Creator but then especially The aches of old serve to put us in mind of our ingratitude but the strength and vigor and freshness of youth should make us remember the bounty of our Creator Look upon the body or the soul and you will see that we have cause to love him In the body we find as many mereies as there are limbs If a man should be born blind or lame or should lose an eye or an arm or a leg how much would he love him that should restore the use of these members again We are as much bound to love him that gave them to us at first especially when we consider how often we have deserved to lose them We would love him that should raise us from the dead God is the Author of life and the continual Preserver and Defender of it If we love our parents that begot us we should much more love God that made them and us too out of nothing Take notice of the curious frame of the body David saith Psal 139. 16. I am wonderfully made accepictus sum so the Vulgar rendereth it painted as with a needle like a garment of needle-work of divers colours richly embroydered with nerves and veins What shall I speak of the eye wherein there is such curious Worshmanship that many upon the first sight of it have been driven to acknowledg God Of the hand made to open and shut and to serve the labours and ministeries of Nature without wasting and decay for many years if they should be of marble or iron with such constant use they would soon wear out and yet now they are of flesh they last as long as life lasteth Of the head fitly placed to be the seat of the senses to command and direct the rest of the members Of the lungs a frail piece of flesh yet though in continual motion of a long use 'T were easie to enlarge upon this occasion But I am to preach a Sermon not to read an Anatomy Lecture In short therefore every part is so placed and framed as if God had employed his whole Wisdom about it But as yet we have spoken but of the casket wherein the Jewel lieth the Soul that divine spark and blast how quick nimble various and indefatigable in its motions how comprehensive in its capacities how it animateth the body and is like God himself all in every part Who can trace the flights of Reason What a value hath God set upon the Soul He made it after his Image he redeemed it with Christs Blood c. Well then God that made such a body such a soul deserveth love He that made the Soul hath most right to dwell in it 't is a curious house of his own framing But he will not enter by force and violence but by consent he expecteth when love will give up the keys Rev. 3. 17. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man open to me I will come in and sup with him Why should Christ stand at the door and knock and ask leave to enter into his own house he hath right enough to enter only he expecteth till we open to him 2. Preservation We are not apprehensive enough of dayly mercies The Preservation of the World is a constant Miracle The World is hanged upon nothing as 't is in the Book of Job A feather will not stay in the ayr and yet what hath the World to support it but the thin fluid ayr that is round about it 'T is easie to prove that the Waters are higher then the Land so that we are always in the case the Israelites were in when they passed through the Red Sea Nos sumus etiam tanquam in medio rubri maris saith Luther the Waters are round about us and above us bound up in an heap as it were by God and yet we are not swallowed up 'T is true the danger is not so sensible and immediate as that of the Red Sea because of the constant rampire of Providence More particularly from the womb to the grave we have hourly maintenance from God Look as the beams in the ayr are no longer continued then the Sun shineth so we do no longer continue then God upholdeth our beings by the word of his Power Heb. 1. 3. Or as 't is with a Seal in the Water take away the seal and the impress vanisheth so do we disappear as soon as God doth but loosen his Hand and almighty Grasp by which all things are upheld and preserved But let us speak of those acts of Providence that are more sensible Into how many diseases and dangers might we fall if God did not look after us as the Nurse after her child How many have gone to the grave nay it may be to Hell since the last night How many actual dangers have we escaped God hath looked after us as if he had forgotten all the world besides as if his whole employment were to do us good He saith that he will no more forget us then a woman doth her sucking child and that we are written before him and graven in the palms of his hands Isai 45. 15 c. as men tye a string about their â—inger for a remembrance or record in a book such things as they would regard all these are expressions to describe the particular and express care of Gods Providence over his children Now what shall be rendered to the Lord for all this If we could do and suffer never so much for God it will not answer the mercy of one day Certainly at least God expecteth love for love Love him as he is the strength of thy life and length of thy days Deut. 30. 26. Every days experience is new fuel to keep in the fire The very beasts will respect their preservers they are loving to those that are kind to them The Ass knoweth his owner and the Ox his masters crib There is a kind of gratitude in the beasts by which they acknowledg their benefactors that feed them and cherish them But we do not acknowledg God who feedeth us and upholdeth us every moment There is â—â— creature made worse by kindness then man He that was made to be Master of the creatures may become their Scholer there is many a good lesson to be learned in their School 3. Redemption As a man when he weigheth a thing casteth in weight after weight till the scales be counterpoysed so doth God mercy after mercy to poyse down mans heart Here is a mercy that is overweight in it self 1 John 4. 10. Herein is love not that we loved God but that God loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins If we had had the wisdom to pitch upon such a remedy as certainly it could not have entered into hearts of men or Angels yet we could not have the heart to ask it It would have seemed a rude blasphemy in our prayers to desire that the Son of God
but not in their own spirits I am a worm in a much lower Sphere and yet of a prouder heart they are affâ—ble meek modost why am I so fierce and impatient of contradiction Once more If the judgments of God light upon greater Personages for their pride say what will become of me in me 't is more odious If God destroy those whose height is as the height of Cedars Amos 2. 9. surely the Reed should tremble Many times mean and base people that have no tincture of ingenuity and are of no name or quality in the world have pride enough to be bitter enemies to Gods children David saith Psal 35. 15. The abjects gathered themselves together to make Songs against me when as God rebuketh Kings for their sakes If he visit the Throne will he not visit the Ale bench What scorn will he cast upon this sawcy dust these spightful worms that have only malice enough to snarle and can go no further If the great men of the earth tremble shall the bondmen go free Rev. 16. 15. But chiefly upon this occasion would I commend to you the example of the Lord Christ to take down pride this is an example that will shame us indeed what ever the pride be are you puffed up with pride of vain conceit Christ stripped himself of all his glory Phil. 2. 7. with pride of revenge men are loath to strike sale to seek to an enemy they scorn it Jesus Christ though such an excellent person loved us first 1 John 4. 19. sued to his enemies is it disdain of our condition pride of murmurings he made himself a worm and no man and when he was rich in the glory of the God-Head became poor for our sakes Matth. 10. 24. The Desciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord if we be scorned would we be better dealt with then our master was many times you have seen a Master do the work of a servant to shame him so did Christ do but think of Christs excellency and your own base condition as here to shame the brutish Gnosticks the Apostle telleth them they took more upon them then a glorious Angel Again From the Arch-Angels contending about the body of Moses The Devil would discover Moses his Grave and the Arch-Angel is ready to resist him The Note is That God hath Angels and Arch-Angels that are always ready to defend a good cause They are many the King of Heaven hath a brave Court Dan. 7. 10. A thousand thousand Minister to him and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before him Christ saith he could pray for twelve Ligions in an instant Mat. 26. 53. Now a Legion in the least computation is six thousand Foot and seven hundred Horse they are able they excell in strength one Angel slew 185000 in one night Isa 37. 36. They are always ready attending on Gods commands Psal 103. 20. They rejoyce in names of service more then names of honour They are swift in execution they are described to have six wings a piece Isaiah 6. 2. as being at the Lords beck and ready to execute his Command as soon as they hear the word All which First Informeth us of the danger of wicked men in opposing a good cause they fight not only against men but against Angels 2. That Angels have more to do in humane affairs then we are aware of there are evil Angels assisting in the Counsels against the Church and good Angels resisting in those days of conflict The Combate is not only between men and men but between Angels and Angels Dan. 10. 13. The protection of the holy Angels is invisible but true and real 3. Here is comfort to Gods children when they are imbarked in an hazardous but in an holy business there are far more with us then can be against us 2 Kings 6. 16. there is God the Fathers power on the Churches side The Son puts forth the strength of his Mediation Zech. 3. 2. The spirit comforts and animateth us and then holy Angels are imployed as instruments The Lord Jesus and his Angels will stick to the Church when none else dare Dan. 10. 21. There is none holdeth with me in these things but Michael your Prince When all humane strength falleth Christ by their Ministry can uphold the affairs of the Church omnipotency is a great deep usually we look to means and can better conceive of the operations of finite Creatures then of the infinite God therefore doth the Lord represent the help of the Church as managed by these powerful instruments only now take heed that you do not betray your succors nor defraud your selves of their protection 1. By neglecting to seek to the God of Angels Dan. 10. 12. From the first day thou didst set thine heart to understand and didst chasten thy self before thy God c. we are not to pray to them but for them to the Lord. 2. By unwarrantable practises for then you joyn with Satan to their grief Psal 34. 7. The Angel encampeth about them that fear him A good cause should be well managed and then trust God who if he seeth fit to glorifie himself by our deliverance rather then our sufferings can finde means enough to save us when men fail Observe again That Angels have a care not only of the souls but of the bodies yea even of the dead bodies of the Saints as Michael disputed with the Devil about the body of Moses That you may understand the particular care which the Angels have about the people of God I shall open it to you in several Propositions 1. 'T is certain The Angels had a great care about the people of God in ancient times Examples are found every where in the word of God Lot was led out of Sodom by Angels Daniel taught by an Angel Cornelius answered by an Angel an Angel withstood Balaam in the way Numb 22. An Angel walked with the three children in the fiery Furnace Dan. 3. 25. An Angel shutteth up the mouths of Lions that they might not hurt Daniel in the Den Dan. 6. 22. An Angel comforted Paul in the Tempest Act. 27. 23 24. Scarce any remarkable thing befell the people of God but it was accomplisht by their ministry 2. The Ministry of Angels though not so visible and sensible as heretofore iâ— not wholly ceased The priviledge of it belongeth to all Saints Heb. 1. 14. Are they not ministring spirits sent forth for the Heirs of salvation all that are called to inherit a blessing were under their tutelage so see Psal 91. 12. and those instances alledged in the former Proposition are patterns and presidents by which we may know what to expect their tutelage then was more visible and sensible because the Church newly planted needed to be confirmed but God would have us live by faith and expect all our supports in a more spiritual way though we have not visible apparitions yet we have real experiments of their succour the
1 John 4. 19. We love him because he loved us first Love is like an eccho it returneth what it receiveth 't is a reflex a reverberation or a casting back of Gods beam and flame upon himself The cold wall sendeth back no reflex of heat till the Sun shine upon it and warm it first so neither do we love God till the Soul be first filled with a sense of his Love And as rays in their relection are more faint and cold so our love to God is much weaker then Gods love to us Valdesso saith God loveth the lowest Saint more then the highest Angel loveth God Once more The more direct the stroke and beam is upon the wall or any other solid body the stronger always is the reflection so the more sense we have of the love of God the stronger is our love to him 2. The next Cause of Love is the grace of God there is not only an apprehension of Love but the force of the Spirit goeth along with it Our thoughts our discourses upon the love of God to us in Christ nay our sense and feeling of it is not enough to beget this grace in us Love is a pure flame that must be kindled from above as the Vestal fire by a Sun-beam 1 John 4. 7. Love is of God that is of a celestial or heavenly original There is in the Soul naturally an hatred of God and a proneness to mingle with present comforts which can only be cured by the Spirit of grace Our naked apprehensions will not break the force of natural enmity and 't is God that must circumcise and pare away the foreskin of the heart before we can love him Deut. 30. 6. There is a natural proneness to dote upon the creature and hate the Creator Base creatures neglect God and pollute themselves with one another and there is no help for it till the heart be over-powered by grace Thus for the Causes of Love The Object of Love is God himself not meerly as considered in himself for so he is terrible to the creature but as God in Christ for so he will be known and respected by us in the Gospel and so we have the highest engagement to love him not only upon the respects of Nature as our Creator but of Grace as our God and Father in Christ Now God is the supream Object of Love and other things are loved for Gods sake because of that of God which we find in them as his Word which is the Copy of his Holiness his engraven Image as the Coyn beareth the image of the Prince so 't is said Psal 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved And then his Saints which are his living Image as children resemble their father so 't is said Psal 16. 3. To the Saints and to the excellent of the Earth in whom is my delight And then other men because of his Command 1 Pet. 1. 5. Add to brotherly-kindness love So his creatures because in them we enjoy God the effects of his Bounty But chiefly his Ordinances as they exhibit more of God then the creatures can So that Love respects God and other things for Gods sake Again In the Description I take notice of the essence or formal nature of it and call it the return of a gracious and holy affection to God Love is carryed out to its Object two ways by desire and delight Our necessity and need of God is the ground of desire and our propriety and interest is the ground of delight Desires are the feet of love by which it runneth after its Object and delight is the rest and contentment of the Soul in the enjoyment of it Because of our imperfect fruition in this life Love bewrayeth it self by desires mostly or pursuing after God See Psal 63. 8. My heart followeth hard after thee It noteth those sallies and earnest egressions of Soul after the Lord that we may have more communion and fellowship with him In short the radical if I may so speak and principal disposition of Love is a desire of Vnion for all other effects of love flow from it This is that makes the Soul to prize the Ordinances because God is to be enjoyed there and these are means of communion with him Psal 26. 8. I have loved the place where thine honour dwelleth This maketh sin terrible because it separateth from God Isai 59. 2. This maketh Heaven amiable the fairest part of our portion in Heaven is a closer and nearer communion with Christ Phil. 1. 23. This maketh the day of Judgment sweet for then we shall meet with our Beloved in the ayr 2 Tim. 4. 18. In short this maketh the Soul to take such contentment in thinking of God and speaking of God 't is the feast of the Soul My meditation of him shall be sweet Psal 104. 34. Their Souls cannot have a greater solace then to think what a God they have in Christ Having in some manner described the Love of God let me use some Arguments to press you to it First God hath commanded it The sum of the Law is Love When the Scribe came to Christ Mat. 22. 36. Master which is the great Commandment in the Law Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy might Mark this is the first and great Commandment to love God 'T is not a sour Command but sweet and profitable God might have burdened us with other manner of Precepts considering his absolute right to offer our children in sacrifice to mangle our flesh with whips and scourges but these are cruelties proper to the Devils worship The Lord is a gentle Master and only desireth the love of his servants we have cause to thank him for such a gracious Precept If he should require us not to love him this were Hell it self that is the Hell of Hell that they which are there do not love God 'T is our priviledg as much as our duty God loveth all his creatures but hath commanded none to love him again but man and Angels so that it is the great priviledg of the Saints to love God It had been a great favour if God had given us leave to love him as it would be a great favour if a King should give leave to one of his meanest Subjects to have the key of his privy Chamber to come to him and visit him and be familiar with him when he pleaseth how would this be talked of in the world yet this is not so wonderful since the King and the Peasant are both men in their natural being they are equal though in their civil distinction and condition of life there be a difference But what a favour is this that he who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords doth not only permit his creature made by his own hands to come to him and love him and deal with him when
what part of the sentence it is to be referred if to the former part thus What they know naturally as bruit beasts then the sence will be that knowledg which they have in common with the beasts man is in part an Angel in part a Beast in his reason and upper part of the soul he resembleth an Angel and in his appetite and senses a Beast What they know by their senses and brutish desires that wil be the sense if you allow of this first reference If to the latter part thus in those things as bruit beasts they corrupt themselves then it will suit with the parallel place in Peter 2 Pet. 2. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed and it will imply that they degenerated into beasts notwithstanding that natural knowledge wherewith they were endowed but to speak my own thoughts in this matter the former reading is more agreeable to the posture of the words in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What they naturally as bruit beasts know in those things they are worse then beasts corrupting and defiling themselves by the excesses of the sensual appetite as in eating and drinking and the use of the woman in common copulation as if there were no Law nor limited use of those things which yet they might discern in the beasts themselves and the dictates of their own consciences This being premised I come to explain the words what they know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naturally There is a three fold light 1. Sense or Instinct 2. Reason 3. Grace and accordingly as a man is furnished he may said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual or furnished with the light of grace or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate natural 1 Cor. 2. 14. it signifieth one that hath nothing but the light of a reasonable soul Lastly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meerly natural which signifieth one guided by the blind motion and instinct of nature without reason counsel and choice as the beasts are so 't is said here what they know naturally that is what they understand by natural inclination or the meer judgment or preception of sense to be good or evil in those things they corrupt themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are corrupted so Erasmus but the word is not simply passive but after the form of the Congregation Hitkpâ—ph among the Hebrews which infert passionem in se it implyeth such a passion as we cause to our selves But how do they corrupt themselves sinfully or penally I answer both ways sinfully they corrupt and defile themselves and so drive down punishments both upon their souls and bodies 2 Pet. 2. 12. They shall perish in their corruption Having made this way I come to the Observations And in the first place observe That truth is usually slandered out of ignorance because men do not understand the ways and things of God therefore they do condemn them in the Apostles days the Doctrine of the Cross was accounted foolishness by those that knew least of it and afterward the Christian Religion was condemned because it could not be heard Simul ac desinunt ignorare desinunt odisse so Tertullian in Apol. when they knew it they could not hate it 't is the Devils cunning to keep us at a distance from truths and therefore burdeneth them with prejudices that we may suspect rather then search and condemn that out of ignorance and upon vulgar clamour which upon knowledge we could not choose but love and profess and 't is mans perverseness and pride to speak evil of things above his reach and to disprove that which they have not attained unto or cannot understand Nazianzen speaks of some ignorant people that condemned learning because they had not the happiness to attain to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he Orat. 20. that their own deficiency being the more common might be less odious or to instance in an higher case Papists and carnal men scoff at imputed righteousness assurance or salvation and the testimony of the spirit because they are things they are utterly unacquainted with Well then when we declaim against things we should speak out of advised knowledge not rash zeal See John 3. 11. We speak that which we know and testifie that which we have seen zeal as it must have a right aim so a solid ground to proceed upon 't is a vain thing to begin at the affections and to hate before we know Prov. 18. 13. He that answereth a matter before he heareth it it is a folly and shame to him if you light right 't is but an happy mistake and stumble quid iâ—quies quam ut oderint homines quod ignorant eriâ—râ—si res meretur odium Tertul. ut supra When our affections out-start our judgment men grow obstinate in their ignorance and will not know what they have a mind to hate Malunt nescire quia jam â—derunt as Tertullian goeth on rash prejudices ingaging men in opposition they will not own the truth when represented to them having hated it without knowledg they hate it against knowledg and so are hardened against the ways of God which is the case of many who in a blind zeal have appeared against the publique Ministry and Ordinances and being engaged are loath to strike sayl and lay down their defyance when sufficient conviction is offered Observe again Blockish and stupid men are most bold in reproching a fools wrath falleth very heavy because it falleth with all its weight there being nothing to restrain and stop it Prov. 27. 3. A stone is heavy and sand is weighty but a fâ—â—ls wrath is heavier then them both when the mind is void of judgment 't is more overcome and carryed out in the way of a naughty passion usually we find it the weakest spirits are most violent there being nothing of judgment to counter-ballance affection men are all flame and rage Liquors when they run low and are upon the dregs they grow more tart and sowr so 't is usually with the dregs of men for when they are weak and run in low parts their opposition is most troublesome What ado in the Ministry have we with young heady Professors that have more heat than light And how trouble some are those wild sectuaries that have only knowledg enough to prate a little against the undoubted Ordinances of Jesus Christ or there being nothing of knowledg and civility to restrain them they easily give vent to the excesses of their passion by clamor and evil speaking From the second part of the charge observe That men of corrupt minds are usually sensual and sensual men are usually men of corrupt minds an unsound heart is best sheltred under unsound Doctrine and earnal delights blunt and weakens the edge and intention of the mind so that they are very liable to mistakes Therefore on the one side we should labour to keep the mind right and sound in the faith fish flinct
continually behold his face and stand before him Dan. 7. 10. In such a blessed place and in such blessed company was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their abode or habitation when God disposed the several Creatures into proper mansions and places of abode he took the Angels into his own train and glorious attendants that they might be still with him other Creatures were his Servants those his Courtiers that is his Houshold and ordinary Servants that were to attend as in his Chamber of Presence 2. In this place they were to enjoy God and glorifie God their happiness was to enjoy God their duty to glorifie him there they behold his face Matth. 18. 10. for vision and sight of God is the happiness of rational Creatures and therefore our happy estate is expressed by beholding him face to face and David saith Psal 16. 11. in thy presence or in thy face is fulnesse of joy in Heaven then did God manifest himselfe to them there they were to applaud his Counsels receive his Commands to love God with the most perfect embraces of their will and to fulfil his Commandments hearkning to the voice of his Word 3. From this place they are now driven into the lower parts of the World as being a place more fit for sin and misery that the place into which they are driven is the bottom and center of the Earth cannot be shewen out of Scripture rather the contrary for sometimes they are said to fly up and down in the air and therefore is Sathan called the Prince of the power of the air Eph. 2. 3. and the other Divels Principalities and spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6. 12. They aspire to get as high as they can but they can get no further then the Regions of the â—ire and sometimes they are said to compasse the earth to and fro Job 1. 7. The Earth is Sathans walk and circuit where he seeks to do mischief and sometimes they are in the Sea Matth. 8. 33. for as yet they are not in that prison and place of torments where they shall abide for ever under the wrath of the Lord therefore when Christ checketh their power in the world they expostulate with him Jesus thou Son of David arâ— thou come to torment us before our time Matth. 8. 29. and besought him that he would not cast them into the great deep by which some understand the final place of their residence and torments even the lowest place of the world most remote from the highest Heavens which place as yet they have not entred but how is it said that they are already cast down into Hell 2 Pet. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Answer that expression doth onely note the dreadfulnesse of their fal from so glorious a mansion to such a place of misery and because where ever they are they carry their own Hell with them though by Gods permission they are as yet suffered to remain in the Air or Earth 4. Departing from Heaven they departed from all the happiness and glory which they enjoyed there namely that light which they had in their understandings to behold God that power in their wills to love and sâ—rve him in stead of which they are filled with darknesse and malice and become the unreconsilable enemies of God and Man as to their light their gracious knowledge is quite extinct their natural knowledge much Eclipsed and their experimental knowledge not enongh to engage their hearts to God as to their integrity and holiness in stead of a will to love and serve God there are nothing but obstinate purposes to do evil and endeavours to hinder the glory of God and the good of Man 1 Pet. 5. 8. lest we should enjoy that happiness which he hath left Hence those titles given then in Scripture as Divel which signifieth a Slanderer Sathan which signifieth an Enemy the Tempter Matth. 4. 1. because he dayly solliciteth us to evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the evil one Matth. 5. being full of wickedness himselfe he maketh it his study and care to propagate it in others Belial 2 Cor. 6. 15. unprofitable as good for nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the destroyer because he worketh mischief the old Serpent Rev. 12. 6. because under the shape of the serpent he poysoned Eve as to their power it is much broken and limitted they are held in the chains of providence they could not do hurt to the herd of Swine without permission Luke 9. 26. 5. Though they have lost much of the glory and power annexed to their habitation yet many tokens of the divine image do as yet remain in them holiness is as we said utterly lost he sinneth from the beginning 1 John 3. 8. that is doth nothing else but sin and Acquinas saith well Hoc est Angelis casus quod hominibus mors their fall into sin to them is as death to us but now in other things they have much left as man after his fall is like a drisled picture and had onely enough left to shew what he once was so the Angels though they are much fallen from the excellency of their nature yet there is enough left to shew that once they were glorions creatures that which remaineth may be referred to two heads their great cunning and active power 1. Their knowledge and cunning is great they have much natural and experimental knowledge so as they can discern hidden causes and virtues which scape the flight of mans reason and understanding they know how to apply active to passive things can guess notably at future events but as for a certain knowledge of them unless of such things as depend upon necessary causes that is proper to God and accordingly he challengeth it Isa 41. 23. shew the things that are to come that we may know that ye are Gods c. Therefore the Divels Oracles were either false or doubtful as 2 Kings 22. 16. great skill in Arts and tongues they have as appeareth by their teaching those things with wonderful facility to those that have familiarity with them in divine things they know enough of God and his justice as to feel an horror impressed upon themselves Jam. 2. 19 Luk. 4. 34. Acts 19. 15 besides they are of wonderful sagarity to judge of mens hearts by the gestures the motion of the blood and spirits and other such external signes for directly they do not know the thoughts that is the priviledge of God 2. Their power is great still though limited so that it cannot be exercised but when and where and as God will they are able to raise tempests to bring fire from Heaven as they did to ruine Jobs house and children Job 1. they can deceive with lying miracles but true miracles can onely be wrought by a divine power being of much sagacity and skill in the secrets of nature they may poyson the air destroy the bodies of men infest and trouble beasts and cattel in short do all
that lieth within the compass of a natural cause where God permitteth Again they may possess the bodies of men hinder the Godly in the execution of their duty over rule the spirits of wicked men and act and stir them up to wrath lust filthiness Eph. 2. 3. besot them with error c. it would require a distinct discourse to open this power to you they cannot create new beings nor raise dead bodies nor compel the will of man they can do mira but not miracula c. Let me now come to observe somewhat of practical concernment from what hath been spoken 1. That God hath proper places where the Creatures shall perform their duty and injoy their happinesse as the Angels had Heaven which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper place so Adam had Paradise and the Saints the Church 't is misery enough to be thrown out of that place where God manifesteth himself he that was cast out of the Church was given up to Sathan 1 Cor. 5. 5. in the Church Christ ruleth in the World Sathan 't is good to keep to the Shepheards Tents Cant. 1. 8. the Angels left their first estate at the same time that they lost their own habitation 't is dangerous to leave our own place to be cast out of the Congregations of the Faithfull where God dwelleth and is glorified he inhabiteth the praises of Israel Psalm 22. 3. that is in the Church where he hath praise and we have benefit the Church is the Gate of Heaven Gen. 28 17. where God is there Heaven is Cain himself could bewail his misery in being turned out from the Church he had the whole earth before him but saith he I shall be hid from thy face Gen. 4. 14. that is I am turned out from the place of thy worship and where thy name is called upon 't is sad to be banished from the Lords gracious presence 2. Sin depriveth us of Gods presence this is the Wall of separation between us and God Isa 59. 2. Your sins have separated c. it not onely provoketh God to stand at a distance from us but worketh a strangenesse in us and maketh us shie of his presence it cast the Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradise Cain out of the Church well then when you are tempted to folly bethink with your selves God could not indure the sight of Angels when once they were defiled with sin if I should yeeld to this temptation I should never indure God nor he me this will either cause the spirit to leave me or me to leave the Throne of Grace guilty souls cannot sustain the presence of God and God doth not own the presence of guilty sinners Peter said Luke 5. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinfull man And God saith Depart from me into everlasting torments Mat. 25. 3. Observe again Jude maketh it their act and Peter Gods Act Jude saith they left their own habitation and Peter God cast them down and punishments are voluntarily contracted founded upon some act of ours God may passe by a creature out of his meer will but he damneth not till we provoke him first there is a voluntary aversion from God and then God turneth away from us Hosea 13. 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self our ruine is caused by the free motion of our own wils God punisheth not willingly and as delighting in our destruction we sin and so freely depart from our own happiness we leave and then he casteth down 4. God casteth Sathan out of Heaven Do you imitate your heavenly Father cast Sathan out of your hearts Who would entertain him whom Heaven hath spued out 't is said Rev. 12. 8. That Sathan and his Angels found no more place in Heaven Oh then give him not place to dwell in your hearts Eph. 4. 17. do not entertain wrathful or lustful motions God decreed that the evil Angels should be cast out of Heaven and Christ died that they might be cast out of your hearts Joh. 12. 21. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out Oh let him not erect a new Heaven and Empire in your soules his great aim is now he cannot get into Heaven to dwell in the hearts of men 5. Angels Creatures of the highest exeellency are not spared when they sin 2 Pet. 2. 4. God spared not the Angels c. wonder at the patience of the great God to us sinners if a King be angry with his offending Nobles should not the skullions tremble how come we to be of this side Hell Go home and adore that Grace that hath kept you out of the chains of darkness Lam. 3. 23. It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed not swallowed up quick not cast down to Hell if the Angels in the very Infancy of their Creation were so soon punished for the first offence Lord what didst thou see in us that after so many offences we should be yet alive t is mercy pardoning mercy that giveth us our beings we fail not because compassions fail not 6. Angels were forced to leave their habitation when they changed their nature they changed their estate let all sinners tremble consider the instance and you wil see that no dignity and worth of the Creature is of any avail nothing can keep off the stroakes of vengeance but the blood of Jesus Christ they were Angels glorious Creatures their sin but one and probably that in thought yet how dreadful is their punishment cast out of Heaven kept in chains of darkness for a severer vengeance Oh then how should we tremble that have drunk in iniquity like water surely God is the same he doth no less hatâ— pride obstinacy and contempt of his grace now then he did in times past God is but one Gal. 3. 20. he acteth according to the same tenour of justice now as heretofore c. 7. From the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their own place observe the true dwelling place and rest is Heaven 't was the habitation of the Angels and the rest of the Saints Oh long for your home let your hearts and your hopes be there enter upon your eternal inheritance by degrees the Angels left their habitations do you be always travelling thither let your hearts be in Heaven your conversations be in Heaven ere your persons there are good Angels still blessed companions Heb. 12. 22. 23. an innumerable company of Angels and Spirits of just men perfect An Heathen could see out of a glimpâ—e of the soules immortality O preclamor illum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium atumque proficiscar There you shall see the vacant rooms of the Apostate Angels occupied by the Saints Say wo is me that my pilgrimage is prolonged Psal 20. 5. 8. They were cast from Heaven into this world do but look-upon the World in a right notion Sathan that was not fie for Heaven is cast out into the Earth as a meet place for misery