pray against them to have them restrain'd and subdu'd Many a weak and aged and sickly one unfit for warre and yet powerful in prayer And these weapons of our warfare they are not carnal but mighty You can't encounter an enemy I but you may thus wrastle with the Almighty You can't batter down a strong hold but yet ye can besiege the throne of grace with concentred abilities You are not fit to be set in a Watch-tower to spy out the approach of an enemie but yet you may watch unto prayer And this is a great advantage that Christians have over their enemies The enemy knows not how to pray they know how to curse and swear and blaspheme the name of God but they know not how to pray Or if they do pray and tell their prayers with their beads that they may know the number of them yet their prayer is turn'd into fin The prayer of the wicked is an abomination Let them cry aloud to their Idols and see if they will hear them they can't look that God should hear them For If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer O then let Christians know their own happinesse and make use of this spirituall weapon of prayer that opposes the enemy more then all other weapons whatsoever Let them brandish the glittering sword c. And this is the chief use you are to make of all the news you hear to know how to order your prayers accordingly No question more ordinary in mens mouth then what news And I finde no fault with the question it is good and fitting But news are not to be enquired after only for the satisfying of mens mindes and curiosity as the Athenians spent all their time in enquiring for some news But this is the main end of it to know how to send up your prayers for the good of the Church and your praises for such mercies as God bestowes upon it All news heard by a publick spirit will stir up prayer or thanksgiving This is the use you are to make of news if sad news of the Churches misery and desolation then send up more fervent prayer that God would repaire the breaches of it and settle it in a flourishing condition if welcome news then praise God for his free goodnesse and desire him to perfect the great work which he has begun This is one special means to promote the publick good the prayer of the righteous And God alwayes when he intends any great mercy he poures upon his people a spirit of prayer he stirres up their hearts in this way he opens their mouth wide before he fills it 2. Self-Reformation This has great influence upon the publick good And how can you expect a publick and glorious Reformation unlesse first you reforme in private Look upon the grievances of your own soul hearken unto those many petitions that are put up to you by the Ministers who beseech you to be reconcil'd unto God Every sin addes to wrath it provokes God pulls down his judgements and ripens a Nation for destruction and has a malignant and venemous influence upon the whole So then the turning from sin and reforming your wayes is the means to divert judgements to bring down mercies and bring down publick good If there were more private Reformations in mens spirits there is no doubt but God would blesse the publick Reformation Sinne puts more rubs in the way then any enemy or opposer whatsoever This is the great Mountain that hinders the going up of the Temple if this one were but took away all other would quickly become a plain They are very injurious to the publick good that go on in a course of sinning against so gracious a God that do's such great things for us One sinner destroyes much good as the wise man speaks 3. Vnited spirits and a sweet harmony of Affections graciously consorting together would help forward the cause of Israel Jarres and dissensions amongst Christians themselves sound very harshly For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart What is there can give greater advantage to an enemy then to see Israelites fall out amongst themselves You may learn more wisdome of them that are wiser in their generation then the children of light what a strait union and confederacy have they among themselves Gebal and Ammon and Ama'ek the Philistines with them that dwell at Tyre These scales of Leviathan as that in Job is usually allegoriz'd are shut together as with a close seale And if they should be at variance and discord among themselves yet they have a sure way of reconciliation by a joynt opposition of the godly Ephraim against Manesseh and Manasseh against Ephraim both against Judah Herod and Pilate made friends in crucifying Christ If wicked men can agree in opposing of goodnesse why should not Christians in helping forward goodnesse All ye that come out to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the Mighty come with united hearts and agreeing spirits Why should there be strife between you seeing you are Brethren And then consider What will not united forces do when you shall joyn to the work of the Lord with one consent with one shoulder What is it that this union won't bring to passe It will strike terrour to the Churches enemies and strengthen the hearts of friends It will mightily promote the publick goood and tend to the glory of Ierusalem If men would but lay out themselves and their several gifts and abilities in one general aime for the advantage of their Master and good of their fellow-servants what glorious times should we then see This is one clause in the Protestation to stand for the union of the three Kingdomes 4. I might adde that with outward aide too you are bound to promote the publick good with liberal contribution to relieve the necessity of the Christians as the Church of Macedonia gave above her abilities And also such as by authority shall be sent forth against the Popish-Rebells they are to fight with courage and alacrity for 't is for the cause of God They come out to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the Mighty And now for a word of Application It is for the just reproof of most men that minde not at all the publick good How do they think to avoide the curse of Meroz seeing they come not out to the help of the Lord c. There is a principle of corrupt self-love in men that makes them of narrow and contracted spirits All their aimes are for themselves and their own ends they do not minde the good of the Church If they hear but of a worldy losse some ship cast away and their estate be weaken'd this will pierce and affect their spirits 't will sad and darken their joy But they can hear of ruines of the Church the breaches of Sion that the Church has many rollings and commotions and
Interpreter of dreams to set up his seat of Judicature in those gates of fancy the Porta Cornea I mean and the Porta Eburnea and as if the night were to enlighten the day he will regulate all his waking motions by those slumbring intimations yet usually the interpretation of the dream is the more non-sensical dream of the two Some others will needs cast lots for their fortunes and think that the judgement of a Dye is infallible will undertake no matters of moment til they be predetermined by it Jacta est alea per praesentem sortem judicant de futurâ A rare device to finde out one contingency by another to lose one arrow and to shoot another after it These are some of those many methods and contrivances which the sons of men have contriv'd to themselves for the finding out of future events What should I tell you of the rest of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are all but the various expressions of the same madnesse What should I tell you of those several Nations that have been enamor'd with these follies the Assyrians the Caldeans the Persians the Grecians the Romans have had alwayes amongst them several professors of these vanities You see how fain the sons of men would have some key or other to unlock and open these secret and reserved passages which Providence hath wisely shut up and hid from the eyes of men But Aquinas passes this censure upon them all Hujusmodi artes non utuntur patrocinio intellectûs bene dispositi secundùm virtutem And that sacred Author is much of the same minde Frustrà illud quaeris in terris quod solus Deus novit in Coelis Yet this tree of knowledge is fair to the eye and pleasant to the taste the soul doth relish all notional dainties with delight and these prenotions and anticipations of things are the more sweet and delicious to the palates and tastes of men because most of their being is treasur'd up in their future condition They have no satisfaction no Sabbath nor quiet in their present state and therefore they would fain know what the next day and what the next yeer and what the next age will bring forth The desires the prayers the hopes the endeavours the councels of men they all look towards the future For as Mirandula the younger doth well observe the soul of man 't is trium temporum particeps Tempus praeteritum memoriae praesens intellectui futurum voluntati congruit respondit God therefore that he may keep such a creature as man is in a waiting and obedient posture in a posture of dependance and expectation he doth chuse gradually and leisurely to discover to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these thoughts which he hath concerning him God will have man in this sense in Diem vivere to entertain fortune by the day as the noble Verulam saith that Prince did whose life he writes and commemorates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is a speech that may be took in a better sence then Anacreon e're meant it And so may that of the Latin Lyrick Quid sit futurum cras fuge quaerere And the Heroical Poet shews them the necessity of this sobriety and temperance in knowledge for saith he Nescia mens hominum fati sortisque futurae for mens knowledge naturally enters in at the gate of sense but a future object can have no admission there And as the minde cannot recal objectum totaliter praeteritum when there is no remaining Species neither the least print or vestigium of it so neither can it present an object that 's altogether future and hath no such colour as can move and strike the intellectual eye such effects indeed as are stored up in pregnant and eminent and necessary causes may be easily and certainly foreknown by visible and unquestionable demonstrations The foretelling of an Eclipse may be done without an Oracle and may be believed though there be no miracle to seal and confirme it Such effects as lurk in probable causes that seem to promise very fairly may be known also in an answerable and proportionable manner by strong and shrewd conjectures hence spring all the praenotiones Medicorum Nautarum Pastorum as the fore-mentioned Mirandula tells us yet the great pretenders of the Antedating knowledge do very frequently pro more deceive both themselves and others in these more ordinary easy scrutinies This might cloath your Almanacks in more red and put them to the blush for guessing at the weather no better you may write upon them nulla dies sine errato did they ne're threaten you with thunder and lightning enough to make a Caligula prepare new Laurels when yet the heavens prov'd very pacate and propitious Did they ne're tell you of a sad discontented day which would weep its eyes out which yet when 't was born prov'd a Democritus and did nothing but laugh at their ignorance and folly Did they ne're flatter you with fine pleasant temperate weather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rain descended the windes arose the hail beat the Prediction fell because 't was built upon so weak a foundation So that Aquinas for his part thinks that the sensitive creatures the Crows and the Craines and the Swallows those flying Almanacks that know their appointed tims are more happy and successeful in their predictions are better directed by their feeling the impression of some heavenly bodies then men are by their seeing of them Now if these Anni specula be crackt and broken and give such unequal representations of things most obvious how then will they be ever able to shew you objects farre more imperceptible and immaterial that depend upon the will and decrees of God himself and upon the motions of most free and indifferent agents This makes the great Astrologo-mastix I mean the most noble and eminent Mirandula with indignation to conclude that this blasing Art of theirs that is Astrology abus'd for so either he means or ought to mean 't is at the best but Domina Regina Superstitionum and he breaks out into such words as these Vanitas vanitatum Astrologia omnis superstitio vanitas yet notwithstanding God hath provided some that shall give some faint resemblances of himself in the knowledge of future things by a participation of light from him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That I may borrow these words of the Apostle This Lumen propheticum 't is Lumen super naturale Prophetical springings come not from the will of man but from the breathings of the holy Ghost they are impressiones signaturae divinae scientiae As God himself is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so he will have a Prophet to be a shadow of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Virgil well translates
superscription of any opinion to look any opinion in the face The great and noble Verulam much complains and not without too much cause of those sad obstructions in learning which arose upon the extreme doting upon some Authors which were indeed men of rare accomplishments of singular worth and excellency and yet but men though by a strange kinde of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great part of the world would have worshipt as gods The Canonizing of some profane Authors and esteeming all other as Apocryphal hath blasted many buds of knowledge it has quencht many sparks and beams of light which otherwise would have guilded the world with an Orient and unspotted lustre Farre be it from me to drop one word that should tend to the staining and eclipsing of that just glory that is due to the immortal name of Aristotle There are those that are envious and ungrateful enough let them do it if they please yet this I shall say and it shall be without any injury to him that to set him up as a Pope in Philosophy as a visible head of the truth militant to give him a negative voice to give him an arbitrary power to quote his texts as Scripture to look upon his works as the irreversible decrees of Learning as if he had seal'd up the Canon so that whoe're addes to him or takes one word from him must be struck with a present Anathema to condemn all for Hereticks that oppose him for Schismaticks that depart from him for Apostates that deny him what 's all this but to forget that he was but the Candle of the Lord and to adore him as a Sun in the firmament that was set to rule the day of knovvledge 't is to make him an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the causa prima the first mover of Learning or at least ' t vvas to make him such an Intellectus agens as Averroes vvould have that must enforme and quicken all that come after him Could that modest Philosopher have foreseen and prophesied that the vvorld vvould thus flatter him t is to be fear'd that he vvould have throvvn his vvorks also his legible self into Euripus rather then they should have occasioned such excessive Idolatry and partiality yet 't is no fault of his if the vvorld vvould over-admire him for that vvhich first inhanc't the price and esteem of Aristotle vvas that rich veine of reason that ran along and interlin'd most of his vvorks Let this therefore and this only commend him still for this is of indelible and perpetual duration yet if these blinde admirers of him could have follovved him fully and entirely they might have learnt of him a braver liberty and independency of spirit for he scorned to enslave and captivate his thoughts to the judgement of any vvhatsoever for though he did not deal violently and dis-ingenuously vvith the vvorks of his predecessors as some affirme yet he dealt freely vvith them and vvas not over-indulgent to them He came like a Refiner amongst them he purged avvay their drosse he boyl'd avvay their froth and scum he gathered a quintessence out of their rude and elementary principles Hovv impartially did he deal vvith his Master Plato and not favour him in any of his Errors and his vvords are ansvverable to his practises you may hear him vvhat he saith and professes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have a reverent esteeme of Antiquity is but fitting and equal but to stand in awe of it is base and unworthy Potestas senatoria is very honourable and beneficial but dictatoria potestas is not to be allowed in the Common-wealth of Learning yet such hath been the intolerable tyranny and oppression of the Roman faction as that they have enjoyn'd and engaged as many as they could to serve and torture their wits for the maintaining of whatever such a one as pleaseth them shall please to say for they care not how prejudicial or detrimental they prove to Learning so that they may but train up their schollars in an implicit faith in a blinde obedience in a slavish acknowledgement of some infallible judge of controversies and may shut up and imprison the generality of people in a dark and benighted condition not so much as allowing them the light of their own Candle this Lamp of the Lord that ought to shine in them That great advancer of Learning whom I commended before takes notice that by such unhappy means as these the more noble and liberal sciences have made no progresse proportionable to that which more inferiour and mechanical Arts have done for in these latter ingenia multorum in unum coëunt whereas in the former ingenia multorum sub uno succubuerunt What brave improvements have been made in architecture in manufactures in printing in the Pyxis nautica For here 's no limiting and restraining men to Antiquity no chaining them to old Authors no regulating them to I know not what prescribed formes and Canons no such strange voices as these You must not build better then your predecessors have done you must not print fairer then the first Tullies Offices that ere was printed 'T is not lookt upon as a transgression and a piaculum if they should chance to be a little more accurate then they were that went before them But in speculatives in meere Mathematicks which one would think were farre enough from any breach of faith or manners yet here if a Galilaeus should but present the world with a handful of new demonstrations though never so warily and submissively if he shall but frame and contrive a glasse for the discovery of some more lights all the reward he must expect from Rome is to rot in an Inquisition for such unlicenced inventions for such venturous undertakings The same strain of cruelty hath marcht more vehemently and impetuously in sacred and religious matters for here Babylon hath heated her furnace seven times hotter whilest under the pompous name of a Catholique Church under the glittering pretences of Antiquity and Authority they have as much as they could put out all the Lamps of the Lord. And that Bestian Empire hath transform'd all its Subjects into sensitive and irrational creatures A noble Author of our own tells us in his book De Veritate that he for his part takes them for the Catholique Church that are constant and faithful to first principles that common notions are the bottome and foundation upon which the Church is built Excuse our diffidence here great Sir the Church 't is built upon a surer and higher Rock upon a more Adamantine and precious foundation yet thus much is acceptable and undeniable that whoe're they are that by any practices or customes or traditions or tenents shall stop the passage of first principles and the sound reason that flowes from them they are in this farther from a Church then the Indians or the Americans whilst they are not only Antichristian but unnatural And of the two the Church hath more security in resting
that know how jealoâ—s God is of his honour and how he takes it more hainously to be robb'd of it by his own people whil'st you now attribute all to men as if they were the authors and finishers of your faith are ye not carnall 4 Even in that which you think your selves spiritual are ye not carnal Perhaps you think you honour Paul and reverence Apollo and give due respect to the Ministers but know that they are the friends of the bridegroom and would have presented virgin-souls unto Christ and whil'st you dote upon other loves and fix your thoughts on inferiour objects you break Paul's heart and discourage Apollo in his labour Paul took you for his crowne and joy but you prove no better then a crown of thornes and pierce him through with many sorrows Paul called you his epistle but you prove his blot and now me thinks you should correct your own thoughts and even acknowledge your selves carnal 5. In all this I appeal to your selves Are ye not carnal Be your own judges collect your thoughts together consider it but with a serious and composed spirit carry your selves to the rule to the law and to the testimony see whether this be to be carnal or no if you deny it why thus you 'l prove your selves carnal and more carnal then we hope you are No question but you are carnal And thus much may serve for clearing of the text Wee 'l now summe up the words together and then they will amount to this proposition That it is a grosse and carnal thing to glory in the worthiuesse and excellencies of them that dispense the Mysteries of salvation And first as it seeks to eclipse and obscure the glory of God Nam ea est conditio imperandi ut non aliter ratio constet quà m si uni reddatur God hath taken all meanes for the brightning of his own Crown and he that dares set it upon a creatures head he that goes about to rest the golden Scepter out of Gods own hand and to place a creature in his Throne must needs be reus laesae Majestatis in a high degree Nobis obsequii gloria relicta est As he in the forenamed Historian told his Emperour though a cruel Tyrant this is all the honour left to us and 't is enough to be wholly subject to so great and good a God and to give all the glory unto him Let not then the Wise-man glory in his wisdome no neither let others glory in his wisdome for 't is grosse Idolatry to attribute that to man which is due to God to make them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which at the best are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even these idols are nothing Now God that made us and knows our mold and fashion the weaknesse and frailty of our nature how we use to pore upon the immediate agent as present to our senses and obvious to our apprehensions though far inferiour and of a more ignoble being as wholly dependant upon a higher cause he therefore chose to himself so weak an instrument as we could not possibly imagine that that should have sufficient influence for the producing of so great an effect as that by the few words of a weak frail man a precious and an immortal soul should be eternally saved which most make a greater work then that of the creation that so we might be necessitated to look higher to the powerful hand of God that brings so great things to passe And this is his usual method and manner of dealing Thus hath he chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and 't is plain as they tell us in Opticks that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non sunt acuti visûs they give the reason propter radios in illis dispersos magis et dissipatos Men of vast intellectuals of very faire eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they do but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in spirituals they have some broken and scattered notions which can't represent heavenly truths in their proper sâ—ecies when as some of a lesse eye oh how quick and piercing are they into these holy mysteries and such as are dimme-sighted in Philosophy become eagle-eyed in Divinity Chrysostome tells us of two in his time a Greek and a Christian that were very hot in dispute whether Paul or Plato were the better scholler The Christian he amplifies St. Pauls wisdome and excellency the Greek scornes him as rude and simple and his writings not comparable to Platoes Philosophical and lofty stile The father he comes as 't were to moderate and when he had magnified St. Paul's learning he seems to chide the Christian that he did not yield the other what he would have Grant indeed that Paul came in a more plain and unlearned way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing tended more to the advancement of the Gospel to the stopping of their mouthes then the consideration of this that a few weak men by the foolishnesse of preaching the preaching of a crucified Saviour confounded the grand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the world and more prevailed upon the hearts of men though prepossest with contrary principles then ever they could do with all their wisdome For an handfull of naked impotent men to conquen an whole host of armed champions These are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he there speaks Alas Moses Atticissant had a veil upon his face and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could not see into so divine a mystery nay God hath chosen the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meere Non-entia of the world to bring to nought the things that are A strange Paradox and enough to amaze an Aristotle to hear of a Non Ens annihilating an Ens and yet no principle surer or clearer in all his Metaphysicks if it be took in this spiritual meaning and that because God hath chosen the things which are not at all in mens apprehensions and of a very thinne and weak being in themselves He hath chosen these to bring to nought the things that are That thus his power may be the more eminent in their weaknesse and his Majesty shine more gloriously in their contemptiblenesse God could have clothed some bright Seraphim with light as with agarment sent him to have sparkled out Divinity amongst us He could have made his Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even in this sense ministring Spirits for the good of them that should have been heirs of salvation But then we should have been took up too much with the glittering of the creatures and our eyes dazeled with their brightnesse God therefore hath made these Starres even of the first magnitude to disappear that the Sonne may be all in all He hath hid the Pearle in a shell and shut up his treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an infinite condescension he speaks to us by Moses and thus delivers the Gospel too by the hand of a Mediatour He hath sent us men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul and
is as impossible for Israel to perish as for God to lose his glory And will not remember thy sins The sinful soul is full of doubts and suspicions Certainly saith he if God should let me alone now he will call me to acount for them hereafter If he seem to blot them out now he will write them again sometime or other No saith God I 'le blot out thy transgressions and will not remember thy sins 'T is an ordinary speech in the mouth of some silly ones they will forgive but never forget it had need have a very candid construction a grain of salt is scarce enough to make it savory but God never forgives but he doth forget too when he blots out iniquities he remembers them no more When the sins are laid upon the head of the scape-goat they are then carried into a land of forgetfulnesse I suppose you recall the usual rule Verba Memoriae denotant affectum effectum He will not remember them so as to call thee to account for them so as to upbraid thee with them so as any way to punish thee for them Guilt and punishmeat are correlates such Twinnes as live and dye together when the one 's remitted the other 's never retain'd For 1. 'T were injustice to punish where there is no fault God indeed may out of his absolute dominion and sovereignty inflict an evill upon an innocent creature but then it falls not under the formal notion of a punishment and doth inflict evils upon his own people which flow from a fatherly castigation and not from a judicial proceeding 2. 'T is against the very nature of remission Do you call that forgiving of a debt to cast a man into prison for not discharging it or is that pardoning of a Traitour to behead him for his treason 3. 'T is injurious to the full satisfaction of Christ who drunk up the whole cup all the dregs of wrath not a drop of that bitter cup left for a Christian no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there they do indeed pledge him but 't is in a sweeter draught and not at all in satisfaction to divine justice 'T is an impious speech and fit for the mouth that spoke it worthy of a Jesuite that calls Christians sufferings Fimbrias meritorum Christi but he may touch this hemme of the Garment and finde no vertue coming out from it Christs Resurrection was a full and plain aquittance a clear and apparent signe that iniquities were all blotted out Quest But doth not God revive former sinnes and reprint such iniquities as he hath once blotted out Answ He doth indeed but in abundance of love and bowels of free grace not as an angry and revenging God but 't is to make thy tepentance for them more deep and serious And though God remember them no more yet there 's good reason that the soul should still remember them First to make it more thankful to him that he blotted them out Secondly to walk more humbly Thirdly more watchfully and accurately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus we have took a brief survey of the Text wee 'l now strain the quintessence of all into one observation Justifying grace is free grace He blots out iniquities for his own sake Every justifi'd person is a monument of free grace or in the Psalmists language he 's crown'd with loving kindnesse and tender mercies The grace of God is free grace and that First If you look to the Spring from whence it flowes That Originall goodnesse that fountain-mercy in Election when he singl'd out a peculiar people to himself there were beamings out of his love and blossomings of his grace towards thee from everlasting He was plotting and studying thy happinesse long before thou hadst any being Thou wert Gods Jewel from all eternity his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he casts a propitious glance upon thee And thy time was the time of love He took thee as the Jewel out of the rubbish of ruinated mankinde out of the Massa corrupta and in his due time he means to polish thee and to set a glorious lustre upon thee Now what was there that God should smile on Jacob and frowne on Esau from all eternity What was there in thee to perswade him to all this What were the motives Where were the arguments What was the Rhetorick 1. It was long before thou hadst any being thou wert hid in the barren wombe of nothing thou hadst no desire no thought of happinesse and I can't well understand the merite of a non-entity 2. God might have had great revenues of glory out of thy eternall ruine now that he should choose to glorifie the riches of his mercy in thy happinesse and salvation was most free grace Two books were before him he might have writ thy name in his black book with fatall and bloudy characters and made his justice glorious in thy miserie and damnation I but he took the book of life and with the point of a Diamond writ thy name there thus to make his love wonderful in thy salvation 3. Consider how few God then chose unto himself Out of those many worlds which he might have made out of that which he did make he pickt out a few here and there they all make up but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little diminutive flock a little little flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The major part of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it lyes drench't and drown'd in wickednesse How comes it now that thou dost not go with the generality but art one of the little number is not this free grace God hath riches of grace for many more and yet he would spend it all upon a few he would contract and concentricate his love in them Et quantò pauciores filios habet tantò cariores 'T is St Pauls reason that he might make known the riches of glory upon the vessels of honour this was the very end that they might admire his goodnesse the more and tell stories of free grace to all eternity 4. Don't think that this was out of any prevision of worth and excellencie in thee more then in another For 1. This makes the prime wheeling cause wholly dependent upon inferior movers The great Creator of Heaven and Earth must wait upon mans liberum arbitrium if the creature please to determine thus or thus then he must copy out his decree accordingly 2. They speak as if they had never seen the nineth to the Romans What was it that prevail'd with the Potter to make one vessell to honour and the other to dishonour Was it because this was the more refined Earth and so fitter for a vessell of Honour No saith St. Paul of the very same lumpe he made one a vessel to honour and the other to dishonour And God lov'd Jacob and hated Esau before they had done either good or evil Now if Jacob would certainly have done good of his own accord 't was all one as if 't
foot-steps of this in Nature some obscure representations of this truth there The Sun it do's not monopolize its beams and engrosse its light but scatters them abroad gilds the whole world with them it shines more for others then it self it is a publick light Look on a fountaine it do's not binde in its streams seale up it self and enclose its waters but spends it self with a continual bubbling forth it streams forth in a fluent liberal and communicative manner it is a publick spring Nay natural bodies will part with their own properties leave their motions nay crosse their own inclinations for a general good The Aire a light and nimble body that mounts upwards and do's naturally ascend yet for an universal good rather then there shall be a breach and rupture in nature a vacuum it will descend for the stopping of that hiatus In the body of man the inferiour members will venter themselves for the good of the whole The hand will be cut off and lose its own being rather then the head shall be endanger'd you see some shadowes of this truth in Nature 3. And the weak and glimmering light of Nature shews thus much that a man is not borne for himself alone he is a sociable â—reature and sent into the world for the good of others The â—oice of an Heathen A mans countrey and his friend and others challenge great part of him It is a miserable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make his own self the centre of all his actions 4. Consider that every mans private welfare is included in the publick The welfare of Meroz depended upon Israels safety what would have become of Meroz if the rest of their fellow-brethren had perisht So that it was a part of great folly in Meroz not to come out to the help of Israel When the disease seazes upon a vitall part as the head or the heart or the like so as to endanger the whole then every member is in danger though for the present they may be free from paine The well-being of every private man depends on the publick good A single drop is soon dry'd up and consum'd I but a drop in the Ocean when 't is united to a multitude of other drops 't is there more safe and a drop by it self is weak and can make no resistance I but a drop in the Ocean is terrible Men have a more safe and a more honourable being as joyn'd to the whole then taken single by themselves A single drop can do nothing but a multitude of drops joyn'd together will make a stream and carry all before them A single beame is obscure but in the Sun the centre of rayes meeting in the publick point they are glorious And these arguments may prevaile with you as men living in common society but then as Christians I. Consider that Gods children have been alwayes of this disposition of publick spirits seeking the glory of God and the good of Sion Exod. 32. 32. If not blot me I pray thee out of thy Book Moses out of a pang of vehement zeale would part with his own happinesse rather then Israel should perish If it would make more for the glory of God he would be content to be damn'd or at least to have the beams of Gods favourable presence withdrawn from him Rom. 9. 3. I could wish that my self were accursed from Christ or separated for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh for the Jews Israelites which is meant of the poena damni I could be content to have the face of Christ hid from me for my brethrens sake as Gods face was once hid from Christ upon the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me A most strong affection and zeale for the publick good Paul knew what the face of Christ was how glorious a sight it was to see God face to face And he knew what answer God had given to Moses too Him that sinnes him will I blot out of my Book And yet out of a most ardent desire of the salvation of the Jews he will part with the face of Christ so they may be saved here were publick spirits indeed What should I tell you of Vriah that famous Souldier his brave and heroical resolution how he would take no complacency in outward things and marke his reason 2 Sam 11. 11. The Arke and Israel and Judah abide in tents and my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord are encamped in the open fields as if he should say What shall the Arke be in danger and shall Vriah be secure Or shall my Lord Joab be more forward then I am in Israels cause As thou livest and as thy soul liveth I will not do this thing He raps out an Oath like a Souldier which he might have well spar'd but yet he shews a most generous and publick spirit And this was no small aggravation of Davids sin 137. Psalme See how the Psalmist and the rest of Gods people behave themselves By the rivers of Babylon we sate down and wept when we remembred thee O Sion We hanged our Harpes upon the Willows in the midst thereof If I forget thee Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning David had a most delicate touch upon the Harpe a soft and silken touch He could still Saul's evil spirit with his Musick but if I forget thee Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning And when did Jeremy make his Lamentation that whole book of mourning but when the glory of Sion was laid in the dust when Ierusalem the Lady of Nations was made desolate Gods people have been alwayes of publick spirits and have sympathiz'd with the Church II. That you may follow so good example think whose cause it is The cause of Israel is the cause of God To the help of the Lord c. Can you have a better cause The good of the Church and the glory of God are knit together by an act of Gods gracious will So that he that seeks the good of the Church do's in the same act seek the glory of God And he that helps not Israel comes not out to the help of the Lord. Now you are bound to maintaine the cause of God and to help the Lord. 1. By many and severall engagements As creatures at his beck he has a sovereignty and dominion over you Not to obey the great God is to deny his supremacy You are bound in a way of thankfulnesse to stand for him and his cause by those sweet mercies those precious pledges of his love which he every moment heaps upon you by those many blessings that come swimming to you in the blood of a Saviour 2. By many Promises Vowes Protestations Your first and Originall vow in Baptisme obliges you to maintaine the cause of God and of his Church against all the enemies thereof And you have often repeated this Vow and seal'd it again in the Lords Supper for you know that 's a sealing up of
the Covenant Now what 's the Covenant but this That he shall be your God and you shall be his people And then you can't but remember a late Vow that you have made too the very summe of which was this to stand for the publick good 3. Certainty to prosper it is the cause of God A Christian is of the surest side of the winning side There 's none but has a minde to prosper then pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that love thee There 's none can eclipse the glory of God it 's beyond the limited power of a creature to dimme the lustre of his Crown God will maintaine his own cause or else he should lose of his glory his mighty Arme will get himself the victory Christ is the Captain of this Church and he is the chiefest often thousand the Ensigne-bearer And this is comfort enough for a Christian the enemies must conquer Christ before they can overcome his Church Christ the head of the Church is impregnable This is the second ground why Christians must stand for the cause of the Church because 't is the cause of God to which they are bound 1. By engagements many and great 2. By Vows 3. Encouraged with certainty of successe III. A Christian's bound to be of a publick spirit by vertue of the communion of Saints Every Christian's a member of Christs mysticall body and so must take care for the good of the whole He that is united to Christ the Head must be knit also to the other members He that do's not sympathize with the Church is not of the body He that can hear of the breaches of Sion and the decayes of Ierusalem He that can see the apples of Gods eye pierc't through and not be affected with it will ye call such members of Christs body He that is not truely affected with the bleeding condition of the Christians in Ireland do's virtually and in effect deny this Article of his Creed The Communion of Saints IV. It is against the Mighty Christians had need have publike spirits because they have publick enemies the Devil a publick enemy Antichrist a publick enemy They are private enough in respect of their malice and subtlety but publick in force and opposition As there is the paw of the Lion for strength so there is the head of the Serpent for wisdome but yet the head of the Serpent is broken their wisdome infatuated He that is in heaven can counterplot them and laugh them to scorne But yet thus much you may learn of the enemies of the Church to study the publick good They seek the ruine of the whole and why should not you seek the welfare of the whole If they be so sedulous and industrious so forward and active in a bad cause will you be negligent and remisse in the best cause in the cause of God in the helping of the Lord All that they do they 'l tell you 't is for the Catholick cause they are for the publick What won't a Jesuite do for the Catholick cause Hee 'l compasse Sea and Land to gaine one proselyte They do publick mischiefs and have a malignant and venomous influence into all places where they come and why should not Christians do as publick service for God as they do for the Devil Come out therefore against the mâ—ghty to the help of the Lord. That which was Meroz his excuse perhaps because the Canaanites were mighty ones therefore they durst not come out against them this God makes the very aggravation of their sin for if the enemies were mighty Israel had more need of their help and aide Curse ye Meroz saith the Angel of the Lord c. And Meroz might have consider'd that as there are mighty enemies so there is a mighty God too an Almighty God that can crush proud Sisera and dash in pieces the strongest enemy And now by this time you have seen that 't is but fit and equall for a Christian to be of a publick spirit to come out to the help of the Lord. 2. The manner how every Christian may promote the publick good And here by way of premisall 1. It must be in a lawful and warrantable way They that come out to help the Lord must help him in his own wayes such wayes as his word allowes or else they do not help the Lord but offend the Lord in breaking his commandments Job 13. 7. Will you speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him Do's Gods glory depend upon mans sin do's he allow any man to sin for the advancing of his glory Nay do's he not forbid it and detest it It is a clear and undenyable truth of our Saviour You must not do evil that good may come of it A speech of one of the Ancients You must not tell the least lie if you could save the whole Church by it You remember the clause in the Protestation as far as lawfuy I may he that seeks the publick good in an unlawfull course breaks his Protestation To the right conducting of an action besides the intention of an end truely there must be also the choice of just direct means for the accomplishing of it 2. In a prudent and orderly way They that come out to the help of the Lord must keep their ranks The Starres fought in their courses against Sisera Christians must keep their severall stations if there be confusion you can't tell a Canaanite from an Israelite a friend from a foe Let every Christian that studies the publick good keep his own place The Magistrate his the Ministers theirs and the people also theirs And now there are some wayes very good and warrantable by which Christians may come out to the help of the Lord and to the aiding of Israel 1. By Prayer To be sure this is a lawful meanes I and 't is a prevalent means too and has great influence upon the publick good Exod. 17. 11. When Moses held up his hand then Israel prevail'd 'T is a speciall benefit that Christians have by the communion of Saints the prayers one of another There 's a stock of prayers the Church has and the weakest Christian has a share in it Thou hast the benefit of many Christians prayer whose face thou never sawest whom thou never heard'st of perhaps he lives in America or some remote corner of the world but wheree're he be thou hast the benefit of his prayer as a member of the mystical body For there 's no prayer put up to God for his Church but it encludes every particular member of the Church in it so that prayer do's wonderfully promote the publick good Pray for the peace of Jerusalem pray for it that 's the way to have it And many an one that can use no other means yet may use this There 's many can't help the Christians in Ireland but there 's no Christian but may pray for them There 's many that can't fight against the Rebels and yet they can
with all things here below if he should call for them they must be content to trample upon all relations for the love of a Saviour if they stand in competition with Christ they must be ready to lay all creatures and creature-comforts at his feet Now because this might seem somewhat an hard task and not so easie and Evangelical a yoke as he had promised them In these words he begins to sweeten his commands and to shew the reasonablenesse and equity of this that he requires of them You may well part with other things for this will be a means to save your soul Now says he if you could graspe the whole world and if you had it all in possession and should lay it down all only for the winning of a soul you would have no great cause to complain Whereas if you could embrace the present world and could gain it all nay if there were more worlds for you to enjoy and if you could have them all only for the losse of a soul you would have no great purchase of it What is a man profited There 's a plain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words more is meant then is spoken You would be so far from having any profit as that you would have the greatest losse that is imaginable the greatest dammage and detriment that such a creature is capable of You would have changed Gold for Drosse and Pearles for pebbles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now our Saviour in these words does as it were take a paire of ballances in his hand the ballance of the Sanctuary and he puts the whole world in one scale and the soul of man in the other This little sparkle of Divinity in one scale and the great Globe of the world in the other And the soul of man this spiritual being this heavenly sparkle it does mightily out-weigh the great Globe of the world the vast bulk of water the huge fabrick of the Creation The world 't is weighed in the ballance and 't is found too light In the words you have these two things very considerable 1. That absolute worth and preciousnesse that is in the souls of men which is strongly imply'd and envolv'd in the words D. The souls of men are exceeding precious 2. A comparative preciousnesse which is most directly and expressely laid down in this in respect of the whole world besides D. One soul 't is more worth then a world For the first The souls of men are very precious The preciousnesse of the souls of men will easily appear from these four several heads of Arguments For though all men or most men that know what a soul is will easily grant that their souls are precious enough yet they don't attend to those several respects in which they are thus precious much lesse do they take notice of those several results and consequences that flow from it Now this absolute preciousnesse and worth of a soul does thus shew it self 1. From the several Excellencies of the soul it self There is a fourfold excellency in the souls of men which speaks them choise and precious 1. The excellency of their Original they are of a noble descent they came from the Father of spirits from the Father of lights God lights up souls in the world they bubble forth from that fountain of spirits that spiritual Essence They are the breast of a Deity God breath'd into a man a living soul They are a beam of the glorious Sun God beam'd into man a glittering soul The body indeed 't was rais'd out of the dust we dwell in houses of clay whose foundations are in the dust But the soul 't was of an higher and Nobler Original Yet there is a great deal of cost bestow'd upon the body much Embroydery and Needle-work in that I am admirably made I am curiously wrought I am wrought with a Needle sayes the Psalmist Acupictus sum he speaks it in respect of the choise and elegant composure of mans body much needle-work in that and then that 's but the sheath of the soul the casket for the Jewel to lye in The soul 't is like the Queens daughter in the 45. Plasme Her clothing is of needle-work and she is all glorious within Now all the workmanship that is bestow'd upon the body is only that it may be serviceable to the soul that the soul may Benè habitare that it may be a fit Tabernacle for the soul to dwell in that the soul may say 'T is good for me to be here The body 't was rais'd out of the dust but the soul sprang from heaven 't was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bud of Eternity And truely that the souls of men should now be extraduce it does somewhat degrade them from that height of excellency that belongs to them I know that question 's full of briers and thornes but yet we may very well say thus much that some Scripture-passages favour and countenance this most that God still breaths into men living souls that they flow immediately from him in a way of Creation and that the soul and body do still differ in their Original That 's the first the excellency of the souls Original 2. The excellency of its Operations Do but look upon the several workings of the soul Consider the several layings out of the soul and you 'l see they have worth in them Do but view the wheels and motions of the soul the several faculties and employments of them and you 'l see they are all choice and precious What should I tell you of the Understanding crown'd with Beams compast and surrounded with Light of the Will sitting like a Queen upon her Throne and swaying the Scepter of Liberty in her hand with all the affections waiting and attending upon her There 's a five-fold excellency in the workings of the souls of men 1. The workings of the soul are quick and nimble Material Beings move heavily Matter clogs them and dulls their motion They go like the Chariots of Pharaoh in the Red-sea but spiritual Beings they move freely and presently like the Chariots of Amminadab they run with a cheerfull spontaneity What quicker then a Thought what nimbler then the twinkling of an intellectual Eye 'T is true there is a weaknesse and irregularity in the souls motions when its best workings are too flitting and desultory too gliding and transient but take the soul as 't is regular and orderly in its motions and then the freenesse and presentnesse of its working 't is the high priviledge of a spiritual Being For God that is a pure Spirit is Omni-present in his motions And the Angels that are ministering Spirits make haste of those glorious errands they are sent about The wings of the Cherubims flye very swiftly And the souls of men that are next in motion as they are next in Being they do the will of God on earth as 't is done in heaven with such freenesse and alacrity 2. They are vigorous and indefatigable
or that can wrangle a little for mens estates these shall have honour and esteem in the world and the things of the world at their command But they that take care only for souls these must live upon meere benevolence as if the Ministers of the Gospel were nothing indeed but souls as if they were properly Angels that must assume a body and deliver their message and then must disapper This does strongly convince that men prize their bodies and their goods above their souls because men of such employments Lawyers and Physicians these finde better entertainment in the world then the Ministers of the Gospel Hence it is also that men neglect the seasons of grace opportunities of mercie advantages for their souls which they would not neglect in other things The Sabbath the market-day for souls how is it slighted prophaned yet the Sabbath was made for man for the soul of man chiefly for that is the chief of man And yet God had us'd very strong and powerful means to engage men to seek the welfare of their own souls For out of his own infinite love and goodnesse he has by a strict connexion knit and united his own glory and the salvation of souls together He has wrought Israels Name in the frame of his own glory That whereas now if these two were sever'd a man were bound to seek the glory of God before the salvation of his own soul For though the soul be very precious yet the glory of the Creatour of souls is infinitely more precious God therefore out of the riches of his grace has so joyn'd these together as none can put them asunder He that seeks the glory of God does by this promote the welfare of his own soul and he that seeks the saving of his own soul does in this advance the glory of God He that seeks the one must seek the other also Vse 3. If the souls of men be so exceeding precious then admire the goodnesse of God that does not leave them in the power of men 1. Some souls the souls of his own people are so precious as that he won't leave them in their own hands You know how Adam dispos'd of his own soul when he had it in his own keeping And such men as are left to themselves you see how they lay out their souls But God has laid up some precious souls in a safe and sure hand they are laid up as a rich Depositum in the hand of a Saviour and they are kept by his Almighty power through faith unot salvation 2. Souls are so precious as that he won't leave them to the disposing of other men He keeps these Apples of his eye under the lid of his own Providence The sword of an enemy can reach but the sheath of the body An enemy though never so fierce and furious can but cut the sheath of the body asunder Fear not them that can kill the body and that 's all they can do c. Yet such is the fury and implacablenesse of men as that if they could reach the soul that should be the first they would strike and wound and they would damne other mens souls as surely as they do their own As that desperate Italian that having an enemy of his at advantage threatened to kill him unlesse he would curse and blaspheme renounce his Religion that foolish man too covetous of a frail and fading life yielded to him but as soon as he had ended such blasphemies as were prescrib'd him the other stabs him presently and then triumphs and applauds himself in his bloody victory O sayes he 't is a kindly and delicate revenge O 't is an orderly and methodical revenge first to damne the soul and then to stab the body You see what the rage and fury of men would reach unto but that God has set souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. And therefore thou that wilt trust him with thy precious soul wilt not trust him for things here below Wilt thou trust him for Eternity and not for a moment wilt thou trust him with the Jewel and not with the casket wilt thou trust him for thy Soul and not for thy body thy state thy name Think upon our Saviours Argument Consider but the Lilies of the field they that have but vegetative souls two or three removes off from matter They neither spin nor â—â—ile why shouldst thou then have spinning and toiling thoughts will he not much more take care for thee Vse 4. See here the top of Antichristian fury his cruelty to souls as if the souls of men were Antichrists slaves to be hurried up and down at his pleasure as if an heap of precious souls were but Antichrists foot-stool for him to get up to his throne by Consult but with that place in the 18. of Rev. vers 12 13. You 'l see there that Antichrist trades there in very rich and costly commodities Gold Silver Pearles Purple Silke c. But amongst the rest he has one more precious then ordinary and 't is a sure and staple commodity that he trades in and 't is in the souls of men And that which bespeaks the ruine of Antichrist and cries aloud to that God to whom vengeance belongs and 't will pour out the very dregs of the vials upon him his deluding of souls his imposing upon souls his multiplying the bricks putting out the eyes of souls making them grinde at his mill to goround in an implicite faith and like his slaves he buyes them and sells them at his pleasure The blood of souls is the Paint of that same spiritual Jezabel and the Scarlet of the Babylonish whore 't is double-dy'd in the blood of Saints Vse 5. This speaks aloud to the Prophets and sons of Prophets that they would lay out all their golden talents and precious opportunity for the welfare of souls not only their own souls but for the souls of others too to be men of publick influence to spread light abroad in the world 'T is the strongest expression of love you can show to a Saviour Peter lovest thou me feed my sheep feed my lambs Let this be a token of thy love and signe that thou lov'st me Does not it pitty you to see so many precious souls famisht for want of the bread of Life so many ignorant souls rushing upon their own ruine for want of light so many souls poison'd with unsound doctrine and strange opinions so many unstable souls beguil'd by rude and illiterate men that torture the Scriptures and feed men so as if Non-sense were the only Nectar and Ambrosia for immortal souls to live on Don't you see how thirsty souls are that they will drink in muddy waters had not they rather think ye drink in pure and crystalline streams Do they take in Errour so fast and would not Truth be more pleasant to them You are the hope and the expectation of souls if you should frustrate and disappoint them whither should they go or where should they betake themselves Where shall the thirsty soul go unlesse the fountain afford it some streames where shall the new-born soul satisfie it self unlesse the breasts afford it sincere milk How shall the wandring soul finde out its way unlesse the Seers and Watchmen be pleased to direct it How shall souls be season'd with grace if the salt it self be unsavoury If the eye be darknesse how great must the darknesse be O lay out your selves so as that thousands of souls may blesse you and have cause to blesse God for you Truly the harvest is great and precious and the labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labourers into his harvest FINIS Fox Observ Vse Object Resp Doct. Vse 1. Vse 2. Observ 1. Observ 2. Observ 3. Observ 4. Observ 1. Object Sol. Object 1. Sol. 1. Sol. 2. Sol. 3. Object 2. Sol. 1 Sol. 2. Object Sol. Object 1. Sol. Observ 2. Observ 3. Observ 4.