that thou art engaged in Magna silentii laus est quo confessus est Aron justo Dei judicio extinctos esse ita se cohibitum fuisse ut cum Deo rixari non auderet Ad animum enim refertur ut Psal 39.3 Psal 62.1 Calv. in loc Ephes 2.12 Qui extra foedus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est sine Deo à se culto à se amato eoque propitio nonbabet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jus sibi vendicandi postulandi possidendi quod est filiorum Dei Coc. de foeder Testamento Dei. Thes 1. §. 7. prevail not let not thy heart rise against it Aaron had a great tryal Levit. 10.13 He lost two Sons by an immediate stroke of Gods hand in an act of sin and yet Aaron held his peace A higher tryal had Abraham O that Ishmael might live in thy sight The Lord answers my Covenant will I establish with Isaac Abraham knew that there was no salvation out of Covenant and that this Covenant should not be established with Ishmael and yet he sits down in silence under the hand of God If once the will of God be manifested the soul ought to acknowledge it It is the Lord let him do what seems him good This was the blessed temper of Ely when he heard of the miseries that should come upon his house I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy fathers house and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever 1 Sam. 2.31 Brachium ipsa materia cogit ut de fortitudine vitali sermonem esse intelligamus Cajet Descriptio est eripiendi sacerdotii quod illius familiae robur erat firmamentum dignitatem authoritatem tuam Pontificiam auseram c. P. Martyr A Lap. Se tantis opibus spoliatos prae dolore deficiant propter excitati animi dignitatem invidia contabescant and he that is left in thy house shall be to consume thy eyes and to greive thy heart yet he answers it is the Lord. 3. Exercise a weaned heart towards thy present enjoyments It may be thou hast lost an estate thy freinds fail thy hopes are faln God hath blown upon all the projects that thy heart did fancy to thy self for thy own advancement thy heart ought to be as a weaned * Significat se nullius rei esse sollicituÌ„ infantis instar quem mater lacte alere desut ille tamen à matris cura pendet sic se omnem eventum Deo committere c. Muis in loc child Psa 131.2 It s spoken in reference to his dependencies that as children look only to their mother they have no projects for themselves so it is with me I wait only upon God look unto him only Homines quaÌ„ par est sapere providi esse appetunt Calv. Men are prudent and provident creatures but my heart is taken off from the dug of all my former comforts my dependencies are upon an immediate providence for supply I project nothing for my self The poor leaves himself with thee Psal 10.14 So much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth fignifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est ita quempiam relinquere ut eum juvare aut tueri prorsus dimisit Psa 22.1 Job 39.14 Ezech. 8 12. His verbis signific dandum esse tempus Providentiae ut pii homines curas in Dei finum rejiciant Deo igitur relinquit quisquis in ejus fidem se ita consert ut fidele depositorium esse persuasus maturum redemptionis tempus placide expectet Cal. a man puts himself out of his own protection into the hands of God with an exclusive resolution I will seek no farther I am willing to be in that condition in which he will set me take the provision the Lord will make for me If he will make me a Shepherd or a King my heart is ready Vis me pastorem ovium vis me Regem populorum ecce paratum est cor meum as Bernard brings in David so speaking of himself 4. Accept the punishment That is the expression Levit. 26.41 If their uncircumcised heart be humbled and they * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat consentit Psa 50.18 acceptavit Eccles 9.7 hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derivatur Avernar A Sept. reddit per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat etiam placavit expiavit Esay 40.1 inde sensus est ad poenam tanquam meritam consentire ut propitiam utilem aequo grato animo ferre Videtur etiam subjicere studium placandi Deo alludit enim ad sacrificia quibus se Deo reconciliabant Calv. Esay 39.8 Lam. 3.22 Gen. 32.10 accept the punishment the word signifies to be well pleased with it to acknowledge it to be less then their iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 As when the Lord threatned a grievous punishment upon the house of Hezechiah He accepts the punishment saying good is the Word of the Lord that there shall be truth and peace in my dayes And when they were in Babylon they acknowledge it is the Lords mercy that we are not consumed And if a man should accept it for himself I conceive it also a Duty to accept the punishment for others and not to have his spirit to rise with impatient frettings as if the Lord had dealt with others in a way of rigour and paid them beyond their deserts Surely there ought to be a complacency of soul in all the dealings of God towards our selves or others An humble heart is less then the least of all Gods mercies And a man should bless God that he is not brought into the lowest condition of men that he sees any creature below him As when the two Cardinals were riding to the a Luther in tertium praeceptum Ecce hanc bestiam bufonem intuitus tam eximiam creaturaÌ„ fecit â—e Deus nunquam gratias egi quod me quoque tam deformem bufonem non fecerit hoc est quod amarè fleo Councel of Constance they heard a man in the way weeping and wailing greatly asking him what he alled they found him looking upon an ugly Toad and his heart was melted with the consideration of this mercy that God had not made him such a creature who was made of the same clay with it Which made one of them cry out well said the Father Surgunt indocti rapiunt coelum nos cum doctrinis nostris volutamur in carne sanguine Aug. 5. Judge it to be best now the will of God is manifested or else thou dost prefer thy will above Gods will Blush at such an unworthy thought that when God hath declared what his will is thou shouldst think that if it had been thus it had been better for herein thou dost make thy will the Rule of goodness and dost prefer it unto the will of God Surely The b Psal 24.1 principes non cogitent se dominos esse terrarum
numeris absolutum reddere ut nihil desit aut rodundet vel membrum luxatum suo loco reponere â—eza it will never cease till it work it self clear again Gal. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set him in joynt again A godly man under sin is as one that hath a bone out of joynt always in pain till it be set again in its own place These are the Rules by which a man may know whether there be an habitual conformity in his will unto the commanding will of God even then when the actings of the man fall contrary and crosse thereunto Quest Quest 3. But some man may say I bless God my will is subdued unto the will of God that I am ready to say be the command never so difficult be the service never so unpleasing and unacceptable to flesh speak Lord for thy servant heareth Here I am send me Isay 6 8. But while we live here we know but in part there is a great blindness in our minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 15. that we know not what the will of God is veritas in puteo In some cases the will of God lies deep Nazianzen Orat. 29. branches all things under three heads 1. Some things we know 2. Some things we daily study and endeavour to know 3. Some things are reserved for glory in the life to come By this means I am many times at a loss in my own thoughts my way is hid I know not whether to turn aside to the right or the left hand In such cases how should I do to know what the good and perfect and acceptable will of God is Answ Answ Herein I shall give you first some general Rules secondly some more particular directions First The general Rules are clearly laid down in the word and they are these 1. I must not do the least evil to promote the greatest good which is the Doctrine of the Apostle Rom. 3.8 Because there is no good that can recompence the evil of sin that being the greatest evil If there could any good come by sin that could recompence the evil of it that might be embraced but * Ad sempiternam salutem nullus ducendus est opitulante mendacio non enim malis convertentiuÌ„ moribus ad bonos more 's convertendus est L. ad Consentium de mendacio c. 21. Mallem mundus à peccato Gehennam intrare quam pollutus in coelum Austin hath determined that if the salvation of the world might be procured by one officious lye CoÌ„ditionaliter intelligenduÌ„ est hoc moderamine si id salvâ pietate liceat Glass Rhet. Sacr. p. 477. Dilectionis hunc esse perpetuum limitem ut ad aras usque procedat quod si ergo in Deo non extra Deum diligimus nunquam erit nimius noster amor Cal. It is not to be understood of a separation from the Spirit and Grace of Christ but from the glory and the comforts of Christ If he had desired the first he had sinned for we should not desire to be in a sinful condition to save all the world Burroughs Moses choise p. 523. 524. the world was rather to be destroyed then the sin committed And Anselm professeth he should count Hell a good peniworth if exchanged for a sin Hell being only contra bonum creatuÌ„ Sin contra bonum increatum The one against a created the other against an uncreated good Neither can I look upon that Interpretation as strained of that place Rom. 9.3 I could wish my self accursed from Christ for my kinsmen according to the flesh That is to be separated from him in happiness though not in holiness It s true happiness and holiness cannot be separated neither could Paul be separated from Christ in either And that Rule of Luther is true Amor extatious procedit etiam ad impossibilia Love may carry a man to desire things impossible but not things unlawful But for the Apostle to have wished himself to have been separated from Christ in holiness had been a sinful wish and therefore not to be desired for the highest good whatsoever 2. The greatest evil of suffering is to be chosen rather then the least evil of sinning Therefore it is made a fruit of Moses Faith that he chose rather to suffer then to sin Heb. 12.25 And it s made a great part of their wickedness to chuse iniquity rather then affliction Job 36.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dilectionem rei denotat in comparatione alterius minùs dilectae cum animi affectione complacentia Cocceius in loc Nemo potest convincere aliquando esse mentiendum nisi qui poterit ostendere aeternum aliquod bonum obtineri mendacio Sed tanto quisque ab aeternitate discedit quantò à veritate discordat Aug. de mendac cap. 7. If there be any thing that doth appear to be a sin we must say with Cyprian In re tam sancta nulla est deliberatio I am concluded under the will of God I cannot do this great wickedness and sin against him 3. Non omnes leges quas Magistratus condit subditorum obligant conscientiam non tantum obedire recusant Apostoli sed etiam declarant se teneri ad non obedienduÌ„ est minister Dei est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non igitur obligant leges ad ea quae Deus declaravit illicita quod in legibus Reip. declaratuÌ„ est injustum atque iniquuÌ„ Caspar Streso com pract in Act. Prov. 29.25 We must in all things obey God rather then man Acts 4.19 If the command of man doth fall cross to the will of God then you must not be the servants of men Therefore were the people of Israel oppressed and broken in Judgement because they willingly walked after the Commandment of their Rulers Hosea 5.11 I confess the fear of man is a snare but whensoever it is objected we are to sanctifie the Lord God in our hearts making him our dread and our fear 4. In ambiguis licet charitas semper deligat meliorem partem tamen vitio non caruit Rebeccae dolus sciebat immutabile esse decretum quo electus adoptatus fuerat Jacob cur non patientèr expectat dum reipsa confirmet Deus quod è caelo pronunciavit Calv. in Gen 27.5 Saepè fieri potest ut hoc velit homo malâ voluntate quod Deus vult bonâ c Aug. enchir c 101. Deus non tantuÌ„ jusserat ut tolleret idololatriae authores veruÌ„ etiam ipsam extirparet ille caede contentus alteram mandati divini partem prorsus neglexit Ita quod à Jehova praecipitur à Jehu efficitur sed non ex eodem principio non eodem animo intentione Tarnov Good intentions will not justifie bad actions neither will good actions bear out evill intentions For the intention is not the Rule but the Commandment and if that be transgressed it matters not what our intentions are
1 Sam. 16.1 Pro toto corpore pro statu regni non debuit orare quoniam sciebat jam actum esse de populo illo Calv. or seek to God for one more faithful to succeed this was Samuels sin and for this the Lord reproves him Nay when the sentence is gone forth from the Lord he forbids his people to pray Jer. 7. Pray not for this people for I will not hear thee The will of God being manifested a man should be so far satisfied with it that he should not pray against it though it be the greatest misery that can befall the Church of God in this life As that of the captivity was For our prayers should be according to the will of God as it is revealed and if the Lord hath once revealed his will we should not pray against it neither should our spirits rise against it but we should strive for a holy and sweet composure of heart under it and not be indulgent to sullen and discontented mournings as if I would it had not been so or as if I would have had it otherwise 10. When the Lord doth manifest his will be you instrumental and co workers together with him for that is our duty in reference to the effecting will of God So do the Angels When the man among the Myrtle Trees goes forth immediately the whole heavenly Host are on horse-back behinde him * Chrisius specie humana ad tempus assumpta insidebat equo ut celeritas auxilii majestas dominii indicaretur cujus stipatores sunt Angeli aliique Majestatis divinae Ministri qui Christo Regi ut Equites instructi inserviunt sive ad judicia impiis praestanda sive ad beneficia piis conferenda maxima cum celeritate Tarnov Effusio Phialarum significat ruinam Bestiae Antichristianae Septem phialae totidem sunt istius ruinae gradus est enim effusio irae Dei cap. 15.1 Mede Zach. 1.8 9. As soon as Christ appears when he doth advance so do they for the Churches deliverance And when Jesus Christ goes forth against Antichrist whom he will surely destroy with the brightness of his coming and all the powers on Earth shall not be able to cure him the deadly wound given him under the Vials already poured out There are Angels that joyn with him in the work For the Vials are filled with wrath Revel 15.7 by the prayers of the Saints And by one of the four Beasts spoken of Chap. 4. given unto the Angels the Actors with God in this work Called Angels as I conceive not properly because heavenly Angels those ministring Spirits though it is true all is done by the conduct and assistance of the Angels or they are Principalities and Powers in the Government of the World under Christ Angeli sunt homines purioris Ecclesiae cives ut apparet eâ— loco unde prodeunt amictu sunt enim vestes filiorum Aronis Exod. 28.42 Brightm Quae multorum manibus peraguntur Angelo tanquam rei gerendae praesidi Duci tribuuntur quoniam Deus Angeles a dhibet providentiae suae administros in rerum humanarum conversionibus ciendis gubernandis Mede but these Angels are men not individual persons but men joyned together in a body to effect this work For they are described to be cloathed with linnen and their breasts girt with golden girdles that is amictu Sacerdotali ornati they had the Ornaments of the Priests upon them because they are called and anoynted of the Lord unto this service and because they are made Priests unto God by Jesus Christ These Angels do come in their order and do pour out their Vials and when the Lord is pouring out any of these and that he is now eminently doing it is confessed by all our Divines it is good for a man to be instrumental to be of the number of these Angels to bear our part by prayer and paines or whatsoever else we may contribute unto this work saying if the Lord will destroy the man of sin I will be so far from having a hand in supporting of him that I will put forth my hand also towards his ruine For this is the Amaleck with whom the Lord will never have peace from Generation to Generation And when Antichrist shall be subdued and all Antichristian powers there will be found Armies following of Christ upon white horses Exercitus non tam ad praelium instrui videdetur quam ab triumphum Bright a token of triumph and victory Revel 19.14 And no man shall ride with Christ in triumph when the victory is won who hath not rode forth with him against Antichrist unto the Battle 3. A great part of the power of godliness doth consist in a submitting of our will unto the will of God in his ordering effecting disposing of the things of the world And the grounds of it are these 1. Godliness is nothing else but exalting of God in the soul as it is the abasing of God in the soul that is properly ungodliness low thoughts and vile apprehensions of God and therefore the lusts of mens hearts are called ungodly lusts Iude 19. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebraismo significante quotidianam vitae consuetudinem Est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est in abstracto abstractum denotat essentiam Cupiditatis essentia in aversione à Deo consistit Est etiam vice Epitheti sicut civitas sanctitatis est sanctissi ma populus anathematis sc summo anathemati devotus ita cupiditates impietatum est planè impiae vel impientissimae Gloss Gram. sacr p. 110. Grotius in loc God is said to exalt himself Psal 57.5 Psal 21.13 Psal 148.13 Be thou exalted in thy own strength And we are said to exalt God though he be the most High Isai 25.1 Thou art my God and I will exal thee †Potentia infinita in se exaltari nequit sed respectu nostri cum fortitudinem suam potenter nobis ostendit Exaltare dicimur cum quempiam ad dignitates ascendere facimus cum laudibus aut veneratione eveâ—imus c. Forer Vnde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abâ—â—tio est quia in altum elevatur dum offertur quod offertur Deo ad elevationem Aven Preston of mans uprightness pag. 36. God exalts himself by his works and the Saints exalt him in his worship and it is in these high apprehensions of God that godliness doth mainly consist Now in this submission of will God is very highly exalted in the hearts of the Saints First Hereby we acknowledge his soveraignty that he alone hath right to govern the world because they are all the works of his hands Deus unus in potestate habet regnum dare auferre Deus verus hoc agit occulto judicio non continuò beatos facturus quibus terrenum regnum dederit nec continuò miseros quibus ademerit sed temporalia regna quibus voluerit quando voluerit secundum
50.28 That he might take away the horns by which his people have been pushed Zach. 1.21 And this he will do though it be by a power that shall afterward perish if they prove horns also as the Assyrian was destroyed by the Persians who afterward when he advanced his horn against the Church was also to perish by the Grecian for the vengeance is the vengeance of the temple 4. That the Kingdom and Dominion under the whole Heavens may be the Lords * Christus Mayestatem suaâ— visibilem quâ—dâ—◠〈…〉 â—ps◠〈…〉 fingendâ—â—oâ—da ut coâ— râ—â—â— suas â—reptra ontâ— pedes einâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Bright In fine sexti â—allâ—â—â—â—â—â—nni malâ—â—â—â—â—mnis 〈…〉 regnet per annos â—â—llâ— jusintia suque tranquâ—llâ—as 〈…〉 à laborâ—â—uâ— quos mundut jam dâ—â— perpessus est Lactaâ—t de Divino 〈…〉 cap 14. To that end he doth take unto himself his great power and raign Revel 11.15 But here comes in a case necessarily to be answered which will arise in the minds of moâ—â— it being the great scruple and stumbling block of these times and â—â—e cause why men fall not in with the present Acts and Administrations of God in the World Or Dan. 11.33 Inter multos Apostatas praedicit sore quosdam qui in puro Dei cultu retinebunt populuÌ„ Quanquam hoc non praecisè restringo ad sacerdotes tamen non dubito quin Angelus ab ipsis incipiat Et tanta est Spiritus gratia in fulciendis doctoribus ut non succumbant quamvis cum gladio igne exilio pugnandum est Calv. if this be not the true cause as there is reason to suspect it in many yet this is the great pretence that is held forth Men say did I know that this were the will of God to effect yet that is not to be my rule for there is voluntas propositi which is the rule of Gods actings he works all things according to the counsel of his own will but this is not to be looked upon as the Rule of what God would have us to do It is voluntas praecepti that we are in all things to have respect unto As the Lord many times will have his people to be afflicted distressed imprisoned yea and many to fall by the sword to trie them and purifie them and make them white unto the time of the end Dan. 11.37 For whatsoever Prophesies there are which the Lord hath spoken Ecclesiae figura â—olumba est quae cum omnium injuriis pateat non tamen reddit injuriam sed patitur Luth. he will surely effect The vision shall speak and not lye it shall come and not tarry he will not call back his word It is no good argument then that because God will afflict his Church therefore I should desire that the Church should be afflicted Psal 122.6 Esay 62.7 Esay 33.20 and should desire to be an Instrument in the hand of God therein The rule given me is this that I should pray for the peace of Jerusalem and that God would make it * 1. Est Ecclesiam gloriosam reddere ut illiuc materia laudis Ecclesiae effuâ—geat 2. Vt eam meritò omnes Gentes laudent toti orbi sit Ecclesia in laudem gaudium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Diem afflictionis calamitatis quem iis praedico non optavi eis sed cum dolore cogor eum praedicere quia tu Dâ—mine id mihi jubes A Lap. 2. Diem doloris vel diem anxium redditur ita vocat militiam illam quae manet omnes veros pastores ad munus propheticum tantum restringit Calv. a praise in the Earth and a quiet habitation and the promise is they shall prosper that love thee and therefore though Jeremiah in Obedience unto God must pronounce the woful day and tell them what the Lord will do yet he doth profess he doth not desire the woful day Jer. 17.16 He did speak it as being commanded by God but not as a thing desired by him though he did tell them from the mouth of God what he would do yet it was not that which he would have a hand in to effect His rule of duty was to seek the good of Jerusalem and pray for the peace of it till the Lord forbid him pray no more for this people for I will not hear thee Jer. 7.16 †Voluntas Divina ad quam se conformare dâ—bet voluntas humana est voluntas praecepti quippe quo docetur quid Deus vâ—lit esse nostri officâ—t ut â—aciamus non autem est voluntas decreti quo ipse apud se slatuit quid velit fieri five sinendo ut fiat sive ipse factendo I wisse vindic l. 2. p. 175. It is not therefore the effecting will of God that is to be my rule in desiring or acting it may be a sin in me to joyn in that which I know God will effect 2 King 8.10 15. when Benhadad was sick he sent unto Flisha the Prophet to enquire whether he should recover of his disease * Duae sunt partes oraculi in prima de vita ex aegritudine respondit in altera de Regis vita absolutè Morbus tum non est lethalis ex hoc morbo non morieris absolute tamen morte morieris quia priusquam à morbo convaâ—escat ab ipso Hazael occisus est Pet. Martyr Caâ—etan he told him that his disease was not mortal but that he might recover but yet the Lord had shewed him that he should surely die This he uttered as from God unto Hazael his Messenger yet Hazael did wickedly to take a thick cloth and dip it in water and spread it upon his face thereby to smother him and to hasten his death And we know that though God be not the Author †Respâ—ctu Dei bonum esse dicimus ut mala fiant quomodo bonum duntaxat in genere conducibilis ad illustrandam gloriam Deâ— sc gloriam divinae justitiae punientis misericordiae parcentis Et ut fiant mala à quo Non à Deu sed duntaxat ab homine Et quomodo ut fiant sc Deo duntaxat permittente non autem efficiente aut in agendo deficiente Twisse vindic lib 2. p 175. yet he is the Orderer of sin and he doth accomplish great things oftentimes even by the sins of men yet this is only by the permitting and not the effecting will of God Though the Lord doth permit that it shal be done yet he hates the act and is displeased with the Actor As the Lord employed Nebuchadnezzar against Jerusalem he saith he is my servant and I send him against an Hypocritical Nation the people of my wrath and I give him a * Bisariam praecipit Dous vâ—l voluntate patefacta per verbum hominibus traditum vel voluntate occulta quae est providentia sive decretum arcanum quo sic omnia moderatur ut sine eo contra
this Spirit is wholly according to the will of God As he doth make intercession in us according to the will of God so he doth work subjection in us according unto the will of God And when the soul is brought into a subordination then all contention ceaseth Subordinata non pugnant Now every unregenerate man being acted by the spirit of Satan doth act in a way of opposition Satan being a turbulent and unquiet spirit never at rest goes about like a roaring Lion is alway compassing the earth therefore where he bears rule the soul is full of unquietness and for ever restless When an evil spirit came upon Saul how unquiet was he continually As the man possessed with the Devil there were no chains could hold him he dwels among the tombs he doth continually cut and wound himself So it is with the soul in whom Satan rules because he acts it in wayes of opposition unto the will of God If the Lord would give Satan leave and give him power of the winds he would raise nothing but tempests and thunders and blustering in the world as appears Job 1.19 there came a wind from the wilderness and smote the four corners of his house We hear of Witches that sell winds to Merchants by the permission of God If the Lord would give Satan leave and power over the soul he would raise nothing but winds and tempests there If the Lord would suffer him to blow upon the great sea of corruption that is the man there would be nothing but waves and billows for he loves nothing more then to disturb and disquiet the soul because he acts men in opposition unto the will of God whereas the Spirit of God acts them sweetly and quietly because it is in wayes of subordination thereunto 6. It doth plainly appear in this because when the soul of the creature is subjected fully unto the will of God there is no disquietness in any thing which either the Lord commands or effects but a constant calmness and serenity of Spirit We see it in Adam so long as he continued in his integrity in a conformity to God in a righteousness and holiness of truth and his will subjected unto the will of God in all things he had none of those disquieting affections at any thing commanded or wrought by God he was able to delight himself in the whole law of God and rejoyce in all the works of his hands And so it is with the Saints in glory the souls of just men made perfect they freely submit unto Gods commanding will and they do truly rejoice in his effecting and permitting will because their will is wholly melted into the will of God and they have no private interest apart from God therefore whatsoever he do pleaseth them They take pleasure in all his works Psal 111.2 3. And the same is true of the Angels they obey his voice they do his pleasure without any unquietness or reluctance They go and come like lightning Ezech. 1.19 The Angel Gabriel did fly swiftly Dan. 10. They do it speedily they do it chearfully Were there nor a conformity in their will unto the will of God this could not be For that is the ground of all the droopings of the Saints in all their services they drive heavily because their will is not fully subjected unto the will of the Lord. So it was in the Lord Jesus Christ he had the will of God manifested towards him in the most unpleasing manner to flesh for he must deny the will of nature and that must stoop unto the will of duty and yet if it be to take flesh with the infirmities thereof that in that nature he might lay down his life he saith Lo I come to do thy will O God He had no unquietness of spirit in him from a principle of opposition though in point of satisfaction he saith My soul is heavy unto death Therefore Rev. 1.13 he is said to be girt about the paps with a golden girdle Though I conceive Christ doth appear in heaven as he is the Churches high Priest Amictu Sacerdotali And among other priestly ornaments the curious girdle is one Exod. 28.39 yet I conceive they had all a spiritual signification and this doth note the suppressing of all inordinate motions and affections in the soul It is said Justice and Faithfulness should be the girdle of his reins Isa 11.6 But it is now described to be about his paps Mr Brightman gives the reason because under the Law there being less grace poured out the lusts of men were restrained in a more legal way by principle of fear Coercebantur cupiditate But under the Gospel more grace being poured out the breasts being the seat of Love all unruliness and unquietness of Spirit being in a way of love supprest and kept under therefore he is not said to be girded about the loins but about the paps with a golden girdle After the same manner also it is spoken of the Saints for there was not only a girdle made for Aaron but for his sons also So were the Saints to be girt about the breasts Rev. 15.6 They do partake in the same honour with him and grace in them hath the same power over them Thus we see that when the will of man is brought into a full and compleat subjection to the will of God then all unquiet and unruly passions and motions in the soul are done away and there follows an holy calmness and tranquillity of spirit all unquietness arising from no other ground but the opposition that is in our will unto the will of God we would have our will stand and not Gods will and because his will doth cross ours therefore our spirit is full of tumult and disorder 3. What is there in the subjecting of our wills unto the will of God that can be a ground of this inward quietness and tranquillity of mind There are two things that are the main causes of all disquiet in the soul disquieting reasonings in a way of disputation and tormenting risings in a way of passion Now our subjection of our wills unto the will of God doth calm the raging seas in a man in both these and then there must needs follow a great calm 1. There are in the soul disquieting reasonings which do proceed from a mans fleshly will For reason in the man is the Wills privy Counsellor whose directions and dictates it follows and while the will is unsubdued the man is full of disputings and gainsayings sometimes against the Counsel of God his decreeing will Rom. 9. Seeing he hardens whom he will and we cannot help it because none can resist his will why doth he yet find fault and lay the blame upon us Sometimes against his commanding will When the Lord commands Moses to go to Pharoah he objects how shall I go to Pharoah I am a man of 〈◊〉 slow tongue and the people they will not believe me And if I say the God of
the will of God all these disquieting passions must be subdued upon a double ground 1. Because the soul doth conclude that Gods will is Gods pleasure When Christ did the will of his Father it is said the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Isa 53.10 Now nothing should grieve me but that which grieves the Lord I should fear nothing but that which offends him I should be angry for nothing but what displeaseth him Now all the Acts of his will he is pleased with them therefore I should be quieted under them 2. If the will of God be my end the will of God shall be my reward God hath made over all his attributes to his people in that glorious promise I will be thy God and answerable to a mans obedience to any Attribute such shall his comfort that comes from that Attribute be And if I work for Gods will surely the same will will in all things work for me and the Lord will do nothing but what shall be as truly for my good as it is for his own glory And therefore the soul is not angry at any thing that God will do is not vexed or disquieted at any thing but sits down under it with a holy tranquillity of mind For his commanding will he saith Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Jube quod vis For his effecting will he saith It is the Lord let him do what seems good in his eyes The world is his great house and the Government of it belongs to him the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Use Let this serve by way of exhortation to press the former Doctrine that we be perfectly concluded under the will of God from this blessed fruit and effect thereof that it will free us from that unquietness of mind which is the great misery the Saints groan under For as we should truly strive to keep peace with God and to maintain peace with men so we should also strive to maintain a peace in our own spirits For in this respect also Christ is the Prince of Peace And to inforce this Exhortation I shall first shew you the sinfulness of an unquiet spirit under any of the dispensations of God Secondly The dangerous use that the Devil makes of such a distemper Thirdly What excellency there is in a calm and a quiet mind Fourthly How such a frame of spirit may be obtained First The sinfulness of an unquiet spirit 1. Hereby thou sinnest against thine own soul That is the expression Numbers 16. They are sinners against their own souls Now the soul of man in its creation was such for the glory of it that the sun in its brightness is not to be compared to it But there is a double excellency in the soul in whâ—â—â— the beauty and the glory of it dâ—â—h consist First In its purity and so sin fights against the soul for it defiles it which nothing but sin could have done Secondly In the serenity and so sin hath disquieted and disturbed the soul which nothing else could have done Do not destroy your own souls and the soul is destroyed either by the polluting of it or by the disquieting of it which is of that value and worth that all things below should be esteemed beneath it as that which is too little to ransom a soul All the creatures are not worth one disquieting thought of the soul it is of so great an excellency And the greater the sin is because a man himself is the instruemnt thereof To trouble himself torment himself be a burthen to himself as every unquiet spirited man is Psalm 43.4 5. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me There are two words used the one signifies to lay a thing wast as a wilderness as void of comfort as if a man were in a barren Wilderness where there is nohing to be had to refresh him But how comes the soul to be thus like a desolate howling Wilderness the word signifies that he himself was the instrument thereof the means of the devastation of his own Spirit And the word signifies to prostrate a thing depress it to the very ground which word is in such a conjugation and doth signifie that the man did cast down himself the soul is the instrument in its own dejection All murther is sinfull but no murther so great an evil or so uncomfortable as self-murther and no self-murther like unto soul-murther for a man to go about to debase and bring down the glory of his soul which he should endeavor to beautifie with the highest qualifications and look upon it as his only glory for the qualifications of the soul are the only excellencies of the man 2. A man may take a measure of the sinfulness of his spirit by the unquietness of it for the unquietness of the spirit doth proceed wholly from the opposition of the will unto the will of God Now as the power of Godliness doth lie in the subjection of our wills unto Gods will that when grace shall be perfected in glory there shall be a perfect subjection so the power of sinfulness lies in the opposition of our wills unto Gods will and the more fully thou standest in opposition the greater is the measure of thy corruption If therefore unquietness of spirit doth rise from opposition of will then the more unquietness there is the greater opposition The devil being in the highest opposition unto God and they that sin against the Holy Ghost it being direct enmity whereas other sinners are but enemies to God in a collateral way their opposition is the greatest being revenge against God doing despight unto the spirit of grace therefore they are most unquiet Though in a temptation there is an unquietness of spirit that may arise upon the best men as it did upon David and Ionah yet if that be a mans ordinary and constant temper it argues he hath much of the devil in him the meekning and melting of a mans spirit into the will of God is the measure of his grace and the opposition of a mans will unto the will of God and his unquietness thereupon is the measure of his corruption Men that are alway fiery and ad oppositum now this doth not please them and now they fret at this instrument and by and by are discontented at that dispensation If Niniveh be not destroyed Ionah is angry if the Gourd be not spared he is angry it is an argument there is but a little grace and a great deal of corruption And as grace doth increase subduing the will unto the will of God so surely will the quietness of a mans spirit increase Grace in a man ripens as fruit doth at first there is a great deal of sourness and sharpness mixed with it but then it is green the riper it grows the more mellow and the more sweet it is 3. The more pride there is in any sin the greater that sin is for to sin