river you will say it hath need though it be full it hath need of the fountaine to maintaine it so may I say of the creatures though they be full of perfection in their kinde yet they have need of that fountaine from whence their perfection commeth which if it be stopt they will come to nothing Thus God is infinitely perfect and immense having no limits For all limits are either from the matter or from the forme the forme is limited because it wants matter to carry it to a further extent and the matter is limited because it is bounded with such a forme but in God there is neither matter nor forme as there is nothing without him so there is nothing within him to bound that largenesse of being which he hath But now to apply this Vse 1 If God be thus full of being as the sea is full of water and a thousand times fuller then all that you can doe reacheth not to him Psal. 16.4 It extends not to him the sinnes that you commit hurt him not all the righteousnesse you performe doth not pleasure or benefit him and if it be so then consider what little cause you have to murmure against him at any time upon any occasion For all discontentment among the creatures comes from the hence that their expectation is not satisfied and what is the reason why it is not satisfied but because they thinke that there is some reason why they should bee respected Therefore examine your owne hearts whether there be not a secret popery in your hearts that you think that you can do somthing that reacheth to God that he should respect you for but if God be thus ful thou canst doe nothing that can reach to him But you shall see how prone men are to this are we not ready to say Why am I not in so great a place as another Why have not I more gifts Why have I not greater imployments Why have I such imperfections Why am I thus subject to diseases and crosses Whence comes this Because we expect something because we thinke we are not well dealt with and why doe we thinke so because men thinke that there is something in them why they should be lookt after they thinke that they have carried themselves so that they thinke there is something in justice due to them But if thou canst say with David and Iob and Christ when he saith to his disciples When you have done all that you can say that you are unprofitable servants What if God will not have David to build a Temple but his sonne must doe it Or Moses to lead the children of Israel into the Land of Canaan but Ioshua must have the glory of it They must be content yet they did more for God than ever thou canst doe therefore thou must labour to be content also The creature doth but take of him whatsoever it hath and therefore it can give nothing to him and shall the River bee beholding to him that drinkes of it because hee comes and quencheth his thirst Or shall the Sunne be beholding to him that hath the use of his light When thou hast done all that thou canst say thou art an unprofitable servant thou canst doe nothing that reacheth to God therefore labour to be vile and low in thine owne eyes and willing to be disposed of as it pleaseth him Againe if this be so then consider the freenesse of his grace in all the goodnesse which hee bestowes for to have done any thing for a man before-hand doth lessen the benefit bestowed Now consider that thou hast done nothing to the Lord therefore labour to magnifie the Lord that hath bestowed it upon thee For this cause the Lord will have justification by faith and not by workes that he might be magnified And so he will have sanctification not by the power of the free-will but by the infused grace of his Spirit that no flesh might boast It is the Lord that is full it is he that gives it to thee thou canst doe nothing to him Rom. 11.35 36. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompenced him againe for of him and through him and to him are all things c. As if he should say the Lord out of his free grace had shewed mercy to the Iewes for of them he there speakes they were wet like Gideons fleece when all the world was drie Afterwards it pleased him to bedew the Gentiles when the Israelites were dry well he hath done this sayes Paul and what hast thou to say to him Did he any wrong Is he not free May not he doe what he will This is one use Another is that you should be content with his disposing he owes nothing to any for of him and through him and for him are all things to him be glory for ever Amen Vse 3 If hee be thus full that the creature doth nothing to promerit at his hand then thou mayest goe to God though thou hast no worth in thee though thou hast done little service to God yet goe to him and say Lord I have done nothing if I had done much yet it would not reach to thee thou art full of perfection and blessed for ever therefore a man may goe to him with great faith and aske great things of him though he be little worth and hath done little service for him For if thou didst God any good thou mightest goe to him and say I have done this and that for thee therefore recompence me But seeing it is not so therefore labour to goe to God in faith and when thou goest thinke with thy selfe why may I not have it aswell as another Doe not say I am not so holy and I cannot doe as Paul and Moses their workes did nothing to him Thinke with thy selfe that when he first chooseth a man he doth it freely and thinkest thou that he is not the same afterwards Therefore now thou mayest go to him on this ground with boldnesse because whatsoever thou doest it is nothing to him Vse 4 Moreover if the Lord be thus full in himselfe then he hath need of nothing He therefore saith to all the men in the world and to all things he saith to Princes I have no need of you to rich men I have no need of you or of your wealth he saith to Schollers that have excellent parts I have no need of you therefore say not I am undone or the Churches are undone because Princes are not for you because men helpe you not for God can helpe them alone he doth not need Princes When there was none saith the LORD I stirred up my selfe like a mightie Giant hee needs no helpe he is most perfect full of being able to doe whatsoever he pleaseth Vse 5 Againe consider with thy selfe that if thousand thousands perish it is nothing to him hee cares no more for the destruction of the whole world than thou
prerogative if thou looke upon future times as thine and sayeth with the rich man in the Gospel now soule take thy rest this is sacrilege against God It is as if a man should say I have three thousand acres of land when he hath not three foot or if a man should say I have three thousand pound and hath not three pence It is the use made of it in Iames 4.13 14. Goe to now yee that say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a Citie c. Whereas yee ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and doe this or that if hee will give us leave to come in upon his ground This phrase is out of use with many men as clothes that are out of use we are unwilling to weare them but Christians should bring them into use againe and say if the Lord please let them labour to doe this in feare and trembling Thou shouldst thus thinke of time thou shouldst looke upon it as on a large field given by God and nothing of it belonging otherwise unto thee and looke what ground the Lord God gives thee thou art to sow seed in it and apply it to seeke him that thou mayest receive an harvest in future time and let men not say I will repent and turne to God hereafter but doe it presently in feare and trembling Boast not of time why doest thou deferre the time thou breakest into the Lords right and oftentimes he cuts thee off for it because thou breakest into that which doth nothing belong unto thee THE TENTH SERMON EXODVS 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM And he said thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you WEE come now to the next Attribute and that is the Simplicity of God he is without all composition without any parts not having soule and body as we have not being compounded of substance and accident as we are but hee is simple without all composition Which I gather out of these words I AM WHAT I AM that is whatsoever is in mee it is my selfe I am a pure act all being a whole entire simple and uniforme being without parts not like to the creature for the best of them is compounded of actions and qualities but whatsoever is in me it is my selfe Now in this simplicity and immixture of God wee will first fall upon that which the Scripture sets downe in plaine words Iohn 4.24 God is a Spirit that is he is not mixt he is not compounded of body and soule as men are but he is a Spirit The word Spirit both in the Hebrew Greeke and Latine tongue doth signifie breath A breath is indeede a body but because it is the finest body the most subtile and most invisible therefore immateriall substances which we are not able to conceive are represented to us under the name of a spirit or breath Besides this is to be added though God bee said to be a spirit yet he is not properly a spirit as Angells are for an Angell is a creature and though it want a body and be a spirit yet it is a created substance but yet because that is neerest to the pure and incomprehensible nature of God therefore he calls himselfe a spirit as Angells are and our soules are To shew you what a spirit is these foure things are to be considered 1 It is proper to a Spirit to be invisible impalpable not to bee discerned by any sense Therfore Christ bids his Disciples to feele him Behold my hands and my feete saith he that it is I my selfe handle and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as I have A Spirit is that which is drawn from the sight of any corporeall sense whatsoever and in this sense God is called a Spirit because he is invisible and therefore Moses is said to see him that is invisible not by any bodily eye but by the eye of faith 2 Every Spirit moves it selfe and other things also The body is but an earthy piece that is not able to stirre it selfe at all as you see it is when the soule is gone out of it it is the spirit that both moves it selfe and carries the body up and downe where it listeth and it moves it selfe with all speed and agility because it finds no resistance Bodies beside their elementarie motion vpward and downeward have no voluntarie motion they cannot move themselves whither they will as spirits doe And this I gather out of Ioh 3.8 the Holy Ghost is compared to the wind that blowes where it listeth 3. It is the propertie of every Spirit to move with exceeding great force and strength and with much vehemency so that it farre exceeds the strength of any body Therefore in Isa 31.3 speaking of the strength of the Aegyptians he saith that they are flesh and not spirit as if hee should say all flesh is weake but the spirit is strong Therefore you see the Divells that are spirits what strength they have and the man in the Gospell that was possessed it is said that he could breake the strongest bonds and you see it commonly in those that are possessed and you read how he threw downe the house over Iobs children This is the strength of the spirit exceeding the strength of any body 4 It insinuates it selfe and enters into any bodily substance without all penetration of dimension that is it is not held out of any place by reason of a body that is in it it may be in it though the place be otherwise full as you see the soule is in the body you shall find no where an emptie place the body is every where whole yet the Spirit insinuates it selfe in every part and no body can keepe it out And so is God he is invisible not seene by any eye hee moves himselfe and all things in the world as he lists and he doth what he doth with exceeding great strength and then hee fills every place both heaven and earth what bodies soever be there yet he may be there notwithstanding And thus you see in what sense this is to be understood God is a Spirit Now we will come to apply this Vse 1 If God be a Spirit first then this we may gather from it 1 That his eye is cheifely vpon the spirits of men There are many things in the world which his hand hath made but that which he chiefely lookes to is the minde and spirit of man Whereas a man consists of two parts a body and a spirit it is the spirit that is like to God and in regard of the spirituall substance of the soule it is said
expected some rest after his weary journey yet then his daughter was ravished and his two sonnes were rebellious and committed murther after that Rachel died and Deborah who was Rebeccah's nurse who was a good woman and therfore a great losse to his family after all this a famine fell upon him yet for all this God said that he would doe him good and doubtlesse God was as good as his word and hee did him good for that medicine is good that doth us good though it be bitter and so was it with these afflictions So Paul he prayed that he might have an happie journey to Rome and no doubt the LORD heard his prayer as appeareth by the Lords appearing to him yet see what a kinde of prosperous journey he had what a deale of trouble did he meet with Being in great afflictions he went to Ierusalem thinking there to be comforted by the Saints and when he came thither hee went into the Temple thinking he had well provided for himselfe but then he was hardly entertained put into prison and sent bound to Caesarea and afterwards was in many perils upon the sea And this was the prosperous journey that Paul had and surely it was happie and did much good to his owne soule whereby he did good to others a journey that led him into many experiments of Gods providence and goodnesse towards him therefore wee must not judge according to the outside or that which the world accounts of and appeares to be evill for they may be causes of much good to us therefore Saint Iames wils us Iames 1.2 3. to rejoyce when wee fall into divers temptations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is but a triall of your faith These varieties of afflictions are as fire to cleanse your faith and make it shine more and grow more therefore saith he rejoyce when you fall into variety of them for the variety of them will cure that variety of evils and diseases in us as poverty may do that which sicknesse cannot do and imprisonment may heale that which povertie or disgrace cannot doe c. So on the contrary those good things are not alwayes good which we account good as when a man goes on from one good blessing to another and is carried with a prosperous wind and findes no change in any thing this may also tend to his hurt and destruction as the other to his salvation these slay the foolish even as the other save the godly for these often-times doe make the soule fouler and fouler and make it to be more rustie This want of changes makes men to depart from God and fall into evill whereas the other makes us the more carefully to cleanse our wayes and to cleave more firmely to him Therefore let us take heed that we be not deceived about these evils Object 5 What is the reason then that as dies the beast so doth man die to our appearance there are none that rise from the dead indeed if one should come from heaven or hell and bring us word what is done there wee should beleeve it but when did any ever heare of such a thing Answ. You have more than if a man should come from the dead from either of these two places for you have Christ come into the world from the bosome of the Father and he hath brought us newes what is done there Besides we have God himselfe who is as it were come from heaven and hath revealed many things unto us and hath declared his will what he would have us to doe as to Moses upon Mount Sinai and hee would have done it to this day but that our weaknesse cannot endure the mightinesse and greatnesse of his Majestie but would say as the people did Let not the Lord speake to us any more lest we die but let MOSES let him send his messengers let him speake no more Againe the Spirit whereby the Prophets and Apostles spake to us was it not sent from heaven Againe suppose one should come from either of those two places would you beleeve him It might be a false relation would you beleeve him without further ground But it is a direct answer which our Saviour giveth to this question Luke 16. the two last verses it was the objection of Dives if there came one from the dead againe they would beleeve it Abraham answers They have Moses and the Prophets and if they will not beleeve them they will not beleeve though one should come from the dead as if he should say these carry greater evidence in them they have more power to confirme the truth that they delivered that it came from the great God of heaven and earth than if a man should arise from the dead if we consider the many miracles which they did and holy life which they led Object But if you will say that indeed for the declaring of things and for the confirmring of truths there is more evidence in these than if one did arise from the dead but if one should come from the dead this would be much to shew the eternitie of things and the immortality of the soule Answ. If this be so you see that men have risen from the dead as when Christ did arise then many arose from the dead THE THIRD SERMON HEBREWES 11.6 He that commeth to God must beleeve that God is c. NOw we proceed to that which remaines we will shew you how this point is made manifest to you by faith that GOD made the Heavens and the Earth It is done after this manner When you beleeve the Scriptures to be true and finde this set downe in the Scripture that God made Heaven and Earth then you beleeve that there is an eternall Deity that is the Author and Maker of all these things and thus faith gathers the conclusion Object If you aske me how faith differs from reason and how this second proofe differs from the former Answ. 1 I answer after this manner There is a double assent One is a doubtfull assent which we call Opinion that is when we assent to the one part so as we feare the contrary to be true The other is a firme assent and this is two-fold Either it is grounded upon reason which we call Knowledge or else is grounded upon the authoritie of him that reveales it and this wee call Faith And the difference of them stands in this The objects of the first which wee call Knowledge are naturall things such as God did not reveale himselfe but they lye before us and reason can finde them out but Faith beleeveth things that are revealed by God yet so as that there is no reason for them as well as for the other For if one come and tell you any thing and if you beleeve it you can give a reason of it and why you beleeve it aswell as of any other naturall conclusion as that he is a wise man and one that I know will tell the truth
me saith the Lord take all other gods and there is a wonderfull great difference betweene them and the God whom wee professe there is none like him So that the point to be delivered hence is this It is a great argument to prove the Deity that there is none besides the Lord. To open this to you I will shew you 1 What reasons the Scripture useth to prove that there is none besides him 2 We will shew you in some instances of it 3 We will make some uses of it For the first you shall finde in the Scripture these five arguments to shew that there is no other God but that the LORD is GOD alone and that there is none besides him From the greatnesse of Gods Majesty and the immensitie of his workes and that is the reason of the words here annexed there is none like him as in verse 5. of this Chapter you shall see it more plainly So Among the gods there is none like to thee O Lord neither are there any works like thy works Where you see that they are both put together there is none like to him for the greatnesse of his Majestie nor for the immensity of his workes More particularly first in regard of the greatnesse of his Majestie there is none like him Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance behold he taketh up the Iles as a very little thing and Lebanon is not sufficient to burne nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse than no thing and vanitie that is let a man looke on the greatnesse of God and compare him with all the things that are in the world and you shall finde a great disproportion betweene them they are but as the drop of the bucket A bucket of it selfe holds but little water but yet that is for some use but the drops that fall from the bucket when it commeth out of the Well they are so small as wee make no account of them and yet all the world is not so much to the Lord as these small drops And if that similitude will not serve there is another They are as the dust of the ballance if it were but as the dust of the earth it were but small but as for the dust of the ballance it is so small that it cannot weigh the ballance this way or that way and yet the whole world is not so much to the Lord as the dust of the ballance Againe a third expression he useth and that is taken from the manner of his worship for some might here object If he be so great how short then doe we come of worshipping him and of giving him that honour which we owe unto him saith he it is true for all the beasts of Lebanon are not sufficient for a burnt offering nay all the wood of Lebanon is not enough to kindle the burnt offering And take all the gods of the Gentiles they were but men and their Temples and all the glory of them they are nothing to the Lord See another description of this in vers 25. And as thus in regard of the greatnesse of him there is none like him so likewise in regard of the greatnesse of his workes vers 12. Who hath measured out the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out heaven with the spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hils in a ballance That is looke upon the great building of Heaven and Earth and consider what went to these buildings what might and power hee must have to handle such things as these as the vast mountaines the huge earth the wind and the seas and consider what an hand and arme he must have that must doe such things And also consider the wisdome of God that went to this worke and he did it alone he had none to helpe him take a man let him set up a building and he cannot do it of himselfe but he needs some body to helpe him but the Lord did all this alone therefore he concludes vers 18. that there is none like to him as if it were his scope and intention in that place It appeares hence that they are not gods from their newnesse they had a beginning and they have an end but God is from everlasting I am the first and last Esay 41.4 and 44.6 and 43.10 The meaning is all the other gods had a beginning we know when they began and their owne Historians have related it but I was before them all saith the Lord and they have all vanished away even in your owne sight Their ignorance and want of knowledge and his Omniscience is another argument which you have used in Esay 41.22 23. and 44.7 8. Let them bring them forth and shew what will happen let them shew the former things what they be c. that we may know that you are gods The meaning is this that there are none other gods that doe declare former things that tell of the beginning of the world or of the creation nor can declare things to come I only can doe it I have not spoken in secret but my prophecies are plaine and open I have spoken it and I will bring it to passe Therefore I say his omniscience and shewing future things doth testifie that there are no other gods besides him seeing no other hath beene able so to doe The greatnesse of his power put forth in the continuall passages of his providence and their want of power which is another argument used in Isai. 41.23 Behold you are nothing and your workes are of nought that is you are not able to doe any thing either good or hurt to the sonnes of men and therefore you are no gods you are but vanitie and of no value which argument you have often repeated as also the great changes that God workes on the sonnes of men which Idols cannot doe Isai 40.23 24. He brings the Princes to nothing c. that is he is able to set up whom he will and pull them downe againe and hee gives instance in the greatest Princes that thought themselves best rooted saith he when I doe but blow upon them when I blast them they are as if they never had beene planted as if they had beene never sowen but they are as if they had tooke no root in all the earth So Psal. 107.33 34. He turneth a desart into a fruitfull land and a fruitfull land hee turneth into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein making changes of men and things which no Idols could doe They are such as are dead men and have no life in them This is an argument that the Apostle Paul useth Act. 14.15 that they should turne to the living
arguments are enough to shew the vanitie and falshood of this their religion Vse 1 Seeing there is none other god besides the Lord we should fix this principle in us and labour to strengthen it by this other medium also When more candles are brought into a place the light is greater and you may see the objects the better Therefore adde this to the other that there is no other god for this expresseth not only that the Lord is God but that it is he whom we worship for if there be a God that made Heaven and Earth he would have revealed himselfe to the sonnes of men but there hath never beene any other revealed Remember the former things and you shall see that there was never any other Make this chaine and every linke of it is exceeding strong see if ever there hath beene any god besides him For if there was ever any God revealed to the sons of men it was the God of the Iewes that was revealed by Moses and the Prophets For all the dunghill gods of the Gentiles they were but vanitie and they appeared to be so and if it was the God of the Iewes then of the Christians because the New Testament is builded upon the Old and then surely he is that God whom the Protestants worship and not whom the Papists worship For if you take all those things wherein they differ from us as in their worshipping of Images their Purgatory their Indulgences their Prayers to and for the dead their Prayers in an unknowne tongue and so all other points of difference and you shall finde that they were added and taken in in continuance of time now one then another and there are many that have taken paines to shew the pedegree of them when they came in and therefore they that have not seduced hearts whose eyes the god of this world hath not blinded may see that what our devices cut off is nothing but that which they have added before the Papists agree in all with what wee teach only the difference is betweene the additions which have come in from time to time Therfore you must learne from hence to confirme your faith by that argument which Peter useth Ioh. 6.68 Whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life There are two things which make us cleave to any thing 1 The firmenesse of the thing 2 When we can goe no whither else So that looke to any time or place and consider that all other gods they are but vanitie For looke upon the world and the creatures and they have no bottom to stand on they have no state to hold by Therfore let this teach us to cleave to him without separation looke upon every side as David did to the right hand and to the left and you shall see that there was no other god Only here the soule hath sure footing therefore say that if the dissolution of all things should come as death and martyrdome as wee know not how soone they may yet God shall be our God we will forsake all to follow him Consider the present time of the Church consider how soone the times may come upon us when we shall be put to it for now things are in praecipitio hasting downe to the bottome of the hill and we know not how neere we are to that houre of temptation spoken of in the Revelations when it shall be as it was in Esay's time 2 Chron. 15.6 Nation shall rise against Nation These times are growing and gathering strength more and more therefore let us strengthen our faith and prepare for a triall Hitherto religion and peace have walked together in one path but when they shall goe in different paths it will appeare then whose servants we are So when the times of triall come it will be a great matter to have this principle laid If you should come to suffer death and to lose your lives it will be a great matter to be rooted and grounded in the faith for there is a great difference betweene those that have much earth and betweene those that are not well rooted that have not received this anointing that teacheth us these things Only this I will say to you in the second place to comfort you though you see the Lord laying the Churches waste so that they are wallowing in their bloud and yet that you might hold up your heads consider that he is God alone and therefore will rouse up himselfe in due time for He will not give his glory to another therefore though you see all the Churches in Christen dome laid waste yet the Lord will raise them up againe and the ground of it is in Esay 48.11 For mine owne sake even for mine owne sake will I doe it for how should my name be polluted and I will not give my glory to another speaking there to the Churches in that time saith the LORD I have refined them but not with silver I have chosen them in the furnace of affliction that is I have thus and thus dealt with them yet will I not cast them off though they be sinfull yet will I not put them away for mine owne sake for my name should be polluted if I should suffer them to lye thus It should be thought that the other religion was true and so I should lose my glory And againe will God now say I will not doe so for should Antichrist prevaile it would be an argument that they had the truth and not we So Esay 42.8 I am the LORD that is my name and my glory will not I give to another neither my praise to graven images As the graven images there should have had the praise so should the Papists now if God should suffer his Church to be so but for his owne sake he will not suffer it Let this encourage you then to be earnest with him in prayer for the time will come when hee will turne his head when the just period is come he will be seene in the Mount Vse 3 If there be no other God then let us be carefull to keep our hearts from all kinde of idolatry not to set up any other in our heart or affections For there are two kindes of Idolatry 1 One is grosse as the worshipping of Baal Mahomet c. and that you are free from because there is light enough in the Church to see the vanity of them 2 There is another kinde of Idolatry which Saint Iames speakes of Iames 4. Yee adulterers and adulteresses you make riches your god and honour and your belly your god and when you sacrifice to your owne nets that is to outward and secondary meanes or when we joyne any other thing with God now this is Idolatrie which is common amongst us Our nature is as prone to Idolatry as any though not in that kind for man is a weake creature and therefore hee seekes something to repose himselfe upon
for we are not able to do it Psal. 37.5 He will bring it to passe there the Lord takes it as peculiar to him onely therefore in Isai. 26.12 you may compare them both together it is said there Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our workes in us The scope of this place is this Other men saith he they forget God they carry themselves aloft but it is hee that will ordaine us peace though none else shall put his hand to it it is he that doth all our works for us not our especiall workes only but all it is not any man or any creature that doth them it is he that workes all our workes for us And if we did beleeve this we should looke upon him with another eye and serve him after another manner we should be more dependent on him we should be more fervent in prayer not when we would doe any thing turne every stone and to knocke at every creatures doore to see what helpe they could give us but our eye would bee towards him for it is in vaine to runne to them no creature can doe it there is no enterprise but hath many wheeles and the stopping of one wheele hinders the whole enterprise and it is hee that turnes all those wheeles commands all must bring it to passe or else the least thing will hinder our greatest enterprises therefore you see that the fairest blossomes of our endevours doe often wither and the unprobablest things doe come to passe See it in David to give you an example of it when he would trust God he had a promise of the Kingdome but not by himselfe his owne power should not doe it and yet the wheeles of Gods providence did bring it to passe So when he staid his hand from killing Nabal did not the Lord bring it to passe in a better manner than hee could have done And when he had the Kingdome Abner was his great enemie but yet David did nothing but that which was right and you see how God did bring it to passe he tooke away his life without any hand of his So Ishbosheth was his enemie yet when David sate still and did nothing his head was brought to him though they that did it did it wickedly yet it was an act of Gods providence to him Thus things are done for the best when wee commit them to him but if we doe them our selves wee are as they that fished all the night long and caught nothing till Christ came and bade them to cast in the net then they inclosed a great multitude of fishes So it is with us when we goe about any enterprise it is in vaine we are not able to doe it There is a double going about any enterprise when we goe about an enterprise without God and when we goe about it with him When wee goe about it without God I confesse that yet some things are brought to passe and that will serve to answer an objection which you have fully expressed in Psal. 37.7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for him fret not thy selfe because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to passe c. There is the objection Object For when we teach this doctrine of trusting in God as David had before vers 5. The objection then is there are many that doe not trust in God and yet they bring their things to passe Answ. 1 To this we answer that either they doe it not it withers under their hand 2 Or else if they doe it it is to no purpose they receive no comfort from it Therefore hee addes the evill doer shall be cut off that is though they doe goe farre in an enterprise yet they never come to the end they reape not the fruit of it hee cuts them off so that if you looke to the issue it is as good as nothing 3 It tends to their owne hurt to their owne ruine if they get wealth favour with great men credit c. the sword turnes to their owne bowels their ease slayes them and it turnes to their owne destruction Therefore take heed of it if thou doest goe about it with God hee will give thee the comfort of it One thing brought to passe by him is better than a thousand by themselves without him Learne from hence the only remedy against the vanity that all creatures are subject to that we have to doe withall for what is the reason of that mutabilitie we finde in all things Is it not from hence that they have no being of their owne If you looke to the rocke to the foundation from whence they were hewen and to the hole of the pit from whence they were digged they were made of nothing and are readie to returne to nothing Take a glasse or an earthen vessell they are brittle if you aske the reason they are made of brittle materials plate is not so so that this is the reason of all the vanitie under the Sunne because they are made of nothing Therefore there is no way to remedie this but to looke up to God Act. 17.28 For in him we live move and have our being This is the meaning of it They have not onely had their being from him at the first but their being is in him We have our being in him as the beames in the Sunne and an accident in the subject Then if thou wouldest have constancie in any thing thou must looke up to God Every creature is mutable it is so for unchangeable as constancie is communicated to it from the unchangeable God Consider this for matter of grace When thou hast got any good desires or good purposes at any time remember that the being of them comes from God Hence it comes to passe that good purposes oft-times doe come to nothing and like sparkes goe out againe because we remember not that they are from God wee thinke that if wee have good purposes to day if wee be spiritually minded to day we shall be so tomorrow and thus you deceive your selves you must consider that the being of them comes from God that place is remarkeable 1 Chron. 29.18 when David had rejoyced that the people had offered willingly he prayes that GOD would keepe it in the imagination of the thoughts of their hearts If we would thus hang upon him and depend on him when the Spirit hath breathed in us at any time when we have any sparks of truth and are warmed with any holy affections if we would give him the glory of this that he gives a being if we would make this prayer that David doth you would finde it a meanes to make you more equall and more even in grace And what I say of this I say of all other things It is the fault of us all we are subject to the which is said of wicked men Isai. 56.12 Come yee say they
could afford he was in stead of all to them as Paul when hee was in prison was not God all to him and what need had he of riches or lands or friends for friends are but to comfort a man and money it can doe no more than man can doe and praise and honour doe but knit mens hearts to us now if we have the light of Gods countenance we need not mans helpe if God will put forth his power for us what need we any thing else if he will heale us what needs the Physitian if hee will cloath us and give us meat and drinke then what needs wealth Therefore labour to be satisfied with him to prize and esteeme him and to thinke him to be all in all THE EIGHTH SERMON EXODVS 3.13.14 15. 13 And Moses said unto GOD behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them The GOD of your Fathers hath sent me unto you and they shall say unto mee What is his Name what shall I say unto them 14 And GOD said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM. And he said Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you 15 And GOD said moreover unto Moses Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel The LORD GOD of your Fathers the GOD of Abraham the GOD of Isaac and the GOD of Iacob hath sent me unto you this is my Name for ever and this is my memoriall unto all generations COnsider whether your mindes gather an holy magnanimitie even from hence that you have the Lord for your God for if he be most perfect if hee hath the fulnesse of all things in him then if you have him the minde is ready to grow to an holy kind of greatnesse for it is the greatnesse of the object that makes the minde great and the greatnesse of the minde appears in this that it doth not esteeme smal things Animo magno nihil est magnum When a man can out of this consideration that the LORD is my Sunne and shield and exceeding great reward contemne and reckon all things else as matters of small moment it is an argument that he hath in truth apprehended God as hee ought to apprehend him I say this is true holy magnanimity there is a false magnanimity whereas mens mindes are great because they grow great with men because of their great hopes and riches and great learning this is a false greatnesse because it drawes men from God it is such a greatnesse as the arme hath when it is swelled which riseth not from the strength and true greatnesse of it but from the weaknesse of it This is of an ill kinde but there is another kinde of greatnesse when the minde growes therefore to an holy magnanimity because it is set upon the great God as David he had such a magnanimity Psal. 27.1.3 The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare The LORD is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host of men should incampe against me my heart should not feare c. If there be any thing in this world to be regarded it is an host of men because it is the powerfullest thing amongst men but I will not regard it Why not because hee was stronger than they but because God was his life and strength when his minde raised up it selfe to such a greatnesse upon this consideration then he was able to contemne these things that were to be contemned Such was the greatnesse of minde which was found in Moses Hebr. 11. he cared not for the favour or disfavour of the King Because hee saw enjoyed and bore himselfe upon him which was invisible Consider whether you exalt him as God you shall know it by this by seeking to him to fill up all those defects and imperfections that we meet with in our lives from day to day Beloved there are many things that we want as if we lose a friend we complaine of a want if we lose father or mother it is a want yea if wee lose nothing yet we find many defects which we would have made up now what is the way to doe it If thou thinkest to make them up by the creature thou wilt finde it to be but a small bush that will not stop the gap but if thou goest to him that is all in all Coloss. 3. if thou seekest to make it up in him when any thing is lost when the bucket is broken if thou goest to the fountaine if a beame be cut off that was given and shined thorow the creature if thou goest to the Sunne that can give the like beame thorow another creature if thou seekest to have communion with him then it is an argument that thou esteemest him as thou oughtest to doe Object Every man will say I seeke to the Lord I looke for all my comfort from him Answ. Yea but how doest thou bestow thy labour Isai. 55.2 Wherefore doe you spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto mee and eat that which is good and let your soule delight it selfe in fatnesse Let a man consider in this case how he bestoweth his paines if he thinke to have all in God he will save his paines and not lay it out upon vanitie but he will bestow it to some purpose that is he will take much paines to seeke his favour in all things and looke to him for a supply of all and not to the creatures because they can doe but little they have no power no strength to doe any thing they are of no moment but if God be pleased to make up the defect then if he have but little wealth he will make it to serve his turne if he have but one friend it shall be to him as if he had many if he hath but a little credit it shall be to him as if he had a great name c. all things else are but of a little bulke without him Object But the creatures are of great moment experience shewes them to be something for who lives without them Againe are not wee commanded to pray for outward blessings and wee are not to pray for that which is nothing Again doth not the Scripture reckon them so they are things for which we must be thankfull and the want of them doth afflict us and we must esteeme it as a chastisement Now no man will be thankfull or afflict himselfe for that which is nothing and therefore there is something in the creature they are not altogether nothing or vanitie To this we will give a threefold answer Answ. 1 Though they be something yet their efficacy is not from themselves but from the Lord. A horse is able to doe something but to save a man it is a vaine thing the builder builds but it is nothing and the watch-men watch in vaine without
owne end but he is bound to doe all for an higher end as hee that made us hath appointed for the efficient can make a thing to what end he please You see it is so with men as a knife is made to cut a key to open c. and yet they are all of one materiall so the Lord looking downe from heaven he made of one heape of clay severall creatures and appointed to every one his several end which end they must observe and aime at and if they doe not they wrong him that made them and therefore it is hee destroyes them And so it is with every thing that is made for an end as fire that is made to warme a man if it doe burne the house we put it out a vessell that is made to keep wine or beare if it doe corrupt it we lay it aside and put it into one more wholesome so doth God he puts to every man his severall end and therefore he gives them severall gifts and severall callings himselfe indeed is the generall end but besides the generall he appoints to every calling a particular end to a Minister he saith Goe and feed my sheepe if he goes and feeds himselfe and not the people if he feed them with stubble and not with hay hee doth not attaine his end and so may I say of every thing else of a scholler a Magistrate a husband they have severall places and divers gifts given them and all for their severall end and if they aime not at their end but worke for themselves they are worthy to be destroyed as a man if hee hath an instrument that is crooked and unfit for use then hee casts it away and taketh another but if it be fit he will lay it up for use and he will say let it not be lost so doth the Lord with men if they be pliable to him if they will worke for the end that he hath appointed them then he saves and preserves them but if they will doe things for their owne end it is the next way to destruction For observe this for any man to do any thing for his owne end is to arrogate that to himselfe which is the Lords who is without cause which is an high kinde of idolatry Let them consider this therefore that labour that they may be rich that labour that they might have outward excellencie and to be something in the flesh that labour only for outward honour for places of imployment and credit in all things so a scholler that is negligent he saith I shall make a shift to live but hast thou not another end art thou not made art thou not a creature is it enough for thee to live and no more so they that have their estates provided for them they care not for learning they say they can live without it but art not thou made and is not this thine end to serve God and men So he that shall choose a calling or course of life according to his owne fancie not that which shall be serviceable to men but that which pleaseth himselfe let him aske himselfe this question Am I not made Am I not a creature have I no other end but my selfe Therefore let men consider this and looke to it have I not chosen this course of life and have I not an end appointed to me That end is to be serviceable to God and profit men But if a man shall thinke with himselfe what is the best way to live and provide for my selfe and to get profit and wealth these are idolatrous and sinful thoughts God may doe all things for himselfe because he hath nothing above himselfe Object but if thou dost so thou provokest him to wrath exceedingly Answ. But you will say I doe all for this end to serve God and men Thou that doest pretend this that thou doest things to be serviceable to God and men and not to thy selfe thou shalt know it by this 1 If thou puttest thy selfe to things that are above thee it is a signe that thou doest it not for his sake that hath appointed thee but for thine owne 2 If thou art fit for an higher place if thou restest in things that are beneath thee for thy greater profit thou seekest thy selfe and not the Lord. 3 If thou doest resist the providence of God that when thou hast a calling and art put in it and thou puttest thy selfe out again for thy advantage then thine end is thine owne selfe Paul when he went to Macedonia hee found but bad entertainment there yet he went because he was sent So Iohn he went to Pathmos where the people were but few and barbarous yet he obeyed God and went Eliah when he was sent to Ahab and to prophesie to the Israelites among whom for all that hee knew there was not one soule that did not bow his knee to Baal Ezekiel and Isaiah when they went to harden the people to destruction yet they went willingly because the Lord sent them it was an argument that they did it not for themselves A servant is not to doe his owne worke he doth it as his master will have him to doe it if he doth the things that his master bids him and saith I am his servant and if he bid me to goe I will goe or if he bid me come I will come if he bid me to keepe within doore and to doe the meanest works I will doe them this is an argument that he doth not seeke himselfe When a man is thus dependent upon God willing to take imployment not above him nor below him nor resist his providence but willing to be guided by him it is a signe that he seekes the Lord and not himselfe 4 Besides let a man consider what he doth in these services that immediatly concerne the Lord himselfe If a man shall study much and pray little if a man shall spend all his time in his calling about worldly businesse and little time for duties to build up himselfe in knowledge as in prayer and reading c. it is a signe that he doth it not for the Lord but for himselfe for he that seekes not the Lord in that which is done to his person he doth it not in that which is done in outward workes he that will not be faithfull in the greater and that which God doth immediately command in his worship he will never be faithfull in those things which are further off that are of lesse consequence Act. 6.4 It was an argument they gave themselves in integrity to the ministry of the Word because they gave themselves to prayer as well as it they did as it were divide the time between both if we were to preach only say the Apostles we could then wait upon Tables but one halfe of our time is to be taken up in prayer the other in preaching and if you thus divide the time it is a signe you look to the Lord. 5 Besides consider
Christ Ioh 4.34 Iesus saith unto them my meate is to doe the will of my Father and to finish his worke that is I will be content to neglect my body to doe that which is the worke of my spirit the worke of my Father And such is his owne advice seeke not the loaves saith he nourish not your bodies labour not for the meate that perisheth but looke that thy soule get the better in all things Object But how shall I know this whether my soule doth rule or no Answ. When the bodily appetite and inclination shall arise so high as to rule the sterne of the soule and the actions of it then the body gets rule over the soule but when these shall bee subdued and ruled and guided by the soule when they shall bee brought to that square which the spirit within shall set downe then the spirit rules over the body Object But my inclinations are strong and I cannot rule them what must I doe then Answ. Thou must doe in this case as Saint Paul did who kept under his body by violence as men use to tame horses we should keepe it downe wee must take heed of carnall lusts they will keepe the body too high as a Horse may be too lustie for his rider yet so as on the other side it must not be kept too low for the body is the instrument of the soule but onely the soule must have dominion over it it should alwayes bee subject to the principall agent as it is said of a servant that he should not be Supra negotium nor infra negotium but par negotio not above nor below but fit for his businesse so ought the body to be the soules servant Beloved consider this doe but thinke what your soules are that you should suffer them to be thus in subjection Thinke what a shame it is that these bodily affections should so overrule the spirit that is made like to God the soule that shall live for ever the soule for which Christ dyed that is better then all the world beside thinke I say with your selves what a sencelesse and unreasonable thing it is that this soule should be kept under by the body and that the body should rule over it Are not men in this kinde like to beasts subject to sensualitie that eate that they may play and play that they may eate and the soule is not considered all this while how it is a spirit that is like to God himselfe who is a spirit Alas what is the body to it It is in it as in a prison such is the body to the soule not to be regarded in comparison of it Therefore adde this to the other that the soule may still be advanced and that it suffer not bodily actions to bring it into subjection lest you be as bruite beasts subject to sensuality made to be taken and to be destroyed FINIS THE ELEVENTH SERMON EXODVS 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. Vse 2 A Second use from this point is this If God be a spirit then his dominion government and providence is chiefly exercised on the spirits of men It is true his providence is over all things that belong to us but as he is in himselfe a Spirit so he puts forth and exerciseth this power of his principally in guiding the spirits of men and in that you are chiefly to observe his providence toward you And that you shall see in Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God that is his rule and power is not in meate and drinke for they are outward things and hee that is a spirit regards them not but it is in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost that is in the things that belong to the spirit therein is his kingdome and dominion chiefly exercised So also Psal. 33.14 15. From the place of his habitation hee looketh downe upon all the inhabitants of the earth he fashioneth their hearts alike hee considereth all their workes Marke it when God lookes downe from heaven and beholdes the children of men the chiefest thing that he doth wherein his government is exercised is in that hee fashions their hearts and spirits and therefore those eternall subjects of his that live with him for ever and spirits as the Angels and the soules of men Therefore if thou wouldest observe the will of the Lord toward thee and wouldest see wherein his providence is chiefly exercised looke upon thy spirit upon all occasions that is what bents what inclinations what hopes and desires hee hath put into thy soule If you looke upon men in the world you shall see them divers in their spirits one man lusts after riches honour and preferment another after gaming sporting and drinking now looke upon this temper of spirit as the greatest judgement of all others Againe looke upon the spirits of other men they are fashioned a contrary way to deny themselves to seeke grace and avoid sinne to be content to have God alone to doe his worke and to leave their wages to God to live a painfull life serving God and men with their sweetnesse this is a quite contrary spirit and this is the greatest blessing Therefore you shall see that when the Lord is angry with a man so that his anger is wound up to the highest pegge then he gives him over to this judgement as it is Psal. 81.12 So I gave them over to their owne hearts lust and they walked in their owne counsells that is my judgement shall be executed upon their spirits to leave them to an unjudicious minde Againe on the other side when the Lord would doe a man the greatest kindnesse then he fashions his spirit another way Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maist live as if he should say when I minde to doe you a kindnesse then I will thus fashion your hearts aright So Ezek 36.26 A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh The Scripture is plentifull in this Therefore if thou wouldest observe what the LORD is to thee looke how hee fashions thy spirit if thou findest that hee leaves thee to unruly affections and lusts and leaves thee to be glued to that from which thou shouldest be divorced or that he hath left thee in bondage to the feare of men as a snare to thee there is no greater judgement in the world than this as it is the greatest mercy on the
contrary Therefore in 2 Tim. 4.22 Paul prayes The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit as if hee should say this is the greatest mercy that I can wish thee and the greatest good that God can doe thee and therefore he wisheth God to be with his spirit Now to set on this point a little further and to make this plaine to you you shall see it in these three things 1. Because all other things as riches poverty health sicknesse c. he dispenseth these promiscuously so he gives riches to wicked men c. because as it is Eccles. 9.1 His love or hatred cannot be knowne by these things Whence I reason thus That wherein the love and hatred of God is most seene therein his providence chiefly exerciseth it selfe but in the fashioning of the spirits of men there and there chiefly is his providence seene for other things come alike to men to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not 2. The disposing of other things is much in the power of men A Prince or a man hath power to kill or to save he can give riches and honor and take them away at his pleasure But to rule the spirits to compose and guide the apprehensions and affections of the soule that belongs to God alone a man is no more able to doe it than to rule the raging sea For as it is proper to God alone to compose the winde and to rule the waves so it is proper to him alone to rule the turbulent affections to compose and guide them If there be any disordered affection in the heart as an immoderate love of any thing or an impatient desire to any thing who is able to remove it but the Lord who is a Spirit So who can implant holy affections in thee but he alone as for example to thinke a good thought a man cannot do it without him who is the Father of spirits so to perswade a man no man can doe it it must be the Lord as Noah saith God shall perswade Laphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. So to see the hainousnesse of sinne and the evill of it no man can doe it but by the spirit of God as it is said Iohn 16.9 The Spirit convinceth men of Sinne. So to wil this or that which is good it is he that workes both the will and the deed A man cannot choose but bee swallowed vp with worldly griefe except God keepe him he cannot chose but feare the face of man except God assist him for this is one of Gods prerogatives royall to rule in the affections and apprehension of men 3 Because the guiding of a mans spirit is of the greatest consequence of all other things else Now God is a wise commander and therefore he will not exert and put forth his power but in things of greatest moment but the guiding of our affections is all in all to us For in a mans outward estate what things soever befall him all are nothing but what his apprehension is of them and how he is affected to them makes them crosses or comforts if a mans spirit be whole the greatest crosse is nothing and the least is intolerable if his spirit be broken As againe what are all pleasant things if a man hath not a heart to apprehend them As to Paul what was all his persecution as long as his spirit was whole within him he carried it out well and what was Paradise to Adam and a kingdome to Ahab when their spirit was broken It is the apprehension that makes every thing to a man heavy or unheavy pleasant or unpleasant sweete or sower and therefore this is the use to be made of it to behold Gods providence cheifely on our spirits and not onely in our owne spirits but what he doth vpon the spirits of others also It is a thing we stumble at when we see a wicked man prosper and carry all things in the world before him we should not say where is Gods providence and the truth of his promise but see what he doth upon the spirit of that man If thou seest such a man more malicious to the Church and children of God growing more carnall and abominable in his courses therein is Gods curse seene more than in all the dispensation of outward curses for that treasure of sinne which he layes up for himselfe will draw on a treasure of wrath which will be executed in due season Therefore beholde your spirits alwayes and Gods providence upon them Lament 3.65 Give them sorrow of heart thy curse upon them the words signifie which is thy curse upon them Therefore if you see an obstinate heart in a man that is the greatest curse of all As in receiving the Sacrament there wee doe pronounce a curse to him that receives it unworthily and prophanes the Lords body but it may be he goes on and sees it not but now looke upon his spirit and see how GOD deales with that whether his heart doth not grow harder and more obdurate which is the greatest curse You may observe this every where If thou seest one that hath a vaine and idle spirit that cannot studie that cannot pray that cannot choose but be carried away by an unruly lust to this or that thing believe it this is a greater judgement than all the diseases in the world than all shame and disgrace that wee account so much of than poverty and crosses as it is the greatest mercy on the other side when a man is able to serve GOD with an upright heart and to be sincere in all his carriage Thus it is with men and this thou shouldest observe in thy selfe also from day to day Let us not observe so much what accidents befall us what good is done to us or what crosses wee have it is true indeed GOD is seene in all these things but chiefly looke what GOD hath done to our spirit what composing of minde or what turbulency of affections or what quietnesse what patience or what impatience and for this be chiefly humbled or be chiefly thankfull for to take away from Christ the praise of sanctification is as much as to take away the praise of his redemption Herein thou shalt see his love or hatred manifested to thee his greatest judgement shewed to thee or his greatest mercies The Third Vse is that which the Scripture makes of it Iohn 4 24. If God be a Spirit then worship him in Spirit and truth What it is to worship God in spirit and truth you shall see if you compare this place with that in Rom. 1.9 For God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers The meaning of it is this When Paul had taken a solemne asseveration GOD is my witnesse c. doe not thinke saith hee that I have done this feignedly I am no such man
come in that is if my understanding shall suggest a thing inordinate and shall say Goe and give a bribe to Faelix and thou shalt escape imprisonment goe and take a gift of these Corinthians and thou shalt have something of thine owne and shalt not be so dependent on the almes of others now saith he when carnall wisedome shall suggest any such thing to mee I would not admit of it but I walked in simplicity and godly purenesse toward all men but especially toward you Corinthians here was in him the simplicity of the Doves That we might draw it to a little more particulars you shall see an other expression of this Ephes. 6.5 Servants be obedient to them that are your masters in the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of your heart as unto Christ that is servants take heede even with feare and trembling that you admit not by and sinfull respects in performing your duty as there are many motives as feare hope reward and a necessity to doe it but keepe your hearts single that you may looke onely upon Christ and his commandement and then you shall be faithfull in your service but if other respects mingle themselves with this simplicity you will doe but eye-service you will doe it in a double and dissembling manner not plainely and heartily and simply Therefore let us put in practise this simplicity upon all occasions in all other things whatsoever Rom. 12.8 He that distributeth let him doe it in simplicity that is men are subiect to by ends in their good workes as in giuing almes or shewing a kindenesse to men there may be many by-respects as that they may make use of them heareafter or the like but saith hee keepe you your hearts simple to looke upon GOD alone in them So in conversing with men when you professe love and kindenesse you are subject to by ends in doing it but they are commended Act. 2.46 that they did eat their meat with gladnesse and singlenesse of heart that is what love they professed one to another it was simple and plaine not double Compare this place with that in 1 Pet. 1.22 Seing you have purified your selves in obeying the truth through the Spirit vnto vnfained love of the brethren see that yee love one another with a pure love fervently that is when there is nothing else when the heart is simple and plaine when there is nothing but love noe mixture noe by ends in it So likewise when you come to preach the Gospell doe it in simplicity of heart that is let there be nothing besides as the Apostle saith of himselfe he preached Christ and not himselfe so we should doe every thing in simplicity of heart And so you should behave your selves in your elections to looke with a single eye to the oath by which you ought to be guided doe nothing for feare or favour of men or for any sinister respect I wish I could speake and give this rule to all the kingdome at Parliament times For it is an errour among men to thinke that in election of Burgesses or any others they may pleasure their friends or themselves by having this or that eye to their owne advantage or disadvantage that may arise from it whereas they ought to keep their mindes single and free from all respects so that when they come they may choose him whom in their owne consciences and in the sight of God they thinke fittest for the place and that you may doe so you are to get a single and a simple heart to doe it Vse 3 3 If there bee in GOD this simplicity that we have declared to you then goe to him upon all occasions goe not to the streame goe not to the creatures which have what they have but by derivation and participation but goe to him that hath all that he hath naturally and abundantly not sparingly as they have that have it by participation As when a man is in any miserable condition wherein hee desires pitty and would bee respected and relieved what wilt thou doe in this case Wilt thou goe to weake man and have him to pitty thee No goe to the great GOD in whom there is mercy it selfe Amongst men he that is the fullest of pitty he hath but a streame of it a drop of it therefore seeke not so much to him no not to parents their pitty falls infinitely short of what is in GOD remember that he is mercy it selfe that is thou shalt finde infinitely more mercy in him then can be saide to be in man the most that can be said of man is that he is mercifull but that which can be saide of GOD is that the very thing it selfe is there If you have a firebrand and light it by the fire it is something but fire it selfe is another thing man he hath a little mercy but if you goe to GOD he hath a sea of mercy and he is never dry Therefore whatsoever thy misery or distresse bee whether of conscience or estate be sure that thou goe to God and say to him If evill parents can bee so mercifull to their children when they aske it of them what then shall I have of him that is mercy it selfe Matth. 7.11 So likewise for wisedome if thou hast a doubtfull case and knowest not what to doe thou goest to thy friends which in deede is a good meanes and ought not to bee neglected for in the multitude of councell there is peace but remember this that there is but a little wisedome in them and therefore they will councell thee but a little but goe to God that is wisedome it selfe Pro. 8. Goe to him for hee will give thee wisedome liberally and without reproach Iam. 1.5 thinke of him that hee is the fountaine of wisedome and fullnesse it selfe So if thou needest grace thou wouldest faine have more thou wouldest have thy faith strengthened and thy love and zeale more fervent goe to CHRIST then from whom wee receive grace for grace and that is made to us wisedome sanctification and redemption goe to God that is grace it selfe Goe not to men for what they have they have it from him therefore looke upon all occasions that thou goest to the Lord when thou wantest comfort goe not to thy pleasure and sports and friends and acquaintance but goe to God that is the great God of heaven and earth that hath it in him abundantly and in him thou shalt find more abundance then in any man of the world FINIS THE THIRTEENTH SERMON EXOD. 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. IN these words as you know God describes himselfe to Moses by his eternall being I AM hath sent me unto you Now our businesse
any man and takes it away againe So that it is but a figurative kinde of speech not that there is any change in himselfe but because what he did before he undoes it now in regard of his actions he changeth not in regard of himselfe Object 2 What is the reason that he is said to drawe neere to us at one time and at another time to depart from us why doth the Holy Ghost come into one mans heart and sanctifie him when before hee was an unregenerate man what is the reason that Christ which was in heaven came downe and tooke our nature vpon him and lived amongst us I say what is the reason of all this if there be no change in the Lord. Answ. GOD is said to doe all this to come to us and to goe from us and to sanctifie them that were voide of sanctification and as you say of the Sunne you say that the Sunne comes into the house when it fils it with light but when the windowes are shut you say the Sunne is gone Yet the Sunne alters not but the change is in regard of the house It is said to come into the house because of the light that comes into it which before did not but the Sunne it selfe is not altered So in this case the Holy Ghost sanctifies a man GOD drawes neere to him in his comfortable presence because there are some workes wrought in the heart that before were not GOD is not changed but it is the man that suffers the change he sees light now that before was in darkenesse and in the shadow of death he is said to be changed by reason of those operations that now are there which before were not So is it in Christs comming there was a change in the humane nature that was assumed which before was not there was a worke done on the earth which was not before he put forth his power in his humiliation and exaltation which before he did not but yet he was the same the change was in the creature and not in him Now we come to the consequences which are two Hence wee may learne then how to understand all those places which wee meete with in Scripture wherein the Lord expresseth such a sollicitude for the death of sinners as Why will you die O house of Israel why will you not hearken and obey And As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner And how am I prest under your abominations even as a cart is pressed with sheaves And it is said Gen. 6.6 That the Lord was grieved at the heart or it pained him at the heart that hee had made man All these kind of expressions as it is evident from hence are but attributed to GOD after the manner of men not that hee is moved for it cannot be seeing he is unchangeable whatsoever new accidents fall out in the world hee is not stirred with them he is not moved with any new affection for if he were he should be as man is changeable But the meaning of those places is to shew the infinite goodnesse of his nature and the greatnesse of our sinnes so that as men grieve much when their wills are crossed and when their worke is brought to nothing how weary are they when they strive long and doe no good So the LORD would expresse it to us thus that wee might take notice what the great provocations are what the sinnes and faults are wherewith we offend him from day to day that we may know what they be and what price to set upon those sinnes whereby we weary him from time to time That all the love and hatred that hee hath now since the world was made all the complacency and displicency all the happinesse and joy which he hath from any thing done either by the Angels or men that he had it from all eternity for if any thing were new in him there should be a change but now there being none you must needes grant this that they were in him from all eternity So that all the workes of men and Angels be nothing to him all the joy that he hath from them hee had it from eternity Againe all the sinnes whereby evill men provoke him and all the punishments that they suffer for sinne it moves not him but as when a glasse falls against the wall the wall is not hurt but the glasse is broken so wicked men they hurt themselves but hee is not mooved Therefore hence observe that GOD must needes be most holy and righteous and just in all his wayes because there is neither love nor hatred nor griefe in him nor joy which should make crooked or bend the rule of his will or alter it in any action Men are therefore unjust because in all that they doe there is something that bends their wills this way or that way they are capable of love joy griefe but GOD seeing he is capable of none of these therefore he must needes be most just and righteous in all his workes Therefore whatsoever he doth though thou seest no reason for it yet justifie thou him in all when thou seest him overthrowing the Churches denying his grace to many thousands and the like yet doe thou justifie him in all his wayes because there is no griefe or trouble can come to him as to the creature therefore he must needes be holy in all wayes and righteous in all his workes If this be so then this will also follow that all the decrees all the counsells and all the acts of his will that ever were in him they were in him from all eternity that is there is not a vicissitude of counsells thoughts and desires upon the passages of things in the world as there is in men for then he should be subject to change For this is a sure rule Whatsoever is under different termes there is a change in it he is now that which he was not before and if there were any instant in which GOD should will one thing which he did not another time hee should bee subject to change Therefore looke backe to all eternity in your imaginations thoughts as in the making of the world all those acts those counsels that he executed upon men they were in him from everlasting Now I come to uses for practise and we will make such uses as the Scripture doth make of this point The first is this Vse 1 In 1 Sam. 15.28 29. And Samuel said unto Saul The Lord hath rent the kingdome of Israel from thee this day and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thee and also the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not as man that hee should repent If GOD be unchangeable take heede then lest he come to this that hee cast thee off as he did Saul for if ever he doe it he will never repent never alter never retract his decree Saul lived
desire Answ. There is no way in the world but this Labour to be humbled for thy sinnes to get a broken heart for them for then a man comes to prize grace exceeding much and worldly things as nothing For this is a sure rule When thou feelest thy sinnes to lie heavie upon thee then all the things in the world will appeare light therefore labour to know the bitternesse of sinne it is that which sets an edge upon all our spirituall desires without this a man doth but cheapen the kingdome of heaven he doth as the people did with Rehoboam they expostulated with him about their serving him so wee doe capitulate with the Lord as it were and stand upon termes with him untill we are humbled and then we are ready to take heaven upon any condition Till a man be thus humbled his desires are remisse and weake and flaggy desires they raise up great buildings upon no foundation the foundation is weake and crazie and so the building comes downe And hence is it that men put their hand to the plough and looke backe againe A scholler will serve the Lord if hee may have eminency in gifts and outward excellency or some honour in the flesh but all this while his desires are remisse but when he is once humbled then he will say with Saint Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to doe and I will doe it whatsoever it is and whatsoever thou wouldest have me to suffer I will suffer it He will take the kingdome of heaven by violence and then his resolutions continue constant that way For what can Satan do to him wil he take away his pleasure from him his wealth or his credit they are things that hee hath despised before he can take nothing from him but what he cares not for It is the bitternesse of sinne that makes him now to prize Gods love and favour above all thing Thirdly thou must renew thy resolution oft it is not enough to set the heart in a good frame of grace for a day or two or for a moneth but thou must have a constant course in doing of it ever and anon as the Dutch men use to doe with their bankes that keepe them with little cost because they looke narrowly to them if there be but the least breach they make it up presently otherwise the water makes a breach upon them So thou shouldest doe with thy heart observe it from day to day marke what objections come that thou canst not answer what lusts and desires doe overballance thee and learne still to renew thy reasons and resolutions against them and this will make thee constant and firme and peremptory in well-doing NOw I come to the next Attribute and that is The Greatnesse of God or his Infinitenesse We follow in this rather the rule of the Scripture than the tract of the Schoolemen and wee insist upon those that God doth especially take to him in Scripture Now that God takes this Attribute to himselfe you shall see in 2 Chron. 2.5 For great is our God above all Gods Psal. 135.5 For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all Gods But the place that I would chiefly commend to you is this Psal. 145.3 Great is the Lord and most worthy to be praised and his greatnesse is unsearchable Where you see that it is an infinite and incomprehensible greatnesse that the Lord takes to himselfe So Psal. 147.5 Great is our God and of great power and his understanding is infinite In handling of this I will shew you these two things First I will shew you how this greatnesse of God is gathered from the Scriptures Secondly I will shew you the reason of it as I have done in the rest The greatnesse of God is declared to us in the Scripture by these sixe things First By the workes of his creation The greatnesse of the workes doe shew the greatnesse the maker Isay 40.12 Who hath measured the heavens in the hollow of his hand and meted out the heavens with a spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hills in a ballance that is If you would looke upon any worke you may judge of the workeman by it if you see a great building you conceive it to be made by a man of some power now when you looke upon the great building of heaven and earth you may thinke that he that handles the materialls as an Architect doth handle the stones and lay them in their place is great now the Lord doth put the waters together as if he held them in his hand and hee measures out the heavens as a workeman measures out the roofe Againe every workeman must worke by plummet and by weight now consider the great mountaines saith he he weighes them in scales and the hills in a ballance as this building doth goe beyond mans so doth the greatnesse of God exceed the greatnesse of man and by this you may take a glimpse of the greatnesse of the Lord. Secondly by the ensignes of his greatnesse The greatnesse of Princes is set out by those outward signes which are the declaration of it Now when the Lord would shew his greatnesse you shall see how he expresseth it Deut. 4.36 When he came out of the Mount they heard a great voice and on the earth there was a great fire by that you may know the greatnesse of God For why doth hee come out with those ensignes clothed with them as it were but that by this you might have a crevice opened to shew you the greatnesse of God So when he appeared to Elias and in his apparitions to Moses to the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel It is said also that his voice was as the sound of many waters and he was so terrible that is was a vsuall saying among the Iewes Who can see God and live why so Because when he appeared when he shewed any shadow of his greatnesse weake flesh could not behold him but was swallowed up as it were with the greatnesse of his Majesty Thirdly By the workes of his providence Ezek. 36.23 And I will sanctifie my great Name which was prophaned among the heathen which yee have prophaned in the middest of them and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD saith the Lord GOD when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes As if hee should say They make no account of me now but when they shall see me to bring downe great Babel then they shall know and beleeve that I am a great GOD. So else where in Ezechiel hee compareth Ashur and Tire to a Lyon and Eagle and a Cedar and hee saith that hee will put a hooke into the Lyon and deplume the Eagle and overtop the Cedar that is hee will shew forth his greatnesse at that time when he shall bring downe those great nations So the greatnesse of GOD is seene
in his providence over every thing when he shall overthrow a whole kingdome and a great battell by a litle accident as great ships are turned about by a litle rudder then his might appeares So in his ruling the winds and seaes and weather all this shewes the greatnesse of his excellency Therefore look vpon his judgements and likewise upon his mercyes when you see how he raiseth men out of the dust c. All this shewes the greatnesse of God Fourthly It is set out comparatively To compare him with the greatest of men Kings what are they unto him who is the King of Kings Nay take Nations which are greater nay take all Nations you shall see what they are to him Isa. 40.15 Behold the Nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance Behold he taketh up the Iles as a very little thing Lebanon is not sufficient to burn for a burnt offering All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity The very scope of this place is to shâ—w the greatnesse of God by comparison A bucket of water is but a small thing but the dropps that fall from it they are of no use Againe the dust of the earth is but a small thing but the dust of the scales that will not so much as turne them that must needes be exceeding little but all the world is not so much to him as a litle dust Another comparison you shall finde in Isa 55. My thoughts are above your thoughts as the heaven is above the earth Beyond al things are the thoughts of man for though Nations bee great yet a mans thoughts goe beyond them notwithstanding the Lord is as much beyond the scantling and modell that we draw of him in our thoughts as the heavens are above the earth When you have thought upon mee as much as you can thinke when you have thought me mercifull for that is the thing which hee speakes of yet I am as much more mercifull then you can thinke of me as the heavens are above the earth Fifthly The Immensenesse or extent of his being Ier. 23.24 Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord When we consider that the heaven of heavens cannot containe him that largenesse presented to our mindes will shew his greatnesse to us Sixthly His holinesse shewes his greatnesse Looke as men keepe a greater distance from others as Princes doe so wee esteeme them greater Now his holinesse is nothing else but his separation and distance from every creature Every thing is holy because it is separated it is common because it is not sequestred from other uses now GOD is separated none may come neere him as the Cherubims cover their faces before him and when he was in the Mount none might approach neare to him if they did they were to be thrust through with a dart He dwells in light inaccessible and therefore the great holinesse of GOD shewes the greatnesse of Majesty The reasons of this Infinitenesse are these First from this very place I AM hath sent me unto you I AM shewes that he hath a being from himselfe if so then he had no cause Now from hence as in that he had no efficient nor finall cause he is eternall so in that he hath neither matter nor forme hee is infinite and incomprehensible And that is the reason that hee hath an unlimited essence because all limitation proceedes either from the matter or from the forme the forme is contracted by the matter againe the matter would be indefinite but it is contracted and bounded by the forme Now GOD hath neither matter nor forme nor nothing like it therefore hee is infinite All the creatures they have their severall kindes the Angels they have no matter yet they have something in them answerable to matter and forme wherein they agree and disagree with other creatures and therefore they are one kinde of creatures and man another which shewes that they have formes to bound and limit them and that the essence of the Angels goes so farre and no farther and so the essence of man c. But in GOD there is no similitude of any such thing there is no Esse receptum there is no limits in him nothing to binde his essence whereas they are Entia in a certaine kinde he is simpliciter Ens and therefore without all limitation and so must be immense Secondly He is omnipotent and almighty he can doe whatsoever he will Whence I reason If he have an infinite power it must needs proceede from an infinite cause for as a thing is in working so it is in being therefore when his power is infinite that must needes be infinite in which it is rooted and from whence it proceedes Thirdly That which is beyond all that wee can conceive is infinite but GOD is so for if any thing could be imagined more perfect than he is that should be GOD and not he and therefore in Scripture whatsoever we can conceive of him yet he is beyond it Rom. 11. His wayes are past finding out and it is said that hee dwells in light inaccessible Fourthly Consider it from his workes you see that hee hath made the world of nothing Whence I reason If you would heate the aire it is more easily heated than water because the passive power is neerer the active and if you would heate water you may more easily heate it than the earth Now according to the resistance according to the passive power such is the active if the passive power lie open the active power is lesse that workes upon it now when the passive power is infinitely low then the active power must be infinitely high and answerable to it Therefore when GOD comes to make something of nothing the active power must bee exceeding high because the passive power is so low and therefore requires an infinite active power to make something of nothing and consequently hee must be infinite in whom this power is seated Vse 1 If he be so great a GOD he that is our God the GOD who is our Father if he be thus great and incomprehensible learne you to know what you are then that you have an infinite God to maintaine defend and uphold you in all all that you have to doe or suffer for his will This will cause you to take great mindes to your selves to have a holy magnanimity in you And the consideration of this Attribute is of great vse to make Christians come to have great mindes For what is it that makes the minde great It is the greatnesse of the object whence it is that Kings have great mindes because of their great Kingdomes and great men have great thoughts because of the great objects that they have to looke vpon Now therefore if thou wouldest looke vpon the great God if thou wouldest consider that he is thy Father and
that all that hee hath is thine this would likewise make thy minde exceeding great it would take from us that pusillanimity and narrownesse of mind which we are subject to and it is of great moment it should doe so A litle mind though it be good yet because it is a litle vessell it can bee and receive but a litle good whereas when the minde is great it is capable of great grace great actions and great indeavours therefore we should get our minds to be inlarged by considering the greatnesse of GOD and our interest in it For want of this it is that Christians are so apt to bee led aside into by-wayes by the power of great men because they thinke that they are greatly graced when they are look't after by great men when as if they did know their owne greatnesse that they are Sonnes of GOD and heires of heaven this goes beyond it Hence likewise it is that men are so easily wrought vpon by pleasure profit and the like that they are ready to transgresse why is it It is because they doe not know what they are borne to that the great GOD of heaven is theirs So what is the reason that the praise and credit of men doe so much affect you but because we have so litle mindes whereas if God were knowne in his greatnesse what would the praise of great men be to the praise of the great GOD This would give us much strength against these temptations And hence it is that young students that are provided for have their mindes lift vp to vanities whereas if their minds were great they would despise them and labour to serve the great GOD with their strength and parts And so men that are growne vp if they have estate inough they leave the high and honorable calling of the Ministery the reason is because they overvalue these outward things whereas if a man had a great mind nothing would bee great to him Hence also it is that men are so stirred with variety of conditions when prosperity comes it shakes them one way when crosses and adversity comes it troubles them on the otherside and what is the reason but because they seeme great to them which appeares from hence because they stirre vp great affections Therefore the way to walke even in both conditions is to get this greatnesse of mind for it is the weakenesse of minde which causeth a man to be over affected with these things to rejoyce too much in the one and to bee too much affected with the other Even as wee see a weake eye as the eyes of Owles and Bats cannot indure a great light and a weake braine cannot beare strong drinke but a strong eye as the eye of an Eagle can indure the greatest light so a strong minde it will indure great grace and disgrace with the same temper it will beare all well enough it knowes how to want and how to abound because he hath a great and a strong minde whereas others have their eyes dazeled and their braines made giddy as it were with the favour or losse of great men Hence also it is that wee are so busie about worldly things dignity and riches c. It is true we should seeke after these things but why doe we doe it tanto conatu It was Paules greatnesse of mind that made him ambitious to preach the Gospell to serve tables and such like were small matters hee would not looke after them So if wee had great minds wee should seeke for grace and how to increase in it how to live an usefull and painefull and profitable life Worldly things are too litle for the mind to bestow it selfe upon which would be so to us if we could see GOD in his greatnesse and our interest in it Men of little mindes and pusillanimous doe as the Bramble which reckoned it as a great matter to reigne over the trees whereas the Vine and the Figgetree esteemed it not so but chose rather to serve GOD and man with their sweetnesse and fatnesse Hence it is that men are so much affected with the injuries of men on the one side and the feares of men on the other side all this ariseth from the littlenesse of the minde Saint Paul Gal. 5.12 the Galathians had done him great injury yet saith he Brethren be as I am for I am as you are you have done me great injury but I esteeme it not you have not hurt mee at all For a man inlarged to a holy greatnesse of mind all the injuries put upon him by men seeme small to him when men are full of complaints and say they cannot beare such disgrace and slander and reproach this doth not proceede from the greatnesse but from the weaknesse of their mindes Men thinke it indeede greatnesse of minde not to passe over these things not to put up an injury but surely it is a note of a great minde to overlooke them all So it is true on the other side not to regard the praise of men The Philosopher could say that the magnanimous man did not regard the praise of common men because he was above them and he is but a weake man that would regard the praise of children because they are not able to judge so hee hath but a weake minde that regards the praise of worldly men for they are too little for him to regard if hee did see GOD in his greatnesse This made Paul to say that hee did not care for mans day let them say what they will by me better or worse I regard it not There is indeede a meete regard to be had of of them but if they come into competition with God then they must beare no weight at all and thus because disgrace and disparagement c. seemed but little to him he despised them all So from this weaknesse of minde ariseth that cowardlinesse which wee see often in men Whence is it that men are so fearefull to holde out the light of a holy profession is it not from hence that they are pusillanimous that they doe too much esteeme the face of men A Lion because he knowes himselfe to be a Lion if the dogges barke hee walkes in the street and regards them not he turneth not his head aside for them So a magnanimous man that knowes himselfe in GODS favour will passe by the obloquies of mâ—n You shall see David did so hee went on in his course like a Lion when Shimei railed against him so that the two sonnes of Zerviah would have cut off his head No let him alone saith he the Lord then raised him up to a great mind So was it with Paul he passed through evill report good report never turned aside for any So Moses Ieremy They shall smite thee with the tongue of men c. sayes GOD but I am with thee And so if wee could see GOD in his greatnesse all these outward things would seeme nothing to us As a hundred
that sinne and will sinne they are told of their particular faults of their idlenesse c. and they are so and will be so still but let them consider that which is spoken in 1 Cor 10.22 Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousie Are we stronger than he He speakes it to them that receive the Sacrament unworthily as if hee should say Both in this and in all other sinnes that you doe commit you doe as it were contend with the great God which is a vaine thing if you consider his greatnesse for are you stronger then he So Psal. 90. Who knowes the power of his wrath And so should we doe in regard of his goodnesse Hos 3. vlt Men shall feare his goodnesse that is if his goodnesse be so great and infinite as himselfe then the losse of it is a losse above all things in the world Whatsoever is precious to us that we feare the losse of as our liberties and lives and as things are more precious to us the more we feare the losse of them Now the goodnesse of God is greater than all other things it is beyond all these as having all these in it therfore wee are to feare the losse of it as the greatest evill in the world Therefore if we could see the extension of his wrath and goodnesse the losse of the one would be the greatest losse and the other the greatest crosse the enjoying of the one the greatest good and the 〈◊〉 of the other the greatest evill in the world and the consideration of this would helpe us to guide our hopes and feares aright for a great cause of misleading us in our wayes are the vaine hopes and feares that we are subject to we feare the losse of friends and losse of lives and liberties but these in comparison are not to be feared This use Christ makes of it Feare not those that can kill the body but feare the great God that can destroy both body and soule The greatnes of his wrath wee should feare as the greatest evill and his goodnesse as the chiefest good and our thoughts and intentions being taken up about these two it would set our hopes and feares aright and worldly things as credit and profit c. would seeme nothing to us and prevaile nothing with us Vse 3 If GOD be so exceeding great then there is no love enough no affection no desire answerable to him If our love were perfect yet it could not reach to him whose greatnesse doth farre exceede it but being imperfect as it is it falls exceeding short of him Therefore let no man feare that he can goe too farre that there can be too much holinesse and strictnesse in our wayes but let him remember the great GOD of heaven and earth and what is due to him and then thinke how farre thou fallest short of that which thou shouldest doe to him It is an expression of CHRIST Luke 14.26 Mat. 10.37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me That which I would have observed out of these places is He is not worthy of me that is if men considered my greatnesse and excellency they would easily see me worthy of more love than this of friends and except you can doe so except you can prize my love above these things yea even hate them all if they come into competition with me you are not worthy of me Consider therefore how much love he is worthy of and see if there be not reason for the commandement where we are commanded to love the Lord with all our strength that is if you would love God with that love that he is worthy of you would love God with all your strength that is whatsoever strength a man hath his love should put it forth to doe service to God If a man be rich he is able to doe more for God than a poore man if he be a Magistrate he can doe more than a private man if he hath learning and knowledge he hath much more strength than another now the improvement of these to the glory of God this is to love him with all our strength And if you consider how great a God he is you will see great reason why you should love him thus with all your strength Therefore we should check our selves when we see the dulnesse of our hearts how ready and how apt wee are to bestow our love upon any besides him we should observe all those riverets wherein our love goes out and runnes to other things and bring them backe againe into the right channell For if you consider the greatnesse of God you will see that there is no love to spare Object But may wee not love him and love other things also Answ. You cannot with an ordinate but with a subordinate love you may that is you cannot love him and the world for they are opposed 1 Iohn 2.15 Love not the world neither the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him So Iam. 4.4 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy to God All our love must be bestowed upon him as most worthy of it there is not one particle to be bestowed upon any other thing But then hee gives us our love againe and then we may disperse it here and there As for example he hath commanded hee to love father and mother and friends and the ground that thou hast to doe it is because he hath commanded thee and gives thee leave to it So he hath given thee leave to love recreations and other things that are sutable to our desires but you must remember that the end is that you may be made more serviceable to him to quicken and strengthen you to doe his service and thus it may be bestowed upon other things But that which we have in hand and commend to your consideration is this that if he be so exceeding great in goodnes that therefore he deserves thy whole love 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha Paul comes with indignation considering the great good that Iesus Christ had done for us if any man love not him he is worthy to perish let him be accursed even to death I say if we consider the greatnesse that is in him you shall see some reason for that curse that indignation of the Apostle whereby hee expresseth it and so farre as wee fall short we should goe to Christ and beseech him to make it up that our defects may be supplied and that we may be accepted in him Vse 4 Againe If he be so great then wee should learne to reverence to him to come before him with much feare when wee performe any duty to him According as a man is great so wee feare him This use is made of it in Mal.
1.14 Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his flocke a male and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts and my name is dreadfull among all Nations that is the reason that the Lord there useth to stirre them up I am a great King So that the consideration of his greatnesse should cause us to feare before him When hee appeared to Iacob when hee fled from his fathers house to his uncle Laban Gen. 28.17 Iacob saith of the place wherein God appeared to him Surely this place is exceeding fearefull the reason was because God appeared there because hee was present there his presence strooke him with an awefull reverence that he said the place was exceeding fearefull So wee should thinke of his dreadfull presence when we come before him Eccles. 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter ony thing before God for God is in heaven and thou on earth therefore let thy words be few that is he is exceeding great and he is in heaven therefore learne to feare him when you draw nigh unto him That which may help us in this is to consider how glorious his apparitions were when hee appeared to Moses to the Prophets as Eliah and Ezekiel and you must remember that though you see not these apparitions yet consider that you have the same GOD to deale withall and though hee doth not shew it so now yet hee is as great now as then and so feare before him And this is to sanctifie GOD in our hearts that is when wee conceive of him as he is and doe accordingly feare when wee come before him And thus much in generall of this Attribute Now this greatnesse of God is seene in foure particulars First In the Infinitenesse of his presence Secondly In the Infinitenesse of his power which is his Omnipotence Thirdly In the Infinitenesse of his wisedome Fourthly In the Absolutenesse of his will that it is without all bounds and limits THE SEVENTH ATTRIBVTE OF GOD The Jnfinitenesse of his presence Or His Jmmensity FOr the first The Infinitenesse his presence that is another Attribute which hee takes to himselfe in Scripture As Ier. 23.24 Can any man hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord That is he is present every where in all the parts of heaven and earth even as water when it fills every place and as the light when it shines throughout the whole world So Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord So Eph. 4.6 One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all GOD fills all in all Quest. Onely this question may be asked Whether he be without the world as well as he is in the world Because some have disputed it therefore we will briefly answer it Answ. The Scripture is cleare in it that he is without the world there is no limits of his essence that wee can set downe hee is not contained within the compasse of heaven and earth as you shall see in 2 Chron 2.6 But who is able to build him an house seeing the heaven of heavens cannot containe him But this is but a curious question therefore I will leave it and will come to shew the reason of his omnipresence why hee is immense why he is every where as I have done in the rest 1. This property or Attribute of immensity must needes be given to God because his essence is infinite which hath beene before proved Now as the argument holds good that according to the substance of every thing such must the quality be in things that have quantity if the body be great so must the quantity bee So if God be an infinite essence as he is there is as good reason that he should have an infinite presence accompanying it as that a great body hath a quantity answerable to it So that he is of an infinite being and therefore also of an infinite presence 2. You see see it by experience and cannot deny it that his power is every where he guides all things he puts forth his power every where Now in the Lord seeing there is no facultie as is in man but whatsoever is in him is himselfe it cannot be but that he himselfe must be in every place where he doth any thing The fire may heate afarre off and so may the Sunne give light to the whole world and yet abide in the firmament because it hath a quality of heat and light but Almighty God is most simple there is no composition in him no quality no executive power but hee is himselfe what he is and therefore what he doth is done by himselfe immediatly immediatione suppositi as the Schoolemen expresse it Lastly I adde that GOD must bee every where present not onely within the world but as Salomon expresseth it The heaven of heavens cannot containe him that is hee is without the world as well as within it because wee cannot deny but that hee is able to make other worlds as well as this and then if hee should not be without the world he should move himselfe and change his place and there should bee a world where hee is not present but he is not capable of any change of any motion or alteration of place Onely one caution must be taken in You see that the light is in many places throughout the world but the presence of GOD is not like to that presence nor the presence of any creature because he is totally present the creatures are not so but according to the parts of them one part here another there but GOD being without all parts whereso ever he is he must be totally there Therefore you must not conceive God is commensurable by the place as if he were partly here and partly in another place but he is every where all present The heavens you see have a large place but they have one part here another there but the Lord is totally present wheresoever he is present Vse 1 First If God be every where present so that he doth not doe any thing by a mediate vertue or power but he doth it by the presence of his essence hence we gather first that he governes the world immediately For though there bee meanes vsed yet hee is present with those meanes Other Kings must needes governe by Deputies and Viceroyes and inferiour Magistrates of justice because they cannot be every where whence it comes to passe that Kings may be good and yet the people may be oppressed by their wicked instruments But with the Lord it is not so but he guides immediatly and being every where present he needeth no Deputies for he is not capable of information as Kings are but sees all with his owne eyes and heares all with his owne eares And againe he useth
no Deputies for the use of Deputies argues a defect as the using of spectacles or crutches doth if the eyes or legges were well and sound inough a man would not use them so a man would not write letters or use other meanes to doe his businesse but from a defect he is not large inough to doe his businesse immediately But almighty God he is every where present and in his governing al things are done by his owne Almighty power Good Governours may have wicked instruments contrary to their mindes which they know not of as Ely and Samuel had but in GODS Government it is not so therefore learne from hence not to complaine of the iniquitie of the times or the injustice of men It is true that a kind mother may ignorantly put her child to a wicked Nurse that will abuse it but GOD never puts any of his children to Nurse but he is present with them his government is immediate So that that which is said of David he is a man after Gods owne heart it may be said of every King and Governour they doe what God would have them to doe though it be for evill as his was for good they are men after Gods owne heart As it was in the killing of Iesus Christ even that is said to be done by the determinate Counsell of God And therefore let no man complaine of his Governours for God governes not by Deputies but by himselfe Therefore let no man say that hee hath an evill Master or Governour but let him acknowledge that whatsoever he hath from man it is the worke of the Almighty God that is every where present it is he that disposeth of men and puts them into such a condition for he is the King of heaven and earth Therefore complaine to him and be patient because he hath done it doe not complaine of men and fret against them because the Lord is not absent in his kingdome but is present to guide and dispose them according to his owne pleasure Vse 2 Secondly If GOD be every where present in his owne essence and person wee should the rather choose him to be our GOD and rejoyce much in the amplenesse of our portion seeing wee have such a GOD that is every where we can goe no whither but he is present with us wee have nothing to doe a thousand miles hence but he is there and doth our businesse for us We seeke a multitude of friends because one cannot doe it because one doth one thing and another another one friend may be a comfort to us in one place but if you come to another place there you may be destitute friends cannot be every where hence we neede many friends but if you looke upon the Lord and his omnipresence all this is supplied in him hee is in every place and hee can doe your businesses for you though you be distant from the place where they are to be done and GOD is with you every where as it was his promise to Iacob when he went to Padan Aram I will be with thee saith the Lord. So he said to David and when Ioseph went into prison the Lord went with him When Abraham was called out of his Country the Lord bid him to goe I will be with thee Beloved when you consider this that GOD is every where present and can doe every thing for you whereby he hath the sweetnesse of a thousand friends in him and the ability of as many I say when wee consider this it should teach us not onely to be content but to say that we desire no more Learne therefore to studie this Attribute The more we know him by it the more comfort we gather from it As is it not matter of great comfort that in all places wee should have a GOD to doe all our businesses To which purpose is that expression in Ier. 23.23 24. Hee is a God nigh at hand that is though your businesse lie in other Countries yet I am there to doe them for you And againe is it not comfort to consider that hee is with your enemies it may be in a distance place For you thinke that if you were there you would have something to prevent them Consider that hee is there and after another manner than any man is hee is present with their mindes and knowes their counsells and moves their hearts and disposeth of all their counsells As Elisha tolde the King of Arams counsell to the King of Israel which shewed that GOD was there So also hee is present with thy friends when they are absent it may be that they forget us yet he can stirre them up as he did stirre up Cyrus to doe what hee did for the people of Israel So likewise he is present with our children when wee are with GOD when we are gone out of this world to provide for them and to bring them up Hee is present with all our affaires and businesses when we are absent and know not how things goe we are apt to be sollicitous but if we would consider that he is a great God and that he is every where this should comfort us and stay our hearts And therefore thinke with thy selfe that thou hast a large portion because thou hast the LORD And this is the second use Vse 3 Thirdly If God be every where present hence you may see a ground for his particular providence It seemes something strange to men that every small thing should be disposed of by him we thinke indeed that great things are but for the least things therein we are apt to make a doubt and can hardly beleeve it But this point in hand is a great confirmation of this truth If an horse stumble by the way wee thinke it a common accident if a fly fall into a mans eye or if a tile fall off from the house or an axe head we looke upon them as common accidents but if we consider that he is present there it is then an easie matter for us to beleeve that God doth disposed all these when the axe head falls off it is in his hand as before it was in the hand of the workeman If he be present with every small creature with every fly with every sparrow and stone with every motion of the creature then all the actions that befall us they are all his workes In him wee live move and have our being that is hee is present with every creature Therefore it is no difficulty to beleeve that hee guides the smallest thing If an enemy hurt us wee are to thinke that he is but as a staffe in Gods hand as it is said of Nebuchadnezzar Every accident is but as a cup as Christ saith of the cup that was brought to him by others Shall not I drinke of the cup which my Father gives me So wee may say of every affliction The tongues of men are but scourges in his hand hee can rule them as he pleaseth and so wee
you use to say we know not what we shall have hereafter we know what we have here and therefore the soule trembles at it Whence comes this but because we have not beene wonted to walke with the LORD Is it a great thing for him to die when he hath the same company and the same friends with him still It is but chancing the place not his company one of the speeches repeated by the Authour at his death for he is present every where Therefore our duty thence is no maintaine such a constant communion with him that we may be able to fetch helpe and comfort and direction from him so that we neede not turne aside to the creatures and be dependent upon them And indeed one that is acquainted with the LORD and hath full communion with him may be satisfied with that alone for what is it that makes a man to desire company It ariseth from these two things First partly because one would have fit objects to exercise his faculties upon which if hee had not they would languish and a wearisomnesse would grow upon them Secondly because hee would have knowledge and direction and helpe and advice and comfort brought into his empty heart by such friends as are able to suggest it to him and therefore they desire company Now shall they not finde this in the Lord more than in any creature Is not he then the worthiest and the highest object on whom they should bestow their thoughts Againe cannot he fill thy heart with joy and comfort is not he onely wise to give thee direction upon all occasions and is there any then that thou shouldest choose to walke with more than with him Every man the more faith he hath and the more wisedome he hath the more able hee is to walke with GOD and with himselfe the more unbeleeving and weake and unconstant the more unable hee is to be alone And the ground of it is By faith a man walkes with God and by reflection hee walkes with himselfe There are two companions which a man needes never to be destitute of GOD and himselfe First a man walkes by faith when hee sees GOD present and speaking to him and hee speakes againe to the LORD and the stronger a mans faith is the more he doth it Againe a man walkes with himselfe by reflection on his owne actions and heart and wayes a beast cannot walke with it selfe because it cannot recoyle and turne in upon it selfe neither can children or fooles or weake and unconstant men therefore they cannot be without company it is a hell to them to be alone and the lesse a mans wisedome is the more he complaines of want of company Seeing therefore God is every where present labour to strengthen thy faith in that his presence and so thou maist still be with him and walke with him And then secondly labour to speake to thy selfe to reproove and admonish thy selfe to consider thine owne wayes and actions to cheare and comfort thy selfe for these are all the actions of one that makes himselfe a companion and hee that doth these things shall never complaine of want of company and solitarinesse Sixthly If God bee every where present then he is present to observe all the sinnes that thou committest and to observe all the good that thou doest Then make this use of it that the presence of the Lord should be a restraint to keepe thee from sinning on the one hand and it should incourage thee on the other hand to abound in every good worke Therefore a man should say thus with himselfe I dare not doe this because God is present he stands by and lookes on It was Iosephs reason to his Mistres Though we be alone yet God is present and beholdes it And how can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God As if he should say though we see him not yet he is present and sees it and knowes it And not onely say I dare not doe it but thou shouldest say I dare not so much as thinke it for he beholdes the thoughts You shall see an excellent place for this if you compare Iob. 31. verse 1. and 4. together it is one continued speech I have made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I thinke upon a maid Doth not hee see my wayes and count all my steps As if hee should say I durst not give so much as give liberty to my thoughts because hee beheld all my wayes it is a question which those that feare God have beene wont to aske How shall I doe to bee rid of such and such thoughts that haunt mee continually I would very faine bee rid of them This is an excellent way to consider that GOD himselfe stands by annd knowes all thy thoughts and takes notice of them As put this case Suppose a wise and godly man should stand by and take notice of all thy base thoughts that passe through thy heart wouldest thou not bee ashamed of thy selfe If thy body were made a glasse and men should see all thy thoughts through it wouldst thou not bee ashamed of them and carefull in them as wee are of our actions now before men Now to consider that the Lord beholds them to consider that he sees every thought the least whereof is no light matter this would be a meanes to restraine thee Nay consider that the Lord doth not onely behold them but he ponders all thy actions to giue thee the fruit of them so that God doth not stand by as a meere looker on but he takes such notice of all thy thoughts that passe through thy heart and all thy vaine words that he weighes them as it were And therefore hee is said in Scripture so often to ponder our wayes He puts thy sins and those lusts in one ballance and his censure in the other and gives thee according he puts weight for weight he gives thee correction if thou art his child and judgement if thou bee wicked Therefore thou must consider who it is that knowes them what a one he is as it is in Rev. 2. when he tells his Churches that hee knowes them all then hee describes himselfe what a one he is as his eyes to be of flaming fire and his feete like brasse This if considered would make a man to looke about him If there was a company set together and there was an informer standing by and did note downe in his table-book what they did and did declare it to their enemies or to the King and Counsell men would be exceeding wary they would ponder every word before they spake so when GOD is present and beholdeth all that thou doest hast thou not reason much more to consider thy wayes Men say indeed that the Lord is present every where but our lives shew that wee thinke like the Atheists in Iob that God is shut up in the thicke clouds and cannot see through them Yea there is noe man but needs an increase
of faith in this point For if it were fully believed it could not be but that wee should take more heed to our wayes and thoughts than we doe Therefore to convince you of and perswade you to this I will name two places One you shall finde in Ephe. 4.6 One God one Lord who is aboue you all and in you all and through all First he is above all As a man that stands above can see all that is done below so the Lord lookes downe and beholds all that is done on earth as a man in an high place sees all that is done below But it may bee objected though a man be aboue yet there may be some corners some rockes and dens so that he may hide himselfe from the eyes of him that is aboue him therefore it is added who is in you all that is he beholds every thought every secret place every corner of our hearts he is in you all and through all This you shall find more at large in Psa. 139.1 O Lord thou hast searched me and knowne me thou knowest my downe sitting and mine up rising thou understandest my thoughts afarre off c. The meaning of it is this David labours to perswade his owne heart that God is present with him and he doth it by the argument If I goe forward the Lord is there if on this side or that side yet still he is present he compasseth me round about he is behind and before therefore it must needs be that there is not a word that I speake or a thought that I thinke but he sees and heares all Yea he knowes my thoughts afarre off that is as a man that knowes what rootes he hath in his garden though there be not a flower appeares yet he can say when the spring comes this and this will come up because he knowes the garden and knowes what roots are there So the Lord knowes a mans thoughts afarre off because he knowes the principles that are within and he knowes what they would doe when occasion is offered and therefore saith David I have cause to feare exceedingly before him Nay he doth not onely see mens thoughts afarre off but he will judge you afarre off for them Wee use to destroy hemlocke even in the middest of winter because wee know what it will doe if it be suffered to grow so the Lord doth cut off men long before because he knowes that they will doe this and this Such passages of his providence there may be as to cut off children and yong men out of the foresight of the evill that they would doe to his Church because he knowes their thoughts afarre off So hee knowes thy thoughts for good afarre off therefore though a child of God may bee cut off in some undiscovered sinne when hee hath not actually repented yet GOD forgives it him because he knowes what he would doe if he had time to repent and should come to discover it and therefore GOD judgeth him accordingly and likewise if wee have begun any good worke if we be cut off before we have finished it yet remember that GOD knowes what wee would doe And seing hee doth this we should learne exceedingly to feare before him to ponder our owne thoughts and speeches seing GOD himselfe takes notice fo them So it should bee a continuall incouragement to consider that GOD takes notice of all the good that we doe as well as of the evill Rev. 2. and 3. I know thy workes thy labour and thy patience I know thy sufferings that is when a man is miscalled slandered and evill spoken of because he serves and feares God because he is none of the worlds owne and therefore it shewes forth its hatred in word when it cannot in deed for malice must have some vent yet I know thy sufferings and let it bee inough that I know them and register them there is not the least suffering but I take notice of it and it shall bee rewarded Againe men take much paines and no man regardes it yet God takes notice of their labour and their paines and not of their workes onely but their labour in doing them and sees what ends they put upon all Againe men put up injuries and suffer much wrong yet saith the Lord I know thy patience c. What is said of this may be said of all other good actions And it is a great honour to the Lord that we are content with this that he alone knowes it And so we may be well inough for his knowledge will bring in a sure fruit with it as he saith to Iacob Gen. 31. I know all the labour thou hast done unto me And what followed that Why God taught Iacob how to inlarge his wages and so translated Labans substance to him So Psa. 1. last The meaning is the Lord knowes the way of the righteous and therefore it doth prosper and shall And he knowes the way of the wicked and therefore they shall perish Therefore it is inough to us that he is present and sees it and knowes it Againe this should stire us up to good duties seeing he is alwaies present you dnow souldiers though they are some what cowardly otherwise yet in the presence of the Generall if hee looke on they will adventure much so servants that are otherwise idle yet they will doe eye-service they will worke while the Master lookes on so when we consider that the Lord stands by and lookes on and takes notice what paines we take how we doe fight his battells and what wee doe for him it should incourage us and makes us abundant in the worke of the Lord seeing we know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Nay it is an incouragement against the discouragement of men thou maist have discouragement from friends from neighbours and the place where thou livest yet let this bee thy comfort the Lord is present hee knowes thy dwelling thy neighbours who is for thee and who against thee he knowes the difficulties thou meetest with any performāce he knowes what hindrāce thou hast as it is there in the verse 13. I know thy workes and where thou dwellest even where Sathans seat is and thou holdest fast my name and hast not denied my faith even in those dayes wherein Antipas was my faithfull Martyr who was slaine among you where Sathan dwelleth Vse 7 Seventhly this should bee an exceeding great terrour to all men that remaine in the state of unregeneration The Lord is their enemy and they have such an enemy from whome they cannot fly or escape which is a miserable thing On earth if man have an enemy in one place if he goe to another he is free if he have an enemy in one land yet he may fly to another and there be free and how ever yet when he dies he shall bee free from the voice of the oppressors and the wearied shall bee at rest as Iob saith his enemy can follow him no
further But consider what an enemy God is who is every where present fly whither thou canst he followes thee if thou goest into another Country hee will be with thee there or if thou diest and goe into another world yet still he followes thee I presse it the rather because when some great man makes request to a man and God commands the contrary when the commands of God and men differ they will rather make God their enemy than a powerfull man Thus men wrench their consciences because they choose rather GODS enmity than mens Doe but consider what it is to have the Lord your enemy he will meet thee in every place Though man be thy enemy yet he meetes not with thee every where if thou be in thy chamber hee cannot come at thee but God will meete with thee there And how will he meet thee Hee will meet thee as a Lyon and as a Beare robbed of her whelpes You shall see how the Lord expresseth it Amos 9.2.3.4 Though they digge into Hell thence shall my hand take them though they climbe up to heaven thence will I bring them downe c. It is a common opinion that if men have strong freinds strong Towers and a strong Land that is well beset the Sea and clifts or great estates that will defend them then they are safe but if the Lord be thine enemy none of these will doe thee any good verse 2.4 and yet if a man hath made peace with his enemies he thinkes himselfe safe as if there were no other enemy but mortall men So the Iewes not being killed but going into captivity onely thought their lives safe their peace made but saith the Lord If you goe into captivity yet there I will command the sword to slay you verse 4. The meaning is this no condition that a man can be in no greatnesse though he be compassed about with friends and safety on every side can availe if God be his enemy he will pull thee from the midst of the sea verse 3. and which yet is an hard thing to finde a man in the midst of the sea and all this is but to describe that no condition is safe when God is a mans enemy And thus much for this Attribute THE EIGHTH ATTRIBVTE OF GOD His Omnipotence THE next Attribute is the Omnipotence of GOD for wee tolde you that this Infinitenesse of GOD consisted in foure things First In the Infinitenesse of his presence Secondly In the Infinitenesse of his power Thirdly In the Infinitenesse of his wisedome Fourthly In the Absolutenesse of his will The first of these we have spoken of his Omnipresence now we come to speake of his Omnipotence I will not stand to prove it It is observed by some Divines that God is almighty is expressed seventy times in the Scripture Mat. 19.26 Luke 1.39 To God nothing is impossible He doth whatsoever he will and in Genesis it is said The God almighty be with thee c. Genes 28.3 In handling this Attribute I will shew you what it is and the reasons of it and the objections against it as I have done in the rest The Omnipotence of God lyes in this that hee is able to doe whatsoever is absolutely simply and generally possible to be done Other things can doe what is possible to doe in their owne kinde as fire can doe what belongs to fire to doe and a Lion can doe what is possible for him to doe so men and Angels but no creature can doe what is simply and absolutely possible to be done Now whatsoever can be done when the nature of the thing is not repugnant to it without any limitation that the Lord is able to doe and herein is his Omnipotence seene And the ground of it is this Because all creatures are put into their severall kindes a man is one kinde of creature he is not an Angel Angels are another kinde they are not men and as they are put in severall kindes and hedged in and limited with bounds and definitions so is their power limited they can doe what is in their owne sphaere and according to their essence and being such is their power But the Lord is a being without all limits and restraint an absolute being and an unlimited essence and therefore he can be said not onely to doe things within such a compasse within this or that kinde but whatsoever is simply and absolutely possible to be done even that his power reacheth unto and this is properly his Omnipotence There is no Attribute of GOD that doth need a greater degree of faith than this therefore reasons are not unnecessary The first reason therefore is this First consider that he that made these great things he that made the highest heavens and those heavens that thou seest he that made the earth and the deepe sea he that made the wind and the treasures of snow and haile hee that made the Angels hee that wrought so many miracles thou must thinke that hee that doth these things can doe the like as hee that hath made a faire picture or statue hee can make another he that makes a faire house you are ready to say that he is able to build another Looke then upon his great workes and you will thinke that he is able to doe the like This is an argument very frequent in Scripture when there is any occasion of expressing Gods great power to bring any thing to passe as hee that made heaven and earth he that brought the children of Israell out of Egipt he that divided the red sea he that wrought the wonders in Egipt before Pharoh and all his host and such like Secondly consider the manner how the Lord did all these things You know he did no more but say Let there bee light and there was light Let the trees bring forth let the fishes multiply and the aire bee filled with fowle and it was so Now to doe such things with a word with such facility is a signe of an infinite power for when one can doe great things with his breath or little finger we are apt to say what could he doe if he put his whole strength to it So the manner of his working doth shew the infinitenesse of his power Thirdly the further any thing is off from being the more power it requires to bring it to Being As take base materialls and there is greater power required to make a faire building of them to make a goodly statue of a crooked piece of wood is harder than that which comes neerer in propinquity to it Now no being at all is in a thousand times greater distance than the basest materialls are from such or such a being and therefore the power must bee infinitely greater that brings it to being Now the Lord hath done this therefore his power must bee infinite great To make this more plaine to you Consider what it is that restraines mans power so that he can goe no
further it is because the matter will not permit him If you give him clay and straw hee can make bricke but if you give him nothing hee can doe nothing so if you give him timber he can make an house but if you give him none of these hee can doe nothing But suppose now there was such an architectour such a builder that if he did but imagine the modell or frame of an house in his minde hee could set it up of nothing or make materialls at his pleasure hee could make it as bigge as he could conceive it then also he could make as many houses as hee could thinke of and in as great and large a manner as hee could conceive if there were such a one there would bee no restraint to him Now the Lord is such a builder whatsoever he conceives he can make it without any thing as he did the heavens and the earth and therefore there is no restraint in his power as there is in the creature Fourthly consider that the Attributes of God are equall and needes must be so because every Attribute is his essence and wee doe but distinguish then in our understanding his omnipotencie is but the active power his wll the commanding and his understanding the directing we distinguish them thus But in him they are all one Hence I reason thus the wisedome of GOD the largenesse and infinitenesse of his understanding and knowledge what is it not able to conceive You know men are able to thinke much and Angells more than men but GOD is able to conceive infinitely beyond them For his thoughts are above ours as the heavens are above the earth Now whatsoever hee can conceive his power is able to act it In man it is not so he imagines and wills many things but his power falls short because his faculties are not as large as the object but God can imagine infinitely and his power is as large and infinite as his wisedome therefore he must be able to doe things that are infinite So Psa 135. He doth whatsoever he will to shew that his power is as large as his will which cannot bee said of any creature Consider these things for when you are in distresse and put to it you shall find need of them to perswade you that God is Allmighty Now I come to answer the objections which are made against this which are these Object 1 First why doth GOD produce no infinite thing no infinite effect All his effects are finite therefore we cannot see by any thing hee doth that he is omnipotent Answ. It is true in naturall causes and such causes as produce things onely like to themselves which are called univocall causes but I will not trouble you with that distinction there the cause goes not beyond the effect as fire begets fire and it cannot but beget it and it cannot goe beyond it for it is a naturall cause and produceth effects like to it selfe So a Lion begets a Lion because it is a naturall cause But there are causes wherein it is not so wherein you must not say that there is no such effect and therefore the cause doth not goe beyond it that is in voluntary causes wherein the cause not worke necessarily but by the liberty of his will and he may be able to doe much more than he doth Object 2 2. There are some things which GOD cannot doe as things that are past and have beene hee cannot cause them not to have beene c. Answ. The reason why GOD cannot doe these things is not because there is a restraint of his power but because the things are not possible to be done because he cannot make truth to be falshood or things that are not to be whatsoever implies a contradiction he cannot doe and the reason is because the things are not to be done But in things simply possible therein consists his omnipotence as when it is not contrary to the nature of the thing as when the praedicate is not repugnant to the nature and essence of the subject as a Lyon being a Lyon cannot be a man this is a thing that cannot be done therefore it is no impeachment to his omnipotence not to doe it Object 3 3. God cannot sinne GOD cannot deny himselfe he cannot lye c. Answ. We need not answer this for even for this cause he is omnipotent because hee cannot doe these things As if I should say the Sunne is full of light it cannot be darke These are the expressions which the Scripture useth as Tit. 1.2 God cannot lie and 2 Tim. 2.13 God cannot deny himselfe FINIS THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON EXOD. 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and they shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. Object 4 IF GOD produceth no infinite effect and yet is infinite in power that power which being never brought into act is in vaine Answ. 1 To this I answer that it is true when any power is appointed and destinated to any act it is so farre in vaine as it doth not attaine to that end and act as bread is appointed to nourish if it doth not it is not fit for the end to which it is made and so in vaine I may say the same of every thing else But that is not the end of Gods power to bring forth any effect answerable to it selfe for his power to speake properly hath no end but all things are made for it In other things the cause is proportionable for its end but he himselfe is the cause of all other things all that he doth is for himselfe and therefore though hee doth not produce any such effect yet his power is infinite Secondly when there is a repugnancy in the nature of the thing it is no shortening or limitation of his power Now a creature if it be a creature must be finite And the Lord can doe what may be done but to make a creature infinite is a contradiction And therefore if hee doe not doe it it is not because hee cannot but because the thing it selfe cannot bee done Wee now come to the application of this point Vse 1 If GOD be Almighty then let all those that are in covenant with God and that have interest in him that can say they are the Lords and the Lord is theirs let them excedingly rejoyce in this that they have an Almighty God for their God To have a friend that is able to doe all things as we tolde you before he is every where present it is a great benefit to have a friend in Court in Country a friend beyond the seas if you shall have occasion to bee banished thither but if you adde this hee is able to doe whatsoever he will it will adde much to our comfort
of Israel And said hee cannot doe this and this and why because they have Cities walled up to heaven That is the thing laid to their charge They limited the holy one of Israel that is they remembred not that hee had an unlimited power but they thought if the Cities had bin low and the men had bin but ordinary men hee could have done it but because they were so mighty men and the Cities had such high walls therefore they could not beleive that hee could bring them in Now if they did so doe you not thinke it is hard for you to doe otherwise Yea take him that thinkes he doth not doubt of the power of God bring that man to a particular distresse and yee shall see him faile for it is one thing to have a thing in the notion as for a man to thinke what hee would doe if hee were a Pilot or a Captaine and an other thing to have it in the reall managing as when hee is brought to fight so is it here It is one thing to beleive GODS Allmighty power and who doubts of it But I ask you if you have had a triall of your heart if you have bin brought to an exigent Doe you finde it so easie a thing to believe in difficulties as in facility Object But you will say the people of Israel were a stubborne and stiffenecked rebellious people and I hope our faith is greater then theirs Answ. I but doe you thinke that your faith is greater than the faith of Mary or Martha Ioh. 11.21 Lord if thou hadst bin here my Brother had not died So verse 32. If you observe their reasoning you shall see all this doubt was of his power If thou hadst bin here when hee was sicke and when it was time thou mightest have raised him but now it is too late hee hath bin dead foure dayes and his body is putrified Here is no doubt of his good will but all the question was of his power And so it is with us doe not we doe the same and say with our selves if this had beene taken in time it might have beene done but now the case is desperate Why is not the Lord as well able to helpe in desperate cases if he be Allmighty Object Yea but these were but weake women and we hope our faith may be stronger than theirs You shall see there that Moses did doubt of Gods power When God had promised to send them flesh and that not for a day or two or five or twenty but for a moneth together and for so many people Moses saith Lord wilt thou send them flesh for a moneth together There are sixe hundred thousand men of them and it is in the wildernesse As if he should say if it had beene for a day or two or in a plentifull Country or for a few persons but there are six hundred thousand and it is in the wildernesse and that for a moneth together Here Moses was at a stand and could not beleeve it The Lord answeres him Is the Lords hand shortened that he cannot helpe thou shalt see that I am able to doe it Numb 11.21 It is therefore not an easie thing to beleeve Gods power Therefore set your selves with all your might to beleeve this Allmighty power and know that all your strength will be needfull for it It is apt to man to measure things according to their owne modells as to thinke him to bee as powerfull as mans understanding can reach and mercifull as farre as man can bee mercifull but for a finite creature to believe the infinite attributes of God hee is not able to doe it throughly without supernaturall grace You cannot believe that hee forgives so much as hee doth or that his power is so great as his power is but though you observe it not you doe frame modells of him according to your selves and you doe not thinke that his thoughts are above yours as the heavens are above the earth Therefore labour to get faith in his power And will you have it to lie dead when you have it No. Therefore adde this for a fourth use Vse 4 Fourthly then whatsoever thy condition bee whatsoever strait thou art in be not discouraged but seeke to him that is the ground of your prayers You know the Lords prayer is concluded with this For thine is thy kingdome power and glory for ever and ever As if that were the ground of all the petitions that went before So if the Lord bee Allmighty and hath an Allmighty power then in the most desperate case when there is no hope or helpe in the creature that you can discerne yet then pray and pray strongly an confidently as men full of hope to obtaine what they desire And remember this for your comfort At that time when you are in affliction and in so great a strait that you are hedged about and no hope no possibility to evade that is the time that the Lord will shew forth his power for a man is never discouraged but in this case I have seene it by many particular experiments when the case hath beene desperate when there hath beene no hope yet when God hath beene sought to by fasting and prayer there hath beene alteration above all thought according to that expression used Ephes. 3.20 Hee is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in us that is when they could not enlarge their thoughts farre nor were able to see there could be any way devised yet enlarging their prayers the LORD hath devised a way oftentimes I will give you some instances that the Scripture gives in this case When Esau came against Iacob was hee not in a fearefull strait there was no hope and no possibility Esau was too strong for him what should he doe now he exposeth himselfe to the enemy there was no other remedy and it was an enmity of twenty yeares continuance and the Text saith that Iacob feared and yet the LORD delivered him when he had prayed to him So when Laban came against him GOD bid him that he should doe him no hurt So Daniel when he was cast into the Lions den when all the Lions were present with their mouthes opened ready to devoure yet the Lord stopped their mouthes they could doe him no hurt So is it in many cases amongst us when our enemies are ready to devoure us then GOD comes in in the nicke betweene the cup and the lip and workes a way for our delivery Therefore never be discouraged whatsoever thy case be it is a very great matter to say that the Lord can doe such a thing though you thinke it but a small thing As when the Leper could goe to Christ and say Lord thou canst make me cleane if thou wilt then the Lord did so It was a great matter for those three children in Dan. 3. to be able to say when the fire was ready prepared and the
King was wroth and there was no resistance yet they said The Lord is able to save us out of thy hand O King The LORD did take this so well at their hands that the LORD did helpe them and save them On the contrary side when a man doth doubt of his power you shall see how much moment it is of As that Prince said to Eliah Though God should make windowes in heaven yet there could not be such a plenty as hee spake of now the LORD was so displeased with it that he destroyed him for it So the Israelites did not beleeve that the LORD could bring them into the land of Canaan therefore the Lords anger was kindled against them for this Psal. 78. But to draw this use to a conclusion Learne to bring your hearts to this whatsoever your case is still to beleeve his power and to be able to say still the Lord can doe it and it is not a small matter to be able to say so When the Churches are very low and there is no hope and you see little helpe a man should goe and pray with such chearfulnesse and such hope and confidence as if it was the easiest thing in the world to helpe them which you would doe if you did beleeve that GOD is Allmighty You know what the case of the Church was in Ahasuerus time yet fasting and praying made a great change in the suddaine Nay when the Church is downe yet pray with as great hope as if it had the best props to holde it up for the Lord is able to raise it up againe I will give you two instances that you may consider the Lords power on both sides his power to raise it up from a low condition as now if you consider the miserable estate of the Church in Christendome at this time as it appeares by the vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel the meaning whereof is that when the people are as low as low may be like dead men buried men men scattered to the foure windes yet saith the Lord I will put life into them I will raise them and make them a great army and I will put grace into them and make them living men that is though the Church be never so low yet the Lord can put life into it and make a wonderfull change Again there is no Church so safe as we doe thinke our selves now and as the Palatinate did thinke themselves but that yet the Lord can make a sudden change and bring them downe as well as hee could raise these dry bones and as he hath done to others already This you shall see Lam. 4.12 The Kings and all the inhabitants of the world would not have beleived that the adversary and the enemy could have entred into the gates of Ierusalem Ierusalem was so strong there was such probability of safety that no man would ever have beleived that the enemy and the adversary should ever have entred into the gates thereof Yet the Allmighty power of GOD brought them downe on a suddaine and laide them flat to the ground Therefore let the case bee what it will bee suppose a nation bee never so strong yet GOD can bring them downe and let it bee never so weake and low yet the Lord is able to raise them up And it is true of every particular thing also then beleive this Allmighty power of GOD and apply it whatsoever thy case bee consider that thou hast to doe with an Allmighty God Object But you will say the case may bee such as there is no helpe the Lord hath declared his will by an event and the case is such as never was helped and will you have us to beleeve it now because there is an Allmighty power Answ. You must learne to doe in this case as Christ did Lord if thou wilt let this cuppe passe from me yet not my will but thine be done Iust after this manner you ought to doe in every one of these cases where there is no hope you must say thus Lord it is possible to thee to doe it be the case as desperate as it will be As suppose a man hath a stone in the bladder which we thinke an incurable disease because the stone is so hard and cannot be softened yet it is possible to him he can so lodge it and bed it that it shall doe you no hurt and if he doe take away this life yet he gives you a better if it doe paine you here yet he will give you joy and peace which is farre better than to indure a little paine in the flesh I say you ought to doe as Christ did in this case and remember this that in such a case your businesse is not with the power but with the will of GOD that is you must say Lord I know it is possible that this cup may passe but Lord here is all the matter it is my desire that it should passe and it may be it is thy will that it shall not Lord if this be the case it is meet my will should yeeld and that thy will should be done As if Christ should have said Lord I will give thee this honour that thou canst remove this cup from mee but if thou doest not it is not thy will to doe so and I am content So doe thou give the Lord this glory of his power in every case that hee can doe it if it be his will Be it that thy desire is to be delivered from such or such an affliction consider this Is it meete Gods will should yeeld to thine or thine to his Then bring thy heart downe and be content that it should be so Object But you will say it is hard to doe this to be willing to undergoe such an affliction Answ. Consider it is Gods will and therefore if it were not best for thee yet thou shouldest honour him so farre as to preferre his will before thine own but it being his will thou shalt be assured if thou art one that belongs to him that it shall be best for thee Christ was no loser when he yeelded to his Fathers will for God heard him in what he prayed for as it is Heb. 5. though the Lords will passed on him and he dranke of the cup. So thou must yeeld to his will whatsoever it is be content with what is done and beleeve that thou shalt be no loser by it in the end but thou shalt have what thou desirest though not in that manner that thou wouldest have it to be done FINIS THE TABLE A. Absolute THe perfection of God absolute Part. 1 Pag. 121 Adorne The spirit of man how it should be adorned Part. 2 Pag. 15 Adorning of the spirit commends us to God Part. 2 Pag. 18 Adversaries The truth of the Scriptures proved by the testimony of the adversaries Part. 1 Pag. 53 Advantage Hee that puts himselfe from Gods worke for his owne advantage makes himselfe his end Part. 1 Pag. 149