the covenant of grace wee are one with Christ who is an everlasting Head that never dyes Sub-servant to this now we have promises in the covenant of grace That we shall never depart from him and that he vvill never depart from us to doe us good he puts an awband into our hearts that we shall never depart from him but this Point being often touched leaving it vve vvill come to answer some objections Object 1 It may seeme that these things are not so Gods Children doe not alvvayes grow and spread themselves but they are often overturned and fall Answ This is nothing they are mooved but not remooved 1. Psal 125.1 they are as Mount Zion vvhich cannot be remooved but abideth forever vvhich though it may be shaken with earthquakes yet it is not remooved thereby The gates of Hell and sorrovves of death mav set sore upon them but not prevaile against them Mat. 16.18 they may fall but not fall away they may be as a wether-beaten tree but not as a tree puld up by the rootes therefore they are compared here to a tree whose roote stands fast still This much the Church after a sore tryall and endurance of much affliction confesseth Psal 44.17 18 19. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy covenant our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death c. And againe though they fall yet they learne to stand fast by their falls are gainers by their losses and become stronger by tneir weaknesses as tall Cedars the more they are shaken by the winds the more deeply they take rooting So Christians the more stormes and blasts they have the more they are fastly rooted that which we thinke to be the overthrow of Gods children doth but roote them deeper As Peter after his fall took deeper rooting and David c. so after all outward stormes and declinings here is the fruit of all they take deeper rooting Isa 30. whilst their sinnes are purged away by their fierie afflictions Object 2 But why then are they not more comfortable in their lives in feeling and seeing of Gods wise ordering of things Answ 1 First because though God worke strongly and surely in them yet he doth it for the most part slowly as the Wiseman speakes all his workes being beautifull in time Eccle. 3.11 therefore they apprehend not their comforts as they ought and so goe mourning the longer the time of knitting divine experiences together not being yet come Answ 2 Secondly because the anguish of the crosse if it bee quicke and sharpe many times takes away the apprehensions of Gods excellent ends in the same as the children of Israell could not hearken unto Moses for anguish and vexation of spirit Exo. 6.9 Heb. 12.11 No affliction saith the Apostle for the present is joyous though afterwards it brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousnesse Answ 3 Then againe Satans malice who casts in floods of temptations is great so that the soule cannot enjoy that sweet tranquillity and peace it otherwise might casting in doubts and numbers of what-ifs into the soule so that for a time he causes a strong diversion in them whence after that there followeth peace againe when those temptations are seene and overcome Answ 4 It is long also of our selves who are not armed for crosses and afflictions untill we are suddenly surpized by them and then leaving our watchfullnesse and forgetting our consolation wee are strucke downe for the present by them and cannot support our selves against them Answ 5 And lastly it comes also from Gods wise ordering and disposing Providence who will not do all at once our comforts must come by degrees now a little and then a little our experience and so our comforts come together after we have honoured God in dependence upon his will and pleasure and yet this hinders nor but a Christian growes still though hee be for the present insensible of it as a man is alive and growes whilst he sleepes though he be not sensible of it Other objections have beene formerly touched Hee shall cast forth his rootes as Lebanon We see then that the state of Gods children is a firme and a stable condition The difference of the godly and wicked the one having a foundation the other none whence we may observe the difference betwixt Gods people and others Gods people are rooted and spread their roote But the other have rottennesse in their roote being cursed without any foundation For take a man who is not a good Christian where is his foundation onely in the things of this world Now all heere is vanity and we our selves by trusting vanity become vaine Psal 62.9 Every man in his best estate is altogether vanity vanity in himselfe and trusts in vanity What stablenesse can there be in vanity Can a man stare non stante stand in a thing that stands not in it selfe Will a picture continue that is drawne upon the Ice will it not faile and melt away when the Ice upon which it is drawne thawes So all these who have not the dew of Gods grace they are as a picture upon the water have no foundation and stand upon that which cannot stand it selfe Therefore the Scripture compareth them to the worst of grasse which hath no good roote Psa 129.6 grasse upon the house top which hath no blessing of those that come by but there stands perking up above others So it is with men that have no grace they can perke up above others but as they have no stable roote nor the blessing of Gods people stability with the Spirit of God inwardly and the prayers of Gods people to water and blesse them so they perish and wither quickly Nay whole nations if wicked have no foundation What is become of the great Monarchies of the world The Assyrian Persian Grecian and Romane Monarchies and for Cities themselves they have died like men and had their periods Onely a Christian hath a kingdome a stable condition which cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 he takes his roote strongly and growes stronger and stronger till he growes to heaven nay indeed while he lives hee is rooted in Heaven before his time That a Christian is firme and stable because his roote is in Heaven for though we be in Earth we are rooted in Heaven Christ our roote is in Heaven and his Faith which is wrought from Heaven carrieth us to Christ in Heaven and love that grace of union following the union of Faith carrieth us to Christ also even before our time we are there in Faith Love and Ioy. Therefore a poore Christian is firme and stable even in this life having union with Christ though he creepe upon the earth and seeme a despised person yet his roote is in Heaven where
an honest Papist The Aegyptians worshipped living creatures but we are worse then they for we worship stocks and stones and a peece of bread in the Sacrament And to this purpose one of their Jesuites confesseth this and yeeldeth the question for granted That if there be not a Transubstantiation of the bread turned into the body and blood of Christ wee are worse Idolaters then these and these nations because we worship a peece of bread which is a dead thing But we assume according to the Scriptures The Judgement of our Church of Antiquity and of the Truth it selfe the bread is not Transubstantiated at least it is a doubtfull matter for if it be not the intention of the Priest it is not see here upon what hazard they put the soules of people Object But they have many shifts for themselves as among the rest this is one that they doe not worship the image but God or Christ before the Image Answ To which the answer is Popish shifts for worshipping of Images answered That the Fathers who wrote against the Heathens meet with this pretence The Pagans had this excuse we worship not this statue of Iupiter but Iupiter himselfe Thus they have no Allegation for themselves but the Heathen had the same which the Ancient Fathers confuted They are guilty of Idolatry in both the forenamed kindes For first They worship things that they should not as appeares by their Invocation of Saints vows to them their Temples Altars and the like full of their Images giving them honour due unto God And then They worship the true God in a false manner before their Images there is no kinde of Idolatry but they are grossely guilty of it Whereof let this be the Use Vse 1 First of all of Thankefullnesse that God hath brought us into Goshen into a Kingdome of light that we are borne in a time and place of knowledge of the true God wherein is the true worship of the true God It is a matter that wee cannot be too thankfull to God for Quest How shall wee shew our selves thankfull Answ In keeping fast the true worship of God we have and keeping out Idolatry in reviving lawes in that kinde if not making new What if there were liberty given for men to goe about the countrie to poyson people would wee endure such persons and not lay hold upon them so in that wee are freed from Jesuites who goe about to poyson the soules of Gods people let us shew our thankefullnesse for this and shun Idolatry of all sorts whatsoever Vse 2 Secondly see from hence that there can bee no tolleration of that Religion no more as was said then to suffer and tollerate poysoners as they said of Colloquintida in their pottage so there is death in the pot of Romish Religion 2 King 4.40 Therfore it were good to compell them to come in and serve the Lord their God as it is said good Iosiah compelled those in his time to serve the Lord 2 Chron. 34.33 so it were good such courses were taken to reforme and reclaime them As Saint Augustine said of himselfe in his time being a Donatist hee altered his judgement by force in which case it would be with them as with children who when they are young must be forced to schoole but afterwards they thanke them who forced them So it is in Religion though it cannot be forced yet such might afterwards blesse God for them who brought them to the meanes who insteed of their blindnesse trained them up in more knowledge by forcing them to use the meanes for which when God should open their eyes they might blesse God another day But this point of grosse Idolatry so largely handled in bookes is onely touched by the way that wee may hate Idolatry the more which could not be left out the words leading to say somewhat of it seeing how these Converts heere hate it and out of that hatred make this profession neither will we say any more to the workes of our hands ye are our gods c. But this is not all wee must know that there be other Idols then the Idols which wee make with our hands besides these Religious Idols there be Secular Idols in the world such as men set up to themselves in their own hearts Whatsoever takes up the heart most which they attribute more to then to God that is their Idoll their god A mans love a mans feare is his god If a man feare greatnesse rather then God that he had rather displease God then any great person they are his Idols for the time Pro. 29.25 The feare of man brings a snare saith the Wiseman and those who to get the favour of any in place sacrifice therefore their Credit Profession Religion and soules it is grosse Idolatry dangerous to the partie and dangerous to themselves It was the ruine of Herod to have that applause given him and taken by him Act. 12.22 The voice of God and not of man So for any to bee blowen up with flatterers that lift them up above their due measure it is an exceeding wrong to them prejudiceth their comfort and will proove ill in the conclusion indeed treason against their soules So there is a baser sort of Idolaters who sacrifice their credit and state whatsoever is good within them their whole powers to their base and filthy pleasures Thus man is degenerate since his fall that he makes that his god which is meaner then himselfe Man that was ordained for everlasting happinesse and Communion with God is now brought to place his happinesse and contentment in base pleasures Wheras it is with the soule of man for good or ill as it applies it selfe to that which is greater or meaner then it selfe If it apply it selfe to confidence and affiance in God then it is better for it is the happinesse of the soule to have Communion with the spring of goodnesse as David speakes It is good for me to draw neere to God Psal 73.28 c. when we suffer the soule to cleave in affiance to earthly things it growes in some measure to the nature of the things adhered to when wee love the world and earthly things wee are earthly Till the Spirit of God touch the soule as the loadstone doth the heavie iron drawing it up as it were it will cleave to the creature to baser things then it selfe and so makes the creature an Idoll which is the common Idolatry of these times Some make Favour as the ambitious person some their Pleasures as baser persons of meaner condition and some Riches every man as their temper and as their temptations are Now it is not enough to be found in Religion one way in the maine but we must bee sound every way without any touch of Idolatry In a speciall manner the Apostle calls the Covetous man an Idolater Ephes 5.5 because he makes his riches his Castle thinking to carrie any thing with his
mercifull unto our sinnes and allay his anger as it is in this text Therefore it is said Those that know thy name will trust in thee Psal 9.10 for thou never failest those who put their trust in thee Let us then open our hearts unto God and confesse our sinnes unto him and if wee resolve amendment wee shall finde the truth of his gratious promises hee will turne aside his anger and will never faile us if wee put our trust in him Pro. 18.10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous fly to it and are safe This name of mercy grace and favour is a strong tower to distressed consciences let us therefore remember to fly unto it when our consciences are awaked and distressed with sinne and sence of Gods displeasure Seeing these kinds of promises are as a citie of refuge let us runne unto them and wee shall not bee puld from the hornes of this altar as Ioab once was from his but shall at all times finde grace and mercy to helpe us at the time of neede it is a comfortable Point Mine anger is turned away from him Quest But it may bee said How is Gods anger turned away from his children when they feele it oft-times after in the course of their lives Answ The answer is that there is a double Anger of God whereby wee must judge of things for either it is 1. Vindicative or Anger 2. Fatherly Anger God after our first conversion he remooveth his Vindicative anger How anger felt may yet be said to be removed after which though sometimes hee threaten and frowne upon us yet it is with a Fatherly anger which God also removes with the shame and correction attending it when wee reforme and amend our wicked wayes There is 1. A Child of Anger 2. A Child under Anger Gods Children are never children of wrath and anger after their first conversion but sometimes children under wrath if they make bold with sinne so as they cannot use their right of sonship to go boldly to the throne of grace because then though they have the right of sons they conceive of God as angry with them and cannot use it so long as they live in any sinne against conscience and so continue untill they reforme and humble themselves as the Church doth heere after which they can and doe rejoyce againe claime their right and are not either children of wrath or under wrath David after he had sinned that foule sinne was a child under wrath not a child of wrath So if wee make bold to sinne we are children under wrath for oft-times God begins correction at his owne house 1 Pet. 4 17. Num 20.12 2 Sam. 24.1 1 Cor. 11.30 if there be any disorder there You know God was so angry with Moses that he was not suffered to enter into the land of Canaan And David when he had numbred the people God was angry with him and with the Corinthians also for unreverent receiving of the Lords-supper But here is a course prescribed to remove his fatherly anger and to enjoy the beames of his countenance and Sun-shine of his favour in Christ if we humble our selves confesse our sinnes and fly unto him as the Church heere doth then we shall finde this made good For mine Anger is turned away from him But it may be asked Quest In times of affliction how may wee know Gods Anger to bee remooved when yet wee endure the affliction Answ The answer is that God is infinitely wise and in one affliction hath many ends as 1. When he afflicts them it is to correct them for their sinnes after which when they have puld out the sting of sinne by confession and humiliation if afflictions continue his anger doth not continue 2. Affliction sometimes is for an exercise of Patience and Faith and tryall of their graces and for the exemplarie manifestation to others of Gods goodnesse to them But even then they may know that things come not in anger unto them by this How to know afflictions are not in wrath though they continue that after Repentance God speakes peace unto their conscience so that though the grievance continue it is with much joy in the Holy Ghost and peace of conscience in which case the soule knowes that it is for other ends that God continues it Therefore the first thing in any affliction is to remoove away the coare and sting thereof by humbling our selves as the Church here doth After which our consciences will be at peace for other things God hath many ends in correcting us he will humble us improove our afflictions to the good of others and will gaine himselfe honour by our afflictions sufferings Rom 5.5 and crosses When God hath shed abroad his love in our hearts by his Spirit then wee can rejoyce in tribulation and rejoyce under hope though the affliction continue because the sting is gone anger is remooved For mine anger is turned away from him The last Point we observe from hence and gather from all these generall truths is this Observ Where there is not Humiliation for sinne and hearty Prayer to God with reformation of our wayes flying unto God for mercy who is mercifull to the Fatherlesse there Gods wrath continues For as where they are performed his anger is turned away so must it needs follow that where they are not performed his anger continueth Therefore let us examine our selves The Spirit of God here speakes of healing backeslidings and of turning away iniquity let us looke well to our selves and to the present state of things that our diseases be soundly cured our personall diseases and then let us be sensible of the diseases of the land and pray for them for there are universall diseases and sinnes of a kingdome as well as personall And we are guilty of the sinnes of the times as farre as we are not humbled for them Paul tels those who did not punish the incestuous person 1 Cor. 5.2 Why are yee not humbled rather for this deed Where there is a publicke disease there is a publicke anger hanging over upon that disease the cure whereof is here prescribed to be humbled as for our selves so for others Therefore let us beware of sinne if we would shun wrath especially of Idolatry or els we shall be sure to smart for it as Ephraim did of whom the Spirit of God saith When Ephraim spake trembling Hos 13.1 he exalted himselfe in Israel but when he offended in Baall he dyed Ephraim had got such authority what with his former victories and by the signes of Gods favour among them that when he spake there was trembling and he exalted himselfe in Israel But when he offended once in Baall that is when he became an Idolater he dyed It is meant of the civill death especially that he lost his former credit and reputation We see then the dangerous effects of sinne especially of Idolatrie wherfore let us
how it cooled and chered the good theefe and comforted him And so when God sayes unto the soule I am thy Salvation O! when the soule feeles this how is it cooled and refreshed And the soule is not onely cooled and refreshed but 2. Grace fructifieth as dew doth It is also sweetned and made fruitfull with comfort to the soule If we were to see a man in the pangs of conscience stung with fiery temptations as with so many fiery serpents and poysoned darts which drinke up the spirits and presents God a consuming fire and Hel beneath full of insupportable torments set on by the insupportable wrath of God then we should know what it were to have grace in this efficatious manner cooling and refreshing the soule that hath these fiery darts stuck into it of violent strong temptations which to the present sense are the flashes and beginnings of Hell O! It is an excellent thing to have the Grace of God in such a case to asswage and coole the maladies of a distressed soule which for the present seemes to burn in a flame of wrath As it cooles so also it makes the heart fruitful our hearts of themselves being as the barren wildernes and wild desert Psal 107 33 14. Now God by his grace turnes the wildernes into water springs as it appeareth in many places of the Prophets Saith God For I will powre water upon him that is thirstie and floods upon the drie ground Isa 44 3. Jsa 45 8. I will powre my Spirit upon thy seed c. So Grace it turnes the barren wildernesse the heart drie of it selfe and makes it fruitfull Wee know what Paul said of Onesimus a fruitlesse servant Philem. 16. nay a fugitive theefe he is unfruitfull no longer saith he now that he is become a convert another a new man now he will doe good service A man is no sooner altered by the dew of grace but howsoever formerly he were a naughtie hurtfull person of whom every man was affraid because of his wickednesse yet now he is a fruitfull person and strives to bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life Mat. 3.8 6. Grace is unresistible And we may adde one more in the next place in regard of the unresistiblenesse thereof for as nothing can hinder the dew from falling from the sweet influence of Heaven unto us Iob. 38 37. or hinder the working of those superiour bodies upon the inferiour or hinder the wind from blowing so who can hinder Gods Grace they may out of malice hinder the meanes of it and hinder the gratious working of the Spirit by discouragements in others which is a signe of a divelish spirit when yet God hath a hand in that too after a sort For it raineth in one citie and not in another by Gods appointment but nothing can hinder where God will have the dew and water and shine of the influence of grace worke nothing in the world can stop it So it is said in that excellent Prophesie of Christ and his kingdome Psal 72.6 Hee shall come downe like raine upon the mowen grasse as showers that water the Earth which as they coole and fructifie so come they unresistibly Let none therefore be discouraged with the deadnesse drienesse Vse Against discouragement in regard of our barrennes in goodnesse and barrennesse of their owne hearts but let them know that God doth gratiously promise if they will take the course formerly set downe to be as the dew unto them Therefore let them come unto the ordinances of God with wondrous hope confidence and faith that he will be as dew unto them that seeing he hath appointed variety of ordinances the Word and Sacraments he will blesse those meanes of his owne ordaining and appointing for his owne ends He that hath gratiously appointed such meanes of grace will he not blesse them especially having promised I will be as the dew unto Israell Therefore let us attend upon the ordinances and not keepe away though our hearts be barren drie and unfruitfull God is above the heart and able to turne the wildernesse into a fruitfull place he can make the heart a fit habitation for himselfe to dwell in Let us by faith attend upon the ordinances if we find not comfort in one ordinance let us go unto another and another comfort and help shall come especially if with the Church Cant. 3.4 we go a little further For the promise is I will be as the dew unto Israell 3. The order of Gods Promise But marke the order wherein he makes this promise First he gives grace to pray to him Take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously doe good to us Then he gives a spirit of reformation promising amendment whereupon this followeth that he will forgive their sinnes love them freely c. And be as the dew unto Israell He will be as the dew unto Israell but he will give them grace first to bee humbled confesse sinne and pray to God for grace and forgivenesse There is an order of working in the soule God giveth Justification before Sanctification and before he freeth from the guilt of sinne he gives grace to confesse sinne If we confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes 1 Ioh. 1.9 and to cleanse us from them saith S. Iohn Where these goe before grace will follow and where they doe not there will be no Sanctification Therefore let us consider the order for wheresoever God takes away iniquity and heales their soules in regard of the guilt of their sinnes unto those hee will be as dew Therfore if we have still barren soules without desires or strength to goodnesse certainely our sinnes are still upon the file for Justification is never without holinesse of life Whosoever is in Christ 2 Cor. 5.17 hee is a new creature When this is done God will be as the dew because he doth pardon our sinnes for this cause that he may thereby fit us to be entertained in the covenant and are we fit to be in covenant with him untill our natures be altered Therfore whensoever he enters into covenant with any he changeth their natures that they may be friends and have communion with him Then the same soule which crieth take away all iniquity desireth also the dew of grace to make it better this order is not onely necessary on Gods part but in regard of the soule also For was there ever any soule from the beginning of the world that truely desired forgivenesse of sinnes which did not also therewith desire grace such a soule were but an hypocriticall soule For if it be rightly touched with sorrow it desires as well ability to subdue sinne as forgivenesse of sinne Holinesse and Righteousnesse with forgivenesse Luk. 1.75 Vse 1 Therefore least we deceive our selves let this be an use of triall from the order that if we finde not grace wrought in our natures to restraine sinne
then againe 3. In regard of purity in regard of purity and whitenesse So Christians are pure and unspotted in their conversation and their aime is purity and unspottednesse whitenesse betokens an unstained conversation So the people and children of God they are Lillies beautifull and glorious in the eyes of God and of all those who have spirituall eyes to discerne what spirituall excellency is howsoever in regard of the world their life be hidden Their excellencie is vailed with infirmities afflictions and disgraces by the malignant Church yet in Gods esteeme and in the esteeme of his children they are Lillies all the dirt in the world cast upon a pearle cannot alter the nature of it So though the world goe about to besmeere these Lillies with false imputations yet they are Lillies still and have a glory upon them for they have a better spirit and nature then the world hath And they are sweeter in their conversation then the world for when they have begun to be Christians they sweeten their speeches and discourses There is no Christian who is not of a sweet conversation so farre as grace hath altered him he is beautifull lovely and sweet and hath the whitenesse of sincerity 4. In regard of suddaine growth Now as Gods children are Lillies and then grow as Lillies for sweetnesse glory and beauty so they are like Lillies especially in regard of suddaine growth When God gives a blessing there is a strange growth on a suddaine as it is observed of this plant that it growes very much in a night So Gods children when his blessing is upon them they thrive marvellously in a short space To make this cleere The first spring of the Gospell was speedie in growth Acts 2.41 Mat. 11.12 when the dew of grace fell in our Saviours time upon the Christian world what a world of Lillies grew suddenly Three thousand in one day at one Sermon converted by Peter The Kingdome of Heaven suffered violence in Iohn Baptists time that is the people thronged after the meanes of grace and offered a holy violence to the things of God So when this dew of grace fell it was prophecied of it Psal 110.3 The youth of thy wombe saith he shall be as the mornâ—ng dew The Dew comes out of the wombe of the morning for the morning begets it Thy youth shall be as the dew of the morning that is they shall come in great abundance as we see it fell out in the first spring of the Gospell In the space of forty yeares by the preaching of the Apostles what a deale of good was done through a great part of the world How did the Gospell then breake out like lightning by meanes of that blessed Apostle Paul who himselfe carried it through a great part of the world And now in the second spring of the Gospell when Luther began to preach The second spring of the Gospell was also speedie in the period of a few yeares how many Countries were converted and turned to the Gospell England Scotland Swethland Denmarke the Palatinate a great part of France Bohemia and of the Netherlands How many Lillies grew up heere on a suddaine Sudden growths are suspected and well they may be but when God will blesse in a short space a great deale of worke shall be done For God is not tied to length of time He makes water to be wine every yeare in tract of time Water every yeare turned into wine for he turnes the water of Heaven into the iuyce of the grape so there is water turned into wine that done in tract of time which he can doe in a shorter time as he did in the Gospell Iohn 2.1 c. Where is the difference that he did that miraculously in a short time which he usually effects in continuance of time So now many times he doth great matters in a short time that his power may be knowne and seene the more as wee see now in these warres of Germanie how quickly God hath turned his hand to helpe his Church and hisse for a despised forgotten nation to trample downe the insulting afflicting menacing power of the proud enemy and he can doe so still if our sinnes hinder him not Surely if we stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord wee shall see great matters effected in a little time They shall grow as the Lillie the accomplishment of this promise is not wholly yet come for there be blessed times approaching wherein when the Iewes are converted They shall grow as the Lillie in those glorious times there spoken of at the conversion of the Iewes Rom. 11. and fulnesse of the Gentiles comming in the accomplishment whereof we expect to the rejoycing of our hearts that they should at length proove indeed with us the true children of Abraham Vse Therefore we should make this Vse of all labour that the Dew of God may proove the Dew of Grace that God would make us Lillies If we would be beautifull and glorious have a lustre upon us and be as much beyond others as pearles are beyond common stones and as Lillies are better then Thornes and Briers let us labour to have the Grace of God so to be accounted Lillies whatsoever the world accounts of us Againe if the worke be wrought upon us though the imputations of the world be otherwise let us comfort our selves God accounts me a Lillie set this against the base esteeme of the world considering how God judgeth and those who are led by his Spirit who judge better of us And in all association combination and linking in acquaintance labour to joyne with those that are Lillies who cast a good and a sweet favour For we shall gaine by their acquaintance Pro. 12.26 whom Solomon affirmeth to be better and more exellent then their brethren What are other people then they are but Thornes therefore let not those which are Lillies have too much or neere acquaintance with Thornes least they pricke us and as our Blessed Saviour saith turning againe all to be rent us Mat. 7.6 It is said of our Blessed Saviour in the Canticles He feedeth among the Lillies And indeed where is there any true delight to be had under Heaven but in their company who are gratious What can a man receive from prophane spirits in regard of comfort of soule nothing they are as the barren wildernesse that can yeeld nothing their hearts are emptie therefore their tongues are worth nothing But let our delight be with David toward the most excellent of the land Psal 101.6 and then we shall not onely grow as the Lillie but as it followeth we shall cast forth our rootes as Lebanon And cast forth his rootes as Lebanon Necessity of growth in divers respects Because we have spoken of growth and shall have occasion to touch it hereafter we will not be large in the Point God here promiseth a growth not onely to the Church but to every