that it is out of a certaine feare and an assured expectation that he shall be made partaker of greater torment which without ease or remedy he is euer after to endure And if the waters when they are dammed swell the higher and the putrified tumor not launched paine the sorer how shall not he now fretting then euen eat himselfe in fury when all occasion by which and subiects saue his owne vassals whereupon to worke his malice shall be fully remoued and his powerfull rage and raging power finally restrained And the rather because hee shall still retaine a desire to cast dust vpon the beauty of Gods glory and hinder if then it were possible the felicity of the blessed Angels euer happy Saints of whom euery Alleluiah which they sing vnto the Almighty being as so many stinging Scorpions to his malicious minde Thus farre then God is gracious vnto them in that though they be deliuered into chaines of darknesse 2. Pet. 2.4 Iud. 9. where cannot want horror yet they are as yet only reserued vnto iudgement which hereafter is to passe both against and vpon them Oh the loue goodnesse and bounty of God for height as Iacobs Ladder it stretcheth to the Heauens for bredth as the Curtaine it couereth all Nations for length it extendeth to all times for depth it pierceth the darksome dennes of the damned soules and infernall spirits So as it is shadowed in the creatures cleerely shewed in the sacred Scriptures by his workes of both mercy and iustice manifested in reason confirmed by all must bee confessed that God is mercifully iust and iustly mercifull and though his mercy be enlarged his Iustice is not lessened and though his Iustice be inflicted yet his mercy is extended Oh that we were such Eagles as that the eyes of our minds could so gaze at this Sunne that bathing our selues in the water of Gods sacred Fountaine our old corruption might be shaken off and we so renued in the strength of our created condition that the meditation of his mercy and iustice so indifferently seated in him the consideration of his seuerity and clemency so vnpartially executed by him might alwaies sit at the helme of our hearts hoise the sailes of our affections and be the Pilot of our practises in respect of him our selues and others then should wee in respect of him not onely in our affections saile with a faire gale of fearing loue and surrender to him his right of our louing feare espying the Ensignes of his Iustice but also in our actions his clemency would cherish alacrity and his seuerity inflame our sincerity For our affections as the nobler metals cast into the Furnace are turned into the colour and participate of the heat of fire so the heart of man fixed vpon Gods mercy by meditation should be fired with the loue of his Maiesty hauing an eye to his due our duty and the dignity of it His due it is as he is God louely in himselfe louing towards vs. Louely in himselfe and therefore well said Bernard Tract de dilig Deo Causa diligendi Deam Deus est sufficient cause of louing the Lord is the consideration that he is God For whatsoeuer is desirable that he is Doth power is the Adamant iron draw our affections to it He is King of Kings the Lord of Lords a God of Omnipotency Does that which is auncienta lure our hearts to delight in it He is the auncient of daies a God of greatest antiquitie Doth knowledge keepe the minde in admiration of it He vnderstandeth our thoughts long before neither is any thing hid vnto him a God of omnisciency He is the God of vnity which is the honour of brethren the God of constancy the crowne of friendship the God of wisdome the glory of man He is a shade to the weary a shelter to the wronged a treasury to the needy Hee is truth which is so much commended He is light in which we are so much delighted He is life which of all things is so much desired If honour the aime of the ambitious if riches the desire of the couetous if fame the hope of the vaine-glorious if excellency absolute perfection endlesse felicity or any other thing which soules would wish to be partakers of may glue our hearts vnto them then the Lord For all things that are good are in him and deriued from him who is goodnesse it selfe to be loued because in himselfe he is so louely and so louing towards vs louing vs freely fully firmely For before we loued him 1 Iohn 4.19 he loued vs first the dew of his graces fell first vpon our fruitlesse soules the beames of his bounty reflected first vpon our vnsanctified hearts the light of his countenance shone first vpon our darkened vnderstandings our affections were first warmed with the fire of his loue our desires first kindled with the blast of his spirit our dead members first reuiued with the hand of his power before we conceiued affected acted any thing which was heauenly Till the furrowes of our hearts were sowen with the seed of his blessings nothing but weeds there appeared till we as trees were transplanted into the soyle of his Church nothing but bitter fruits were there to be gathered till wee as plants were inoculated into Christ the true Vine nothing but sowre grapes could there be tasted His loue cast salt into our waters and made them sweet put clay vpon our eies and made them see then then not before we watered the tender sprigs in his orchard and perceiued the sweetnesse of his fauour and so louing vs first he loued vs freely Freely when we would not when we could not loue him when we would not for when we were filled with malice swelled with enmity opposite to all entertainment of Amitie then did he shadow vs with the wings of his fauor shelter vs in the harbor of his goodnesse hide vs vnder the helmet of his protection when vve sought his infamy then wrought he our glory when we endeuored his hurt he deuised our helpe when wee actuated his death he redeemed our life when our enmity fled neglected resisted then his kindnesse followed called perswaded nay when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5.10 when we would not he loued vs freely no lesse when we could not in respect of our degeneration generation For our degeneration it was so great as there was nothing gratious in vs such was the wound which Sathan by sinne had giuen vs that wee not onely lay polluted in our owne bloud Ezech. 16.6 but the vitall spirits of our spirituall life were so let out that wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes Ephes 2.5 hauing hearts but no hearts to loue him hauing soules but no soules to long for him hauing bodies but no bodies to worship him our soules and bodies as farre from purposing any spirituall worshipping as dead men are from performing any
whereupon the Prophet Dauid perswadeth all the earth and all that dwell in the world to feare him Extraordinary acts imprint in men a reuerent awe to the Agent what our eare heareth our eye obserueth our iudgement apprehendeth to bee spoken seene or done and was not cast in our mould not portraied in our proportion not comprehensible in our iudgements leaueth in the heart a seale of an admiring reuerence and reuerent admiration Ieremy who with Iohn Baptist participated of the same manner of calling to their seuerall functions in contemplation of the Lords great power with whom none is to be compared seemes to bee peremptory and concludeth with a none-excepting-question-answering admiration Jer. 10.7 Who would not feare thee O King of nations Why did you Exod. 14.31 yee people of Israel yeeld such reuerence vnto the Lord testifie such feare of his name manifest such a we in his Worship Oh you that now liue would yee know the ground and cause of our fearing him The Mountaines which did hinder our passage were cast downe by the Lords power the Vallies which threatned our contempt were filled vp by his working the mighty men in Aegypt were discouraged and the meane ones were afraid by his might his power turned their waters into bloud so as they wanted to quench their thirst his power brought Frogs ouer all their land euen into their Kings houses odious to their choisest sights his power turned dust to Lice abhorred of their daintiest touch his power corrupted the earth with swarmes of Flies offen siue to their sweetest smels his power sent a murraine amongst their cattel so as prouision was hindred his power by casting vp ashes brought scabs vpon all their skinnes so as their beauty was spoiled by his power the Heauens opened their windowes and sent forth haile and fire mingled together haile of the nature to quench fire and fire of the nature to dry vp haile so as whosoeuer was in the fields felt but neuer reported the violence of them his power brought Grashoppers so as their Fruit was deuoured his power brought darknesse so as the comfort of seeing conferring associating one with another was denied his power depriued of life their first borne Gen. 49.3 their might the beginning of their strength the excellency of their dignity the excellency of their power the hope of their succession the comfort of their yeeres and the staffe of their age so as they became like water spilt vpon the earth as vnprofitable for any vse as it is without expectation of being gathered his power diuided their waters set vs free and put them in fetters so as they could not passe stopped their breath and brought their confusion These seized O yee sonnes of men vpon our soules filled our apprehensions with admiration of that great God which hath so confounded their counsels ouerthrowne their deuices and preuailed against their power who did resist his will and plot our woe hinder his Word and determine our ruine that wee cannot but feare him Tell me O Pharaoh what hath thy greatnesse got thee Greatnesse without godlinesse is become thy griefe in what hath thy sorcery preuailed for thee it could neither salue thy sore nor procure thy succour what hath thy wisdome produced to thee it could neither warne thee nor warrant thee against these plagues what goodnesse haue thy gods granted they could neither prouide for thy good nor preuaile against his greatnesse whose most contemptible creatures haue beene his mighty army to subdue thy might Him will I feare whose hand thou hast felt him will I reuerence whose power hath curbed thy peruersnesse Can I consider the counsell of the wise by him turned to folly the strength of the potent by him turned to impotency the malice of the enuious turned to their owne mischiefe and not feare him Oh the power of his feare With it my soule is rauished through it my heart is enlarged by it my affections are inflamed with a desire of and a delight in it When I suruey his rare vnexpected vnthought of preseruation of those that feare him and confusion of those that are disobedient to him let the waters cease to drowne the fire to burne winds to blow seas to boile earth their solidity Heauens their glory sooner than I to forget or cease to feare him for what Dauid feares not seeing Vzzah strucke to death 2. Sam. 6.9 for comming vpon what colour soeuer without the limits of his owne calling my flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements which worke feare of thee in the heart of the very Heathen The people whom the King of Ashur after he had caried away the Israelites placed in Samaria 2. King 17.24 25 26 27. were slaine by Lions and the superstitious policy of his Princes would prouide a remedy and send of the Priests to worship God in their owne fashion according to former custome of that Nation who being now a commixed people ver 33 34. performed a diuided seruice and are said to feare God and yet not to feare him It was rotten at the core faulty at the heart they feared him as a negligent seruant doth his master to auoid displeasure not as an obedient sonne his father to discharge his duty we must not feare as a Slaue doth a Tyrant in dread of his law but as a faithful subiect doth a fauourable Soueraigne out of loue That is the feare of the Reprobate which in time of extremity driues them from him and causeth them to murmure when they are afflicted This the feare of his children which in time of misery drawes them to him and causeth them to magnifie him when they are corrected Whence it is sometimes taken for his whole worship and may thus bee discerned by the effects it worketh whether we consider God our selues or others In respect of God finde me prayer patience piety praise and you cannot faile of his feare Where true feare hath taken sure possession there is feruent frequent prayer as Eliphaz the Temanite truly affirmed how vnaptly soeuer he applide it to Iob Surely saith he thou hast cast off feare Iob. 15.4 and restrainest prayer before God Note how confidently he doth affirme it his heart his affection his reason his soule and spirit were so possessed with the truth of this that there is no restraining of praier where the feare of God is that hee takes them to be inseparable and iustly for feare being the beginning of wisdome Prou. 9.10 foreseeth the danger and preuenteth it by prayer presents a blessing and procures it by prayer reuealeth Gods pleasure and obtaineth ability to obey it by prayer There is no good which is not truly disciphered no euill which is not liuely delineated by feare the one whereof is obtained and the other auoyded only by prayer Be it that hee deferreth to grant the suites we make conferreth not his blessings which we neede or withdraweth not his hand which
men he vouchsafeth in the place and in the exercises by him appointed his house word meditation praier and Sacraments and though he be euery where so as if we would we cannot flye from his presence yet in that place in these ordinances it pleaseth him to conuerse with his children and his children are partakers of his spirituall presence In his word he manifesteth his glory in his Word he speaketh and powreth forth his mind to vs in prayers we familiarly talke and powre forth our hearts before him in the Sacraments hee giueth visible pledges of his fauour and we with the spirituall eye of our mind hand and mouth of faith looke vpon touch and taste the Bread of life in meditation wee enter into his priuy Chamber and he vouchsafeth vnto vs a sight and view of all his richest and rarest treasuries where wee may behold more pleasing more profitable obiects than could Berodach Baladan in the house of Hezekiah pretious things 2 King 20.12 13. where we may haue cause of greater admiration than had the Queene of Sheba in the hearing of the wisedome of Salomon which to heare she was content vpon the same of it to leaue her owne Country thereby testifying her desire to it and shall not we feeling the fruits of his presence who is greater than Salomon manifest our delight in it by our loue to his house and ordinances He that loues God glad will his heart be ioyfull his soule if he may conuerse with him at any time in any place or in any manner it shall please him to manifest himselfe vnto him Holy Dauid could not better expresse the greatnesse of that fire in his heart which could not be suppressed till it brake forth at his mouth and hee in admiration cried out O how amiable are thy Tabernacles Psal 84.1 2. O Lord of Hosts my soule longeth yea euen fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh crieth out for the liuing God and yet in his exile hee might haue had the fruition of Gods fauour which lest wee thinke hee did not conceiue hee explaines his meaning to be this that his affections were fixed vpon the ordinances of God and therefore preferring the very Sparrow and Swallow before himselfe as linked to the Lord in a surer bond of loue addeth Yea the Sparrow hath found a house and the Swallow a nest for her selfe where she may lay her young euen thine Altars O Lord of Hosts my King and my God and holdeth them blessed not as though hee were accursed for how should he be but blessed who hath the Lord for his King and his God but herein he holdeth them more blessed than himselfe who dwelt in the Lords house from which hee was exiled and where the people of the Lord were made partakers of his will and performed his Worship And lest we should thinke that this loue of Dauid was only in the time of his banishment thus feruent to the place where the Lord in his ordinances did manifest his presence when he might and did serue the Lord free from all impediments and deliuered from the hands of Saul pleading in another Psalme his owne integrity in respect of his fauourable dealing with Saul thinkes that his innocency his confidence in trusting vpon God his keeping the affections and inward motions of his heart pure his abstaining from recompencing euill for euill in consideration of Gods louing kindnesse towards him his shunning and hating vngodly assemblies and persons his resoluing with pure minde and holy conuersation as before still to seeke his God though these were excellent signes of a good and godly heart hee thinkes all these nothing vnlesse his loue which he continually had to Gods house be added Lord saies he besides all the rest I haue constantly loued the habitation of thy house Psal 26.8 and the place where thine Honour dwelleth And as hee loued Gods house and all religious duties there exercised so before and aboue the rest in Gods Word was he most delighted it had not the meanest but the chiefest place in his heart not the fewest but the most of his affections set vpon it it was his delight his ioy his staffe his stay his rest his loue as in the 119. Psalme euery where appeareth Hee that is affamished receiues not meat with more gladnesse than Ieremy did the Word of God Ier. 15.16 it was the ioy and the reioycing of his heart Come wee now to Prayer Oh the loue of the godly to this exercise Some haue prayed often in the day as Daniel some by prayer haue preuented the morning watch to pray night and day was to some delightsom as to Dauid some haue neglected no occasion that was offered as Paul It was the vsuall practise of our Sauiour hee that needed least prayed most teaching vs by his own patterne what we should practise no sooner had he ceased preaching but he fell to praying hee prayed in the Mountaine in the Garden in all places at all times he prayed on the Crosse when he was suffering Now for the Sacraments in them wee behold his passion in them we partake of his body and communicate of his bloud by them our faith is confirmed our soules strengthened and our consciences quieted with euery of which what Christian is not delighted Delighted with them were they in the Apostles times who at euery meeting did breake their bread with gladnesse of heart Act. 2. And as for meditation by it we see God in his Word behold him in his workes looke vpon him though in the highest Heauens by it is presented to our eyes his Maiesty to subiect vs that wee grow not proud his Iustice to feare vs that we bee not wanton his mercy to comfort vs that we doe not faint his wisdome to direct vs that we doe not erre and his power to defend vs that we do not doubt By Meditation is manifested before the eyes of our mind the greatnesse of Christs suffrings his sorrowing heart his heauy soule his bleeding hands and feet his pierced side his wounded heart and whatsoeuer else he endured for our misdeeds in which the Saints of God haue beene much exercised and that by reason of their loue vnto it Thus doth our loue of God breede in vs a desire of society in those exercises where God presents himselfe if they may be had if not a seeking them according to his will aboue all things in the world The Spouse of Christ the Church of God euery Christian soule saith of Christ I desire to sit vnder his shadow Cant. 2.5 and I am sicke of loue that is I faint if I want that fellowship with Christ my head which I so much desire according to his will as he hath appointed to associat himselfe with me in his Word Prayers Sacraments and Meditation Let this be the tryall of the truth of our loue Are we as Beares drawne to the stake to these ordinances Is the Word