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
I have had experience of him heretofore c. Even so when you beleeve the Scriptures you can give a reason for it it is because God delivered it and he cannot lye but now how doe yee know that God delivered it Because the men that delivered it in his Name did confirme it by workes and miracles and predictions of times so that reason runnes along together with Faith Onely there is this difference betweene them Faith addeth to the eye of reason and raiseth it higher for the understanding is conversant as about things of reason so about things of Faith for they are propounded to the understanding onely they are above it and must have faith to reveale them as when Moses saith In the beginning GOD made the Heaven and the Earth when we heare such a proposition reason doth but looke upon it and cannot see it at first but Faith helpeth reason to goe further therefore Faith is but an addition to the strength of reason when it could goe no further Faith makes it to goe further as one that hath dimme eyes he can see better with the help of spectacles even so doth the eye of reason by a supernaturall faith infused So that all the things which we beleeve have a credibilitie and entity in them and they are the objects of the understanding but we cannot finde them out without some supernaturall help As if you would choose a right jewell you know there are many counterfeit ones how should you know a true one The stander by cannot tell but brings it to a Lapidary or a Ieweller and he knowes it because he is skilled in it Now as there are the Iewels and they are to be discerned and differenced but all lyes in the skill So is it in the things that are revealed by God and by naturall reason to know which are of God which not there are the things and they are to be seene yea the things themselves have characters by which they may bee discerned but let two men looke upon them one beleeves and the other doth not one man goes no further than reason but the other doth the reason is because one is helped from above and the other is not he wants that light that habit of skill which another hath Now this being premised in generall let us see how faith gathers that the Scriptures are true and that all that is in them is true and consequently that there is a God that made the world It gathers it by these three heads When a man lookes into the Scriptures and sees the phrases of the Prophets and Apostles saying Thus saith the Lord he considers if this be from God then it must needs be true But now the question is whether it was delivered truly and therefore hee lookes upon the men that did deliver it as upon Moses c. and if he can finde any evidence in them that they delivered it truly without collusion then he beleeveth that it is so and so faith layes hold and pitches upon it and gives solide assent unto it Now the proofes whereby we shew that these men have spoken by the Holy Ghost are these three The miracles which they wrought wherein this is to be considered that they were such miracles as were done before many witnesses they were not done in a corner where two or three were and so related to the people as many false miracles are but they were done before many thousand as the standing still of the Sunne the plagues of Aegypt the dividing of the waters the Mannah that came downe from Heaven the water flowing out of the rockes the miracles that were wrought by Eliah and Elisha they were all openly done in the view of all the people They were such miracles as had a reality in them false miracles stand onely in appearance they have onely a shadow and not the substance they have no solidity in them as the miracles that Inchanters doe they are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as wee call them they are onely appearances and no more as if they give money it will afterwards prove but drie leaves and such were the miracles of the Inchanters in Aegypt but looke upon the miracles of Moses they were solide as the Mannah fed the people many yeares the water that came out of the rockes did refresh them the plagues of Aegypt were reall the miracles of Christ were all of use to mankinde as when he turned water into wine it was such as they were refreshed by so when hee healed the people when he gave sight to the blinde they were all usefull and had a reality in them Besides consider the miracles which were wrought at the delivery of the Law Exod. 19. as the thunder the lightning the sound of trumpets c. whatsoever was done then all the people saw it and their senses were taken up about it so that they could not be deceived The lawes that Numa Pompilius brought from the gods he related to them but the people saw and heard nothing but these miracles the people all saw the Mount burnt with fire and thick darknesse round about it and there was thunder and lightning and the Mount trembled And as their eyes did see 〈◊〉 things so their eares were busied In hearing the voice of the trumpets sounding louder and louder a great while and hearing the voice of God himselfe And this was not done only in the sight of the Elders of Israel but all the people saw it and heard the voice of the Lord. And such were all the miracles of the Apostles and of all the Prophets And this argues that they came from God himselfe because they could not be done but by a supernaturall power Againe I will adde to this the prophecies for that is one of the wayes by which the Lord confirmes his word unto the sonnes of men Isa. 41.22 23. Shew to us the things to come that we may know that you are Gods c. As if hee should say If any man be able to foretell things to come he is God for it is the propertie of God alone and therefore he can doe it Now I will name some prophecies to instance in and I will shew the difference betweene them and the predictions of Southsayers for you shall finde that these prophecies were Particular and not generall they were Perspicuous and plaine and not obscure and they had fixed times set and not left at randome As in the prophecie delivered to Abraham that the Children of Israel should be strangers and in bondage in Aegypt foure hundred yeares now saith the Text that very night they went forth of Aegypt the foure hundred yeares were expired Moreover that prophecie that Iudah should have the Scepter it was a thing could not be foreseene Iudah was not the elder brother and it was long first before it was brought to passe therefore Moses could not see it by any thing at
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
were if an house had such and such a thing it would be a goodly house so in an instrument as a Watch if it had such and such a being it were a perfect Watch so is it in the complaints that we make for our soules or the soules of others if you see a man that you would have reclaimed you say if there were a stability of minde in him a consideration of death a right knowledge of things a sense of sinne if there were grace in his heart to establish him then hee would be thus and thus Consider that he who is the Lord of being is able to make up these wants so if our complaints be for our selves they all come from some wants but know that he who is the Almightie God that makes all things to be he can give thee constancie he can enable thee to do all things and strengthen the weake hands and feeble knees Hebr. 22. He that is full of being as the Sunne is of light and the Sea of water thinke with thy selfe that hee alone is able to give being to every grace and to make up every defect and give that to thee which thou hast not and to all whom thou hast to doe with as thy wife children friends c. he can make things that were bad good and usefull and so make thy friend good also as he did Onesimus for Paul thinke with thy selfe that the Lord of strength can doe it and he only can doe it here every creature is at a stand to make a being therfore goe to him and give him the praise and glory of his Name And as it should move us to doe this in our wants so it should helpe thee in all those great crosses that afflict thee For every crosse is in that which is not as Rachel wept of her children that were not You shall see in Abraham he beleeved in GOD even in GOD who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were Rom. 4.17 This was Abrahams case he was to lose his sonne for ought that he knew yet he comforted himselfe in this that Iehovah the mightie God that is the Lord of being he that calleth things that are not as if they were hee could either give him his owne sonne againe or one that was as good as he Thus he did comfort himselfe and so may we upon all occasions God can make things to be that are not Take Iob when his houses his children estate all were gone and all were not yet Iehovah he that makes things that are not did not he make all things to returne againe So David when things were not when his Kingdome was not when his good name was gone as wee see by Shimei's cursing what a name he had yet God did make all to come againe Naomi when all was gone her husband and her sonnes gone and they were not yet hee that was the Lord of being gave her a sonne and a daughter that brought her in more comfort that her owne sonnes would And this is the use that I would have you to make of it When thou hast lost any thing when thy sons or thy goods are gone he can make up all Hee who could make up the absence of Christ to the Disciples as he did by his Spirit so that it was better with them than before they had more comfort and knowledge and could doe greater miracles that God can surely make good any other losse the most pinching For you must remember that he is IEHOVAH you shall finde that name often used on this occasion still it is added I am IEHOVAH But to take the present Scripture there you shall see what ground there is for this use we now make of it Chap. 6.6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am the LORD and I will bring you out from under the burthens of the Aegyptians c. The meaning of it is this many objections might be made by Moses and this is the reason why God reveales this Name to Moses Alas saith Moses who am I Shall I go unto Pharaoh and bid him let the children of Israel goe What am I to be sent on this errand Saith the Lord Goe tell him I am or Iehovah hath sent thee unto him and those answers are observable that Moses makes Object I am of a slow mouth and of slow speech Answ. Why saith the LORD I made the mouth goe therefore and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Object Againe I am of uncircumcised lips and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me Answ. Saith the LORD I have made thee a god to Pharaoh and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet Where observe this by the way A man would wonder why Moses that went to such a one as Pharaoh should complaine that he was a man of uncircumcised lips One would thinke that Pharaoh being a carnall man that uncircumcised words would please him better but it is as if he should say Lord when there is any circumcisednesse in my lips then there is no authority in my speech The lesse circumcision there is in any mans lippe the lesse authority there is in his speech as it is said of Christ that he spake with authoritie for his lips were circumcised But to take this objection away saith the LORD I am Iehovah I will be with thee I will circumcise thy lips Object Yea but will Pharaoh be moved with words Answ. I am Iehovah saith the LORD I will make that to be which is not I will send plagues among them and then he will let them goe Object But when they are gone they are a weake and a naked people how shall they doe to live Answ. Saith GOD I will give them favour in the eyes of the Aegyptians and not send them emptie and I will provide food for them So Moses went A strange kinde of errand as if one should goe and tell the great Turke that the God of the Christians hath sent to let them goe but yet Moses goeth and all that comforted him was 〈◊〉 the revealing of this Name Now apply this to your selves when you are in any distresse know that he that made the heavens and the earth can give a being to all these things Esay 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the LORD that obeyeth the voice of his servants that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the LORD and stay upon his GOD. He that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let that be thy case that every thing is desperate thou seest not a jot of light nor spark of hope yet trust in the Name of Iehovah hee can make light when there is none a man that hath no grace in his heart let him trust in Iehovah that saith in his heart I would I could be rid of such a lust and that I could keep holy the Sabbath but I have nothing in me
the Lord the efficacie that they have to doe us hurt or good is from him and not from themselves If God will say to the creature Goe and doe such a man good it will doe it because there goes a concourse of efficacie from him to doe it So if he say to a creature Goe to such a man and afflict him it will doe it though it be never so small and meane a creature therefore of themselves they neither doe good nor hurt the efficacie that they have is from him and not from themselves they are meere instruments and if God withdraw his blessing and cursing they can doe us neither good nor hurt Answ. 2 We say that they are nothing because they are at his command if he would doe us good hee never wants one to send of his errand if he will make a man rich he wants not wealth it is at his command if he will give a man friends he can fetch them againe if all thy friends be present yet they stirre not unlesse he command The rich and the poore they meet together but the LORD makes them both And in this regard riches are said to be nothing Prov. 23. Riches take to themselves wings and fly away And why doest thou set thy heart upon that which is nothing That is they goe and come at his command and therfore they are to be accounted as nothing If a man see a flocke of the best fowle on his land yet he looks upon them as nothing to him because they have wings and will fly away and you should thinke so of all things else that they have wings that they goe and come at his command that they are nothing because they are nothing to you Answ. 3 They are nothing because they can doe but little good and that which they do is of no continuance and therefore they are said to be vanitie So that put the case that they have some efficacie in them when yet they are acted by the Lord yea put the case that they were at their owne command as they are not yet they can doe but little good and that is of so short continuance that therefore they are vanity they are nothing because they are little more than nothing as Salomon calleth them all things under the Sunne are vanitie they are emptie things and that which is under the Sun cannot reach above the Sunne and therefore they are said to be vanitie Object But if you say that they are great things and therefore you see how the Prophets did magnifie them and did set forth the greatnesse of afflictions in the want of them Answ. I answer that they are of use indeed in regard of the weaknesse of the creature and the continuance of this life but if they be compared to eternitie they are nothing and againe if the Lord be with us in the want of them they are nothing if the Lord send us afflictions and give us his favour and the light of his countenance it is nothing if he send us into prison if he be with us it will be nothing As on the contrary if a man had a brave Palace and God was not with him if he did withdraw his favour from him all were nothing The second Attribute of GOD. The next Attribute which likewise may bee drawne from this place is this That GOD is the first without all causes having his being and beginning from himselfe This I finde set downe in Rev. 1.8 I am ALPHA and OMEGA the beginning and the ending saith the LORD which is which was and which is to come the Almightie that is what Alpha and Omega are in the letters that I am to the creatures I am the first and the last that is if I should suffer the creatures to fall then I should be the last and I am He they would returne unto Rev. 3.14 Christ according to his God-head is said to be the beginning of the creation of GOD Isai. 44.6 I am the first and last The meaning of it is that he is without all causes that he is from himselfe and by himselfe and of himselfe and for himselfe Rom. 11.36 that is he is the first hee never had any efficient cause as all the creatures have that which hath no efficient cause hath no end that which hath no end hath no forme for the forme doth but serve to carry a thing to such an end that which hath no forme hath no matter for the matter is dependent on the forme and so consequently he is without all cause But wee will shew you the grounds of this they are these three He is without all cause for if there were any cause of him that cause must needs be caused either from some other or from it selfe not from any other for then there should be something that is before the Lord that is better than he from whom he receives all things but that cannot be for then it should be God and not the Lord and it is not from it selfe because nothing is the cause of it selfe for then it should be before it selfe and it should be better than it selfe for the cause though it give the same that is in it selfe to the effect as the father to the sonne yet the cause is better because that which gives is better than that which receives Againe it should be different from it selfe for the cause is different from the effect therefore it must needs be that he is without all cause and the first and the beginning of all the creatures of God Wheresoever you see any thing that hath but a part of another it must needs receive it from some whole and if it doth receive it from that which is but a part yet by degrees it must come to some whole as to the fountaine as for example if iron or wood be on fire c. they have but a part of that element which argues that there is some whole But it may be said Answ. That cannot be because whatsoever hath any thing originally must have the whole and not a part as the Sunne because it hath the light originally therefore it hath not a part but the whole though afterward it gives light to many so a fountaine that hath water originally hath not the part but the whole though afterwards it runnes into many brookes and if there were but one fountaine as there is but one Sunne then all the water would be in that fountaine as the light is in the Sunne Now to apply this looke upon all the creatures and you shal find that they have all but part of being the Angels have one part men another and other creatures another part c. which is an argument that there is a whole which is GOD blessed for ever Besides it argues that he hath that wholenesse of being from himselfe for he that hath but part of a thing doth borrow it and
the waters move though the ship stand still there is motion but God stands still and all things stand still to him likewise Doe not wonder therefore that the Churches lye so long in misery that the injuries of the Saints are so long unrevenged doe not accuse God doe not mistake him doe not thinke amisse of him doe not thinke that hee is forgetfull and doth not remember that hee is slacke and doth not regard that hee cannot or will not helpe Beloved it is not so you shall see the very same use made of it 2 Pet. 3. if you compare vers 4 and 8 9. together In the latter dayes there shall come scoffers c. saying where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the creation vers 8 9. But be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the LORD as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day The LORD is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance It is not slacknesse in God For saith the Apostle a thousand yeares with him are as one day We thinke it a great matter that the Church should lye so long and cry How long LORD and yet no remedie saith the Apostle thinke not much at it For a thousand yeares with him are but as one day Vse 3 If God be eternall then consider with whom you have to doe even with him whose love and enmity are eternall with him whose soveraignty and power is eternall if a man be angry we regard it the lesse if we know it is but for a fit but consider what it is to have to do with him whose love and enmitie are eternall Therefore learne not to regard men as wee doe but to regard the Lord only and that in these three respects 1 Learne to trust the Lord and not man for God is an everlasting refuge Psal. 146.3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no helpe c. that which they can doe for you is but for this life at most trust in him that is able to defend you for all eternitie for he that made heaven and earth hee continues for ever This use you have made of it in Psa. 90.1 LORD thou hast beene our habitation for ever and ever as if hee should say Lord thou wast an habitation that is a refuge as our house is to the Churches thou wast so in Abrahams time in Pharaohs time Consider that God is not onely an habitation to his Church from generation to generation but also from everlasting to everlasting 2 Learne from hence likewise to feare him feare him that can cast body and soule into hell for ever his eternity should make us to feare him Feare not man Isai. 5.13 14. Why because he is of short continuance and if he can do you any hurt it is but for a short time for he shall be made as the grasse but feare the Almighty GOD who laid the heavens and stretched the foundations of the earth Vse the Lords arguments they are the arguments that can work on the soule it is the holy Ghosts argument why we should feare him because he is eternall as the opposition in that place shewes 3 Labour to serve him 1 Ioh. 2.17 The world passeth away and the lusts thereof but hee that doth the will of the LORD abides for ever that is the world cannot make you to abide for ever it passeth away if you fulfill the lusts thereof if you fulfill your owne will you are not able to continue your selves but you will passe away what should wee doe then why fulfill the will of the Lord consider what he would have you doe and so you shall abide for ever Vse 4 If God be eternall then we should learne hence to comfort our selves when we looke upon the mutabilitie that we and all creatures are subject unto in this vale of misery it is a thing that may comfort us exceeding much if wee serve him who is constant without change who is eternall that can make up the changes that we are subject unto it is the use that is made of it in Psal. 102.11 12. My dayes are like a shadow that declineth and I am withered like grasse but thou O LORD shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance unto all generations Why doth he put these two together thus my shadow and Gods enduring for ever c. as if he should say this is my comfort that though I am of short continuance yet God with whom I shall live for ever hee is eternall and abides for ever It is as if the beame should reason thus though I am brickle and fading yet the Sun that maintaines me abides for ever or if the streame should reason thus though I may be dried up in Summer yet the fountaine that maintaines me continues for ever So though men be subject to change yet the Lord that maintains them is immutable and abides for ever You that have the life of Christ in you have the beginning of this eternity and though the old building be pulled downe yet you have a building not made with hands eternall in the heavens even as when one skin fals off another comes on and what though the outward man perish yet the inward man growes daily more and more till it come to perfection This is not only a comfort to us but also it is a great motive and we should use it as a great argument to God that because we are subject to change yet because hee is immutable therefore he should helpe us Psal. 102.26 27. The heavens shall wax old as doth a garment but thou endurest for ever and ever therefore cast me not off in the midst of my dayes as if he should say Lord thou hast Time enough to bestow thou art full of eternitie the heavens that seeme to be of long continuance yet are nothing to thee therefore I pray thee to fill up my wants and make me eternall with thee so because thou inhabitest eternity therefore comfort mee Isai. 57.15 Seeing God is eternall learne hence to know that he is the Lord of all Time Vse 5 Doe not thou looke upon Time as belonging to thee but to him he overflowes all it is the phrase used in Psal. 90.5 Thou carriest them away as with a floud they are as sheepe c. that is all times are subject to him he over-reaches them and makes them long or short as it pleaseth him he is not only in himselfe eternall but hee is the lord of all and hee disposeth all times and appoints the seasons to every thing if hee be thus then take heed of looking upon future times as thine owne thou breakest in now upon the Lords
he cannot change it suddenly But it is not so with God hee can alter a thing as easily to the left hand as to the right and that in an instant Object But what dependance is there between things doe we not see strange things come to passe that we can see no reason for as the Churches overthrowne the godly afflicted the wicked exalted Answ. Well saith the Lord this is to bee considered further that one wheele is within another and the wings of the Angels are one within another there is a sutablenesse and an agreeablenesse betweene them so that take the changes of a thousand yeares and if you summe them up you shall finde them as wheeles one within another Therefore I would summe up the answer thus this deceives us we look upon Gods providence in some few particulars only that we looke upon a wheele or two and not as they are one within another for then indeed we should see things that might cause us to wonder as we see Ioseph an innocent man lying in disgrace and imprisonment and David though innocent yet a long time disgraced in the Court of Saul and afterwards Shimei cursing him yea wee see Iesus Christ himselfe delivered and condemned for an impostor and that by witnesses and in a legall manner so we see Paul one that was a man full of zeale yet accounted one of the worst men that lived in his time and Naboth an innocent man condemned to death by witnesses stoned and who shall rise againe to shew his innocencie If you looke but upon a wheele or two you shall finde the Church ready to bee swallowed up in Esters time but if you looke upon them all at once then you will see that these passages have eyes in them and that they have Angels and the Spirit to guide them As for example looke on all the wheeles of Iosephs life you shall see the envie of his brethren selling him to the steward of Pharaohs house and there his falling out with his mistresse his casting into prison and there meeting with Pharaohs officers he was thereby made knowne to Pharaoh and so he became great in Pharaohs Court and then you see it is a goodly worke So in David take all the wheeles together and you shall see a glorious work how God brought him along to the Kingdome God was with him and wrought his works for him when he did sit still and when his hand was not upon Saul then he sent the Philistines to vex him and to end his dayes and first hee gave David the Kingdome of Iudah and then afterwards Abner and Isobosheth fell out about a word and one of them was slaine and then also came two wicked men and tooke off the others head and so came home the whole Kingdome of Israel into his hand So also in Esthers time take all the wheeles together and you shall see an excellent act of Gods providence when the Church was ready to be destroyed when the neck was upon the block and the sword drawne out ready to strike and that that night the King should not sleepe but that a booke must be brought and rather that than another and that the place should be opened where he should finde Mordecai his revealing of the treason against him and thereupon the decree was revoked and the Church delivered I say take all these together and we shall plainly see that in this strange administration of things there is still a providence and that there are eyes in the wheeles and a spirit to guide them Object 3 If there be such a God that made the Heaven and the Earth what is the reason then that wee see things are brought to passe by naturall causes If there be a cause for such a thing the effect doth follow when there is no cause then the effect doth not as a wise man doth bring a thing to passe but the foolish miscarry in them we see the diligent hand maketh rich and hee that labours not hath nothing and things that are strong prevaile against those that are weake and so God is forgotten in the world and his wisdome and power is not seene Answ. 1 It is not so God doth carry it often another way as it is Eccles. 9.11 Alway the battell is not to the strong but chance and accident befall them all that is the LORD of purpose doth often change them that his power and might may be seene We see often that Princes walke on foot like servants and servants ride like Princes as in Chap. 10. that is things doe not alwayes come to passe according to their causes for when the cause is exceeding faire to bring forth such an effect yet we see it is an abortive birth and such things come to passe that we looked not for as he that was diligent many times comes to povertie the wise doe often miscarry in bringing their enterprises to passe Answ. 2 Though the immediate cause produceth the effect yet who is the first cause As for example though folly be the cause that such a businesse doth miscarry yet who is the cause of that folly It is sin that bringeth destruction and doth precipitate a man thereunto but who is it that leaveth men to their sins and lusts You see what was the immediate cause of the losse of Rehoboams Kingdome the ill counsell that was given him by the young men but who was it that fitted the cause thereunto was it not the Lord So on the contrary wee see that godlinesse is the cause of good successe and makes men to prosper but who is the cause of that cause is it not the Lord himselfe Object 4 But oftentimes it is ill with those that are good and well with those that are wicked the wicked prosper many times when it goes ill with those that feare the LORD oftentimes it commeth to the wicked according to the worke of the righteous and contrarily If there be a God what is the reason that this comes to passe Answ. It is certaine that whensoever any wicked man doth an evill act and a good man doth well and serveth the Lord with a perfect heart that there is a sentence of good and evill goes with it but God doth often suspend the reward to the godly and of punishment to the wicked the execution of them is deferred Besides we are often mistaken for that which we thinke to be ill to us is many times for our good and that which we thinke is very happie and prosperous may be hurtfull to us As for example when Iacob came from Laban GOD said to him Be not afraid I am with thee and I will doe thee good You see Iacob was no sooner gone but Laban follows him and would have done him much hurt had not the Lord taken him off No sooner was Laban gone from him but Esau comes against him and when the Lord had rescued him from him when he was come neerer home when he might have