no Deputies for the use of Deputies argues a defect as the using of spectacles or crutches doth if the eyes or legges were well and sound inough a man would not use them so a man would not write letters or use other meanes to doe his businesse but from a defect he is not large inough to doe his businesse immediately But almighty God he is every where present and in his governing al things are done by his owne Almighty power Good Governours may have wicked instruments contrary to their mindes which they know not of as Ely and Samuel had but in GODS Government it is not so therefore learne from hence not to complaine of the iniquitie of the times or the injustice of men It is true that a kind mother may ignorantly put her child to a wicked Nurse that will abuse it but GOD never puts any of his children to Nurse but he is present with them his government is immediate So that that which is said of David he is a man after Gods owne heart it may be said of every King and Governour they doe what God would have them to doe though it be for evill as his was for good they are men after Gods owne heart As it was in the killing of Iesus Christ even that is said to be done by the determinate Counsell of God And therefore let no man complaine of his Governours for God governes not by Deputies but by himselfe Therefore let no man say that hee hath an evill Master or Governour but let him acknowledge that whatsoever he hath from man it is the worke of the Almighty God that is every where present it is he that disposeth of men and puts them into such a condition for he is the King of heaven and earth Therefore complaine to him and be patient because he hath done it doe not complaine of men and fret against them because the Lord is not absent in his kingdome but is present to guide and dispose them according to his owne pleasure Vse 2 Secondly If GOD be every where present in his owne essence and person wee should the rather choose him to be our GOD and rejoyce much in the amplenesse of our portion seeing wee have such a GOD that is every where we can goe no whither but he is present with us wee have nothing to doe a thousand miles hence but he is there and doth our businesse for us We seeke a multitude of friends because one cannot doe it because one doth one thing and another another one friend may be a comfort to us in one place but if you come to another place there you may be destitute friends cannot be every where hence we neede many friends but if you looke upon the Lord and his omnipresence all this is supplied in him hee is in every place and hee can doe your businesses for you though you be distant from the place where they are to be done and GOD is with you every where as it was his promise to Iacob when he went to Padan Aram I will be with thee saith the Lord. So he said to David and when Ioseph went into prison the Lord went with him When Abraham was called out of his Country the Lord bid him to goe I will be with thee Beloved when you consider this that GOD is every where present and can doe every thing for you whereby he hath the sweetnesse of a thousand friends in him and the ability of as many I say when wee consider this it should teach us not onely to be content but to say that we desire no more Learne therefore to studie this Attribute The more we know him by it the more comfort we gather from it As is it not matter of great comfort that in all places wee should have a GOD to doe all our businesses To which purpose is that expression in Ier. 23.23 24. Hee is a God nigh at hand that is though your businesse lie in other Countries yet I am there to doe them for you And againe is it not comfort to consider that hee is with your enemies it may be in a distance place For you thinke that if you were there you would have something to prevent them Consider that hee is there and after another manner than any man is hee is present with their mindes and knowes their counsells and moves their hearts and disposeth of all their counsells As Elisha tolde the King of Arams counsell to the King of Israel which shewed that GOD was there So also hee is present with thy friends when they are absent it may be that they forget us yet he can stirre them up as he did stirre up Cyrus to doe what hee did for the people of Israel So likewise he is present with our children when wee are with GOD when we are gone out of this world to provide for them and to bring them up Hee is present with all our affaires and businesses when we are absent and know not how things goe we are apt to be sollicitous but if we would consider that he is a great God and that he is every where this should comfort us and stay our hearts And therefore thinke with thy selfe that thou hast a large portion because thou hast the LORD And this is the second use Vse 3 Thirdly If God be every where present hence you may see a ground for his particular providence It seemes something strange to men that every small thing should be disposed of by him we thinke indeed that great things are but for the least things therein we are apt to make a doubt and can hardly beleeve it But this point in hand is a great confirmation of this truth If an horse stumble by the way wee thinke it a common accident if a fly fall into a mans eye or if a tile fall off from the house or an axe head we looke upon them as common accidents but if we consider that he is present there it is then an easie matter for us to beleeve that God doth disposed all these when the axe head falls off it is in his hand as before it was in the hand of the workeman If he be present with every small creature with every fly with every sparrow and stone with every motion of the creature then all the actions that befall us they are all his workes In him wee live move and have our being that is hee is present with every creature Therefore it is no difficulty to beleeve that hee guides the smallest thing If an enemy hurt us wee are to thinke that he is but as a staffe in Gods hand as it is said of Nebuchadnezzar Every accident is but as a cup as Christ saith of the cup that was brought to him by others Shall not I drinke of the cup which my Father gives me So wee may say of every affliction The tongues of men are but scourges in his hand hee can rule them as he pleaseth and so wee
greifes upon all occasions he makes himselfe present with him Thirdly he that pleaseth GOD in all his actions and doth what is acceptable to him that doth what he hath commanded and abstaines from what hee hath forbidnen he which behaves himselfe after this manner makes himselfe present with the Lord. For this last you shall see if you compare that in Genesis of Enochs walking with GOD with that in Heb. 11.5 To make our actions agreable to the rule of his will this is to walke with the Lord for Enoch is said to walke with God in Genesi and in the Hebrewes he is said to please of the Lord. And as wee must be thus present with the Lord So secondly wee must make him present with us As first we must looke upon him as one who obserueth all that we doe When a man hath this full perswasion in his heart not onely habitually but actually that the Lord lookes upon him in all that he speakes and doth hee makes the Lord present with him So secondly when a man shall observe the Lord speaking to him which a man doth in meditating in the word But this is not inough but you must observe what the Lord saith to you upon every occasion and in every passage of his providence also But you will say that the Lord doth not speake to us now as he did to the Prophets Yes he doth in a manner speake to us How doth the Lord speake to us now Hee speakes to our consciences that is the immediate deputy by which he speakes to every man And also hee speakes to us by the suggestions of the Spirit and the good motions of it hee speakes to us by the good counsell of our friends and of the Ministers and others hee speakes to us by the passages of his providence for a man may make knowne his will by his actions as well as by his word I say to observe what the Lord saith to us in all these this is a part of our walking with him Lastly so consider what hee doth and what the mercies are which hee shewes to thee what corrections what judgements what turnings of his providence what hee doth to those that are neare thee for God would have us to take speciall notice of it as in Dan. 5.22 So observe what is brought to your knowledge for as the word of God so also his workers ought to bee sought out by them that belong to him After this manner wee should walke with the Lord from day to day And it is one thing required whereof you are put in minde when you here that he is every where present you should bee present with him upon all occasions and observe his dealing towards you and your carriage to him Every man walkes with something continually now looke what a mans mind is busied about most that he walkes with And indeed to walke with any thing is to giue it the honour that is due onely to GOD. When a man is busie about what men thinke of him about his riches and estate how they ebbe and flow about his credit with men these are the things that a man walkes with Beloved you are not to goe a step with any thing except hee send you on such an errand as a Master doth his servant but you are to walke with him from day to day It is possible that a man may bee in company and his mind bee in another place and busied about other things and where his mind is there hee walkes A man may bee in the world and yet his mind and conversation in heaven as Enoch did the things of this life and yet hee is said to walke with God if thou doest so this is a signe that thou lovest GOD for to walke with a thing it is the best argument that thou lovest it Let a man professe never so much love to a freind if he will not walke with him it is but in shew and not in truth If thou wouldest shew thy love to God why doest thou not walke with him If there bee a freind that thou lovest doest thou not desire to bee with him And when thou art in company with him is it not a signe also of respect As when many are together all goe to the chiefe man so thou must walke with GOD. You know what GOD saith to Abraham Gen. 17.1 I am God All-sufficient walke with me and hee thou perfect Marke here the connection as if he should say Abraham when I desire this thou shouldest withdraw thy selfe from all other creatures and things to walke with me know that there is great reason for it for I am All-sufficient thou needest no other If thou hast a friend all-sufficient hast thou not need to walke with him But as wee shewed you God is in stead of ten thousand friends A man needs many friends a friend at Court a friend at home a friend abroad to be there where hee himselfe cannot bee but wheresoever thou goest the Lord is with thee if into banishment banishment is nothing you will say if I might have all my companions with mee now remember that GOD is with thee if thou goest into imprisonment hee is there A man will say that no friend in the world can doe so but yet the Lord doth When Iacob went to Padax Aram GOD promised him that he would goe with him Ioseph when he went into prison GOD went with him and with Paul when he was in bonds And Abraham was banished into a strange Country and the Lord tells him that he would bee with him there and that makes a mans home and country and liberty to bee every where hee is at home when he is a broad and at liberty when he is in prison Now therefore let a man consider this that wheresoever he is yet GOD is with him who is able to direct us in all our doubts to defend us in all danger and to provide for us in all our necessities And then consider also what benefit comes by this thou shalt grow acquainted with him and then thou canst finde the way to him upon all occasions whatsoever when other men cannot Another man would faine goe to GOD but he knowes not the way Iob. 22.21 Acquaint now thy selfe with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee that is serve GOD and thou shalt prosper The meaning is this one that is acquainted with GOD when he hath any thing to doe he may goe to GOD and get helpe from him and so bring his enterprises to passe he knowes the way to put up a prayer to him and he shall finde a present helpe upon all occasions So consider in the time of death if thou hast accustomed thy selfe to walke with God if in thy life time thou hast beene acquainted with him death will be no death to thee Death indeede is bitter because it drawes a man from his home from his friends and acquaintance and into a strange place and therefore
and because they finde not any one thing sufficient therefore they put their confidence in many Rom. 1. For all Idolatry is upon one of these three grounds 1 They worship them for gods whom they saw excellent men that had something in them above themselves such as were strong men as Hercules and those that were Law-givers and Princes as Saturne and Iupiter and they did worship Vertues likewise and they did build a Temple to Vertue it selfe and to Iustice and Patience 2 Those that brought any speciall helpe and comfort to the lives of men as they that did invent usefull Arts as Bacchus Ceres Vulcan Aesculapius and also they worshipped the creatures themselves as the Sunne and Moone and Oxen and the like 3 They worshipped for god that which was stronger than themselves therefore Tully saith we build a Temple to Feavers to Diseases because they were stronger than they they could kill men when they did seaze upon them so they did build a Temple to Fortune Now to translate this to our selves see if we have not the same ground with us see if the things that have any excellencie amongst men if the things that are profitable to us and things that exceed us in strength and over-power us whether they are not ready to be set up as gods when men spend themselves upon their pleasure and are afraid of men what is this but to set up another god We doe the same though not in the same manner that the Heathens did Now for the worshipping the creatures we are not to doe it there is no creature in the world that can do either good or hurt as it was said of Idols But when our affections are so inordinately carried to them we set them up for gods though we observe it not It is Gods prerogative royall and it belongs only to him to doe good or evill whatsoever is either good or evill he is the Author of it he makes mens lives comfortable or uncomfortable at his pleasure for hee disposeth of things giving them and taking them from whom he will Therefore why is he forgotten and why doe men joyne other things with him so farre as men see not the vanity of all things and so farre as their affections are taken up with these outward things so much Idolatry there is in their hearts Therefore you must take heed that you give not Gods glory to another Take heed of Idolatry in your opinions give not the glory of God to riches for that which a mans minde is set most upon and which he looks for comfort from in time of need this they count as God so that whatsoever it be riches or the favour of men if you set your minde upon it you make it as God and it is to give the glory of God to another We must not trust in them Psal. 115.9 but trust in GOD O Israel trust thou in the LORD he is their helpe and their shield Now then we exalt him when we trust only in him when we trust not in any of these outward things when we think not our selves any whit the better the more riches or friends we have for so farre we trust in the creatures so far we commit idolatry with them but he that thinkes himselfe safe because he hath the Lord for his God and because he is his Shield he doth exalt the Lord and this is to put this in practice which is here spoken of I am God and there is none like mee THE SIXTH SERMON EXODVS 3.13 14 15. 13 Moses said unto GOD behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them The GOD of your Fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say unto mee What is his Name what shall I say unto them 14 And GOD said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM. And he said Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you 15 And GOD said moreover unto Moses Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel The LORD GOD of your Fathers the GOD of Abraham the GOD of Isaac and the GOD of Iacob hath sent me unto you this is my Name for ever and this is my memoriall unto all generations NOw wee come to this What GOD is God is IEHOVAH ELOHIM an absolute Essence in three Persons But we will first speake of the Deitie then of the Persons Now God is knowne to us two wayes 1 By his Essence and 2 By his Attributes Now the great question is what this Essence of God is Beloved you need more than the tongue of man to declare this to you yet we will shew it to you as the Scripture reveales it Now if we should define it though it is capable properly of no definition wee would say GOD is an incomprehensible first and absolute Being These words in this place set out the Essence of God most clearely of any place in Scripture that I know This is the first expression whereby God did ever shew himselfe in his Essence God hath before made himselfe knowne by his All-sufficiencie Chap. 6.3 I appeared to Abraham to Isaac and unto Iacob by the name of GOD Almightie but by my name IEHOVAH was I not knowne unto them This name IEHOVAH was knowne to Abraham as appeares in divers places but the meaning is it was not opened to them they did not understand it The Lord saith Gen. 17.1 I am the Almightie GOD walke before mee and be thou perfect You shall finde that Name used on every occasion by Abraham by Isaac and by Iacob El-shaddai GOD all-sufficient but not IEHOVAH The first time that ever God made himselfe knowne by this name was here to Moses I am that I am There are two things to be observed in this expression The incomprehensiblenesse of Almighty GOD as it is usually said by us when wee are asked a thing that we will not reveale any further or that we would not have another to prie any further into we say It is what it is so God saith to Moses I am what I am Such a kinde of speech is also used to shew the immutabilitie of a thing as Pilat said What I have written I have written I will not change it so men use to say I have done what I have done to shew the constancie of a thing that it shall not be altered therefore when God would shew the constancie of his Nature he addes further I am without any other word as if hee should say Moses if they inquire of thee what my name is tell them only this Hee is hath sent me unto you as the Septuagints translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is if I should deliver the most expressing name whereby I would be knowne to all ages this is that which I will pitch upon I am or IEHOVAH which comes from the same root And if Moses should yet further inquire of his Name he leads him into
were if an house had such and such a thing it would be a goodly house so in an instrument as a Watch if it had such and such a being it were a perfect Watch so is it in the complaints that we make for our soules or the soules of others if you see a man that you would have reclaimed you say if there were a stability of minde in him a consideration of death a right knowledge of things a sense of sinne if there were grace in his heart to establish him then hee would be thus and thus Consider that he who is the Lord of being is able to make up these wants so if our complaints be for our selves they all come from some wants but know that he who is the Almightie God that makes all things to be he can give thee constancie he can enable thee to do all things and strengthen the weake hands and feeble knees Hebr. 22. He that is full of being as the Sunne is of light and the Sea of water thinke with thy selfe that hee alone is able to give being to every grace and to make up every defect and give that to thee which thou hast not and to all whom thou hast to doe with as thy wife children friends c. he can make things that were bad good and usefull and so make thy friend good also as he did Onesimus for Paul thinke with thy selfe that the Lord of strength can doe it and he only can doe it here every creature is at a stand to make a being therfore goe to him and give him the praise and glory of his Name And as it should move us to doe this in our wants so it should helpe thee in all those great crosses that afflict thee For every crosse is in that which is not as Rachel wept of her children that were not You shall see in Abraham he beleeved in GOD even in GOD who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were Rom. 4.17 This was Abrahams case he was to lose his sonne for ought that he knew yet he comforted himselfe in this that Iehovah the mightie God that is the Lord of being he that calleth things that are not as if they were hee could either give him his owne sonne againe or one that was as good as he Thus he did comfort himselfe and so may we upon all occasions God can make things to be that are not Take Iob when his houses his children estate all were gone and all were not yet Iehovah he that makes things that are not did not he make all things to returne againe So David when things were not when his Kingdome was not when his good name was gone as wee see by Shimei's cursing what a name he had yet God did make all to come againe Naomi when all was gone her husband and her sonnes gone and they were not yet hee that was the Lord of being gave her a sonne and a daughter that brought her in more comfort that her owne sonnes would And this is the use that I would have you to make of it When thou hast lost any thing when thy sons or thy goods are gone he can make up all Hee who could make up the absence of Christ to the Disciples as he did by his Spirit so that it was better with them than before they had more comfort and knowledge and could doe greater miracles that God can surely make good any other losse the most pinching For you must remember that he is IEHOVAH you shall finde that name often used on this occasion still it is added I am IEHOVAH But to take the present Scripture there you shall see what ground there is for this use we now make of it Chap. 6.6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am the LORD and I will bring you out from under the burthens of the Aegyptians c. The meaning of it is this many objections might be made by Moses and this is the reason why God reveales this Name to Moses Alas saith Moses who am I Shall I go unto Pharaoh and bid him let the children of Israel goe What am I to be sent on this errand Saith the Lord Goe tell him I am or Iehovah hath sent thee unto him and those answers are observable that Moses makes Object I am of a slow mouth and of slow speech Answ. Why saith the LORD I made the mouth goe therefore and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Object Againe I am of uncircumcised lips and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me Answ. Saith the LORD I have made thee a god to Pharaoh and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet Where observe this by the way A man would wonder why Moses that went to such a one as Pharaoh should complaine that he was a man of uncircumcised lips One would thinke that Pharaoh being a carnall man that uncircumcised words would please him better but it is as if he should say Lord when there is any circumcisednesse in my lips then there is no authority in my speech The lesse circumcision there is in any mans lippe the lesse authority there is in his speech as it is said of Christ that he spake with authoritie for his lips were circumcised But to take this objection away saith the LORD I am Iehovah I will be with thee I will circumcise thy lips Object Yea but will Pharaoh be moved with words Answ. I am Iehovah saith the LORD I will make that to be which is not I will send plagues among them and then he will let them goe Object But when they are gone they are a weake and a naked people how shall they doe to live Answ. Saith GOD I will give them favour in the eyes of the Aegyptians and not send them emptie and I will provide food for them So Moses went A strange kinde of errand as if one should goe and tell the great Turke that the God of the Christians hath sent to let them goe but yet Moses goeth and all that comforted him was 〈◊〉 the revealing of this Name Now apply this to your selves when you are in any distresse know that he that made the heavens and the earth can give a being to all these things Esay 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the LORD that obeyeth the voice of his servants that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the LORD and stay upon his GOD. He that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let that be thy case that every thing is desperate thou seest not a jot of light nor spark of hope yet trust in the Name of Iehovah hee can make light when there is none a man that hath no grace in his heart let him trust in Iehovah that saith in his heart I would I could be rid of such a lust and that I could keep holy the Sabbath but I have nothing in me
the Lord the efficacie that they have to doe us hurt or good is from him and not from themselves If God will say to the creature Goe and doe such a man good it will doe it because there goes a concourse of efficacie from him to doe it So if he say to a creature Goe to such a man and afflict him it will doe it though it be never so small and meane a creature therefore of themselves they neither doe good nor hurt the efficacie that they have is from him and not from themselves they are meere instruments and if God withdraw his blessing and cursing they can doe us neither good nor hurt Answ. 2 We say that they are nothing because they are at his command if he would doe us good hee never wants one to send of his errand if he will make a man rich he wants not wealth it is at his command if he will give a man friends he can fetch them againe if all thy friends be present yet they stirre not unlesse he command The rich and the poore they meet together but the LORD makes them both And in this regard riches are said to be nothing Prov. 23. Riches take to themselves wings and fly away And why doest thou set thy heart upon that which is nothing That is they goe and come at his command and therfore they are to be accounted as nothing If a man see a flocke of the best fowle on his land yet he looks upon them as nothing to him because they have wings and will fly away and you should thinke so of all things else that they have wings that they goe and come at his command that they are nothing because they are nothing to you Answ. 3 They are nothing because they can doe but little good and that which they do is of no continuance and therefore they are said to be vanitie So that put the case that they have some efficacie in them when yet they are acted by the Lord yea put the case that they were at their owne command as they are not yet they can doe but little good and that is of so short continuance that therefore they are vanity they are nothing because they are little more than nothing as Salomon calleth them all things under the Sunne are vanitie they are emptie things and that which is under the Sun cannot reach above the Sunne and therefore they are said to be vanitie Object But if you say that they are great things and therefore you see how the Prophets did magnifie them and did set forth the greatnesse of afflictions in the want of them Answ. I answer that they are of use indeed in regard of the weaknesse of the creature and the continuance of this life but if they be compared to eternitie they are nothing and againe if the Lord be with us in the want of them they are nothing if the Lord send us afflictions and give us his favour and the light of his countenance it is nothing if he send us into prison if he be with us it will be nothing As on the contrary if a man had a brave Palace and God was not with him if he did withdraw his favour from him all were nothing The second Attribute of GOD. The next Attribute which likewise may bee drawne from this place is this That GOD is the first without all causes having his being and beginning from himselfe This I finde set downe in Rev. 1.8 I am ALPHA and OMEGA the beginning and the ending saith the LORD which is which was and which is to come the Almightie that is what Alpha and Omega are in the letters that I am to the creatures I am the first and the last that is if I should suffer the creatures to fall then I should be the last and I am He they would returne unto Rev. 3.14 Christ according to his God-head is said to be the beginning of the creation of GOD Isai. 44.6 I am the first and last The meaning of it is that he is without all causes that he is from himselfe and by himselfe and of himselfe and for himselfe Rom. 11.36 that is he is the first hee never had any efficient cause as all the creatures have that which hath no efficient cause hath no end that which hath no end hath no forme for the forme doth but serve to carry a thing to such an end that which hath no forme hath no matter for the matter is dependent on the forme and so consequently he is without all cause But wee will shew you the grounds of this they are these three He is without all cause for if there were any cause of him that cause must needs be caused either from some other or from it selfe not from any other for then there should be something that is before the Lord that is better than he from whom he receives all things but that cannot be for then it should be God and not the Lord and it is not from it selfe because nothing is the cause of it selfe for then it should be before it selfe and it should be better than it selfe for the cause though it give the same that is in it selfe to the effect as the father to the sonne yet the cause is better because that which gives is better than that which receives Againe it should be different from it selfe for the cause is different from the effect therefore it must needs be that he is without all cause and the first and the beginning of all the creatures of God Wheresoever you see any thing that hath but a part of another it must needs receive it from some whole and if it doth receive it from that which is but a part yet by degrees it must come to some whole as to the fountaine as for example if iron or wood be on fire c. they have but a part of that element which argues that there is some whole But it may be said Answ. That cannot be because whatsoever hath any thing originally must have the whole and not a part as the Sunne because it hath the light originally therefore it hath not a part but the whole though afterward it gives light to many so a fountaine that hath water originally hath not the part but the whole though afterwards it runnes into many brookes and if there were but one fountaine as there is but one Sunne then all the water would be in that fountaine as the light is in the Sunne Now to apply this looke upon all the creatures and you shal find that they have all but part of being the Angels have one part men another and other creatures another part c. which is an argument that there is a whole which is GOD blessed for ever Besides it argues that he hath that wholenesse of being from himselfe for he that hath but part of a thing doth borrow it and
you use to say we know not what we shall have hereafter we know what we have here and therefore the soule trembles at it Whence comes this but because we have not beene wonted to walke with the LORD Is it a great thing for him to die when he hath the same company and the same friends with him still It is but chancing the place not his company one of the speeches repeated by the Authour at his death for he is present every where Therefore our duty thence is no maintaine such a constant communion with him that we may be able to fetch helpe and comfort and direction from him so that we neede not turne aside to the creatures and be dependent upon them And indeed one that is acquainted with the LORD and hath full communion with him may be satisfied with that alone for what is it that makes a man to desire company It ariseth from these two things First partly because one would have fit objects to exercise his faculties upon which if hee had not they would languish and a wearisomnesse would grow upon them Secondly because hee would have knowledge and direction and helpe and advice and comfort brought into his empty heart by such friends as are able to suggest it to him and therefore they desire company Now shall they not finde this in the Lord more than in any creature Is not he then the worthiest and the highest object on whom they should bestow their thoughts Againe cannot he fill thy heart with joy and comfort is not he onely wise to give thee direction upon all occasions and is there any then that thou shouldest choose to walke with more than with him Every man the more faith he hath and the more wisedome he hath the more able hee is to walke with GOD and with himselfe the more unbeleeving and weake and unconstant the more unable hee is to be alone And the ground of it is By faith a man walkes with God and by reflection hee walkes with himselfe There are two companions which a man needes never to be destitute of GOD and himselfe First a man walkes by faith when hee sees GOD present and speaking to him and hee speakes againe to the LORD and the stronger a mans faith is the more he doth it Againe a man walkes with himselfe by reflection on his owne actions and heart and wayes a beast cannot walke with it selfe because it cannot recoyle and turne in upon it selfe neither can children or fooles or weake and unconstant men therefore they cannot be without company it is a hell to them to be alone and the lesse a mans wisedome is the more he complaines of want of company Seeing therefore God is every where present labour to strengthen thy faith in that his presence and so thou maist still be with him and walke with him And then secondly labour to speake to thy selfe to reproove and admonish thy selfe to consider thine owne wayes and actions to cheare and comfort thy selfe for these are all the actions of one that makes himselfe a companion and hee that doth these things shall never complaine of want of company and solitarinesse Sixthly If God bee every where present then he is present to observe all the sinnes that thou committest and to observe all the good that thou doest Then make this use of it that the presence of the Lord should be a restraint to keepe thee from sinning on the one hand and it should incourage thee on the other hand to abound in every good worke Therefore a man should say thus with himselfe I dare not doe this because God is present he stands by and lookes on It was Iosephs reason to his Mistres Though we be alone yet God is present and beholdes it And how can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God As if he should say though we see him not yet he is present and sees it and knowes it And not onely say I dare not doe it but thou shouldest say I dare not so much as thinke it for he beholdes the thoughts You shall see an excellent place for this if you compare Iob. 31. verse 1. and 4. together it is one continued speech I have made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I thinke upon a maid Doth not hee see my wayes and count all my steps As if hee should say I durst not give so much as give liberty to my thoughts because hee beheld all my wayes it is a question which those that feare God have beene wont to aske How shall I doe to bee rid of such and such thoughts that haunt mee continually I would very faine bee rid of them This is an excellent way to consider that GOD himselfe stands by annd knowes all thy thoughts and takes notice of them As put this case Suppose a wise and godly man should stand by and take notice of all thy base thoughts that passe through thy heart wouldest thou not bee ashamed of thy selfe If thy body were made a glasse and men should see all thy thoughts through it wouldst thou not bee ashamed of them and carefull in them as wee are of our actions now before men Now to consider that the Lord beholds them to consider that he sees every thought the least whereof is no light matter this would be a meanes to restraine thee Nay consider that the Lord doth not onely behold them but he ponders all thy actions to giue thee the fruit of them so that God doth not stand by as a meere looker on but he takes such notice of all thy thoughts that passe through thy heart and all thy vaine words that he weighes them as it were And therefore hee is said in Scripture so often to ponder our wayes He puts thy sins and those lusts in one ballance and his censure in the other and gives thee according he puts weight for weight he gives thee correction if thou art his child and judgement if thou bee wicked Therefore thou must consider who it is that knowes them what a one he is as it is in Rev. 2. when he tells his Churches that hee knowes them all then hee describes himselfe what a one he is as his eyes to be of flaming fire and his feete like brasse This if considered would make a man to looke about him If there was a company set together and there was an informer standing by and did note downe in his table-book what they did and did declare it to their enemies or to the King and Counsell men would be exceeding wary they would ponder every word before they spake so when GOD is present and beholdeth all that thou doest hast thou not reason much more to consider thy wayes Men say indeed that the Lord is present every where but our lives shew that wee thinke like the Atheists in Iob that God is shut up in the thicke clouds and cannot see through them Yea there is noe man but needs an increase
of faith in this point For if it were fully believed it could not be but that wee should take more heed to our wayes and thoughts than we doe Therefore to convince you of and perswade you to this I will name two places One you shall finde in Ephe. 4.6 One God one Lord who is aboue you all and in you all and through all First he is above all As a man that stands above can see all that is done below so the Lord lookes downe and beholds all that is done on earth as a man in an high place sees all that is done below But it may bee objected though a man be aboue yet there may be some corners some rockes and dens so that he may hide himselfe from the eyes of him that is aboue him therefore it is added who is in you all that is he beholds every thought every secret place every corner of our hearts he is in you all and through all This you shall find more at large in Psa. 139.1 O Lord thou hast searched me and knowne me thou knowest my downe sitting and mine up rising thou understandest my thoughts afarre off c. The meaning of it is this David labours to perswade his owne heart that God is present with him and he doth it by the argument If I goe forward the Lord is there if on this side or that side yet still he is present he compasseth me round about he is behind and before therefore it must needs be that there is not a word that I speake or a thought that I thinke but he sees and heares all Yea he knowes my thoughts afarre off that is as a man that knowes what rootes he hath in his garden though there be not a flower appeares yet he can say when the spring comes this and this will come up because he knowes the garden and knowes what roots are there So the Lord knowes a mans thoughts afarre off because he knowes the principles that are within and he knowes what they would doe when occasion is offered and therefore saith David I have cause to feare exceedingly before him Nay he doth not onely see mens thoughts afarre off but he will judge you afarre off for them Wee use to destroy hemlocke even in the middest of winter because wee know what it will doe if it be suffered to grow so the Lord doth cut off men long before because he knowes that they will doe this and this Such passages of his providence there may be as to cut off children and yong men out of the foresight of the evill that they would doe to his Church because he knowes their thoughts afarre off So hee knowes thy thoughts for good afarre off therefore though a child of God may bee cut off in some undiscovered sinne when hee hath not actually repented yet GOD forgives it him because he knowes what he would doe if he had time to repent and should come to discover it and therefore GOD judgeth him accordingly and likewise if wee have begun any good worke if we be cut off before we have finished it yet remember that GOD knowes what wee would doe And seing hee doth this we should learne exceedingly to feare before him to ponder our owne thoughts and speeches seing GOD himselfe takes notice fo them So it should bee a continuall incouragement to consider that GOD takes notice of all the good that we doe as well as of the evill Rev. 2. and 3. I know thy workes thy labour and thy patience I know thy sufferings that is when a man is miscalled slandered and evill spoken of because he serves and feares God because he is none of the worlds owne and therefore it shewes forth its hatred in word when it cannot in deed for malice must have some vent yet I know thy sufferings and let it bee inough that I know them and register them there is not the least suffering but I take notice of it and it shall bee rewarded Againe men take much paines and no man regardes it yet God takes notice of their labour and their paines and not of their workes onely but their labour in doing them and sees what ends they put upon all Againe men put up injuries and suffer much wrong yet saith the Lord I know thy patience c. What is said of this may be said of all other good actions And it is a great honour to the Lord that we are content with this that he alone knowes it And so we may be well inough for his knowledge will bring in a sure fruit with it as he saith to Iacob Gen. 31. I know all the labour thou hast done unto me And what followed that Why God taught Iacob how to inlarge his wages and so translated Labans substance to him So Psa. 1. last The meaning is the Lord knowes the way of the righteous and therefore it doth prosper and shall And he knowes the way of the wicked and therefore they shall perish Therefore it is inough to us that he is present and sees it and knowes it Againe this should stire us up to good duties seeing he is alwaies present you dnow souldiers though they are some what cowardly otherwise yet in the presence of the Generall if hee looke on they will adventure much so servants that are otherwise idle yet they will doe eye-service they will worke while the Master lookes on so when we consider that the Lord stands by and lookes on and takes notice what paines we take how we doe fight his battells and what wee doe for him it should incourage us and makes us abundant in the worke of the Lord seeing we know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Nay it is an incouragement against the discouragement of men thou maist have discouragement from friends from neighbours and the place where thou livest yet let this bee thy comfort the Lord is present hee knowes thy dwelling thy neighbours who is for thee and who against thee he knowes the difficulties thou meetest with any performāce he knowes what hindrāce thou hast as it is there in the verse 13. I know thy workes and where thou dwellest even where Sathans seat is and thou holdest fast my name and hast not denied my faith even in those dayes wherein Antipas was my faithfull Martyr who was slaine among you where Sathan dwelleth Vse 7 Seventhly this should bee an exceeding great terrour to all men that remaine in the state of unregeneration The Lord is their enemy and they have such an enemy from whome they cannot fly or escape which is a miserable thing On earth if man have an enemy in one place if he goe to another he is free if he have an enemy in one land yet he may fly to another and there be free and how ever yet when he dies he shall bee free from the voice of the oppressors and the wearied shall bee at rest as Iob saith his enemy can follow him no
further But consider what an enemy God is who is every where present fly whither thou canst he followes thee if thou goest into another Country hee will be with thee there or if thou diest and goe into another world yet still he followes thee I presse it the rather because when some great man makes request to a man and God commands the contrary when the commands of God and men differ they will rather make God their enemy than a powerfull man Thus men wrench their consciences because they choose rather GODS enmity than mens Doe but consider what it is to have the Lord your enemy he will meet thee in every place Though man be thy enemy yet he meetes not with thee every where if thou be in thy chamber hee cannot come at thee but God will meete with thee there And how will he meet thee Hee will meet thee as a Lyon and as a Beare robbed of her whelpes You shall see how the Lord expresseth it Amos 9.2.3.4 Though they digge into Hell thence shall my hand take them though they climbe up to heaven thence will I bring them downe c. It is a common opinion that if men have strong freinds strong Towers and a strong Land that is well beset the Sea and clifts or great estates that will defend them then they are safe but if the Lord be thine enemy none of these will doe thee any good verse 2.4 and yet if a man hath made peace with his enemies he thinkes himselfe safe as if there were no other enemy but mortall men So the Iewes not being killed but going into captivity onely thought their lives safe their peace made but saith the Lord If you goe into captivity yet there I will command the sword to slay you verse 4. The meaning is this no condition that a man can be in no greatnesse though he be compassed about with friends and safety on every side can availe if God be his enemy he will pull thee from the midst of the sea verse 3. and which yet is an hard thing to finde a man in the midst of the sea and all this is but to describe that no condition is safe when God is a mans enemy And thus much for this Attribute THE EIGHTH ATTRIBVTE OF GOD His Omnipotence THE next Attribute is the Omnipotence of GOD for wee tolde you that this Infinitenesse of GOD consisted in foure things First In the Infinitenesse of his presence Secondly In the Infinitenesse of his power Thirdly In the Infinitenesse of his wisedome Fourthly In the Absolutenesse of his will The first of these we have spoken of his Omnipresence now we come to speake of his Omnipotence I will not stand to prove it It is observed by some Divines that God is almighty is expressed seventy times in the Scripture Mat. 19.26 Luke 1.39 To God nothing is impossible He doth whatsoever he will and in Genesis it is said The God almighty be with thee c. Genes 28.3 In handling this Attribute I will shew you what it is and the reasons of it and the objections against it as I have done in the rest The Omnipotence of God lyes in this that hee is able to doe whatsoever is absolutely simply and generally possible to be done Other things can doe what is possible to doe in their owne kinde as fire can doe what belongs to fire to doe and a Lion can doe what is possible for him to doe so men and Angels but no creature can doe what is simply and absolutely possible to be done Now whatsoever can be done when the nature of the thing is not repugnant to it without any limitation that the Lord is able to doe and herein is his Omnipotence seene And the ground of it is this Because all creatures are put into their severall kindes a man is one kinde of creature he is not an Angel Angels are another kinde they are not men and as they are put in severall kindes and hedged in and limited with bounds and definitions so is their power limited they can doe what is in their owne sphaere and according to their essence and being such is their power But the Lord is a being without all limits and restraint an absolute being and an unlimited essence and therefore he can be said not onely to doe things within such a compasse within this or that kinde but whatsoever is simply and absolutely possible to be done even that his power reacheth unto and this is properly his Omnipotence There is no Attribute of GOD that doth need a greater degree of faith than this therefore reasons are not unnecessary The first reason therefore is this First consider that he that made these great things he that made the highest heavens and those heavens that thou seest he that made the earth and the deepe sea he that made the wind and the treasures of snow and haile hee that made the Angels hee that wrought so many miracles thou must thinke that hee that doth these things can doe the like as hee that hath made a faire picture or statue hee can make another he that makes a faire house you are ready to say that he is able to build another Looke then upon his great workes and you will thinke that he is able to doe the like This is an argument very frequent in Scripture when there is any occasion of expressing Gods great power to bring any thing to passe as hee that made heaven and earth he that brought the children of Israell out of Egipt he that divided the red sea he that wrought the wonders in Egipt before Pharoh and all his host and such like Secondly consider the manner how the Lord did all these things You know he did no more but say Let there bee light and there was light Let the trees bring forth let the fishes multiply and the aire bee filled with fowle and it was so Now to doe such things with a word with such facility is a signe of an infinite power for when one can doe great things with his breath or little finger we are apt to say what could he doe if he put his whole strength to it So the manner of his working doth shew the infinitenesse of his power Thirdly the further any thing is off from being the more power it requires to bring it to Being As take base materialls and there is greater power required to make a faire building of them to make a goodly statue of a crooked piece of wood is harder than that which comes neerer in propinquity to it Now no being at all is in a thousand times greater distance than the basest materialls are from such or such a being and therefore the power must bee infinitely greater that brings it to being Now the Lord hath done this therefore his power must bee infinite great To make this more plaine to you Consider what it is that restraines mans power so that he can goe no