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
Hebrews 2 7 146  16 81 11 25 228  26 ibid. 12 23 30 13 18 64 James 1 18 81 2 19 49 3 13 168. See margent 4 15 140 See marg in p. 141. 1 Peter 2 2 22 3 15 15 2 Peter 1 19 20 2 2 149 1 John 5 19 219 Jude 0 11 326 Revelation 1 13 267. 268 6 12 192 11 1 295  15 162  19 188 13  183  2 193  3. 8 185  16 181   See mar 15 7 111  8 186 16 1 190  8 ibid.  9 293 17 3 161  13 184  17 33 19 13 107  14 112 A TREATISE Shewing the subordination of the will of MAN unto the will of GOD. Acts 21.14 And when he would not be perswaded we ceased saying the will of the Lord be done CHRISTS going forth in the Gospel is compared unto the Lightning which cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West Luc. 17.24 That is 1. Repentè suddainly unexpectedly when there was the saddest and darkest night upon the world when the world in wisdome knew not God 1 Cor. 1.21 then did the Light of the glorious Gospel break forth 2. Celeritèr swiftly the Gospel did pass through the world with incredible speed as Lightning out of a Cloud as an Arrow out of a Bow Rev. 6.2 Psal 45.5 that they were subjected to it ere they were aware 3. Vniversaliter generally the Lightning is not seen in one place only but it inlightens the whole heavens so it was with the Gospel it spred over the whole world Rom. 10.18 4. Irresistibiliter irresistibly it s observed of the Lightning Aristâ—dâ— Meteor it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is of a kind of spiritual nature of which there is no resistance if it meet with a subject that yields it will insensibly pierce it without prejudice but if with a subject that opposeth it will melt it so it is with the Gospel the word of the Kingdom wheresoever the light of it shines forth A very glorious accomplishment of this Scripture we have set before us in this book of Acts which contains the labour and travels the sufferings and successes of those blessed Instruments which the Lord did first employ to spread the savour of his knowledge in every place But Paul being the most eminent instrument and as it were a chosen shaft in the Lords hand Esay 49.2 1 Cor. 15.10 for he laboured more abundantly then they all therefore in this book chiefly his Preachings Travels and Sufferings are recorded concerning whom looking upon that as a Motto spiritus Pauli exemplum Ministri before I come to the words of the Text I cannot pass by four things which I find by Chrysost observed First De laudibus Pauli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. his spirit he describes in two things 1. He feared nothing but sin to displease God and to dishonour him was only terrible unto him 2. He prized nothing in comparison of the love of Christ and Communion with him he chose rather the lowest condition with his love then the most eminent condition without it to see his face was his heaven and it was even hell to him to be deprived thereof Secondly His sufferings for Christ were his pleasures his delights he could take pleasure in infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the more he did suffer the more was his spirit inlarged unto suffering and he came out of every tryall with a new resolution and readiness of mind unto suffering when we have escaped a danger we commonly resolve to take the more care for time to come and so by every cross our fear is encreased but Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by every cross his courage was raised and he came off from suffering with a new desire and readiness to suffer again Thirdly the aym and bent of his spirit was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only to offer up himself body and soul as a living sacrifice but his constant aym and daily labour was to offer up to God the whole world as a sacrifice and therefore laboured in the conversion of so many severall Nations unto God preaching the Gospel where Christ was not named Fourthly for his labour he was unwearâ—ed in it for the happy accomplishment of that end he was abundant in the work of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went over the greatest part of the world as if he had wings and laboured without cessation as if he forgat whether he were in the body setting no bounds to his labour but his life This glorious instrument in the hand of the Spirit was in an eminent manner guided by the Spirit in all his wayes carrying him to those places where he had any service to imploy him in and when the work was done by the guidance of the same Spirit he was removed to another place Sometimes the Lord sends him from Ierusalem that he might bear his name before the Gentiles Act. 22.18 and sometimes the Spirit forbids him to preach the Gospel in Asia and when he did assay to preach the Gospel in Bithinia the Spirit suffered him not Acts 16.6 7. Then he hath a vision Acts 16.9 in which a man of Macedonia saith come down and help us Thus he spent his dayes in planting and confirming the Churches At this time by the direction of the same Spirit he was engaged to go to Jerusalem Behold now I go bound in the Spirit Non levitate vel temeritate quadam motus eò proficiscor sed fortiter à spiritu sancto impulsus acsi vinculis quibusdam injectis cò traherer Sicut per vincula iniquitatis spiritualis peccati captivitas notatur Glass Rhet. sacr p. 414. Spiritus validè me impellit sicut nubes aguÌ„tur vento ut ei alligatae videantur A lap in loc Acts 20.22 That is by speciall direction from the Spirit à Spiritu impulsam as if the Spirit went with me thither and I were bound up with the same Spirit As watry vapours bound up in the Clouds are carryed about with them so was Paul bound up in the Spirit who is the Prorex in the government of Christ and hath an eye to the affairs of his Kingdom all the world over This Spirit having clearly revealed Gods mind unto the Apostle concerning this service and by a strong impulse subdued his heart thereunto he is therefore said to go bound in the Spirit to whatsoever service or suffering the Lord would call him But this instinct and motion of the Spirit met with great opposition First when he came to Tyre he met with certain Disciples that did say to him by the Spirit Fratribus istis quid futurum sit Dominus revelavit interea vero quid postulet vocatio Pauli nesciunt non eo usque extenditur doni mensura c. Cal. 1 King 13.18 Facilis
numeris absolutum reddere ut nihil desit aut rodundet vel membrum luxatum suo loco reponere â—eza it will never cease till it work it self clear again Gal. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set him in joynt again A godly man under sin is as one that hath a bone out of joynt always in pain till it be set again in its own place These are the Rules by which a man may know whether there be an habitual conformity in his will unto the commanding will of God even then when the actings of the man fall contrary and crosse thereunto Quest Quest 3. But some man may say I bless God my will is subdued unto the will of God that I am ready to say be the command never so difficult be the service never so unpleasing and unacceptable to flesh speak Lord for thy servant heareth Here I am send me Isay 6 8. But while we live here we know but in part there is a great blindness in our minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 15. that we know not what the will of God is veritas in puteo In some cases the will of God lies deep Nazianzen Orat. 29. branches all things under three heads 1. Some things we know 2. Some things we daily study and endeavour to know 3. Some things are reserved for glory in the life to come By this means I am many times at a loss in my own thoughts my way is hid I know not whether to turn aside to the right or the left hand In such cases how should I do to know what the good and perfect and acceptable will of God is Answ Answ Herein I shall give you first some general Rules secondly some more particular directions First The general Rules are clearly laid down in the word and they are these 1. I must not do the least evil to promote the greatest good which is the Doctrine of the Apostle Rom. 3.8 Because there is no good that can recompence the evil of sin that being the greatest evil If there could any good come by sin that could recompence the evil of it that might be embraced but * Ad sempiternam salutem nullus ducendus est opitulante mendacio non enim malis convertentiuÌ„ moribus ad bonos more 's convertendus est L. ad Consentium de mendacio c. 21. Mallem mundus à peccato Gehennam intrare quam pollutus in coelum Austin hath determined that if the salvation of the world might be procured by one officious lye CoÌ„ditionaliter intelligenduÌ„ est hoc moderamine si id salvâ pietate liceat Glass Rhet. Sacr. p. 477. Dilectionis hunc esse perpetuum limitem ut ad aras usque procedat quod si ergo in Deo non extra Deum diligimus nunquam erit nimius noster amor Cal. It is not to be understood of a separation from the Spirit and Grace of Christ but from the glory and the comforts of Christ If he had desired the first he had sinned for we should not desire to be in a sinful condition to save all the world Burroughs Moses choise p. 523. 524. the world was rather to be destroyed then the sin committed And Anselm professeth he should count Hell a good peniworth if exchanged for a sin Hell being only contra bonum creatuÌ„ Sin contra bonum increatum The one against a created the other against an uncreated good Neither can I look upon that Interpretation as strained of that place Rom. 9.3 I could wish my self accursed from Christ for my kinsmen according to the flesh That is to be separated from him in happiness though not in holiness It s true happiness and holiness cannot be separated neither could Paul be separated from Christ in either And that Rule of Luther is true Amor extatious procedit etiam ad impossibilia Love may carry a man to desire things impossible but not things unlawful But for the Apostle to have wished himself to have been separated from Christ in holiness had been a sinful wish and therefore not to be desired for the highest good whatsoever 2. The greatest evil of suffering is to be chosen rather then the least evil of sinning Therefore it is made a fruit of Moses Faith that he chose rather to suffer then to sin Heb. 12.25 And it s made a great part of their wickedness to chuse iniquity rather then affliction Job 36.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dilectionem rei denotat in comparatione alterius minùs dilectae cum animi affectione complacentia Cocceius in loc Nemo potest convincere aliquando esse mentiendum nisi qui poterit ostendere aeternum aliquod bonum obtineri mendacio Sed tanto quisque ab aeternitate discedit quantò à veritate discordat Aug. de mendac cap. 7. If there be any thing that doth appear to be a sin we must say with Cyprian In re tam sancta nulla est deliberatio I am concluded under the will of God I cannot do this great wickedness and sin against him 3. Non omnes leges quas Magistratus condit subditorum obligant conscientiam non tantum obedire recusant Apostoli sed etiam declarant se teneri ad non obedienduÌ„ est minister Dei est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non igitur obligant leges ad ea quae Deus declaravit illicita quod in legibus Reip. declaratuÌ„ est injustum atque iniquuÌ„ Caspar Streso com pract in Act. Prov. 29.25 We must in all things obey God rather then man Acts 4.19 If the command of man doth fall cross to the will of God then you must not be the servants of men Therefore were the people of Israel oppressed and broken in Judgement because they willingly walked after the Commandment of their Rulers Hosea 5.11 I confess the fear of man is a snare but whensoever it is objected we are to sanctifie the Lord God in our hearts making him our dread and our fear 4. In ambiguis licet charitas semper deligat meliorem partem tamen vitio non caruit Rebeccae dolus sciebat immutabile esse decretum quo electus adoptatus fuerat Jacob cur non patientèr expectat dum reipsa confirmet Deus quod è caelo pronunciavit Calv. in Gen 27.5 Saepè fieri potest ut hoc velit homo malâ voluntate quod Deus vult bonâ c Aug. enchir c 101. Deus non tantuÌ„ jusserat ut tolleret idololatriae authores veruÌ„ etiam ipsam extirparet ille caede contentus alteram mandati divini partem prorsus neglexit Ita quod à Jehova praecipitur à Jehu efficitur sed non ex eodem principio non eodem animo intentione Tarnov Good intentions will not justifie bad actions neither will good actions bear out evill intentions For the intention is not the Rule but the Commandment and if that be transgressed it matters not what our intentions are
is as well King of Nations as King of Saints and his glory is as well seen in his providential as in his spiritual administrations So do the Saints see him with a spiritual eye even then when he doth arise to shake terribly the Earth Hab. 3.3 4. It s spoken of the Lords going forth for his people in their deliverance and for the destruction of their Enemies Manus pro actionibus quae manibus ut plurimuÌ„ perficiuntur 2 Sam. 22.17 Esay 20.2 Hag. 1.1 Glass Rhet. Sacr. p. 9. Cornu significat 1. Robur potentiam ita Calv. in hunc locum potentiam Metaphoricè per cornua designat sc splendorem hunc cum potentia conjunctum fuisse 2. Radium cornui sunilem rutilantem cornua radii sunt quales emittere solent cornua spendentia Drus Tarnov His brightness was as the light and he had horns coming out of his hands there was the hiding of his power By these hands of the Lord is meant his administrations dispensations and actions in the world the hand being the instrument of action therefore all things below are called the work of his hands Psal 8.6 The horns that come out of his hand are interpreted to be radii or splendores raies or beams of light which were as it were horns The same word is used of Moses Exod. Dicit potentiam ejus absconditam esse quia nolebat Deus promiscuè per totum orbem virtutem suaÌ„ palam facere sed peculiariter populo suo Quemadmodum dicitur Ps 31.19 magnitudinem bonitatis ejus absconditam esse solis fidelibus qui eum timent reverentur Calv. 34.29 His face did shine the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies horns and so the vulgar renders it quod cornuta esset facies ejus So that the Lord in all his dispensations was glorious His works had a lustre beams a brightness that went with them and yet there was the hiding of his power That is he doth so work by instruments and second causes that his hand is not seen but by a spiritual eye yet to him that hath such an eye the hand of the Lord is exceeding glorious There are horns come out of it but there is a latibulum potentiae in all the dispensations of God towards the men of the world Now to see horns in the hand of Christ to see him glorious in his administations even when his power is hid from the rest of the world under instruments and second causes this is the duty of all the Saints So doth the Church Isaiah 63.1 2. * Non agit de Christo patiente iram Dei placante sed de Christo Rege suos potentissime ab hostibus externis liberante contra cos defendente c. Tarnov exercit Bibli p 418. c. Who is he that comes from Edom with garments died from Bosrah glorious in his apparel c. To see the Lord cloathed with a Vesture dipt in blood and his name called the word of God Revel 19.13 His name was the Word of God * Antealudibrio pene habuit verbum Dei acsi tantum essent magnifica verba sed sub phiala septima mysterium Dei consummatuÌ„ erit tunc maximè florebit Divini verbi authoritas coÌ„stantissima ejus veritate in singulis perspecta Brig in loc from the beginning but then he was the Word revealing and discovering the promises and the truths of God but now he is the Word of God fulfilling and accomplishing of them A place parallel to it is Exod. 6.3 By the name Jehovah I was not known to them The Lord was known by the name Jehovah when he did give a being to the promises so Christ was then called the Word of God but then he did manifest himself to be Jehovah when he did fulfil these promises To see the Lord glorious in his administrations however they be cloathed by instruments and second causes to rejoyce in all appearances of Christ is our duty though they be terrible to the rest of the World Whatsoever †Amictus quidam gloriae Dei in ultione adversus hostes Metaphorâ ab Heröe armis induto in arenam adversus hostes descendente desumptâ Glass Rhet. Sacr. p. 160. Esay 63.1 apparrel he goes forth in he is infinitly glorious 9. When the will of God is manifested the soul should keep it self from all disquieting passions all unpleasingness of spirit whatsoever When I once see it is the will of God I will not grudge at it I will not mourn under it as if I would have it otherwise only I will mourn for my sin that hath been the cause of it This was Davids case for his child his heart was set upon him 2 Sam. 12.20.21 David acquiescit sententiae quaÌ„ definitivam facto ipso intellexit agnita voluntate Dei acquicscunt sancti Lavit se David ut ingrederetur Templum Dâ—mini ille percusserat non tamen euÌ„ habuit pro hoste suo sed accedâ—t eum adorat supplex c. Petr. Martyr and he prayed earnestly for him with fasting yet the child must die and assoon as he saw the will of the Lord was manifested he mourns no more but with a submissive spirit stoops under it A man should not continue the disquiet of his spirit when the will of God is manifested but with all meekness acknowledge his wisdom and submit to his will It is an evil that the Lord reproves in Samuel 1 Sam. 16.1 How long wilt thou mourn for Saul seeing I have rejected him that he should not raign over Israel The sentence of Sauls rejection was gone forth from the Lord and made manifest unto Samuel Vâ—detur quod illicitus fuit iste planctus nisi Samuel ignorasset reprobationem Saulis Pro hoc lugâ—hâ—t Samâ—â—l quia definiâ—â—at Deus eum abâ—icere noluissâ—t tamen Samuel quâ—d 〈◊〉 Saul Lititus tamen fuit quia lagebat solum ex quadam compassione ut patet de poenis damnatorum aeternaliter quia nulli licet pro â—is orare â—â—â—tum autem est pro illis dolere nihil orando Tostat in 1 Sam. 15.9.41 though he was not as yet removed from the Government of the Kingdom no not in many years after Now Samuel mourned for him because he was rejected of God but when the will of God was made manifest for him to disquiet and trouble himself therein as if all the future happiness of Israel depended upon this one man and that he did not rather look out Audiverat Samuel Domini sentenam de Saule exauctorando tamen non potest primo intuitu quinam id fiat animadvertere Agnoscens unctum Samuel Dei mandato non potest repentè reverentiam illi abjicere Non satis in peculiari hoc facto animadvertit quid à se Deus postuinret sc Deum ut agnosceret velle Saulis abrogare imperium quod dederat quia ipsius voci non obtemperasset Calv. homil in
50.28 That he might take away the horns by which his people have been pushed Zach. 1.21 And this he will do though it be by a power that shall afterward perish if they prove horns also as the Assyrian was destroyed by the Persians who afterward when he advanced his horn against the Church was also to perish by the Grecian for the vengeance is the vengeance of the temple 4. That the Kingdom and Dominion under the whole Heavens may be the Lords * Christus Mayestatem suaâ— visibilem quâ—dâ—◠〈…〉 â—ps◠〈…〉 fingendâ—â—oâ—da ut coâ— râ—â—â— suas â—reptra ontâ— pedes einâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Bright In fine sexti â—allâ—â—â—â—â—â—nni malâ—â—â—â—â—mnis 〈…〉 regnet per annos â—â—llâ— jusintia suque tranquâ—llâ—as 〈…〉 à laborâ—â—uâ— quos mundut jam dâ—â— perpessus est Lactaâ—t de Divino 〈…〉 cap 14. To that end he doth take unto himself his great power and raign Revel 11.15 But here comes in a case necessarily to be answered which will arise in the minds of moâ—â— it being the great scruple and stumbling block of these times and â—â—e cause why men fall not in with the present Acts and Administrations of God in the World Or Dan. 11.33 Inter multos Apostatas praedicit sore quosdam qui in puro Dei cultu retinebunt populuÌ„ Quanquam hoc non praecisè restringo ad sacerdotes tamen non dubito quin Angelus ab ipsis incipiat Et tanta est Spiritus gratia in fulciendis doctoribus ut non succumbant quamvis cum gladio igne exilio pugnandum est Calv. if this be not the true cause as there is reason to suspect it in many yet this is the great pretence that is held forth Men say did I know that this were the will of God to effect yet that is not to be my rule for there is voluntas propositi which is the rule of Gods actings he works all things according to the counsel of his own will but this is not to be looked upon as the Rule of what God would have us to do It is voluntas praecepti that we are in all things to have respect unto As the Lord many times will have his people to be afflicted distressed imprisoned yea and many to fall by the sword to trie them and purifie them and make them white unto the time of the end Dan. 11.37 For whatsoever Prophesies there are which the Lord hath spoken Ecclesiae figura â—olumba est quae cum omnium injuriis pateat non tamen reddit injuriam sed patitur Luth. he will surely effect The vision shall speak and not lye it shall come and not tarry he will not call back his word It is no good argument then that because God will afflict his Church therefore I should desire that the Church should be afflicted Psal 122.6 Esay 62.7 Esay 33.20 and should desire to be an Instrument in the hand of God therein The rule given me is this that I should pray for the peace of Jerusalem and that God would make it * 1. Est Ecclesiam gloriosam reddere ut illiuc materia laudis Ecclesiae effuâ—geat 2. Vt eam meritò omnes Gentes laudent toti orbi sit Ecclesia in laudem gaudium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Diem afflictionis calamitatis quem iis praedico non optavi eis sed cum dolore cogor eum praedicere quia tu Dâ—mine id mihi jubes A Lap. 2. Diem doloris vel diem anxium redditur ita vocat militiam illam quae manet omnes veros pastores ad munus propheticum tantum restringit Calv. a praise in the Earth and a quiet habitation and the promise is they shall prosper that love thee and therefore though Jeremiah in Obedience unto God must pronounce the woful day and tell them what the Lord will do yet he doth profess he doth not desire the woful day Jer. 17.16 He did speak it as being commanded by God but not as a thing desired by him though he did tell them from the mouth of God what he would do yet it was not that which he would have a hand in to effect His rule of duty was to seek the good of Jerusalem and pray for the peace of it till the Lord forbid him pray no more for this people for I will not hear thee Jer. 7.16 †Voluntas Divina ad quam se conformare dâ—bet voluntas humana est voluntas praecepti quippe quo docetur quid Deus vâ—lit esse nostri officâ—t ut â—aciamus non autem est voluntas decreti quo ipse apud se slatuit quid velit fieri five sinendo ut fiat sive ipse factendo I wisse vindic l. 2. p. 175. It is not therefore the effecting will of God that is to be my rule in desiring or acting it may be a sin in me to joyn in that which I know God will effect 2 King 8.10 15. when Benhadad was sick he sent unto Flisha the Prophet to enquire whether he should recover of his disease * Duae sunt partes oraculi in prima de vita ex aegritudine respondit in altera de Regis vita absolutè Morbus tum non est lethalis ex hoc morbo non morieris absolute tamen morte morieris quia priusquam à morbo convaâ—escat ab ipso Hazael occisus est Pet. Martyr Caâ—etan he told him that his disease was not mortal but that he might recover but yet the Lord had shewed him that he should surely die This he uttered as from God unto Hazael his Messenger yet Hazael did wickedly to take a thick cloth and dip it in water and spread it upon his face thereby to smother him and to hasten his death And we know that though God be not the Author †Respâ—ctu Dei bonum esse dicimus ut mala fiant quomodo bonum duntaxat in genere conducibilis ad illustrandam gloriam Deâ— sc gloriam divinae justitiae punientis misericordiae parcentis Et ut fiant mala à quo Non à Deu sed duntaxat ab homine Et quomodo ut fiant sc Deo duntaxat permittente non autem efficiente aut in agendo deficiente Twisse vindic lib 2. p 175. yet he is the Orderer of sin and he doth accomplish great things oftentimes even by the sins of men yet this is only by the permitting and not the effecting will of God Though the Lord doth permit that it shal be done yet he hates the act and is displeased with the Actor As the Lord employed Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem he saith he is my servant and I send him against an Hypocritical Nation the people of my wrath and I give him a * Bisariam praecipit Dous vâ—l voluntate patefacta per verbum hominibus traditum vel voluntate occulta quae est providentia sive decretum arcanum quo sic omnia moderatur ut sine eo contra
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
his beloved sleep Psal 121.2 By sleep is not meant that of the body but of the soul Fideles etsi vitam agant laboriosam compositis tamen tranquillis animis in fidei silentio se continent ac si dormirent They have a great deal of rest and quietness in all their labours and this is the gift of God 2. We must obtain it of God in his own way and that is in the way of prayer for as faith is the pacifying grace so prayer is the quieting duty Hannah after she had prayed though her spirit was unquiet before yet she went away and did eat and drink and wat no more sad And David though he did begin many Psalms with a troubled spirit yet he concludes with comfort being quieted and cheared under all the dealings of God with him Phil. 4.6 7. In all things let your prayer and requests be made known unto God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts There is a double peace of the Saints one wrought for us without us and this is reconciliation with God the other is peace within us which is given unto the Saints as a return of prayer the Spirit of supplication becoming afterward a Spirit of consolation 3. Consider the condition of the Saints while they are in this life Isa 33 46. He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him and his water shall be sure There is no affliction that can hurt thee that doth not disquiet thee Men may plunder thee of thy goods but let them not rob thee of thy patience So it was with Job Satan could not hurt him till he did disquiet him though he did fire his house yet he could not fire his spirit So it was with the Christians in the primitive times Amiserunt omnia nunquid fidem nunquid pietatem hae sunt opes Christianorum 4. Be much in acts of reliance and self resignation unto God considering the relation in which thou standeth unto him To whom should the children fly but to the father and on whom should he cast his care Do children lay up for the parents or rather the parents for the children Cast therefore thy care upon him for he careth for thee With him the fatherless find mercy Thou never puttest thy self out of Gods care till thou beginnest to take the business out of Gods hands and to take care for thy self Trust in the Lord for ever for the Lord Iehovah is a rock of ages Isa 26.3 5. Reason it out with thy own soul This was Davids remedy Why art thou cast down oh my soul and why art thou disquieted within me We should call our souls unto an accompt examine the reason and the ground of our disquiet Commune with your own heatrs upon your beds and be still Faith doth as much work by sanctified reasoning as by any other way of acting whatsoever We come now to the two last particulars which are included in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for dispatch sake I shall put both into this one observation Doct. When the will of God is manifested it is the duty of the Saints neither to speak nor act against it they are to cease from both In the opening hereof I must shew First that the will of God as manifested is to be the rule of our wills and wayes Secondly That when it is manifested it is the duty of the Saints neither to speak nor act against it Thirdly Give the grounds thereof And lastly make an application of it to our selves 1. The will of God manifested is to be the rule of our wills and ways And here we are to consider three things 1. No man is to speak or act according to his own will It is a state of sin that fulfils the wills of the flesh and of the mind Ephes 2.3 A mans own will in opposition to the will of God is the will of the devill 2. Tim. 2. and the last we are said to be led captive by him at his will This therefore cannot be a rule unto any man either for speaking or acting but unto him who hath no other god but the god of this world Christ himself doth not make his wil the rule of his actions I came not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me Ioh. 6.38 The Angels do not their own wils The Angell Gabriell was sent at the beginning of thy supplication the commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee Daniel 9.23 The Angel did not go without a command Ezek. 1.25 There is a firmament over the head of the living creatures and a voice from the firmament unto which the Angels did attend in all their motions and when they stood they let down their wings The will of God was the rule of all their actings and cessation from actions 2. It is the will of God as manifested that is the rule of all the actions of the creatures Deut. 29.29 Things revealed are to us and our children for ever This is a constant rule of all their motions for ever there will never be a time in this world when the scripture which is the revelation of the will of God shall be laid aside as of no use for they belong unto us to do them Therefore in the 12. of the Romans 2. we are exhorted to prove what the good and acceptable will of God is The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie 1. sedulo explorare diligently to try and search 2. approbare vitam conformare to approve and conform our lives thereunto Now it must be revealed or a man can never discern it or approve it or conform his will or way unto it God will have our services to be reasonable services which must be an obedience to his will as manifested or made known unto us Men require not obedience unto any law so long as it is in the breast of the lawgiver it never binds the subject till it be published and proclaimed that all may take notice of it So it is with the Lord who is the great and the only lawgiver 3. The will of God is revealed and made known both by his word and by his works which are nothing else but as it were a comment upon his word First By his word which is therefore called the counsell of God the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. and the last I have written unto them the great things of my law Hos 8.12 declaring the whole will of God concerning the creatures obedience Secondly By his works for the worketh every thing according to the counsell of his own will Ephes 1.11 Therefore whatsoever he doth in the world it is but to discover the counsell of his will to the Saints Therefore when Davids child was dead he takes it for a manifestation of the will of God and his heart is quieted under it There is a double book
three ways p. 224. Counsel by this the Lord doth whatsoever he doth pag. 141. Covenant of Christ by this all creatures are established p. 150. Creatures reasonable are ruled by God according to their own nature p. 201. Creatures reasonable what it is that God permits in them p. 208. Creatures have a double motion or tendency towards the will of God p. 260. See Will. D. DEcree of God is double pag. 79. Decrees of God have a threefold order to be observed of them p. 203. Dioclesian the Emperor what is reported of him p. 291. Discontents are not the way to prevail with God to change his minde p. 136. Devil his way of sinning p. 285. Devil for what end he is said to touch men p. 298 E. EArth in the Book of Revelation what is it opposed unto what is meant by it p. 190. Ends a mans own in emptying himself of them lies mainly in the power of godliness p. 125. Ends what they are God hath discovered in his word he intends to accomplish in and upon the world pag. 160 161. Ends are secret things p. 175. Ends of God mainly are two p. 183. Exalting of God in the soul is godliness p. 113. Extreams several there are to avoid that require a great deal of grace p. 229. F. FAce of God in Scripture is put for 3. things pag. 202. Faith the higher act a man puts forth of it the higher is the act of grace pag. 226. Faith why it is commended pag. 233. Fret why a man should not p. 239. G. GOd the rule of his acting is his own will p. 79. Godliness the power of it lies mainly in mans compleat subjection of his will to Gods will pag. 11 23 113. Godliness those that profess it and yet have their wills opposite unto Gods will reproved p. 127. And the evil of such a frame of heart set forth p. 129. Godliness in the power of it brings a soul to an humble submission unto Gods permitting will p. 198. Godliness much of it is seen in a mans submission to the will of God permitting p. 214. Gospel what is it compared unto pag. 2. Glory of God is twofold p. 119. Grace in the will subjects it unto the will of God in Acts 4. p. 35. Grace acts in the soul according to the nature of every faculty p. 41. Grace in the will how it may be discerned when there are the strongest actings of the will for sin pag. 64. Grace the Lord in his permission withholds it pag. 204. Grace is to be laboured for in the power of it unto Gods permitting will p. 242. See Will. Graces in them there are a sympathie p. 9. Government in the matter of it 〈◊〉 things are committed to the Son p. 143. Government immediately put into Christs hands p. 146. H. HAnd-right what is it taken for p. 211. Hands of the Lord what is meant p. 105. Happiness much of the Saints and Angels in heaven wherein to be seen pag. 195. Heart of man once truly and fully concluded under Gods will there follows 1. Quietness pag. 252. 2. A constant quietness p. 257. Honouring of God here and in heaven are in a different way pag. 246 Hoâ—â—s that have pushed at Gods people shall be taken away pag. 162. Hamble men to do this God takes three ways p. 218. I. IMpatient a man should not be p. 239. Intention between an habitual and an actual some Divines do distinguish p. 39. Intention of God in setting Christ over the Kingdom of providence what it was for p. 147. Johannes Abbas what is reported of him p. 117. K. KIngdom and Rule over all the works of God belong unto Christ p. 145. L. LAw the writing of it in the heart what is it pag. 23. Lightning what is observable of it pag. 2. Lusts of ungodly men God suffers to arise p. 212 Luthers Rule what it is p. 70. Luthers Admonition to Melancthon p. 96. Luthers great difficulty in Christianity p. 235. Luthers instance in going to Worms p. 276. M. MAn must walk by Rule p. 13. Man how he makes himself wiser then God p. 132. Men in them two things mainly corrupted p. 16. Mercies given in answer to prayer are double mercies p. 244. Mouths to stretch them against Heaven what is that p 330. N. NAzianzens direction p. 12. O. OFences men sometimes take at 1. The Word of God p. 288. 2. The Works of God p. 288. Officers two distinct God hath appointed p. 172. P. PAssions disquieting must be subdued p. 277. Passions tormenting by these the soul is disquieted p. 274. Paul Chrysostome hath observed of him 4. things pag. 3. Paul though bound in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem yet met with six great oppositions p. 6. Peace of the Saints is double p. 310. Permission of God what is it p. 199 205. Persians what had they at the death of their Kings p. 180. Plutarchs report of the Gauls p. 60. Powers two distinct God hath established upon earth p. 171. Pray we ought with submission unto Gods will in our works pag. 140. Prayer hath a double importunity in it p. 234. Prayers of Gods people he is very observant of p. 195. Providence as great wisdom of God to be seen in it as in the works of Creation p. 116. Providence motions in ordering the affairs of the world are sometimes cross p. 157. Q. QUietness holy there is which every Saint is to labour for p. 253. Quiet See Spirit R. REasonings disquieting are in the soul p. 269. Reprobation absolute is not taught p. 203. Resignation of a mans self unto God herein consists much of the power of godliness p. 121. Rest what is it taken for p. 254. Rome Antichristian is the subject upon which all the vials are poured p. 190. Rule of duty is the will of God pag. 16. S. SAints all are in this life bound to give a double accompt pag. 15. Saints take care but of one thing pag. 118. Saints have mainly 3. things to do in this life pag. 316. See Happiness Satan is suffered by God 1. As a Tempter p. 209. 2. As an Accuser p. 211. Satans temptations God suffers his people to lie under them pag. 219. Self-denial the more in any thing the more of the power of grace is expressed p. 222. Self respectively to be denied is threefold Ibid. Silent be O all flesh before the Lord. p. 90. Sin how a man should know whether he doth with full consent or no. p. 62. Sin what it is p. 258. Sins presumptuous are made up of two things p. 62. Sins of the reasonable creature See will Sins remaindery God leaves in the best of his people p. 208. Sinfulness the power of it wherein it lies p. 281. Smoak the effect of it p. 188. See Temple Souls disquietness two things are mainly the causes of it p. 269. Soul hath a double excellency in it p. 279. Soveraignty of God over the creature mainly lies in two things p 43. Speak See Will.
Spirit is substituted by Christ as his prorex p. 154. Spirit of God teaches a man not only to act grace but to expect a reward p. 196. Spirit how he led Christ into the wilderness p. 220. Spirit contradicting to be given over unto is one of the greatest plagues p. 242. Spirit of God hath undertaken the Saints guidance p. 263. Spirit unquiet its sinfulness p. 279. Spirit unquiet the use the devil makes of it p. 290. Spirit quiet its excellency p. 298. In its sutableness p. 300. In its cheerfulness p. 306. Spirit quiet how a man should attain to it p. 309. Subjection of the will See godliness Submission of will by this the Saints highly exalt God in their hearts p. 114. Submission the kinds of its acts that must be in us unto Gods permitting will p. 236. T. TEmple by the Smoak in the Temple What interpreters understand p. 186. Temptations Some come upon the soul with a great deal of horror p. 231. See Satan Things all put under his feet What is means by that p. 145. Things Some there are that God works by his own immediate power p. 199. Times two when men should be silent p. 328. V. VIal fourth God is pouring out upon the Sun p. 190. Vial fifth now pouring out upon the throne of the beast is not consented unto p. 193. Unction of Christ the perfection of it wherein it consists p. 31. W. WAlk of a Christian must be regular p. 13. Wicked God suffers to thrive and prosper in an evil way for a time p. 213. Will of God as far as it concerns mans duty is manifested and made known p. 19. Will of man subjected to Gods will See godliness Will of God is three-fold p. 32. Will of man is two-fold p. 34. See grace Will of ours to subject it unto Gods commanding will several considerations p. 42. Will of man how the Lord subdues it to his commanding will p. 52. Will of God good perfect and acceptable rules to know what it is p. 69. Will of God in doubtful cases particular directions to know it p. 73. Will of God effecting extends it self p. 80 Will of man subjected unto Gods will by several acts p. 87. Will of man not subjected unto Gods will sins against him p. 129. and that in an high degree p. 130. Will of God effecting and commanding how to know they are the same p. 167 174. Will of God permitting what it is p. 198. Will of God permitting respects only the reasonable creature p. 200. Will of God permitting is only conversant about the sins of the reasonable creature p. 202. Wills prejudiced and ingaged must be laid aside p. 174. Will of God is the rule of goodness p. 242. Will of God permitting is but for the time of this life p. 245. Will of God submitting the fruit of such a spirit expressed by a Greek word variously used p. 249. Will of man when concluded under Gods will it s under two principles pag. 273. Will of God manifested is to be the rule of our wills and ways pag. 312. Will of God is made known both by his word and works p. 315. Will of God being manifested Saints must not 1. Speak against it p. 227 317. 2. Act against it p. 319. 3. The grounds of it p. 321. 4. The directions not to speak against it p. 328. 5. The considerations not to act against it p. 332. Wisdom of God must be acknowledged pag. 237. Word of God in submission to this lies mainly the power of Godliness pag. 123. Worlds great Harvest when it shall be pag. 189 Worlds continuance is only to advance the end of Christs Kingdom p. 152 Works of God See Kingdom FINIS