be studied as a text Math. 13 3◠readines to forgive earnestnes frequency in prayer and hath left a rule or forme full of heavenly glory and exactnes not to be used as a charm but to be studied as a text Besides to conclude this particular how did he open his mouth in Parables and utter darke sayings which had beene kept secret from the foundation of the world But let us come to a third effect of mercy And that is the giving of this our Saviour to be as it were a Coppy for all good life the very living and walking law of the most high God A compendium of all those morrals that ever were in the mind of God to be done even from everlasting Learne of me saith Christ Would ye live exactly learne of Christ Be zealous as he was zealous The zeal of Gods house did even eat him up John 2.17 And his Disciples remembred that it was written the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up you know it was upon his driving the buyers sellers out of the Temple Be meeke and lowly as he was he bids you learne of him Math. 11.29 We must learne both of these Many pretend to be zealous as Christ was but they have not his meekenes And so some pretend to write after his meekenesse but want zeale But we must looke upon Christ and imitate him in doing the whole will of his Father Demonstration and practice is an excellent way of teaching Now Christ doth not only teach us what to do but he doth it before us There is scarse any particular duty that God requires but we have a president in Christ a sampler to work by As for children that have a precept to honour their parents you know in Christ they have a patterne Luke 2.51 And he went downe with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them And so for obedience to magistrates And so for suffring in the cause of truth and religion he was as a lambe dumbe before the shearer And so also for the Church he made no schisme or rent He was circumcised went unto the feasts joyned in publicke worship and did not rent himselfe from the Jewish Church though it laboured under many corruptions And therefore have a care how ye slight any thing that ye see Christ was ready to performe What can ye wish to have a warrant for that ye may not find in this Coppy Modesty Gravity Sobriety Affability circumspection in words and deeds benignity compassion mercy conformity to order devotion humility any thing every thing that is required in the holy law of God We have many vaine talkers whose mouth must be stopped because they are evill doers as well as vaine talkers This is a rare effect of Mercy in God who well knew that our eies are more upon examples then our eares attent to precepts and therefore hath provided a notable one for us Fourthly Another effect of mercy is freedom from sinne divers waies for First though we are not free from being sinners yet we are free and exempted from having the guilt of sinne charg'd upon us O how sweete is this unto such as ly under the sense of sinne And Secondly freed we are by the mercifull hand of God from sinning with a full and free consent of will In this sence is it said 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne It is true also that if any man say he hath no sinne 1 John 1.18 he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him This therefore is to be understood of liking sinne and lying in sinne Peccatum quod repugnat divinae bonitati est summum malum But behold this great mercy of God towards us that whereas sinne which is the greatest evill because it is contrary to Gods goodnes and holines and calleth for eternall sufferings and likewise containeth in it unspeakable deformitie and sinfulnes A just satisfaction is given in the divine person of the Son of God and in mercy also the seeds are sown of another frame of spirit in all that shall be saved Whence comes a fifth effect and gift of mercy to wit Freedome from eternall death and destruction and a rescuing us from the gulfe of that bottomlesse Barathrum a freeing us from fiery Tophet The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternal life of which particular I will speak Rom. 6.23 when I come to it But now behold mercy in delivering us from so great a death Do but believe that what the Scriptures say of hell fire is true and ye must needs say that to be freed from that place or state must needs be an unspeakable yea an inconceivable mercy O when a man can say though I must dy yet I shall not be damned Though the pit of the grave shut her mouth upon me yet the pit of hell is by mercy shut against me what an unspeakable mercy is this Truly Bretheren if to be freed from hellish misery Perpende quid sit esse in illo teterrimo carcere in illis horendis tenebris semotum ab omne luce ab omni creaturorum amoenitate ab omni solatio in summis omnium sensuum cruciatibus in acerrimis illis incendijs ibi torreri ibi ardere idque non unum diem non unum annum non centum annos non mille non centum annorum millia sed infinitos annorum milliones quamdiu stabit orbis quam diu vivet Deus absque ulla spe liberationis absque ulla daberum intermissionem Lessi de div perfect Pag. 118. which is so intollerable so everlasting be a mercy then we must needs see that the Lord our God is a mercifull God The misery we were liable unto is imense and incomprehensible and therefore that mercy must be infinite by which that misery is taken away And this is done to our hand by our mercifull high priest who by the infinite dignitie of his person hath matched that eternitie of our torments which we should have layen under by his once suffring death upon the Cross for us Sixthly Proceede we to the grace of adoption whereby we are become the very sons and daughters of this mercifull God Adoptio est distinctus beneficium à condonatione peccati This is destinct from the former For as when a Prince that hath pardoned a Malefactor and given him his life shall not content himselfe therewith but besides pardoning the injury freeing from the punishment bloting out the infamy shall also take such a one to be his sonne and give him right and power to raign this would tend much to the declaration of his noble mercy So is it with us in this effect of mercy We shall not only be freed from wrath but be taken into Gods family Now to the further consideration of this adoption of sonnes foure things would be looked upon First The state God hath taken us from Secondly The state to
the participation of them He that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3.18 He that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him vers 36. If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8.9 And he that committeth sin is of the Devill 1 Joh. 3.8 But to return and so draw to an end Let us take notice of wonderfull condiscension in God to make a Covenant with any and of the unspeakable happinesse of such as be enabled to come into this Covenant To doubt of mercy and professe our selves Christians is a very great sin God that cannot ly hath promised eternall life before these ages even from the beginning Know therefore that he is faithfull which hath called you who also will do it 1 Thess 5.24 Gods mercifulnesse is continued upon the account of his truth and faithfulnesse which Attribute is next to be spoken of out of this very Text. The end of the Attribute of Mercy Of the Truth of God Psalme 100. Verse the last For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting And his truth endureth to all generations WE are come now to the third property mentioned in this Text the sixth in order of the communicable attributes of God And this truth indureth to all generations In handling of which I purpose to keepe my selfe to those three propositions or rules which I have observed in the other five that have beene spoken off This word Truth hath diverse acceptations and no marvell for in the originall Hebrew there are more words then one rendered in our english tongue by this word Truth The usual word in the Bible which signifies truth is Kosht or Keshet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the word here used is Emunatho by reason of the pronoune affix His truth it is It comes from the same roote that that common word among us doth viz. Amen Which in the forme Niphal signifieth to be true firme or stable And here in my text it denotes the truth firmness and faithfulness of God as ye shall God-willing hereafter heare Truth Generally signifieth the conformity of any thing with its measure or rule according to which it ought to be formed or made as true Gold true Silver true Water Veritas est conformitas seu adaequatio rei ad missam Vig. gra p. 8. because it is conformable according to its kind and agreeable to the appointed proportion or allay and is not false The measure of each created thing is that which is somtimes called an Idea to wit the divine conception of God in himselfe of each thing according to which as a rule by vertue of this conception of his he gave being in time For in the wisdome of God from everlasting hath the form of every thing not only specifically from the highest Seraphim to the lowest Ant but in their particular individuum's If a creature should be otherwise Veritas est proprietas entis creati sicut bonitas Less then is so conceived in the mind of God it should not be true but false And as each thing is said to be true by its conformity to its exemplary cause so to be good by its agreement unto its finall cause And therefore we say truth is one although goodnes be manifold as there are many ends subordinate one to another yet neverthelesse there is but one utmost end and in that regard but one goodnes neither There is nothing which God hath made concerning which we may say Natura nihil fecit frustra it is good for nothing For what the heathens according to their skill say of nature that it made nothing in vain we may much more truly say of God It is agreed upon in the Church of Christ that God made all things and all persons in particular for certain ends whereby he may be glorified So Solomon saith Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himselfe yea even the wicked for the day of evill And look as a thing serves more to declare the excellencies of God so it is said to have in it more goodnesse Take all the jewells in the world they have not in them that goodnes in a true consideration that hath one blade of grasse which hath life though of the lowest sort yet it hath life Grasse and plants not so good as sensitives that have a better kind of life Lions and Eagles nothing comparable to the poorest man And to speake in the words of Chrysostome Take all the men in the world and they are not worth one Saint or gracious soule though never so meane in regard of outwards And what 's the reason of this surely because they are they by whom God attaines his end of making the world and from them alone hath his glory in the world And therefore I conclude the righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Duae proprietates entis verum bonum There is a greater goodnes better a greater conformity to the end of being Ye see the two positive properties of an entitie the trueth of it and the goodnes of it But it may be demanded whether onenes or unitie be not another propertie of an entitie or being To which I answer No. Because the onenesse of a thing addes nothing unto the being of that thing Unitas suprà rationem entis nihil dicit nisi divisionis negationem Less veritas uniuscujusque rei est proprietas sui esse Avicen vigue Grav Instituit f. 8. neither doth it affirme any thing save onenesse which is a negation of division For that which is one is a thing undivided divided from all other things And therefore hath no place among properties But I hasten from these notions lest I should offend the judicious I have spoken of the property of goodnes as it is attributed to God and now to speak of truth though this be not that acceptation of the word which I purpose most to insist upon Yet take this by the way Our God is a true God that is he is truly God But here it may be objected if truth be a conformity of a being unto its rule or as Augustine saith a true similitude of the beginning which is without any dissimilitude what rule is there for God to be conformed unto To which I answer Truth as it is in this first acceptation attributed to God is not in him a conformity of being to a rule or pattern for then God should not be eternall Veritas est vera similitudo principii quae sine ulla dissimilitudine est Aug. de vera religione and something should be before God according to which his entitie being conforme should make him a true God but in this that his nature is such as that it ought to be the exemplary cause and measure of all things This being of God then is veritas fundamentalis as the Schoolmen call it In this sence he is the
of the rop without to make the bell to speake within but to some it is a setting them in the highest steeples as bells themselves to be heard a far ringing the various changes of an unchangeable God Let me heape up exhortations and so end this point and subject 1. Come away taste and see that the Lord is good Ps 34.8 Ye honour God much and ye shall be blessed that come unto him 2. Run to this infinite goodnes in all destresses Ad omnes etiam ad impios Cum Dei bonitas praecipue sit erga membra ecclesiae ergo et nos domesticos fidei praecipue beneficijs prosequantur Harplus 201. fly to this present helpe in the needfull time of trouble 3. Be like unto God and take heed of the doer of the unprofitable servant Math. 25.30 Much more take heed of being found among pernicious ones that delight to do mischeife which shall â—e torne in pieces when there shall be none to deliver Ps 50.22 And 4. imitate God in the extent of his goodnes I meane so farre as creatures can attaine Do good to all even to those that have no goodnes in them even to your enemies And lastly as the goodnes of God is especially to his Israel Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel c. So let us especially prosecute with our goodnesses and helps the houshold of faith and above all we must be mindfull to do good to the soule and so much be spoken of the attribute of goodnes or benignitie The Mercy of God Psalme 100.5 His Mercy is Everlasting OUt of this verse I have already spoken of the forgoing words for the Lord is good And have discoursed of Gods usefull goodnes one propertie of God which is used as a reason why he is worthy of praise There are three in this verse Suavis est Deus quia suavis facilis miseretur quia miseretur promittit liberationem quia verax implet promissa Bellar in hunc Psalme so joyned that one floweth from the other The Lord is to be honoured and his name to be well spoken of for he is good and because he is good he is ready to shew mercy from time to time and hath promised to be mercifull and because he is true in his promises therefore he will performe his promises of mercy which he hath made Now having finished the property of goodnes I come to this of mercy And in handling of it shall insist upon the same three particulars first propounded Viz. First That mercy as hath beene said of the rest is an attribute of God Secondly That it is a communicable attribute of God Thirdly That God in it as in all his attributes is infinite and incomprehensible To begin with the first of these propositions Mercy ye see is attributed to God not only here but in many other places of Scripture Psal 86.5 For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Psalme 106.1 For his mercy endureth for ever Psalme 118.1 The same words Psalm 136. ye have it Sixe and twenty times And the same expression is in Jer. 33.11 in that prophetical promise of the joyfull estate of the Church And one place out of the new Testament Ephes 2.4 But God which is rich in mercy c. Mercy ye see is an attribute of God But what is mercy For Answer hereunto it will be requisite What mercy is in man that before I speake of it as it is in God I should first of all shew you what it is in men In man therefore know mercy is a vertue inciting the will to give succour to anothers misery and to indeavour to drive it away In men that which is commonly reputed mercy may be a vice so it may fall out For such acts as are counted mercifull do not alwaies proceed from the same principle in all that it doth in some which are called mercifull men For there are some which give almes as the Pharisies did to be seene of men out of vaine glory and ostentations which is no vertue but a vice Or if that which is naturally a worke of mercy be done upon any other dishonest ground whatsoever or to any other unlawfull end it then appertaines to that vice by whose affection it is commanded and takes the malignitie of that sinne whether lust or errour that sets this inclination on worke to succour the miserable But when the end is honest the worke is commanded by that vertue which hath regard to the honesty of it whether it be one vertue or another VVhether it be the love of God or love of the bretheren or encouragement of the godly or if it be only a pitifull disposition to the creature which is the ground thereof The end will much denominate the action and refer it to that errour or vice from whence such a supposed act of mercy had its first rise Some that are Romish recusants are seemingly very mercifull to the poore perhaps it may be to draw such to their religion As some Heretiques are kind and curteous to draw others to the embracing of their opinions So many likewise seem to be very forward to do good when it may be to serve their lusts of coveteousnesse pride and wantonnesse Such actions as these cannot be called mercifull or good but must be referred to that vice which is the ground of them If one should tempt a poore man to steale upon consideration of his poverty or perswade one that is sick to go to Charmers or white Witches for the recovering of health these actions could not be mercifull but rather must be referred to the head of cruelty to the poore soules of such persons so tempted so perswaded and advised But because it pleaseth the spirit of God in Scripture to use termes and words promiscuously sometimes in predications both of God and men Whether mercy be in men a distinct vertue from goodnesse and love and even about the attribute of goodnes lately handled and this of mercy now in hand one word doth signifie either thing mercy sometimes being used for goodnes and goodnes put to signifie mercy it will be worth our inquiry a little to see what the difference is between these two vertues and also that of love which is often taken to be the same with goodnes and mercy As to make this appeare to be so I remember a passage in Dr. Sibs his soule conflict Page 446. touching love goodnes and mercy in God which I will relate It is good to see blessings as they issue from grace and mercy it much commends any blessing to see the love and favour of God in it In those words ye see he puts a difference betweene blessings which I take to be the same with good things bestowed and mercy and grace and the love and favour of God and yet all these foure last words are used for one and the same thing which in so
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
is over all the eggs to warm and cherish and nourish them so Gods mercy is over all his works Dr. Preston of the Simplicity of God p. 54. to cherish and nourish and perfect them that is it is shewed forth upon them all Thirdly When creatures be in destresse and cry in their kind God heares them and relieves them Psalme 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry Next for speciall mercies towards men As he hath raised them with other creatures out of nothing so he hath lifted up in the creation humanitie to a supernaturall life And although these two acts of God may more properly be referred to the goodnes of God yet surely his provision made of other creatures for their service and his relieving their miseries with supplies makes it appeare that out of his mercy he is the Saviour of all men though especially of them that beleeve 1 Tim. 4.10 But now for this singular mercies to his Church besides those in which they are in commons with all other men and creatures whereof with a little helpe the reparation of that whole kind may go for one of the common ones God hath shewed his mercy in giving a Saviour to mankinde faith Mr. Perkines Marke I pray to mankind And John 3.16 God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Sonne c I say besides this he shews his mercy to his Church and people in delivering them from the curse and giving them the means of salvation and vouchsafing them secure of remission of sinnes here and life everlasting hereafter But that these mercies of the Lord may not passe so I shall here fasten a while to speak of the reparation of lost man fallen in Adam unto sinne and naturall miseries and liable by this fall to eternall death The raising of them up and the underpropping of them with greater helps then before sure here abundant goodnes and mercy doth shine out very gloriously Here we may by the way speake of those severall kindes of mercy which some have observed to be in God and so we shall next come unto the branches of that mercy which is the great mercy of all towards such of the faln race of Adam as by Christ are raised up to enjoy everlasting life The mercies of God extended in this life may be reduced to five heads There is a five-fold mercy of God The First whereof is rewarding mercy This is when such as do well though they do ill also as who liveth and sinneth not are rewarded Mercy rejoyceth against judgement James 2.13 And God passeth by what is done amisse and rewardeth what is well done He doth good to his servants that feare him and forgetteth not their works of faith and labour of love and actions of obedience but of his mercy rewardeth them Secondly He hath also pardoning mercy As he crowneth with loving kindnesse and tender mercies Psalm 103.4 So he forgiveth iniquities ver the third of the same Psalme This is that mercy which David prayeth for Psal 25.7 Remember not the sinns of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodnes sake O Lord. Thirdly God also hath prevaling mercy when he keepeth us from those evills either of sinne or punishment that he seeth we are running into So sometimes when the Lord sees his servants hastening to the committing of sinne which will certainly bring sorrow upon us he hindereth and preventeth the doing of these things And so when wicked men plot to bring misery on the people of God as Haman did concerning the Jews in Ester God hinders it So when more then forty had bound themselves under a curse neither to eate nor drink till they had killed Paul Acts 23. God prevents it by his providence the story is obvious This is Gods preventing mercy to keep us from sinne and so from the punishment due for sinne and from the Conspiracies of evill men Fourthly God sometimes sheweth mercy in delivering his people out of sinne and from afflictions and sorrows lying on them for sinne Though he sometimes let them fall into the evill of sinne or punishment yet he is pleased to helpe up and take them out againe This is another mercifull dispensation of God There cannot be greater objects of pity then men and women that go on in sinne God comes and sees such and raiseth some up out of that gulfe in which thousands do yet lye that never met with this mercifull hand of God to help them out In this sence he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 And therefore it is a great mercy of God to give men grace to repent of their sinnes and not to let them ly still in them And doubtles such as the Lord loves he will one way or another fetch them off from their sinfull courses He will do as kind and wise fathers do with their disobedient children he will double and treble his fatherly strokes on us untill he amends us and make us stoop under him and bring us off from our miscarriages God permitted David to fall into a woefull gulfe of sinne but here was his great mercy seene in helping him out again And so for Peter how did he thrice fall most fearfully into that great sinne of denying his master c. But in mercy he was holpen out again he had grace to go forth and weepe bitterly and recovered himselfe a gain in the Church of God in regard of this esteeme and reputation And so also it is true for grievous troubles Psalm 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Fifthly There is exercised by God sparing mercy This the Church prayes for often in Scripture This God promiseth to his people Foure degrees of sparing mercy in God And shews it many and diverse waies Sometimes by not punishing at all somtimes by deferring punishment Sometimes by moderating his corrections and sometimes in the very act of afflicting his people for sinne he shewes a sparing spirit Mal. 3·17 a mercifull disposition manifesting how unwilling he is to do what he doth but that needs he must Ofâ—en God passeth by the sinnes of his people and doth not reckon with them at all for them As a father spareth his Sonne that serveth him even when the day commeth that shall burn as an oven and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble c. Mal. 4.1 which is to be understood of some generall judgements that are upon the earth then God packs up his jewells and spareth them in that day Here is an allusion to men that have their houses burning who do not regard their lumber their timber stuffe but looke to their chiefe writings coyn and jewels to preserve them So God in common calamities hath a mercifull eye towards and hand over his beloved ones yea sometimes for the sake of them he saveth such
can take pleasure in such as ye be But Gods people are made comely by the holy Ghost Ninthly From the mercy of God in Christ the people of God come to have the sweetenes of ordinances while others mumble on a brown dry crust or on a chew'd gobbet that hath no sweetnes at all left in it Formall and Carnall Christians have an egge-shell but no yolke an nutshell but no kernell they heare good wordes of God but never tasted that the Lord was gratious and mercifull The Saints upon whom the mercy of God is descended find sweetenes in all religious exercises and holy ordinances They have the sweetenes of prayer preaching reading conference and when they come to break bread with the Church Mendicato hic pane vivamus annum hoc pulchrem sacritur in eo quod pascimer pane cū angelis c. Luth. in Ps Burroughs Moses choice Psal 36.7 8. they are made to be in the sweete sence of their neer relation to Jesus Christ they are in the spirit on the Lords day Ordinances are like that sealed booke we read of in the Revelation c. 5.1 Iohn wept because no man was found to open it and read it But for them that are in Christ mercy hath better provided The seales are taken away the booke is opened the nutts are brokened the kernels are to be eaten which are very sweete O t is a blessing and full of sweetenes to be joyned in union and communion with the people of God Though we beg our bread sayes Luther is it not made up with this that we are fed with the bread of angels with eternal life Christ and the Sacraments c. It is certaine the servants of God find such comfort in these prescribed practises that they would not for any good be bereft of them Neither can they possibly free themselves from the guilt of prophanesse that do not highly prize and heartily rejoyce in these things Such as do believe themselves to be members of Christs body must needes desire those ordinances that he hath appointed for the building of it up and do find thriving in grace and comfort in spirit farre beyond any creature comforts Here they meete with rivers of pleasures And thou saith David shall make them drinke of the river of thy pleasure to wit in ordinances Tenthly all particular vouchsafements come to the servants of God as a fruit and effect of mercy Somtimes they have more of this worlds goods then ever they expected and grace with all to use what they have to the glory of God and this makes their enjoyments mercys Many are crying and wishing every where for wealth and riches and outward accomodations but they are not so earnest to have grace to use them to Gods glory which plainly shews they have not what they have in mercy Vouchsafments injoyments longer then they are improved to Gods glory are not blessings mercies Now these common mercies cannot be denied so far as we have a state calling for them grace to use them to the glory of the giver We for our parts have no cause to complain we eat drinke mercies and weare them upon our backe We have mercies above and mercies beneath us mercies round about If we want one kind we have it made up in another Thou shalt have rubish to serve thy turne which God throwes away for he hath given thee gold There is no fear of having too few crusts but of having good teeth to gnaw nourishment out of them In the Eleventh place this is a choise effect of Gods mercy to have communion with God The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur Are uprising and down-lying with a gratious soule This is a mercy indeed It is said of Charles the greate that he spake more with God then with men Ah Sirs why should it not be true of us Brethren it concernes us much to look after this fruit of mercy By this mercy we stand in times of temptation and triall A soule high in communion with God may be tempted but will not easily be conquered such a soule will fight it out to the death O this is a choise mercy It is Iacobs ladder where you have Christ sweetly comming downe into the soule and the soule sweetely ascending up to Christ It was a mercy vouchsafed to holy and patient Iob upon the dungil that he knew that his redeemer lived and behold how he conquers the Devill both in blacke and white Communion is a reciprocall exchange betweene Christ and a gratious soule And of this mercy there is a continuall ground in a gratious soule for either I shall be praying for what I want or praising him for what I have by both which I have oppertunity to keepe my acquaintance and hold communion with the Lord my God Communion with God brings all Gods attributes to us for our use upon occasions Great is this mercy vouchsafed to the Saints and servants of God Lastly From this mercifull disposition to lost believing mankind life everlasting comes He hath granted to them a life as long as his owne Now heere I am at a losse Thousands of millions of yeeres as holy writ teacheth us and the spirit maketh us to believe is not time enough in Gods esteem to vouchsafe fullnesse of joy these pleasures must be for evermore O this perpetuity O this eternitie O this life everlasting I conclude then that God is merciful that mercy is an attribute of God Men in desperate conditions may meete with mercy for with the Lord there is mercy What more desperate condition then to be fallen in Adam's I could tell you many things of other miseries and dangers creatures have been in and neere unto and have met with a mercifull God Moses like to be drowned The male Jewish children to be ruined and so by consequence in time the whole nation Cruel bondage upon them all The heads of Gods people on the block by Hamans plot mentioned in Hester The three Saints commonly called the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions Den. The Thief upon the Crosse even as it were droping into hell Yet Gods mercy was seen in saving all these In extremities is the Lord seen Though the blow were as it were in the giving to the whole Church by Haman yet when the people of God made worke upon earth by prayer and humiliation that made worke in heaven and the issue of it quickly came downe And when Christ will be exalted for his mercy he will convert one upon the Gallowes and save a thiefe at the last cast And therefore we may conclude upon this attribute of mercy that it is in God That God is a God of mercy a God full of mercy a God that delights in mercy a God that is ready to shew mercy a God that is never weary
passage we have to this purpose from another shining light As the eis is not weary of seeing nor the ear of hearing no more is God of shewing mercy mercy is naturall to him Let it be considered Dr. Preston for our unspeakeable comfort The mercies of God are the mercies of a God Mercy exalteth it self against justice He will blot out your iniquities and remember your sinns no more But let no swine trample upon this Jewell T is true when his people sinne he will visit them with stripes but yet he will forbeare when they are washed in the teares of repentance The God of Israel is a mercifull God come then with ropes about your neckes and ly downe at his feete and he will pardon As the Jaylor washed the stripes of Paul and Barnabas when he was converted so when men repent and are humbled God will wash their's Externall mercies are vouchsafed to all He sendeth rainny Showers and Sun blasts on the good and bad on the just and unjust and feedeth Ravens nay even those very mouths that do curse and blaspheme him yet have many a good thing put into them and wicked ones have many mercies from his hands And if God have such mercies for his slaves what mercies then thinke ye hath he reserved for his Sonnes and Daughters Then let all take comfort in this Doctrine of Gods mercy notwithstanding their sinfull miscarriages let not such as have sinned dispare of mercy 4. Sith mercies is in God as hath been said let us render to Vse 4 this mercifull God the honor due unto his name Quatuor potissimum à nobis gratitudo quae ei rependamus deposcit membriam amorem servitutem seu obsequium perpetuam cum gratiarum actione laudem Less and by many of acknowledgement and thankfullnes These foure things are due unto God First to be mindfull of his mercies It is the least we can do to a benefactour to retaine in memory a benefit whereby we may shew that we did esteem it and that it was accepted of us He surely is most ungratfull that will not so much as remember a curtesy Therefore seeing we have had so many mercies from God let them not be all forgotten The truth is we should forget none of them Forgetfulnes of mercies is a sinne that goes neare to the heart of God We find God often putting men in minde of his mercies Ye have a large discourse of Joshua c. 24. v. 3. c. even unto the 14. v. And Exo. 20.2 God puts them in mind of his bringing them out of the land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage puts it in the head of the decalogue ye see to hint thus much to us that unles we be mind full of Gods mercies there is little hope that we should be obedient to his laws and so Ezek. 16.6 c. He puts the Jews there in minde of what he had done for them And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own-blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field c. Surely we of this nation have cause to look back to those bloody daies of Queen Mary and to remember what God then did hath often since done for us He put out the fires in Smithfield and elswhere c. And remember what he did for us in Eighty-eight and concerning the Gunpower plot in 1605. And in these last past years even to admiration and astonishment O that we could remember his mercies that have beene ever of old Must we not confesse that the Lord hath beene to us a mercifull God Yea surely And if we look upon our selves that desire to serve God according to the prescribed rules of his word Have we not had many mercies worthy to be remembred How hath God kept up a despised handfull notwithstanding the wrath pride profanesse and cruel spight of some that live among us How hath he kept the burning bush his Church in this place from being consumed Besides personall mercies which each one his owne soule is most privy unto Some have been sick and God hath restored health Some have beene forced from their habitations and God hath brought them backe again Some have beene unjustly molested under pretence of being disorderly persons peace-breakers Riotors how truely God will one day make appeare and God hath yet freed you from the cruel spight and crushing might of wicked men Behold ye stand before the Lord unde many a mercy let them never be forgotten for by remembering what God hath done ye will be the fatter and readier to love the Lord and obey him and praise him with acknowledgement that his mercy endureth forever But these three latter particulars are next to be considered under this fourth Use Next to remembrance therefore of Gods mercys we must inquire for our love towards God For sith we have nothing to give in satisfaction of the least of Gods mercies being as old Jaacob said lesse then the least of them all We should yet love God and let our affections runne out towards him who is worthy to be loved by a daily commemoration of mercies this fire of love may be kindled As the beames of the sunne gathered in a burning glasse into one do stirre up and cause great heate sometime fire So the mercies of God gathered in our mind seriously considered will kindle the fire of love in our soules towards God and to that end let these three things still run in our minde Our unworthines Gods eminency and the greatnes multitude of his mercies if yet this will not do rub up particular mercies which like a blast of smal wood may set thy soul on fire that then the other three considerations like great billots or sheeds may keep it in Ps 116.1.2 So David I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice my supplications because he hath enclined his ear unto me Fenner in his Treatise of Justification p. 87 therefore will I call upon him as long as I live c. If we would saith one busy our thoughts and rememberances about God this might winne our affections to God 3. We should yield obedience and service to God Luke 1.74 75 being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we should serve him without fear in holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of our life We should do the will of this mercifull God and study to please him in all things And in the last place the praises of God must continually be in our mouths Mercies cals for praises Psalme 104. ver 1. c. Blesse the Lord O my soule Dr. Sibs Souls Conflict 45. and all that is within me blesse his holy Name And the causes follow verses 3 4 5 Who forgetteth all thy iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction c. A thankefull heart to God
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
any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord And they shall find it to their sorrow as the last when God shall come to render vengeance to them for their wickednes O how wofull will their case and condition be Deut. 32.39.40 41.42 When God doth lift up his hand to heaven and say I live for ever then vengeance is not far from falling on the backs of them that go on their wickednes If he be a living God those that live in a sinfull way shall dy The soule that sinneth shall dy Ezekiel 18.20 It is a fearefull thing to fall into his hands that is a living God Heb. 10.13 Therefore methinks sure ye should take heed of God If ye have never so many adversaries in this world they may all die and then ye need feare none of them But this God that is the adversary of sinnes is a living God Wo to them that doth act as if God did not see them Secondly Seeing the life of God is infinite c. it teacheth Vse 2 us that God can give life and that in abundance both temporal and eternal And therefore though God take away the lives of his people and they dy with men yet they shall live for ever with God And this Job comforteth himself with Job 12.58 Psal 16.5.10 12. and David And in Psalme 36 9. He maketh Gods being the fountaine of life the ground of his joy and comfort For with thee is the fountaine of life in thy light shall we set light Christ's being the reserection and the life is used John 11.29 to comfort Martha And John 14 19. to Comfort all the Disciples Because I live ye shall live also So long as Christ liveth his members live So long as God liveth so long shall the Godly live The people of God that now ly in the grave are alive in God and Christ All are alive in God that are dead and shall be brought forth of their graves like toades out of their holls But the Saints shall be brought forth by Christ as their head to live with him in glory Thirdly Let Christians stand and admire the excellencie of Vse 3 Gods Majesty in this Attribute his infinite and incomprehensible life That hereby we may 1. be humbled and made low in our own eys 2. Lively in Gods service And 3. to rely upon him for life and all necessaries thereunto belonging If we can be cared for so long as Gods life shall last we need not care for any thing afterward I speak it with holy disdain to all them that know not the life of God T is true the life of a Christian is a life of trouble at best a mixture of evill with good But Gods life is infinite and eternal Hence it is that the loving kindness of the Lord is said to be better then life because when life departs we live for ever in the living God When we leave the world and are no more seen here we have a dwelâ—ing place in God for ever David is alive in God still though his flesh see corruption Let us rely upon the living God Put not your trust in Princes for their breath goeth forth their thoughts perish Nothing can do you either good or harm but the living God that killeth and maketh alive All things shall be as it pleaseth God let men say and vow and plot and confederate till their hearts ake O that we could learn this Doctrine savingly That Gods life is infinite and incomprehensible The end of the attribute of Life The Perfection or natural goodnesse of GOD. Exod. 33.19 And he said I will make all my goodness passe before thee And I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee c. WE have formerly propounded unto you three things to be observed upon each particular Attribute the 1. whereof was to shew you that such and such a thing is an Attribute of God Now from this place of scripture which I have now read unto you ye may learn that goodness is an Attribute of God among many others Triplex in Deo bonitas spectari potest naturalis moralis bonitas benificentiae quae benignitas dicitur The word passeth under many acceptations and is variously taken in Holy Writ Somtimes for an increated somtime for a created goodness Somtimes for naturall goodness or the due proportion of a thing unto the rule thereof as a good tree and good fruit and good money and good wine and the like Sometimes in a moral sence goodness is taken and so created goodness is only of and among creatures to be found in men and Angels for in other creatures there is only a natural goodness to be found or at most an usefull as by the skill of man may happily be effected That properly is called moral goodness which is the essential integrity of the image of God that is the conformity of the understanding and will and of all qualities and virtues thoughts endeavours and actions whether internal or external with the rule of goodnesse to wit the holy law of God This created goodness although it be not any longer in its first integrity yet in such as are regenerated it is in some measure restored by the holy Ghost and the work of regeneration Less de div perf pag. 52. There is a generall or natural goodnes in creatures and a more special or moral goodnes Perk. Case of Conseience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And many good men and good works do we read of in scripture But this is not that goodnes that I am now to speak of either as in men or as an attribute of God Although this acceptation also of the word good be to be spoken of when I shall have finished this viz. The Morall Goodnesse of God or his holiness or chastity as some stile it But besides these two acceptations of the word good or goodnesse viz. naturall and morall there is a third which is usefull goodnesse as the Greek word used for it doth signifie And this will be found to be another attribute of God and shall be spoken of in due time There is yet a fourth viz. when the Word is taken for Mercy or sweet compassion which also in regard of God is to be referred to the attribute of Mercy For the present my work is to speak of the application of this word good or goodness to God according to the first acceptation viz. as it is taken for natural goodnesse which some call the perfection of God to distinguish it from moral goodness which is sometimes also called perfection though usefull goodnesse or benignity never hath that name put upon it nor mercy neither Yet all foure have passed under this general word Goodnesse as were easie to shew if it were to any great purpose The words which I have chosen to make my Text do seem to me to speak of this
natural goodnes or perfection of God And I am much confirmed in mine apprehension by the concurrent judgment of Tremelius so far as I can understand him For in his short Notes upon this place upon these words tota bonitas all my goodnes he hath these words in the margin id est gloria ut vers 18.22 that is my glory referring to those verses where mention is made of the glory of God that is the Essence or perfect being of God which Moses unadvisedly did desire to see v. 18. which is by God himself called his Face v. 20. And he said thou canst not see my face and live And v. 22. it is by God himself called his glory And it shall come to passe that while my glory passeth by I will put thee in a clift of the rock c. And the same Tremelius upon the words in 23. v. Thou shall see my back parts hath this short Scholia aliquam gloriae meae imperfectam imaginem some imperfect representation of my glory And upon these words but my face shall not be seen his note is ipsissima mejestas mea retecta my very hidden Majesty So that me thinks goodnesse in this text cannot be understood either of the Moral goodnesse of God which is his holinesse or of the usefull goodnesse of God which is his benignity or of that sweet inclination in God to succour such as be in misery called somtime the mercy of God and somtime also the goodnesse of God as well as holinesse and benignity Therefore it remaineth that they be understood of Gods natural goodness or perfection The words are an answer unto a demand of Moses proposed as may be seen v. 18. And he said I beseech thee shew me thy glory A request somewhat like unto that motion which Peter made Mat. 17.4 Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord is it good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles one for thee Ipsissimam majestatem tuam ab imaginibus nudam admajorem rei confirmationem Trem. in vers 18. and one for Moses and one for Elias of which motion the Holy Ghost bears witness that he knew not what he said Luke 9.33 And so indeed may it be said of this request of Moses here he knew not what he desired He would fain have seen the very Majesty of God without representations or shapes which had God granted to him he had been consumed in a moment and so God tels him v. 20. And he said thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and live The thing which Moses would have was to see God as he is in himself which would have been a terrible and destructive sight unto him But because Moses made that request to a good end to wit the confirmation of his Faith and from an honest and good heart God passeth by his unadvisednesse And so he tels him what he should not see and condiscends to shew him a gratious reason ver 20. And then what he would do to gratifie him and to satisfie his desire as much as was fit partly in the words which are my text viz. ver 19. and partly in the three last verses of the cap. The summe of Gods answer in the affirmative part thereof is I will put thee in a cleft of the rocke where thou shalt stand in a place by me and while my glory or my goodnes which is all one here Passeth by or before thee I will cover thee with my hand So that you may easily perceive what is meant by this tota bonitas Dei by this all or compleat goodnes of God which Moses could not see fully but in part the back parts onely of Jehovah It is the naturall goodnes or perfecton of God I will leave the words under this more Paraphrase as if God should say Moses I wil do what I can for thee seeing thou meanest well I know thou hast a good heart and that it is to a good end that thou desirest to see my glooy Thou wouldest be confirmed more in thy faith that thou mightest be the fitter to lead a long my people Thou desirest to see mine essence without shape or forme and representation But that cannot be granted No man shall see me and live that is while he liveth here That 's reserved for glorified saints to feede their eyes with unutterable delights in beholding my glory Thou wilt be better like me when thou shalt see my face 1. Joh. 3.2 Thou shalt one day be like me for thou shalt see me as I am Thou shalt then be holy as I am holy and happy as I am happy according to the capacity of a finite though glorified being Thou shalt see the divine nature But now content thy selfe to see my back-parts for my face cannot be seen to see me as Abraham saw my day viz. in the promise To see me in mine ordinance of proclaiming the name of Jehovah before thee In all my glorious title and attributes behold me The natural goodness of God argued from his being the efficient of all created perfections as thou shalt shortly heere them made mention of Thou also shall see me in my providences Yea in some formes viz. of cloudes and fire and noise of trumpets and a sound of words thou shalt see me But my face cannot be seen All my goodnes and natural perfections thou a creature art uncapable to see yea to understand to see with the eye of thy mind Goodnes then as it signifies perfection is ye see an attribute of God Magis minus dicuntur de diversis ut accedunt proprius vel longius ad aliquid quod maxime est tale Greg. de Valen. 1 Tom. 86. Quod est maximum in uno quoque genere est causa aliorum in illo genere ut ignis est causa omnium Calidorum Arist 2. Metaph. tex 4. Goodness is twofold uncreated and created uncreated is God himself who never had beginning and who is goodness it self he speaketh of his naturall goodness because his nature is absolutely and perfectly good and because he is the Author and worker thereof in all things created Perk. 2. vol. 2.2 B. Bonitas naturalis in Deo est excellentia naturae divinae per quam habet omnem perfectionem in toto genere entis unde etiam complectitur sanctitatem benignitatem aliaque divina attributa quatenus ad naturae divinae perfectionem spectant Lessius de bonitate Dei naturali c. 1. in libro 7. de perfect div Deus non habet perfectionem suum ab alio sed a se tantum ipse enim prima perfectio Idem Per viam sive modum affirmationis à posteriori ex consequenti possumus etiam pervenire in cognitionem perfectionum Dei juxta illud Invisibilia Dei à creatura mundi boc est ab homine per en quae facta sunt intellectu conspiciuntur Vigue Granat de
danger of the losse of heaven and yet if these things together could make happy it would be folly to have many things when one most united most pure plentifull and perfect essence will do it this is far the further way about at best And lastly for comfort to such as have made perfection their Vse 4 portion such have in him to supply all good and remove all ill untill the time come that we shall stand in need of no other good Wise are they that know him Holy are they that love him And happy are they that enjoy him Habemus omnia habentes habentem omnia There is in him to be had whatsoever can make us happy If God and all the world were divided into two shares he alone is incomparably the best blessed are they that have him for their Shepheard they cannot want so David saith of himself Psal 23.1 Because such have made the Lord most high their habitation no evill shall befall them nor any plague come nigh their dwelling Psal 91.9 10. God is the fullest fountain and sweetness of all things By him they are what they are and continue so to be He commandeth influence to stay or go And happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help c. Psal 146.5 Be of good chear God is your portion the more ye spend on him the more ye may To conclude take heed that none of you be pointed at one day that hear me this day with a Lo this is the man that made not God his portion Ps 52.7 So much of the first Goodnesse attributed to God his natural goodnesse or perfection His holiness benignity and mercy follows next to be spoken off The end of this Attribute The Holinesse of GOD. Psalm 99. v. 9. For the Lord our God is Holy I Shall speak of these words as they contain a proposition asserting the Attribute of Holinesse which is the third in order of the communicable attributes of God and now to be spoken of For the formality of the words take onely this Jehovah is to be exalted and worshipped at his holy hill why because he is holy For the Lord our God is holy But why might it not have been said exhalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord our God is a good God or a jealous God or a mercifull God I answer It is true there is enough in every attribute to draw souls unto God and to move us to exalt him and to allure us to worship him but yet when I shall have shewed you what holines in God is ye will easily be made to see that the consideration of holinesse will be a principal ground and cause to exalt him and to worship at his holy hill A thing is said to be holy first when it is separated from common use to the service of God So the Utensils of the Tabernacle to the very Dishes Tongs and Snuffers were holy that is were separated unto God And in this regard the Lord our God is holy for from all eternity he was separated from all other objects to himself to love himself to take delight in himself God is dedicated to himself from everlasting and his honour he will never give to any other and therefore exalt him worship him set him high trust in him honour him for he is holy he is all for himself he is eternally dedicated to himself and will make such know that do not exalt him what it is to displease so jealous so holy a God It is true self-love in men is very often inordinate extreamly and so very vicious but in God it is a glorious beam it is his holinesse And the reason is because there is none other meet to be an object of Gods love but himself So this is the first acceptation of the word holy and you be according to this taking of the word God is holy that is dedicated to himselfe and therefore that he is to be exalted and worshipped because he is so holy as hath been said He is all for his own glory all for himself he never in the least action aimed at any thing nor will nor indeed can but himselfe There are many things which asserted of men as I hinted before do render them very blameable yea unholy As to looke after their own Phillip 2.4 To be lovers of there own selves 2 Tim. 3.2 and the like Which ascerted of God do gloriously set out his holinesse And so also in men holinesse is a separation from the world unto God holy persons are persons dedicated to God Thus have you the first acceptation of the word Secondly Holines somtimes signifies puritie Yea know in our usuall manner of speaking we do make holines and purity Synonimaes as in Luke 1.35 therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the sonne of God To be holy is to be imaculate that is sine macula without spot or blot to be agreeable and conform to the holy law of God Holines saith a late writer doth consist in a compleate uniformitie and conformitie to the will of God wholy Some are first table Christians others second table Christians Some hote in acts of religion that are could in justice some are very honest and just to men that have no delight in communion with God but James 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all He that breaks one linke of a chaine breakes the chaine One holy nature gave every commandement how can there be a state of holines without equal respect to all Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements saith David Psalme 119 6. And againe I have refrained my feet from every evill way ver 101. To lose our will in the will of God is holines So this in Christ John 4 34. Jesus said unto them to wit to his Disciples that had prayed him to eate some meat My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work And Math. 26.39 and 42. verses Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And thy will be done this was holines in Christ In this sense holines and rightousnes in Scripture do often signifie one and the same thing I say often not alwaies for where the two words do come together as Luke 1.75 In holines and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our life we may understand most fitly by holines the duties of the first table and by righteousnes the yellding of obedience to the duties of the second table But I say holines is sometimes put for righteousnes and righteousnes in like manner for holines As Psalme 16.3 David declares that his delight is in the Saints or holy ones that are in the earth which he affirms to be the excellent or such as excel in verture And therefore some do define holines to be moral goodnes which is
be a sun and a shield to his holy ones Summe up all these motives that have been made use of first and last Holines is that which God commands For the attaining of it he hath given direction He hath promised that they that ask and seek for it forget it ye have seen the great danger they are in that want it Ye have also heard what a coppy we have in Christ before our eyes holiness acted before our eys as well as directions given We have the Canon of the Scriptures enlarged which God makes effectuall for the working of holinesse Many outward gracious vouchsafe-ments do we live under which should prevaile with us And lastly ye have heard what a shield and buckler holines is and what spirited bold and couragious men Saints and holy men do use to be Remember also that wicked men have terrours and fears their name is Mayor Missabib fear on every side That they shall never see the face of God in mercy but shall be without Depart part they must from God with his curse upon their backs into hell torments with the Devill and his Angels and that for ever more When Saints Gods holy ones shall sit at Gods right hand where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures forevermore The Lord give us holy frame of spirit and grace to serve him in holinesse and righteousnes all the dayes of our life Amen amen It remaineth that we speak of the third particular in this attribute of holinesse viz. That holinesse in God is infinitely and incomprehensible Or thus That God in respect of his attribute of holines is infinite and incomprehensible For first he is essentially holy He is not accidentally holy We reade Isaiah 6.3 Of the cry of the Seraphins one to another Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hoasts the whole earth is full of his glory The glory of Gods holines fills the whole world holines in men is a quality an accident but it is not so in God his holines is his essence he is holy of himselfe Sanctitas creaturae ad illius puritatem comparatae est instar nihili veluti impuritas quaedam Lessius de perfection Divini p. 56. Tu solus sanctus Tu solus dominus in Hymno antiquo Sicut una arenuta non addit aliquid notabile immensitati terrae Ad huc continetur in Deo eminenter idem numero Secondly God is universally holy in all that he doth he is holy Psalme 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes No man can be said so to be holy In many things we sin all and besides we may act like creatures without consideration of this communicable attribute holines Thirdly God is said to be only holy 1 Sam. 2.2 There is none holy as the Lord for there is none besides thee So that as it is said Math. 19.17 There is none good but one that is God So may it also be as truly said there is none holy but one that is God So we have a passage in that song of Moses and of the Lambe which was sung by the Seven Angels Revelation 15. In the 4. verse For thou only art holy In God alone is the universaltie of holines That holines which is in any creature addeth nothing worth the nothing to God yea it is in God eminently and the same in number God I say is infinitely incomprehensibly holy Therefore for the first use Seeing this God is propounded to us for a patterne that we should be holy as he is holy we learn that a Christian in the imitation of God in the matter of holines cannot exceede measure It is impossible for a man to be too holy Contrary to the vaine opinion of many that think a man can be to holy and are ready to blame others for their forwardnes this way A fearefull sinne A degree of blasphemy Do not they blasphemy that worthy name by the which ye are called James 2.7 The Apostle Peter in his first Epistle 1 cap and 14. and 16. verses hath this exhortation But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Because it is written be ye holy for I am holy Which shews how far he was from thinking any could be too holy But Solomon saith Ecclesiastes 7.16 Be not righteous over much And if righteousnes and holines signifie the same thing Object as we have beene taught it often doth then how can this be tru that one cannot be too holy To which I answer Sanctitas est bonitas moralis quae etiam in scriptures justitia vocari solet Idem enim in scripturis est esse justum esse sanctum habere justitiam habere sanctitatem Lessius pag. 54. De Div. Perfect it is most true that if men will walk by wrong rules and not by those that God hath left to his Church They may be superstitiously holy Pope-holy as we say But make the Scripture your rule ye may then be as holy as you possibly can and need not feare of exceeding Yee need not feare of being righteous over much Holines is a Sea that hath neither banks nor bottoms Yee need not doubt of wanting sea-room or depth of water Yee need not doubt of being streightned But still remember that yee practice holines according to rule That ye be holy as he which hath called you is holy As Abraham taught his family so do yee God himself bears witnes to Abraham Gen. 18.19 For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment c. If Hester and her maides fast in the Churches trouble so do ye We reade that she resolved so Hester 4.16 I also and my maids will fast likewise Heare is a good rule for such as shee was But how long will it be untill the Scripture rules be out of date Quest I Answer never untill we come in the unitie of the faith and of the knowledge of the sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the nature of the fullnes of Christ Ephes 4. ver 13. Ans Untill then keep God before your eies and make the Scripture your rule and feare not of being too holy But such as are in judgment and act beyond the rule and beyond the testimony the truth of God is not in them let their pretences be never so specious And Secondly this Doctrine of the infinitnes and incomprehensiblenes of the holines of God Vse 2 may teach us for our comfort and for the bearing up of our spirits in times of opposition That God will beare up holines against all the world Though all the men in the world and devills in hell should go to cast it downe Yet stand it must for God will uphold it And such as oppose it shall give account to him that is ready to judge both quicke and
dead 1 Pet. 4.5 God will never be wanting to his church The gates of hell much less poore worms breathing skind earth shall not be able to prevaile against it Thirdly Seeing God is infinitely and incomprehensibly holy Vse 3 Then they that will imitate God must never stand at a stay in holines they must still go on with the motto of Charl's the fifth plus ultra Once we can never be too holy I am sure of that There is one wo and feare gone of an extream in holines O if we could as well avoid the danger of being too dull and slow and backward It were well I therefore will provide some spurs Motives to labour for more holinesse some pregnant motives to stirre you up to labour to be holy yet more and more First know this for your encouragement the more holines ye have on earth the more protection may ye expect from this holy God Those Saints that have beene eminent for holines have beene also eminent for salvations God hath made such see his salvation As the three Saints Daniel the third Daniel himselfe chap. the sixth and many others Secondly Take this too the more holines the more comfort surely while men ly under sinne the face of God is hid from them our comforts usually do fall and rise together with our holines God sups and dines with his holy ones Consolation is measured to us according to our holines God and a Saint do keep one table God cannot smile upon us while we are under the breach of any one of his lawes Ye may see what became of Davids comfort upon his fall Psalme 51.11 He there cries Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me And in the foregoing tenth verse he cries for a new creation He hath so farre lost his comfort that he thought he had lost his grace Carelest walking may cause us to be dealt with all as if we were reprobates and not the elect of God For this however some idle heads may prattle I appeale to the experience of all the Saints of God whether ever they found so much comfort and enjoyment of God in their loose as in their close walking with him certainly the clouds of sinne where ever they be will make the beames of Gods favour disappeare unto the sence of that soule Thirdly The more holines the more boldnes I remember I have read a story of a Conjurer that would have the devill affright an old exact Christian But the devill told him againe T was but in vaine to meddle with him he feared nothing Holy soules feare not death though it be the King of terrours They can looke it in the face and with Mr. Lawrance Saunders cry out welcome life when they are at the stake The righteous is bold as a lion Holy Moses talks with God face to face The more holines the lesse feare A holy man knoweth that nothing can come amisse to him Fourthly The more holines the more acquaintance with God Holines makes men great favourities in the court of heaven T is but aske and have for a holy soule As it was said of Luther he could do any thing with God Surely ye cannot imagine what power holy soules have in heaven Hic vir potest quicquid vult apud Deum Elias by reason of his holines had great power he prayed that it might not rain and it rained not and he prayed again that it might raine and it did raine Holy Moses holds the hands of God Ezek. 14.14 and and God begs him to let him go If any in the world can prevaile with God it must be such as Noah Daniel and Job 5. The more holines on earth the more glory shall ye have in heaven Though God save us not for our works yet he will reward us according to them The garland there wil be greater or lesser according as the flowers we send before thither be more or lesse We must have Esaus hands if we expect Jacobs blessing Esau signifies working No good is to be expected by us without doing good He that expects to carry earth to heaven must first strive to bring heaven downe to earth It is noted by some that the same word signifieth reward and working to signifie they cannot be separated Holy souls shall dwell in Gods holy hill Holines it called by some the Suburbs of heaven and he that will enter into the City must passe through the Suburbs To conclude this motive if we be eminently holy here we shall be eminently glorious hereafter Summe up all God will protect his holy ones Comfort and peace shall be their portion even here as Psalme 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them And great shall be the peace of thy children Isaiah 54.13 No names shall be to them Psalme 39.9 If we be all for God God will be all for us If we dedicate our selves to God we shall find that he will be ours in the sweetest injoyments His special providences shall be over us others are under generall providences only Extra mundum sanctus perigrinalitur cum Domino He may carry them on his back but you shall be sure to ly in his bosome His eye his heart both are alwayes upon his holy ones for God And at last fulnes of joy at his right-hand and pleasure for evermore Quest Ans But how shall I do to thrive in holines to lanch out into his deepes I answer By daily applying your selves unto the meanes which God hath appointed be diligent in the faithfull use of Gods sacred ordinances If ye plow with these heifers ye shall find out Gods riddles of holines But when once they are slighted or abused and come to be ours and none of his as one wittily observes out of Isaiah 1.11 and 14. verses then vertue commeth not from them We should therefore labour to be lift up out of our selves and above our selves when we are about holy exercises we shall be exact in them So shall we more and more come towards that perfection of holines which is still to be laboured for though never to be attained So much for the morall goodnes of God to wit his holines The other goodnesses follow The end of the attribute of holines The benignity or Usefull Goodness of GOD. Psalm 100. v. 5. For the Lord is good his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all Generations WE have under the good hand of our living good and holy Lord God gone through those three attributes of life goodnes naturall or perfection and morall goodnes or holines which was the last This verse is not chosen to be handled and to be spoken of for the sake of three other attributes mentioned therein viz. goodnes that is to say benignitie mercy a fourth sort as I may call it of goodnes and truth which at last will come to be spoken of also out of this
be sure to speed in our suites God is a giving God therefore seeke unto him for grace God is a giving God he giveth to all liberally therefore labour to be like him and let such as are groaners under their curst crooked froward natures take comfort in hope because goodnes is one of Gods communicable attributes Thirdly But it is not enough for us to see our want of goodnes to groan under it to take comfort in the possibility of having Vse 3 a better temper and becomming more usefull hereafter but we must put on to the worke of obtaining this grace We must seeke it at the hands of God by earnest prayer He only can work it Phillip 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure It is a fruit of the spirit Gal. 5.22 Directions 1 And none can have this gift that have not the spirit for that Motives upon the first direction that which is done by a man that hath not the spirit cannot be good because the man himselfe is naught And it is neither our own power nor the power of any creature that can give us the spirit it is a new creation He only can make us good that is good himselfe even he that can of stones raise up children to Abraham Quest But you may demand whether naturall and morall vertues be not good and whether a man may not though he have not the spirit be good and useful Ans and helpefull many waies I Answer No doubt naturall affections are in many excellently working that have no grace Husbands may love their Wives men may love their children many may give their goods to feed the poore 1 Cor. 13.3 Yea all their goods marke the place well And here I might spend much time to shew what nature may do But that goodnes which makes us like God and excepted of God is onely a fruit of the spirit It hath not only the Lineanents of goodnes but the life of goodnes It comes from a principle of life in the soule whereby men do good works with facility and constancy as naturall actions of life when likewise they grow in them for where there is life there is also growth And they desire that which feed their life and then the good works and charitable actions that are done are not lead workes But there is no trusting flesh and blood no not â—n the most compleat gracelesse man in the world Their goodnes will quickly be changed into mischevousnes when temptations come that are above the principle they act upon Ye Directions 2 must for a second direction enquire concerning this propensity to do good whether ye have any of it or as yet none at all That so ye may be the more set on according to labour for some of it or for more of it Can ye do good to some labour to do good to all Can ye love your friends strive to love your enemies Examine your selves The tree is knowne by his fruit what good do ye Who is the better for you take your evill dispositions that make ye so unlike God and sacrifice them before the Lord and trample under foote your vilenes Condemne your selves judge your selves bretheren that ye be not judged of the Lord. Take your sinne of selfe-love which maketh ye such unprofitable if not pernitious men and women and stay it and so ye will the better put on to the worke of obtaining this gift and grace Directions 3 Thirdly Set your selves upon practice of those things that will denominate ye good folkes according to Scripture First pursue peace follow it Re. 12.14 The word in the original signifieth to follow after peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the persecutor doth him whom he persecuteth Sirs it is a God like property though we are wronged by others yet to be forward to seek peace Ah you froward sower doged pieces that whet your tongues like a sword and bend your bows to shoot your arrowes even bitter words Are ye like unto God Psal 64.3 I am perswaded your owne consciences tell you otherwise Secondly avoid needy pernicious much more mischievous companions lest they infect you and teach you to be like unto them Lest ye learne their froward wicked waies take heede ye come not neere them Thirdly let sweete meeke good mercifull bountifull people be your delight among whom ye may learn to be like unto God Fourthly study places of Scripture and dwel upon such passages in bookes and Sermons as are of this subject of useful goodnes Fifthly and lastly upon this last direction consider these two things as speciall properties of good folkes indeed First be good to peoples soules prefer them before their bodies Our Saviour Christ preferres the soule before the body Math. 10.28 And feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule c. The account for our owne soules and the soules of others is the greatest account and therefore the care of soules should be the greatest care Dr. Sibbs soul Conflict page 70. Secondly preferre the houshould of faith in thy doing good Gal 6.10 Good must be done Especially to the houshold of faith Above all men do good to the godly And above all bodyes have a care of peoples soules To close up all that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven and shew your selves like unto him Motives Secondly That ye your off-spring many be the blessed of the Lord. Thirdly those curses which hang over the heads of oppressors and their children may never light on you or yours but that both ye and they may alwaies escape them labour to do good to be usefull and helpfull to all according to the rule and take heed of being evill men and evill doers And so much for the second particular That goodnes is a communicable attribute The third and last point is Doct. That God in respect of this attribute is infinite and incomprehensible Psalme 36. ver 5. c. to the 11 verse glorious things are said of the goodnes of God called by divers other names as mercy faithfulnes righteousnes judgments preservation loving kindnesse the shadow of his wings the fatnesse of Gods house Rivers of pleasures the fountain of life light And of these things which are Gods goodnes and benignitie it is said that it is in the heavens it reacheth unto the clouds it is like the great mountaines a great deep his preservations extend to man and beast it is excellent abundantly satisfying a fountain of life what can be imagined meet to set out the transcendency of Gods goodnes that â—s not made use of one where or another in Scripture And it must needs be so that Gods goodnes is infinite and incomprehensible Reas 1 First because God is absolute perfect he is the Summum bonum the totall good and therefore of necessitie his goodnes must be infinite Reas 2 Secondly God is not subject
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
which he hath brought us Thirdly The good which thereupon we do expect Fourthly The meanes whereby this is effected We were enemies unworthy of the lest mercy and liable to everlasting sorrowes But are advanced to union unto and communion with Christ Not to a moderate or mean estate of hapines of humanes or angelical happines natural But to be the sons of God the sons of the eternal King the heires of God and Coheires of Christ consorts of divine glory partakers of all divine good things with him we are made one with Christ not in conceit or imagination only for this conjunction is in truth a reall conjunction The prayer of Christ is John 17.22 That all beleevers may be one with him as he is one with the Father viz. by one and the same spirit dwelling in Christ and in all members of Christ 1 Iohn 3.24 And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us Perkins on the third to the Galatians Page 265. saith All the Saints in heaven and all beleevers upon earth having one and the same spirit of Christ dwelling in them are all one in Christ Not as if Christ and Saints were not destinct persons or as if the properties of the Godhead or qualities of his manhood were transformed into us or as if we were only by a bare consent as freinds are one or as if Christ and all the Saints were one substance I say none of these waies are we one with Christ But as all the Members of the body naturall have one soule So have all the Saints with Christ their head owne spirit And this comes to passe on Gods part by mercifull donation and on our part by faithfull reception Thus we see how we are one with Christ and so by consequence do possesse Christ and injoy him and his benefits partly in this life and fully in the life to come So that from our adoption we looke for such good so great joy so much glory as eie hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man O what a gulfe of distance is there betweene that estate from which we are taken 1 Cor. 2.9 and that whereunto we are brought And the meanes whereby all this commeth to passe ye have heard already is the sonne of man For first one man is taken to be Gods naturall son the fullnes of the God-head being substantially united to him By this man Christ Jesus God adopteth and maketh his sonnes Eodem spiritu vivunt nimirum membra Christi quo Deus ipse quo Christus filius Dei naturalis vivit et si hic spiritus diverso modo istis communicetur personis enim divinis communicator per identitatem idque vel immediata necessitate ut patri vel per aeternam generationem aut spirationem ut filio spiritui sancto huminitati verò Christi perhypostalicam vnionem nobis per quandam extensionem qua mediante dono gratiae justificantis incipit esse noster spiritus nostra vita nos inhabitans ornans movens ergens omnes vitales functiones Deo platentes in nobis excitans edens Less all those which are engrafted in to this trunke or stoke by the spirit of faith for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Rom. 81.4 This previledge is given to them that receive Christ to them that believe in his name to become the Sonnes of God John 1.12 And according to this priviledge of Adoption are we and all our weake endeavors looked upon esteemed O behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sonnes of God 1 John 3.1 Seventhly We have the benefit of all Christs merits All that Christ ever did or suffered is made over to us and we presented in him without blame in the sight of God From mercy it is so ordred and brought about that Christ did the work but we receive the wages Christ bore the Crosse but we weare the Crown Beloved we have the benefit of all Christs merits So that what Christ merited we are said to merit by meanes of our union that we have with him We are alwaies hereby in a capacity of pardon as often as we sinne and by true repentance turne unto God What Prince was ever so mercifull as to be in readinesse to pardon such as capitally offend or commit high treason every day But our God of his mercy is ready every minuit to pardon the sinnes of his people For if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father c. 1 John 2.1 Here is a most rich treasury here are merits that can never be Drawne out It is impossible so many sinnes should ever be committed as might be beyond the riches and worth of them Yet we must know that the worth of them is not drunke up by us Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis for we are not able so to receive them to our use as they are in Christ For not in the like measure is the spirit received by all that are justified Although each Saint hath the whole spirit yet not in an equall manner and measure And so although each Saint hath whole Christ made over to him withall his merits yet there is not one that hath sins enough to take him up holy by appropriation or to make a full proprotion between their misery and his merits but still there will be overflowings of the blood of Christ Eightly Mercy causeth the powering out of the spirit of grace By vertue of our union we do of his fullnes receive Joh. 1.16 and grace for grace So that as a litle child is answerable in every part to the tallest and stoutest man so the little measure of graces in the weakest Saints have a conformitie to the graces that are in Christ though the difference in regard of degrees be exceeding great There is wisdome patience meekenes c. Which God gives out and adornes his chosen ones withall Never did a Queene present her selfe so beautiful in the eyes of the greatest Monarck as the Church the Spouse of Christ is rendred lovely in the eyes of God Salomon Song cap. 7.1 c. How beautifull are thy feet with shoes O Princes Daughter Ye may at leasure read when ye please the rest But such as are proud scornfull passionate intemperate covetous c. It is impossible God should take pleasure or delight in them O how beautifull is the spirits work upon the soule a soft heart an obedient will and the gifts of saving and sanctifying grace A man in the state of nature saith one is like a pond full of toads a man in the state of grace is a paradise of God Beautifull in Gods eies is a gratious soule from top to toe O ye that wallow in the mire and dirt and filth of sinne do ye thinke God
of shewing mercy a God that reserveth mercy for thousands even for a dead lift as we say And so I have done with the explicatory part of the point and am next to make Use thereof Vse 1 And First For our information we may learne this truth that mankinde is miserable Mankinde is miserable for God which alwaies worketh wisely never puts out himselfe in any uselesse way Mans misery is the object of Gods mercy What need we make rates for the poore if there were none that had neede to be so mâ—intained what need were there of the mercies of God if the sons of men were not in misery O let this sinke downe into your hearts that ye are nothing else but miserable objects undone creatures And that which mightily addes thereunto is this that many of us want eies to see it Alas men are not only miserable but mad too like Bedlams we can laugh and sing when we are bound in chaines and our friends weeping in corners for us Ah Sirs God's heart bleeds over us many times when we laugh and sing it out He sent his Sonne to dy for poore soules when they did not know their neede of him nay he made a plaister of his sonne 's heart-blood for them to heate their poore soules that wickedly spilt it Man is a miserable creature and cannot assure himselfe of the least good or keepe himselfe for the least evill There is no kind of sinne that ever was committed since the foundation of the world was laid but we should run into it upon every opportunitie did not God in mercy prevent it O what poore nothing dust and ashes are we that live as though we had no need of God and yet cannot live one minuite without him The sonnes of men are miserable and they most that are least sensible The booke of the creatures saith one is a great volumne Lockier on Collos p. 34. yet not a line in it smiles upon man man no sooner lookes into it but all the creatures fall a bleeding presently as having espied their owne murtherer O wretched man that hast made miserable thy selfe and all thy fellow creatures and yet are not sensible of it Secondly Seeing God is such a mercifull God this should teach us in our afflictions and miseries not to dispair not to be Vse 2 cast downe as if there were no God I remember what the Prophet Eliah said to Ahaziah the King that sent to inquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron about his sicknes 2 Kings 1.6 Is it not because there is not a God in Israel c. Why should ye be cast downe in your low estate Is not God a mercifull God Exod. 2.7 Saith the Lord there to Moses I have surely seene the affliction of my people which are in Aegypt and have heard them cry c. There is no suffering condition that Gods people be in but God himselfe doth as it were suffer with them In all their affliction he was afflicted and the angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the daies of old Isaiah 63.9 If they be sicke on their beds he lies downe by them yea He will make their bed for them Ps 41.3 He must needs ly easy who hath God to make his bed If they be in prison he will be with them there The mercifull and gratious Lord God hath alwaies yerning bowels to them that feare him and therefore will in due time succour them Their persecutions he takes as his own Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He is a present ready help in the needfull time of trouble more willing to ease us then we can be to be eased by him This mercifull disposition of God to helpe poore miserable creatures should induce us all alwaies to come to God for helpe into what straite so ever we are cast Thirdly And although we fall into greivous sins yet let us Vse 3 not despaire of salvation because God is summè miseriors mercifull to the uttermost He who hath loved us freely in his son when we were his enemies will much more pitty us and pardon now that we are his already Rom. 5.8 9 10. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more now being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him c. This is a very usefull consideration T is true God is a just and severe judge against the wicked yet he gives place to his mercy and is never so sharpe in making the wound but he is as gentle in asswaging the smart of it and in the end takes it cleane away And even wicked men and godlesse persons reprobates themselves tast of Gods mercies Heare what a master in Israel sayeth concerning God to this purpose If any tender hearted man should sit but one houre in the throne of God Almighty if it be sit so to suppose and looke down upon the earth Bolton his walking with God 102. as God doth continually and see what abhominations are done in that houre he would undoubtedly in the next set all the world on fire and not suffer his wrath to be pacified or the fire to be quenched And if such bowels and unwearied patience be in God to all O then what a one will he be to those whom he hath adopted in Christ Jesus for his children and waite upon God in troubles and dwell in Sion by faith for they that looke for mercy of this high sort must dwell in Zion Isaiah 30.18 19. And therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gratious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you For the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that waite for him And againe he will be very gratious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee They are blessed that waite for Gods mercy Calvin upon the place It is a confirmation of no smal weight when he adds that God will shew a signe of his glory in pardoning his people he will be exalted that he may have mercy upon you or as some read it when he shall be mercifull God seemes to be a sleepe or forgetfull but in due time he will be exalted in shewing mercy Therefore though our sinnes are never so many for number or never so heynous for nature Dr. Sibs soules conflict 358. yet heare is comfort God is merciful Will ye hear another great man of God All the aggravations that conscience and Sathan helping it are able to raise sinne unto cannot rise to that degree of infinitenesse that Gods mercy in Christ is of If there be a spring of sinne in us there is a spring of mercy in him c. And again saith he that Lord thinkes himselfe disparaged when we have no higher thoughts of his mercy then of our sinnes c. And againe another
God loveth them that are like unto him but so are not wicked men They do not shew themselves to be the children of this Father which is in heaven We read of God Psalm 10.17 That he doth hear the desire of the humble or poore c. And that he giveth food to all flesh because his mercy endureth for ever Psalme 136.25 and Luc. 6.36 He commandeth that we be mercifull Mat. 5.45 as our Father also is mercifull And he made lawes for mercy Deut. 15.7 8. If there be among you a poore man of one of thy bretheren within thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thy hand from thy poore brother But thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth And God is so mercifull that he takes order that the poor the maimed the lame the blind be called when men make feasts Luke 14.13 But unmercifull men have not such a disposition they are altogether unlike God and therefore want a glorious property 4. Unmercifulnes bars audience of Prayers In the Forth place we read Prov. 21.13 Who so stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard Unmercifulnes bars audience of prayers Certainly they want a glorious commoditie that want that which makes the eare of the Lord to be open to cries and cals in the time of neede T is no ordinary priviledge to have accesse and welcome to the throne of grace and therefore to want it whereby prayer becommeth an abhomination to the Lord must needs be a very great want O when unmercifull men hard-hearted wretches shall ly and cry on their death beds O Lord shew some mercy O Lord shew some comfort Lord help me Lord help me Lord forgive me Lord Jesus receive my soule let them be sure God will turne the deafe eare to them as they have formerly to others Oh this is dreadfull Fifthly Unmercifullnes is a degree of murther Job 24.14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poore and needy 5 Unmercifulnes is a kind of murther Qui non tollit injuriam cur potest facit and in the night is as a thiefe That place is to be understood of such a murther as the rich man mentioned Luke 16.21 was guilty of He that deviseth waies how to oppresse suck squeeze yea not to succour a dying man in Gods account is a murtherer Not to give meate to the hungry hath a sentence of go ye cursed Math. 25.42 If people be in misery and want and such as are able will not pitty and succour them and supply their wants they are in a sort before the Lord murtherers Sixthly It is a shrewd signe of a reprobate condition 6. A shrewd signe of a reprobate condition For we read in the third chapter of the Collos ver 12. That bowels of mercy is put among those properties which do belong to the elect of God Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercie kindnesse of mind meeknesse long suffering c. Who can think but such do belong to the state of reprobation that have not the markes and signe of Gods elect upon them Who can hope that they have relation to the God of mercy that in their place and to their power do not labour to make it evident by relieving such as be in misery To conclude this use Lastly their end dolefull that are unmercifull surely we may agree from the wofulnesse of their future condition from their dolefull end That they want that which is of great concernment that want a mercifull disposition James 2.13 For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy They must look to drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation Without mixture marke that phrase that is without allaying of it God will not moderate it at all They shall have judgement without mercy We have yet another use and it is of exhortation We have Vse 2 heard much of the beauty of his grace and of the misery of such as are without it Now therefore be stirred up to be mercifull shew your selves to be mercifull as God is mercifull Be as Job was ye may read cap. 29.16 I was saith he a father to the poore and the cause which I knew not I searched out c. cap. 31.17 He did not eate his morsels alone but the fatherlesse did eat with him and ver 20. The loynes of the prore warmed with the fleece of his sheep blessed him Ye read of Dorcas Act. 9.39 that She made coats and garments for poor widows while she was alive Dives had beene better to have given all that he had to Lazarus then have fared as he did To move you to be mercifull Motives to be mercifull 1. It is a blessed thing First it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive Acts 20.35 It makes such as practice workes of mercy truly noble and honorable and that in the account of God himselfe The Lord Jesus said and his words are to be remembred that it is more blessed to give them to receive Consider the forementioned place in the Acts of the Apostles 2 Ye give to Christ Secondly Christ takes all acts of mercy as if they were done unto himself He takes them all to his own account And this ye may be sure of he is a good paymaster sooner or latter will quit scores and reckonnings with you He will not forget that when he was hungry ye fed him c. Math. 25.42 And if the Paps are blessed which gave him suck then shall that table also that hath fed him Luc. 11.27 Ye have plaine Scripture that in as much as ye have done works of mercy to the least of these which he is not ashamed to call his bretheren ye have done it unto him This is the second motive ye give to Christ 3 God will not dy in your debt Lastly reade Prov. 19.17 He that hath pitty upon the poore lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again God will not dy in your debt If all sufficiency can make requitall ye shall surely have it Quest But how shall I do may some one say to get this property of mercy Answ I Answer First you must pray to God for it James 1â—17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the father of lights Pray therefore to the Lord to give you mercifull hearts Prayer ye see is the Bucket to fetch up some of this mercy out of the deepe Well that can never be emptied Secondly you must consider what hath beene said formerly you must lay it to heart and think upon it And Thirdly and lastly ye must fall
upon the practise of mercy By using your selves to acts of mercy you shall come to be more merciful many acts will beget a habit You must cast your bread upon the waters for ye shall find it after many daies not only in Gods rewarding Eccles 11.1 but your own disposition and inclination which will be to you a kind of a heaven upon earth I am now at last come to speak of the infinitenesse and incomprehensiblenesse of the mercy of God Upon this proposition The third Proposition God in this attribute of mercy is infinite and incomprehensible He is in this as in other attributes Indeed he is God Heapes of places I might bring in the Bible abounds with passages of the mercifull inclination of God Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord God mercifull and gratious c. And againe Keeping mercy for thousands Deut. 5.10 And shewing mercy unto thousands Ps 36.5 Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens or unto the heavens So that we need not aske as Esau did of Jacob his father about a blessing Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father So hast thou but one mercy O God For come there never so many there is mercy for all The bottomlesse Ocean of Gods mercy can never possibly be drawne dry by the creature Many admirable sayings have we touching Gods mercy First God enclines to it it comes naturally from him not as waters out of the pump but as showres from heaven T is but open our mouthes and God will fill them Yea secondly to use the words of a painfull and learned Writer It is not only not troublesome and painfull to wit because it is naturall to God to shew mercy but also pleasant and delightfull for God to shew mercy c. And a little after Downhams Christian Warfar p. 204. lib. 2. c. 34. sect 4. And contrary wise it should be troublesome and irkesome If I may so speake saith mine Author for God not to shew and exercise his nature and mercy c. And once more For as the eye is delighted with seeing and to be restrained there from is grievous unto it as the eare is delighted with hearing and is much molested if it be stopped and as every part and faculty of the body and soule are delighted in exercising their severall actions and functions and are much vexed and combred if by any meanes they should be hindred so is the Lord delighted and well pleased in shewing and exercising his owne nature and attributes God weepes when he strikes but smiles when he strokes It doth his heart good as we use to say of men Certainly God will not be barred of his pleasure he rejoyceth much to have an occasion offered of exercising his mercy Psalme 147.11 David saith that the Lord is delighted in them that fear him and attend upon his mercie When men waite for mercy God is delighted to exercise it towards them Caryl on Job 5. part Pag. 37. Judicious Mr. Caryl To shew mercy pleaseth him more then it relieveth us Thirdly God is said to multiply to shew mercy Single acts of mercy cannot give him content He shewes mercies by thousands unto thousands of his people Fourthly ye have an expression Isaiah 30.18 And therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you But what do I speake of that which is infinite and incomprehensible Sooner can we number the starrs of heaven dropps of the Ocean sands on the shoare yea Atomes in the sunne then give you a true account of the mercies of this most mercifull God What is a drop to the Ocean Quantum scintilla ad mare se habet tantum hominis malitia ad Dei clementiam imo vero non tantum Chrysost And what are our sinnes to the mercies of God Infinitenes cannot be limited Gods thoughts of mercy are exalted above the thoughts of our unworthinesse farre higher then the heavens are exalted above the earth Mercy is as it were Gods fetching of breath His infinite and incomprehensible goodnes doth in a sort wholy live in works of mercy For all the world are object of Gods mercy since Adams fall For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God That famous Man H. Zanchius Hath notable stuffe about this matter I will take notise but of one passage Upon Exod. 34.6 7. Where it is said Zanch. de Attrib lib. 2. c 1. quest 2. that God is slow to anger He writeth And therefore we must note although anger be attributed unto God it is in God nothing else but the chiefe goodnes and justice whereby he abhorreth evill and according to his just judgment doth at lengh punish it if it be not amended by his long suffering and patience This here hence appeareth evidently speaking of revenge which is an effect of anger he doth not say that he doth presently inflict punishment or that he is so ready to inflict it as to shew mercy but he saith that he is slow to anger c. And upon the 28th of Isaiah 21. Where the words are for the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perahim he shall be wrath as in the valley of Gibion that he may do his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his acts his strange act The prophet saith Zanchy maketh two sorts of Gods works his proper and strange workes The proper worke of God is to shew mercy and to spare or forgive his strange worke is to be angry and to punish So farre he I have been somewhat long about this quotation The weight lieth upon this that mercy in God is his nature and therefore infinite it is the very life of God his drawing of breath in his proper works Mercy goodnes long suffering are according to the nature of the deitie which is farre remote from all unjust severity cruelty tiranny and pride All providences have mercy in them T is of the infinite mercy of God that the world is borne up which would else sink into its first nothing It is mercy respites the damnation of wicked men and saves the elect yea behold I tell you a mistery mercies brings calamities 1 Cor. 11.32 But when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world O let me draw breath a little Consider what unexpected even incredible mercies God sometimes breathes out Even when he seemes to breath out smoake and flames yet he is angry that he may bring his work to passe that is to say his Proper work that is that he may have mercy and preserve The Devill he breaths out Deaths Miseries and Mischiefs but God loads us with mercies and as I sayd the attribute of goodnesse sets God on worke to put himselfe out in endlesse mercies and tender bowels beyond what man or Angell can possibly imagine Learn then we may hence that there is no want of mercy in Vse 1 God sooner can the Sea want water and Hell want
fire and torments for ungodly men than God can want mercy If ye be not all saved O ye sinners it is not out of any defect in God His bowels yern over lost mankinde Yee are self murtherers if ye come not all to Heaven He perswades you intreats you begs you and complains of you that ye will not come to him that ye might have life And what would ye have more I say again if any of you be damned t is not God but your selves that cause it See what God hath done to others men saved already next the devils have been the greatest objects of pitty that could be because vile sinners and enemies to God in their mind by wicked works bloody Manasseth persecuting Saul abhominable Mary Magdalen and the Thief upon the Crosse even dropping into the jaws of Hell And for Saul who I named but just now when he was breathing out threatnings and slaughters against the disciples of the Lord Act. 9.1 Even then was God breathing out his mercies upon him These are glorious suns that shine in the crown of our mercifull God He hath mercy of all sorts for all conditions and nothing displeaseth him more then when men take up narrow thoughts of his infinite bowels Then secondly Let us trust in this mercifull God for ever Vse 2 and trust perfectly in him whose mercy indureth for ever Let the wicked forsake his way Isa 55.7 c. and turn to the Lord for he is mercifull He will have mercy he will abundantly pardon stand it not out with God any longer ye know not if ever ye may have another such a tender of mercy from God again O then close with God labour to come into the Covenant and keep under it ye that are in Otherwise ye may live long enough under mercies offered Come to Christ God is a Father onely to such as have Christ for their Lord and King Beloved consider what I say Gods works are glorious and to be sought out I say we come not to heaven in a way of mercy onely but through a Mediator for out of Christ God is nothing else but everlasting burnings For though his nature and property be to have mercy and to forgive yet he is forced to take punishment by our impenitency and our impenitency cannot be taken off untill we be united to Christ by the spirit working repentance If ye be not in the Covenant ye are out of the sphear in which Gods mercics to eternal salvation move though many ordinary showers of mercies and Sun-blasts of comfort are to be had upon the account in general of the satisfaction of Gods justice by Jesus Christ elsewhere yet choice mercies the sure mercies of David are to be had no where else but under the Covenant Psal 89.28 Mark I pray My mercy will I keep for him ever more How comes that to passe It followeth And my Covenant shall stand fast with him By David in this Psalm is signified Christ of the seed of David of whom David was type And Gods mercies to us in him are firm and sure Verse 34. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips And much more ye may read in the following verses to the same purpose The sum of all is that Gods mercies in Christ are firm to the whol body mystical To them they are like the waters of Noah T is a Covenant of salt that cannot be broken Get once assurance that thou art in Christ and never doubt of the mercies of God more Be thou never so weak in parts or grace Those that are so weak that they cannot apprehend Christ he is ready to comprehend them But still we must be perfect in this truth Dr. Preston Sts. Infirm pag. 52. that Justification Redemption and Salvation which are these sure mercies of David are not to be found out of the Church nor extended to those whom God never received into his Covenant But here it may be objected Object out of the first of Titus v. 2. That eternal life which God that cannot ly hath promised before the world began cannot be appropriated to those who do believe and bring forth the fruits of their Faith in obedience because there were none such before the world began To which I Answer first That that place may be Englished Sol. from the times of ages And then the sence will be that God in all ages from the beginning hath made promises of eternal life to such as come into the Covenant and are believers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A parallel place in some what a clearer phrase we have 2 Thess 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you that is all along from the beginning God hath chosen you and such as you are to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and unbelief of the truth Or if according to the latter Interpretation of Piscator which Dr. Twisse embraceth we read ante tempora soecularia Quèmad modum etiam verum est Deum sicut neminem adultum nisi resipiscentem bonis operibus invigilantem salvum facit ita etiam non nisi resipiscentem bonis operibus deditum statrisse salvum facere unde conficitur resipiscentiam bona opera causas quidem esse salutis idque ex ordinatione Dei quippe qui nos elegit ad salutem in sanctifatione spiritus fide veritatis sed non sequitur resipiscentiam bona opera causam esse ordinationis ipsius divinae Twiss 233. fol. before times of ages that is before many ages to wit in the beginning of ages which seems fitter then to say before eternity for God neither promised nor decreed to promise any thing before eternity this sence will answer this Objection well enough to wit that whatsoever Gods decree or purpose be of men means sure I am that God hath promised eternal life onely to such as be in Christ and that all mercies belonging to life eternal are appropriated to such new creatures as are in Christ Jesus But secondly for satisfaction in this point if ye that are pleased to consider what I say are resolved to read the words either in the Epistle to Titus or to the Thessalonians according to the usuall reading of them in our English Bibles and according to Beza and others and will make the sense to be before the world began although it will be hard to make the place in in the Epistle to the Thessalonians so to sound yet still it will stand for a truth that Christ laid down his life onely for his sheep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 10.15 and not for his enemies for the company of Believers and not for wicked unbelievers And as is said Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him Nay not onely are Christ and his benefits restrained to the faithfull but also unbelievers and such as continue in their wickednesse are flatly excluded from