bore witnesse from heaven against falsehood The story is obvious It is also storied of the ancient Romans that they were very conscientious in observing their leagues covenants and oathes And such as violated them saith mine author were held for damned and cursed creatures and accounted worthy to live in humane society Be carefull of your promises and covenants that ye make with men God is a God of truth do ye be men of truth It is a communicable attribute it is to be had and this must now be spoken of in the second place c. Ye know we have done in handling the other attributes this is the second proposition That truth is a communicable attribute For God did communicate it to Adam in his innocency it was a part of that uprightnesse mentioned Eccles 7.29 And it is again vouchsafed and communicated in the worke of regeneration for God maketh such to be as he requireth they should be Rev. 2.10 to be faithfull to the death And he saith his people will not ly Isaiah 63 8. For God lookes and causeth the conversation of his servants to be answerable to their vocation he maketh them to be men of truth and faithfulnes And such as are otherwise be of the devill John 8.44 Who abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him Such are not for Sion nor heaven Psalm 15. For they speake the truth from their heart that shall abide in Gods tabernacle and dwell in his holy hill and verse 4. He that sweareth to his own heart and changeth not By all which places and passages and many more that might be named and observed we see that truth and faithfullnes is communicated by God unto men which is the point that we have in hand to make good unto you Object But it may be objected out of Rom. 3.4 Let God be true and every man a lyer and out of the 13. verse With their tongues they have used deceit Sol. In both which places all men without exception are spoken off For answer ye must know that the first place shews the certainty of Gods truth in opposition to all men that doubt thereof Gods faithfulnes and truth is alwaies accompanied with stedfastnes and assurance Calvin on Isa 22.23 And for that cause as Mr. Calvin notes the Hebrewes take truth for a thing sure and certaine Wherefore this being the scope of the former verse that God will be as good as his word and true and faithfull in all his sayings it maketh nothing against the point we have in hand And for the other passage in the 13. verse of the same chapter It shewes as well as the former mans naturall inclination until he be regenerated But it may be further objected Truth may be found among heathens that were no christians Object To which I Answer It is true of a vertue but not of a grace Sol. and therefore not acceptable to God and sometimes turned into a vice when ill circumstantiated and alwaies a sinne because not acted upon a good principle nor to a good end viz. Gods glory And therefore we must take the extent of this communicated attribute or property and we shall find that no man hath it since the fall of Adam in every respect in its extent but only such as are regenerated For it signifieth and comprehendeth three things Sinceritie a due proportion of a thing and stability and firmenesse In hoc genere tria potissimum hujus vocabuli significata esse videri que aut alias enim significat animum ejusque cogitationes actiones sinceras minique fucatas alias plenae seu justae cujusdam quantitatis alias denique certas ratas ac permanentes Flac Illyric Clav. Script 1575. So God doth not only do what he saith but loveth the truth and hateth hypocrisie God is truly and sincerely and constantly all that he is in his excellencies Now it is impossible for the compleatest morall man in the world that hath not the work of the new birth to walke before God in truth in this sence This is proper to Saints such as Hezekiah Isaiah 38.3 Remember O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart And so much for that objection And now for Application The fault is not in God that men are so Vse 1 false and faithlesse that they deale trecherously that a brother will deceive a brother This contrary propertie is to be had from God if men had a mind to it And it is an evident signe that there is but little true religion going because there is so little truth and honesty going But where there is deceitfull dealing and want of truth and honesty men may take it for a truth that they have no religion and that they have not sought to God from whom this good gift and all others come Vse 2 And therefore in the next place ye must learne to seeke for this qualitie at the hand of God by prayer as in the former attributes ye have been directed And to that end that ye may be stirred up the more to pray for it do but consider how ill it becomes christians to be more false then heathens and to be like to the devill and to overthrow humane society what in them lyeth and to procure inevitable wrath upon themselves As we have two famous examples in scripture The first of Saul mentioned in the 2 Sam. 21.2 Who sought to slay the Gibeonites in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah and so to violate the oath which the children of Israel had sworne to them Ye see God was angry a famine of three yeares came upon the people and an attonement must be made by the hanging up of seven of Sauls sonnes unto the Lord in Gibeah of Saul ver 6. And the other place is Ezekiel 17.15 16. Where grievously doth the Lord threaten the rebellious house as he calls Jerusalem and their king for falsenes and covenant breaking We have touched upon this before Vse 3 now and therefore shall say the lesse of it now The third and last use to be made is That honest men may take comfort though they be thought too honest to live in the world and have not the trick of dishonest false and unfaithfull dealing whereby so many get estates for their posterity to ruffle in while they lye in Hâ—ll yet they shall be no looser by it at last God will blesse the house and seed of such as are like unto him Men of truth hating coveteousnesse and dealing truly are Gods delight for such fear God whereas knaves and false men are odious both to God and men And so much briefly for the second Proposition that truth is a communicable attribute 3. Propos The third comes in hand that God in this as in the rest is infinite and incomprehensible His faithfullnes reacheth to the clouds Psal 36.5 He never broke with any in his life
sorts of performances there are some which every man stands bound to perform as he is a creature and some which men stand bound to perform by positive commands Three sorts of positive duties whether the duties be moral or positive and of those that be positive whether they be ceremonial or Judicial or evangelical to whom the command comes from them is obedience due to the great and Soveraign Law-giver and not to perform it is to depart from God that is to disown God to run away from his service to say in effect we wil not be under his command They that do not cal upon God depart from God that is Not to come Christ is to depart from Christ they depart from his commands such as professing themselves to be christians and living under invitations to come to Christ do not come to him to have life by him they do depart from him in scripture phrase and all this cometh from a heart of unbeliefe O this trampling under-foot the blood of Christ is a very great sin Beloved ye do here professe your selves to be Christians what do ye make here else to day Now if ye believe not God and his word to walk answerable what do yee else but depart from the living God ye depart from this invitation to take his Son from his Commandement to beleeve to kisse the Son from his holy injunctions for which if ye repent not God wil most certainly damn you for ye are both Creatures and in name Christians and therefore take heed lest there be in any of you a heart of unbeliefe to depart from the Living God I have dispatched the manner and matter of the Exhortation I now am to speak of the description of God by the Attribute of Life God in my Text ye see called the living God In each Attribute that I shal speak of I purpose to do these three things first to shew you that such an Attribute as here Life which is the first to be spoken of is an Attribute of God secondly that it is communicable to Man-kind Reasons of the attribute of Life thirdly that God in each of them and in this of Life is infinite and incomprehensible Know then that God which all must take heed they do not depart from is a Living God for the proof of it read Dan 6 29. 1 Thes ◠9 Heb 9.14 in al which places he is called the living God God is called the living God for divers reasons First because he liveth of himself and that everlastingly Ps 102.64 Thy years are through all generations and ver 27. but thou art the same and thy years shall have no end God alwayes hath been and wil be for ever Never was there nor never wil there be the least point of time in which it might or shal be said God is not the living God Secondly every creature hath his life from God he is the creator of Life unto us all and all living things Act 17.28 In him we live moove and have our being He is the fountain and original of all Life Get ye up as high as ye can and suppose the world were ten thousand times older then it is yet at last there must be a stop Luke in his third Chapter carrieth along the Generation of Jesus Christ as far as ever he could possibly even unto Adam one was the son of another but at last it is said which was the Son of God there we must stop we can go no further 3. God is called the Living God because he giveth life to his promises but this is not so proper to this matter 4ly He giveth Grace to his Elect this is called the life of God Ephes 4.18 But to keep to the Attribute I am upon and to the two former Reasons of this Attribute and yet more espetially to the first It is necessary that I should first shew you what that thing is which we cal life then we shal the better understand what is meant by Life as it is attributed to God for in saying God is love or God is a consuming fire or any other analogical expression it is needful that ye know what those things are properly in the first place Life therefore is self-motion naturally that which moveth of it self from an inward cause be it what it be that is said to live or thus Life is a vital spirit by which al quick things move therefore Beasts Birds fish and creeping things are called living souls or living Creatures Gen 2.19.20 Other things that move from outward causes as clocks watches carts or coaches are not said to live because they do not move from an inward principle And elements though they move naturally yet it is only to their proper place heavy elements move downward and light elements upward And this natural motion they keep unless they be restrained as water in a Vessel There are three sorts of quick or living creatures First plants do hold the lowest degree of life they do indeed live of themselves yet neither know the end of their motion neither do they prepare for it they send forth their moares and roots to get moisture and nourishment but they know not that they do so Secondly there is a degree of life somewhat higher then this which is the life of sensitive creatures these first move of themselves therefore are said to live secondly they of themselves acquire some form by sence which is the ground or beginning of their motion but of themselves they know not the end of their motion formally neither do they propound it unto themselves distinctly but somerime break their neck when according to their instinct they move to good they move to get better feeding being led by sence but because they want reason to guide them they meet with misery often and therefore it is that men that are foolish are said to be unreasonable men and bruit Beasts because they are better like beasts then like men endued with reason yea all men in the fallen condition of Adam are said to be like the Beasts that perish Psal 49. v last Man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the Beasts that perish Sentire appetere se movere est in anima natura brutorum But yet of these bruit animals some live and move themselves more perfectly then others as they are indued with a more perfect faculty of sence to obtain to themselves sensible forms yet is their life even of the most quick of them but a life of beasts the knitting of that sensitive soul and their body together As Philosophers in general of all life define it to be the Bond or colligation of soul and body together which are parted when bloud or breath are left out of the body for when we cease breathing we cease living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and life goes out when breath goes out here the words both in Hebrew and Greek which are used for life
Sublimity for he Reigneth with the highest and most absolute power Also he is great in regard of profundity because he ruleth not only bodies but hearts and ordereth the most inward thoughts and affections of all neither is there any thing so hidden or secret which the rod of his Kingdom and greatness doth not penetrate We may then understand somewhat by this word GREAT of God but must stop our mouths with the close of the Verse Psal 135.3 His greatness is unsearchable or of his greatness there is no search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word doth properly signifie finding out or searching after The Septuagint there is no end of his greatness and so the vulgar latine For therefore is no finding out of the greatness of God because the end thereof neither is nor can be found for in deed it is not there is no end of his greatness And therefore in all predications wherein GOD is the subject we must know that their force is in negation and exclusion As when we say God is a Spirit we mean he is not a body when we say he is a spiritual substance we mean he is not a corporeal substance When we say he is he is a substance we mean he is not an accident For properly a substance God cannot be according to the nature of that Lative word for a substance is that that doth stand under accidents and bear them up which asserted of the essence of God is blasphemy Yet is that word substance often attributed to God but by it we mean essence according to the greek word Ousia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essence or being but in God properly there is neither substance nor accident Objection But this may seem to deny God to be a living God properly and indeed to aver God to be properly neither just nor merciful nor any thing which he is said to be in scripture Solution For clearing up whereof yee must know that God is most properly Life And he is every thing that he is without a Metaphor for he is all that he is of himself He is truly all that the Scripture teacheth and the Saints conceive him to be but not in that manner or measure as men or Angels conceive of him He is all that we think him to be in our minds according to scipture Attributes and infinitely more As now to speak of this Attribute Life as life is considered in the Creature it is a principle of operation but in God all Attributes are his essence and so is his life Remember what I have said and so I shal come out of these briars that we have not words to set out God by and if there were such a language found out it would be worse then greek to us we should not have the capacity to learn it therfore with all humility let us blesse God for those discoveries of himself he hath been pleased to make and for making our ears blessed to hear and our eyes to see so much of God as we do I have but one question to answer and it is upon occasion of my close of the former discourse If it be so Question that God is so hidden that he is so above our reach that such clouds and darkness are round about him that he dwelleth in such eye-dazling unapproachable light why then may some say do you spend so many words about such a subject To whom I answer that if we can catch but one jot of what hath been said and make it our own why then Answ we are made forever if but the lest glimmerings of the living God be afforded to you as your God in Christ and yee are all resolved with David That it is good for you to draw near to him and so yee purpose to do and never to depart from him why then I say let men Ps 73 28 and Devils rage and do what they can yee are alive in God not only as Creatures but as new Creatures yee shal be carried as upon eagles wings yee shal lye in the bosome of Life Your life is hid with Christ in God Collos 3 ◠Wonder not then that I have been so forward to expose my self to censure and to speak of things that are not easily understood in any measure Difficilia quae pulchra There is beauty in these difficulties and something I hope wil stick All wil not I hope run over the narrow-mouth'd bottle O draw neer to this living God Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God They that do so forsake their own mercies Study this Attribute of God spend some time with prayer about it and so much for the Explication as I have been able Come we to the Application First Vses of this Doctrine The first Vse then he is worth the coming unto by those that are yet afar off and worth the keeping and holding fast by such as have him Draw neer to God therefore O yee sinners that are far from him For loe they that are far from thee shal perish saith the Psalmist Psal 73.27 O cast not the law of this living God behind your backs any longer Make not your wil your humors your lusts your Law any more Refuse not the Lord Jesus the Son of the Living God any longer lest he be angry and yee perish in the way Reject not the Ordinances of Life content not your selves with them as dead Ordinances let them be to you the Ordinances of a living God Take heed of a dead faith as all faith is without works Jam 2.17 take heed of worshipping a dead God Such as pretend to believe in God and in works deny him do in effect take away his life their faith is dead their works are dead they have not a lively hope they Worship a dead God Every bodies God is no bodies God A Traditional God every bodies God and that is no bodies God Come to Christ that yee may have God who is life And yee Saints that have him hold him fast and chuse rather to dye a thousand deaths then to forsake the living God Be circumspect take heed saith my Text we are in danger on every side watch over your hearts take heed of an evil heart that is the cause of departing from God If we have good hearts we shal never go away from God it is impossible And then in the next place mark the words that I have read in my Text an evil heart of unbelief What is that makes the heart evil Unbelief this is the cause peoples hearts be evil because they want Faith And if that be a truth that faith which comes by the hearing of the Word is increased daily by it as also by the administration of the Sacraments and prayer Then take heed of throwing away of gospel-Ordinances in these ranting times Perkins 2d principle They that depart from Ordinances depart from God For this
tower they that come to him shall dwell on high their strength shall be the munition of rocks would ye walk wisely come to him who is wisdome it self and ye may be wiser then your enemies then your teachers then the ancient I might enlarge my self upon severall other particulars But I had rather help you to draw waters out of this deep Well and this shall be the next Use Fourthly Therefore learn the skill to build handsomly upon Vse 4 this ground that God is a Fountain an Ocean perfection it self It is a notable piece of skill to profit by this Doctrine As it is Gods infinite happines to be so good as to need nothing out of himself so it will be ours to have skill to extract from this one infinite fulnesse The more things a man wants that he cannot be without the more miserable he is and therefore such as to whom those things are necessary which to the Saints are superfluous are exceeding miserable They want all things that want God All their other candles will soon be blown out Their mountain of snow will melt away shortly if they be not dragged away from it before And therefore I hope ye see what a businesse of importance it is to have the skill to bring this perfection God blessed for ever out of that hidden light which none can attain unto and to make use of him for our good Now we know there must be a bringing of one thing to another to make usefull one thing for another Physick must be taken Plasters must be applied meat and drink must be received into the body and cloaths must be put on or else they will not be effectual to those ends and purposes for which they are ordained So God and the soul must be brought together the object by the act we have already heard that God is perfection good every way A man can be in no condition wherein God cannot help him and therefore the foundation is fit and firm for the soul to build upon Now therefore the scripture teacheth us by precept and example that God who is the chiefest good must be trusted in and brought home that way and behold a present supply for all defects a present remedy for all distempers and a present good for all sorts of men and every kind of thing To be men of hope men of trust men of confidence men of Faith For now I must not care for criticismes There are differences and distinctions which somtimes have their Use Faith looks to the promises Hope to the matter promised trust or confidence is the strength of hope which being deferred causes waiting waiting is hope and trust lengthned out We have many excellent phrases to set out this acting of the soul I will use them promiscuously As first of staying secondly of resting thirdly of leaning fourthly of waiting fifthly of rolling our selves upon God And all these forms of words and expressions come to one end to wit that goodness and perfection of all things is to be trusted and relyed upon And according to the great mistery of Father Son and Spirit we must look upon God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses to them 2 Cor. 5.19 Thus have we found a midle person a Mediatour to bring perfection and emptines together For supream perfection doth abhor such as we are by sin but our nature is made lovely to God in Christ and Gods exactnes and perfection is very dreadfull he is a consuming fire but now it is made lovely to us in Christ Who hath made up the vast gulf between God and man And now remember my Text I will make all my goodnes passe before thee Do but consider goodnes and perfections in creatures grace and holines sweetnes of affection power and wisdome c. And then abstract imperfections in your understanding incident to the best of men consider that in men there be but beams and sparkles of goodnes no not in the best But in God fullnes which is peculiar to him And to help us to close with him let us thinke upon his incommunicable attributs those glorious singularities as one calls them which cannot be imputed to men He is infinitely eternally and immutably Good He is a gratious God a loving God a powerfull God a wise God c. He is a God do but consider that And lastly further to draw us to put on this all in all and to close with him Consider for your ever lasting comfort that Gods goodnes and perfections are become fatherly We must looke upon him under that sweet relation of a father when we have occasion to make use of him And both these considerations are wrapped up excellently in that preface or introduction Math. 6.9 Our father which art in heaven Remember both and resigne up your selves to his will and trust in him Thus we should strenghen our faith by this perfection of God made usefull for us in the hands of a mediatour It is not enough for me to beleeve the soveraignty of God's will that whatsoever he pleaseth that he doth that the will of God is the necessity of a thing and so to see the perfection of his power but also to know that his will is holy just and good and that he intendeth my good in all that befalleth me and that his will is ever more most wise guided by counsell that he is a God of judgment and therefore to say the will of the Lord be done not only patiently but faithfully kissing the good rod with which he whips us trusting him for his skill and not calling at any time his good will to us into question Alwaies to put our ready fiat to Gods placet out of assurance that no hurt shall befall us that he can hinder because he is our father And that he can hinder all things whatsoever because he is in heaven Thus I have indeavoured to teach you to climbe Jacobs ladder and to hold fast as you are going up to your Father in heaven through Jesus Christ and so much for this Vse and also of this first Doctrine That perfection is an attribute of God I come to the Second That this naturall goodnesse or perfection is a communicable attribute In this sence at least in part it is said Ecclesiastes 7.29 God hath made man upright or perfect or good 2. Prop. or Doct. It is true in one sence Adam quickly lost that goodnes which God gave him in his creation to witt the conformity of the powers of his soule to Gods most holy will but as yet as a creature he continued good and all other creatures are good as they are creatures Faln Angels faln men do keep that essential goodnes which God gave them in the creation And that all creatures are good it is evident Gen. 1.31 And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good And from the 119. Psalme and the 96. verse where David
may so expresse it evinceth this to be true that the Lord our God is holy And thus we may say the will of God the actings of God are conformable to the eternall law of God but yet the holines of God is of a far higher consideration then the holines of men or angles For the will of God and his actings are not to be thought to be conformable in an accidentary manner to an eternal law but essentially and from within himself not by diverse or various vertues but by his essence as it commeth under the consideration of a will he is holy even as the same one infinite essence comming under the consideration of a mind is said to be most wise yea wisdome it selfe so that is as it were the ordering of Gods actions according to his understanding which is called the holines of God There was never a wise action or word in the world but it came out of Gods head nor never a good right or holy action but came out at his heart Again whereas the eternal law doth spring from the divine essence which as it is the first originall of all entitative perfections so also of all morall perfection and of all the rectitude of the affection and conversation It then appeareth that as holines in men and Angles doth stand in conjunction with God in affection so God most conjoyned to himself both by nature and by the affection of love must needs be exactly holy according to the saying in the schools Amor Dei est sanctitate The love of God is holines because in men it ariseth from the knowledge of his excellency which draws their souls to God Now therfore no creature can be holy as God is because no man doth know God as he knows himself You know the saying ignoti nulla cupido of a thing unknown there is no desire The reason we love God no more is because we know him no better All our want of love to God flows from our ignorance of him he is holy among men that loves God most and he will love more then others that hath a greater knowledge of God then others God knows himselfe and loves himself and this is his holines Yea he so adhears to himselfe that he will cast downe all things rather then suffer his honour to be abased Lastly in the application of the acceptation of the word holines to God you must know that holines standeth in puritie of soule free from all contagion and spot of sin therefore God is holy in himself without regard to an eternal law to be measured by There is the holines of obeying a law and the holines of being a law There is a created holines and an uncreated holines There is a regulating holines and a regulated holines Holines in man is a compleate conformitie to the will of God but in God there is a compleate essentiall will and an essentiall freedom from the least spot of sinne In Christ as man was an exact conformitie and submission to his father wil even contray to his creaturely will But in God there is much more for he essentially is holy and therefore cannot be measured by a law By this time you perceive I trust what holines is which is an attribute of God yet for further Discovery of God unto you I will speake of the diverse wayes that God is said to be holy distinctly properly and perentically so as none but him can be so said to be holy as he is Lessius God is said to be holy five manner of waies according to the doctrine of the schooles First Radically because the devine nature is the first root and originall fountaine of all sanctitie and puritie For from the essence of God in our manner of conceiving things both the eternall law and all love in God of himself and all purity called by some the chastity of God doth flow and come Schaerpius For although there be not in God a priority of nature in any regard yet we must conceive in him a prioritie of order To clear up this by familiar instances or similitudes though the beames of the sun be assoone in in nature as the sun yet we must account the sunne to be the radicall cause of those beames So also assoone as there is fire there is light and heate yet is the fire in order to be conceived before either of them And so now you may see my meaning when I say holines is radically in God I meane the essence of God is the radicall cause roote and fountain of that holines which is in God As God the sonne hath alwaies been the sonne of God and begotten from everlasting and is called the wisdome and word of God So upon the same account the holy Ghost is the love and holines of the Godhead and divine essence and so proceedeth from the father and the sonne this helpeth us to discerne some what of the great mystery of the Trinitie And so although not the same truth yet a truth like unto this would I hold forth in this Doctrine of radicall sanctitie Secondly God is objectively holy because he is the object of all holines For not only it is true of the holines of angels men but even of the holines of God that it is placed in the love of and conjunction with God God is the supream of all things and most simple and pure and the cheifest purity is in cleaving to him and purity is holines or the chastity of God therefore God is holy objectively as the measure of all holines and the fit object of selfe love For as in men impurity commeth by touching things below as when our faces are soule or our garments dirty And in our soules there is defilement by cleaving inordinatly to the world and worldly things so purity springs by acquaintance with things above when our affections do ascend to high and more noble things and do stick to them And so God leaveth to himself and is the object and measure of his own holines Thirdly God is holy exemplarily in manner of a rule or coppy The conformitie of the soule and life of man to the eternal law is true holines such conformity is in God to himself and law though not because it is his law which is the rule of holines Fourthly formally God is holy he cleaves to himselfe who is most pure and is therefore formally holy God is the love of himselfe this is his holines and because he loveth himselfe infinitely as he is lovely infinitly therefore he is infinitely holy Yea God in the love of all his creatures is holy Psalme 145 17. He is holy in all his workes 1. He loves them for his own sake Sanctum esse est amare Deum et gloriam ipsius in omnibus procurare To be holy is to love God and to seeke his glory in all things And so he is holy in all his workes And Secondly he is holy in all his works because
God will no further look upon us then we perfectly aime at his glory in every thing what would become of us had we not a Christ Seeing selfe ends will so mingle themselves with one best performances have we not cause to blesse God for Jesus Christ 't is our duty and let it be our practice to blesse God for Jesus Christ To Summe up all Holy men have holy minds their holy minds are fixed upon God The will word and workes of God and Christ are coppyes before their eies and lastly holy men ayme at Gods glory and not themselves for they are swallowed up in God and know whom they have believed therefore I commend in all these respects God to be eminently and causally holy Now le ts come to make some use and application of this truth Vses of the Attribute of holinesse in God that the Lord our God is holy that holines is an attribute of Gods And first by way of information it teacheth us that holines is not to be contemned nor such as labor after it is not to be set light by nor holy persons despised Wo therefore to those that despise holy persons this must needs be an heynous offence why Sirs what do ye mean Holines is an attribute of God and can that be base or despicable which God takes and makes to be one of his owne attributes one of his names which must not be taken in vaine much lesse not trampled upon Are such to be blamed that desire to be like God to be holy as their father which is in heaven is holy what horrible wickednesse is this to mock at holy people as to twit them with holinesse is to mock at God those that do so are like unto such wretched servants in a house as will dog and misuse a childe in the family because it is like his father whom they yet take wages off and live by and can not live with out little do men think to what a pitch of sinfulnesse their carriage this way doth amount unto though many think it nothing to mock at holy people yet is it a very great sinne And yet what is more in disgrace then holynesse who more despised then pure and holy soules Oh these are your pure folkes these are the holy sect and the like scoffing speeches If a man do but looke towards the wayes of holynes he is streightway had in derision by prophane people How do parents abuse their owne children even among us in this place if they do but looke towards Sion and even weep for mad Alas poore soules Oh that I had but bowells to pitty you as there is cause Do ye know what ye do Let me tell you yee mock at that which must be in your selves or ye shall not see God Heb. 12.14 and holynesse without which no man shall see the Lord yea ye mock at that without which ye cannot serve the Lord. Josh 24 19. Ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God c. Such as despise holynesse cannot serve God so this is the first use If you should have thoughts of indignation against people because they be holy ye would plainly declare that ye are none of Gods servants none of his worshippers and as first I said that ye shall not see his face in mercy so much for that they that labour to be holy are not to be condemned nor holynesse which is an attribute of God contemned Secondly If holinesse be an attribute of God then it further Vse 2 teacheth us that God must needs like of holinesse and delight in holy persons For all Gods attributes are pleasing to him and this being one of them he must needs take pleasure in this This clearly follows where God doth finde but a sparkle of himself he must delight necessarily in it because of his holiness as hath been abundantly manifested in the foregoing part of this discourse he runs with joy to his the workmanship of his own spirit And this is not onely a Use of information but of comfort also exceeding great comfort to those that are taken out of this widâ— world and set into Christ the root of Jesse the root of holinesse The spirit of glory and of God resteth on you saith the Apostle Peter 1 Epist c. 4.14 which may rejoyce under their reproaches for the name of Christ when a soul loves God and is seeking to set up his glory this is matter of great joy because they are partakers of his holinesse O well shall it be with such and happy shall they be Psal 128.2 The Apostles Acts 5.46 Departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name And so may all holy ones be their outward condition what it will Vse 3 Thirdly Such as would become acceptable to God must labour to become holy persons for this is that which the Lord calleth for Lev. 11.44 45. and cap. 19.2 Ye shall be holy for I am holy this is that the Lord calleth for from all persons nothing will give him content but this you know the saying likenesse makes love And here it takes place if you will have God to love you you must labour to be like him Nothing will please him but holinesse if you would give the fruit of your body for the sin of your soul yet that will not give him content But ye must be holy the reason is given because the Lord your God is holy Be exhorted therefore to labour for holinesse To move you consider first the excellency of this grace Motives to labour for holines it is of the divine nature it is most excellent The excellency of a thing will make a man to labour for it excellent things are the objects of wise mens desires and labours Now there is nothing so excellent as holinesse for that is to be like God And therefore why do ye spend your money for that which is not bread and for that which will not profit you but is vain and like a shadow Riches get wings and flie away labour therefore for that which when once you have will never forsake you in life or death or judgment And therefore the excellency herof thus considred should never let us be quiet til we have gotten some evidence that we have in some measure attained unto this holines even holines which is one of Gods attributes Secondly consider this too holines is a thing which every man is without There is not so much as one sparkle of holines in any man by nature for we are wholy defiled with sin Ever imagination of the thoughts of mans heart is only evil continually Gen. 6 5. How can man be cleane that is borne of a Woman Job 25.4 the interrogation there is a vehement negation How can that is it cannot be But we are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnes are as filthy rags Isaiah 64.6 There is none righteous no not one there is
to provocations ye cannot provoke God as ye do men Marke friends Though the Scripture say 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie and the word be used in many places of provoking God yet the Lord is never provoked properly as provocation can hang upon him For provocation argues mutation but God is alwaies the same Gods spirit cannot be brought to a distemper by all the wickednesses in the world All the blasphemy posible of men and Devils cannot raise a storme in the breast of God Fury is not in him And when God is said to be provoked to be angry to be furious and the like these things are spoken of God by way of allusion to men as it is in assertions of Gods eies hands and eares and the like not that God hath either passion or affection soule or limbe or member or body In allusion I say to men For as provoked men to revenge affronts wrongs and injuries So when God findes men in sinne though he be of a calme spirit and a good God Yet he causeth sorrows to fall on the wicked and unto all eternitie shall workers of iniquitie be tormented Yet this will be true for ever that God is good to all though men be damned What is this kindnes to send people to hell We may say to God is this thy kindnesse to thy creature Quest I answer It doth not belong to the goodnes of God which I am now speaking of to send people to hell Ans but it is an act of justice proceeding from his holines and puritie But it hath no smell in God of passion or anger or revenge or ill-will to the creature All which things are farre from Gods essence who is immutable perfection and with whom is no variableness neither shadow of during James 1.17 Reas 3 Thirdly God must needs be infinitely good because he neither carketh or careth for himselfe as vain men do who thereby are hindered from doing good to others O say they we may give so long that we may lake our selves I say God is under no such feare sith he is an ocean of goodnes and perfection and omnipotent and wanteth no sufficency Gen. 17.1 I am God alsufficient Saith he to Abraham And Fourthly it cannot stand with the alsufficiency of Gods essence to have it and not to dispence it He is alsufficient Reas 4 every way as well in goodnes as in power aswell in readines to do good as in abilitie I say Gods alsufficiency sets him a work to put himselfe out for the good of the creature above all that we can aske or think He is kind unto the unthankefull and to the evill Luke 6.35 He endureth with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 Surely then for the first Use no man alive hath cause to complaine of God as if he wanted a good disposition Vse T is true there is much murmuring against God in the world under the title of fortune when affliction sicknesse poverty is upon people But for remedy we should know that sinne is the cause of all evill Do away thy sinne and God will quickly do away the evill thou liest under Blessings must needs come upon us and overtake us if we shall harken unto the voice of the Lord our God Deut. 28. verses 1.2 c. And curses for the contrary ver 15. c. It is impossible God should take displeasure against any without a cause The Lord is righteous in all his waies Ps 145.17 And we should for further remedy in the second place rather admire goodnes in our worst condition sith the attribute of justice and power must take place too Lamen 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Soules conflict p. 425. In the worst time saith Dr. Sibs there is a presence of God with his children When we are at the lowest yet it is a mercy that we are not consumed we are never so ill but it might be worse with us whatsoever is lesse then hell is undeserved Thirdly We are to know that if we be Saints those evills that befall us which seem to crosse this Doctrine of the infinitenesse of Gods goodnes do very much establish it For affliction befal the Saints from the depth of goodnes in God Not only upon such an ordinary account as we reade Psalmes 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Wherin two notable uses are expressed of afflictons to wit to reduce the Saints from their straying and to make them more exact in their conversation But I say further ver 75. I know Lord that thy judgments are right and that thou in faithfullnes hast aflicted me From faithfulnes that no good thing shall be withheld that may make us eminently hapy here hereafter In great goodnes was Joseph so afflicted and Job and Daniel cast into the Lyans den that they might be prepared for great honours and employments and also great discoveries of God It is much and sweete to an afflicted soule to see a token of the Lords love upon him and a signe of his being received into Sonship Heb. 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth But more to see faithfulnes power in great deliverances out of great straites out of the Lions den out of the Whales belly to carry through the red Sea rather then to leave to Pharaohs pride and crueltie But yet I have a great deale more to say of the wonderfull goodnes of God to some choise ones whom he fiteth in the furnace of great sorrows for great employments and enjoyments of himselfe in the creature here even in this life Vse 2 For the next use heere is a good ground of encouragement for all sinners and distressed souls to come to God For the Lord is good And if ye cannot tell what to say I will teach you a prayer which David taught me Psalme 17.7 Show thy marvellous loving kindnes O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them Ye may have much comfort in the consideration of Gods abundant goodnes whether it be that our sinns be very great or our sorrows even as it were hellish God gives much good with much goodnes to his people He gives all with all his heart he makes every step to them in blood and yet in delight parts withall to enrich them Lockier or our condition never so obscure great sinners hath God received great sorrows hath God removed and beggars from the dunghell hath God advanced And for such as have tasted the blood of Christ in their meat and drink and weare cloathes died therein and have all their salvations and comforts swiming to them on the streames of the blood of God Let them say that the Lord is good to the lowest Saint affliction is but the pulling
be studied as a text Math. 13 3◠readines to forgive earnestnes frequency in prayer and hath left a rule or forme full of heavenly glory and exactnes not to be used as a charm but to be studied as a text Besides to conclude this particular how did he open his mouth in Parables and utter darke sayings which had beene kept secret from the foundation of the world But let us come to a third effect of mercy And that is the giving of this our Saviour to be as it were a Coppy for all good life the very living and walking law of the most high God A compendium of all those morrals that ever were in the mind of God to be done even from everlasting Learne of me saith Christ Would ye live exactly learne of Christ Be zealous as he was zealous The zeal of Gods house did even eat him up John 2.17 And his Disciples remembred that it was written the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up you know it was upon his driving the buyers sellers out of the Temple Be meeke and lowly as he was he bids you learne of him Math. 11.29 We must learne both of these Many pretend to be zealous as Christ was but they have not his meekenes And so some pretend to write after his meekenesse but want zeale But we must looke upon Christ and imitate him in doing the whole will of his Father Demonstration and practice is an excellent way of teaching Now Christ doth not only teach us what to do but he doth it before us There is scarse any particular duty that God requires but we have a president in Christ a sampler to work by As for children that have a precept to honour their parents you know in Christ they have a patterne Luke 2.51 And he went downe with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them And so for obedience to magistrates And so for suffring in the cause of truth and religion he was as a lambe dumbe before the shearer And so also for the Church he made no schisme or rent He was circumcised went unto the feasts joyned in publicke worship and did not rent himselfe from the Jewish Church though it laboured under many corruptions And therefore have a care how ye slight any thing that ye see Christ was ready to performe What can ye wish to have a warrant for that ye may not find in this Coppy Modesty Gravity Sobriety Affability circumspection in words and deeds benignity compassion mercy conformity to order devotion humility any thing every thing that is required in the holy law of God We have many vaine talkers whose mouth must be stopped because they are evill doers as well as vaine talkers This is a rare effect of Mercy in God who well knew that our eies are more upon examples then our eares attent to precepts and therefore hath provided a notable one for us Fourthly Another effect of mercy is freedom from sinne divers waies for First though we are not free from being sinners yet we are free and exempted from having the guilt of sinne charg'd upon us O how sweete is this unto such as ly under the sense of sinne And Secondly freed we are by the mercifull hand of God from sinning with a full and free consent of will In this sence is it said 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne It is true also that if any man say he hath no sinne 1 John 1.18 he deceiveth himselfe and the truth is not in him This therefore is to be understood of liking sinne and lying in sinne Peccatum quod repugnat divinae bonitati est summum malum But behold this great mercy of God towards us that whereas sinne which is the greatest evill because it is contrary to Gods goodnes and holines and calleth for eternall sufferings and likewise containeth in it unspeakable deformitie and sinfulnes A just satisfaction is given in the divine person of the Son of God and in mercy also the seeds are sown of another frame of spirit in all that shall be saved Whence comes a fifth effect and gift of mercy to wit Freedome from eternall death and destruction and a rescuing us from the gulfe of that bottomlesse Barathrum a freeing us from fiery Tophet The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternal life of which particular I will speak Rom. 6.23 when I come to it But now behold mercy in delivering us from so great a death Do but believe that what the Scriptures say of hell fire is true and ye must needs say that to be freed from that place or state must needs be an unspeakable yea an inconceivable mercy O when a man can say though I must dy yet I shall not be damned Though the pit of the grave shut her mouth upon me yet the pit of hell is by mercy shut against me what an unspeakable mercy is this Truly Bretheren if to be freed from hellish misery Perpende quid sit esse in illo teterrimo carcere in illis horendis tenebris semotum ab omne luce ab omni creaturorum amoenitate ab omni solatio in summis omnium sensuum cruciatibus in acerrimis illis incendijs ibi torreri ibi ardere idque non unum diem non unum annum non centum annos non mille non centum annorum millia sed infinitos annorum milliones quamdiu stabit orbis quam diu vivet Deus absque ulla spe liberationis absque ulla daberum intermissionem Lessi de div perfect Pag. 118. which is so intollerable so everlasting be a mercy then we must needs see that the Lord our God is a mercifull God The misery we were liable unto is imense and incomprehensible and therefore that mercy must be infinite by which that misery is taken away And this is done to our hand by our mercifull high priest who by the infinite dignitie of his person hath matched that eternitie of our torments which we should have layen under by his once suffring death upon the Cross for us Sixthly Proceede we to the grace of adoption whereby we are become the very sons and daughters of this mercifull God Adoptio est distinctus beneficium à condonatione peccati This is destinct from the former For as when a Prince that hath pardoned a Malefactor and given him his life shall not content himselfe therewith but besides pardoning the injury freeing from the punishment bloting out the infamy shall also take such a one to be his sonne and give him right and power to raign this would tend much to the declaration of his noble mercy So is it with us in this effect of mercy We shall not only be freed from wrath but be taken into Gods family Now to the further consideration of this adoption of sonnes foure things would be looked upon First The state God hath taken us from Secondly The state to