we may conclude that it is far more safe to relie on God who cannot deceive then to leane upon our own broken Reeds to stick to our selves who may both erre and be deceived Vbi sentitis vos non intelligere credite tamen divinis eloquiis Aug. ep 46. advinc p. 105. If secondly it be not want of apprehension but crosse arguments which move us to inferre conclusions contrary to Gods truth these two things may be interposed 1. That these argmuments are of our own coyning and so are but chaines fetters of our own Making from which if we cannot unwinde our selves the blame must lie at our own doores He who by a pernicious Custome contracts upon himselfe an habit of drunkennesse though in respect of that habit he sins necessarily and is not easily able to leave that vicious deboistnesse yet this shall rather condemne then excuse him in that he hath brought so unhappy a necessity upon himselfe He who binds his own hands and feet and then casts himselfe headlong into the Sea will not be excused by a plea that he was drowned because he could not swim So when men entertaine fleshly corrupt Principles and ensnare themselves therewith though thus taken they necessarily erre yet can they not be excused since they have framed the fetters wherewith they are chained for themselves 2. The second thing which may be offered is this certainty That all that God reveales being truth every conclusion contrary thereto must be false and if the conclusion be false the Premises one or both must be so too Thus as in matters of Practice Gods commands are good and therefore what motives or Arguments soever draw us to sin though taken from the most specious profit largest pleasure and highest preferment though they seem never so conformable to our desires and maske themselves under a demure look yet they are really and in themselves Bad and unrighteous so the Arguments proving any Heresy though they may appeare in reasonable colours and carry applause with them yet they are direct untruths and containe falsehood as is evident in the case in hand for suppose the Prophets Argument were thus framed If the wicked thrive and good men be afflicted in this life then Religion is vaine But so it is c. Here the Assumption is not altogether True for all wicked men do not thrive and for the Proposition the consequence is wholly denyable as being false for it will not follow that because the wicked are exalted and the good oppress 't Religion is vaine but of this more fully hereafter In a word the arguments brought against any one article of the Creed for instance may be easily found false and unreasonable And therefore as is formerly mentioned Gods truth is a rock from which neither tempests nor flatteries must remove us Ipse dixit is to beare us out and will do it against the suggestions of our own ignorance or the plausible perswasions of flesh and blood and though whilst we are clouded with a veile of flesh we cannot attaine to a full satisfaction yet when that which is imperfect shall be done away we shall find cause of Triumph that we have taken God upon his bare word and not expected demonstration in mysteries of faith Then shall we receive the reward of our selfe denyall and constancy the end of our Faith the Salvation of our soules Whilst men that glory in Sophistry and Sceptically dispute every thing either wish they had lesse reason or used it Better Vers 17. Vntill I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their end The Prophet having shewed how his first attempt for satisfaction succeeded not proceeds now to a positive declaration of that which procured it to him when he found his own abilities too short to fathome and the greatest search of his understanding to shallow to comprehend this Mystery He presently makes recourse to Gods sanctuary where he understood their end In which words three particulars are observable 1. The Proper subject wherein this satisfaction was received His Vnderstanding I understood 2. The Author of this satisfaction God 3. The place wherin he found it the Sanctuary of God For the 1. Though his Vnderstanding as an agent was insufficient to worke out this satisfaction yet was it not de facto indeed or esteemed by him a needlesse or unprofitable faculty Satisfaction of doubts is made by clearing the understanding and judgement for therein as a Patient shines the light and from what was received there in did arise his full and contenting satisfaction This with Him is common to all men The beginning of all satisfaction must issue from the Illumination of the Vnderstanding and right clearing of the Judgement He that doubts must be made to understand before he be satisfied the eye must receive sight befor it can apprehend any other object and those arguments which convince must affect the Vnderstanding and cleare the Judgement otherwise they will have no great effect It may be granted That for the Reforming of men Good examples have their efficiency and afflictions are commended as excellent prescriptions but we may observe that these all doe that worke mediante Intellectu Afflictions do therefore induce an amendment because they open mans scaled understanding discover what he saw not before his own Guilt weakenesse and miserie Dat intellectum vexatio And reformation cannot find an admission There where there is a resolution of shutting the eyes against the Truth They that make their faces harder then a Rock will not grieve though they be smitten but will refuse to returne Jerem. 5.3 4. These are the foolish for they know not the way of the Lord. And as for examples they have no farther Influence then as they are apprehended either possible or fit for our Imitation From hence may be confidently concluded that they take not a right course to cleare men or the Church from erroneous opinions who use such meanes as deprive men of their Vnderstandings which they are guilty of who violently rob men of their lives because they are different in opinions from them mens thoughts expiring with their breath Did men rightly consider they would acknowledge that course of physick to be too desperate and to conduce to a confirmation Reformation by violence or death or such Means as take away the understanding rather then a taking away of Error A word may seperate body and soul but not faith or opinion from the soul He that uses violence gives us cause to distrust the opinions he would move us to since we see him more confident of the strength of his sword then the truth he pretends to and the power of his reasons Experience makes it good that persecution usually amongst men is more prevalent to render the sufferers objects of commiseration and pity then different opinions can make them odious And whatsoever the opinions of Servetus were yet we finde that he was more pittied for his being burned then
that many have had such strong delusions that the fear of death it self could not fright them from vainely conceiting themselves to be some great ones as Montanus who constantly averred that he was the Paraclet c. I answer 1. That delusion in his Person is not conceivable nor possible considering what hath been said before of him his holy life wonderfull miracles and the high grand Testimonies God gave of his being his Son and the words of Christ are here fully true which he gives us Math. 12.26 If Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself how shall then his Kingdome stand Satan gives no delusion against himself now there is nothing in the World more destructive to Satan and his Kingdome then the promise of happinesse and those precepts whose obedience is the way thereto 2. Though it cannot be denyed that some have been obstinate to death in the defence even of errors yet concerning them it may be demanded whether they were not fully perswaded that the matters mantained by them were true And whether if they had certainly known them false they would have adventured so far for them now then Christ Jesus here promiseth a reward and declares that he will performe it if there were any thing false herein he could not but see and know it false now for a man to seal that with his blood for truth which he himself knowes and cannot but know is false is as impossible and inconsistent as to be mad with reason 6. Christ hath made faith of his resurrection and given full proof to the World thereof the words of saint Luke are certaine Acts 1. vers 3. That he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them fourty dayes and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God This matter was not hudled up in the clouds of meer probabilities nor was there any thing wanting that might make the witnesses certaine of his resurrection they were 't is true chosen witnesses but not few not two or three onely though the Law saves in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established but more then five hundred nor was this done once at one time by one meanes but at several times by many appearances made by many Remonstrances to their eyes their eares their touch they saw him often heard him handled him put their hands in his side and their fingers into the print of the Nayles they did eate and drink with him had all their doubts fully satisfied and all this for the space of fourty dayes after which in their presence and view he visibly ascended up into Heaven Now what influence the resurrection of Christ hath to confirme the promise of our future glory hath been spoken of before 7. And lastly Christ by his truth and faithfulnesse in other things confirmes it also in this his justice and humanity even among men forbits us to disbeleive him whom we know and have found exact in his word The giving of eternal life was not the onely promise and Prophecy made by Christ he promised the sending of the Holy Ghost upon his Disciples the endewing of them with power from above that they should worke wonders convert nations found the Church and preach the Gospel to the ends of the World he Prophesied foretold their chaines and imprisonments their opposition persecution by men the encompassing of Jerusalem with armies and it's destruction with the ruin of that stately edifice the Temple the calamities of after ages the calling of the Gentiles and the not pervailing of the gates of Hell against his Church in all these and many other particulars the event fully verified his words so perfectly and exactly fulfilled that we confidently challenge the whole World to shew the least variation of his promises and Prophecies Hath he then been so faithful in all this and can we disbeleive him in this promise of glory If we look but with a single eye upon the Earth How many Characters of a God may we read therein When every plant presents a diety and bespeakes a Creatour and if we reflect but on our soules there is not there a grace there is not a comfort but will tell us Christ is as good as his word all is no more then what Christ hath promised and all but the earnest of what is to come so that we may conclude he that hath been thus faithful in the Kingdome of grace will not faile of that glory he hath so fully promised I have been the more large in this point of the proofs of a future glory for two reasons 1. That it may be known there is just cause to fear and tremble at the disbeleif of this point the grounds of this faer as may be collected from what hath been delivered are two 1. That this is not a single heresy but an Hydra a monster that involues in it the guilt of many infidelities He that denies a reward after this life contradicts the consenting Testimonies of all men in the World derogates from the power of God makes mans soul no better then a beasts discards the providentiall Justice of God denies the Scriptures to be his Word Christ to be his Son discredits his life and passion gainsayes his resurrection and takes away all hope and fear of future Judgment and overthrows all Religion 2. This disbeleif is the more fearfull by how much more it is inexcusable and how inexcusable it is you may gather by those multitude of arguments given by God to worke and strengthen our Faith And secondly being these times are evill perillous wherein we may say with the Apostle If in this life only we have hope we are of all men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.19 let us entertaine nobler thoughts and Hopes and out of this store house of arguments strengthen our faith every one that hath this hope purifies himselfe as the Apostle tells us 1 Ioh. 3.3 this faith will turne our afflictions into comfort our losses into gaine make us walke in an even path and by keeping us faithfull unto the end bring us to felicity SECT II. THat then we may more fully understand what great cause we have to be confirmed in this Faith how reall and substantiall are the comforts that we shall reap thereby I come to the second point considerable having laid the foundation sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there is such a reward for the righteous the next thing to be insisted upon is Why this reward is called glory Why this reward is called Glory In this particular there appeares to me a great difference between Humane and Divine writers those use the words in a restrained sence using 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glory for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confining their meaning to that fame honour which springs from good actions consists in the praise of man But these take the word in a more large and
men which may give us this second observation Observ 2 That a wicked disordered tongue is the signe of an ungratious ungodly man for if the transgression of Gods law will denominate a man such This will for how can it be well imagined that God should give laws to restraine the eye the hand the feet and leave the tongue at randome The Apostles command is let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth Ephes 4.25 Coloss 3.8 It may be observable that where the Apostle purposely treates of mans corruption by sin Rom 3.13 among the rest This comes in Their throat is an open sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit The poison of Aspes is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and Bitternesse v. 14. And Saint Peter termes those that speake evill of things they understand not little more then naturall Brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed 2. Pet. 2.10 11 12. Nor is that of Saint James lesse Memorable Jam. 1.26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart This mans religion is vaine Though he be a constant frequenter of holy exercises yet if his unrestrained tongue runs to railing his religion is vaine And what is that Vanity in Scripture is opposed 1. To Truth 2. To fruit and benefit This mans religion then is vaine 1. There is no truth in it it wants that which it seems a meer shaddow without substance It is vaine without fruit such a seeming religion will do him no good and stand him in a very little stead when it comes to triall To conclude this with the addition of this one thing Men have no great cause to applaud themselves or to boast in this licence of an uncontrouled tongue there may be a permittance and a divine forbearance for a time but at length there will an account be taken as well of words as of actions Math. 12.36 37. Jud. vers 15. Those punishments which are inflicted on the wicked do not skip over this Member one of Dives his requests is that Lazarus may with the tip of his finger dipt in water cool his inflamed tongue Luk. 16.24 And those upon whom the Angell powred out his Viol gnawed their tongues for paine Revel 16.10 And therefore the Apostles exhortation Coloss 4.6 may much concerne us Let your speech be alway with grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man The feare of God and due respect to others will keep this member in which is so apt to lash out and so we shall not fall into the condemnation of the wicked but with those very tongues wherewith we glorify God here we shall in endlesse Halleluiahs praise him hereafter Their fourth sin Atheisme A farther description of these wicked mens corrupt manners I conceive may be presented in the 11. verse And they say how doth God know and is there knowledge in the most high In which demand we may consider 1. The intimation of the persons that make it 2. The Person concerning whom it is made God the most high 3. The thing inquired of Him How doth God know Some Questions are Problematical proposed for logicall and rationall discussion and determination Some are Rhetoricall and figurative which oft meane a negative when they are affirmatively given out This Interrogatory here is not of the first kind our Questionists in this place intend not to dispute or Inquire a determination of the Probleme de modo scientiae divinae Whether God knows things by their species by induction and demonstration or by one intire view and Vision Whether future contingencies come within the comprehension of his Understanstanding as well as things present or Past But the demand is Rhetoricall absolutely and negatively meaning That there is no knowledge in the Almighty c. For the Demanders there is not a full agreement in expositors who they are some doe attribute it to good men who upon a view of that height of prosperity which wicked men were in do in their passion breake out into this expostulation And truely we may find that such demands as these and upon such grounds have been oft made by men not altogether ill affected Cum rapiunt mala fata bonos Ignoscite fasso Sollicitor nullos esse putare deos But the 12. vers seems to point at those who made the Querie Loe these that thus say and demand are the Vngodly who prosper in the World and here the Psalmist is still upon the prosecution of the Manners and impiety of these men and had we leisure a little to cast our eye upon other places of scripture we might find these sayings here to be very consonant to others of theirs elsewhere recorded God hath forgotten Psal 10.11.13 The Lord shall not see Ps 94.7 Ezek. 9.9 are the usuall expressions of these men and truly if we but view the black nature and Grounds of that impiety which workes out this Assertion we shall easily make good this conclusion That to deny a knowledge in God is a piece of the highest and most monstrous Impiety En quo res prospera mentes Perducit miseras This is that pillar upon which nil ultra no wickednesse beyond this may be justly ingraven Which will be evident if we reflect upon its nature and ground 1. For its nature it is no lesse then Plaine downe right Atheisme For First here is a deniall of Gods knowledge How doth God know they will not afford heaven to be so much as a spectator of their Actions for we must not imagine that these supposed a God and only denyed him knowing but they deny that there is any such God who doth know 2. By taking it away they deny a providence and Divine care of things below 3. Hence also they denied a prudent supreame Management of things here below constituting blinde chance or Mans will the onely knowing entity in their phansy to moderate and governe all 4. They deny an Omnipotency of power or any such as is greater then themselves 5. They deny a Divine Justice that should render to every man according to his works So that if all this be put together To deny Divine Knowledge Providence Government Power and Justice we may finde it do's amount to nothing lesse then direct Denial of God As for the grounds of this impiety those will heighten the sin It may seem very strange that Mans heart indued with reason should give admission to so irrational a thought Especially considering 1. That very reason and their soul wherewith they are innobled might teach them the contrary He that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know Things without in their abstruse causes and effects their properties and qualities natural and moral may stoop to mans knowledge which he never came unto by the instruction of beasts who never had any nor did it flow originally from himself no more then his owne being And therefore it must
God Why those that Trust in God can best declare his works and declaration of his works that one should be the antecedent the other the consequent This the end and that the meanes thereunto but as the Prophet makes it a connexion so we may observe these reasons of it Reason 1. Because the chiefe of Gods works are matter of belief not of present vision or expression 1. That being we are not from Eternity but that Being which lately begun will as quickly end those maine and principall of Gods works which come to our notice are but matters of beliefe not of present vision or experience Though somewhat may be seen by us yet it is inconsiderable in respect of that which we believe All things Past the worlds creatoin those passages of so many thousand yeares are to us meer matters of faith Heb 11.1 2 3. The very glorious mysteries of Salvation by Christ his acts and suffrings are Articles of our creed all those Promises which we hope shall make us blessed Resurrection from the grave and eternall life are so to and therefore the grandest part of our declaration is but of what we believe 2. Without faith the cheef of his works cannot be declared 2. Which follows from hence without faith we cannot declare Gods workes for how shall men speak of him of whom they believe not Joh. 17. those who are meerly guided by sense and Passion not being in a capacity of understanding how great a silence is there in the heathen world of those high and glorious mysteries which are every day unvailed in Christs Church 3. Believers have more then ordinary occasion given them to declare his works As we believe so we speake and we believe therefore we speake 3. To those that Believe there are continually new and peculiar occasions given of evidencing those high and stupendious acts of Providence whilst he reveales himselfe to them and makes them vessels of speciall mercies and Agents and happy instruments of supernatural effects whereby the divine Glory doth appeare in eminence and lustre There may many examples be produc't of those who trusting in God had more then ordinary occasions offered them to declare his works Thus Noah believed in God Heb. 11. and he saw himselfe saved in an Arke when the world sunk in a deluge he found his Person and sacrifice accepted and was honoured with a Covenant Abraham believed in God and it was counted unto him for Righteousnesse He had experience of Gods power in a son whom he received in a figure when all hopes past He had a promise and was multiplied in blessings The like experiences crowned Isaac Jacob and Joseph in their times Moses in Trust to God forsook his hopes in the Egyptian Court became a Law-giver to Israel saw wonders in Egypt miracles in the wilderness his Glory in the Mount for which Moses sung his praise David Trusted in God and in his green yeares overcame Goliah and from a Sheephook was advanced to a Scepter escaped Sauls hands and at last was seated in the Throne of Israel How many high oportunities had the Prophets of declaring Gods works The Blessed Virgin believed and became the happy Mother of Christ The Apostles believed were filled with the holy Ghost did participate of high unknown mysteries In a word all that truly believe in Christ do evidently see Gods goodnesse in their conversion from darknesse to light in Justification and remission of their sins in Sanctification of their hearts in comfortable influences first fruits and assurances of Gods spirit Whereas incredulous and unbelievers are bereft of these oportunities if Israel refuse to believe the whole generation that came from Egipt shall loose Canaan and the view of all those miracles acted in that conquest Heb. 3. Belief was oft required by our Saviour to the very healing of their bodies Math. 8. vers 13. And his owne Country mens incredulity bereft them of his good deeds among them Math. 13.59 Thus As God takes occasion to render himself glorious to and in them that believe so secondly he makes them instruments of admirable and glorious effects Hebr. 11. vers 32. c. The conversion of the World stupendious miracles issued from faith That which fortifies the soul to deny the World overcome temptation vanquish the Devil quench his fierie darts to goe resolutely through honour and dishonour to be faithfull and constant to the end is onely trust in God without which the soul would droop into ruines A 4. Reason of this connexion may be That trust in God is of that powerfull influence that it actuats both the tongue and Pen and from both wrings the confession and declaration of Gods works Rom. 14. Faith will not lye stifled in the heart but it 's diffusive flame will break out into praises They that believe his word will quickly sing his glory Ps 106.2 Moses is scarce out of the Sea but he breaks into a song Exod. 15. No sooner are Sisera and Jabin destroyed but Deborah Barak begin their Musick Judges 5. We scarce ever find David out of his streine The blessed Virgin presently triumphs upon the good newes my soul doe thou magnify the Lord Luk. 1. All second causes the Scripture which is but a Declaration of Gods works attributes to God in a word as it is the Religion of the Saints on Earth so is it the maine of the service of the saints in heaven As Rev. 4.8 and many other places of that mysterious book do evidence Let us therefore cheerfully follow this paterne and testify our trust in God by a Declaration of his works Providence hath experimentally manifested it self to us in a great lustre and eminence in the knowledge of Christ in the promises of the Gospel in many temporall and spiritual deliverances and in what ever appertaines to life and Godlinesse and therefore it may highly concerne us carefully to discharge our selves of so noble a worke For Besides that thereby we shall testify the truth of our faith This will be 1. An act of wisdome Psal 107. Hos 14.9 2. An act of our obedience Praise being every where injoyned us 3. It is monstrous ingratitude not to do it This being all that we can render or God require All that David can render is but to take up the cup of salvation and to praise his holy name Psal 118.4 This is the end for which God blesseth us Creates and Regenerates us that we may be to that praise and glory of his grace Let us not be out-done by inanimate creatures or outstript by those that are below us in being Praise of God the chiefe work of the Lords day This we may reflect upon as the chief work of the Lords day Among the Psalmes there is one that bears this title a Psalme or song for the Sabbath day Psal 92. The Caldee thus paraphraseth upon the title An Hymne or song which the first man Adam said for the Sabbath day whoever was the Author Adam Moses or David this is remarkable that the Contents of the whole Psalme is of thanksgiving Gods judgments on the wicked and his goodnesse to the faithfull are lively represented there as if that were the main work of that dayes service We finde that the primitive Christian-observers of the Lords day counted these glorifyings of God the grand imployment of that day Olim certis diebus populus conveniebat ad nihil aliud quam ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illic Propheta aut Episcopus magnificis verbis attollebat divinam in omnes creaturas bonitatem Populus psallebat himnis conticis spiritualibus domino Erasm Concion Though on other dayes saith saint Augustine we may pray with deep reference do our owne interests and wants yet on the Lords day we may suffer our selves to neglect our selves and to be wholly taken up in his praises and transported with those glorious mercies of God in Christ or if we do reflect upon our selves yet to look beyond our owne necessities with farther references in humble confessions of sin to magnify Gods holinesse purity high Majesty and righteousnesse In petition for remission more for the manifestation of the power of Gods mercy then our owne meer interest in requests for grace to refer our selves to the glory of that powerful hand our inabling to serve him In a word in all wants and dangerous pressures to professe an humble submission and a noble mention to the Divine Justice goodnesse and power and that every accent be breath'd out to the glory of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. FINIS