lesse good to a greater good from the workes of our calling from the exercise of lesser things to an holie dutie Secondly repentance is a finall turning never to come back to sinne more it is alwayes a purpose to goe forwards to God and never to looke back to the point it is turned from Prayer is not a finall turning it is a temporarie turning wee leave secular workes to have recourse to God but when prayer is ended God allows and gives us leave to mannage the affaires of our calling so it be in a decent fashion it is not a finall turning yet both are turnings Prayer is a turning as Damscaene defines it Elevatio cordis ad deum a lifting up of the heart to God in that it is an elevation of the heart a turning of the heart wherein the devout soule flies above the thoughts and meditations of all earthly things and goes out of it selfe for the fruition and enjoyment of the comforts of Gods spirit that it may lay open its wants before God it is a turning of the heart and of the voyce and of every outward part of a man in prayer there the eye is turned by looking up the hands are turned by spreading before God the Knees are turned by bowing before his footestoole and the heart is turned by going out of it selfe Prayer leaves the world Transoendit mundum as St. Ambrose speakes it goes above the world above the Cloudes it rests not till it come to God prayer is a turning But more particularly repentance is a turning A Vniversall A Totall A Finall turning or change that is wrought in the mind in the actions of the bodie in the whole man Repentance workes a change in the whole man not in the substance of flesh as Ambrose speakes not a corporall visible change wrought in the substance of the soule or flesh or in the quantitie or dimensions of it Though repentance bring a change in that sometimes when it brings the bodie to meagernes and pyning but the change is wrought in the qualities of the mind and the actions of the bodie There is a perfect change First it is a generall universall turning In respect of the subject it workes a perfect change in every part a dark understanding before is turned to light a servile will is now turned to libertie rebellious affections are turned now to obedience a hard heart is turned to softnesse and meeknesse and so in the bodie the eye of wantonesse is turned to an eye of chastitie the uncircumcised eare is turned to an eare of obedience the rough hands as Esaus are turned to the hands of Jacob in every thing there is a change This is the first thing Wherin a true Christian differs from a formal a formal Christian is changed and turned but not universally in every part He turnes from some sin that he begins to loath by infirmitie of nature or because his purse will not hold out to maintaine it or the shame of the world cries him downe or for some sinister respects but he keepes his darling bosome sinne O his beloved sinne he will not part with He will heare in many things gladly and reforme as Herod he will take a half turne with Agrippa when Paul preached saith he almost almost he was wambling he could finde in his heart to turne but he was loath to leave his sinnes But it is otherwise with a true penitent as he turnes in earnest so he labours to make the change discernable in all parts he casts off all the raggs of old Adam he casts out all sinne he leaves not a horne or a hoofe behind Repentance is such a grace that it scrapes off all Leviathans skales It is a laver that washeth away all the Lepers spots it makes of an Aethiopian an Israelite it works not only a palpable but an universall change That is the first thing Secondly as it is universall in respect of the subject so it is total in respect of the act Repentance is such a turning as goes to the contrary point it is such a turning as keepes still a direct opposition And herein a true convert differs from a formall Christian the formall Christian he turnes side-wayes when he begins to have some detestation of sinne wrought in him he seemes to turne a little As a man that hath his back upon the North-point if he turne his back to the South he stands in direct opposition to that point he looked to before but if he turne his face to the East or West he may looke to the North or South at the same time he turnes but halfe but side wayes if he turne from the North to the East So a formall convert he turnes but he keepes a learing eye upon sinne he lookes to sinne and to God at the same time when he is in secret he lookes to sinne but when he is in company he lookes to God he lookes to Babylon and Jerusalem at the same time he will have his backe not upon the North but East or West that he may looke both wayes But a true Convert turnes point blank from the point he was in before to the contrarie because there is no communion between grace and sin there is no standing betweene them both Newtrall hovering hearts luke warme hearts that partake of both tempers such hearts God abhors more then cold prophane hearts The godly man will not doe so he knowes that grace and repentance stand in opposition and contrarietie and repugnancie with sin he gets cleare to the other point Sinne turns our backe upon God repentance sets our face to God sinne is a madnesse or distemper the phrensie of the soule repentance brings a man to his right minde it brings him to himselfe Sinne is an aberration from the marke so some words in Scripture signifie repentance on the contrarie it takes the point of the heart which is the arrow that we shoot up to Heaven in the sacrifice of Prayer and repentance and it turns it just upon the marke againe it sets it right to aime only at the glorie of God that wee may glorisie God in the latter part of our life as we have dishonoured him in the former repentance is a directing to the right marke Lastly Sinne is a deviation a turning out of the path of obedience and from the commandements repentance and so the word is here used is a turning to the right way a bringing of our feet to that path that God hath chalked to us Repentance as it is a generall turning in respect of the subject so it is totall in respect of the act That is the second thing Thirdly as it is totall in respect of the act so it is finall in respect of the time True repentance leaves sinne so as that it takes a long farewell it takes its great and last adieu of sinne it saith with the Spouse in the Canticles I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet
of the commandements as worship praise obedience adoration they are all performed in heaven by the Saints and Angels it is in heaven the commandements put them together since the commandement was in heaven David looks after it there he knew there was but an imperfect custody of it in earth It is that that we pray for daily thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven When we look to the commandements let us look to heaven there they are perfect Holy David when he stretched out his hands to the commandements he reached not forward but upward and since they were in heaven he directs his affection and the strength of his resolution thither there is the reason of the first word the verbe is set with an Emphasis elevabo I will lift up But there is another emphasis upon the other my hands take it figuratively my hands that is my heart the hand is put for the affections because they are the instruments whereby the heart and affections work love is seen in the hand as well as in other parts he might very well put them for the whole man My hands will I lift up that is my selfe my heart Or take it properly he therefore mentions his hands as the excitements or signe or testimony of lifting up his heart because the heart that works in the outward man Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh the eye seeth and the hand worketh to shew that his heart was lift up to Gods commandements he saiâ—h he will lift up his hands so here is now the summe it is nothing but thus much the expression of the welcome the great welcome and dutifull entertainment that he gives to the commandements of God he presents God to his heart here as publishing the commandements offering them as a gift and hee reacheth out his hand to accept and take them as Galen saith well the hand is not only the instrument of invention but of assumption we take all by the hand he would take it of God a great gift that hee would bestow his commandements God offers and David accepts the dutifull welcome that he gives to the commandements of God may be parallel'd Heb. 12. Lift up the feeble knees and the hands that hang down so make streight steps to your paths Take all those parts in a spirituall sense the soule hath hands and feete as well as the body the feet of the soule are the affections the hands of the soule is reason the same that is the eye is the hand Holy David pursues it in the same impression he rouzeth up himselfe and strengthneth himselfe to keep Gods commandements he quickens every part after in other parts of the Psalm he hath taken order for other parts Hee takes order for his eyes Open mine eyes and I shall see wonders in thy law He takes order for his feet I remembred my wayes and turned my feet to thy testimonies That hee might shew that there was a dedication of his whole selfe to God he passeth by the strength of no part he served him with all his soule with all his heart and with all his strength he gives God the strength of every part he sets down his hands not my eyes or my heart only it is not only the ordering of his feet affections but the strength of the whole man I will lift up my hands to thy commandements which I have loved here is the sum and pattern that David sets forth it is a good pattern for us to imitate and in what should we imitate him Immitate David in resolution the reason we come so short in piety is because we are not armed with resolution we goe weakly and carelesly about the work of God we doe the work of salvation that concerns our souls negligently nothing will keep the soule in a better temper and keep a man more out of the way of sinne then oft to fortifie and strengthen the heart with resolution and what resolutions shall wee take the same that David takes what is that I will lift up my hands how doth he lift up his hands to Gods commandements To lift up our hands to Gods commandements is to apply our selves to the keeping and exercise of them the hands are the instruments of action and exercise not but that it must be done by the heart and every part but therefore he refers it to the hand because action is the life of Christianity that to keep the commandements of God there must be action and the hands are the instruments of action Origen well we lift up our hands when we lift up the works of our hands to the commandements of God and when doe wee lift up the workes of our hands saith he when we walk worthy of God and live according to his prescripts and rules this is to lift up our hands to Gods commandements I but our hands are feeble our hands are weak as Moses were Exod. 17. We read that Moses hands were heavy he could not hold them up so it is with many of us when we would walke in the ways of Gods commandements our feet are dull and feeble when we would work the works of God our hands are feeble heavy hands in worse case then Moses his hands were heavy through corporall infirmitie ours through spirituall the palsie hand through the decay of faith the withered hand by the declining of love and the hands manacled and pinioned and clog'd with the lusts of the flesh and the enticements of sin how then shall we doe to lift up our hands we must say as David in another place pray to God to strengthen us I will run the wayes of thy commandements when thou hast set my heart at liberty I will labour to keepe thy commandements to lift up my hands when thou shalt release me and enlarge me I will wash my hands in innocency because our hands are clog'd with sinne we must wash them in innocency bring clean and pure hands they are the only hands we can lift up we must not come with hands defiled with sinne Here is the resolution of David when he speaks of his hands they are to be understood by way of Idea that is pure hands clean hands holy hands charitable hands these were the hands that he would hold up to God I have done with the first part of his resolution I will lift up my hands to thy commandements the other that is behind in the last words I will meditate in thy statutes This is his second resolution the second branch and it is partly the same in effect with the former but it is varied and otherwise expressed Here is another name given to the word of God then in the former part there it was the Commandements here it is the Statutes Statute is more then precept the second name hee gives not for variety but as a word that is more emphatical it serves better for the expression of his purpose The commandements of
is sadly recorded of Paul and Barnabas the contention was so sharpe betwixt them that they departed one from another Whose difference is thus moralized by some who observed Saint Paul a great Doctor a Controversall divine Saint Barnabas a good man and comfortable Preacher therefore called the Son of consolation that skill in Schoole-Divinity and practicall profitable preaching seldome agree in the same person But if ever they were reconciled to the height in any of our Nation it was in the worthy Author of these workes by which that thou mayest reap benefit is the hearty desire and prayer of Thy servant in Christ Jesus THO. FULLER The Peoples Happinesse A SERMON PREACHED IN St. MARIES IN CAMBRIDGE Upon Sunday the 27 of March being the day of His MAJESTIES happy Inauguration By RI. HOLDSVVORTH D. D. Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge Vicechancellour of the Universitie and one of His MAJESTIES Chaplains Printed by Roger Daniel Printer to the Vniversity of Cambridge Anno Dom. 1642. TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTIE CHARLES By the Grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland c. Most Gracious Sovereign I Had not adventured to bring these unpolished meditations into the publick light much lesse to have set them before the Sunne but that Your Majestie was pleased to becken them to Your self and to draw them as by Your own beams so under Your own shade into Your Royall Presence that being first animated with the gentlenesse of Your beams they might not be dazled with the splendour Neither is this the least of Your Princely excellencies Matth. 8.1 that You please as Christ in the Gospel to come down from the Mount for the more free accesse of Your people and know with Moses to put the vail of Goodnesse over the shinings of Majestie so that the meanest of Your subjects may be refresht with the light of Your countenance notwithstanding the lustre and draw livelihood from the splendour through the serenitie finding the medium of their happinesse as well as the object to be under God in Your Self It is not to be expected at this present that the irradiations of this light should be so vigorous in a cloudy Region we now see to our grief what a misery it is to have the Royall influence intercepted as of late it hath been and still is by those disastrous obstructions which at first had onely the appearance of Elia's cloud 1. Kings 18.44 like the hand of a man but are since grown to that vastnesse as they threaten to the whole Kingdome such ruine as our sinnes call for Yet in the midst of these sad distractions it is Your Majesties comfort that as their occasions are from below so their disposall is from above both for the exercise of Your Princely clemency and patience and for the triall of the sincerest loyaltie of Your subjects yea and religious hearts through all these clouds can discern and do with thankfulnesse acknowledge the saying of Solomon to be most true Prov. 16.15 In the light of the Kings countenance there is life the life of the whole State that it may happily rise to the former glory wherein it so long flourished the life of the Church that it may recover out of this sad languishing condition into which it is brought the life of the Universities that they may fruitfully spread forth their numerous branches to all parts of the Land Lastly the life of this small inconsiderable Tractate in as many degrees as Nature hath bestowed it upon man in that Your Majestie vouchsafed first to require a copie in writing then to command it to the Presse then to afford it Your Patronage whilest it presenteth to the world some little portion of that great happinesse which this eighteen years we have enjoyed under your blessed government I wish the Argument had had a better workman but what is defective in the Sermon shall be supplied by my prayers That the happinesse hereafter spoken of howsoever it be now eclips'd may again shine forth in full strength through Your Majesties great prudence whose Royall beams as they are powerfull for the fostering of piety so I hope they shall be powerfull also for the dispelling of all foggie vapours that may hazard either to prejudice the welfare of Your people or to pervert their alleigance Which as it hath been hitherto untainted to the envie of other Nations and honour of our own So that it may be alwayes inviolably preserved is the daily prayer of Your MAjESTIES humblest subject and servant Ri. Holdsworth PSALME 144.15 Happy is that people that is in such a case yea happy is that people whose God is the LORD THe Genius of this Scripture as it is very gracefull and pleasing in it self so it is also very suitable to the respects of this day on which we are met together It presents unto us what we all partake of if we be so well disposed as to see it Fâ—licitie or Happinesse And if a single happinesse be too little behold it is conveyed in two streams the silver stream and the golden It is reached forth as it were in both the hands of Providence There is the happinesse of the left hand which is Civill in the first clause of the words and the happinesse of the right which is Divine and Religious in the second Answerable to these are the two welcome aspects of this day the Civill aspect or reference which ariseth from the annuall revolution as it is Dies Principis a day of solemnitie for the honour of the King and the Religious aspect from the weekly revolution as it is Dies Dominica a day of devotion for the worship of God In these there is so evident a correspondence that I cannot but congratulate both the day to the text and the text to the day in regard of their mutuall complications For we have on the one side both clauses of the text in the day and on the other both references of the day in the text Happinesse is the language of all and that which addes to the contentment it is Happinesse with an Echo or ingemination Happy and Happy From this ingemination arise the parts of the text the same which are the parts both of the greater world and the lesse As the heaven and earth in the one and the body and the soul in the other so are the passages of this Scripture in the two veins of Happinesse We may range them as Isaac doth the two parts of his blessing Gen. 27. The vein of civill happinesse Gen. 27.28 in the fatnesse of the earth and the vein of Divine happinesse in the dew of heaven Or if you will have it out of the Gospel here 's Marthaes portion in the many things of the body Luke 10.41 42. and Maries better part in the Vnum necessarium of the soul To give it yet more concisely here 's the path of Prosperity in Outward comforts Happy is the people that is
needs understand it of the Church therefore as in an holy rapture and speaking of Gods government of it he saith Her foundations ye know whom I speake of So in another Psalme the Lord heare thee in the day of trouble one would have thought he had spoken of some body before the Lord hear thee thee afflicted poor soule whosoever In the day of trouble the Lord heare thee so This poore man I know some interpret it in reference to Christ therefore they make it a prophesie of Gods hearing of Christs prayer upon the crosse and in the garden some of the antients interpret it so but yet it runs more directly concerning righteous men according to the phrase of Scripture This poore man that is any poore man any righteous man it is as much as The righteous crie and the Lord hears them This psore man cried and the Lord heard him that is whosoever is in distresse and perplexitie if he seeke to God God will heare him and deliver him Wee see it by experience And we may see it by example too The examples are many in Scripture I will instance only in three that this hath alway been the course that the Saints of God nay that even wicked men have tooke in the time of calamitie and distresse to flie to the Throne of grrace and to turne to God by prayer Moses when God sayd he had a purpose to destroy the congregation of Israel and consume them in a moment presently he betakes himselfe to his knees and he speakes to God O Lord this people have committed a great sinne it was the course that David tooke too when he saw the Angel of the Lord with his sword drawn over Jerusalem readie to destroy it It is I that have sinned it was the course that Hezekiah tooke when he had a Message of death brought to him He turned to the wall saith the Text and said to God O Lord remember how I have walked before thee with a perfect heart he turned to the Wall that is he sequestred himself from earthly occasions that he might Turne to the Lord with more libertie of Spirit and largenesse of heart It was the course that Manasses tooke that filled Jerusalem with blood when he was in chaines and captivitie and affliction he turned to the Lord and called upon him and humbled himselfe greatly it was the course that the Prodigall tooke in the new Testament when he had not bread to eate he saith I will goe to my Father that is I will turne to my Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee we see it confirmed by example there cannot be more said To confirme it by reason for this is the most easie and the most equall and the most successefull and most possible course of diverting any ill wee are in or in danger of It is the most equall and reasonable course because God is the person that is provoked by us he is the Judge that sends the punishment it is his Law that is broken his name that is dishonoured to whom should wee goe but to him that wee have provoked by our sinnes It is not possible that the turning away of judgement should be by any other way Vaine is the helpe of man it is not in the Arme of flesh to save any one from that judgement that God sends There is no care no providence no foresight of man can divert judgement we must have recourse to God And it is the most successefull way of all other no man can instance in any example of any soule that ever turned to God by prayer in the time of distresse but if God saw it needfull in his wisedome to turne away plague or famine he turned it away Prayer is the most readie and the most equall way And Prayer is the most easie way can any man desire to have a blessing upon easier tearmes then to aske and have to turn to God and to have him turne to us to turn to God have his judgements turned from us that is the first Proposition there is no hope of turning away calamities over us but by turning to God by Prayer Secondly there is no hope of diverting judgements but by turning to God by repentance that is the second Turne to God by prayer and turne to God by repentance or else prayer will not serve without repentance If I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord wll not heare my prayer The prayer of sinners is oft times accepted but it is of penitent sinners but the prayer of sinne never the hands of the blasphemer and the eyes of the Adulterer that looke to Heaven God lookes with indignation upon such hands and eyes and hearts we must purge our hearts from wickednesse if we will turne to God These two cannot stand together God and sinne as on the other side pardon and impenitencie cannot stand together because pardon belongs to repentance so sinne and repentance cannot stand together the one takes away the other sinne removes repentance and repentance removes sinne sinne makes a seperation betweene God and us repentance knits us againe the one destroyes the other sinne makes God turne from the purpose of of mercie Your sinnes have withheld good things from you this I did to you and would have done more but for your transgressions sin makes God turn from the purpose of mercie on the other side repentance makes God turn from the purpose of judgement Lastly Sinne never meets with pardon that is impenitencie though sinne meet with pardon impenitencie doth not it sets a man further from God then sinne when its first committed It is worse to goe on in sinne then to commit it But repentance alway hath pardon First repentance never misseth of forgivenesse if we turne to God he is alway readie to turne to us See in that place of the Psalme The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him to those that are of a broken heart and he saves them that be of a contrite Spirt Yet plainer in 2. Chron. 3. If ye will turne to the Lord the Lord will not turne his face from you yet againe Amos 5. Hate the evill and seeke the good it may be the Lord will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph that is peradventure he will Some may say here is some hope some comfort but here is no assurance there is no assurance in this place The Lord is nigh he may be nigh he is nigh to all he may be nigh to me but yet it may be he will not turne to me in mercie it may be he may be too neare me as when he sends judgements what comfort have I by that promise the Lord is nigh I have lesse comfort by that It may be he will turne Is salvation promised with it may be It may be God will be gratious There is but little comfort in that Turne from your evill wayes and God will not turne away his face He hath turned
think before hand Thirdly He shewes what kinde of words the humble soule brings before God in prayer These three things I will breifly touch First The necessity of vocall prayer Take to you words Thinke it not enough to turne your hearts to God It is true importunity of affection moves God more then importunity of speech for he looks to the heart and reines and requires truth in the inward parts But though the heart be principall in the sacrifice yet it is not the sole agent All prayer is not included in conceived prayer God will have honour of the lips as well as of the heart he did not make man all soule and spirit as he made him part body and part soule so he will have honour of both Honour him in the heart that is the cheife else the other will not prevaile when we draw neere him with our lips if our hearts be farr from him But the heart is not the onely thing though it be the cheife get words to your selves get a good expression For this purpose God hath given man the use of speech not onely that he should converse with Men but wiâ—h God he converseth with men by intercourse of speech with God by prayer Prayer is the language of the heart God is delighted with that God is delighted with the language of prayer or else hee would not have set us so many formes in Scripture and all those dictates God could worke grace in the heart without Preaching but he useth outward meanes because men have bodies and soules and God can accept the prayer of the heart but God will have both parts Seek to God with the inward man and with the outward man David calls his tongue his glory for that end for the tongue is the interpreter of the heart the tongue is the Secretary of the minde it is that Ambassador that every poor contrite soule sends to God Those words that flye to Heaven and passe the Clouds are delivered and dictated by the tongue Therefore it is that God hath made some part of the body the interpreter to all the duties of piety Mourning is one part of repentance the interpreter of that affection of sorrow is the eye if the heart mourne the eye will weep Humiliation and dejection of spirit the casting downe of the soule that is another grace within and there is another interpreter without the knee is the interpreter of that grace if the heart be cast downe the body will the knee will bow Charity is another grace of the heart within the interpreter without is the hand if the heart be inlarged to wish well the hand will be inlarged to give to the poore And if the heart be inlarged with devotion the hands will spread the hand and eye move as the heart dictates and the knees bow as the heart dictates every part of the body is the interpreter of the soule Lastly Prayer it is a grace of the heart but it hath an interpreter without the tongue is the interpreter it is the Angell or Messenger of the understanding Clemens Alexandrinus calls it the Trumpet of the soule The tongue it is not onely the interpreter but the sollicitor The tongue is the sollicitor that the heart sends to Heaven God requires not the prayer of the lips because he cannot heare the prayer of the heart God forbid we should think so he knowes our thoughts before they are A mans silence is a cry to God he heard Moses when hee said nothing he heares the silence of prayer as well as the voice Tertullian well expresseth it he is not onely the beholder of the heart but the hearer of the heart The heart hath its language and every part of the body hath its language the eyes language is weeping and the hands language is lifting up and the knees language it is bowing and all comes from the language of the heart God understands the language of each part if the heart speake though the tongue be silent he understands that When a man lyes upon his death-bed and his speech is gone the hands are lifted up God heares that A man may pray with his eyes with his hands with his knees but he must not confine his prayer to these he may pray with his heart but hee must not confine prayer to the heart God will not onely have us say we pray within we pray to God and we wish well and never consider that God is over our heads we send up ejaculations but take to you words where is the witnesse of your mentall prayer Take to you words The point is this I will but name it Vocall Prayer is a great helpe to the ejaculations of the minde It hath great advantage in publike and in private prayer In publike prayer it is simply necessary there cannot be a combination of affections except there be vocall prayer we cannot read the language of the heart one of another There cannot be union of affections except there be one voice for all Nothing commends prayer more to God then unity if it be the prayer of unity the harmony of prayer cannot be preserved in a Congregation without vocall prayer except it be expressed by words and formes they are necessary that I shall shew after There must be vocall prayer used that the Congregation may be joyned together Therefore we pray in the last prayer We make our common supplications I take occasion because people take occasion to mistake it is not common because they are ordinary supplications but thus common supplications that concerne us all It is needfull also in private prayer it hath these three advantages First Prayer of the tongue it makes prayer a perfect burnt Sacrifice when the tongue joynes in words Prayer is a dart zeale points it and words feather it when it is poynted by zeale and feathered by words it flyes home when the inward and the outward man agree together when the strings of the heart and the language of the tongue speake one thing then there is a perfect Sacrifice offered to God Pray to him with the heart and with the lips Secondly The language of prayer is needfull to be exprest by the lips because words are as bellows to the affections they are a meanes to kindle good affections Words restraine affections that they shall not rove they confine the affections to holy and heavenly desires they not onely confine but as I sayd they kindle affections They are as bellows Prayer is as Incense zeale puts to the fire in prayer and words are the bellows that blow it up to make it flame they make this Incense not onely sume but flame If words be wanting prayer will coole of it selfe it is impossible that a man should continue and persevere in prayer except he use words because the affections will rove The heart is able to expresse pious ejaculations but to persevere in prayer without consining to formed words or where there is a habite of prayer without
words it is impossible to continue Thirdly It is the meanes to glorifie God more In prayer we glorifie God in body and soule It is not enough that we glorifie God within we may doe it within but who knowes it Then it is onely to our selves but when it is with the lips we doe it to others Even the Saints in Heaven use language in the glorifying of God they sing to the glory of God Halelujah that song of praise to God and expresse it by words because there may be a common participation that they may make an eccho Therefore David though he were a man that had a mentall gift of prayer yet he confined not himselfe to it I called to God with my voice and he heard my prayer I will sing of thy kindnesse for ever and with my mouth I will declare it Marke I will sing of it and declare it with my mouth and call to God with my voyce Therefore because there is a necessity of Vocall prayer to glorifie God that is the first reason the Prophet saith Take words that is the first duty Secondly He shewes the necessity of preparation It is not onely use words the Heathen that thinke to be heard for much babling they use words but they take not words What is that To study to single and cull out words before to cast about where to get words Looke into the closet of your heart and see what things you want see what acceptable formes the Saints used then come and humble your selves before God but take to you words The necessity of preparation in the duty of prayer is briefely layd downe by Solomon in Eccles 5. Be not rash to utter a thing before God for he is in Heaven That is Rush not upon prayer goe not into Gods presence before thou be fitted there must be holy preparation not onely before publike but private prayer Beloved we come to pray and the reason why our petitions are denyed is because our hearts rove He will never come into Gods presence with reverence one day that prepares not somewhat the day before that sets not worldly things aside the day before As in publike so in private prayer prepare before you come to Church and after How ever some would scare Christians out of piety they shall not scare Christians from their duty They say it is superstition for a man to humble himselfe before God when hee comes to the Church and Congregation they say hee must joyne with the Congregation there must not be a sequestration though it be never so short to fit himselfe It is true a man humbles and prepares himselfe before but now he comes to the performance of it I humble my selfe before but now I come to the performance give me such a heart as I may joyne with thy Servants to confesse our sins and to make knowne our wants And this must be superstition in their interpretation because we doe not joyne with the Congregation They make no conscience of it if they did they would not keepe their owne posture at the Creed they to sit and others stand I will be bold to say it is fancie The hearts of Christians must not be troubled whereby there comes a great deale of offence they run out of the Church if a Minister humble himselfe before God in the Pulpit what they please must be superstition No when we come before God there must be preparation David prayed before he prayed Let the lifting up of my hands be as Incense Micah studyed before he prayed Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and make my supplication What gesture shall I use and what preparation shall I make So should every good Christian and the reason is good prayer is weighty the tongue is slippery and the affections roving a man had need to hedge in his heart with all preparation If a man speak to men as I come to speak to you yet I dare not come without due preparation and yet I speak to men as my selfe much more when a man comes before God If a man when he speaks to men labours to shun Shelves and Solicismes of speech and to ingratiate his person and presse it home upon the hearts of his hearers how much more when he speaks before God that reads the language of the heart who is a God that heares prayer to whose presence all flesh comes Moses when he was to speak to Pharaoh durst not goe because he wanted words and was a man of flow speech and so Jeremie yet they were but to speake to men If any man say there was a necessitie because they went on Gods errand that was not the reason looke back to humane oratours Demosthenes Tullie see what preparation they made to speak before humane auditorie yet they would correct their errours and set every word in due place they would get words pick up phrases if any tittle of pronunciation were more advangious then other they would get that meerely to prevaile in civill causes for men how much more when we come to God in prayer and not only be orators but petitioners and for the best of his mercies for grace the richest jewell in all his Store-house and God that searcheth the heart and sees if the heart and Spirit be answerable to the tongue and hand a man had need to be prepared before-hand Therefore Abraham a man that had heavenly acquaintance with God he fitted himselfe before he would come in prayer see how many prefaces he useth six times he prayes and every prayer hath a preface Let not my Lord be angrie and I will speake Behold I have taken upon me to speake that am but dust and ashes He useth those holie prefaces to ingratiate himselfe with God knowing how great an honour it is for God to vouchsafe a mortall creature to speake to him so will we if we consider the greatnesse of Gods majestie we will pray that we may pray search and examine and see what blessings God hath bestowed and then we shall know what to give thankes for see what evill we have committed and then wee shall know what to mourne for see what judgements and temptations God hath removed and then wee shall know how to blesse him what sinnes we are prone to that wee may know what to pray against and see what temporall things wee need and then we may know what to beg this the Prophet would have Take words studie words before you come take not perfunctorie words use not such as come first to hand deale not so boldly and familiarly with the glorious presence of God speake to God as if you did speake to men nay as if you were to speake before the judge of all men Lastly here he gives a direction what words to use in prayer The language of prayer is of a great extent looke how many our wants are so many severall formes and dialects our prayer hath and looke how various mens hearts are so various is prayer but for
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
were not able to learne it he joynes these that we might learne to joyne them in our Prayers They are the things that God joynes therefore he joines them They are the things that the promises of God joyne therefore he joynes them They are the things that other Saints joyned therefore he joynes them God when he speakes of himselfe he joynes these The Lord the Lord gracious and mercifull pardoning iniquity c. They goe together in God can a man make a better prayer to God or more perfect then that that is taken from those Attributes and termes that are most emynent in God The Spirit of God joynes these together in God we may well joyne them in Prayer As Cyprian saith of the Lords Prayer it is good to come to the Lord in his owne words though there be no vertue in the words without the Spirit God will accept the words of his owne Son when we come in the name and words of Christ So here it is the Spirit of God that commenceth and makes our Suites it is the Spirit of God that frames our Bill that Dictates our Prayers He is the Counsellor of the Father he knowes what the Father will grant Shall we neglect to make such Prayers as the Spirit dictates Can you have sayth St. Austin a better to Coppy your Prayers then the Spirit of God Then here the Spirit of God joynes the grace and mercy of God we must joine them in our Prayers God will acknowledge the words of his Holy Spirit if we come to Christ in his owne words As they are the words that God joynes so they are the words that are joyned in the Promise I will be mercifull to their Transgressions and I will pardon their Sins In many of the Promises of God these two still meet Prayer builds upon a Promise when Prayer gets a promise it builds it goes up to Heaven upon promises there is the Ladder of promises It is impossible Prayer should miscarry that takes the direction of the promise God hath promised to pardon therefore prayer sues for it God hath promised to be gracious therefore prayer begs it These two are joyned in the promise therefore they should in our Prayers Thirdly they are the two that the Saints joyne God be mercifull to us and blesse us and be mercifull unto us he delights to put these two God be mercifull and mercifull God take away our sins and receive us graciously be mercifull in pardoning and be mercifull in powring out and diffusing the light of thy Countenance O! when the Saints set before us the Patterns of such Prayers it is comfortable to us such Patterns as they sped with when they were in our condition It is a great incouragement and comfort and assurance to a Christian when I come with the Prayer of David of the Prophets and Apostles O! It is a comfort when a soule can enlarge it selfe in those Heavenly words that the Spirit of God wrought in the hearts of the Saints in former times For this very purpose the Prophet records this Prayer that they might learne it then and we treasure it up now for it is full of the Jewells of Heavenly grace That shall serve to have spoken of that Take away iniquity and receive us graciously the reason why he adds this clause to the other There is one thing behind the Order but that I must reserve for another time SERMON V. Hosea 14.2 Take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously So will we render thee the Calves of our lips GOOD and evill are the two bounds that are set to all obedience That they are the hounds of obedience the Prophet David shews in Psa 37. where he reduceth all the duty of man to those two heads in shunning of evill and following that that is good Eschew evill and doe good and dwell for ever That they are the bounds of the grace of repentance the Prophet Ezekiell shews us Chap. 38. Cast away from you all your Transgressions make you a new heart and a new Spirit As the Apostle Paul Ephes 4. Put of the old man with the deeds thereof and be renewed in the spirit of your mind That they are the bounds of Prayer our blessed Saviour shews in those two parts Pray that you enter not into temptation there is the one Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof there is the other part Lastly that they are the bounds of the duty of thankfullnesse the Psalmist shewes againe in Psal 103. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name that forgiveth all thine iniquities that Crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindenesse All the Saints of God they well know this that piety is excercised about these two these two are the hinges upon which the Door of piety turnes both backward and forward upon these it is that obedience turnes in the shunning of evill and pursuing of good upon these it is that Prayer turnes in deprecating evill and petitioning for good Lastly upon these two the worke of thankfullnesse turnes too in giving God praise for the diverting of evill and for the effusion of good And according to these limits we may see all these duties plainly set out in the text by the severall bounds of them Here is the worke of Repentance with the bounds thereof in that clause Turne to the Lord to set out to us as I shewed before both the terme from which we must turne the aversion of ill and the terme of happinesse to which we must turne that is the conversion to that that is good Put away your sins from you turne from them and then turne to the Lord. There are the bounds of repentance For the duty of Prayer with the bounds of that we have it in the next words Take away all iniquity there is the deprecation of that that is evill and receive us graciously there is the Petition we make for that that is good Lastly for the duty of thankfulnesse we have that in the last words with the bounds thereof So will we render If thou wilt take away sin we will render the prayse of that work and if thou wilt shew us thy Salvation we will render the praise of that worke Of the first of these we spake already and of the last I am to speake afterward and in the second I am conversant at this time The forme of Prayer the Prophet sets to the people according to the bounds of it in which I considered before these two parts There are the parts of the Prayer and the order of the parts The parts of the Prayer in those two First for the removall of sin Take away all iniquity I shewed you the reasons why he directs his prayer against sin why he would have them direct it against all sin why he Prayes against sin for the taking of it away The 2. part of the prayer is for the powring down of the grace they stood in
the truth of his grace if it beget indignation against sin that he prayes against that first that he find sin more burthen then punishment and grace more sweet then all temporalls in the World For even wicked men will goe so far as to cry out of judgement then Ahab will humble himselfe O but a godly man a beleiving soule cries out of sin My punishment is greater then I can beare that was the voyce of Caine. My sin is greater then I can beare Mine iniquities are gone over my head and are as a heavy burthen that was the voice of holy David It is true it is lawfull and God allowes us to pray against temporall punishments and judgements but we must keepe the due order It is a preposterous course to pray against that first before we pray for the pardon and removing of sin because sin is the cause of punishment He that would have judgement removed must strike at the Roote the roote is sin from that bitter roote it is that punishment springs cut up the roote and the Tree will not stand long If the wound be once healed the Plaister of punishment will fall off of it selfe If sin be taken away by repentance and turning to the Lord then there is no such Antidote against the plague as the pardon of sin then whatsoever the punishment is it will drop off of it selfe It is not onely preposterous but sacrilegious to observe that method when we pray more for the removall of temporall judgements then for pardon of sin it is a signe that we love our selves and feare for our selves and not God because we hate the punishment that is displeasing to us more then sinne that is displeasing to God If we rest on God for the pardon of sin our affections will be suitable to hate that most that God hates that is sin and if we hate it we need not be intreated in the first place to pray for the removall of it Yet many of us are so sensible of these outward things that we continue in a preposterous course we more feare the shaddow of judgement then the body of sin the name of punishment is more terrible a great deale to us then the commission of sin We tremble if we doe but heare the report of one judgement yet we are not afraid to goe on in a multitude of sins Like distempered Patients that hate their Physick and love their Disease we love the Disease of sin yet we hate that Physick that God sends to cure us Beloved we have not so learned Christ if the stamp of Christ be set on our hearts here a Christian bends his forces Piety keeps due order devotion will in all the Prayers it makes There is no affection no word no ejaculation that a godly man would willingly have out of order he looks to all within him he will not have his joy out of order to bestow his joy first upon the World and then upon God nor his sorrow out of order to bestow it first upon temporall callamities and then upon sin nor his feare out of order first on judgements and then on God No but he sets all his affections right First he feares God and the first fruits of his sorrow he bestowes on sin It is true now indeed we begin to be sencible of the hand of judgement that presseth us O let us remember that there is a greater burthen lies upon us that must be removed The Arrows of sin are more sharp then the Arrow of the Pestilence and if we pull off the head of the Arrow of sin the other shall be put up in the Quiver It is true now the Arrow is pointed neare us God hath his marke and as those that are skillfull in that kind they shoot sometimes nearer sometimes further as Jonathan shot when he gave warning to David so God shoots to give us warning he comes nearer in the Mark he propounds he moves neere by Parishes and by Streets and then nearer by Houses Punishment is neare but sin is nearer we carry it about us we must make sin far off before punishment that is the order the Prophet teacheth them to keepe First to Pray for the removall of sin and then of punishment So I have done with the Petition Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously The parts and the Order of the parts I now come to the last part that is the promissory part of the Text. So will we give thee the Calves of our Lips In the former part the Prophet excites them to get Lips and here to give lips there it is Take to you words here powre out your words So we will give the Calves of our Lips There are 3. things I will observe in it First the duty the Prophet excites them to here that they make this vow and promise of to God it is the duty of praise and thankfullnesse So will we give thee the Calves of our lips That is so will we blesse thee and magnifie thy name and sing to thy glory we will speake of thy praise all the day long Secondly the metaphor under which this duty is conveyed We will give thee the Calves of our lips why he useth that phrase Thirdly the connexion and coherence with the former So will we give thee A man would thinke it were an ill condition and a duty that were misplaced would they not give the Calves of their Lips to God except he would take away their iniquity and remove his judgements The first thing which I will onely speake of now is this to find out what is the duty that is plaine of it selfe to which he excites them in these words So I will read it thus in the litterall sence Take away iniquity so we will blesse and prayse thee So there are six things the Prophet would put them in mind of by adding this clause Two things in generall And foure in perticular all concerning thankfullnesse The two things in generall he puts them in mind of are these De vovendo of making a vow and promise to God We will give thee And De solvendo of paying that vow he labours to bring them not onely to an acknowledgement of thankfullnesse as due but to a holy engagement that they will certainly render praise for this mercy Resolution it is one worke that advanceth every duty every civill duty much more duties that are spirituall There is no work that a man goes on chearfully in except he prepare and fit himselfe by resolution Therefore it is that many Saints of God in Scripture took this course to bind themselves by vowes to obedience though there be bonds already lie at our doore the bond of obedience yet when we vow as David did to walk holily before God this adds another vow He that without vows transgresseth the Commandements of God breaks Gods word but he that transgresseth in a vow breaks Gods word and his owne too The word that God hath given and the
the Hypocrite the glory is short it is but for a moment it is but a shaddow in the best interpretation it is substantiall solid glory and honour in Heaven That you may see it is substantiall it is called a crowne as if it were massie and ponderous it is massie substantiall glory That you may see it is massie and substantiall what a word doth the Apostle use The weight of glory the exceeding eternall weight of glory It is a Crowne that is one Secondly the Crowne of life Honor maximus c. It is the greatest honour there is nothing higher in the estimation and in the admiration of men then a crowne it is the highest appendant of Majesty Kings are supreme those that are Gods Deputies onely accountable to God and next to God The glory of a King is so great that men have hardly eyes that are great enough but they are dazelled to look on them Yet the Kingdomes of the World and the glory of them are but dark and powerlesse in respect of the Crownes of Heaven There is no Crowne this World but hath a crosse upon it there are Thornes in every Crowne cares goe along with the Crowne all is not pure glory they watch and are troubled in the government of them that are committed to their charge But these are Crownes of glory and honour of Kings without disturbance There may be crosses here in tribulations but tribulation ends all here how Sweetly in a Crowne all the Saints of God are Kings there is a Kingdome prepared for you and they are not Kings without the glory of Kings here is the Crowne added to the Kingdome The Crowne of a King it is the highest honour Thirdly a Crowne is the honour of those that strive those that are put into the lists Crownes were the rewards alwaies of Conquerours as St. Gregory saith very well the Crowne is the reward of victory It is true all the Saints have the Crowne promised but above all those that endure Tribulation have the promise of it more properly because they are brought to the strife to the fight of faith It is drawne from the custome of the Heathens they in all their Olympicks the great Spectacles they made in the view of all the world still there were cups and garments and Crownes that were the rewards of the Conquerours And yet so poor they were that if a Horse did but run a race and won he had a crowne or a cup. And thereupon Theocritus sayth see what poore things the World glories in that bruit Beasts are taken with their Conquerours are Crowned so are their Horses But see what Crownes these are not Crownes of Ivie and Lawrell but made out of the Tree of life not a cup of Gold but of Salvation It is the wreath of Lawrell that never withers the Crowne that never fades the Crowne of life The Apostle might have as easily exprest it said for when he is tried he shall reap Heaven he shal be taken into heaven here had been a round proper expression No it is not so proper because he had mentioned tribulation before he suits it with a word answerable therefore having spoken of Strivers he adds the reward blessed are they that endure tribulation they shall have the Crowne Fourthly the Crowne of life is an honour a lasting honour for the Crowne of life is as much as a Living Crowne Who ever saw a living Crowne They be in Heaven living Crownes that is lasting Crownes that shall not be set upon the head but the heart Crownes are for the head in the World it is the highest place and therefore being the highest place is most conspicuous But the Crowne of life it is set on the heart the seat of life What is that Crowne that is not set on the head but on the Soul and on the whole man O her Crownes are but Ornaments for the head this for all the body it shall be all Crownes whatsoever is upon the body glorified or the soul it shall be all glorious it shall be all glory and glory and bliss is but the Crowne The same that the beatitude is that is the Crowne but as it is here it is a living Crowne It is true in Revel 4. St. John tells us that upon the Elders heads he saw Crownes of Gold One speciall reason is because Gold is a thing all desire and long after he meets with men in their owne desires because every man desires Gold and Crownes he tells us where we shall have Gold and Crownes both but it is in Heaven But on the other side least we should think that he spake properly and that there were any thing in Heaven so poore and so base as Gold that which he there calls Crownes of Gold he calls in Chap. 2. the Crowne of life I that is spirituall to let us see that they are Crownes of Gold but in a spirituall manner for the same that is the Crowne of immortality the Crowne of Starrs the Crowne of righteousnesse is the Crowne of life In this that it is said to be the Crowne of life it hath not the lustre of one Crowne but the glory of all Starrs and righteousnesse and immortality all are in the Crowne of life you see now what a rise here is these are the rises when God raiseth Who is more on the Dunghill then an afflicted Creature What a rise is here for dust and ashes to be raised to the glory of Heaven For a man in tribulation to be raised to the state of a King the glory of a Crowne As the Apostles and Disciples sayd Did not our hearts burne Doe not your hearts leape to think of a Crowne How impossible is it for any man that is ambitious to reach honour of less matters then a Crowne but it is for those that it belongs to and that God hath appointed And yet how easily may we attain a Crowne that is more glorious in Heaven Is not this a great excitement and encouragement for men patiently to suffer tribulation Admit the tribulation be sharp here is that that will allay it the tribulation is sharp but the crowne is glorious Feare not though the tribulation be bitter Dum passio c. as Gregory sayth well while the tribulation is sifting and winnowing the Crowne is preparing and God is sending There is nothing that is excellent but it comes with difficulty if then we be content to take things that are excellent in this World with labour and paines and cost and difficulty shall we not bestow a little paines to goe through difficulty for Heaven It is but small straits that we are to goe through for Heaven it is but a little tribulation that is prepared before it be sent and fitted when it is sent if it be sharp the Crowne is glorious In the second place admit the afflictions be many as they be sharp as the sufferings are many so the rewards and Crowns are many Every perticular suffering
that I love thee Or as Hezekiah in his holy Devotion Remember Lord how I have served thee with a perfect heart So David here here were the interchangable conferences betweene Davids soul and his Maker and here is one of those great expressions that he makes to him the first and principall testification I have loved thy Commandements In the second place it was not an arrogant expression he doth it not as thinking highly of his graces not esteeming himselfe better then other me◠〈◊〉 he had got the flight before them as the Pharisee in the Gospell Lord I thank thee that I am not as other men It is true he knew how to make his Boast of God My soul shall make her boast of God That is a holy arrogance to make our boast and triumph of God but onely it was for the inlargment of his affections to set us an example to draw others after him by his holy example it was not Ostâ—â—tation but a humble acknowledgement made to God not all penitentiall Penitentiall acknowledgements alwayes come in another forme I have not loved thy Commandements but there is an acknowledgement of thankfulnesse as well as of repentance The acknowledgement of repentance is Lord I have broken thy Commandements Repentance takes shame to it selfe The acknowledgement of thankfullnesse is Lord I have endeavoured to keep them Thankfullnesse gives the glory to God of his owne graces repentance cries I have broken them altogether thankfullnesse cries I have laboured to keep them in part though my practise have failed yet my heart is toward them I have loved thy Commandements it is a modest expression of his love to God in loving his Commandements To take it in briefe it is set downe here in a double advantage One advantage is in the Emphasis I have loved thy Commandements by Commandements he understands the word of God yet it is more powerfull then so it is not I have loved thy word but I have loved that part of thy word that is thy Commandements the mandatory part There are some parts of the will word of God that even ungodly men will be content to love there is the promisory part all men gather and catch at the promises and shew love to these The reason is clear there is pleasure and profit and gaine and advantage in the promises but a pious soul doth not onely looke to the promises but to the Commands the mandatory part as well as the promissory Piety looks on Christ as a Lawgiver as well as a Saviour and not onely on him as a Mediatour but as a Lord and Master it doth not onely live by faith but it liveth by rule it makes indeed the promises the stay and staffe of a Christians life but it makes the Commandements of God the levell A pious heart knowes in every promise there is some implicite command in the qualification and condition of every promise there is an implicite Command conteyned it knowes that for the fullfilling of the promises they belong to God but the fullfilling of the Commands they belong to us therefore it looks so upon the enjoying of that that is promised that it first will doe that that is commanded there is no hope of attaining comfort in the promise but in keeping of the precept therefore he pitcheth the Emphasis I have loved thy word that is true and all thy word and this part the mandatory part I have loved thy Commandements here is love to God to love God when he Commands that is the first advantage Then the other is in the notation of the number thy Commandements it is plurall that is all thy Commandements without exception otherwise even ungodly men will be content to love some Commands if they may choose them to themselves There is no man that is set so much upon the breaking of one but it may be he hath something in him whereby he can incline to love some other if it touch not his bosome his darling sin Herod himselfe heard John in many things gladly it is the ordinary practise of Hypocrites I and of Prophane men too they divide the Tables betweene them if they adhere to the first Table as Hypocrites it is with neglect of the second if they adhere to the second as prophane men it is with contempt of the first it is not so with true piety piety gives not obedience out of humour but out of duty it doth not obey out of choyse but it obeys out of obligation It is true of obedience what Divines very well observe of faith and it is an excellent rule faith never singles out his object but layes hold of any object if there be any truth to be beleived and assented to faith doth not chose this or that truth I will beleive this truth and not the other if it be a case of exigence where â—aith hath to doe it doth not say I will trust God in this case but not in ano her it chooseth not its object it knowes that he is all powerfull to deliver out of all dangers it knows that he is all true as faith doth not choose its object so true obedience singles not out its command it chooseth not his commands I will serve God in this Command and not in the other that is not to serve God but our selves it looks equally upon every command Epictetus I am sorry almost that it was his yet it is a shame to us that it was his it is impossible almost to come out of the mouth of any but a Christian If it be thy will O Lord Command me what thou wilt send me whither thou wilt I will not withdraw my selfe from any thing that seemâ— good to thee Epictetus was a Heathen but we may match him and exceed him by paralel places that dropped out of the mouths of Saints David I have respect to all thy Commandements Cornelius We are present before God to heare whatsoever shall be Commanded us of God Non eligit mandata he doth not pick and choose So here if a man would attaine to this ability to set himselfe to the generall obedience of all Gods Commandements he must get the love of all Nothing will so tnable a man to keep them as love love makes every weight as I told you the last day light sayth Austin love never finds difficulties the reason why men object difficulties is because they love not therefore if a command please them it is Bonus sermo it is a good saying they are willing to imbrace it if it be contrary to their custome and naturall inclination Durus sermo it is a hard saying who can beare it there is a Lyon in the way an Adder in the Path because they love not Love facilitates obedience obedience will never goe through the Commandements except it be rooted and grounded in love we may well say love enables to keep them for it doth keepe them it is the keeping of all he that loves all keeps all David
understand it better St. Paul sometimes calls it a growing up to strength Rom. 15. Somtimes a growing to full age Collos 2. Sometimes a growing up to a perfect man You may please to take notice for the better understanding of it in every place St. Paul speaks of a double man the outward man and the inward man the inward man is the same in Pauls language that the hidden man of the heart is in Peters the Soul the inner man There is not onely two parts the Philosophers could goe no further they made two essentiall parts the Scripture inlargeth more and makes two men the outward man and the inward man The soul alone is called by the name of the whole man because it hath the preheminence the body it is but as the Organ the instrument it is the mind that is the man What shall it profit a man to gaine the World and lose himselfe Sayth one Evangelist And lose his soul sayth another His soul is himselfe it is the inner man The reason is because in the soul there are all the perfections of the body not onely originally but by resemblance there is all in the soul spiritually that makes the spirituall man The soul hath a spirituall mouth and spirituall lips sayth Ambrose whereby it converseth with God And what are the spirituall lips of the mind The desires of the Christian heart and the breathings and openings of the heart to God here are the lips and mouth of the soul whereby it talks with God And the soul hath her spirituall nostrills that is the judiciary faculty whereby shee resents and discernes between good and evill because there is nothing more noysome to the soul then sin and nothing more fragrant then Piety the judiciary part is the Nostrill of the mind Then it hath its eyes too as Paul sayth Ephes 1. That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened there is the lightnesse and the darknesse of the eye of the mind And then shee hath spirituall hands and knees as Paul speaketh Heb. 12. Lift up the hands that hang downe and the feeble knees that is cast off all dullnesse and indisposition to Piety quicken your selves to the work Put these together and here is enough to make a spirituall man and if there be a spirituall man there must be growth As in the outward man we are borne Children yet that infancy comes by growth much lesse come we to manhood without growth If we would attaine this that the Apostle calls the spirituall man the perfect man there must be growth a going forward and proceeding The soul is capable of growth as well as the body though it grow not as the body doth the body growes by augmentation of substance and quantity that is by extention of dimensions the soule growes not so there are no dimensions therefore there can be no extention but it growes in habits and qualities habits of all kinds naturall morall intellectuall spirituall habits of all kinds this is the more noble growth a great deale This we are all to take notice of if we be grafted into Christ there will be growing up in him if the new Creature be formed in the heart of a Christian there will be growing up in grace Thereupon grace is compared to light to leaven to seed those of all things else are most multiplying and of a diffussive growing nature If grace be in the heart as light it will shine more an more Pro. 4. If it be in the heart as Leaven it will never leave till it work it selfe to a greater lump If it be in the heart as seed it will fructifie and multiply from ten to thirty and to sixty and to a hundred fold Let none deceive himselfe it is one of the best trialls whereby a Christian may prove his estaâ—e prove himselfe whether he be in the faith or no. Wouldest thou prove thy selfe There is no way so ready and sure for the generall whereby a man may understand the condition of his soul how his estate stands how it is between God and his soul whither he be in Christ or no. If there be a growing if there be a declining if there be not a growth if he wax worse if there be but a standing still it is a shrewd suspition that there was no true insition Whereas men think it enough to get into Christ it is true if a man get into Christ it is enough he cuts off none that are in that Vine he casts off none but take this withall take heed thou deceive not thy selfe to think thy selfe ingrafted into him when thou art not If there be true insition there will be living in Christ and if so there will be a growing up in him It is so essentiall a signe of our true being in Christ that unlesse there be this growth we have little cause to presume that we are in him Therefore it is laid downe by Divines well and by all Writers as an Axiome in Christianity that not to goe forward is to goe backward Christ layes the foundation of it He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth and Leo magnus well Paraphraseth upon it there is no medium betweene these two in Christianity he that doth not profit something daily it is a shrewd signe it is a true argument that he is dificient in Christ if he goe not forward he goes backward if he get not something he loseth St. Chrysostome expresseth it by a sweet similitude The state of a Christian is as a Ship sailing with the wind against the streame now the state of that Ship is such if the wind be stronger then the streame it is carried against the streame but if the wind slack it stands not still but goes backwaâ—d if it goe not forward if it gâ—ine not ground it loseth r So it is with the state of a Christian here Vbi incipis c. sayth Bernard where a man hath once set up a resolution to goe no further without doubt he declines and when he doth not labour to grow better certaily he growes worse Because grace if it be in the soul will be active if there be a new man formed there will be motion and the excellentest motion growth So here is the sum of the phrase under the second consideration they goe on or they grow on So I have done with the first the quality of the motion The next I told you was the mark to which this motion is directed for he that walks or moves hath still some mark somthing that he aimes at that is here set downe to be strength or virtue They goe on to virtue or strength Both wayes it is right there is not much difference they come to the same because vertue and strength especially in spirituall things they are taken for one and the same Virtue and strength in Scripture they are used as words equivalent When the Scripture speaks of God it is one of his
the full signification of it The first is the latitude or extent of the word in respect of the habits of grace From strength to strength that is from one habite of grace to another habite of grace that when we have attained the pitch if it were possible of any grace we should not content our selves with that there are other graces to be attained That as a man that will learne perfectly to read must goe through the whole list and Alphabet of Letters and none are to be excepted So he that will come to take out the whole lesson of Christianity must set out the whole lesson Sentences and Sillables the whole quire of grace and labour to come to a competent measure and perfection of habits in all When he hath got one he must not rest there but goe on from the habit of one grace to another Because all grace upon occasion brings glory to God And a Christian hath need in this World of every grace And every grace leads alike to the same excellency of glory and the same Blessing and Reward is stated upon it How ever it is true as Gregory Nazianzen sayth well some perticular graces are more proper to some perticular estates and ages of men Repentance is a grace more proper to them that are fallen and perseverance is a grace more proper to them that stand A man that is downe cannot be called to persevere he is not yet raised but a man that is up his proper grace that hath his footing already set in Christianity is to exhort him to persevere and to exhort the other to rise So Alms-deeds it is a grace that is more proper to him that is Rich and contentation to the Poore Call to a poore man for Alms he hath the Alms of Prayer not of releife it is not a grace so proper To carry it further Modestie and Sobriety they are graces proper to them that are young wisdome and gravity and discretion are graces proper to them that are in yeares that are old Thankfullnesse is a proper grace for him that abounds in prosperity and Patience is a proper grace for him that is in adversity So Nazienzen sayth well there are graces more proper and peculiar to certaine conditions of men But this hinders not but that every grace is needfull and necessary to all Because every man may be set in every estate he that stands now may fall he that hath plentifully and therefore may give Almes he may want and be called to contentation There is no Christian but he hath need of every grace because he may be set in every condition and estate therefore it is not enough to attaine some one grace and to neglect the other to mortifie some one Vice and fall into another that stands not with the nature of repentance to attaine to some one vertue with the contempt of another it stands not with the state of breathing after perfection For a man to subdue pride and keep covetousnesse or to subdue covetousnesse and keep envie and malice each of these make him equally abhominable to God For a man to attaine to the habit of charity and not to study the grace of repentance or to attaine to the grace of repentance and not to give accomplishment to it by the works of righteousnesse and obedience or to attaine to some degree of obedience and to neglect the graces of patience and meeknesse or the rest he will not at all come on to many degrees of strength There must be a connexion of all the habites of grace we must glorifie God by Charity as well as by faith by repentanâ—â— as well as by charity and by obedience as well as by repentance and by humblenesse of mind and patience as well as by obedience The graces are all lâ—â—cked together they make up one body or rather one soule of grace As the Apostle speaks of the mysticall ody of Christ Ephes 4. Collos 1. In whom the body fitly compact together so it growes up As all the severall Members of Christ knit by the same faith make one solid mâ—sticall body so all the graces together make up one quire There is one chaine of graces that are so necessarily lincked that as in the parts of the body take away one and you deforme the whole so breake one grace you mar the whole chaine Therefore the Scripture calls ever and anon that we be fruitfull in every good worke to labour to please God in all things we doe Whatsoever things are just what Must I stay there No whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely Here is from strength to strength We must goe from justice to purity and from thence to honesty and so to lovelinesse and that is a good decorum in a Christians conversation The Apostle Peter expresly tells us of these junctures Add to knowledge temperance to temperance patience to patience godlinesse to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse to brotherly kindnesse love Here are now the severall paces and steps these are the habits of vertues it is all one as if he had said in the words of the Psalmist Add strength to strength virtue to virtue habite to habite He names them severally to shew that if it were possible to attaine the perfection of some one we must not stay there from habite to habite that is from strength to strength That is the first latitude Next to proceed from the habites to the acts of vertue habites are dry and cold if they shew not themselves in acts they may glorify God within but they cannot without further then they manifest themselves in action Therefore the next from strength to strength is from the habite to the act Admit a man attaine all the habites of grace named if those graces be perfect in respect of him they are not in respect of God action is the activity of those graces that glorifies God and brings the knowledge and improvement of them St. Austin observes in one place against the Heathens that Christian virtues far excell the mâ—rall virtues of the Heathen even by the very name they are called sayth he you call your virtues habits we call ours gifts you ascribe it to your selves and therefore you call them habits because you have them but we call them gifts because we receive them from God Every good gift is from above And indeed it was a very good argument that St. Austin used yet there is a third word may be taken that is better then both that is Practise For whither we consider them as habits or gifts they are not perfect till they come to action It is not the having but the husbanding of a grace that brings glory to God for a man to have the habit and not to put it in practise it is all one as a Talent in a Napkin Therefore the Scripture in severall places useth those two words promiscuously To him that hath shall be given and he shall
the mind with grace and reason and for what end That while he is upon Earth he should know which way to have his converse in Heaven which cannot otherwise be done but by the mind that now while he is in the body he might make himselfe present with the Lord he cannot doe it but by lifting up of the heart So it is both these eyes that are meant here I lift up mine eyes to thee And to shew that both are meant the Plurall is used the word is used foure times in these two Verses and it is Plurall in all Once in the first Verse and thrice in this Verse Vnto thee I lift mine eyes and the eyes of a Servant and the eyes of a Hand-maid So doe our eyes David runs upon it oft to point out that it should be done alway or to shew the diversity of eyes that are in us There are but two of the body but there are many more of the mind That that is said of the Saints glorified of the living Creatures Revel 4. That they were full of eyes before and behind There is good reason to be given of that why they should be full of eyes before and behind because they were to receive happinesse in every part Seing beatificall happinesse consists in Vision they must be all eye that they may be all blessed that they may be full of vision they are full of eyes before and behind there is good reason that the glorified Saints should be full of eyes And there is good reason that the Saints millitant should be full of eyes too The eyes that they have have both positures to look back to the promises fullfilled and to look forward to the promises that are to be fulfilled and to look downe upon Earth but not except it be to the contempt of it and to look up to Heaven with a desire after it they have eyes within and eyes without that both may be directed to God They are full of eyes There is the eye of devotion that is lift up in Prayer In the morning will I direct my Prayer to thee and will looke up Where ever there is Prayer there is looking up Prayer is the Messenger that we send up and the eye is a second Messenger that we send after it for Conduct the eye carries the Candle to our Prayers to lead them the way to Heaven it goes before them to point them the way there is the eye of Devotion in Prayer and there is the eye of contemplation that is lift up in meditation and the eye of faith that is lift up to God in trust and beleiving There is the eye of patience in hope and the eye of attendance in giving obedience to God Look how many heavenly duties there are so many eyes there are Because there is no duty or work can be done without the light of the eye it is that that is the Guide and light So now the summ of all is this that it is a speciall act of Religion to lift up our eyes to God It is an act of Religion not onely for the mind but to lift up the eyes of the body It shall appeare to be an act of Religion easily an act of piety by the contrary The Scripture useth the other the contrary as an act of superstition and Idolatry In Ezek. 18. God blames them there and threatens them because they lifted up their eyes to the Idolls of the House of Israel they lift up their eyes that is they Worshipped them it was an act of Religion it was religious worship they gave them when they lifted up their eyes When we lift up our eyes to God it is an Act of piety it is so and we must make it so There is good reason why we should make it so We owe God the strength of our bodies as well as of our souls He that sayth we shall worship God withall our soule saith we shall worship God with all our strength If we owe God the strength of our bodies we owe him no part more then the eye The eyes are the glory of the body those Lamps have more of Heaven then any part of the body there is no part of the body that pertakes so much of Heaven as the eye There is no part that God bestowed so much cost on in the creation as on the eye Therefore the strength of the eye must returne upon him the curiosity of the eye is such that all the Jewells and precious stones in the World are not able to match the excellency of the eye The next reason is because when the soule is lifted up if the eye goe with it it makes a perfect Elevation There is the soule for all within and the eye carries all without there is a perfect elevation of the whole man Then the third reason is because the soule cannot be lifted up without the eye for there is no part that the soul shews it selfe so much in as in the eye What ever the affection of the heart be it will appeare in the eye If it be sorrow it will appeare in the eye the eye will be dejected If it be anger the eye will sparkle If it be devotion the eye will be lift up It is the very beames the strength of the beames of the eye when they are enlivened by faith that pierce Heaven as well as our words pierce Heaven with ejaculations God reads the very notions and thoughts of our hearts in our eyes though he need not these wayes to know them for he reads them in the heart it selfe but when the eye testifies them it is a testimony of that we think given by our eye There are many testimonies in the lifting up the eyes to Heaven First it is a testimony of a beleiving humble heart Infidelity will never carry a man above the Earth Pride can carry a man no higher then the Earth neither The proud man looks aloft his eyes are high yet they are below they are upon the Earth still the loftinesse is the lownesse there is nothing lower then pride The humble mans eye is aloft though it be below and the proud mans eye is low though it be aloft infidelity and pride will not carry above the Earth but faith carries to Heaven to the Throne of God and looks on him as a helper as a rewarder and a Judge It is a testimony of a beleiving heart And the lifting up of the eye it is a testimony of an obedient heart A man that lifts up his eye to God he acknowledgeth thus much Lord I am thy Servant he acknowledgeth that he hath all from him his body and his soule his body is not his owne his eyes are not his owne but for Gods service he acknowledgeth that he will dedicate to God both soule and body that he will subject both to his will and appointment It is a testimony of an obedient heart And it is a testimony thirdly of a thankfull heart A man that
lifts up his eyes to Heaven acknowledgeth that he receives every good blessing every perfect gift from above that he receives all from the hand of God It is a testimony of a thankfull heart Then it is a testimony of a Heavenly heart he that lifts up his eyes to Heaven acknowledgeth that he is weary of the Earth his heart is not there his hope and desire is above A man will cast his eye where his wishes are he will oft cast his eyes where his heart is Either we are all Hypocrites or our hearts are in Heaven If we constantly lift our eyes to Heaven and have our hearts on Earth we play the egregious Hypocrites with God If we lift our eyes up to Heaven and our hearts are not there judge what you doe God looks upon that heart that sends up those eyes and sees whither the heart be there for the lifting up of the eyes is a testimony of a Heavenly heart If we lift not up the heart when we lift up the eye we tell a lye to God with our eyes It is a testimony of a heavenly heart It is a testimony of a devout heart there is no part of the body besides the Tongue that is so great an Agent in Prayer as the eye The Tongue is the greatest in vocall prayer but the eye must be next the Tongue nay in one thing above the Tongue for in Prayer the eye is the Interpreter of the heart together with the Tongue Nay and further it is not onely the hearts Interpreter but the hearts intelligencer which the Tongue is not for as a man takes order for his way he spies and discernes what he can discover if there be any danger the eye is the light of all the body So a man that humbles himselfe in Prayer he lifts up his eyes to Heaven he looks and spies whence Salvation comes where he shall have help and whence he receives comfort the soul looks up and the eye spies out in what distresse soever we are If we be disconsolate the eye looks up for comfort If we be in persecution the eye looks about for rest If we be burthened the eye looks for ease if we be in want the eye looks for supply in every affliction the eye spies out the comfort for all the eye is the souls Intelligencer therefore the lifting up of the eyes is the argument of a devout heart Because all these good things come from above from God therefore the soule is lifted up and whensoever the soule goes to be lifted up the eye as a good Servant waits on it it never goes alone Therefore we must labour and exercise our selves to give God the glory of our eyes as well as the glory of our Lips and then we give him the glory of our eyes when we lift up our eyes and lift up such eyes as God requires What eyes are those Let us take heed what eyes we lift up There are adulterous eyes there are proud and haughty eyes take heed of bringing these to God close them close them rather wink when you come to God open not those eyes First therefore bring eyes that are chast they are Doves eyes that must look up to that God of purity Then they must be humble eyes that must look to that Throne of Majestie they must not be eyes that are fastidious and lustfull Then they must be innocent eyes not bloud-shot not revengefull eyes that must look up to that God of mercy and goodnesse O how pure had a man need to make his eyes that will look up to God How pure should his heart be and his eyes be He must be purified in every part The eye is the purest part If a man doe but look upon the Sun he cannot look with his owne eyes but he must borrow eyes of others both pure and strong eyes Now the eyes of the mind are the strongest if the heart be kept innocent and upright and in purity let us bring these eyes to God look up to him with these eyes I must cut off my selfe in my Meditations the time runs on with swifter Wings then Speech I goe to the next poynt Thus much of the duty that is the Basis of the whole Now the other is more speciall the second is the patterne the Coppy that he propounds to himselfe to write by As the eyes of Servants looke to the hands of their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden to the hands of her Mistris There is the Coppy it is set downe with the best advantage if we consider the persons here meant There are three things observable in the forme of Penning this part First it is not said simply as Servants look to their Masters and a Maiden to her mistresse but as the eyes of Servants are towards their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden to her Mistresse What is the reason of this phrase There is good reason Because there is a Service that is to be done to those Masters that are set over us below even with the eye Not with eye-service that is not with eye-service alone saith the Apostle But there is a service that is to be done with the eye A man may shew obedience and observance and reverence with his eye a man may give a shrewd untoward answer with his eye as well as with his Tongue A Servant may testifie his chearfull and diligent attendance on his Master with his eye if there be obedience it will appeare in the eye Againe it should be so generall a respect and good demeanour that Servants should carry towards their Masters that even their eyes should testifie it their eyes should be acquainted with their Masters will as Plauâ—us speaks well a good Servant is so acquainted with his Masters affairs that his very eye knowes what his Master would have you may read it in his fore-head though his Master speak not And look as it is with Masters it is Hillaries Observation A Master may give Commands as well with his eye as with his voyce Non solum ore c. A Master will Command not onely with his voyce but with his hand and with his eye so a Servant may obey and expresse his behaviour and respect and carriage toward his Master he may testifie his obedience not onely in action or Speech or Tongue but with his very eye Non ore c. he eyes and obeys with his eye as well as with his voyce Therefore it is As the eyes of Servants are towards their Masters The Servant is so carefull to content his Master that he will not offend him so much as with his eye There is the first Observation for the phrase It is not simply said as Servants but the eyes of Servants Secondly it is not said simply as the eyes of Servants are towards their Masters but as the eyes of Servants are towards the hands of their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden to the hands of her Mistresse Why is this word added
this is a great extent this is the pole of Persons Further it reacheth not onely to the Visible Earth and the visible Heavens but to the invisible Heavens not onely to men but to Angells there are no poles of that Heaven there is no extent It is Salvation common to men with men and common to men with Angells being the common worke they make it their common beatificall or salvificall object these things of redemption of Salvation these things that are so delectable and salvificall that concerne our good as well as Angells it is into these things that they desire to looke Now I have done with the second thing I have shewed you who the persons are and what the good things are There is onely one behind that is the maine what kind of desire it is and what is the root of this desire and the cause of this inspection But thus much for this time SERMON II. 1 PETER 1.12 Which things the Angells desire to looke into HOWSOEVER the method of nature and the method of Art be justly in themselves distinguishable yet it falls out oft times that there is the same Proceedings in both and as nature goes before so Doctrine follows after such is the method that I have set to my selfe in picking out scriptures for you during the time of this solemnitie which is still continued to me though it be ended in it selfe if wee looke to the method of nature we shall find that the Creatures they are so ordered that man he is the horizon of all things visible and Angells they are the horizon simply of all Creatures Angells are the top and man is next to them therefore if we ascend in this order where man ends there it is that the Angelicall nature begins so man is in the confines of Angells above and other Creatures below In his body he partakes of Earthly things in his soule he hath affinity with the Angelicall nature man being the next Creature under Angells and Angells the onely Creature above man therefore I say where it is the humane nature ends there the Angelicall nature begins in order of ascending so in those Scriptures that I have propounded to you all the other Texts that I have chosen have beene for you that I might shew to you in what manner you are to entertaine the Declaration of these great benefits that this solemne time hath presented to us but now where man ends there the Angells begin and as I shewed you what your inspection should be so now I will shew you what entertainment the Angells give these tidings and great blessings and what their inspection is that as they desire to looke upon us when we are seemly conversant in the worship of God so now we may goe forward to look on them in this Text as the Scripture presents them to us and see how they are conversant in the admiring and entertaining of these Mysteries of Salvation they sayth Nazianzen keepe Christmasse with us I am verily perswaded sayth he the Angells keep this Feast this very day speaking of the Nativity of Christ I will goe a little further for I am not onely perswaded but I am sure that they keep not onely one day but every day for this their inspection is the keeping of the Angells Christmass the inspection into the incarnation of our blessed Saviour which because it is a great Mystery in it selfe and because the Text of Scripture that I handle wants not its difficulties therefore I am resolved to goe on in the course that the Lord set Ezekiel Ezek. 20. Son of man drop thy words Abstruse things are not to be cast downe by whole Buckets but by drops so there are three drops three things in it two I have gone over in the forenoone First who these Angells are I shewed at large Negatively not the evill Spirits Affirmatively that it must of necessity be understood of the good Angells the other Angells have no delight to look into the Mysteries of Salvation except it be for their wicked advantage they look to Mysteries but they are Mysteries of iniquity not to the Mysteries of redemption they find no sweetnesse in them it must be the good Angells those that were attendant and imployed and their service required and their ministration used to the Law in the publication of it and to the Saints of God in the making knowne and declaring those Mysteries they have benefite in them as well as we it is the good Angells Because these Mysteries of redemption are Angelicall speculations we need not to be ashamed to be conversant in the study of them it is an honourable study Because it is fit for Angelicall study we must look on them with sobriety the Angells set them bounds we must not goe too far That was the first-drop The second thing was what these things are in particular that the Angells desire to looke into I shewed in what Coppies the Singular number is used into whome the Greeke into which the same good things that are set downe in the foregoing words the good things testified by the Holy Ghost from Heaven certified by the Prophets before and reported by Christ that is in one word summarily the Mysteries of the Gospell those are the things they desire to looke into In particular they are high speculations that the Angells looke into They are delightfull and plausible arguments there are no sad thoughts come into the Angells hearts they study no sorrowfull subject whatsoever Thirdly they are all things that concerne Salvation the Angells thoughts run upon nothing else though they enjoy Salvation either in the glorifying of God for their owne or in striving to be serviceable to God in the furthering of others their thoughts are upon Salvation Lastly they are brotherly speculations The Angells have the good things they looke to with us they are theirs and ours nay more properly ours then theirs they are not drawne by these meanes they were confirmed in an instant we are drawne by degrees This is the sum of the two first parts in the forenoone There is but one behind which is the maine and will prove the longest that is to see Quae radix desiderij what is the Originall and ground of this holy desire that the Angells have to looke into these sublime and glorious Mysteries to make them the object of their speculation except we find out this we find out nothing Because there are many things questionable seeing oft times inquisition comes from curiosity or from want of desire or from ignorance and the Angelicall nature is not subject to these defects they are not curious to enquire into that that is concealed from them and they are not defective in the knowledge of any thing that is necessary for them to know therefore upon this Wheele the whole frame will turne to find out the ground and Originall of the desire of the Angells why they are carried with so holy and impetuous motion to looke to those Mysteries
to one all things both things in Heaven and things in Earth that is men and Angells The Apostle shews it more plainly Colos 1. It pleased him by the blood of his Crosse to reconcile to himselfe the things in Heaven and things in Earth to reconcile to himselfe Christ is a Medium of reconciliation to Angells how is it to be understood To reconcile to himselfe things in Heaven and things in Earth that is men and Angells For howsoever if reconciliation be properly taken it is onely understood of men that fell those that were out of Gods favour were onely reconciled reconciliation is a bringing into the favour of God those are said to be brought into Gods favour that were out of it man was out of it by sin therefore properly it belongs to man but analogically it extends to Angells their confirmation is to them as reconciliation they are confirmed in the favour of God and in a beatificall Vision and in glory confirmation to them is as reconciliation to us therfore the Apostle joyns both under one word To reconcile all things to himselfe things in Heaven and things in Earth that is men and Angells Therefore they desire to look into the Doctrine of reconciliation they have benefite by it Therefore St. Paul 1 Tim. 5. he calls them Elect Angells now Election is in Christ in that he calls them Elect Angells it is plain that their confirmation in this glory is in Christ Christ works it hence it is that Collos 2. the Apostle calls Christ the head of principallities and powers If Christ be the head then the Angells must needs be supposed to be part of the body if they be part of the body then the other part is man men and Angells make up the tryumphant body the mysticall body of Christ and Christ is the head of theâ— then it must follow that Christ is a Saviour even to Angells in respect of Confirmation for the Apostle sayth that Christ is the Saviour of the whole body therefore he of every one that is part of the body and he is head of principallities and powers St. Bernard layes it downe clearly and St. Austin for all layes that as a ground St. Austin excellently stated this point that it is agreed on by all that the Angells estate in blisse and confirmation it is not connaturall to them they brought it not into the World in the first Creation but they had it after from the grace of God bestowed upon them if by grace then by Christ for he is the Pipe of all grace St. Bernard I say sets it well downe when he puts together men and Angells how they come into one reconciliation he that raised man when he was fallen kept the Angells that they should not fall and so he was a Mediator of Redemption to them both sayth Bernard because he confirmed the one and erected and raised the other he loosed our bands from us and preserved the Angells therefore because the Angells have benefite in the Mystery of redemption they have part and share as well as man therefore they rejoyce in the work and because they rejoyce they desire to make further inspection in regard of Exultation That is the first reason Secondly that is not all for as their inspection comes from joy in their owne happinesse so secondly from the abundance of joy that they conceive of our happinesse because we are taken into their fellowship whereas a gap was in the order of Angells now in the conversion of a Sinner they rejoyce that he is brought in to make up that gap for the making up of the tryumphant body that was without an Arme till supply be made by the Salvation of men and that they may shew they rejoyce abundantly in the Salvation of man as well as their owne they disdaine not therefore that men should be accounted their fellow-heirs and to be Keepers of the Saints and minister to them because they know they are fallen Members brought into the same beatitude And it must needs be so for if the Angells rejoyce at the conversion of one sinner much more at the gathering of all at the redemption of mankind The Use that we are to make of it is this if there be such joy in Angells that are in these Mysteries that are in the fruition of them it should stir us up if they rejoyce for us let us for our selves we are nearer our selves then any other let us imitate them we cannot have a better patterne they are confirmed in grace Imitate them in admiration admire Gods goodnes in that wondrous work let us carry our souls out of themselves into a holy rapture that we may blesse God sufficiently for that imitate them in holy expectation that as we have experience of Gods goodnesse in fullfilling the first promise so rest in hope for them that are behind rest on God waite upon God till he bring all to a period say with those under the Altar How long Lord How long Imitate them in hope imitate them in joy in desire in inspection there is one holy knowledge common to us with the Angells the knowledge of Heaven and Salvation there is one place of happinesse common to us with them Heaven is the happiness and inheritance of both As there is then common blessedness so let there be common joy and common study and common thankfullnesse and common desire to look into there Mysteries to cast an assiduous eye upon them as they doe to make all the returns that we give to God again of praise and thanks make them such as the Angells It is well said of Turtullian we are those that are in Albo inrolled to the number of Angells let us tread in their steps in those works in which we are to have our fellowship with them Let us for the great work of redemption for the incarnation of Christ let all that we returne to God be Heavenly and Angelicall Our joy Angelicall when is it so When it is spirituall and not carnall secular joy away with that Glory to God on high these are Angelicall Songs and Psalmes the Songs of the Angells let us follow these Mysteries with Angelicall Meditations what are those Heavenly Meditations that are Angells Meditations O to get Heavenly hearts often to think of the great Comfort that comes by Christ and the knowledge of Salvation Make these things our study and our Meditation matter of our studies and matter of our thankfullnesse and desire matter of study we may well make it who would not be content to study those things that the Angells are busie about to be Fellow Students with the Angells Make them the matter of our thankfullnesse also who would not blesse God for that for which the Angells admire Lastly make them the matter of our desire Who would not long to enjoy the Vnion in that place where Angells are and where Angells though they be yet they desire still to injoy the comfort of the meditation of
stand for ever page 323 Every Every grace why needfull for every man page 357 see Love Evidence Evidence of grace to be prayed for page 133 Evidences see inheritance Evill Good and evill the bounds of all duty page 127 Difference in suffering for good and evill page 212 see confession Examples Examples of those that sped in prayer page 13 Examples of turning to God page 24 Excellent The way to be excellent page 332 Excellency of Creatures by their motion page 337 Exigent What course the Saints tooke in exigents page 381 Expectation Angells desire from expectation page 528 Experience Experience of those that have sped in Prayer page 12 Bond of experience to turne to God page 24 Best knowledge gained by experience page 246 Eye Hope as an eye page 268 Lifting up of the eyes a duty page 383 Eyes of body and mind lift up to God page 385 The inward disposition will appeare in the eye page 388 What eyes we must lift up to God page 390 Servants must doe service with their eyes page 392 see body mind prayer soul F Failings see Ministers Fained Judgements diverted upon fained Humiliation page 43 Faith Promises the support of faith page 265 From faith to faith what page 354 Feare â—ond of feare to turne to God page 24 The word called the feare of God why page 286 No feare in good Angells page 518 Feeble see hands Fervent Fervent words to be used in Prayer page 58 Few There are few that will suffer Tribulation page 226 see grow Finall Repentance a finall turning page 9 Forgivenesse True repentance alway meets with forgivenesse page 16 see just Formall Formall Christions how they turne to God page 8 see universall Formes Formes of Prayer necessary page 64 Arguments for set formes of prayer page 65 Formes of prayer usefull in publike page 66 Formes in Scripture for severall duties page 67 Forcible Forcible words to â—e used in confession of sins page 47 Free The Crowne of life a free gift page 283 Furnished The heart a furnished Room how page 482 G Gift give How we are said to give any thing to God page 147 All inferior good things are of gift page 240 see free Glory glorifie Words in Prayer Glorifie God page 54 From glorie to glorie what page 354 God Every grace from God page 179 Men tempt God how page 248 God the Donor of the Crowne of life page 260 We must imitate God in our growth page 370. Excellencies of God how set forth page 409 see wanting service heart good goodnesse Gods goodnesse in the pardon of all sins page 73 We must not onely shun evill but doe good page 225 Goodnesse of God testified in his promises page 264 see confession evill pardon Gold Why the Elders are said to have Crownes of gold page 231 Grace graciously To be received graciously what meant by it page 111 Gods grace enables us to praise him page 178 Tribulation accompanies grace page 253 Perticular graces for perticuler states page 356 see imperfect pardon heaven God grow honour Great greatnesse Greatnesse makes men to neglect goodnesse page 435 The Mysterie of the Gospell great page 527 Grieved How Angells are said to be grieved page 509 Grow growth Who they be that grow in grace page 333 Few grow in Christianity page 334 Vitall motion of a Christian is his growth page 338 Severall comparisons of a Christians growth page 340 Grace compared to growing things page 342 Growth in grace the best triall of a Christian ibid. Spirituall Strength gotten by growth page 347 Several pleas that hinder growth page 364 Meanes of growth many page 366 Men desire to Grow in every thing but in grace page 367 What cours we must take to grow page 368 Motives to spirituall growth page 369 see declining God soule Guest-Chamber see chamber church heart H Habits Christians must grow in the habits of grace page 356 see Act Hand Hands lift up to Gods commandements what page 315 Hands lift up what it signifieth page 316 Hands feeble what page 321 Servants eyes to the hands of their Masters why page 393 Hand the instrument of government ibid. See heart soule Happinesse The right course to happinesse page 224 Healing Gift of healing given to the Apostles page 110 Heart No sacrifice acceptable without the heart page 161 The heart the chiefe in all duties page 164 Hands figuratively the heart page 319 The heart Christs guest-chamber page 453 None can work on the heart but God page 469 See furnished large upper Heaven Desire of grace in heaven how page 132 The word assures us of heaven page 292 Perseverance borders next upon heaven page 336 The lifting up the eyes a token of a heavenly heart page 389 Difference betweene earthly and heavenly things page 533 See perseverance Heifer Israelites compared to a heifer why page 160 Heritage An heritage what it is page 290 Gods word an heritage how page 291 Holy Holy words to be used in prayer page 58 Honour Mercie honours God most page 114 True honour in heaven page 229 The greatest honour in heaven ibid. God honours every grace page 270 Growth honourable page 370 Studie of the mysteries of salvation honourable page 497 See Servants Hope The bond of hope to turn to God page 24 Promises the support of hope page 265 The use of hope page 267 Comfort that comes from hope page 422 See Anchor eye watchman Humane The Angels desire to see the humane nature of Christ page 50â— Humility humiliation Humble words to be used in confession page 44 Tentations to be endured with humility page 210 see feyned â— Jewes Jewes mistake of Scripture page 171 Ignorant God doth not try men because he is ignorant page 250 The Devill â—gnorant of Christs passion before it was page 493 Inheritance Heaven the inheritance of the Saints how page 291 Evidences inheritances how page 292 To claim Gods word as our inheritance page 294 Inheritances how sought after page 296 Incarnation The incarnation of Christ the studie of men and Angels page 490 The Devill ignorant of the incarnation of Christ till it was accomplished page 494 Impatience Impatience the inconvenience of it page 215 Impenitency Impenitencie the cause of it page 21 Danger of impenitencie page 25 see pardon Impression The most lively impressions of God in his word page 309 Imperfect Grace imperfect page 120 Impropriators Against impropriators page 478 Iniquity Iniquity what page 70 Intelligent Intelligent words to be used in prayer page 59 Instrument God not tyed to instruments page 421 Joy Things prized as they bring joy page 279 A Christian in this world hath his joy page 298 The glory of heaven set out by joy page 299 Christians have the best joy page 300 To joy aright a hard thing page 303 Angels desire grounded on joy page 534 Reasons of Angels joy page 535 To joy in heavenly things page 537 See Carnall within Journey Christians have a long journey to goe page 349 Hindrances in that
Prayer what it is page 6 Commands to pray in affliction page 11 Promise made to prayer page ibid. Words of confession necessary in prayer page 50 Bounds of Prayer page 128 Thankefulness must be joyned with prayer page 149 Prayer begets love to God page 277 Looking up in prayer page 387 What the eye is in prayer page 390 See experience â—publique thankfulnesse vocall Praise Sinne hinders praise page 175 Judgments removed occasion praise page 177 Who are most ready to praise God page 178 See Grace Preparation Preparation to prayer necessary page 55 See meditation present presence Godly men blessed for the present page 224 Worldly men care onely for the present page 266 How to carry our selves in Gods presence page 373 Presumption Presumption to looke for pardon without repentance page 18 Promise Prayer builds upon promises page 124 The Crown conveyed by promise page 261 All blessings conveyed by promise page 623 Why heaven is by promise page ibid. To treasure up promises page 267 An implicite command in every promise page 312 See faith prayer support Providence A proofe of Christs divine providence page 471 Publick Publick calamities removed by prayer page 11 See Form Punishment Where sinne is forgiven punishment is removed page 102 Punishment how to be prayed against page 141 See chastisement pardon Pure God must have pure sacrifice of praise page 163 Q Qualification Promises made to qualifications page 273 Persons without qualifications have no interest in the promise page 274 R. Receive To receive what meant by it page 238 Relation Severall relations of a Christian page 339 Religion Lifting up the eyes to God an act of Religion page 387 Reparation The blessed reparation by Christ page 245 Repentance Repentance the parts of it page 4 Repentance sin cannot stand together page 15 Bonds of Repentance page 128 Repentance what acknowledgment it maketh page 311 See finall forgivenesse physick presumption totalll vaine universall Resolution Resolution necessary to obedience page 144 Resolution of David to be imitated page 320 Rest The rest of a Christian page 371 Restored To what wee are restored by Christ page 244 Reward Rewards encouragement to all sorts page 220 Rewards when given page 256 Right Christ hath right to all things page 451 Righteousnesse To suffer in the cause of righteousnesse page 212 S. Sacrifice Thanksgiving a sacrifice page 167 Every duty a sacrifice page ibid. Satan Satan tempts men page 247 Satan how he tempts page ibid. Saisfaction No satisfaction for sin but Christ page 103 Saving Mysteries of salvation saving speculations page 510 Sea Why it rains sometimes on the Sea and not on the land page 471 Selfe Selves Our selves the best sacrifice page 166 In obedience a man sacrificeth himselfe page 170 God to be loved for himselfe page 174 Every man should try himselfe page 249 God tries men that they may know what is in themselves page 251 Servant The least expression to a servant should suffice page 393 All kind of servants should be dutifull page 395 Complaint against servants page 396 Why men have unfaithfull servants page 397 Motives to servants to be faithful page 398 Christians should learn of mens servants page 410 Gods servants not so faithfull as mens page 411 Honour to be Gods servant page 415 Duties of good servants ib. page 430 Christians to exceed other servants page 417 See Eye Master owne Service The best service to be given to God page 408 Sharp Comfort against sharp sufferings page 232 Similitude The strength of a similitude wherein page 401 Simple Simple words to be used in confession page 46 Sin He that will offer sacrifice must lay aside sinne page 175 Single see Object Obedience Singular Why blessednesse is propounded in the singular page 226 Sion Sion double signification of it page 372 Slothfull Good Angels cannot be slothfull page 518 Sobriety Mysteries of salvation to be looked on with sobriety page 489 Son of man Why Ezekiel was called the son of man page 444 Soule The hands and feet of the soule page 319 The soule the whole man page 341 All perfections of the bodie in the soule ibid. Growth of the soule what page 342 The eye the hand-maid of the soul page 404 Souldiers Christians as souldiers need strength page 350 Speech Speech proper to man page 30 Why God hath given man speech page 51 Spirit Spirituall A form of prayer no stinting of the spirit page 66 Spirituall judgments worst page 140 Spirituals to be prayed for before temporals ibid. Difference in praying for temporalls and spirituals page 148 See alike vertue Stability Stability in the state of grace misunderstood page 69 Standing What standing hinders motion page 335 How a Christian doth both stand and move page 336 Stature Tall stature commendable page 370 Statutes The word of God why called statutes page 286 Sin nullifies Gods statutes page 322 Strength Strength and vertue equivalent page 344 Strength what it signifies page 346 Christians must grow to strength page 347 To see our need of strength page 348 Exhortation to get strength page 351 Strength how gotten page 352 From strength to strength what page 355 See Growth Soldier Traveller Sublime The commands of God sublime page 317 Perseverance makes grace sublime page 336 Mysteries of salvation sublime speculations page 507 Successe The most successfull way to remove judgments page 15 Suffering Love enableth to suffering page 269 How Angels joyed at Christs sufferings page 150 See Blessedness Crown Superiours Superiors care of Inferiours page 465 Support The promises support our graces page 265 Swearing Against prophane swearing page 180 T. Take away To take away sinne what page 101 Why the word to take away is used page 105 Temporals see Spirituals Temptation Kinds of temptation page 197 247 What temptations blessednesse belongs to page 206 Troubles why called temptations page 207 Temptations defined page 246 See Men Satan Testimonies The word of God called his testimonies why page 286 Thankfulnesse We should turn to God by the bond of thankfulnesse page 23 Bonds of thankfulnesse what page 128 Thankfulnesse due for all Gods mercies page 146 Thankfulnesse the order of it page 148 Thankfulnesse to close prayer page 150 Lifting up the eyes a sâ—gne of thankfulnesse page 389 See all daily legall pardon prayer Time The time when the Crown of life shall be given page 254 Why Christ kept not the Passeover in the appointed time page 461 Totall Repentance a totall turning page 8 Travellers Christians travellers page 349 Treasure All heavenly treasure in Gods word page 292 Tribulation Tribulation not to e severed from blessednesse page 222 Encouragements to suffer tribulations page 232 See Grace Triall Trie Tryall The end of tribulation for tryall page 246 Good temptations for tryall page 249 Why God makes tryall of men page 250 The Crown given when men are tryed page 255 See God Ignorance Self Troubles The good effects troubles should produce page 207 See Temptation Truth Gods truth testified in his promises page 263 See Universall Turning Different turnings to God page 6 Repentance what kind of turning it is page 7 Exhortation to turn to God page 26 See Universall Two Why Christ sent his Disciples by two and two page 456 V. Vaine Vaine to expect pardon without repentance page 19 Vertue Vertue stands at a distance page 344 Vertue in the eye of good men page 345 See morall strength vice Vices Vertues beset with vices page 27 Victory A Crowne the reward of victory page 230 Viâ—all see growth Universall Repentance an uniuersal turning page 7 Difference in the universality of turning ibid. Unprofitable Sinne unprofitable page 106 Untill Untill what meant by it page 419 Vocall Vocall prayer necessary page 51 See mentall Voyce The voyce necessary in publique prayer page 53 The voyce necessary in private prayer ibid. Vowes Vowes necessary in duties commanded page 145 Up Upper The heart an upper chamber how page 481 See Prayer Religion Use Men said not to have that they doe not use page 360 W. Waiting Waiting what it is page 405 Waiting for mercie equall page 406 All that is in God to be waited on page 407 Waiting not to be given over though God shew not mercie page 420 Exhortation to wait on God page 422 See Mercy Watch-man Hope as a watch-man page 267 Whole see Lips Man Will. The word called the will of God why page 285 Wisdome Wisdome of God shewed in his promise page 264 Within True joy is that within page 300 Witnesse No man can sin without witnesse page 288 Woe To whom Christ pronounceth woe page 229 Woman see Man Word Words Words to be taken in prayer and repentance why page 32 Impediments to words in prayer page 33 What words necessary to confession of sin page 44 What words to be used in prayer page 58 Conversing on Gods word begets love to him page 277 Severall names given the word of God page 285 The word highly to be esteemed page 295 The joy of a Christian from the word of God page 297 301 How to profit by the word of God page 326 See forcible heaven humble impression glorifie mournfull prayer simple treasure portion Work Work of a Christian what page 256 World Worldly To learn of worldly men to suffer page 234 The Crown given at the evening of the world page 257 The baits of the world dangerous page 351 See Blessednesse FINIS