for him i. e. as the consequents interpret it quarrel not with God for any thing that happens according to his will but against thine as the prosperity of the wicked and the like Fifthly a confirmation of the mind as making our hope the anchor of our soul sure and stedfast Heb. vi 17. that we may thereby in patience possess our souls Luke xxi 19. And lastly a desire of sanctifying our selves according to that 1 Joh. iii. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as Christ is pure These six effects briefly set down may be certain marks to you by which you may judge how just grounds your assurance stands on and whereby it is to be distinguished from presumption O Lord let the fulness of thy Holy Spirit overshadow us and encrease our weaker faith into a richer measure of assurance and our more fearful hopes into a degree of full perswasion and certain expectation of those visions that thou shalt reveal and that blest estate that thou shalt bestow upon us and lest our confidence may either be or seem but a presumption work in us those effects of patience of silence of joy of delight of confirmation of mind and above all a desire and ability of sanctifying our lives unto thee Thus have I with all possible haste made an end of these words and at this time out of the cadence of them observed to you the tenderness of St. Paul and every regenerate man at the least mention of a sin or sinner illustrâ—ted by the opposite hardness of heart proved of soft tender parts of our body and made use of for a crisis or judgment of our estate and livelyhood in grace Secondly out of the words themselves we observed the necessity and method of aggravating our sins especially original sin against our selves which we made use of against those that are more quicksighted in other mens estates and guilts then their own Thirdly we closed all with that comfortable doctrine of assurance discussed to you in brief with six effects of it proposed for an example to your care and imitation Now the God which hath created us redeemed called justified us will sanctifie in his time will prosper this his ordinance to that end will direct us by his grace to his glory To him be ascribed due the honour the praise the glory the dominion which through all ages of the world have been given to him that sitteth on the Throne to the Holy Spirit and to the Lamb for evermore FINIS A Catalogue of some Books printed for and sold by Robert Pawlett at the Bible in Chancery-lane near Fleetstreet THE Whole Duty of Man laid down in a plain and familiar way for the use of all but especially the meanest reader Necessary for all families with private Devotions for several occasions The Gentlemans Calling Written by the Author of the Whole Duty of Man The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety Or an Impartial Survey of the Ruins of Christian Religion undermined by Unchristian Practice By the Author of the Whole Duty of Man A Scholastical History of the Canon of the Holy Scripture Or the certain and indubitate books thereof as they are received in the Church of England by Dr. Cosin Lord Bishop of Durham Divine Breathings or a Pious Soul thirsting after Christ in One hundred excellent Meditations Hugo Grotius de Rebus Belgicis Or the Annals and History of the Low-Country Wars in English wherein is manifested that the United Netherlands are indebted for the glory of their Conquests to the Valour of the English A Treatise of the English Particles shewing much of the variety of their significations and uses in English and how to render them into Latin according to the propriety and elegancy of that language with a praxis upon the same by William Walker B. D. Schoolmaster of Grantham The Royal Grammer commonly called Lillyes Grammar explained opening the meaning of the Rules with great plainness to the under standing of Children of the meanest capacity with choice observations on the same from the best Authors by W. Walker B. D. Author of the Treatise of English Particles A Treatise proving Spirits Witches and supernatural operations by pregnant Instances and Evidences by Meric Casaubon D. D. A Catalogue of the names of all the Parliaments or reputed Parliaments from the year 1640. A Narrative of some Passages in or relating to the Long Parliament by a Person of Honour Nemesius ' s Nature of Man in English by G. Withers Gent. Inconveniences of Toleration Tolleration Intollerable A Letter about Comprehension A Rationale on the Book of Common-prayer of the Church of England by Anthony Sparrow Lord Bishop of Exon. A Collection of Canons Articles and Injunctions of the Church of England by Anthony Sparrow Lord Bishop of Exon. Golden Remains of the ever memorable Mr. John Hales of Eaton-Colledge c. The second Impression with Additions from the Authors own Copy also more Letters and Expresses concerning the Synod of Dort from an Authentick hand not before publisht Mr. Chillingworth 's Reasons against Popery Book of Homilies appointed to be read in Churches Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical Episcopacy as establisht by Law in England written by the special Command of the late King by R. Sanderson late Lord Bishop of Lincoln Petavius ' s History of the World Military and Maritime Discipline The Bishop of Exons Caution to his Diocess against false doctrines delivered in a Sermon at his Primary Visitation A Thanksgiving Sermon preach'd before the King by J. Dolben D. D. Dean of Westminster and Clerk of the Closet Bishop Brownrigs Sermon on the Gunpowder Treason A Letter to a Person of Quality concerning the Fines received by the Church at its Restauration wherein by the Instance of one of the richest Cathedrals a fair guess may be made at the receipts and disbursments of all the rest A Narrative or Journal of the Proceedings of the Lord Holles and the Lord Coventry Ambassadors Plenipotentiary for the Treaty at Breda written by a Person of Quality concerned in that Ambassy A Narrative of the Burning of London 1666. with an account of the Losses and a most remarkable Parallel between it and MOSCO both as to the Plague and Fire Lluellyns three Sermons on the Kings Murder A Collection of the Rules and Orders now used in Chancery Iter Lusitanicum Or the Portugal Voyage with what memorable passages interven'd at the shipping and in the Transportation of her Sacred Majesty Katherine Queen of Great Britain from Lisbon to England by Dr. Samuel Hynde A Charge given by the most Eminent and Learned Sir Francis Bacon at a Sessions for the Verge declaring the Jurisdiction thereof and the offences therein inquirable as well by the Common Law as by several Statutes Mr. White ' s learned Tract of the Laws of England Graphice Or the use of the Pen and Pensil in Designing Drawing and Painting by Sir William Sanderson Knight Hypocrates Aphorismes
with us which all the Fathers did but see in a cloud the Angels peep'd at the Heathen world gap'd after but we beheld as in a plain at mid-day For since the veil of the Temple was rent every man that hath eyes may see Sanctum Sanctorum the Holy of Holies God with us Fourthly To make a real use of this Doctrine to the profit of our Souls that if God have designed to be Emmanuel and Jesus an Incarnate God and Saviour to us that then we will fit and prepare and make our selves capable of this Mercy and by the help of our religious devout humble endeavours not frustrate but further and promote in our selves this end of Christs Incarnation the saving of our Souls and this use is effectually made to our hands in the twelfth to the Hebrews at the last Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom that cannot be moved i. e. being partakers of the Presence the Reign the Salvation of the Incarnate God Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear And do thou O powerful God improve the truth of this Doctrine to the best advantage of our Souls that thy Son may not be born to us unprofitably but that he may be God not only with us but in us in us to sanctifie and adorn us here with his effectual grace and with us to sustain us here as our Emmanuel and as our Jesus to crown and perfect us hereafter with glory And so much for this point That Jesus and Emmanuel import the same thing and there was no Salvation till this presence of God with us We now come to the substance it self i. e. Christs Incarnation noted by Emmanuel which is by interpretation c. Where first we must explain the word then drive forward to the matter The Word in Isaiah in the Hebrew is not so much a name as a sentence describing unto us the mystery of the Conception of the Virgin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with us God where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is taken in Scripture either absolutely for the nature of God as for the most part in the Old Testament or personally and so either for the Person of the Father in many places or else distinctly for the Person of the Son so Hos i. 7. And will save them by the Lord their God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their God i. e. Christ and so also most evidently in this place out of Isaiah where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Son Incarnate God man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and many the like especially those where the Targum paraphrases Jehovah or Jehovah Elohim by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word of the Lord i. e. Christ Jesus Joh. i. 1. As for instance Gen. iii. 22. that Word of the Lord said and Gen. ii 6. the Word created Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies in its extent near at with or amongst Thirdly the Particle signifying us though it expresses not yet it must note our humane nature our abode our being in this our great World wherein we travel and this our little World wherein we dwell not as a mansion place to remain in but either as an Inn to lodge or a Tabernacle to be covered or a Prison to suffer in So that the words in their latitude run thus Emmanuel i. e. The second Person in Trinity is come down into this lower world amongst us for a while to travel to lodg to sojourn to be fetter'd in this Inn this Tabernacle this Prison of mans flesh or briefly at this time is conceived and born God-man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same both God and Man the Man Christ Jesus And this is the cause and business the ground and theme of our present rejoycing in this were limited and fulfilled the expectation of the Fathers and in this begins and is accomplished the hope and joy of us Christians That which was old Simeons warning to death the sight and embraces of the Lords Christ Luk. ii 28. as the greatest happiness which an especial favour could bestow on him and therefore made him in a contempt of any further life sing his own funeral Nunc dimittis Lord now lettest thou c. This is to us the Prologue and first part of a Christians life either the life of the World that that may be worthy to be call'd life or that of Grace that we be not dead whilst we live For were it not for this assumption of flesh you may justly curse that ever you carried flesh about you that ever your Soul was committed to such a Prison as your Body is nay such a Dungeon such a Grave But through this Incarnation of Christ our flesh is or shall be cleansed into a Temple for the Soul to worship in and in Heaven for a robe for it to triumph in For our body shall be purified by his Body If ye will be sufficiently instructed into a just valuation of the weight of this Mystery you must resolve your selves to a pretty large task and it were a notable Christmas employment I should bless God for any one that would be so piously valiant as to undertake it you must read over the whole Book of Scripture and Nature to this purpose For when you find in the Psalmist the news of Christs coming Then said I loe I come you find your directions how to tract him In the volume of thy book it is written of me c. i. e. either in the whole book or in every folding every leaf of this Book Thou shalt not find a Story a Riddle a Prophecy a Ceremony a downright legal Constitution but hath some manner of aspect on this glass some way drives at this mystery God manifest in flesh For example perhaps you have not noted wherever you read Seth's Genealogies more insisted on than Cain's Sem's than his elder brother Ham's Abraham's than the whole World besides Jacob's than Esau's Judah's than the whole twelve Patriarchs and the like passages which directly drive down the line of Christ make that the whole business of the Scripture Whensoever I say you read any of these then are you to note that Shiloh was to come that he which was sent was on his journey that from the Creation till the fulness of time the Scripture was in travel with him and by his leaping ever now and then and as it were springing in the Womb gave manifest tokens that it had conceived and would at last bring forth the Messias So that the whole Old Testament is a Mystical Virgin Mary a kind of Mother of Christ which by the Holy Ghost conceived him in Genesis Chap. iii. 15. And throughout Moses and the Prophets carried him in the Womb and was very big of him And at last in Malachi Chap. iii. 4. was in a manner delivered of him For there you shall find mention of John Baptist who was
it For 't is no less then atheism which the scorners of the last age are to fall upon by walking after their own lusts 2 Pet. iii. 3. And thus was the Pharisees practice here who makes use of his own authority to deny Christ 't was the Pharisees that said Have any of the Pharisees believed on him There is not a more dangerous mother of heresies in the midst of piety then this one that our phansie first assures us that we have the spirit and then that every phansie of ours is Theopneust the work of the spirit There are a multitude of deceits got altogether here 1. We make every idle perswasion of our own the evidence of Gods spirit then we joyn infallibility to the person being confident of the gift then we make every breath of our nostrils and flame that can break out of our hearts an immediate effect of the spirit and fire which hath spiritually enlivened us and then we are sure it is authentical and all this while we never examine either the ground or deductions from it but take all upon trust from that everlasting deceiver our own heart which we ought to sit upon and judge of by proofs and witnesses by comparing it with other mens dictates probably as godly perhaps more learned but certainly more impartial judges of thee then thou canst be of thy self Lastly If the word of God speak distinctly and clearly enforce as here by miracles done before all men to their astonishment and redargution then will I not stay my belief to wait on or follow the learnedst man in the world when Christ himself speaks to my eyes the proudest eminentest Pharisee in earth or hell nay if any of their sect have crowded into Heaven shall not be able to charm my ear or lay any clog upon my understanding So that you see the Pharisees argument in that case was sophistical the matter being so plain to them that they needed no advicè His works bore witness of him John v. 36. yet in the general it holds probable and learning remains a good guide still though an ill Master in matters of Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first thing we undertook to demonstrate And this we should draw down yet lower to our practice and that variously but that almost every Proposition insisted on hath in part spoken to your affections and so prevented store of uses This only must not be omitted For Scholars to learn to set a value on their precious blessing which God hath vouchsafed them above all the world beside to bless God infinitely that they understand and conceive what they are commanded to believe this I am sure of there is not a greater and more blessed priviledge besides Gods spirit which our humane condition is capable of then this of learning and specially divine knowledge of which Aristotle himself witnesseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none is better then it As long as we have no evidence or demonstration from that which yet it most nearly concerns us to rely upon we cannot enjoy without an immediate supernatural irradiation a tranquillity and consistency of spirit we cannot peremptorily have resolved our selves that we have built upon the rock every temptation proves a discouragement to us many horrours take hold of us and sometimes we must needs fall to that low ebb not far from despair which the Apostles were in Luke xxiv 22. We had trusted but now we know not what to think of it that this was he that should have redeemed Israel But to see all the Articles of my faith ratified and confirmed to my understanding to see the greatest treasure and inheritance in the world sealed and delivered to me in my hand written in a character and language that I am perfectly skilled in O what a comfort is this to a Christian soul O what a fulness of joy to have all the mysteries of my salvation transcribed out of the book of the Lord and written in my heart where I can turn and survey and make use of them as much and as often as I will Nay where I have them without book though there were neither Father nor Bible in the world able out of my own stock to give an account nay a reason of my faith before the perversest Papist Heathen or Devil This serves me instead of having lived and conversed and been acquainted with Christ By this I have my fingers pit into the print of the nails and my hands thrust into his side and am as sure as ever Thomas was I see him as palpably as he that handled him that he is my Lord and my God 'T was observed by the Philosopher as an act generally practised among Tyrants to prohibit all Schools and means of learning and education in the Commonwealth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer neither learning nor Schools nor common meetings that men being kept blind might be sure to obey and tyrannical commands through ignorance be mistaken for fair government And thus did Julian interdict the Christians all manner of literature and chiefly Philosophy for fear saith Nazianzen they should be able to grapple with the Heathen and cut off Goliah's head with his own weapon The continuance of these arts of spiritual tyranny you may observe in the prescribed stupidity and commanded ignorance of the Laity through all Italy All which must call for a superlative measure of thanks to be exprest not in our tongues and hearts only but in our lives and actions from us I say who have obteined not only a knowledge of his laws but almost a vision of his secrets and for as much as concerns our eternal bliss do even see things as they were acted having already comprehended in our reason not only in our faith the most impossible things in nature the bredth and length and depth and height of the conceived incarnate and crucified God and if all that will not serve our turn but we must press into his cabinet-secrets invade the book of life and oversee and divulge to all men abscondita Domini Dei nostri then are Gods mercies unworthily repaid by us and those indulgences which were to bestow civility upon the world have only taught us to be more rude In sum the reallest thanks we can perform to God for this inestimable prize is modestly and softly to make use of it 1. To the confirming of others faith and 2. to the expressing of our own For 1. he is the deepest scholar saith the Philosopher who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 best able to teach other men what himself conceives and then 2. he hath the habit most radicated who hath prest it down into his heart and there sow'd a seed which shall encrease and fructify and spread and flourish laden with the fruits of a lively faith He is the truest scholar that hath fed upon learning that hath nourished and grown and walked and lived in the strength of it And till I see you thrive and
once calcare terram colere tread on the earth with his feet and adore it with his heart So Socrates who by bringing in morality was a great refiner and pruner of barren Philosophy absolutely denying the Grecian Gods and thence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is yet brought in by Aristophanes worshipping the clouds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and by a more friendly Historian described addressing a sacrifice to Aesculapius being at the point of death So that in brief the Philosophers disliking the vulgar superstition went to School faith Clem. to the Persian Magi and of them learnt a more Scholastick Atheism The worship of those venerable Elements which because they were the beginnings out of which natural bodies were composed were by these naturalists admired and worshipped instead of the God of nature From which a man may plainly judg of the beginning and ground of the general Atheism of Philosophers that it was a superficial knowledge of Philosophy the sight of second causes and dwelling on them and being unable to go any higher For men by nature being inclined to acknowledge a Deity take that to be their God which is the highest in their sphere of knowledge or the supremum cognitum which they have attained to whereas if they had been studious or able by the dependence of causes to have proceeded beyond these Elements they might possibly nay certainly would have been reduced to piety and religion which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knowledge and worship of God but there were many hindrances which kept them groveling on the earth not able to ascend this ladder 1. They wanted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Aphrod on the Topicks speaks of that kindly familiar good temper or disposition of the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the mind is able to find out and judge of truth they wanted that either natural harmony or spiritual concord of the powers of the soul by which it is able to reach those things which now in corrupt nature are only spiritually discerned For it is Clem. his Christian judgment of them that the Gentiles being but bastards not true born sons of God but Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel were therefore not able to look up toward the Light as 't is observed of the bastard-brood of Eagles or consequently to discern that inaccessible light till they were received into the Covenant and made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true proper Children of light A 2d hindrance was the grossness and earthyness of their fancy which was not able to conceive God to be any thing but a corporeous substance as Philoponus observes in Schol. on the books de animâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When we have a mind to betake our selves to divine speculation our fancy comes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raises such a tempest in us so many earthly meteors to clog and over-cloud the soul that it cannot but conceive the Deity under some bodily shape and this disorder of the fancy doth perpetually attend the soul even in the fairest weather in its greatest calm and serenity of affections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith Plato even when the soul is free from its ordinary distractions and hath provided it self most accurately for contemplation Philoponus in this place finding this inconvenience fetches a remedy out of Plotinus for this rarifying and purifying of the fancy and it is the study of the Mathematicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let young men be brought up in the study of the Mathematicks to some acquaintance with an incorporeous nature but how unprofitable a remedy this study of the Mathematicks was to the purpose of preparing the soul to a right conceit of God I doubt not but he himself afterwards found when he turned Christian and saw how far their Mathematical and Metaphysical abstractions fell below those purest Theological conceits of which only grace could make him capable So that in brief their understanding being fed by their fancies and both together fatned with corporeous phantasms as they encreased in natural knowledge grew more hardned in spiritual ignorance and as Clem saith of them were like birds cram'd in a Coop fed in darkness and nourished for death their gross conceits groping on in obscurity and furnishing them only with such opinions of God as should encrease both their ignorance and damnation That I be not too large and confused in this discourse let us pitch upon Aristotle one of the latest of the ancient Philosophers not above 340 years before Christ who therefore seeing the vanities and making use of the helps of all the Grecian learning may probably be judged to have as much knowledge of God as any Heathen and indeed the Colen Divines had such an opinion of his skill and expressions that way that in their Tract of Aristotle's Salvation they define him to be Christs Praecursor in Naturalibus as John Baptist was in gratuitis But in brief if we examine him we shall find him much otherwise as stupid in the affairs of 1. God 2. The soul 3. Happiness as any of his fellow Gentiles If the book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were his own legitimate work a man might guess that he saw something though he denied the particular providence of the Deity and that he acknowledged his omnipotence though he would not be so bold with him as to let him be busied in the producing of every particular sublunary effect The man might seem somewhat tender of God as if being but newly come acquainted with him he were afraid to put him to too much pains as judging it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. neither comely nor befitting the Majesty of a God to interest himself in every action upon earth It might seem a reverence and awe which made him provide the same course for God which he saw used in the Courts of Susa and Ecbatana where the King saith he lived invisible in his Palace and yet by his Officers as through prospectives and Otacousticks saw and heard all that was done in his Dominions But this book being not of the same complexion with the rest of his Philosophy is shrewdly guest to be a spurious issue of latter times entitled to Aristotle and translated by Apuleius but not owned by its brethren the rest of his books of Philosophy for even in the Metaphysicks where he is at his wisest he censures Zenophanes for a Clown for looking up to Heaven and affirming that there was one God there the cause of all things and rather then he will credit him he commends Parmenides for a subtle fellow who said nothing at all or I am sure to no purpose Concerning his knowledge of the soul 't is Philoponus his observation of him that he perswades only the more understanding laborious judicious sort to be his Auditors in that subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But dehorts men of meaner vulgar parts less
one degree of their guilt that they observed the power of it in their speculations and made use of it also to censure and find fault with others but seldom or never strived to better themselves or straighten their own actions by it Again to follow our Apostles argument and look more distinctly upon them in their particular chief sins which this contempt produced in them you shall find them in the front to be Idolatry and superstition in the verses next before my Text When they knew God they glorified him not as God verse 21. But changed his glory into an Image c. verse 24. And then we may cry out with Theodoret in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the errors and vanities of their worship hath rased out all the characters that God anciently had written in them And can any man shew a greater contempt to a book or writing then to tear and scrape and scratch out every letter in it The first voice of nature in the creature which it uttered even in the cradle when it was an infant in the world and therefore perhaps as children are wont not so plainly and syllabically and distinctly as could have been wished is the acknowledgment and worship of one eternal God Creator of that soul we breath by and world we live in as one simple incorporeal everlasting essence and thus far no doubt could nature proclaim in the heart of every Gentile though it was by many of them either silenced or not hearkned to which if it were doubted of might be deduced out of the 19. verse of this chap. God hath shewed unto them c. Now this light shining not equally in all eyes some being more overspread with a film of ignorance stupid conditions and passions and the like yet certainly had enough to express their contempt of it so that they are without excuse ver 20. All that would ever think of it and were not blind with an habit of sottishness acknowledged a God yet none would think aright of him Some would acknowledge him a simple essence and impossible to be described or worship't aright by any Image as Varr◠an Heathen observes that the City and Religion of old Rome continued 170 years without any Images of the Gods in it Yet even they which acknowledged him simple from all corporeity and composition would not allow him single from plurality Jupiter and Saturn and the rest of their shole of Gods had already got in and possest both their Temples and their hearts In sum their understandings were so gross within them being fatned and incrassate with magical phantasms that let the truth within them say what it would they could not conceive the Deity without some quantity either corporeity or number and either multiply this God into many or make that one God corporeous And then all this while how plainly and peremptorily and fastidiously they rejected the guidance of nature which in every reasonable heart counselled nay proclaimed the contrary how justly they provoked Gods displeasure and disertion by their forsaking and provoking him first by their foolish imaginations I need not take pains to insist on Aristotle observes in his Rhet. that a man that hath but one eye loves that very dearly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sets a far higher price on it is much more tender over it then he that hath two so he that hath but one son cannot chuse but be very fond of him and the greatest lamentation that can be exprest is but a shadow of that which is for ones only Son as may appear Amos viii 10. Zach. xii 10. when 't is observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only begotten and the beloved are taken in Scripture promiscuously as signifying all one And then what a price should the Heathen have set upon this eye of nature being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having no other eye to see by having neither Scripture nor Spirit those two other glorious eyes of the world to enlighten them and therefore being sure by the contemning and depriving themselves of this light to turn all into horrible darkness 'T would strike a man into agony of pity and amazement to see a world of Gentiles for many years thus imprisoned and buried in a dungeon and grave of invincible idolatrous ignorance and from thence engaged in inevitable hell as 't is in the Book of Wisdom and all this directly by contemning this first and only begotten light in them which God set in the Firmaments of their hearts to have lead and directed them a more comfortable way And this or as bad is every unregenerate mans case exactly if they be not forewarned by their elder brethren the Heathens example as we shall anon have more leisure to insist on Secondly among the Jews under which name I contain all the people of God from Adam to Christ 't is a lamentable contemplation to observe and trace the law and the contempt of it like a Jacob at the heels supplanting it in every soul which it came to inhabit Those Characters of verum and bonum which in Adam were written in a statelier Copy and fairer Manuscript then our slow undervaluing conceits can guess at nay afterwards explain'd with a particular explication to his particular danger Of the tree of knowledge c. thou shalt not eat Gen. ii 17. Yet how were they by one slender temptation of the Serpent presently sullied and blurr'd so that all the aqua fortis and instruments in the world will never be able to wash out or erase that blot or ever restore that hand-writing in our hearts to the integrity and beauty of that Copy in its primitive estate And since when by that sin darkness was in a manner gone over their hearts and there remained in them only some tracks and reliques of the former structure the glory whereof was like that of the second Temple nothing comparable to the beauty of the first instead of weeping with a loud voice as many of the Priests and Levites did Ezra iii. 12. or building or repairing of it with all alacrity as all Israel did through that whole Book their whole endeavour and project was even to destroy the ruins and utterly finish the work of destruction which Adam had begun as being impatient of that shelter which it would yet if they would but give it leave afford them Thus that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two sparks of that primitive sacred flame which came from Heaven still alive and warm though weak in them intended by God to direct them in his will and for ever set either as their funeral pile or their Ordeal fire their punishment or acquittal either as their Devil or their God to accuse or else excuse them were both in their practice neglected and slighted nay in a manner opprest and stifled For any natural power of doing good God knowes it
distorted and defaced it once was light in the Lord almost an Angel of light it shone as the Sun in the Firmament in majesty and full brightness but is now only as the Moon pale and dim scarce able to do us any service unless it borrows some rays from the Sun of Righteousness The fall hath done somewhat with it I know not what to call it either much impaired it and diminisht its light in its essence or else much incumbred or opprest it in its operations as a candle under a vail or lanthorn which though it burn and shine as truly as on a candlestick yet doth not so much service in enlightning the room the soul within us is much changed either is not in its essence so perfect and active and bright as once it was or else being infused in a sufficient perfection is yet terribly overcast with a gloom and cloud of corruptions that it can scarce find any passage to get through and shew it self in our actions for the corruptible body presseth down the soul c. Wisd ix 15. And from this caution grow many lower branches whence we may gather some fruit as in the second place infinitely to humble our selves before God for the first sin of Adam which brought this darkness on our souls and account it not the meanest or slightest of our miseries that our whole nature is defiled and bruised and weakned to aggravate every circumstance and effect of that sin against thy self which has so liberaâ—ly afforded fâ—el to the flames of lust of rage and wild desire and thereby without Gods gracious mercy to the flames of Hell This is a most profitable point yet little thought on and therefore would deserve a whole Sermon to discuss to you 3. To observe and acknowledge the necessity of some brighter light then this of nature can afford us and with all the care and vigilancy of our hearts all the means that Scripture will lend us and at last with all the importunities and groans and violence of our souls to petition and sollicit and urge Gods illuminating spirit to break out and shine on us To undertake to interpret any antient Author requires say the Grammarians a man of deep and various knowledge because there may be some passage or other in that book which will refer to every sort of learning in the world whence 't is observed that the old Scholiasts and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were most exquisit Scholars Thus certainly will not any ordinary skill serve turn to interpret and explain many dark sayings which were at first written in the book of our hearts but are now almost past reading only that omniscient Spirit that hath no shadow of ignorance the finger that first writ must be beseeched to read and point out the riddle We must make use of that rotten staffe of nature as far as its strength will bear and that very gingerly too never daring to lean or lay our whole weight upon it lest it either wound with its splinter or else break under us our help and stay and subsistence and trust must be in the Lord our eyes must wait on his inlightning Spirit and never lose a ray that falls from it Fourthly to clear up as much as we can and reinliven this light within us And that first By stirring up and blowing and so nourishing every spark we find within us The least particle of fire left in a coal may by pains be improved into a flame 't is held possible to restore or at least preserve for a time any thing that is not quite departed If thou findest but a spark of Religion in thee which saith A God is to be worship't care and â—edulity and the breath of prayers may in time by this inflame the whole man into a bright fire of Zeal towards God In brief whatever thou dost let not any the least atome of that fire which thou once feelest within thee ever go out quench not the weakest motion or inclination even of reason towards God or goodness how unpolish't soever this Diamond be yet if it do but glissen 't is too pretious to be cast away And then 2. By removing all hindrances or incumbrances that may any way weaken or oppress it and these you have learnt to be corrupt affections That democracy and croud and press and common people of the soul raises a tumult in every street within us that no voice of law or reason can be heard If you will but disgorge and purge the stomach which hath been thus long opprest if you will but remove this cloud of crudities then will the brain be able to send some rayes down to the heart which till then are sure to be caught up by the way anticipated and devoured For the naked simplicity of the soul the absence of all disordered passions is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aphrodiseus that kindly familiar good temper of the soul by which it is able to find out and judge of truth In brief if thou canst crop thy luxuriant passions if thou canst either expel or tame all the wild beasts within thee which are born to devour any thing which is weak or innocent then will that mild voice within thee in the cave take heart and shew it self In the mean time this hurry of thy senses drowns that reason and thou canst not hope to see as long as like old Tobit the dung and white film doth remain upon thine eyes If thou canst use any means to dissolve this dung of affections which an habit of sin hath baked within thee the scales will fall off from thine eyes and the blind Tobit shall be restored to his sight In brief do but fortifie thy reasonable soul against all the undermining and faction and violence of these sensual passions do but either depose or put to the sword that Atheistical Tyrant and Usurper as Iamblichus calls the affections do but set reason in the chair and hear and observe his dictates and thou hast disburthened thy self of a great company of weights and pressures thou wilt be able to look more like a man to hold thy head more couragiously and bend thy thoughts more resolutely toward Heaven and I shall expect and hope and pray and almost be confident that if thou dost perform sincerely what thy own soul prompts thee to Gods spirit is nigh at hand to perfect and crown and seal thee up to the day of redemption In the next place thou maist see thine own guilts the clearer call thy self to an account even of those things which thou thinkest thou art freest from that which the Apostle in this chapter and part of my discourse hath charged the Heathens with and if thou lookest narrowly I am afraid thou wilt spy thine own picture in that glass and find thy self in many things as arrant a Gentile as any of them For any sincere care of God or Religion how few of us are there that ever entertained so unpleasant