together when danger is great but the doubts greater Help is little and their hopes lesse Against this the Godly are often encouraged cautioned charged to beware of it This is to bee resisted at least restrained to bee moderated if it cannot bee mortified 3 Religious fear Noahs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By faith Noah warned of God was moved with fear This is a Religious fear and for its excellency is put for the whole of Religion and Devotion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men fearing God translated Devout men Therefore whereas we are often charged against the two former that we have not too much of them we are as oft charged to get more of this which we can never have too much of 1 Sam. 12. 24. Exod. 20. 24. Matth. 10. 28. Fear not but fear again I say fear him Get a double measure of this holy fear to fortifie the heart against these two former fears This Religious fear hath a twofold object 1. Evil and is a fear of abhorrence 2. Good and is a fear of reverence 1 Evil is to be feared with fear of Horror 1 Evil of punishment 1 Temporary judgments I am afraid of thy Iudgment my flesh trembleth for fear of thee Destruction from God was a terror to me said Job and so a curb from sin The love of God is the only constraint to good and the fear of God to the Godly the onely restraint from evil 2 Spiritual Judgments I was afraid said Moses of the anger and hot displeasure of God 3. Most of all Eternal Judgments Knowing the terror of the Lord. How fearful is it to fall into the hands of the living Lord Our God is a consuming fire 2 Evil of sin yet more then all the former This is the mother of all these three fatal Sisters There were no cause to fear Temporal Spiritual or Eternal evil if not for this evil of sin Sin hath filled earth with bryars and thornes the body with Diseases the mind with grief head with cares soul with Terrors labors with toyl yea sin hath put that brimstone into hell and kindled that fire there yea hath carryed fire into Heaven and put wrath into God This is to be feared with a fear of abhorrence and abomination a wicked man may forbear sin the godly fears flyes hates â—in He feares an oath Iob feared God and eschued evil He feared God much but sin more God with fear of Reverence sin with fear of defiance both with a Religious fear This one fear well feared expels all other fears The heart full of this holy fear of sin hath no room to entertain any base tormenting fears 2 Reverential fear is the fear of God and is twofold 1. Of lower Saints proceeding from more weakness and arguing less perfection which fear hath pain doubt perplexity torment and is that we call the spirit of bondage that shuts out confidence and rejoycing And ariseth from these five causes 1 From the apprehension of Gods infinite holiness purity and therefore jealousie and indignation against sin and sinners 2. From the apprehension of the Lawes strictness rigor and severity 3. The dreadful threats of Gods wrath against sinners 4. Then the consideration of their own deep guilt great frailties manifold imperfections lastly which adds to all the rest the apprehension of God aâ— a distance to them and not yet in 1 Covenant relation 2 Of the higher Saints arguing lesse weaknesse and more Perfection therefore when this entereth the other endeth God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power love and of a sound mind This fear argues perfection and the best constitution Job a perfect man fearing God This spirit of fear was upon our Saviour This ariseth from the apprehension of God in relation and in Covenant with us as our God These fear God 1. As a servant his Master whom he serveth as a son his father whom he honoureth as the Wife her Husband whom she loveth This is a most gracious fear timor amoris the fear of Love 2 They are said to fear his Word and to tremble at it Isai. 66. 2. Where Gods Word comes there comes power and causeth fear one rebuke thence shaketh and sweth the heart more then a thousand stripes doth a profane fool This is timor obedentiae fear of obedience 3. They fear his name They count Gods name the most holy reverend and fearful of all things in the world That thou maist fear that glorious and fearful name the Lord thy God Of this the Godly are very tender Joâ— feared God and therefore feared lest hiâ— sons might pollute Gods name in their hearts Others would not that their owne namâ— should suffer these that Gods This is timor honoris the fear of honor The first Reason of this Point why it iâ— the constant disposition of all the Godly even the least of them to fear the name of God is Because this fear is the initial grace the first grace that appears taketh heavens Alarum The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome Before knowledg of God faith in God acquaintance with God dependance upon God delight in him comes fear The Spirit in his first approach injects fear as the first seed of Grace The Spirits businesse is first to be a spirit of Bâ—ndage afterwards of Adoption First to convince of sin afterwards to discover Righteousnesse and Judgement But fear is the holy porch at which all Grace enters In the first conversion of a stout and secure sinner Gods Spirit falls to undermining his hopes by strong convictions of his sin and misery then is Fear awakened Fear taketh the Alarum and calls up Conscience Conscience awakens Repentance Repentance Faith Faith calls up Prayer Prayer looks after the Promise Promise runs to Christ and awakens him as did the Disciples in their storm Lord save us we perish But Fear begins A little more fully to describe this conceive it thus Conviction calls upon a sinner Look well about thy self What meanest thou Oh sleeper Wilt thou dye in a sleep Up Fear see the danger hide thy self seek to escape for thy life now deliver thy selfe as the Roe Fear saith I exceedingly quake and tremble God is angry I am in great danger alone I cannot secure my self Now help Fear all you other Graces up Conscience Conscience saith I am troubled and would relieve Fear but thou must help me Repentance bestir thee Repentance break off sin without delay Repentance saith I would â—ase Conscience and secure Fear help Faith at a dead lift or I can do no good Faith saith I would help Repentance but thou must help me Prayer as Israel in their fear came to Samuel intreating him not to cease to cry to God for them so Faith saith Prayer cry aloud be not silent take no repulse pray not coldly but plead intreat beg for thy life Prayer saith How should I help if the Lord
do warble and eccho out their cheerful notes to the praise of the Sun they build they breed they rejoyce many of them come stay returne with this their great Leader and Commander The waters wax warme and temperate there the fishes leap play breed and multiply But the Earth especially decked as a Bride to meet this Bridegroom cloatheth her selfe and all her family in new and divers coloured apparel and with their several New years Gifts present the worlds Benefactor with their Best that he may not come in vain to any of their dwellings Oh that wee were the Creatures Scholers or School-fellowes in this respect to acknowledge the benefits admire the perfections sing out the praises of this Sun of Righteousnesse and with our best Presents of Thankfulnesse and Fruitfulnesse shew we are loath to receive so much grace in vaine CHAP. XVII The likenesse of both in sundry Accidents WE are now come to the last thing wherein the agreement holds betweene these two Suns viz. certaine Accidents whereof 1. one greater 2. many lesse The greatest is that of the Eclipses which these two great Luminaryes are subject to The lessâ—r Luminary the Sun sometimes loseth his light and Lustre and this greater Luminary hath sometimes lost the glory and brightness of his Godhead in his Exinanition and in that self emptying abasement of his Passion The Suns Eclipse is often and ordinary but this was extraordinary preternatural and but once 2. The Sun is never totally Eclipsed in part often His body being so many times bigger then the Moon 's interposed seven thousand times bigger cannot lose all his light So Christ might be in his Person eclipsed to the unbelieving Jewes by his poverty Cross and afflictions whereby he was made lower then the Angels when some others even then saw his glory as the glory of the Only Begotten of God full of Grace and Truth 2. In his Truth by Hereticks and prevailing Errors 3. In his Regal Power when persecuting enemies and Tyrants encroach on his Churches Liberty and his Prerogative breaking his bonds and the Churches hedg But he is never totally eclipsed because his power and grace doth more then seven thousand or ten thousand times exceed all Tyrants power Hereticks Policy persecuters rage and Satans malice 3. Yet was there once never but once a total Eclipse of the Sun extraordinary it was viz. at the time of Christ his Passion Christ never had the light of his Fathers countenance wholly suspended but then in Articulo Passionis when he cryed out Eli-Eli-Lama-sabactani Such an Eclipse never did nor can happen again then did it appear Christ set his Tabernacle in the Sun that was his Chariot or Apostle The Sunnes darknesse then enlightned the world and made the Philosopher cry out Deus naturae patitur aut mundi Machina dissolvitur Either the God of Nature is now suffering or the frame of the world is dissolving then both Suns suffered and were eclipsed together and went down at noon day the Sun of the Lord and that Lord of the Sun 4. The Suns Eclipse is only caused by the interposition of the Moons dark body which hath all her light from the Sun The Sun is then obscured and the new changed Moon never else seen by day then dare shew her self It is the only interposing the Churches dark body of sin and guilt made this Sun obscured She hath no light of her owne but borroweth of him and hee was content to lose all his glory protempore that his Church and every new changed converted soul may appear before God with boldness not otherwise able to abide the tryal of his presence 5. It is a sight sad to behold when the Sun is Eclipsed and it was the saddest day and hour of darknesse that ever was in the world when Christ was put to death 6. The Sun as to us seemeth to lose his light but as to Heaven gives more And Christ never shined more bright in Heaven never gave like satisfaction to God more Joy to Angels Glory to Saints then in his Passion Then did the pleasure of the Lord prosper in his hand He that was before pleased in his Person was now more pleased in his Passion In this only expiatory sacrifice did God smel a savor of rest This was to our Saviour a day of Triumph his Cross was the Trophy of his Victory and success whereon he was lifted up and exalted then was sin death hell swallowed up in Victory The dread of this Crosse triumphed over Hell spoyling all those principalities and thereby leading captivity captive The bloud of this Crosse tryumphed in Heaven Having made peace â—â— the bloud of his Crosse Col. 1. 20. And thâ— Merit of his Crosse triumphed in the Church which ever since hath taken up those Angelical Hymnes Glory to God on high on eartâ— peace good will towards men Salvation 〈◊〉 ascribed to the Lamb that was slaine and glory to the Sun that was obscured This wâ—â— the day wherein ouâ— great High Priest weâ— in his richest Robes into the Holy of Holies with his own bloud but bearing all oâ—â— Names in his brest and all our iniquities oâ— his shoulder and hath made an everlastinâ— attonement or expiation and the greatest Holy day the world ever saw 7. The Sun eclipsed hath the same lighâ— in it self is only hid from us for a while bâ—â— recovers it self presently and shines again 〈◊〉 gloriously as before There may be misâ— and darkness interposing between us and God between Christ and the Father none between the Sun and the earth the Moon between the Sun and heaven no Moon to interpose And changes there may seeme to bâ— between us and God between Christ and the Father all is well Satan might bruise his heel Herod Iews Pilate might reproach condemne crucifie bury set a guard about the Sepulcher But if it be said Who shall bind the influences of the Pleiades with what bonds of death 〈◊〉 〈…〉 t then possible to hold the Prince of life prisoner 8. Some great Scholers have said The Suns Eclipse bodes much ill to this lower world and that the sad effects thereof are such that the world is the worse for it seven years after ere it recover it self The truth whereof I 'l not dispute but certaine I am the sad effects of this Eclipse upon the Land of Iudea where it was most visible are not yet â—â—ased but for this One thousand six hundred yeares it hath felt the miseries which followed on their Crucifying the Lord of Glory 9. Lastly The Suns Eclipse is said to Prognostick great changes downfal of Kingdomes and deaths of Tyrants c. Sure I am that this Eclipse did not foretel as a Prognostick but produce as the immediate cause the greatest changes in heaven and earth Then was Satan ruined this Eclipse was his bane When the Vyal of Gods wrath was poured on this Sun and hee had cryed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is finished
seed and gives it root the stony for lack of this depth withered Mark it while you will the well seasoned Christian with Mortification seldom warps and shrinks but your flashy high flown spirits over filled with joy at first The meat well powdered with salt keeps long sweet without it corrupts and putrifies 7. A good measure of Humility God giveth more grace to the humble The low valleys are ever more Rich then the lofty hils Trees in time of drought wither not because of deep roots when as the corn and grasse burn quite away 8. Sincerity makes to grow up to him in all things who is the head This the Nutritive grace Mortification prepares the way for Humility humility for Sincerity sincerity for growth growth for perseverance perseverance for the Crowne Faith is the mother or seed grace mortification the planting or ploughing grace humility the rooting grace sincerity the watering grace perseverance the crowning grace Sincerity makes grace to be and makes grace to grow without sincerity no grace is only seems Faith is not faith without sincerity repentance no true repentance prayer no prayer And without sincerity grace thrives not but decayes wanting what should water and nourish The life and growth of all grace is bound up in the life of sincerity 9. Lastly but especially wait and pray for the Rising of the Sun of Righteousnesse for a further and fuller manifestation of Christ to thy soule when Christ came in to Thomas and took him by the hand he raised him from the lowest pit of unbeliefe and doubting to the highest pitch of confidence and Rejoycing My Lord and my God The Sun returning makes the trees shoote again at Spring which grew not all winter Let me adde a few Motives to seek after a Growth The Husbandman loves to go out to see his corn grow in the field the mother how her child comes on at nurse the father his son at School The first Motive This an Argument of Truth how differs the living child from the dead the Picture from a true man but in growth Where you see not growth suspect truth 2 There is a Perfection attainable here As many as are perfect let us be thus minded Phil. 3. 15. That is 1. A perfection comparative with others that fall short not absolute The Stars compared with the other parts of heaven are perfect lights with the Sun are darknesse Saints compared with other men are lights but with Christ they are but darkness 2 In Desires Endeavors in voto The Godly have weak performances strong desires are stinted and bounded in their doings but their desires are boundlesse aspiring infinite 3 They have an inchoated not complete perfection as a child in his parts which daily receive a growth We must labour after such a perfection as we are capable of The child cannot speak when born first he gets one word then another then all his Native Language perfectly so must we be growing All Natures works tend to it The child grows first in stature when no more in stature then in strength when no more in strength then in judgment when no more in judgement then in affection then in Grace Sin stayes not till it come to its unhappy perfection and shall Grace stop in the middle Shall the tares ripen for the fire and not the wheat for the Garner 3 There is no perfection here viz. Actual Absolute Complete This contradicts not but fortifies the former Motive As many of us as are perfect Phil. 3. 15. yet ver 12 he puts not himself into that number I have not yet attained I am not yet perfect therefore follow the harder after it If I were at the Race end I might rest I am but entered therefore must look forward not backward The water runs out of the Springs and stops not till it come together and makes a River The River stayes not till it comes to the Sea there is his fulnesse Our measure and pitch is to do the will of God on earth as it is in heaven and our pattern Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect Be holy as God is holy which because wee can never reach we must be still striving after The body at length comes to his growth the soul never in this life The Christian herein like the Crocodile which ceaseth not to grow till it cease to live Therefore the Godly is described thirsting after Righteousnesse The greedy Worldlings desires after Riches are enlarged as Hell and the desires of the Godly after Grace are enlarged as Heaven Another saith Had I so much Grace I should be satisfied Be thankful for the least be not satisfied with the most Grace The Godly at first saith Oh that I had knowledge after what will knowledg do without Repentance when he hath Repentance yet I want Faith when Faith I would have more when more I would have Assurance when Assurance I thirst still I would have Christ more union more communion When Christ on earth he longs to be with Christ in heaven The young Christian is like the young House-keeper who thinks a few things go to furnish and keep a house but the well experienced Christian like the old House-keeper findes much to do about a house many things wanting many decaying 4 Non progredi est regredi If wee go not forward we go backward and this motus recessus is ever motus trepidationis a sad and dreadful motion God hath made all Creatures to go forward that is a handsom motion to go backward how unhandsome is it The Spirit moved the wheeles ever forward never backward The Sun rising gets heat and strength till noon when it declines night hastens on at Spring it goes higher every day and makes dayes longer till it comes to the Tropick or Solstice then farewel Spring Autumn and Winter hastens The Sun once stood still but it was prodigious and fatal to the enemies of God once went back and was a signe of recovery Our Sun neither stands nor goes back but is alway ominous 5 This the only way to be secured from the incursion of Error and prevailing Impieties That ye be not drawne away from your stedfastnesse into the error of the wicked grow in Grace is Saint Peters Antidote When was Solomon drawn to commit or permit those foul Idolatries and tolerate all those new Religions but when he cooled in his love and was declined The man and beast seldom falls going up hill usually downe hill the Carters Proverb When did Cart overthrow up hill Take heed how you descend Those that were made a prey to house-creeping and house-subverting Seducers were only such as had made no proficiency but learning and learning and never able to come to the grounded knowledge of the truth leave off growth in strictness and the next error carries thee away 6 Those may be able to look Christ in the face at death and Judgement who have been growing You come behind in
of the Divine Essence in three Persons I and my Father are one John 10. 30. There are three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one 2. So in Christ visible for his humanity invisible for his Divinity Unity is the perfection of his person Only in the former Unity of Essence there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alius not aliud here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aliud not alius in this unity of Person As in the Creature Sun there is a conjunction and union of two different qualities light and heat Light such as is in heaven among the Stars none such on earth Heat such as is in living creatures on earth none such in the Stars So in Christ there is an union of an heavenly and earthly nature 1. Of a Deity which the other persons have without humanity 2. Of Humanity which we have without a Deity In this one High Priest alone the Thummim and the Urim the perfections of God and the light of men conjoyn'd 1. Then give unto Christ the glory of this Singular attribute of Unity in a double Unity 1. The Unity of faith 2. Unity of Love 1. By an Unity of faith eye Christ only eye him with a single eye look up to no other Mediator go not to glean in any other field as was said to Ruth one Sun gives light to all the world there needs no more He were a mad man should say set me up another Sun or light me a Candle at noon day to help out the Sun He more irrational who saith give me somewhat besides Christ another Mediator It is looked upon as prodigious in nature to see two or three Suns or Parelii together There is no such thing they are but imaginary Suns in a cloud having a little light no heat or vigorous Influence There is but one Sun which gives light to these so to set up Saints merits the Virgin Maries Intercession or our own duties were prodigious all have what they have from Christ and contribute nothing to him And these Parelii are never seen but when the Sun is low at morning or evening never at noone This flying to the Saints with Papists or imagined Righteousnesse with some carnal Protestants is only a sign of a dim knowledg and of a weak faith never of a sound judgment and a wel-informed mind How unhandsome is a new piece on an old garment or the garment part wollen part linnen Christ will be Solus or nullus Look to me and be saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Isa. 45. 22. Each man puts out his candle and opens his window to let in heaven light when the Sun is up do so for your souls tread out your sparks they may burn thee they cannot lighten thee Isa. 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compasse your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of my hand ye shall lye down in sorrow 2. Next look after the other great Unity The Unity of love the Unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace Faith and love are the two great uniting graces faith to the head love to the members As there are two great unions in heaven the first of three in one Trinity in Unity the other of two in one two natures in one person So next to these two most glorious Unions there are two mysterial Unions in earth of faith to Christ where two are one of love to the Church where all are one And as this is Gods perfection so the Churches according to Christs last Prayer John 17. 17. That they may be all one as Thou Father art in me and I in thee That they may be made perfect in one It was the glory and beauty of the Wheels that they were so Artificially joyned one within another that though divers they seemed one wheel and they had all one motion for one Spirit animated them All those innumerable fixed Stars keep their proper and certain station are therefore never eclipsed nor do they eclipse others but move together uniformly one motion is common to all The Planets move in several Orbs no two together and they are all eclipsed one by another Christians should as Stars in the Firmament not thwart cloud censure slight eclipse each other disparaging this mans Ministry question that mans sincerity Oh that the Trumpet might not make an uncertain or different sound but bee all as one as when the Temple was dedicated and when Jericho was besieged all the Priests blew together all the people gave one shout thereby should Babylons walls be finally ruined and Jerusalems fully repaired Then would it be said Who is this that looketh forth as the morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun terrible as an Army with banners This Unity of the Spirit would become the bond and cement of our Peace our bands and beauty the staff of the Church in her now old age and bring in those Primitive times again when after stormes The Churches regained rest and were edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplied Why should there not bee as one God one Church as one Lord one Baptism as one Spirit one Faith as one Father one Family as one Christ one Hope as one way one Heart as one Bread one Body as one Cup one Lip Cor unum via una Dominus unus Nomen unum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 12. 12. All should be one How delightful is it to see ten thousand beams streaming from the same Center of the Sun in heaven meet and re-center in the same punctulum on earth What a resplendent light and piercing heat do they give So when all the Graces coming from the same head do unite and con-center together what beauty light and heat is there The Beams dispersed are weakned united are more burning as in a Burning glass where all the Sun seems contracted in so narrow compass Where is most of Unity there is most of Christ. And now thou glorious Sun of Righteousness and blessed Peace maker who art all Union and the Fountain of it in whose Person the Father and Holy Ghost was from eternity united in whose Incarnation the Humane Nature was united to the Divine in whose Mediation the Divine was again united to the Humane In the strength of these two great Unions produce a third that union of our Nature with it self that there may be no more Schismes in the body Thou that didst slay the enmity between Jew and Gentile slay that between Christian and Christian and as thou art the foundation stone of our faith be also the corner the coupling stone of our Love and the
held to be eighteen times bigger then the Earth and those of the first Magnitude an hundred and seven times greater The Moon however it seem to us is the very least of all but Mercury and is Quadragesima pars terrae the Earth being thirty nine times bigger and the Sun seven thousand times or thereabout as is conceived Should all the earth and seas be supposed to be where the Sun is it would be as a Mathematical Point no bigger then a Diamond or a spark But who can compute the Greatness of the higher Sun Christ Iesus Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection It is higher then Heaven what canst thou do dâ—eper then Hell what canst thou know The Suns Body can be measured his Diameter is taken to be so many thousand miles his motion observed to be so many hundred miles each hour But Christ his greatness unsearchable the Sun to him an Atom or spark the Heavens a span the earth as the dust of the Ballance the sea a drop of a bucket and all the Iles a little nothing and man less then nothing With the sole of his foot he covereth the earth and sea in the hollow of his hand holds all the deep 1. What high thoughts should this beget in us of Christ To whom will you liken him or can you equal him Regum timendorum in proprios greges Reges in ipsos Imperium Christi He bringeth Princes to nothing He can crush them as a moth and with his looks or frowns can undo them and their projects yea command them into Hell God looked on Pharaoh and he never looked up after it His wheels moved no more Ahasuerus looked displeasedly Hamans face was covered and he was presently led to Execution Fear him fear him 2. But let the poor Believers rejoice We have a great Savionr whose Grace Mercy Wisdom Merits are infinite He is many times bigger then the earth All sins of the world before his Merits no more then a cloud before the Sun I shall speak two great words 1. The one this That if all sins of all Believers were all laid on one person they were nothing to countervail his Meritorious satisfaction 2. The other a greater yet as true That if all sins of unbelievers since the world was were upon the account of one man that if you could suppose one man to be guilty of Cains Murder Pharaâ—â—s Obstinacy Ahabs Impiety Sauls Rage Ahitophels Treason Absoloms Parricide and Incest and Judas his Christicide and despair too and Sauls blasphemy withal yet this man flying to Christ Jesus should have all these sinnes done away as a cloud and should be as safe as Abel the Righteous The latter Act of turning Tamar out of doores was more shameful then the former in deflouring her To turne Christ out of doors after all other Contumelies and abuses is the foulest sin Any were admitted to the Feast but they who slighted the Invitation and had abused Mercy He who despised Moses Law dyed without Mercy yet there is a sorer punishment for such as trample under foot the bloud of Christ and despight the Spirit of Grace Can any thing be sorer then to dye without Mercy you 'l say Yes this 1. They dyed without Mercy at mans hands might find Mercy at Gods These without Gods Mercy 2. They dyed Temporally these Eternally 3. They if they went to Hell also have a more tolerable Hell there are several Dungeons there as Mansions in Heaven then those who have so much abused Grace What weight may a weak man swim with upon his back who hath bladders under his armes What sin can sink him that hath Christ in his armes Thou maist sink with all Duties without Christ and be safe after all thy sins with Christ. Thy sins are many great only less then infinite Christ is great and infinite and more then one way infinite his Person Blood Obedience Intercession Grace Power so many Infinites Should I tell an ignorant person That the Sun is One hundred sixty and six times bigger then the Earth he would laugh at it and not believe me yet so it is though he believe it not So should I say Christ his Grace Mercy and Merits are One hundred sixty and six times more then all our sins put together to an Unbeliever he would not assent yet so it is The Apostle calls them the unsearchable Riches of Christ. A little of sins Poison one drop of Pride may corrupt all our Righteousness A spoonful of Poison may infect a whole Vessel of Wine All Poisons cannot infect the Air the sea the Sun much less which will dissipate and correct all Malignity A little sin may mar all our Box of Duty and mar a mans yea Angels Righteousness and make us past recovery by Duties of the Law oâ— help of Angels but not past Christs help The Stars of the first Magnitude are One hundred and seven times bigger then the Earth yet shew nothing to the Sun The Angels are one hundred times more pure then we yet they need Christ and are nothing to him Oh Unbeliever cast not thy selfe and hope and safety wilfully away The Sun with one look dispels all darkness from the one Hemisphere and at another the darkness of the other Two looks enlighten the whole world What can two drops of the bloud of Christ do and two of his looks He looked and prayed for the sins of all those before his coming they were done away he looked again up to his Father for all these since his coming and they are gone Thus this one Lamb taketh away the sins of the world But as it sometime falls out with an over carfulf woman riding over water a good horse under her her Husband before her to hold by yet betrayed by her causeless fears she lets all go and casts her self down and is either drowned or well washed So do often we when we have Christ to hold by and are as safe as he himselfe we cast away our confidence and disquiet our selves with unnecessary fears Lord carest thoâ— not that we perish Let the Great ones of the world who are as the Sun in these lower heavens many times greater then other men Resemble this great Pattern who is not so much greater then the other Stars as it exceeds them all in Glory Beauty Light Influence cherishing the inferior Orbs with his beames and presence It affecteth not the highest Sphere but the most convenient is well content others should be above it in place so it may be more for common benefit He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God And he shall be as the light of the morning when the Sun ariseth even a morning without clouds as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain It is observed how all Creatures thrive and mend when removed into a better Soyl. Plants or Beasts taken
out of a hard soil ever do man only made worse by such removes Man cannot abide in Honour Man when exalted is corrupted The lowest and darkest Cellars keep our Beer fresh Wine quick meat sweet which would corrupt in upper roomes or in the Sun Jeroboam in the dust more industrious then any other in the Throne more impious then any that ever came after they all might go to him to learn And he that before had been in the Garden of Eden and was looked on as a holy Angel the Annointed Cherub to whom Daniel and all the Men of God were as no body had the most iniquity found in him after he was perfect in his wayes and had by his Policy made all fit to his hand as he would have it Good men when Great resemble God with whom Mercy is sweetly matched with Majesty and Grace with Glory But the wicked are like Satan who when ever he gaineth more power employs it to do more mischief He riseth up saith Job and no man is sure of his life No man can say what he hath and what is his own speaking of the wicked man armed with Power 4. How great is the folly of the sons of men who toil sweat fret sue go to Law go to War yea venture to go to Hell to get these earthly things and when they have done what have they got but their labour for their pains in this life and after this worse pains for their labour Why dost thou set thine eye on that which is not What are these to Heaven The Sun is nothing in comparison of the Heaven of Heavens the Earth nothing to the Sun thy Farme or Lordship nothing to the Earth thy Cottage or Manner is nothing to England and England it self an inconsiderable nothing to the Earth Thy Lordship is not mentioned nor to bee found in the Map of the Earth and if by seeking it thou losest heaven too how miserable art thou They are beg'd for fooles who have a fair estate befallen them and sport themselves with Rattles How many wise Worldlings may bee beg'd for Fooles We count it childishnesse to see our boyes to run after painted Butter-flyes wrangle for a Top and fight for a Ball We are the more children who pant as if out of breath for the dust of the Earth The Philosopher on this Meditation of the Heavens Magnitude and Earths meanness breaks out into a Passion That men like children strive for an atom And hereupon Du Bartas excellently For though a King by wile or war had won All the round earth to his subjection Lo here the guerdon of his glorious pains A needle point a mote a mite he gaines A nit a nothing did he all possess Or if then nothing any thing be less O Lord said Austin Thou art and besides thee nothing of which nothing thou hast made Heaven and Earth those two the one of which is next to thee the other next to very nothing The highest heaven yet thou art higher the Earth so low as nothing lower Heaven is great but Earth little CHAP. XI The Glory of the Sun the second Property THe Sun is the most glorious Body in the World from whose Glory light is borrowed to set out the greatest Glory whatsoever 1. The Church Militant in her greatest Glory and richest Robes is described to be cloathed with the Sun 2. And which is far higher the Saints Triumphant in that great day of Gods greatest glory and mans when Christ shall be glorified in the Saints and the Saints in him shall have their glorified Bodies shining as the Sun 3. Yea which is more then either when Christ himself had that great promise fulfilled That the Kingdome of Heaven should come with power and was transfigured His face then shined as the Sun That was a glorious day when two Suns shone together But what will that be said famous Mr Bolton when there shall be so many Saints so many Suns There is one glory of the Stars another of the Moon but a far other of the Sun said the Apostle There is one Glory of Saints another of Angels but another far greater of this Sun Moses had much glory in his countenance such as Israel could not behold til his Vaile was on but he needeth a Vaile when he comes into the presence of this Sun to hide his defects Solomons glory was such that the fame astonished a Queen but the â—ight dazeled and struck her dead There was no more spirit in her it is said Angels have a far greater measure of glory Daniel the greatly beloved Prophet and Mary the greatly beloved Virgin could not stand before it He fainted she feared But Christ is above all Thus saith the Lord the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One to him whom man despâ—seth to him whom the Nation abhorreth to a servant of Rulers Kings shall see and arise Princes also shal worship because of the Lord that is faithful and the Holy Ore of of Israel and he shall chuse thee Yea the Angels themselves cover not their feet only but their faces when they come before Christ. The Sun is exceeding glorious though it dwelleth in that Light accessible so that his glory doth superare visum our eye is so weak we cannot see and see but Christ who dwelleth in that Light Inaccessible his glory doth superare Intellectum we cannot see and live 1. Therefore admire and adore this glorious Sun of righteousnesse This is no creature worship to worship Christ it is the Fathers wil the same Divine Honour should be given to the Son as to himself Worshâ—p this Rising this Warming this Healing Sun Angels Principalities and Powers stoop and submit themselves to him Do to Christ as the Philosopher who viewed and gazed on the Sun as long as he was able then not able to comprehend his glory could have wish'd himself with the Sun that he might know it perfectly If Erastus was so in love with Learning that he could gladly have dyed to have his questions resolved which he could not satisfie himself in Why should not the Christian desire to be with Christ in whom though he doth believe and joy with joy unspeakable and glorious yet hath he never seen him nor can he know him as he is 1 Pet. 1. 8. 2. Pry not then into the Ark nor presse beyond those bounds set us below at the foot of the Mount to comprehend those unconceivable mysteries of Christ his Deity Personality Hypostatical Union which the busie wits of the world studying to reach by their humane reason have fallen into the most monstrous heresies of the world Faith must begin where Reason ends What vessel can contain the Sea or what visible eye can see â—n â—nvisible Deity The Suns beams in reflection are delightfull but the Sun directly looked upon doth blind thee it must be an Eagle-eye can endure it It is no wonder
their all they have his all they can never have The Seas treasure cannot be exhausted when all Rivers Springs and other vessels are filled We have but our measure no fulness He no measure the Father giveth not the spirit by measure to him But all fulnesse of whose fulnesse we all receive and grace for grace Ob. Are not the godly said to be full Stevenful of faith Paul of the Holy Ghost the Romans of all goodnesse Answ. Christ hath his fulnesse and the Saints their kind of fulnesse but with great difference their 's the fulnesse of a smal vessel his of a fountain their 's of a member his of a head their 's of men and manhood his the fulnesse of the Godhead their 's of a Riveâ— his of the Sea their 's of a Brook or River after much raine causing a land-flood his an abiding undecaying fulnesse Such a land-flood was that fulness Acts 4. 31. after they had prayed the place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost c. 2. As there are these good and pleasing lights so are there other sad and uncomfortable lights 1. Such as were the old false Apostles who did put themselves into the forme of Angels of light pretending to more communion with God insight into his Word and Worship more choice revelations extraordinary Holinesse Mortification purely Spiritual perfect enemies to Antichrist and all received formes that would bring in a new Christ and a new Creed into the world These much troubled the Apostles and obstructed the spreading of the Gospel at first and this Age seeth the sad effect of such new Angels of Light pretending to new Truths new Light These would purge out in their Reformation all the Old leaven not only that of the Pharisee and of Antichrist but that of the Gospel and of Christ for the Kingdome of Heaven hath his leaven too because all old things must pass away and all things must become new But is the new Wine better then the old Can any new light bee so good as the old Sun Are not the old paths the good paths All Truths hairs are as Christs white Truths glory is to be as ancient as God himselfe Gods glory to be the ancient of dayes yet a God not changed 2. There are others who are as prodigious blazing Stars who draw the gazing multitude after them New lights these are indeed but true Stars they are not a while they blaze but are ever of malignant Aspect The Vulgar looks upon them with admiration the Judicious with horror They outshine in appearance the fixed Stars for the present but after a while they are extinct being not made up of Heavenly but combustible matter and are ominous forerunners of sad calamities Such are those whom Jude and Peter described in their Epistles who would make their way by new coyned phrases speaking Great high sounding swelling words of vanity yet are but wells without water clouds without rain trees without fruit full of rage at what they know not till they fome againe Raging waves of the Sea foming out their owne shame walking in the wayes and treading in the very steps of Caine Balaam and Corah eminent for all Impiety Uncleanness and Opposition 3. There are others who are as Wandring Stars as Saint Jude termes them Gods Ministers are fixed Stars Satans are Hâ—raâ—iâ—k unfixt wandring 1. They have no steadiness in their Doctrines of one opinion to day another to morrow as they receive new light they say changing their faith and leaving their Congregations as oft as the Nomades and Tartars their Pastures 2. Unfixt in their Orb and Stations of one Calling to day another to morrow Heri catechumenus hodie Pontifex heri in Amphitheatro hodie in Ecclesia vesperi in Circo mane in Altari Yesterday Tradesmen Sword-men to day Church-men at a Play house Tavern Quarrel overnight in the Pulpit next morning 3. Most of all wandring in their Practices began Religiously end Impiously â—epent of their repenting praying hearing â—ast off Duties Holiness Morality and â—re translated into Swine that returne after outside washing to wallow in the mire Luthâ—r wittily compares these ignorant Teachers to unskilful Physicians and saith The new Doctor sends his Patient a new way to the Church yard and these new Teachers their followers a new way to hell 4. There are others who are called falling Stars of which sort divers are foretold who shall arise and fall in the last dayes Matth. 24. 22. Before the coming of Christ there shall be putting out of the lights the Sun shall be darkned and many Stars shall fall from Heaven from their former profession Godly Ministers and Professors are fixed Stars never shall fall Non est quae cecidit stella cometa fuit But these never were fixed in the Firmament of Election or sound Profession were but blazing Stars or Planets at the best These may fall and prove woful Apostates and which is worse one falls and fills all with wormwood occasions bitter wormwood divisions Separations Censures at last bitter Persecutions Waters once turned into Marah easily are after turned into Bloud Another Star falls and he hath the Key of the Bottomless pit given him none so fit to bee trusted with Hells Keyes to let out those multiformed Locusts and to give a free toleration to all Satans Agents and Emissaris as a fallen Star Fixed Stars have Keyes of Heaven fallen Stars of Hell 5. There is another foolish light ignis fatuus which sometimes appearing to the simple Country man affrights him leads him out of his way into boggs and pits and aâ— length hee is conceited it is some ill Spirit Such are those Imps of Hell the Fortune-telling Astrologer c. who mutters and peeps for hee will deliver nothing plainely A man of such an age statute hair saith he hath stole your Horse Money Plate c. Why doth he not name the man and bring you to the Goods lost but he mutters and peepes that is all the Wizard and Familiar Spirit do Yet do the simple people go from the living to the dead from God afâ—er Satan by these These pick the â—redutous Vulgars purse lead him into a world oâ—â—Errors destroy his dependance upon God hee undertakes nothing but he first enquireâ— of Baalzebub Shall I recover of this sicknesse Shall I go up and prosper 6. The last of these ill Lights is the eâ—â— Magistrate who as the good Magistrate â—â— deservedly put in the first place so these â—â— they be not put out of all place deserve the lowest that suffers all those forenamed dangerous Lights in Church and State tâ— so wtheir Seeds while he connives or sleeps The good Magistrate beareth Gods Sword which hath two edges with one wounding Disturbers of Civil Peace with the other Corrupters of Religion The evil Magistrate beareth Satans Buckler who protects all wounds none But to return
his approach dryes up the dirt and mends our wayes At his approach Fens and Flouds of Ungodlinesse are dryed up as when he once went through the red sea and Jordan He breaks the hardest heart which no Toole Art Paines Terrors and Fire of Hell and Light of Heaven could do Zacheus as a Mountaine of snow melted and the Thief on the Crosse as a Rock of ice dissolved when this Sun breaks out upon them Therefore the Church prayeth Oh that thou wouldest rent the Heavens that thou wouldst come down that the Mountaines might flow down at thy presence as when the melting fire burneth the fire causeth the waters to boyle Thou camest down the Mountains flowed at thy presence The Suns heat hath a dissolving and mollifying vertue 2. The Suns heat not light at spring produceth various Creatures which are not engendered by propagation but owe their being wholly and immediately to the Sun neither do they live longer then the Suns a biding in those Climes in his strength and vigour All our Graces in their first Production in the new Creature owe their very essâ— and afterward their conservari to Christ Nature hath no hand in this Work And aâ—â— our comforts depend only on Christ his approach and abode with us Without me ye can do nothing The Sun hath also a Creating and vis formativa in it 3. As the Sun produceth some new so it reduceth recovereth and restoreth by a redeeming kind of Vertue others of the Creatures To the withered grasse to the seeds herbs plants trees it gives a new Resurrection To the Fields another face to the Earth another Garment The Suns warmth makes Fish Fowle Beasts breed and multiply Christ by his returne recovereth decayed Grace Peace and Comfort and causeth a new and rich increase of Spiritual life It hath a redeeming and recovering vertue also 4. The heat not light of the Sun makes the Creatures grow trees shoot at the Spring Rain falls all Winter in vain till the Suns approach which then maketh good use of all the winter rain frosts and snow for the good of the Creatures All paines Instructions Corrections Reproofs Terrors Judgments Mercies Ordinances are in vain till Christ himselfe approach he can make good use of all It hath a fructifying vertue we see 5. The Spring-Sun's warmth gives growth The Summer-Suns greater and longer continuing heat gives ripenesse and perfection to the fruits and seeds sowen Christ his nearer coming and making his abode with us is that which brings Judgment unto Victory Grace unto Perfection Peace unto completeness and brings in the full Harvest of Joy to the waiting Christian. Rain fals in Winter fills the earth fowles the wayes but without fruit for want of this enlivening heat But the Summer Sun converts the falling showrs into fruitfulnesse and his Gleames causeth them to ripen the fruits and hasten Harvest How untoward are we under all Ordinances and Dispensations left to our selves But how doth Christ convert the crossest providences coldest stormes and soaking showrs of affliction into a meanes to ripen and better us Thus it hath a ripening vertue 6. By reason of this warmth the Creatures are refreshed and delighted They sport and lye beaking themselves in the Sun they leap and play The colder Creatures as Swallowes and the like feeling the benefit of the Sun and knowing their want observe the Suns motion come and go with it stay not behind it because cannot live without it So do the godly joy at the presence know not whether to go in the absence of Christ after him they seek with him stay he departing as at the cloud removing they pack up and follow Herein the Christian resembling that admirable Sunâ—loving Flower Lotos whereof our English Du Bartas thus For lo so soon as in the Western Seas Apolloâ—inks â—inks in silver Euphrates The Lotos dives deeper and deeper ay Till midnight then remounteth toward day But not above the water till the Sun Do re-ascend above the Horizon So ever true to Titans radiant flame That rise he fall he it is still the same It hath an Exhilarating and Reviving Vertue 7. It is the Light of the Sun which dispels darkness but iâ— is his warmth that disperseth mists chaseth fogs and drawes up the Vapours It may be common illumination may drive away ignorance and fill the mind with some general knowledg but Christ his love is that which breaketh through the interposing fogs to the heart and draweth up those Earthy affections toward himselfe It hath an Attractive Vertue 8. The Suns light causeth only an outward alteration in the face of the Air and superficies of the Earth but it is the strength of his heat which penetrates the heart of the Earth and the depths of the Sea and in the one ingendreth those Pearls in the other those precious Stones Jewels and Mines of Gold and Silver So may the bare light of the Gospel make an overly change in the face speech and outward carriage of a Hypocrite But the heat and strength of the piercing beams of Christ his Grace and Spirit worketh that inward and mighty change and breedeth those rich Mines of Grace Faith Love Sincerity c. in the hidden man of the heart and turneth clods of Earth into Gold and Rubies as wee said before Behold the Alterative Vertue of Christ and the Sun 9. The Suns warmth and heat hath an excellent clarifying and purifying vertue in it therefore we set out in May and in the Summer Sun many things to bee purged and brought to their perfection And how doth it purge and clarifie the spirit to be under the warm beames of Christ his presence and favour and how admirably is the impurity of the heart extracted and the heart refined by this heat It is full of clarifying and refining Vertue 1. This informes what a vast difference there is between Christs reaching and mans as much as between the Sun and Stars They give light he heat Man perswades Christ drawes As between Winter and Summer showres they drown and foul the Earth and make it freeze these make it fruitful Moses Ethiopissam duxit Ethiopissam non mutavit Moses made an Ethiopian his wife but could not make his wife not to be an Ethiopian when he had done Mans teaching is like mans hewing a stone he may smooth it but he cannot make it soft Christs teaching turnes stone into flâ—sh Man by Education or better Instruction may take a thorn out of the Field where it was noisom and set it in the hedg where it is of use men may make men useful for Societies Christ turnes this Thorne into a Myrtle Hence see the difference to bee found among so many Hearers the difference is not in the ground nor in the seed but in the Sun and Seeds man Many are called few chosen All with Paul saw the light Paul only heard the voice All were stricken down he only converted All Israel saw the fire heard
the same voice of words and thunder that Moses did His face only shone he had nearer approaches of God unto his soul Then did the Disciples hearts burne within them when this Sun was so near and gave light to the darker Scriptures It was the Sun not the Wind which got off the Travellers Cloak It is the love of Christ not Lawes Terror that maketh sin to be laid by His Love is cords his love is chains his love constrains and drawes I drew them with cords of a man with bands of Love Mâ—ses speaks of the precions fruits brought forth by the Sun Where the Suns heat is most predominant there are the richest Meâ—tals the sweetest spices the rarest fruits the most precious Jewels There is not in the East and Affrica any Quicksilver very little Iron but these meaner Meâ—tals of Brasse Iron Lead are only in the Northerne Countries they have Gold as naturally and abundantly as in our Countries Lead and Iron Where this Sun is near and vertical what fruitfulness is here over all others What precious things doth this Sun bring forth For Brasse I will bring Gold and for Iron Silver and for Wood Brasse and for stones iron Isaiah 60. 17. 2. It lets us see what difference between the comforts of Christs giving and those which flow from the Creature He that leaveth this Fountaine to go drink of those Cisternes goeth from Gods blessing into the warm Sun as we say but he that hath drunk of those and after tastes of this finds he is come from the freezing shady side into the cheering Sun side The Sun 's is Calor Coelestis the most kindly heat Christ's the most kindly comforts The fire in Winter heats for a while afterwards makes more chill Strong Water at present warmes but after leaves the stomack cooler The end of carnal joy is heavinesse The Sun 's is the cheering and the lasting heat it heats and alters the air without and it alters the temper of our bodies that we need less fire apparel and strong drinks The comfort had from Creatures is presently gone Christ's alters the temper of our spirits and abides much longer The greatest inward heater is Wine and the greatest outward is fire Christ his love and comfort warmes more then both Thy Love is better then Wine Cant. 1. 2. The coals of Love are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame Cant. 8. 6. There are nine differences observable between the comforts of Christs giving and other comforts 1. His are soul purifying whereas others defile it Carnal mirth lets out all the spirits into looseness They sate down to eat and drink and rose up to play They did eat and drink and curse But Godly and spiritual comfort makes the heart serious savoury dilates the heart to receive more Graces expelleth what is noisom and is of the same operation with godly sorrow whose sadnesse of countenance makes the heart better Walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost are joyned 2. Soul pacifying his comfort and presence gives richest peace first his Love lets in Joy and Joy brings in Peace these three sit down together and this Trinity of Blessings make up the Unity and Perfection of Blessednesse the Love of the Father the Joy of the Son the Peace of the Holy Ghost Other Joy corrodes and gnawes the heart hath an ill farewel and leaveth it in sadnesse 3. Soul satisfying Corn Wine Oyle Lands Moneys satisfie not the narrow eyes much lesse the enlarged heart He still cries with the Horsleach Give give give more give better The Christians life consists not in these the Beasts and the more brutish Worldlings do who drink both in the same Trough and feed on the same husks Theirs is a hungry Joy this a filling His strength shall be hunger bitten Job 18. 12. but John 16. 24. Your joy shall be full In thy presence fulnesse of Ioy and the heart full of this Joy saith not with Esau in a bravado I have enough but with Jacob and Paul I have all and abound I am full c. Phil 4. 18. Though as having nothing yet I possess more then all things 4. Soul quickning making the soul active vigilant fit to pray sing praise fit for Duty suffering dying Godly men are never so fit for duty never so prepared to dy as with these comforts The Martyrs have gone singing and dancing with these to the flames When Judas was gone out to fetch the Officers to apprehend Christ then did Christ rejoice Now is the Son of Man glorified now shall God be glorified in him God shall first be glorified in him then straightway glorifie him in himselfe This puts that Spirit of Glory and of God upon the Saints The wicked mans Joy is intoxicating stupifying besotting as Hamans Belshazzers Benhadads they eat drink feast and flesh'd with fleshly delights they run desperately upon danger as Benhadad or Gaal the son of Ebed much like the horse rushing into the Battel and crying Aha at the sound of the Trumpet or else besotted they eat drink sleep spend their dayes in peace and in a moment go down quick into Hell like Solomens Ox who is going to the slaughter or like Jeremyes Lambs those who dye like Lambs In their heat I wil make their feasts and make them drunken that they may rejoice and sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake saith the Lord. I will bring them down like Lambs to the slaughter like Rams with hee Goats Danger is never nearer then when the wicked cry Peace peace Never is he less fit for death nor dies so miserably as when overcharged with his Joyes 5. Soul raising to God towards heaven in thankfulness love praise dependance submission total resignation of self these give Wings Christ is now higher Grace the Promise Salvation is sweeter Glory and Eternity more precious and Earthly Pleasures Profits Honors fall lower in his esteem Whereas worldly joies as worldly sorrowes are heart-sinking debasing depressing 6. Soul strengthening The joy of the Lord is your strength This strengthens a soul in Grace and to Duty in faith patience waiting and in Prayer Carnal Joy sets men far off from God they never depart further and never say to God depart from us so much as then In sorrow they are less desperate Pharaoh Ahab Iehoiakim such wild Asses may be taken in their month I spake to thee in thy prosperity and thou wouldst not hear this hath been thy manner from thy youth But how gracious wilt thou be when pangs come upon thee Look how much Spiritual sorrow brings men nearer to God then carnal joy so doth Spiritual joy as much more then Spiritual sorrow therefore in Heaven there shall be all Graces yet no spiritual sorrow but all Spiritual joy because there all is ripe sorrow here is but the seed joy is the ripe fruit 7. This solid not a