that thou art engaged in Magna silentii laus est quo confessus est Aron justo Dei judicio extinctos esse ita se cohibitum fuisse ut cum Deo rixari non auderet Ad animum enim refertur ut Psal 39.3 Psal 62.1 Calv. in loc Ephes 2.12 Qui extra foedus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est sine Deo à se culto à se amato eoque propitio nonbabet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus sibi vendicandi postulandi possidendi quod est filiorum Dei Coc. de foeder Testamento Dei. Thes 1. §. 7. prevail not let not thy heart rise against it Aaron had a great tryal Levit. 10.13 He lost two Sons by an immediate stroke of Gods hand in an act of sin and yet Aaron held his peace A higher tryal had Abraham O that Ishmael might live in thy sight The Lord answers my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Abraham knew that there was no salvation out of Covenant and that this Covenant should not be established with Ishmael and yet he sits down in silence under the hand of God If once the will of God be manifested the soul ought to acknowledge it It is the Lord let him do what seems him good This was the blessed temper of Ely when he heard of the miseries that should come upon his house I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy fathers house and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever 1 Sam. 2.31 Brachium ipsa materia cogit ut de fortitudine vitali sermonem esse intelligamus Cajet Descriptio est eripiendi sacerdotii quod illius familiae robur erat firmamentum dignitatem authoritatem tuam Pontificiam auseram c. P. Martyr A Lap. Se tantis opibus spoliatos prae dolore deficiant propter excitati animi dignitatem invidia contabescant and he that is left in thy house shall be to consume thy eyes and to greive thy heart yet he answers it is the Lord. 3. Exercise a weaned heart towards thy present enjoyments It may be thou hast lost an estate thy freinds fail thy hopes are faln God hath blown upon all the projects that thy heart did fancy to thy self for thy own advancement thy heart ought to be as a weaned * Significat se nullius rei esse sollicituÌ„ infantis instar quem mater lacte alere desut ille tamen à matris cura pendet sic se omnem eventum Deo committere c. Muis in loc child Psa 131.2 It s spoken in reference to his dependencies that as children look only to their mother they have no projects for themselves so it is with me I wait only upon God look unto him only Homines quaÌ„ par est sapere providi esse appetunt Calv. Men are prudent and provident creatures but my heart is taken off from the dug of all my former comforts my dependencies are upon an immediate providence for supply I project nothing for my self The poor leaves himself with thee Psal 10.14 So much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth fignifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est ita quempiam relinquere ut eum juvare aut tueri prorsus dimisit Psa 22.1 Job 39.14 Ezech. 8 12. His verbis signific dandum esse tempus Providentiae ut pii homines curas in Dei finum rejiciant Deo igitur relinquit quisquis in ejus fidem se ita consert ut fidele depositorium esse persuasus maturum redemptionis tempus placide expectet Cal. a man puts himself out of his own protection into the hands of God with an exclusive resolution I will seek no farther I am willing to be in that condition in which he will set me take the provision the Lord will make for me If he will make me a Shepherd or a King my heart is ready Vis me pastorem ovium vis me Regem populorum ecce paratum est cor meum as Bernard brings in David so speaking of himself 4. Accept the punishment That is the expression Levit. 26.41 If their uncircumcised heart be humbled and they * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat consentit Psa 50.18 acceptavit Eccles 9.7 hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derivatur Avernar A Sept. reddit per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat etiam placavit expiavit Esay 40.1 inde sensus est ad poenam tanquam meritam consentire ut propitiam utilem aequo grato animo ferre Videtur etiam subjicere studium placandi Deo alludit enim ad sacrificia quibus se Deo reconciliabant Calv. Esay 39.8 Lam. 3.22 Gen. 32.10 accept the punishment the word signifies to be well pleased with it to acknowledge it to be less then their iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 As when the Lord threatned a grievous punishment upon the house of Hezechiah He accepts the punishment saying good is the Word of the Lord that there shall be truth and peace in my dayes And when they were in Babylon they acknowledge it is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed And if a man should accept it for himself I conceive it also a Duty to accept the punishment for others and not to have his spirit to rise with impatient frettings as if the Lord had dealt with others in a way of rigour and paid them beyond their deserts Surely there ought to be a complacency of soul in all the dealings of God towards our selves or others An humble heart is less then the least of all Gods mercies And a man should bless God that he is not brought into the lowest condition of men that he sees any creature below him As when the two Cardinals were riding to the a Luther in tertium praeceptum Ecce hanc bestiam bufonem intuitus tam eximiam creaturaÌ„ fecit â—e Deus nunquam gratias egi quod me quoque tam deformem bufonem non fecerit hoc est quod amarè fleo Councel of Constance they heard a man in the way weeping and wailing greatly asking him what he alled they found him looking upon an ugly Toad and his heart was melted with the consideration of this mercy that God had not made him such a creature who was made of the same clay with it Which made one of them cry out well said the Father Surgunt indocti rapiunt coelum nos cum doctrinis nostris volutamur in carne sanguine Aug. 5. Judge it to be best now the will of God is manifested or else thou dost prefer thy will above Gods will Blush at such an unworthy thought that when God hath declared what his will is thou shouldst think that if it had been thus it had been better for herein thou dost make thy will the Rule of goodness and dost prefer it unto the will of God Surely The b Psal 24.1 principes non cogitent se dominos esse terrarum
what would please God and what was agreeable to their wils then to his most just and holy will 4. Nothing can be a Rule of Duty to the Creature but this because this will is onely good Voluntas Dei bona est quia nobis utilia praecipit accepta est quia Deo grata praecipit perfecta quia nihil superaddi debet Glass meditat in Epist part 1 p. 35â— Rom. 12.2 Proving what the good and the acceptable will of God is Truth and goodness in all the Creatures do consist in a Conformity to something without and above themselves As therefore in intellectu divino est primum verum so in voluntate Divina est summum bonum The understanding of God is the Rule of Truth and the will of God the Rule of goodness God doth will nothing because it is good but it is therefore good because he wils it I cannot therefore approve of that distinction which some of the Schoolmen give there are quaedam volita quia bona quaedam bona quia volita Because if any thing be willed of God because it is good then it is antecedently good to the will of God which is the only cause Rule of goodness There can therefore be no Rule of Duty to the creature but that which is good there is nothing Originally good but the will of God therefore in a conformity thereunto all goodness in the creature doth consist and by it it is to be measured Thirdly The will of God as far as it concerns mans Duty is manifested and made known which will appear by these five particulars 1. This the Lord himself affirms Mica 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord requre of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humby with thy God The Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the same root with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a Captain or a Leader so that the Lord hath set forth his word as our Leader the guide of our way Therefore it s called a Lanthorn unto our Feet and a light unto our pathes Ps 119.105 And a light shining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 Because it shews a man how to walk in the way that is called holy 2. Luk. 16.29 Vt in Republica ignorantia juris neminem excusat ita nec in Ecclesia Daven de Judice c. 11. It could not be a Rule to us unless it were promulgated and made known Our Divines affirm against the unwritten Traditions of the Papists norma debet esse nota omnibus promulgata or else we could never be blamed for the transgression of that Law that was never revealed to us We make not the secret will of God the Rule of Duty neither is a man an offender because he doth not act according to Gods secret will Deut. 29.29 Deus apud se secrâ—ta continet quae scire nostra nihil interest neque expedit Calv. for secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may do them They never belong to us to do them untill they be revealed That known Instance of * Aliquando bonâ voluntate homo vulâ— aliquid quod Deus non vult tanquam si bonus Filius Patrem velit vivere quem Deus bona voluntate vult mori Rursus fieri potest ut hoc velit homo mala voluntate quod Deus vult bona velut si malus Filius velit Patrem mori volit hoc â—tiam Deus Ille vult quod non vult Deus isle vero vult quod vult Dâ—us tamâ—n â—onae voluntati Dei pietas illius potius consonat quamvis aliud volentâ—sâ—q am bujus idem volentis impietas Enchirid. ad Laurent c. 101. Augustine makes this manifest A sick Father had two Sons one prays for his Fathers life in Duty the other wishes his death to enjoy his Lands the Lord had decreed that he should die yet he that prayed according to the secret will of God sinned therein whereas the other praying according to the will of Gods precept is accepted though it were contrary to the secret will of God We have a higher instance in Abraham praying for the conversion of Ishmael O that Ishmael might live in thy sight though it were contrary unto the will of Gods purpose for he intended that the Son of the Bond-woman should be cast on t and not be Heir with the Son of the Free-woman Yet it being according to the will of his precept he did his Duty and was accepted in it 3. It cannot be obedience unless the Rule of it be made known Obedience must be voluntary and the will cannot consent to any thing but what the understanding dictates to be the Rule of Duty It must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reasonable service Rom. 12.2 Rationalis est cultus de quo rationem reddere possumus which it cannot be unless the Rule thereof be first made known Some do expound that word by the 1 Pet. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render the milk of the Word Ita Basiâ—ius rationalâ—m cultum opponit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appositè satis licet noâ—â—â—a Bezaevidetur according to that acceptation that which is translated reasonable Service may be rendered Word Service This is the happiness of the Saints that in matter of Duty they are not left to ambiguous Disputes doubtful inquiries to say who shall ascend up into Heaven or who shall descend into the deep but the word is nigh them in their mouth and in their heart They know what is the Rule of Duty and when they walk before God unto well pleasing Rom. 10.8 4. Christ came from the bosome of the Father to reveal unto man the Rule of Duty He had a Law written in his heart in his creation but that is utterly obliterated there remans not not one true principle of holiness and Duty therefore * Pilius in finu patris esse dicitur in aeterna generatione in arctissima unitate in ardentâ—ssima dâ—lectione in secretissimorum communicatione Glass Rhet. sacr p. 119. the only begotten Son who is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1.18 The bosome is the seat of secrets as well as of love and to reveal these secrets to open that sealed Book is a great part of Christs prophetical Office And the Spirit hath undertaken also to lead us into all truth to bring these Revelations of Christ unto our remembrance Joh. 16.13 which is not to be limited unto the Apostles only Fateor hunc locum non ita solos Apostolos spectare quin ad alios etiam fideles pastores possit extendi Deducuntur in omnem veritatem non absolutè sed in omnem veritatem necessariam Daven de Judice p. 98. Ephes 5.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sylburg but
A TREATISE Shewing the Subordination of the WILL of MAN Unto the WILL of GOD. By that eminently godly able and faithfull Minister of Christ WILLIAM STRONG lately of the Abbey at Westminster The greatest part Printed with his own Marginal Quotations in his Life Time and now published by Mr. Rowe Master Manton and Master Griffith LONDON Printed by R.W. for Francis Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet near the Inner Temple-Gate 1657. To the Reader Good Reader THere are two things always in competition for the throne God and Self lay aside God and Self steppeth in as the next Heir there are four undoubted priviledges and prerogatives which belong to God and are as it were the flowers of the Crown of Heaven not to be alienated or communicated to any creature these are to be the first cause upon whom all things depend in their being and operation the chiefest good and so to be valued above all beings interests and concernments in the world the highest Lord to sway all things by his Laws and Providence the last end in which all things do at length terminate and centre Now the great Idol of the world Self as Reuben went into his Fathers bed seeketh to usurp this peculiar honour which is only due unto God we seek to justle him out from being the first Cause by self-dependance the chiefest good by self-love the highest Lord by self-will and the last end by self-seeking in other Treatises already published the Author hath pleaded Gods Right against Self as he is chiefest Good he now pleadeth his soveraignty against self-will as he is the highest Lord we own God as the highest Lord by a willing and full obedience to his Laws and an absolute subjection to the dominion of his providence the one is holyness and the other is patience that which we call Religion is nothing else but the right poyse of the will or the setting of it in its due and proper place to have our Created wills steered and guided by the rule and measure of the divine and uncreated will which is the supream reason of all things usually the great contest between us and God is Ierem. 44.28 29. whose will shall stand or be supream his or ours and hence come rebellious murmurings and discontents and all the confusions that are in the world and it will never be otherwise till the creature learn to keep its rank and place and we say with our Lord Jesus Father not my will but thine be done This Treatise as it deserveth respect from the nobleness of the subject of it so for the advantage it hath of other pieces of the Authors already Printed for whereas they were made up from his own private Notes not intended for publike uses and some few supplies from them who could best take after him in preaching this was fitted and prepared for the press yea and as to the greater part of it actually Printed during the Authors life and the reason of its not being finished then was be cause some things in it especially that which concerned the permissive will of God and our duty under it requiring deep consideration and great exactness made the Author delay the publication of it Now this is intimated not only to commend the Work to thy acceptance but to give thee some account of that disproportion which possibly may be discerned between the former and latter part of the Book for though the materials be equally weighty throughout yet the former part being printed whilest Master Strong lived seemeth to have more of lustre and ornament in it Now the good Lord work us to a more submissive frame of spirit every day and accomplish the whole good pleasure of his will in our souls We are thine in the Lord Jesus John Rowe Tho. Manton George Griffith The Table of the Scriptures Chap. Vers Page Genesis 1 2 154 9 27 57 49 10 171   See marg Exodus 6 3 107 21 6 27 23 2 73 28 39 267 32 6 133   See margent 34 29 106 Leviticus 26 24 138   See margent  41 93 Deuteronomy 13 6 211 16 20 287 33 3 273 1 Sam. 2 31 92 3 18 114 9 15 77 10 27 325 16 1 108  14 291 1 Kings 19 11 299 21 25 211 2 Kings 9 6.8 174 10 13 102  14 ibid.  31 179   See margent 1 Chron. 21 1 210 2 Chron. 35 21 103  22 ibid. Nehemiah 5 8 250 Job 1 21 98 22 21 296 Psalms 8 6 105 10 14 93 19 13 62.283 22 15 122 24 1 95 38 10 255 40 6 27 43 4 280  5 97.255 45 7 56 56 8 141   See mar 57 5 113 73 9 330 78 8 323 93 1 151 97 1 151 110 3 29 112 10 294 116 7 254 119 3 26  30 37  173 Ibid. 121 2 309 125 4 14 131 2 92 Proverbs 8 30 153 16 4 97 25 28 34 Ecclesiastes 7 14 158   See mar Canticles 1 4 263 6 12 58 Isaiah 24 15 308 25 1 113 28 29 115 31 2 136 41 2 272 45 9 117  10 ibid. 49 4 122 51 20 138   See mar 57 20 286 60 20 192 63 9 202 Jeremiah 1 10 86 17 16 164 31 33 23.54 50 28 178   See mar Lamentations 3 26 249 Ezekiel 1 0 144  18 160  19 159   See mar  20 156.194   See Mar.  25 144 36 26 52 Hosea 1 4 177   See mar 2 14 57 Amos. 4 5 18  12 137 Jonah 4 0 128.129  9 67 Micah 6 8 19 Nahum 3 12 89 Habakkuk 2 1 126.306  9 176   See mar 3 3 105  4 ibid.  9 256 Zachary 1 8 110  9 ibid. 2 13 89 3 1 211 4 7 155 6 1 142  8 155 12 8 159 Matthew 6 10 143 8 31 289 11 25 98 12 35 67 16 14 223 24 29 192 Luke 12 29 255 17 2 300  24 1 John 1 18 22 5 19 148  20 ibid.   See mar  22 144. 145 8 36 45 16 13 23. 75 Acts. 2 23 33  36 149 7 51 29 20 22 6  28 153   See mar 21 14 10. 198   222 Romans 1 6 44 4 20 272 7 5 262  15 66 8 14 154   See mar  21 151 9 3 70  20 242 12 2 18. 21   32. 314 14 17 301 1 Corinthians 10 7 133   See mar 13 10 202 15 26 145  27 ibid. 2 Corinthians 3 17 46 5 7 227  9 64 12 7 232 Galathians 6 1 68 Ephesians 1 11 32  22 147   See mar 2 3 34 3 10 116. 316 4 18 16  19 ibid. 5 20 307 11 22 152 Philippians 1 9 58 4 7 303. 310 1 Thessalonians 4 11 249 5 18 307 2 Timothy 2 4 173   See mar
a Covenant the consent of the Creature is necessarily included Burg. vin dic legis p 121. The terms of the Covenant are offered to him and subjected to his choyce Neither dare I embrace that Doctrine that Adams consent was not necessary unto the first Covenant because he was bound to accept what God did require for he was bound freely to consent to the terms of the Covenant as he was bound freely to obey the precepts of the Law but yet his consent did constitute a Covenant between God and him which else had remained a Law only That God did indent with Adam as a publike person the word is clear and that Adam knew upon what terms he stood or else he was ignorant of the nature of his Covenant which were dangerous to affirm and so did neither know the necessity of his obedience nor the danger of his fall Now when the soul doth chuse the will of God as best and best for him herein doth his subjection to the commanding will of God further consist 3. Intentio est in aliud tendere inde pertinet ad id quod movet ad finem est ergo actus voluntatis Aquin. 1. 2ae q 19. a. 7. Intentâ—o electio sunt idem motus fed in 〈◊〉 distinguuntur quod intentio primò sertur in finem deinde in media electio vero primò attingit medium deinde finem Medina 1. 2ae q. 12 a. 4. Psal 17.3 Acts 11.23 Intentio The intention of will The Law being consented to as good and chosen as best for us then the aym and the bent of the will is to walk in all things according to this Rule It is that which he intends in his whole course Paul proves the goodness of his conscience by this Heb. 13.18 That he was willing in all things to live honestly This was the constant intention and bent of his will and when the Saints do otherwise it is praeter intentionem for they are stedfastly purposed to keep his Precepts and with full purpose of heart they cleave to God when they fall they are overtaken Gal. 6.1 It is by way of surprize as that which they intended not I do that which I would not Rom. 7.19 Therefore the regenerate part which is born of God doth not sin It may be over-born by the flesh and led Captive but it consents not to it The bent and intention of the will is against it all the while Daven in col 1 10. Sufficit quod praecesserit illa intentio in habitu retineatur licet in singulis actibus non cogitetur c. Some of our Divines do distinguish between an habitual and an actual intention and they say though there cannot be always an actual intention of God and his glory yet there must be always an habitual a constant purpose of obeying God and submitting to his Law in every thing for the power of Grace cannot stand with a purpose of sinning 4. Imperium Homo non agit ex necessitate naturae sed liberè sc modò rationali hoc est modo imperii Ad imperium requiritur dictamen ultimum intellectus practici stante efficaciâ imperii voluntas liberè movetur Cumel de volunt p. 50. The power and the command of the will The will is the leading faculty it hath a strang ruling power over the man it commands all the faculties of the soul Imperio politico all the members of the body Imperio despotico It commands the understanding to search the memory to retain the affections which are as it were the ebbings and flowings of the will to go out towards those objects the will is set upon If the will move towards any object the eye looks the hand works the feet haste towards it with all manner of readiness and unweariedness because the will commands it We have all known how powerful the commands of the will were and how unwearied in ways of sin Mich. 7.7 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad malum manus 〈◊〉 reddun sc aptaâ— peritas 〈◊〉 Merde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. when we did evil with both hands earnestly fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the mind Therefore Rom. 7.5 Sin is compared to a Husband and the Soul to a Wife because the will of sin is the law of the soul And as it is in sin so t is in Grace also Grace being the Law of the mind Rom. 7.23 And the end of the Law is Obedience Now though Grace be in the whole soul yet the Commanding power of it is chiefly in the will For Grace doth act in the soul according to the nature of every faculty In the understanding searching into the will of God as the Rule of Duty in the memory laying up the Commandments as the greatest treasure I have hid thy Law in my heart In the affections also the soul goes out to it Oh how do I love thy Law thy precepts are my delight I hope in thy word I have rejoyced in thy Testimonies more then in all riches But the commanding power over all these comes from the will therefore the Law of the minde is mainly seated in that faculty which commands the man Now when this imperium of the will is exercised over the whole man for the Law of God bringeth all into subjection thereunto as the Rule of Duty then is mans will brought into a perfect and compleat subjection unto the will of God Vse If the power of godliness doth mainly consist in the subjection of our will to the commanding will of God This serves as an Exhortation mainly to place your Religion therein Godliness consists not in reasoning and Disputing but in willing and doing when there is much inquiry what the will of God is with a resolution of will not to do it that the Lord hates as they did in Jeremiah 42.5 6. The Lord be a true and a faithful witness between us say they to the Prophet If we do not according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us whether it be good or whether it be evil we will obey the voyce of the Lord our God and yet after so solemn calling God to witness upon their souls they say Jer. 44.16 The word that thou hast spoken unto to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to it but we will certainly do whatsoever goeth out of our own mouth To enquire what the will of God is as a Rule of Duty to no other end but with the greater obstinacy to oppose it and neglect it is the greater abomination and the Lord abhors it To enforce this Exhortation of subjecting our wils to the commanding will of God we may take these considerations 1. Consider The Commands of God are the highest testification of the soveraignty of God The Lord hath an absolute soveraignty over the Creatures He is the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords
1 Tim. 6.15 And this soveraignty lieth mainly in two things In his Decrees appointing the Creatures to their ends and in his Laws prescribing their ways and the subjection of the will of man or a receiving of the Law into the will is the highest honour to the Law and the greatest acknowledgement of the soveraignty of the Law-giver Sub lege factus est quia sponte se interposuit ad eam patri cōpensationem reddendam nec solum formam servi accepit ut subesset sed etiam servi mali ut vapularet Parker de descensu l. 3. 52. Gal. 4.4.5 we see it in the Lord Jesus Christ he was in his person not bound to the Law therefore there was a superlegale meritum that followed upon his obedience yet his subjection unto the Law was the highest honour done to the Law and his receiving the Law into his will Psa 40.8 Thy Law is in the midst of my heart was the greatest acknowledgment of the soveraignty of God for whatsoever honours the Law exalts God and sets him upon him his Throne which is never done till the Law commands the will which is the commanding faculty of the soul 2. Herein the power of the Law is most gloriously seen in that it can subdue the will for till then the man is never overcome you may kill him but you cannot conquer him There may be a kind of force and violence offered unto the other faculties the understanding may be overcome with light which though it would it cannot keep out for there is a principle in all men to be willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 3.5 and to imprison Truths in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 because they hate the light The conscience also may be awakened though men endeavor to their utmost to speak peace to themselves Esay 50.11 to kindle a fire of their own and compass themselves about with their own sparks but the will is so free that no kinde of violence can be offered to it Therefore the conquest of the will is always by its own consent as a woman by her own consent comes into subjection to her Husband this subduing of the will is that wherein the power of the word mainly consists it s called the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 That is it is the instrument by which he puts forth the exceeding greatness of his power though there be a great power put forth in the common works upon the other faculties yet when Omnipotency works by the word it appears mainly in this it subdues the will 3. Herein properly the liberty of the soul consists If the Son make you free you shall be free indeed Joh. 8.36 Liberty therefore is a priviledge which the Saints receive by Grace Now this liberty of a Christian though it be radicaliter in intellectu yet it is formaliter in voluntate The proper seat of Liberty is the will Now this Liberty doth not consist in an absolute indifferency either to chuse or refuse without a respect to the end There is an indifferency indeed servato ordine finis Voluntas eò liberior estquò gratiae Dei subjectior fuerit Aug. Epist 89. with a continual respect to the utmost end the chief good now what is the way that leads to this chief good what is the Rule that directs to this utmost end is it not the word of God Melior est cum totus ad haeret atque constringitur incommutabili bono quam cum inde vel ad seipsum relaxatur Gibeu de libert creat l. 1. cap. 3. Libertas est amplitudo ex adhaesione ad Deum quae tantò major illustrior quantò propius ad Deum accesserimus Therefore this the soul is to be acted by and therein its liberty consists when the will is acted by any inferiour Rules so long the man is under bondage Therefore when we come to Heaven our wils shall be acted wholy by Gods will therefore our Liberty shall be perfected where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.17 The reason is because where the Spirit is the soul is enlightned by the word of God and the will subjected thereunto in which properly doth consist the Liberty of the man 4. The subjection of our will unto the will of God doth pro hoc statu perfect our obedience Our best Services are mixed with many imperfections Lava lachrymas meas Dominc Aug. Job 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide Caryl in loc that our prayers had need be perfumed our tears washed and a sacrifice offered daily for the iniquity of our holy things yet is there a kinde of perfection in the obedience of the Saints in this life Ignorantia infirmitas vitia sunt quae impediunt voluntatem nunc delectatur nunc non delectatur ut noverit non suae facultatis esse sed divini muneris Aug. de peccat merit remiss l. 2. c. 17. The Philosopher observes that there is Duplex aequalitas rei voluntatis now though in respect of the thing we shall always fall short of the Law yet the subjection of the will makes the Law and the heart even though in the actions there are many defects Rom. 7.19.20 2 Cor. 8.10.12 And the Grace of the Gospel accepts the will for the deed 5. It is the subjection of our will to the commanding will of God Matth. 11.30 which only makes the ways of God sweet and the commands of God easie David saith The Law was sweeter to him then the hony Christ saith Psal 19.10 1 Joh. 5.3 My yoak is easie and my burthen light The Commandments are not grievous and it is the subduing of the will works all this Omnia quippe fiunt charitati facilia cui uni Christi sarcina levis est aut ea una est sarcina ipsa quae levis est Durae sunt timori leves amori c. Aug. l. de nat grat c. 69. What a man does willingly he doth with ease and delight Whereas a small thing done against the will is looked upon as a very burthensome service It was no great labour for Haman to lead Mordecai's Horse yet it was a very burthensome and an offensive service because his will was against it 6. It is willingness that brings the reward Esth 6.13 A Dispensation of the Gospel was committed to Paul and if I do it willingly saith he I have my reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Ethic. l. 4. cap. 1. Libentèr ex animo ipsum amans Evangelium fructum Evangelii quaerens Est 1 Cor. 9.17 Some preach Christ of Envie and some of good will and they only have the reward of their service Phil. 1.15 Therefore the Apostle exhorts those that feed the Flock of God and have the oversight of them to do it not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5.2 And Paul would have Philemon to grant his request not of
aestivam unam alteram hyemalem Jer. 36.22 Iudg 3.20 Drus Esay 5 9. Esay 30.25 the winter the summer house layes many houses desolate great and fair without an Inhabitant layes his hand upon the great Ones of the Earth and the Mountains skip the Towers fall many that are in high place and esteem men of great Authority their right hand shall wither and their right eye shall be put out The Lord will raise the poor out of the dust and lift the beggar from off the dunghil Zach. 11.17 per brachium intelligitur robur per oculum prudentia ubi maturum tempus advenerit palam fore comm flagitia ita ut in ipsorum faciem conspuant omnes ut sint omnibus detestationi Calv. and set them amongst Princes and make them inherit the Throne of glory Because the pillars of the Earth are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them 1 Sam. 2.8 The bowes of the mighty are broken and they that stumbled are girt with strength they that were full have hired out themselves for bread c. What is the ground of all this Onely this is his good pleasure He doth whatsoever it pleased him in Heaven and in Earth in the Sea and in all deep places 2. Our wils ought to be subjected unto the will of God in all these and herein the power of godliness doth in a great measure consist not only in a subjection of our wils to Gods commanding will but unto his effecting will also in whatsoever he doth in the World and the acts subjecting of a mans will to the will of God herein ought to be such as these 1. We ought to acknowledge and admire his wisdom justice and soveraignty in them That which the Apostle speaks of the rejecting of the Iews and the bringing in of the Gentiles which wrought as great a change in the world as any thing you have seen HoruÌ„ mysteririorum judiciorumque causas pius doctus Magister maluit ad altitudinem suspendere quam subtractum ab humana cognitione secâ—ctum temeraria inquisitione discutere nihil omittens de his quae non oportet ignorari nihil contrectans de his quae non licet sciri Prosper devocat Gent. l. 1. c. 13. and a far greater and the Love of the Apostle to the Jews was as great as yours can be to any person or party whatsoever yet he is so far from reasoning and disputing against it that he admires it adores the wisdom and Iustice of God in it * Rom. 11.33 Oh the depth of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! The Lord doth proceed against men so as his Judgements are a great deep so that a man cannot see them His pathes are in the great a Psal 77.19 Miraculum describit in mari siccato his verbis autem significat Deum semper ita gubernâ—e Ecclesiam ut vesligta ejuâ— Ã mundo ratione non conspiciaâ—â— nec quemquam posse illa sequi nisi Deum ductorem habeat c. Moller waters and his foot-steps are not known but yet they are alwayes just when they are secret b Quod non ideo iniquum est quia occultum est 〈…〉 aequum est quia judicium Dei esse non dubium est Prosper de vocat Gent. l. 1. cap. 17. judicio occulto sed semper justo Augustin When you see Captains like great Grass-hoppers in a Sunny day * De Assyriis dicitur Judaeam vastaturis 1. propter multitudinem Judg. 7.12.2 Propter vastationem Exod. 10.15.3 Propter fugam subitaneam simulac ortus est sol celeriter avolant Mede Coment Apocal. cap. 9. Psa 76.5 Nahum 3.12 Nahum 3.19 the men of might cannot finde their hands when you see Cities made like ripe figs falling into the mouth of the eater men falling into the Pits that they themselves digged and wicked men snared in the works of their own hands then say righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy Iudgements 2. Hold your peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Interjectio est imperantis silentium Jerom. silentium ex metu significat Nemo Deo audet impunè obmur murare ne dum resistere conticescant jam omnes tumultus c. Tarnov Quando consurgit ad vindictam evigilare dicitur ex habitaculo id est vel è Templo vel è coelo Drus do not dispute do not murmur that is the command Zach. 2.13 Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is risen up out of his holy habitation It was a great turn to see the power of the Persian Monarchy broken which the Lord did threaten he would do and see such a Mountain to become a Plain there is no doubt but there were high and hard thoughts of heart upon such a change as this But the Lord commands them silence for you are but flesh and you look upon things with an eye of flesh and all that you can oppose it with is but an arm of flesh which will profit nothing and therefore be silent before the Lord. Non est ei dispensationis hujus revelata justitia nec ad inspectionem secreti latentis admissus est sed ut à discutiendis Dei judiciis absti neres opposita est ei bonitas miserantis volentis potestas Prosper de vocat Gent. l. 1. cap. 17. 1. Do not Dispute Remember the reproof Rom. 9.20 Who art thou O man that disputest with God is there any contending with him in Judgement If not in matters of eternal Election and Reprobation much less in temporal Dispensations Bring forth your strong reasons Esay 41.21 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Argumenta fortissima robora litis vestrae Ossa vocat quia sunt veluti ossa nervi in corpore Farer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. Hoc itaque tenete fratres mei nemo vos de fide excutiat de sana doctrina qui secit in caelo Angelum ipse fecit in terra vermioulum Expavescis in minimis lauda magnum totum attende totum lauda c. August in Psal 148. Is there any man or power able to make war with him Or is there any man able by force of Argument to maintain his cause against him Audaciam exististimo de bono praecepti divini disputare Tert. It s high presumption to Dispute any of the commands of God whatsoever he requires us to do much more to call him to an accompt before the bar of humane judgement for what we see he himself hath done Keep silence because the Lord hath done it They are not men that govern the World Therefore all reasonings and disputings should be laid aside We live in a disputing age as if men did Rule the World It s true it is good to reason concerning our own Duty but concerning the Lords doings disputations are dangerous 2. Do not repine bear it patiently and acknowledge the soveraignty of God What though the cause or the party
praedestinatum ordinem seculorum vel sinendo vel donando distribuit Aug. de consensu Evangel l. 1. cap. 11. He is God over all all are in his hands as clay is in the hand of the Potter He only did give the Creatures their being he only can give them a Rule and appoint them to an end therefore let God alone with the Government of the world He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords He builds and destroys he plants and plucks up at his pleasure and gives no account of any of his matters He deposeth Kings and disposeth Kingdoms and this God will have men acknowledge as the great honour that is due to him that the most high Rules in the Kingdoms of mortal men Dan. 4.17 Therefore doth the Lord great things and works great changes in the world that men may acknowledge his Soveraignty In this did the holiness of Ely appear 1 Sam. 3.18 He is * Hoc nomine Dei 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. creaturarum à Deo dependentiam 3. Dei aeternitatem 4. immutabilitatem 5. omnipetentiam 6. veritatem significat Flac. Illyric clavis script part 2. p. 612. Domus magna qualis Deo est hic mundus Grot. Caeterum non convenit inter Interpretes an domus magna Eeclesiam solam an totum mundum significet contextus huc potius ducit ut de Ecclesia intelligamus Cavl Iehovah one that hath an absolute soveraignty over all the Creatures and unto his authority I submit let him do what seems him good The world is but the Lords house 2 Tim. 2.20 As in a great house there be some vessels to honour and some to dishonour so it is in the world let God alone with the Government of his own Family Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mirificatus est arduus excellens ultra captum nostrum sc ardua sunt consilia quae homines nequaquam assequi potuissent juxta consilia ardua magna opera Forer Hereby we subscribe to his wisdom that he only is able to govern the world For he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working Isai 28.29 Though we cannot see the reason of his actions yet the soul can say he only is wise and there is no searching of his understanding And when the Lord shall have perfected his work and this rude draught of things shall be finished there will then appear a glorious harmony in those things that for the present seem to be nothing else but as the Earth was at its first creation without form and voyd But as the Lord then drew out each creature in its order and degree untill he brought forth this glorious Fabrick that men and Angels admire So he will do in the works of his Providence also For there is as great wisdom of God seen in works of Providence as in the work of Creation Sometimes his ways are in the Sea and his pathes in the great waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Oecum Vide quantus honos hominum quod haec arcana consilia per ipsos Deus innotescere Angelis voluit Multa magna mandata suerant Angelis data sednullum huic par Grot. His wayes are mysterious and he makes it his glory to out-wit the Creatures as he did go beyond the wisdom of the Angels in the work of Redemption and so if I may so speak he set them to School again Vnto them is made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God Ephes 3.10 So he deals with his Saints in the ways of providence also Therefore as the Angels do so likewise do the Saints admire his wisdom in the work even when the reason of it they cannot comprehend And they do not think it strange that God in his ways should go beyond their apprehensions As in the answer of their prayers he is able to do above whatsoever we are able to ask or think Ephes 3.20 so likewise in the Government of the world and in the ordering of all things here below there is a wo pronounced against him that strives with his maker Isai 45. v. 9. 10. There are two things the Lord cannot take well from the Potsheards of the Earth That they should say * Si ad disceptationem veniendum sit tam firmas ac solidas habebit rationes ut convictos obmutescere cogat neque verò compescit hominum proterviam quod ratione destituatur sed hanc sibi potestatem vendicat ne ab hominum figmentis vocetur ad rationem reddendam Cal. What makest thou what begettest thou Or what hast thou brought forth That is the Lord will not be called to an account by the Creature but men are to acknowledge his wisdom and to stoop to his will even when the reason of it is hid from them And therein properly is grace seen As it is reported of one †Cassianus l. 4 c. 24. Vbi monet Monachos ut praeter Abbatis mandatum nulla penitus voluntas vivat in eis c. Obedientia manca est quae subjicit superiori voluntatem non intellectum manum non animum A lap in Mal. 1.8 Johannes Abbas that he was commanded by his Confessor to go some miles every day to water a dry stick Obedientia est perfecta abnegatio propriae animae corporis mors voluntaria vita sine sollicitudine navigatio sinè damne sepultura voluntatis est iter facere dormiendo onere suo aliis impositio Climachus grad 4. which he did out of respect purely to the command and he disputes not the reason of it Should not we much more acknowledge the wisdom of God though we are not able to comprehend the grounds of it Secondly that the thing formed should say to him that formed it he had no hands Extremam apponere manum Calv. is to finish a work And to say he had no hands is to object that he left his work unfinished Opus tuum impolitum est informe acsi pedibus non manibus esset elaboratum A lap in loc or that he was not able to bring it to pass And it is all one as to object ignorance and impotence unto God Thirdly Hereby we manifest that we delight to see God work his own glory out of all the cross actions of the Creatures There is but one thing that the Saints take care of which is the great end of all their desires the scope of all their endeavours which they would secure more then their lives and that is Gods glory for which they account not their lives dear This glory of God is twofold Gloriam Dei praedicat Scriptura 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentiam denotat proprietates essentiales 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gloria Dei in operibus ejus gloriosis elucens sic terra gloria Dei plena est 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 celebrationem agnitionem illius Majestatus Gerh. loc com 2.
excaecatae sunt hominū mentes aliquo praepostero affectu etiamsi Dominus è coele fulminet non exaudiunt adhuc violenter occurrere non desmunt Calv. and he would justifie his passion before God he did well to be angry even unto the death If there be a slight advantage a small convenience that a mans heart is set upon as it was in this instance for it is said he was exceeding glad of the gourd he is very apt to rise in discontent against any of the acts of God that shall deprive him thereof And this is the true occasion of all the grudgings and murmurings in the soul Every mans heart is full of bitterness repinings and discontents the tidings they hear of the several workings of God in the world is to them as Vinegar is to the teeth and smoak to the eyes according as their party is concerned in it It is a terror to hear the report The evil of such a frame of heart I shall set forth by these ensuing considerations 1. It is a sin and a great provocation against God The Lord came to Jonah and did reason the case with him dost thou well to be angry Ex usu sanctae linguae talis interrogatio negat vehementissimè sicut contraria quam maxime affirmat Tarnov in loc The interrogation is both a vehement negation and a sharp reprehension He did not well in so doing And this should be enough to any gracious heart who ought to tremble at sin more then Hell And it is a sin that a man is exceeding prone to yea even the best men For who could have thought that Jonah who was so lately in the Whales belly which he cals the belly of Hell and was so greatly humbled under the mighty hand of God and so graciously and miraculously delivered but that he should have been well pleased with whatsoever God should do so a man would think of those also that have been greatly afflicted and now gloriously delivered yet after all this Jonahs spirit is discontented for a trifle he is angry though it be but for a gourd But let such persons consider the Lord himself will reprove it as an evil he will not suffer it in his own people Therefore ask thy soul in the midst of its bitterness what shall I answer when the Lord reproves Is this a frame of spirit which I am able to justifie before God or shall I say with Jonah I do well to be angry and so add iniquity to iniquity 2. It is not only a sin but it is a high degree of sinning it is sinning against God with an high hand which will appear in two things 1. Hereby a man doth exalt his will above Gods will and makes his will the rule of goodness As if the will of the Lord were evil and his will good which is the highest pitch of Atheism that the Devil himself can be guilty of Now when the Lord hath manifested his will that there should be such speakings in the heart as these But I should have judged it better if it had been otherwise what is this but to say If my will had been done it had been better for my will is the rule of goodness and not Gods will contrary to the frame in Ely Let him do what seems him good for that is good which is so in his account that which agrees unto his will and not unto mine Secondly Hereby a man doth put God out of the throne of Government and takes upon himself the Government of the world saying with Absolom Oh if I were made a Judge and a Ruler in Israel I would do you justice So these if the Government of the world were in my hands it should be far better with the world then it is If it were in my power if I had the ordering of all things so that though the Lord sits in Heaven and his Kingdom rules over all yet as man in every sin denies the wisdom and the equity of his Law as if he could make a better Law so in all such discontents and murmurings he denies his Soveraignty in Government And if it were in his power his will is to take the Government out of his hand into his own and then things should be better ordered and there should not be such distresses upon the Churches and such confusions in the world as now there are 3. Hereby thou makest thy self wiser then God for he that will undertake to correct another mans actions must therein at least suppose himself to be wiser then he And therefore men that would bring in new institutions into the worship of God and will not be content with those that he hath appointed they do charge God with folly and make themselves wiser then God And therefore some of our Divines observe that it is a greater sin in Gods sevice to do what we should not then to omit what we should For by the one we shew the difficulty of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys hom 2. in Rom. Miles potestati obediens hominem occidit c. unde punitur si fecerit injussus inde punietur nisi fecerit jussus Quod si ita est jubente Imperatore quanto magis jubente creatore Aug de Civi◠l 1. c. 26. but by the other we charge the Law with folly In the one we manifest our weakness to do the will of God in the other our impudence to controll the wisdom of God And as it is in the institutions of God so it is in his operations He that saith I would not have it thus or thus if it had been thus it would have been better doth nor only set up his own will against Gods but exalts his own wisdom above Gods But it will be found in this as in matters of institution Vain man would be wise But howsoever we may account it as part of our wisdom it will be found to be but as mimicall dancings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est puerorum more ludere Talis ab usus sacrificiorum erat apud Gentiles ex sacrificio epulum ex epulo facta est potatio ex potatione comus ex como ludus c. Epicharm apud Athanaeum l. 2. Surrexerunt ludere intellige sacrae scripturae verecuudiam lusum nisi impudicum non denotasse Tertul. de jejunio contra physicos c. and as Childrens plays before God in the end And so the word 1 Cor. 10.7 doth signifie Exod. 32.6 The people sate down to eat and to drink and rose up to play But men say we think this would be better for Gods glory that is as much as to say you take more care for the glory of God then he doth himself But if you took so much care of the glory of God you would have respect to his Commands and not sin against him out of pretence of zeal for his glory And it is as much as to say you know wayes that will make more for the
glory of God then he himself doth If the Lord would put the business into your hands you could find out a way to secure his glory far better that God doth not take a right course to glorifie himself but were it in your power you would do it As John the Baptist under a pretence of humility I have need to be baptized of thee and comest thou to me And Peter Lord Thou shalt never wash my feet did shew forth the highest pride in making themselves wiser then Christ But you will say it would be better for the Churches What is this but to charge God with want of love tenderness and faithfulness as if the Churches were dearer to you then they are to him Chrysost brings in a man complaning of the afflictions of the Saints There was such a man that did use to give much to the poor was very beneficial to the Saints but he fell among Thieves and was robbed of all that he had or suffered shipwrack and lost a great estate and now the bowels of the poor are deprived of their former refreshments Oh what pitty was it that the hand of such a man should be straightned to whom the Lord had given so large a heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Have you more care of the poor then God their Maker He brings in the Example of Job who saith he did not eat his morsels alone but the poor were nourished with his bread and cloathed with his Fleece and their bowels did bless him in the streets But now his Estate is wasted his Flocks and Heards are consumed by which so many poor were supported Had it not been better that he had had his Estate still that did so much Good with it while he had it Nay * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he brings in Job speaking Though for my part I was unworthy to enjoy an Estate yet the Lord should have spared it for the poors sake upon whom I did expend it But he sayes no such thing thinks no such thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was not so glorious and eminent when he fed the poor with his abundance as when he did bless God and gave thanks in the loss of all things Nay he brought a greater glory to God and gave a greater wound to the Devil by his example of suffering and patience and became of far greater use to the Church and to the Saints then ever he could have been by his Estate if he had enjoyed it Jam. 5.11 We have heard of the patience of Job and what end God made with him had it not been for his sufferings we should hardly ever have heard of Job or of his patience But now the Lord hath set him forth for a pattern to his Saints in all after Ages 4. In all your discontents is this the way to prevail with God Non faciet recedere non revocabit sed perficiet quod verbo minatus est Est Miosis A lap Will this make him change his hand or call back his word Isa 31.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will not call back nor make voyd his word His counsels being set it is not all frettings of your hearts against them that will cause him to take other counsels or will turn him out of the way Psal 33 11. The thoughts of his heart are from everlasting and therefore it is your wisdom much rather to strive to bring about your wils to his will for there is no hope of bringing his will to yours Jam. 1.17 Balaam in stead of disswading the King from his evil enterprise God having formerly forbidden him to curse the people he attempteth under the colour of Religious actions building Altars and offering Sacrifices to change the minde and counsel of God and to obtain his favour to curse his people Ainsw in Numb 23.1 In him there is no variableness nor shadow of change You may change your course as Baalam did and try if upon this mountain you can finde God to change his minde and go from one high place to another and think to prevail but you do but deceive your selves lose your labor and the Lord doth deride all such vain enterprises of men for the thoughts of his heart endure throughout all Ages 5. This is the way to provoke God to go forth in displeasure and to cross thy will so much the more If the Lord go forth in a way of judgement Te pares ad sustinendum impetum irae meae aut ut occurras mihi vera resipiscentia emendatione Drus the means to pacifie him is to meet him as we are commanded Amos 4.12 Prepare to meet thy God O Israel Not to meet him in a way of opposition to set up thy will against his to set the battle in array against him Esay 27.4 for that is but to set bryars and thorns against him in battle but thou must meet him in a way of submission as Abigal met David when he was comming down to destroy Nabal and his House 1 Sam. 25.32 So when we are under the hand of the Lord and our spirits stoop and say It is best Lord best for me and for thy Churches It is the Lord let him do what seems him good this is the onely way to prevail with God But if men be like a wild * Esay 51.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his tantum legitur sacris bibliis hoc in loco Deut. 14.5 à Sept. redditur per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bovem sylvestrem significat est animal superbum ferox 1. Quod jugum ferre nequit 2. Quod se circumscribi non patiatur ideo derivatur à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Limitavit per antiphrasin 3. Quod illaqueatum irretitū cunū venatorū furori sit expositum 4. Quod omnibus in platea spectandū proponitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bull in a net when they are full of the fury of the Lord and like a raging Sea that cannot rest this is the way to provoke God to go on in displeasure Nay it is a very great Argument that he intends to go on †Si non eruditi fueritis mihi Montan. ut castigati ut redeant Levis 26.24 If a man be not corrected to him he will punish him seven times more untill he hath destroyed him And God doth every thing by weight and measure makes every thing glorious in its time at the last day which shall be a day of revealation the Books shall be opened the Book of Providence as well as the Book of Life and we shall see a glorious harmony in all the works of God Yea those works which ye would have had otherwise you shall see how necessary they were to come in their places and seasons and then what shame would it be to you before men and Angels if the Saints could be ashamed at the last
illud nihil possint sacere aut omittere Hoc sensu â—â—rbum praecipiendi sumitur sc pro ordâ—â—are dâ—cernere 2 Sam. 16.10 Esay 5 6. Jer. 33.22 Ursin Calv. c. vide Pet. Martyr 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 16. quaest An Deus sit author peccati quomodo illud praecipâ—â— p. 275. charge to take the spoyl and the prey and to tread them down as mire in the streets Isa 10.6 And yet all this was but the permitting will of God So the ten Kings the Lord did put it into their ‖ Rev. 17.14 Fontem ostendit unde Imperatores forent per taâ— longum inter vallum adeo obsequentes ab eo proficiscitur in cujus manibuâ— sunt câ—â—da Râ—gum hic justo judicio quos vult occaecat Bright hearts to give their Kingdoms unto the Beast that Antichrist might be set up which hath been the ground of all the miseries that have been brought upon the Christian Churches ever since yet iâ— was their sin and only the permitting will of God He did neither approve the act nor acquit the Actors So the Lord will have Ahab to fall aâ— Ramoth Gilead Satan offers his servicâ— to perswade him and to be a lying spirit in the mouth of his Prophets and the Lord saith thou shalt perswade him and prevail go forth and do so Satanae voluntas semper est iniqua sed potestas nun quam injusta Gregor Deus iratus dat amanti quod male amat Multi enim miseri sunt habendo quam carendo Amando res noxias miseri habendo sunt miseriores Augustin in Psal 26. Yet it was only Gods permitting will the Act and the Agent were both hateful unto God as not doing that which was good in his sight Quest How therefore should a man know whether Gods effecting will and commanding will be the same And that what I do be done in submission unto both whether it be Gods permitting will only For the Lord may suffer evil Instruments yea he may suffer good men in an evill way as appears in Jacobs getting of the blessing Or whether it be the effecting will of God so as he allows the act and approves the Actor If I had Rules for this then I could rest securely in respect of all the dealings of God in the World Answ Before we come to give an answer to this great enquiry I must premise these two things 1. That all prejudiced and pre-engaged wils be laid aside There is a meekness of spirit with which the Word is to be received Jam. 1.21 called the meekness * Status regimiais apud Hebraeos causam denotat sensus est manfuetudo à sapientia provenions vel effectum denotat sensus est verae sapientiae effectum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est prudens mansâ—â—â—â—â—o Glass Gram. saâ—â— p. 101. c. Gomar in loc of wisdom Jam. 3.13 The words of the wise are heard in quiet †Si audiantur animo tranquillâ— non perturbato Coâ—h Eccles 9.17 more then the cry of him that rules among fools Advice given with a calm humble and submissive spirit and received with a minde free from passion and pre-engagements prevails with men much more and sinks deeper then the proud confident and censorious dictates of men whose affections engage and byass their judgements In all cases of difference a man should fear himself in this least he should shut his eyes against any truth delivered It was that which Luther found by experience Hoc meâ experientiâ disco quod non habeo tam magnam timendi causam extra quam intra me Therefore be jealous of your selves especially in those things wherein ye have received prejudice before-hand and know it is one of the greatest judgements that can befal a man to be given up to believe a lye to have his heart deeply engaged in a wrong cause and to appear much for that which will prove a falshood at the last day And it is a most dangerous sign that thou art so the less fearful that thou art of thy self in it with the greater confidence and gloriyng of Spirit that thou dost go on and with the more bitter violent and censorious spirit towards others that are not of thy minde and judgement Ne pergas quaerere quid cor durum sit si non expavisti tuum est Bern. 2. I desire you not to expect from me State-considerations belonging to the conventions of Kingdoms and Nations or the municipal Laws of the Commonwealth First It being but an Ordinance of man 1 Pet. 2.13 therefore different in severall States and Kingdoms all being not bound unto the same constitution God gave unto the Jews their judicial Laws and therefore saith he was their King for the Legislative power he reserved unto himself though the executive power he did commit unto Officers under him But that Commonwealth being dissolved though for the moral equity all people should have respect unto those Laws yet the Lord hath left the Legislative power unto themselves to chuse the Laws by which they will be ruled and unto which they will submit And as they are different in several Kingdoms so they may vary in one and the same Kingdom as the Nation shall finde them prejudicial unto that body for the good of which they were at first intended And though after the Captivity the people of the Jews were governed by Kings no more for the Lord had said that in Zedechiah the Kingly form of Government should cease Ezeh 21.25 26. Thou profane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when inquity shall have an end Thus saith the Lord God Remove the Diadem and take off the crown this shall not be the same exalt him that is low and abase him that is high I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall he no more until he come whose right it is and I will give it him And yet when Kings ceased the Scepter departed not from Judah * Equidem ego sceptrum esse nil aliud nisi Majestatem imperii opinor eam nempe quae ipsi reipublicae assidet Quare quorum respublica est corum Sceptrum dici debet Non recessit sceptrum etsi mutatus reipub status sit ac penes Optimates modò Pontificesque summa fuerit imperii Nimis ineptè faciunt qui hic in arctum desilierunt nominis hujus honorem haud pertinere nisi ad Reges autumant Quicunque enim populus suâ quâdam republicâ suisque legibus utitur is recte gloriari de imperio deque sceptro potest Cunaeus de repub Heb. l. 1. c. 9. Ejecto regio nomine juris statuendi potestas in senatum translata est ei omnia jura insignia regum data legesque Regum in contemptum abiêre Et Majestatis crimen est quod adversus populum Romanum vel adversus securitatem ejus committitur Ulpian l. 1. §. 1. F. ad legem Jul. majest Gen. 49.10 After the
Grot. c. 2. It notes the displeasure of God against his Enemies in the Church for smoak is in Scripture irae divinae symbolum Isai 14.31 Glass Rhet. sacr p. 244. And so Mr. Brightman Docet testari Deum praesentiam suam manifestis excandescentiae argumentis c. in hostes c. 3. It notes a darkness and an obscurity in reference to the Truths and Ordinances of God arising from the Corruptions and Innovations which Antichrist brought in For though it be said to be from the glory of the Lord and from his power yet it was from God judicially only And so smoak is taken for corruption of Doctrine and Worship and thereby a darkning of Truth Rev. 9.2 And this doth appear because this smoak did hinder that the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Heaven was not opened and that men could not see the Ark of the Testament Rev. 11.19 But when the Vials are poured out and Antichrist thereby destroyed and all this smoak dispelled then there should be this cleer sight and discovery even of the most hidden things the Ark of the Testimony which was within the vail for that appears as Mr. Mede hath observed to appertain non ad initium sed eventum Phialarum And concerning this smoak the Spirit tels us 1. That it should last and continue during all the time of the Vials so that Antichrist hath brought through the just judgement of God that darkness and obscurity into the Temple and things of God and that it will never be dispelled till he be utterly overthrown for the Temple is not opened till the seventh Trumpet sound Cap. 11.19 2. The Effect of this smoak is that by reason of it no man should be able to enter into the Temple Which hath a double sense given of it but may fitly be put into one 1. That no man by reason of the darkness of the smoak should be able to see understand the mysteries of the Gospel for intrare in adytum est Dei arcana discere Psal 73.17 Grot. 2. By this smoak the evidence and glory of the mysteries of God was so darkned that none comparatively that is few should be converted to God and added to the Church For the great Harvest of the World shall be under the seventh Trumpet sc the conversion of the Jews and the fulness of the Gentiles Hic fumus non omnes electos ex Gentibus sed tantum Judaeos plenitudinem Gentium ab adytis prohibet Brightman So then during the continuance of Antichrists kingdom there shall be a darkness upon the things of God And this darkness shall hinder the discovery of the truths of God and a recovery of the souls of men And when the Servants of Christ have to their utmost labored to clear the things of God and to dispel the darkness that is upon them yet they shall never be perfectly cleered till all the Vials be fully poured out And till then the Lord will shake Churches that the things that are made in them also may be removed Now who are they that serve Gods Ends in this Either they that labor to remove them or they that labor to continue them according to the commandments and Traditions of men 2. The Lord is pouring out the Fourth Viall upon the Sun Rev. 16.8 which is the highest light in the Romish Hemisphere whether it be in Church or State In the pouring out of the Vials it is generally observed by Interpreters 1. That the subject upon which all the Vials are poured is Rome Antichristian For the Commission given is to pour out the Vials of the wrath of God upon the Earth Rev. 16.1 Earth in this Book is sometimes opposed unto Heaven and then as by Heaven is meant the true and pure Church of Christ as Rev. 4.1 12.1 so by Earth is meant the false Church an Earthly and corrupt Church under Antichrist as an Head And so it is the kingdom of Antichrist upon which all these Vials are poured out 2. That the Vials are but so many several degrees of wrath upon this false Church and so many steps to its ruine For as Rome was not built in a day so the Lord will not have it to fall in a day 3. That the Lord sets forth this Antichristian State by a Resemblance of the World as he had done before in the Trumpets in which all things as Earth Sea Rivers c. are mystically to be understood of something which resembles these 4. That the Angels which are the Instruments of vengeance in the pouring out of these do come out of the Temple sc the Reformed Churches the vengeance being that of the Temple and procured by the prayers of the Saints there and that they shall be godly men or at least generally so reputed For they are cloathed with pure and white linnen and having their breasts girded with golden girdles 5. Whatever any Vial is poured out upon it is for its ruine and upon whatsoever in this Antichristian State the Vial is poured out the Lord doth so manage things in providence that they do all work for the ruine thereof And all the Powers of the Earth shall not be able to support it under a Vial poured out These things being premised we are to observe that the Sun being the greatest light in the natural world doth resemble that which is the greatest in this mystical and Antichristian world sc the highest power and the greatest authority therein as cap. 6.12 Isai 60.20 Mat. 24.29 which some understand to be the German Empire unto whose root the ax hath now been laid for thirty years together Others observing that the Empire is but an image of the former beast set up by the Pope and that he gives life to it they say that the Pope is the greatest light in the Antichristian World Both which may stand together for Subordinata non pugnant It is Antichrist and his power that is wholy struck at in the Vials And though through all the Ten Kingdoms there are several chief lights in their own heavens for they received power as Kings the same hour with the Beast and upon all these this Vial is poured yet the main wound is given to Antichrist in their downfal For the Judgement upon them is but so far as they hold of and relate unto Rome as far as they have correspondence with Rome The whole current of the Book of the Revelation runs this way I cannot consent that God is now pouring out the fifth viall upon the Throne of the Beast Mr. Iohn Cotton upon the fifth vial which some holy and learned men affirm 1. First Because it is evident that the overthrow of Episcopacy which is conceived to be meant by the throne of the Beast was not the main thing intended in this destruction for it was overthrown but as an appendix to Monarchy as that which upheld it and so hindered the Vial upon the Sun Pontifices Romani illi quoque
by the permitting will of God that it should be so that the Saints should in a great measure lie under the power of this envious man first to entice them and afterwards to accuse them 3. He suffers the lusts of Godly men to arïse and they are many times led captive under the Law of sin yea even sometimes to gross and scandalous sins which do vastare conscientiam though they cannot excutere fidem As Sampson to a way of uncleanness David to Murther and that plotted Solomon to Idolatry and that continued Peter to the denial of his Master and that with the bitterest execrations cursing himself to Hell as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies if ever he knew the man yea and God doth leave them to harden their own hearts in a way of sinning and go on frowardly in it Isa 57.17 Why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy fear Isa 63.17 We hardened our hearts sinfully being by God left to our selves And God doth harden them judicially which is the greatest judgement that can befall a Saint in this life 4. God doth suffer wicked men to thrive and prosper in an evil way In ways of cruelty and oppression Nebuchadnezzar gathered the riches of the Nations like eggs that none did move the wing or peep He rules over the people of God with rigour shews them no mercy but upon the ancient he doth heavily lay the yoke The Ploughers plough upon their backs and make long furrows and wicked men oppress those that are more righteous then themselves And yet the Lord seems to stand by and look on and lets him thrive and prosper in it as if he had forsaken the earth So the ten Kings shall give their kingdoms to the Beast the power of laws and the power of arms and thereby set up Antichrist and he shall grow to that power That all kingdoms and nations and languages shall worship him and shall say Who is able io make war with the Beast And he shall make war with the faints and shall overcome them And this ordinarily the Lord doth that his people should come and cry to him to awaken him for he seems as a man asleep and as regarding nothing but leaving all in the enemies hand Awake Lord why sleepest thou Now all these belong unto the permitting will of God which is conversant only about the sins of the reasonable creature 2. There is very much of Godliness seen in a mans submission of his will unto this permitting will of God For the proof of it I shall give one Scripture for each of them First Submission unto the permitting will of God in regard of sin and the remainders thereof Though a godly man look upon it as his burthen as his misery esteems sinne worse then death worse then hell Yet seeing God will have it remain in him if he must still bear this weight draw this clog after him if he will still have them to wear their Grave-cloaths the Saints are content to wait for the resurrection of the just No man was more sensible of the remainders of sin then Paul as appears by his own expression of himself The greatest of sinners and the least of Saints therefore he cries out who shall deliver me Rom. 7.24 Yet he considers deliverance is begun I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord And therefore sin shall never prevail either to condemnation or dominion And with this deliverance the Apostle sits down and submits unto the will of God untill the day of his full redemption shall come though he knew that while he lived here while with the minde he did serve the Law of God yet he should with his flesh serve the Law of sin 2. For scandalous Falls though they be such as those that the people of God should fear and pray against as being such by which they cause the name of God to be blasphemed by which they become spotted of the world a blemish to their society and leave an ill name behinde them and they are set forth by God as examples for us to take warning by to take heed we fall not into the like yet when the Lord hath suffered us to fall into them we must not rise up and quarrel with him but we must say he is just and holy even in those things wherein we are wretched and sinfull Matth. 26.33 34. Peter had an admonition from Christ of a very dangerous fall that was near him and he answers Though all men forsake thee yet will not I Christ tells him that before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice It was Peters duty not in a presumptuous manner to have told Christ in confidence of his own strength no you are mistaken in me if I die with thee I will not deny thee but to have said Lord if it be thy will I had rather die with thee if by thy grace thou wilt assist me I had rather undergo the greatest sufferings then commit such a sin this was Peters duty before hand And after the will of God was manifested to permit him to fall as he did he should have said Thou hast suffered me thus to fall it was my great sin thus to deny thee But since my proud and carnally confident spirit in thy wisdom must thus be brought down and my own weakness must be discovered for my further humiliation thou mightest deal with me as it seemed thee good I have no reason to quarrel with thee thou actest righteously even there where I have acted sinfully And as this was Peters duty so it is the duty of all the Saints whose actual Falls have manifested that it was the will of God to humble them by this means And indeed the Saints when they come to read over the story of their lives and shall see therein Omnes actiones ad se pertinentes circumstantias actionum as Suarez saith they shall see in heaven they will finde they had as much need of their sins as they had of their sufferings in this present life and all things shall work together for good Et si omnia quia ni peccata though I confess there be three ways which the Lord doth use to humble men by First by letting in his love into their souls the beauty of grace the excellency of holiness and then the soul looking down upon it self is as a man that hath looked upon the Sun he can see nothing So did the Lord humble Job by further discoveries of himself so he did humble Isaiah This is the highest and sweetest way of humbling who an I that the Lord should shew in me a pattern of mercy to me the greatest of all sinners is this grace given c. Secondly He doth humble men by sufferings by afflictions he doth keep man from his purpose and hides pride from his heart Thirdly But the worst way and the most uncomfortable way of humbling is by sin when the Lord is pleased to leave his people to great sins
the most miserable subjection that can befall him to be liable unto the unclean investings of such a wicked and malicious enemy That he should have such an immediate access to our spirits from day to day that we should wrestle with principalities and pewers for life concerning heavenly things and yet humbly to be content because it is the will of God that a man should lie under them and to wait Gods time for his deliverance and to say if the Lord will not deliver me all my dayes let his will be done There are some temptations that come upon the soul with a great deal of horror terribilia de fide horribilia de divinitate as Bernard speaks motions and injections to Blasphemy Atheism Self-murther As Luther saith he had such a temptation once came upon him with that impetuousness that he was forced for some hours to do nothing but repeat that commandment Thou shalt do no murther It may be the thorn in the flesh was an immediate messenger from hell sent unto Paul with some such violent temptation as this even the very motions that are in the damned souls in hell such as Spira had I would I were above God for I know he will not have mercy upon me 2 Cor. 12. It was some horrid temptation which was to be a cure of Pauls pride it was given him that he might not be lifted up through the multitude of Revelations Whereupon Austin breaks forth Quantum sit superbiae venenum quod non potest nisi veneno curari Now Paul was mightily awakened by this temptation he looked upon it as a terrible affliction as a thorn in the flesh that did hurt him and gall him from day to day and therefore he prayed thrice It expresseth both his frequency and his fervency But the Lord told him it was his will that he should lie under that temptation which permitting will of God being made manifest Paul must not slack to pray against it or to be afflicted with it and yet Paul must be content to lie under it so long as it was the will of God to suffer it to lie upon him Thirdly If the Lord will leave a man under the hands of wicked men to be content to let the Ploughers plough upon his back and make long furrows and from a Principle of Faith not to make haste Isa 28.16 Faith is commended from the excellent fruit of it it keeps the soul in a continual calm in a quiet condition that though a man earnestly desire deliverance whether for himself or for the Churches pray for it daily it pities him to see the stones of Zion to lie in the dust yet his bow with Josephs abides in strength his heart is not overcome by the continuance of the affliction so as to make him to take any evil course for his own or the Churches hasty deliverance but he is content to stay Gods time until the time of the word comes Psal 105. The Word of the Lord tried him While the Lord would have the oppression to lie on he will leave his people under the hands of their Adversaries till he hath wrought his own good work upon Sian he is content to stoop unto this permitting will of God and wait the Lords leisure for his deliverance Fourthly For a man to be earnest in prayer and yet submit unto the will of God if his prayer be delayed Christ tels us there is an importunity in prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a holy kind of impudence And St James saith there is a fervent prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an active and a working prayer There is a double importunity in prayer One from the Flesh when a man is very earnest for the thing he would have and cannot be content without it So many a man howls upon his bed for carn and wine and oyl Hos 7.14 from a principle of flesh there is many times a great deal of earnestness put into a man but there is an importunity that rises from duty that a man can be earnest in duty though he attain not the thing desired yet his importunity is held up and for all that he can be content to stay Gods time for the thing and yet pray as earnestly for it from a principle of duty as if it were granted It is a very difficult thing for a godly man to be able to do this in his whole course It was one of the great difficulties in Christianity that Luther found dilata sperare for to keep up his hope and hope will keep up a mans prayer even in the greatest delayes of God For a man to pray against sin against temptation to pray for deliverance of the Churches from the hands of ungodly men for the Lord to suffer sin to remain the temptation and persecution to continue and yet for a mans importunity in prayer to be held up when he is at the same time contented to submit unto the permtting will of God while the Lord will suffer sin and Satan continually to vex him it s a very high pitch of Grace and a great deal of curiosity there is in this to be able to cut at a thred and to be able to keep between these extreams Now it is the subjection of our will unto the permitting will of God that keep the heart within compass that it runs not out either of these wayes 4. What kind of acts of submission must there be in us unto the permitting will of God 1. There must be a deep apprehension of the Justice of God in his permitting will So it was in David though it was wicked in Shimei to curse the ruler of the people and some conceive even Paul confessed his errour therein when he said unto Annas the high Priest God shall smite thee thou painted wall I wist not or I considered not that he was the high Priest Sure it could not be that Paul being a Jew should not know him so to be But David looks not at the injustice of the Instrument but at the Justice of God in it The Lord hath said unto him Curse David and he did acknowledge in that Gods permitting will So doth Jeremiah chap. 12.1 Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements yet let me reasonwith thee why doth the wicked prosper And wherefore are they happy that deal treacherously God did suffer wicked men to prosper in a way of sinning it was an act of his permitting will which though Jeremiah understood not yet his will did submit to it as just because he did acknowledge the will of God to be the rule of Justice Secondly We must acknowledge his wisdom therein so doth David also the Lord will surely requite good for his cursing this day He knows how to turn sin to good and how to make advantage to the Saints by their worst temptations their greatest sufferings and their most dangerous fals He knows how to perfect his grace in their weakness and to temper the deadliest
poison into a most excellent medicine how to profit his people by their lying under the power of ungodly men making them the Scullions to wipe them even as a man would wipe a dish He knows how to refine them by that fire which they thought would have consumed them and he doth sit by as a refiner and he will suffer them to lie in the fire no longer then till they are refined He knows how to work his own end out of all these permissions For all the permissions of God are in design for a time till he hath accomplished his own purpose Isa 10.12 Till I have wrought my good work upon Sion And be assured the permissions of God shall be means to destroy sin as well as his Sanctification and the Enemy shall be as well destroyed by his permissions as by his executions Cuâ— off in their own malice ensnared in the works of their own hands The Lord will surely accomplish the ends of his permissions but they shall never accomplish their ends and determinations There is nothing the Lord permits but he will bring good out of it and he knows how to do it His permission of sin was an occasion of bringing in a better Covenant a more glorions head a higher righteousness a greater Sonship a more excellent name and he that can bring so much good by the permitting the worst of evils we need not fear but he can bring very great good also out of the temptations and out of the sufferings of the Saints 3. A man should not fret and be impatient but labour for a calm and quiet spirit under it because it is the will of God to suffer it and had not he suffered it it had never been There is as truly a principle of quietness in the permitting will of God as there is in the commanding and effecting will of God do not impatiently and discontentedly reason why doth the Lord suffer it to be thus It was that which David did quell in his followers when they would presently have taken off Shimet's head he answers the Lord hath bidden him and who shall say Wherefore hast thou done so 2 Sam. 16.10 Therefore Psal 37.7 his counsel is Fret not because of the man that prospers in his way against the man that bringeth wicked devices to pass God suffers Satan to infest thee and wicked men to oppress thee take heed of an unquiet Spirit under it for the permitting will of God acts as truly for the good of his people as his effecting will And it is part of that portion which the Lord doth make over to them when he saith I will be thy God whatever is in God is theirs and works for them though for the present it seems to make against them David in this bewails his own folly that his soul was not quieted under the permissions of God and therefore doth set himself before us as an example afterwards for a pattern of patience to be imitated and a pitch of patience to be attained when as he was before in his distemper foolish and as a beast before God 4. A man should not only desire that the commanding will of God might stand but his permitting will also and a man should desire onely to be delivered with a subjection to his will So Christ saith in his subjection to the will of God in Pilats condemnation of him John 19.11 Thou couldst have no power over me unless it were given thee from above It is only the permitting will of my Father which hath put this power in thy hands and if it be his will that I shall be delivered into your hands I do not desire that this permission of God should be taken off until his time is I can with satisfaction and contentment lie down under it If it be not his will that this cup pass his will be done Use Let us then endeavour that the power of grace in us may appear in submission unto the permitting will of God There should be no testimony of Godliness in the power of it but a Godly man should search to find it in himself and if he doth not find it he should labour after it James 1.4 Let patience have its perfect work There is a perfect work of grace in the hearts of all the people of God not perfect in this life as it is in heaven but yet there is a fulness of the age of the stature of Christ in this life Now look what power grace hath had in any mans heart the same we should desire it might have in ours not only subduing our wills to the commanding but also to the permitting will of God in all things For it is true we know in part and many things we do not beause we know not A Gracious heart his care is to keep his eye open for every new discovery of truth and he carries with him a resolution to walk answerably thereunto when once it is made known to him by the Spirit of Revelation Now the arguments to inforce it are these 1. As it comes from God it is good For the will of God is the rule of goodness and it is onely good It is true that the things willed are not good and therefore as it is sin the Lord doth not will it but suffer it but yet though sin be not good yet it is good that God should glorifie himself and work his own ends not only out of the services but also out of the sins and the contrary actings of the Creatures 2. To be given over unto a contradicting spirit to dispute against any part of the will of God is one of the greatest plagues that a man can be given up to Who art thou that replyest against God Rom. 11. Either against the will of his purpose in his decrees or else the will of his precept in his commands or against the withdrawings of grace in his permissions there is scarcely a greater plague then to be given over to a gainsaying spirit To call the actions of God into question in either of these it is a sin that is commonly reproved Isa 1.5 All the day long I have stretched out my hand against a disobedient and gainsaying people And it s the Judgement that the damned in hell are given up to they are acted by a gainsaying spirit Therefore Luke 16.29 30. Abraham saith They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them But Dives saith Nay Father Abram if one rise from the dead again they will repent The best way to bring them to Repentance saith Abraham is to hear Moses and the Prophets Nay saith Dives the best way to bring them to repentance is by one rising from the dead again And if an Angel or a Saint from heaven should preach to men they would dispute and resist So men do against the permitting will of God Why doth God suffer this he can hinder sin if he would Qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet He that