spirits of his by the title of Angeli lucis Angels of Light not only hath the Son of God God and man justified himself Lux mundi the Light of the World but God absolutely and indistinctâ—y in respect of persons vouchsafeth to make himself known to us by this name That God is Light Hereupon it is that even in this sense the children of God are called the Sons of Light because he is Light whose Sons they are But that of the Athanasian Creed is most pregnant that the eternal Son of God God the Son is God of God Light of Light Neither doth our Apostle here say God is resembled by Light But as our Saviour said of God God is a Spirit so here our Apostle God is Light How then is God Light Far be it from us that according to the stupidity of the Manichees we should take this literally of a sensible and materiall Light that is but a creature though indeed the first and exceeding glorious but yet a creature and therefore infinitely below the purity and perfection of the Creator but sure God would have us by this to be led to the conceit of the transcendent glory of his incomprehensible Deity and would have us when we think of him to be put in mind of admiring an increated immateriall super-intelligible uprightnesse of a glory so much above all spiritual natures as the Light is above the bodily and visible whereupon it is that when the spirit of God by his Apostle describes the habitation of God he doth it in these termes that he dwells in a Light that none can approach unto and when he describes the Heaven of the elect 1 Tim. 6.16 he calls it the inheritance of the Saints in Light so as when that place of blisse and the God whose presence makes it such come into our thoughts Coloss 1.12 we must elevate our thoughts above this dark sphere of mortality and represent unto our selves a glorious lightsomnesse as much above this materiall Light as Light is above Darknesse abandoning that gloomie and base opacity of conceit wherewith our earthly mindes are commonly wont to be over-clouded for surely it is easie and familiar to observe that the higher we go the more Light we shall find In the center of the Earth there is nothing but perfect darknesse nearer the upper region of that great body where any overture is made there is a kind of imperfect twilight In this lower air there is a better Light but mixed with foggs and Vapors In the higher regions there are lesse mists and more clearnesse yet not without some dimness of exhalations In the starry Heavens a purer Light yet not without some eclipses In the empyreall nothing but pure and perfect Light justly therefore are our hearts lift up with our eyes to a contemplation of a Light above those Heavens more pure and excellent then theirs Away then with all dull and darksome imaginations when we addresse our selves to the throne of Grace and let us adore an infinite Spirit dwelling in an unaccessible Light attended with millions of Angels of Light and glorified spirits of his Saints in a Light unspeakable and glorious this shall be the first glimpse of our inlightned understanding when we would comfortably appear before God In which regard I fear many of us Christians are much defective in our holy devotions speaking unto God and thinking of him sullenly and sadly as shut up in some remote and unknown darknesse on the other side of the World or at least without the lively apprehension of that wonderfull radiance of glory wherewith he is invested misconceiving herein of that Deity whom we implore who hath revealed himself unto us by the name of Light And surely as none but an Eagle can look upon the Light of the Sun so none but the confirmed eyes of an illuminated Christian can behold God in this notion of his celestiall splendor which we must so labour to attain unto and settle in our minds as that we should no more think of the blessed Deity without the conceit of an infinite resplendence then we can open our eyes at noon-day without an incurrence and admission of an outward Light But this how ever requisite to be conceived and done is not the main drift of our Apostle who goes not about here so much to make any description of God or prescription of the wayes of our understanding or representation of his glorious presence as to lay the grounds of our holy disposition and pure and Heavenly carriage before him For so is the Light here affirmed of God as the darkness is disavowed of him and both of them are mentioned with an intention of drawing in an exhortation to that purity which we should affect and the avoydance of all the state and works of spirituall darkness which we should abhorre God then is Light as in himself so in relation to us and this predication of Light serves to inferre our conformity to God in this behalf It is not for us therefore to inquire so much into those absolute termes wherein God stands with himself as what he is in pattern unto us Thus is he Light either qualitatively or causatively The Light hath a quality for it matters not to search into the essence of it and indeed it is more then we can do to find it out of clearnesse of purity Of clearness for the use of manifestation Of purity and untaintedness in respect of any mixture of corruption In both these is God Light Causatively in that he is the Authour of all Light communicating it to his Creatures in what kind soever not without reference to the diffusive quality of Light in the illuminating of this vast body and dilating it self to all the World in an instant In these three regards therefore is God Light here 1. Of absolute clearness in his infinite knowledg and wisdom 2. Of exact purity in the perfect rectitude of his will 3. Of gracious diffusion in the communicating of himself to his Creatures and to us in speciall so as to inlighten us with competent knowledg in our understanding and sincere disposition of our will and affections And because God is thus Light all that will claim to partake of him must be in their measure clear in understanding pure in will and affections diffusive of their knowledg and graces to others These three qualities of clearness purity diffusion together with three answerable reflections upon us shall be the matter of our following discourse and challenge your best attention Those things which whether in nature or art are wont to pass for the carriages of Light have in them sometimes at least in respect of our sight some kind of dimness and opacity The candle hath his snuffe the fire his smoke and blackness of indigestion the Moon her spots the very Sun it self his Eclipses Neither is it said that God is lightsome but light it self in the abstract then which nothing can be convinced more
of Divine knowledg or holinesse ever brake forth upon any Saint or Angel but from his blessed irradation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justly therefore is he Pater luminum the Father of Lights and as the child oft-times resembles the Father this quality the Light hath from God that it is wondrously diffusive of it self reaching forth it self largely in very quick and instantanie motions to all those things which are capable of it Other Creatures though beneficiall yet impart themselves more sparingly unto us The Earth yields us fruit but it is onely perhaps once a year and that not without much cost and angariation requiring both our labour and patience The Clouds do sometimes drop fatnesse but at great uncertainties other whiles they pour down famine upon our heads the Sea yields us commodities both of passage and sustenance but not without inconstancy and delaies and oft-times takes more in an hour then it gives in an age his favours are locall his threats universall But the Light is bountifull in bestowing it self freely with a clear safe unlimited largesse upon all Creatures at once indifferently incessantly beneficially The reflection of this quality upon us should be our diffusivenesse That we should so be lights as that we should give light so have light in our selves that we should give it unto others The Prophet Daniel who was a great Philosopher Astronomer in his time tells us of a double shining or light The one as of the Firmament the other as of the Stars The one a generall Light dispersed through the whole or body of the Skie the other a particular one compacted into the bodies of those starry globes which are wont to be called the more solid piece of their Orbe Thus it is in the Analogy of the spirituall light There is a generall Light common to Gods Children whereof our Saviour Let your Light shine so before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in Heaven Thus the great Doctour of the Gentiles exhorts his Philipians Philip. 2.15 that they be blameless and harmelesse the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation among whom saith he ye shine as lights in the world There is a particular light propper to severall vocations especially those that are publick and encharged with the care of others whether spirituall or civill Of the one you know what our Saviour said in the Mount Vos estis lux mundi of the other you know what God said in Davids case I have ordained a Lampe for mine Anointed Ps 132.17 that is a glorious successour To begin with the latter Princes and Governours are and must be Lights by an eminence for God is Light and he hath called them Elohim Exod. 22.28 Gods So as they must imitate God in shining to the World sending forth the rayes both of good example and of Justice and Judgment into the eyes of their People An ordinary Star-light is not enough for them they are the Vice-gerents of him who is Sol jâ—stitiae Malac. 4.2 the Sun of Righteousnesse they must fill the world therefore with their glorious beams and give so much more light as their Orbe is higher and their Globe more capacious And blessed be God what beams of light our Sun sends forth of Temperance Chastity Piety Mercy and Justice let Malice it self say let even Rebellion it self witness Now if he be the Sun you great ones are our Stars as you receive your Light from him the light of your honour and good example so whilst you keep the one of them to your selves so you must communicate the other to your inferiours And if in presence his light dim or extinguish yours yet the World affords you darkness enough abroad to shine in Oh shine you clearly in the dark night of this evill World that the beholders may see and magnify your brightness and may say of one there is a Mars of truly heroical courage there is the Mercury of sound wisdom and learning there the Jupiter of exemplary honour and magnificence there the Phosphorus of Piety and ante-lucan devotion and may be accordingly sensible of beneficiall influences to your Country Far be it from any of you to be a fatall Sirius or Dog-star which when he rises yields perhaps a little needless light but withall burns up the Earth and inflames the ayr puts the World in a miserable combustion Far be it from you to be dismall and direfull comets that portend nothing but horrour and death to the earth or if your light be of a lower accension far far be it from you to be any of those ignes fatui that do at once affright and seduce the poor travailer and carry him by leud guidance into a ditch Such such alas there are give me leave to complain where can I do it better then at a Court the professed Academy of honour That a strange kind of loose debauchednesse hath possessed too many of the young Gallants of our time I fear I may take in both sexes with whom modesty civility temperance sobriety are quite out of fashion as if they had been sutes of their Grandsires wardrobe As for Piety and Godliness they are so laid by as if they were the cast rags of a despised frippery He is no brave Spirit with too many that bids not defiance to good orders that revells not without care spends not withour measure talks not without grace lives not without God Wo is me is this the fruit of so long and clear a Light of the Gospel Is this to have fellowship with the Divine Light Now the God of Heaven be mercifull to that Wild and Atheous licenciousnes wherewith the World is so miserably over-run and strike our hearts with a true sence of our grievous provocations of his name that our serious humiliations may fore-lay his too-well-deserved judgments In the mean time if there should be any one such amongst you that hear me this Day as commonly they will be sure to be farthest off from good counsell let Wise Solomon School him for me Rejoyce O Young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee up in the dayes of thy Youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to judgment And let me add this if he be not for the light he shall be for the fire for the same Spirit of God which tells him here that God is Light tells him elsewhere which he shall once feel though he will not believe that our God is a consuming fire Now in the second place for us of the holy Tribe we are stars too And if not Stars Revel 1.16 Yet Candles Matth. 5.13 However Lights we must be and that both in Life and Doctrine If the first there are stars of severall magnitudes some goodly and great ones that move in Orbes of their own
excellent the Person so much more hainous is the offence done to him As to offend an Officer is in the eye of the Law more then to offend a private Subject a Magistrate more then an inferiour Officer a Peere more then a Magistrate for that is Scandalum Magnatum a Prince more then a Peere a Monarch more then a Prince Now in very nature a Spirit is more excellent then a Body I could send you higher but if we do but look into our own breasts we shall finde the difference There is a Spirit in Man saith Elihu Job 32.8 The Spirit of Man is as the Candle of the Lord saith Wise Solomon Prov. 20.27 without which the whole House is all dark and confused Now what comparison is there betwixt the Soul which is a Spirit and the Body which is Flesh even this which Wise Solomon instanceth in may serve for all The Spirit of a Man sustains his infirmities but a wounded Spirit who can hear Lo the Body helps to breed infirmities and the Spirit bears them out to which add the Body without the Spirit is dead the Spirit without the Body lives more It is a sad word of David when he complaines My bones are vexed Ps 6.2 and cleaves to my skin Psal 102.5 yet all this is tolerable in respect of that My Spirit faileth me My Spirit is overwhelmed within me my heart within me is desolate Psal 143.4 they were sore strokes that fetcht blood of our blessed Saviour but they were nothing to these inward torments that wrung from him the bloody sweat in his Agony when he said my soul is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heavy unto the Death could we conceive that the Body could be capable of pain without the Spirit as indeed it is not since the Body feeles only by the Spirit that pain were painlesse but this we are sure of that the Spirit feels more exquisite pain without the Body in the state of separation from it then it could feel in the former conjunction with it and the wrong that is done to the Soul is more haynous then that which can be inflicted on the Body By how much then more pure simple perfect excellent the Spirit is whom we offend by so much more grievous is the offence to offend the Spirit of any good Man one of Christs little ones is so hainous that it were better for a man to have a milstone hanged about his neck and to be cast into the bottom of the Sea Mat. 18.6 To offend an Angel which is an higher degree of spirituality is more then to vex the Spirit of the best man Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy Flesh to sin neither say before the Angel that it was an errour Eccles 5.6 Hence St. Paul heightens his adjuration to Timothy I charge thee before the Elect Angels 1 Tim. 5.21 And giving order for the decent demeanure of the Corinthian Women in the Congregation requires That they should have power on their head because of the Angels 1 Cor. 11.10 To offend therefore the God of Spirits the Father of these spirituall Lights must needs be an infinite aggravation of the sin even so much more as He is above those his best Creatures and there cannot be so much distance betwixt the poorest worme that crawles on the Earth and the most glorious Archangel of Heaven as there is betwixt him and his Creator One would think now there could be no step higher then this yet there is our Saviour hath so taught us to distinguish of sins that he tells us All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven Matth. 12.31 and Marc. 3.29 Not that we can sin against one Person and not offend another for their essence is but one but this sin is singled out for a special obstruction of forgivenesse for that it is done against the illumination and Influence of that Grace whereof the Holy Ghost is the immediate giver and worker in the Soul who is therfore called the Spirit of Grace hereupon is Stevens challenge to the stiff-necked Jews Act. 7.51 Ye do alwayes resist the holy Ghost And his charge to Ananias Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost Act. 5.3 Ye see then how this charge riseth and what force is put into it by the condition of the Person A Spirit the holy Spirit the holy Spirit of God enough to make way for the consideration of the Act inhibited Grieve not the holy Spirit of God Grieve not c. How incompatible are the termes of this charge That which makes the sin as it is set forth more sinfull may seem to make it impossible If a Spirit how is it capable of passion and if it be impassible how can it be grieved Alas we weak mortalls are subject to be hurried about with every blast of passion The Almighty is above all the reach of these unquiet perturbations Lo that God which mercifully condescended because his infinite glory transcends our weaknesse to speak unto us men by man and by Angels in the forme of Men speaks to us men in the style and language of Men Two wayes then may the Spirit of God be said to be grieved in Himself in his Saints in himself by an Anthropopathie as we call it In his Saints by a Sympathie the former is by way of Allusion to humane passion and carriage so doth the Spirit of God upon occasion of mens sins as we do when we are grieved with some great wrong or unkindnesse And what do we then First we conceive an high dislike of and displeasure at the Act Secondly we withdraw our countenance and favour from the offender Thirdly we inflict some punishment upon the offence and these are all of them dreadfull expressions of the grieving of Gods Spirit even these three displeasure aversion punishment For the first Esay expresseth it by vexation Esay 63.10 A place so much more worthy of observation for that some judicious interpreters as Reverend Calvin Zanchius Pagnine and Cornelius a Lapide think very probably that this text is borrowed from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And they rebelled and vexed the Spirit of his holinesse Where such an Act is intimated as compriseth both grief and Anger surely we do not think it safe to irritate the great and if it be but a man a little bigger then our selves we are ready to deprecate his displeasure but if it be a man that is both great and dear to us with whom we are faln out how unquiet are we if we have any good nature in us till we have recovered his lost favour do ye not see with what importunity good David seeks to appease the wrath of his incensed Father in Law none of the best men and causelesly provoked Let my Lord the King hear the words of his Servant If the Lord have stirred thee up against me let him accept an offering but if they
be the Children of men cursed be they before the Lord And even Josephs Brethren though so ill-natur'd that they could eat and drink whilst their Brother was crying in their pit yet at last as doubtlesse they had done ere then they come with humble prostrations and passionate Supplications to their Brother Gen. ult we pray thee forgive the trespasse of the Servants of thy Fathers God what speak I of these Even Absolom himself though he soon after carried a Traitor in his bosome how earnestly he sued for his restoring to his fathers long denyed presence and out of his impatience caused Joab to pay dear for the delay Oh then how should we be affected with the sence of the displeasure of the holy Spirit of our good God who as he is our best friend so he is a most powerful avenger of wickednesse Surely we do so vex and sadden him with our grievous provocations that he cryes out and makes moan of his insufferable wrong this way Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins and wearied me with thine iniquities Esa 43.24 and Amos 1.13 Behold I am pressed under you as a cart is pressed that is full of Sheaves even so full that the Axeltree creaks and bends and cracks again It must needs be a great weight that the Almighty complaines of and surely so it is could our offences be terminated in men and not strike God thorough them we might well say that all the outrages and affronts that we could put upon a world of men were nothing to the least violation of the infinite Majestie of God and so doth the God against whom they are committed take them by how much more tender the part is so much more painfull is the blow the least wipe of the eye troubles us more then a hard stroak upon the back it is easy to observe that the more holy the person is the more he is afflicted with his own and with others sin Lot vexed his righteous Soul with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites Davids eyes gusht out rivers of waters because men kept not the Law how much more then shall the holy God from whom these good men receive these touches of Godly indignation be vexed to see and hear our profanations of his name and dayes our contempt of his Servants and ordinances our debauched lives our malicious and oppressive practises our wilfull disobediences our shamefull excesses and uncleanesses our uncharitable censures of each other and all that World of wickednesse that we are overborne withall grief is never but an unpleasive passion the rest have some life and contentment in them Not only love and joy which useth to dilate and chear the heart but even hatred it self to a rancorous stomack hath a kinde of wicked pleasure in it but grief is ever harsh and tedious one of St. Augustins two tormentors of Mankinde Dolor et Timor And shall our hearts tell us That we have grieved the good Spirit of God by our sins and shall not we be grieved at our selves that we have grieved him How can there be any true sense of heavenly love and gratitude in us if we be not thoroughly humbled and vexed within our selves to think that we have angred so good a God How can we choose but roar out in the unquietnesse of our soules with the holy Psalmist There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine Anger neither is there any rest in my Bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are to heavy for me to bear Ps 38.3 4. Certainly it is a signe of a gracelesse Soul to be secure and cheerfull under a known sin that Man that can sleep soundly after a murder that can give merry checks to his Conscience after an act of adultery or theft or any such grievous crimes hath an heart insensible of goodnesse and may prove a fit brand for hell This is that whereof Esay speaks In that Day did the Lord of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth and behold joy and gladnesse slaying of Oxen and killing of Sheep eating Flesh and drinking Wine Esa 22.12 13. But it followes next Surely this iniquity shall not be purged till ye die vers 14. these are they that say we have made a covenant with death and with hell we are at an agreement but it followes soon after Their covenant with death shall soon be disanulled and their agreement with hell shall not stand Esa 28.15.18 Far far be this disposition from us that professe to love the Lord let it be with us as with some good natur'd Children whom I have seen even after their whippings unquiet till with their continued tears and importunities they have made their peace with their offended parent And thus much for the displeasure which is in this grieving of the Spirit of God which never goes alone but is attended by those two other consequent effects Aversion and Punishment As those therefore which scent an unsavory breath turne their heads aside and those great and good guests who finde themselves ill used change their Inn so doth the holy Spirit of God upon occasion of our wilfull sins turne away his face and withdraw his presence In a little wrath I hid my face from thee saith God Esa 54.8 This good David found and complained of Thou turnedst away thy face and I was troubled Psal 30.7 And again as if he feard lest God would be quite gone upon those his horrible sins of Adultery and Murder he cryes out passionatly O cast me not away from from thy Presence and take not thine holy Spirit from me Psal 51.11 This is that which Divines call spirituall desertion A course which God takes not seldome when he finds a kind of restiveness and neglect in his Servants or passage given to some haynous sin against the checks of conscience where he intends correction quickning and reclamation the Spouse in the Canticles because she opened not instantly to her Beloved findes her self disappointed I opened to my Beloved but my Beloved had withdrawen himself and was gone and my Soul failed me Cant. 5.6 This is no other then we must make account of and which if we have any acquaintance with God and our selves in our daily experience we have found and shall find if we have given way to any willing sin in that very Act the Spirit is grieved and in that Act of griefe subduced neither can we ever expect comfort in the sense of his return or hope to have his face shine upon us again till we have won him to us and recovered his favour by an unfained Repentance Is there any of us therefore that hath grieved and estranged the holy Spirit from us by any known offence it must cost us warme water ere we can recover him and the light of his countenance upon us neither let us be sparing of our Tears to this
of God planted in his heart and one that desires to be approved to God in all his wayes though perhaps he differ in judgment and be of another profession from thee in some collateral matters as the God of Heaven stands not upon such points let him I say be one of Gods dear and secret ones whom thou revilest and persecutest the Spirit of God feels the Indignities that are offered to such a one and will let thee feel that he feels them make as slight as you will of scandalizing and wronging a good man there is a good God that will pay you for it What an heavy complaint is that which the Apostle makes to his Corinthians concerning himself and his fellowes I think saith he that God hath set forth us the Apostles last as it were appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the World and to Angels and to Men 1 Cor. 4.9 and verse the 13. We are made as the filth of the world the off-scouring of all things unto this day Alas if this were the condicion of the blessed Apostles to be thus vilified why should it seem strange to us their unworthy successours and Disciples if we be thought fit for nothing but to be cast upon the dunghill but these reproaches however we may take coolly and calmly as that Stoick Philosopher did who whilst he was discoursing of being free from passions it being the doctrine of that sect that a wise man should be impassionate a rude fellow spat purposely in his face and when he was asked whether he were not angry answered no truly I am not angry but I doubt whether I should not be angry at such an abuse but there is a God that will not put up our contumelies so we strike his servants on Earth and he feels it in Heaven It is very emphaticall which the Apostle hath to this purpose Coloss 1.24 I fill up that which is behind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Asterings of the Afflictions of Christ in my flesh Intimating that there is one intire body as it were of Christs sufferings part whereof he indured in his own person and part he still sustaines in his members so as he cannot be free whiles they suffer inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of my brethren ye did it unto me Mat. 15.40 As the soul feels what is done to the body the Iron entred into his Soul saith the Psalmist so what is done to the faithfull soul God is sensible of and will revenge it accordingly what shall be done to thee thou false Tongue saith the Psalmist even mighty and sharp Arrowes with hot burning Coales Psal 102.3 Thou hast shot thine Arrowes even bitter words against Gods chosen ones and God shall send thee sharper arrowes of his vengeance singing into thy bosome thy tongue hath been set on fire with contention and hath helpt to kindle it in others and now God shall fill thy mouth with hotter coales of that fire which shall never be quenched Oh then as we tender our own safety let us binde our Tongues and hands to the good behaviour and resolve with the holy Apostle To give none offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God 1. Cor. 10.32 Now as the holy Spirit of God both in himself and in his Children is grieved with our leud speeches and offensive carriage so contrarily God and his holy Spirit are joyed in our gracious speeches and holy conversation Luc. 15.10 I say unto you there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Lo this is Gods joy and the Angels witnesse it it is the owner that hath found the lost Groate and that saith Rejoyce with me how doth conscionable and godly behaviour and holy Communication make Musick in Heaven We have known many that have thought their time well bestowed if they could make a great Man smile Principibus placuisse c. And perhaps their facetious urbanity hath not passed unrewarded Oh what shall we think of moving true delight to the King of glory It was no small incouragement to the Colossians that the Apostle professes he was with them rejoycing and beholding their Order Coloss 2.5 What a comfort then must it needs be that the great God of Heaven is with us and takes notice of our carriage and contentment in it Revel 2.2 I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience saith the Spirit of God to the Angel or Bishop of the Church of Ephesus and Videndo vidi saith God to Moses concerning the Israelites I have seen the afflictions of my people it is said of Anthony the Hermite Let no man bogle at this that I mention an Hermite to this Congregation those first Eremites that went aside into the Wildernesse to avoid those primitive persecutions were holy men great Saints and of a quite different alloy from those of the present Romish Church Mera Nominum Crepitacula that when he was set upon by Divells and buffeted by them as St. Paul was 2 Cor. 12. according to learned Cameran his interpretation after the conflict he cryed out O bone Jesu ubi eras O Lord Jesu where wast thou and received answer juxta te eram c. I was by thee and lookt how thou wouldst demean thy self in thy combat who would not fight valiantly when he fights in the eye of his Prince It is the highest consideration in the World this how doth God rellish my actions and me The common rule of the World is what will men say what will my neighbours what will my superiours what will posterity and according to their conceits we are willing to regulate our carriage but a true Christian looks higher and for every thing he sayes or does inquires after the censure or allowance of God himself still caring that the words of his mouth and the meditations of his heart may be accepted of his God and if his heart tell him that God frownes at his actions all the World cannot chear him up but he will go mourning all the day long till he have made his peace and set even termes between God and his Soul but if that tell him all is well nothing in the world can deject and dishearten him but he takes up that resolution which Solomon gives for advice Let thy Garments be white and let no Oyle be wanting to thine head go thy way Eat thy bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart for now God accepteth thy works Eccles 9.7 8. And this consideration as it never can be unseasonable so is a most fit cordiall for every honest and good heart in these dismall times we are in a sad condicion and perhaps in expectation of worse the sword is either devouring or threatning we are ready to be swallowed up with grief or fear what should we now do Dear Christians let every one of us look in what termes he stands with his God do
vexations which we meet withall here below and which is yet more from all the danger of sinning which now every day adds to the fearfulness of our account and lastly from the wofull wages of sin Death bodily spirituall eternall here is a redemption worth our longing for worth our joying in when Joseph was fetcht out of Pharaohs Gaol and changed the nasty rags of his prison for pure linnen vestures and his Iron fetters for a chain of Gold and his wooden stocks for Pharaohs second Charet Gen. 41.42 do we not think he must needs be joyfully affected with it When Peter was called up from betwixt his Leopards as that Father termes them and had his shackles shaken off and was brought through the Iron gates into the free and open street or when Daniel was called out of the lyons den to the embracements of Darius could he choose but rejoyce in the change when Lazarus was called after three dayes entombing out of his grave and saluted his mourning sisters and walk't home with his friends could there be ought but the voice of joy and gladnesse among them But alas all these are but sleight resemblances of the blessed Redemption which is purchased for us who are thus ransomed from sin and death Rather if we could imagine the soul of a Trajan fetcht out of hell by the prayers of Gregory or of a Falconella by Tecla according to the bold legends of lying fablers and now freed from those intolerable and unconceiveable torments we might apprehend in some measure what it is that is wrought for our souls in this mercifull redemption and what is the favour of that deliverance which we must long to have fully perfected But alas what shall I say to us We are enslaved and fettered and we are loath to be free we are in love with our bonds with our miseries with our sins and when death comes like a good Ebed-molech to drag us up out of our dungeon we are unwilling to put the rags under our arme-pits and to lay hold of that our sure and happy conveyance to the light and liberty of the Saints Oh our wretched unbelief that is guilty of this slackness of our desires whereas if we were what we profess our selves we would think the time long till it be accomplished and say Come Lord Jesus come quickly even so come Lord Jesus come quickly and make up our full redemption from misery from sin from death and bring us into that glorious liberty of the Sons of God This for the day of our redemption now Secondly let us see what this sealing is to the day of Redemption I find in Gods book three uses of a seal 1. For secrecy 2. For peculiar designation 3. For certainty and assurance For secrecy first So God speaking of the condition of Israel Deut. 32.34 Is not this laid up in store and sealed up among my treasures So Esay speaking of a vision of his It shall be as the letter of a book sealed whereof one shall say Read this the other shall answer I cannot for it is sealed Esa 29.11 Yea this sealing argues a long reservation and closenesse Go thy way Daniel for the words are closed up and sealed to the time of the end Dan. 12.9 and thereupon it is that John is forbidden to seale up the book of his prophesie Revel 22.10 for the time is â—igh at hand so we are wont to do in ordinary practise that Closet which we would have no body go into we seal up that bag which we would not have opened and that letter which we would not have seen by others we seal up and think it a great violation of civility to have it opened Hence is that sigillum confessionis the seale of confession amongst the Romish Casuists held so sacred that it may not in any case whatsoever be broken up Insomuch as their great Doctour Martinus Alphonsus Vivaldus goes so farr as to say Si penderet salus vel liberatio totius mundi ex revelatione unius peccati non esset revelandum etiamsi totus mundus esset perdendus That if the safety of the whole World should depend upon the revealing of one sin it is not to be revealed though all the World should be destroyed and adds Imo propter liberationem omnium animarum totius mundi non est revelandum Though it were for the freeing of all the souls of the whole World it is not to be revealed in his Candelabrum aureum De sigillo number the 11th A strange height of expression to give the World assurance of the close carriage of their auricular Confession and that not without need for were it not for this perswasion their hearths might cool and men would keep their own counsell and surely not to meddle with their tyrannicall impositions upon the conscience in their forced confessions which we do justly call carnificinam conscientiae I should hold and profess that if a man should come in the anguish of his soul for some sin to unload his heart secretly to the bosom of his Minister of whom he looks for counsell and comfort if in such a case that Minister should reveale that sin to any other whosoever no death were torment enough for such a spirituall perfidiousnesse all secrets are at the least sub sigillo fidei under the seal of fidelity and therefore not to be revealed For peculiar designation thus our blessed Saviour speaking of himself the Son of man adds For him hath God the Father sealed Joh. 6.27 that is hath designed him to the speciall office of his Mediatorship So Revelation 7.5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand and so the name of the number of the severall tribes to the whole sum of an hundred fourty four thousand were designed to Salvation But the chief use of the seale is for certainty and assurance so Jezebel to make sure work with the Elders of Jezreel for the dispatch of Naboth sealed it with Ahabs seale 1 Kings 21. so the Jewish Princes Priests and Levites when they had made their covenant sealed it with their seales Nehem. 9. the last verse Hence Hamans Order for the destruction of the Jewes was sealed with the Kings seale Esth 3.12 and the countermand for their preservation so sealed also Esth 8.8 so Jeremy for his land at Anathoth wrote and sealed Jerem. 32.9 so the gravestone of Christs Tomb was sealed Matth. 27.66 And still this is our practise that which we would make sure and past all question we give not under our hand onely but our seal also In all these three regards of secrecy peculiar designation and certainty the Church is sons obsignatus a well sealed up Cant. 4.12 and she justly prayes Set me as a Seal upon thine heart and a Seal upon thine arme Cant. 8.6 Let us take them severally into our thoughts and first for the Secrecy It is a sure word which the Spirit of God hath 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God remaineth
of evil inclinations and actions which yet will never reach to evince our son-ship to God How easily were it for me to name you divers Heathens which have been eminent in all these and yet for ought we know never the nearer to Heaven yet lower there are some speciall gifts of the Spirit which we call Charismata rare endowments bestowed upon some men excellent faculties of preaching and praying power of miraculous workings as no doubt Judas did cast out Devils as well as the best of his fellow-Apostles gifts of tongues and of Prophesie and the like which do no more argue a right to the son-ship of God then the Manuaries infused skill of Bezaleel and Aâ—oliab could prove them Saints yet lastly there may be sensible operations of the Spirit of God upon the soul in the influences of holy motions into the heart in working a temporary faith and some fair progresse in an holy profession and yet no sonship the world is full of such glow-wormes that make some show of Spiritual Light from God when they have nothing in them but cold crudities that can serve for nothing but deceit Will ye then see what leading of the Spirit can evince us to be the Sons and Daughters of God know then that if we will hope for a comfortable assurance hereof we must be efficaciously led by his sanctifying Spirit first in matter of judgment secondly in our dispositions and thirdly in our practise For matter of judgment ye remember what our Saviour said to his Disciples When the Spirit of truth is come he will lead you into all Truth John 16.13 That is into all saving and necessary truthes so as to free us from grosse ignorance or main errour Whosoever therefore is enlightned with the true and solid knowledg of all those points of Christian doctrine which are requisite for salvation is in that first regard led by the Spirit and in this behalf hath a just title to the son-ship of God as contrarily those that are grosly and obstinately erroneous in their judgment of fundamental truthes let them pretend to never so much holinesse in heart or life shall in vain lay claim to this happy condition of the Sons of God For our disposition secondly If the holy Spirit have wrought our hearts to be right with God in all our affections if we do sincerely love and fear him if we do truely believe in him receiving him as not our Saviour only but as our Lord If our desires be unfained towards him If after a meek and penitent self-dejection we can find our selves raised to a lively hope and firm confidence in that our blessed Redeemer and shall continue in a constant and habitual fruition of him being thus led by the Spirit of God we may be assured that we are the Sons of God for flesh and blood cannot be accessary to these gracious dispositions Lastly for our practise it is a clear word which we hear God say by Ezekiel I will put my Spirit into the midst of you and will by it cause you to walk in my statutes and keep my laws Ezech. 36.27 Lo herein is the main crisis of a soul led by the Spirit of God and adopted to this heavenly son-ship It is not for us to content our selves to talk of the lawes of our God and to make empty and formal professions of his name Here must be a continued walk in Gods statutes it will not serve the turne for us to stumble upon some acceptable work to step aside a little into the pathes of godlinesse and then draw back to the World no my beloved this leading of Gods Spirit must neither be a forced angariation as if God would feoffe grace and salvation upon us against our wills nor some suddain protrusion to good nor a meer actual momentany transient conduction for a brunt of holinesse and away leaving us to the sinful wayes of our former disobedience and to our wonted compliances with the World the Devil and the Flesh but must be in a steady uninterrupted habitual course of holy obedience so as we may sincerely professe with the man after Gods own heart My soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I love them exceedingly Psal 119.67 Now then dear Christians lay this to heart seriously and call your selves sadly to this triall What is the carriage of our lives What obedience do we yeild to the whole law of our God If that be entire hearty universal constant perseverant and truly conscientious we have whereof to rejoyce an unfailing ground to passe a confident judgment upon our spiritual estate to be no lesse then happy But if we be willingly failing in the unfained desires and indevours of these holy performances and shall let loose the reins to any known wickednesse we have no part nor portion in this blessed condition Mark I beseech you how fully this is asserted to our hands in this saith the beloved Apostle the Children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loves not his brother 1 Joh. 3.10 Observe I pray you what test we are put to ye hear him not say who so talks not holily or who so professes not godlinesse in these an hypocrite may exceed the best Saint but whosoever doth not righteousnesse withall see what a clause the Disciple of love superadds to the mention of all Righteousnesse neither he that loves not his brother surely the Spirit of God is a Loving Spirit Wisdom 1.6 and St. Paul hath the like phrase Rom. 15.30 To let passe then all the other proofes of our guidance by the spirit Instance but in this one Alas my Brethren what is become of that charitable and christian carriage of men towards one another which God requires of us and which was wont to be conspicuous amongst Christian compatriots Wo is me instead of that true and hearty love which our Saviour would have the Livery of our Disciple-ship the badg of our holy profession what do we see but emulation envy malice rigid censures and rancorous heart-burnings amongst men In stead of those neighbourly and friendly offices which Christians were wont lovingly to performe to each other what have we now in the common practise of men but underminings oppressions violence cruelty Can we think that the Spirit of him who would be styled Love it self would lead us in these rugged and bloody pathes No no this alone is too clear a proof how great a stranger the Spirit of God is to the hearts and waies of men and how few there are that upon good and firme grounds can plead their right to the son-ship of God Alas alas if these dispositions and practises may bewray the sons of an holy God what can men do to prove themselves the children of that hellish Apollion who was a man-slayer from the beginning For us my beloved Oh let us hate and bewaile this common degeneration of Christians and as we would
Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will set my face against you for evill and to cut off all Judah Jer. 44.10.11 and if ye will have particularities have we not cause to fear that he will make good upon us that fearful word I have taken away my peace from this people saith the Lord even loving kindnesse and mercies Jer. 16.5 This is an ablative judgment and that a heavy one too will ye see a positive one more heavy then that Behold I will utterly forget you and I will forsake you and the City that I gave to you and your forefathers and cast you out of my presence And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you and a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten Jer. 23.39 40. Will ye have the specialities of his threatned judgments Behold I will send upon them the sword the famine and the pestilence I will persecute them with all these and will deliver them to be removed to all the Kingdomes of the Earth to be a curse and an astonishment and an hissing and a reproach among all Nations Jer. 29.17 18. But enough enough of these dolefull accents of interminated judgments wherewith if I would follow the steps of the Prophets I might strike your hearts with just horrour See now the no lesse danger that arises from our selves no lesse Yea much greater for the highest revenge of all other that God takes of men is when he punishes sin with sin Let me therefore sadly and seriously tell you that there is just fear we are running apace into two woful mischiefs Atheisme and Barbarisme Oh that I were a false Prophet and did not see too much ground of this fear The multiplicity of these wild opinions in matter of Religion if there be not a speedy restraint can have no other issue but no Religion And if we should live to see discouragements put upon Learning and a substract on or diminution of the maintenance of studied Divines and an allowance of or connivence at unlettered preachers and no care taken of any but some select soules ignorance confusion and barbarity will be the next newes that we shall hear of from the Church of England Brethren if we see not these causes of fear we are blind and if seeing them we be not affected with them we are stupid Let this be enough to be spoken of those grounds that make a just time of our mourning now that our seasonable mourning may not be to no purpose let us inquire a little how this our mourning should be regulated for the due carriage and conditions of it And first for the quantity of it it must be proportioned to the occasion and cause upon which it is taken up for to mourne deeply upon sleight and trivial causes were weak and childish like to those faint hearts that are ready to swoun away for the scratch of a finger on the contrary not to mourne heavily upon a main cause of grief argues an insensate and benummed heart If it be for some vehement affliction of body good Ezekiah is a lawfull precedent for us Like as a Crane or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a dove mine eyes fail with looking upward Isaiah 38.14 If it be for some great publick calamity Jeremie tells you what to do For this gird you with sackcloth lament and howl for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us Jerem. 4.8 and Gods chosen People are a fit pattern The Elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground and keep silence they have cast up dust upon their heads they have girded themselves with sackcloth the Virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground Lament 2.10 and the Prophet beats them company in their sorrow Mine eyes do fail with tears my bowels are troubled my liver is poured upen the earth for the destruction of the daughter of my People Lament 2.11 If it be for some personall and grievous sin that we have been miscarried into Holy David is a meet example for us My bones saith he waxed old through my roaring all the day long for day and night thy hand was heavie upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer Psal 32.3 4. and elsewhere My sore ran in the night and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted I complained and my Spirit was over-whelmed Psal 77.2 3. Where are those pandars of sin the Romish casuists that teach the least measure of sorrow even meer attrition is enough for a penitent Surely had the man after Gods own heart thought so he had spared many a sigh and many a sobbe and many a tear that his sins cost him and so must they do us if ever we hope to recover true comfort to our souls and certainly could we be rightly apprehensive of the dread Majesty of the most high God whom we move to anger with our sin and could consider the hainousness of sin whereby we provoke the eyes of his glory and lastly the dreadfulness of that eternal torment which our sin drawes after it we could not think it easy to spend too much sorrow upon our sins Lastly if from our own private bosome we shall cast our eyes upon the common sins of the times and places wherein we live a tast whereof I have given you in this our present discourse where oh where shall we finde tears enough to bewail them now sack-cloth and ashes sighs and tears weeping and wailing rending of garments yea rending of hearts too are all too little to expresse our just mourning When good Ezra heard but of that one sin wherewith both Priests and Levites and the Rulers and People of Israel were tainted which was their intermarriage with the Heathen so as the holy seed was vitiated with this mixture how passionately was he affected Let himself tell you When I heard this thing saith he I rent my garment and my mantle and pluckt off the hair of my head and of my beard and sat down astonished untill the evening sacrifice Ezra 9.3 4. What would he have done think we if he had seen so many abominations and heard so many and soul blasphemies of his Israel as we have been witnesses of in these last times This for the quantity Now secondly for the quality of our mourning we may not think to rest in a meer sorrow in a pensive kind of sullennesse Worldly sorrow causeth death 2 Cor. 8.10 For by the sorrow of the heart the Spirit is broken Prov. 15.13 and a broken spirit dryeth the bones Prov. 17.22 And this is one main difference betwixt the Christian mourner and the Pagan both equally complain both are sensible of the causes of their complaint but the sorrow of the one is simply and absolutely afflictive as looking no further but to the very object of his grief the other is mixed with divers holy temperaments as with a meekness of Spirit with a faithul
custom for these contrary fashions neither are either of them to be censured as faulty and exorbitant and with us we hold the head uncovered if the hat be off though the cap be on others make no difference if there be ought at all on the head Consider Secondly that the hair was given by God both to Men and Women for an ornament for which cause though it pass in our account for no better then an excretion yet it was created together with Man and Woman in their first Perfection Were it not thus surely Baldnesse would be held a Beauty and noâ— a Blemish Neither would the Prophet Elisha have taken it for so haynous an affront that the children cryed ascende calve Neither would God have exprest it as an intimation of his severest judgment upon Israel on every head shall be baldness Jer. 48.37 Neither would God have ordained it for a law to Israel that he who was enamoured of a captive woman should first shave her hair to take off the edge of his affection Deut. 21.12 Neither would Nehemiah have taken this revenge of the hair of hiâ— mis-married Countrymen Nehem. 13.25 It was but a just question that Augustus Cesar askt his Daughter Julia when she had her white hairs pulled out daily whether within a few years she had rather be gray or bald And our story tells us that when it was askt why the Spartans suffred their hair to grow Ageselaus answerd that was the cheapest ornament that belong'd to the body In a word therefore if our hair were given for a deformity to us it could but be all hidden Let it be Thirdly considered that our Apostles main drift here is to give order for the habiting of women in the publique assemblies and exercises of their devotions not for their ordinary and domestique attire Which appears plainly in the 5th verse Every Woman that prayeth or prophesyeth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head he saith not every woman that walkes abroad upon civill occasions or that staies at home upon her houshold affaires without a vail on her head dishonors her head and verse 13. Judge in your selves is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered It is a publique prayer that is there meant parallel to the prophesie before mentioned both which in these first times of the Church were in extraordinary use without the danger of a precedent to us upon whom the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Church and the ends of the World are at once come And if there were no more proofs my Text were enough which injoynes the vayling of the head is to be used because of the Angels relating as all interpreters give it to the publique Congregations of the Saints of God as we shall see in the sequele Lastly it must be known that this covering of the head hath principall relation to the face which is the best and most conspicuous part of the head so as it is supposed that the humility and modesty of the woman doth most show it self in the vayling of the face from the view of beholders the back parts of the head not giving so much cause of note and distinction not so much occasion of temptation to any eye those therefore who by vertue of this place would have all their hair hid must much more and upon better reason contend that their face should be alwayes covered wherein one absurdity and servile inconvenience would easily draw on another Shortly then it followes irrefragably from all this that however the garish and wanton fashion of the womans dissheveling her hair and the lascivious turning it into nets for the catching of fond and amorous eyes be justly forbidden both to grave matrons and to chast and well governd Virgins yet that no law of God or good reason disallowes such a moderate laying out of some part of the hair as may give a safe comeliness to the face without the just scandall of any wise beholder Neither doth that other Text make ought for this fancy where the Apostle tels us that the womans hair was given her for a covering but rather evinces the contrary The meaning is it was given her for a covering actively to cover her not passively to be covered by her For St. Paul intending to show how unseemly it was for women to show themselves in publique exercises with a bare face an open brow an uncovered hair before the multitude fetches an argument from nature it self which plainly points her what she ought to do in that it hath furnished her with a native vail which is her hair since therefore provident nature hath given her a long hair purposely to be a cover unto her it therein showes how fit it is that her modesty and discretion should provide her such a covering for her head when she will be opening her mouth in the publique assembly as may testifie her womanly bashfulnesse and humble subjection To shut up this point therefore there can be no just pretence from this or any other Scripture for this mis-raysed scrupulousnesse Rather for the contrary the holy Ghost seemes to make in that his Divine Epithalamion wherein he brings in Christ the Heavenly Bridegroom magnifying his bride the Church with this sweet allusion Behold thou art fair my love Behold thou art fair thou hast doves eyes within thy locks thy hair is as a flock of goates that appear from Mount Gilead Cantic 4.1 Lo the dove-like eyes of the Church are within her locks and her hair is not as an hidden flock but appears and that in a glorious beauty Let no well affected Christian bring her self under the bondage of an observation which God never injoyned or passe a groundless and rash verdict upon others for that which God hath never forbidden but with a due care of an holy outward decency Let every one in the fear of God look to the hidden Man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 And so I have done with the Rule or Canon of the Apostle Come we now to the grounds of it The former whereof hath reference to what he had concerning the eminent condition of the Man in respect of the Woman fetched from both the materiall and finall cause Materiall the woman is of the Man Finall the woman is created for the man not the contrary but because this point is coincident with that which we have formerly touched concerning the husbands superiority I shall not need to renew my discourse upon this subject but choose rather to descend to that second ground which by the vulgar and some Fathers quoting the place is brought in by way of a copulative And because of the Angels a ground so deep that great wits and judgments have professed not to fadom it Quid hoc sit saith learned Beza nondum intelligo and our no lesse learned Camâ—ron confesses that
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By good works The vulgar reads it thus and the Council of Trent cites it thus and some of ours so the text runs thus Give diligence that by good works ye may make your calling and election sure I inquire not how duly but certainly there is no cause that we should fear or dislike this reading good works are a notable confirmation to the soul of the truth of our calling and election Though Cardinal Bellarmine makes ill use of the place striving hereupon to inferre that our certitude is therefore but conjectural because it is of works For the solution whereof justly may we wonder to hear of a conjectural certitude Certainly we may as well hear of a false-truth what a plain implication is here of a palpable contradiction Those things which we conjecture at are only probable and there can be no certainty in probability Away with these blinde peradventures had our Apostle said and he knew how to speak guesse at your calling and election by good works his game here had been fair but now when he saies By good works indeavour to make your calling and election sure how clearly doth he disclaim a dubious hit I-misse-I and implies a fecible certainty And indeed what hinders the connection of this assurance Our works make good the truth of our faith our faith makes good our effectual calling our calling makes good our election therefore even by good works we make our election sure Neither can it hurt us that the Cardinal saith we hold this certainty to be before our good works not after them and therefore that is not caused by our good works We stand not nicely to distinguish how things stand in the order of nature surely this certainty is both before and after our works before in the act of our faith after in our works confirming our faith neither do we say this certainty is caused by our good works but confirmed by them neither doth this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imply alwaies a thing before uncertain as learned Chamier well but the completing and making up of a thing sure before To which also must be added that these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good works must be taken in the largest latitude so as to fetch in not only the outward good offices that fall from us in the way whether of our charity justice or devotion but the very inmost inclinations and actions of the soul tending towards God our believing in him our loving of him our dreading of his infinite Majesty our mortification of our corrupt affections our joy in the holy Ghost whatsoever else may argue or make us holy These are the means by which we may and must endeavor to make our calling election sure But to let this clause passe as litigious the undoubted words of the text goe no less If ye do these things ye shall never fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things are the vertues precedently mentioned and not falling is equivalent to ascertaining our calling and election Not to instance then and urge those many graces which are here specified I shall content my self with those three Theological vertues singled out from the rest faith hope charity for the makeing sure our calling and election For faith how clear is that of our Saviour He that believes in him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life Joh. 5.24 This is the grace by which Christ dwels in our hearts Ephes 3.17 and whereby we have communion with Christ and an assured testimony of and from him For he that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness in himself 1 John 5.10 And what witness is that This is the record that God hath given us eternall life and this life is in his Son verse 11. He that hath the Son hath life verse 12. See what a connection here is Eternal life first this life eternal is in and by Christ Jesus this Jesus is ours by faith This Faith witnesseth to our souls our assurance of Life Eternall Our hope is next which is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thrusting out of the head to look for the performing of that which our faith apprehends and this is so sure a grace as that it is called by the name of that glory which it expecteth Colos 1.5 For the hope sake which is laid up for you in heaven that is for the glory we hope for Now both faith and hope are of a cleansing nature both agree in this Purifying their hearts by faith Act. 15.9 Every one that hath this hope purifyeth himself even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3.3 The Devil is an unclean Spirit he foules wheresoever he comes and all sin is nasty and beastly Faith and hope like as neat huswives when they come into a foul and sluttish house cleanse all the roomes of the soul and make it a fit habitation for the Spirit of God Are our hearts lifted up then in a comfortable expectation of the performance of Gods merciful promises and are they together with our lives swept and cleansed from the wonted corruptions of our nature and pollutitions of our sin this is an undoubted evidence of our calling and election Charity is the last which comprehends our love both to God and man for from the reflection of Gods love to us there ariseth a love from us to God again The beloved Disciple can say We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 And from both these resulteth our love to our brethren which is so full an evidence that our Apostle tells us we know we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 For the love of the Father is inseparable from the love of the Son he that loves him that begets loves him that is begotten of him Shortly then think not of a ladder to clâ—mbe up into heaven to search the books of God First look into your own lives those are most open we need no locks or keyes to them the Psalmist in his fifthteenth will tell you who is for that blisseful Sion are your lives innocent are your works good and holy do ye abound in the fruites of piety justice Christian compassion Let these be your first tryall it is a flat and plain word of the divine Apostle whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God 1 John 3.10 Look secondly into your own bosomes open to none but your own eyes If ye find there a true and lively faith in the Son of God by whose blood ye are cleansed from all your sins by vertue whereof ye can cry Abba Father a sure hope in Christ purifying your souls from your corruptions a true and unfained love to your God and Saviour who hath done so much for your soules so as you dare say with that fervent Apostle Lord thou knowest that I love thee and in him and for his sake a sincere love to his
impressa fuit aliqualis notitia veritatis divinae dolor de peccatis suis aliquod desiderium aliqua cura liberationis mutentur plane in contrarium veritaâ—em rejiciant odio habeant concupiscentiis suis se tradant in peccatis occalleant ibid. Thes 5. 8. These foregoing inward acts wrought by the word and Spirit both may be and are many times through the fault of the rebellious will choaked and quenched in the hearts of Men so as after some knowledg of divine truth some sorrow for sin and desire and care of deliverance they fall off to the contrary and give themselves over to their own lusts Ne Electi quidem ipsi in his praecedane is ad regenerationem actibus ita se gerant unquam quin ut propter negligentiam resistentiam suam possint juste a Deo deseri derelinqui sed ea est erga eos Dei specialis misericordia ut quam vis c. Eos tamen iterum iterumque urgeat Deus nec desistat promo vere donec eosdem gratiae suae prorsus subjugaverit ac in statu filiorum regeneratorum collocaverit Theol. Br. ibid. Thes 6. 9. Yea the very elect of God do not so carry themselves in these foregoing Acts but that they do oft-times justly deserve for their neglect and resistance to be forsaken of God But such is his speciall grace and mercy to them that he notwithstanding followes them effectually with powerfull helps till he have wrought out his good work in them Gratiam specialem essicacem ad salutem certo perducentem his quos Deus ex beneplacito suo gratioso elegerit propriam profitetur D. Overal in Art 3. Sent. 3. 10. When the hearts of his elect are thus excited and prepared by the foregoing Acts of grace God doth by his secret and wonderfull work regenerate and renew them infusing into them his quickning Spirit and induing all the powers of their soul with new qualities of grace and holyness Deus animos electorum suorum praedictis gratiae suae actibus excitatos praeparatos intima quadam mirabili operatione regenerat quasi de novo creat infundendo spiritum vivificantem omnes animae facultates novis qualitatibus imbuendo Theol. Br. de convers Thes 1. 11. Upon this conversion which God works in the heart followes instantly our actuall conversion to God whiles from our new changed will God fetches the act of our believing and turning to him He gives that power which the will exercises so as it is at once both ours and Gods ours in that we do work Gods in that he works it in us Praedictam conversionem sequitur haec nostra conversio actualis Deo perliciente ipsum actum credendi convertendi ex mutata voluntate quae acta adeo agit ipsa convertendo se ad Deum credendo hoc est actum suum vitalem simul eliciendo ibid. 12. In working upon the will God doth not overthrow the nature of the will but causeth it to work after it's own native manner freely and willingly neither doth he pull up by the roots that sinfull possibility which is in our nature to resist good motions but doth sweetly and effectually work in Man a firme and ready will to obey him his grace is so powerfull that it is not violent Divina haec actio non laedit voluntatis libertatem sed roborat neque tamen extirpat radicitus vitiosam resistendi possibilitatem sed pravitatem ad resistendum motibus spiritus sancti sed haec resistibilitas propter efficacissimam suavissimam motionem gratiae nequit in actum hic nunc erumpere huic gratiae resisti nequit quia primum operatur velle id est non resistere c. ibid. in explic Thes 2. Deum cum voluerit quibus voluerit gratiam tam abundantem tam potentem aut congruam aut alio modo efficacem concedere ut quamvis possit voluntas ratione suae libertatis resistere non tamâ—n resistat sed certo infallibiliter obsequatur Dr. Overal in Artic 4. It is true that whiles our naturall concupiscence raignes in us we have not only a possibility but a proneness to resistance which yet is by the gracious and effectuall motion of God Spirit so over ruled that it breaks not forth into a present Act for God works in us to will that is not to resist Yea the very will to resist is for the time taken away by the power of grace Deus hominem conversum fidelem non ita semper movet ad bonos actus subsequentes ut tollat ipsam voluntatem resistendi sed quandoque permittit illam vitio suo deficere a ductu gratiae in particularibus multis actibus concupiscentiae suae parere Theol. Br. ibid. Thes 3. 13. God doth not alwayes so work in the regenerate that he doth ever take from them this will to resist but sometimes suffers them through their own fault to give way to their own sinfull desires for howsoever in those principall Acts which are absolutely necessary to Salvation the grace of God works powerfully in the elect both the will and the deed in his own good time yet in some particular acts he thinks good for his own holy purposes to leave the best Men sometimes to themselves who do thereupon grieve his good Spirit by a recoverable resistance Oportet semper discrimen statuere inter illos actus principales sine quibus salus Electorum non constat particulares subsequentes actus c. ibid. in explic Of the Fifth ARTICLE OF PERSEVERANCE QUibusdam non electis conceditur quaedam illuminatio supernaturalis cujus virtute intelligant ea quae in verbo Dei annuntiantur esse vera iisdemque assensum praebent minime simulatum In iisdem ex hac cognitione fide oritur affectuum quaedam mutatio morum aliqualis emendatio non electi huc usque progressi ad statum tamen adoptions justificationis nunquam perveniunt Theol. Br. de 5. Art Thes 1 2 3 4. 1. EVen among those which belong not to the election of God there are some that are enlightned by supernaturall knowledg and give their assent to the truth of the Gospel receiveing the same with some joy and from that knowledg and faith find some change in their affections and lives who yet howsoever they may pass in the judgment of charity never attained to that hearty renovation which is joyned with justification nor yet to the immediate disposition thereunto and therefore were never in the true State of the adoption of Sons these may utterly fall away from that grace which they have professed Unde constat â—os nunquam reipsa pertingere ad illam mentis affestuum mutationem renovationem quae cum justificatione conjuncta est imo nec ad illam quae proxime praeparat ac disponit ad justificationem ibid. in explic 4. Artic. Idem regeniti ac justificati quandoque
whiles they speak of an irresistible act in turning us they mean not such an act as cannot be at all resisted if we would but such a one as the will through Gods gracious inclination would not wish to resist for that their will to resist is so overcome by the sweet motions of Gods Spirit that now yieldance is made powerfully voluntary In which sense the very Jesuites themselves confess an irresistibility Bellarmine Suarez Valent. disp 8. q. 3. p. 4. Valentia and others granting it as impossible there should not be a conversion where there is an effectuall grace as that there should not be a conversion where there is a conversion D. Abbot exerc 2. ex Arm. declar ad ord omnia gratiae ascribantur modo ne statuatur irresistibilis Omnia gratiae ascribantur modo ne statuatur irresistibilis Arm. cit per R. Abbot ep Sarisb e declar ad ord p. 56. Quicquid sit constanter docent omnes hunc modum actuandi liberum arbitrium ejus libertati nihil nocere imo maxime proficit illam Paul Fir. spec Schol. p. 487. Now whether this irresistibleness be out of a consequent supposition as the Jesuites or out of an antecedent as the Dominicans with many of ours or whether this powerfull influence into the will be by way of a Physicall or morall motion they are subtleties fit for Schools not meet to trouble the heads of ordinary Christians It is enough for us to know that we will to consent because God works this will in us strongly yet sweetly and by an omnipotent facility so as no free will of ours resists Gods will to save us as St. Austin pithily Trahitur ergo miris modis ut velit ab illo qui novit intus inipsis hominum cordibus operari non ut homines quod fieri non potest nolentes credant sed ut volentes ex nolentibus fiant Aug. contr 2. Epist Pelag. To dispute then of the power of that will to resist which God hath made willing to yield what is it but to strive about the passage of those sheep which neither are bought nor ever shall be Man is in a marvelous manner drawn to will by him that knows to work inwardly in Mens hearts not that they should believe whether they will or no which is impossible but that of unwilling they should be made willing saith St. Austin True God makes us willing of unwilling and so we resist not But how doth he make us willing Whether by an irresistible manner of working in us or not this say the Opponents is the main question Surely so as that to use Aquinas his word the will is impelled though not compelled so as that though there is in the nature of the will a freedom and capacity of agreeing or dissenting in respect of it self yet as it is for the present moved and actuated by the effectual inclination of the Almighty now it so swayes one way as if it had for the time put off the power of refusing What need we then trouble our selves with these upstart termes of Resistible and Irresistible Let it content us that the gratious inoperation of God effectually drawes the heart of man to will to receive to entertain the happy motions of his good Spirit to our renovation If we yield not this to God we yield nothing and if we give him this he will not quarrel us for more But what place sover these differences have found in Forraign Schools and Pulpits ours have reason to be free if we shall listen to that wise and moderate voice of our church which our forecited reverend Author commends unto us who after the relation of the two extream opinions resteth in this Medio tutissimus that men are so stirred and moved by Grace that they may if they attend thereunto obey the grace which calleth and moveth them And that they may by their freewil also resist it But withal that God when he will and to whom he will gives such an abundant such powerful such congruous otherwise effectual grace that although the will may in respect of the liberty thereof resist yet it resists not but doth certainly and infallibly obey And that thus God deals with those whom he hath chosen in Christ so far as shall be necessary to their salvation Who so cannot sit down quietly in this decision me thinks should be no friend to peace And if any man stumble at the first clause as at the threshold of this sentence Let him know that our Divines at Dort have in effect said no lesse whiles having yielded to mans free-will in those external works which are required of us before our conversion and supposing certain effects in the way to our conversion which are wrought by the power of the word and spirit in the hearts of men not yet justifyed add further that those whom God thus affects by his word and Spirit those he doth truely and seriously call and invite to faith Theol. Briâ— Dord de Art 2. Thes 5. and conversion and that Christ in his death not only founded his Evangelical covenant but hath also obtained of his father that wheresoever this Covenant shall be published there also should ordinarily such a measure of grace be administred as should be sufficient to convince all impenitent and unbelieving men of neglect or contempt And lastly that whom God thus affects he forsakes not nor ceaseth to promote in the way of their conversion till he be first forsaken of them by a voluntary neglect or contempt of this initial grace But what need any proof hereof whiles that clause speaks but of a common grace and the persons to whom this liberty is ascribed are such as by that learned B. are contra-distinguished to them which are truely called according to the purpose of God Let us go but so far as these two guides will joyntly lead us it will be bootlesse to quarrel about any further discovery Hanc nostram esse sententiam prositemur hominem de salute aeteâ—na cortum esse posse debere solam Dei gratiam esse perseverantiae causam supernaturalem quae sacit ut voluntas nostra perseverare possit velit Rem Ep. ad ext p. 75. Concerning the fifth Article of perseverance The Belgick Opponents at first spake timorously professing not absolutely to hold a possibility of the totall or finall defection of true believers only suspending their opinion and rather inclining to the affirmative but afterward they grew to a strong resolution of that whereof they formerly but doubted In whose writings yet when a Man shall come to read that a Man may and ought to be certain of his own eternal Salvation That the only grace of God is the supernatural cause of perseverance which makes our will both able and willing to persevere he would think there need no more words that this quarrel were at a happy end But when he shall see them flying off into the distinctions of certainty for the
carnal he threats with death If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Those which are regenerate contrary to the wicked paradox of those men he assures of life If ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit ye shall live How doth he exclude the Spirit of bondage to fear which these good guides would lead in again how confidently doth he averr the inward testimony of Gods Spirit to ours and ascribes that voice to it which bars all doubt and disappointment and tels us by the powerful assurance of this Abba we are sons and if sons heirs coheirs with Christ Let them now go and say that God may disinherit his own son that he may cast off his adopted But say they to the same regenerate persons he applyes these two clauses and saith at once ye have received the Spirit of adoption and yet if ye walk after the flesh ye shall die what followes of this commination any assertion of the possibility of Apostasy in the regenerate Nothing lesse These threats are to make us take better hold and to walk more warily as a father that hath set his little son on horseback it is Zanchies comparison bids him hold fast or else he shall fall though he uphold him the while that both he may cause him hereby to sit fast and call the more earnestly for his supportation But the scope of the place plainly extorts a division of carnal men and regenerate the threats are propounded to the one the promises and assurance to the other and therefore no touch from hence of our uncertainty in a confessed estate of renovation For that Mat. 12.43 The Apodosis or inference of the parable might well have stop't the mouthes of these Cavillers for you shall finde in the end of it so shall it be with this wicked generation I suppose no man will be so absurd as to say these Jewes had formerly received true justifying faith How should they when they rejected the Messias And yet of them is this parable spoken by our Saviours own explication Maldonate himself a learned and spightful Jesuite can interpret it no otherwise Ideo Christus hoc dixit ut doceret pejores esse Judaeos quam si nunquam Dei legem cognitionem accepissent and to this purpose he cites Hilary Hierom Beda and this sence is so clear that unlesse the seven Devils had found harbour in the dry hearts of these men they could not so grosly pervert it Quench not the Spirit 1 Thes 5. will never prove a final or total extinction of saving grace the Spirit is quenched when the degrees of it are abated when the good motions thereof are by our security let fall we grant the Spirit may be quenched in tanto not in toto Or if we should so take it as they desire I remember Austin parallels this place with that other to Timothy Let no man despise thy youth Not saith he that the Spirit can be quenched or that contempt can be avoided but that in the one we may not indeavour to do that which may tend towards this wrong to the Spirit and in the other that we should be careful not to do that which may procure contempt The place I remember not directly but numeros teneo si verba tenerem But in all likelyhood that place sounds quite another way as may appear by the connexion of it with those two sentences following As if he should have said discourage not the graces that you finde in any of your Teachers despise not their preaching trye their doctrines And now what is this to the falling from Grace Which of us do not teach the necessity of perseverance He only that indures to the end shall be saved Be faithful to the death and c. But he that hath ordained we shall be saved hath ordained our perseverance as a mean to this salvation and hath appointed these sharp advises as the means and motives of our perseverance So as he that shall be saved shall also indure to the end Because no man plucks them out of my hand saith Christ How evidently doth the Spirit of God proclaime our certainty against these doubt-mongers Every where is he as full of assurance as these men of discomfort He that is borne of God sinneth not neither can sin because he is born of God and the seed of God remaines in them what an invincible 1 Jo. 3.3 and irrefragable consolation is this The seed of life is sown in the hearts of the elect though they could be dead to themselves yet to God they cannot And what a supposition is that of Christ that if it were possible the very elect should be deceived Desponsabo te mihi in perpetuum Mat. 24. Hos 2. and a thousand of this strain which your exercise in those holy leaves hath I doubt not abundantly furnisht you withal hold fast then my dear friend this sure anchor of our undeceivable hope and spit in the face of men or Devils that shall go about to slacken your hand Let these vain Spirits sing despair to themselves for us we know whom we have believed Thus hath my pen run it self out of breath in this so important a demand and much a do have I had to restrain it neither would I give you one houres intermission to my answer which I know your love cannot but accept as that which proceeds from aâ— heart zealous both of God and you Reverendissimo Viro D o. Marco Antonio DE DOMINIS Archiep. SPALATENSI Epistola DISCESSUS SUI Ad ROMAM dissuas NOli gravate ferre Reverendissime Praesul candidam hanc animi calami devotissimi tibi utriusque libertatem sane expressit mihi vel renitenti verba haec prius sincerus quidam religionis zelus tui Fama est te discessum a nobis meditari neque tam loco cedere velle quam fide strenua profecto suspicione non caret hoc ipsum proficisci neque enim cujusquam subire mentem potest hominem senem velle animi causa peregrinari deferbuit procul dubio jam diu juvenilis ille ardor relictas pridem oras curiose revisendi nec ita crassi sumus insulares ut credere possimus coelum te mutare velle nisi animum prius quadam-tenus mutare decrevisses multo vero minus septem illos invisos coelo totiesque tuo fulmine ictos colles repetere novimus nos sat bene ingenium Romae ecquem latere potest nedum hominem cordatum quam infida sit illa statio superbae Hierarchiae expugnatori Moneat te olim vester Fulgentius quam nihil ita tutum sit Pontificiae Majestatis tantillo violatori etiam post fidem si qua famae fides sancte datam post promissa munera post benignissimae invitationis blanditias Viderit tua prudentia ut te vel propudiosissima Palinodia tactaeque quas de jerasti prius arae liberaverint O tuam si quem modo profiteris sanus
with Antinomianism another with Familism and all these run a madding after their own fancies and affect nothing so much as to draw others into the society of their errors and damnation Take heed to your selves for Gods sake ye that stand surest in the confidence of your setled judgment grounded knowledg honest morality the pestilent influences of wicked society are not more mortall then insensible In vain shall ye plead the goodness of your heart if ye be careless of the wickedness of your heels and elbowes St. Paul thought it a sentence worthy to borrow from an Heathen Poet and to feoffe it in the Canon evill conversation corrupts good manners As therefore Moses said in the case of Korah and his company so let me say in the case of others wickednesse whether it be in matter of judgment or practise Depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their sins Num. 16.26 It is worth your observing that in that great rebellion and dreadfull judgment the sons of Corah dyed not 2 Chron. 26.11 They had surely a dear interest in their Father yet their natural interest in a Father could not feoffe them in their Fathers sin though they lov'd him in nature yet they would not cleave to him in his rebellion they forsook both his sin and his tents and therefore are exempted from his judgment If we love our selves let us follow them in shunning any participation with the dearest of sinners that we may also escape the partnership of their vengeance This for the frequence the passion followes I tell you weeping And why weepest thou O blessed Apostle What is it that could wring tears from those eyes Even the same that fetch 't them from thy Saviour more then once The same that fetcht them from his Type David from the powerfull prophet Elisha 2 Kings 8.11 In a word from all eyes that ever so much as pretended to holinesse Grief for sin and compassion of sinners Let others celebrate St. Peters tears I am for St. Pauls both were precious but these yet more Those were the tears of penitence these of charity those of a sinner these of an Apostle those for his own sins these for other mens How well doth it become him who could be content to be Anathema for his brethren of the circumcision to melt into tears for their spirituall uncircumcision Oh blessed tears the juice of a charitable sorrow of an holy zeal a gracious compassion Let 〈◊〉 man say that tears argue weaknesse even the firmest marble weeps in a resolution of Air He that shrinks not at the Bear Lion Goliah Saul ten thousand of the people that should beset him round about yet can say Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law Ps 119.136 what speak I of this when the omnipotent son of God weeps over Jerusalem and makes his tears the preface of his blood Nay rather these tears argue strength of piety and Heavenly affections To weep for fear is childish that is unbeseeming a man and to weep for anger is womanish and weak to weep for mere grief is humane for sin Christian but for true zeal and compassion is Saint-like and divine every one of these drops is a pearl Behold the precious liquor which is reserved as the dearest relique of Heaven in the bottles of the Almighty every dram whereof is valued at an eternall weight of glory even a cup of cold water shall once be rewarded and behold every drop of this warme water is more worth then many cups of cold weep thus awhile and laugh for ever sowe thus in tears and be sure to reap in joy But wo is me what shall I say to those men that make themselves merry with nothing so much as sin their own or others whether their act or their memory I remember of old the fool that made the all sport in the play was called the Vice and surely it is no otherwise still vice is it that makes the mirth in this common theater of the world were it not for quaffing ribaldry dalliance scurrile profaneness these men would be dull and as we say dead on the nest These things are the joy of their life yea these are all the life of their joy Oh God that Christians and Divells should meet in the same consort that we should laugh at that for which our Saviour wept and bled that we should smile at that upon earth whereat God frowns in Heaven and make that our delight wherewith the holy spirit of God is grieved Wo be to them that thus laugh for they shall weep and wail and gnash St. Paul weeps to tell of mens sins tears do well in the pulpit as it is in the buckets of some pumps that water must first be powred down into them ere they can fetch up water in abundance so must our tears be let down to fetch up more from our hearers the chair of God can never be better fitted then with a weeping Auditory I remember holy Augustine speaking of his own Sermons saith that when he saw the people did show contentment and delight in their countenances and seemed to give applauses to his preaching he was not satisfied with his own pains but when he saw them break forth into tears then he rejoyced as thinking his labours had sorted to their due effect I have heard some preachers that have affected a pleasantness of discourse in their Sermons and never think they have done well but when they see their hearers smile at their expressions But here I have said of laughter thou art mad and of mirth what doest thou Surely jiggs at a Funeral and laughter at a Sermon are things prodigiously unseasonable It will be long my beloved ere a merry preacher shall bring you to Heaven True repentance which is our only way thither is a sad and serious matter It is through the valley of Bachah that we must pass to the mount of God the man with the writers inkhorne in Ezekiel marks none in the forehead but mourners Oh then mourne for the abominations of Jerusalem ye that love the peace of it and would be loath to see the ruine and desolation of it and your own in it weep with them that weep yea weep with them that should weep as our Apostle doth here That which is said of the Israelites that they drew water in Mizpeh and powred it out before the Lord 1 Sam. 7.6 is by some interpreters taken of the plentiful water of their tears which is so much the more likely because it is joyned with fasting and publick humiliation Oh that we could put our eyes to this use in these sad times into which we are faln how soon would the heavens clear up and bless us with the comfort of our long wished for peace wordly and carnal men as they have hard hearts so they have dry eyes dry as a Pumice-stone uncapable of
free man neither hath any man free-will to good but he Be ambitious of this happy condition O all ye noble and generous spirits and do not think ye live till ye have attained to this true liberty The liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free So from the liberty we descend to the perogative Christs liberation Here is the glorious prerogative of the Son of God to be the deliverer or redeemer of his people They could not free themselves the Angels of heaven might pitty could not redeem them yea alas who could or who did redeem those of their rank which of lightsome celestiall spirits are become foul Devils Only Christ could free us whose ransome was infinite only Christ did free us whose love is infinite and how hath he wrought our liberty By force by purchase By force in that he hath conquer'd him whose captives we were by purchase in that he hath pay'd the full price of our ransom to that supream hand whereto we were forfeited I have heard Lawers say there are in civill Corporations three wayes of freedom by Birth by Service by Redemption By Birth as St. Paul was free of Rome by Service as Apprentises upon expiration of their years by Redemption as the the Centurion with a great sum purchased I this freedom Two of these are barred from all utter possibility in our spiritual freedom for by Birth we are the sons of wrath by service we are naturally the vassals of Satan It is only the precious redemption of the Son of God that hath freed us Whereas freedom then hath respect to bondage there are seven Egyptian Masters from whose slavery Christ hath freed us Sin an accusing Conscience danger of Gods wrath tyranny of Satan the curse of the Law Mosaicall Ceremenies humane Ordinances see our servitude to and our freedom from all these by the powerfull liberation of Christ 1. It was a true word of that Pythagorean Quot vitia tot domini sin is an hard master A master Yea a tyrant let not sin reign in your mortall bodies Rom. 6 14. and so the sinner is not only servus corruptitiae a drudge of corruptions 2 Pet. 2.19 but a very slave sold under sin Rom. 7.14 So necessitated to evill by his own inward corruption that he cannot but grind in this Mill he cannot but row in this Gally For as posse peccare is the condition of the greatest Saint upon earth and Non posse peccare is the condition of the least Saint above so non posse non peccare is the condition of the least sinful unregenerate as the prisoner may shift his feet but not his fetters or as the snail cannot but leave a slime track behind it which way soever it goes Here is our bondage where is our liberty Ubi spriritus domini ibi libertas where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.7 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death I thank my God through Jesus Christ So then Christ hath freed us from the bondage of sin An accusing conscience is a true task-master of Egypt it will be sure to whip us for what we have done for what we have not done Horrour of sin like a sleeping Mastive lyes at our door Gen. 4.7 when it awakes it will fly on our throat No closer doth the shaddow follow the body then the revenge of self-accusation followes sin walk Eastward in the morning the shadow starts behind thee soon after it is upon thy left side at noon it is under thy feet lye down it coucheth under thee towards even it leaps before thee thou canst not be rid of it whiles thou hast a body and the Sun light no more can thy soul quit the conscience of evil This is to thee instead of an Hell of Fiends that shall ever be shaking fire brands at thee ever torturing thee with affrights of more paines then thy nature can comprehend Soeva conturbata conscientia Wisd 17.11 If thou look to the punishment of loss it shall say as Lysimachus did how much felicity have I lost for how little pleasure If to the punishment of sense it shall say to thee as the Tyrant dream'd his heart said to him out of the boiling caldron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the cause of all this misery Here is our bondage where is the liberty Having our hearts sprinkled from an evill Conscience Heb. 10.22 Sprinkled with what Even with the blood of Jesus vers 19. This this only is it that can free us It is with the unquiet heart as with the troubled Sea of Tiberias the Winds rise the Waters swell the billowes roar the ship is tossed Heaven and Earth threat to meet Christ doth but speak the word all is calme so Christ hath freed us Secondly from the bondage of an accusing conscience The conscience is but Gods Bayliff It is the displeasure of the Lord of Heaven and Earth that is the utmost of all terribles the fear of Gods wrath is that strong winde that stirrs these billowes from the bottom set aside the danger of divine displeasure and the clamoâ—rs of conscience were harmless this alone makes an Hell in the bosome The aversion of Gods face is confusion the least bending of his brow is perdition Ps 2. ult but his totus aestus his whole fury as Ps 78.38 is the utter absorption of the creature excandescentia ejus funditur sicut ignis His wrath is poured out like fire the rocks are rent before it Nahum 1.6 whence there is nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fearfull expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb. 10.27 Here is the bondage where is the liberty Being just fyed by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then Christ hath freed us thridly from the bondage of the wrath of God As every wicked man is a Tyrant according to the Philosophers position and every Tirant is a Devil among men so the Devil is the Arch-tyrant of the creatures he makes all his Subjects errand vassals yea chained slaves 2 Tim. 2. ult That they may recover themselves from the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will lo here is will snares captivity perfect tyranny Nahash the Ammonite was a notable Tyrant he would have the right eyes of the Israelites put out as an eminent mark of servitude so doth this infernal Nahash blind the right eye of our understanding yea with the spightful Philistim he puts out both the eyes of our apprehension and judgment that he may gyre us about in the Mill of unprofitable wickednesse and cruelly insult upon our remedilesse misery And when he hath done the fairest end is death yea death without end Oh the impotency of earthly tyranny to this the greatest blood-suckers could but kill and livor post fata as the old word is but here is an homicida ab initio and a fine
it with all joy and thankfulnesse And if Moses by conferring with God but 40 Dayes and Nights in the delivery of the law had a glorious brightnesse in his face Oh let us that more then fourty years have had conversation with God in his Gospell shine with the resplendent beames of heavenly knowledg And if the joyes of heaven are described by Light surely the more lightsome our soules are here the nearer they come to their blessednesse Light is sown from the righteous saith the Psalmist Lo here is the seed-time of Light above is the harvest If the Light of saving knowledg be sown in our hearts here we shall be sure to reap the crop of heavenly glory hereafter And this is the first quality of Light with the reflection of it upon us The next followes which is purity Of all the visible Creatures that God hath made none is so pure and simple as the light it discovers all the foulnesse of the most earthly recrements it mixeth with none of them neither is possibly capable of the least corruption some of the best Interpreters therefore have taken this metaphor of Light to implie the purity and perfect goodness of God In whom as there is an infinite clearnesse of understanding so also an infinite rectitude of will in so much as his will is the rule of all right neither doth he will ought because it is good but therefore it is good because he wills it Goodnesse hath no lesse brightnesse in it then truth and wickedness as it is never without errour so it is no lesse dark then it Justly therefore is God all light in that he is all pure and good and the reflection of this quality upon us must be our holiness For this is the will of God even our sanctification The more holy then we are the more we conform to him that is Light The way of the just is as the shining Light that shineth more and more as contrarily sins are the works of darkness the mover of them is the Prince of darknesse the agents of them are the Sons of darknesse and their trade is walking in darknesse as it followes in my text and the end of them is utter darkness Whiles he sayes then Be Holy as I am Holy he doth as good as say Be ye Light as I am Light Ye were darkness but now it is Gods own phrase Lux estis ye are Light in the Lord saith St. Paul to his Ephesians justly therefore doth it follow walk as children of the Light In right wayes with straight stepps And surely if God be Light and we darkness what interest can we claim in him For what communion is there betwixt Light and darkness Oh the comfortable and happy condicion then of those that are in God they are still in Light Truly the light is sweet saith wise Salomon and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sun As on the contrary it is a wofull and disconsolate estate to live in any sin this is no other then to be dungeon'd up in a perpetuall darknesse The Egyptians were even weary of themselves for a three dayes darknesse how irksome had it been to have lived alwayes so I have read a book of one Haitonus a monk of the order of the Praemonstratenses a Cozen as he saies of the then King of Armenia written some 340 Years agoe set forth by one Nic. Salcon and dedicated to Pope Clement the 5th where with much confidence he affirmes that in the Country of Georgia there was a certain province called Hamâ—en of three daies journey about so palpably dark continually as that no man could see his hand in it that the inhabitants of the borders of it might hear many times in the woods the noise of men crying of horses neighing of cocks crowing but no man durst venture to go unto it because he could not find the way out again which he saies with much earnestnesse that he saw Neque Credidissem saith he nisi propriis oculis perspexissem reporting it to have been a miraculous judgment upon some Persian persecutors of the Christians in that place I list not to inquire into the likelyhood of the story it might be some temporary judgment as that was upon Egypt for the time and now long since vanished but imagine ye the truth of that which he dares with so deep protestations avow and conceive the condicion of all wilfull sinners who live shut up in a region of thick darkness whence they can no more get out then they can be capable of any comfort within and when they have wearied themselves in those wretched mazes of vanity they are shut up in the utter darknesse of the dreadfull pit of eternall Death Oh then that willing sinners be they never so gay and glorious could but apprehend the misery and horrour of their own estate in this behalf certainly it were enough to make them either maz'd or penitent For what is darknesse but a privation of Light Now God is Light And sin deprives us of Gods presence and shuts us out from the face of God and if in his presence be the fulnesse of joy then in his absence is the fulnesse of sorrow and torment neither have the Schools determined amiss that the pain of loss is more horrible then the pain of sense so as that darknesse which our sin causeth in the alienation and absence of the Lighr of Gods countenance is without his great mercy the beginning of an utter exclusion from the beatificall face of God and of that utter darknesse of hell For us as we professe our selves the Children of the Light so let us walk in the Light And what Light is that Thy law is a Light to my feet saith holy David Lo this is the Light wherein we must walk that so walking in the Light of his law we may happily enjoy the light of his countenance Ps 36.10 and may come at the last to the light of his glory so in his Light we shall see Light This of the second quality of the Light and the reflection of it The third and last followes It is this which Learned Estius thinks to be mainly driven at in this place That God is therefore Light because he is the Fountain and cause of Light to all Creatures that do enjoy it and indeed what Light is there which is not from him Naturall Morall Divine For the naturall It was he that said Fiat Lux Let there be Light in the first day It was he that recollected that diffused Light into the body of the Sun in the fourth day that goodly Globe of Light receives from him those beames of Light which it communicates to the Moon Stars Skie and this other inferiour World What Light of intellectuall or morall vertue ever shined in the heart of any man but from him The Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly Prov. 20.27 What Light
presence followes upon the other or accompanies it For when we do carefully and conscionably wait upon Gods ordinance then his Spirit offers and conveighs it self into the heart these are Vehiculum gratiae the carriage of grace into the soul Never any scorner or profane person hath any sense of this presence This is that David speaks so passionately of Oh cast me not away from thy presence and take not thine holy spirit from me It troubled him as before to be kept from Gods ordinances but it troubled him an hundred times more to be cast out from this more entire presence Cant. 5.6.7 the Church in the Canticles when she misses her welbeloved how impatient she is How she runs about the City How she hazards her self to the blowes of the watchmen and will take no rest till she have recovered him These spirituall desertions are the saddest things that can befall to a man For there is a spirituall familiarity of sweet conversation betwixt God and his which it is a death to forgoe they injoy each other live in each others sight impart their counsels each to other So then we draw near to God when repenting us of our former aberrations from him we renue our covenants with him put our selves into an awfull acknowledgment of him still seeing him that is invisible when we grow into dear though trembling acquaintance with him taking pleasure in his company interchanging our dulce susurrium cum Deo as Bernard speaks and indevouring to be in all things approved of him This must needs be a very comfortable and blessed condicion Oh happy thrice happy are they that ever they were born who have truly attained to it It is a true rule in philosophy that every naturall agent works by a contaction whether bodily or virtuall which the weaker or further off it is the efficacy of the operation is so much the lesse As when we are cold the fire heates us but not except we come within the reach of it If we stand aloof off it warmes us so feebly that we are little the better for it but if we draw close to the hearth now it sensibly refresheth us even thus also doth God himself please to impart himself to us How ever there is infinite vertue in the Almighty not confinable to any limits Luc. 8.45 yet he will not put it forth to our benefit unlesse we thus draw near to him who toucht me saith our Saviour when the bloody-fluxed woman fingred but the hemme of his garment Lo many thronged him but there was but one that toucht him and upon that touch Vertue went out from him to her cure He might have diffused his vertue as the Sun doth his beames at a distance to the furthest man but as good old Isaac that could have blessed his Esau in the field or in the forrest yet would have him to come close to him for his benediction So will God have us to draw nigh to him if ever we look for any blessing at his hands according to the charge here given Draw nigh unto God Now then that from the respect to the presence of God we may descend to consider the motion of man There are many wayes of our appropinquation to God this People saith God drawes nigh me with their lips but their hearts are farr from me This is an approach that God cannot abide this lip-walk may advance us to hell for our hypocrisie but it can never promove us one step towards Heaven God cannot abide meer talkers of religion let them say Lord Lord he shall answer them I know you not Depart from me ye workers of iniquity There are three wayes of our drawing nigh to God which he accepts of from us On our feet on our hands and on our knees On our feet first Keep thy foot Eccles. 5.1 saith Solomon when thou goest into the house of God what are the feet of the soul but the affections Then do we therefore draw nigh to God when we are so affected to him as we ought when we come to him with the foot of fear Fear the Lord all his Saints saith the Psalmist Serve the Lord in fear Ps 2. Fear God and depart from evill saith his Son Solomon Prov. 3.7 when we come to him with the foot of love I sought him whom my soul loveth saith the Spouse Cant. 3.1 when with the foot of desire As the embossed heart panteth for the rivers of waters so doth my soul for thee O God Ps 42.1 with the foot of joy I rejoyced when they said Come let us go up to the house of the Lord with the foot of confidence In the Lord put I my trust how then do ye say to my soul Flee hence as a bird to the hills And as we must draw nigh to God on the feet of our affections so also upon the hands of our actions even as Jonathan and his armour-bearer climbed up the rock with feet and hands this is done when we perform to God all holy obedience when we serve him as we ought both in our devotions and our carriage and this is the best and truest approximation to God Walk before me saith God to Abraham and be upright Master saith Peter if it be thou Joh. 21.17 bid me come unto thee and after that when he heard it was the Lord he girt his fishers coat to him casts himself into the Sea to come to Christ without this reality of action all our profession is but idle pretence I remember our Country-man Bromiard tells us of one who meeting his neighbour coming out of the Church askt him what is the Sermon done Done said the other No It is said it is ended but it is not so soon done And surely so it is with us we have good store of Sermons said but we have but a few done and one sermon done is worth a thousand said and heard For not the hearers of the law but the doers of it are justified and if ye know these things blessed are ye if ye do them Glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good Rom. 2.10 Now that we may supply both those other approaches on our feet hands we must in the third place draw nigh to God on our knees in our earnest supplications to him for his enabling us to them both doth any man want wisdom and this is the best improvement of wisdom that may be Ja. 1.4 to shelter our selves under the wings of the Almighty let him ask of God who giveth liberally and upbraideth no man let us sue to him with all holy importunity Oh that my wayes were made so direct that I might keep thy statutes Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes Ps 119. and I shall keep it to the end O stablish thy word in thy servant that I may fear thee Thus let us seek the Lord early and fervently and powre out our hearts before him It is not for us to
the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation before the Lord where I will meet you to speak there with thee Lo God meets us in the holy Assemblies Meets us yea stayes with us there Zach. 2.10 The prophet speaking of the dayes of the Gospell Sing and rejoyce saith he O Daughter of Sion for Lo I come and will dwell in the midst of thee saith the Lord Contrarily when he withdrawes from any people the ordinary means of salvation he is truly said to depart from them but this perhaps not at once but by degrees as in Ezekiels vision he removes first to the threshold and from thence to the door of the East-gate and this I would have you know to be done not only in a meer silence but in a corruption of doctrine not only when faithfull mouths are stopped but when mens mouths are lawlesly opened to the venting whether of popish fancies or satyricall invectives against authority for you may not think that all discourses are preaching or all preaching Gospell when men preach themselves and not Christ when they utter their own impetuous fury and not the glad tidings of peace how shall we call this the message of God No God was not in the winde he was not in the fire he was in the soft voice And he that walks betwixt the golden Candlesticks doth not go away only when the light is quite out but when the snuff burns unsavourily in the socket Shortly where the sincere milk of the Gospell is given to Gods babes and the solid meat of true Orthodox and saving doctrine is set before the stronger men there God visits his people in mercy and is drawn nigh to them in his holy Ordinance Secondly in his audience we use to say out of sight out of mind and those that are out of distance what noise so ever they make are not heard The ravished Virgin in the field saith God cryed out and there was none to save her Deut. 22.27 but when we come neer the least groan and sigh is heard Thus God who is never but with us is said to come neer us when he gives proof to us that he comes not only within the ken of our necessities but within the hearing of the softest whisperings of our prayers So David every where The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will hear my prayer Ps 6. The Lord will hear me when I call upon him The tender mother is never away from the bed-side of her sick child but if she perceive the disease to grow dangerous now she is more attentive and layes her ear to the mouth of it and listens to every breathing that it fetcheth so doth our heavenly father to us The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him saith the Psalmist Nigh them indeed for he puts into them those holy desires which he graciously hears and answers Contrarily when that sweet singer of Israel findes some stop made of his audience he is then in another tune Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and our oppression Psal 44.24 still measuring Gods nearnesse to us by his regard and as it were re-ecchoing to our prayers A third and yet nearer and happier approach of God to us is in his Grace and favour in the other two as in his word and in our prayers he may come near us little to our availe He speaks to many in his word that hear him not or that hear him to their further judgment Our gospell is howsoever a sweet savour to God yet a savour of death unto death to many a soul wo be to thee Chorazin wo be to thee Bethsaida He hears many speak to him in their prayers but for their own punishment and sometimes will not hear in mercy to the petitioner the Devill sues to enter into the Swine and is heard Paul sues to be freed from the buffets of the messenger of Satan and is mercifully not heard the Israelites have Quailes according to their desires but sauced to them with a vengeance But this third appropinquation of God is never other then cordiall and beneficiall It is a sweet word I will dwell amongst the Children of Israell and will be their God Exod. 29.45 Yea this is true happinesse indeed that God will so dwell with us as to be ours St. Paul told the Athenians most truely non longe ab unoquoque he is not far from every one of us how should he when in him we live and move and are but little are we the better for these generall favours which are common to all his creatures if we do not finde in our selves a speciall interest in the presence of his Spirit If he only call on us as a passenger or lodge with us as a stranger or sojourne with us as a guest this can be small comfort to us nor any thing lesse then his so dwelling with us as that he dwell in us and that not as an inmate but as an owner Know ye not that Christ dwells in you saith St. Paul unlesse ye be Reprobates Know ye not that ye are the Temples of the living God his Temples for a perpetuall inhabitation of which he hath said Here shall be my rest for ever Whereupon there will be sure to follow the fourth degree of his appropinquation which is our aid and sweet experience of his mercifull deliverance It was out of a full sense of Gods goodnesse that holy David breaks out into that heavenly Epiphonema The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite Spirit many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Psal 34.18 19. His salvation is nigh to them that fear him that glory may dwell in our Land Psal 85.9 So then the sum of all is this that if we draw nigh unto God he will be sure to draw nigh to us in his Ordinances in his Audience in his Graces in his Aid But what shall we say to the order of these two approaches One would have thought he should have said God drawes near to you therefore draw you near to God For surely his approach to us is the cause that we come near to him and not our approach to him causeth him to come near to us Do not think that God and man strain courtesie who shall begin or that man hath any power to draw to God but from God The true order of our regeneration is that Cantic 1.4 Draw me and I shall run after thee There have been contrary heresies in the Church concerning this point The Manichees held man in all things dragged by a necessity of destiny The Pelagians held man led altogether by his will so as that can alone enable him to do good and to feoffe him in blessednesse And our Semipelagian Papists go not much lesse save that they suppose some help given to the will which it can thus improve The Orthodox Church still hath
Spirit of God by which ye are sealed to the day of Redemption IT was a rule of some wise Heathen of old That he was a great Master of Morality that had learn'd to govern his Tongue his Gut his Concupiscence these three And well might it be so when Christianity hath so farr seconded it as that the Spirit of God hath singled out one of these for a Triall of the rest He that offends not with his Tongue is a perfect Man James 2.2 So as that triplicity is reduced to an Unitie and indeed if a man have attained to an exact government of this loose and busie filme which we carry in our mouths it is a great argument of his absolute Mastership over himself in the other particulars whereupon it is that the Apostle hath hedged in my Text with this Charge Before my Text inhibiting all corrupt Communication after it all bitternesse and Clamour and evill speaking and betwixt both enforcing this vehement and Heavenly dehortation And grieve not the holy Spirit Intimating in the very contexture of the words that that man can never hold good terms with the Spirit of God what profession soever he makes that lets his tongue loose to obscene and filthy Communication or to bitter or spightfull words against his Brethren and in these words disswading us both from this and all other before mentioned particularities of wickednesse by an argument drawn from unkindnesse look to it for if you shall give way to any of these vicious courses ye shall grieve the holy Spirit of God and that will be a shamefull and sinfull ingratitude in you forasmuch as that holy Spirit hath been so gracious unto you as to Seale you to the day of Redemption a motive which how sleight soever it may seem to a carnall heart and by such a one may be past over and pisht at in imitation of the carelesse note of Pharaoh Who is the Spirit of God that I should let my Corruptions go yet to a regenerate man to such our Apostle writes it is that irresistible force whereof Nahum speaks that rends the very Rocks before it Nahum 1.6 And indeed an ingenuous Spirit is more moved with this then with all outward violence The Law of Christ both constraines and restraines him constraines him to all good Actions and restraines him from all evill The good Patriark Joseph when his wanton Mistresse solicited him to her wicked lust Behold saith he My Master hath committed all that he hath to my hand there is none greater in his house then I neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee because thou art his wife how then can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God Gen. â—â— 8.9 wherein ye see he hath a double Antidote for her poysonous suggestion the one his Masters favour and trust which he may not violate the other the offence of his God Joseph knew he could not do this wickednesse but he must bring plagues enough upon his head but that is not the thing he stands upon so much as the sin against God A Pilate will do any thing rather then offend a Cesar that word thou art not Cesars friend if thou let him go John 19.12 strikes the matter dead Thou art not Gods friend if thou entertain these sins cannot but be prevalent with a good heart and bear him out against all Temptations and this is the force of our Apostles inference here who after the enumeration of that black Catalogue of sins both of the whole man and especially those of the Tongue infers And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are Sealed to the Day of Redemption The Text you see is a dehortatory charge to avoid the offence of God wherein we have the Act and the subject the Act Grieve not the subject set forth by his Title by his Merit his Title The holy Spirit of God his Merit and our obligation thence arising By whom ye are sealed to the day of Redemption the subject is first considerable both in Nature and Act as that the knowledg and respect whereof doth both most disswade us from the offence and aggravate it when it is committed The holy Spirit of God which when we have shortly meditated on apart we shall joyne together by the Act inhibited in this holy dehortation That this is particularly to be taken of the third person of the blessed Trinity to whom this day is peculiarly devoted there can be no doubt for both the Title is his The holy Spirit of God not absolutely God who is an holy Spirit but the holy Spirit of God and the effect attributed to him is no lesse proper to him for as the contriving of our Redemption is ascribed to the Father the atchieving of it to the Son So the Sealing confirming and applying of it to the Holy Ghost There are many Spirits and those holy and those of God as their Creator and Owner as the enumerable Company of Angels and the Spirits of Just Men made perfect Hebr. 12. but this is set forth as Zanchius notes well with a double Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that holy Spirit by a transcendent eminence by a singularity as that which is alone The holy Spirit of God Now why the third Person should specially be denominated a Spirit a title no lesse belonging to the Father and the Son to the whole absolute Deity as being rather Essential then Personal or why an holy Spirit since Holinesse is as truly Essentiall to the other Persons also as their very being Or why being coequal and coessential with God the Father and the Son he should be called the Spirit of God though they might seem points incident into the Day yet because they are Catechetical heads I hold it not so fit to dwell in them at this time Only by the way give me leave to say that it had been happy both for the Church of England in general and this Diocesse in particular that these Catechetical Sermons had been more frequent then they have been as those which are most usefull and necessary for the grounding of Gods People in the principles of saving Doctrine and I should earnestly exhort those of my Brethren of the Ministry that hear me this day that they would in these perilous and distractive times bend their labours this way as that which may be most effectuall for the setling of the Soules of their hearers in the grounds of true Religion that they may not be carried about with every winde of Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Cockboat of mens fancies as the Apostle speak but this by the way I shall now only urge so much of the Person as may add weight to the dehortation from the Act Grieve not the holy Spirit of God and every notion of it adds a several weight as a Spirit as the Spirit of God as the holy Spirit of God It is a rule not capable of contradiction that by how much more
purpose let no Antinomian stop the floodgates of our eyes let no Popish Doctor prevail to the abatement of this holy sorrow those men out of a profession of much outward rigour and austerity do under hand by their doctrine slacken the reines of true penitence to their clients Contritio una vel remissa c. One easie contrition is able to blot out any sin if never so haynous saith their learned Cardinall Toleth and their Jesuite Maldonate to the same effect Ad perfectionem Poenitentiae c. To the perfection of penitence is required onely a sleight kind of inward sorrow wherein I cannot better resemble them then to timorous or indulgent Chirurgians that think to pleasure the patient in not searching the wound to the bottom for which kindnesse they shall receive little thank at the last for the wound hereupon festers within and must cost double time and pain in the cure whereas those solid Divines that experimentally know what belongs to the healing of a sinning Soul go thorough stitch to work Insomuch as Cardinall Bellarmine taxeth it as too much Rigour in Luther Calvin and Chemnitius that they require Magnam animi concussionem a great concussion of soul and a sharp and vehement contrition of the penitent For us let us not be niggardly of our sorrow but in these cases go mourning all the day long See how the Spirit of God expresses Zachar. 12.10 They shall Mourne as one that Mourneth for his onely Son and shall be in bitternesse as one that is in bitterness for his first Born This is a Repentance never to be repented of Blessed are they that thus mourne for they shall be comforted This aversion is punishment enough alone and if it should be totall and finall as it is not to Gods own Children it were the worst peece of Hell for the punishment of losse is justly defined worse then that of sense but withall it is attended as there is good cause with sensible demonstrations of Gods anger and the smart of the offender My wounds stink and are corrupted because of my foolishness saith the Psalmist Psal 38.5 I am weary of my groaning Psal 6.6 And if the most righteous cannot avoid this sore hand of the Almighty where shall willfull sinners appear These effects of Gods displeasure then are such as are worth trembling at It is true as that wise Pagan said a speech worthy to be written in Letters of Gold and that which I doubt not shall be in the day of Judgment laid in the dish of many Millions of professed Christians si Omnes Deos hominesque celare possimus nihil avare nihil injuste nihil libidinose nihil incontinenter faciendum That if we could hide our actions from God and men yet we may do nothing covetously nothing unjustly nothing lustfully nothing incontinently Who would not be ashamed to hear this fall from an Heathen when he sees how many Christians live but it is most true A good man dare not sin though there were no Hell but that holy and wise God that knowes how sturdy and headstrong natures he hath to do withall findes it necessary to let men feel that he hath store of Thunderbolts for sinners that he hath Magazins of Judgments and after all an Hell of torments for the rebellious and indeed we cannot but yield it most just that it should be so If but an equall do grieve and vex us we are ready to give him his own with advantage and if an inferiour we fall upon him with hand and tongue and are apt to crush him to nothing and even that worm when he is troden on will be turning again how can we or why should we think that the great and holy God will be vexed by us and pocket up all our indignities If a Gnat or Flea do but sting thee thou wilt kill it and thinkest it good justice yet there is some proportion betwixt these Creatures and thee but what art thou silly nothing to the Infinite We men have devised varieties of punishments for those that offend our laws Artaxerxes his decree mentions four sorts Death Banishmentt Confiscation Imprisonment Ezra 7.26 And which perhaps you will wonder at commits the managing of justice in the execution of them all to Ezra the Priest the Romans as Tully tells us had eight severall kindes of punishments for their delinquents Forfeiture Bonds Stripes Retaliation Shame Exile Servitude and Death God hath all these double over and a thousand others for the First which is Forfeiture here is the Forfeiture of no lesse then all Take from him the pound saith the Master concerning the unfaithfull servant Luc. 19.24 for the Second Bonds here are the most dreadfull Bonds that can be even everlasting chaines of darkness Jude 6. for Stripes here are many Stripes for the knowing and not doing servant Luc. 12.47 for Retaliation it is here just and home it is just with God to render tribulation to those that trouble you 2 Thess 1.6 for Shame here is confusion of face Daâ— 9.8 for Exile here is an everlasting Banishment from the presence of God Matth. 25.41 for Servitude here is the most odious Bondage sold under sin Rom. 7.14 for Death here is a double death a temporal and eternal these and more then can be expressed are the consequents of Gods displeasure If thou lovest thy self therefore take heed above all things of grieving thy God with thy sins and if thou hast done so hasten thy reconciliation agree with thine adversary in the way else tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doth evill thy grieving of him shall end in weeping and wayling and gnashing for our God is a consuming fire And here now that I may turn your thoughts a little aside from a personall to a nationall grieving of Gods Spirit I am faln upon the grounds of those heavy judgments under which we have lyen thus long groaning and gasping to the pitty and astonishment of our late envying neighbourhood even the destroying and devouring sword alas my Beloved we have grieved our good God by our havnous sins of all sorts and now we do justly feel the heavy effects of his displeasure we have warred against Heaven with our iniquities and now it is just with God to raise up war against us in our own Bowells It was the Motto that was wont to be written upon the Scotish coine as the embleme of their Thistle Nemo me impune Lacesset None shall scape free that provokes me Surely it is a word that well fits the Omnipotent and eternal justice and power of Heavens we have provoked that to wrath and therefore could not hope to avoid a fearfull judgment wo is me we have made our selves enemies to God by our rebellious sins therefore thus saith the Lord the Lord of Hoasts the Mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of my adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies Esa 1.24 Three things there are that aggravate the deep unkindnesse that
we finde the face of God clouded from us let our souls refuse comfort till we have recovered his favour which is better then life do we find our selves upon our sound repentance received to grace and favour of the Almighty and that he is well pleased with our persons and with our poor obediences and that he smiles upon us in Heaven courage dear Brethren in spight of all the frowns and menaces of the World we are safe and shall be happy here is comfort for us in all tribulation 2 Cor. 1.4 with that chosen vessel we are troubled on every side yet not distressed â—e are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken 2. Cor. 4.8 cast down but not destroyed for which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish 16. yet the inward man is renewed day by day for our light Affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us 18. a farr more exceeding and eternall weight of glory to the full possession whereof the God that hath ordained us graciously bring us for the sake of the Son of his love Jesus Christ the righteous To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one glorious God be given all praise honour glory and dominion now and for evermore A Second SERMON In prosecution of the same Text PREACHT AT St. GREGORIES CHURCH IN NORWICH July 21. 1644. By JOS. B. of N. EPHES. 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of Redemption WE have done with the Dehortation it self and therein with the Act forbidden Grieve not and with the title of the Subject the Holy Spirit of God We descend to the inforcement of the Dehortation by the great merit of the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of Redemption Those that are great and good we would not willingly offend though meer strangers to us but if they be besides our great friends and liberal Benefactors men that have deserved highly of us we justly hold it a foul shame and abominable ingratitude wilfully to do ought that might affront them It is therefore added for a strong disswasive from Grieving the Spirit of God that by him we are sealed to the day of redemption All the world shall in vain strive to do for us what our great Friend in Heaven hath done our loathness therefore to grieve him must be according to the depth of our obligation to him Cast your eyes then a little upon the wonderful Benefit here specified and see First what this day of Redemption is Secondly what is the sealing of us to this day and Thirdly why the sealing of us to this day should be a sufficient motive to withhold us from grieving the Holy Spirit of God These three must be the limits of my Speech and your Atrention Redemption signifies as much as a Ransome A Ransome implies a Captivity or Servitude There is a threefold Captivity from which we are freed Of Sin of Misery of Death For the first We are sold under sin saith our Apostle No Slave in Argier is more truly sold in the Market under a Turkish Pyrate then we are naturally sold under the Tyranny of sin by whom we are bound hand and foot and can stir neither of them towards God and dungeon'd up in the darkness of our ignorance without any Glimpse of the vision of God For the second the very name of Captivity implyes Misery enough what outward evil is incident into a man which bondage doth not bring with it Wo is me there was never so much captivity in this land since it was a Nation nor so woful a Captivity as this of brethren to brethren Complaints there are good store on both sides of restraint want ill-lodging hard and scant diet Irons insultations scornes and extremities of ill usage of all kindes and what other is to be found in the whole course of this wretched life of ours the best whereof is vanity and the worst infinite vexations But Thirdly if some men have been so externally happy as to avoid some of these miseries for all men smart not alike yet never man did or can avoid the third which is obnoxiousness to death By the offence of one saith the Apostle judgment came upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.18 Sin hath raigned unto death Ps 21. It is more then an Ordinance a statute law in Heaven Statutum est c. It is enacted to all men once to dye Heb. 9.27 This then is our bondage or captivity now comes our redemption from all these at once when upon our happy dissolution we are freed from sin from misery from death and enter into the possession of glory thus our Saviour Lift up your heads for the day of your redemption draweth nigh thus saith St. Paul The creature it self also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption unto the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Rom. 8.21 It is the same condition of the members of Christ which was of the head that they overcome death by dying when therefore the bands of death are loosed and we are fully freed from the dominion of the first death and danger of the second and therein from all the capacity not only of the rule and power of sin but of the life and in-dwelling of it and from all the miseries both bodily and spirituall that attend it and when in the same instant our soul takes possession of that glory which shall once in the consociation of it's glorious partner the body be perfectly consummated Then and not till then is the day of our redemption Is there any of us therefore that complaines of his sad and hard condition here in the world paines of body grief of mind agonies of soul crosses in estate discontentments in his families suffering in his good name let him bethink himself where he is this is the time of his captivity and what other can be expected in this case Can we think there is no difference betwixt liberty bondage Can the slave think to be as free as his Patron Ease rest liberty must be lookt for elsewhere but whiles we are here we must make no account of other then these varieties of misery our redemption shall free us from them all But now perhaps some of you are ready to say of the Redemption as they did of the Resurrection that it is past already and so indeed it is one way in respect of the price laid out by the Son of God the invaluable price of his blood for the redemption of man but so that it must be taken out by and applied to every soul inparticular if we will have the benefit redound to us It is his Redemption before it is now only our Redemption when it is brought home to us Oh then the dear and happy day of this our finall redemption wherein we shall be absolutely freed from all the miserable sorrowes paines cares fears
sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his The Lord knoweth and none but he neither Man nor Angel It is sealed on purpose that it may be concealed and reserved only in the counsel of the most High It is therefore a most high and dangerous presumption in any man to passe a judgment upon the final estate of another especially to the worse part This is no other then to rush into the Closet of the Highest and to break open his cabinet and to tear up the privy Seal of Heaven an insolence that God will not passe over unrevenged It was a good answer that the Servant gave in the story who carrying a covered dish through the Street and being asked what it was answered It is therefore covered that thou mayest not know and so it is here the final estate of every Soul is sealed that it may be known only to the God of Heaven and if any man dare to pry into this Ark of God with the men of Bethshemesh let him fear to be struck dead as they were 1 Sam. 6. The Romanists have taken too much boldnesse this way there is one of their Saints St. Matilda or St. Maude a Prophetesse of theirs which in her Revelations professeth that she would needs know of God what became of the Souls of four men Sampson Solomon whom I must tell you the greatest part of the Romish Doctors give out for a cast away very injuriously and uncharitably since that besides his being a type of Christ and a pen-man of some part of holy Scripture his Ecclesiastes is a plain publication to all the World of his penance for his former miscarriages Origen and Trajane and received this answer What my pitty hath done with Sampson I will not have known that men may not be incouraged to take revenge on their enemies what my mercy hath done with Solomon I will not have known lest men should take too much liberty to carnal sins What my bounty hath done with Origen I would not have known lest men should put too much confidence in their knowledg What my liberality hath done with Trajan I would not have known for the advancement of the Catholick faith lest men should sleight the Sacrament of Baptism a presumptious question and an answer answerable So they have not stuck to tell us that the same day that their St. Thomas Becket dyed there dyed in all the World three thousand thirty and three whereof 3000. went to Hell thirty to Purgatory and three whereof their Saint was one to Heaven sure I think much alike I will not weary you with their frenzies of this kind they have bragg'd of some of their Saints who have had this deep insight into the hearts of men and counsels of God that they could tell by the view who should be saved who condemned and some fanatick Spirits in our Church have gone so farr as to take upon them as some vain Palmesters by the sight of the hand to judge of fortunes by the face and words and garbe and carriage of men to passe sentence of reprobation upon other mens souls what an horrible insolence is this in any creature under Heaven or in it There may be perhaps grounds to judg of a mans present condition God doth not call any man to stupidity or unreasonablenesse If I see a man live debauchedly in drunkennesse in whoring in professed profanesse If I hear him in his ordinary speeches to tear Gods name in pieces with oaths and bsasphemies I may safely say that man is in a damnable condition and must demean my self to him accordingly forbearing an entire conversation with him with such a one eat not saith the Apostle but if I shall presume to judg of his finall estate I may incur my own condemnation in pronouncing his Judg not that ye be not judged Perhaps that man whom thou sentencest is in the secret counsel of God sealed to life and shall go before thee to Heaven who that had seen Manasses revelling in his Idolatry Magick Murder worshiping all the hoast of Heaven polluting the house of God with his abominable altars using sorceries and inchantments filling the streets of Jerusalem with innocent blood 2 Kings 21. would not have said there is a cast-away Yet howsoever the history of the Kings leaves him in his sin and dishonor yet in the 2 Chron. 33. You find his conversion his acceptation his prayer and how God was entreated of him vers 19. So as for ought we know he lived a Devil and dyed a Saint Who that had seen and heard Soul breathing out threatnings and executing his bloody cruelties upon the Church of God dragging poor Christians to their judgments and executions would not have given him for a man branded for hell yet behold him a chosen vessel the most glorious instrument of Gods name that hath been since Christ left the earth as thou lovest thy Soul therefore meddle not with Gods seal leave that to himself Thou mayest read the superscription of a man if thou wilt and judge of his outside but take heed of going deeper look well to the seal that God hath set upon thine own soul look for that new name which none can read but he that hath it this is worth thine enquiry into and God hath given thee the Characters whereby to decipher it whom he did predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he justifyed and whom he justified them also he glorified that is they are as sure to be glorified as if they were glorified already Rom. 8.30 Read thine own name in the book of life and thou art happy as for others let thy rule be the judgment of charity and let Gods seal alone Secret things belong to God and things revealed to us and our children but if thou wilt needs be searching into Gods counsel remember that of Solomon as the Vulgar reads it Prov. 25.27 Scrutator Majestatis opprimetur a gloria He that pries into Majesty shall be overwhelmed with glory Now that from the Secrecy we may descend to the Peculiarity of Designation You know it in common practise in your trades and merchandise that when a man hath bought a parcel of commodities he sets his marke upon them to distinguish them from the rest in the warehouse so doth our God he sets a mark upon his own whereby they are plainly differenced from others And this mark besides the stampe of his eternal decree is true sanctification By this then it is that we are known from the World As upon some large plain where there are severall flocks and heards feeding together every one knows his own by his mark So the man with the writers inkhorne set a mark upon those which mourned for their own sins and the sins of their people Ezek. 9. It is therefore so farr from truth that our sanctification is no certain proof of our son-ship and of our interest in the covenant of grace as that there is no other
into what right we have to this holy spirit and to that son-ship of God which in our Baptism we profess to partake of we are all apt upon the least cause to be proud of our parentage There are Nations they say in the world whereof every man challenges gentility and kindred to their King so are we wont to do spiritually to the King of Heaven Every one hath the Spirit of God every one is the son of God It is the main errand we have to do on the Earth to settle our hearts upon just grounds in the truth of this resolution and this text undertakes to do it for us infallibly deciding it that those and none but those that are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God So as we need not now think of climbing up into Heaven to turn the books of Gods eternall Counsell nor linger after Enthusiasmes and Revelations as some fanaticall spirits use to do nor wish for that holy Dove to wisper in our ear with that great Arabian impostour but only look seriously into our own hearts and lives and trie our selves thoroughly by this sure and unfailing rule of our blessed Apostle So many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God let my speech and your attention then be bounded in these three limits Here is First a priviledg To be the Sons of God Secondly a qualification of the priviledged To be led by the Spirit Thirdly an Universall predication of that priviledge upon the persons qualified So many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God I need not crave your attention the importance of the matter challenges it To the first then it is a wonderfull and inexplicable priviledge this To be the Sons of God no marvell if every one be apt to claim The glory of Children are their Fathers Prov. 17.6 How were the Jewes puffed up with that vain gloriation that they were the Sons of Abraham and yet they might have been so and have come from hated Esau or ejected Ismael what is it then to be the Sons of the God of Abraham Ye know what David could say upon the tender of matching into the blood royall seemeth it a small matter to you to be the Son in Law to a King Oh what then is it to be the true born sons to the great King of Heaven The Abassins pride themselves to be derived from that Son whom they say the Queen of Sheba had begotten of her by Solomon when she went to visit him it is enough that it was Princely though base how may we glory to be the true and legitimate issue of the King of glory the great Lord in the Gospell is brought in by our Saviour in his parable to say They will reverence my Son and Amnons wicked kinsman could say to him Why art thou the Kings Son so sad as if the son-ship to a King were a supersedeas to all whatsoever griefe or discontentment Neither is there matter of honour onely in this priveledg but of profit too especially in the case of the Sons of this Heavenly King whose Sons are all heirs as ye have it v. 17. with men indeed it is not so Amongst Gods chosen people the first born carryed away a double portion but in some other Nations and in some parts of ours the Eldest goes away with all as on the contrary others are ruled by the law or custome of Gavell kind and the like institutions where either the youngest inherit or all equally but generally it is here with us contrary to that old word concerning Isaacs twins the lesser serves the greater Johosaphat gave great gifts to his other sons but the Kingdome to the Eldest Jehoram 1 Chron. 21.3 so as the rest were but as subjects to their Eldest Brother in the family of the highest it is not so there are all heires all inherit the blessings the honours as all are partakers of the Divine nature and of every one may be said by way of Regeneration that which was eminently and singularly said by the way of eternall generation of the naturall and coessentiall Son of God Thou art my Son I have begotten thee so all are partakers of those blessings and happy immunities which appertain to their filiation and what are they Surely great beyond the power of expression for first in this name they have a spiritual right to all the creatures of God all things are yours saith the Apostle A spirituall I say not a naturall not a civill right which men have to what they legally possess we must take heed of this errour which makes an Universall confusion where ever it prevailes all these earthly affaires are managed by a civill right which men have whether by descent or lawfull acquisition so as it is not for any man to challenge an interest either ad rem or in re in the goods of another but Gods children have a double claim to all they possess both civill from men and spirituall from God The Earth hath he given to the Sons of men saith the Psalmist and men by just conquest by purchase by gift conveigh it legally to each other Besides which they have a spirituall right for God hath given all things to his Son as Mediatour and in and by him to those that are incorporated into him so as now in this regard every child of God is mundi dominus the Lord of the World as that Father truly said Secondly they have in this name an interest in God himself for what nearer relation can there be then betwixt a father and a son An interest in all his promises in all his mercies in all that he is in all that flowes from him in his remission protection provision Which of us earthly parents if we extinguish not nature in our selves can be wanting in these things to the children of our Loines How much more impossible is it that he who is All love 1 Job 4.16 should be wanting to those that are his by a true regeneration Hence is that enforcement which God useth by his Prophet Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands Esay 59.15 16. Thirdly hence followes an unquestionable right in attendance and Guardianship of the blessed Angels Psal 91.11 They are the little ones whereof our Saviour Matth. 18. the especial charge whom those glorious Spirits are deputed to attend Hebr. 1.14 And oh what an honor is this that we are guarded by creatures more glorious in nature more excellent in place and office then our selves What a comfortable assureance is this that we have these troopes of Heavenly Souldiers pitching their tents about us and ready to save-guard us from the malice of the principalities and powers of darknesse Lastly in this name they have a certain and unfailable
of our sins with Israels Yet one more do we think of the bold intrusion of presumptuous persons into the sacred calling without any commission from God Of whom do we think the Prophet Jeremy speaks The Prophets prophesy lies in my name I sent them not neither have I commanded them nor spake unto them They prophesy unto you a false vision and the deceit of their own heart Jer. 14.14 and again I have not sent these Prophets yet they run I have not spoken to them yet they prophesyed Jer. 23.21 To what purpose should I instance in more as I easily might as practical atheisme falsehood cruelty hypocrisy ingratitude and in a word universal corruption O England England too like to thy sister Israel in all her spiritual deformities if not rather to thy sister Sodome Behold this was the iniquity of thy Sister sodome pride fulnesse of bread and abundance of idlenesse was in her neither did she strengthen the hands of the poor and needy Ezechiel 16.49 Lo thou art as haughty as she and hast committed all her abominations But that which yet aggravates thy sin is thy stubborne incorrigiblenesse and impudence in offending is it not of thee that the Prophet Jeremy speaks This is a Nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God nor receiveth correction Jer. 7.28 For O our God hast thou not whipt us soundly and drawn blood of us in abundance yet wo is me what amendment hast thou found in us what one excesse have we abated what one sin have we reformed what one vice have we quitted Look forth brethren into the World see if the lives of men be not more loose and lawlesse their tongues more profane their hands more heavily oppressive their conversation more faithlesse their contracts more fraudulent their contempt of Gods messengers more high their neglect of Gods ordinances more palpable then ever it was Yea have not too many amongst us added to their unreformation an impudence in sinning Is it not of these that the Prophet speaketh Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination Nay they were not ashamed at all neither could they blush therefore shall they fall among them that fall in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down saith the Lord Jer. 8.12 By this time I suppose you see how too much cause we have to mourn for those sins of practise which have fetcht down judgments upon us turn your eyes now a little to those intellectual wickednesses which we call sins of Opinion Opinion think some of you now alas what so great offence can there be in matter of conceit and in those results of ours ratiocination which we picht upon in the cases of Religion let me tell you dear Christians what valuation soever you may please to set upon these capital errours of the understanding set abroach for the seduction of simple souls there is more deadly mischief and higher offence to God in them then in those practical evils which honest hearts profess to abhorr These as they are the immediate sins of our spirituall part so they do more immediately strike at the God of Spirits in his Truth and holinesse and as Religion is the highest concernment of the soul so the depravation of Religion must needs be most dangerous and damnable It is no marvell therefore if a truly-zealous Christian could even weep his eyes out to see hear those hellish heresies Atheous paradoxes which have poysoned the very air of our Church wherein they were vented One beats the keys into the sword or hangs them at the Magistrates girdle so as he suspends religion upon the meer will and pleasure of severaignty One allowes plurality or community of Wives another allows a man to divorce that wife he hath upon sleight occasions and to take another One is a Ranter another is a Seeker a third is a Shaker One dares question yea disparage the sacred Scriptures of God another denies the Souls immortality a third the Bodies resurrection One spits his poyson upon the blessed Trinity another blasphemes the Lord Jesus and opposes the eternity of his Godhead One is altogether for inspirations professing himself above the sphere of all Ordinances yea above the blood of Christ himself Another teaches that the more villanie he can commit the more holy he is that only confidence in sinning is perfection of sanctity that there is no hell but remorse To put an end to this list of blasphemies the very mention whereof is enough to distemper my tongue and your ears One miscreant dares give himself out for God Almighty Another for the Holy Ghost Another for the Lord Christ Another a vile adulterous strumpet for the Virgin Mary O God were there ever such frenzies possessed the braines of men as these sad times have yieled Was ever the Devil so prevalent with the sons of men Neither have these prodigious wretches smothered their damnable conceits in their impure breasts but have boldly vented them to the World so as the very presses are openly defiled with the most loathsome disgorgments of their wicked blasphemies Here here my dear brethren is matter more then enough for our mourning If we have any good hearts to God if any love to his truth if any zeal for his glory if any care for his Church if any compassion of either perishing or endangered souls we cannot but apprehend just cause of pouring out our selves into tears for so horrible affronts offered to the dread Majesty of our God for so inexpiable a scandal to the Gospel which we professe for so odious a conspurcation of our holy profession and lastly for the dreadful damnation of those silly souls that are seduced by these cursed impostors Ye have seen now what cause we have of mourning for sins both of Practise and Opinion It remaines now that we consider what cause of mourning we may have from our dangers for surely fear as it is alwayes joyned with grief so together with it is a just provoker of our tears And here if I should abridge all the holy Prophets and gather up out of them all the menaces of judgments which they denounce against their sinfull Israel I might well bring them home to our own doors and justly affright us with the expectation of such further revenge from Divine Justice for how can we otherwise think but that the same sins must carry away the same punishments The holy God is ever constant to his own most righteous proceedings if then our sins be like theirs why should we presume upon a dissimilitude of judgments Here then it is easy to descry a double danger worth our mourning for the one of further smart from the hand of God for our continuing and menacing wickednesse the other of further degrees of corruption from our selves For the first let that sad Prophet Jeremiah tell you what we may justly fear They are not humbled even unto this day neither have they feared nor walked in my law
necessity the doom was in paradise upon mans disobedience morte morieris thou shalt dye the death Man sinned man must die The first Adam sinned and we in him the second Adam must by death expiate the sin Had not Christ dyed mankind must had not he dyed the first death we had all dyed both the first and second without shedding of blood there is no remission Heb. 9.22 Hereby therefore are we freed from the sence of the second death and the sting of the first to the unfailing comfort of our soules hereupon it is that our Saviour is so carefull to have his death and passion so fully represented to us in both his sacraments the water is his blood in the first Sacrament the Wine is his blood in the second In this he is sensiby crucify'd before our eyes the bread that is his body broken the wine his blood poured out And if these acts and objects do not carry our hearts to a lively apprehension of Christ our true passover we shall offer to him no other then the sacrifice of fools Lo here then a soveraign antidote against the first death and a preservative against the second the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World why should we be discomforted with the expectation of that death which Christ hath suffered why should we be dismayed with the fear of that death which our all-sufficient Redeemer hath fully expiated 2ly In the first institution of this passover The blood of the lamb was to be sprinkled upon the posts and lintells of the doores of every Israelite so if ever we look for any benefit from Christ our Passover there must be a particular application of his blood to the believing soul even very Papists can say that unless our merits or holy actions be dyed or tinctured in the blood of Christ they can avail us nothing but this consideration will meet with us more seasonably upon the fourth head 3ly This passover must be roasted home not stewed not parboild So did the true paschall lamb undergo the flames of his Fathers wrath for our sins here was not a scorching and blistering but a vehement and full torrefaction It was an ardent heat that could fetch drops of blood from him in the garden but it was the hottest of flames that he felt upon the cross when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh who can without horrour and amazement hear so wosull a word fall from the mouth of the Son of God Had he not said My Father this strain had sunk us into utter despair but now in this very torment is comfort He knew he could not be forsaken of him of whom he saith I and my Father are one he could not be forsaken by a sublation of union though he seemed so by a substraction of vision as Leo well the sense of comfort was clouded for a while from his humanity his deity was ever glorious his faith firme and supplyed that strong consolation which his present sense failed of and therefore you soon hear him in a full concurrence of all Heavenly and victorious powers of a confident Saviour say Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit In the mean while even in the height of this suffering there is our ease for certainly the more the Son of God indured for us the more sure we are of an happy acquittance from the Tribunall of Heaven the justice of God never punished the same sin twise over By his stripes we are healed by his payment we are discharged by his torments we are assured of peace and glory Thus much of the preparation The eating of it followes in the appendances the manner the persons The appendances It must be eaten with unleavned bread and with sour or bitter herbs Of the unleavened bread we have spoken enough before For the herbs that nothing might be wanting the same God that appointed meat appointed the sauce too and that was a sallad of not pleasing but bitter herbs herein providing not so much for the palate of the body as of the soul to teach us that we may not hope to partake of Christ without sensible disrelishes of nature without outward afflictions without a true contrition of Spirit It is the condition that our Saviour makes with us in admitting us to the profession of Christianity he shall receive an 100. fold with persecutions those to boot that for his sake and the Gospells forsake all Mark 10.30 Sit down therefore O man and count what it will cost thee to be a true Christian through many tribulations c. Neither can we receive this evangelicall passover without a true contrition of soul for our sins past think not my beloved that there is nothing but jollity to be look't for at Gods table Ye may frolick it ye that feast with the World but if ye will sit with Christ and feed on him ye must eat him with bitter herbs here must be a sound compunction of heart after a due self examination for all our sins wherewith we have offended our good God Thou wouldst be eating the paschal lamb but with sugar-sops or some pleasing sauce it may not be so here must be a bitternesse of soul or no passover It is true that there is a kind of holy mixture of affections in all our holy services a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rejoyce in him with trembling saith the Psalmist It is and should be our joy that we have this lamb of God to be ours but it is our just sorrow to finde our own wretched unworthiness of so great a mercy Godly sorrow must make way for solid joy and comfort if there be any of you therefore that harbours in your breast a secret love of and complacency in your known and resolved sins procul O procul let him keep off from this holy Table let him bewail his sinfull mis-disposition and not dare to put forth his hand to this passover till he have gathered the bitter herbs of a sorrowful remorse for his hated offences And where should he gather these but in the low grounds of the Law there they grow plenteously lay the law then home to thy soul that shall show thee thy sins and thy judgment School thee Yea dear Christians how can any of us see the body of our blessed Saviour broken and his blood poured out and withall think and know that his own sins are guilty of this tort offered to the son of God the Lord of life and not feel his heart touched with a sad and passionate apprehension of his own vilenesse and an indignation at his own wickednesse that hath deserved and done this these are the bitter herbs wherewith if we shall eat this passover we shall finde it most wholesome and nourishable unto us to eternall life The manner of the eating of it followes in three particulars 1. The whole lamb must be eaten not a part of it 2. Not a bone of it must be broken 3. In
herein Interpreters differ ut qui maxime For those late writers which have read the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because of the young Men I must needs say they would make a clear sense if we might take their words for the use of any such word in the Greek Tongue which for my part I must confess never to have met with To pass over the improbable guesses of many The words are taken by some in a borrowed sense by some others in a naturall In a borrowed sense by those either who by Angells here understand Gods Ministers or as those that take it for holy men of what ever profession These latter seem not to have any fair warrant for their interpretation since however we find somewhere that the Saints shall be in a condition like to the Angels yet no where do we find them called Angels the former want not good probability for their construction neither is it an unusuall thing with the Spirit of God to call his Ministers by the name of Angels So Malachy 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he is the Angel or Messenger of the Lord and of John the Baptist the same Prophet can say Malâ—c 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will send my messenger or Angel yea the very name of the Prophet that writes is no other then Malachy My Angel And ye know in the Apocalypse how oft the prime Governors of the Church are called Angels whereupon St. Chrysostome as I remember makes the reason of that full expression of St. Paul If an Angel from Heaven Galat. 1. to allude unto this distinction that even Gods Ministers are his Angels too though upon Earth a title given them both in regard of their mission and of their near relation to God and of those qualities which these Men of God should imitate in those blessed Spirits The very name is doctrinall and teacheth us both what God expects from us both to himself and you and what he expects from you to us From us faithfullnesse and diligence in his holy errands whereabouts we are sent to the World from you love and reverence to those Messengers which he imployes about your Salvation but it was my meaning only to call to this sense at the window in my passage as that which I hold not within the compasse of the Holy-Ghosts intention Doubtless the sense is naturall and proper not of men by way of allusion but of those which are Spirâ—ts by essence and yet even in this sense there is some variety of judgment whiles some take this to be spoken of evill Angels others of good Those which apply this to evill Angels are likewise in a double opinion For some take it passively least even those Angels should be tempted others actively least they should take occasion to tempt The former conceit is as gross as it hath been ancient of Tertullian and some others that even spirits to whom they ascribe a kind of materiality may be taken with the immodest venditation of a fleshly beauty to which purpose they do ignorantly mistake that of Genes 6.2 That the Sons of God saw the Daughters of Men that they were fair not considering the sequel that they took them wives of all that they chose Surely if ever spirits have affected these fleshly sins yet of marryed Spirits there was never dream in any sober head This fancy is too absurd to merit a confutation No doubt wicked spirits take delight in drawing the Sons of men to inordinate affections and beastly practises but that themselves place any pleasure in bodily obscenities is a matter not easie to be believed Or if they should be obnoxious to those carnall desires that the interposing of a vail should any way avail to the restraint of their wicked inclinations and purposes it is too poor a thought to enter into any wise understanding The other viz. least those Spirits should take this occasion of tempting might pass for currant if ever we could find in the whole body of the Scripture where the evill spirits are absolutely called Angels without some addition of distinction which is learned Camerons observation except only that one 1 Cor. 6.3 where they are so stiled for the greater honour of the Saints that shall judge them However the truth of the proposition is undeniable that so we ought to habit and order our selves that we may not give advantage to the evill Spirits either to our temptation or their prevalence we may be sure those tempters will omit no occasion of winning us to filthiness Do you not think that when they see wanton dames come disguised into Gods house as it were into the box of the play-house with their brest bare almost to the Navel their armes to the elbow their necks to the shoulder-points darting their lascivious eyes every way and in their whole fashion and gesture bewraying such lightness as might be able to debauch a whole assembly think ye not I say that they applaud themselves in so rich a booty as knowing that every eye that is transported and every heart that is fired with that immodest gazing-stock are so many spoiles and trophees of their Temptations It is a true and seasonable word that holy Cyprian said to the dames of his time that it was not enough for them to keep themselves from being corrupted by others solicitations unless they took care so to dress and deport themselves that they might not be occasions of raysing wanton thoughts in the beholders For surely we can not free our selves from those sins wherein others by our means though besides our particular intentions are insnared there is much liberty I confess in matter of attire but let me withall give you St. Pauls Item to his Galathians Brethren ye have been called to liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another Galat. 5.13 When and how is our liberty an occasion to the flesh but when we do so pranck up and pamper our flesh as that we regard not therein any others dangers which when soever we are drawn to do we may be sure we have so wary and vigilant spirits to watch us as that no advantage can be let fall against our souls as therefore wise and carefull commanders do not only cast how to impugne oppresse and annoy an enemy but also how to remove those helps which might be advantageous to him in his siege even to the demolishing of Suburbs and stopping up of Fountaines and the like so must we do in this spirituall warfare of ours we must not only stir up our courage and indevors to resist and vanquish tentations but we must bend our utmost care upon the prevention and removall of whatsoever in our apparell carriage diet recreations may be likely to give furtherance to their assault or prevalency and in the whole practise of our lives so demean our selves as that we may according to the charge of the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not
Angels present and the people shout out their Amen and shall our piety this way be lesse than theirs Surely the Angels of God are inseparably with us yea whole cohorts yea whole Legions of those heavenly soldiery are now viewing guarding us in these holy meetings and we acknowledg them not we yeild not to them such reverent and awful respects as even flesh and blood like our own will expect from us Did we think the Angels of God were with us here durst those of us which dare not be covered at home as if the freedom of this holy place gave them priviledge of a loose and wild licentiousness affect all saucy postures and strive to be more unmannerly then their Masters Did we consider that the Angels of God are witnesses of our demeanour in Gods house durst we stumble in here with no other reverence then we would do into our Barne or Stable and sit down with no other care then we would in an ale-house or Theater Did we finde our selves in an assembly of Angels durst we give our eyes leave to rove abroad in wanton glances our tongues to walk in idle and unseasonable chat our ears to be taken up with frivolous discourse Durst we set our selves to take those naps here whereof we failed on our pillow at home certainly my beloved all these do manifestly convince us of a palpable unrespect to the blessed Angels of God our invisible consorts in these holy services However then it hath been with us hitherto let us now begin to take up other resolutions and settle in our hearts an holy aw of that presence wherein we are Even at thy home address thy self for the Church prepare to come before a dreadful Majesty of God and his powerful Angels thou seest them not no more did Elishaes servant till his eyes were opened It is thine ignorant and grosse infidelity that hath filmed up thine eyes that thou canst discerne no spiritual object were they but anointed with the eye-salve of faith thou shouldest see Gods house full of heavenly glory and shouldest check thy self with holy Jacob when he awaked from his divine vision Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not how dreadfull is this place this is no other but the house of God and this is the gate of Heaven Gen. 28.16 17. Oh then when thou settest thy foot over the threshold of Gods Temple tremble to think who is there lift up thine awfull eyes and bow thine humble knees and raise up thy devout and faithful soul to a religious reverence and fear of those mighty and Majestical Spirits that are there and of that great God of Spirits whose both they and thou art and study in all thy carriage to be approved of so glorious witnesses and overseeres That so at the last those blessed Spirits with whom we have had an invisible conversation here may carry up our departing soules into the heaven of heavens into the presence of that infinite and incomprehensibly-glorious God both theirs and ours there to live and raign with them in the participation of their unconceivable blisse and glory To the fruition whereof he that hath ordained us graciously bring us by the mediation and for the sake of his blessed Son Jesus To whom with thee O Father of Heaven and thy co-eternall Spirit three persons in one God be given all praise honor immortality now and for ever HOLY DECENCY IN THE WORSHIP of GOD. By J. H. B. N. I Know that a clean heart and a right spirit is that which God mainly regards For as he is a Spirit so he will be served in Spirit but withall John 4.24 as he hath made the body and hath made it a partner with the Soul so he justly expects that it should be also wholly devoted to him so as the Apostle upon good reason prayes for his Thessalonians that their whole Spirit and Soul 1 Thes 5.23 and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and beseeches his Romans by the mercies of God that they present their bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God Rom. 12.1 Now as the body is capable of a double uncleanness the one morall when it is made an instrument and agent in sin the other naturall when it is polluted with outward filthiness so both of these are fit to be avoided in our addresses to the pure and holy God the former out of Gods absolute command who hath charged us to cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of the flesh and Spirit the latter out of the just grounds of Decency 2 Cor. 7.1 and expedience for though there be no sinfull turpitude in those bodily uncleanenesses wherein we offer our selves to appear before the Lord our God yet there is so deep an unbeseemingness in them as places them in the next door to sin Perhaps Gods ancient people the Jewes were too superstitiously scrupulous in these externall observations whos 's Talmud tells us of one of their great Rabbies that would rather suffer under extremity of hunger and thirst then tast of ought with unwashen hands as counting that neglect equall to lying with an harlot and who have raised a great question whether if any of their poultry have but dipped their beak in the bowle the water may be allowed to wash in forbidding to void the urine standing except it be upon a descent of ground lest any drop should recoyle upon the feet and in case of the other evacuation beside the paddle-staffe and other ceremonies in uncovering the feet injoyning to turn the face to the South not to the East or West because those coasts had their faces directed towards them in their devotions what should I speak of their extreme curiosity in their outward observances concerning the Law which no man might be allowed to read whiles he was but walking towards the unloading of nature or to the Bathe or near to any place of annoyance no Man might so much as spit in the Temple or before that sacred Volumn or stretch forth his feet towards it or turn his back upon it or receive it with the left hand no Man might presume to write it but upon the parchment made of the skin of a clean beast nor to write or give a bill of divorce but by the side of a running stream yea the very Turks as they have borrowed our circumcision so also religious niceties from these Jewes not allowing their Alcoran to be touched by a person that is unclean But surely I fear these men are not more faulty in the one extreme then many Christians are in the other who place a kinde of holinesse in a slovenly neglect and so order themselves as if they thought a nasty carelessenesse in Gods services were most acceptable to him Hence it is that they affect homely places for his worship abandoning all magnificence and cost in all the acts and apendances of their devotion clay and sticks please
both 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath sealed us Lo the promise was past before vers 20. and then yet more confirmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 21. and now past under seale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 22. Yea but the present possession is yet more and that is given us in part by our received earnest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earnest is a binder wherefore is it given but by a little to assure all In our transactions with Men when we have an honest Mans word for a bargain we think it safe but when his hand and seale infallible but when we have part in hand already the contract is past and now we hold our selves stated in the commodity what ever it be And have we the promise hand seale earnest of Gods Spirit and not see it not feel it not know it Shortly whom will we believe if not God and our selves No Man knowes what is in Man but the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Man that is in him as St. Paul to his Corinthians Ye have heard Gods Spirit hear our own out of our own mouth Doth not every Christian say I believe in God c. I believe in Jesus Christ I believe in the holy Ghost I believe the Communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins and life Everlasting And doth he say he believes when he believes not or when he knows not whether he believe or no what a mockery were this of our Christian profession Or as the Jesuitical evasion commonly is is this only meant of an assent to these general truthes that there is a God a Saviour a sanctifyer Saints remission salvation not a special application of these several articles to the soul of him whose tongue professeth it Surely then the devil might say the creed no less confidently then the greatest Saint upon Earth There is no Devil in hel but believes not without regret that there is a God that made the World a Saviour that redeemed it a blessed Spirit that renewes it a remission of sins an eternal Salvation to those that are thus redeemed and regenerate and if in the profession of our faith we go no further then Devils how is this Symbolum Christianorum To what purpose do we say our creed But if we know that we believe for the present how know we what we shall do what may not alter in time we know our own frailty and ficklenesse what hold is there of us weak wretches what assurance for the future Surely on our part none at all If we be left never so little to our selves we are gone on Gods part enough there is a double hand mutually imployed in our hold-fast Gods and ours we lay hand on God God laies hand on us if our feeble hand fail him yet his gracious and omnipotent hand will not fail us even when we are lost in our selves yet in him we are safe he hath graciously said and will make it good I will not leave thee nor forsake thee The seed of God saith the beloved disciple Joh. 3. remaines in him that is born of God so as he cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trade in sin as an unregenerate not lose himself in sinning so as contrary to Card. Bellarmines desperate Logick even an act of infidelity cannot marr his habit of faith and though he be in himself and in his sin guilty of death yet through the mercy of his God he is preserved from being swallowed up of death whiles he hath the seed of God he is the Son of God and the seed of God remaines in him alwayes That of the great Doctor of the Gentiles is sweet and cordiall and in stead of all to this purpose Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I am fully perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ â—esus our Lord. Rom. 8.39 O divine oratory of the great Apostle Oh the heavenly and irrefragable Logick of Gods Pen-man it is the very question that we have now in hand which he there discusses and falls upon this happy conclusion That nothing can separate Gods elect from his everlasting love he proves it by induction of the most powerfull agents and triumphes in the impoâ—ence and imprevalency of them all and whiles he names the principalities and powers of darkness what doth he but imply those sins also by which they work And this he saies not for himself only least any with Pererius and some other Jesuites should harp upon a particular Revelation but who shall separate us he takes us in with him and if he seem to pitch upon his own person in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet the subject of this perswasion reacheth to all true believers That nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Us not as it is over-stretched by Bellarmine and Vasquez indefinitely for those that predestinate in generall but with an implyed application of it to himself and the believing Christians to whom he wrote The place is so clear and full that all the miserable and strained Evasions of the Jesuiticall gainsayers cannot elude it but that it will carry any free and unprejudiced heart along with it and evince this comfortable truth That as for the present so for the future we may attain to be safe for our spirituall condition What speak I of a safety that may be when the true believer is saved already already past from death to Life already therefore over the threshold of Heaven Shortly then our faith may make our calling sure our calling may make sure our election and we may therefore confidently build upon this truth that our calling and election may be made sure Now many things may be done that yet need not yea that ought not to be done This both ought and must be indeavored for the necessity and benefit of it This charge here as it implies the possibility so it signifies the convenience use profit necessity of this assecuration for sure if it were not beneficiall to us it would never be thus forceably urged upon us And certainly there needs no great proof of this For nature and our self-love grounded thereupon easily invites us to the indeavour of feoffing our selves in any thing that is good this being then the highest good that the Soul of Man can be possibly capable of to be ascertained of Salvation it will soon follow that since it may be done we shall resolve it ought it must be indeavored to be done Indifferent things and such as without which we may well subsist are left arbitrary to us but those things wherein our spirituall well-being consisteth must be mainly laboured for neither can any contention be too much to attain them such is this we have
sinners never nay he strives to forget God and when the notion of a God is forced upon him he struggles against it and sayes to the Almighty Depart from me And even this alone showes how he stands in respect of his affections He loves not God no not whiles he promerits him with his favours It is the Title that St. Paul gives to wicked men Rom. 1. â—0 that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-haters One would think this should not be incident into a man for nothing but evill is the object of hatred and God is absolute goodnesse it self yet such is the cankered and corrupt nature of the sinner that apprehending God sub ratione mali he hates him who is in himself infinitely amiable and as he saies in his heart there is no God so he wishes in his heart there were no God He is never well therefore whiles he hath any thing to do with God whiles he is in his company or in the company of those that he thinks belong to him his conscionable servants and whiles he is imployed in any of his services he stands upon thornes Thus the sinner is in his affectations aloof off from God and for his carriage and actions they are answerable to both the other All his life is nothing else but a departing from the living God and therefore he must needs at last be farr off Look to all his wayes you shall find how diametrally contrary they are to Gods Gods wayes are direct ones the sinners are oblique and crooked God hath chalked out his wayes in the Ten words of his royall law the sinner turnes his back upon every one of them and walkes point-blank opposite God commands an holy and religious disposition towards his Majesty the sinner gives himself over to a wild and loose profanenesse to a lawlesse course of godlesnesse and walks as without God in the world God commands all reverent and awfull usage of his name the sinner tears it in pieces with his oathes and blasphemies God commands all dutifull obedience to authority not for fear only but for conscience sake the sinner is ready to say disrumpamus vincula let us break their bonds and cast their cords from us God commands all sobriety chastity temperance the sinner runs into all excesse of riot Finally God commands all charity and justice to our neighbour the wicked heart is mercilesse and cares not upon whose ruines he raiseth his own advantages so every way both in his thoughts affections and actions the sinner is afarr off from God Now the morall and civill man hears this and turnes it off as nothing concerning him he is as near to God as the best and indeed in some sense he is so St. Paul could say to his Athenians He is not far from every one of us Every creature hath equally his living moving being from God but as for any relation to God in respect of holinesse of grace and mercy of glory this man is as far off as Earth is from Heaven yea as Heaven is from Hell For even by nature we are the best of us the Sons of wrath And if we had no more then even our birth sin this alone would estrange us sufficiently from God but besides this our actuall sins set us off yet further and if we had no sins of commission as we have numberlesse for in many things we sin all yea in all things we sin all yet those of omission cannot but put us into an utter distance for if the morall man could be supposed to do nothing actually against Gods will yet his thoughts are not upon him being wholly taken up with the World his affections are not towards him being wholly set upon the World and these earthly things his best actions are not regulated by the royall law of righteousnesse but by the rules of civility and common humanity and the end which he proposeth to himself in them is not the glory of God but his own honour or advantage And therefore both the wicked man and the mere morall man are aloof off from God and therefore out of the benefit of Gods favour and protection even as we know that those which live under the two poles are out of the comfortable reach of the Sun-beames or those Antichthones which are on the other side of the globe of the Earth are now whiles it is day with us Please your selves therefore ye sinfull and naturall men with the spirituall condicion wherein ye stand God is no otherwise near to you but to plague and punish you Ye can never receive any glimpse of true comfort in your soules whiles you so continue and therefore as ye tender your own present and eternall welfare stir up your selves to take this divine Counsell of the Apostle Draw nigh unto God And so from the distance implyed we descend to the approach injoyned which we shall consider as it hath respect to the presence of God and to the motion of man To the presence of God in relation to his Ordinances and to his Spirit First then we draw nigh unto God when we attend upon him in his worship and service for God is where he is worshipped and where he reveales himelf In this regard when Cain was banished from the presence of God it was not so much an exile as an excommunication Hence is all the legall service called appearing before the Lord So David when shall I appear in thy sight Psal 42.2 and can find in his heart for this cause to envy the sparrowes and swallowes as herein happier then himself Thus Jacob of his Bethel God was here and I knew it not Then therefore do we draw nigh unto God when we come into his house when we present our selves to him in our prayers whether private or publick when we attend upon him in his word whether read or preached in his holy Sacraments in all religious exercises And those that do willingly neglect these holy services they are no other then aloof off from God and certainly whatsoever they may think of it this estate of theirs is very dangerous for if the worst peece of hellish torment be that of losse and utter departing from the presence of God then surely our voluntary Elongation of our selves from his presence must needs be a fearfull introduction to an everlasting distance from him Let our Recusants whether out of heresie or faction make what sleight account they please of these holy assemblies Surely the keeping away from the Church is the way to keep out of Heaven Auditus aspectum restituit as Bernard well It is our hearing that must restore us to the sight of God This in relation to his Ordinances that to his spirit followes we do then Secondly draw nigh to God when upon our conversion to him we become the receptacles and entertainers of his good Spirit For God is undoubtedly where he breathes into the soul holy desires where he works Heavenly grace in the heart This