much every whit arise from their confusion as from their salvation the hurt is their own not his And now to shew you how the dumb and deaf creatures sing praise to God as God demanded of Iob when he thought as we that man onely praises God Iob 38. 7. saith God Where wert thou when the morning Stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy God says there they Shouted and Sung did not you heat them did they not sing and shout in your ears it is no matter they did in his and to him they sang melodiously and Aloud and he understands their voice and their language though we understand not how they do praise him As in a tree it is the nature thereof to grow and flourish in the spring and in Autumn the leaves fall and the sap returns to the root Gods will is as well accomplished in this tree as in a man for these visible creatures were made of invisible and that which is invisible praised him before and that praises him still for all the creatures the Sun Moon and Stars yea the whole Creation they all sing sweetly and make a melodious praise wherein he is infinitely delighted as Psal. 19. The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth sheweth his handy-work And the Song of the three Children O all ye works of God bless the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever There is in all these dumb and insensible and unreasonable creatures A proper kind of Religion God gives to every one according to their place degree nature and calling A Talent and accordingly he will require of them again if he gives the gift of prophesie we must prophesie according to the measure of faith as in the University we do not expect those parts and abilities in young beginners and Sizars that we expect in those that are of longer standing Then by the way it is no wonder though God give to those that sit at the Helm of his Church more eminent and larger gifts then he gives to those that are below in lower offices I may say even these unreasonable creatures have a Religion in their way according to Gods will We see God ascribes moral vertues to them As in the Proverbs Go to the Pismire thou sluggard she provideth in summer for the Winter in Isai. 1. 3. The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters crib but my people have not known me saith the Lord and in the Evangelists it is He rebuketh the windes and sea and they Obey him Here are moral vertues in them care and providence in the Pismire thankfulness in the Ox and Ass to them that feed them we see they will acknowledge their owner and there is obedience even in the Seas Nay every Creature doth its duty but onely MAN We will now also see if we can find out their Religion Religion consists of four parts All Religion I say may be reduced to four heads The first is A Creed what we are to believe 2. A Petition what we are to pray for 3. A Decalogue what we are to do And Lastly A Sacrifice what we are to give Now let us see how all these are competible to all these creatures First For their Creed what they believe what faith they have it is true they cannot speak as we do yet they speak in their kind and as they are able We require no more of children then they are able neither doth God of his Creatures and so these creatures do in their kind both speak and believe this is an undeniable maxime That there is a God for who can look upon an effect but he must needs have recourse to the cause there can be no effect without a cause if we see a thing made we know it hath a Maker and if we look upon the creature in this kind as an Effect it plainly speaks a cause so that we can look upon no creature but we must inquire after God There is no attribute ascribed to God but all the creatures speak it and confess it As first to speak of some of his Attributes for instance God is one Simple Essence this unity is testified and declared by the Creatures that God is one and can be no more for if there were more then one Creator of them then the one would destroy confouud and overthrow the other for if they be Two either they must be equal or not equal if they be not equal then the one is greater then the other and the greater will overcome the lesser and if they be equal then there must be bounds and limits set how far the Ones dominion must reach and how far the other but this to affirm is most absurd and ridiculous Secondly They all testifie that God is good and if good and the onely goodness goodness it self then likewise he must be Truth Entity and Being for all these are one Whatever is one is God whatever is truth is God whatever is good is God whatever is Entity and Being is God for in saying he is good or in saying He is any of these He is all these for these are terms convertible if he be good then he is Truth Entity and Being and if he be truth entity and being then he is good these are all one and so of any of the rest And if there be A goodness in the creatures then what is He who is the fountain that gives all these their goodness These are but the Chanels that run from the Fountain and Head but it so falls out in the world and is so common that many yea most men are so taken up with the pleasantness of the streames that come from him that they are drowned in them he gives us these outward comforts that they may draw our eyes to him that bestows them that so we may be in love with him not them But in our way to him we fall in love with the creatures he lets down these cords to draw us up to him we hang our selves with these cords as those that came a woing to Penelope many yea most of them fell in love with the Handmaids that were appointed to lead them to her and so never saw the Mistress So do we fall in love with the servants The Handmaids of God The creatures and we make them The Mistress whereas we should never rest till we come by these servants and Handmaids to the True Mistress indeed God himself Blessed for ever and onely BEAUTIFUL Thirdly God is called Light that is a property â—â—â—buted to him but yet God is not the light we now see but he is that fountain and being from whence it comes and therefore when we behold and see the Sun Moon and Stars and the glorious Firmament we cannot choose but ask whose light is this and they presently tell us Their Belief That they are All The works of His hands There is no creature but testifies the
This is the Shadow of that House of Clay Where dwelt a Soule that richly did Display Such Light of Trueth abroad as did Viseal The Book of God and Hidden Things Reveal But hauing left That House now dwels Aboue In those Bless'd Mansions of pure Light Loue. T. Cross Sculpsit M B THE Gospel-Treasury Opened OR The Holiest of all unvailing Discovering yet more The RICHES of Grace and Glory TO THE VESSELS of MERCY Unto whom onely it is given to know the Mysteries of that Kingdom and the excellency Of SPIRIT above LETTER POWER above FORMS TRUTH above SHADOWS In several Sermons preached at Kensington elswhere By JOHN EVERARD D. D. deceased Whereunto is added the Mystical Divinity of Dionysius the Areopagite spoken of Acts 17. 34. with Collections out of other Divine Authors translated by Dr. Everard never before printed in English 2 Cor. 3. 6. Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life Verse 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect even the hidden wisdom of God in a mysterie London Printed by Iohn Owsley for Rapha Harford at the Bible and States-Arms in Little Brittain 1657. To all those who through the power of Christ in them have attained to esteem it their Wisdom long to be despised accounted Fools by the World 〈◊〉 his sake and the Gospels whose knowledge â—isdome and Guifts hath made them not Great and 〈◊〉 according to the custome of the World but Little yea Nothing in their own esteem who notwithstanding are the True Of-spring of God the Only Right-Wise and Honourable with Him and the Excellent upon Earth TO such only are these Sermons dedicated they knowing what these things mean but not to the Great and wise men of this world For saith our 〈◊〉 All men cannot receive these sayings Mat. 〈◊〉 11. A rich man can hardly enter into the Kingâ—â—me of heaven nor he especialy who is Rich or 〈◊〉 in his own esteem Nay It is easier for a 〈◊〉 or Cable to go through the Eye of a 〈◊〉 Needle then for a Rich man to enter into 〈◊〉 Kingdome of God And saith our Lord 〈…〉 I say unto you Except ye be converted 〈…〉 little Children ye cannot enter therein But whosoever shall humble himself as a littâ—â— child The same saith he mark the word 〈◊〉 no other shall be greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven These onely are they that can Deny theâ— selves in all things and take up their Crosse daâ— ly following their Lord and Master in the samâ— path he hath trod out before them being 〈◊〉 with his own Baptisme they wait upon 〈◊〉 as his serâ—ants and covet to be like him In all his afflictions reproches and death 〈◊〉 meek how lovely how courteous how 〈◊〉 how amiable how gratious was he 〈◊〉 all his behaviour How ready to pardoâ— and pray for his enemies There was no guile founâ— in his mouth He never reproached the vildest sinner how patient meek and loving was he 〈◊〉 them how did he pitty and tender them anâ— weep over them because they were so fast bounâ—â— in Satans chains Only he fell very foul on the 〈◊〉 and dissembling Outside Religion of thâ— Pharisees their gilded seemingly Holy outsides He could never endure Because though therâ— was an unreproveable and glorious outside yâ— within nothing but Stenches rottenness and 〈◊〉 bones like unto gilded and stately Sepuâ—â—chers without but within all manner of rottenâ—ness and loathsome Stenches And he chose raâ—ther to keep company with the grossest sinner the Publicans rather then with these Because themselves and others had so high an esteem of them and thought them righteous by reason of their grave and demure outsides to make others believe it was so or rather better within when it was quite otherwise He sought not Himself nor his own glory but the glory of his Father He endured the Cross despised the shame His life was to go about doing good even to his enemies He would gladly have done good to the proud Pharisees but they could not endure him because he did not reverence and admire them as others did but dishonour them and discover their nakedness and loathsome insides Those that are his servants they in their measure strive to follow their Master in all good things They have the same spirit Full of meekness and tenderhartedness to all Free and ready to do good they love all creatures for his sake they can see no creature in want but their bowels Yearn to help them being much troubled if they have not wherewith to supply their wants These indeed like their Master can Welcome the Crosse yea kisse the Crosse every day and expect bearing of the Crosse in every thing they do whether they be Actions Civil or Spiritual in their Almes or Charities to men or their religious Worship and duties to God They in all bear the Crosse alwaies about them Therefore that of the Papists to me is a pretty Embleme of these mens lives in this regard though they abuse it in an external outward foolish and Superstitious way but the Morral and signification to this purpose is by some very aptly applyed Viz. Every thing they have to do with or what ever they begin or go about The Crosse The Crusifix as they call it must be made upon it when they rise or when they go to bed or whatever they do they will not forget that so is it very truly and really applyed to these men And the more they esteem themselves Blessed for the Papists think themselves Blessed by doing it externally and the fewer Crosses they use the more they think are their curses But in this sence I am sure t is a real truth That these Self-denied Little-Ones know by experience then whom for any to offend it were far better for him That a Milstone were hanged about his neck and sunk headlong to the bottome of the Sea That the more of the Crosse they bare they reckon they are the more Rich the more Happy This taking up the Crosse and Denial of themselves they account it their Life their Portion their Inheritance their Blessing their Crown yea indeed their Heaven upon Earth As for all the things of this world they sit as loose to them as Elijaâ—'s Mantle which as he Ascended fell from him to the Earth to which it belonged These Souls they willingly and freely have departed from the love of this World and expect no love from it but rather Hatred but they having found the Pearl of great price of invalluable price they slight all Sell All for this Pearl For they have resolved and concluded in their souls in good earnest as it is Prov. 4. Wisdome is the principal thing therefore say they I must what ever I
adore and worship thee and thee I will serve saith another Profit thou art my God thee I will please and obey Thus if you will examine your selves punctually and particularly you cannot deny but must confess that you have worshipped and served other Gods And thou mayest truly complain and say O Lord Other Lords besides thee have ruled over me Though Reason will excuse and defend it self yet hear God speak in thee hear what His well-beloved Son saith in thee and confess that thou art as the truth is Guilty of the breach of this Commandement and that the reward of sin is death hell and eternal damnation and this confession from the heart and from a true sight is a sure means and way that thy spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus This sight of thy spiritual thraldom and being delivered over to Sathan is that thy Spirit may be saved and that thy flesh may be crucified And so you might go over all the Commandments and try your selves by them as hereafter I may have time and if you do but thus examine your selves you will never complain of want of Catechizing But for this time the time hath cut me off SERMON VI. ROM 8. 17. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together THis is the sixth hour I have spoken to you out of these words Many men may think themselves exempted from suffering with Christ because they do not suffer as Christ did viz. In Disgrace Buffeting Spitting upon Poverty Whipping Crucifying c. For As a Lamb dumb before the shearer so opened He not his mouth Therefore I defined a condition to you wherein every one may claim a part in his sufferings and that was in Phil. 2. 6 7. He Emptied himself And he Humbled himself Phil. 2. 6 7. And I told you If we suffer never so much if we suffer not on This foundation we do not suffer with Christ And if we do suffer from these two then if we suffer never so little we do suffer with him Nay if these two foundations be laid It matters not whether we be called to suffer in the former cases or no so we have but a readiness and a fit disposition and willingness to suffer therein also if God please but suffering in these two respects In Emptying our selves and humbling our selves as Christ did we do suffer with Christ and shall Reign with him For all other sufferings let them be what they will are nothing to these or without these yea the external and bodily torments of hell are below these sufferings It may be we are far from the sufferings of our neighbours in Germany in the other sufferings yet if we have suffered in these Two we have suffered beyond them if they have not suffered in these kindes All the Tyrants in the world cannot invent Tortures comparable to these sufferings The last day we came to handle one of those six steps that lead up to this Throne of Solomon The first was Condemnation of our selves The second Annihilation The third For saking all The fourth Indifferency to all conditions That is to be as willing to have pain as ease as willing to have want as plenty foul weather as fair bad report as good report that we can as well bless God for evil as for good Enough can say blessed be his name for good things God hath given me health Oh! blessed be his name God hath given me wealth God hath given me a good year of increase God hath sent fair weather to get in my crop Oh! blessed be his name God hath given me the life of my wife or the life of my children Oh! blessed be his name God hath given me many goodly and happy children that are a comfort to me in my old age Oh! blessed be his name Every one can bless God for these things And what great things do ye Do not Heathens and Hypocrites the same saith our Lord. But where is the man that when God hath taken away any of these things can say as heartily Blessed be his name that when God hath taken away his dear wife that when God hath taken away his hopeful child he can say Blessed be the name of the Lord God hath taken away my credit God hath taken away my wealth taken away my health yea all yet blessed be his name Thou mayest say so in words but what saith thy heart doth that say so The fifth was Conformity to Christ. And the last Deiformity when we are captivated and have given up our selves and delivered up into the will of God and all our members presented unto God A living Sacrifice Holy and Acceptable unto God that we no longer do any thing but it is God that doth all in us while we do it All Attain not to the same measure in these as I told you before but all must attain to the same desire and affection to come to these The first is Condemning our selves Iudge your selves and ye shall not be judged Beloved consider what it is that makes us afraid when we come to dye and to leave all our dear friends behind us when that hour comes that we have bur three Deep Groanes or sighs to fetch to cool our languishing heart And then to give up the Ghost I say What makes you afraid then to go out of this body and to leave the world behind you Is it not because you and the world have made a league together and you esteem it so dear a friend as you can have no better Answer me seriously Is it not because you are afraid the Comforts hereafter are not comparable to the Comforts here but would you escape this fear would you escape this judgement then you must ascend these six steps The first whereof is To condemn our selves Let your selves pass first under this judgement Iudge your selves and ye shall not be judged But you will say This Office belongs to Christ To judge as in Acts 10. 42. He is Appointed to be judge of quick and dead What have I do to enter upon the office of Christ All judgement is committed to the Son John 5. 22. To which we Answer It is true that whosoever is truly judged it is Christ that judges him for no man will condemn himself will reason judge Reason or will think you Lucifer cast out Lucifer will Belzebub cast out Belzebub will devillish practises condemn devillish practises You are not so senseless to think so It is true you say in our ordinary speech and you have it at your fingers end we must judge our selves and we mâ—st condemn our selves but as I said it can never be expected that Belzebub and Lucifer and Antichrist will condemn themselves he can â—ver suffer his Kingdom to be divided he knows then he cannot stand There be as I told you three sorts of men The Carnal The Reasonable And The Spiritual Man I am carnal
commend unto us Himself 1 In regard He is the Father of all Fathers the onely and true Father of all And 2 Because Fathers and Mothers are dear to us and tender towards us but He is more tender over us therefore He ought to be 〈…〉 to us then any other and Him we ought 〈◊〉 honour and obey before them and above 〈◊〉 he that honours obeys and loves them oneâ—â— hath obeyed the Letter but he hath not smitten this City he hath not married Achsah Then come to the sixth Commandement Many think if they can but wash theiâ— hands from blood so that they have killed no man they think they have kept this Commandment but if withall they have not murthered their brother in their heart nor bore no malice to no man nor wished anâ— hurt to No man and yet in this who can say Hiâ— heart is free and if any have gone thâ—s far theâ— think themselves upright in obedience to thiâ— Commandement But this I must tell you is but the Letter iâ— you go no further you have not smitten Kiriathsepher and taken it But true and Real murther iâ— that which is fatal to the soul and that is the murther of God How what say you Sir Murther God We murther God God forbid Yes I le tell you what I mean and you shall confess it God complains as I told you before that we have loaden him as a cart is loaden with sheaves ye have so pressed him down under your sins that he cannot rise and again the Apostle saith Ye have crucified to your selves the Son of God afresh and this you do when you Hate God And that is whensover ye apprehend not God Merciful and good to you in whatever he doth to you I must tell you you then Hate God If at any time You apprehend God hurts you you cannot love him for it but you Hate him and this is true and Reall murder with God as well as when you hate your brother you are Man-slayers 1 Ioh. 3. 15 and that you will not deny neither can you deny this as much as lyes in you You Murder God For this is a certain rule No man can love Evil as t is Evil to him and every man loves good as he finds it good to him So long as we apprehend any thing to be an evil to us and for our hurt we cannot love it but do so long Hate it As David in all his Psalms praises God For His Mercy for his Goodness and for His loving-kindness whatever it be that comes under any other apprehension we hate it resist it fight against it But David He praised God for his afflictions for corrections even when God made him to smart but that was never till he found kindness and mercy in it and that he saw it was good for him if any thing come upon us that we cannot account a mercy to have it so we cannot praise God for it If we think when God hath taken away any thing we enjoy be it wife children friends health liberty houses lands or any thing else that we prize and love if we think this evil to us So long we can never praise God for it if we do not Account What ever falls to us a mercy and be glad of it yea a greater mercy to want what we desire then to have it this man so far hates God He that murmurs and thinks That God at any time doth not well nay doth not alwayes the best this man hates God This was that sin that God so Hated and punished in the Israelites That they would be wiser then God and they would teach him the path of wisdom and shew him the way of understanding still they were a murmuring and finding fault with what God did as if he were not so wise as they When the Poor POTSHERDS of the earth will contend with the Almighty And for the Pot to stand up against the Potter and say why hast thou made me thus When we Poor Creatures Poor Crawling Wormes the best of us compared with God shall take upon us to control the wisdome of him who is wisdom it self Oh! sayes one There is such a Heavy thing fallen out Oh! sayes another God hath not done well in this Oh! if he would have heard my prayers in that I could have told Him How he might have done better then he hath done and I wish it had fallen out otherwise Oh friends Oh friends this is no other then to do what lies in us to throw the Almighty out of his throne How ordinary is this every where Even among those that profess religion The greatest and chiefest End and Ayme of their prayers is to counsel and direct God Nay though ye will not own these things yet if these things be examined to the bottom this is the plain English he hath done this contrary to my will and thou doest not govern well in this thou doest not rule well in that thou mightest have taken My counsel at such time and in such a thing this is the language and the plain English of many yea of most of your prayers Even of great Professors Oh poor Nothings poor Grashoppers Thus to lift up your selves against Him who is so transcendently Wise Holy and good Thou thinkest much If thy servant that is as it were thy Equal in some regards the same flesh and blood with thee That he should contend and censure thy Actions And Seemeth this A small thing in your eyes to control and Direct and Censure the Wisdom of the Almighty Oh Beloved All things of this nature express Hatred of God Let me tell you one thing there is no man that when he looks upon All providences round about him within him and without him Above him below him that cannot say from his heart He hath done all things well I say if he cannot in every thing set this down for a Maxime and a firm undeniable truth that he hath done all things well very well Else he cannot from his heart alwayes and in Every thing give thanks as the Apostle commands A true resigned man can say freely and heartily He hath done All thing well In taking away my friends from me In removing my dear wife He hath done All things well In taking away my health In taking away my good name And if so If he have done Aâ—â— things well nay all things so much for the best as the very wisdom of a God could do then why art thou displeased with him why doest thou once dare to lift up One murmuring thought againâ—t Him thou prayest dayly thy will be done or at least shouldest do so why then doest thou Repine when his will is done either towards thee O thine or in the world or to his own people or to the Church of God or to the Enemies of God But beloved I well know what your manner is to excuse All under dainty fine
so In-stil this Wisdom and Fâ—igned Goodnese into the Nature of Adam that the Serpents Seed and Wâ—rd was in Adam made a corporal Man So that now the same thing may be said of them both And as they that are born of God and in whom the word of God is made Man or Flesh are called Gods and One Spirit with God so all men being Sprung of flesh and bloud before they be Born again and before they are Planted into Christ and Born of the Spirit are justly called Devils and the Devils Children and off-spring Therefore that which is Humane onely is evil and that which is Devillish is Humane Again What is the fall of Adam but the wisdom of the flesh and the fruit of the Forbidden Tree What is that Old Dragon that came out of Hell and Drew down from Heaven with himself with his Tail a great part of the Stars of Heaven But onely the wisdom of this Tree Which extols it self against God and would it self be God and place his Seat with the Highest I pray What else Are the thoughts of the flesh What is Sin What Arrogance but the Fruits and Wisdom of this Tree What are the Decrees of all men and the bent of their Reason against God Their Devises Light Books c. but the cunning of the Devil from this Tree Eaten What is all the worship of Idols The false Religion of all the wicked Iews Turks Gentiles Mamalukes and all false Christians What are all their Leagues Conventicles Ceremonies But the Apple of this Tree Which counterfeiting The Tree of Life sheweth to be pleasant fruits but are such as are death it self No man can sufficiently express The general worshipping of Idols wherewith All the corners of the World and the Hearts of men are stuffed How common it is to all men Who is he that Adores not Himself and saith to his Own Hand Reason Knowledge Honesty Art and Wisdom Thou art My God In thee I Hope In thee I Trust They do not I grant say thus with their mouth but their Whole life and their Idolatrizing mind saith as much by their deeds Here Here it is that all Mortal men deny God and testifie it by their works For if they think there be A God why do they not leave Vengeance to God Why are they so Anxiously careful Why do they so exercise mischief and fraud and so deceive one another Why do they make War and Strife right or wrong for mine and thine Why do they so Lye Deceive and Flatter one another Why do they forget God and His sayings making no account of his Commandements Wherefore do they labour Night and Day to Get and Heap up Riches Truly all this is because they believe not That God hath any care of them or will or can Revenge for them And therefore it is necessary that they Help and Revenge themselves Otherwise they might look long enough unto Gods Hand but be overcome and starve before Roasted Geese flye into their mouthes as they say and before he will avenge them on their Enemies And they might be killed ten times over and they might all beg their bread if they will have ought to do with God and truth in good earnest No they must not be wanting to themselves but make their own Markets by Lying Deceiving Cousening and Usury This This they are assured will do them good and inrich them Whereas his commandments would come too late for to Help them and fail them at most need and the Word of God is an insufficient Help in Adversity Therefore it pleaseth them To kiss their own Hand To speak Bigge words And to Admire themselves for who else is Our God saith the Whole world by their Works Of that Great Idol of Mans Wisdom and Knowledge How men kiss their own Hands and the whole world doth diligently Worship Onely it SELF and the works of their Own Hands That is the Inventions Arts Counsels of their own Reason and Wisdom VVHat Other thing is the Worship of Idols Superstition Witchcrast Evil Doctrine and the Ordinances of men Then the Wisdom Reason Inventions Crafts Actions Instincts and Prudence of men Therefore the worshipping of Idols is but to fashion such a form like unto God not according to his word as He Teacheth Figureth and Formeth Himself In us But according to our opinion and Judgement of God Moreover what is sin Other then Our own Will Wisdom Counsel Sown in the mind of Adam and in his posterity by the Seed of the Serpentâ— Consider the Purpose Course Life of All mankind where how thou wilt and it is nothing but Humane wisdom Here Will every man be his Own God Lead Teach Govern Actuate Revenge Defend Excuse Inrich Himself and the like and every mans own Head Will and Reason is instead of A God unto Him Though the sin and fall of Adam be nothing but Humane Affectation of The Cunning Reason and Wisdom of the flesh Which is therefore worthily called by God Folly and Enmity against God yea Death it self and Devillish Wisdom All men ought with Christ to bring Man to nothing and by daily lesâ—ening and depressing Him to make him An Ass A Fool and a Child But now it is clean contrary All men build up The Man that he may prove Wise Glorious and Famous Here are so many Cart-loads of Arts to the end The wretched and unprofitable Man may become Great Eminent Praised and Excellent And may obtain many Places Titles and Names Here young men are purposely inslamed with a desire of Glory that they may not be content to sit in the lower form but may Domineer in the Pulpits and Teaching-places And to the end there are Artificers imployed to make the Scholars Accute Witty Knowing in all kinds of Crafts and Exercises and in all Exercises Arts and Literal Deceits Whereby it appeareth clearer then the Light That the world is contrary An Enemy to God Here Every body Kisseth his own Hands and Adoreth the Wisdom of his own Wit This he accounteth instead of God his Way and Word and indeed which is of all things The greatest and Onely sin and that very fall of Adam And the fountain whence all other sins do flow as Iob confesseth For this is to be obedient and addicted to serve Himself to Admire and Adore Himself to follow his Own will Briefly to be His Own Being glad and willing to be somewhat and to do to Omit and to know somewhat in himself and not to be utterly void of all Name Wâ—ll Work and subject onely to God this is the Onely and most deadly Sin Yea rather the Sink and Mother of all Sin For the Delight Will and Wisdom of the flesh is Death it self and a man is thereby no more profitable better nor religious then a Swine in his death But so far forth as he doth Nothing knoweth Nothing Willeth nothing but bears and suffers and sees God making Holy-day In Him This man
Exod. 14. 9. of the Chariots of new Pharaoh that arose which knew not Ioseph who pursued Israel with Chariots being drowned in the Sea He and all his Chariots And it is said of Solomon that his Chariots were twelve thousand But the greatest number we read of in Scripture is in 1 Chron. 19. 7. were Hanun hired 32000 out of Mesopotamia Syria and Zobah Now I say Chariots were used in two regards As the great men and Princes of the Earth besides that common use for ease they had them either for their state and glory and those were for triumph or else for terror and dreadfulness and those were for warre Some Chariots were drawn with two horses some with 4 some with 6 or else for the more glory they were sometimes drawn with men So also as Chariots were to several ends so they were of divers fashions some were made of wood and some of Iron and some were made with Hooks according to their several uses and Ends for which they were So our great God when he will appear in Triumph or Terror Hath Chariots at command without borrowing buying or hiting c. And these Chariots are in one word HIS CREATURES in which he rides when he pleaseth Either for Glory and Triumph or else Terrour and Battel 1 Triumphant As he is said to be fairer then all Psal. 45. 2. that is there is none like him in mercies and compassions to those he loves Thou art fairer then the children of men therefore Grace is poured into thy lips So he is terrible above all in fury and dreadfulness to those he hates Psa. 66. 5. Come and see the works of the Lord he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men Those are Gods Chariots of Triumph when hâ— rides upon the Cherubims and walks upon the wings of the wind when he is clothed with Majesty and Honour and covereth himself with light as with a garment when he layes the beams of his Chambers in the waters and maketh his spirits Messengers Psal. 104. When he is clothed with Glory and Maâ—esty and cometh forth like a Bridegroom and as the Sun is his Tabernacle Psal. 19. 5. Then we may say O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth who hast set thy glory above the Heavens And as it is here in the 24. vers of this Psalm so we may say They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my God and my King which art in the Sanctuary The Singers go before and the players of Instruments followed after among them were the dâ—msels playing with Timbrels 2 For Terror Let us see which are Gods Chariots for Terror and War as he is fairer then all so he is terrible above all as I said before as he is the God of peace Rom. 16. 20. so he is the Lord of Hosts Psal. 24. 8. God then rides in his Chariots of Terror when he makes darkness his secret place and at the brightness before him thick clouds passed hail-stones and coals of fire The Lord thundered in Heaven and the Most High gave out his voyce Hail-stones and coals of fire Psal. 18. When he rents the Heavens and comes down and causeth the Mountains to flow down at his presence as when the melting fire burneth to cause the waters to boil to make his name known to his Adversaries that the Nations may tremble at his presence when he doth terrible things which they looked not for Isai. 64. 1 2 3. And as in that Psalm 18. v. 26. With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure so with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward That is with those that will be at peace with him he will be â—t peace with them and with those that are at war with him he will be at war with them Yet think not that God changeth But so as it is in a Looking glass you know it represents unto you such shapes as is set before it yet all the change is in your selves not in the glass for the glass is alwayes the same in it self If you frown upon it it will frown upon you if you laugh upon it it will laugh upon you if you hug it it will hug you if you strike it it will strike you if you embrace it it will embrace you if you turn your back upon it it will turn its back upon you Just so it is with our righteous God as a man behaves himself toward him so will he shew himself towards him If we forsake him he will forsake us Chr. 15. 2. If we be stubborn toward him he will be stubborn towards us But if we cleave to him he will cleave to us if we embrace him he will hug and embrace us if we run toward him he will run towards us As you know what the Prodigals father did when he was yâ—t afar off but a coming and returning to his father His father ran to meet him and fell on his neck and kissed him And yet for all this God changes not our God is alwayes the same there is no shadow of change in him but the change is in us And he appears so to us because we are changed but in himself he is not nor cannot be changed but is ever the same like Mount Sion which cannot be moved â— But we go onto our Text The Chariots of God Quest. What are these Chariots of God Answ. Look but round about thee and thou shalt see those innumerable Chariots and Angels here spoken of for so many Creatures as thou seest so many Angels and Chariots of God thou seest they are all his Host they are all his Chariots wherein he rides and whether you see it or no Thâ— Lord is among them as in Sinai in his holy place The glory of the Lord fills them all had we but our eyes open to see it so and they are all at his command and there is no creature but doth his pleasure Oh Brethren how glorious and blessed a thing it is to behold and see that look how many Creatures visible and invisible thou seest or conceivest to be For the soul now to look on them as so many fiery Chariots and Horsmen for its defence and preservation and on the other hand how a fearful a thing it is to fall into the hand of the living God who hath all these Angels and Chariots at his command to execute his will and vengeance on those that hatâ— and oppose him Amos 3. 8. when this Lion roareth who can but tremble when God by any Creature roars against a man and threatens terrour to any one for when the Creature roars and threatens or when it comforts and smiles it is God in it I say who is he then that dare comfort And if God speaks peace to a man what Creature dares nay what Creature can terrifie If God be on our side
delicate or wanton flesh and blood saith is good as to eat Calves out of the stall and Kids out of the flock and then rise up and sing to the sound of the Vial and the Harp Can there be any true comforts in these discomforts which if attained are but vanity and if not attained are vexation of Spirit Teshavah Teshelemoth nay most commonly better not attained then attained because they prove but snares and destructions But here may be applyed that of Sampsons riddle out of the sowre came forth sweet and out of the eater meat therefore O that we could behold the love of God in all conditions Indeed there is nothing happens to the wicked that hath any thing of love in it but if we belong to him how heâ—vy soever the afflictions be or how evil or unjust soever the Instrument be from him it is alwayes just and is in love and intended for our good and the issue shall be sweet just and good Shall then any servant of God grudge at whatever such a Tender father lays upon him we suffer the fathers of our bodies to correct us as the Apostle saith Heb. 12. 9. and we gave them reverence and shall we not much rather be in subjection to the father of spirits and live so verily they for a few dayes chastened us for their pleasure but he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness I might shew you in many things wherein our profit by afflictions ariseth but this is not our point in hand we must return to it that we may end at present and commit you to God And let not me think because there are so many men and creatures in the world in Heaven and in Earth to provide for defend and protect that therefore I shall be neglected or that he hath not Armies and Angels enough to defend me or that thou who ever thou art that trustest in him shalt be neglected no no. To think because Kings and Princes and great Ones have Angels to defend them therefore to doubt there will be none or not enough to mind or to assist me Yea yea fear not he hath Chariots enough to assist all yea all his Creatures in all places in all times through all ages Beloved those sweet Babes the Kings children that now are How pleasant are they they take their sleep their food their play and care for nothing And yet little do they think how many heads must bleed and hearts must ake before their royal persons can be touched but I say they take their play and sleep quietly in their Cradles neither fear nor care toucheth them So my beloved Let the true royal seed of God do so Let all Gods Servants lie down in peace and take their rest and say O Lord thou alone makest me dwel in safety Psal. 4. for their Gods Armies lie round about them and shall make them all dwel safely They cannot be touched or hurt For besides al this that these millions of Angels both in Heaven Earth are their Guard That great General himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is their Saviour Protectour and his Everlasting Arms are under them for evermore But it may be their infirmities and their ignorance wil not let them see it or confess it yet little do they know how many thousand thousands of the Armies of God must be overthrown before Gods people or any one of his children can be touched before ever any one member of Jesus Christ can be hurt for this God as he is great dreadful so he is a God infinite in bowels and compassions who fills and commands all Creatures and all his Armies and Chariots are for their defence relief and protection And therefore from henceforth and for ever let us all cry out in an holy admiration Oh the Heighth Depth Breadth and Length of his Power and Mercy and Loving-kindness 1 HEIGHTH For saith David Psal. 36. Thy Mercy O Lord is in the Heavens and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds Thy righteousness is like the great Mount ains and thy Iudgements are a great deep O Lord thou â—reservest man and beast How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the â—adow of thy wings â—hey shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light we shall see light 2 DEPTH Psal. 86. 13. Great is thy mercy toward me thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell 3 BREADTH Psal. 104. 24. O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches 4 LENGTH Psal. 98. 3. He hath remembred his mercy and his truth toward the house of Isaael all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God And now Brethren if this OUR great God be Lord and Governour of the House what then can be out of order If he be our spenditory our house of Store what fear of want If he be our Treasurer what fear of poverty Surely he hath enough and enough infinitely more then enough He can make the Philosophers Stone he can make gold he can and will create comforts and therefore let all these things stay your hearts and depend on him as on that Rock to whom there is none like him though all the men all the Kings Princes on earth should consult and conspire together and all contribute their utmost to make thee happy yet there is none like the God of Iesurun who rideth upon the Heavens in his help and in his excellency upon the skie for the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are THE EVERLASTING ARMS And so I commit you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and bring you on to perfection Militia Coelestis OR The Heavenly Host The second Sermon upon Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai in the Holy Place At Giles Criplegate in the Afternoon the Repetition omitted WE may well call this Verse The heavenly warfare wherein as I told you were contained four things 1 Their nature they are the hariots of God because God was pleased to ride in them 2 Their number the Text saith that they are twenty thousand thousands of Angels and I told you from the Text that they were Infinite 3 Their name they are called Angels 4 Their Commander and that is God The Chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels We spake of these two in the forenoon we come now to the two last The third is their name Angels There is much adoo about this name of Angels what they are what their nature is but we will not now stand
claudo because it is kept secret sacrâ—d and shut up because in all Mysteries t is necessary to keep close the mind and not to shew the things which are to be concealed as one saith for as St. Paul saith concerning Circumcision Rom. 2. 28 29. He is not a lew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is that of the flesh but he is a Iew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God So say I of saving knowledge He that sees the Mystery of the Scripture he hath the true knowledge of the Scripture He is not taught of God that knows only the Letter and the Flesh of the Scripture but true understanding is that of the Spirit and not of the Letter and though men may â—ry up and praise literal knowledge yet God onely esteems of inward knowledge the mind and inside of the Scriptures All other knowledge is vain and maketh a man not one hairs breadth the better before God Therefore we may observe also what Ministers the Apostle preferres not the Ministers of the Letter but the Ministers of the New Testament as in that of 2. Cor. 3. 6. Able Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit And those also to be true Christians having not the Law onely outwardly in tables of stone but within in the fleshy tables of the heart he having made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth life all the knowledge of the history is but as the Law written in Tables of stone which doth us no good but it is onely the Spirit the knowledge of the Mystery And Marrow That giveth life But you will say to me How doth the Letter kill I Answer By resting therein and not seeking for the marrow the food and the life but contenting our selves with the knowledge of the History and outside but because I have at other times unfolded this unto you I shall here pass it by and come to the Spirit and Mystery of our Text in hand So then it resteth This premised being That we may safely conclude even thus much that as our Saviour was typisied by others who went before him he was the Substance of all those Shadows both of persons and things even so Christ Jesus himself he is the resemblance and type of himself his outward temporal and visible actions in the flesh were a type of his inward and internall actions in the souls of all Believers He being their life and Resurrection they being before but dead men in Trespasses and sins untill his actions be their life and Regeneration So likewise as his life was Typical and resembled himself so in regard of his death and crucifying whatever he suffered externally in the flesh it shews how he is internally crucifyed daily even to the end of the world Heb. 6. 6. Seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God a fresh and put him to an open shame So likewise for all his other actions and passages related of him as his Nativity it held out our spiritual birth and Christ his being born in the soul as the Apostle expresseth it Gal. 4. 19. My beloved of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed or brought forth in you So also in his Circumcision is held forth our Spiritual Circumcision as in that of Col. 2 11. Ye are compleat in him in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ c. So also for holiness of life Christs holiness shew us what holiness shall be in them that are his children and people Mat. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in Heaven So also for his outward Teaching it represents to us that all His people should be taught of God he himself would be the true Teacher in us as Isa. 54. 13. All thy children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy children And Jer. 31. 34. And they shall no more teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest saith the Lord. And Christ himself cites these places Iohn 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets And they shall all be taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father cometh unto me So also in Christs Miracles as in opening the eyes of the blind it shews that Christ himself must open our eyes or else we remaine stark blind yea as those born blind And never any man but he was known to open the eyes of any born blind David saith Psal. 13. 3. Lighten thou mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death And Psal. 18. 28. For thou wilt light my Candle The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness So also in opening the ears of the deaf it is he alone can say to our ears Ephathah be ye opened it is so So also for his restoring of limbs causing those that are Cripples from their Mothers womb to leap like an Hart and to run his wayes with delight The like also for his raising the dead and feeding the Multitudes And what shall I say more you may apply them more to your selves The time would fail me to undertake to speak of all his actions So also of his Resurrection If ye be risen with Christ seek those things which are above Col. 3. 2. And so of his Ascension and all other his Actions and Miracles to see all these things held forth and typiâ—ied in the Person Actions and Miracles of our Saviour These are all Saving actions wrought in us and we thereby partake of the excellency and vertue thereof The other though wrought for us yet if we are not quickned vivified and put into act by these we receive no benefit by them An outward dead faith to believe onely in an external Christ is no better then a faith of Devils This is that Christ whose day Abraham saw and rejoced in Joh. 8. 56. and not in regard of the other onely viz. Prophetically but this chiefly This is that Christ and him crucified whom St. Paul desire onely to know 1 Cor. 2. 2. in regard of which Christ in him working acting and expressing his own life himself in him he slighted the external knowledge of Christ according to the flesh 1 Cor. 5. 16. Wherefore henceforth know no wan after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him no more Now then as all the other actions and passions of Christ were not onely meritorious in themselves
will yet it doth no good upon them they will never let the Israelites go to serve the Lord but if they do they will pursue them and never leave them till they themselves are drowned in the Sea and utterly destroyed Now for the vision it self in hand And the bush burned and was not consumed A strange miracle that a bush should be all over of a red glowing fire all a day and not consume Indeed trees that have stood close together by the violence of wind rushing them together have been known to set on fire but then they consumed but who ever saw wood on fire a whole day together and not consume Moses it seemeth at first took no great notice of it but seeing it burn all day and not consume I will turn aside saith he and see what the reason is and see this great sight why the bush burneth and is not consumed But before I come to the vision it self here is yet one thing that will detain us and I fear for the whole time of the these few minutes allotted us but God may offer ere long another opportunity for to speak of the vision it self It is said in this second verse That the Angel appeared to Moses in the midst of the bush and in the verses following it is said to be the Lord God how could one and the same be an Angel and God too Tell the Children of Israel I AM hath sent you unto them Which name can belong to no Creature but is proper onely to God Almighty And again you know in all the Old Testament when any Angel appeared to any man if they fell down and worshipped them never any man was blamed but St. Iohn did but offer to fall down to worship the Angel that had shewed him all those visions and he was forbidden See thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant worship God What may be the reason of this was there any difference between the Angels of the Old Testament and the Angels of the New No certainly The truth is this and that which will bear the touch and the trial against all opposition That every Creature is an Angel a Messenger of God Almighties not the greatest nor the least nor meanest that is but is one of Gods Angels or Messengers and being so He is the Essence and Being of every Creature The Substance of all things Insomuch that nothing can have a Being but onely Himself No Creature can say I AM. If he were not so how could God say I am if any Creature could say so Truly of it self And God is so the Essence and Being of all things not onely as most men affirm and believe an Essence giving Being to all things so as every thing hath no Being in it self but from him and of him but he is the Essence of the Essence He is the Being of the Being for he it is onely that is Alpha and Omega the first and the last He onely is He that was and that is and that is to come if any Creatures were sâ—arers in this title he were not God Almighty This is such a truth as all the world shall never be able to overthrow ye may bottom upon it for The gates of hell shall never prevail aginst it God being the Substance and Form of all things the Form of Forms he is as Really and as Gloriously and as Omnipotently present in the Meanest and least Creature you can shew me as he is in the greatest Let flesh and blood and Satan and Hell and all the powers of darkness set against it with all the might they have they shall never prevail against it I say he is as Infinitely as Magnificently as Gloriously as Incomprehensibly present in the basest Creature in the least mâ—te in sticks and stones name what ye will as he is in Heaven it self and in all the world besides for He cannot be more fully present in One place then another but in all places all present at once he is as Fully as all-sufficiently as Graciously as Vnbounâ—ably present in the barrenest Mountain as in he fruitfullest Valley But where is he that câ—n see him so who can see this glory and this â—ower of God in every Creature Most certainlâ— undeniably the thing is so but we want eyes to see him so Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith God If any thing fill Heaven or Earth besides him in the least jâ—t or period that saying were not true He is not present in the glorious Heavens in his Majesty more then He is in the Earth He is not present as most men teach and too many believe them in one place in regard of his Essence and in Another in regard of his Power and in another in regard of his Iudgment and in another in regard of his Mercy and in another by his Patience c. These be fond fopperies hearken to none of them let them be who they will be know this is truth He is in all alike Essentially but we see him not so and therefore we think him not so That we see him not so the fault is not in God for he is the same in all places and through all ages but the fault is in our selves we are so weak-sighted we cannot see him As suppose I speak to these three several Creatures to a man to a dog and to a stone the man he hears my voyce and understands me what I mean the dog hears but he understands not but the stone it doth neither And if you should ask the Stone what I said supposing there were a possibility of answering therein it would say I spake not at all if you ask the dog he would say I heard a voice a noise but he said nothing but ask the man and he would tell you That I spake and What I spake Was it therefore true that which the dog and the stone affirmed Because they either understood not or heard not or Was the fault in me they heard not or understood not No the fault is in themselves for I did speak and spoke sense but they had not a capability of hearing and apprehending So God shines Gloriously and Majestically and Super-exaltedly in all his Creatures but if we see him not so blame not God and say He is not so nor He is not there because you see him not nor cannot apprehend him there but blame your own ignorance your own blindness for God is as much in one as in another he cannot be Glorious in one and not in another but the same in all And God being there he cannot be without All His Accoutrements of Majesty and Glory Al His Glorious Attributes attend him whereever he is And he cannot be Sequestred from them nor they from him And if God hath opened your eyes so far as to see him Thus in all Creatures Do not offer to take from him His Glory or Greatness as if God where-ever
we see what A Great work it is To bring the soul out of Egypt spiritually and which is woâ—st of all That we with the Israelites after the Lord hath thus gloriously and triumphantly bâ—ought us forth that we should have so much as a look toward Egypt again or any inclination to be under Pharahs bondage again which desires of ours will certainly bring us nothing but sorrow and vexation we shall not get so soon to Canaan as otherwise we might but the Lord will exercise and sit us forty years in the wilderness Oh! the difficulty of the New-birth Oh! The Throwes Here is iron labour women if ye talk of iron labour and many times Throws to no purpose the child sticks somewhere in the birth and there is no strength to bring forth Here needs a skilful Midwife indeed a faithful practical Physician one that hath the Practick part as well as the Theorick or else the childe may miscarry But here is our comfort the work is in the hand of the Lord and this childe being designed for life shall 〈◊〉 miscarry though the birth be the worst of â—â—â—ths And as cross as cross may be Oh WONDER wonder That ever childeâ—hould â—hould be saved This simile the Apostle â—imself uses to the Galatians My beloved of whom I travel in birth till Christ be formed in you And Christ being once born in the soul then he grows and by degrees comes to perfection as it is said of him Luke 2. 52. And Iesus increased in wisdom and stature and favour with God and man then he begins to work all those miracles in our souls that he did in the flesh cures the blind casts out Devils blind and dumb so that we could not hear nor see nor believe our selves to be in this miserable condition we cannot See our selves in Egypt in bonds in slavery or if we see yet we are dumb we are not able to open our mouches to express our misery fain we would express what we feel but cannot utter it Therefore you shall find our Lord in one place mingling clay and spittle to anoint the eyes Iohn 9. 6. in another place opening the eyes of a poor blind man that cryed after him so that he would take no nay Iesus thou son of David have mercy on me Mark 10. 47. in another place Raising the dead in another place causing the poor lame Cripple to walk and dance and all sounding out his praise through all the Regions before they could not speak and now they cannot hold their peace but must proclaim what great things the Lord had done for them Out of Mary Magdalen he cast seven Devils and then she sate attentively at Christs feet to hear his words O Beloved Such words from such an experimental Teacher from such a faithful High-Priest who knows our condition as they are powerful so to an experimental soul they are as sweet as honey and more desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold His words were so sutable so aptly spoken to what she experimentally found in her own soul No marvel Mary sate so contented and quietly at Christs feet while Martha was troubled about many things and minded not so much her inward condition And though I have a little digrest yet I hope it is for yours and my good I could not but follow my thoughts and express them to you which came in of a sudden and beyond my premeditation Beloved seeing we are so full of these unclean spirits t is but necessary they should be cast out and that will be effected when our Saviour shall be pleased to cast them out and to do to us as he did here in the Text Rebuke him in us and bid him hold his peace and Come out of us for he hath the Onely power and strength to do it Therefore this Text may betermed a New And a true Divine EXORCISM let not the word offend you for Satanis here Conjured by Jesus Christ and commanded forth here needs none of the Papists fooleries no holy Water no Copes Vestments Adjurations Crucifixes Relicks Lights Candles nor any mumbling Mass-Priests nor Christned Bells Nay no use of ordinances nor all your duties can do it simply no t is Virtus the Power and Word of Christ that onely expels Sin and these foul spirits out of the soul not but that we should use the word of God and pray often to him that he would be pleased to exercise his power over these great and potent enemies And when he will please to work A short work hâ— will make of it when he pleaset to begin nothing shall stand up in his way and blessed shall we be when the Lord himself shall effect it for us for he doth it with two words here in the Text 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hold thy peace Come forth And therefore let us pray unto him and say Lord speak thou the word onely and thy servant shall be healed And Genesis 1. it was no more but one word Let there be light and Let there be a firmament c. and it was so and such is the power of God in the soul when ever he will arise and till then where is your power And note this also further that as our Saviour speaks by way of Authority and Rebuke unto Satan Come out of him So in this particular Satan counterfeits them in himself who will in all things turn himself into an Angel of light for he will sometimes in men silence himself and Rebuke himself and seem to help to destroy his own Kingdom but he doth it as Augustus Caesar once said of Rome Inveni lateritiam relinquam marmoream that is I found it built of mud and bricks but I will leave it of the hardest marble He seems to be cast out in one sin But he doth but change shapes to root himself the surer in another Shape he many times makes a Retreat but he doth it to take breath as I may so say to Rally up his forces for a stronger encounter And when the unclean spirit returns he enters with seven other spirits worse then himself So it is in many men Even by Beelzebub they cast out Devils as when outward respects and the fear of shame onely keeps them from some sins and exorbitances As many who love the upper end of the tables and the uppermost rooms at feasts Mat. 23. 6. but yet abstain some to avoid the cost others for fear of censure so divers do refrain from lust because they are afraid to lose their reputation and credit so many forbear to do actions of violence as Murther c. but t is for fear of the Law so also many forbear to be drunk because none but base people use it so many resrain themselves from committing whoredom for fear they should get noisome and infectious diseases so many turn religious and use constancy in duties of Religion publique and