men neither are they plagued with them but pride is as a chaine vnto them and crueltie couereth them as a garment What then can be answered for God surely still the consequence is not good bruit beasts may goe to the slaughterhouse without all baiting and it were questionlesse the part of a mad man to disturbe them that goe as heart would wish neither would the deuill for a thousand worlds that these men should once be disquieted to turn back againe and therefore yet you sticke in the question What then will you answer to an argument drawne from their life their eyes stand out with fatnesse they haue more then heart can wish they haue their tongues at libertie power to oppresse boast of it and yet presume thēy shall not be controlled for they dare speake against heauen and suffer their tongues to walke thorough the earth therefore God neither doth neither can he do any good to Israel Let Moses come to Pharaoh with let my people goe he shall be answered not as the deuills answered the Exorcists Act. 19.15 Iesus we acknowledge and Paul we knowe but who are yee It had been well if he had but said Aaron and Moses God I acknowledge and his p eople I know but who are yee that are so impudent with your king this is not his voice but who is God and Exod. 10.10 Let the Lord so bee with you as I will let you goe and your children behold for euill is before your face Here is blasphemie and execration of Gods people he imagines euill against them the Lord shall not preuent it and he desires that the Lord had no better affection to them then he was minded to let them goe What shall be answered to this proud argument that brings all into it they haue the controlment of heauen and earth and therefore how shall the Lord be good to Israel Well O flesh yet is God good to Israel this is but a small matter for neither heauen nor earth are in their hands it is an easie matter to turne their owne swords into their owne bowels for they haue fedde indeede but it is become a surfet and therefore if presently they be not like oxen knocked in the head they will pine away and neither God nor man shall haue profit by them they haue been licentious but soone may they be cooled they haue spoken wickedly of their oppression but a small matter will grauell them and bring them vnto an non plus they haue presumed but soone may they despaire they haue set their mouths against heauen but suddenly while they are about their mischiefe there may shine a most fearefull light yea lightning and thunder from heauen strike them to the ground make euerie ioynt breake a sunder the whole bodie tremble and the heart astonied neither shall they heare any voice from heauen Send for Ananias to put his hands vpon them that they may recouer their sight and haue their hearts comforted yet shall they heare a voyce from heauen Why haue you persecuted me it is hard for you to kicke against my prickes I will make your consciences pricke you to the death the sting shall neuer out of it there shall not be a Moses nor an Aaron to pray for you though you confesse with Pharaoh we haue sinned the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked Surely the spirit of God is strong my owne testimonie is answered the death and life of the wicked cannot euince the cause therefore I bring a third sort of reasons euen from the godly themselues v. 10. his people turne hither for waters of a full cup are wrung out to them Hence euen they say how doth God knowe it or is there knowledge in the most high wee dare boldly say the wicked prosper and increase in riches we haue clensed our hearts in vaine and washed our hands in innocencie to no purpose for daily haue we beene punished and chastened euery morning What may be said to this argument surely the testimonie of my brethren doth presse mee sore that they should bee so discouraged yet I hope when they shall haue considered my arguments propounded for the defence of their cause they shall recant their errour and say If I iudge thus behold the generation of thy children are vp against mee I haue therfore trespassed the reason was because I thought to finde out the discourse by my naturall reason but I confesse it was too painefull for mee therefore O Spirit the comforter of thy Church let me heare the arguments that will beare waight in the ballance of Gods sanctuarie First therefore I will begin with an artificiall argument which all men may gather out of the workes of God euen of his iustice They are set in slipperie places they stand but vpon the yee and therefore God may soone cast them into desolation which all the world may see to be done for how suddenly are they destroyed perished and horribly consumed all is but a dreame of their prosperitie but when I am awaked to see it and they to feele it then shall I consider my heauenly felicitie contemne all their vaine pompe and know assuredly that God makes all their image to be despised therefore I ingeniously confesse that the vexing of my heart and the pricking in my reines was because I was too foolish euen as a beast before God yet was I happie in all this for by faith I was alwaies with God and that my faith might not fall he hath holden me by his right hand Secondly for my selfe I haue taken this arguemnt that God will guide mee by his counsell and afterward receiue me to his glorie Thirdly I dare appeale vnto mine owne soule from both these arguments vnto a third whom haue I in heauen but God and I haue desired none in earth before him Fourthly I drawe an arguments from mine owne weakenesse and the daily experience I haue had of Gods goodnesse my flesh faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of mine heart and my portion for euer Therefore now I come to the determination of the question and thus I determine it for the wicked Loe they that withdrawe themselues from God shall perish thou destroyest all them that goe a whoring from thee and for my selfe I haue found that the deepest disputations doe alwaies bring forth the best conclusions and safest determinations therefore thus I resolue That as for me it is good for mee to drawe neere to God therefore I haue put my trust in the Lord God that I may declare all his works See but one place more Psal 77. When I entred the consideration of the dayes of olde and the yeares of auncient time called to remembrance my song of thankesginug in the night which vsually I sung in my prosperitie and now thinking vpon God am troubled and when I pray my spirit is full of auguish Thou keepest myne eies awaking all the long night it is time therefore to commune
then suggestion by obiects euen to a spirituall communication else tell me how it is possible that the deuil can often informe ignorant persons with the knowledg of tongues and artes which cannot be done by obiects but by familiar conuerse of natures agreeing And this is one dangerous way how the deuill may come to haue knowledge of out thoughts Act. 16. how learned the woman her diuination but from the information of the deuill how made she that confession These men are the seruants of the most high God which shewe vnto vs the way of saluation this was not the holding out of an obiect but effectuall operation vpon the glasse of her mind therefore the deuill is said to worke powerfully in the hearts of vnbeleeuers Working by obiects cannot bee so powerfull for how long might ministers preach the way of saluation before men would confesse as much as this woman hath done how long might a schoolemaster hold the Grammar before the eyes of an vnlearned man before hee would come to vnderstand the tongue or any Artist holde the Art before an ignorant man before he would make a syllogisme c. And therefore necessarily betwixt spirits must there bee a communication Hence the Scripture defines a witch a woman or ignorant person that hath a familiar spirit 1. Sam. 28.7 Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirit 2. Meanes is by instinct examples of this 2. Kin. 6.12 5.26 Act. 5. Peter knewe the thoughts of Ananias and Saphyra when Eliah complained 1. King 19.18 Yet will I leaue seuen thousand in Israel c. Rom. 11.4 3. Meanes is reuelation by the Scriptures by it we may know what be the maine thoughts of all men naturally Heb. 4.12 4. By signes as by speech gesture c. Gen. 4.6 Beside these fowre the Papists haue two more 1. Of the Saints in heauen to wit the glasse of the Trinitie but this glasse was neuer reuealed vnto any neither is it possible that it should bee reuealed for whatsoeuer is in God is God himselfe and therefore if wee cannot see God according to his glorious essence and perfection Iob 11.7.8.9 Exod. 33.20 Thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see mee and liue yet may we see Gods backe-parts which are his attributes and his workes which onely are to be seene in this world and in the world to come Therefore a meere dreame of seeing any thing in the glasse of the Trinitie any further then the reuelation of diuine attributes Isaiah the Prophet neuer learned or tanght such a doctrine as this nay he hath taught the contrarie when he saies Abraham knowes vs not and Iohn that euangelicall Prophet called the eagle for soring aloft into deep mysteries and the diuine because hee was most exercised in vnfolding the diuinitie of Christ yet neuer reached so high as this point neither euer acknowledged any such diuinitie nay he hath taught the contrarie in the Reu. How long Lord holy and iust his holines and iustice they know and acknowledge but of the time when the Lord shall manifest his holinesse and iustice they are wholly ignorant which could not haue been if they had beene able to looke into the glasse of the Trinitie Thirdly Iosias 2. Kin. 4.22 was taken away that he might not see the euill to come therefore the Saints in heauen see not the euill dayes here vpon earth In a word against all Papists God as he is one most simple act cannot be apprehended of any creature for God in himselfe is infinite therefore no finite thing can apprehend him Secondly he is most simple therefore one now many acts of vnderstanding cannot apprehend this one therfore is it absolutely impossible to reach vnto God by one act of vnderstanding which is absolutely necessarie to vnderstand God simply one therfore God alone knowes himselfe and his creature according as he hath reuealed himselfe A second the chamber of meditation wherein they put men and bid them meditate and afterward they inquire of them what they thought and so see what they are fit for if bloodie minded then treason if deepe meditations then Iesuites A strologians haue found out a seuenth way of knowing the thoughts and that is by the starres but they are to know that the starres worke nothing further then their proper subiect and naturall qualities and therefore haue no worke vpon the mind wherein the thoughts are framed for corporall things cannot worke vpon spirituall things saue only in the altering of their instruments An 8. meanes is invented which we call physiognomie that can tell mens destines by their hands called palmestrie by the face as the eyes nose for-head or the countenance but this is an idle coniecturing and full of vncertainties and if the heart be deceifull aboue all things surely if we try by the face and hands we shall neuer vnderstand the least of his imaginations therefore I rest content in these meanes as sufficient to wit beside that direct knowledge that the Lord hath mans knowledge or angels by communication spirituall by instinct reuelation of Scripture and signes The hypocrits thoughts are here detected of the Lord The kinds of wicked thoughts that euery man may take notice of them therfore let vs proceed to the third point to see what be the heads of these thoughts They may be reduced to three heads either they concerne God or his neighbour or himselfe God profanation of his ordinances and yet thinke God was like him his neighbours breach of charitie and yet thinke God did approoue of him in these sinnes thirdly against himselfe in conceruing so well of himselfe as against both sobrietie and modestie to pull God into any comparison with him The first point of thoughts concerning God Fowre capitall thoughts against God There are 4. capitall thoughts and damnable imaginations that runne naturally in euerie sinners mind touching God First that there is no God Psal 10.4 and 14.1 Touching this thought fowre things First in whom it is Answ It is in the corrupt minde and imagination of euerie man naturally that comes of Adam this appeares Psal 14.1 for the foole in Scripture is euerre sinner vncalled and vnrepentant Againe Rom. 3. Paul goes about to prooue that all are sinners by proofes out of the Psal 10. 14. thereby intimating that the foole is to be vnderstood of all sinners whosoeuer Obiect But nature tels euerie man that there is a God Sol. These two contrarie thoughts may bee both in the profane mind By nature a man thinkes that there is a God by corrupt nature that there is no God for two contraries may be in one subiect as light and darkenesse cold and heat when neither is in the highest degree But in what manner shall any man deny God by his thoughts Ans First by turning the true God into an Idol of his owne braine and thus euery man doth by nature Cal. 4.8 Eph. 2.12 why so because in heart they did not
Controversie concerning Gods decreeing of sinne 1. Obiections from the Text. 47. answered ibid. from attributes 48. answered ibid. from subiect 49. answered ibid. 2. Arguments proouing from the end 50. from method 52. from God first and last 54 3. Of sinnes entrance his causes principall instrumentall and accidentall 55. how God purposed this entrance 56. how the lawe workes sinne 58. positions of the manner 59 4. Of sinnes progresse and consequents 63. what is Gods work therein 64 5. Obiectiions that God is the author of sinne from Scripture 66 answered ibid. from Bellarmine 68. Caluins iudgement ibid. from reason 73. answered 74. from orthodoxe writers concerning Gods will decree mans will and his reprobation 78 6. Answered 88. how God wills sinne to be 89. Arminius sophystrie 91. determination no cause of necessitie 96. when a thing is how necessarie 97. of Gods concourse 98. of Gods irresistable will 106. the nature of Gods decree 107. freedome of mans will 121. reprobation no punishment 123 7. Collation of M. Perkins and Arminius 127. in 10. principles to 139. for the definition of predestination 139. how counsell 139. of the subiect and his degrees 140. to 152. lastly of the end and subordination of meanes 152. to 160. PSALM 50.21 These things hast thou done and I held my tongue therefore thou thoughtest that I was altogether like thee but I will reprooue thee and set them in order before thee CHAP. I. Of the generall Analysis IN the world we haue three sorts of people All men in thâ—â— world are either Atheists Hypocrites or Saintâ— First Atheists that care for no religion secondly Hypocrites that care for formall religion thirdly Saints that care for true religion Atheists discouer themselues and therfore the word of God is not large in ripping vp their sinnes Hypocrits make a faire shewe and therefore the word of God is verie copious in reuealing their sinne and threatning iudgement against them it tels them plainely they are all for the ceremonie nothing for the truth they lay hold on the shadowe but loose the substance these mens sacrifices are no better then abhomination vnto the Lord he hath no eare to heare them withall he hath no eyes to looke vpon their sacrifices no smell to sauour a sweet sauour of rest in them but his soule is displeased with them and his heart doth rise against them that hee must needs spewe them out of his mouth hee hath no tast to say that the sacrifices they haue prepared are any sauoury meat vnto his palate and yet the Lord is no daintie taster for hee would say it were well if there were but a willing mind Iacob and Esan a true type of Gods militant Church which is cumâ—â—aniâ— Indeede Izaac the father of Iacob and Esau might be deceiued in his sonnes and in their venison but surely hee was not deceiued in their garments for when he had kissed Iacob hee smelled the fauour of his garments and blessed him and said most truely behold the smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field God is not dim-sighted to iudge betwixt the taâ—es wheate which the Lord hath blessed but the Lord is not as man that he should any way be deceiued Iacob should neuer haue gotten the blessing from Esau by hauing his brothers hands in shewe except the Lord had brought that to passe which long before he had decreed Iacob haue I loued Esau haue I hated So stands the case betwixt all hypocrites and true professors they may haue the hands of 〈◊〉 but their voice will bee the voice of Iacob or morally their hands may be the hands of Iacob but their voice will be the voice of Esau the world might be deceiued by the workes of their hands but if they listen to their words they shall find them rellish of Esaus heart but the Lord knowes their workes that they are not onely couered with goates skins but that they themselues are goates indeede and so shall one day appeare when the Lord shall goe through the flocks and separate from all the sheepe the little spotted the great spotted and the blacke spotted not to be the wages of Iacob but the inheritance of the denil and therefore blessed are all they that shal be found in the garments of Christ Iesus that so not Izaac but the God of Abraham Izaac and Iacob may blesse them with the dew of heauen the fatnesse of the earth plenty of wheat and wine that all the world may be their seruants and all their mothers children honour them and therfore cursed be he that curseth them â—â—pocrites fiâ—al be rewarded and blessed be he that blesseth them let the hypocrites complaine we haue done thus and thus and yet thou regardest not we haue bin thy eldest sonnes in casting out deuills working miracles preaching fasting sacrificing giuing of almes and what haue we left vndone for thy names sake hast thou not therefore one blessing in store ò father to blesse vs withall Well it may be they will imitate Esau in his passion lift vp their voices and weepe and surely God will say of them as he did of Ahab Seest thou not how Ahab playes the hypocrite yet because he humbles himselfe in shewe I will bestow a blessing in shew vpon him I will spare him for a time so because yee haue wept with Esau for a blessing behold the fatnesse of the earth shall be your dwelling place by your swords and crueltie to my Saints shall you liue Cruelty of hypocrites I haue made you your brethrens seruants but it shall come to passe when you shall get the masterie that you shall breake their yokes from your neckes and assoone as the daies of your mourning are come and gone you will slay your brethren for that hath beene the thought of your mind God will surely blesse thâ—â—g â—ly and curse the wicked yet let me tell you my mind them haue I blessed and they shall be blessed but for you hypocrites which would seem to haue the little spots among my sheepe I tell you Ciuil hypocrits Grosse hypocrites Meere Atheiâ—â— Little spoâ— great spots blacke upon that I haue separated you for the day of slaughter and againe you hypocrites which are not of the number of these ciuill professors but grosse hypocrites with great spots in my congregation and yet defie my seruants which tell you of your damnation I tell you that you are in the selfe same predicament of my decree of reprobation And lastly all you Atheists which haue the blacke spots vpon you which will acknowledge no more then bruit beasts I tell you that you and all the rest are the goates that I must set on my left hand and pronounce this sentence against you Goe you cursed into hel fire prepared for the deuill and his angels there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer This Psalme is as I may tearme it an Assize or session holden of the Lord vnto
shall not keep silence or winke at some mens faults because hee dare not speake hee will neither drown his words nor eate them for the proudest Secondly his power is prooued first by his messengers 2. by his faithfull witnesses By his messengers vers 3. most excellently set out vnto vs 1. by their names declaring their nature fire and tempest and therefore who shall be able to stand before him if they misse the fire the tempest shall meete with them so that there shall be no escape out of the hands of this Iudge 2. By their effects deuouring and moouing therfore iudgment and swift execution 3. From their attendance they shall goe before him and round about him therefore way shall bee made before him and roome shall bee gotten round about him 4. By the adiunct a mightie tempest therfore shall it ouerturne all the bulwarkes of the wicked V. 4 His faithfull witnesses 4 5 6. verses called v. 4. executing 5 6. called first by name heauen and earth therefore shal iust euidence be giuen in against euery offender the earth shall couer no offences for the heauens shall reueale it neither shall any bill bee left vnread for all offences are written either in heauen or earth neither can there be any dropping for heauen and earth will gather vp all 2. They shall haue their charge from God for God shall call them and therefore they shal deale faithfully 3. The end of their calling is appointed and that is to iudge his people therfore in Gods Court there shall be no plea for ignorance for he that manifests the end will discouer all meanes that shall bring vnto the end V. 5 Execution is either the conuention of the people or the proclamation of the Iudge convention of the people v. 5. First there must be a gathering for all men are abroad at their workes vntil this iudge come and therefore woe vnto them that are gathered with their sinnes but happie shall euery soule be that is found weldoing when the Lord shall send to gather him 2. This gathering shall be of his Saints and all those that make a couenant with him with sacrifice and therfore the hypocrites shall be too blame that haue cried wee haue fasted prayed sacrificed and yet thou regardest not let this assure them that God regardeth 3. It must be before God alas before him at whose presence the Angels couer their faces and holy Prophets haue cried out most lamentably wee die because wee haue seene the Lord of hosts what then shall become of odious hypocrites 4. Both must come together but how shall that bee Psalm 1 5. seeing the wicked shall not stand in the iudgement nor sinners in the assemblie of the righteous yea they shall stand euen as they haue made the godly to stand in their assemblies to the perishing of them in regard of their wrath so shall they stand in the assemblie of the godly before the Lord to the perishing both of bodie and soule 5. Circumstance in the conuention is the worship of an hypocrite and that is a couenant with sacrifice and therefore let the wicked know that their righteousnesse shall not be hidde with the Lord but they shall haue their triall according to their own righteousnesse therfore let all proud Pharisies thanke God they are not as poore publicans they haue fasted twise a weeke they haue giuen tythes of al that euer they possessed they are no extortioners vniust adulterer c. well when they are tried with all their righteousnesse if they fall for lacke of iust payment let them thanke themselues for that they thought they had payed all and that they were in debt to no bodie V. 6 The last thing in the execution is the proclamation of the Iudge v. 6. Wherein we haue first the crier the heauens 2. The voice which is first the declaration of righteousnesse 2. of the cause of this righteousnesse which is God who will not post of the iudgement to others for God is iudge himselfe And thus much of the first part the Iudges comming his proceeding followes V. 7 Gods proceeding begins in the 7. v. and continues vnto the end the parts whereof are two in regard of a double obiect his Saints and hypocrites his proceeding with his Saints is from the 7. verse to the 16. his proceeding with hypocrits from the 16. to the end The first is done by way of reformation the second by way of condemnation the reformation of his Saints is necessarie for although they desire sincerely to worship God in the cerimonie and the substance in sacrifices and the truth of the sacrifices according to law and Gospel yet often times diuers things are amisse which the Lord must haue redressed or else all shall not goe well with his Saints Marke therefore how the Lord proceeds with his Saints by way of reformation which is double first correction of their error 2. direction of them in the truth Correction of error to the 14. v. direction in the truth 14 15. In the correction of their error there is a most exquisite methode obserued by the Lord which may be a patterne for all Christians to imitate and that is this first to manifest his loue v. 7. 2. to manifest their error v. 8. which must needs be very seasonable after the former 3. to take away the occasion of their error which must needs be profitable to ouerturne the second 4. And to giue reasons of the remoouall which must needs take away all cauill and fond oppositions of our vntoward natures v. 10 11 12 13. Let vs looke vpon them all first the manifestation of his loue v. 7. First a kind compellation and louing invitation to attention in this word heare if a man were sicke in his bodie hee would be very desirous that the Physitian would neuer make an end of speaking and therfore if wee had the same wisedome for our soules how attentiue should wee be when so excellent a Physitian as the Lord shal speake 2. From the relation that is betwixt God and them a gracelesse child that will not heare his father before all men in the world O my people oh Israel euery word an argument people therefore if all people shall bow downe and worship the Lord then is it their dutie not to exclude themselues 2. A note of peculiaritie my people chosen out of all nations 3. They are Israel so called of Iaacob their father because hee preuailed with God and therefore assuredly hee should preuaile with Esau and all wicked men Israel therefore is a strong bond first because it points out vnto them the couenant that was made with Abraham Isaac and Iaacob 2. the power they should haue with God and from God to preuaile with all power euen of hel death and damnation 4. Gods vehement affection to his people in doubling his exclamation O my people oh Israel 3. Reason to perswade is drawne from the best testimonie in the world I will
speake I will testifie and therfore shall not Gods people heare when the Lord of hosts shall speake and shall they not beleeue when the most faithfull witnesse shal testifie vnto them surely it were intollerable if God should not haue the hearing with all reuerence 4. Reason is drawn from the right of creation preservation and in a word from the only fountaine of our happinesse for I am God therefore as able to doe what I will either for the sauing or destroying of my creature so also most willing and readie to doe both when it shall stand for my glorie therefore must I be heard because I am God and haue good right to command it 5. and lastly an argument of arguments to perswade to this dutie for I am God euen thy God it is much that I said I am God this argument haue I often vsed to perswade in many waightie matters but when I shall adde further God euen thy God what heart shall not be mooued with all feare and reuerence to take notice of that which now I will deliuer vnto thee V. 8 Consider of my loue and then my reproofe shall not bee grieuous vnto your soules my reproofe is this v. 8. a misconceiuing of my worship to think that I stand so much vpon sacrifices I renounce that opinion because I see that the world is ready enough to embrace it first in that I haue no cause to find fault with you for sacrifices since they haue been continually before me secondly I haue no mind to reprooue for such matters for they are not the things that I respect thirdly because I haue these by multitudes sacrifices and burnt offerings I will not stand to number them yet in a word in that indefinite number thinke with thy selfe that I haue iudged them too many fourthly in that they haue beene before me more then thy selfe when indeed I haue alwaies desired that in thē thou shouldst set thy selfe before me I would rather see thee on the altar sacrificing thy sinnes and offering vp thy selfe vpon my altar Christ Iesus as a holy liuing and acceptable sacrifice then all these dead sacrifices V. 9 The remoouall of the occasion of their error is v. 9. First the taking away of the matter no bullocks nor goats an excellent way to dispatch error is euen the remoouall of the matter though in it selfe it be lawfull and as here commaunded of God Secondly to put away the cost and charges that wee are at in providing of such matter I will not haue them out of thine house nor out of thy folds so that thereby they shall not complaine they haue sustained any great losse by his worship or that hee had any neede of their goods Thirdly they are to take notice that after they haue been at all this cost and charges that God will not esteeme of it for he saies hee will not take it at their hands V. 10 Now least the Lord should be found a changeling n playing fast and loose with them to say and vnsay to commaund and againe forbid he will cleare the point by fowre most excellent reasons The first is drawne from the right of possession v. 10. proouing that all is his owne and therefore that he is nothing enriched by them and his argument is drawne from an induction sufficient bringing all into his Syllogisme by an absolute ennumeration for if all the beasts of the forrest be his and the beasts on a thousand mountaines then cannot man bring God a present out of any countrie which is not his owne de proprio and therefore we should but steale for him in one place to inrich him in another This is the first reason V. 11 The second reason is drawne from the right of election v. 11. the Lord hath the best skill to choose for himselfe first because he hath the most exact knowledge of all his creatures therefore able to please himselfe best in his choise secondly his knowledge is most generall because hee knowes all the foules on the mountaines and all the wild beasts verie hard to be knowne of man for he can neither take them nor count them thirdly the Lords election is most free for he may take where he will and yet enter into no mans possession for all is his owne V. 12 The third argument is drawne from the right of prouision v. 12. the Lord he needes no stewards or marke-officer for his owne vse for first hee will make his wants knowne vnto no man secondly no man can knowe when the Lord is hungrie after these things thirdly because all the world cannot satisfie him nor all that is therein therefore iustly may he put off all the prouision of man because it will not serue his turne or be able to giue him contentment V. 13 The fourth argument is drawn from the vanitie of the end v. 13. first because the Lord can neither eate nor drinke secondly God hath no appetite vnto such things Will I eate will I drinke no I will not tast these things thirdly though I would eate and drinke yet neuer should my meate bee the flesh of bulls or the blood of goates but my whole rellish is in the sacrifices of the heart a contrite and a broken spirit I will neuer refuse I haue eares to heare of such prouision eyes to looke vpon it a smell to sauour the sweet sauour of rest in it a tast to please my palate and a touch of liuely feeling to do them good that shal thus worship me in spirit and truth but all other sacrifices are abhomination vnto mee against them I will close vp all my senses V. 14 Now followes Gods direction in the truth which is twofold first of the parts of his worship secondly of the end of his worship The parts of his worship are prayer and prayse praise in the 14. ver described first by his parts to offer and pay the first shewes the willingnes of the mind the second that it is a debt and therefore wee are to performe it Secondly from the obiect on which it must be fixed and that is the Lord and the most High therefore the first lookes for feare because a Lord and the other lookes for magnanimitie because most high and therefore Christians must be no base minded persons taken vp with the world and things here below but they must vp on high to God that dwells in the heauen of heauens who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto whom neuer man saw neither can see and therefore an high estimation beseemeth the Saints in praysing of God that hath abased himselfe to behold miserable man and accept at his hands the offring of thanksgiuing Foure things notable for Christian practise 1. purpose 2. promise 3. vowes 4. oathes Thirdly the extent of our praise which must reach as high as vowes for there be foure excellent helpes in the practise of all Christian duties which carefully beeing obserued will
shew what we are to thinke of him He may make all the world to admire at him in this place for strange impudencie and horrible blasphemie against God for in these two words like thee is a gradation of three steppes euery one rising a steppe aboue an other First to compare God with him in any similitude of qualitie is sinnefull In qualitie because he hath no qualitie that answereth any thing in God but it were well if he would haue rested in the qualitie for things like are also dislike In essence but the originall in this place telleth vs plainly that he passeth all the bounds of logicall comparison and extends it to the very beeing of God for so the words are to be expounded out of the Originall In beeing to be like that is according to our English phrase altogether like thee strange impudencie and voide of very reason it selfe to make things compared as like any further to argue then their qualities but wickednes in the bosome of fooles is restles for he riseth one degree higher In immortality of beeing and brings in an eternitie of beeing altogether like God for the verbe is in the future tense and signifieth thus much not onely in beeing to be but also in beeing shall be therefore wicked men promise vnto themselues an eternall fellowship with God Let vs therefore consider what things are here compared Wicked mens innention is 〈◊〉 of comparisons and that with the best 2. in what qualitie they are compared 3. what truths or falshoods they make 4. what be the discourses of wicked mens hearts for all these are contained in this thought of a wicked man For the first the things compared Tearmes sinne silence God man are God and his silence a wicked man and his thoughts the proportion stands thus as wicked mens thoughts are so shall Gods silence be and consequently as wicked men are Qualitie from condition to substance and so to eternitie so shall God himselfe be The qualitie wherein they are compared is threefold 1. of condition God must be like minded vnto them 2. of substance and beeing for they frame Gods Image according to their owne image 3. for the qualitie of time God must be an euerlasting Patron and fauourer of all their causes For the third what truths shall we expect out of this strange inuention of wicked men surely none that will agree with the nature of Truth for they haue abused the truth and God himselfe who is the author of truth therefore three horrible falshoods are contained in these words First The falshoods of wicked men Gods thoughts as mans that Gods thoughts are as mans thoughts and Gods waies as mans waies directly against the truth of God Isa 55.8 9. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies saith the Lord for as the heauens are higher then the earth so are my waies higher then your waies and my thoughts aboue your thoughts The second falshood that God is as man 2. He makes God no better the a himselfe against that place God is not as man that he should lie neither as the sonne of man that he should be deceiued therefore may he well expostulate the matter with these hypocrites worse then idolaters for they make themselues the Idol therefore deny all gods as he doth with his people Isa 40.18 To whome will ye liken me or what similitude will ye set vp vnto me or rather set vp your selues cheeke by joule with me know ye nothing haue ye not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning haue ye not vnderstood it by the foundation of the earth how that I the Lord sit vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants are as grassehoppers how I stretch out the heauens as a curtaine and spread them as a tent to dwell in O hypocrites are you better then Princes and Iudges of the world see I pray you how I bring Princes to nothing and make the Iudges of the earth as vanitie as though they were not planted as though they were not sowne as though their stocke tooke no roote in the earth for I did but blow vpon them and they withered and the whirlewind hath taken them away as stubble therefore I counsell you lift vp your eyes on high and behold who hath created all things and bringeth out their armies by number and calleth them all by their names by the greatnes of my power and mightie strength nothing faileth Why saiest thou then O wicked man and speakest O hypocrite the Lord is as man and the mightie God of heauen as the silly worme that crawleth vpon the earth Thirdly 3. God shall dwell with him for euer that their estate shall be as vnchangeable as God himselfe for they say God shall be with them for euer wherfore let them heare the word of the Lord that say thus in their hearts Wee haue made a Couenant with death and with hell are we at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe thorough it shall not come at vs for we haue made falshood our refuge and vnder vanitie are we hidde therefore thus saith the Lord Iudgment will I lay to the rule and righteousnesse to the ballance and the haile shall sweep away thy vaine confidence and the waters shall ouerflow thy secret place and your couenant with death shal be disanulled and your agreement with hell shall not stand when a scourge shall runne ouer and passe through then shal ye be trode downe by it thus will I make your bed straight that it cannot suffice for your rest in my wrath and your couerings so narrowe that you cannot wrap your selues from my rods Go too then O hypocrite thou saidest I shall be a Lady for euer like the Lord of heauen whose dayes haue no ende I am Re◠18.7 and none else I shall not sit as a widow neither shall knowe the losse of children therefore heare thou that art giuen to pleasures dwellest carelesse that doest not set thy mind to righteousnes neither doest remember the latter end of thy sinne how that these two things shal come to the suddenly the losse of children and widowhood they shall come vpon thee in their perfection for thou hast trusted in wickednesse and hast said none seeth me◠thy wisedome and thy knowledge haue caused thee to rebell therefore shall euill come vpon thee and thou shalt not knowe the morning thereof destruction shall fall vpon thee which thou shalt not be able to put away And this shall bee the ende of all them that falsifie the truth of God The fourth thing is the discourse of wicked men Wicken mens discourses that riseth out of these apparant truths First I sinne and God is silent therefore he either seeth not or if he see yet hee regards not my sinne or if he regard my sinne yet his silence makes mee trust that he consents with me or if he doe
that sinne is not in it selfe but by accident good and seruing for Gods glorie but the Lord which can bring light ort of darknes good out of euill is able to dispose of the euill of sinne by accident and of the goodnesse which is his owne worke by it selfe to make for his glorie True it is that God in his worke goes no further then the good of the euill and that he decrees the other is said very improperly for euill in his abstract nature is neither beeing nor the cause of any beeing and therefore no good in the true approbation of goodnes beeing not good it hath no ende and therefore is referred to Gods decree as it is said to belong to a beeing and the goodnes of a beeing and this is accidentall therefore accidentally decreed Sinne accidentally decreed yet impossible to be vndecreed but yet it cannot be vndecreed because the thing in him decreed could not haue beene without him for that good that comes out of sin could not haue beene except sinne had been and sinne could not haue beene except goodnesse had beene and therefore beeing in Gods created goodnes and also God bringing from him his owne goodnesse to his owne glorie he cannot escape Gods decree because both the other are of necessitie all men confessing vnder Gods decree directly And therefore if God would haue sinne to be in his good creatures and also goodnesse from sinne in them then must sinne stand to Gods determination because the other two cannot but presuppose sinne because a goodnesse from him Now that God is no author of sinne in all this it is plaine because the two former haue God for their author bring in the other as a hang-by and vnwelcome guest yet such a one as they could not throw off at their pleasure Diseaseslie in nature and sometimes do good to nature yet nature will neuer acknowledge the kindnesse because he knew the intent was his subuersion Iason had an impostume in his bodie An euill thing may doe good by accident the enemie thrusts his sword into it heales him of his impostume which the Physitians could neuer accomplish but no thank to Iasons enemie which sought his life and therefore if sinne doe any good either for God or to man it is no thankes to sinne seeing that sinne would dishonour God and destroy man Againe one may appoint the iourney lawfully but an other may walke it vnlawfully God appoints euery man his race but he himselfe runs it the horse carries a man to his iourneyes end and knowes not that he doth so much for mans good yet man knowes it well enough and guides him all the way yet for all this the horse vndergoes the trauell and would be feeding by the way and if he eate his owne poison or lame himselfe by a fall it is the horses fault yet must he to his ende if the man haue power to effect it so the Lord hath laid vpon man his decree he carrieth it with him all the dayes of his life he knowes not to what ende yet the Lord knowes it well enough and doth alwaies dispose of him vntill he come at his iourneys ende Now in his way man feeds on the poyson of sinne fals and stumbles in his way yet the Lord will haue him go on for he is able to doe it and he shall neuer rest vntill he haue accomplished the wil of the almightie And therefore if this be iust in men in the rule and dominion ouer their beasts shall it not bee as iust in the Lord I am sure that the Lord hath as much authority ouer vs as we haue ouer our beasts therfore let vs not be too bold in disputing with our creator but giue him the praise glorie of all ends Argum. 2 Whatsoeuer is ordered that is decreeed but sinne is ordered therefore decreed That sinne is ordered my text is plaine for it But you will answer that sinne is ordered in the bookes of conscience and not in the booke of Gods decree This is but a shift for graunt the last booke and you shall graunt both the former which I prooue thus If no bookes of conscience without the booke of the law and no booke of the lawe without the booke of Gods decree then the third beeing graunted the two former are concluded For if wee would make these three bookes one complete booke Three bookes one compleat booke wee must of necessitie diuide them in this order and method the first part is Gods decree the second is Gods reuealed law and the third is the testimonie of the conscience Now method tells me plainely that the first may be without the second for Gods secret will may be without his reuealed will but his reuealed can not be without his secret will And againe the law may be without this booke of conscience but this booke of conscience can not be without the law for no accusation or excusation but by the law of God Therefore graunt the third and you graunt the two former by ineuitable consequence Now this third booke can not be denied because my text prooues it and no man of reason contradicts it Againe euery schoole-boy can tell me that the breaking of Priscians head must be healed by Priscian himselfe the writing or speaking of false latine either against the first or second part of Grammar The rule before the fault must be ordered by the rule of Grammar it self now the rule was before the false latin therfore determines what false latine was long before the schoole boy practised it So the Law of God tells me what sinne is when I haue committed it but it determined what sinne was and to what end long before either I or my father Adam committed it therfore the determination was not to follow after though indeede the conuiction followed after the commission Therfore orthodoxall is the distinction of Gods decree and the execution of his decree of Gods determination and the accomplishment thereof of Gods definitiue sentence and the manifestation of it of his reprobation of a man and the conuiction of a sinner all the former I may tearme the premisses and the latter Gods conclusion in the premisses Againe there is the first proposition which is Gods truth and sole wisdome the second which we call the minor is the speciall application of it vnto man in his good time Gen. 15. Israel must serue 400. yeares but Exod. 12. 400 are compleat therefore must Israel out of Egypt that very selfe same day There is a day in which God will iudge the world Atheists may denie it 2. Pet. 3. but when the decree shall be assumed now is the day I dare boldly conclude that those persons shall perish So in like manner all men are decreed of the Lord to manifest his iustice and mercie in all that either God himselfe doth or man can doe but I am one of these all and therefore must I manifest either his iustice or
creation fall or redemption that it is blasphemie to say that the ende of man as created was any thing but happinesse neither from thence ariseth any other demonstration Man qua creatus as created is in no intention but happines come to his fall and then againe I say homo qua lapsus est miser tantum man as fallen is onely to bee considered as miserable as redemptus or redimendus onely sub salute or saluandus where then is the ende of man As man generally considered electus or reprobus elect or reprobate these be the most generall and here onely reprobation and election is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 truely first and primarily iâ— all the rest gratia huius for this cause therefore happines of creation miserie of the fall saluation by Christ are subordinate and come vnder it Indeed I confesse that election and reprobation haue their manifestation to the creature onely in redemption and in that part which is the application of it vnto the church in generall here onely both angels and men knowe and feele their state of election and on the contrarie reprobation is there to be sought for of the wicked But Bellarmine saith A defence of Calvin that Calvin denieth Gods determination decreeing what shall be to depend on his prescience that in all things his prescience presupposeth his purpose and decree For answer whereunto wee must consider whether there goe any prescience in God before his will I meane according to our apprehension Whether the Lord vnderstand or will first and as things are reuealed to vs out of God in his workes my reason is this because if the Lord vnderstand it then it is a possible beeing now I presse my argument that euery beeing whether possible to be or alreadie existing is demonstrated from his will for his will makes things to be or possibly to be therefore if a thing must be before it can be vnderstood and to be howsoeuer conceiued yet is from Gods will that giues all beeings either in posse or esse I knowe not what can be that first comes not from his will But wisdome according to sobrietie is commendable and in high mysteries it is good to goe with the current of our best approoued diuines therefore according to the way troden before me Intelligentia diuina I answer There is a double prescience one simplicis intelligentiae and another diuinae visionis the first is of all those things that are possible and which vpon any supposed condition may be as was the prescience of God whereby he foreknew that if in Tyrus and Sidon those things should be done which afterwards were done among the Iewes they would repent this doth not presuppose the decree of God but extendeth to many things God doth not decree nor purpose to be as it appeareth in the example proposed The other is of those things onely which hereafter shall bee and this alwaies presupposeth some act of Gods will for seeing nothing can be vnlesse some act of Gods will do passe vpon it at least not to hinder the beeing of it and thus nothing can be foreseen as beeing hereafter for to be vnlesse some decree of God passe vpon it Of this kind of prescience Caluin speaketh and not of the other it was not considered what it was possible for the creature to doe or what he would doe beeing so created and left vnto it selfe this may well be said to presuppose no decree of God or determination what he would doe for if it had pleased God he might haue turned the possibilitie to another end and issue but the truth is that other to wit what hereafter shall be which though it be future and therefore contingent yet to God it is most certaine with whom all future things are present and therefore beeing to be done was most certainely decreed and whatsoeuer is done and come to passe wee may absolutely conclude it was Gods will euen long before it happened therefore Calvin rightly affirmeth that Gods foresight of the entrance of sin presupposed his decree that it should enter Fourthly Gods foreknowledge and purpose in sinne Sinne 〈…〉 decâ—â—â—â— that God might â—â—nisâ—â— vpon the bestowing of such benefits of his rich abundant goodnesse was not that man should fall that he might punish but that man should freely make his choise vpon which choise the Lord both knew and purposed that his iustice and mercy should be manifested yet for all this it will not followe that the Lord should purpose the entrance of sinne originally out of his owne liking that he might haue matter of punishment Belâ—armâ—â—â— false exposâ—â—â— of Calvin as Bellarmine most iniuriously chargeth Calvin to affirme but the ende of his purpose of bestowing such benefits onely and no other notwithstanding his foreknowledge what would fall out if so he did was that he might shew his mercie and iustice in sauing and condemning whome he would Therfore it is idle in Bellarmine to followe this argument of the seuerity of iustice as though Calvin should any where affirme that when God thought of creating man the first ende that God purposed was the seuerity of his iustice and the riches of his mercie and that this purpose was before and without respect vnto the prescience of any thing that afterward might or would bee in man and that because there was not any thing wherein he could shewe mercie and iustice vnlesse sinne did enter therefore secondly he purposed that sinne should enter so that first hee purposed to punish before he sawe any cause and then purposed the entrance of sinne that there might be cause which is no lesse excusable from iniustice cruelty and tyrannie then if he should purpose to punish and so doe without any cause at all therefore he concludes that the first originall and spring of sinne is from the will of God according to Caluins opinion Answer to Bellarmine for his false imputation vpon Calvin But he is easily answered out of that which hath beene spoken concerning Calvins iudgment in this point for he doth no where say that God did purpose the manifestation of his mercie and iustice before all prescience but onely that which is named prescientia visionis which alwaies hath Gods decree going before it The possibilitie of a thing is before God decree it to be and so God knowes it simplici intelligentia but that this thing possible shal be the Lord decrees it before that bare knowledge that it shall come to passe Secondly Calvin denies not all pâ—escience before his decree Caluine doth no where pronounce that simply and absolutly the ende wherfore God purposed to make man was the manifestation of the seueritie of his iustice and the riches of his mercie or that he might saue some and condemne others but that first he meant to bestow vpon man as much as was sufficient to make him perfect fecondly there was something he meant to denie him How God shâ—wâ—d
before him in his creatures now Gods is first in himselfe and then in the things Secondly in man his plot is but a forme in his head distinct from his beeing but in God both the forme of his working and himselfe are all one Thirdly there is in man an Idaea or forme of working before he worke the thing in genesi that is before he compose any thing according to his first conceit which is not before but after himselfe but Gods is neither before nor after himselfe and therefore we must not looke first for Gods Idaeas in things and then in God but first in God and then in things And here I beseech you take notice of the absurditie of many Diuines and grosse ignorance concerning the point of Election and Reprobation expraevisa massa corrupta that it needs must be of man in the estate of his sinne and so make Gods Idaea or the plot of his counsell whereby he decreed to be first in the things and then in God which is cleane contrarie Indeede we vse to say you stand there therefore I see you and not I see you and therefore you are there but in God it is contrarie God saw Adam to fall and therefore be fell Againe prescience can not be properly in God seeing God directly sees all at once and together and therefore can not see one thing before an other yet as God lookes vpon the creature one thing is saide to goe before an other and this may be tearmed prescience but this is that second knowledge of God which we call indirect and here all things are seene of God as they are the images of his wisdome For if he see all things in himselfe then must he needes see all things out of himselfe indirectly the reason is because whatsoeuer God sees directly it is himselfe and therefore the creatures beeing not himselfe he sees them indirectly The Schoole-men speake much of this speculum trinitatis for say they Angels Saints see in God otherwise then by the creatures and therefore are able to know any thing It is true God can reueale yea and hath reuealed not onely vnto Saints in heauen but Apostles and Prophets many things that neuer came by the way of the creature yet we must conceiue that the Lord did irradiate and shine vpon their vnderstanding by an other image then his owne and therefore it was diuine reuelation by working vpon their vnderstandings an Idaea or plot of knowledge which is out of himselfe As God is said to view all principles that is the simple beeing of things he is called an intelligent wise and vnderstanding God 2. the truth of these things and this is Gods omniscience for the present God fore know ledge or prescience for future and neither of both are idle speculations Therefore Gods knowledge or foreknowledge beeing of truths and truths are to pronounce as things are and things are because God doth pronounce them to be therefore God vseth to say I know you not I doe not acknowledge you Againe the Lord knowes the way of the righteous that is works it approoues it And therefore it is not according to the Papists whome the Lord foreknew would doe good or the Lutherans whome he knew would beleeue or others whome he knew would not fall but his will and knowledge goe together I can as well say God had a will to doe all things that were possible as well as a prescience for his will was omnipotent as well as his knowledge and therefore hee could as well if it pleased him to will any possible thing to be as to foreknowe it to be yet this I am sure of that a thing possible and now come to passe was as well willed of God as foreknowne of God And though I would bring no strange opinions yet this seemes to be reasonable that whatsoeuer God knowes it is either something or nothing now something is immediately demonstrated from his will this thing is because God willed it for his will is the cause of all beings not his knowledge therefore to vs in any beeing we must first take notice of his will and then of his knowledge Man is fallen this is the will of God and not his meere foresight for things done can neuer be resolued into an higher cause then his will and for nothing that is alwaies vnderstood per oppositum ens by his contrarie which is some thing Now because further we find in the creatures No discourse in God yet in his creatures one reason puls in another prius posterius a first and a second so that here we conceiue of God as though he did discourse of one thing from another The truth is he sees them simul and semel yet because for our capacitie he hath said he hath antica postica a face and back parts and his back-parts are reuealed vnto vs by a prius and posterius a first a last we giue sapience vnto God which is of all coÌ„clusions and diductions from their true fountaines Againe because the Lord hath set an order and contriued euery thing most fitly and conueniently for time place and person we call him a prudent God And as he hath most substantially effected all things we call it great art and skill Now all this cannot be without the good will and pleasure of our God which respecting himselfe makes himselfe the chiefe good and therefore he made the world for no neede he had of it Secondly in respect of the creatures bearing his image they were all of them good yea and very good if all were done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his good pleasure or according thereunto then is God the most free agent because first most absolute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propriè and therefore Arminius blasphemes against God in saying that God doth worke most necessarily because he hath no libertie of will as well to euill as to good for saies he that which is onely vnto good hath no freedome but necessitie thereunto He knows not that liberum arbitrium free-will belongs to counsel and that cause that can worke by counsell hath free will For arbitrium belongs to reason liberum to will and therefore free-will Free-will a wit and a will or a â—â—lling wittines is nothing but a willing wittinesse and that is counsell To doe willingly is the worke of the wil and to doe wittingly is of the wit or vnderstanding Thus then you haue heard the concourse of God with his creature the creature depending must be gouerned beeing gouerned must obey obeying must obserue his rule and yet beeing mutable may leaue off to giue due respect vnto it and this non attendentia makes him slippe out of Gods way into his owne as may plainly be seene by the first sinne where the Law offered his concourse but man denied his Againe you see how God doth decree in himselfe and therefore first we are to know that God in decreeing follows no creature directa
more then conquerours and how should more then conquerers be conquered and they that are thus perswaded not in themselues but in him that loued them euer turne this their perswasion into miserable despaire And thus much of the lowest steppe in Predestination 2. â—â—delis cum infiâ—â—â— Subiect is a beleeuer or an infidell Hence the Scripture bids vs make our election sure Prooue your selues whether you be in the faith or no know ye not Christ dwells in you except you be reprobates now this is in the second application of our redemption For first application is made vnto the Church secondly vnto the members in the Church so that this is more speciall then that and therefore by analysis riseth first yet is after the last not in Gods worke but in our seeing and feeling and to this concurre preparation vnto faith infusion of this grace insition into Christ vocation vnion instification imputation reconciliation regeneration and glorification Infidels on the contrarie haue no participation of these mercies and therefore forsaken of God And this is the second decree of God according to Arminius which he calls absolute and precise Electio reprobatio qualatatuâ— non personaruâ— because the other was but conditionall in singular persons To beleeuers and penitent God giues saluation in Christ for Christ and by Christ but impenitent and infidels damnation as strangers from Christ You are to vnderstand that this decree is precise in regard of faith and not of the person for he may denie the faith and become an infidell and so be damned And here againe he offers violence to the faith of Gods Elect against which Christ hath said The gates of hell shal neuer preuaile And thus by analysing by the way we haue discouered two of Arminius decrees with the falshoods therein contained 3. Subiect more generall then both these is the Church Ecclesia … zanijs and here is the proper place of the manifestation of Gods decree The Church consists of mon and angels and so both men and angels are the subiect of Gods decree Reprobation the manifestation of his hatred both vpon men and angels which are excluded from the true societie and communion that is in his Church Election the true declaration of his loue both vpon men and angels which he hath receiued into communion with himselfe vnder Christ Iesus the head of the Church I must descend a little in this that I may discouer a third decree of Arminius which onely belongs vnto this place but yet I am not come to the speciall head of it The Church is militant or triumphant for the triumphant Church in which God hath manifested his election as wel as the militant consists of saints and Angels Here then obserue that sinne and miserie do not goe before election and reprobation for so should they agree to the whole subiect and euery member of the same but sinne and miscrie agrees not vnto the holy angels Angels elect in the Church and yet neuer miserable and yet they are elect now as many as were elect could not fall into the sinne of apostacie and therefore the rest were not elected if not elected then reiected in Gods decree and that before they fell and therefore reiection before sinne But to descend to the Church militant which is with the tares first in Adam election and reprobation appeared in Cain and Abel in Abraham in Ismael and Isaac in Isaac in Iacob and Esau in Iacob called Israel the true Israel of God and the fleshly seede and now in the time of the Gospel here and there as it pleaseth God to reueale his will and counsell which long before was set down with himselfe and for the gathering together of his Church here vpon earth he hath left means sufficient And here comes in the third decree of Arminus that God hath left in his Church sufficient necessarie and effectuall meanes to bring men to faith and repentance And this we graunt onely we desire that these meanes may be vnderstood as onely resting in the bosome of the Church where God hath laid open the riches of his treasuries and onely to bee effectuall where Christ will apply them by the gratious worke of his spirit for the Church is not compounded of tares and wheat but the militant Church is wheate with tares as the sores of a bodie are not the part of a bodie but with the bodie and all cures are applyed for the bodie against the sores and so all these meanes are for the welfare of his Church but against the tares and the meanes are applied to both to the one for saluation but to the other for damnation 2. Tim. 2.19 Hymeneus and Philetus haue erred concerning the truth and meanes of their saluation this might make weake Christians stagger but the Apostle takes away all these doubts the foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and therefore wil apply these meanes onely effectually to his owne for that opinion of vniuersall grace is damnable greater loue then this hath no man to lay downe his life c. If then he haue laid downe his life for the wicked he hath no greater loue for his own then he hath for the damned if Gods iustice be satisfied for the wicked how should he punish them and if Christ died for them then God wil acknowledge a satisfaction But they say all the fault is for want of application To this I answer that applicetion is as necessary an effect of redemption as burning is of the fire and there can be no redemption but of necessitie it must bring in application first in regard of Gods iustice which being appeased cannot but be reconciled to all those offenders with whome he is well pleased in his sonne Secondly in regard of Christs sacrifice Dan. 9.24 Messiah must bee slaine to reconcile the iniquitie and bring in euerlasting righteousnes this cannot be done without application for both iustification and reconciliation belong to application Thirdly in regard of beleeuers themselues who are his members and therefore cannot be without the deriuation of grace from their head Christ Iesus 4. Subiect is man captiuated vnder sinne Homo redimendus or redemptus and standing in neede of a redeemer Here comes in redemption which is in nature before application either to the Church or faithfull and therefore going backeward we come most orderly vnto it in the next place and here shall we finde Arminius building vp his first decree and hauing detected him here Arminius his foure decrees we shall neuer find him a step higher Hee hath fowre degrees which all of them are to be found not in the apostasie or falling of man but in his anastasie or rising againe The first is in redemption Volo Christum esse Mediatorem totius mundi I will haue Christ to be the Sauiour of the whole world The second is in speciall application Volo resipiscentes
Conscientia in effectu affectu â—uâ—nâ—u vel pro effectu praeterito vel pro affectu presente vel pro eueÌ„tu futuro for the fact past that is either in regard of God or man of man it either absolues or coÌ„demns in regard of god a witnes either to excuse or accuse for the affection that followes vpon this it is either ioy or sorrow ioy vpon absoluing and excusing sorrowe vpon accusing condemning and for the future euent it is either the expectation of reward or the feare of punishment That this may a litle the better appeare let vs see how the coÌ„science is locked or vnlocked this eye is alwaies as a booke that is both clasped and open at the same time or els wholly clasped and locked vp The claspes that doe all this are in number three goodnes Claspes of conscience 1. Goodnesse sinne and punishment Goodnesse clasps vp the accusation of the conscience but alwaies leaues open the conscience for excusation therefore a good conscience will open for no accusation nor shut for any vaine excusations Secondly 2. Sinne. sinne is either the clasper and vnclasper together or the clasper alone the clasper and vnclasper by excusation or accusation as in our first parents it is said when they had sinned their eyes were opened not that they were blind before but that now the eye had lost the power of excusing and therefore in that was shut vp and blinded but was altogether vnlocked for accusation and condemning of themselues yet by reason of custome and long continuance in sinne that verie selfe same thing which opened the eies of our first parents hath wholly seared vp the eyes of some that their consciences neither accuse nor excuse except you will say they falsly excuse when they make vs cry peace peace and all is well with vs. Now this for the most part is the claspe of mens consciences so that except God bring iudgement the conscience will neuer be awaked from his securitie 3. Punishment Therefore the third claspe of the conscience is punishment this holds most surely in excusation in so much that none can either vnclaspe it or by any meanes be able to mitigate the strait holding of punishment from all comfort so that neither angels nor men nor any other creature can giue a dramme of comfort but for the vnclasping of the conscience it wil do it most forcibly and exceedes all other meanes and therefore is to bee vnderstood in this place Hence ariseth a fourefold distinction of conscience the first that is at peace with it selfe Conscience quiet but not good quiet nor good but not with God and that is the conscience that is wholly locked vp the second that is neither at peace with God nor it selfe and that is the conscience vnder the horror of the punishment of sinne good not quiet the third conscience which is not at peace with it selfe but with God and that conscience hath two claspes in it goodnesse and sinne goodnes from God sin from it selfe good and quiet The fourth that hath peace with God and with it selfe and this is a conscience that feeles a claspe of Gods mercie to bind vp the broken heart and make it breake forth with ioy and gladnesse So that now if we looke into the world wee shall find that euerie man is either a Prince or a peasant either the basest among the sonnes of men and most ignoble or els couragious as a lyon and stout hearted as a gyant If a man were as poore as Lazarus and as naked as Iob yet if he bad a good conscience he would be higher then Princes and scorn to yeild a foote for the proudest but on the contrarie if hee were as stout as Alexander as merry as Belshazzar as wise as Ahithophel as proud as Hammon and as rich as Nabal yet hauing an euill conscience he would tremble with Alexander for the touch of an ague quiuer with Belshazzar for the appearance of a finger hang himselfe with Ahitophel for that his counsell was brought to nought mourne with Hammon vpon his bed for the losse of his honour or his heart would die within him as it did within Nabal for the losse of a field or in a word hee would tremble at a very leafe and therefore fearfull shall bee the estate of these men when the Lord shall thus vnlocke their consciences as he hath promised he will doe in this place Now this vnlocking is threefold Keyes to vnlock conscience 1. Amazement First by a generall amazement when a man is suddenly stricken but he knowes no particular cause as Belshazzar was in the 5. of Dan. the writing on the wall vnclasped his conscience by a sudden amazement Secondly 2. Particular knowledge by a particular knowledge of the sinne that they haue commited as it was with Indas who said Phaue sinned in betraying inocent blood this did strike so deepely into his conscience that be departed and hanged himselfe and for verie greife the rimme of his bellie rent in peices Thirdly and lastly 3. Gods departure by a most lamentable farwel in hell when the Lord shall say O my creature I made thee glorious but thou hast spoyled all thy glorie and lost my fauour farewell my creature I the fountaine of liuing water I the liuing God I thy life and length of dayes thy verie breath must leaue thee and come vnto thee as a consuming fire as a roaring lyon heape vpon thee all torments in bodie and soule Again thou shalt say Farewell creator farwell louing wife farewell my children and all my freinds farewell my pleasures prosits and all my worldly lusts Alas will none of you pitie mee wilt thou O Lord looke on and take no compassion and will you my freinds if with me curse me and cry A vengence on me will you thus reward my loue vpon earth If in heauen will you crie with father Abraham Remember that you had your pleasure when many a Saint starued at your doore and therefore iustly art thou tormented and we most mercifully rewarded you did vs much hurt in your pretended loue and blessed be God you preuailed not in your will Alas is it so why then O worme of conscience doe thy worst burne fire that can not be quenched I gnash with my teeth to see the prosperity of my freinds blaspheme God with the rest of my freinds here in hel not as sinning for that we did in brauery vpon earth to teare God in peices was our credit but now we together see all to be our punishments and we can take no sweet solace in our companie as we did vpon earth Thus the wicked goe downe to hell to see their sinnes set in order before their consciences to their euerlasting shame and confusion that could not see it vpon earth the deuill hath lead them into the mids of hel as the Prophet the Aramits that came to take him into the mids
my selfe in this point for we can not giue too much to Christ and surely we haue giuen no more then the iustice of God required And here by the way I would haue a common speech amended That one droppe of blood was sufficient for the whole world Alas then why did God in iustice draw from Christ more then neede My doctrine is most firme and sure that God is equall in iustice and mercie see but the proportion man finite sinned finitely but finite sinnes beeing against infinite God did violate infinite iustice and so an infinite violation Christ as man suffered finitely but finite passions were from a Mediator that is infinite and so were of an infinite merit finite sinnes finite passions infinite iustice infinite merits 2. Vse is to reprehend the fond dreames of the world that when the Minister inquires how they meane to be saued they will answer by their good meanings Why but is not God offended by your sinnes Yes but he will haue mercie for he is a good God and meanes to damne none Alas these damne themselues while they thus damne Gods iustice for to tell them of Christ to make iustice and mercie meete is but to tell them an idle tale and therefore they will haue all by their good meanings and Gods mercies but except their meanings will answer Gods iustice they are sure to goe to hell for all this vaine perswasion of mercie 3. Vse correction of a secret fault in Gods Israel that presume too much of Gods mercie and are ouer much indulgent to themselues Gal. 4. He is an enemie that telleth vs an vntoothsome truth much lingring and listening after the voice of the charmer stoppes the eare and flatterie neuer wants welcome while selfe-loue is at home this hath more of the serpent to beguile then we to beware It is not the Temple of the Lord for the Lord is iust in the middest of it Zeph. 3. it is not we are his people or any vaine title that can make vp the breaches betwixt God and our soules the iustice of God is no trifling matter his eyes cannot be bleered with our small gifts nothing can doe it but the pretious blood of Christ Iesus which is God and man that so both God and man might be brought together therefore be sure that as the Lord will doe no iniquitie so he wil haue vs to doe no iniquitie If we commit our sinnes in the night or vnder any pretence or false couerings be sure the Lord will bring his iudgement to light euery morning and therefore let vs be ashamed of sinning 2. Generall vse is instruction branched into two specialls First an admonition to the wicked that they looke vnto themselues for Gods much silence and their many sinnes will fill vp a great measure of wrath which the Lord in his iustice must needes powre vpon them The second speciall vse is a direction of a Christian to carrie himselfe before God as a sonne and a seruant because God is equally a father and a master a father of compassion but a master that will haue his owne Therefore let God haue the feare and the honour both of his iustice and mercie 3. Generall vse is consolation which hath two branches First in aduersitie Is God equall in iustice and mercie then fret not at the prosperitie of the wicked or be cast downe for the aduersitie that they bring vpon thee for God is iust therefore will hee reuenge thy cause and bring all the wicked to nought Secondly in prosperitie take heed of pride for as I am 1.9 10. counselleth that the poore brother of low degree must reioyce that hee is exalted so likewise the rich brother which is exalted in this that he is made lowe as well by Gods iustice as exalted by his mercie otherwise shall he perish as the grasse flower of the field so that the best consolation in prosperitie is humilitie because thereby our hearts are kept from for getting Gods iustice and making him all mercy Observ 2. It is most certaine that the Lord will reprooue sin Gods nature for it is a necessarie truth I am silent but most surely I wil reprooue Reasons First Gods nature which is truth it selfe and therefore shall God say and not doe assuredly the one shal prooue as good as the other looke then to thy selfe that sinnest securely Secondly the nature of sinne Nature of sin which cannot be without punishment Good of church and common-wealth for the soule that sinnes shall die Thirdly the good of the Church and common wealth which could not stand without Gods reproouing for except God did cut off and restraine offenders by his iustice we should haue men liue together worse then bruit beasts lyons wolues and tygers And in the Church they would become deuills incarnate to make hauocke of Gods people if God had not mette with Hammon what had become of poore Mordecay and of all Israel Vse 1. for reprehension 1. Confutation of the wicked which say Tush God sees not he cares not for our doings he is silent and therefore like vs all things goe alike we suffer no change all is peace let the minister threaten what he will But be you sure that thus forget God that he will reprooue and teare you in peices that others may consider it and be afraid The 2. vse is correction of Gods children that they dally not with the least sinne neither put off their repentance for an houre for be sure that the Lord will reprooue and that suddenly this then must make vs looke for our masters comming Vse 2. for instruction First it is an admonition to the wicked that they breake off their sinnefull wayes against the Lord for as fure as they liue the Lord is comming with his angels in a flaming fire to render vengeance to all that know not God nor obey the Gospel of our Lord Iesus 2. Thess 1.8 if want of obedience will doe this what shall become of their rebellions for the former they shall be punished from the presence of God the holy angels and all Saints with sire that cannot be extinguished therefore this added shall kindle a fire to burne to the very bottome of hell Secondly a direction to Gods children that they alwaies prepare for the comming of the Iudge to iudgement Vse 3. for consolation First to all that are afflicted that the Lord will not forget their troubles and let their enemies goe vnreprooued Secondly to all that are at ease in Sion and yet can mourne for the afflictions of Ioseph a sure testimonie of their consolation with Ioseph when the King of Kings shall come to loose him and reprooue euen kings for his sake Touch not mine Anointed nor doe my Prophets no harme Therefore as they haue bin touched and harmed so God will touch the wicked and vexe them in his sore displeasure Observ 3. from the distinction of the parts The Lord hath the daies of his visitations there
is a day of his silence and there is a day of his iustice and the Lord will not breake his daies with the righteous and sinners vpon earth for the day of mercie man hath a bond from God but for the day of paying vengeance the Lord hath mans bonds man cares not how often God forfeit his bond of mercie for he would willingly haue God to be in his debt for euer yet the Lord is not so negligent in the requiring of the forfeit of his bond of iustice and therefore hauing alreadie discharged his bond of mercie it will be high time to looke vnto man that he answer him for his iustice especially seeing the wicked for Gods silence haue not broken forth with Dauid and said What shall we giue vnto the Lord for all his benefits nor as yet vpon conditions performed are able to say We haue taken the cuppe of saluation and called vpon our good God nay as yet we haue nor so much as resolued to doe it So that the Lord may most iustly breake silence and after the expiration of their daies of peace vexe them in his sore displeasure Reasons 1. from the nature of time From time appointed of God for all purposeâ— The Lord is before and after all times yet in his works he hath reuealed himselfe to performe all actions in time and he hath appointed euery thing his certen time Eccles. 3. that so euery worke of God might be seene distinctly The Lord hath a time for his silence and a time for his iustice that so the mercies which he shewes vnto the sonnes of men and the iudgements which he brings vpon them might be seene distinctly and he praised for them both 2. Reas Lone vnto his creatures First Loue to 〈◊〉 creature to shew his generall goodnes secondly to mooue him to repentance and thankefulnes for his patience and long suffering 3. Reas To leaue man without all excuse To leaue reaâ— without excuse seeing God hath laboured by mercies to allure and iudgements to terrifie so that when his last doome shall come the Lord shall say What are become of all my mercies and why was thou not reclaimed by my foretelling thee of iudgements therefore goe thou accursed wretch into hell fire where thou shalt neuer haue again the time of my silence 1. Vse reprehension either confutation of all those that cry Mal. 3 14. It is in vaine to serue the Lord and what pleasure haue wee that we haue bowed our selues before him surely you are blind that cannot see what large dayes the Lord hath giuen you here vpon earth and what long silence hath passed betwixt him you nay he hath not onely beene silent but also he hath been bountifull vnto you in many a temporall blessing euen aboue his owne Saints Second vse vnder this head is correction of the hastie desires of Gods children first to haue iudgment on their enemies and secondly to haue speedy dispatch of affliction in themselues Thus they hasten the time of the mercie and iustice of the Lord. Know therefore that God will haue his times completly ended and it is your duty to stay his leasure for he that beleeues will not make hast 2. Vse is instruction first an admonition to all the wicked that they harden not their hearts denie not Gods call but listen vnto him least they call when he will not heare them For your time is to day but Gods time is his will and pleasure in silence reproofe your time is present for time past is not called again with had I wist and the time to come is in Gods disposing 2. Branch is a direction to the godly that they make vse of all times for the Lord would haue them exact in the computation of the yeares of his mercie and iustice yea and of seasons in these times for he complaines for the want of it Isa 1. The oxe knowes his owner the asse his masters cribbe these know their masters and the times wherein they refresh them the swallow and the crane their appointed times therefore let it not be saide of Gods Israel that they know not him which doth all for them God is pleased to call them his people and what greater shame then this my people haue not knowne me 3. Vse is consolation first for tribulation Is this the day of Gods affliction then happie is my estate for the time of deliuerance is approching therfore in this Psalme v. 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee mourning may rest for a night but ioy comes in the morning Secondly for the day of prosperitie to haue a heart as ioyfull and glad to thinke of his affliction as then to puffe vp himselfe with his present estate Dauid hath more ioy of heart that Gods countenance is lifted vpon him then because his corne wine Psalm 4. and oyle are increased Heb. 11. Moses can take more ioy to be a partaker with Gods people then in the inioying of all the sinnefull pleasures of Egypt for a season Observ 4. from the order Silence goes before Gods reproofe as a silent ayre before a fearefull tempest The Lord spared the old world a long time before he drowned it he suffered Sodome and Gomorrha to burne a long time in lusts before he burnt them with fire and brimstone from heauen Reasons 1. Iust puwiâ—â—ment That iust cause may be giuen for all the wrath of God that falleth vpon the wicked 2. Reason because the sinne of man cannot be but in that which God hath made good no more then blindnes can be any where Good before euâ—ll but in the eie which had power to see now sight is before blindnes good before euill and therefore Gods silence before his iustice because iustice will not reprooue before man haue sinned 3. Measure of sinne Reason is because a measure of sinne is to be made vp Gen. 15. before God can iudge and therefore the Lord will be silent vnto that time that then he may answer them with a like measure of iudgement 1. Vse is reprehension which serues first for the confutation of the vngodly which thinke that God is forgetfull of his anger but let them know that method is the very rule of memorie and God keeping so close to an exact method can not by long silence forget what he hath to doe Indeede we say old things are out of date and long silence makes contentious matters cease but the Lord is the same to day he was when he began the world and Cains sinne is as fresh in his memorie as the sinne that is committed this day 2. Vse is correction of Gods children that can no sooner heare the faults of their brethren but presently they speake of them this is no good method they ought to haue paused on the matter by silence and after haue reprooued when time would haue serued 2. Vse is instruction 1. An admonition to the
can swallowe the ground for their fiercenesse and rage and beleeue not that it is the noyse of any trumpet that cals to iudgement therefore their sound is ha ha they smell the battel a farre off and they neuer regard the noyse of the Captaines of the Lord and the shouting of the mighty angels with their approach attending vpon God neither shall they stagger at the thunders and the appearance of flaming fire when the Lord shall come to render vengeance on euery one that knowes him not or hath not obeyed his holy Gospel These are like the giants of Gath they haue fingers and thumbes enough they wil not loose it for the catch but alas poore creatures I feare these Gyants of Gath will prooue poore Adonizabesech that wants both fingers and thumbes to feed withall and therefore shall they perish as he did for want of apprehending the foode of their soules Christ Iesus therefore let all our propositions be out of Gods word nothing from our selues Vse 3. for consolation First for wel-doing when our hearts will tell vs we haue bin affected as well with mercie as iudgement to serue the Lord and that all our care was the keeping of a good conscience Secondly in regard of trouble whether it come for weldoing as a triall or for euill as a correction and that is to drawe good out of all cleane contrarie to the wicked which conclude all in verie ill forme and contrarie to the mind of God for thereby shall wee come to that blessed comfort which is laid downe Rom. 8.28 all things worke together for the best of them that loue God which wee may prooue best by our conclusions Obser 2. Wicked men do more then they directly thinke and yet in truth they think as much as they doe It is the nature of a wicked man to make vnknown conclusions for surely a wicked hypocrit wil denie this conclusion Did I euer make God like my selfe I knowe his ordinances and am well seen in his statutes therefore such matters are farre remooued from my thoughts But the conclusion is made and pronounced by the spirit of truth and therefore is no lie they haue made it but the Lord must inferre it their liues and practise haue set to their seales it is as good in lawe before God as if they had thought it for the Lord knowes they were not asleepe when they hated to be reformed and cast his lawes behind their backes they did this willingly and yet as willingly would they seeme to haue on their backes Gods apparell they would cloth themselues with an outward profession they would haue his law at their fingers ends declare his ordinances and take his couenant into their mouthes The deuill will speake as well as they Acts 16.17 These are the seruants of the most high God which shewe vnto vs the way of saluation neither was this constrained for shee did it many dayes surely for this ende that Paul might take notice that by her confession she was as good a professor as the best that followed Paul yet his spirit was able to see the imposture and deceit of Sathan and therefore grieued for her hee turnes about and bids the vncleane spirit be gone So these persons they crie the temple of the Lord they haue a faire crie but alas it is that they might liue in the church as the deuill liued in the woman yet assure themselues that as the deuill by this confession made a conclusion directly against himselfe so these men by these faire words make an vnknown conclusion and for the same shall be cast out of Gods Church and packt to hell with all those vncleane spirits which for their aduantage can open their mouthes and speake like the blessed angels The Indians would none of the Popes Catechisme because they saw the Priests liues demonstrate nothing but cruelty The Indians could iudge the Spanyards and priests in their army by their liues when they were readie to hang them and put them to death then must the priest stand out to catechize them and shew them the way to heauen but these poore Indians were able to ioyne a better conclusion to all their premisses then going to heauen for hauing asked what master they themselues serued and whither they meant to go answer beeing made they meant all of them to go to heauen and there should be their resting place after this life presently they bid the priest spend no more words in vaine for such seruants could haue no good masters and if they meant to go to heauen then they would go to hell good iudgement from the practise of these Priests and Spanyards all their faire shew of godlines made conclusions against themselues to wit that it was impossible that a good God would euer acknowledge them or that any place of blisse should be their resting place and therefore best for them to goe the cleane contrarie way euen to hell it selfe then haue such companions to be with them in heauen Reas 1. Blindnes of minde Ignorance which sees no further then the present propositions Euery man will say that a drunkard whoremaster vncleane person shall neuer inherit the kingdome of heauen the word of God is plaine for it and they yeild to the truth Againe come to the assumption and tell them You are of the number of these persons you know it your selfe and all your neighbours can testifie with you this present truth he will yeild vp that too but the conclusion that followes most necessarily he will not see but defie all them that shall bring it and say he shall be damned Great blindnesse that will not graunt a consequent as necessarie as burning to the fire would not the world count him a very ignorant person that should say here is fire but I make question whether it can burne Well foole the best argument for thee is put thy singer into the fire and see if thou can feele it So these men will yeild vp all but that which is as necessarie as the rest shall not onely be called into question but denied with an execration of all that bring it Therefore no resolution vntill God come and say In to hell fire and then shall they feele the conclusion of their waies Reas 2. is the diuersitie of lusts that leads them about Multitudes of lusts which make distraction of the mind and alwaies vnto it selfe nothing must conclude that pleaseth not his lusts 2. Thess 3.7 Which women are euer learning and are neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth the reason is in the verse before because they are simple women laden with sinnes and lead with diuers lusts Reas 3. is want of all good method in their liuing Disorder of life for he that keepes no order in his actions can neuer be able to bring any thing to good passe and it makes such a confusion in his head that he cannot tell what will be the issue of
saluation then wicked men in all their craftie fetches to plant themselues while the Lords silence is vpon them for affliction lets a man see at the first the worst conclusion that shall befall him in the profession of his God and therefore beeing best knowne he may assure himselfe that all other consequences shall be ioyfull and exceeding comfortable It shall not be so with the wicked for they make the best conclusions first and therefore blind their eyes that they cannot behold how they runne to fearfull woes and sudden destruction now followes the conclusions of a part of the argument to wit Gods silence alone Obser 4. This bond therefore lets vs see a fourth collection to wit that wicked men sucke poyson out of euery word of God his verie silence and mercie which ought to haue a sweete rellish vnto their soules shall by the corruption of their natures become the baine of the body and soule If God be but silent then will they be filled with wicked thoughts of God himselfe Reas 1. The corruption of nature From corrup nature which turnes all into it selfe A corrupt stomacke makes all meats rellish of his qualitie it turnes sweete into sowre pleasant into as bitter as gall so the heart of a wicked man makes silence sinne iudgement blasphemie loue hatred peace warre and the feares of hel the thoughts of pleasure Corpus tabedâ—â— quo plus nutrias eo magis laedas A naughty temperature the more it is fedde with good nourishments the worse it becomes so an ill tempered soule with the vntempered mortar of sinne becomes worse for the mercies of God and such excellent foode is turned into a most dangerous nourisher of the very canker and gangrene of bodie and soule Reas 2. Ill digestion either of mercie or iudgement From the ill digestion of the soule That which lies raw in the stomack and so consequently spoyled in the first concoction can neuer be mended againe in the liuer or in the assimulation of the parts where euery thing drawes and sucks for his own vse So all the mercies and iudgments of God lie raw at the heart of a wicked man and there are spoiled so that no good blood can be dispersed through bodie soule to make the sanguine complexion of a Christian neither shall you see any member to gather strength but rather to pine away euen as men doe that labour of consumptions Good things without Gods blessing heauie curses when they are fedde with the best nourishments when wee may see a poore beggers boy that fares hardly euen with such diet as would make a man melancholick to looke on it yet he is fresh and well liking so Christians which are of the blood royall are like Daniel which was better liking feeding on the pulse then when he had his diet off the Kings table So these vnder affliction profit more then all the wicked doe in their prosperitie Lazarus is better in soule though he cannot obtaine the crummes that the rich mans dogges might be welcom vnto then the rich-man that fared daintily euery day and yet pined in his soule The woman of Canaan for all her strange repulses first no answer 2. the disciples speaking against her 3. Christ giuing her a cold answer I am not come but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel 4. an vtter distast of her kindred it is not meete to take the childrens bread and cast it vnto dogges such a one art thou because a Canaanitish woman and no Israelite well for all this cold comfort shee will haue her soule fedde or shee will neuer giue ouer True Lord I am neither sonne nor seruant to sit at thy table yet seeing it hath pleased thee to style me a dogge I pray thee let me at thy table be but as one of thy whelps to gather but the crummes that fall from thee or thy children yea or thy seruants and that shall suffice my hungrie soule This woman by this meanes was fedde better then any Israelite euen by the very testimonie of Christ himselfe I haue not found such faith in Israel ah woman great is thy faith go in peace and let all be according to thy desire 3. A wicked mâ—n makes no vse 〈◊〉 Gods mercy Reas Is that which followes a bad concoction and that is ill distribution whereby all the vitall parts waxe weake and the spirits decay and so consequently sence and motion lie dead in the bodie he is not able to mooue vp and downe to performe the duties of his calling his hands which are the keepers of his house begin to tremble with the palsie his limmes and legs which were the strong men bow themselues his senses decay his eies waxe darke that looke out by the windowes his ears with all the daughters of singing are abused his tast is gone he is like old Barsillai that is not fit to set at the kings table in a word his senses shall be so decayed that nature shall not bee able to bind them vp in the night time to refresh him with comfortable sleepe but he shall be awake before the bird sing in the morning and shall be so out of heart with the disquietnes of the night that the bird shall be no means to lull him asleep but he shall rise at the voyce of the bird Euen so is it with wicked men they make no good distribution of Gods mercies iudgements in their liues and therefore no maruell if their life languish if their spirits to good actions bee cold and frozen with the dreggs of impietie and can no wayes be dissolued for mooue they cannot or bestirre themselues that so heate might be gotten into them to dissolue the frosts of their soules and expell the abundance of vapours that arise out of the sinke of sinne wherby they are choaked neither can they be chafed for they haue vtterly lost all sense and feeling Let the grace of God shine neuer so clearely yet they haue no eyes to seee withall let God thunder from heauen and they are so hard asleep that they cannot heare it let God threaten them and they haue yet no touch of their conscience let God promise them mercie and they cannot tast it let him offer them some of the flowers of his garden yet they cannot smell them And thus it comes to passe that as euery thing worke together for the good of Gods children so euery thing workes together for the destruction of the wicked Vse 1. reprehension First confutation of the wickeÌ„d that bragge and boast of their prosperitie Alas what cause haue they to reioyce in that they poyson themselues There is a kind of poyson that will make men die laughing surely so is it with the wicked they are fed fat for the day of slaughter and yet they perceiue not how fast they run to the slaughter house Secondly correction of the godly that are discontented with affliction would they haue the estate of a
of hypocrits in this place Absurditie of Atheisme is nothing but a thought and a conceit of their owne for so the words runne plainely therefore thou thoughtest and this will bee plaine if we examine it in all the former opinions First Atheisme there is no God Of God because they thinke he seeth them not euen as if the owle or woodcock when they haue gotten their heads into a hole should thinke no body seeth them because they see nobodie or like the blind man in Athens which going to bed with his eye-sight and admiring at the extraordinarie length of the night crieth out against the gods that they kept the day so long from appearing when alas in the night time hee fell blind and therefore thought that all the world was blind as well as he when indeed other men had beene vp and at their workes now readie to sleep againe So deale these men with God they blind themselues and therefore God must be blind too but he will find them out and then they shal know that this was but a conceit Againe nature and fortune are the two supreame causes I would that these men had stood by the ouens mouth in Daniel cap. 3. and had seene the three children in the middest of the fire bound in their coates their hosen and their cloakes with their other garments and yet not an haire of their heads to be burnt neither their coats changed nor any smell of fire to be vpon them and yet the flame of the fire issuing out of the ouen to haue slaine those men that brought them forth what reason would they haue giuen of this I feare not but with the king they would haue made a decree that they would neuer againe blaspheme against this God because there was neuer God that could deliuer after this sort we will therefore declare his signes and wonders and confesse that his kingdome is an euerlasting kingdom and his dominion is from generation to generation The conceit of the Epicures No world Creation because no instruments nor matter is a fond conceit for the best workeman in the best worke is able to worke without any of these and to worke by any of these is imperfection for who goeth to the market to buy instruments to make him reason with all yet to reason is a more excellent worke then to build a stately pallace therefore God beeing most perfect could not worke by instruments for then should be haue been imperfect Againe for his prouidence Prouidence if a man see a father whippe his child and spare his seruant and should say he loued his seruant better then his child euery man would laugh him to scorne so if the Lord whip his children spare the wicked it is not for want of loue to the one or manifestation of loue to the other So for the last iudgement Peter telleth them 2. Pet. 3.5 Last iudgment That this they willingly knewe not how all things were by the word of God and by the same word are still kept in store against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men for one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeres and a thousand yeeres as one day no slacknes with him onely the creature must haue his time and then shall be perish or be saued The conceits of partiall Atheists Partial atheisme It is too base for the Lord to take care for base creatures they might as well say to haue created them for the Lord made nothing which his prouidence did not guide and if he be the first and last of all creatures then as all creatures are from him so all must be vnto him and that by his owne wisdome It is the cunning Musitian that must haue the handling of an instrumēt composed of many strings and in nature dissonant to make it sound foorth his skilfull praise and therefore to keepe that excellent harmony among the creatures must needs be the hand of God alone He can make lice swarmes of flyes and an host of grashoppers fight most stoutly against Pharaoh now no generall was able to order the battell but the Lord of hosts and this is no base thing for hereby would the Lord get him a name for euer Of sinne Againe for the decree of sin cannot the Lord bring good out of euill light out of darkenes health out of sickenes glory out of shame and therefore may he decree sinne and yet be no author of sinne for hee hath goodnesse enough out of sinne which shall serue his turne and the rest he will leaue to the first inuenters Of Vbiquitie The conceit of the Aramites shall appeare when they come to fight with Israel in the plaines then shall they know that God is as well the God of the plaines as of the mountaines For Physitians that faine would exercise their wits in the wonders of the Lord. Of extraordinary prouidence If reason may be giuen for fourteene yeares fast surely Christs fasting fortie dayes shal be worth nothing I had rather say as Christ did to the deuil after his fast Man liues not by bread alone but by euerie word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The Israelites apparell and the shooes on their feet as new at the ende of fortie yeers as they were the first day they entred into the wildernesse was the worke of this word and no naturall reason can bee giuen for it Astrologians are well answered euen by their owne lyes Astrologie An Astrologian comming before a Bishop to be made Minister professing this art the Bishop askes him if he could tel by the starres whether he should be made Minister or no Hee answers he could tell for hee had alreadie calculated that hee should Then saies the Bishop I will see whether I can oppose the starres or no and thus the simple Astrologian was made a lyar Againe Idolatrie for idolatrie a meere conceit they had plentie and felt no want therefore idolatrie was good the world is all secure therefore the deuill is very quiet The shippes can not passe ouer Goodwine sands as in times past therefore the old-mans iudgement was better then all the rest because he neuer knewe it vntill Tenterton-steeple was built a reason of a doting foole Tenterton-steeple is built therefore no shippes can passe ouer Goodwine sands baculus stat in angulo ergo coelum mouetur the staffe is in the corner therefore the heauens are mooued See it in the children of Israel Vp Aaron make vs gods to goe before vs for we knowe not what is become of this Moses euery word a strange absurditie first make a god a meere contradiction that a creature should make his creator secondly gods that was a calfe which is a blockish creature and more foolish then any now that the foolishest creature should become the wisest of all beeings is as strange as the other thirdly to go before vs all Israel were
place First it brings sinne to Gods goodnesse then along to Gods law and thirdly to Gods plagues They that tame vnruely creatures first bring them to the thing and place where they haue done the iniurie then labours to let them see the fault by beating of them So the Lord first brings vs to our selues and his silence le ts vs see what we haue done against our selues and his silence and then doth he let vs feele the power of his wrath that hereafter he may be our feare either filiall or slauish for he will haue euerie knee to bowe vnto him either a knee of power or of reuerence of loue or constraint from heart or from bodie Vse 1. reprehension First confutation of all those that denie Gods prouidence because they see not present execution of iudgement for sinne and present reward for weldoing the Lords times are in his owne hands and he is verie wise in them all therefore it is my wisdome to rest content with patience and expect Gods leasure Secondly correction of the godly that are too importunate with the Lord to destroy the wicked Wilt thou not breake the heauens and come downe but hee that beleeues will not make hast Vse 2. instruction First admonition to the wicked that they agree with their aduersarie while he is in the way least he deliuer them to the iudge and they be cast into prison and there lie vntil they haue paid the vttermost farthing Secondly direction to the godly neuer to be at rest vntill they know themselues reconciled vnto God in Christ Iesus for that is Gods heartie loue no bare silence for one may hold his tongue and yet be extreamely angrie Vse 3. From Gods direct knowledge consolation First in weldoing surely if God can agree with a sinner for a time how shall hee reioyce to doe his child good that labours to serue him Secondly in miserie this may affoard comfort that God will not bee worse vnto me then he is vnto the wicked nay he will spare me as a father spareth his child that hee sees endeauour to do well CHAP. IIII. Of the simple inuention First of Gods knowledge NOW I come to the simple inuention and consider euery reason by himselfe the sentence hath two parts Gods truth Gods holinesse Gods truth in these words these things hast thou done wherein we haue knowledge without all error secondly integritie without all partialitie thirdly equity without all contradiction Obser 1. Gods knowledge is a most exact and particular knowledge of all things these things are knowne vnto the Lord to wit the verie consent vnto adultery and theeuery the very running of the heart though the world could neuer coÌ„demne them of any such crimes this knowledge therefore is most particular of sinnes persons things causes ends effects and all circumstances that accompany them Reas 1. Because all things are in God long before they exist in the world Hence is God called the most perfect idaea of all things a skilfull workeman hath the plot of his building in his head long before he begin his worke out of himselfe Psal 139.2 thou vnderstandest my thought afarre off and v. 16. thine eies did see me when I was without forme for in thy booke were all things written which in continuance were fashioned when there was none of them before 2. Reason As all things were in God From creation so all things were from God and that which was from him must needes be knowne of him Psal 94.9 He that planted the eare shall he not heare he that formed the eye shall he not see Psal 139.13 Thou hast couered me in my mothers wombe therefore thou hast possessed my reynes v. 15. My bones are not hid from thee though I was made in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth And it is a most cleare knowledge for Heb. 4.13 Neither is there any creature which is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open vnto his eyes with whome wee haue to doe The word in the originall is taken from a beast that hath the skinne fleaed off his necke so that all the nerues and arteries that runne that way may plainly be seene or els from a man cast on his backe with his face toward heauen which may be seene of all Neither is this a bare knowledge but with care and counsell Eph 1.11 Which worketh all things after the counsell of his will and most particular Matth. 10.39 A sparrow falls not to the ground without Gods will yea and all the haires of your head are numbred and most certen Numb 23.19 God is not as man that he should lie neither shall it be resisted Exod. 4.11 he will giue a mouth to man make the dumme speake it and the deafe heare it before it shall be silenced by man the very stones shall speake out of the wall and the timber before man shall burie Gods truth or obscure that which he would haue reuealed 3. Reason As all in God and from God From proâ—dence so for his prouidence and preseruation of them they liue mooue and haue their beeing continued from him Act. 17.25 And therfore seeing the Lord hath gone with vs all our daies he must needes be priuie to all our doings There is not a motion in the heart a stirring of the hand a turning vp of the eye or a foote of ground troden but the Lord knoweth it because he was in that motion Againe for our liuing whether generall or speciall the Lord taketh notice of it generall with what conscience good or euill with what faith or infidelitie whether we haue had our conuersation in heauen or vpon earth particular first to himselfe what pietie in his worship thankfulnes for his blessings praier in our needes prouidence in the vse of meanes and without meanes Secondly towards man first all in generall what charitie iustice peace loue in speciall towards superiours what reuerence equalls humilitie inferiours kindnes lastly to thy selfe what modestie temperance sobrietie 4. From the ende Reason God must dispose of all things for himselfe therfore must he know them Rom. 11.36 For in him and through him and for him are all things c. 5. From circumstances of time place and person Reason In that the Lord knoweth not all things as in himselfe from himselfe and working by himselfe and for himselfe but also in that he knoweth euery circumstance of time place person Of place Psal 139. first for the positions of it v. 3. Thou compassest my pathes and my lying downe and art accustomed to all my waies thou holdest me straight behind and before and laiest thy hand vpon me Againe for the place it selfe v. 7. Whether shall I goe from thy spirit or whether shall I flee from thy presence if I ascend into heauen thou art there if I lie down in hell thou art there let me take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vttermost parts of the
sea yet thither shall thine hand lead me and thy right hand hold me Secondly for the circumstance of time v. 11. If I say yet the darknes shall hide me euen the night shall be light about thee yea the darknes hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknes and light are both alike Here is no plea that olde things are out of date and sinnes committed many yeares agoe are forgotten of the Lord for be sure that the sinne of Cain in murthering of his brother is as freshly bleeding in the presence of God as the sin thou hast committed this day so that neither time past present or to come will helpe vs at all with the Lord. Thirdly for the circumstance of persons he knoweth all by their names Psal 147.4 therefore no companie shall excuse thee Indeede in the world multitudo peccantium tollit poenam peccati when multitudes sinne then mens lawes dare not execute yet be sure with the Lord he that runnes with a multitude to doe euill shal be sure to be punished with them Neither great men nor rich men shall be able to rescue vs out of the hands of God therefore the point is cleare that the Lords knowledge is most exact in all particulars 1. Vse is reprehension first confutation of the wicked that are ashamed to doe that in the presence of men which they dare most impudently doe before God surely hee is able to iudge more exactly of our offences then any man therefore if we labour to keepe our selues secret from the eyes of men how should we not tremble to sinne before God Secondly correction of the godly that doe not alwaies set themselues in the presence of God but sometimes take libertie to slip into the wayes of their owne hearts thinking that this is but a small sinne and therefore the Lord will be mercifull to me in this thing neuer considering the puritie of the Lord and the brightnesse of his glorie which is alwayes shining round about them 2. Vse instruction first an admonition to the wicked that beat their fellow feruants because their master deferreth his coÌ„ming let them take heed for he will come at vnawares vpon them and let them blush for shame seeing that mens scruants here vpon earth hearing that their master approacheth betake themselues to their worke although before they were at their sports idle recreations we know that schoole-boies in the absence of their master leaue their seats spread themselues abroad yet the verie voyce of venit magister the master comes presently makes euery one hastily betake himselfe vnto his seat Shall then man bee so bold as to dare to leaue his place betake himselfe to his owne pleasure when the verie eye of his God lookes vpon him surely nothing is more obuious vnto our eye then this which argueth that the world is very destitute of the feare of God Secondly this may be a driection to the godly to examine them-selues in all their particular carriages Thus Dauid deales with his soule vpon the consideration of Gods excellent knowledge Psal 139. to the ende first a pretious estimation of it 17 18. how deare how great what account to make vp the summe all is too short yet this will he aime at when he awakes he will still be with God Indeede in the violence of passion Dauid may make warre a pretense to excuse Vrias death but yet Psal 51. it shall cause him vtter many a bitter word heauie sighs and euen water his couch with teares The second is the manifestation of his zeale 1. in his loue of the maiestie of God v. 19 20.2 of his hatred to the wicked that dishonour God v. 21 22. See them both Oh that thou wouldest slay O God the wicked and bloody men to whome I say depart ye from me which speake wickedly of thee and beeing thine enemies are lifted vp in vaine I hate them I contend with them as with mine vtter enemies The 3. his confidence v. 23. Trie me O God and know my heart prooue me and know my thoughts consider if there be any way of wickednes in me and lead me in thy way for euer This consideration can not but haue powerfull operations in the hearts of Christians fire all that is within them let vs see it in a few of Dauids affections in the Psalmes breathing zeale out of euery pipe How doe I loue thy law O Lord more then the hony or the hony combe Loue. more then thousands of siluer and gold Thine enemies I hate with a perfect hatred Hatted Thy testimonies are my delight Ioy. I reioyce more in them then they that finde great spoyles more then in my appointed foode Mine eyes gush out riuers of teares Griefe Oh that my head were a fountaine of teares because they destroy thy law Mine eyes are dimme with waiting Hope how doe I long for thy saluation Thy iudgements are terrible Feare I tremble and quake Looke what pitch of affection the naturall man bestowes vpon his dearest darling what vnsatiable thirst the couetous worldling vpon his mammon the ambitious vpon his honour the volupâ—uous vpon his pleasure the same the Christian striueth in equall yea if possible farre exceding in as much as the more pure the heart is the more actiue we shall finde it Zeale is to the soule that which the spirits are to the bodie wine to the spirits putting vigour and agilitie into them be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit an excellent Antithesis the soule may be filled with this zeale and yet neuer exceede As wings to the foule as wheeles to the chariot as sailes to the shippe wind to the sailes courage to the soldier mettell to the horse and dust to make the earth fruitfull so is zeale as wings to the soule to flie aboue earthly and worldly cogitations as wheeles not to goe but runne the wayes of Gods Commandements as sayles to driue vs with a plerophorie vnto God This makes vs fight and puts mettle into vs yet must we take heede how we meddle with this fire least wee heape coales vpon our owne heads and bring an ill sauour vpon all â—ur seruice as Nadab and Abihu beeing vnsanctified Aguish and distempered heats are farre remote from the radicall nay an enemie vnto it and the verie causes of sickenesse and death a very empericke may iudge of them For first some of these are deepely sicke of the Pharisaicall humour they ioue more to be seene of men then God and yet God wil see them the best as Iâ—hu Come and see how zealous I am for the Lord of hosts These trumpets praise them before men but shame theÌ„ before God An aguish or consuming heat by his flushings is seene more in the face then the naturall heat that warmeth the heart In wisdome and skill artis est celare artem hiding of art is the best art so hidden zeale is often the
best zeale The second sort that abuse this all-seeing eye of God are such as labour of Ahabs disease very passionate affect strange gestures exceede in all externall humiliation horse-coursers iaydes will bound curuet and shewe more tricks then a horse well metled for the rode or cart these learne by smart to know their Masters and gaine no commendation by these outward fetches The third sort know God as courtiers know one an other complementally and bestow much holy water on one anothers faces but alas these faire words pay no debts these haue the worlds wealth yet care not to see their brother in want these stick vp feathers for the carkasse beguiling the simple coozening the world but chiefely themselues The fourth sort is such as cannot keepe their eyes at home their fire on their own hearths but like brinish lights sparkle and spit at others and like ill couched fire-works let flie on all sides onely out of their wisdome they know how to spare Agag and the great ones These crie out of such as labour to be precise in their courses and yet alas how should we be too precise seeing the eye of the Lord is neuer off vs Lastly others there be that are vnconstant commonly in the beginning they blaze like straw fires but in the ende goe out in smoake and smother These haue not cleared their eyes to consider with Dauid how deare they ought to make Gods thoughts vnto them and thereby to bee awaked that they might still be with God Iehu marched as a man of God and his word was The Lord of hosts but his proiect was the kingdome and therefore soone will the song be changed Demetrius cried great is Diana but he meant her little siluer shrines many haue spoiled copes but it was to make themselues cushions Iudas complaines of wast but his sorrow was that it fell besides his bagge If Iezabel proclaime a fast let Naboth look to his vineyard But he that knowes God indeede and is warmed with the heat of it will become a true Zealote whose feruency is in the spirit not in shew in substance not in circumstance for God not himselfe guided by the word not by humours tempered with charity not with bitternesse such a mans praise is of God though not of men such a mans worth caunot be set foorth with the tongues of men and angels Neither let any grieue that it cannot be done God that knoweth all things taketh notice of it and that which is kept in secret he will reward it openly onely let vs labour to keep nothing in secret from him But it is woe to see how little this walking with God is practised and to burne in the spirit is but counted the phrensie of the braine Such zeale as this is euery where spoken against it hath many enemies and few friends the world can no more abide it then the beasts can the elementarie fire the rebukes of many haue fallen vpon it the deuill weaues cunning lyes to bring downe the honour of it in this our earthly mould little fewell much quench-cole is hardly fired soon cooled in the worlds opinion it is as common as fire on euery mans liearth no mans heart without it if euery man might be his owne iudge But if they meane to follow Dauid they must rise a little sooner to rake it out of the embers of luke-warmenesse Dauid had care from Gods fire within him to maintaine it all the time of his owne life and also that it might not off Gods altar he would suffer the temples of his head to take no rest vntill he had found an house for it to dwell in therefore he is not vnmindfull to leaue it in command vnto his sonne and furthermore to enforce all the people to ioyne with Salomon he vrgeth them in the presence of God to keepe and seeke for all his Commandements especially he giues the charge vnto Salomon 2. Chron. 9. And thou Salomon my sonne knowe thou the God of thy father and serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind The argument that must mooue vnto this is the same with this in my text for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts therefore know thy God and serue him perfectly and willingly Vse 3. consolation First in trouble to know that they are not hid from the eyes of the Lord secondly in reproaches when the world shal slaunder vs with the name of hypocrites to consider that the Lord knowes the vprightnesse of our hearts thirdly in our imperfections when we find that we are not able to vtter so much concerning our profession as wee beleeue neither to lay open our wants vnto others as we could desire for our comforts here I say is sweet consolation because the Lord knowes the willingnesse of our mind and will accept of that as well as of our deeds Section 2. Of Gods integritie Observ 2. Is the integritie of the Lord without all partialitie in that he hath respect neither to the person nor the actions of an hypocrite but points him out and discouers his particular sinnes Integritie containeth two things truth ἀλήθεια and freedome παÏÏησία for an intire God must bee most true most free in thought word and deede in thought because he knowes the thing in himselfe and by himselfe and therefore is not tyed vnto any thing but knowes it and thinks it most freely when man is faine first to knowe the thing and himselfe by the thing and therefore his knowledge is dependent and not of that freedome which is in God Secondly most true and free in speech for the Lord can neither lie nor any waies be made to recall his words for shall the Lord speake and not doe no verily Let God be true and euery man a lyar that he may bee iustified in his words and ouercome when he is iudged Thirdly most true and free in his actions Shall not saith Abraham the iudge of the world doe right let there be but a righteous person found in Sodome and he shall find mercie so that wee may say the vnderstanding of the Lord is most true his will most free his desire most holy and pure praecipiens omnibus quae ipse facit Hence no accepter of persons or actions Act. 10.34 Of a truth I perceiue that God is no accepter of persons of works Ecle 12. last ver God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euerie secret thing whether it be good or euill both these are together the 1. Pet. 1.17 If ye call him Father which without respect of persons iudgeth according to euerie mans worke and in all these he is most holy Zeph. 3.5 The iust Lord is in the middest thereof he will doe no iniquitie euerie mourning will hee bring his iudgement to light he fayleth not but the wicked will not learn to be ashamed they will needes haue the Lord to respect them because he is in the middest of his
be laid to heart and driue vs to a better consideration of the time present Reas 2. By this meanes a prouocation to repentance Rom. 2.4 Despisest thou the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long sufferance not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance c. Reas 3. Because the creature shall finde nothing commendable in himselfe which he shall not see in God now silence beeing commendable in man it shall plainely appeare to bee with God the commendation of silence in man is often in the prouerbes as for example Prou. 10.19 In many words there cannot want iniquitie but he that refraineth his lips is wise 25.12 A word spoken in his place is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer 26.23 The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely and ad leth doctrine to his lips Therefore will the Lord be free from many words he will speake in his place and guide his mouth most wisely Reas 4. The lawe of creation Eccles. 3. a time for euerie thing and therefore that which is to the creature shall be vnto himselfe he hath a time for mercy and hee hath a time for iustice Reas 5. Because an appointed day Acts. 17.30 31. The time of this ignorance God regarded not but now hee admonisheth all men euerie where to repent because hee hath appointed a day in which he will iudge the world c. Therefore God for the time of the ignorance of the Gentiles was verie silent but now hauing made his grace shine most apparently according to his owne appointment will sleepe no more in silence but awake all by the trumpet of the Gospel and if they disobey the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ then shall hee shewe himselfe from heauen 2. Thess 1.7 with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them not for the dayes of their ignorance or miscariages in them but because they doe not knowe God and haue not obeyed his gospell then shall they bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power Vse 1. reprehension First confutation of the wicked which cry Mal. 3.14 It is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that we haue kept his commandement and that we haue walked humbly before him we count the proud blessed euen they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God yea they are deliuered Alas poore wretches if there were no more to condemne thee yet this were sufficient that God hath beene silent with thee Secondly correction of the godly that as yet haue not learned this lesson to imitate God in refraining their tongues from speaking against wicked men if they know their calling they may doe it but to exasperate the wicked is not alwayes necessarie nay alas they cannot refraine their tongues from speaking against their brethren when they may see plainly by this doctrine that the Lord is silent with his verie enemies Againe it reprehends all fretting at the prosperitie of the wicked Psal 77.8 yeeld God his silence and wait vpon him also all censuring is here condemned Rom. 2.1 2 3. Iam. 3. 2. Vse instruction first admonition to the wicked that they haue some consideration of the Lords mercies towards them The Sun often beating vpon the stones causeth them to haue some heat though not at the heart yet in the outward parts and therefore a shame for them if they be neuer the warmer for Gods silence the wicked are worse then little children who when they haue gotten any thing of their parents will away without either looke or legge yet if they know they will haue dutie then they doe it in such fashion that all men may see their hearts another way on their game abroad But wicked men though they haue bin often told that the Lord lookes for duty at their hands yet he shall haue none at all and surely suppose they haue so good a nature as they will take off their hatts before they sit downe to the table yet I am afraid it is more for custome then any thing els Thus a sensuall mind counteth nothing sweete but what is taken in hugger mugger without Gods allowance like some gallants thinke no venison sweet but that which is stolne fooles they are which admire the brightnesse of the sunne in the watter and neuer looke vp to the body The whelps that feed vnder the tables will fawne vpon their masters if any smite them they will presently flie at them the oxe and asse knowes their owners but wicked men are worse to God then oxen asses and dogs are to them And surely for the best of their speeches they are as I may say no better then common tearmes of holines without affection and therefore like court holy water good words but pay no debt And if at any time with Balaam they see the beautie of Gods church in the dayes of Gods silence then like hypocrits they wish as Balaam did Oh that their soules might die the death of the righteous and that their eude might be like his yet all is but a flash of lightning soone come soone gone for there is a thorne caught in their foote which hindreth their pretended iourney For this loth to depart he singeth vnto his own soule Shall I in this calme of Gods mercie loose my pleasure in this time the cost is cleere but alas to liue a godly life makes me thinke a lyon is in the way and therefore must I needs slippe my necke out of the collar And thus by their high estimation of the present they become pennie wise but pound foolish so that when they shall be taken away from this estate they come to had I wist But alas let them know for conclusion that they are worse afraid then hurt they know not that to physicke in the spring is the best time of the yeare the vomit of the soule which is the griefe of repentance shal do the most good while it pleaseth the Lord to visite them with the day of his silence Secondly here is excellent direction to the godly first to praise God Psal 136. all things must praise God why be cause his mercie endureth for euer which is repeated in euery verse and surely this may be an excellent motiue to Christians to make them full of holy affections for it is a great mercie of God to haue a large affection of well-doing when we haue good occasion thereof For God neuer ceaseth in offering occasion but we often cease in hauing affections Therefore it were an excellent thing to keepe reckoning what wo runne vpon Gods score we do it with men but alas they are hardly found which thinke how deepe they are in Gods books such ill husbands we are for our soules if I ouershoote my selfe with men that they may haue a saying of me behold an vngratefull person that will cut me at the heart but rare it is to know how I haue
haue the silence of God first in regard of the first death the Lord did not presently depriue him of all the goods of bodie whether internall or externall Internall first in the sense of his nakednesse it pleased God to couer him in the losse of his created maiestie wherein stood his shame it pleased God a little to releeue him for the beauty of his bodie it pleased God not to make him altogether deformed for the health of his body not presently to make him wearie of his life leauing him to dangers filling him with diseases and setting the footsteps of death in him Againe for the externall goods of bodie seruing for honestie and necessitie were not presently remooued for first hee left him some dominion ouer the creatures some honour and friendship amongst themselues Lastly for goods whereby his life was maintained some releife from the earth though with his labour and the sweat of his browes from among thornes and briers some from the creatures first cloathing secondly possession though in the first was his shame and in the second calamitie and losse Thus was the Lord silent with man in regard of the first death onely concerning the incoation of it but when the perfection came then the voice of the Lord breakes out as he did to the rich man This night shall thy soule out of thy bodie thy body to the dust and thy goods to their owners Secondly for his silence in regard of the second death first in the incoation of it and that in regard of the conscience or some extraordinarie iudgement in regard of the conscience not presently the extremitie of horror and feare whereby man flieth from God and hides himselfe nor dead securitie whereby there is no sense of hel but desperate searing vp of the conscience Lastly the Lord is silent a long time before hee bring some extraordinarie iudgement vpon them as he did vpon Baltashar Saul Ahithophel Hammon Iudas and this is Gods silence with wicked men in regard of the second death but when the perfection is come the Lord breakes his silence and saies my creature away from me packe into hell where I will roare vpon thee as a lyon for euer So then it plainely appeares that God is onely silent in regard of mans miserie in the incoation of the first and second death Indeede prophane men restraine Gods silence to an other obiect to wit their sinnes and hypocrits to their good actions Isa 59.3 We haue fasted and thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not Lastly the Saints to their troubles and afflictions wherin they thinke the Lord is too silent and too slow in hearing of their cries but all these three haue brought in an obiect about which the Lords silence can not be conuersant for wicked men haue the Lord alwaies calling by his word to forewarne them of their sinnes and hypocrites blaspheme against God in saying he regardeth not goodnes and the children of God haue forgotten the consolation which speaketh vnto them as vnto children Heb. 12.5 My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him And thus haue we cleared the point by the word of God The Rhetoricke is this first these things for these doings secondly these doings for these sinnes thirdly these sinnes for the deferring of the punishment of these sinnes for in that is the Lord silent Concerning the Logicke the arguments are the subiect and the adiunct wherein is contained an agreement of reasons and therefore we may take notice how the Lord out of sinne a deadly enemie vnto his will can frame himselfe an obiect wherein he will delight from whence the obseruation riseth that the Lord hath great respect vnto the miserie of man Observ God that is holy in all his waies and such a God that wills no iniquitie is able in the excellencie of his wisdome to see something in sinne which shall mooue him to pitie and compassion euen that which the creature feeleth not the Lord laies it vnto his heart for Gen. 3.22 the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill c. is not an Ironie but a kind of pitie and sorrow for the miserie of man and therefore we find in the Scripture phrase that the Lord is mooued with good to loue it with sinne to hate it and miserie to pitie it Reasons 1. Gods creation he loues the worke of his owne hands and it pities him to see it any waies out of order Gen. 6.6 It repented the Lord that he made man in the earth and he was sorie in his heart 2. Reas Mans miserie Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaie striue with man because he is but flesh Gen. 8.21 I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause for the imaginations of mans heart is euill euen from his youth Psal 78.38 39. Yet he beeing mercifull forgaue their iniquities and destroyed them not but of times called backe his anger and did not stirre vp all his wrath for he remembred that they were flesh yea a wind that passeth away and commeth not againe 3. Reason his promise Act. 13.18 About the time of fourtie yeares suffered he their manners in the wildernes because of his couenant Psal 105. where all the good that he did vnto his people is brought in by reason of the couenant and promise that he made with Abraham sware vnto Izhak confirmed vnto Iaakob and left it to Israel for an euerlasting couenant 4. Reason is the measure of sinne which the Lord will suffer to be made vp Gen. 15.16 For the sinnes of the Amorites is not yet full 1. Vse reprehension First confutation of wicked mens conceits of the silence of God thinking that all is well with them as long as they heare of no messengers from the Lord of hosts alas it is the miserie of their sinnes that mooues the Lord a little to pitie them and therefore small cause to conceiue so highly of Gods mercie Indeede it were well if they would magnifie God in this his mercie by humbling of themselues and confessing the long abuse of his silence but they on the contrarie set vp themselues and confidently beleeue that they shall neuer be mooued Againe this confuteth the hypocrite that takes the silence of the Lord for the approbation of his thoughts words and actions when alas all is but a silence at his sinne and a pitying of his miserie the Lord can not but be angrie with them because they draw him into a league of iniquitie dishonour him before men and conceiue amisse of him in thēselues Lastly it confutes all despisers of the riches of Gods bountifulnes patience and long suffering hauing no knowledge how the bountifulnes of God should lead them to repentance and therefore after the hardnes of their hearts heape vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath Secondly a correction of the godly in the want of Christian
may see what a wonderful hard thing it is to conuert a sinner a man may be a long hearer of the word and by hearing his mind may be furnished with knowledge with a good conceit with verie good vtterance so that he may teach and publish the Gospel and conceiue prayer and that verie well and yet this damnable imagination may lurke in his heart therfore he may not onely hereby deceiue others but euen his owne soule for so long as this thought is in his soule hee is voide of true repentance for where true repentance is there is a resolution to please God in all things Third thought touching God It is a vaine thing to worship God Iob. 21.15 he speakes it not with the mouth but in the heart Matth. 3.14 Nay Dauid Psal 73.13 had this thought in his heart now I see I am deceiued In vaine haue I worshipped God but yet this thought comes not into mans heart at all times but vpon occasion as when the godly seeth the wicked flourish Examination This thought takes great place in our hearts for goe to the poore mans family he works and toyles all day to get riches but neuer worshippeth God or calls vpon his name why so because the heart saith so I may haue wealth it is no matter whether I serue God or no. Come to the rich mans house there is nothing but eating drinking sleeping gaming and the like why so because his heart saith all is wel so I may haue my pleasure it is enough for me it is no matter for Gods worship The ordinarie man saith he will do as his ancestors haue done he hath as good a faith as the best hee will not come to sermons for they that haunt sermons most are vsually the worst disposed persons and none so bad as they If a man professe Christ in sinceritie hee is a by-word and a mocke to men Nay almost all men betake themselues to will-worship not onely the Papist Iewe and Turke but the common Protestant he comes to Church and serues God by mumbling ouer the Creede the Lords praier and the tenne Commandements thereby thinking to serue God as well as the best the cause is because this imagination taking place in the heart hindereth all good things in vs. Fourth thought is the thought of distrust and it runnes much in the mind of man God doth not regard me God will not helpe me God will not be mercifull vnto me This made an entrance to the fall of our first parents for first Eue lookes vpon the fruit and sees it to be very beautifull 2. There enters into her heart a thought of distrust viz. It may be there is no such danger in eating this fruit as the Lord faith there is and it may be God doth not regard vs. When the Israclites murmured at the waters of strife Numb 20.12 Moses was barred the Land of Canaan for this distrust for when hee smote the rocke as God had commanded him he thought in his heart God will not giue water though I strike the rocke Dauid Psa 31.23 Psal 78.2 is full of spirituall confidence but in an other place saies I thought all men were lyers Samuel the Lords Prophet hath deceiued mee now I see that Samuel spake not by the spirit of God as aprophet but by his own sense lyingly when he said that I should come vnto the kingdome of Israel Thus Dauid did not openly distrust God but Samuel as if he had not knowne Gods will but had passed beyond the bonds of his calling Matth. 14. why did Peter sinke when Christ bad him come to him on the water because his minde was troubled with the thought of distrust it may be God will not helpe me now walking vpon the sea Christ reprooues this why didst thou doubt Touching this thought two points 1. the time when it was in mans thought 2. the danger of it For the first it takes place in the time of danger temptation aduersitie sickenesse and death it troubled Iob in his affliction Iob 16. when he said God hateth me hee is myne enemie hee makes me a but Psalm 77.9 It may be God will no more haue mercie vpon me In peace Sathan tempts by presumption The dangers hereof 1. horrors of conscience and all feares and astonishments of the heart which come when the minde distrusteth 2. Desperation whereby men confidently auouch that God hath forsaken them and that he hath cut them off and that nothing remaines but death this is often in the heart of repentant sinners 3. It weakens the foundation of our saluation which stands in the certentie of Gods promises and thus it doth by weakning faith for by faith we beleeue that God is our Sauiour and that Christ shed his blood for vs in particular now this thought is cleane contrarie to faith as fire to water and where distrust preuailes there shall be no faith hence appeareth the great danger We must take heede of it Remedie and vse all meanes in the daies of our peace that it raignes not in our hearts in the daies of trouble The meanes are three 1. the preaching of the Gospel this is the especiall meanes to applie Gods mercie truly to our soules and consciences therefore a soueraigne remedie against this thought for the speach of the minister is as though God himselfe spake by vertue of the very ordinance of God if God should say to me in his owne voice my mercie belongs to the beleeuer I would surely beleeue and not doubt now whē the minister saith beleeue in God his mercie belongs to thee it is by the power of this ordinance of God as if God himselfe had said it 2. Baptisme if a Prince shall giue a man a pardon and put his name and seale to it he will neuer doubt but assure himselfe of pardon now when a man is baptized God puts the parties name in the pardon and his owne seale to the pardon of his sinnes in Christ 3. The Lords Supper wherein the bread and wine are particular pledges of Gods particular mercie to euery particular receiuer and therefore it is that euery particular man receiues for himselfe in speciall II. Point Of euill thoughts touching our neighbour To finde out what these be we must haue recourse to the commandements especially to the second Table These beeing spirituall condemne not onely wicked actions words and affections but also the wicked thoughts of man against man And they are of two sorts in the second table First thoughts without consent Secondly with consent Without consent hath the first motions and inclinations in the mind forbidden in the tenth commādement Thoughts with consent are those wherein the wil consenteth with the first motions these as they are conceiued so are they practised and are forbidden in the 6.7.8.9 Commandements 1. Thought is of dishonour against the 5. commandement the 2. of murther against the 6. the 3. of Adulterie against the 7. the 4. of theft against
against poyson therefore if we haue made the word of God a Scorpion to sting vs yet let vs now make it a lenitiue to cease the paine if we like beasts haue poysoned our selues yet now like men created for God let vs recouer our selues againe by this word of life But to proceed Thou thoughtest this is the consequent of Gods silence not proper but by accident forced and befide the scope of it therfore this wicked thought of an hypocrite argueth strange corruption of heart that can frame no obiect vnto it selfe that shall make good thoughts Surely affections haue gotten the masterie ouer the mind so that now it must become a slaue to serue them and dispose it selfe that all his iudgments may aime at their satisfaction and thus the good word of God by accident becomes the cause of sinne Gen. 3. hath God said Yee shall not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and euill the Lord by this law debars you of great good for it is certaine when yee cate yee shall beas gods knowing good and euill therefore the law is too strict and rather an hinderer then furtherer of your good Men we see are very quiet vntil they be prouoked by the preaching of the lawe Steuen Act. 7. shall be stoned for his good sermon Christ shall be an enemie to church and common-wealth because he speaks against the Scribes and Pharisies Moses Aaron shal be hated of Pharaoh for preaching a deliuerance Iohn Baptist for telling Herod his sinne Elias shall be Ahabs enemy for telling him the truth and Paul shall become an enemie to the Galatians for telling them of their apostacie from Christ thus lawe and Gospel mercie and iudgement are abused of the wicked yet for all this the law is holy and iust as for example a man that holds a glasse in his hands as long as it â—ests there is safe but if they throwe it against the wall the wall will breake it but the sault will rest in the hands so when we take our selues dash our selues against Gods law the law breaks vs but the fault is in our selues the bankes are no cause of the furie and rage of the waters but the waters themselues so the lawe of God that banks in our corruption is no cause why it rageth but the nature of it which can indure no limits Reasons 1. Because sinne will indure no law There be three effects of the law that sinne cannot away withall First it stoppeth corruptioÌ„ hence the irritation of the law Secondly it terrisieth the conscience and that cannot be indured they that liue like gallie-slaues and are whipped euerie day will doe nothing but by force and are glad any waies to rid them-selues of such a burden Thirdly it exacts perfect obedience which our nature can not away withall to loue God with all our hearts with all our soules with all our minde and our whole strength is a lesson that will neuer be learned or practised Reas 2. A misconceit as a medicine against which the stomack ariseth will not be indured a plaister which stings at the heart must be throwne off and a glasse that sheweth vs an vgly face cannot be looked into so the misconceiuing of Gods silence makes it that it can neither become meate or medicine to our soules Thirdly the diuersitie of subiects the selfe same seed is sowne in all the foure grounds yet takes but root in one the hammar beats vpon all but it makes not all pliable to Gods worke the axe hewes at all but it timbers but some for building the rest it hewes downe for firing the fire burnes all but only the the gold loseth his drosse the light shines to all but only they that haue eyes behold it the salt seasons all but in some it cannot enter to the bone and therefore they putrifie and rotte away foode would feede all but some want stomacks appetite and digestion therfore they pine away with the best nourishment the goad prickles all but some are hardned that it cannot enter and therefore no maruell that the mercies and filence of God should worke no good effects in the wicked Fourthly the curse of God is vpon them therefore they shall eate but not be satisfied drinke but not to quench their thirst sleepe but not to take their rest for God alone giues rest vnto his welbeloued nay let them doe what they will all shall be nought pray or not pray sacrifice or not sacrifice come to church or not come to the church for they cannot lay aside their wicked thoughts and therefore according to our prouerb all is marred in the making Deut. 28.16 cursed shall they be in the towne and cursed shall they be in the field they shal make no good markets of that which god hath giuen them in the field cursed shall they be in the basket and in their dough bad prouision shall be in their houses when the Lord will not become both the master and the steward cursed shall be the fruite of his body and the fruits of his land the increase of his kine and the flocks of his sheepe extreame pouertie in the middes of all his wealth cursed shall he be when he comes in and cursed also when he goes out ill successe in his interprises neither will the Lord here make an ende These be foure great curses First he shall make no good market in buying and selling Secondly from this shall follow he shall haue no good prouision in his house Thirdly from this shall rise the next that he shall haue no true riches Fourthly to make that good fortune shall alwaies crosse him Fiftly to proceede yet further God will make him cracke his credit for trouble shame shall be vpon all that he sets his hand to do euerie man shall call him banke-rout neither shal he haue any law against theÌ„ for with God he hath lost his credit and therefore shall he perish quickly Sixtly that he may make his word good in all these the pestilence consumption feuer burning ague sword blasting mildew the heauens aboue shall be brasse and the earth vnder iron for raine dust and therefore no staie but perish thou must in bodie goods and good name Seuenthly to make the finall vp-shotte of his bodie he shall fal before his enemies and his carkeis shal be without all burial the foules of the ayre and the beasts of the field shall haue him for their pray and none shall rescue him if the enemies spare him God will smite him with the botch of Egypt with the Emorods with the scab with the itch euen worse then he hath done Egypt for he shall not be healed neither will God be defectiue in his methode for from these more sensible torments vpon the bodie he will proceede to greater iudgements vpon the soule which though least felt yet more fearefull madnes blindnes astonying of heart with all their ill consequents to grope at noone day to be oppressed powled and
surely if all were true they should bee the verie naturall sonnes of God Thirdly this great acquaintance must be perpetuall Aristotle makes three bonds of freindship 1. pleasure 2. riches and both these are soone ended because in laughter the heart is heauy for such pleasures as are but of things transitory and for riches they take their wings and flie away but the third bond which is vertue and honesty is of long continuance and I know no freindship that hypocrits professe with God that sauours of honestie and vertue Indeede the other two are in high account with them for they will seeme to doe any thing for pleasure and profit Saul loued God but it was for a kingdome Ahithophel because he was aduanced counseller Iudâ—s because an Apostle bare the bag yet Saul a little afflicted forsakes God Ahithophel crossed hangs himselfe Iudas for gain betraies Christ Iobs wife seemed to goe farre as long as she could wash her paths with butter but when affliction is vpon her husband curse god die Many hypocrits are like Rebecca Gen. 25.22 who wished to haue children but when they stroue in her womb then she brast forth into words of impacience so God giues a desire to some to be borne againe who when they see their conception to be painfull and the spirit and flesh striue together desire to be in their old estate againe they seeke the kingdome of heauen but not the righteousnes thereof and therefore it will appeare verie easily how like they are vnto God for Saul and Pharaoh had some good motions by fittes and vpon occasion could play fast and loose beeing of a strange complexion and verie aguish hote and cold in a moment Sea faring men who when the seas doe rage and the tempest begins feele themselues sea-sicke and haue a desire to cast but when they are gotten to the land and haue smelt the cleare coast are as merrie and ioyfull as heart can wish the reason is because now being without hope sense and feeling of the sweet ioyes to come doe die thus by their flesh pots of Egypt so they shew in affliction that their flesh pots and their health though in bondage doth more please them then the goodnes and louing countenance of the Lord. Want of bread makes some despise their great wonderfull deliuerance out of Egypt the want of riches is greater trouble theÌ„ the want of grace and the possession of riches greater ioy then the fruition of Gods countenance The reason is plaine because in temporall things our ioy is greater then the cause but in spiritual the cause is greater then our ioy Againe they loue not God for himselfe but for his blessing and therefore all the similitude that wicked men haue of God is more in the loue of the creatures then of God himselfe and when the Lord shall bring his fanne and make cleane his floare you shall see him send away this chaffe but still keepe his corne for the naturall children of God loue their father naturally doe he what he will they will still loue him though thou kill me yet still will I trust in thee saith Iob. Thus shall the Lord trie his owne image and see who will endure the fire which shall be knowne by these foure properties first as fire burnes straw stubole stickes to ashes and makes them as though they had not beene so shall the fire of Gods affliction wast all those things which are of this weake nature Secondly as fire purges that which can abide him and makes it purer and finer so shall the triall of the spirit wast all the drosse in Gods children and purifie the rest as a temple for the holy Ghost Thirdly as fire giueth light in the most dimme and darkest place so shall the fire of Gods spirit become a shining lampe burning continually Fourthly as heat putteth life into those things which are capable of life though frozen and starued for cold and as they were without life yet touching them maketh them reuiue become nimble and actiue so the spirit of God heating and inflaming our hearts kindleth our zeale quickneth our deadnes puts life into vs maketh vs nimble and actiue in a care of our dutie loue of all mankind and the glorie of God this alone will prooue whether we beare the image and stampe of God in vs or no when all the rest is no better then that conceit which the Deuill put into the heads of our parents Gen. 3. Ye shall be like God surely it prooued like the god of this world for euen that conceit tooke away the image of God and brought in a worse euen the image of the deuill Observ It is the nature of euery wicked man especially of an hypocrite to haue an high conceit of himselfe and in this high conceit to thinke God like vnto him 1. Reas First blindnes of vnderstanding Rom. 1.21 22 23. Vaine imaginations and follie of heart full of darknes makes professours of wisdome become starke fooles and so turne the glorie of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man and of birds and foure footed beasts and of creeping things 2. Reas Is the euill disposition of nature which turneth all things into his owne temper and therefore it can not be but the silence of the Lord should be abused by our thoughts 3. Reas Selfe-pleasing our selues Herod will part with all before he will part with his brothers wife the young man will leaue Christ before he forsake his riches and therefore before the silence of the Lord shall crosse our natures we must either crosse it or els restraine it vnto our selues and giue it that limitation which shall best agree with our pleasures 1. Vse reprehension A confutation of the wicked for the abuse of their reason in that they will become absolute Iudges of Gods wisdome it is enough for the seruant to become as the master Gods truth will haue no controller and therefore must he command or els he will testifie against vs and accuse vs for the breach of his prerogatiue royall Secondly a correction of the godly that any waies subiect themselues to the iudgement of wicked men their fountaine is naught therefore their streames can not be sweete 2. Vse instruction First an admonition of the wicked to be more carefull for their thoughts Indeede we say thoughts are free but yet let them know that there is a word which is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart and therefore what they haue spoken in the theeuish corners of their hearts shall be plainly detected euen vpon the house toppes Secondly a direction to the godly that is a deniall of themselues and of their owne thoughts and wholly yeilding themselues vnto Gods truth 3. Vse Consolation to all them that see the want of Gods image and desire it more then they presume they haue it This will take away our owne conceits and breede in vs the cleare
are in danger but it lights but vpon the pate of one of them and he falls to the ground wounded and yeelds vp the ghost all the rest quake and tremble at the sight and are speechlesse So the Lord is daily shooting forth his arrowes he neuer misseth his aime the watchmen of the citie tell the people the arrowe of God is among them and for all this no man is afraid it strikes downe some of the stoutest of them but alas all is giuen to some surfet or weakenesse in the man which they finding themselues free from thinke it is impossible for them to die as he did because they haue not his disease as though there were no more diseases to cut off life then that one If a messenger knocke at the doore and answer be giuen him presently hee is gone without delay so beloued Gods plagues would not still rage at our doores if we gaue God his answer yet still the Lord rings the bel at our doore Secondly a direction to the godly to watch continually that so they may escape the iudgements of the Lord and mourne for his iudgements vpon others for these April dewes will bring forth in them the May flowers of Gods spirit and in weeping stil respect our selues more thē other for that alone makes God carie handkerchifes to wipe away our teares and this sowing in teares will bring vs a speedie haruest and when the rod is vpon others let vs take it to our selues for is it not better to take the rod into our owne hands and beate our selues gently then the Lord who is a consuming fire should wast vs with it Bones out of ioynt the longer they goe they prooue more painfull betimes they are set more easily therefore let vs betimes set our selues in the waies of the Lord least he rebuke vs sharply We physicke purge sweate and all for the bodie can we indure nothing for the soule the vomite of the soule is the greife of repentance and tell me I pray you who euer repented him of repentant sorrow In these reproofes we are worse afraid then hurt rising out of a soft bed is exceeding tedious to a sluggard yet our vp doth not dare vs at all so is the awaking from the sleepe of sinne and slumbering in the reliques of sinne which still haue dwelling in the best of vs. To see a souldier wounded is no newes but to goe with it is desperate follie so our sighting in this world is no newes if it bring knocks and maimes vnto vs yet to let them goe and ranckle and fester is forlorne negligence therefore let this direction take his impression in our soules that we may make excellent vse of all Gods reproofes Vse 3. Consolation in trouble because the Lord will reward vs but punish them that cause vs affliction 2. Thess 1.6 7. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs. Secondly in prosperitie to reioice that we can sorrow that the Lord reprooues any of our brethren to be grieued for the afflictions of Ioseph Daniel could find no comfort in his priuate prosperitie and great authoritie because he knew that the Church of God was in great miserie the like affection was in good Nehemiah so likewise on the contrarie to reioyce when we be reprooued to see Gods church to flourish so Paul beeing in prison was not so much grieued at his own bonds as he reioyced at the libertie of the Gospel of Christ Sect. 3. Of the obiect Thee God in his owne children loues the person and accepts of them in Christ and onely hates their sinne and reprooues that but in an hypocrite he hates both the person and the sinne for if he should onely bee offended with the sinne then should there be no difference betwixt the godly and the wicked for he hates sinne equally in them both and yet they are not both equally hated and therefore some thing more in an hypocrite is the obiect of hatred then his verie sinne But it may be obiected that nothing can be hated but that which is euill The obiect of Gods hatred now the persons of wicked men are good the sinne is onely euill therefore onely hated Answ Euill is considered two wayes First in the abstract as beeing not considered with the subiect in which it is and so it is equally hated of God euery where Secondly in the concrete when the euill and the subiect are put together euill absolutely taken and an euill man are diuers considerations the same cause of hatred in both but not the same manner for a godly man is of an other condition seeing sinne in him is but a tyrant and he is none of his lawfull subiects and therefore though sinne fights to subdue him vnto his kingdome yet the spirit of God resists and will be the ruler Therefore as the loue of the subiects stand toward their king so doth the king loue them Now the loue of sinne and wicked men is naturall and so is the loue of God and his children spiritually naturall and therefore must he needes loue his owne subiects and hate all his enemies for if an enemie should captiuate a loyall subiect the king would presently require him againe when he is content to let his enemies haue their owne libertie ouer their owne slaues Therfore the children of God lose not the name of righteous persons because they sinne for it is rather sinne in themselues then themselues that offend God Rom. 7. Paul saies It is no more I but sinne that dwells in me Therefore in a wicked man there be three considerations first of his euill 2. of his sinnefull person 3. of his personall beeing the two first are hated the third is loued of God so a godly man first his euill secondly his righteous person thirdly his personall beeing the first is hated the two last are loued of the Lord. Observ 1. A Reproofe must be passed vpon sinne Euery thing that is secret must be brought into light Eph. 5.13 All things when they are reprooued of the light are manifest for it is the light that maketh all things manifest Ioh. 16.8 And when he is come he will reprooue the world of sinne and of righteousnes and of iudgement So that this point is generall to the sinnes of all men especially to the wicked for they haue neuer desired by heartie repentance to bring their sinnes vnto the light and therefore because they would not iudge themselues by it it shall iudge them to their woe Indeede to behold the light is a comfotable thing but for sore eyes it is verie troublesome and therefore those that doe euill hate the light because their works are euill and so the Lord must needs araigne them euen in the cleare sunne-shine to the view of all men euen of their verie consciences Ioh. 3. Reas 1. Because sinne is the violation of Gods law and therefore must
not goe vnreprooued Secondly because it opposeth the light and therefore cannot long stand in opposition by clouding of the light but the light will breake out The clouds in the aire can not alwaies shade the sunne from the eyes of the world nor the darknesse of the night alwaies shut vp the morning brightnes so shall not sinne alwaies fill the world with his mysts and clouds and alwaies shut vp the day of the Lords appearance to iudgment but the Lord will breake the heauens and make the glorie of his Sonne appeare at which heauen and earth shall flee away and then shall the thoughts of all hearts be made manifest Thirdly because God must be glorified for except the Lord do it himselfe he shal neuer haue any glorie in the sinnes of the wicked for they dishonor him as much as possibly they can Isa 59 4. No man calleth for iustice no man contendeth for truth v. 14. Iudgement goes backward iustice stands farre off truth is fallen in the streete and equitie can not enter The Lord seeth it it displeaseth him and he wonders that no man will offer himselfe for his defence therefore his arme did saue it and his righteousnes it selfe did sustaine it he put on righteousnes as an habergeon and an helmet of saluation vpon his head and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeale as with a cloake Then shall sinne surely haue his reproofe and a recompence shall be giuen for euill doing he will fully repay the Islands of the world 1. Vse reprehension first confutation of the wicked that make so much of their sinnes that are not ashamed to boast of them Well let them goe too these are the very things that the Lord will reprooue to their shame and confusion Secondly correction to the godly that are so meale-mouthed at sinne that haue not a word to say for the Lord of hosts We are too often in the extreames when God is silent we would be speaking and when the Lord is speaking we would be silent especially Ministers that dare not speake when the Lord hath bidden them speake boldly and not feare the faces of the proudest 2. Vse instruction First an admonition to the wicked to beware of sinning know they not that euery time they sinne they hold vp their hands to heauen to pray vnto God for vengeance Secondly a direction to Gods children to mitigate the bitternes of their sinnes Exod. 15. for sinnes may be compared to the waters of Marah and Gods reproofe to the bitternesse of those waters and Israels murmuring may set forth the discontednesse of the soule in tasting of those waters the crie of the people what shall we drinke to set forth the thirstie desire of the soule to be satisfied with some sweet water Moses cry vnto the Lord sets forth the grace of prayer vnto God for some sweet comfort in the bitter conflicts with sinne Lastly the Lord shewing Moses a tree to cast into the waters which doth make them sweet and so giueth them a pleasant rellish vnto the soule may set forth the action of God the father giuing of Christ the tree of life to euerie distressed soule which beeing receiued by faith into his soule will make riuers of water flow out of him to eternall life and keepe him from euer languishing againe vnder the burden of his sinne therefore let this be our direction in all Gods reproofes for sinne to sweeten them in Christ and so beare them patiently 3. Vse Consolation to all that are in Christ for God hath alreadie reprooued their sinnes in his sonne and therefore shal they be free from his wrath Suppose that a malefactor were condemned to die and the day of his execution were at hand how would this affect him in his soule how would he labour to escape it trie all his friends his goods wife children kinsfolkes the dearest of his acquaintance his wealth can serue him no better but to prouide for him while he liueth see him honourably buried when he is dead his wife and children and the rest tell him they will weepe for him all these are but cold comforts to the man that must die But if one should step out and say my life for yours if that will free you hee offers himselfe to the king the king accepts of him deliuers the pardon brings it to the malefactor now he is at ease and hardly can a man imagine the greatnesse of his ioy surely if that bee true that a man may die laughing hee might as soone loose his life in this passion of ioy as he might haue done in the passion of his sorrow Euen the selfe same cause is paralelled in a man on his death-bed I am reprooued of the Lord and adiudged to eternall death for my sinnes alas how shall I escape my goods are nothing vnto thee O Lord thou wilt not take them for the redemption of my soule my wife and children and good friends standing about my bed cut me at the very heart no worldly comfort can refresh my soule Oh my God take thy Christ for the redemption of my soule he is able to stand betwixt thy wrath and my sinne in him lift vpon me the light of thy countenance for therein stands my exceeding ioy farre aboue the increase of oyle corne wine or any worldly thing Obser 2. Hypocrites shall not goe vndiscouered it shal be knowne what they are they shall see what a sandie foundation they haue laid and how all their hopes are no better then the spiders web Isa 29.13 because this people come neere vnto me with their mouth and honour mee with their lips but haue remooued their hearts farre from mee and their feare toward mee was taught by the precept of men therefore to discouer them I will doe a marueilous thing the wisedome of the wisest of them shall perish and the vnderstanding of the most prudent shall be hid Woe shall be vnto their deepes and their workes of darkenesse and they shal meete with him that seeth them and knoweth them their deuises cause them most foolishly to stand vp with the pot against his maker and with the thing formed against him that fashioned him to say thou hast no vnderstanding Well your Lebanon shall become Carmel and your Carmel a forest the best you haue shall become worse and that which is next shal become a barren wildernesse yet Iacob shall not be confounded neither shall his face be pale for he shall see his children because the worke of mine hands is in the middst of him they shall still sanctifie my name euen the holy one of Israel and shal feare him then they that erred in spirit shall haue vnderstanding they that murmured shal learn this doctrine euen the hypocrits themselues whose spirit made them erre shall know that all their profession was nothing and they that murmured often against God for not respecting them as they deserued shall learne this doctrine that
with my heart and for my spirit to search diligently will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shewe no more fauour is his mercie cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore hath God forgotten to be mercifull hath he shut vp his tender mercie in displeasure what will this doe vnto my soule surely it will prooue my death Yet I remembred thy workes meditated in them deuised with my selfe what should be the ende of them and I found thy way in the Sanctuarie whither I must ascend by faith if I meane to declare thy power among the people to wit thy redemption The waters of the red sea seeing thy power were afraid the depths trembled thou rainedst vpon Egypt and madest thy thunders to be heard the lightning lightned the world the earth trembled and shooke thus thou didst lead thy people like sheepe by the hands of Moses and Aaron so that they wanted no comfort in the midst of many waters and all because God did dispose of all their troubles Surely that God orders all things is a most admirable comfort of the faithfull and a reson that I cannot leaue vnpressed Thy little finger shall not ake a haire of thy head shall not fall to the ground without Gods disposition Psal 121.4 behold a note of admiration both to good and bad of demonstration to all that expect the mercies of the Lord and of attention to those that are too negligent and what may they all behold euen this that the keeper of Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe A keeper what is that surely to be set in some office and therefore too base for the great God of heauen to become Israels seruant if Dauid had not styled him so in the next verse I should haue beene vnwilling to haue thought it but nowe I dare say it the Lord is thy keeper and therefore O Israel thou art but as a child vnder tuition as a sheepe vnder a pastor but happie that thou art put into the hands of no gouernour saue into his that gouernes the whole world not a sheepe left vpon the mountaines without a shepheard but euen vnto him that against the fond conceit of the Aramites is the God both of the mountaines and vallies the keeper of Israel First he had Iacob in his keeping the younger brother who when he feared the strength of his brother Esau became Israel one that preuailed with God and therefore sure to preuaile with man He had stood before the lyon of the tribe of Iudah and therefore needs not blush at the face of Esau Againe all the twelue Patriarks haue gone into Egypt and their whole progeny taking the name of their father and therefore were preserued in Egypt brought out with ioy lead through the red sea protected in the wildernesse and most safely conducted into the land of Canaan and since that all spirituall Israel hath bin lead by Christ Iesus out of spirituall Egypt through the red sea of his baptisme to passe through the wildernesse of this world vnto the celestiall Canaan where they shall appeare in Sion Now beloued what is this keeper vnto Israel not onely no sleeper but also free from all slumber he neuer layes his eyes together as though he were wearie with watching Psal 34.15 The eies of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their cries neither hath he any neede to close them vp for it is onely proper vnto the creatures that are wearied with labouring and watching but the Lord is no more wearie in his care for the whole world then he is for one of the heires of thy head See it in his Saints hee preserued Noe in the great deluge Abraham and Lot in all their dangers Iacob could not be hurt of Esau nor Ioseph in prison Moses cannot perish in the riuer nor Israel in the yron fornace and therefore the heathen by the light of nature could paint out prouidence in Argos with an hundred eyes so that if one were at rest yet another might be waking but the Lord is totus oculus nothing but eie and therefore all comfort to them for whom he watches for good and not for euill Vse 1. Reprehension first the confutation of the wicked that thinke by their disorder to confound the Lord indeede man is confounded in many law causes and knowes not to what heades to bring some crimes that so they may be iudged but the Lord wil not misse his scope for all their confusion Secondly a correction of the godly that depend no more vpon God is God thus excellent Oh then I will neuer be from his elbowe I will keepe me to my station that so when my God shall call I may be in readinesse Vse 2. Instruction first admonition to the wicked that for shame they set something in order and leaue not all in heapes seeing the God of heauē means to visit their houses Secondly let thē be admonished to deale better with their neighbours and bandle them more gently for that must come on their skore The other vse is a direction to the godly concerning the faithful cariage of themselues in this world Let them haue as little to doe with the wicked as they can for euery secret of them shall be brought to light How would a man tremble when he knows that any person is detected for villanies with whome he had to doe be none of their receiuers for they are theeues and they will indanger euery one of the law that hath any thing to doe with them Vse 3. Consolation vnspeakable that the Lord will haue the handling of all matters first in thy necessities hast thou any wrongs offered thee be of good comfort for the Iudge is for thee hast thou any trialls be exceeding ioyfull the matter shall be caried on thy side against the face of all thy aduersaries hast thou lost any thing by theeues and wicked oppressors of the world if they now be vnknowne vnto thee thou shalt haue them then detected if thou knowest them but can get no redresse here vpon earth rest quiet thine heart the matter shall be amended and for deferring of the payment thou shalt receiue the whole with all the forfeits Secondly in thy plenty reioyce in the Lord for he orders all things to increase thy store and to giue thee thy fill of ioy Sect. 2. Of the placing of sinne Set The second argument is the setting or placing of sinne Hos 2.10 from whence it is plaine that sinne hath wholly put man out of ioynt and alas when this setting shall come he shall be so forlorne that it shall be impossible to bring his ioynts into any good frame It shall then be past time for turning the wheele of the vnderstanding for disposing the will to runne in her created course to bring the affections to good order place euerie member of the bodie to become a weapon of righteousnesse to serue uhe Lord yet there shall be a
thee but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and light are both a like Secondly correction of the godly that are troubled about this point more then any thing in the world Psal 37. and Psal 73. and Psal 77 Vse 2. Instruction first admonition of the godly to consider what is the cause of all disorder and the true rule of all reformation he ought to correct his heart in iudging so hardly of religion for that often is made of him the cause of all trouble Again to reforme that general crie the poore they cry against the rich and the rich against the poore the prodigall person against the couetous the couetous against the spend-thrift the man of pleasure against the stupid person and the stupid person against the man of pleasure all crie out against sinne and if euery mans cry were true then no man should prooue a sinner but the cry plainely shewes that totus mundus positus est in maligno the whole world is ouerflowne with sinne but no man will see it in himselfe Well a good method would remedy all this Thirdly this may admonish the wicked that they haue variety of sinnes because method is a disposition of varietie for what order can be seene in one thing Fourthly that sinnes are linked together for methode is of one thing vnder another and so drawes in another and therefore it were good they would consider of that drawing of sinne as with cart ropes Fiftly to take notice that God can make his light shine vpon their dunghills euen to reueale them and set them in open view therefore let them be more wary for the least of their secrets shall not escape this light Sixtly let them know that they shall haue their sinnes propounded to their owne view and to the view of the whole world for methode propounds euery thing to be veiwed Seuenthly that this shall open the whole mysterie of sinne for there is one word more that sets forth the verie forme of methode and that is an orderly placing of all things for a man may be a long time setting on the score but neuer in any good order for our frequenters of Ale-houses set on a pace but neuer in any good order so sinners set on a pace they drawe many a score for future payment but their lines are so confused that if they would at any time cast vp their accounts it would be impossible for thâ—â—â— therefore hath the Lord well put in those words in order so that now they may he assured that the reckoning shall come to some yssue surely setting much on the score among men often times makes broken reckonings and so they fall together to quarrelling and spend much more at the lawe but this shall be remooued by the Lord for this placing in order shall be done presently for the Lord in a briefe table will bring vnto remembrance all his sinnes I said in my lawe thou shalt haue none other gods before me now know that before mee were all things and mine eyes saw all things in a moment and therefore from this lawe I shewe that thou hast had many thousand gods before me which now I set before thee Secondly I commanded thee to take heede of making any image or similitude of me but thou hast made as many of me as thou hast thought thoughts for euery thought of thee was to make me like thy selfe and therefore if in an howre thou can thinke multitudes of thoughts then conceiue that in thy whole life thou hast had a world of idolatrous thoughts Thirdly I said that my name was a glorious name and therefore bad thee be exceeding carefull of it yet many waies hast thou taken it in vaine in thought word and deede In thought thou hast tashly conceiued of me how often hast thou aduisedly and with great deliberation prepared thy selfe to speake of me nay alas how often hath there started out out of thy mouth O God O Lord O Iesus O Christ c. if thy mouth when thou wast an infant can testifie of this that thou neuer shed a teare without O Lord in thy mouth then wast thou vnwise and knew not the value of this name and since thy infancie thou hast turned thy facultie and abilitie in this thing to an exquisite habite and readie promptnesse so that without either sâ—utting or stammering thou can at euerie word fling out a Lord haue mercie vpon vs but with what aduisednesse all that heare thee may easily iudge Secondly how often hast thou set thy thoughts aboue Gods giuen more honour vnto thy owne name then vnto Gods surely thy trust and confidence in thy selfe will be a plaine argument for this For words first for idle words what swarmes of them hast thou brought forth secondly profane speeches blasphemous oathes cursing of Gods prouidence in wishing mischeifes and plagues vpon thy poore creatures whether men or beasts and many rotten words which this my lawe will presently reckon vnto thee For my Sabbaths how hast thou sanctified them in thy selfe and all that belong vnto thee hast thou not profaned them thy selfe and set all thy seruants to do the same wel in a word there was neuer a Sabbath spent in the whole course of thy life that I had any glorie at all by and looke thou not for any iot of glorie with mee Fiftly for thy father and mother and all thy superiours how hast thou honoured them let thy conscience tell thee how often thou hast cursed the King in thy priuie chamber how often thou hast contemned my Magistrates how often rebelled against father and mother For murther my law is but a word thou shalt noâ— kill yet how often hast thou murthered thy brother in thought word and deede Thou shalt not commit adulterie but often hast thou runne in consent with adulterers and when thou could accomplish thy desire thou wast not wanting in the practise For stealing how often hath thy neighbour suffered wrong by thee For false witnesse thou hast not ceased to slander and falsely to accuse thine owne mothers sonne For coueting that which is not thine owne thou hast not ceased night nor day from this offence And therefore thinke of this order and thou shalt haue a volume of sinnes come into thy mind For I may tearme thy conscience nothing but lex applicata for when these things shall be applied vnto thy conscience thou shalt sufficiently be resolued of this setting sinne in order Many admonitions more might be giuen but these shall suffice The second instruction is for the godly that they walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wife redeeming the time because the dayes are euill and so much the rather because by this means God shall bee more glorified in the condemnation of the wicked for it is naturall vnto men to excuse themselues by others Why are you so strict in our accounts with vs you can winke at othâ—rs that haue beene as backeward as wee haue beene and therefore
in equitie you might haue considered our estate with others and though we haue deserued all you propound against vs yet we plead the law of nature against you this you haue stamped in euerie one of vs quod tibi non vis alterine feceris ergo quod alijs non vis nobis ne feceris if this be seemely to others and praise worthie I pray you let the same praise redound vnto you by vs. Beloued in the Lord let vs stoppe the mouthes of the wicked in this plea Know you not that the Saints shall iudge the world therefore keep your selues blamelesse vnspotted of the world Rom. 2.21 thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe thou that preachest a man should not steale doest thou steale thou that sayest a man should not commit adulterie doest thou commit adulterie thou that abhorrest Idols commitest thou sacriledge thou that gloriest in the law through breaking the lawe dishonourest thou God for the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you so beloued will it be saide when we shall come to iudge the wicked Sit you to iudge me according to the law when you your selues haue done against the law They may well turne it off as the drab did in the Commedie nam si ego digna hac contumelia sum maximè at tu indignus qui faceres tamen well may I grant the fault but that thou shouldst charge me with it that I vtterly renounce Seeing therefore God will honour vs in making vs accompanie him in his iudging of the world let vs purge our selues from all euill while we accompanie the wicked in this world by necessitie of cohabitation that so we may euen truly detect that coloured pretended holines of the wicked 1. Pet. 2.1 malice guile hypocrisie Malice is the roote guile is the meanes of performance and hypocrisie is the cloke to couer all Therefore let vs take willingly the Apostles exhortation laying aside all maliciousnes and all guile and dissimulation and envie and euill speaking as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that we may grow thereby and so gather sufficient strength to glorifie God and stand out against the wicked Vse 3. Consolation first to all distressed soules that they shal see all redressed which hath grieued them in this life Secondly in all prosperity to be as wise as the wicked in their generations the vniust steward knowing that his master would put him out of his office prouides before the time for himselfe so surely the things of this world which through our abuse are become our masters and we the vniust disposers of them will one day turne vs out of our office therfore let vs make some good vse of them while we haue them Two men walking together and hauing a dog to follow them as long as they goe together no man can iustly tell who is the owner but when they part the dog wil follow his master euen so in the world while we walke in it no man knows who ownes the goods of the world yet when the world and we part it shall plainly appeare that they were the goods of the world so they return vnto the owner therefore happie is he that hath made him freinds of them that so God may receiue him into his tabernacle That nation that for the space of three yeares would allot vnto their prince all that he could wish but whē his three yeares were expired then was he to be banished for euer into the worst place they could imagine and there to liue in misery the rest of his life one prince among al the rest is commended for that the whole time of his glory he gathered together and fent ouer before-hand into the Isle whether hee should bee banished all necessaries so that after he was remoued from his throne of dignitie hee liued a more comfortable life then all the time of his pompe in the world So surely euery Christian labouring in this world to vse all good blessings of God to his glory shall be sure to finde store of heauenly blessings when they shall part with this world he were a foole that trauailing by the high way and beeing exceeding thirstie and meeting with a pleasant riuer could not be content to satisfie the thirst of his soule and so let the riuer runne on but he would diuert the course of the riuer another way so euerie man that liues in this world and can not be content to vse the things of this world for all his necessities they can supply vnto him but he will change the course of them and thinke that they shall for euer blesse him and giue his soule rest not for manie yeres but for euer Alas he is deceiued with them and therefore Paul 1. Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not hie minded and that they trust not in vncerten riches but in the liuing God which giueth vs aboundantly all things to enioy that they doe good and be rich in good workes and readie to distribute communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life therefore may they be a way vnto our happinesse if God giue vs grace to vse them a right Now I come to the obiect which is disorder Sect. 3. Concerning the obiect of this order Them The obiect of Gods disposing iustice are the sinnes of the hypocrit which are indeed nothing but disorder and confusion and therfore in reason rather an opposite to order then any obiect but the excellencie of all rules is such that they are not onely able to iudge themselues but also the contrarie This disorder we may plainly see in the first of Rom. from the 21. ver to the end First of the mind vanitie and blindnes vanitie in strange purposes blindnes in the performance of them and disorder which runneth with them both and suffereth nothing to bee carried vnto his ende and therefore maketh all the purposes of wicked men to end in vanitie Disorder is the high way to vanitie and blindnesse is the only guide to disorder so that blindnes disorder and vanitie are three inseparable companions This blindnes is of the best eye and therefore how great is that darknes Secondly from the mind this disorder runnes a long to the wil and affections and these are the more strong because the deuil helps to driue them and as we say in our common prouerbe he will run fast whom the deuil driues and therfore the Apostle shewes how disorderedly they gaue themselues to all sinne therefore Iob 11.12 tells vs that vaine man would be wise though man new borne is like a wildasse colt Hence the Apostle calls their mind reprobate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word may be vnderstood either actiuely or passiuely actiuely that they disprooue all good courses passiuely that they are disprooued and disallowed of God Thirdly from vnderstanding will
and affections they proceede to strange disorder in life and conuersation and therefore v. 28. they are said to do◠those things which are not conuenient which in particular are expressed in the 29 30 and 31. v. The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which includes two things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither dutie nor decorum so that they misse euery action in the substance and in the circumstance Dutie is wanting therefore the forme of the action is spoiled decencie is also vnperformed and therefore no good manner is obserued by the wicked Therefore wicked men are like to themselues within and without for knowledge will and affection they are disordered at home for life and conuersation abroad Observ Hence then it followeth that Sinne is nothing but disorder and confusion and that sinners are the onely disordered and confused persons in the world First for the confusion of sinne see it in regard of all times God hath from the beginning of the world made the times of his mercie and Iustice appeare and yet sinne hath so obscured them that a man can not discerne whether men were more holy in the time of the Law or now in the Gospel Indeede in the 2. of Tit. v. 11. it is said that the grace of God that bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlines and worldly lusts and that we should liue soberly and righteously and holily in this present world but alas vngodlines and worldly lusts put forth themselues as euidently as they did when the Lord kept backe his glorious appearance of grace Some Christians celebrate a Christmas day indeede which if the name onely were changed a man might iudge it to be a day of Bacchus the feast of Epicures rather then the feast of Saints Againe it hath made a confusion of all places for how shall Christians distinguish betwixt the heathen gentiles that neuer knewe the Lord and them that haue made a profession of his name surely if it were not the worke of the Lord many of their workes would testifie that Gentilisme Iudaisme Atheisme and Christianisme were all one Thirdly it hath made a confusion of all Callings insomuch that no man can distinguish by the liues of men betwixt a calling and a recreation for if recreations be not callings then many a gentleman will prooue himselfe to haue no calling Fourthly in actions good or bad neceffarie or indifferent seasonable or vnseasonable sinne makes all one Fiftly of persons old or young prince or people magistrate or meane persons superiour or inferiour Pastour or flocke all is one for sinne will set the boy against the aged people Prince inferiours superiours and all shall be of the same profession And God tells Israel Ose 4.9 there shall be like people like priosts which beareth the same sense in all the rest And therefore if we looke into court and country citie towne village and house we shall see sinne will be the quarter-master Hence ambition wil order all in the court couetousnesse in the country pride in the city deceit in the towne drunkennesse theft swilling in villages contentions and brawling in families the wife against the husband and the husband against the wife father against the sonne and seruant against master so that he that would espie out any order in the world may not with Diogenes take a candle at noone day go vp and downe the market to spie out an honest man but if he were compassed about with all the starres in heauen and had all the light in the world he were not able to spie out any order in any corner of the world except that which the Lord himselfe hath done will perfectly accomplish hereafter And as sinne is in all these so are sinners the oxe knowes his owner and the asse his masters crib the crane turtle swallow their appointed times but euen Israel hath not knowne Gods people hath not vnderstood For place if God shall say vnto man as he did vnto Moses Exod. 3.5 Moses Moses put thy shooes off thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Christ may say my house shall be called a house of prayer and the Preacher may say to euery one take heed vnto your feet when ye come into the house of God yet none shall with Moses put off his shooes hide his face be afraid to looke vpon God for they will stare him in the face euen standing in all their filthines they will make the house of God a denne of theeues and for all that the Preacher hath said be so farre from hearing that they will offer without all controlment the sacrifice of fooles For Callings it is as easie to pull the starres from heauen as to make some gentlemen leaue their pleasures or they that are giuen to a wandring life to set themselues to some honest calling whereby they may glorifie God profit Church Common-wealth and liue honestly among their neighbours For actions men neither care for honestie nor dishonestie but rush into sinne as the horse doth into the battell and drinke in iniquitie as the fish doth water As for persons what care and conscience make men of their companie they can shake hands with euery bodie be most at ease with the wicked and solace themselues with those that hate God And therfore the point is cleare that the world is full of disorder and confusion The reasons whereof are these Reas 1. Because that sinne and sinners breake all Gods limits and wil be kept within no compasse vntill the Lord take sinne and sinners and chaine them vp for euer with the deuill in hell Reas 2. Because sinne confounds all mens memories for take a sinner either in Church or Common-wealth to giue accounts either to God or man of that which they trusted him withall and you shall finde him so confounded with the spending of his masters goods that he cannot tell iustly how any penie is put forth for his masters profit therefore at the day of iudgement when the Lord shall call for his talents wicked men shall be so confounded that they haue nothing to say but away with me wretch into the place of my torments Reas 3. Is from the nature of sinne which accepts of all without distinction it careth not how it comes by any thing whether by hooke or by crooke as we say and therefore sinne beeing a great gatherer and keeping no booke either of receits or expences must needes make confusion when it comes to the reckoning and therefore neither the giuer nor the spender shall haue any profit by it 1. Vse reprehension First confutation of the wicked that make no account of the day of Gods reckoning with them but let them be assured that Gods booke is neither crossed nor made vp in this world and therefore must they looke to answer hereafter Secondly correction to the godly that can not be content to let God be crossing
his book in this world by afflicting and punishing of them let them know that God is iust and sinne must haue smart therefore either in this world or in the world to come and blessed is he that hath it in this world 2. Vse instruction First admonition to the wicked to shew them plainly that if they will haue their fill of sinne in this world they shall haue their paiment of it hereafter and therefore if they will stand to their taske they shall be sure to stand to their perill Secondly direction to the godly that they awake and strengthen the things which remaine remember what they haue receiued and heard concerning the Lord Iesus and hold it fast and repent of their wants least he come on them as a thiefe and they know not what houre shall be the time of his approach 3. Vse consolation in all estates to him that disposeth his way aright because the Lord will shew vnto him the saluation of his soule Psal 50.23 And thus much concerning the Order of Gods Iustice in the Cause Forme and Effect ⧠TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sir IOHN CROFTS a true louer of learning Grace and Peace BEEING well perswaded right Worsh both of your good knowledge in Gods holy truth of your vnfained affection therunto I could not but in loue and duty present you with some part of my labours I haue reserued vnto you the last part of my booke but not the least part of my loue the last is sometimes the best and I doubt not but the experience of Gods loue toward you will constraine you to confesse this last to be the best seeing I am fully perswaded that you knowe that there is nothing like vnto the feast of a good conscience The reason why I would with-hold the Reader a little in suspence is for that I haue wearied him with a large discourse and as yet haue giuen him no refreshment therefore being 〈◊〉 in the last period of my text which is the placing of sinne before the conscience a torment most lamentable wofull and miserable I should vtterly breake his heart if I should giue him no breathing No strappade racke wheele or any exquisite torture euer inuented by the witte of man is comparable to this The Poets haue maâ—ked this vnder the furies of hell whose hayres on their heads they haue compared to snakes their eies to sparkling fire their faces grim and griesly their hands full of burning torches c. The maske beeing taken off the morall will prooue no fable but a plaine expression of the greatest horror and distresse of mind that possibly can bee imagined no physickeeither by purgation can dispatch this humour or cordialls by their sweetest spirits drine these spirits from the trembling heart No surgerie either by corrasiue can eate it out lenitiue mitigate and asswage the paine oyles mollifie or salues cure Friendship by loue labour intreatie gifts ransomes pledges c. may deliuer a man out of prison but who can vnlock the prison dores of the conscience knocke off the bolts heale vp the wounds refresh the decaied spirits of a sorrowfull mind if there were but one of a thousand he were better then millions of gold and siluer but alas there is but one in all the world and he seemes to be so farre remote that the conscience dare neuer once imagine that if he were sent for he would make any hast to come in time Power and commaundmay recouer a man from banishment but what command shall preuaile with the powers of darkenes and the gates of hell Authoritie and timecan we are out reproach but eternitie it selfe cannot out-last this sorrowe no countenance can beare it out or fauour releiue it this dies not when we die but makes vs liue when with all our hearts we would be dead Therefore right Worsh patronage a fewe verses of a bad Poet I haue desired to make them sauourie meat if they tast harshly excuse the cooke for his good-will as ready to make amends in the next seruice if they want arte or be dressed without their sugred sauce I hope a good appetite wil serue insteed of that seruice And the rather I offer them vnto your selfe because I haue made bold to dresse them with some of your fire and I doubt not but in regard thereof they wil be a little the warmer and though I would not wish that any man should scald himselfe with ouer-hasty tasting yet doe I wish with all my heart that the fire of your zeale against the sacrilegious patrones of our dayes might a little dissolue the cold and frozen hearts of these robbers of Churches to worke in them a better respect vnto Gods people and the good of their owne soules And so praying the Lord to make your heart stable and vnblameable in holinesse I commit you to his grace in Christ Iesus August 10. 1615. Yours in all good affection IOHN YATES 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The commoditie which no man may neglect to buy or dare to sell GRace more then grace and vertue then her pay He payes not well that loues her but a day The day is yours and vertue is the prize The gaine is great if that no more arise The world doth buy to sell and sell to buy But few there be that trade the truth to try The pretious truth is bought but not to sell And he that gaines so much doth trade full well But many sell that neuer care to buy Prophane like Esau of their birthright cry Alas that cry is great when they with griefe Shall seeke with teares and goe without releife Worlds praise to spend but pitie to be spent And loose lifes-lease for paiment of Gods rent To spinne the thread of thraldome is mans ill And weaue the web of woe is all his will But he that weares the garment shall complaine Which cannot hide him for disgrace and paine Le ts leaue this trash in others feeke due praise Which I confesse is rare in these our dayes Where be the learned Patrone of our age That sooner giue then take and spare to rage Presume who dare their gifts without his gifts Or vndertake to striue at these dead lifts To winne to weare is vnder ouer take And lesse then this to thee no friends can make Will a booke make a man part with his best Liuing I meane for euer-liuing rest This is right Macenas that learning knowes Rewards the man before his gifts he showes Rare to be sound and lesse the greater shame No shame to speake if any beare this name Who fault can finde when deeds examples make And teach what others ought to vndertake To vndertake is for to match him right In vertue good but money is too light A liuing White the center of your loue Though dead from White the center cannot mooue Oh worthie White name nature do contend And nature more then can thy name pretend Thy learning life and name were all one white Let Papists shoot they
'le neuer hit this white Once liuing White now dead yet liuing more And walkes in white where heart was long before Who lou'd thy gifts and yet of gifts would none But he that car'd for thee and thine now gone Though rich in grace yet poorer in estate For crosses thicke befell thee now of late Thy Patron which in loue did thee aduance Now pitie takes of thine in their hard chance To liuing and the dead this is great loue And may compassion much in others mooue To Lancashier thy paines much good did bring And from thy words their well-fare long may sing Thou chang'd thy charge and still did paines discharge Yet in a church where grace had small enlarge Change of pasture in prouerb make fat calfes But nature saies to sheepe oft rot'nes falls Greenham had pasture greene but sheepe full leane Yet change of charge made pasture far more meane Whites flocke both green and white for harâ—est made And wonder was what good successe he had But Barnham was to him more barren soile Small fruit did spring from labour and his toile Oh cursed crue that will your sinnes pursue And neuer cease till hell be for your due I call as he did often cry Repent Before your time for mercie all be spent Iudge this your sad affliction springs from sin To whip out folly and let wise dome in Arraigned must you be before your iudge For manie crimes that neuer here you grudge These things hast thou done The more these things are knowne the lesse the care And lesse the care the more these things you dare The sincere Iudge no worke nor persons spares Done thou and these to euery man he shares I held my tongue Soone may be speake in wrath that holds his tongue And recompence your sinnes for all this wrong Thou thoughtest I was like thee A thought as farre from good as Gods from ill To thinke and iudge a like is all your will I will reprooue thee I will reprooue is not a word in vaine For God will strike and vengeance is the paine Set them in order before thee Confusion great in sinne and sinners staies But God that knowes can order all their waies To order sinne before the sinners face Is wofull pay for running of that race Conclusion It is your crowne and honour to maintaine Gods pretious Church though others it disdaine Well haue you runne runne on with speed apace Your gaine no doubt shall glorie be and grace Grace here on earth and glorie farre aboue This life well spent a better life shall prooue CHAP. VII Concerning the fearefull apprehension of the Conscience in these words before thee THe Originall hath it in thine eyes that is in the eyes of the conscience which is the best iudge in the world and the hardest to bee corrupted it is no receiuer of bribes but the true applyer of the lawe to euerie fact whether good or euil it deales with man either by absoluing or condemning Nature of conscience before God it either accuseth or excuseth Hence conscientia quasi scientia qualis quisquis sit a true knowledge what manner of person euerie man is 1. Ioh. 3.20 If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things if our heart condemne vs not then haue we boldnesse toward God this Paul found in himselfe 1. Cor. 4.4 but hee would not iustifie himselfe by it This on the contrarie made the accusers of the woman taken in adulterie creepe out one after another Ioh. 8.9 In all men this beares witnesse of the law of God written in their hearts Rom. 2.15 It calls old sinnes to remembrace and makes men afraid of the punishment of theÌ„ Gen. 50.15 It is a grieuous wound for sinne committed and alwaies cries vengeance Gen. 4.14 By custome of sinne the conscience is become fleshie not soft but hardened First that it looseth all feeling of sinne Ephes 4.19 and secondly incurable by any ordinarie surgerie for as a Schirrous place in the bodie or that which is become to haue a Canker in it oyles will not mollifie it plaisters and salues cannot heale it vp only a hot yron must burne it out and so bring the place againe to feeling so many a mans conscience is so hardned that nothing will cure it but hell fire and the worme that neuer dieth 1. Timoth. 4.2 I haue shewed how many wayes the conscience is brought to feeling the hot yrons that God vseth are in number three The first is some general amazement or astonishing of the heart by some sudden fearefull and extraordinary iudgement Dan. 5.9 The second is made hote by some particular acknowledgement of some particular sinne Matth. 27.3 Lastly by the last iudgement Reu. 20 12. Conscience quiet and not good Kinds of conscience is of the secure and carelesse liuer good but not quiet is of the broken and contrite spirit which the Lord will neuer despise the conscience neither quiet nor good is of the desperat sinner quiet and good is of the Christian come from vnder the storme and tempest of temptation and resting in the sweete sense and feeling of the mercies of his God in Christ Iesus sealed vnto him by the testimonie of the spirit of God The conscience meant in this place is the quiet but not good conscience awaked by the fearfull iudgements of God to tremble and feare Zecha 5. vntill the flying booke came forth which is the curse of God the woman which is wickednes sitting in the middest of the Ephah is pressed with a weight of lead and stirreth not but now the Lord euen by a weake meanes of two women hauing the wind in their wings lifts vp the Ephah betweene the earth and the heauen and then the whole earth which sits at quiet shall be mooued and established for euer in the land of darkenesse and obliuion Therefore because the Lord knowes that he shall finde the whole world asleepe when he comes to iudgement bids them that loue him watch take heede of securitie Observ Of all miseries that can befall man none like to the setting of sinne before the eyes of the conscience The Lord in this Psalme is extraordinarily offended with the hypocrite and for his plague hee puts this one for all I will set thy sinnes before thee Alas The children of God often wrastle with horror of conscience the children of God often feele the wrath of God kindled against their soules and anguish of conscience most intolerable and can find notwithstanding continuall prayers and incessant supplication made vnto the Lord no release but in their own iudgement stand reprobate from Gods couenant and voide of all hope of his inheritance expecting the consummation of their misery and fearefull sentence of eternall condemnation when perhaps these are but temptations rising from their owne nature or els without them by the malicious enemie Sathan or from such allurements or terrors which the world tosseth vs with all in these
vnto heauen His counsels are not to bee measured by our infirmities nor by that we cast forecast or doubt but as hee himselfe hath pronounced of his wayes and many haue prooued true to their euerlasting happinesse But Sir I pray you Whether a Christian may drawe vpon him this pitifull wound of a desparing conscience may we not draw this fearefull sentence on our selues that as God hath said he will set our sinnes before vs so now he hath truely done it and we sensibly feele it yea verely if Gods onely mercy be not our stay for as our first parents voluntarily gaue their necks and in them all their posterity vnder the yoake of Sathan and as the vengeance of Gods iustice alwaies burneth against the wicked his sword continually employed which nothing can quench but the wâ—ter of his grace flowing from the sides of his Son and that compleat armour whereof S. Paul speaketh Ephes 6. so should all of vs in this life tast of the heat seele the dint of that sword if his mercy in his Sonne and for his Saints cause on the earth he stayed not the iealousie of his wrath his anger our sinnes pull on but his mercie is onely for himselfe So then all men are subiect to afflictions of conscience melancholie persons especially First such as are exercised either in naturall philofophic without the light of Gods word or else with the light of Gods word but diue too deepe into Gods secrets Secondly such as are negligent in reading and practising Thirdly such as are humorous Fourthly such as are weake in faith The meanes that brings all this vpon vs is ignorance and infidelitie now least Gods children should vnaduisedly dishonour God in this kind of sorrow who is the God of peace and comfort we will shew that this setting of sinne before their eyes is greater matter of comfort then sorrow and so hauing saued Gods children out of this fire by yeelding them that comfort which the Lord promiseth to euery broken and contrite heart setting his sinnes before his eies that so he may escape the iudgement of God which shall be sure to fall vpon all hypocrites when no comfort shall be found for them either in beauen or earth For the godly let them resolue that sinne must haue smart therefore the Lords sending affliction vnto his children is because he would not haue them freeze with the wicked world in their dregges If God punish not in this world either God is vniust or els there is a hel to punish them in euerlastingly but his children if they profit not by one he sends another to condemne them in the world that they may escape in the world to come Secondly as that is Gods ende so they shall finde that this is Gods ordinarie way to doe them good Iam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that is tried for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life Luk. 24.26 it is reprehended of our Sauiour Christ as a matter arguing great ignorance and infidelitie not to know and beleeue that this was his portion and so consequently a thing to fall vpon all them that would liue godlily in him 2. Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution therefore saide Christ vnto them O fooles and slow of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie Now this beeing prooued as Christ doth in that place beginning at Moses and all the Prophets must needes follow that the seruants beeing no better then the master and the members as subiect to miserie as the head that this must be their portion for in plaine reason it were a shame to see the head crowned with thornes and all the rest of the bodie clothed with rich attire and costly raiment such as are in Kings houses but it is well if Christians may be lodged in Innes for strangers they are in this world nay well if they may but obtaine the stable and the manger for their chamber and their bed for they are hated of the world and therefore the worst roome is too good for them in the conceit of the world Act. 14.22 Confirming the Disciples hearts and exhorting them to continue in the faith affirming that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdom of heauen Admirable is the first chapt of Iames v. 1. the twelue Tribes are fratterâ—d abroad sâ—â—re from Ierusalem and that among the heathen Ierusalem is vtterly destroied the Temple brought vnto the ground not one stone left vpon an other and all those woes that our Sauiour Christ spoke of Matth. 24. were accomplished now might they well hang their instruments on the willows wholly forget Ierusalem let their tongues fooner cleaue vnto the rooses of their mouthes then that they should once sing the fongs of Syon yet Iames the seruant of God and of the Lord Iesus Christ is bold to write vnto them the salutation of ioy and comfort and well may he be entertained of the faithfull among the Iewes because of his flyle a seruant of God might haue put life vnto them all but and of the Lord Iesus Christ shall make him odious to the multitude Well be knowes vnto whome to tender hsi seruice to wit to those whom God loues therfore he respects the beleeuing Iewes that now might bee swallowed vp with greise therefore v. 2. he calls them his brethren But he beginnes with cold comfort Count it my brethren exceeding ioy when ye fall into temptation but the Apostle knowes the best what shall be for their present consolation and therefore he respects that before all other and so begins with it not leauing his exhortation as a bare affirmation but adding in the rest of the chapter a strong confirmation of his exhortation Marke therefore the arguments as grounds to be laid in all our afflictions they are in number fiue The first is drawn from the blessed fruit that shal spring from this tree and that is patieace euen the whole worship of God in distresse wherby being neady to loose our soules we possesse them and the excellency of patience he commends vnto vs v. 4. from his perfection first in himselfe secondly in his worke thirdly in the subiect giuing vs to distinguish betwixt this pationce and all other fained patience is but for a time hath in it selfe no perfection it works nothing because it is a meere patient yee and to suffer constrained but this a stirring patience for he must haue his worke and he is neither idle nor a vaine workman for he hath a perfection of his worke Thirdly the subiect of all other patience is but like vnto a stone that beeing stricken with the hammer and clouen in pieces lies still neuer vnites his parts againe but this patience when his subiect is euen beaten to powder and is scattered abroad is able to bring all together againe ioyne soule
he knows our minds and gathers much by the inclination of our affections and will and marking the obiect on which we dwell But you will obiect the Lord hath reserued this propertie vnto himselfe to know the heart Ans It is true but the communication of the heart may be betwixt man and man and man and angels therefore the Lord directly knowes the heart and all the corners of it so that wee can bring no fallacian out of it to deceiue God but the deuill may be deceiued as surely often he is in the discourses of the godly Experience hath prooued that the consultations of wicked kings haue been reuealed to the godly 2. kin 6.11 Will ye not shewe me which of vs bewrayeth our counsell to the King of Israel one of his seruants makes answer It is Elisha the Prophet that telleth the King of Israel euen the words that thou speakest in thy priuy chamber Elisha heard not these words yet they are communicated vnto him after a spirituall manner such as are the visions of God and thus Paul depriued of all bodily instruments sawe things inutterable Yea the deuill beeing Gods ape hath detected one wicked mans counsell to an other but he hath alwaies bin deceiued in the consultations of the godly and neuer was able to reueale them To proceede From this experience he can conclude not onely from our speeches and gestures to conceiue of our intents and purposes but out of our vniuersall corruption whereof hee hath continuall proofe much matter of argument to discouer the vanitie of our minds the secret thoughts of our hearts and the verie inclinations of the same Now these beeing found out hee will proceed to suggestion as he seeth occasion and our greatest inclination and so by instigation vnto sinne make vs disobey God and all his holy commandements Againe that he doth not all by suggestion vnto the soule inclining it is plaine whē our natures seem not to incline vnto them in any speciall consideration or loue it before other wickednesse neither the world alluring or inforcing vs especially Gods children abhorring the very least conceit of such sinnes as blasphemies and laying violent hands on themselues or others without all hate or malice or any occasion of reuenge And surely of the same nature is despaire and distrust of Gods mercies losse of the seede of Gods word when we haue no inclination vnto them at all but rather contrarily affected and these the deuill puts vnto vs in regard of our generall corruption without any further consideration of speciall inclination and therfore he neuer ceaseth in these temptations because he hath hope to preuaile in them and therefore shall we neuer be rid of the deuil vntill God haue wholly deliuered vs from our staines Truely Gods children often admire how euer such a thought should rise in their head when they hate the very appearance of it Now I come to the second head which is done by meanes first single and then mixt but before I enter this let vs consider the deuill as a fowler whose nature is to be a friend in shew but a foe in heart Secondly looke vpon his snares which all of them haue three properties sweet dangerous secret Thirdly consider the waies of his laying the deuills way is suggestion reall operation and both together the way wherein he layes them is inward or outward inward iudgements and lusts outward actions graces things indifferent and euill company as the stale the hold that he hath is very strong for vntill grace haue turned him out he holds men at his will a most beastly captiuitie nay worse then beastly because beasts hauing once bin snared wil come there no more but a man is neuer wel but when he is in the snares of the deuil Secondly it is a voluntarie captiuitie and therefore like to be for euer except the Lord haue mercy to change his mind and draw him against his wil. Thirdly it is most base for Israel in Egypt may be accounted kings in regard of the slaues of the deuill Lastly it is most treacherous because they renounce their couenant with God and strike hands with the deuill and therefore from these things cōsidered we may make full account that the deuil hath many meanes to helpe him the first is suggestiō on the soule accompanied with all the baits he can imagine the second reall operation on the bodie affecting humour and spirit and so making them assist him as meanes to worke our woe Humor distempered causeth diseases to the bodie and the bodie diseased changeth our manners and course of liuing hinc mores sequuntur humores Againe he dulls the spirits and so causeth drousinesse in the worship of God and euerie good calling againe he refresheth them in euill and therefore keepes vs long waking vnto it For the mixing of both together both suggestion and real operation the deuill can play his part most dangerously for he can worke the humours of our bodies to make notable way for suggestion vpon our soules If a man bee of a melancholie constitution whose humour is drie and cold the deuill will make it notably affect a man in all his members especially in his heart and braine the two of the principall parts of man and where the soule hath most residence in the heart he will affect him with sudden feares strange distrusts suspition of infinit euills whereby he will mooue the soule in iudgement will and affection to set about the inuenting willing and effecting of some strange exploits to ease himselfe of his paines hence often either murder of himselfe or of some other which he falsly suspects an instrument of his woe Againe the braine by altering all the senses working strange imaginations by which it is almost impossible but that the mind of man should be set a working and these being false grounds hardly shal the iudgement escape vncorrupted nay alas whatsoeuer they conceit vpon these grounds shall not be remoued out of their iudgement They that thinke themselues to be made of glasse wil not suffer their verie freinds to come neere them he that thought himselfe to be a cocke would neuer giue ouer the spreading of his armes in imitation of the cocke clapping his wings and then would endeuour to imitate the cockes crow he that conceited himselfe to be Atlas could neuer be brought to sit down lest his head that vnderpropped heauē being remoued should suffer heauen to fall vpon him he that thought a certaine tyrant had cut off his head could neuer be perswaded to the contrary vntill his head aked the physitian hauing put a cap of lead on it The woman that imagined that she had swallowed a Serpent could neuer be at rest vntill she sawe one priuily conueied into her stoole which she imagined to haue beene brought downe by the physitians purgation Another thinking himselfe dead would eat no meat because it was not vsuall for dead men to eate vntill he sawe one come out of a sheete
the sheild of faith nor fierie darts peirce the soule or drie vp the waters of the spirit but faith hath such a riuer flowing vp and downe the soule to eternall life that euery dart be it neuer so red and scalding hote is presently quenched The helmet of saluation wil be sure to saue the head for which the hand would be content to be cut off before it should receiue the least blow therefore the head beeing free we need lesse to feare the danger and for our hands we haue the sword of the spirit which is the onely weapon that the deuill may not endure buckle on this armour by prayer and watchfulnes and still looke the deuil in the face and we shall neuer receiue hurt by him but if we turne back then shall we haue not any peice of armour to saue vs from danger They are princes but we haue the Prince of peace and angels their superiours and I doubt not but as many in number as they to fight for vs and these haue gotten the vpper ground of the deuills and for spirituall wickednesse we haue gotten the spirit of grace and goodnes that can mooue swifter then the deuils to stand by vs and assist vs in all our infirmities let them all make vp a god in this world yet he that rules heauen and earth will laugh them to scorne trust therefore in Gods power and his aids and be quiet a little and these enemies that you see and feele in this world yee shall neuer see them or haue cause to seele them hereafter The three children Dan. 3. tell the King they care not for his command and why because they know that the God whom they-serue can deliuer them and if he will not death shall be as good to them Christ saies his sheepe heare his voice and follow him none shal take them out of his hands the reason is because God that gaue them him is stronger then all Be of good comfort little children yee haue ouercome the world because he that is in you is stronger then he that is in the world 1. Ioh. 4.4 The leper cries if thou willt thou canst make me cleane many be our leprosies and happie are we that we haue so good a remedy We pray for many strange things but if we obserue but the conclusion of the Lords prayer we may soone gather vp our spirits seeing we knowe that power belongs vnto God thine is the kingdome power and glory We beleeue a resurrection and many other strange things but our faith needs not to fall seeing we say and beleeue that God is almightie I beleeue in God the Father almightie this made Paul to challenge principalities and powers height and depth c. Rom. 8. neuer had he the least feare that they should euer be able to separate him from the loue of God in Christ Iesus Let vs see what comforts in speciall may be giuen to Gods children in affliction for surely euery soule shall find with Elijah 1. kin 19. fleeing from Iezebel comfort from the verie angels of God yea when they are brought to stand vpon the mount before the Lord they shall see the Lord passe by and a mightie strong wind rend the mountaines and breake the rocks before the Lord but the Lord was not in the winds and after the wind came an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake after the earthquake came fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire came a still and foft voyce and in that was the Lord found Oh the goodnesse of the Lord that in all the winds earthquakes and fires that he makes to passe before his children will not be seene in them for then should euery one of vs be consumed and vtterly confounded yet will he be found in the still and soft voyce It is an vsuall custome before great Potentates come vnto their palaces to haue a peale of ordinance to be shot off before their approach so the Lord by this feare makes way that the King of glorie may come in and dwell with the soule God hath diuerse meanes to bring vp his children lawe and gospel iudgement and mercie in the giuing of the lawe there was thunder lightning and earth quakes yet the Lord was heard in a stil voice to deliuer his law Gods schollers must stand as well at the foote of mount Ebor to heare the curse as at mount Gerison to heare the blessings the one prepares the other enters more easily to giue the heart her due comfort Moses Deuter. 28. is full of curses and blessings God hath many a good Dauid to rule ouer his people as wel as hard hearted Pharaoh to schoole them he hath more good Prophets to blesse them then wicked Balaams to curse them he hath an euangelicall Isaiah to lift them vp with promises of the Gospel as a lamenting Ieremiah to cast them downe with woes and lamentations he hath an Hosea and Zechariah to teach them in Enigmaes and darke sentences and many other to bee as plaine as heart can wish he hath many a Paul I beseech you brethren as wel as sons of thunder to make vs quake and tremble yea and alwaies this is the ende of all afflictions a gracious sufficit 2. Sam. 24.16 it is sufficient hold now thy hand Now what the Lord doth either in prosperity or aduersitie often wee see not and therefore we loose the comfort of it The birth of an infant borne and encreasing is not apprehended presently euen so is it with vs in our heauenly birth spirituall regeneration the spirit worketh without our leaue and acquainteth vs not with his maruailous working more then is expedient at his pleasure when and in what measure for our comfort Therefore let vs take heed that God say not vnto vs as he did vnto Iob cap. 38.2 who is this that darkeneth the counsell by words without knowledge who are you that interrupt the wayes of God and labour to preuent his counsels be sober and patient and you shal in the ende receiue the cuppe of saluation instead of these bottles of vineger and teares and in stead of the bread of affliction the heauenly manna and the bread of life from the table of God and of Christ In the meane time I commend vnto euerie soule in affliction these heads of comfort which I will shewe vnto him in all the causes First in the efficient causes principall lesse principall Principall first the promise of God 1. Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull therefore will he suffer no temptation to be aboue our abilitie but will euen giue the issue with the temptation that we may be able to beare it Secondly his promise is grounded vpon his power Col. 1.11 Strengthened with all might through his glorious power vnto all patience and long-suffering with ioyfulnesse which power is manifested in those two things which grounds the confidence of al in the world and that is that the promiser bee a man
any consolation or what assurance of escape if wee would flee the punishment hath no miserie to compare with it the sense of it passeth the capacity of man for as blessednes with God is aboue all conceit of mans bea rt and report of tongue so the contrarie estate exceedeth all vnderstanding of the mind and vtterance of speach and is such as is aboue measure vnhappy and most miserable inflicted by Gods reuenge who is himselfe a consuming fire whose wrath once kindled burneth to the bottome of hell Againe the minister of reuenge is without all compassion he will not be content with Iobs riches and possessions but he vrgeth skin for skin would haue God permit him to streatch out his hand to touch his bones and flesh neither there would he satisfie himselfe but euen against Gods expresse commandment if it were possible bring his life into the dust neither there would he rest vntill he had brought him to damne both bodie and soule Now if God would but look on as he did while the deuil was beating Iob it would wonderfully refresh the wicked though the Lord meant neuer to helpe them but alas hee wil not vouchsafe them the lest countenance but suffer the deuill to torment and racke them to the vttermost of his power Therefore as he hath mourthered the soules of infinite men he shal be praying on them for euer Oh wofull estate I know not what to say of it our life and length of dayes will forsake vs the deuill worse then all tyrants sauage beastes harpies vultures yea then all the creatures of God shall seaze vpon vs our consciences with a worme that neuer dyeth shall gnaw vpon vs surely for want of words I must leaue it therefore euery one as he loues the good of his owne soule let him bee admonished to thinke of this fearefull sentence I will set thy sinnes in order before thee Reasons First because the conscience is made of God a little iudge and witnes of all our deeds and actions and therefore must be ioyne with the Lord against his owne subiect Reas 2. Because wicked men should be happie if it were not for their consciences therefore must the Lord needs awake them to see their miserie Reas 3. That his law may haue his effect and that the power of him may be made manifest whereby God may be glorified the wicked ashamed for putting out so good a light and fret and gnash with their teeth that they regarded not so good admonitors as the law of God and their own conscience did continually set before their eies Reas 4. That their misery might be perpetuall and dispossesse them of all ioy it is necessary that the Lord should make their sinnes euer to stand before the eyes of their conscience Vse 1. Reprehension confutation of the wicked that they would neuer consider of their sinnes but still did forget God and his law putting them farre from them but now shal they be sure to haue both sinne and punishment God and his law to draw so neere them that they could wish themselues to bee nothing or at least that the verie mountaines and rockes might fal vpon them a burden more easie to beare then the least touch of their conscience seeing their sinne feeling their punishment from the law accusing and God himselfe reuenging the violation of the same Secondly a correction of the godly that they be not too cruell vnto their owne soules conceiuing that the Lord hath done vnto them as he hath done vnto the wicked when indeed it is rather their owne phansie assisted by their corruption that makes them iudge so miserably of themselues as though they were reprobates and with Cain cast out of the presence of God for euer yet let them knowe that is but the tendernesse of the conscience and not that violent haling of them to the stake which is in the wicked whose consciences strike against the law as stones and hammers that would rather haue the lawe broken then themselues to bee broken and hammered by it Vse 2. Instruction first admonition to the wicked that they be not so cruell vnto themselues but consider that euery sinne they commit is the stabbing and wounding of their consciences and he that stabbes often the selfesame place wil be sure to bring out his heart blood and make a most fearefull ende for though the wounds of the conscience bleeding fresh are not so sensible yet beeing festered and full of corruption hauing no oyle of grace powred into them shall bee extraordinarie sores and so miserably felt of the patient that when the Lord shall touch them they shall roare and gnash with their teeth for the extremity of the paine Secondly direction to the godly to bee most tender for the eie of their conscience We vse the eye of the bodie most tenderly and great is our care to safegard it much more ought wee to tender the eye of our soule beeing farre more excellent then the eie of the bodie Vse 3. Consolation first in all distresse to knowe that it is a happie thing to beare the yoke in our youthes to know our diseases betimes and haue our sinnes discouered for then is there hope of cure but if they continue vntill old age then wil they be in greater danger Secondly in all our welfare to labour for the assurance of a good conscience which is our best felicitie Application of the whole sentence in the two last verses Want of consideration makes men forget God and both these are forerunners of Gods vengeance and euerlasting destruction therefore the admonition is to all wicked and godlesse men that betimes they arraigne themselues call a Iurie try their wayes and examine their own hearts how they stand with God for it seemes their estate is verie lamentable First in that they are styled forgetters of God and he that forgets God cannot but forsake God Ier. 2.12 Oh yee heauens be astonied at this be afraid and vtterly confounded for my people haue commited two euills they haue forsaken me the fountaine of liuing waters to digge them pits euen broken pits that can hold no water Oh generation take heede to the word of the Lord consider in your minds ponder in your hearts and obserue in your waies whether the Lord hath bin as a wildernesse vnto you or as a land of darknesse Oh consider what a mischeife you haue procured vnto your selues in that you haue forsaken the Lord your God which hath lead you by the way and hath bin as a familiar friend vnto you nay as a prince to command heauen earth to giue you safe-conduct through all the dangers and perills that might befall you Can a maid forget her ornament or a bride her attire yet you for whom I haue done all this haue forgotten me dayes without number But if you will not consider then assure you selues that your owne wickednesse shall correct you and your turnings backe shall reprooue you know therefore
and behold that it is an euill thing and bitter that you haue forgotten the Lord your God and that his feare is not in you and if you will not know and behold then assure your selues that I will teare you in peices and there shall be none to deliuer you though you should wash your selues with nitre and take much sope yet your iniquitie shall be marked before mee so that I will neuer forget your transgression but will visit them vpon you for euer and euer in the place of easlesse and endlesse torments For my Saints in whom I delight come let vs reason together Though your sinnes were as crimsin they shall be as white as snow though they were red as scarlet yet shall they be as wooll wash you therefore make you cleane take away the euill of your works from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well c. consent and obey that ye may eate the good things of the land for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it he that offereth praise shall glorifie me and to him that disposeth his way aright will I shew my saluation Neither let the slanders reproches and disgraces of the world withdraw you from your honest conuersation for the world is but as a begger that while the trauailer seemes to looke vpon him cryes nothing but good your worship but as soone as his back his turned and the hope of his gain is gone conuerts his reuerence into railing his blessings into curses and good prayers into damnable execrations but I hope the honest man is neuer the worse so the world as long as we can smile on it we shall haue many good words and kind salutations but when we giue ouer to runne into the selfesame excesse of riot with them then shall we haue them speake all manner of euill of vs when the towne is on fire the bells ring out and make a strange and an vnaccustomed iangling and euery one cryes out to his neighbour for a paile of water to quench the fire withall so if any Christian be fired with a loue of God and make his houshold burne in the feruencie of the spirit the flame of this fire doth so trouble his next neighbour that euery time he heares them at their accustomed prayers or singing of psalmes he is so troubled in mind and affraid of his owne house that he cannot be quiet vntill he rings all his bels backward-way and gather together as many as he can with their pailes of water to quench this fire for alas as long as he sees or hears of this fire he is afraid least the fire of hell should kindle in his conscience and so depriue him of all his peace and quietnes that he labours to maintaine by his prophanesse and wretched liuing but whosoeuer thou art that hast gotten this fire of Gods grace into thine owne house let it burn outward if it burne thy neighbours house God shall forgiue thee I know no law against thee this I am sure of that if to conuert one to righteousnes shal cause a godly man to shine as the sun in the firmament much more if thou conuert a whole household these fires are no dangerous fires and I am afraid for want of these fires the Lord hath kindled many fires in our land within these few yeers This fire I tell you would not only quench these fires among vs but the fire of sinne within vs yea and that most fearfull fire of all the rest euen the fire of hel Christians must reserue the top of their affections for God in other obiects feare exceeds here no extrasie is high enough a man of spirit cannot brooke a sluggard in his worke and a slouth full messenger is as vinegan to the teeth and smoake to the eyes sharpnesse of wit counts dulnesse tediousnes now the Lord is all spirit and meanes thou to serue and yet not in spirit and truth the angels his swift messengers are flow and cold enough and therefore thinks thou that God will take pleasure in thy drowsieand heauie seruice men choose the forwardest deere for the game and the liueliest colt for the rod and therefore thinke not but God delights in the quickest and cheerfullest seruitors at his table Christ saies to Iudas that which thou doest doe quickely and God commanded that the necke of the consecrated asse should be broken rather then offered vp in sacrifice it was rather a curse then a blessing that Issachar should bee a strong asse now an asse is the Hierogliphick of heauines therefore their seruice was vnfit for Gods house Iudah must bee as a lyon that neuer comes without spoile and so must all the people be that Shiloh hath gathered together since that scepter of power and dignitie departed from Iudah Elisha the Prophet of the Lord is called the horsmen and chariots of Israel and so must good Christians be as a fiery chariot and a readie horse-man nay in the plurall number horsemen and chariots too strong and swift for all those that shall followe them The sluggard hee cryes a lyon is in the way but tell Sampson and Dauid so and they wil out to meete him Tell a timorous magistrate of some dangerous opposite and he will seeke to please yet let Nehemiah heare but of a Samballat and he will presently crie for shame shall such a man as I feare Tell Caleb of Anakims and he will bee so hastie as that nothing should hold him let vs goe vp at once Let Agabus bind Paul or let him heare that in euerie city bands await him and he will not long delay their expectation nay he is not onely readie for bands but death too Tell Inbentius hee must lay downe his life and before you haue spoken hee hath laid downe his cloathes Tell Luther of enemies in Wormes and he will go though all the tiles of their houses were deuils to pull him in peices Prou. 30. Agar speakes of fowre things stately in their kind Iob. 39.40.41 heares God set foorth his maiestie by the horse and Leuiathan c. to the fowre first I adde a fift comprehending and excelling them all namely the true Christian strong and bold as a lyon swift as the grey-hound in the wayes of Gods commandements as nimble as the goate to climbe the steepe and craggie rockes in this world like Ionathan and his armour bearer that crept vpon their hands and feete the sharpe rockes to fight against the Philistims Lastly victorious Kings to ouercome the world and his lusts Leuiathan laughes at the speare and the horse neight at the trumpet so these valiant champions to take the kingdome of heauen feare neither the noise of the world nor the glittering of the speare but through fire and water carrie their liues in their hands embrace stake and faggot say to father and mother I knowe you not to carnall counsellers and friendly enemies get you behind me Satan surely if Christians were not some admirable
vnderstanding will affections and all their instruments our vnderstanding is turned into blindnes of error our will embraceth not onely those things which corrupt iudgement directeth vnto but euen where vnderstanding standeth sound there will bendeth to affection and neglecteth the light of reason our affections are both rebellious to right iudgement and will in that they rage when they should not and where iust cause is giuen are quiet and at rest Thus from these principles in the soule the bodily members become weapons and instruments of all impietie and iniustice euen to the ouerturning of Church and Common-wealth except the Lord should restraine them in so much that the very pillars of the world would shatter in sunder and the vault of heauen would fall all things would turne to their former Chaos be consumed with the terrible fire of Gods vengeance and perish in his heauie displeasure Thirdly God puts on his children armour of proofe but they are negligent in the buckling of it on them and therefore the deuill often takes aduantage by that to doe vs hurt euen the gifts and graces of God are made grounds of the deuils temptations and therefore no maruaile though Sathan and the world preuaile against vs except the Lord stretch forth his hand and vphold vs. Therefore because I see the point in hand waightie and that which troubles the whole world to lie euen vpon this foundation and the resolution whereof cannot but administer excellent comfort to euery Christian I wil be bold to inlarge my meditations and the more willingly because it is so direct with my text not as grounded from it but as misapplied of the weak Christian taking euery sight of his sin for this fearefull setting of them before the eies of his conscience when the Lord onely threatneth the hypocrits and wicked of this world which will not but by constraint of law and iudgement meddle with their sinnes nay on the contrarie it is their nature to make God alwaies a friend vnto them as before we declared Therefore for the godlies sake will I not keepe silence in proceeding for their cōfort The grounds of all temptations beeing laid both inward and outward essentiall and accidentall we will come to the difficultie of difficulties to see how the deuill aimes at these grounds For distinction he doth it two waies either mediately or immediately mediately either by single means or by ioyning two together all these kinds will I manifest in the following discourse And first for his immediate working the experience of it is more lamentable and infallible then the manner howe easie to finde out yet something dare we boldly affirme and for methods sake we bring it to two heads It is either corporall possession or spirituall for the first hee may easily bring it about without any meanes because he is a most subtile nature and ful of strength by his subtiltie he may easily enter the bodie and by his strength he may carrie it at his pleasure he may possesse the whole bodie as Master command all that house but surely hee can not haue such accesse vnto the soule yet from his nature beeing by creation a spirit and therefore of the same kind of essence with our soules and indued with the same qualities of vnderstanding and will is able by agreement of nature and excellencie of qualitie to ouer-reach man beeing in the selfe same kind his inferiour For the nature of Angels is more excellent then mans and therefore hath hee a power ouer them for in nature euery inferiour power is subiected to the superiour yet both of them limited of God Therfore I doubt not but God permitting the deuill is able to meddle with our spirits without all corporall meanes euen as we see corporall creatures with bodily and corporall force to annoy one another and as men haue fellowship one with other by corporall presence and are delighted or displeased with the qualities of the mind according as they like or dislike vttered by speach and talke so it is most like that spirits haue their societie maintained by a spirituall conference whereby their wils and purposes are intercommunicated one to another without corporall sound whereof both the spirits want the instrument and the voice nothing affecteth the mind Daily experience maketh this manifest in such as are possessed whose discourses are often rare and admirable whose speach and phrase is often such as they neuer learned Now the deuill must needs be the schoolemaster and surely he informes them not by voice but by spirituall communication and so they receiue a cleare notion of many a point they were alwaies ignorant of and are able to expresse it in all varietie of languages and that in the phrase of eloquence Nay in a lesser degree then all this the false spirit perswades Ahab by all his false and lying Prophets that he should goe vp and prosper surely this spirit informed their spirits Thus entred Satan into Iudas not by corporall possession but spirituall and perswaded him to betray Christ thus Ananias Acts 5. had his heart filled and Ephes 2. the deuill is called the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience and that once they walked according to the conduct of that spirit These must needs bee reall operations carrying a force in them more then obiects do vnto any facultie that is conuersant about it for suppose the deuill should hold any art before the eies of an ignorant man could he possibly become a good Grammarian Rhetorician Logician whereby hee would talke with a Grecian though he were a Barbarian plead with Cicero though he were one of the common sort and dispute with Aristotle and Plato though he had neuer been in their schooles but had followed the plough all his life I should from reason thinke it impossible therefore he communicates his knowledg with these ignorant persons But you will say this is strange why should we then not perceiue it I answer the bodie in which the soule is is as a vayle to hide his manner of communication from vs yet it is no hinderance for him to enter within the vaile and speake vnto vs more angelico yet we peceiue it not saue in the effects because for the time of this life we exercise all actions through the body yet I am perswaded that if the soule were out of the body we should perceiue it most plainely if the curtain were drawn we should see the deuill lying with vs in our bosomes for the soules among themselues and with the angels in heauen haue sweet communication and therefore I feare not but the damned soules and deuils in hell haue their wofull societie Againe for the better conceiuing of this point wee stand not only subiect to Sathans annoyance through the subtilnes of his nature being a spirit but through that long experience and practise about our miserie from age to age is able to work more powerfully the Lord permitting him for a time Thus more perfectly