Is it any thanks to our selves Nor that neither we have neither number to match them nor policy to defeat them nor strength to resist them weak silly little flock as we are But to whom then is it thanks As if a little flock of sheep escape when a multitude of ravening Wolves watch to devour them it cannot be ascribed either in whole or in part either to the sheep in whom there is no help or to the Wolf in whom there is no mercy but it must be imputed all and wholly to the good care of the shepherd in safe guarding his sheep and keeping off the Wolf so for our safety and preservation in the midst and in the spight of so many Enemies Not unto us O Lord not unto us whose greatest strength is but weaknesse much lesse unto them whose tenderest mercies are cruel but unto thy Name be the glory O thou Shepheard of Israel who out of thine abundant love to us who are the flock of thy Pasture and the sheep of thy hands hast made thy power glorious in curbing and restraining their malice against us Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Wonders we may well call them indeed they are Miracles if things strange and above and against the ordinary course of Nature may be called Miracles When we read the stories in the Scriptures of Daniel cast into the den among the Lions and not touched of the three children walking in the midst of the fiery furnace and not scorched of a viper fastning upon Pauls hand and no harm following we are stricken with some amazement at the consideration of these strange and supernatural accidents and these we all confesse to be miraculous escapes Yet such Miracles as these and such escapes God worketh daily in our preservation notwithstanding we live encompassed with so many fire-brands of hell such herds of ravening Wolves and Lions and Tygers and such numerous generations of vipers I mean wicked and ungodly men the spawn of the old Serpent who have it by kinde from their father to thirst after the destruction of the Saints and servants of God and to whom it is as natural so to do as for the fire to burn or a viper to bite or a Lion to devour Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for this his goodnesse and daily declare these his great wonders which he daily doth for the children of men Secondly since this restraint of wicked men is so only from God as that nothing either they or we or any Creature in the world can do can with-hold them from doing us mischief unlesse God lay his restraint upon them it should teach us so much wisdome as to take heed how we trust them It is best and safest for us as in all other things so in this to keep the golden mean that we be neither too timorous nor too credulous If wicked men then threaten and plot against thee yet fear them not God can restrain them if he think good and then assure thy self they shall not harm thee If on the other side they colloague and make shew of much kindnesse to thee yet trust them not God may suffer them to take their own way and not restrain them and then assure thy self they will not spare thee Thou maist think perhaps of some one or other of these that sure his own good nature will hold him in or thou hast had trial of him heretofore and found him faithfull as heart could wish or thou hast some such tye upon him by kindred neighbourhood acquaintance covenant oath benefits or other natural or civil obligation as will keep him off at least from falling foul upon thee all at once Deceive not thy self these are but slender assurances for thee to abide upon Good nature alas where is it since Adam fell there was never any such thing in rerum natura if there be any good thing in any man it is all from Grace nature is all naught even that which seemeth to have the preheminence in nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is stark naught We may talk of this and that of good natured men and I know not what But the very truth is set grace aside I mean all grace both renewing and restraining grace there is no more good nature in any man than there was in Cain and in Iudas That thing which we use to call good nature is indeed but a subordinate means or instrument whereby God restraineth some men more than others from their birth and special constitution from sundry outragious exorbitancies and so is a branch of this restraining Grace whereof we now speak And as for thy past Experience that can give thee little security thou knowest not what fetters God layed upon him then nor how he was pleased with those fetters God might full sore against his will not only restrain him from doing thee hurt but also constrain him to do thee good as sometimes he commanded the Ravens to feed Eliah a bird so unnatural to her young ones that they might famish for her if God did not otherwise provide for them and therefore it is noted in the Scripture as a special argument of Gods providence that he feedeth the young Ravens that call upon him But as nothing that is constrained is durable but every thing when it is constrained against its natural inclination if it be let alone will at length return to his own kinde and primitive disposition as these Ravens which now fed Eliah would have been as ready another time to have pecked out his eyes so a Natural man is a natural man still howsoever ouer-ruled for the present and if God as he hath hitherto by his restraint with-held him shall but another while withhold his restraint from him he will soon discover the inbred hatred of his heart against good things and men and make thee at the last beshrew thy folly in trusting him when he hath done thee a mischief unawares And therefore if he have done thee seven courtesies and promise fair for the eighth yet trust him not for there are seven abominations in his heart And as for whatsoever other hanck thou maiest think thou hast over him be it never so strong unlesse God manacle him with his powerful restraint he can as easily unfetter himself from them all as Sampson from the green wit hs and coards wherewith the Philistines bound him All those fore-mentioned relations came in but upon the bye and since whereas the hatred of the wicked against goodness is of an ancienter date and hath his root in corrupt nature and is therefore of such force that it maketh void all obligations whether civil domestical or other that have grown by vertue of any succeeding contract It is a ruled case Inimici domestici A mans enemies may be
for this end and so intended by the giver to be imployed for the the benefit of others and for the edifying of the Church they were given to profit withall It then remaineth to understand this Text and Chapter of that other and latter kind of spirituall Gifts Those Graces of Edification or Gratiae gratis datae whereby men are enabled in their severall Callings according to the quality and measure of the graces they have received to be profitable members of the publick body either in Church or Common-wealth Under which appellation the very first naturall powers and faculties of the soul onely excepted which flowing à principiis speciei are in all men the same and like I comprehend all other secondary endowments and abilities whatsoever of the reasonable soul which are capable of the degrees of more and lesse and of better and worse together with all subsidiary helps any way conducing to the exercise of any of them Whether they be first supernaturall graces given by immediate and extraordinary infusion from God such as were the gifts of tongues and of miracles and of healings and of prophesie properly so called and many other like which were frequent in the infancy of the Church and when this Epistle was written according as the necessity of those primitive times considered God saw it expedient for his Church Or whether they be Secondly such as Philosophers call Naturall dispositions such as are promptnesse of Wit quicknesse of Conceit fastnesse of Memory clearnesse of Understanding soundnesse of Iudgement readinesse of Speech and other like which flow immediately à principiis individui from the individuall condition constitution and temperature of particular persons Or whether they be Thirdly such as Philosophers call Intellectuall habits which is when those naturall dispositions are so improved and perfected by Education Art Industry Observation or Experience that men become thereby skilfull Linguists subtile Disputers copious Orators profound Divines powerfull Preachers expert Lawyers Physicians Historians Statesmen Commanders Artisans or excellent in any Science Profession or faculty whatsoever To which me may adde in the fourth place all outward subservient helps whatsoever which may any way further or facilitate the exercise of any of the former graces dispositions or habits such as are health strength beauty and all those other Bona Corporis as also Bona Fortunae Honour Wealth Nobility Reputation and the rest All of these even those among them which seem most of all to have their foundation in Nature or perfection from Art may in some sort be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall gifts in as much as the spirit of God is the first and principall worker of them Nature Art Industry and all other subsidiary furtherances being but second Agents under him and as means ordained or as instruments used by him for the accomplishing of those ends he hath appointed And now have we found out the just latitude of the spiritual gifts spoken of in this Chapter and of the manifestation of the spirit in my Text. From whence not to passe without some observable inferences for our Edification We may here first behold and admire and magnifie the singular love and care and providence of God for and over his Church For the building up whereof he hath not onely furnished it with fit materialls men endowed with the faculties of understanding reason will memory affections not onely lent them tools out of his own rich store-house his holy Word and sacred Ordinances but as sometimes he filled Bezaleel and Aholiab with skill and wisdome for the building of the materiall Tabernacle so he hath also from time to time raised up serviceable Men and enabled them with a large measure of all needfull gifts and graces to set forward the building and to give it both strength and beauty A Body if it had not difference and variety of members were rather a lump than a Body or if having such members there were yet no vitall spirits within to enable them to their proper offices it were rather a Corps than a Body but the vigour that is in every part to do its office is a certain evidence and manifestation of a spirit of life within and that maketh it a living Organicall body So those active gifts and graces and abilities which are to be found in the members of the mysticall body of Christ I know not whether of greater variety or use are a strong manifestation that there is a powerfull Spirit of God within that knitteth the whole body together and worketh all in all and all in every part of the body Secondly though we have just cause to lay it to heart when men of eminent gifts and place in the Church are taken from us and to lament in theirs our own and the Churches loss yet we should possess our souls in patience and sustain our selves with this comfort that it is the same God that still hath care over his Church and it is the same Hâ—ad Iesus Christ that still hath influence into his members and it is the same blessed Spirit of God and of Christ that still actuateth and animateth this great mysticall Body And therefore we may not doubt but this Spirit as he hath hitherto done from the beginning so will still manifest himself from time to time unto the end of the world in raising up instruments for the service of his Church and furnishing them with gifts in some good measure meet for the same more or less according as he shall see it expedient for her in her severall different estates and conditions giving some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all meet in the unity of the Faith of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. He hath promised long since who was never yet touched with breach of promise that he would be with his Apostles and their successors alwayes unto the end of the world Thirdly where the Spirit of God hath manifested it self to any man by the distribution of gifts it is but reason that man should manifest the Spirit that is in him by exercising those gifts in some lawfull Calling And so this manifestation of the Spirit in my Text imposeth upon every man the Necessity of a Calling Our Apostle in the seventh of this Epistle joyneth these two together a Gift and a Calling as things that may not be severed As God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one Where the end of a thing is the use there the difference cannot be great whether we abuse it or but conceal it The unprofitable servant that wrapped up his Masters talent in a napkin could not have received a much heavier doom had he mis-spent it O then up and be doing
thy tongue the lye and to convince thee to thy face And if thou hast why then doest thou not readily acknowledge the voice of God in it having felt in it that lively power and efficacy which it is not possible any device of the wit of man should have Take heed then how thou doest traduce or despise or but undervalue that upon any seeming pretence whatsoever for which thou hast such a strong witnesse in thine own heart from the experience of the unresisted power of it that it is indeed the word of God and not the breath of sinfull man Felix trembled at it Ahab was humbled by it the one an Atheist the other an Hypocrite thou art worse than either Atheist or Hypocrite if it work not at least as much upon thee Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself at the voice of the Prophet From Ahab's Humiliation and the Occasion thereof passe we now to consider in the last place the Successe of it Ahab is humbled at the Prophets denouncing of judgement against him and God hence taketh occasion to be so gracious to Ahab as though not wholly to remove yet to suspend and adjourn the judgement for a time Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evil in his dayes c. And here must Gods Holinesse be brought unto a tryal before the barr of carnal reason if by any means it can justifie it self God hateth the works of Hypocrites he loatheth even sacrifices without mercy his soul cannot away with the oblations and new-Moons and solemn Feasts of men that have their hands full of bloud no not though they make many prayers and tender them with behaviour of greatest devotion stretching out their hands towards heaven and afflicting their souls with fasting and hanging down their heads as Bulrushes with pensivenesse but even their best sacrifices and confessions and prayers and humiliations are an abomination unto him so far from appeasing his wrath against other sins as that they provoke his yet farther displeasure against themselves Such is the Holinesse of our God such the purity of his nature with which holinesse and purity how can it stand to accept and reward as here he seemeth to do the counterfeit humiliation of such a wretched Hypocrite as we now suppose Ahab to be For the clearing of this difficulty first let it be granted which I take to be a certain truth and for any thing I know never yet gain-said by any that Ahab not only before and after but even in the act and at the instant of this humiliation was an Hypocrite Let it be granted secondly which is the thing urged in the doubt that this humiliation of his being performed but in hypocrisie was not acceptable to God as a good work but abominable before him as a foul sinne But yet withall it must be granted thirdly that although Ahab did not well in not being humbled with an upright heart yet he had done much worse if he had not been humbled at all and that therefore there was though no true spiritual goodnesse yet some outward moral goodnesse in Ahab's humiliation at least so far forth as a thing lesse evil may in comparison of a worser thing be termed good And then are we to know fourthly that it may stand with Gods holinesse as it doth with his goodnesse and justice to reward outward good things with outward good things and moral and temporary graces with worldly and temporal blessings as here he rewardeth Ahab's temporary and external humiliation with an outward temporal favour viz. the adjourning of an outward temporal judgement That which hence we would observe is That God rewardeth sometimes common graces with common favours temporary obedience with temporal beneficence This is proved unto us first from the general course of Gods justice and his promise grounded upon that justice to reward every man according to his works To which justice of his and to which promise of his it is agreeable as to recompence Spiritual good things with Eternal so to recompence Moral good things with temporal rewards 2. From special expresse warrant of Scripture In Mat. 6. Christ saith of Hypocrites more than once that they have their reward As in the doing of their seeming good works they aim especially at the vain praise commendation of men so they have the full reward of those works in the vain praise and commendation of men Though they have no right unto nor reason to look for a reward hereafter in heaven yet they have their reward such as it is and all they are like to have here upon earth 3. From particular examples of such as have been temporally rewarded for temporal graces To omit Heathens as viz. Aristides Cyrus c. for Justice Bias Diogenes c. for contempt of the world Codrus Regulus c. for love of their countrey and zeal to the common good and sundry others for other good things whose moral vertues are herein amply rewarded if there were nothing else but this that their names and memories have been preserved in Histories and renowned throughout the world in all succeeding generations I say to to omit these Heathens we have examples in Scripture of Ahab here of Iehu of the Ninivites of others elsewhere who for their temporary obedience zeal repentance and the like were rewarded partly by temporal blessings upon themselves and their posterity partly by the removal or adjournal of temporal punishments which otherwise had speedily overtaken them Fourthly from the greater to the lesse God sometimes temporally rewardeth the services of such men as are but bruta instrumenta brute instruments of his will and providence such as are imployed by him for the bringing about of his most holy and secret purposes Citra rationem finis aut eorum quae ad finem in the doing of such things as they doe without the least mixture in their own purpose and intent of any respect at all to God or his ends but meerly for the satisfying of their own corrupt lusts and the atchieving of their own private ends A notable example whereof we have in Gods dealing with Nebuchadnezzar in Ezek. 29. where the word of the Lord cometh to Ezekiel saying Sonne of man Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled yet had he no wages nor his army for Tyrus for the service that he had served against it Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and he shall take her multitude and it shall be wages for his army I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against Tyrus because they wrought for me saith the Lord God In which place we see Egypt is given to Nebuchadnezzar as a
then are they of all other times most effectual for then do they most of all accomplish their proper end and the thing for which they were intended in thy amendment Neither let his truth make thee despair but remember that the tenor of all his most peremptory threatnings runneth with an implicite reservation and conditional exception of Repentance which condition if thou on thy part faithfully perform the judgement shall be turned away and yet Gods Truth no whit impaired This for the Distressed Now for the Secure Moses in Deut. 29. speaketh of a certain root that beareth gall and wormwood that blesseth it self when God curseth and standeth unmoved when God threatneth Here is an Axe for that root to hew it in pieces and unless it bring forth better fruit to cleave it out for the fire If there be any sprigs or spurns of that root here let them also consider what hath been said and tremble Consider this I say and tremble all you that make a mock at God and at his word and imagine that all his threatnings are but Bruta â—ulmina empty cracks and Powder without shot because sundry of them have fallen to the ground and not done the hurt they made shew of But know whosoever thou art that thus abusest the Mercy and despisest the Truth of God that as his Mercy never did so his Truth shall never fail Thou sayest some of his threatnings have done no harm I say as much too and his mercy be blessed for it but what is that to secure thee If any where Gods threatnings did no harm and wrought no destruction it was there only where they did good and wrought repentance If they have turned thee from thy sins as they have done some others there is hope thou mayest turn them away from thee as some others have done But if they have done no good upon thee in working thy repentance certainly they hang over thee to doe thee harm and to work thy destruction GODS threatnings are in this respect as all other his words are sure and stedfast and such as Shall never return void but accomplish that for which they were sent if not the one way then without all doubt the other If they doe not humble thee they must overwhelm thee if they work not thy conversion they will thy ruine As some strong Physick that either mendeth or endeth the Patient so are these And therefore when judgements are denounced resolve quickly off or on Here is all the choice that is left thee either Repent or Suffer There is a generation of men that as Moses complaineth When they hear the words of Gods curse blesse themselves in their hearts and say they shall have peace though they walk in the imagination of their own hearts that as Saint Paul complaineth Despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not taking knowledge that the goodness of God would lead them to repentance that as S. Peter complaineth Walâ— after their own lusts and scoffingly jest at Gods judgements saying where is the promise of his coming But let such secure and carnal scoffers be assuted that howsoever others speed they shall never go unpunished Whatsoever becometh of Gods threatnings against others certainly they shall fall heavy upon them They that have taught us their conditions Moses and Paul and Peter have taught us also their punishments Moses telleth such a one how ever others are dealt with that yet The Lord will not spare him but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in Gods Book shall light upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Saint Paul telleth such men that by despising the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance they doe but Treasure up unto themselves wrath against the great day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God Saint Peter telleth them howsoever they not only sleep but snort in deep security that yet Their judgement of long time sleepeth not and their damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much as slumbereth Doe thou then take heed whosoever thou art and whatsoever thou dost that thou abuse not the Mercy of God and to divorce it from his Truth is to abuse it If when God threatneth thou layest aside his Truth and presumest on his bare Mercy when he punisheth take heed he do not cry quittance with thee by laying aside his Mercy and manifesting his bare Truth God is patient and mercifull Patience will bear much Mercy forbear much but being scorned and provoked and dared Patience it self turneth furious and Mercy it self cruel It is Mercy that threatneth it is Iustice that punisheth Mercy hath the first turn and if by Faith and Repentance we lay timely hold of it we may keep it for ever and revenging Iustice shall have nothing to doe with us But if carelesse and secure we slip the opportunity and neglect the time of Mercy the next turn belongeth to Iustice which will render judgement without mercy to them that forgat God and despised his Mercy That for the Secure Now thirdly and generally for All. What God hath joyned together let no man put asunder God hath purposely in his threats joyned and tempered Mercy and Truth together that we might take them together and profit by them together Dividat haec si quis faciunt discreta venenum Antidotum sumet qui sociata bibet as he spake of the two poysons Either of these single though not through any malignant quaâ—ity in themselves God forbid we should think so yet through the corrupt temperature of our souls becommeth rank and deadly poyson to us Take Mercy without Truth as a cold Poyson it benummeth us and maketh us stupid with careless Security Take Truth without Merâ—y as an hot poyson it scaldeth us and scorcheth us in the flames of restless Despair Take both together and mix them well as hot and cold poysons fitly tempered by the skill of the Apothecary become medicinable so are Gods Mercy and Truth restorative to the soul. The consideration of his Truth humbleth us without it we would be fearlesse the consideration of his Mercy supporteth us without it we would be hopelesse Truth begetteth Fear and Repentance Mercy Faith and Hope and these two Faith and Repentance keep the soul even and upright and steddy as the ballast and sail doe the ship that for all the rough waves and weather that encountereth her in the troublesome sea of this World she miscarrieth not but arriveth safe and joyfull in the Haven where she would be Faith without Repentance is not Faith but Presumption like a Ship all sail and no ballast that tippeth over with every blast and Repentance without Faith is not Repentance but Despair like a Ship all ballast and no sail which sinketh with her own weight What is it then that we
The Points then that arise from this part of my Text are these 1. Men do not always commit those evils their own desires or outward temptations prompt them unto 2. That they do it not it is from Gods restraint 3. That God restraineth them it is of his own gracious goodness and mercy The common subject matter of the whole three points being one viz. Gods restraint of mans sin we will therefore wrap them up all three together and so handle them in this one entire Observation as the total of all three God in his mercy oftentimes restraineth men from committing those evils which if that restraint were not they would otherwise have committed This Restraint whether we consider the Measure or the Means which God useth therein is of great variety For the Measure God sometimes restraineth men à Toto from the whole sin whereunto they are tempted as he with-held Ioseph from consenting to the perswasions of his Mistress sometimes only à Tanto and that more or less as in his infinite wisdom he seeth expedient suffering them perhaps but only to desire the evill perhaps to resolve upon it perhaps to prepare for it perhaps to begin to act it perhaps to proceed far in it and yet keeping them back from falling into the extremity of the sin or accomplishing their whole desire in the full and final consummation thereof as here he dealt with Abimelech Abimelech sinned against the eighth Commandement in taking Sarah injuriously from Abraham say he had been but her brother and he sinned against the seventh Commandement in a foul degree in harbouring such wanton and unchaste thoughts concerning Sarah and making such way as he did by taking her into his house for the satisfying of his lust therein but yet God with-held him from plunging himself into the extremity of those sins not suffering him to fall into the act of uncleanness And as for the Means whereby God with-holdeth men from sinning they are also of wonderful variety Sometimes he taketh them off by diverting the course of the corruption and turning the affections another way Sometimes he awaketh natural Conscience which is a very tender and tickle thing when it is once stirred and will boggle now and then at a very small matter in comparison over it will do at some other times Sometimes he affrighteth them with apprehensions of outward Evils as shame infamy charge envy loss of a friend danger of humane lawes and sundry other such like discouragements Sometimes he cooleth their resolutions by presenting unto their thoughts the terrors of the Law the strictness of the last Account and the endless unsufferable torments of Hell-fire Sometimes when all things are ripe for execution he denyeth them opportunity or casteth in some unexpected impediment in the way that quasheth all Sometimes he disableth them and weakeneth the arm of flesh wherein they trusted so as they want power to their will as here he dealt with Abimelech And sundry other ways he hath more than we are able to search into whereby he layeth a restraint upon men keepeth them back from many sins and mischiefs at least from the extremity of many sins and mischiefs whereunto otherwise Nature and Temptation would carry them with a strong current Not to speak yet of that sweet and of all other the most blessed and powerful restraint which is wrought in us by the Spirit of Sanctification renewing the soul and subduing the corruption that is in the Flesh unto the Obedience of the Spirit at which I shall have fitter occasion to touch anon In the mean time that there is something or other that restraineth men from doing some evils unto which they have not only a natural proneness but perhaps withal an actual desire and purpose might be shewn by a world of instances but because every mans daily experience can abundantly furnish him with some we will therefore content our selves with the fewer Laban meant no good to Iacob when taking his Brethren with him he pursued after him seven days journey in an hostile manner and he had power to his will to have done Iacob a mischief Iacob being but imbellis turba no more but himself his wives and his little ones with his flocks and herds and a few servants to attend them unable to defend themselves much more unmeet to resist a prepared enemy yet for all his power and purpose and preparation Laban when he had overtaken Iacob durst have nothing at all to do with him and he had but very little to say to him neither The worst was but this Thus and thus have you dealt with me And It is in the power of mine hand to do you hurt but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight saying Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad See the story in Gen. 31. The same Iacob had a Brother as unkinde as that Uncle nay much more despightfully bent against him than he for he had vowed his destruction The days of mourning for my Father are at hand and then I will slay my Brother Jacob and although the Mother well hoped that some few days time and absence would appease the fury of Esau and all should be forgotten yet twenty years after the old grudge remained and upon Iacobs approach Esau goeth forth to meet him with 400. men armed as it should seem for his destruction which cast Iacob into a terrible fear and much distressed he was good man and glad to use the best wit he had by dividing his Companies to provide for the safety at least of some part of his charge And yet behold at the encounter no use at all of the 400. men unless to be spectatours and witnesses of the joyful embraces and kinde loving complements that passed between the two brothers in the liberal offers and modest refusals each of others courtesies in the 32. and 33. of Genesis A good Probatum of that Observation of Solomon When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him Balaam the Conjurer when the King Balac had cast the hook before him baited with ample rewards in hand and great promotions in reversion if he would come over to him and curse Israel had both Covetousness and Ambition enough in him to make him bite so that he was not only willing but even desirous to satisfie the King for he loved the wages of unrighteousness with his heart and therefore made tryal till he saw it was all in vain if by any means he could wring a permission from God to do it But when his eyes were opened to behold Israel and his mouth open that he must now pronounce something upon Israel though his eyes were full of Envy and his heart of Cursing yet God put a parable of Blessing into his mouth and he was not able to utter a syllable of any thing other than
good concerning Israel in 22. 24. of Numbers In all which and sundry other instances wherein when there was intended before-hand so much evill to be done and there was withall in the parties such a forward desire and such solemn preparation to have it done and yet when all came to all so little or nothing was done of what was intended but rather the contrary it cannot first be imagined that such a stop should be made but by the powerful restraint of some superiour and over-ruling hand neither may we doubt in the second place that every such restraint by what second and subordinate means soever it be furthered is yet the proper work of God as proceeding from and guided by his Almighty and irresistible providence As for that which happened to Balaam that it was Gods doing the evidence is clear we have it from the mouth of two or three witnesses The Wisard himself confesseth it The Lord will not suffer me to go with you Num. 22. The King that set him on work upbraideth him with it I thought indeed to promote thee to great honour but lo the Lord hath kept thee back from honour Num. 24. And Moses would have Israel take knowledge of it The Lord thy God would not harken unto Balaam but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing because the Lord thy God loved thee Deut. 23. It was God then that turned Balaams curse into a blessing and it was the same God that turned Labans revengeful thoughts into a friendly Expostulation and it was the same God that turned Esaus inveterate malice into a kinde brotherly congratulation He that hath set bounds to the Sea which though the waves thereof rage horribly they cannot pass Hitherto shalt thou go and here shalt thou stay thy proud waves and did command the waters of the Red Sea to stay their course and stand up as on heaps and by his power could enforce the waters of the River Iordan to run quite against the current up the Channel he hath in his hands and at his command the hearts of all the sons of men yea though they be the greatest Kings and Monarchs in the world as the Rivers of waters and can winde and turn them at his pleasure inclining them which way soever he will The fiercenesse of man shall turn to thy praise saith David in Ps. 76.10 and the fiercenesse of them shalt thou retain the latter clause of the verse is very significant in the Original and cometh home to our purpose as if we should translate it Thou shalt gird the remainder of their wrath or of their fiercenesse The meaning is this Suppose a mans heart be never so full fraught with envie hatred malice wrath and revenge let him be as fierce furious as is possible God may indeed suffer him and he will suffer him to exercise so much of his corruption and proceed so far in his fiercenesse as he seeth expedient and usefull for the forwarding of other his secret and just and holy appointments and so order the sinful fiercenesse of man by his wonderful providence as to make it serviceable to his ends and to turn it to his glory but look whatsoever wrath and fiercenesse there is in the heart of a man over and above so much as will serve for those his eternall purposes all that surplusage that overplus and remainder whatsoever it be he will gird he will so binde and hamper and restrain him that he shall not be able to go an inch beyond his â—eâ—der though he would fret his heart out The fiercenesse of man shall turn to thy praise so much of it as he doth execute and the remainder of their fiercenesse thou shalt refrain that they execute it not Be he never so great a Prince or have he never so great a spirit all is one he must come under No difference with God in this betwixt him that sitteth on the Throne and her that grindeth at the Mill He shall refrain the spirit of Princes and is wonderfull among the Kings of the earth in the last vers of that Psalm Now of the truth of all that hath been hitherto spoken in both these branches of the Observation viz. that first there is a restraint of evill and then secondly that this restraint is from God I know not any thing can give us better assurance taking them both together than to consider the generality and strength of our Natural corruption General it is first in regard of the Persons overspreading the whole lump of our nature there is not a childe of Adam free from the common infection They are all corrupt they are altogether become abominable there is none that doth good no not one General secondly in regard of the subject over-running the whole man soul and body with all the parts and powers of either so as from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no whole part Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh and To them that are defiled and unbeleeving nothing is pure but even their minde and Conscience is defiled and All the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil continually General thirdly in regard of the object averse from all kinde of good In me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and prone to all kinde of evil He hath set himself in no good way neither doth he abhorre any thing that is evill Adde to this generality the strength also of our corruption how vigorous and stirring and active it is and how it carrieth us headlongly with full speed into all manner of evill As the horse rusheth into the battell so as we have no hold of our selves neither power to stay our selves till we have run as far as we can and without the mercy of God plunged our selves into the bottome of the bottomlesse pit Lay all this together and there can be no other sufficient reason given than this restraint whereof we now speak why any one man should at any one time refrain from any one sin being tempted thereunto whereinto any other man at any other time hath fallen being alike tempted Every man would kill his brother as Cain did Abel and every man defile his sister as Amnon did Thamâ—r and every man oppresse his inferiour as Ahab did Naboth and every man supplant his betters as Zâ—bah did Mâ—phâ—bosheth and every man betray his Master as Iudas did Christ every man being as deep in the loynes of Adam as either Cain or Iudas or any of the rest Their nature was not more corrupt than ours neither ours lesse corrupt than theirs and therefore every one of us should have done those things as well as any one of them if there had not been something without and above nature to withhold us and keep us back therefrom when we were tempted
Treason against the sacred Majesty of God and of Christ for us to yeeld to any other but them the mastership that is the soveraign and absolute mastership over us Briefly we must not understand those Scriptures that forbid either Mastership or servitude as if they intended to discharge us from those mutual obligations wherein either in nature or civility we stand tyed one to another in the state Oeconomical Political or Ecclesiastical as anon it shall further appear but only to beget in us a just care amidst all the offices of love and duty which we perform to men to preserve inviolate that liberty which we have in Christ and so to do them service as to maintain withal our own freedom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as free A thing whereof it behoveth us to have a special care and that for sundry and weighty respects First in regard of the trust reposed in us in this behalf Every honest man taketh himself bound to discharge with faithfulness the trust reposed in him and to preserve what is committed unto him by way of trust though it be another mans no less if not rather much more carefully than he would do if it were his own that so he may be able to give a good account of his trust Now these two the Christian Faith and the Christian Liberty are of all other the choisest jewels whereof the Lord Jesus Christ hath made his Church the depositary Every man therefore in the Church ought earnestly to contend as for the maintenance of the faith as S. Iude speaketh so also for the maintenance of the liberty which was once delivered to the Saints even eo nomine and for that very reason because they were both delivered unto them under such a trust O Timothee depositum custodi S. Paul more than once calleth upon Timothy to keep that which was committed to his trust He meaneth it in respect of the Christian Faith which he was bound to keep intire as it was delivered him at his peril and as he would answer it another day And the like obligation lyeth upon us in respect of this other rich depositum this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christian liberty for which we shall be answerable to Christ from whom we received it how we have both kept it and used it And if by our default and for want either of care or courage in us dolo vel latâ culpâ as the Lawyers say we lose or imbeazel it as she said in the Canticles They made me the keeper of the Vineyard but mine own Vineyard have I not kept No doubt it will lie heavy upon us when we come to give in our accounts Rather we should put on a resolution like that of Moses who would not yeeld to leave so much as an hoof behinde him not to part with a jot of that liberty wherewith Christ hath entrusted us by making our selves the servants of men Especially since we cannot so do Secondly without manifest wrong to Christ nor thirdly without great dishonour to God Not without wrong to Christ S. Paul therefore disputeth it as upon a ground of right 1 Cor. 7. Ye are bought with a price saith he be ye not the servants of men and in the next chapter before that ye are not your own for you are bought with a price As if he had said Though it were a great weakness in you to put your selves out of your own power into the power of others by making your selves their servants yet if you were your own there should be no injury done thereby to any third person but unto whosoever should complain as if he were wronged you might return this reasonable answer Friend I do thee no wrong is it not lawful for me to do as I will with mine own But saith he this is not your case you are not your own but Christs He hath bought you with his most precious bloud he hath payed a valuable rather an invaluable price for you and having bought you and payed for you you are now his and you cannot dispose your selves in any other service without apparent wrong to him Neither only do we injure Christ by making our selves the servants of men but we dishonour God also which is a third reason For to whom we make our selves servants him we make our Lord and God The covetous worldling therefore by serving Mammon maketh Mammon his God which made S. Paul two several times to set the brand of Idolatry upon covetousness the covetous man which is an Idolater Ephes. 5. and covetousness which is Idolatry Col. 3. And the voluptuous Epicure is therefore said to make his belly his God Phil. 3. because he serveth his own belly as the the phrase is Rom. 16. Neither can I imagin upon what other ground the Devil should be called the God of this world than this that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the men of this evil world by doing him service do so make a God of him For service is a principal part of that honour that belongeth to God alone and whereof in his jealousie he will not endure that any part should be given away from him to another Ipsi soli servies thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve We cannot serve any other but to his great dishonour Yea and our own too which may stand for a fourth reason Ye see your calling brethren saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.26 He would have men take notice of their Christian calling it is a holy and a high calling that so they might walk worthy of it and carry themselves in every respect answerably thereunto Now by our calling we are freemen for brethren you have been called unto liberty Gal. 5. or which is all one to the service of God And being so we infinitely abase our selves and disparage our calling when of freemen we become slaves and make our selves of Gods menâ—s servants incomparably more to our own dishonour than if one that is free of a rich company and hath born office in it should for base respects binde himself apprentice again with a master of poor condition in some pelting trade It is deminutio capitis as the Civilians call it for a man to descend from a higher to a lower condition of the three degrees whereof that is esteemed the greatest maxima deminutio capitis which is with loss of liberty Leo the Emperor therefore by special and severe constitution as you may see it in the Novels forbad all freemen within the Empire the sale of their liberties calling it facinus in those that were so presumptuous as to buy them and no less than folly yea madness dementia and vesania in those that were so base as to sell them not without some indignation at the former laws for suffering such an indignity to be so long practised without either chastisement or
to none but God Submit your selves c. but yet as free and as the servants of God and of none besides Boundâ— to our Liberty that the freedome of our judgements and consciences ever reserved we must yet in the use of indifferent things moderate our liberty by ordering our selves according unto Christian sobriety by condescending sometimes to our brethren in Christian charity and by submitting our selves to the lawful commands of our governours in Christian duty In any of which respects if we shâ—ll fail and that under the pretension of Christian liberty we shall thereby quite contrary to the expresse direction of both the Apostles but abuse the name of liberty for an occasion to the flesh and for a cloake of maliciousnesse As free but not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousnesse but as the servants of God And so I passe from this second to my third and last observation wherein if I have been too long or too obscure in the former I shall now endevour to recompense it by being both shorter and plainer The Observation was this In the whole exercise both of the liberty we have in Christ and of those respects we owe unto men we must evermore remember our selves to be and accordingly behave our selves as those that are Gods servants in these last words But as the servants of God containing our condition and our carriage By our condition we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the servants of God and our carriage must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the servants of God I shall fit my method to this division and first shew you sundry reasons for which we should desire to be in this Condition to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the servants of God and then give some directions how we may frame our carriage answerably thereunto to demean our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the servants of God For the first We cannot imagine any consideration that may be found in any service in the world to render it desireable which is not to be found and that in a far more eminent degree in this service of God If Iustice may provoke us or Necessity enforce us or easinesse hearten us or Honour allure us or Profit draw us to any service behold here they all concur the service of God and of Christ is excellently all these It is of all other the most just the most necessary the most easie the most honourable the most profitable service And what would you have more First it is the most just service whether we look at the title of Right on his part or reasons of Equity on ours As for him he is our Lord and Master pleno jure he hath right to our best services by a threefold title like a treble cord which Satan and all the powers of darknesse cannot break or untwine A right of Creation Remember O Iacob thou art my servant I have formed thee thou art my servant O Israel Esay 44. Princes and the great ones of the world expect from those that are their Creatures rather that are called so because they raised them but in truth are not so for they never made them yet they expect much service from them that they should be forward instruments to execute their pleasures and to advance their intentions how much more may the Lord justly expect from us who are every way his creatures for he raised us out of the dust nay he made us of nothing that we should be his servants to do his will and instruments to promote his glory Besides this Ius creationis he hath yet two other titles to our services Ius redemptionis and Ius liberationis He hath bought us out of the hands of our enemies and so we are his by purchase and he hath won us out of the hands of our enemies and so we are his by conquest We read often in the Law of servants bought with money 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is but reason he that hath paid a valuable consideration for a mans service should have it Now God hath bought us and redeemed us not with corruptible things as silver and gold but with his own most precious bloud And being bought with such a price we are not our own to serve the lusts of our own flesh nor any mans else that we should be the servants of men but his only that hath bought us and paid for us to glorifie him both in our bodies and souls for they are his jure redemptionis by the right of Purchase and Redemption Again when we were mancipia peccati diaboli the devils Captives and slaves to every ungodly lust in which condition if we had lived and died after a hard and toylsome service in the mean time our wages in the end should have been eternal death God by sending his Son to live and dye for us hath conquered sin and Satan and freed us from that wretched thraldom to this end That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of our lives I am thy servant I am thy servant and the Son of thine handmaid thou hast broken my bonds in sunder Psal. 116. That is jus liberationis the right of Conquest and deliverance Having so many and so strong titles thereunto with what Justice can we hold back our services from him It is the first and most proper act of Justice jus suum cuique to render to all their dues and to let every one have that which of right appertaineth unto him And if we may not deny unto Caesar the things that are Caesars it is but right we should also give unto God the things that are Gods by so many and just titles Especially since there are reasons of Equity on our part in this behalf as well as there is title of right on his part You know the rule of equity what it is even to do to others as we would be done to See then first how we deal with those that are under our command We are rigid and importunate exactors of service from them we take on unreasonably and lay on unmercifully and bewray much impatience and distemper if they at any time slack their services towards us How should this our strictnesse in exacting services from those that are under us adde to our care and conscience in performing our bounden services to our Lord and Master that is over us But as it is with some unconscionable dealers in the world that neither have any pity to forbear their debtors nor any care to satisfie their creditors and as we use to say of our great ones and that but too truly of too many of them that they will neither do right nor take wrong such is our disposition We are neither content to forgoe any part of that service which we take to be due to us nor willing to perform any part
in something to be done maketh an Active if in something to be suffered a Passive obedience Our Active Obedience to God is the keeping his Commandements and the doing of his will as the people said Iosh. 24. The Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey And this must be done in auditu auris upon the bare signification of his pleasure without disputing or debating the matter as the Centurions servant if his Master did but say Do this without any more ado did it So Abraham the servant of the Lord when he was called to go out into a place which he should receive for an inheritance obeyed and went out though he knew not whither Nor only so but in the greatest tryal of Obedience that ever we read any man any meer man to have been put unto being commanded to sacrifice his only begotten Son of whom it was said That in Isaac shall thy seed be called he never stumbled as not at the promise through unbelief so neither at the command through disobedience but speedily went about it and had not failed to have done all that was commanded him had not the Lord himself when he was come even to the last act inhibited him by his countermand If mortal and wicked men look to be obeyed by their servants upon the warrant of their bare command in evil and unrighteous acts When I say unto you Smite Amnon then kill him fear not have not I commanded you saith Absalon to his servants 2 Sam. 13. Ought not the express command of God much more to be a sufficient warrant for us to do as we are bidden none of whose commands can be other than holy and just That is our Active obedience We must give proof of our Passive obedience also both in contenting our selves with his allowances and in submitting our selves to his corrections He that is but a servant in the house may not think to command whatsoever the house affordeth at his own pleasure that is the Masters prerogative alone but he must content himself with what his Master is content to allow him and take his portion of meat drink livery lodging and every other thing at the discretion and appointment of his Master Neither may the servant of God look to be his own carver in any thing neither ought he to mutter against his Master with that ungracious servant in the Parable complaining of his hardness and austerity if his allowances in some things fall short of his desire but having food and rayment be it never so little never so course â—he should be content with it nay though he should want either or both he should be content without it We should all learn of an old experienced servant of God Saint Paul what grace and long experience had taught him In whatsoever state we are to be therewith content We are to shew our Obedience to our heavenly Master yet further by submitting to his wholesome discipline when at any time he shall see cause to give us correction Our Apostle a little after the Text would have servants to be subject even to their froward Masters and to take it patiently when they are buffetted undeservedly and without fault How much more ought we to accept the punishment of our iniquity as we have the phrase Levit. 26. and with patience to yeeld our backs to the whip when God who hath been so gracious a Master to us shall think fit to exercise some little severity towards us and to lay stripes upon us Especially since he never striketh us First but for our fault such is his justice nor Secondly such is his mercy but for our good And all this belongeth to that Obedience which the servant of God ought to manifest both by doing and suffering according to the will of his Master The third and last general duty is Fidelity Who is a faithful and wise servant Well done thou good and faithful servant As if both the wisdom and goodnesse of a servant consisted in his faithfulnesse Now the faithfulnesse of a servant may be tryed especially by these three things By the heartinesse of his service by being tender of his Masters honour and profit and by his quicknesse and diligence in doing his businesse A notable example whereof we have in Abrahams servant Gen. 24. in all the three particulars For first being many miles distant from his Master he was no lesse solicitous of the businesse he was put in trust withall then he could have been if he had been all that while in the eye of his Master Secondly he framed himself in his speeches and actions and in his whole behaviour to such a discreet carriage as might best set forth the credit and honour of his Master Thirdly he used all possible diligence and expedition losing not any time either at first for the delivery of his message or at last for his return home after he had brought things to a good conclusion Such faithfulnesse would well become us in the service of God in all the aforesaid respects The first whereof is Heartinesse in his service There are many servants in the world that will work hard and bustle at it lustily for a fit and so long as their Masters eye is upon them but when his back is turned can be content to go on fair and softly and fellow-like Such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle condemneth Col. 3. and elsewhere admonishing servants whatsoever they do to do it heartily and to obey their Masters not with eye-service but in singlenesse of heart Towards our heavenly Master true it is if we had but this eye-service it were enough because we are never out of his eye his eyes are in all the corners of the earth beholding the evil and the good and his eye-lids try the children of men he is about our beds and about our paths and spyeth out all our goings And therefore if we should but study to approve our selves and our actions before his sight it could not be but our services should be hearty as well as handy because our hearts are no lesse in his sight than our hands are We cannot content our Master nor should we content our selves with a bare and barren profession in the service of God neither with the addition of some outward performances of the work done But since our Master calleth for the heart as well as the hand and tongue and requireth truth in the inward parts no lesse rather much more than shew in the outward let us but joyn that inward truth of the heart unto the outward profession and performance and doubtlesse we shall be accepted Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart 1 Sam. 12. Secondly we must shew our faithfulnesse to our Master by our zeal in his behalf A faithful servant will not endure an evil word spoken of
his Master behinde his back but he will be ready upon every occasion to vindicate his credit and to magnifie him unto the opinion of others He will make much of those that love his Master and set the lesse by those that care not for him And as to his credit principally so he hath an eye also in the second place to the profit of his Master He will have a care to save his goods the best he can it will grieve his very heart to see any of them vainly wasted or imbeazeled by his fellow servants yea and it will be some grief to him if any thing under his hand do but chance to miscarry though it be without his fault See we how far every of us can apply all this to our own selves in the service of God If we have no heart to stand up in our rank and place for the maintenance of Gods truth and worship when it is discountenanced or overborn either by might or multitudes If our bloud will not appear a little when cursed miscreants blast the honour of God with their unhallowed breath by blaspheming oaths fearful imprecations scurrile prophanations of Scripture licentious and bitter sarcasms against the holy Ordinances of God If a profound drunkard and obscene rimer and habituated swearer a compleat roarer every loose companion and professed scorner of all goodnesse that doth but peep out with a head be as welcome into our company and finde as full and free entertainment with us as he that carryeth the face and for any thing we know hath the heart of an honest and sober Christian without either prophanenesse or precisenesse If we grieve not for the miscarriages of those poor souls that live neer us especially those that fall any way under our charge what faithfulnesse is there in us or what zeal for God to answer the title we usurp so often as we call our selves the servants of God Thirdly if we be his faithful servants we should let it appear by our diligence in doing his businesses No man would willingly entertain an idle servant that is good at bit and nothing else one of those the old riming verse describeth Sudant quando vorant frigescant quando laborant such as can eat till they sweat and work till they freeze O thou wicked and slothful servant saith the Master in the parable to him that napkined up his talent Mat. 25. they are rightly joyned wicked and slothful for it is impossible a slothful servant should be good The Poets therefore give unto Mercury who is interpres divûm the messenger as they faign of Iupiter and the other gods wings both at his hands and feet to intimate thereby what great speed and diligence was requisite to be used by those that should be imployed in the service of Princes for the managing of their weighty affairs of State Surely no lesse diligence is needful in the service of God but rather much more by how much both the Master is of greater majesty and the service of greater importance Not slothful in businesse fervent in spirit serving the Lord saith S. Paul Let all those that trifle away their precious time in unconcerning things or poast off the repentance of their sins and the reformation of their lives till another age or any other way slack their bounden service unto God either in the common duties of their general or in the proper works of their particular calling tremble to think what shall become of them when all they shall be cursed that have done the Lords work in what kinde soever negligently We see now what we are to do if we will approve our selves and our services unto the Lord our heavenly Master What remaineth but that we be willing to do it and for that end pray to the same our Master who alone can work in us both the will and the deed that he would be pleased of his great goodnesse to give to every one of us courage to maintain our Christian liberty inviolate as those that are free wisdom to use it right and not for a cloak of maliciousnesse and grace at all times and in all places to behave our selves as the servants of God with such holy reverence of his Majesty obedience to his will faithfulnesse in his imployments as may both procure to us and our services in the mean time gracious acceptance in his sight and in the end a glorious reward in his presence even for Jesus Christ his sake his only Son and our alone Saviour FINIS A Table of the places of Scripture to which some light more or less is given in the foregoing Fourteen Sermons Chap. Ver. Pag. Gen. III. 4 5 131 15 241.351 16 241 19 241 IV 2 242 VI 6 200 IX 25 221 XV 15 210 XVIII 20 137 32 212 XIX 8 40 9 212 16 211 XX s VI 323 c. XXIIII 12 c. 400 XXXI 29 346 XXXII 6 c. 346 XXXIII 4 c. 346 Exod. II. 14 10 X 26 369 XI 5 6 224 XIIII 4 179 XX 5 224.231.234 XXIII s I III. 125 c. Lev. 26. 21 399 23 399 26 c. 335.301 Num. 22. 27 282 XXIII 19 200 XXV 5 156 Deut. 8. 3 300 14 306 17 306  18 316 XV 4 250 XVII 4 109 XXXII 15 310 Ios. 24. 15 394  24 398 Iudg. 3. 9 10 157 V 7 157 XIX 30 109 1 Sam. 2. 30 396 IV 18 155 XII 24 400 XV 15 377 2 Sam. 13. 28 399 XV 4 117 XXI 14 166 2 King 2. 9 102 X 20 112 XXI 13 377 s XXIX 173 c. 1 King 3. 9 62 VI 25-26 228 VIII 27 226 X 10 209 30 222 XXII 20 210 1 Chron. 26. 29-31 155 2 Chron. 19. 6 114 XXIIII 22 310 Nehem. 5. 15 140 Iob 1. 2 100 5 10 20 224 IX 33 2 XIII 7 36 XXII 30 212 XXIX 9 100 s 14 17. c. 97 c. Psalm 2. 11 398 III 7 112 IV 6-7 301 XIIII 4 111 XVIII 44 398 XIX 12 335.343 13 360 XXXIIII 11 106 XXXVI 3 336 6 215 XXXVII 1 193 XXXIX 11 219 XLV 6 7 102 L 22 213 LI 6 400 12 367 LII 2 4 131 LVII 4 111 LVIII 5 336 6 112 LXXIII 2 3 217 17 217 LXXV 2 4 114.170 LXXVI 10 348 12 348 LXXXI 12 361 LXXXII 6 105.114 CIII 1 2 298 CV 14 351 CVI 6 235 s XXX 149 c. 31 156 CVII 8 352 CIX 14 235 16 101 CXVI 12 299 16 393 CXIX 6 183 94 396 141 4 CXLIII 12 396 CXLV 8 206 16 244 CXLVII 1 312 9 353 Prov. 1. 13 135 III 3 107 XII 13 162 XIV 21 6 XV 8 190 17 301 XVI 12 170 XVII 16 261 XVIII 7 135 9 244 13 110 17 136 XX 25 294 XXI 1 348 XXIIII 26 102 XXV 2 110 XXVI 13 162 25 353 XXVIII 13 335 XXIX 7 137 12 142 XXX 1 6 33 130 XXXI 20 244 Eccles. 1. 4 222 18 337 VIII 11 162 IX 1 179
Cor. 14.26 h Cajetan in locum Bulling in loc k Job 9.33 l Ver. 14. m 1 Cor. 10.23 n Verse 2. o 1 Cor. 10.27 a Litterally setting at nought so it is translated Luke 23.11 and the Latin Translation in Tertullian readeth here fitly to the Greek Qui manducat ne nullâ— ficet nâ—i manducantem Ter. de je jun. adversus Psych c. 15. a 1 Sam. 17.42 b 1 Tim. 4.12 c Eccl. 9.16 d Ps. 119.141 e Mat 18.10 f Col 2.3 g Luke 23.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ib. i Mat. 8.26.14.31 16.8 k Fides hâ—c signifieat persuasionem de usa rerum indifferentium per Synccdochen generis Piscat Schol. in Rom. 14.1 a Luc. 18.9 11. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 18.9 c Gen. 16.4 5. d 1 Cor. 8.1 Quâ— lidicisse nisi 〈◊〉 fâ—rmentum c. Pers. Satyr 1. Vide Casaub. Ibid. e 1 Cor. 15.9 f 1 Tim. 1.15 g 2 Cor. 12.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h 1 Pet. 29. a Prov. 30.1 b Prov. 14.21 c John 3.8 d 1 Cor. 12.11 e 1 Cor. 12.4 f 1 Thess. 4.8 g 1 Cor. 8.12 a Mat. 18.6 c b Ibid. 10. c Plaut in Cistâ—ll Act. 4. Scen. 1. d Habet enim quendam aculcum contumelia qâ—â—em pati prudentes ac boni viri difficillime possunt Cic. Ver. 5. e Arist. lib. 2. Rhet. 2. cap. 2. where he thus â—â—â—neth Anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 f Vide opus Adag Megarenses neque tertij neque quâ—ti g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. ubi supra h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. Hom. 23. in Gen. k Have mercy upon us O Lord have mercy upon us for we are exceedingly filled with contempt Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the contempt of the proud Psal. 123.3 4. l Mat. 18.6 c. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et mox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Max. Tyrius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b Gen. 13.9 11. a Ne condemnato Beza b Piscator in Schol. ad hunc locum c evil manners have been the spoiling of many good words as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tycannus Sophista Latro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Venâ—num Magus in our Engglish tongue Knave Villain Churle c. See Minsheu Verstegan c. d Matth. 7.1 e 1 Cor. 4.5 f Rom. 2.1 g Jam. 4.11 a Exod. 22.9 2 Chron. 19.6 Rom. 13.4 and elsewhere b 1 Cor. 13.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Ibid. vers· 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d As Walter Mapes sometimes ArchdeaconÌ„ of Oxenford relating the grosse Simony of the Pope for confirming the election of Reginald bastard sonne to Ioceline Bishop of Sarum into the See of Bathe concludeth the narration thus Sit tamen domina materque nostra Roma baculus in aqua fractus absit credere quae videmus Mahap de nugis Curialium distinct 1. cap. 22. e Cùm debemus aliquibus malis adhibere remedium sive nostris sive alienis expedit ad hoc ut securius remedium apponatur quòd supponatur id quod est deterius quia remedium quod est efficax contra majus malum multò magis est efficax contra minus malum Aquin. 2.2 qu. 60. art 4. ad 3. f Job 1.5 g Aperta non ita reprehendamus ut de sanitate desperemus Gloss. Ordin in Rom. 14.13 Non quicquid reprebendendum etiam damâ—andum est Sen. l. 6. de benef ca. 39. h As Paul Mary Magdalen c. i As David Peter c. a Exod. 2.14 b Luk. 12.14 c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys. in Gen. hom 42. e Rom. 14 4. d Jam. 4.12 f Mali operis vindictam Boni gloriam utriusque Judicium g Deut. 32.35 h Isai. 42.8 Rom. 12.19 i Rom. 14.4 10. Jam. 4.11 12. k Tres hominum species maximam Deo faciunt injuriam Superbi qui auferunt ei Gloriam Iracundi qui Vindictam Rigidi qui Judicium l Heb. 10.30 a Et nunc Reges intelligite erudimini qui judicatis terram Psa. 2.10 si judicas cognosce Sen. in Med. Act. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phocylid b Et normam Causam Normam secundum quam causam de qua statuendum Ad Factum haec pertinet illa ad juâ— ad illam Peritia opus est ad hanc Prudentia c Jer. 17.9 I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the LORD 1 Corinthians 4 4. If our heart condemn us GOD is greater than our heart and knoweth all things 1 Iohn 3.21 Latet mâ— facultas mea quae in me est ut animus meus de viribus suis ipse se interrog tus non facilè sibi credendum existimet quia quod inest pleâ—umque occultum est Aug. lib. 10. Confess c. 32. d Heb. 12.9 e Psal. 79. 26.2 Jer. 11.20 17.10 20.12 Rev. 2.23 f Heb. 4.13 g 1 Cor. 4.5 h Temeritas est dâ—mâ—â—â—e quod nescias Sen. Epist. 91. Sunt quaedam facta media quae ignoramus quo animo fiant quia bono malo fiâ—ri possunt de quibus temerarium est judicare August lib. 2. de Serm. Dom. in monte cap. 18. a In rerum judicio debet aliquis nâ—ti ad hoc ut interpretetur unumquodque secundùm quod est in judicio autem personarum ut interpretetur in melius Aquin. 2.2 qu. 60. art 4. ad 3. and he giveth a substantiall reason for it ib. in resp ad 2. b Glossa Ord. in hunc loc Theologi passim Semper quicquid dubium â—st humanitas inclinat in melius Sen. ep 81. c Error charitatis salutaris error d Melius est quòd aliquis frequenter fallatur habens bonam opinioneÌ„ de malo homine quà m qd rarius fallatur habens mâ—lam opinionem de bono homine quia ex hâ—c sit injuria alicui non autem ex primo Aqu. 2 2ae qu. 60. art 4. ad r. e Aequum licèt statuerit haud aequus fuit Sen. in Med. Act. 2. f 1 Cor. 13.5 g Si suspiciones vitâ—re nâ—n possumus quia homines sumus judicia tamen id est definitivas firmà sque sententias continere debemus Gloss Ordin in 1 Cor. 4. a 1 Cor. 4.5 a Article 20. agreeably to the confessions of other Protestant Churches b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 14.20 c Constit. Canon 30. a Ex. 1 Cor. 7.35 b Lincolnsh Abridg. pa· 34 c Mar. 7 8. c. d In Spiritum Sanctum blasphemant qui sacros Canones violant 25. qu. 1. Vio arore e Constit. c. can 74. art 20 Act for uniformity and Treat of Ceremonies prefixed to the book of Common Prayer f Without prejudice to the liberty of other Churches See Pref. to Communion Book g The Church ought not to enforce any thing besides the holy Writ to be