pro se orat necessitas necessity stirreth up men to pray for themselves but the prayers of charity when we are to commend the state of our brethren to God as well as our owne quia pro ali is charitas for charity prayeth for others for in this prayer there is matter not onely of supplication for the avoyding of evill and comprecation for the obtaining of good in our owne behalfe but of Intercession also to teach us that whether we desire that evill be rëmoved or good be bestowed upon us we should desire it for others as well as for our selves The use of this doctrine is of two sorts first against Pride for if God be not the Father of one man more then another but all in common doe call him Our Father why then doth one man exalt himselfe above another Have we not all one Father Mal. 2. and the Apostle saith Yee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. and our Saviour saith Vos omnes fratres estis Yee are all brethren Mal. 2.3.8 Therefore we are not onely to love one another as brethren but to honour one another because we are the sonnes of God for this end the Apostle exhorteth In giving honour to one before another Rom. 12. So farre ought we to be from despising one another Cur enim non pudeat aspernari fratrem quem Deus non aspernatur filium Why are we not ashamed to scorne him to be our brother whom God scorneth not to be his sonne Secondly it serveth against malice wēe were all in the loynes of Adam when he fell and all one in the body of Christ so that whatsoever he as our Head hath done or suffered the same all men doe and suffer in him And lastly we are all included in this word to teachus that wee ought to wish the same good to others which we doe to our selves for this is that which Christ commendeth in our Christian practise in the duty of prayer Vt singuli orent pro omnibus omnes pro singulis that each should pray for all and all for each other He hath taken order that no man can pray this prayer but he must pray for others as well as for himselfe and so doe good to all and the mends that is made him is that they also for whom he prayed doe likewise at another time pray for him and though we cannot alwayes pray in such fervencie of Spirit as is required in prayer yet the holy Ghost doth supply our infirmity by stirring up others to pray and make intercession in our behalfe cum gemitibus inenarrabilibus with unspeakable groanes Rom. 8. even then when we cannot doe for our selves and this is a speciall benefit which the faithfull have in the Communion of Saints The Apostle saith that God to assure us that hee takes us for his sonnes hath sent his Spirit into our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father Gal. 4. the one of these words hath respect to the Iewes the other to the Gentiles teaching that it is our duty to pray both for Iewes and Gentiles and so for all though they be strangers to us Secondly we are to pray for sinners be their sinnes never so great in hope that God will give them the Grace to repent and to come out of the snare of the Devill 2 Tim. 2. and that he will translate them out of the state of sinne into the state of grace for this life as long as it lasteth is tempus praestitutum poenitentiae a time ordained for repentance Thirdly as for our brethren so for our enemies as our Saviour willeth Matth. 5.44 for they also are comprehended under the word noster For God hath shut up all in unbeliefe that hee may have mercie upon all Neither are we to pray in generall for all but for some in particular as neede requireth Not in generall for all good things but for some speciall blessings As we are to pray generally that Gods will may be done so for that this is Gods will our sanctification 1 Thes 4. we may pray in particular for those things that we have neede as to be delivered from all temptations generally so specially from those sinnes whereunto the corruption of our nature is most inclined THE EIGHTH SERMON Which art in Heaven WHich words containe the second part of this invocation for as in the word Father we call upon the bowels of Gods mercy so by these words Which art in Heaven we do invocate the arme of his power for so it is termed by the Prophet in the Old Testament Stirre up thy strength and help us Psal 80.2 Rise up thou arme of the Lord Esay 51.9 So that as the Lepers doubt Matth. 8. is taken away by the consideration of Gods fatherly goodnesse so that when we know that this our Father hath his beeing in heaven it takes away that doubt which we use to make of his power Domine si quid potes Lord if thou canst do us any good Mark 9. For the stile of God in respect of our necessities consists of his goodnesse and greatnesse which as they are both expressed by the Heathen in the title Optimus Maximus so the power of God in these words which they use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dwelling in heavenly habitations Christ willing to expresse the greatnesse of Gods power doth it by that place where his glory and power are most manifest and that is heaven whereof the Prophet saith The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Psal 19.1 For when we see a poore cottage we presently ghesse that the dweller is no great person but if
created all things and for his wills sake they all were created Rev. 4.11 So we cannot pray to him aright except above all things and in the first place we seeke for the sanctification of his Name In respect of God himselfe there is no cause why we should make this petition on his behalfe for as the Prophet saith Thou hast no need of any goods Psal 16.1 So he stands not in need of any thing that can come to him by our meanes if we would wish him any profit the earth is his and all that is therein Psal 24. If pleasure there is with him torrens voluptatis a River of pleasure Psalm 16.11 Wherefore albeit that in his owne essence and nature he be perfect yet extrinsecus assumpsit sibi nomen he tooke himselfe a name from without he calls himselfe the Lord Almighty not that any terme can sufficiently expresse him and his essence but to the end that while wee have a reverend regard of his Name hee might receive some service at our hands The account that men do make of their name is such as Salomon saith A good name is more to be desired then great treasure it is more worth then pretious oyntment Eccles 7.1.5 God accounts that we do not onely greatly profit him but do procure great delight and pleasure to him when we reverence his holy name which how pretious it is it doth appeare hereby that he setteth the hallowing of his name before his kingdome Many of the Kings subjects that are in the farthest parts of the land never see his face all their life time and yet in reverence to his name are ready to make long journeyes to appeare when they are commanded in his name and so it fareth with us that live on earth for Deum nemo vidit unquam Joh. 18. Nay very few are admitted to see his back-parts Exod. 33. But though wee cannot see his face yet as those are counted dutifull subjects that do not onely reverence the Princes person but obey such commandements as come in his name so looke what duty wee do to Gods name here on earth he reckons it to be as good service as that which is performed by the Angels in heaven that alwaies behold his face Mat. 18. And reason it is that we should esteeme of Gods name for as in time of trouble Turris altissima nomen Domini the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower Prov. 18.10 So being delivered once of danger yet we are sure of the salvation of our soules and sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 6. Besides there is no other name given under heaven by which men can be saved Act. 4. And therefore ought by good right to receive sanctification of us Howbeit we may not hereupon ground that errour which some gather upon these words Ephes 1. where it is said That God hath thosen us in Christ to the praise of the glory of his grace not that God is desirous of vaine-glory he is not to receive any thing from us but contrary-wise as he is good so he is desirous to communicate his goodnesse to us but the care that he hath for the sanctifying of his name ariseth from the duty which man oweth unto him In which regard such as have beene most religious in all times have reared up Altars and set up Temples in honour of Gods Name The account of this Petition is that which maketh the difference betwixt the Papists and religious people betweene Heretickes and the true worshippers of God that the one esteemeth highly of the Name of God the other doth not We usually account of mens names according to the worth of their persons but God himselfe is holy therefore he tels us that his name also is holy as the Prophet saith Holy and reverent is his Name Psal 111.9 and Psal 9.9 and it is not onely holy in it selfe but it gives holinesse unto all things that are holy The word of God is holy because it is published in nomine Dei wherefore the name of God being holy in it selfe needs not be hallowed by us that can neither adde holinesse to it nor take any from it but when God willeth us to hallow his Name it is to prove us that by glorifying his Name we may shew how we glorifie God himselfe and what reckoning we make of him that God may have proofe how we do with the Virgin magnifie God our Saviour Luk. 2. and how we do glorifie God in our bodies and in our spirits 1 Cor. 6. The Name of God must be considered in two sorts either as it is expressed by the terme of Lord Father Lord Almighty or else as it is expressed in such things as beare his name as he speaketh of Moses Exod. 23. Behold I will send my Angel before thee beware of him and heare his voyce c. quia nomen meum est in eo Touching the expressed name of God whether it be Father which importeth his goodnesse or Lord which implyeth his power as we may not account basely of them so we must not use them lightly and negligently but upon just occasion The things that have the name of God impressed and imprinted in them are either those persons which have their denomination of God either joyntly as the Church which is called sancta Ecclesia Dei or severally as the Priest of whom Moses saith Let thy Urim and thy Thummim bee with thy holy one Deut. 33. The Priests are called holy because they are consecrated to the Lord In which respect as in the old Testament they are called viri Dei so in the New they are vasa nominis Dei vessels of the name of God as the Lord speakes in a vision touching Saul to Ananias That he was a chosen vessell to beare the Name of God among the Gentiles Act. 9.15 Secondly those places are said to be Gods which are consecrated to holy uses as the Sanctuary which is Domus Dei and all those places where he puts the remembrance of his Name and whither he promiseth that he will come to blesse his people that are assembled there for his worship Exod. 20. Thirdly those times which are kept holy to the Lord as the Sabbath which is dies Domini Rev. 1. Fourthly the Word of God preached in Gods name Fifthly the Element consecrated in the Sacrament for a holy use called therefore panis Dei Joh. 6. In all these there is an impression of Gods name and therefore we must not lightly account of them but shew great reverence to them that thereby we may testifie the high and reverent regard and estimation we have of God himselfe for sanctification is when God is said to magnifie or glorifie It signifies to make great and glorious so when sanctification is given to him it betokeneth to make holy but when we are said to sanctifie that is to account holy when we magnifie God that is magnifacere Deum to esteeme greatly of God and our glorifying
he prevents us with his grace by giving us both a will and a power so he must still follow us with his grace that we may goe forward in doing of his will for our case is compared to the state of the Israelites which in their fight with Amalek did prevaile as long as Moses held up his hand but when he let is downe they were put to the worse Exod. 17. we may see it in the case of Saint Peter who was able to walk upon the water while Christ held him up but when hee was left to himselfe he sunke Matth. 1.4 therefore we must have not onely a preventing but also an accomplishing grace that may still follow us in our workes ne cessent in effectum that they faile not in the upshot whereof the Evangelist makes mention that from him who is full of grace We must receive grace for grace Iohn 1.14 It was not the grace of God onely that wrought in Saint Paul stirring him up to ho linesse but also gratia Dei 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The grace of God with me 1 Cor. 15. And when the Angels say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Toward men good vvill Luke 2. they doe not onely wish that God vvill shew good vvill tovvards men but that he vvould accomplish it in them by infusing grace into their hearts Our desire therefore is that the vvill of God may be done and sulfilled in us but yet by his grace and the assistance both of his preventing and follovving grace And as for sanctifying of Gods name our desire vvas that it may be sanctified of us but if not yet that it may ut fiat quovis modo that it be done hovvscever that it may be done in others but especially in our ovvne behalfe that vvhen vve are either unvvilling or unable to doe his revealed vvill it may please him to give us the knovvledge of it and to put into us the obedience of it that being assured in our consciences that vve have done the vvill of God vvee may have that peace and joy of the holy Ghost vvherein the Kingdome of grace standeth vvhich may be to us a pledge of the Kingdome of glory vvhereunto vve shall be exalted after this life if vve be carefull both to submit our vvils to Gods secret vvill and to frame our vvili and the actions of our life to that declared and open vvill of God vvhich for our direction he hath revealed in his vvord THE TWELFTH SERMON In Earth as it is in Heaven WHich words are an appendix to the three first Petitions for though it be added to the third which concerneth the doing of his will yet the ancient Fathers referre it also to the two former So that we are to pray no lesse that Gods name may be sanctified in earth as it is in heaven that his Kingdome may be consummate in earth as iâ— is in heaven then that his will be accomplished on earth as it is in heaven Wherefore we may observe by this complement of the three first Petitions that God respects not onely the doing of that which he requireth but chiesly the manner of it for it sufficeth not simply to do Gods will as others do on earth but we must do it as it is done in heaven for adverbes please God better then verbes and he respecteth more in the doing of his will the manner of the doing of it then our doing it selfe The Greekes distinguish the will of God by both the words of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when we do Gods will without any regard how so it be done that is his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when Gods will is done with a sicut and in such fort as he requireth that is his good pleasure and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods will was done of the people when they sacrificed any beast whatsoever but if they chose out the fittest then the sacrifice was the more acceptable so in this prayer we do not onely desire to do Gods will utcunque without regard how whether with willingnesse and cheerfulnesse or against our wills but wee desire to do it in the best manner as it is done in Heaven wherein we offer that sacrifice or service to God which is as the fat of Rams for the sanctifying of his Name The Apostle saith that at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow both of things in heaven in earth and things under the earth Phil. 2.10 But our desire is so to reverence the Name of Jesus as the things in heaven reverence it Of Gods Kingdome it is said that Christ is Ruler both in the midst of his enemies and also that in the day of his power the people shall as friends offer free-will offerings with an holy worship Psal 110.2 But we pray that Gods Kingdome may come among us not as among his enemies but that we may willingly submit our selves to his will and government Lastly for the doing of his will the Prophet said Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did hee in heaven in earth and in the Sea Psal 135.6 We desire that his will may be performed in us not as in the deepe places but as in heaven for this prayer containes two Sicuts the one pertaines to God teaching us how to love him the other concernes our neighbour where we pray so to be forgiven as wee forgive our debters so that as heretofore we have noted lege operandi lex statuitur supplicandi though there were no law to require the love of God and our neighbour yet this forme of prayer doth teach us how to love God and what perfect love wee owe to our neighbour In the thing it selfe we are to observe three points first a qualification secondly an Elevation of the soule thirdly an application In the qualification we are to enquire what is meant by heaven and earth either tanquam continentia or else we may understand them as things contained therein then how Gods will is done therein Howsoâ—ver our tongue or dialect speakes of heaven singularly yet both Greeke and Latine imply a plurality of heavens for there are three heavens first the aire where the birds flye whence they are called volucres coeli Matth. 6. Secondly the heaven of heavens where the Sun Moone and Starres are set to give light thirdly that which the Apostle cals the third heaven whereunto he was taken up which is the place of blessednesse where Gods Majesty is especially resident 2 Cor. 12. In all these heavens which containe other bodies in them wee shall find that Gods will is done Of the lower heaven the Prophet saith that it is obedient to Gods will and fulfills his word by sending downe snow and fire and wind Psal 148. In the second heaven which Salomon calls the heaven of heavens 1 Reg. 8.27 Gods will is done for there at Gods Commandement the Sunne and Moone stood still contrary to their usuall course till the people of God avenged themselves
wills are faine to do it Therefore our rule in this behalfe is that we do Gods will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 9. but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3. not grudgingly but cheerfully from the heart accounting it our meat to do the will of our heavenly Father Joh. 4. Secondly for the Elevation it is true that the qualification is signified by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our prayer is that we may do Gods will as it is done in heaven but not as much with like readinesse of mind but not in like measure for that is impossible for earthly men wee desire to fulfill Gods will in the manner but not in the same degree of obedience which may be expressed by the words Image and likenesse Gen. 1. Our obedience may be the likenesse of the Angels but not the Image The Character or Stampe of the Angels obedience is that which is equall in proportion but such obedience is not to be found there may be a beame of it answerable in likenesse and quality not in quantity so in likenesse we are Conformes imagine Christi Rom. 8. and beare the image of the heavenly Man 1 Cor. 15. as endeavouring thereunto but yet we cannot attaine to it But albeit it is hard for flesh and blood which our Saviour required Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Matth. 5. yet there is an use of such precepts first ut feramur ad perfectionem that we may be led on to perfection Heb. 6.1 Secondly we must have an Heroicall and free spirit Psal 51. which may stirre us up to wish that wee could do more then we can which consists of Aspiration and Suspiration We must aspire to the greatest perfection with David Concupivit anima mea My soule hath lusted to keepe thy righteous judgements for ever Psal 119.20 And O that my waies were so directed Psal 119.5 This is an Angelicall perfection which we cannot attaine unto in this life therefore we must suspirare when we consider that the Law saith Thou shalt not lust and yet find that wee do lust we are to sigh and say with the Apostle Who shall deliver us from this body of death Rom. 7. If we find that we cannot love our God with all our heart and soule as we ought then to say with the Prophet Vae mihi quia prolongatus est incolatus meus in terra Wo is me that my dwelling is prolonged in the Tents of Kedar Psal 120.5 We must desire to do more then we can and grieve that we cannot do so much as we ought that as we do what we can so what we cannot do we should supply it Voto desiderio animo with our hearty wish desire and mind Thirdly the supplication is of two sorts Reall and personall Touching the first as the grace of God is multiformis gratia 1 Pet. 4. So the will of God being one is of many sorts and containeth divers particulars therefore as we generally pray that the will of God may be done so when by the word of God wee understand what is the will of God in particular we are to desire no lesse that it may be performed This is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thess 4. Therefore our desire must be that this will of his may be done and fulfilled in us This is a speciall remedy against the tēptations of the flesh which oppose themselves against Gods will There is another will of God for patience for he would have us suffer for Christs sake without murmuring that so wee may stop the mouthes of ignorant men 1 Pet. 2.6 Therefore we are to pray that this will of God also may be done in us As Joseph was carefull to do Gods will touching sanctification and Job to obey Gods will in suffering patiently both which are now Saints in Heaven so must wee after their examples be both holy and carefull and patient It may be we are willing to obey Gods will in particular but we will say Nondum venit hora it is not yet time Therefore we must learne to practise the Prophets resolution I made hast and prolonged not the time to keepe thy Law Psal 119. When God revealeth his will to us we must presently put it in practise and as Saul did Act. 9. and not counsell with flesh and blood and this is the reall application The persons to whom the doing of Gods will is to be applyed are not onely the whole earth which is also to be wished as the Prophet sheweth Set up thy selfe O God above the heaven and thy glory above all the earth Psal 57. But the earth or land wherein we dwell as the Prophet speakes that glory may dwell interra nostra in our land Ps 85. So we pray that Gods will may be done in all lands but especially in our land and country that so he may bestow his blessings upon it but yet we are every one of us particularly to apply to our selves for to man it was said by God Terra es Gen. 3. To man it was said Earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord Jer. 22. So we desire that Gods will may especially be done and fulfilled in that part of the earth whereof God hath made us that is that in these our earthly vessels which we carry about with us we may be carefull to do that which God requireth at our hands THE THIRTEENTH SERMON Give us this day our daily bread OUt of the words of our Saviour in the sixth of Matth. vers 33. wee have elsewhere set downe the order of these three Petitions which concerne our selves for the first is the Petition of Glory and of Gods Kingdome which our Saviour willeth us to seeke in the first place The second is the Petition of Grace and of Gods righteousnesse wherein we pray that Gods will may be done The third Petition tendeth to this end that as the Prophet speakes God would not with-hold any temporall blessing needfull for this life but that he would give us all things that are necessary for us The things pertaining to Glory for which wee pray in the first place are Eternall those that concerne grace are Spirituall and the blessings of this life which we desire may not be with-held from us are naturall and temporall This is Natures prayer for not onely we but all creatures above and beneath make the same suit to God by the voyce of Nature the ravens of the aire call upon God that he would feed them Ps 147. The Lyons beneath roaring for their prey do seeke their meat at God Psal 104.21 and therefore no marvell that wee in as much as we are creatures do seeke to God who is the God of Nature to supply the defects of nature that we find in our selves as other creatures and yet there is a difference betwixt us and them for they call upon God onely for corporall food that their bellies may be filled but
the prayer that we make for outward things is not without respect to things spirituall and this Petition followeth upon the other by good consequent and order for as the Heathen man saith Haud facile emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi So wee shall be unfit to seeke Gods Kingdome and to do his will unlesse we have the helps of this life Therefore we desire that God will give us the things of this life those things without which wee cannot serve him that as wee desire the glory of his Kingdome and the grace of his Spirit whereby we may be enabled to do his will so hee will minister to us all things for the supply of our outward wants in this life the want whereof hath beene so great a disturbance to the Saints of God in all times that they could not goe forward in godlinesse as they would Abraham by reason of the great famine that was in Canaan was faine to go downe into Egypt Gen. 12.7 The same occasion moved Isaac to goe downe to Abimelech at Gerar Gen. 26. and Jacob to relieve his family in the great dearth at this time was faine to send his sonnes the Patriarchs into Egypt to buy corne Gen. 42. The children of Israell when they wanted bread or water murmured against God and his servants Exod. 16. Numb 20. the Disciples of our Saviour were so troubled in mind because they had forgotten to take bread with them that they understood not their Master when he gave them warning to beware of the leven of the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 8. So the want of outward things doth distract our Saviour were so troubled in mind because they had forgotten to take bread with them that they understood not their Master when he gave them warning to beware of the leven of the Scribes and Pharisees Matth. 8. So the want of outward things doth distract our minds and makes us unfit for Gods service Therefore that we may in quietnesse of mind intend those things that goe before in his prayer our Saviour hath indited us a forme of prayer to sue to God as well for things temporall as spirituall and eternall for it is lawfull for us to pray for them so that we do it in order The first Petition that the naturall man makes is for his daily bread but our care must be first for the Kingdome of God next for the fulfilling of Gods will and doing that righteousnesse which God requires at our hands and after wee may in the third place pray for such things as we stand in need of during our life This blessing the Fathers observe out of the blessings which Isaac pronounced upon his sonnes Jacobs blessing was first the dew of heaven and then the fat of the earth shewing that the godly do preferre heavenly comforts before earthly Esaus blessing was first the fatnesse of the earth and next the dew of heaven to teach us that prophane persons do make more reckoning of earthly commodities then of heavenly comforts Gen. 27.28 and 39. Therefore in regard of the Spirituall account we are to make of Gods Kingdome and the doing of his will we are to wish them in the first place and then Davids Unam petii à Domino One thing I have required of the Lord Psal 27. And that which Christ saith to Martha Unam est necessarium one thing is needfull Luk. 10. would bring us to Salomons two things Prov. 30. Give mee not poverty nor riches but feed mee with food convenient for mee lest being full I deny thee and say who is the Lord or beeing poore I steale and take the name of my God in vaine And that is it which wee are bold to do by Christs owne warrant for he hath taught us first to pray for his Kingdome then for the working of righteousnesse or for the doing of Gods will and lastly for daily bread If we do first pray for the two former then we may be bold in the third place to sue to God for the latter for he hath promised to with-hold no good thing from them that lead a godly life if the doing of Gods will be our meat then Requiem dedit timentibus se He hath given rest to them that feare him Psal 111. In the Petition we are to observe from sixe words sixe severall points first the thing that we desire that is bread secondly the attribute our bread thirdly daily bread fourthly wee desire that this bread may be given us fifthly not to mee but nobis to us sixthly hodie and as long as we say hodie to day Heb. 3. To beginne with giving hitherto the tenor of this prayer ran in the third person now we are to pray in the second saying Da tu whereupon the Church hath grounded a double dialect of prayer which comes all to one effect for that which the Church prayeth for Psal 67. God be mercifull unto us and blesse us is no lesse a prayer then if we should say in the second person Miserere nostri O Lord be mercifull to us and blesse us and that which is added and lift up his countenance is all one as if the Church speaking to God should say Lift up the light of thy countenance This change or alteration of person proceedeth from the confidence which the Saints are to gather to themselves in prayer for having prayed for the sanctifying of Gods name for the accomplishment of his Kingdome and for grace and ability to do his will Christ assureth us that we may be bold to speake to God for our owne wants Out of the word of Giving we are to note three things first our owne want for if we had it of our selves we would not crave it of God this confession of our want and indigence is a great glory to God that all the inhabitants of the earth usque ad Regem Davidem to professe to say Give us Psal 40. I am poore and needy but the Lord careth for mee they do professe themselves to be his beggers not onely by the voyce of nature which they utter for outward things as other unreasonable creatures do but by those prayers which they make for the supply of grace whereby they may be enabled to do Gods will so that not onely regnum tuum is Gods gift but also panem nostrum we acknowledge to be his gift It is from God from whom we receive all things as well the good givings as the perfect gifts Jam. 1.17 he is the author not onely of blessings spirituall but of benefits temporall he gives us not onely grace to obey his will but as the Prophet speakes dat escam Psal 104. The idolatrous people say of their Idols I will goe after my lovers that give mee my bread and my water my â—oyle and my wine but God saith after It is I that gave her corne and it is my wine and my flaxe and my oyle Hos 2.8 Ipse dat semen sementi panem
manducanti 2 Cor. 9.10 We are destitute of the meanest blessings that are it is God onely from whom wee receive all things therefore to him we pray acknowledging our owne want Da nobis panem Secondly we must consider the word Da as it is set in opposition to Veniat or habeam panem it must not content us that we have bread but labour that we may have it of Gods gift Esau said of things temporall which he enjoyed I have enough Gen. 33. not acknowledging from whom Balaam cared not how he came by promotion so he had it and therefore he is said to have loved the wages of unrighteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.15 but we must labour not so much to have good things as to have them from God and Pilate is to acknowledge that the power which he hath was given him from above Joh. 19. and not to vaunt of any usurped power It is said of God Tu aperis manum tuam Psal 104. Thou openest the doores of heaven Psal 78. So we are not so much to labour for temporall things by our owne endeavour as that we may have them from God Thirdly Da opposed to rendring teacheth us that it is not of our owne endeavour but it is of Gods free bounty and liberality that we have bread and other things which while wee seeke for of Gods gift we confesse that to be true which Salomon saith Non est panis sapientis Be a man never so wise yet he hath not alwayes to supply his need Eccles 9.11 As he that is highest gets not alwaies the goale nor the strongest man the victory so saith our Saviour Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature Matth. 6. All our endeavours for the things of this life are unprofitable without Gods blessing It is in vaine to rise up early and to go to bed late Psal 127. And when he blesseth our labour then he is said to give us bread and therefore we are to confesse with David that whatsoever we have received we have received it at his hands 1 Chron. 29.14 Now the meanes of Gods giving is of foure sorts First God giveth bread when hee blesseth the earth with plenty when hee gives force to the heaven When the heaven heareth the earth the earth heareth the Corne the Wine the Oyle and they heare man Hos 2.21 Secondly he gives when hee sets us in some honest trade of life and vouchsafeth his blessing to our endeavours therein that we may get our living and eate the labour of our hands Psal 128. without which the first giving will do us no good Thirdly he gives us bread not onely in his blessing the earth with increase and by blessing our honest paines in our vocation but when he gives us Baculum panis the staffe of bread for at his pleasure he useth to breake the staffe of bread Levit. 26. and to make it of no power to nourish us then are they but beggerly elements When we eat and have not enough Hag. 1. Therefore our prayer is that he would cause the earth to yeeld us bread so that to the bread he would infuse a force to strengthen mans heart for which end it is ordained Psal 104. Fourthly because Moses saies Man lives not by bread onely but by the Word of God therefore we pray that as our bread by his blessing is made to us panis salubris so it may be panis sanctus Deut. 8. that he will give us grace to use his creatures to the end that wee may the better serve him otherwise howsoever they nourish our bodies yet they will prove poyson to our soules God performeth these three former givings to the Heathen so that their bellies are full with bread but withall hee sendeth leannesse into their soules Psal 106. But Christian men have not onely the earth to yeeld her fruit Gods blessing being upon their labours and a blessing upon the creature it selfe that it is not in vaine but nourisheth but also it is sanctified to them and that bread is properly theirs because they are Gods children Et panis est filiorum it is the childrens bread Secondly the thing we desire to be given is Bread concerning which because the decayes and defects of our nature are many so as it were infinite to expresse then severally therefore our Saviour Christ doth here comprehend them all under the terme of Bread using the same figure which God himselfe useth in the law where under one word many things are contained Howsoever our wants be many yet the heathen bring them all to these two Pabulum latibulum food and covering and as they do so doth not onely Moses in the Law where all that pertaine to this life is referred to victum and amictum Deut. 10.18 but also Saint Paul in the Epistle 1 Tim. 6.8 Hebentes victum amictum his contenti sumus So then under this petition is contained not onely that God would give us bread by causing the earth to bring forth corne and all good seasons for that purpose but that withall he will give us health of body and not plague us with sicknesse as hee did the Israelites Psal 31. Then that we may have peace without which these outward blessings will afford us no comfort and that as he fills our bellies with food so he will give us Laetitiam cordis Act. 14.17 that is all manner of contentment in this life Howbeit this petition stayeth not here for the prayer of Christian men must differ from the Lyons roaring and the Ravens crying the end of their praying is that their bellies may be filled but we must have as great a care for the food of our soules therefore where we call it panem nostrum we do not meane panem communem such bread as is common to us with other creatures but that Spirituall bread which is proper to men which consists not only of body but of soule and body which must be both fed and where we pray that God would give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we aske such bread as is apt and meete for our sustenance that is not onely Earthly but Heavenly Bread because we consist not onely of a terrestriall but also of a celestiall substance so then our desire is that God would give us not onely panem jumentorum but panem Angelorum Psal 78. The bread of Angels and our suit is as well for panis coeli Joh. 6. as for earthly bread The bread of the soule is Gods word which hath a great reference to earthly bread and therefore speaking of the sweetnesse of that bread Job saith I esteemed of the words of his mouth more than my appointed food Job 23. and David saith Thy word is sweeter then hony and the hony combe Psalm 19.10 In the New Testament the Apostle to shew the nourishing force of Gods word saith that Timothy was enutritus verbis fidei 1 Tim. 4.6 To shew the taste or relish that it hath as well as
to us that was offered to the Fathers for we beleeve to be saved by the faith of Jesus Christ as well as they Act. 15.11 and wee have no other Sacraments then those which the Jewes had of whom Saint Paul saith They all did eate the same spirituall meat and dranke the same spirituall drinke 1 Cor. 10. and therefore it is meete likewise that we should make the same prayer that they made and indeed there is no Petition in the Lords Prayer which is not found in the Old Testament used by the Church of the Jewes For that which the Prophet prayeth Psalm 57.6 Lift up thy selfe O God above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth Psal 67. That thy way may be knowne upon earth c. is nothing else but the hallowing of Gods Name Secondly Remember mee O God that I may see the felicity of thy chosen Psal 106. It is nothing else but an exposition of the second Petition where we pray Thy Kingdome come Thirdly these words of the Prophet Psal 143. Teach mee to do the thing that pleaseth thee is a full comprehension of the third Petition where we desire that his will be done Fourthly the eyes of all things do looke upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season Psal 145. and the prayer of Solomon Prov. 30. Give mee not poverty nor riches but feed mee with food meete is a full expressing of the fourth Petition Fifthly My misdeeds prevaile against mee O be mercifull to our sinnes Psal 65.3 is a summe of the fifth petition and the condition of this Petition is found Psal 7. wherein the Prophet saith If I have done any such thing or if there be any wickednesse in my hands If I have rewarded evill to him that dealt friendly with mee yea I have delivered him that without a cause was my enemy then let my enemy persecute my soule whereby he desireth no otherwise to be forgiven of God then as he doth forgive his brother Sixthly that which the Prophet prayeth Psal 119.37 Turne away my eyes that they behold not vanity and Psal 143. Set a watch before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips is that which Christ teacheth us to pray Lead us not into temptation Seventhly Redeeme Israel from all trouble Psal 25.20 in affect is as much as Deliver them from all evill which is the seventh Petition Lastly looke what reason Christ teacheth us to use here the same doth David use 1 Chron. 29. Therefore having the same prayer that the Jewes had it is meet that wee should have the same conclusion that they had and the same is they said Amen and so do wee Touching the use of this word it is found in Scriptures to have two seats or places and accordingly two severall expositions to wit in the beginning and in the end before and behind In the beginning as in the doctrine of the Sacrament of Baptisme concerning which our Saviour saith Amen Amen except a man be borne of the water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. And touching the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist Verily verily except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee have no life in you Joh. 6.33 And touching the effect of prayer Christ saith also Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever yee shall aske the Father in my name hee will give it you Joh. 16. In those places the word Amen is used and thereby our Saviour laboureth to expresse the truth of that which he doth teach In the end likewise it is said as Psal 41.13 Psal 72. Psal 87.50 Praised be the Lord for evermore Amen Amen And in the New Testament when the Apostle sheweth That of the Jewes according to the flesh came Christ who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 Here the word is used and set behind to signifie that wee desire that that may be performed which God before by his Amen hath affirmed to be true Therefore David having received promise from the Lord by the hand of Nathan saith Let the thing that thou hast promised be Amen Let there be an accomplishment of the same 1 Chron. 17.25 So when the Prophet Hananiah had prophesied in the name of the Lord I have broken the yoke of the King of Babell and after two yeares will I bring againe into this place all the ornaments of the house of the Lord Jeremy the Prophet said Amen the Lord do as thou hast said Jer. 28.6 As in the beginning it ratifieth the truth of Gods promise so being set in the end it signifieth the desire of our hearts for the accomplishment of the same and this desire alwaies followeth and is grounded upon the promise of God and the truth thereof In which regard the Prophet saith Remember me O Lord concerning thy word wherein thou causest me to put my trust Psal 119. and therefore to Christs A non in the beginning where he promiseth Verily verily whatsoever ye aske in my name Iohn 16. we may boldly adde our Amen in the end that his Amen may be performed and by right doe we ground our Amen upon Gods Amen for he is called Amen that is truth Esa 65.16 So the Apostle expresseth it when speaking of Jesus Christ he saith Thus saith Amen the fault fall and true witnesse Revel 3.14 Therefore S. Paul saith of Christ that in him all the promises are made to us yea in the beginning and Amen to us in regard of the certaine accomplishment 2 Cor. 1. The reason of our Amen is because not onely faith but trust and confidence doth proceed from the truth of God fides hath relation to Gods truth but fiducia or confidence is setled upon Gods faithfulnesse and both are affirmed of God Moses saith of God that he is verus and fidelis Deut. 32. and Esay The Lord is faithfull Esa 49.7 8. Paul in the new Testament Hee is faithfull that promised Heb. 10. He deemed him faithfull that promised Heb. 11. For there are two things required in faithfulnesse without the which a man cannot be said to be faithfull the one is ability of which Abraham doubted not of Gods faithfulnesse being fully perswaded That what he promised he was able to performe Rom. 4.21 the other is will and readinesse to doe touching which the Apostle saith Faithfull is he that called you ipse faciet 1 Thes 5.24 These are the parts of faithfulnesse and they are both found in God and therefore not onely God the Father is true but Christ is said to be the truth Iohn 14. and the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of truth 1 Iohn 5.6 So that albeit men deale so untruly that it is verified of them ad men are lyers Rom. 3. Yet God abides faithfull and cannot denyâ—h myselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 So much the Prophet teacheth when he saith the mountaines shall be removed but the thing which be hath spoken shall not faile Esa 58. And