Hab. 1.13 Seeing then there is much iniquity in our holy things we must doe all by our High Priest who as the typical High Priest did for the Children of Israel Exod. 28.38 beares the iniquity of our holy things that we as they may be accepted before the Lord. Sixthly That and onely that is pure prayer which is breathed in and breathed out by the spirit of God Edifie your selves in your â—ost holy Faith pray in the holy Ghost Jude Vers 20. Or praying by the holy Ghost as some translate that is by the strength and helpe of the holy Ghost We cannot make pure prayer with our owne breath parts and gifts the holy spirit breathes holy prayer into and draws it out of our hearts As we know not what to beleeve or doe aright till the spirit teacheth us so we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.26 The spirit maketh intercession not as Christ doth the spirit doth not mediate between God and us but as it is the office of Christ to intercede for us with God so it is the office of the holy Ghost to make those intercessions in us which we put up to God So that the spirit is said to make intercession for us because the intercessions and prayers which we make are made by the spirit the spirit formes them in us As some duller Schollers in a Schoole who cannot make their Exercises get their exercises made for them by those that are more pregnant so the spirit makes intercession for us We are dull and low 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 particula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad nos laborantes refertur quorum tamen vis omnis ab eo spiritu proficiscitur qui sicut nos penitus collapsos erexit ita etiam erectos regit ideoque dicitur ipse vicissim onus attollere ne sub eo fatiscamus Bez. in Epist ad Rom. and straitned wee cannot make a prayer the spirit makes them for us in our hearts Hence it is said in the beginning of the Verse The spirit also helpeth our infirmities The Greek word signifieth to helpe as a Nurse helpeth a little Childe to goe or as a weake decrepid old man is upholden by a staffe or rather as the composition of the word implyes The spirit helpeth together And then it is a Metaphor taken from those who lift a weight or a peece of Timber too heavy for one together The spirit lends us his hand in this duty and they who have received grace act also with the spirit Thus the spirit helpeth together The Spirit and a Beleever are both at it to carry on this praying worke yet all that strength which we put to the worke flowes from the spirit who as he raiseth us when wee are quite fallen so hee assists us when we are raised and then wee make good worke pure worke of it in prayer Lastly That is a pure prayer which comes from a pure person And there is a double purity of the person necessary to a pure prayer First There is the purity of his state he must be a converted and regenerated person otherwise his prayer is abominable though he should be right in as many of the forementioned requisites as it is possible for an unregenerate man to be as suppose he not onely prayeth to God and for such things as are agreeable to the will of God but also as he thinks for the glory of God yet the mans prayer is impure because himselfe is impure God hath respect to the person before he hath respect to his supplication Prov. 15.8 The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to God but the prayer of the upright is his delight And againe Hee that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall bee abomination Prov. 28.9 Secondly As there must be purity of state before there can be a pure prayer so also purity of life that is he must be renewed in purity not lying or continuing in any sin 1 Tim. 2.8 I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubtings Holy hands note the purity of our actions as a holy heart notes the purity of our state To lift up the hands is to pray the signe being put for the thing signified The meaning is let your prayers be holy First without wrath to men come not to seeke the favour of God with anger and revenge in thy heart against man Secondly pray without doubting that respects God and is opposed to Faith As if the Apostle had sayd Pray both in actuall Faith and Love Yet the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there used is rendered by some Disceptation or wrangling as if the Apostle had in that specified one effect of wrath 'T is expounded also by others for any internall distraction or distemper of the mind for the minde of man is often carryed away from God in prayer and maintaines secret Dialogismes discourses and conferences in and with it selfe when it should be wholly taken up with God The covetous mans heart talkes of Gold and the voluptuous mans heart talkes of pleasures when hee seemes to pray yea these Foules will often come downe upon the Sacrifice of an Abraham onely as soone as hee espies them hee drives them away yet by these interruptions in prayer as well as by any sinfull action unrepented of before prayer the holinesse of prayer or the lifting up of holy hands in prayer is hindred and defaced even in those whose persons are holy David was a man that was pure in state he was a converted person yet he saith Ps 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayers Though I am pure in state yet if I am impure in life the eare of God will shut against my suites Isa 1.14 15. God rejects the prayers of his owne people because their hands were full of blood and hence his counsell Wash you make you cleane put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes c. Come now let us reason together saith the Lord Vers 18. As if he had said while I see your sins I cannot heare your prayers while your iniquities are before mine eyes your supplications cannot enter into mine eare nor will I answer them How can any soule expect with Faith that God should doe what he requests when hee will not doe what God commands Or that God should fulfill our desires while wee in any thing neglect his rules As the prayer of an unholy person is turned into sin so the sin of a holy person may cause the Lord to turne away his prayer Then take that counsell of the Apostle writing to and of Saints Heb. 10.22 Let us draw nigh to God with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water There is a twofold evill conscience First That which
whom God comforts shall say Thou hast comforted me and I was comforted This the Apostle speaks out to the praise of God 2 Cor. 1.3 4. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all consolations all consolation belongs to God he hath all comfort in his owne power and dispose there is not any creature in the World can give out the least dram of comfort to us without the commission or leave of God it is possible for one man to give another man riches but he cannot give him comfort man may give honour to man but he cannot give him comfort A man may have a pleasant dwelling a loving Wife sweet Children and yet none of these a comfort to him The consolation of all our possessions and relations is from God Whosoever would have comfort must trade to Heaven for it that 's a commodity can be found upon no earthly coast you may fetch in wealth from many coasts of the earth but you cannot fetch in comfort till you addresse your selves to the God of Heaven We can procure our owne sorrow quickly but God onely makes us to rejoyce our releife from outward affliction or inward griefe is the gift of God He onely can comfort us in outward afflictions who can command the creature and he onely can comfort us against our inward griefes who can convince the conscience None can doe either of these but God therefore consolations are from God Luther spake true It is easier to make a World then to comfort the conscience the Hebrew phrase to comfort used in diverse places of the old Testament is To speake to the heart Now God onely can speake to the heart man can speake to the eare he can speake words but he can goe no further Therefore the act and art of comforting belongs properly to God Christ is the true Noah Lamech saith of Noah Gen. 5.29 This man shall comfort us concerning our worke and the toyle of our hands it was not in Noah to comfort but as God made him a comfort and he was said to comfort as a type of Christ Christ is true comfort He is comfort cloathed in our flesh he is as it were comfort incarnate Noah sent a Dove out of his Arke which returned with an Olive branch Jesus Christ sends the holy Ghost who is called the Comforter with the Olive branch of true peace to our wearied souls and to shew that it is now the highest act of Christs love care as mediator to give comfort he promised to send the holy Ghost when himselfe was taking his leave of the Church in regard of any visible abode or bodily presence being ready to ascend and step into Heaven he sayd I will send the comforter When God rained fire and brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah it is sayd by some of the Ancients that he sent a Hell out of Heaven But when he powres the holy Spirit from Heaven upon his Sion we may say he sends a heaven out of heaven Heaven above is nothing else but holy comfort and the comforts of the holy Spirit are the onely Heaven below How highly then ought we to esteeme how carefully to maintaine communion with God who hath all comfort seeing comfort is more to us then all we have If wee have comfort let our estate be what it will we are well enough comfort is as the spring of our yeare as the light of our day as the Sun in our Firmament as the life of our lives Have we not reason then to draw yea to presse neerer unto God who hath all comfort in his hand and without whom the best things cannot comfort us Not our riches nor our relations not Wife nor Children not health nor beauty not credit nor honour none of these can comfort us without God and if God please he can make any thing comfort us he can make a crust of dry bread a feast of fat things a cup of cold water a banquet of Wine to us And as he can make our comforts crosses so our crosse a comfort as David speakes Psal 23.4 Thy rod and thy staffe comfort me not onely the supporting staffe but the correcting rod shall comfort if God command it to be a comforter Who would not maintaine communion with this God who can make a comfort of any thing who can answer every crosse with a comfort If we have a thousand crosses God hath ten thousand comforts hee can multiply comforts faster then the World can multiply crosses Againe if God be the God of all consolation then goe to God for consolation as the Angel said to the women when they came to the Sepulcher enquiring for Christ Why seek yee the living among the dead he is risen he is not here So I may say Why seek yee living comforts among dead or dying creatures Seeke them there no longer Job complaines in this Booke When I sayd my bed shall comfort me then thou scarest me with dreames Chap. 7. Job went to a wrong place when he went to his bed for comfort most soules misse of comfort because they goe to a wrong place for it one goes to his bed another to his freind for comfort a third to his wife and Children these saith he shall comfort me alas why seeke yee the living among the dead none of these can comfort though these may be meanes of comfort Who or whatsoever is the instrument God is the author of all our comfort whatsoever hand brings it God sends it God saith Paul who comforteth those who are cast downe comforted us by the comming of Titus 2 Cor. 7.6 Titus was a good man and brought good tydings yet Paul doth not say that the comming of Titus did not comfort them but saith Paul God comforted us by the comming of Titus T is not your freind who comforts you but God who comforts you by the comming of such a freind when you are in sorrow by sending in such reliefe when you are poor by sending such medicines when you are sick such salves when you are sore such counsell when you are in doubt and know not what to doe Once more It is happy for Saints that consolation is in the hand of God if it were in the hand of the creature sure they should have but little of it but it is in the hand of God There are these foure considerations which may comfort Saints that comfort is in the hand of God First Considering his nature he is willing and ready to do good he is full of compassion and to shew mercy pleaseth him more then it releeveth us Secondly Considering his relation to his people he is a Father Will a Father let a Child lye comfortlesse when he can help him he is our Husband he is our Freind all relations provoke God to give out comfort to the Saints Thirdly Considering his Omniscience and Omnipresence he knowes where the shooe wrings he knowes what comfort we want a
from the presence of the Lord Here was no appearance of terrour it was the voice of God walking as a freind not marching as an enemy and it was in in thr coole not heat of the day these circumstances argue the guiltinesse of Adam and his Wife who fled and hid themselves at this appearance of the Lord. The voice of God walking was a dreadfull sound in their eares because they had not hearkned to the voice of God commanding Wicked Pashur who opposed the good Prophet is branded with a new name Jer. 20.3.4 The Lord sayd his name shall no more be called Pashur but Magor-Misabib that is Feare round about and in the next Verse the reason is given why this name was given him For I will make thee a terrour to thy selfe He that is a terrour to himselfe can no more be without terrour then he can be without himselfe Nor can any thing be a comfort to him who is his owne terrour And therefore a guilty conscience heares a dreadfull sound what sound soever he heares he ever expects to heare bad newes and he puts fearefull glosses and comments upon that which is good A wicked man interprets all reports in one of these two mischievous senses either To the discredit of others Pessimus in dubiis Augur timor Stat or to the disquiet of himselfe Bring what text of providence you can to him he corrupts it with one of these glosses Yea the faithfull counsells of his owne Friends are dreadfull sounds unto him for he hath a suspicion that while they are counselling him for good it is but a contriving of evill against him or a setting of snares to catch him Againe sometimes God creates a sound or causeth the wicked to heare a dreadfull sound 2 Kings 7.6 The Lord made the Hoast of the Syrians to hear a noyse of Charriots and a noyse of Horses even the noyse of a great Hoast c. Upon this dreadfull sound they arose and fled Sometimes a wicked heart creates a sound and what the Prophet threatens he heares the stone out of the Wall the beame out of the Timber crying against him The Story tells us of one who thought that the Swallowes in the Chimney spake and told tales of him We say in our Proverbe As the Foole thinketh so the Bell clinketh much more may we say As an evill conscience thinketh so every thing clinketh As he that hath a prejudice against another takes all he heares spoken of him and all that he heares him speak in the worst sense and most disadvantageous construction to his reputation so he that hath a preâ—udice against himselfe construes all that he either heares or sees against his owne Peace Hence it is that he doth not onely flee when he is pursued but when none pursue Prov. 28.1 The wicked flies when none pursueth except his owne feares but the righteous is as bold as a Lyon This terrour was threatned in the old Law Levit. 26.36 They that are left alive of you in the time of your Captivity I will send fainting in their hearts in the Land of their Enemy and the sound of a shaking leafe shall chase them What poore spirits have they who are chased by the motion of a leafe The sound of a leafe is a pleasant sound it is a kind of naturall musick Feare doth not onely make the heart move Homines tui non expectato adventu hostis velut transsossi examinantur metu Jun. As the Trees of the Forrest are moved with the winde Isa 7. but it makes the heart move if the winde doe but move the Trees of the Forrest The Prophet Isaiah tells Jerusalem Thy slaine men are not slaine with the Sword not dead in Battell Isai 22.2 With what then were they slaine And how dyed they a learned Interpreter tells us how They were slaine with feare and dyed with a sound of Battell before ever they joyned Battell This answereth the judgement denounced by Moses in another place Deut. 28.65 The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and fayling of eyes and sorrow of minde and thy life shall hange in doubt before thee and thou shalt feare day and night and shalt have no assurance of thy life But here some may object Is this the portion of wicked men Doth a dreadful sound in their eares afflict their hearts Have not many such much peace and doe they not either smile or wonder to heart others complaining of an afflicted spirit and beg prayers for the appeasing of their troubled conscience which are matters they have no acquaintance with nor knowledge of I answer First We are not to understand the proposition as if all wicked men have or that any wicked man at all times hath this dreadfull sound in his eare but thus it is very often and thus it may be alwayes thus it is with many and thus it may be with all wicked men A wicked man hath as we say no fence for it no priviledge nor promise to secure him from it Againe though some wicked men have not this dreadfull sound in their eares yea though they have pleasant sounds in their eares like them who sang to the Viall c. Amos 6. yet first their peace is not a true peace secondly it is not a lasting peace thirdly that which they have ariseth from one of these two grounds either from neglect of their consciences or from some defect in their consciences The neglect of conscience from whence this ariseth is twofold either first when they neglect to speake to conscience conscience and they never have a word much lesse any serious conference or discourse either concerning the state of their hearts or the course of their lives and then all 's peace with them Secondly when the speakings of conscience are neglected conscience hath a double voice of direction and correction conscience tells a man what he ought and what he ought not to doe conscience checks a man for not doing what he ought or for doing what he ought not Yet many over power and restrain conscience from this office and never leave opposing till they have silenced yea conquered it Such as these have peace such a one as it is and heare nothing but a sound of delight in their eares while this silence lasteth Againe this may arise from some defect disabling conscience to doe its ordinary or naturall duty the conscience of an evill man may have some goodnesse in it Conscience may be considered two wayes either morally or naturally that onely is a morally good conscience which is pure and holy a conscience cleansed from the guilt of sin by the blood of Christ thus no wicked man can be sayd to have a good conscience That is a naturally good conscience which performes the office or duty to which conscience is appointed conscience is set up in man to performe certaine offices if the conscience of a bad man performe them his conscience in that sense is good The first
as the testimonie of God against us is more terrible than that of our owne hearts 1 Joh. 3.20 If our heart condemne us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things and therefore knoweth more evill by us and every evill more than our owne hearts doe so the testimony of God for us is more comfortable than that of our owne hearts If our hearts acquit us God is greater than our hearts and knowing all things he knoweth more good by us and every good more than our owne hearts doe who can expresse or tell how pleasant it is to receive this testimonie from God that wee please God Behold saith David Psal 133.1 how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in unitie But O how good and pleasant a thing it is for God and man to dwell together in unitie for man to be alwayes giving witnesse to God that he is good and gracious and for God to be alwayes giving witnesse to man that he is upright and righteous When conscience speaks us fair we have peace and a continual feast but when God speaks us faire and gives us an euge from Heaven Well done good and faithfull Servants wee have peace which passeth all understanding and not only a joyfull feast but a feast of joyes which are unspeakable and full of glory Yea vvhen wee are at the fullest Tables of this world this is the sauce in our dish and the sugar in our cup Goe thy way saith the Preacher Eccl. 9.7 eate thy bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart why what 's the matter now For now God accepteth thy workes Thou hast a witnesse in Heaven Thirdly Observe A good man dares appeale and put his cause to God A wicked man will sometimes appeale and put his cause to God out of presumption and impudence but a good man appeales to God in faith and holy confidence As it is an act of grace or favour in God to receive an appeal from man so it is an act not only of grace but of courage in man to make an appeale to God It is an act of grace as it is a part of the worshipp of God but it is an act of courage or as I may call it a daring worke as it is a putting our selves under the justice of God yea an implicit imprecating of the vengeance of God in case wee speake untrue Thus to appeale or sweare is a daring worke and such as no man durst doe if he knew what he did but in a good cause It is a fearefull thing thus to fall into the hands of the living God Some have ventured upon false oathes and appeales to God only for feare of men Such say commonly They had rather trust God with their soules by swearing falsely then man with their estates lives or libertyes by confessing the truth Which is not only as if a man should flee from a Lyon and a Bear should meet but infinitely more than if a man for feare of the biting of a Whippet or of the stinging of a Bee should willingly offer himself to the mouth of a Lyon and to the sting of a Serpent To sweare is not only to set our naked breasts before the Cannons mouth but with our owne mouthes to give fire to it if wee utter falshood Fourthly Observe It is the joy and comfort of an upright heart that there is a God in heaven who knowes his heart and beares witnesse of all his wayes It is the terrour of wicked men to thinke that there is a witnesse in Heaven and a record on high Hypocrites may pretend they rejoyce that God is their vvitnesse but it s only a joy of the tongue and from the teeth outwards or to serve their turne but an upright heart rejoyceth indeed at this he riseth every morning and walks all the day long and at night lyes downe and rests upon this thought God is my record God is my witnesse he hath searched me and knowne me he knoweth my down sitting and my uprising he understands my thoughts a farr off he compasseth my path and my lying downe and is acquainted with all my wayes In the mid'st of all the clamours misapprehensions and mis-judgings of men it is an aboundant refreshing and consolation to the Saints that there sits one in heaven who as he knowes them fully so he judgeth all men rightly and will render to every man according to his vvords Lastly consider the place into which Jobs faith ascended while he speakes of God My witnesse is in Heaven my record is on high Who is in Heaven who is on high you may know whom he meanes when he saith He that is in Heaven he that is on high though his name be not exprest There are Angels in Heaven but they are nothing compared to God there are the soules of just men departed and made perfect in heaven but they are nothing compared to God there 's no name in heaven but God God is all in all in heaven and he should take up all our hearts and thoughts while we are on earth especially when wee discourse of heaven Hence observe Though God be every where yet he is especially in heaven God is upon the earth yea God is in hell If I make my Bed in hell thou art there Psal 139.8 yet when Job acts faith upon God he saith not I have a witnesse on earth but my witnesse is in heaven Psal 2.4 He that sitteth in heaven shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision God doth not sit as circumscribed in heaven but there the scripture describes him sitting Psal 123.1 Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens Christ teacheth us to pray Matth. 6. Our Father which art in heaven and when he himselfe prayed He lift up his eyes to Heaven and said Father the houre is come glorifie thy Sonne c. Joh. 17.1 Jesus Christ speakes to God as in that place and he speaks of heaven as of a place as of a speciall and distinct place to vvhich he lifted up his eyes when he prayed to his Father There is a new Divinity which tels us that Heaven is every place and every place is Heaven But why did Christ ascend why was he carryed up Luke 24.51 when he went to Heaven If Heaven be every where there 's no need of ascending to get into Heaven and wee may as properly descend into Heaven as ascend up to Heaven if Heaven be every where Peter Martyr lying upon his death bed and having many Freinds about him discoursed sweetly of Heaven and heavenly things Bullenger standing by alleadged that of the Apostle Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in Heaven True sayd the sick man it is in Heaven but not in the Heaven of Brentius Non in caelo Brentij quod nusquam est Vit. P. Mart. which is no where He that makes Heaven every where makes it no where Though God be in all
of two sorts First When wee are called by others who have lawfull power to testifie the truth such is swearing before a Magistrate Secondly When we offer it our selves for the removall of such jealousies as are cast upon us and wee have no other way left to free or vindicate our selves from This latter was the occasion of Jobs Oath as also of those alleadged concerning Paul and Abraham but whether it be an Oath of the one sort or of the other both meet in this that God is appealed to and called to witnesse by such as use them and seeing he is a jealous God who will not hold them guiltlesse that take his name in vaine I shall add some cautions for the bounding and directing of our practice First We may call God to witnesse in weighty matters and unlesse the matter be weighty eyther in it selfe or in the consequents of it wee may not God is my witnesse and God is my Judge are not for common much lesse for vaine things There are two things in every Oath or appeale to God which shew this First An Oath is for confirmation Heb. 6.16 vaine things are not worthy the mentioning much lesse are they worthy the confirming we ought not to strive at all about them much lesse ought we to sweare about them which is an end of all strife Secondly In every Oath or appeale to God there is an invocation of the Name of God but the name of God must not be taken in vaine which it cannot but be when it is taken into our mouthes about a vaine thing Secondly We may call God to witnesse when men give a wrong witnesse of us or will not give a right witnesse for us but if we can have testimony upon earth wee must not goe to Heaven for it God must be our last resort Job found none on earth to witnesse for him and his afflictions were looked upon as sufficient witnesses against him and therefore he was necessitated to make his addresse to God Thirdly When the matter is not onely such as others will not testifie when they might but such as no man can testifie none being privy to it but onely God and our owne soules then wee have a just ground of appeale to God who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the heart Jobs sincerity was suspected and that is such a secret as man hath no accesse unto and therefore can give no witnesse to it Who is sincere and who is an hypocrite is resolved onely by the testimony of God and of our owne soules Fourthly We must be sure to call God to witnesse in truth Thou shall sweare the Lord liveth in truth in righteousnesse and in judgement Jer. 4.2 Vnlesse we have a witnesse within us wee must not call God to witnesse who is above us God is ready to witnesse with our consciences but woe to those who call God to witnesse against their consciences Holy Paul called God to record upon his soule 2 Cor. 1.23 that is He did as it were which is also done in every Oath engage or pawne his soule and salvation upon it that he spake the truth When our soules beare record with us we may venture to call God to record upon our soules But some when they have no witnesse from their soules yea when their soules witnesse against them will yet venture to call God to record upon their soules They will needs be tryed by God who dare not abide the just tryall of men such would make God who cannot lye witnesse to a lye They use the glorious God as some doe a sort of miscreants called Knights of the Post who for a Fee will not onely say but sweare what you will This is highest prophanation of the name of God For as he that beleeves not the truth of God makes him a lyar so also doth he that appeales to God for the witnesse of an untruth More partiularly My witnesse is in Heaven my record is on high Job speakes this not onely because he wanted the witnesse of men but because of the high esteeme hee had of the witnesse of God Hence Observe The witnesse of God is the most desirâ—â—ble witnesse The witnesse wee have on 〈◊〉 is nothing worth unlesse we have a witnesse in Heaven Iâ— we have not the inward witnesse of our owne conscience it is little advantage though we have a thousand outward witnesses conscience is more then a thousand witnesses but God is more then ten thousand consciences Therefore never rest in any witnesse till you have the witnesse of God We labour saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.9 and that word signifies not onely an earnest or an industrious but an ambitious labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him As if he had sayd Possibly we might gaine acceptation and applause among men would wee but study to please and apply our selves to them but the favour of men will not serve our turne nor can we sit downe and rest our selves under their shadow Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord was Davids prayer Psal 19.14 David could not beare it that a word or a thought of his should misse acceptation with God It did not satisfie him that his actions were vvell vvitnessed unto by men on earth unlesse his very thoughts were witnessed to by the Lord in Heaven Some as it is sayd of those Rulers John 12.42 Love the praise of men more then the praise of God So long as they have a record here below they little regard his record who is on high There is no greater argument of a carnall minde then this He that loves the praise or testimony of men as much as he loves the praise or testimony of God doth indeed love it more Seeing there is nothing more unequall then an equall partition of our esteeme betweene God and Man Where our obligation unto two is unequall wee can never be discharged by paying each of them an equall summ We have cause to blesse God when we have vvitnesse among men but the witnesse of men should be of no price with us in comparison of the witnesse of God Not onely may wee have recourse to the vvitnesse of God vvhen we cannot obtaine the witnesse of men but wee must preferr the single witnesse of God before a throng of humane witnesses and when wee have enough on earth yet say with Job My witnes is in Heaven The witnesse of the men of this world or of evill men while wee keepe a good conscience is a mercy But as the witnesse of good men is more desireable than the witnesse of all other men and the witnesse of a good conscience is more desireable than the witnesse of good men so the vvitnes of God is more desireable than without which we cannot have it and with which we shal have it the witnesse of a good conscience For