others For by living to Gods glory we shall gaine to our selves glory and be matter of good example worthy the imitation of others And this is praise worthy to give good examples It is commanded Math. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heaven And 1 Pet. 2.12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that where as they speak against you as evill doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of visitation And as it is profitable to others so also to our selves abundantly For as ye sow so shall ye reap if yee sow to righteousnes your name shall be spoken of with honour when ye are dead and gone The righteous shall be honorable both in their lives and in their death And therefore while we live let us live to the glory of God that so it may befall us that we may have honour in life a sweet name after death and that we may be good examples to them amongst whom we live that they also may glorifie God when God shall visit their soules in mercy Then will they with David blesse the Lord that gave us a life and blesse us and our good examples as he did the Lord that sent her 1 Sam 25. and her and her good councell But how should a man live to Gods glory may some say Quest Answ I Answer in the performance of these three particular duties First He that would live to Gods glory must shun all manner of sin and sinfull wayes he must forsake those contrary courses that tend to Gods dishonour you must know what God can not abide and lay that aside Pro. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evill pride and arrogancy and the evill way and the froward mouth do I hate saith wisedome there Now would you glorify God then hate evill lay aside your pride and let not arrogancy come out of your mouth and so Prov. 14.16 A wiseman feareth and departeth from evill evill courses must be forsaken yea evill men that worke wickednesse for both read Psal 141.4 Incline not my heart saith David to any evill thing to practice wicked workes with men that worke iniquity and let me not eat of their dainties both evill workes and evill workers must be shunned by such as would live to the glory and honour of the Author of their life Secondly Such must carefully set and settle themselves to the workes of holinesse and righteousnesse every one in his owne particular person dilligently endeavouring to walke holily and uprightly towards God and the world That ye may be blamlesse and harmlesse the sons of God without rebuke in the middest of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world saith the Apostle Paul Phillip 2.15 Thirdly We must labour all that we can so much as lyeth in our power to provoke others to the wayes and workes of godlinesse especially those that are any wayes allyed or related to us either in regard of kindred or acquaintance or any such like respect as in the verse following my text viz. Heb. 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfullnes of sinne And chap. 10.24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good workes This is a speciall way to glorifie God in our lives to exhort one another to provoke one another to love and to good workes If people instead of provoking God by their sinnes and provoking one another to wrath by speaking and doing such things as they know they cannot beare Would study this commendable kind of provocation we should have a sweet time of it In Isaiah 2.3 it is prophesied that many people should go and say come yee and let us go to the mountain of the Lord c. O that this prophesie might be more and more fulfilled among us In the use of these helpes we may some what live to Gods glory which who so doth God lives in him and he shall live with God for ever Because I live saith Christ Joh 14.19 ye shall live also The third proposition in this attribute is That God in respect of his attribute of life is infinite and incomprehensible This is evident in divers respects Doct. Reas 1 First because Gods life is independant he hath life in himself he received it not from any other The Father hath life in himselfe John 5.26 Whereas the life of creatures depends upon him Deut. 30 20. He is thy life and the length of thy daies saith Moses there And further as ye have heard already out of Acts 17.20 and 25 verses In him we live move and have our being God liveth I say of himself Reas 2 Deus est ita perse vivens ut ipse sit vita sua Zanch. Secondly Because life in God is not a part of God but his whol essence life is but apart of man the bond or tie that kniteth the two essentiall parts viz the body and soul of a man together But it is not so in God 1 John 5.10 this is the true God and eternall life Life and God is all one Reas 3 Thirdly Because God in respect of his life is eternal therefore by an excelency he is termed the living God Dan 6.26 Darius is made to confesse that he is the living God and stedfast for ever And so Nebuchadnezzar before to wit Cap. 4.34 honoureth him that live 1 Thes 1.9 Heb. 9.14 for ever c. And in this regard he is said Only to have immortality 1. Tim. 6.16 He is called a living God to distinguish him from all those other things that are said to live His life being eternall as well as his whole essence and of himselfe These are the three Reasons Vse 1 First Therefore to make some application we may learn that there is no want nor defect hereof to be found in God God hath such a life as ever was and ever will be the same How greatly then do they abuse the Majesty of God who fain God to be like the gods of the heathen A deaf a dumbe idole a thing without life as a senceless creature that understands not the ways and works of men who imagine God to be so confin'd to one place in respect of the powers of life as that he sees not nor knows not what is done afar off Job 22.13.14 And thou saist how doth God know Can he judge through the darke clouds Thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of heaven Hereupon wicked men are encouraged to go on in their sinfull way Psal 10.13 Condemning God in their hearts c Thinking God ' cannot be present at all times But alwayes they are deceived Jer. 23. â—3 24 Am I a God at hand saith the Lord and not a God a far off Can
may so expresse it evinceth this to be true that the Lord our God is holy And thus we may say the will of God the actings of God are conformable to the eternall law of God but yet the holines of God is of a far higher consideration then the holines of men or angles For the will of God and his actings are not to be thought to be conformable in an accidentary manner to an eternal law but essentially and from within himself not by diverse or various vertues but by his essence as it commeth under the consideration of a will he is holy even as the same one infinite essence comming under the consideration of a mind is said to be most wise yea wisdome it selfe so that is as it were the ordering of Gods actions according to his understanding which is called the holines of God There was never a wise action or word in the world but it came out of Gods head nor never a good right or holy action but came out at his heart Again whereas the eternal law doth spring from the divine essence which as it is the first originall of all entitative perfections so also of all morall perfection and of all the rectitude of the affection and conversation It then appeareth that as holines in men and Angles doth stand in conjunction with God in affection so God most conjoyned to himself both by nature and by the affection of love must needs be exactly holy according to the saying in the schools Amor Dei est sanctitate The love of God is holines because in men it ariseth from the knowledge of his excellency which draws their souls to God Now therfore no creature can be holy as God is because no man doth know God as he knows himself You know the saying ignoti nulla cupido of a thing unknown there is no desire The reason we love God no more is because we know him no better All our want of love to God flows from our ignorance of him he is holy among men that loves God most and he will love more then others that hath a greater knowledge of God then others God knows himselfe and loves himself and this is his holines Yea he so adhears to himselfe that he will cast downe all things rather then suffer his honour to be abased Lastly in the application of the acceptation of the word holines to God you must know that holines standeth in puritie of soule free from all contagion and spot of sin therefore God is holy in himself without regard to an eternal law to be measured by There is the holines of obeying a law and the holines of being a law There is a created holines and an uncreated holines There is a regulating holines and a regulated holines Holines in man is a compleate conformitie to the will of God but in God there is a compleate essentiall will and an essentiall freedom from the least spot of sinne In Christ as man was an exact conformitie and submission to his father wil even contray to his creaturely will But in God there is much more for he essentially is holy and therefore cannot be measured by a law By this time you perceive I trust what holines is which is an attribute of God yet for further Discovery of God unto you I will speake of the diverse wayes that God is said to be holy distinctly properly and perentically so as none but him can be so said to be holy as he is Lessius God is said to be holy five manner of waies according to the doctrine of the schooles First Radically because the devine nature is the first root and originall fountaine of all sanctitie and puritie For from the essence of God in our manner of conceiving things both the eternall law and all love in God of himself and all purity called by some the chastity of God doth flow and come Schaerpius For although there be not in God a priority of nature in any regard yet we must conceive in him a prioritie of order To clear up this by familiar instances or similitudes though the beames of the sun be assoone in in nature as the sun yet we must account the sunne to be the radicall cause of those beames So also assoone as there is fire there is light and heate yet is the fire in order to be conceived before either of them And so now you may see my meaning when I say holines is radically in God I meane the essence of God is the radicall cause roote and fountain of that holines which is in God As God the sonne hath alwaies been the sonne of God and begotten from everlasting and is called the wisdome and word of God So upon the same account the holy Ghost is the love and holines of the Godhead and divine essence and so proceedeth from the father and the sonne this helpeth us to discerne some what of the great mystery of the Trinitie And so although not the same truth yet a truth like unto this would I hold forth in this Doctrine of radicall sanctitie Secondly God is objectively holy because he is the object of all holines For not only it is true of the holines of angels men but even of the holines of God that it is placed in the love of and conjunction with God God is the supream of all things and most simple and pure and the cheifest purity is in cleaving to him and purity is holines or the chastity of God therefore God is holy objectively as the measure of all holines and the fit object of selfe love For as in men impurity commeth by touching things below as when our faces are soule or our garments dirty And in our soules there is defilement by cleaving inordinatly to the world and worldly things so purity springs by acquaintance with things above when our affections do ascend to high and more noble things and do stick to them And so God leaveth to himself and is the object and measure of his own holines Thirdly God is holy exemplarily in manner of a rule or coppy The conformitie of the soule and life of man to the eternal law is true holines such conformity is in God to himself and law though not because it is his law which is the rule of holines Fourthly formally God is holy he cleaves to himselfe who is most pure and is therefore formally holy God is the love of himselfe this is his holines and because he loveth himselfe infinitely as he is lovely infinitly therefore he is infinitely holy Yea God in the love of all his creatures is holy Psalme 145 17. He is holy in all his workes 1. He loves them for his own sake Sanctum esse est amare Deum et gloriam ipsius in omnibus procurare To be holy is to love God and to seeke his glory in all things And so he is holy in all his workes And Secondly he is holy in all his works because
God will no further look upon us then we perfectly aime at his glory in every thing what would become of us had we not a Christ Seeing selfe ends will so mingle themselves with one best performances have we not cause to blesse God for Jesus Christ 't is our duty and let it be our practice to blesse God for Jesus Christ To Summe up all Holy men have holy minds their holy minds are fixed upon God The will word and workes of God and Christ are coppyes before their eies and lastly holy men ayme at Gods glory and not themselves for they are swallowed up in God and know whom they have believed therefore I commend in all these respects God to be eminently and causally holy Now le ts come to make some use and application of this truth Vses of the Attribute of holinesse in God that the Lord our God is holy that holines is an attribute of Gods And first by way of information it teacheth us that holines is not to be contemned nor such as labor after it is not to be set light by nor holy persons despised Wo therefore to those that despise holy persons this must needs be an heynous offence why Sirs what do ye mean Holines is an attribute of God and can that be base or despicable which God takes and makes to be one of his owne attributes one of his names which must not be taken in vaine much lesse not trampled upon Are such to be blamed that desire to be like God to be holy as their father which is in heaven is holy what horrible wickednesse is this to mock at holy people as to twit them with holinesse is to mock at God those that do so are like unto such wretched servants in a house as will dog and misuse a childe in the family because it is like his father whom they yet take wages off and live by and can not live with out little do men think to what a pitch of sinfulnesse their carriage this way doth amount unto though many think it nothing to mock at holy people yet is it a very great sinne And yet what is more in disgrace then holynesse who more despised then pure and holy soules Oh these are your pure folkes these are the holy sect and the like scoffing speeches If a man do but looke towards the wayes of holynes he is streightway had in derision by prophane people How do parents abuse their owne children even among us in this place if they do but looke towards Sion and even weep for mad Alas poore soules Oh that I had but bowells to pitty you as there is cause Do ye know what ye do Let me tell you yee mock at that which must be in your selves or ye shall not see God Heb. 12.14 and holynesse without which no man shall see the Lord yea ye mock at that without which ye cannot serve the Lord. Josh 24 19. Ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God c. Such as despise holynesse cannot serve God so this is the first use If you should have thoughts of indignation against people because they be holy ye would plainly declare that ye are none of Gods servants none of his worshippers and as first I said that ye shall not see his face in mercy so much for that they that labour to be holy are not to be condemned nor holynesse which is an attribute of God contemned Secondly If holinesse be an attribute of God then it further Vse 2 teacheth us that God must needs like of holinesse and delight in holy persons For all Gods attributes are pleasing to him and this being one of them he must needs take pleasure in this This clearly follows where God doth finde but a sparkle of himself he must delight necessarily in it because of his holiness as hath been abundantly manifested in the foregoing part of this discourse he runs with joy to his the workmanship of his own spirit And this is not onely a Use of information but of comfort also exceeding great comfort to those that are taken out of this widâ— world and set into Christ the root of Jesse the root of holinesse The spirit of glory and of God resteth on you saith the Apostle Peter 1 Epist c. 4.14 which may rejoyce under their reproaches for the name of Christ when a soul loves God and is seeking to set up his glory this is matter of great joy because they are partakers of his holinesse O well shall it be with such and happy shall they be Psal 128.2 The Apostles Acts 5.46 Departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name And so may all holy ones be their outward condition what it will Vse 3 Thirdly Such as would become acceptable to God must labour to become holy persons for this is that which the Lord calleth for Lev. 11.44 45. and cap. 19.2 Ye shall be holy for I am holy this is that the Lord calleth for from all persons nothing will give him content but this you know the saying likenesse makes love And here it takes place if you will have God to love you you must labour to be like him Nothing will please him but holinesse if you would give the fruit of your body for the sin of your soul yet that will not give him content But ye must be holy the reason is given because the Lord your God is holy Be exhorted therefore to labour for holinesse To move you consider first the excellency of this grace Motives to labour for holines it is of the divine nature it is most excellent The excellency of a thing will make a man to labour for it excellent things are the objects of wise mens desires and labours Now there is nothing so excellent as holinesse for that is to be like God And therefore why do ye spend your money for that which is not bread and for that which will not profit you but is vain and like a shadow Riches get wings and flie away labour therefore for that which when once you have will never forsake you in life or death or judgment And therefore the excellency herof thus considred should never let us be quiet til we have gotten some evidence that we have in some measure attained unto this holines even holines which is one of Gods attributes Secondly consider this too holines is a thing which every man is without There is not so much as one sparkle of holines in any man by nature for we are wholy defiled with sin Ever imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil continually Gen. 6 5. How can man be cleane that is borne of a Woman Job 25.4 the interrogation there is a vehement negation How can that is it cannot be But we are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnes are as filthy rags Isaiah 64.6 There is none righteous no not one there is
comfort that the worke of grace is begun in you already The work I say is begun and he that hath begun that good work will perfect it unto the day of Jesus Christ Never was there a soule that groaned after holines sincerity that ever perished for the want of it These groanes could not be but by the spirit of Christ and where the Spirit of Christ is there is Christs dwelling and where Christ dwelleth there is true faith You that desire holines that hunger and thirst after righteousnes are pronounced blessed You are in Christs schoole though but in the lowest forme Vse 3 Motives Thirdly this may provoke you to holy desires and endeavours seeing holines is to be had and God both commands it Motive 1 and directs you what to do to obtaine it Lev. 20.7.8 Sanctifie Motive 2 your selves therefore and be ye holy for I am the Lord your God And ye shall keep my Statutes and do them I am the Lord which sanctifie Motive 3 you And moreover the Lord hath promised that they that ask shall have that they that seeke shall finde and that to them that knock it shall be opened Math. 7.7 And yet again consider the Motive 4 great danger if we dy without holines Without it we cannot see God Heb. 12.14 no holines no heaven And therefore upon these and such like considerations we should be stirred up to put to it to the purpose and labour to be holy as God is holy I am loath to leave this point therefore for an other motive Motive 5 consider that man that desires to do a thing and hath probable means as a good rule a good coppie hath great ground of hope that he shall obtaine what he would have and attaine unto that which he laboureth for Now Beloved what a copy have we to walke by Even the Lord Jesus Christ who is sent from heaven to us that we might writ after him God its true is a coppy Be ye holy for I am holy But that indeed was a very hard one for us to writ by But now he hath given us a living law in the Lord Jesus who is made unto us of him wisdome and righteousnes and sanctification c. 1 Cor. 1.30 Now he hath given us his owne son to draw out every letter before our eies that so we might the better write after him Good men be blessings whose examples are to be followed but there is no man so good but hath his faylings and defects But now Christ hath neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing in him for he is full of knowledge and likewise of the feare of the Lord. All sorts may learne of him how to behave themselves Children may learn of him how to behave themselves towards their parents subjects and people to Princes and Magistrates in him we have a coppy for prayer how also to be doing of good upon all occasions to love our enemies not to revile again when we are reviled In things both concerning this life and the life to come we have patterns in Christ to immitate In Christ I say not as God but as man indued with the graces of the Holy Ghost And this is that living ooppie which the holy God hath provided for us that we might be holy too Sixtly And yet this is not all The Scriptures are left to be Motive 6 a standing rule and blessed meanes of sanctification John 15.3 Now ye are cleane through the words which I have spoken unto you The word of the gospel is that which cleanseth people By it they are sanctified as it is expressed in that heavenly prayer of Christ John 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy trueth thy word is trueth And so also Ephes 5.26.27 That he might sanctifie it speaking of the Church with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle of any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish 7ly We have many outward favours whereby God doth allure us into holines Every outward blessing mercy should Motive 7 invite us to holines As Luke 1.74.75 That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of our life God would by his blessings as it were get into our bookes his love tokens are sent to woe us to holines And therefore when we are tempted to sinne let us say as Joseph did Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickednes and sin against God O let the minds of God engage us unto holines let his loving kindnesse constraine us to labour after it Q. But how should we seeke unto God for this grace A. I answer first by faithfull prayer as you find David did Psalme 51.7 purge me with Hyssope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow And againe ver 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And to Paul praies for the Thessalonians That the God of peace would sanctifie them wholly and that their whol spirit and soule and body might be preserved blamless c. 1 Thes 5.23 This is the first means to be used for the obtaining of holines 2. Let us study the Doctrine of holines or the new creature or the new man that we may know what it is and when we have it It is an alluring Doctrine It is called the image of God Ephes 4.24 And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnes and true holines Such as would have money must learn how to tell it Then are divers sorts of moneys and coines abroad in the world and therefore labour to know the King of heavens coyne And learne to try it too from counterfeit there is much false money going I will a litle speake of this holines which I am now perswading you to labour for and to seeke after It standeth 1. in the renovation of the whol man both in the spirits of our minde and in the affections of our hearts When our spirits and affections are renewed then we become holy Secondly it stands in giving up our selves wholy by a dedication to the use of the Almighty So that we do not longer live unto our selves but to him that died for us and rose again We shall the better see what this holines is by its contrary to wit the old man and the former conversation thereof Vertues appeare the better and shine the more gloriously by those vices that are contrary to them A faire beauty is the more lovely in a comely woman when a blackmore stands by A soile sets forth a Diamond What the old man is And therefore that we may the better see the lovelinesse of the new man we will looke a little upon the old man That therefore which is called the old man is want of knowledg in
THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD Vnfolded and Applied Wherein are handled The 1 Life Of GOD. 2 Perfection Of GOD. 3 Holiness Of GOD. 4 Benignitie Of GOD. 5 Mercy Of GOD. 6 Truth Of GOD. 7 Wisdome Of GOD. 8 Power Of GOD. 9 Justice Of GOD. 10 Love Of GOD. 11 Hatred Of GOD. 12 Anger Of GOD. 13 Independencie Of GOD. 14 Simplicitie Of GOD. 15 Eternitie Of GOD. 16 Infiniteness Of GOD. 17 Immutability Of GOD. 18 Immensity Of GOD. Delivered in sundry SERMONS at Tavistocke in Devon By THOMAS LARKHAM Preacher of the Word of God and Pastour of the Congregation there Divided into Three Parts They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee Psal 9.10 LONDON Printed for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Marygold in Pauls Church-yard 1656. Dignissimis Reverendis Theologiae in Academia CANTABRIGIENSI Professoribus gratiam pacem in Christo sempiternam NEque tanti sunt viri amplissimi chartae meae neque author ego pauperrimus indoctus mere edentulus vix ulli noto notus ut votis undiquaque dignissimis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ornatissimis illas vel me ipsum commendare aut praesentare praesumerem Et videar forte praefrictae frontis oris nimium impudentis vos inani meo Epistolio turbare Sed quoniam cum me quamplurimis Dei boni patris mei in Jesu Christo beneficiis benedictionibus refertum a multis magnis meis inimicis liberatum componerem ut ea quae de hoc omnipotenti omniscio incomprehensibili Jehova persensissem publice palam docerem evulgarem in veni tot tanta doctissimorum auribus non indigna religiosâ—ssimorum cordibus valde consolatoria omnibus Christianis cujuscunque gradus ordinis conditionis tam utilia ut non potui tot tanta gloriosa paucis verbis comprehendere quin ut ab uno ad alterum Dei optimi maximi attributum procederem manu quasi de Coelo porrecta perductus fui Et cum tandem totum annum de his sequentibus Octodecem Dei divinis nominibus sive attributis consumsissem eaque in Ecclesia parochiali ut dicunt Tavistocensi apud Devonienses multis praelectionibus finâ—ssem partim ex rogatu auditorum benevolorum partimeâ— opprobriis convitiis calumnii mate volorum quorundum in Theologia Tyronum provocatus me ipsum hoc qualecunque opus levidense satis fateor tenuiculum Ecclesiae Christi prostituere decrevi Quod ut videtis feci tandem Et quamvis longe infra gravitatem vestram dignitatem subsidere scio spero tamen ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vestram veniam potius quam ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 censuram me habiturum Homuncionibus ingenii prurientis placere non desidero Plutarch vita Alexandri nec Momo nec Zoilo displicere curo Regium est audire malè quum bene facias inquit Rex ille magnus ideoque obtrectatores maledicos non moror Tribunal vestro gravissimi patres hunc tractatum humiliter non tam ad docendum vos quam ad corrigendum a vobis praesento Verberent me homines audaciae calumnia modo vos me benigne ubi lapsus fui corripiatis retundatis Errare possum haereticus esse nolo spero hanc Academiam Deus aspiret hoc votum in perpetuum pulchrae protis parentem fore invictos pugiles veritatis in promptu semper hahituram Deus vos dirigat in viam suam sicut jam olim ab omni errore sartos tectosque servet Hoc unum in votis restat ut audaciae meae parcatis in bonam partem accipere dignemini hoc observantiae testimonium Pusilli almae matris Cantabrigiensis quondam alumni dignitates vestras semper plurimum honorantis E musaeolo meo Tavistocensi in Comitatu Devon T L. Ad amicum fratrem suum reverendum in Domino authorem hujus operis Thomas Larkamius At hamo Sim klarus QVid si non alio sim Nomine klarus at hamo Sim clarus mihi sat nominis illud erit Larkhamus si sim si sim * Diu vixit Oppidi hujus nominis in Comitatu Devon Northamus ab hamo Gloria quaerenda est non aliunde mihi Det Deus ut faelix semper mihi pendeat hamus Quo possim pisces carpere Christe tuos Sint aliis alii donis nil renuo clari Vt mihi fit faelix hamus id ipse precor J W. Ejusdem Currenti calamo parcat Larkhamus hamo Si mea vota valent clarior esse queat Si mea quid valeant vota beatus erit Ejusdem Anagr. aliud L. k omissis Thomas Larkhamius Hamo artis hamus HAmo artis Christi precor oh jungatur ut hamus Ars humana Dei fulta sit arte precor Hamus erat Petro nihil at cepisset ab alto Ni servo Dominus suppeditasset opem Jactus at ille semel Christo mandante quis unquam Crederet innumeris piscibus actus erat Sic Larkhame tuo si Christi jungitur hamus Ars divina arti si quoque juncta tuae Innumeros capies mihi credito nec mora pisces Hamus ut immensa mole gravatus erit Ergo preces precibus jungantur ut hamus ab hamo Divino humanus vim sibi quaerat AMEN To the Reader whomsoever ALthough so far as I know mine own deceitful heart I differ with none but such as differ with Christ yet are there many differences between me and many even some of them such as are eminently holy And many times I am apt to think that they do not deal wel with me nor as it becometh christians yea sometimes I express so much but it little moveth discourse of them for the Lord hath hid me from them it would be to me even an heart-breaking affliction were it not that my hope is that God wil uncover me again in due time and give me favour in the eyes of his excellent ones in whom is all my delight This following Treatise is the substance of divers Sermons preached by me in a time of great troubles when innumerable evils came upon me which much dejected me I confesse I wanted a Luther to chide me for that holy champion writing to Melancthon a godly learned man yet too much dejected hath these words I vehemently hate those most miserable cares wherewith thou art even consumed it is not the greatness of the cause but of our unbelief if the cause be false let us give it over if true why do we make him to wit God a lyar in so great promises strive against thy self the greatest enemy c. and although the difference be great betweene him and me and as many whom I cannot but love and honour may think between his cause and mine yet I humbly crave leave to affirm that it is evident to me it is the same though not by me so wel discreetly
come out of Gods head so holy ones come out of his heart 53. That the reason we love God no more is because we know him no better ibid. God most conjoyned to himselfe must needs be holy ibid. God is holy in regard of his puritie yet without regard to an eternal Law to be measured by ibid. God said to be holy five manner of waies among school-men 54. What it is to be holy radically and objectively ibid. What it is to be holy exemplarily and formally 55. God is holy in his works two manner of waies ibid. All the actions of God proceede from a spirit of holinesse 56. The formality of Saints holines is their love to God Christ ibid. God must needs hate sinne as contrary to his eternal Law ibid. And as repugnant to his goodnes and how it is so repugnant ibid. Foure evidences of Gods hating sinne 57. 58. 59 God is holy causalty as the fountaine c ibid. God is the efficient formall exemplary and finall cause of all holinesse in the creature 59. 60. Vse 1. Holines not to be contemned 61. Vse 2. God must needs delight in holy persons 62. Vse 3. Such as would become acceptable to God must labour to become holy persons ib. Motives to labour for holines 63. 2. Doct. That holines is communicable to mankind 64. Reasons or arguments to make it good ibid. Vse 1. The true cause that many want holinesse is in themselves and not in God 65 Vse 2. Such as desires holines may have it c. ibid. Vse 3. To provoke to holy desires and indeavours with diverse Motives besides this Doctrine 66. c. 1. God commands it 2. Directs what to do to obtaine it 3. Hath promised that they that aske shall have c. 4. Without it we cannot see God 5. We have excellent Coppies God and Christ 6. The Scriptures left to be a meanes of sanctification 7. We have many outward favours to allure us Two meanes to be used 1. Prayer 2. To study this Doctrine 68. That holines is the renovation of the whole man That secondly it is a giving up our selves to God That holines is the better seene by its contrary the old man and the former conversation thereof Where in the old man standeth many particulars Page 69. Another to wit an eighth Motive to labour for holines 70. That holy men are the lest fearing men ibid. Diverse instances of the truth of his Motive 71. That wicked men are called Magor Missabib ibid. 3. D. That God is infinitely and incomprehensibly holy 72. Three reasons hereof and Vse 1. That therefore men in seeking for holinesse cannot exceed measure ibid Vse 2. That God will beare up holines against all the world 73. Vse 3. They that will imitate God must never stand at a stay in holines Fifth Motive to labour for more holines 74.75 The more holines 1. The more perfection 2. The more comfort 3. The more boldnes 4. The more acquaintance with God 5. The more glory in heaven The fourth Attribute The Benignity or usefull goodnes of God THat Goodnes benignitie usefullnes is an attribute of God p. 77. That Gods goodnes is communicated in a double sence naturally to his onely begotten sonne freely unto creatures 78. That although it be naturall in God to be good yet the acts of his goodnes are free 80. It is declared what the benignitie of God is 81. That there was but one necessary and naturall act of greatnesse in God to wit the communicating of his whole essence to the sonne ibid. Gods goodnes is Generall to all creatures Speciall to man-kind Singular to his Church p. 81 82. That no evill is comparable to that of being without Christ nor no good to the being in the number of redeemed ones 84. Vse 1. That hurtfull dispositions and michievous natures must needes be displeasing to God because contrary to Gods disposition ibid. Vse 2. It must needes be pleasing to God for men to be ready and willing to do good to every body 85. To do good to all is to walke in the feare of God 86. Vse 3. To stirre up all to become like unto God to be full of goodnes God is worth the imitating ibid. Such as will approve themselves good men must make it their study how to be most profitable this is a first advice 86.87 Under this first direction are 2. things 1. Not to take delight in sinfully practices and courses 2. Not to take delight in others troubles and sorrowes 88. A second direction to labour to be cured of froward dispositions ibid. Five Motives to stirre up to the doing of good 1. It is commanded 2. It is excellent 3. God will reward 4. The contrary threatned 5. It may be done and this proportion may be had p. 89. The second Doctrine that goodnes is a communicable attribute Reasons or demonstrations it was communicated at first it is restored in regeneration 90 it is commanded therefore 91. Vse 1. That men are unusefull and mischievous is not to be charged upon God 92 Vse 2. Such as desire to be good are in great possibility of it ib. Vse 3. Seek it at the hands of God by prayer 93 Motives upon this direction Other directions given touching this matter 94 Three other Motives for conclusion of this Point 95 The third Doctrine That God in goodnes is Infinite and incomprehensible ibid. Reasons 1. God is Summum bonum 2. not subject to provocation 3. He is not hindred from doing good to others by carking care c. 96. 4. he is alsufficient every way 97 Vse 1. No man alive hath cause to complaine of God ibid. Murmuring against God under afflictions condemned 3. Remedies given 1. to consider that sinne causeth evills 2. other attributes must take place 3. evills befalling Saints are from the depth of goodnes in God ibid. Vse 2. Sinners and distressed soules are encouraged to come to God 98. 5. Particulars named in the close of the point 1. come away and taste that the Lord is gratious 2. runne to this infinite goodnes in distresses 3. be like unto God in doing good 4. be like God in the extent of goodnes 5. especially to the Saints The Fifth Attribute The Mercy of God THat mercy is Attributed to God proved p. 100. What mercy is in man shewed at large ib. Whether mercy be a distinct vertue from goodnes and love 101. Distinct definitions given of goodnes love and mercy 102. That mercy in God signifieth 1. His inclination to shew mercy 2. The effects of this inclination 103 Gods mercy is general to all creatures special to mankinde more speciall to the elect 104 Three things in the general mercy of God to creatures ib. The mercies of God extended in this life reduced to 5. heads 105 Rewarding Pardoning preventing delivering sparing ib. Four degrees of sparing mercy in God Not punishing at all 106 Deferring 107 Moderation and rebates 107 Groaning in whipping 108 That God spared not Christ
at all and why shewed in two Reasons 109 Diverse effects and acts of mercy 1. the Incarnation of Christ ib. 2. the Revelation of Gods mind by him 111 That the world was full of ignorance sin when Christ came ib 3. Christ given a Copy for all good life and conversation 112. 4. Freedome from the guilt of sin 113 from liking lying in sin 114 5. Freedome from eternal destruction ib. 6. The grace of Adoption in which foure Things are considered The state God hath taken us from The state to which he hath brought us The good which thereupon we do expect The means whereby this is effected 115 7. The benefits of all Christs Merits 116 8. The pouring out of the spirit of grace 117 9. The sweetnesse of Ordinances ibid. 10. Particular vouchsafements 118 11. Communion with God 116 12. Life everlasting ibid. Vse 1. Then mankind is miserable 120 Vse 2. Not to dispair in our afflictions and Miseries 121 Vse 3. Nor of salvation though we fall into grievous sins 122 Vse 4. Let us render unto God the honor due unto his name 123 Four things are due to God 1 To be mindfull of his mercies 124 2 Love to God who is worthy of it 125 3 We should yield obedience and service to God ibid. 4 The praises of God should be in our mouthes ibid. Vse 5. Let us be mercifull as our father which is in heaven is mercifull 126 Here are three Motives 1 Such shall finde mercy 2 Their seed are blessed 3 It is attainable if you desire it ibid. The second Proposition That Mercy is Communicable ibid. Made good by three Reasons ibidem Vse 1. Unmercifull men want a very glorious and commendable thing ibid Illustrated in foure thing 1 They are wicked every way 1 They are Covetous 2 Unbelievers 3 They have not the love of God 4 This sin hath much cruelty 127 2 They are cursed persons 3. They are unlike God 4. Unmercifulnesse bars audience of Prayers 128 5. Unmercifulnesse is a kinde of Murther 129 6. It is a shrewd signe of Reprobation ibid. 7. Their end doleful that have no Mercy ib. Vse 2. An exhortation to be mercifull as God is mercifull ibid. Three Motives 1. It is a blessed thing 2. Ye give to Christ 3. God will not dy in your debt 130. Three directions given for the obtaining this merciful property ibid. The third proposition of the infinitnes c. of Gods Mercy 131 Many admirable sayings of Gods mercy 1. God enclines to it 2. It is delightfull to him 3. He doth multiply to shew mercy 4. He will be exalted to shew mercy Lastly It is his proper work 132 Vse 1. Then there is no want of Mercy in God 133 Vse 2. Let us trust in this mercifull God for ever 134 Choice mercies are not to be found out of the Church 135 Unbelivers are flatly excluded from these mercies 136 The Sixth Attribute Of the Truth of God THe diverse acceptations of the word Truth and the severall words used to wit Kosht or Keshet and Emunatho p. 137. That truth generally signifieth the conformitie of a thing to its rule ib. That there are two Positive properties of an entity to wit truth and goodnes 138. That unity is not a property of an entity and why not ib. That Gods being is a fundamentall veritie not a conformitie c. ib. That the word truth is used for conformitie of knowledge to its object 142. That an enunciation logical cannot be true of what is metaphysically false 143. That formal truth in God is from the objective truth of his essence ib. That truth descends from God into creatures by revelation and divine illustration but in God it is not so who is the first formall truth 144. Certain questions are propounded touching Arminian tenents ib. In things that are not in esse there is not properly truth 145. That things are said to be in posse in a double respect and how ibid. That divine knowledge is not terminated to things existing but is extended to futuritious and possibles 146 That God avoucheth logicall truths without the least errour ibid. Vse 1. We must take heed of receiving truths hand over head c. ibid. And as of falsiâ—ies so also of misapplied truthes take heed ibid. A third acceptation of truth according to the word used in the text ibid. Doct. That truth and faithfullnes is an Attribute of God ibid. 2. Reasons given 1. God hath no after thoughts 2. Punisheth faithfulnes in others 147. Gods faithfullnes and truth is either in regard of manners promises 148. Vse 1. Let the people of God be confident upon this truth of God 149. Vse 2. For reproof our doubtings of Gods truth and faithfulnes ibid. That gratious ones somtimes are apt to question Gods truth c. ibid. Misunderstanding or misaplying promises causeth this ibid. That some Promises are made with condition and limitation ibid. That promises are misaplyed sometimes to persons to state and behavior 150. Vse 3. Let sinners know that the God of truth hath threatned 151 Vse 4. Let us learn to be like God to be men of truth ibid. That truth in man hath relation 1 To God 2 To Man 152 2. Proposition That truth is a Communicable attribute ibid. Two Objects about this point answered 153 Vse 1. The fault is not in God that men are fals and faithless ib. 2. We must learn to seek for this quality of truth at the hand of of God by Prayer 154 3. Honest men may take comfort in that they are like God to wit men of truth ibidem Third proposition truth in God is infinite and incomprehensible ibidem Vse 1. To beare up the spirit of Saints against all false dealings in men God is faithfull infinitely 155. Vse 2. A cooling card to all such as have not made God their portion 156. Reader Correct with thy Pen these faults in the First Part. PAge 8. line 7. read floweth p 11. l. 32. r. is p. 28. l. 33. r. at p. 29. l. 6. r. doth l. 15. r. see p. 35. marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 34 r. none p. 36 l. 4. r. by and in l. words p. 37.24 in sin besides p. 38. l. 26. God saith one p. 42. mar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 43. r. 43. summis negatum est aliquid addi p. 45. marg ejus p. 58. l. 1. miseries l. 5. they l. 39. extingui p. 60. l. 11. then p. 63. l. 28. see is not by nature l. 31. are of a p 68. l. 4. kindness l. 10. and so Paul p. 70 l. 3. instrument marg eighth p. 71. l. magor p. 72. l. 8. infinite p. 73. l. 31. stature 76. marg peregrinabitur l. 36. now p. 78. l. 11. he is not so at all p. 81. l. 18. produce to any p. 94. l. 31. Heb. 12.24 p. 95.21 that those curses p. 96. l. 20. do revenge p. 105. l. 25. preventing p. 117. l. 8. wholy p 118. marg Luthers sentence
sorts of performances there are some which every man stands bound to perform as he is a creature and some which men stand bound to perform by positive commands Three sorts of positive duties whether the duties be moral or positive and of those that be positive whether they be ceremonial or Judicial or evangelical to whom the command comes from them is obedience due to the great and Soveraign Law-giver and not to perform it is to depart from God that is to disown God to run away from his service to say in effect we wil not be under his command They that do not cal upon God depart from God that is Not to come Christ is to depart from Christ they depart from his commands such as professing themselves to be christians and living under invitations to come to Christ do not come to him to have life by him they do depart from him in scripture phrase and all this cometh from a heart of unbeliefe O this trampling under-foot the blood of Christ is a very great sin Beloved ye do here professe your selves to be Christians what do ye make here else to day Now if ye believe not God and his word to walk answerable what do yee else but depart from the living God ye depart from this invitation to take his Son from his Commandement to beleeve to kisse the Son from his holy injunctions for which if ye repent not God wil most certainly damn you for ye are both Creatures and in name Christians and therefore take heed lest there be in any of you a heart of unbeliefe to depart from the Living God I have dispatched the manner and matter of the Exhortation I now am to speak of the description of God by the Attribute of Life God in my Text ye see called the living God In each Attribute that I shal speak of I purpose to do these three things first to shew you that such an Attribute as here Life which is the first to be spoken of is an Attribute of God secondly that it is communicable to Man-kind Reasons of the attribute of Life thirdly that God in each of them and in this of Life is infinite and incomprehensible Know then that God which all must take heed they do not depart from is a Living God for the proof of it read Dan 6 29. 1 Thes ◠9 Heb 9.14 in al which places he is called the living God God is called the living God for divers reasons First because he liveth of himself and that everlastingly Ps 102.64 Thy years are through all generations and ver 27. but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end God alwayes hath been and wil be for ever Never was there nor never wil there be the least point of time in which it might or shal be said God is not the living God Secondly every creature hath his life from God he is the creator of Life unto us all and all living things Act 17.28 In him we live moove and have our being He is the fountain and original of all Life Get ye up as high as ye can and suppose the world were ten thousand times older then it is yet at last there must be a stop Luke in his third Chapter carrieth along the Generation of Jesus Christ as far as ever he could possibly even unto Adam one was the son of another but at last it is said which was the Son of God there we must stop we can go no further 3. God is called the Living God because he giveth life to his promises but this is not so proper to this matter 4ly He giveth Grace to his Elect this is called the life of God Ephes 4.18 But to keep to the Attribute I am upon and to the two former Reasons of this Attribute and yet more espetially to the first It is necessary that I should first shew you what that thing is which we cal life then we shal the better understand what is meant by Life as it is attributed to God for in saying God is love or God is a consuming fire or any other analogical expression it is needful that ye know what those things are properly in the first place Life therefore is self-motion naturally that which moveth of it self from an inward cause be it what it be that is said to live or thus Life is a vital spirit by which al quick things move therefore Beasts Birds fish and creeping things are called living souls or living Creatures Gen 2.19.20 Other things that move from outward causes as clocks watches carts or coaches are not said to live because they do not move from an inward principle And elements though they move naturally yet it is only to their proper place heavy elements move downward and light elements upward And this natural motion they keep unless they be restrained as water in a Vessel There are three sorts of quick or living creatures First plants do hold the lowest degree of life they do indeed live of themselves yet neither know the end of their motion neither do they prepare for it they send forth their moares and roots to get moisture and nourishment but they know not that they do so Secondly there is a degree of life somewhat higher then this which is the life of sensitive creatures these first move of themselves therefore are said to live secondly they of themselves acquire some form by sence which is the ground or beginning of their motion but of themselves they know not the end of their motion formally neither do they propound it unto themselves distinctly but somerime break their neck when according to their instinct they move to good they move to get better feeding being led by sence but because they want reason to guide them they meet with misery often and therefore it is that men that are foolish are said to be unreasonable men and bruit Beasts because they are better like beasts then like men endued with reason yea all men in the fallen condition of Adam are said to be like the Beasts that perish Psal 49. v last Man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the Beasts that perish Sentire appetere se movere est in anima natura brutorum But yet of these bruit animals some live and move themselves more perfectly then others as they are indued with a more perfect faculty of sence to obtain to themselves sensible forms yet is their life even of the most quick of them but a life of beasts the knitting of that sensitive soul and their body together As Philosophers in general of all life define it to be the Bond or colligation of soul and body together which are parted when bloud or breath are left out of the body for when we cease breathing we cease living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and life goes out when breath goes out here the words both in Hebrew and Greek which are used for life
do properly signifie the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and are derived from breathing and respering Thirdly There is a life of intellectual and rational creatures which cometh neerest to the life attributed to God For first such as live this life get intentional forms by which they variously are moved and this proceeds from this life of theirs And secondly they that live this life know the end of their moving formally And thirdly by themselves do propound unto themselves ends of their motions and actions and move and act with discretion and determine of things upon considetation The life of man far excels the life of other creatures and yet it comes short of the life of Angels who are also the living sons of God by temporal creation Job 1.6 Now there was a day when the Sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord If we were skilful in the life of Angels we should much the better perceive what is signified by life in God I therefore would a little speak of their life they are of a more excellent make and constitution then man their very substance is vital the Angelical nature doth at least so much excel the reasonable soul as that doth the sensitive or the sensitive the vegetative Now the reasonable soul doth not only live in the body but out of the body for although the soule be the first act of a natural instrumental body eminently containing all the vertues of a vegetative and sensitive soul yet over and above these it hath three spiritual powers not bound to the body an intellect acting an intellect in possibility of acting and a wil by which ye may see the excellency of a reasonable soul above a vegetative and sensitive either of which hath all its powers bound to an organical body and ceaseth to be when it is separated from the body Corrupto composito utraque desiâ— net esse Viâ—gue pag. â— 14. But a reasonable soul hath three powers and faculties not bound to the body as hath been said And therefore this reasonable soul liveth when the man whose soul it was is dead and this comes near to Angelical nature and the vital operation thereof I wil give you the definition of an Angel that I may be rid of this matter speedily An Angel is a created living substance immaterial or incorporeal invisible incorruptible and spiritual of great understanding and mighty in wil so that ye see the two faculties natural of Angels to wit the understanding and the wil and this is Angelical Life yet have they not these glorious living natures of themselves as God only hath also some end to these souls and Angelical natures is propounded from without divine ly to wit chief happiness and good Per morteÌ„ aâ—â—rius stuitum est sperare salutem not to be imagined by man or Angel as a naked creature And for man fallen the wisest of them have thought it a foolish thing to look for salvation by the death of Christ Hence that saying 1 Cor 1 23. We preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block to the Greek foolishnes Yea the very Angels are said to enquire after or pry into these things 1 Pet 1.12 The words in the original are worth the marking The mysteries and hidden things of the life of the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of Angels are not the subject I must fasten upon only to help you in your groping after Life as it is an attribute of God it was needful for me to say something of Life in the creature But now come we to speak of Life as it is attributed to God Life is a communicable Attribute of God whereby is signified that he doth move simply Deus est suum vivere Aquinâ—lege Scharpium de vita Dei pagâ— 193 in Cursu Theol and infinitely from and of himself essentially from and unto eternity There is in creature Life first vital substance and then Secondly vital operation which remaineth in the subject operating from whence it followeth as to understand love desire perceive and move it self Now both those wayes God is a Living God excepting those imperfections that attend creature-life For he is not only Life but the first Life and eternal Life and the very fulness and universality of Life the original of all Life the consummation thereof the beginning and the end in whom even all things which do not live are Life For he is a super-vital Essence and a super-essential Life having before-hand and containing in himself most eminently Sicut ipse est omnium existentium esse superessentiale ita omnium viventium vita supeâ— vitalis Dionys cap 6 de divinis nominibus most simply and causally all vital substance and forming preserving and perfecting out of himself every substance according to its kind And this is the first thing considerable in Life to wit its vital substance Now secondly God is himself his vital operation to wit his understanding his Love his joy his blessednes From that supernatural fountaine all things which any way do live do draw Life even thence the life of plants brutes Men and Angels all Life natural and supernatural of this Life and the Life to come Temporal and Eternal But espetially by life in God is understood his understanding and wisedom for this is the first and chiefe life and vital operation from whence all other life doth proceed Therefore the wisdom of God is the life of all things and by it God liveth to himself and to all things and all things live unto him and are present and shine and immutably persevere in him from eternity to eternity Yet life is not in God as in creatures for in them the soule is the cause of life as hath been said and life the motion but those in God are not so distinct Life is not attributed to God and creatures univocally but analogically Nor indeed can any thing be said of God and creatures univocally As when I say God is angry or God is love or that he hath no pleasure in wickednes some there are that think that whatsoever is attributed to God in scripture is spoken properly of him and of the creature by allusions and analogies As when we say God is just merciful good angry c. But I cannot be of their mind No words full enough to see out the nature of God for there are no words or phrases used by or amongst men ful enough to set out the nature of God Neither if there were are men capable of such makings out of God for first there is no proportion between perfections as they are in God and those that are or may be in created things And therefore secondly one objective conception cannot be drawne from created and uncreated perfections which may univocally agree with both but only analogically And therefore words being images of created things cannot be used but analogically of an increated and infinite essence But to
end this particular and to proceed to some other properties of the life of God I say God is life and all things in God are life to wit that life which is God himself Neither are vital substance and vital operation in him distinguished Secondly God hath life compleat every way compleat nothing is wanting to his life There is no defect In this Attribute as in others he is essentially what he is and infinitely and indeed incomprehensibly Because Thirdly he hath life of him self not only the life of operation for that creatures have of themselves and living men do live themselves We live and move c though in God yet WE live I say we have of our selves a life of operation both in nature and grace when the principle of life in either state is once bestowed but God hath the very nature of life in himself For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Joh 5.26 God is what he is of himself Neither fourthly is there any end propounded to God by another he worketh all things as of himself so for himself It is not my salvation that God aims at although he save me but his own glory He made all things for himself even the wicked to perish in the day of evil Prov 16.4 A gracious soul worketh for God And God worketh for himself in him not for him God liveth to himself propoundeth himself unto himself in all his vital operations Fifthly every thing understood is life in God things that have no life are life in him He is a super-vital Essence and a super-essential life He is his own vital operation The life of God is present with all Creatures to continue their being these very pillars that bear up this house of meeting although dead in them selves are life in God He is the super-essential of existences even of all From his wisedom which is his life by attribution flows love which also is his life and by these two Attributes are al other things made and formed in his wisdom all things live So some read that place in John 1.3 the latter part Quod factum est in ipso vita erat and the beginning of the 4th That which was made was life in him All things have in themselves a quoddam esse intrinsecal to themselves but this in things created hath a beginning and is mutable neither doth it give life to existences that live not But besides this esse which they obtain in themselves they have in the mind and wisdom of God a certain extrinsecal esse Sapientia Dei est omnium intelligibilium esse vita lux Lessius de perfec Div page 51 as it were infused everlasting and immutable For to understand in God is a certain esse of intelligibles by which as in a certain breathing world they do exist shine and live I might tel you many things which are as true as glorious of this life of God But this is not for every hearer to understand And it is usual for people to speak evil of the things they understand not Sixthly the life of God doth infinitely transcend the life of Creatures even of Men and Angels because by his nature he is infinitely more excellent as I wil make appear unto you in two particulars First if al living things Angels men Beasts fowls fishes and every other creature that hath life and all those lives that since Adam have been in all these kinds of creatures were brought together and put into one life yet this life compared with the life of God would be but as a picture or image of a man is in comparison of a man Secondly if al Creatures that are in the world or ever were could exist together if God should but draw back the beam of his influence presently they would vanish to nothing neither would any footstep of them remaine For in God it is that we live moove and have our being and there is not the lest worm in the earth that liveth but there is an influence that goeth out from God to continue it's life Yea all existences have their continuance from this Life of God Seventhly To conclude what life is in God is best to be known by negation and ablation of all that can be said of Life in the Creature As for instance if yee should ask of me how God doth live I should thus answer he doth not live like plants or sensitive Creatures he doth not live like Men or Angels but he liveth a Life far transcending all Creature-life I am not able to shew you better how God doth live then by teaching you how God doth not live As when I say God is a living God I mean he liveth and moveth of himself from an inward principle of life and so you take my meaning And when I say God is good yee presently run to the definition of goodness touching the Creature But yet these words are too short to set out either the Attribute of life or of goodness When I say God is great as Psal 1â—5 3 David saith great is the Lord and greatly to be praised This word great wil set forth the greatness of a man or of any other thing that hath dimensions But yet this word great is not great enough to set forth the nature of God There are four as it were parts of greatness latitude longitude sublimity and profundity which are attributed to God and in their manner may be considered in God Although by the ordinary rules in the Mathematicks we make but three dimensions to wit making sublimity and profundity one in that one word altitude But because the Apostle Paul Ephes 3.18 guided by the spirit of God speaking of the fulnes of God maketh foure dimensions as it were so many parts of the grreatnes of God I say I wil a little consider how far these words relating to the word great wil set out as part thereof the greatnes of God or the nature of God upon account of greatness Once David saith God is great and he praiseth God for or in consideration of his greatnes What then may be this greatnes of God I answer First the essence of God is great in regard of latitude for he is immense Secondly he is great in regard of longitude for he is eternal 3ly He is great in regard of sublimity for he is most high 4ly He is great in regard of profundity for he is incomprehensible Or if we take the word great as sometimes it is used for one of great power dominion and authority here also we have some help from the four dimensions of the Apostle Paul to under stand something of God the Lord is great in regard of latitude for all things serve him from the highest Angel to the least and lowest worm He is great in regard of Longitude for of his Kingdom there is an eternal duration He is great in regard of
you Thirdly Consider the excellency of this vouchsafement of life Shall a Prince give me a Diamond and shall I cast it into the dirt Why the God of heaven hath given me the attribute of himselfe at least analogically viz. life And seing I have such a jewell I should be carefull to preserve it Not as an Epicure or Atheist that would fain live because he knoweth no other happinesse but this life but that I may glorifie God who is worthy of all and much more then men or Angels can say of him or do to the setting forth of his praise and honour And thus much concerning the first Proportion or Doctrine Of life communicated to nature that life is an attribute of God Now I come to the second viz. that it is a communicable one to mankinde and other creatures So we read Gen. 2.7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul And Act. 17.25 Seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things and vers 23. For in him we live and move and have our being And a most transcendent life in comparison of the life of Plants and Beasts hath God imparted to mankinde a reasonable soule full of excellencies Yea so liberall hath God been in the communication of this gift as that even inferiour creatures have their portion though in an inferiour degree to mankinde Unto whom God hath vouchsafed a greater dignity in this respect then to any of his corporeall creatures else In that he was created after the image of God to have rule and authority over the other creatures Gen. 1.26 And God said let us make man in our image Pronaque cum spectent animalia caetera terrā os homini sublime dedit caelumque videre jussit et erectos ad sydera tollere vulius Ovid. Meta. after our likenesse and let them have dominion over the fish of the Sea and over the fowl of the Aire and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth Yet I say although man in his creation was far more glorious then other creatures other creatures had life too Gen. 1.20 and 24. verses there were moving creatures that had life and living creatures after their kind Fishes Fowls Cattle and creeping things Now therefore mankinde that hath received such a great benefit at the hand of God herein ought to be thankfull to God for this gift of life and carefully and conscionably to endeavour to live to the glory of God the giver of it But O the wonderfull ingratitude and unthankfulnesse of mankinde towards God for this favour of his the multitude of men do quite contrary give up themselves to live altogether to his dishonour smite him on the face with his owne benefit delighting in all manner of sin and ungodlinesse whereby they make themselves strangers from the life of God perverting and altering their creation in respect of the end thereof For whereas God created men for his glory Ephes 4.18 Isai 43 7. they live to his dishonour and where as all other creatures the evill Angels only excepted keep their first station continue obedient to their Creator as you may read at large Psal 104.5 6 7 8 c. Mankinde is rebellious and in the way of disobedience against his Creatour for which rebellion of his he must be sure to smart for the most gracious God will not by any meanes clear the guilty but in his justice will surely reward them to their face according to their wickednesse and although he may deferre his judgements for a time Exod. 3 4.7 Deut. 7.10 Prov. 11.21 2 Thes 1.9 yet they shall be sure to meet with them at last They shall not be unpunished alwayes if not in this life yet in the life to come they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord from the glory of his power They that receive not the love of the truth that they may be saved but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse shall perish shall be damned The Second Use teacheth us that sith God hath given me life I should not vex my selfe with carking and caring 2. Vse about means to maintain it God will provide means for the sustentation of life for all those that by a true and lively faith can rely upon him yea assuredly For the life is more then meat and the body then rayment Mat. 6.35 Is it not saith Christ in that place doubtlesse it is Therefore take no thought for your life what ye shall eat nor for the body what ye shall put on Luk. 12.22 If God feeds the Ravens and cloaths the Lillies will he not feed and cloath his faithfull servants Yes undoubtedly for he hath promised not to fail or forsake them Heb. 13.5 6. For he hath said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me They shall want nothing that is good for them for there is no want to them that fear him the young Lyons want and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Psal 34.9 10. Verily they shall be fed Psal 37.3 and God shall give them the desires of their heart ver 4. and in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied which may be matter of unspeakable comfort to the poor Saints of God It was the resolute faithfull speech of one Elizabeth Yong a Confessour mentioned by Mr. Foxe in his Book of Acts and Monuments in the latter end of the History of Queene Mary When they threatned to starve her quoth she If ye take away my meat the Lord will take away mine hunger O Tast and see that the Lord is gratious Blessed is the man that trusteth in him Psal 34.8 And thirdly it is every mans part to take notice of the benefit which he hath received at the hands of God 3. Vse Molives to live to Gods glory and to walk thankfully towards God in the use of it by a carefull endeavour to live to the glory of God Let us every one of us diligently labour to performe this duty For first it is a just thing in respect of God it is meete that God that hath given us life should be honoured in and with our lives Let us not live to eat and drink and ly downe and rise up to play to please our voluptuousnesse or to work to please our lust of coveteousnesse but let us glorifie God in our lives fith he hath given them to us Secondly it is a necessary thing in respect of our selves for if we live not to Gods honour but walk on in the way of sinne we shall live to our one shame and eternall destruction most assuredly Thirdly It is a profitable thing both in respect of our selves and
they are exactly conformable to the rectitude of the eternall law Quia tam perfecte vult rectitudinem quam perfecte illam concipit He works as perfectly as he conceives perfectly As is Gods judgment so is his will And hence it is that the love of the Father is so passing great to Christ for the father loveth the son c. Joh. 5.20 Why should God love the son more then any other creature but because he saw more of himself wrought in the sonne then in any other creature Love is an inclination of the will to that thing which is good and thereupon the soul of God runs out to Christ who was altogether lovely this is formal holinesse in God this is the formality of this attribute in God he loveth himself in his love to the creatures All the actions of God proceede from an holy spirit from a spirit of holines As hath beene said already holiness is to love God to seek Gods glory to love ones selfe in God and in this sence God is certainly holy for he loves none as himselfe and seekes and aimes at his owne glory in every thing he doth And here by the way let me speake a word of the formality of the holines of Saints Is it not their love to God and Christ And the Saints that makes them to delight in beholding him whom their soule loveth Doubtles it is My beloved saith the spouse is whit and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Canticles 5.10 As it was said by the Queen of Sheba of Solomon 1 Kings 10.8 Happy are thy men Happy are those thy servants which stand continually before thee and which hear thy wisdom So much more may we say as the spirit of holines maketh us to say Blessed are they that know Christ and have of the graces of his Spirit And here I must needs say once againe if God be holy because he loveth good men which are his choice workmanship then so are the Saints therein holy also for they love wonderfully that choise master piece Christ and all the Saints which are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 And so by the rule of contraryes as it is said Psalme 45.7 by way of prophesy and mystically of Christ Thou lovest righteousnes and hatest wickednes c. God must needs hate sin with an infinite hatred for he loveth the rectitude of the eternall law and therefore hateth what is contrary to it for the sinfullnes of sinne is its contrariety to Gods eternall law And then Secondly God necessarily loveth his own goodnes and perfection and therefore necessarily hateth sinne which is contrary and repugnant to that goodnes Repugnant I say not as one forme to another but as an inordinate thing to its rule and measure Keep sinne up and God must go downe keepe God up and sinne must go down You may as well expect to see the Ocean sea burn to ashes or stones to fly upward as look to see an union betweene God and sinne or that God should not looke upon it with highest indignation What sinne is you should finde in every catechisme almost it is the transgression of the holy law of God even the least sinne doth turne aside Gods love and because he is holy it maketh his very soule to hate the persons in whom it is Sinne is like Coloquintida in the Pot and this I must tell you that when God smels it he cannot but throw away pot and all it is so contrary to his holines Where ever God sees sinne he runs at it presently If his owne son do but stand in the sinners steede though he had no sinne of his owne yet you see how the wrath of God ran out against him And the reason is Gods love of his law which is his holines of which sin is the transgression and upon this account God must needs hate it And this David a man of much acquaintance with God tells us Psalm 5.4 5. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickednes neither shall evill dwell with thee The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquitie and so Isaiah 1.24 Ah saith the Lord I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies By which words the prophet meaneth that God will not be appeased he will ease himselfe here is an allusion to the disposition of men Calv. in loc for even as wrath is nothing else but a desire of revenge so revenge it selfe also is a kind of contentment for when any is revenged he is glad and satisfied Thus the Lord saith that he will satisfie himselfe in chastising his enemies as if it were a kind of recompence And because this holines of God doth so glorious shine-out in his hating of sin which is contrary both to his eternal law workings in both Church and world and also to the actings of Saints acted by the Spirit of holines I will a little fasten here and give you some evidence of the bitter hatred which is in God against sinne First Therefore when we shall see an all-mercifull God to deprive men and Angels of such an infinite good as himselfe Evidences of Gods hating sin certainly you must suppose there is some great cause reason for it why the fruition of God is the greatest good and Angells and men were his most excellent creatures yet such is Gods holines causing his hatred of sinne that he tumbles man out of Paradise and Angels out of heaven here is one evidence of Gods hatred of sinne and severitie against sinners But Secondly God doth not only deprive these prime creatures of such a goodnes to wit himself infinitly and eternally but also cast them into extreame sorrows pains and torments And the Angels which kept not their first estate or principalitie but lost their owne habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkenes unto the judgement of the great day Jud. ver 6. And for men who can be ignorant of these misteries sinne hath brought upon all sexes and ages even in this life besides those everlasting burnings to the which all wicked ones are reserved Thirdly God will blot out all the good that ever men did if that fall a sinning once If the righteous turneth away from his righteousnes and committeth iniquitie c. All his righteousnes that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse Ezek. 18.24 that he hath trespassed and in his sinne that he hath sinned in them he shall die If a man should live many a yeare in serving God and do great things for the people of God Yet if he give out and sin and persist and die in his sinne all his former good should be blotted out Q. A. But here comes a great question can a righteous man fall from his righteousnes To which I answer It is impossible Ratione Decreti promissionis in regard of Gods decree and promise Yet we
experienced an artist is to be taken notice of As if mercy and love were one and the same thing And yet in many places of Scripture we find goodnes mercy taken in the same sense mercy and love somtimes distinguished for satisfaction herein and clearing of this difficultie we must know that if we restraine the word mercy to his proper signification according to the etymon of the word the definition of the vertue to wit to rid one out of a notable distress or misery from an aflicted compassionate heart towards him then mercy hath a narrower object then goodnes or love But yet because usually such workes as we call workes of mercy proceed from the affection of love and that love which we call the love of good will towards our neighbour doth in a sort wholly live in workes of mercy for the love of complacency is of another nature I say for this cause love mercy and goodnes are sometimes used to signifie one and the same readines to do good to all or help any and to be of a loving deportment Howsoever therefore there may be use of destinctions sometimes to wit when we speake particularly of them as vertues in men or graces in saints or attributes in God yet in ordinary popular discourse they come all to one and so are used by the Holy Ghost oftentimes in Scripture in passages both concerning God and also men But that nothing may be left unsaid to give full satisfaction I will give you distinct definitions of these three goodnes or benignity love of goodwill and mercy as they are attributed to God and found in men Goodnes is the will of God whereby he is inclined to do good to creatures and the effects thereof Love is the will of God approving what in his creatures is good and agreeable to his holy mind and manifestâ—d by sundry effects thereof Mercy is the will of God whereby he is inclined to succour such as are in misery and the manifestation of it in acts accordingly In men goodnes or benignitie is a disposition and indeavour to make the lives of creatures comfortable Amore nihil est aliud quaÌ„ bonum velle amata by affording all that may any way conduce thereunto And love is a certaine propension of the appetite concupiscible unto what is accounted good and fit for him that loveth and a manifestation of good will and friendship upon occasion both in word and deede to such objects And mercy said Philosophers is a sicknes of mind conceived from the misery of another stirring up to shew pity and compassion and to succour such a one But lastly in saints these come to be graces and so acceptable to God being fruits of the spirit tending to God and having respect to him So we are full of goodnes towards the bodies and soules of others communicating what we have for their good and benefitt Shewing love for Gods sake in both word and deed even to them that wrong us and abuse us And having bowels of mercy towards all that be in misery and being ready to do any thing for their succour Now of all these three vertues in men graces in Saints attributes of God What mercy is in God Miseri cordia est voluntas Dei qua ad succurrendum miseris propensus Sharpius The mercy of God some call the propertie or attribute of his nature inclining him to relieve the misery of his creature some the essenee of God shewing mercy Sclator on the 117. Psalme Ira dicitur esse in Deo non ut turbidus motus animi sed simplex voluntas ad ultionem we are to speake of mercy now as it is to him attributed One thing is very necessary to be premised in this discourse to wit that mercy in God is not as it is defin'd by Philosophers as hath beene before hinted A sicknes of mind conceived from the misery of another For sadnes and afliction of mind cannot be in God though in Scripture there are such metaphors used But mercy in God is his very essence whereby he is infinitely disposed to helpe succour and comfort such as be in any miserable condition Those expressions in Scripture In their afflictions he was afflicted And mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Are borrowed Phrases As from the turning of the bowells in men at the fight of an object of pitty And yet in men this is not mercy it selfe but a companion of pitty Yet because by it our mercy is made known we call it by the name of mercy We call rowling of bowells mercy and mercy rowling of bowells which yet is but a companion of it and that in men only and not in God Mercy may be without it and in God allwaies is because God hath no bowels to be turned God is one most simple essence and hath no qualities And therefore when we say God is merciful we speak of him metaphorically as when we say God is angry Anger is a turbulency of spirit but there is no such thing in God The effects of that which is called anger in God are often put for angâ—r as when we see the punishment and scourges on the backes of wicked men we conclude that God is angry There is no real difference between his essence and attributes save only in our manner of conceiving Sclater In like manner when we see the rod taken of and cast into the fire which is an effect of mercy we say God is mercifull But mercy in God signifiâ—th two things First an inclination in his heavenly Majesty to shew mercy Secondly the effects of his supposed affection which is his helping of the miserable creature or a making out of God to such as have need of helpe and pitty The affection of mercy in men is knowne by that griefe that accompanies it Tanquam à nobis notiori vertus ipsa nomen traxit but such a companion of mercy cannot be in God O mercy is a glorious attribute of God he is a very sea of mercy he is never dry Amongst men he that is fullest of pitty is but a drop of it Their pitty falls infinitly short of what is in God And this mercy of God is either generall to all his creatures or speciall unto mankind or more speciall and peculiar that whereby he is said to be mercifull to his elect unto eternall life and freedom from the wrath to come Let us view the generall mercy of God to all his creatures Three things present themselves to be looked upon First the raising up of all creatures out of nothing Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth Secondly The extension of tender mercies of providence towards all creatures wraped up in misery of which see Psalme 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes His mercy is over and upon all his workes as the warmth of the hen
this in his minde can chuse but be astonished who can hold teares in the consideration of so great mercy That God would send his Sonne out of his owne bosome even him who thought it not robbery to be equall with God Phillip 2.6 ver 7. to be made of no reputation and to take upon him the forme of a servant and to be made in the likenesse of men Rather then man should be utterly lost That he I say of infinite majesty with the father and Holy Spirit wanting nothing who created all things whom so many millions of Angles serve and who in a moment of time is able of nothing to create infinit other more excellent then men to worship him should be borne in a stable laid in a mangre that man wretched man the lowest of rationall nature next of kind to the bruite beasts addicted to earthly things void of heavenly uncleane unthankfull rebellious in whom there was nothing worthy of love many things worthy of hatred and punishment Should be freed from everlasting damnation and raigne eternally with God in glory Here is a rare effect and fruit of mercy indeed If a man riding a long the high way should find a poor raged louzy wretch almost dead groveling and wallowing in blood and dirt and beholding this wofull sight should alight from his horse and take up this poore creature carry it upon his back or in his arme to some house and take all possible care for its washing dressing and recovery and in the meane time have his horse stollen by thieves himselfe persuing beaten and wounded should yet rejoice that he hath saved the life of the poore creature would not such a man be noted for a good man a mercifull man Beloved bretheren this is nothing in comparison of what Jesus Christ hath done for us He did lay aside his glory and tooke part with our even with the worst miseries and all in mercy to deliver us from hell and to bring us to glory Stand amazed O ye sons of men If ye did but consider what ignorance of God athisme brutishnes and hellish cruelties are in Christendom and ye must think there is much more out of it ye would conclude that the world is in a most miserable condition being God is righteous And therefore to do as hath beene a little said for the salvation of such must needs proceed from unspeakable mercy even the mercy of a God To this head is to be referred the bitter passion of our blessed Saviour His nakednes and poverty his hunger and thirst his labours and hardships of life his reproaches and persecutions his buffetings and spittings his whipings and prickings of thornes his agony and bloody sweat all kindes of opprobies and dolorous sufferings even unto the accursed death of the crosse And this is the first effect of Gods mercy Christ Incarnation Behold next the revelation of the mind of God by this Lord Jesus Christ so Incarnated Heb. 1.1.2 God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by by the prophets hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his sonne John 17. ver 3. If to know God the only true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ be life eternal which who dares question Then it must be another rare fruit of mercy to ignorant blind sotish brutish mankind to have such a glorious Sunne to shine that people that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death may have their feet guided into the wayes of peace and salvation And truly herein English men have a great share in this mercy that when so many places in the world are without the sound and saving discoveries of the Gospel have such as no nation under heaven doth or ever did goe beyond us scarce any surely very few ever enjoyed the like But that we may be somewhat taken with his effect of mercy let us looke into it somewhat further by the consideration of two things about it First The condition the world was in when Christ came The condition that the world was in when Christ came and then his comming and behaviour for the enlightening thereof For the first the whole world except a very few was ignorant of Christ and of its maker of divine providence and the government of the world of the end of good and evill to wit eternall life and eternal death heaven and hell How few then and yet indeed tooke notice of the soules immortality the evill of sinne both in regard of his wages and work sorrow deformity the worth and beauty of exact walking The devill the Prince of darknesse being the God of this dark world held all as he doth the greatest part to this very day under his government and discipline behold deadly darknes was upon the face of the whole earth incomparably worse then the darknesse that was in Aegypt mentioned Exod. 10.21 All their beauty was deformity their potency wealth and eloquence with which they flourished were of no worth because of no efficacy to the obtaining of eternall life or freedom from hell Now in this misery and blindnes in which the whole world in a manner lay The Lord Jesus moved with mercy and pity came into this dark and blind world dispelled these darknesses with his discovery of the mind of his father He detects errors opens the frauds tyrany of the Devil illuminates the world and shews them the author of all things his power providence mercy justice the reward of good men in graffed into Christ and the punishment everlasting prepared for ungodly men and unbelievers This light shone three yeers and halfe in the person of the son of God in the flesh in diverse townes and villages in the wildernesse in thâ— mountaines in the fields on the land and on the sea of Galilee publiquely and privately in houses and in Synagogues in the Temple and in the streets in all places upon all occasions The excellency of this light it contained nothing but what was profitable to salvation for the manner it was plane and familiar that all might be capable of it It was pure and perfect enlightning the understanding reforming the soule excluding sinfullnes and iniquity directing in piety righteousnesse and sobriety composing the whole life and conforming the whole man within and without to the divine will and eternall love of the most holy God This was done by Christ in the flesh his humanity was the instrument made use of in the administration of the Gospel of salvation And therefore nothing can be desired for matter or manner that is wanting this mystery of salvation coming out of so good a hand The very particulars insisted on by Christ in his sermons have in them sublimatie and beauty He commandeth selfe-deniall the renouncing of all the world for his sake a patient taking up of the crosse the love of our enemies The Lords prayer not to be used as a charme but to
for his blessings is the greatest blessing of all This is a duty which none can except against because it is especially a work of the heart All cannot shew their thankfullnes in giving or doing great matters but all may expresse the willingnesse of their hearts Ps 103. All within us may Praise his holy Name though we have little or nothing without us That yee may be enabled to this great work consider deepely Gods favoures how miserably had we been without his pardoning mercy Think upon the freeness of it Thinke upon the multitude of his mercies Think upon Gods singling of s out for the glory of his rich mercy and to conclude this point and use consider Gods mercies to us and care for us are such as if he had none else to be mercifuil unto or to care for in all the world besides And so much for the Fourth Use For the last Use of this point Let us labour to be like unto Vse 5 God Let us be mercifull as our Father which is in Heaven is mercifull To move you to be mercifull consider such as are Motives 1 mercifull shall find mercy If we care not to be mercifull to others that we may be like God let us at least be mercifull to others that God may be like us Sr. Richard Baker Such as shew themselves mercifull to others have a good ground of hope that God will be mercifull to them Mercifull men shall find a mercifull God Nay it is asigne they have found him already Motives 2 Secondly Such shall leave an inheritance of mercy to their children God hath said it Psalm 37.26 He is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed Motives 3 Thirdly They that desire to have this property of mercy to be of a mercifull disposition may be encouraged it is to be had The second Proposition it is a communicable attribute and so we are put upon the second proposition That this mercifull disposition is communicated to the sonnes of men Which may be evidenced many waies As first because we reade so many passages in Scripture of merciful men Psalme 41.1 2. Psalme 112. Ye know it is the very scope of the whole Psalm I will not spend time in naming places Secondly it is commanded also in many places and this shews that it may be attained God would not bid us to seeke after it and to practise it if it were impossible to be had or practised Thirdly we read of many promises made to merciful men and therefore such there are Such have a promise never to be moved Psalme 112.6 That their horne shall be exalted with honour ver 9. that their seede shall be blessed Psalme 37.26 That it shall preserve Kings and uphold thrones also is averred Prov. 20.28 What is so frequently spoken of what is commanded what is commended what is so beneficiall by Scripture Testimony surely it is to be had Vse 1 The First Use of this second point which is that mercy is a communicable attribute is to teach us 1. They that want mercy are every wicked that unmercifull men do want a very glorious commendable and profitable thing which may be had and which some have to their everlasting praise and which they that want are every way wicked For First 1. They be Coveteous they that be covetous men shall never enter into the kingdome of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.10 And the Lord abhors them Psalme 10.3 But covetousnesse is a grand cause of unmercifulnes as daily experience proves And then Secondly Unmercifull men are unbelievers 2. Unbelievers and such shall be damned Mark 16.16 Now that such as are unmercifuâ—l are in deed unbelievers may easily be made appear for whereas God hath said He that giveth to the poore shall not want Prov. 28.27 These want faith to believe that promise For did they believe it they would act accordingly And Faith without works is dead Jam. 2.17 God who is truth it self hath engaged himself to mercifull men in many promises but coveteous men will believe never a one and so they are unmercifull They shall be without that are unbelievers Rev. 21.8 But the fearfull and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Thirdly It is also certain 3. They have not the love of God in them that unmercifull men have not the love of God in them for 1 Joh. 3.17 Who so hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother want or to have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Such as are unmercifull men do neither love God nor are beloved of God Fourthly This sin hath much cruelty and unnaturalnesse in it For whereas the Lord is the maker of both rich and poore 4. This sin hath much cruelty and unnaturalnes Pro. 22.2 The poor are looked upon and dealt withall by the rich as if God had not made them Therefore Isa 58.7 Such are said to hide themselves from their own flesh And Malachy 2.10 Each man is said to be brother to another Why do we deale treacherously every man against his brother We have a command Prov. 25.21 That if our enemies hunger we must give him bread to eat and if he be thirsty we must give him water to drink But unmercifull men are far from hearkening to this command Ye see what wicked creatures such are by all these particulars that I have mentioned Secondly And as they are wicked so also they ly under a curse Prov. 28.27 As He that giveth to the poore shall not lack 2. They are cursed persons So he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse And surely though the poore that curse unmercifull men do not do well yet there is something of God in it This scripture must be fulfilled though it be the sin of the poore yet it is a just judgment of God upon mercilesse men And not onely the miserable but God himself curseth such So much is implyed Ps 41.1 For if he be blessed that considereth the poore then by the rule of contraries such as do not are cursed They are cursed upon this account because they are wicked Prov. 3.33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked And Math. 25.41 At the last day they shall be pronounced cursed and shall heare that woefull sentence depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells The curse of God like the Leprosy of Naaman doth cleave to them and to their seed for ever Thus ye see this truth manifested by two evidences the one taken from their great wickednes the other from their cursednes 3. They are unlike God Thirdly It appears that unmercifull men want a glorious commendable and profitable thing by this that they are altogether unlike to God O this dissimilitude to God makes men look uggly God is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3