as when fearful birds flie to the tops of Mountains out of the foulers reach 2. For loe the wicked bend their bow they make ready the arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart Paraphrase 2. They are daily discouraging me with the approach and preparations of mine enemies and the closeness and unavoidableness of their designs against me 3. If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do Paraphrase 3. Assuring me that within a while all my preparations and Forces will be routed and then 't is not my righteousness will give me any support or security 4. The Lord is in his holy Temple the Lords throne is in Heaven his eyes behold his eye-lids try the Children of men Paraphrase 4. But my full reliance and confidence in God arms me against all these temptations to fear and despair Let the strength and preparations of my enemies be what they will and my condition as low and destitute in the eye of man as is possible yet I am sure God sits in Heaven as in a sanctuary and on a throne so that I have my double appeal and resort to his mercy and his justice the former to secure the righteous the latter to subdue and destroy the wicked oppressor and from these two I have grounds of assured confidence that that all-seeing Majesty that knoweth and judgeth the actions of men will not fail to judge on my side to secure me and destroy my proudest adversaries 5. The Lord tryeth the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth Paraphrase 5. For as it is most infallibly certain that God doth overlook and sentence all and every action of all sorts of men both good and bad and approves and justifies and acquits and withall maintains the cause undertakes the patronage of the sincerely upright person and though he permit him to be under some temptations and seeming destitutions for a while yet finally delivers him and vindicates his integrity and suffers not any thing which is truly ill to befall him but converts all into good to him so on the other side he abhors violence and injustice and permits not that finally to prosper save to the destruction and endless mischief of the Authors of it 6. Upon the wicked he shall rain Snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup. Paraphrase 6. Be their Forces and preparations never so strong God can and will defeat them all when man cannot intrap them or overcome them by his policy God will do it for him bring them into some trap or other that shall keep them fast enough from injoying their projected prey from hurting the righteous and this oft so unexpectedly and so strangely as that it shall be acknowledged the immediate work of God as much as if it came down in a showre of rain visibly from Heaven And so when men cannot by their own strength resist them God will destroy them by his interposition and that so observable to pious considering spectators that it shall be attributed to him as immediately and signally as was the destruction of Sodom by fire and brimstone or of the Aegyptians by means of the strong East-wind Exod. 14.21 which drowned them c. 15.10 and secured the Israelites Thus shall God finally deal with the wicked oppressors though he bear patiently with them for a while 7. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness his countenance doth behold the upright Paraphrase 7. For as God is most just and upright in himself and perfectly abhors all the injustices and oppressions of wicked men so doth he think himself obliged to favour and protect innocence wheresoever it is and accordingly considers and regards and with his own eye of special watchful providence defends and secures all those that walk uprightly Annotations on Psal XI V. 1. Your mountain where the Hebrew now reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to your mountain a Sparrow all the antient interpreters uniformly read to the mountain as a Sparrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the rest and so the sense exacts and so it is possible the reading antiently was without the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the mountain as a Sparrow as Psal 102.7 we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Sparrow upon the house top However if it be flie Sparrow to your Mountain the sense will be the same as a Sparrow to the Mountains your being redundant in sense so the Jewish-Arab to some of the mountains V. 3. If the foundations It is not certain what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies here The word is once more found Isa 19.10 where we read purposes and in the margin foundations and by some learned men 't is rendred nets by others more agreeably to the context dammes or pool-heads The Radix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posuit denotes promiscuously to make or prepare or raise whether a damme a work a fortress and rampart of any kind or a family or an Army c. From the first of these wherein 't is used Isa 26.1 God saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he will found or cast up Salvation for walls and bull-warks the noun may here signifie a refuge or place of strength such as were ordinarily built on hills which were mention'd v. 1. from the second is Seths name Gen. 4. because saith Eve God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath prepared me another seed for Abel hath given me saith the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raised up say the LXXII In the third sence 't is used Psal 3.6 for laying siege incamping raising an army 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assembling saith the Chaldee in a militarie manner so Isa 22.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall set themselves in array And it is most probable that here in a discourse of enemies and hostility it should be used either in that first or in this third sense either for fortresses or strong holds or else for other forces and preparations military It is thought also capable of another notion for laws the foundations of Government and the defences or bulwarks of every mans right which by another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are so stiled Psal 82.5 speaking of Judicature perverted All the foundations of the earth are out of course But the context here speaking of David and his enemies and using another word doth not so well allow of this To that of fortresses the story agrees not for David had none such To the latter of forces or preparations military the LXXII and the other interpreters following them best agree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have destroyed what thou hast prepared and the Syriack yet more fully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what thou hast prepared they have dissipated The Latine not so fully yet to the same sense qua perfecisti destruxerunt they have destroyed what thou hast done i. e. the preter for the future
Mistress of their actions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a creature sent on purpose to preserve them and these saith he deserve not to be chid but pitied for nature at first appointed them this condition of life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is their birthright and inheritance and therefore no body will be angry with them for living on it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But for them who were made Creatures of light and had it not been for their wilfulness had still continued light in the Lord who are altogether encompast and environed with light light of nature light of reason light of religion nay the most glorious asterism or conjunction of lights in the World the light of the Gospel to walk in for these men meerly out of perverseness of wilful hearts to hate and abjure and defy this light to run out of the World almost for fear of it to be for ever a solliciting and worshipping of darkness as Socrates was said to adore the Clouds this is such a sottishness that the stupidst Element under Heaven would naturally scorn to be guilty of for never was the earth so peevish as to forbid the Sun when it would shine on it or to sâ—ink away or subduce it self from its rayes And yet this is our case beloved who do more amorously and flatteringly court and woo and sollicite darkness than ever the Heathens adored the Sun Not to wander out of the sphere my Text hath placed me in to shew how the light of the Gospel and Christianity is neglected by us our guilt will ly heavy enough on us if we keep us to the light only of natural reason within us How many sins do we daily commit which both nature and reason abhor and loath How many times do we not only unman but even uncreature our selves Aristotle observes that that by which any thing is known first that which doth distinguish one thing from another à priore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be called the beginning or cause of that thing and that the light of reason distinguishing one action from another being the first thing that teaches me that this is good that otherwise may from thence be termed the beginning of every reasonable action in us and then where ever this cause or beginning is left out and wanting there the thing produced is not so called a positive act or proper effect but a defect an abortion or still-born frustrate issue and of this condition indeed is every sin in us Every action where this Law within us is neglected is not truly an action but a passion a suffering or a torment of the Creature Thus do we not so much live and walk which note some action as ly entranced asleep nay dead in sin by this perverseness 't is perpetual night with us nay we even dy daily our whole life is but a multiplyed swoon or lethargy in which we remain stupid breathless senseless till the day of Death or Judgment with a hideous Voice affrights and rouses us and we find our selves awake in Hell and so our dark Souls having a long while groped wilfully in the Sun are at last lead to an Everlasting inevitable darkness whither the mercy or rays of the Sun can never pierce where it will be no small accession to our torment to remember and tremble at that light which before we scorn'd Thus I say do we in a manner uncreature our selves and by the contempt of this Law of our Creation even frustrate and bring to nothing our Creation it self and this is chiefly by sins of sloth and stupid sluggish unactive Vices which as I said make our whole life a continued passion never daring or venturing or attempting to act or do any thing in Church or Commonwealth either toward God or our Neighbour and of such a condition'd man no body will be so charitable as to guess he hath any Soul or light of reason in him because he is so far from making use of it unless it be such a Soul as Tully saith a Swine hath which serves it only instead of Salt to keep it from stinking For 't is Aristotles observation that every one of the Elements besides the Earth was by some Philosopher or other defin'd to be the Soul Some said the Soul was fire some that 't was air some water but never any man was so mad as to maintain the earth to be it because 't was so heavy and unweildy So then this heavy motionless unactive Christian this clod of Earth hath as I said uncreatured himself and by contemning this active reason within him even deprived himself of his Soul Again how ordinary a thing is it to unman our selves by this contempt of the directions of reason by doing things that no man in his right mind would ever have patience to think of Beloved to pass by those which we call unnatural sins i. e. so in the highest degree as too horrid for our nature set down in the latter end of this Chapter for all Christian Ears to glow and tingle at and I had hoped for all English spirits to abhor and loath To pass these I say our whole life almost affords minutely sins which would not argue us men but some other Creatures There be few things we do in our age which are proper peculiar acts of men one man gives himself to eating and drinking and bestows his whole care on that one faculty which they call the vegetative growing faculty and then what difference is there betwixt him and a Tree whose whole nature it is to feed and grow Certainly unless he hath some better imployment he is at best but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a plant-animal whose shape would perhaps perswade you that it hath some sense or Soul in it but its actions betray it to be a mere plant little better than an Artichoak or Cabbage another goes a little higher yet not far doth all that his sense presents to him suffers all that his sensitive faculties lust and rage to exercise at freedom is as fierce as the Tyger as lustful as the Goat as ravenous as the Wolf and the like and all the Beasts of the Field and Fowls of the air be but several Emblemes and Hieroglyphicks concurring to make up his character carries a Wilderness about him as many sins as the nature of a sensitive Creature is capable of and then who will stick to compare this man to the beasts that perish For 't is Theophilus his note that the Cattle and Beasts of the Field were created the same day with man Gen. i. 25 to note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brutish condition of some men and that therefore the blessing was not bestowed on them but reserved for the man which should have the dominion over them Verse 26 28. In summ every action which reason or Scripture or Gods spirit guides not in us is to be called the work of some other Creature
the discomfiture and confusion of Davids enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Chaldee they shall be confounded both in the beginning and end of the verse and the Syriack instead of the latter hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perish and the LXXII their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be made ashamed is to the same purpose and whereas some Copies have for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which might incline to the rendring it of their conversion or repentance whereto the Latine convertantur may seem to sound yet Asulanus's Impression and others have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be repulsed and others more largely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them be turned backward and so the Arabick reads it which must needs belong to their flight That they put it in that mood of wishing is ordinary with them when yet the Hebrew is in the Indicative future sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall be put to shame and so forward And this surely best connects with the former verse the Lord hath heard the Lord will receive my prayer and then as an effect of that All mine enemies shall be confounded c. The Seventh PSALM SHiggaion of David which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite Paraphrase The Seventh is stiled by a peculiar title not elsewhere used in this Book which yet signifies no more than a Song or Psalm of David a pleasant delightful ditty being indeed a cheerful commemoration of Gods continued kindness to and care of him and a magnifying his Name for it together with a confident affirmation or prediction that his enemies shall but bring ruine on themselves by designing to mischief him and this he sang unto the Lord on occasion of some malitious words delivered by some servant of Saul stirring him up against David 1 Sam. 26.19 The Chaldee Paraphrast misunderstands it as an interpretation of his Song made on the death of Saul to vindicate his no ill meaning in it v. 3. 1. O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me Paraphrase 1. Thy many continued deliverances and wonderful protections which assure me of thy special kindness toward me make me to come to thee with affiance and confidence and to appeal only to thy peculiar favour and thy almighty power so frequently interessed for me and upon this account to importune and depend on thee for my present rescue from all my persecuters and opposers 2. Lest he tear my soul like a Lion renting it in pieces while there is none to deliver me Paraphrase 2. Shouldst thou withdraw thy aid one hour I were utterly destitute and then as the Lion in the wilderness prevails over the beast he next meets seises on him for his prey kills and devours him infallibly there being none in that place to rescue him out of his paws the same fate must I expect from Saul my rageful implacable enemy 3. O Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquity in my hand Paraphrase 3. I am accused to Saul as one that seeks his ruine 1 Sam. 24.9 reproached by Nabal that I have revolted from him 1 Sam. 25.10 and that shews me that by many I am lookt on as an injurious person But O Lord thou knowest my integrity that I am in no wise guilty of these things I have not done the least injury to him I may justly repeat what I said to him 1 Sam. 26.18 What have I done or what evil is in my hand 4. If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me yea I have delivered him that without cause is my enemy Paraphrase 4. I have never provoked him by beginning to do him injury nor when I have been very ill used returned any evil to the injurious he is my enemy without any the least cause or provocation of mine and being so I yet never acted any revenge upon him but on the contrary in a signal manner spared him twice when he fell into my hands 1 Sam 24.4 7. and c. 26.9 23. If this be not in both parts exactly true 5. Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it yea let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust Paraphrase 5. I shall be content to undergo any punishment even that he that now pursues me so malitiously obtein his desire upon me overtake and use me in the most reproachful manner and pour out my heart-blood upon the earth 6. Arise O Lord in thine anger lift up thy self because of the rage of my enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded Paraphrase 6. But thou knowest my guiltiness O Lord to thee therefore I appeal for my relief be thou gratiously pleased to vindicate my cause to express thy just displeasure against my malitious adversaries and calumniators and speedily exercise the same justice in taking my part against those that injure me which thou severely commandest the Judges on the earth to dispense to the oppressed 7. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about for their sakes therefore return thou on high Paraphrase 7. This shall be a means to make all men admire thy works to address and repair and flock unto thee acknowledge thee in thy attributes and enter into and undertake thy service and let this be thy motive at this time to shew forth thy power and majesty to execute justice for me and to that end to ascend thy Tribunal where thou fittest to oversee and to judge the actions of men 8. The Lord shall judge the people Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness and according to mine innocency that is in me Paraphrase 8 Thou art the righteous Judge of all do thou maintain the justice of my cause and vindicate my perfect innocence in this matter 9. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end but establish the just for the righteous Lord trieth the heart and reins Paraphrase 9. God will now soon bring to nought the malitious designments of wicked men their sins will suddenly provoke and call down his judgments on them In like manner he will shew forth his justice in upholding and supporting the innocent such as he sees upon trial to be sincerely such for as all righteousness belongs to him the doing of all eminently righteous things bringing his fierce judgments on the obdurate and upholding and vindicating all patient persevering righteous persons when they are causelesly accused or persecuted so 't is his property also to discern the secretest thoughts and inclinations and accordingly to pass the most unerring judgments upon both sorts of them 10. My defence is of God which saveth the upright in heart Paraphrase 10. To thee it peculiarly belongs to deliver and vindicate those whom thou discernest to be sincere or inwardly upright and accordingly my trust is fixt wholly
the moon the fit seasons of husbandry and other humane actions are measured and directed according to the different quarters thereof on this depend the stationary returns of tides the growth of plants the increase and decrease of humours in the body even of man and peculiarly his brain the seat of his understanding is much concerned in it In all which respects it is that the sun which hath so much to do in the governing and blessing every part of the world doth not always keep up in any horizon but leaves some part of every natural day to that other luminary to manage 20. Thou makest darkness and it is night wherein all the beasts of the forrest creep forth 21. The young Lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God Paraphrase 20 21. And as between these the day and the night are divided so there are evidences of God's wisedom in each of these special uses for each The dark of the night is useful to beasts of prey which are pursued by mankind and are fain to keep in their holes and caverns all day when if they should come abroad they would much disturb the quiet of men but then by advantage of the darkness of night are inabled to ravage and feed and sustein themselves and though the Lions for want both of swiftness and of scent be ill qualified to provide for themselves yet hath divine providence taken care of them directed them to make use of another creature which is swift and of a quick scent and that joyns in league with them and having sâ—ised the prey stands by till they have filled themselves A wonderfull dispensation to which and to the hand of God in it they owe their food as discernibly as they would do if God in answer to their roaring as by way of return to our prayers immediately power'd down or bestowed their food upon them 22. The sun ariseth they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens 23. Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour untill the evening Paraphrase 22 23. And the day is more eminently usefull for other offices the doing all the works incumbent on us for the culture of the earth c. and for this a fair space is assigned from sun-rise till sun-set all which space those beasts of prey lie close in their dens to which they gather themselves in companies though by the same providence it is ordered that they go not out in herds if they did there would be no resisting them and thither they betake themselves at the same time that men rise to their labour i. e. constantly every morning 24. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisedom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches 25. So is this great and wide sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great beasts 26. There go the ships there is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein Paraphrase 24 25 26. Thus hath God created and disposed not onely these but all things else in all variety of excellencies his wisedom and his bounty is seen in all things and not onely in the earthly part of the globe but in the other as to appearance barren and destructive element that most vast and spacious ocean furnished with such a multitude of fishes of all sorts and sizes usefull also to the benefit of men by navigation and famous for the great sea-dragon the whale which is fortified against all force and art so as to contemn all assaults of men 27. These wait all upon thee that thou mayest give them their meat in due season 28. That thou givest them they gather thou openest thy band they are filled with good Paraphrase 27 28. And for all these hath God made abundant provision of food to support and refresh them when they stand in need of it and that by ways of his own wise dispensing without any care or solicitude of theirs requiring no more of them than to partake of that festival entertainment which he hath prepared for them 29. Thou hidest thy face they are troubled thou takest away their breath they die and return to their dust 30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth Paraphrase 29 30. And from him their very life and all the joys and comforts thereof every minute depend The withdrawing his favour and benign aspect and concurrence and sustentation is the cause of all their misery of all the strokes and judgments that light upon any part of this lower world and of their present death and return to the elements whereof they are compounded when he sees fit to summon them And as at first by his bare will and command as by a breath and word of his mouth all these were created out of nothing so by the same omnipotent creative power and wise disposal of his own meer will and pleasure he continues the species of each by seed and succession by which as by a natural stock of supply to all that decays and departs he doth yearly and daily renew the world and keep it up as full as if nothing ever perished in it an emblem of his future dealing with us men in the resurrection 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in his works Paraphrase 31. This method and course of Gods for the setting out and illustrating the glory of his infinite power and providence shall thus last as long as this world continues and as God in the first creation had his rest and sabbath took delight in his own work lookt on it altogether and behold it was exceeding good the same complacency hath he in the continuance and managery of it ever since O let not us men be the onely ungratefull part of his creation let us for ever praise and glorifie his name transcribe that festival Sabbath of his and return him the tribute of our obedience and our most pious acknowledgments for these and all his abundant mercies afford him that equitable content and delight of not pouring out his benefits on such unworthy receives as we men most frequently are and as we shall be if we live not in uniform obedience in all works of piety before him 32. He looketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the hills and they smoak Paraphrase 32. And as his providence so his sovereign power and dominion is continued over all the creatures in the world As one breath or act of his will created all so one look of his one least expression of his displeasure is enough to set the whole earth a trembling and the loftiest parts of it the mountains a smoaking and so to cast the stoutest proudest sinner into an agony of horrour and dread 'T is a most formidable thing to fall into the hands of the living Lord. As the Law was given on Sinai with thundrings and lightnings
that piercing Sun every atoâ—e of that flaming Sword as the word is phrased shall not though it be rebated vanish the day of Vengeance shall instruct your Souls that it was sent from God and since it was once refused hath been kept in store not to upbraid but damn you Many other petty occasions the Spirit ordinarily takes to put off the Cloud and open his Face toward us nay it were not a groundless doubt whether he do not always shine and the cloud be only in our hearts which makes us think the Sun is gone down or quite extinct if at any time we feel not his rays within us Beloved there be many things amongst us that single fire can do nothing upon they are of such a stubborn frozen nature there must be some material thing for the fire to consist in a sharp iron red hot that may bore as well as burn or else there is small hopes of conquering them Many men are so hardned and congealed in sin that the ordinary beam of the Spirit cannot hope to melt them the fire must come consubstantiate with some solid instrument some sound corpulent piercing judgment or else it will be very unlikely to thrive True it is the Spirit is an omnipotent Agent which can so invisibly infuse and insinuate its virtue through the inward man that the whole most enraged adversary shall presently fall to the earth Act. ix the whole carnal man lie prostrate and the sinner be without delay converted and this is a Miracle which I desire from my heart might be presently shewed upon every Soul here present But that which is to my present purpose is only this That God hath also other manners and ways of working which are truly to be said to have descended from Heaven though they are not so successful as to bring us thither other more calm and less boysterous influences which if they were received into an honest heart might prove semen immortalitatis and in time encrease and grow up to immortality There is no such encumbrance to trash us in our Christian Progress as a phansie that some men get possessed with that if they are elected they shall be called and saved in spight of their teeth every man expecting an extraordinary call because Saul met with one and perhaps running the more fiercely because Saul was then called when he was most violent in his full speed of malice against Christians In this behalf all that I desire of you is First to consider that though our regeneration be a miracle yet there are degrees of miracles and thou hast no reason to expect that the greatest and strongest miracle in the world shall in the highest degree be shewed in thy Salvation Who art thou that Gâ—â— should take such extraordinary pains with thee Secondly To resolve that many precious rays and beams of the Spirit though when they enter they come with power yet through our neglect may prove transitory pass by that heart which is not open for them And then thirdly You will easily be convinced that no duty concerns us all so strictly as to observe as near as we can when thus the Spirit appears to us to collect and muster up the most lively quick-sighted sprightfullest of our faculties and with all the perspectives that spiritual Opticks can furnish us with to lay wait for every glance and glimpse of its fire or light We have ways in nature to apprehend the beams of the Sun be they never so weak and languishing and by uniting them into a Burning-Glass to turn them into a fire Oh that we were as witty and sagacious in our spiritual estate then it were easie for those sparks which we so often either contemn or stifle to thrive within us and at least break forth into a flame In brief Incogitancy and inobservance of Gods seasons supine numbness and negligence in spiritual affairs may on good grounds be resolved on as the main or sole cause of our final impenitence and condemnation it being just with God to take those away in a sleep who thus walked in a dream and at last to refuse them whom he hath so long sollicited He that hath scorned or wasted his inheritance cannot complain if he dies a bankrupt nor he that hath spent his candle at play count it hard usage that he is fain to go to bed darkling It were easie to multiply arguments on this theme and from every minute of our lives to discern some pawn and evidence of Gods fatherly will and desire that we should live Let it suffice that we have been large if not abundant in these three chief ones First The giving of his Son to the World Secondly Dispatching the Gospel to the Gentiles And lastly The sending of his Spirit We come now to a view of the opposite trenches which lie pitched at the Gates of Hell obstinate and peremptory to besiege and take it Mans resolvedness and wilfulness to die my second part Why will you die There is no one conceit that engages us so deep to continue in sin that keeps us from repentance and hinders any seasonable Reformation of our wicked lives as a perswasion that God's will is a cause of all events Though we are not so blasphemous as to venture to define God the Author of sin yet we are generally inclined for a phansie that because all things depend on God's decree whatsoever we have done could not be otherwise all our care could not have cut off one sin from the Catalogue And so being resolved that when we thus sinned we could not chuse we can scarce tell how to repent for such necessary fatal misdemeanors the same excuses which we have for having sinned formerly we have for continuing still and so are generally better prepared for Apologies than Reformation Beloved it will certainly much conduce to our edification instead of this speculation whose grounds or truth I will not now examine to fix this practical theorem in our hearts that the will of man is the principal cause of all our evil that death either as it is the punishment of sin eternal death or as it is the sin it self a privation of the life of grace spiritual death is wholly to be imputed to our wilful will It is a Probleme in Aristotle why some Creatures are longer in conceiving bringing forth than others and the sensiblest reason he gives for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hardness of the Womb which is like dry earth that will not presently give any nourishment to either seed or plant and so is it in the spiritual conception and production of Christ that is of life in us The hardness and toughness of the heart the womb where he is to be born that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dry Earth in the Philosophers or that way-side or at best stony ground in Christ's phrase is the only stop and delay in begetting of life within us the only cause of either barrenness or hard
wrought more opposition against God more heresie against Christ in our lives than ever he was able to do in our doctrine In a Kingdom where the custom of the Country and Education hath planted purity of Faith in the Understanding he there labours to supplant and eradicate Charity and devotion in the will and crucifies Christ more confidently in our corrupt Heathenish practices than ever the Jews did in their incredulity And on this Plot he hath stuck close and insisted a long while it being the last and most dangerous stratagem that the policy of Hell can furnish him with to corrupt and curse and make abominable a sincere belief by an Atheistical conversation And this doth prove in general that 't is the Devils aim and from thence probably the Christians Curse to have more hostility against God in our Wills and so to be more horrible Atheists than ever the Heathens had in their Understandings Now that we may the more distinctly discover the Christian Atheist who is very Orthodox in his opinion very heretical in his practice we will observe how every part of his Life every piece of his Conversation doth directly contradict his Doctrine and pluck down and deface the very Fabrick of Godliness expunge those very notions of Piety which reason and Scripture hath erected in the Soul And first He is in his knowledge sufficiently Catechiz'd in the knowledge of Scripture and is confident that all its dictates are to be believ'd and commands practis'd But if you look to find this assent confirmed by his practice and exprest in his carriage you are much mistaken in the business Is he such a Fool as to order his life according to the rigour of them No no doubt 't is not one mans work to believe the Scripture and obey it Suppose I should tell you that there are but a few of you that read Scripture to that purpose that observe any Edict of Piety or Virtue only because the Scripture hath commanded it There be many restraints that keep unregenerate men from sinning a good disposition religious education common custom of the place or times where we live humane laws and the like and each or all of these may curb our forwardness and keep us in some order But who is there amongst us that being tempted with a fair lovely amiable Vice which he may commit without any regret of his good nature scandal to his former Carriages fear or danger of punishment either future or present or any other inconvenience Who is there I say that from the mere awe and respect that he bears to Scripture retires and calls himself off from that sin which he had otherwise faln into If I should see all manner of conveniences to sin in one scale and the bare authority of the Scriptures in the other quite out-weighing all them with its heaviness I should then hope that our hearts were Catechiz'd as well as our brains in the acknowledgment of this truth that Scripture is to be believed and obeyed But I much fear me if I should make an enquiry in every one of our hearts here single the greatest part of the Jury would bring in an evidence of guilt that in any our most entire obediences some other respect casts the Scales and this is one piece of direct Atheism that though our Understandings affirm yet our Will and Affections deny that Scripture is for its own sake to be obeyed Secondly Our brains are well enough advised in the truth of the Doctrine of Gods Essence and Attributes our Understandings have a distinct conceit of awe and reverence to answer every notion we have of God and yet here also our conversation hath its postures of defiance its scoffs and arts of reviling as it were to deface and scrape out every of these notions out of our Wills and to perswade both our selves and others that that knowledge doth only flote in our brains but hath no manner of weight to sink it deep into our hearts To glance at one or two of these we believe or at least pretend we do so the immensity i. e. the ubiquity and omnipresence of God that he indeed is every where to fill to see to survey to punish and yet our lives do plainly proclaim that in earnest we mean no such matter we shut up our hearts against God and either as the Gadarens did Christ being weary of his presence fairly intreat or else directly banish him out of our Coasts because he hath been or is like to be the destruction of some Swine i. e. bestial affections in us And in summ those bodies of ours which he hath markt out for his Temples we will scarce allow him for his Inne to lodge with us one night Again can we expect to be credited when we say we believe the ubiquity and omnipresence of God and yet live and sin as confidently as if we were out of his sight or reach Do we behave our selves in our out-rages in our luxury nay even in our gravest devotions as if God were within ken Without all doubt in every minute almost of our lives we demonstrate that we doubt either of his omnipresence to see or else his justice to punish us for those very things which we dare not to venture on in the sight of an earthly magistrate that may punish us nay of a spy that may complain of us nay of an enemy that will upbraid us nay of a friend that will check and admonish us we never doubt or demur or delay to practise in private or the dark where still God is present to oversee and punish And if this be not a scoffing a deluding a mere contemning of God to do that without any fear or regret in his sight which we never offer to attempt before a man nay a Friend I know not what may be counted Atheism In like manner we acknowledge God to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-sufficient and if we should be examined in earnest we would confess that there is no ability in any Creature to bestow or provide any good thing for us and yet our will here also hath its ways and arguments of contradiction Our whole life is one continued confutation of this piece of our Faith our tremblings our jealousies our distrusts our carefulness our Worldly providence and importunate carking our methods and stratagems of thrift and covetousness and the whole business of our lives in wooing and solliciting and importuning every power of nature every trade and art of the World to succour to assist and provide for us are most egregious evidences that we put no trust or confidence in Gods All-sufficiency but wholly depend and rely upon the arm of flesh both to raise and sustain us This very one fashion of ours in all our distresses to fly to and call upon all manner of second causes without any raising or elevating our Eyes or thoughts toward God from whom cometh our help plainly shews that God still dwells
abroad in Tents we have seen or heard of him but have not yet brought him home into our hearts there to possess and rectify and instruct our wills as well as our understandings Thirdly The whole mystery of Christ articulately set down in our Creed we as punctually believe and to make good our names that we are Christians in earnest we will challenge and defie the Fire and Faggot to perswade us out of it and these are good resolutions if our practices did not give our Faith the lye and utterly renounce at the Church Door whatsoever we profest in our Pews This very one thing that he which is our Saviour shall be our Judge that he which was crucified dead and buried sits now at the right hand of God and from thence shall come to judge the world this main part yea summ of our belief we deny and bandy against all our lives long If the story of Christ coming to judgment set down in the xxv of Matthew after the 30. Verse had ever entred through the doors of our Ears to the inward Closets of our hearts 't is impossible but we should observe and practise that one single duty there required of us Christ there as a Judge exacts and calls us to account for nothing in the World but only works of mercy and according to the satisfaction which we are able to give him in that one point he either entertains or repels us and therefore our care and negligence in this one business will prove us either Christians or Infidels But alas 't is too plain that in our actions we never dream either of the Judgment or the Arraignment our stupid neglect of this one duty argues us not only unchristian but unnatural Besides our Alms-deeds which concern only the outside of our neighbour and are but a kind of worldly mercy there are many more important but cheaper works of mercy as good counsel spiritual instructions holy education of them that are come out of our loyns or are committed to our care seasonable reproof according to that excellent place Lev. xix 17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but in any wise reprove him a care of carrying our selves that we may not scandal or injure or offer violence to the Soul and tender Conscience of him that is flexible to follow us into any riot These and many other works of mercy in the highest degree as concerning the welfare of other mens Souls and the chief thing required of us at the day of Judgment are yet so out-dated in our thoughts so utterly defaced and blotted out in the whole course of our lives that it seems we never expect that Christ in his Majesty as a Judge whom we apprehend and embrace and hug in his humility as a Saviour Beloved till by some severe hand held over our lives and particularly by the daily study and exercise of some work of mercy or other we demonstrate the sincerity of our belief the Saints on Earth and Angels in Heaven will shrewdly suspect that we do only say over that part of our Creed that we believe only that which is for our turn the sufferings and satisfactions of Christ which cost us nothing but do not proceed to his office of a Judge do not either fear his Judgments or desire to make our selves capable of his mercies Briefly whosoever neglects or takes no notice of this duty of exercising works of mercy whatsoever he brags of in his theory or speculation in his heart either denies or contemns Christ as Judge and so destroys the summ of his Faith and this is another kind of secret Atheism Fourthly Our Creed leads us on to a belief and acknowledgment of the Holy Ghost and 't is well we have all conn'd his name there for otherwise I should much fear that it would be said of many nominal Christians what is reported of the Ephesian Disciples Acts xix 2 They have not so much as heard whether there be an Holy Ghost or no. But not to suspect so much ignorance in any Christian we will suppose indeed men to know whatsoever they profess and enquire only whether our lives second our professions or whether indeed they are mere Infidels and Atheistical in this business concerning the Holy Ghost How many of the ignorant sort which have learnt this name in their Catechism or Creed have not yet any further use to put it to but only to make up the number of the Trinity have no special office to appoint for him no special mercy or gift or ability to beg of him in the business of their Salvation but mention him only for fashion sake not that they ever think of preparing their Bodies or Souls to be Temples worthy to entertain him not that they ever look after the earnest of the spirit in their hearts 2 Cor. i. 22 Further yet how many better learned amongst us do not yet in our lives acknowledge him in that Epithet annext to his title the Holy Ghost i. e. not only eminently in himself holy but causally producing the same quality in us from thence called the sanctifying and renewing spirit How do we for the most part fly from and abandon and resist and so violently deny him when he once appears to us in this Attribute When he comes to sanctifie us we are not patient of so much sowreness so much humility so much non-conformity with the world as he begins to exact of us we shake off many blessed motions of the spirit and keep our selves within garrison as far as we can out of his reach lest at any turn he should meet with and we should be converted Lastly The most ordinary morally qualified tame Christians amongst us who are not so violent as to profess open arms against this Spirit how do they yet reject him out of all their thoughts How seldom do many peaceable orderly men amongst us ever observe their wants or importune the assistance of this Spirit In summ 't was a shrewd Speech of the Fathers which will cast many fair out-sides at the bar for Atheists That the life of an unregenerate man is but the life of an Heathen and that 't is our Regeneration only that raises us up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from being still mere Gentiles He that believes in his Creed the Person nay understands in the Schools the Attributes and gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet sees them only in the fountain neither finds nor seeks for any effects of them in his own Soul he that is still unregenerate and continues still gaping and yawning stupid and senseless in this his condition is still for all his Creed and Learning in effect an Atheist And the Lord of Heaven give him to see and endeavours to work and an heart to pray and his spirit to draw and force him out of this condition Fifthly Not to cramp in every Article of our Creed into this Discourse we will only insist on two