Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	devil_n	power_n	sin_n	9,646	5	4.8933	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86450	The valley of vision, or A clear sight of sundry sacred truths. Delivered in twenty-one sermons; by that learned and reverend divine, Richard Holsvvorth, Dr. in Divinity, sometimes Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, Master of Emanuel Colledge, and late preacher at Peters Poore in London. The particular titles and texts are set downe in the next leafe.	Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649.; Holdsworth, Richard, 1590-1649. Peoples happinesse.	1651 (1651)	Wing H2404; Thomason E631_1; ESTC R202438	355,440	597

better it at all for the more knowledge the more is their Torment they care not to better it unlesse it be for their owne ill purposes that they may make that knowledge a Snare for men and a help to temptation See it in two great Mysteries One great help of our Redemption was the Passion of Christ it is the generall Tenent of the Fathers and upon good reason that the Devill was altogether ignorant of it before it was accomplished Therefore St. Austin and Pope Leo give this reason why the Devill did goe about to hinder it by all meanes when it drew to the consummation because then he understood that his power began to be abolished If the Devill had certainly knowne that by the death of Christ his Kingdome should haue beene demolished and his power destroyed it is probable nay it is certaine that he would not have gone about to have stirred up Judas to betray his Master or the High Priest to have shed that innocent blood Therefore St. Austin and Leo and others observe that that Dreame that Pilats Wife had concerning our Saviour when shee said to her Husband that he should not have to doe with that just man to prevent his Sentence diverse of the Fathers are of Opinion that that Dreame was suggested by the Devill though others are of another Opinion and upon better ground yet that was their Opinion that thereby he might hinder the suffering of Christ And others thinke upon the same ground that he was the means of instigation why Judas did bring back the peices of Silver and deliver them to the Priests and acknowledged that he had betrayed innocent blood that he might stay the Passion of Christ after he knew or came confidently to think that he was the Son of God As he was ignorant therefore that his Kingdom should be destroyed by the sufferings of Christ so he was ignorant of the first Mystery Christs incarnaration and our Redemption he was ignorant of the birth of the Son of God that the Son of God was borne into the World though he confessed oft What have we to doe with thee thou Jesus the Son of God It was a for●ed confession and St. Jerome sayth well he was rather forced then confessed But however at the beginning he knew it not when Christ set upon his ministeriall function at the first before his Miracles were wrought though he had a testimony from Heaven yet when Christ went into the Desart one of his Temptations was if it were possible to sound out whether he were the Son of God or no therefore he puts it with an if If thou be the Son of God it was the voyce of one that would make triall as Hillarie sayth It was a doubtfull Speech as Chrysostome sayth he was in great doubt he was at a stand he knew not what to think he was blinded with the lustre of the hypostaticall union it was a Mystery that he could not apprehend He could not make these two ends meet together when he saw Christ in the Desart his long fasting and that he was hungry in the end he could not make these possibly meet that these two should stand together that the Son of God should be hungry he understood it not that the Son of man should fast 40. dayes he knew it not He knew not the Mystery of the hypostaticall union therefore he comes If thou be the Son of God He laboured indeed to looke into the Mystery because he knew it not but it was not a disquisition of piety that he might beleive but of curiosity that he might know He laboured to prie into it not out of love or hope that it might be so but out of feare that it was so He knew well he was to have no benefite at all by the incarnation of Christ and therefore could have no love and because no love no hope and because no hope he desired not to make any due inquisition into it he could have no desire of it But the desire in the Text is a holy desire and a holy inspection being a holy desire and a holy object and a holy inspection it cannot possibly be understood of the evill Angells There is the first Proposition negative upon these two grounds the nature of Angells and the knowledge of Devills it cannot possibly be meant of evill Angells 2ly As it cannot be meant of evill Angells so it must necessarily be meant of holy and good Angells that is the Affirmative Proposition For the good Angells their spirituall eyes are fitted they are made capable of such Mysteries The Mysteries of faith they dazle the eyes of evill spirits they are not able to look on them or if he could he hath no desire because he finds no sweetnesse at all in the Mysteries of Salvation All his motion is to evill all his contemplations are about evill he moves onely to evill he cannot move to good Whereas on the contrary the good Angells Nazianzen expresseth it well of them they are altogether unmovable to evill they have onely motion to that that is good Now here in this place the object spoken of is good the speculation spoken of is good the desire is good the intendment of these inspectors is good therefore these Inspectors must be the good Angells for three reasons First because the good Angells their ministration was still used about the Mysteries of our Salvation in Christ our head Their ministration was used in relation of the conception of Christ and the manner of it in pointing out the name of Christ what it should be Their ministration was used to Christ in the Desart after his Temptation was past their ministration was used to Christ in the Garden in his Agonie they came and comforted him their ministration was us'd about the Sepulchre of Christ after his Resurrection It being so that they are imployed about the Mysteries of our Salvation we need not wonder if they make it their study and speculation Secondly their ministration was used in the Mysteries of Salvation in the Saints that are the Members they brought news of all these things of Christs birth to the Shepheards of his Resurrection to the Women of his Ascention to the Apostles Their ministration is used about the Mysteries of Salvation as far as it concernes the Saints Therefore since this is the great Errand that is given them in charge when they are sent to the Earth such holy Messengers would oft think of their Errand they have great delight to contemplate these Mysteries because God hath imployed them in these not onely concerning the head but the Members That is the second Thirdly the Mysteries of Salvation are things that the Angells have benefite by their share of comfort in It is in the glasse of the incarnation of Christ that they read the glorious Mystery of their owne confirmation in grace and happinesse therefore they must needs desire oft to look in that glasse they read so happy a lesson there

hath turned to us in mercie when we have been in trouble wee have prayed and he hath heard us wee have confessed our sinns and he hath given us pardon things have succeeded well Nay there is the bond of example see it in many holie and wicked men there was never any that returned to God Rehoboam Manasses who not the Prodigall the Publican when he returned no sooner he thought of turning to God but God turned to him We have that bond of incouragement to move us There is the bond also of hope hope is grounded on the promise of God he hath promised to turne if we turne Lastly there is the bond of feare to prevaile if love will not feare may prevaile let that bond move us that is a great obligation we are in danger if wee turne not he hath Whet 〈◊〉 sword and bent his bow he hath prepared the instruments of death he still hovers to see if we will returne and he forbeares and though we have been desperate in committing sinne let us not be desperate in impenitencie and though wee have been unhappie in sinning let us be happie in returning For simplie speaking sinne is not so damnable as going on in sinne it is not so fatall and mortall to sinne as to cotinue and goe on in sinne As it is with health and phisicke a man were better want health then want phisicke if a man want health there is hope of recoverie if he have phisick but if he want phisick there is no hope of recoverie So repentance is the phisick sinne is the disease it is not so much danger to sinne as to be impenitent repentance that is the physick if a man sin there is a way to pardon but if he be impenitent there is no pardon impenitencie excludes pardon Therefore feare should make us turne to God Impenitencie is that only sinne that is damnable and mortal impenitency is that that shuts the pits mouth impenitency is that that settles us on our lees that hardens our hearts and makes God absent himselfe for ever it makes judgements irrevokeable impenitencie seales up the den of the Lyons it rols the stone to the doore of the Sepulcher it leaves no possibilitie of forgivenesse it makes sinne infinite and uncureable Therefore let us not drowne our selves in that estate that will shut us out from all hope not only of having judgement diverted but of having sinne pardoned O! it is a theame that we should alway thinke of and never end speaking of it is the summe of the Law and of the Gospell the effect of Gods grace of his punishments it is that that God expects at all times from the best men from the most wicked men Therefore to shut up all with that excellent speech of Zephanie Zeph. 1. Gather your selves together O Nation not desired It suits well with us thus far gather your selves together O Nation not desired We are a Nation not desired as the case stands What then Forsake your evill wayes leave your sins turn from your iniquities and seeke Gods face it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger There is another It may be like that of Amos it may be you shall be hid it is true now it is but it may be It may be the day is past the day of returning Time was when there was more then probabilitie it is to be feared now God is gone too farre he hath wrestled so long that he will not be now intreated yet for all that yet it may be peradventure God will turne we know not he is rich in mercie let us not be wanting to our selves if that succeed not that he returne from this plague yet he will turne from his wrath to those that feare him Let it be done with one consent all the people as one man with one mind and voyce turne from sinne if there be any prophane let him turne from blaspheming Gods name if there be any Drunkards of Ephraim let them turne from their revelling and not only Drunkards but Sippers that tipple and wast their time and credit and dream over the pot those are worse then Drunkards for they doe but wast that estate they have before men but the other wast that precious time that they should get salvation in their hearts are after wine if there be any that neigh after their neighbours wives any adulterous seed any that have hands of blood and oppression those that grind the faces of the poor those that have fingers of coveteousnesse men that have fraudulent hands that practise the mysteries of their Trade let them turne from their evill wayes Gather your selves together O Nation not desired forsake your sinnes and come to the Lord It may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger That is the summe of this exhortation to this first dutie that the Prophet gives in these words Turne to the Lord and in turning Take to you words SERMON II. Hosea 14.2 Take to you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquitie c. THERE is no commendable vertue but it is beset with extreames on both hands one on the right hand and another on the left For morall vertues it is evident and for naturall habits whether they be outward or inward we may instance but in one for all that is The gift of speech it hath extreames that hedge it in both wayes There is one extreame in the defect that is Silence and of that it is that the Prophet accuseth the Shepheards of Israel that they did betray the salvation of the people by their silence they were as dumb Dogs that could not bark And the other extreame is in excesse and that is called much speaking and of that Solomon tells us in the Proverbs in multiloquio c. In the multitude of words there never wants sin It is so in naturall language and in civill kinde of speech and it is so also in the spirituall language and in the conference we have with God Prayer is the language of the heart and it hath extreames on both hands For the extreame that is in excesse Christ toucheth it in the Gospell he tells us of the Pharisees that thought they should be heard for their long prayers and much babling that is one fault And for the extremity in the defect we have it in Job 21. and Job 32. where he complaines of prophane persons those that God was not in their thoughts and so not in their tongue to speak of him with reverence Who is the Almighty that we should serve him or what helpe is there in the Lord that we should pray to him The Children of Israel were guilty of both these extreames and that kept them that they could not hit the mediocrity to observe a good decorum in prayer to God For the multitude of their words the Prophet Malachy sets it down Chap. 3. they were come to that height they durst reason with

both the staine take away the corruption take away the guilt take away the defilement Take it out of thy sight that it accuse us not that it condemne us not that it destroy us not and expose us to thy judgements and take it from us too that it defile not that it corrupt not that it spread not It is as much as those two words in Psal 103. that forgives and heales and those two in two pardon and cleanse it includes both this taking away Take it away from us and take it away from thee let it have no more residence in our hearts no more appearance in thine eyes from below from above both take it away Nay yet further if we shall gather together all those phrases and forms of speech in Scripture to expresse the pardon and forgivenesse and removing of sinne all comes within the compasse of this one phrase Not to observe sin not to impute it not to remember it to remove it to cover it to pardon it to cast it behind his back to shut his eyes upon it to cast it into the bottome of the sea in a word to purifie to purge to cleanse us from it there is as much in this one word to take it away It is a word so weighty that that frivolous distinction that is used by the Church of Rome for the defence of their doctrine of satisfaction I wil not stand upon it the distinction is this that when sin is pardoned the pardon of sin it extends in part to the guilt but it doth not extend for the removall of all punishment because there is the penal part of satisfaction after to be performed in purgatorie A distinction that will not stand before this word to Take away for if there be some punishment that God exacts still sin is not taken away It is a frivolous distinction that stands not with sence for that that is taken away is not that that hath no entity hath no guilt that that hath no being obligeth not to punishment Besides it is not only in it selfe frivolous but injurious to the satisfaction of Christ as if his blessed merits and intercession were able to quench the greater fire and not to put out the lesse as if it were able to free from eternall death and not from temporall not a death but a dying Besides if God have pardoned or taken away sin for the merits of Christ then it were unjust for God to exact it A man that forgives a debt once it is unjust to demand it If God have pardoned it and if he hath taken away sinne he hath pardoned it if he have pardoned it how shall he be satisfied in punishing againe He that is gracious in pardoning will hee not be true in keeping his promise Nay he that is just in pardoning as the Apostle saith hee is just and faithfull to forgive sinne will he be unjust in exacting that punishment that he hath remitted It is true the question is not about the pouring out of temporall punishments in this life for so oft times God doth even when he hath pardoned sinne he punisheth it in his dearest servants but those are not punishments but chastisements and instructions So Davids it was not saith Saint Austin a punishment but a plaister that God laid to David to cure his sinne it was not a punishment inflicted for sinne That is not the question about punishment continuing in this life because they have not the nature of punishments But the question is about punishment properly so called after this life whether it stand with Gods justice and truth or Christs merit that there should be any part of satisfaction after God hath pardoned and taken away sin It is a doctrine that will not stand before any of those words whereby pardon of sin is set forth in Scripture In Isa 38. God saith he will cast their sins behind his backe that is a full word In Isa 44. he saith he will remove them as a cloud that is another full word In Mich. 7. he will cast them into the bottom of the Sea another full word In Jerem. 31. he saith hee will not remember them he will forget forgive them And here and in other places he will take them away Their doctrine will not endure the tryall of these places they cannot stand together For if God punish how doth he remove it and if God revenge sin how doth he cast it out of his presence how doth he forget it for to punish is not only to remember it but sharply to remember it if the paines of purgatory be so sharp as they say But if we look to the phrases see how God expresseth the contrary I will cast them Behind my backe How is that I will not looke upon them that that is behind God is not before that that is not before is not seene is not taken knowledge of God takes no knowledge of them therefore he punisheth not And so I will remove them as a cloud A cloud when the water is drawn forth of it there is no more foot-steps or appearance of it so God promised to make their sins they shall be so far from sending out vapours of provocation that they shall be as a cloud they shall vanish Again saith he I will drowne them in the bottome of the Sea It is true Gods eye pierceth to the bottome of the Sea and further he looks to hell it selfe but he speaks after the manner of men that that is at the bottome of the deep is not able to be fetched backe by any creature or by man no man can goe to the bottome of the Sea to search for any thing that is there that is laid up sure that man cannot come neare it so God will hide sin That that is in the bottome of the Sea is more safe then that that is at the bottome of the greatest mountaine for Art may dig there but Art cannot come at the bottome of the Sea even as that that is at the bottome of the Sea is taken out of mans sight so will I wipe your sinnes out of my sight Farther I will not remember them that which God covers he calls not to account for that that God remembers not he will not revenge that that God casts behind him he will not cast his eye upon that that God takes away he will not examine If sinne come to this passe that God pronounce it to be taken away it shall never appeare more that that is buryed he hath taken it away it is eternally hid Saint Austin understood this well when he made that excellent gradation in one of his Sermons saith he if God once cover sinne then it is playn that he would not see it if he will not see it hee will not censure if he wil not censure he wil not punish if he will not punish he will pardon Nay he hath pardoned that that he saith to take away is to pardon to pardon is to blot

cannot be done but by the bath that is taken from Christ and the mercie of God The Jewes that were ignorant and knew nothing in the time of Christ they knew that who can forgive sinnes but God Though they misapplyed it yet it is was true in the thesis and in the generall who can forgine sinnes out God And Christ unlesse he had been God could not have forgiven sins who can forgive sinnes but God Cyr●l well upon the place gives the reason it must needs be so because God is the Law-giver and the Judg saith he to whom can it possibly belong to pardon and passe by and wipe away the transgressions of the law but to him that is the giver of the law Therefore none of the Prophets or Apostles durst ever arrogate this priviledge Nathan when he was sent to David though he had a commission from God durst not speak in his own name but the Lord hath pardoned And if there were no Prophet or Apostle durst assume so much shall we that are men far inferiour in place and piety and those speciall intercourses of the love and knowledge of God It is true there is a power given to Ministers declaratorie to publish and pronounce pardon to the truly repentant but the power of absolution properly so called and the power of taking away and pardoning that onely God keeps in his own custodie Saith Ambrose well the Minister of God doth that that belongs to his duty when he declares and publisheth pardon to the repentant but he exerciseth not any power and authority it is but Ministeriall Therefore Saint Austin observes well that when Christ gave this power to his Apostles and Disciples whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted he first premiseth he breathed on them and said receive yee the holy Ghost Saith he first they received the holy Ghost and then whose sinnes yeremit they are remitted For it is the holy Ghost that puts away sinne and not you It is Austin's observation And we may further observe that Christ when hee healed any commonly hee pronounced forgivenesse of sinnes but the Apostles though they healed many yet we never read that they used this word To note that Christ gave the power of healing to them but he kept the power of pardoning to himselfe Further then it is ministeriall hee kept the power of putting away of sinne to himselfe for it is an act of Majestie it cannot be so to others God may make Angels to declare it or men but the power is proper to him Christ gave the power of healing to the Apostles but hee kept the power of pardoning to himselfe Saint Austin presseth it against the Donatists sweetly who would faine have got the power to themselves Austin askes the question tell me the vertue of whose name takes away sinne He speaks of himselfe is it the name of Austin is it the name of Donatus it is neither the name of Paul nor Peter who is Austin who is Donatus And the Apostle presseth it who is Paul and who is Apollo but the Ministers of CHRIST But who is it that takes away sinnes GOD Himselfe This is the second thing the Prophet would bring them to know and acknowledge in this word O Lord to thee belongs mercie and forgivenesse thou art the Father of mercie we can feel the smart of sinne but cannot remove it thou must either take it away or else it will not be taken away therefore shew mercie and come among us either take it from us or else it will take us from thee remove it from us and remove it from thee Take away sinne and receive us graciously I have done with the first part the precatory part which concernes Malum tollendum the evill to be removed the evill of sin The second is bonum largiendum in these words ●●ke away all iniquity and receive us graciously It is in the Originall and shew us good Yet in the Originall a little further Take away iniquity and receive good Like that phrase in the Psalm He received gifts for men that is he gave gifts to men Receive good that is shew good shew thy grace that is as it is well interpreted in English receive us graciously Two things are to be considered in it One that I propounded in the forenoon though I came not to it that is the connexion of this part to the other The other is the order of this part with the other why it is joyned or added to the other clause and why it followes it I shall hardly speak of all But let us looke upon the connexion why is this clause added to the other Is not this enough take away all iniquitie It seemes this is superfluous for where-ever sinne is pardoned grace is conveyed where GOD takes away sinne he discovers grace and where hee crucifies the old man he stamps the image of the new where hee frees from death he gives interest to life where sinne is pardoned salvation is stated upon the soule what need this follow this one word take away all iniquitie is all the expression that need to be used But the Prophet would bring them to a greater enlargement and it is added for speciall reasons I will bring them to these three First it is added as a clause of illustration Take away all iniquitie so shew thy self gracious favourable Noting this that there is nothing doth more magnifie the goodness glory of God then the pardon of sin nothing doth more shew his grace then that As if he had said thou art the Father of mercie we have need of mercy thou hast mercy for thousands and we are thousands that beg it we pray thee to pardon our sins and manifest thy mercie in pardoning by receiving us graciously shew us grace in the pardoning our sins It is the greatest evidence of the mercie of God in the pardoning of sinnes it is that that glorifies God most It is well said by the Psalmist that his mercie is over all his works and we may say of the grace of pardoning that it is over all his other mercies There are other mercies that God shewes us that concerne our temporall estate O these come not within compare Nay spirituall mercies if he preserve any it is the grace of custodie If he deliver any from danger it is the grace of liberty If he accept our prayers and receive them at our hands that is a testimonie of mercie the grace of acceptation but if he pardon sinne that hath all in it that is Gods tender mercie in that he shewes bowels of mercie He opens his casket of mercy in all favours but hee opens his owne bowels when he pardons sinne that includes all mercies that David calls his tender mercies Over all our works it is even over the worst workes of ours which is sinne Over all Gods works it is euen over all the best of Gods works besides in creating preserving and keeping It is that that shines and breakes

if we consider it as a Petition for the enlargement of the evidence and manifestation of grace so it is good For grace cannot be manifested till it be given there can be no demonstration of the pardon of sin till pardon be wrought and the greatest demonstration of the pardon of sin is this when Gods spirit is powerfull to subdue and crucifie sin Then it is this demonstration they beg in the second place pardon our iniquities and give us evidence that our sins are pardoned that thy spirit affist us continually to crucifie and subdue our sins bestow upon us grace and favour and make us know that we have it For as our happinesse consists in the pardon of our sins so the comfort consists in the enjoying of it It is true that grace and pardon of sin may be had where it is not at all times seene and felt and perceived but yet it cannot be enjoyed unlesse it be seene and felt we may have the thing but want the comfort sometimes He that wants the comfort for the time he wants the thing to himselfe and his apprehension Therefore when God hath pardoned and hath shewed grace the faithfull soul staies not there it is a Heaven upon Earth to have the comfort and assurance and evidence of grace that is the point that After the pardon of sin is had the faithfull soul staies not there but begs for assurance and after that for more assurances and still for more assurance Because there may be enlargement of assurance still as long as we are in these dayes of misery However it please our adversaries of Rome to make a mock of the certeinty of Salvation the assurance of grace they pin many scornes upon it in their writings though they be the Learned of them let them injoy their consolation it is to be feared that they will want the comfort that thus deride it The Saints in Scripture did not so they directed their prayers oft times not onely for the thing but for the comfort and assurance of it and as they rejoyced in the thing so much more in the assurance for the present Looke over those in the Old Testament and in the New Heare the tryumph of Job wherein he wonderously delights and refresheth himselfe I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall see him with these eyes There is no word of greater assurance then this I know Let their Thomas Aquinas speake his mind of that word upon those words I know whom I have beleived 2 Tim. 1. sayth he in this word I know there is a certainty and assurance of hope that hope that makes us not confounded there is a certainty in this word I know I know that my redeemer liveth Therefore David Psal 51. he prayes not onely God to cleanse and pardon and purifie his sins but then followes Make me to heare the voice of joy and gladnesse Cleanse me and make me understand that thou hast cleansed me make me have the comfort of it Thou hast told me already that my sins are pardoned I have the assurance of it by the Message sent by Nathan but there wants comfort and joy in the evident demonstration of it O make me to heare the voyce of joy and gladnesse that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce that I may have the evidence of thy spirit speaking to my heart Looke to the New Testament it is that perticular in which the Holy Apostle John delights and refresheth himselfe not onely in the thing but in the comfort to demonstrate the certainty 1 John 3. We know there is Pauls and Jobs word againe We know that we are translated from death to life it is God that hath pardoned our sins and wrought this gracious change There is a translation of the Old man to the New we are translated and we know it by the fruit and effect because we love the Brethren And in another place We know his spirit abides in us He not onely comes and goes but dwells he hath taken up his Habitation it continues with us we know it even by the Spirit there is the evidence from the effect because we love the Brethren we know it by that and from the cause we know it because we have the Spirit What is more then we know And what greater assurance then the Spirit Paul makes that the great evidence Rom. 8. We know that he hath given us of his spirit And that Spirit witnesseth what That our sins are pardoned that we are the Children of God that we are in the state of Adoption and Reconciliation The Spirit witnesseth to our Spirits Our spirits have the Testimony and the spirit adds a Testimony to that that by the mouth of two Witnesses every word of God might be established to the soule There is the evidnce of grace and the testimony of our spirit of the spirit of God The Apostle Paul is very freequent in setting words of weight to evince the certeinty I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angells nor Principallities nor powers nor any thing shall be able to seperate us from the love of God I am perswaded it is a word of great assurance I am confident it is as much as we know I am assured that neither life nor death that nothing can seperate this bond of union or cut this bond assunder There is no Sword that can cut betweene the beleiving soule and the spirit of God It is so neare a union that the love of God makes that nothing can come between I am confident I am assured that neither principallities nor powers nor any thing shall be able to seperate us from the love of God he had the evidence and he shewes that it might therefore be had Yet another place and that is that that before I named 2 Tim. 1. I know whom I have beleived It is not onely put in 2 Cor. 5. in the Singular but in the Plur all least men should have thought that Paul had it by illumination from God it was revealed to him from Heaven He knew whom he had beleived and that none could seperate him but shall we expect to have that assurance given us Therefore in the Corinths he takes in them We know he names some besides himselfe that is I and you Corinthians all beleivers or at least those that are eminent Beleivers if not at all times yet at some time if not at every time for the particular yet for the generall We know that when this earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved there is a House made without hands reserved in the Heavens He speakes of the translation from the Houses of Clay these bodies that we carry about us to those Houses that are cloathed on with immortality God hath provided a house and we know it and are assured of it The Apostles and Saints of both Testaments they laid a great deale of their comfort in this assurance therefore they gave Testimony to it And

first Boves capras the Goats or the Lambs of our lips no it is the Calves of our lips And for the second word it is not the Calves of our Stalls but of our selves and in our selves not the Calves of our hearts A man would have thought that that should have carried the sway and turned the Ballance no the Calves of our lips There are reasons as I conceive to be given of all this The first is for the first word why he instanceth in this creature rather then any other for there were other Creatures that were offered in sacrifice The Turtles of our lips or the Lambs of our lips What doe we think should be the reason why he makes choyce of this creature which if we compare Creature with Creature seems the most grosse of all other to express the duty of thankfullnesse We cannot say it was onely in allusion to Sacrifice for other Creatures were used in Sacrifice as well as Calves and Heifers We cannot say it was because this Creature was a Type of Christ So it was Luk. 15. when the Prodigall came home to his Father who is every penitent sinner and the Father there is our Heavenly Father that receives sinners when they come to him And there it is said for his entertainment that he made ready the Fatted Calfe and Garments and Rings these are to explaine to us the fruits of Christs death and Sacrifice of himselfe and the Garment of his righteousnesse put upon us As Chrysostome well sayth the Fatted Calfe is Christ Sacrificed for our sins Therefore compared to the Calfe Quia immaculatus c. Because he gave himselfe a Sacrifice of redemption for sin And the Fatted Calfe because of the excellency of his Merit and the All-sufficiency of it Yet this is not a sufficient reason for though Christ were typified in the Calfe he was so in the Lamb it is so exprest by John Baptist himselfe Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World Therefore if that were the onely reason because it was a Type of Christ it should run as well the Lambs of our lips as the Calves of our lips therefore I conceive this reason may further be added There is never a tittle of this Prayer that the Prophet composed for the People but was well pondered in the Ballance of his spirit and as I shewed in the rest that he brought them to some consideration in every tittle and word so he would bring them to consideration by this phrase In Jerem. 31. the People of Israell are compared to an untamed Heifer In Hosea 4. they are called a Backsliding Heifer Their rebellions were so great that they are set downe by this metaphor even Israell was an untamed Calfe or Heifer Further this Creature that they are compared to for their rebellions it was the Creature whereby they provoked God in the Desart they made a calfe and worshipped it After in Jeroboams time there were 2. set up one in Dan and another in Bethell and they worshipped them and now in the Prophets time they said to the works of their hands yee are our Gods It is likely those Creatures continued in the same resemblance They turned the similitude of God to the likenesse of a Creature that eateth hay By this phrase it is likely the Prophet would bring them to the consideration of their sins Take away iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our lips As it is observed of the Aegyptians and the Israelites the Israelites Sacrificed to the true God those that the Aegyptians made their Gods The Prophet would have them sacrifice themselves to God in that resemblance whereby the Spirit of God had set out their rebellion As if they had sayed we confesse we have rebelled from the womb as an untamed Heifer we have dealt unfaithfully in the Covenant we have made to our selves Gods of Gold we will now bring our selves under the yoak not onely our necks but our lips also We will offer our selves in that very resemblance whereby we have dishonour'd thee In that creature we have dishonour'd thy name and in that very resemblance for the acknowledgement of our sins we come to thee So will we render the Calves of our lips Yet there is somwhat more in it why he instanceth not onely in this creature but in this condition of the creature The Calves of our lips it 's not Ox or Heifer It may seem this they were novices in Religion Vitulus is the first part they were not acquainted to give the Sacrifice of prais now they were brought to the sight of themselves they would give the Sacrifice of new praise They were inured to dishonour God now we will sing Psalmes of thanks giving and praise thee with songs of glory and blessing Here was a new change it was the first fruits the beginning of their offering and obedience therfore a calfe It was not onely a new part but they acknowledge that this sacrifice of praise was imperfect it was not yet come to any maturity strength ripenesse they did but bleat out praises yet they could not come to sing songs of praise that were perfectly set as other of the Saints had done before We cannot give thee a Sacrifice acceptable for persection but as well as we can we give thee a Sacrifice that thou art pleased to accept for the present there is the Calves of our lips that is the first why Calves 2ly Why the Calves of the lips There is a double opposition why not the Calves of our heards Why not the calves that we take out of our Stalls But the calves of our lips I conceive why the Prophet sets it in this order there are these three reasons First he would draw them hereby from all opinion of the ●pas oceratum of their Sacrifice they were too prone to think well of their sacrifice therfore hereby by turning the word with this metaphoricall the Calves of our lips he would draw them to consider that God was not delighted with the offring of the sacrifices they gave if they kept back their hearts and themselves The Sacrifices that God expected was praise and obedience spirituall Sacrifices that they should not make their boast what Hecatombs they had offred how many Calves or Lambs these God delights not in he expresseth himselfe so Psal 50. I will take no Bullocks out of thy house He cares not for their sacrifice if they withdraw themselves no he expects a sacrifice I wil not take it out of thy house but out of thy heart not out of thy fold but out of thy self The prophet would hereby lead them to this consideration that they should give spirituall sacrifice and look in their ceremoniall Sacrifice to that that was morall that God expected The Sacrifice that God looked for was praise the lips to be the offering the tongue the knife the heart the Altar both the Priest that offered the