Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	divine_a	humane_a	person_n	30,362	5	6.1832	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86450	The valley of vision, or A clear sight of sundry sacred truths. Delivered in twenty-one sermons; by that learned and reverend divine, Richard Holsvvorth, Dr. in Divinity, sometimes Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Master of Emanuel Colledge, and late preacher at Peters Poore in London. The particular titles and texts are set downe in the next leafe.	Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649.; Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649. Peoples happinesse.	1651 (1651)	Wing H2404; Thomason E631_1; ESTC R202438	355,440	597

that would take up almost the whole houre for a man to name the Authors that bring out variety of interpretations Therefore I will not trouble you with that I will not so much as gather them up together it will be but an unusefull point least I seeme to handle Commentaries and not the Text. I will onely touch at them in the last part as they come in my way and as they are usefull for the understanding of this Scripture Now we look to the second thing these good things there is no difficulty in the rest The desire here is an ardent desire the inspection is an accurate inspection to penetrate with a mans eyes so to looke as to look through to make a good inspection The Angells that are here spoken of I shewed to you and made it plaine that they are the good Angells there is no difficulty in any of these three words Well the onely difficulty is in this word Into which The word is Plurall yet all the Latine not onely Coppies and Translations of the Bible all but some that are later and there is no Writing of all the Latine Fathers excepting one or two that is Ireneus it is still read In quem in the Singular number Vpon whom So the Rhemists Translation reads it following the vulgar Latine they read On whome the Angells desire to looke We read Into which the Angells desire to looke Thereupon Gregory applies this Scripture to God himselfe that the object of the Angells inspection it is God understanding the three persons of the Sacred Trinity De deo c. sayth Gregory these things are uttered concerning God that it is upon him that the Angells desire to look Others apply it not to the three persons in the sacred Trinity but to the Holy Ghost in particular that there is so great glory such c●equall and coessentiall glory of the Holy Ghost with the Father and the Son that the Angells desire to blesse their spirituall eyes with the continuall looking on it And indeed there is some probability for this reading for the Holy Ghost for the comming of the Holy Ghost is the immediate antecedent before the Text the Holy Ghost came downe from Heaven and then followes according to their reading Vpon whome the Angells desire to look Venerable Bede applies it by a way himselfe in particular he applies it in the Singular number but to the second person in Trinity Christ and Christ considered especially in his humane nature and the reason is somewhat probable because in the Verse before there is twice mention of Christ the Spirit of Christ and the Sufferings of Christ and then followes according to his reading Vpon whome the Angells desire to looke And if I should follow now this reading and take it in the Singular number and doe that injury and wrong to the Greeke Copy it would afford one or two very good points of instruction and the reading is not at all dissonant to the Articles of faith For certainly the Angells desire to look upon God and to behold the humane nature of Christ and to look upon the three persons in the sacred Trinity And if we should applie it to Christ it would afford a good point of Instruction whether we apply it to his humane nature or his divine If to his humane nature so the point is this that Christs humane nature at the right hand of God is made so glorious that the very Angells themselves as venerable Bede sayth not onely desire to fill their eyes with the glorious beams of his Divine nature but with that far transcendent excellency of glory wherewith his humane nature is cloathed They desire to see the glory of his humane nature It must needs argue a great deale of glory as much as it is capable of that is laid upon the humane nature of Christ more then on the Angelicall nature though it be not a Spirit that though in it selfe a body is not capable of so much glory as a Spirit yet the humane nature of Christ by reason of the hypostaticall union is capable of more glory then the Angells are And it must needs be a greater glory because the Angells desire to looke into it It is a point of great comfort to us to consider that our nature hath received already so much glory in Christ our head We know that our nature is capable of beatificall glory in the Members since it hath received already in such abundance in Christ our head it shall receive in an unspeakable manner there shall be a great deale of beatificall glory upon the Saints our nature in Christ is capable of glory already That is the first point if we apply it to the humane nature of Christ Againe if we apply it to the Divinity of Christ that the Angells look on Christ as God it affords us a point of Instruction that is this There is one essentiall beatitude of Angells and Saints in Heaven of men and Angells There is no essentiall difference in the beatitude of Saints and Angells Christ sayth in the Gospell we shall be like the Angells and be as they are What is the essentiall beatitude of Angells To look upon the Son of God Christ is as Basile speaks the delight of Angells And what is the beatitude of Saints To look upon the Son of God We know when we shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is There is our happinesse in looking to Christ What is the beatitude essentiall of Angells Christ tells us Mat. 18. There Angells behold the face of your heavenly Father The face of God the beatificall Vision is their beatitude And what is the essentiall beatitude of the Saints Christ tells us Mat. 5.6 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Then here is no difference at all in the essentiall beatitude of the one and of the other Therefore the Scripture as in one place it calls Angells our fellow Servants Rev. 19. See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow Servant Angells are fellow Servants with Apostles and fellow Ministers and Ministers are fellow-Angells for so Ministers are called As they are called our fellow Servants so the Saints are their fellow Angells Heirs of the same Salvation Heb. 12. We are come to the first borne that are written in Heaven and to an innumerable company of Angells to enjoy the society of Angells we are fellow Heirs of the same Salvation there is the same-Heaven for both the same happinesse for both the same glory for both the same inheritance for both therefore the same happinesse because the same inheritance There is sayth St. Austin well one and the same inheritance of glory for them and us that is the Heavenly immortall inheritance sayth he sweetly Heaven is the inheritance of both which is as great to every one as to all and as great and full of Roome for many as to few Every one hath all Heaven that is all blisse all

resolves to keep all therefore he saith he loves all If we will get his resolution to keepe them we must get it to love them here is the first thing what he had done for the time past I have loved it is but transient and occasionall therefore I will not stand longer on it The second is not onely a testification of what he had done but of what he would doe set downe by two resolutions First in the first part of the words My hands will I lift up to thy Commandements which I have loved here is love the Load-stone and the hands though they be feeble will follow after love the Proverb is now altered it is not Vbi amor ibi oculus I will lift up mine eyes but my hands his heart was enlarged and his hands were lift up he shews his love in the outward parts as well as in his affections I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements which I have loved A new expression and hath not a paralell that I know of in all the Scripture therefore it will not be so easie to give the proper and true grounded meaning of it why it is set in this forme I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements There are other wayes it might have beene varied and then the meaning would be easie if it had beene thus I will lift up my eyes to thy Commandements to lift our eyes to Gods Commandements is to apply our selves to the reading and learning of them and to study of the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven Or if it had run thus I will lift up my heart to thy Commandements there are many paralell places for it To thee O Lord will I lift up my soule he that sets his heart upon God sets his heart upon Gods Commandements the heart will be lift up though it move not in the body it can goe up to Heaven and ascend to the place from which the Commandements come to the ●hrone of God but it is not so I lift mine heart or I lift mine eyes if it had run thus I will stretch forth my hands to thy Commandements there might have beene a faire account to stretch out our hands to thy Commandements to apply our selves to practise for a man to imploy himselfe to and imbrace it and delight in it The 〈◊〉 Land shall stretch forth their hands to God that 〈◊〉 a phrase paralell in that sence but it is no● 〈…〉 Lastly if it had run thus the sence had been easie I will lift up mine hands unto thee we lift up our hands to God in prayer and the proper gesture of Prayer is to spread and lift up our hands even Aristotle himselfe foresaw so much and it was the practise of the Heathens as appeares in Homer Horace Virgill and other Poets but Aristotle heare him for all when we goe about to make our Prayers we stretch forth our hands to Heaven or lift them up the proper gesture of prayer is to lift up the hands Paul shews it 1 Tim. 2. I will that men pray in every place lifting up pure hands The lifting up of the hands is put in Scripture for Prayer but it will not beare it so it is not good sence I will lift my hands in prayer to thy Commandements The Commandements are not the object for prayer to be directed to but God I will pray to thy Commandements we cannot doe so unlesse it be by insinuation we may take it so as a gesture of prayer I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements that is to thee in thy Commandements in the custody of thy Commandements Obedience is a forcible Prayer to God it selfe A man that comes to God in Prayer must bring obedience and so lift up his hands to the Commandements Or else thus I will lift up my hands to thee for the keeping of thy Commandements no man can keep the Commandements but by Prayer it is grace that must come from God and be fetched by Prayer by insinuation We may take it as a gesture but that is not the proper meaning in all these variations the meaning had been easie but there is an Emphasis in both words I will lift up and I will lift up my hands to thy Commandements both words are remarkable Sometimes the lifting up of the hands doth not betoken supplication sometimes it betokeneth admiration the lifting up of the hands when men are astonished and ravished with an object it might be so well there was no mans soule more taken and ravished then Davids when he was in contemplation of Gods commands I will lift up my hands admiring the excellency of the commandements We lift up our hands sometimes when we betake our selves to refuge and David might well consider it as his refuge hee looked over all outward helps he was in affliction and distresse hee leaves all inferiour helps and hath recourse to God and he goes the right way in the way of his commandements The hands are lift up sometimes for comprehension when men lay hold of a thing that is the meaning I have lift up my haands to thy commandements for the laying hold and practising of them both words have an Emphasis First upon the word Elevabo I will lift up it implies thus much the commandements of God are sublime A man lifts up his hand to that that is above him they are of a sublime nature they are sublime commandements they are all above us they are sublime and high in many respects Sublime in respect of the originall they come downe from God The doctrine of John Baptist it was from heaven all the commandements they were given from the mount they are higher then so they are given from heaven from God himselfe they are sublime in the Originall Sublime in the matter of them heavenly oracles dictats of divine wisdome And sublime in regard of the difficulty in keeping of them they exceed humane strength too nature cannot reach them nay nor grace according to that small proportion we receive in this world grace is infirme but nature is altogether impotent Lastly in respect of the scituation of the commandements In truth and in deed we have them in the booke of God but they are written also in heaven Lord saith David thy word endures for ever in heaven Moses Deut. 30. he tels the people the commandement is not farre it is not in heaven but in thee in thy heart and in thy mouth not as if it were excluded from heaven for that is the proper place of it but he speaks by way of dispensation because God made it neere to men when he gave it so he saith it is not in heaven or else it is properly in heaven because it is the Idea of the divine mind will and counsell of God it is in heaven because it is imprinted and graven perfectly in the hearts of the Saints and Angels it is not only perfectly written there but perfectly kept there all the essentiall parts

our direction confine it to these particulars First Take to you words that is holie and heavenly words such as becomes that glorious Majestie therefore our blessed Saviour hath taught us to pray to Our Father in Heaven intimating that when we come to God we must not only bring heavenly affections but heavenly word what are those words that relish of heaven words that have the coyne and stamp of the Spirit of God on them he that brings a earthly heart and carnall earthly words to God cannot speed Prayer hath a dialect proper to it selfe bring words that is heavenly words Secondly bring with you words that is forcible fervent powerfull words come not to God with a cold temper they are such words that must prevaile for there is a language that specially prevailes with God that is bring such words as may importune God It is not a cold muttering of a forme of prayer that is acceptable to God no but pray with the heart not only speake but call nor call but crie ask and seeke and knock if asking will not serve seeke if that will not doe knock There is a delight in God to be not only spoken to but forced the violent take heaven and there is no violence but of faith and prayer faith by one violence and prayer by another The prayer of the fervent heart breakes through the Clouds no impediment can keep it from Gods throne take fervent words wooe God intreate him importune him to see if he will be intreated to turne from his wrath Thirdly take intelligent words understand your selves what you speake use not such words as doe not expresse your mind It is a mocking of God to come to God in an unknowne language That is the great delusion of our adversaries of Rome the great manner of cogging to delude the people to keepe them in ignorance from knowing the word of God and what they speake to God that as they believe by an implicite faith so they must pray by an implicite devotion that if the Priest that sets them the forme of prayer or if the Church should goe about to deceive them as they doe too too much they might set a forme of cursing as well as praying and how can they understand it and they must take it upon trust These are not intelligible words but I cannot proceed further SERMON III. Hosea 14.2 Take to you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously c. IT was well sayd by Saint Austin that Art perfects nature hee found the proofe thereof in himselfe for it had perfected him For minerals and vegetatives you all know that it is mechanick and inferiour Arts that perfect them Nature gives gold and Art purifies it nature gives Stones that are precious and Art makes them more precious nature gives simples and Art makes them confections And for man that is the most excellent of inferiour creatures they are the ingenious and the spirituall Arts that perfect man And every severall Art hath a kinde of speciall interest in some severall persons For memory they are the rules of method that perfect memory And the rules of invention perfect parts the rules of disputation perfect reason the rules of oratorie perfect speech and generally whether wee looke upon the bodie or whether we looke upon the soule if there be any thing in either that is defective art either restores or helpes it if there be any thing luxurious art pollisheth it if any thing disorderly art corrects it that the Philosopher had good reason to say Art perfects nature for he could doe nothing but by Art now if Art give such perfection to nature that is so lame in it selfe what perfection doe Christians draw from that that is the Art of all other Arts the art of Gods booke those heavenly rules of direction containd in the word of God there is no part of man but it perfects for it not only perfects but changeth it changeth our nature not only to some degree but to a totall and compleat estate It converts the soule it rejoyceth the heart it delights the eye for our actions it teacheth us to live for our thoughts it teacheth us to meditate for our speech it teacheth to discourse godly If there were no more Scriptures yet this one Text that I have read shewes the proofe of it It s the Prophets intendment by this Scripture to worke a change in the people of the Jewes to whom he preached to worke an alteration to a better knowing of this by experience that the word it corrects and reformes and there is in every part of it a severall reformation that may be wrought if the heart be hardened here this Scripture teacheth to humble them Turne to the Lord if the armes be infolded this Scripture teacheth to spread them if the lips be sowed up if the tongue stammer that we know not how to expresse our selves before the heavenly majestie this Scripture teacheth to open them Take with you words c. So that which was intended by him when he spake them first is the same that I intend when I handle them now The parts you know are two A rule of excitement and A rule of direction The rule of excitement to two duties one to the dutie of action Turne to the Lord of that I spake Another to the dutie of elocution and that is twofold There is an excitement to a generall dutie of prayer The manner of prayer Take with you words and go to God What words I shewed the last time the words of prayer of confession those are the words and what were the kinds of both and the necessitie of both so far I went Another is this particular forme Take words and say to him This part I am to goe on with And say to him That is and say thus unto him in hunc modum in haec verba after this manner in these words The Prophets intendment is to give them a help for their infirmities in the worke of prayer he pens a forme for them he sets this as an example and patterne of prayer whereby they should make their prayers a forme to use when they came before God He prevents an objection Take with you words and turne to the Lord. I faine wee would take words but where shall we get them what words are fit wee are ignorant we are not acquainted with the language that dutie hath been a stranger to us who will teach us and instruct us Wherewith shall wee come before the Lord what words shall we use when we come before him He prevents the objection in these words And say to him I will lend you words if ye be ignorant I will instruct you these are the words you shall use Like a good instructer he not only teacheth them the dutie that they are to doe but shewes them the manner of the performance he excites them to prayer and repentance and shews to

upper Room furnished there make ready IT was the course of our blessed Saviour in the Gospell upon some solemn occasions to send forth his Disciples as Noah did the Creatures into the Ark by pairs two and two Two Disciples he sent to loose the Colt that he rod on in Tryumph to Jerusalem Two Disciples he sent here for the preparing of the Passover when he meant to keep the last and most solemne And he did it upon speciall reason Partly for the honour of the imployment Partly for the comfort of the Messengers Partly for the expedition of the work The loosing of the Colt was a matter of hazzard and trouble the preparing of the Passover was a matter of paines and labour he sends them therefore two And he doth not send them at all adventure but he gives them a mark that was infallible for their better guidance they should meet a man bearing a Pitcher of water It is eyther my happinesse or unhappinesse Beloved that the imployment is the same and the assistance lesse The end of our Preaching is the loosing of the Colt and yet not the loosing but the breaking of Creatures that are more unruly And the end of this Sermon is a preparation but not of the Passover but of the Lords Supper a Sacrament more honourable in it selfe and more comfortable in the fruit therefore that which stands in need of a great many more Disciples The work is the same or the like you see the ability lesse I am to come to you to speak alone there is no Disciple to be my Assistant and I want that guidance too that those two Disciples had I should look long before I should spie a man with a Pitcher of Water It may be observed in Scripture that they were alwayes fortunate and successfull journeys that had such guidances Abrahams Servant when he went to choose a Wife for Isaac that was his happinesse that God guided him to meet Rebecka with a Pitcher of water Saul when he went to inquire for Samuel that was his happinesse he met a Woman that was about the same imployment and shee told him where the Prophet was Our blessed Saviour himselfe John 4. was sure of a Convert when he met the woman at the well It is that that I would faine doe but it will be long ere I shall find such a happy guidance If I could find but one man who had a Pitcher of water I would presently find out the Guest-Chamber It is not the Pitcher but the ●ountaine of water the Teares of repentance that are the preparative for that performance that was that which Christ sought that was that which the Disciples met with that is the thing I shall desire to find here for my guidance in the prosecution of this Scripture It must be mine to seek but yours to give wheresoever there is such a Pitcher of water in the eye there is the Guest-Chamber in the heart and where the Chamber is so furnished there Christ will come to feast to eat not the Passover not with his Disciples but with his Spirit in the faithfull soul not himselfe to eat but to give us to feed and that of his grace and of his goodnesse It is the intendment of this Scripture it is the intendment of my weak meditations at this time Wherein I shall fit you better to goe on if we look first a little what we have done already I told you this Scripture conteins in it these 3 things There is the person to whom they were sent described here in that he is not described Two things were observable in him The apellative name which is set downe The good man of the House And the proper name which is concealed The second it is the Message which they are to carry here these two Disciples when they are to prepare for the Passover In that there are three things The strength of their Commission The Master sayth There is the enquiry of the place Where is the Guest-Chamber There is the deputation of it to a peculiar end That I may eat the Passover with my Disciples Of the two first of these I have spoken already I shewed who this good man of the house was as far as it concernes us to know him What was the reason why this terme was set before the Commission The Master sayth not the Lord sayth not Jesus of Nazareth sayth It was the fittest name for Christ to give them it was the fittest for them to carry and the ●ittest for the good man of the house to receive I spake of the inquiry after the place Where is the Guest-Chamber How Christ had none of his owne he had no House nor Chamber to Lodg in not so much as to keep the Passover He had no house for civill no house for religious affairs Againe it shews his plenty that he that had none of his owne could Command all that was this mans that was not knowne to the Disciples nor knowne further to him then his divine nature found him out Thus far I went in the Fore-noone Now the third thing in the second generall is the deputation of this Guest-Chamber that they were thus to enquire after to a holy and religious purpose Where I shall eat the Passover with my Disciples In that you see these two things propounded to us There is the end to which it is deputed That I may eat the Passover And the condition of the Communicants With my Disciples The first it is the end for which it is deputed for the eating of the Passover It was one end but not the sole end it was not the chiefe end there was a greater end that Christ mentions not that was the celebration of that last Supper of his the first to him his last to us But he makes mention here onely of eating of the Passover because that onely was knowne both to the Disciples and to the Jews In that we may see that of the Apostle fulfilled it was accomplished here Love sayth he is the fullfilling of the Law Therefore love is the fullfilling of the Law because Christ is the fullfilling of the Law God is love and Christ is love and Christ is onely the fulfilling of the Law and the fullfiller of it We shall not neede to stand much upon that particuler to look to the reasons why Christ would condiscend to eat the Passover as he saith in the Gospell Then are the Children free He said it of Tribute it is true● of these solemnities that are religious then is the Lord himselfe free Christ was the substance of the Passover Christ was the Institutor of the Passover will he please to communicate It is true indeed in himselfe he was exempted and needed not doe it but he did it for these reasons First for the honouring of his owne Ordinance it was he that appointed that Sacrament by the dispensation of Moses to the Jews to the people of Israell therefore to shew that he was a

of his Divine Knowledge for it runs not thus aske if there be a Guest-Chamber but aske Where is the Guest-Chamber He knew there was one provided It runs not thus see if you can meet with one furnished or if you can induce and perswade him to fit a Roome but he will shew you a large upper Roome so and so furnished Christ knew it before That he had all knowledge as God all acknowledge there was never any so bold as to Question he had all knowledge incomprehensible as God created and uncreated whereby he knew the Divine nature as Thomas Aquinas sayth Abundanter and whereby he knew whatsoever is about the Creature in a super-eminent manner Not onely so but he had all knowledge as man by vertue of the hypostaticall union there is a communication from the Divine nature that there is nothing that is done or to be done in any part or age of the World but Christ knowes it It is the reason that Socrates in Xenophon presseth upon them in his time to draw them to apprehend the omniscience of God it may be much more pressed concerning the proofe of the omniscience of Christ dost thou think that the eye of man then which nothing is more fraile nothing more subject to miscarry the sight of it is so easily put out dost thou think the eye of man can passe can discover an object some Miles distant that it can look up so high as Heaven and shall we think that the eye of the all-seeing God doth not behold every thing at the same distance Is it so sayth he that the soule of man though it be in one place can think of those things that are done in the utmost parts of the World and at the same time can passe along from one Country to another from Athens to Sicilie and from thence to Aegypt and shall we not think that the eye of God the eye of him that made the eye shall not run through the World in a moment of time It is plaine and evident concerning Christ things that were distant he saw them as if they had been under his eye and things that were future as if they had been present Nathanael when he was under the Fig-Tree when Phillip called him Christ saw him he tells the Woman of Samaria whatsoever shee had done in her life and yet he never met with her before He tells these Disciples that they should meet with a man with a Pitcher of Water and withall what the good man should say to them Sayth St. Austin I doe not aske thee now what is it that thou doest or speakest but what thou thinkest that he knowes not Nay further I doe not aske thee what thou thinkest but what thou art about to think but he knowes it better then thy selfe He knowes what thou wilt think at the houres end he takes notice of things that are done privately in the House his eye pierced as far as the Chamber and Roome of this good man the Owner of the House he saw what they were doing the Servants rubbing and all making ready he discerned it He was not in Jerusalem now but in his passage yet he saw what was done in Jerusalem in the House Please thy selfe in thy secrecy when thou art about sin he observes all thy wayes and knowes thy thoughts long before Let the want on get into never so abstruse and dark a corner the eye of Christ the eye of Majesty will find him out he sees that very complexion that the Daughters of pride lay upon their faces not onely whatever good it is that thou delightest in but whatsoever evill thou committest it is all brought within the compasse of Christs eye Secondly as it is a proofe of his omniscience so it is a proofe also of his divine power in that he doth not onely see what is done but incline the good man of the House to yield to their motion Which way soever we looke on it we shall see a beame of Omnipotency for it must be one of these two wayes Either the Master of the House did provide the Roome on purpose for Christ or for himselfe or for some other If he provided it for Christ then his power was manifested that being absent he could encline the heart of a man that knew him not to make a Roome ready by the instinct of the Spirit We read of no Message that he sent before nay surely he sent none we read not of any word that passed before and yet as if there had been a contract between them he makes the Roome ready for Christ If you take it the other way that he made the Roome ready for himselfe and his owne Friends for the eating of the Passover there was a became of Christs power too that that which he had provided for himselfe by one word speaking by this short Message by the Disciples he diverted his purpose and that which he had provided for himselfe he gives it to Christ The greatest argument of Omnipotency is this to worke upon an object that is most resisting to work upon an object that no Creature can work upon besides and such an object there is none like the heart of man it is not in the Power of any Creature nay not of all to incline the heart of man but onely God and of all other things there is none but hath lesse resistance in it then the heart of man before it be sanctified And yet God by his Spirit he works even upon that to incline it and works sweetly as well as powerfully to make it pliable to his owne motions That was an argument therefore of the Omnipotency of Christ that at such a distance he could incline the heart of this man either to make ready a Room for him or to give that Roome that he had made ready for himselfe without any scruple or dispute at all He shewed hereby sayth Theophilact that he can even by a few infirme vanishing words uttered by his Disciples make and incline those to receive him that did not know him at all So it was that he wrought upon the heart of the Thiefe when he was upon the Crosse to make him confesse him so it was that he wrought at the same distance upon the heart of Mary Magdalen to make her humble her selfe and cast her selfe downe So it was that he wrought on Zacheus when he was in the Tree to behold him readily to give him entertainment So he wrought upon the Pro●igall to fetch him out of a far Countrey so he wrought upon Peter with a cast of his eye he looked on him It was not the cast of Christs eye but the power of his Spirit that Omnipotent Spirit of Christ that brought him to repentance to which nothing is able to be resistant That is the second thing it was a proofe of his Divine knowledge and of his power Further it was a proofe of his divine providence for that is the chiefe in that

he doth incline the heart of this man and order things of an inferiour nature to divine purposes Whether it were so that this good man the Master of the House had provided this Chamber for the Passover for his owne celebration whether it were a Roome already furnished to civill respects here it is that the providence of Christ appeares as God that even that which was for civill and ordinary respects he orders so as it shall serve for religious uses It is his providence that Governs the World that takes notice of all things and brings glory out of the least effect of what kind soever of what condition and note soever the creature and action be it is within the compasse of Gods providence and the providence of God so regulates it Let the Epieures and Atheists of the World dispute against it that it is a disparagement to God to know the least things Shall his providence goe so low as to number our hairs to take notice of the leaves of the Trees that fall We see not his end in it but God knowes it Nay in our selves we may see that it is no dishonour to God that these things fall within his providence how must not he take notice of that of which he cannot be ignorant but it is no disparagement A godly man can draw wise conclusions out of things of lesse note The falling of a Leafe from a Tree the going out of a ●ubble in the water there is nothing of lesse note then this yet a wise man will draw holy conclusions hence he sees the leafe of a Tree fall thinks he so must my life he sees the bubble breath out and sayth he so must my soule If a wise man take notice of these things to draw them to religious purposes Shall we not think that God can draw infinite conclusions from such meane things St. Austin in his Commentary upon the Psalmes he takes the ●pi●ures and reasons with them those that disputed against Gods providence as if it were a disparagement for God to take notice of inferiour things One Argument that they brought was what the reason was that it should raine on the Sea The Sea needs no Water there is the concourse of water they make the argument thus how this should come to passe that the Earth gapes for raine and gets it not and the Sea hath abundance of water and yet it raines upon it at the same time where is providence Poore Creatures sayth he that doe not consider the end of things Is there no end that God raines upon the Sea though men could not find it out but we may find it there are Fishes in the Sea for God to nourish living in the salt water how doe they leap and rejoyce at the sweet raine How doe they leap at the sweet water they can fetch it out of the salt Sea Then here is the reason sayth St. Austin it raines upon the Sea where there is water enough for the feeding of the Fishes it raines not upon the Earth where there is need of water for the punishment of man Another Argument they brought was this what was the reason that the lightening should strike the Mountaine and yet not strike the Robber that is at the foot of the Mountaine that is by the way that takes a Purse at the same time where is Gods Providence what is the Mountaine the better or the worse for the striking of the lightening If Gods providence were manifested he would strike the Thiefe the Mountaine hath done no evill See their vanity sayth he that will search into the depth of that providence Percutiuntur montes c. Therefore the Mountaines are smitten that doe not feare that men might feare that should have beene smitten Among your selves doe none of your Wives beat the ground when the Child cries to make the Child affrayd Ye your selves will beat the Earth that the Infant may be afraid and tremble and will you not suffer God to make lightening to fall upon the Mountaines to make men afraid that they may be warned Another Argument was this what was the reason that Gods judgements doe overtake and fall upon the heads of godly persons sometimes and doe not take the wicked where is providence Nay there Gods providence is seene in that that seems a judgement to us that falls upon the head of a righteous man God knowes him to be ready he takes away those that are fitted and it falls not upon the head of the impenitent God spares him that he may repent here is the Argument of Gods providence while we reason against it But see the iniquity of these men if they come into a Smiths Shop and see here the Anvill and there a Hammer and here the Trough and there the Fire they would not take upon them to dispute and aske the reason of the Anvile being here or the Trough there why Because they are unskillfull and ignorant and they would say within themselves the Smith knowes the reason of all these things though I doe not that am ignorant Look but on the iniquity of these men they will not find fault with the Smith in his Shop in the Mysteries of his Trade because they know them not yet so presumptuous are they as to call Gods providence in question that they are ignorant of It is just so in other questions that they propound what is the reason that God should take notice of inferiour things Nay all these inferiour things God can extend them to holy purposes What is of less moment then a Crow or a Raven Yet God by his providence feeds them and made them feed Elias What is of lesse value then a haire of ones head Yet even from them God drawes an argument of his providence the Haires of the head of the three Children were not singed in the Furnace What is of lesse moment then for a man to beare a Pitcher of water What is a Pitcher of water to Gods providence Yes God guided it to a good end to the Disciples shewing them hereby where they might eat the Passover What is of lesse notice then the rubbing of a Floore then the dressing up of a Chamber Christ by his providence saw this and ordered it at the same time for the place where he would keep the Passover and bring glory to God So though we see not the reason of these inferiour things God doth he can draw great conclusions out of meane things there is not the meanest Creature in the World but God takes notice of it But there is a difference and so I conclude the point Saith St. Ambrose we are not such flatterers of Gods providence as to think that it is equally communicated to all He regards other Creatures in generall but man in speciall God takes care even over the lowest Creatures of every Worme but it is for the governing of them He gives inferior Creatures no precepts Doth God take care for Oxen sayth the