is foule how can the streames be cleare Alas what act of ours is free from this wofull pollution who eats or drinks or sleepes or moves or talks or thinks or heares or prayes without it Even hee that was blessed with the sight of the third heaven as tyred with this clogge could say O wretched man that J am who shall deliver mee from this body of death Blessed Apostle if thou wert so sensible of thy in-dwelling corruptions who knew'st nothing by thy selfe how must our hearts needs rend with shame and sorrow who are guilty of so many thousand transgressions which our impotence can neither avoid nor expiate how justly do we feare God since we have deserved to be under so deep a condemnation OF THE SIGHT and FEARE of the ALMIGHTY The Second Book SECT I. THus therefore when a man shall have stedfastly fixed his eyes upon the dread Majesty of an ever-present God and upon the deplored wretchednesse of his own condition hee shall bee in a meet capacity to receive this holy Feare whereof we treat Neither indeed is it possible for him to see that all-glorious presence and not presently thereupon find himselfe affected with a trembling kind of awfulnesse Neither can hee look upon his owne vilenesse without an humble and bashfull dejection of soule But when he shall see both these at once and compare his owne shamefull estate with the dreadfull incomprehensible Majesty of the great God his owne impotence with that almighty power his owne sinfulnesse with that infinite purity and justice his owne misery with the glory of that immense mercy how can he choose but be wholly possessed with a devout shivering and religious astonishment The heart then thus tempered with the high thoughts of a God and the humble conceits of our selves is fit for the impression of this Feare which is no other than an awfull disposition of the soule to God wherein there is a double stamp or signature the one is an inward adoration of the Majesty seene and acknowledged the other a tender and filiall care of being secretly approved of God and of avoyding the displeasure and offence of that God whom we so adore The first is a continuall bowing the knees of our hearts to that great and holy God both inwardly blessing and praising him in all his divine attributes in his infinite power wisedome justice mercy and truth and humbly submitting and resigning our selves wholly to his divine pleasure in all things whether for his disposing or chastising SECT II. ALL true adoration begins from within even the soule hath the same parts and postures with the body as therefore it hath eyes to see so it hath a tongue to speak unto and a knee to bend unto the Majesty of the Almighty Shortly then we shall inwardly adore the God of heaven when our hearts are wrought to bee awfully affected to the acknowledgment cheifly of his infinite Greatnesse and infinite Goodnesse And this shall be best done by the consideration of the effects of both Even in meaner matters wee cannot attaine to the knowledge of things by their causes but are glad to take up with this secondary information how much more in the highest of all causes in whom there is nothing but transcendency and infinitenesse We shall therefore most feelingly adore the infinite greatnesse of God upon representing unto our selves the wonderfull work of his creation and his infinite goodnesse in the no lesse wonderfull work of our redemption For as the great Doctor of the Gentiles most divinely the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are cleerly seene being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead Even so O God if we cannot see thee we cannot but see the world that thou hast made and in that wee see some glympses of thee When wee behold some goodly pile of building or some admirable picture or some rarely-artificiall engine our first question uses to be who made it and we judge of and admire the skill of the workman by the excellent contrivance of the work how can we do otherwise in this mighty and goodly frame of thy universe Lord what a world is this of thine which wee see What a vast what a beautifull fabrick is this above and about us Lo thou that madest such an heaven canst thou be other than infinitely glorious O the power and wisdome of such a Creator Every Starre is a world alone the least of those globes of light are farre greater than this our whole inferiour world of earth and waters which we think scarce measurable and what a world of these lightsome worlds hast thou marshalled together in that one firmament and yet what roome hast thou left in that large contignation for more so as the vacant space betwixt one Starre and another is more in extent than that which is filled In how exact a regularity do these celestiall bodies move ever since their first setting forth without all variation of the time or place of their rising or setting without all change of their influences In what point and minute Adams new created eyes saw them begin and shut up their diurnall motions we his late posterity upon that same day and in the same Climate find them still How have they looked upon their spectators in millions of changed generations and are still where they were looking still for more But above the rest who can but be astonished at that constant miracle of nature the glorious Sunne by whose beames all the higher and lower world is illuminated and by whose sole benefit we have use of our eyes O God what were the world without it but a vast and sullen dungeon of confusion and horrour and with it what a Theater of beauty and wonders what a sad season is our midnight by reason of his farthest absence and yet even then some glympses of emanations and remainders of that hidden light diffuse themselves thorow the aire and forbid the darknesse to bee absolute Oh what an hell were utter darknesse what a reviving and glorious spectacle it is when the morning opens the curtaines of heaven and showes the rising Majesty of that great Ruler of the day which too many eyes have seene with adoration never any saw without wonder and benediction And if thy creature be such what oh what art thou that hast made it As for that other faithfull witnesse in heaven what a cleare and lasting testimony doth it give to all beholders of thine omnipotence Alwayes and yet never changing still uniforme in her constant variations still regular in the multiplicity of her movings and O God what a traine doth that great Queene of Heaven by thine appointment draw after her no lesse than this vast element of waters so many thousand miles distant from her sphere She moves in heaven the sea followes her in this inferiour orb and measures his paces by hers How deep how spacious how restlesly turbulent is that
as inhabiting our bosomes we cannot but give all faire and venerable respects to those houses which he hath taken up for his own worship and presence SECT IX NEither lastly can Gods very Messengers though partners of our owne infirmities escape some sensible reflections of our feare It was the rule of the Iewes that the very Prince of the people if hee would consult Gods Oracle out of reverence to that divine pectorall must reverently stand before that Priest who at other times was bound to give lowly obedience to his Soveraigne Lord. What Great Alexander did to the Iewish high Priest who knowes not Neither hath the practises of the godly Emperours in the Christian Church through all successions of Ages savored of lesse regard Even the late Caesar Ferdinand in the sight of our English not long before his end together with his Empresse received an Episcopall benediction publickly upon their knees Away with that insolent pompe of kissing of toes which Iustus Lipsius justly called once foule and servile fit for a Caligula or Maximinus the younger or a Dioclesian Away with the proud horsing on shoulders or treading on necks or the lackeying of Princes It was a moderate word of Cardinall Zabarell concerning his great Master So is he to be honoured that he be not adored Surely when religion was at the best great Peeres thought it no scorne to kisse the venerable hands of their spirituall fathers and did not grudge them eminent titles of honour It was but a simple port that Elijah carryed in the world who after that astonishing wonder of fetching downe fire and water from heaven thought it no abasement to be Ahabs lackey from Carmel to Iezreel yet Obadiah who was high Steward to the King of Israel even that day could fall on his face to him and say Art thou that my Lord Elijah Not much greater was the state of those Christian Bishops who began now to breathe from the bloudy persecutions of the heathen Emperours yet with what dearenesse did that gracious Constantine in whom this Iland is proud to challenge no small share kisse those scarres which they had received for the name of Christ with what titles did he dignifie them as one that saw Christ in their faces and meant in their persons to honour his Saviour And indeed there is so close and indissoluble a relation betwixt Christ and his Messengers that their mutuall interest can never be severed What Prince doth not hold himselfe concerned in the honors or affronts that are done to his Ambassadors Those keyes which God hath committed to our hands lock us so fast to him that no power in earth or hell can separate us but still that word must stand fast in heaven He that despiseth you despiseth me In vaine shall they therefore pretend to feare God that contemne and disgrace their spirituall governours There is a certain plant which our Herbalists call herbam impiam or wicked Cudweed whose younger branches still yeeld flowers to over-top the elder Such weeds grow too rife abroad It is an ill soyle that produceth them I am sure that where the heart is manured and seasoned with a true feare of the Almighty there cannot be but an awfull regard to our spirituall Pastors well are those two charges conjoyned Feare God and honour his Preists SECT X. HItherto having considered that part of holy Feare which consisting in an inward adoration of God expresseth it selfe in the awfull respects to his Name Word Services House Messengers we descend to that other part which consists in our humble subjection and selfe-resignatito his good pleasure in all things whether to order or correct The suffering part is the harder It was a gracious resolution of old Eli Jt is the Lord let him doe whatsoever hee will Surely that man though he were but an ill Father to his worse sonnes yet he was a good sonne to his Father in heaven for nothing but a true filiall awe could make the heart thus pliant that represents our selves to us as the clay and our God to us as the potter and therefore showes us how unjustly we should repine at any forme or use that is by his hand put upon us I could envy that word which is said to have falne from the mouth of Francis of Assisse in his great extremity I thank thee O Lord God for all my paine and I beseech thee if thou think good to adde unto it an hundred fold more Neither was it much different from that which I have read as reported of Pope Adrian but I am sure was spoken by a worthy divine within my time and knowledge of the Vniversity of Cambridge whose labours are of much note and use in the Church of God Master Perkins who when he lay in his last and killing torment of the stone hearing the by-standers to pray for a mitigation of his paine willed them not to pray for an ease of his complaint but for an increase of his patience These speeches cannot proceed but from subdued and meek and mortified soules more intentive upon the glory of their Maker than their owne peace and relaxation And certainly the heart thus seasoned cannot but bee equally tempered to all conditions as humbly acknowledging the same hand both in good evill And therfore even frying in Phalaris his Bull as the Philosopher said of a wise man will be able to say Quà m suave Was it true of that heathen Martyr Socrates that as in his lifetime he was not wont to change his countenance upon any alteration of events so when hee should come to drink his Hemlock as Plato reports it no difference could be descryed either in his hand or face no palenesse in his face no trembling in his hand but a stedfast and fearlesse taking of that fatall cup as if it differed not from the wine of his meals Even this resolution was no other than an effect of the acknowledgment of that one God for which he suffered If so I cannot lesse magnifie that man for his temper than the Oracle did for his wisdome but I can doe no lesse than blesse and admire the known courage and patience of those Christian Martyrs who out of a loving feare of him that only can save and cast both bodies and soules in hell despised shame paine death and manfully insulted upon their persecutors Blessed Ignatius could professe to challenge and provoke the furious Lyons to his dilaniation Blessed Cyprian could pray that the Tyrant would not repent of the purpose of dooming him to death and that other holy Bishop when his hand was threatned to be cut off could say Seca ambas Cut of both It is not for me to transcribe volumes of Martyrologies All that holy army of conquering Saints began their victories in an humble awe of him whose they were and cheerfully triumphed over irons and racks and gibbets and wheeles and fires out of a meek and
refraine from no wickednesse because the feare of God was not in that place so we may no lesse irrefragably inferre where we see a trade of prevalent wickednesse there can be no feare of God Wo is me what shall I say of this last age but the same that I must say of mine owne As this decrepit body therefore by reason of the unequall temper of humors and the defect of radicall moysture and heat cannot but be a sewer of all diseases So it is so it will be with the decayed old age of this great body of the world through want of the feare of the ever-living God Rivers of waters O God shall run downe mine eyes because men keep not thy law But what do I suggest to the obdured hearts of wilfull sinners the sweet and gracious remedies of a loving feare This preservative is for children sturdy rebells must expect other receits A frown is an heavy punishment to a dutifull sonne scourges and scorpions are but enough for a rebellious vassall I must lay before such an hell of vengeance and show them the horrible Topheth prepared of old even that bottomlesse pit of perdition and tell them of rivers of brimstone of a worm ever gnawing of everlasting burnings of weeping wailing and gnashing when the terrible Iudge of the world shall come in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God and obey him not And certainly if the sinner had not an Infidell in his bosome the expectation of so direfull a condition to be inflicted and continued upon him unto all eternity without possibility of any intermission or of any remission were enough to make him run made with feare only unbeleefe keeps him from a frantick despaire and a sudden leap into his hell And if the custome and deceit of sinne have wrought an utter senselesnesse in those brawny hearts I must leave them over to the wofull sense of what they will not feare yea to the too late feare of what they shall not bee able either to beare or avoid Certainly the time will come when they shall be swallowed up with a dreadfull confusion and shall no more be able not to feare than not to bee Oftentimes even in the midst of all their secure jollity God writes bitter things against them such as make their knees to knock together their lips to tremble their teeth to chatter their hands to shake their hearts to faile within them for the anguish of their soules Were they as insensate as the earth it selfe Touch the mountaines and they shall smoke saith the Psalmist The mountaines saw thee and they trembled saith Habbacuc But if their feare be respited it is little for their ease it doth but forbeare a little that it may overwhelme them at once for ever Woe is mee for them In how heavy and deplorable case are they and feele it not They lie under the fierce wrath of the Almighty and complaine of nothing but ease The mountains quake at him and the hils melt and the earth is burnt at his presence Who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the rockes are thrown downe by him saith the Prophet Nahum Yet oh what a griefe it is to see that so dreadfull a power should carry away no more feare from us wretched men yea even from those that are ready to feare where no feare is Paines of body frownes of the great restraint of liberty losse of goods who is it that feares not But alas to avoid these men feare not to venture upon the displeasure of him whose anger is death and who is able to cast body and soule into hell fire So wee have seene fond children that to avoid a bug-beare have runne into fire or water So we have seen a starting jade that suddenly flying from a shadow hath cast himselfe into a ditch We can but mourne in secret for those that have no teares to spend upon themselves and tremble for them that will needs gnash If those that are filthy will be filthy still If secure men will set up a trade of sinning every good heart will take up Nehemiahs resolution But so did not J because of the feare of the Lord and the practice of holy Habacuc I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble It is wise Solomons good experiment which hee loved to repeat By the feare of the Lord men depart from evill for they say one to another as the Tremelian version hath it in Malachy The Lord hearkeneth and heareth and how dare they how can they doe amisse in that presence For as the Saints say after the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lambe Great and marvellous are thy workes Lord God Almighty Iust and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints who shall not feare thee and glorifie thy Name for thou onely art holy SECT XII SHortly then that wee may put these two together which are not willing to be severed Whosoever is duely affected with a true filiall feare of the Almighty cannot by allurements be drawne to doe that which may offend so sweet a mercy cannot by any difficulties bee discouraged from doing that which may bee pleasing to so gracious a majesty The Magistrate that feares God dares not cannot be partiall to any wickednesse dares not cannot bee harsh to innocence managing that sword wherewith hee is intrusted so as God himselfe if he were upon earth would doe it for the glory of his owne just mercie The Messenger of God that feares him on whose errand hee goes dares not cannot either smother his message or exceed it he will he must lift up his voice like a trumpet and tell Israel of her sinnes and Iudah of her transgressions not fearing faces not sparing offences The ordinary Christian that feares God dares not cannot but make conscience of all his wayes he dares not defraud or lie for an advantage he dares not sweare falsely for a world hee dares not prostitute his body to whatsoever filthinesse he dares not oppresse his inferiours he dares not turn away his owne face from the poore much lesse dares hee grind theirs in one word he dares rather dy than sinne And contrarily what blockes soever nature layes in his way since his God calls him forth to this combat he cannot but bid battell to his owne rebellious corruptions and offer a deadly violence to his evill and corrupt affections and enter the lists with all the powers of darknesse resisting unto bloud and willingly bleeding that he may overcome Who now would not be in love with this feare O feare the Lord yee his Saints hee that feares him shall lacke nothing The Sunne of righteousnesse shall arise unto him with healing in his wings In the meane time the secret of the Lord is with him The Angells of the Lord are ever