the grace contrary to the lust that is stirring if it be pride and vain-glory in the applause of men think how ridiculous it were for a criminall to please himself in the esteem and honour his fellow-prisoners render him forgetting how guilty he is before his Judge If thou beginnest to be powred loosely out and as it were dissolved in frolick mirth and jovialty correct that vainnesse and gayety of spirit by the grave and sober thoughts of death and judgement and eâ—ernity Rule 6 If this avail not fall instantly to prayer and indeed all along the whole encounter with thy lusts Pray continually lift up thy heart to God with sighs and groans unutterable Oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down Tell him thy lusts are his enemies as well as thine tell him they are too strong for thee beg of him that he would interpose and make bare his arme and get himself a glorious name Awake Isa 51.9 awake put on strength O arme of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon Intreat him of all love to pity thee even by his very bowels and not to let the enemy triumph over thee Tell him thou knowest not what to do but thy eyes are towards him Bemoan thy self before him and plead his glory with him and his truth and faithfulness Spread his own gracious promises in his eyes Psal 27.14 Isa 40.28 29 30 31. Psal 55.22 1 Pet. 5.7 Such Ejaculations or Meditations as these are mighty usefull Gods children find them so in the very paroxisme and assault But if the Temptation continue get into thy Closet and humble thy self greatly before thy God throw thy self at his feet tell him thou wilt not rise till he hath given thee a token for good no thou art resolved there to lye hanging on him and not to let him go untill he bless thee O how welcome is every honest heart to the father of Spirits when it comes on such an errand and in such a manner to the throne of grace God cannot chuse but melt in pity and tendernesse over his poor desolate ones when he sees the anguish of their souls How can I give thee up O Ephraim my bowels are troubled for thee Jer. 31.20 Isa 49.14 they will not give me leave to forget thee Is Ephraim my dear son I do earnestly remember him I wil surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Give not over wrestling like Jacob Gen. 32.26 27 28. till thou risest Israel one who hast power with God and prevailest And it is worth observing that the Lord takes pleasure to be called the mighty God of Jacob and the Lord God of Israel as if he reckoned it an honour that once the worme Jacob wrestled with his omnipotence and overcame him he seems to glory in his being conquered and chuseth that for his name and for his memoriall throughout generations which is an everlasting monument that a poor frail man got the day of him So much doth the effectuall fervent prayer of the righteous prevail Perhaps sometime it may be requisite to joyne secret fasting with thy prayer It may be the Devil that tempts thee is of that kind that will not go out but by prayer and fasting Mat. 17.21 Thus Daniel lay prostrate at Gods feet till a hand touched him and set him upon his knees and the voice said to him O Daniel greatly beloved c. Dan. cap. 10. vers 2 3 compared with 10 11. with 18 19. verses When thou hast done this Rise up and buckle on the shield of faith Rule 7 which is able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one Ephes 6 16. Cloath thy soul with an heroick confidence in the power and faithfulnesse of thy God and in the name and majesty of the Lord of hosts bid battle to thy lusts and to all the powers of darknesse Prov. 7.16 Take heed of going out in thy own single strength for lust hath cast down many strong men wounded While thou art kâ—eping thine owne heart with all diligence forget not by faith to bring the great keeper of Israel in If any other man could have kept his own heart sure the man after Gods own heart could have done it Virg. Aeneid Si Pergama dextra Defendi possent etiam hac defensa fuissent But the matter of Vriah and Bathsheba stands on record to all posterity to the contrary For except the Lord keep the City the watchman waketh but in vain Psalm 127.1 Do not venture to grapple with the roaring Lyon but in the strength of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah who is also the Lamb of God and the great shepheard of Israel Isa 40.11 that carries his lambs in his bosome and whether should the pursued Lamb betake it self but into that shepheaâ—ds arms In time of trouble spirituall as well as other he will hide thee in the secret of his Tabernacle in his pavilion will he hide thee and set thee as upon a rocke Psal 27.5 He never fails the eyes of them that look up to him nor makes his people ashamed of their hope What time thou art afraid trust in him His name is a strong tower Cast thy care upon him and expect the same pity from thy God which the men of Iabesh-Gilead found from Saul when Nabash the barbarous Ammonite would have put out their right eyes To morrow ere the Sun be hot ye shall have help 1 Sam. 11.9 If the King of Israels bowels yerned over those poor men shall not the bowels of the God of Israel over those that fear him Yes upon his honour truth and faithfulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Serpens hebr he will not suffer that cruell Nahash to allude to the signification of the word that old Serpent to have his will upon them if he doth not come to day he will to morrow ere the Sun be hot Lift up your heads therefore O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory The LORD strong and mighty the LORD mighty in battle Psal 24.7 8. Thus was Joseph rescued from the Archers that shot at him and sorely grieved him His bow abode in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the arms of the mighty God of Jacob Gen. 49.23 24. Vse 1 Information I come at length to the Use We are to learn hence That our souls are not as they came out of the father of Spirits hands they appear as it were wrong risen in the world and begin to tread awry the very first steps they measure on the stage of Earth All the symptomes of degeneracy are upon them The best of men that ever yet blest the earth with their Residence upon it except that Son of man who was only so by the mothers side being by the Fathers
such prodigious mercy and that when this love would have opened to thee the door of glory how great how infinite glory and when the rejecting of it would infallibly plunge thy soul into misery how dreadful how intollerable was ever madness like thine oh my soul will conscience say certainly Hell is too easie a punishment for such a Serpent such an Incarnate Devil as thou art well may God rejoyce to bee avenged on such a wretch as thee and make thee to drink up the very dreggs of his Indignation while others that dwell in God shall dwell in love oh how will God bee nothing else but fury and wrath and vengeance to thee Thou shalt one day and that day such as never shall have an end hear Justice call upon Omnipotency still to add more flame to thy torment Thus conscience will look backward and forward and even wreak it self with the most dismal flaming language that it can finde out upon the haters of Christ And is not that a dreadful sin which shall thus set a man against himself and put a sword into the hand of cruel conscience to cleave the soul in peeces And is not that a dreadful punishment when a man shall become his own Accuser Judge and Executioner When conscience shall burn so hot within a man that hee shall be a terrour to himself and an eternal amazement And yet alas what is all this to the immediate impressions of the wrath of God upon the soul when hee that hath said Vengeance is mine and I will repay Heb. 20.30 shall grasp the soul in his dreadful hand which might bee farther Improved and be demonstrated to be Incomparably the sorest part of the punishment but I come to the second particular which was to lay down some moving Considerations to provoke such as love themselves to love Christ and besides the particulars last mentioned Consider 1. Who it is that I plead for this day Sirs I do not call you to doat upon thick clay filth and vanity I do not plead to gain your hearts to one that is not worthy or hath not deserved that you should place your affections upon him if you can make either of these manifest hate him and spare not but I plead for one who is 1. glorious and excellent if you doubt it read his Character Cant. 5.9 What sayest thou now is hee not Altogether lovely is there any blemish to bee found in him and if thou mistrustest the Judgement of the Church sure thou canst not doubt of Gods Hear his sentence Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hee knew of whom hee spake for hee was his Son and hee doth not say hee was pleased with him only but well-pleased i. e. delighted See Prov. 8.30 and satisfied And was hee worthy of Gods love and doest thou doubt whether he have deserved thine 2. Consider hee is one that died for thee first to purchase thy love and since is gone to Heaven where yet hee doth not Cease to call upon thee and Invite thee to bestow thy heart upon him were hee excellent but proud it would bee little to thy advantage But hee stoops and wooes and intreats thee Isa 55.1 Luke 15.20 Act. 9.4 John 5.21.26 'T is a day of the Gladness of his heart when hee prevailes but with one soul to close with him And all the rage of his persecutors did not grieve him more than you will if you stand it out against him 3. Consider hee is one that hath the power of thy life and death in his own hands and this is one part of his Covenant upon which thy life or death depends as offered in the promise so hee waites but as love is the Condition of it so if thou hearkenest not thou loosest thy share therein and what thou choosest bee it life or death thou shalt Certainly have 2. Consider what it is I plead for why all that I aske is love and will you deny Christ that I call thee to think well of Christ to desire him to take Complacency in him to breath after union and eternal communion with him And which of these dost thou think too much for such an object or where canst thou place them more fitly than upon him what is hee worthy of if not of this did ever death content it self with such a recompence was ever any debt easier paid any service so easily performed as this only to love hath God made Christ a King Priest and Prophet and is that all which thou must do to partake of his love in him to love him in those relations and wilt thou stick at this Hast thou any other way to the bosome of God but by him yet rather than thou wilt come thither by love wilt thou damn thy soul by hating Christ is not the enjoyment of God worth the labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 shall all go rather than be saved by love to thy Redeemer 3. Consider what hee will do for thee if thou art a sincere lover of him Hee comes not to Court thee and flatter thee to thy loss but his reward is great Rev. 22.12 and hee brings it with him Give mee leave to tell thee some particulars thereof If thou wilt love him hee will betroth thee to himself in dearest love Hee will bee thy Bridegroom and thou shalt bee his Bride Hos 2.19 20. Ephes 5.32 Zech 3 4. Gen. 20.16 Rev. â—1 9 Isa 62.5 'T is not all thy filthy garments Ragges or Poverty that shall hinder but hee will bee to thee the Covering of thine eyes And a gladness of heart shalt thoa bee unto him Zeph. 3.17 Thou shalt bee the Joy of Christ himself for as the Bridegroom rejoyâ—eth over the Bride so shall the Lord thy God rejoyce over thee 2ly He will dwell with thee John 14.23 24. Husband and Wife dwell together and so doth the betrothed soul and Christ John 17.23 I in them and they in mee saith Christ Now this is a priviledge which carries many in the womb of it Rev. 3.20 such are these 1. Intimacy and daily familiarity Christ and Christians Eph. 5.23 take their meals together there is no Communion so neer as that which is between them One spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 2. Maintenance and provision 1 Tim. 5.8 Hee is worse than an Infidel that provides not for his own house Heb. 13.5 All that live under the same roof with Christ have their daily bread provided for them at his charges and hee hath said that hee will never leave them 3. Protection every mans house is his Castle they are under safe Covert that dwell with Christ 4. Counsel guidance and direction This great Husband dwels with all his family according to knowledge 1 Pet. 3.7 for hee teacheth them all his Secrets and shews them his Covenant Psal 25.14 3ly Hee will Interest thee in all his own Riches purchases possessions and dignities
draw near to him and perform all our worship to him As Abraham is held forth to us a Pattern of Faith so he may be to us a Pattern of worship in as much as all true worship to God is performed by Faith by Faith in Christ Such apprehensions thererefore Abraham had of God in his worship such apprehensions of God we are to have in our worship and as Abraham had those conceptions of God by Faith in Christ so can we have the like conceptions of God by Faith in Christ only 1. Those apprehensions Abraham had of God did beget as we have shewn high thoughts of God with such apprehensions of God we must perfoâ—m all our worship See what high thoughts of God his people have alwaies had in worshipping him Neh. 9.5 6. 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Tim. 6.16 Low thoughts of God will ever perform but low base contemptible Service and Woâ—ship they brought God the blind the lame the sick for Sâ—crifice Mal. 1. Go saith God present them to your Governour and see if he do not scorn your present as undervalued by it Ver. 8. And should I accept this at your hands which a petty Lord will reject with indignation Ver. 13. For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts Ver. 14. Now such high thoughts and conceptions of God with which all our Worship must be performed to him can spring only from the manifestations of God in Christ who is the highest Revelation of the glory of God Isa 40.5 The brightness the effulgency of his glory Heb. 1.3 When God had yielded to give Moses a sight of his glory he put him into the Clist of the Rock which was a * Dr. Rainolds Psa 110. p. 166 resemblance of Christ as a Learned Divine hath observed and so made his glory to pass before him Exod. 33.22 Certainly Moses had here a sight of Gods glory beyond all that ever he had seen before Compare with this that Text 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ All the other manifestations of Gods glory were but dark and dim in comparison of those which appear in the face of Jesus Christ Therefore we can attâ—in no where such high so great so glorious Conceptions of God as in Jesus Christ 2. Abraham had such Conceptions of God as humbled emptied and abased him in himself in comparison of God and with such apprehensions of God must we perform all our Worship to him Psal 95.6 We are exhorted to come and worship and bow down and kneel In all Worship we are to testifie as our absolute subjection to God so our humblest submission to him Observe what self-abasing thoughts the apprehensions of Gods goodness wrought in David when he went to worship before the Lord 2 Sam. 7.18 19 20. Now such Conceptions of God which above all others humble and lessen and abase the Creâ—ture before God See Salkeld de Ang. c. 34 35. Aquin part 1 quest 62. Art 1. they spring principally from the manifesta ion of God in Christ It is the general opinion of the Schoolmen that the Angels in the first instant of their Creation did not enjoy that sight of God we call Beatifical Vision and that the Angels that fell never had sight of it at all for if they had they could not have fallen But what they talk of the good Angels meriting that Beatifical Vision of God in the second or third instant of their Creation is Popish foppery Divines unanimously attribute their station and stability in holiness to Jesus Christ We may upon good grounds also attribute to Jesus Christ their first admission into the presence sight enjoyment of God their state of supernatural blessedness Pardon this digression it is to make the way clear for the demonstration in hand viz. That the Angels before they had a sight of God or of themselves in Christ many of them waxed proud and fell the same pride that ruined some might have ruined all but after they had a sight of God in Christ how humble were they That Vision spoken of Isa 6.1 2. was manifestly an appearance of the glory of God in Jesus Christ I saw the Lord upon his Throne high and lifted up and his Train filled the Temple what the carriage of the Seraphims was towards God in this his appearance is exprest Each one had six wings with twain they did fly noting their ready execution of Gods Commands with twain they did cover their faces noting their natural impotency in themselves to behold the surpassing brightness of Divine Glory with twain they covered their feet as humbled in the sense and shame of their own Creature imperfection in comparison of the infinite purity and holiness of God Thus when Moses had had a sight of the glory of God in Christ He made haste he bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped Exod. 34.8 Quickly is the soul humbled at the manifestations of God in Christ In Christ we have seen God humbling emptying lessening dishonouring himself for us Phil. 2.5 6 7. Who can be proud that hath had a true sight of God humbled for him By the manifestatioâ—s of God in Christ are begotten the deepest soul humiliations for sin Zach. 12.10 They shall look on Me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him and they shall be in bitterness for him This great sorrow was not for the piercing of the Humanity of Christ barely considered but for piercing God in Christ though the Godhead was not in the least passive therefore that bloud which was shed is called The bloud of God Acts 20.28 and that person who was pierced called The Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.8 Sins against the manifestations of the Love Mercy Grace Compassions Goodness and Glory of God in Christ beget the deepest humiliation of soul in all our Confessions 3. Abraham had such Conceptions of God as did represent him gracious propitious benevolous to the Creature a bountiful rewarder of him that serveth him notwithstanding the greatness of God or the unworthiness of the Creature Such apprehensions we must have of God in all our approaches to him in all our performances of duty and worship When Cain could not apprehend so much favour and grace in God as could pardon his sin and remove his punishment he then went out from the presence of the Lord Gen. 4.13.16 That is as Interpreters of good note render it he left the Church of God in his Fathers Family the Worship of God the Ordinances of God the service of God the profession of God and all Such as cannot have apprehensions of God as gracious propitious will not come into the presence of God Nor such as cannot apprehend him a bountiful rewarder of them that come to him They bid God depart from them who question whether God can do any thing for them or
much of the will of God in Christ Jesus is revealed and penned I need not rehearse for all his Epistles breath out the praises of Gods grace Thanks and Praise is the homage we owe to God for all we have and are Therefore in every thing to be rendred Reas 2 We live precariously and at mercy Act. 17.28 1 Cor. 15.10 by the grace of God we are what we are God in his soveraignty might have left us in the womb of nothing and never made us and have crusht us into nothing as soon as he made us for hath not the Potter power over his Clay Rom. 9. Every moment we depend on him and hold all from him his power over us is arbitrary and infinite to this soveraign God we owe all and therefore our thanks Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed to him again Rom. 11.35 36. Dan. 5.25 for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen For not considering this Belshazzar smarted The God in whose hands thy breath is and whose are all thy waies hast thou not glorified The birds that lift up their bills at every drop they take may mind us of this duty Common and constant mercies deserve special thanks because constant 3. Christians must give thanks in every thing because they have spiritual mercies innumerable and invaluable superadded to common mercies special and spirituâ—l mercies in Christ Jesus Blessed be God who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Ephes 1.3 1 Pet. 1.3 c. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to an inheritance incorruptible c. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 1.3 the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulation c. Papists distinguish grace into grace freely given and grace that makes men grateful to God the giver of grace Gratia gratis data gratia gratum faciens Bellarm. Valentia c. this distinction is idle and untrue for all grace as freely given obligeth us to be grateful but yet special grace binds us to a more special gratitude namely sanctifying and saving grace The decreeing and sending of Jesus Christ to and for poor sinners the opening a fountain of grace in and by him the making and ratifying a Covenant of grace whereof the Lord Jesus is the Angel and Mediator The pretious promises both absolute and conditional thereupon with all other choice Gospel Priviledges of grace and glory as far as Gods alsufficiency and the infinite merit satisfaction and righteousness of the Son of God can teach this deserves a sutable proportion of thanks and blessing from us both here and in heaven Psal 63.3 Meiosis Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee i. e. I will render special and continual praise for this above all other things Quere 3 How and in what manner Christians are to give thanks in every thing Answ The difficulty lies here as to the Act and the Object both 1. That is how a man can alwaies have his heart and tongue exercised unto this duty 2. If he could be supposed to do this yet it seems that every thing is not a fit subject-matter of Thanksgiving For a great part of our life being sin and misery which is rather the ground of mourning than of thanksgiving our thankfulness seems to be restrained to a narrower sphear than what the Text holds out First Can a Child of God in any sense give thanks for sin Answ No not properly Because Ezek. 5.11 1. That which is the ground of detestation cannot be the ground of thanksgiving but sin is a detestable thing Gal. 3.10 2. That which produceth a Curse cannot properly cause blessing but sin is a cursed thing Rom. 6.5 3. As we may not sin that grace may abound nor do evil that good may come of it so sin cannot be the ground of thanksgiving being contrary to the Honour Image and Will of God 4. Sin is none of Gods Creatures Deus non est author sed ultor peccati therefore a plague and not a benefit therefore the subject of sorrow and shame not of thanks Nevertheless improperly by accident occasionally and consequentially as men speak sin is a ground of thanksgiving How That the Lord by his unlimited power can so master sin and by his infinitely wise providence can so permit dispose of and bound sin and by his free grace pardon sin Yea make grace superabound where sin did abound fetching light out of darkness and make great sinners become great Saints and from all lay a foundation and raise a revenue of infinite glory to himself this is praise-worthy in God Now as Pilate and Herod Judas and Jews are not to be praised for their treachery and cruelty against Christ although they did by all they did fulfil and execute Gods Decrees in that behalf Act. 4.27 28. so no man must thank sin or God for sin albeit God hath extracted Treacle out of this Viper Wherefore when we read of a holy man that said He was more beholding to his corruptions than to his gifts and graces because the former made him humble the latter made him proud Or when we hear another cry out O felix culpa c. Oh happy sin of our first Parents happy Tree of Knowledge that bore such fruit that brought forth such a Promise such a Saviour c. I say when we heâ—r such Rhetorical strains as these from the Devour Ancients or Moderns we must understand them warily Yet when the Lord doth demonstrate the glory of his Attributes in over-ruling and pardoning sin to the salvation of poor sinners there is reason we should magnifie him to the height 1. Because all the dishonour which God hath in the World is upon the account of sin 2. Because we our selves having dishonoured him much that way it is meet we adore and admire him the more in the power of his grace that can fetch a Pearl out of this dunghil and by such a foile set off his glory Let us then as many as profess to be made partakers of this grace speak good of the Lord for it and give others occasion so to do as the Romans did to Paul God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin Rom. 6.17 but ye have obeyed from the heart the Form of Doctrine which was delivered you i. e. That ye were once sinners and are now Saints 2. Come we then from Moral evil to Penal evil that is if we may not give thanks properly for sin without sin whether may we give thanks for crosses and calamities Answ Here say some we may not properly give thanks for penal evils because
thy self upon thy God Isa 50.10 Remembring he will send forth judgment unto victory Mat. 12.20 And take this for a Cordial which is a spiritual Riddle It is a comfort to have no comfort The desires of some are as acceptable to God as the deeds of others 5. When we are enlarged and yet we are not elated high in Gods Spirit low in our own spirit True Christians are like Canes the fuller they are of Sugar the lower they bend Quanto sublimior tanto submissior The loftier the lowlier Every true Saints Motto True activity is not Leaven to puff us up but Lead to pull us down What Bede wished some to observe of Austine the Monk sent over a Legate from the Pope to his Brethren the Prelates and Bishops of England I may advice you to observe that if he carried himself humbly he came from the Lord high in duty and humble after duty comes from the Lord. When David and his people had been on the Mount in their offerings to the building of the Temple see what a low Valley they are in the opinion of themseâ—ves 1 Chron. 29.14 Who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Here is no haughty Pharisee Who but I But an humble Publican Who am I 6. When activity in duty is expressed in activity in doing when active Prayers are turned into active Practises Aeni Syl. li. 2. Com. Promptiores sunt homines promittendo quam exequindo Dion l. 38. The Emperour Sigismund having made fair Promises in a sore fit of sickness of amendment of life asked Theodoricus Archbishop of Collen how he might know whether his repentance were sincere Who replied If you are as careful to perform in your health as you are forward to promise in your sickness 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby When our being high in duty makes us grow high in grace and knowledge 2 Pet. 3.18 Even as Cedars of Lebanon untill caput inter nubila we lodge our heads in heaven 2 Pet. 1.10 11. We may be sure it is from the Spirit when enlargement in duty laies on us an engagement to duty 7. When we give God the glory of all our Actings and activities if it be returned to his praise it was received from his Spirit When Rivers return to the Sea it argues they from thence proceeded Eccles 1.7 When David and his people had shewed their activity in their Present towards the erecting of the Temple they shut up all with a most gracious and grateful Doxology 1 Chron. 29.13 Now therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name Psal 115.1 Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy name give the glory He doubles non nobis to lay down man to lift up God When we unfeignedly give God the glory God hath undoubtedly given us the grace 8. When we have the Testimony of the Spirit witnessing with our spirit that this activity is from himself Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father When we are so enlarged in a duty that we do cry Abba Father this the spirit witnesses is his work The Spirit doth not witness by a clear and distinâ—t either outward or inward voice totidem verbis this I have wrought in thee thus to affirm would be a Quakers fancy or rather folly But the Spirit doth sweetly and secretly suggest to us by having wrought those filial affections and child-like dispositions of Love Joy Peace Hope Fear Grief Confidence c. in the heart and by enabling us to act these gracious dispositions as need shall require This is the Spirits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 witnessing with our spirits thus fitted and filled with peace and purity with melting and mourning the Spirit doth by his impress and impulse ratifie and seal the witness of our own Spirit to make it authentick Rom. 8.15 16. You have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits So that having two witnesses it may be established 1. The witness of conscience which is mille testes 2 Cor. 1.12 But our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience 2. The witness of the Spirit which is more than ten thousand Witnesses because he is an infallible Witness that cannot erre therefore call'd the Spirit of Truth 1 Joh. 5.6 Now these two putting their hands to the testimonial of our activity breed and beget that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 3.20 That Confidence in God and Evidence to God as A Lapide interprets the word Now as those two Witnesses testimony in prophecying against Idolatrous and Superstitious Worship was sufficient to evidence all their actions were from the spirit of Antichrist Rev. 11.3 So these two Witnesses testifying to our souls that these activities are legitimate and laudable are sufficient assurance that they came from the Spirit of Jesus Christ Use 1 Makes an Apology for those pretious souls whose wings are so besmeared with the bird-lime of Sloth that they are forced to put up their humble Bills to Ministers and Congregations to beg of God in their behalf spiritual quicknings that so their hearts being enlarged by the breathings of the Spirit they may bowzingly sail in the waies and through the waves of Gods Commandments Use 2 Is an Advocate to plead Justification to the Action in the behalf of those who as they make it a Case of Conscience so they make Conscience of the Case to bring their Activities to the Touchstone and to the Tryal They know all is not Gold that glisters and they would not in a thing of that eternal concernment be deceived with Alchimy instead of Gold with blear-eyed Leah instead of beautiful Rachel with a Cloud instead of Juno with a Pebble instead of a Pearl and therefore they are industrious and illustrious to try whether their Activity in duty be from the Spirit by those spirits that are ingredients into their Activity Wherein are we endangered by things lawfull LUKE 17.27 28. They did eat they drank they married c. HEre is set down what the generality of people were doing in the world they were bruâ—ish in the daies of Noah before the floud came and drowned them and in the daies of Lot before the fire came down from Heaven and destroyed them In Matthew c. 24.38 it is expressed by participles they were eating c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. this shews the vigour and activity of their spirits spent on those things in which they were ingaged and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie de brutis dici volunt Grammatici ut etiam videatur magna esse hujus verbi emphasis quo significatur homines brutorum instar fore ventri deditos Beza This word