danger of the losse of heaven and yet if these things together could make happy it would be folly to have many things when one most united most pure plentifull and perfect essence will do it this is far the further way about at best And lastly for comfort to such as have made perfection their Vse 4 portion such have in him to supply all good and remove all ill untill the time come that we shall stand in need of no other good Wise are they that know him Holy are they that love him And happy are they that enjoy him Habemus omnia habentes habentem omnia There is in him to be had whatsoever can make us happy If God and all the world were divided into two shares he alone is incomparably the best blessed are they that have him for their Shepheard they cannot want so David saith of himself Psal 23.1 Because such have made the Lord most high their habitation no evill shall befall them nor any plague come nigh their dwelling Psal 91.9 10. God is the fullest fountain and sweetness of all things By him they are what they are and continue so to be He commandeth influence to stay or go And happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help c. Psal 146.5 Be of good chear God is your portion the more ye spend on him the more ye may To conclude take heed that none of you be pointed at one day that hear me this day with a Lo this is the man that made not God his portion Ps 52.7 So much of the first Goodnesse attributed to God his natural goodnesse or perfection His holiness benignity and mercy follows next to be spoken off The end of this Attribute The Holinesse of GOD. Psalm 99. v. 9. For the Lord our God is Holy I Shall speak of these words as they contain a proposition asserting the Attribute of Holinesse which is the third in order of the communicable attributes of God and now to be spoken of For the formality of the words take onely this Jehovah is to be exalted and worshipped at his holy hill why because he is holy For the Lord our God is holy But why might it not have been said exhalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord our God is a good God or a jealous God or a mercifull God I answer It is true there is enough in every attribute to draw souls unto God and to move us to exalt him and to allure us to worship him but yet when I shall have shewed you what holines in God is ye will easily be made to see that the consideration of holinesse will be a principal ground and cause to exalt him and to worship at his holy hill A thing is said to be holy first when it is separated from common use to the service of God So the Utensils of the Tabernacle to the very Dishes Tongs and Snuffers were holy that is were separated unto God And in this regard the Lord our God is holy for from all eternity he was separated from all other objects to himself to love himself to take delight in himself God is dedicated to himself from everlasting and his honour he will never give to any other and therefore exalt him worship him set him high trust in him honour him for he is holy he is all for himself he is eternally dedicated to himself and will make such know that do not exalt him what it is to displease so jealous so holy a God It is true self-love in men is very often inordinate extreamly and so very vicious but in God it is a glorious beam it is his holinesse And the reason is because there is none other meet to be an object of Gods love but himself So this is the first acceptation of the word holy and you be according to this taking of the word God is holy that is dedicated to himselfe and therefore that he is to be exalted and worshipped because he is so holy as hath been said He is all for his own glory all for himself he never in the least action aimed at any thing nor will nor indeed can but himselfe There are many things which asserted of men as I hinted before do render them very blameable yea unholy As to looke after their own Phillip 2.4 To be lovers of there own selves 2 Tim. 3.2 and the like Which ascerted of God do gloriously set out his holinesse And so also in men holinesse is a separation from the world unto God holy persons are persons dedicated to God Thus have you the first acceptation of the word Secondly Holines somtimes signifies puritie Yea know in our usuall manner of speaking we do make holines and purity Synonimaes as in Luke 1.35 therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the sonne of God To be holy is to be imaculate that is sine macula without spot or blot to be agreeable and conform to the holy law of God Holines saith a late writer doth consist in a compleate uniformitie and conformitie to the will of God wholy Some are first table Christians others second table Christians Some hote in acts of religion that are could in justice some are very honest and just to men that have no delight in communion with God but James 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all He that breaks one linke of a chaine breakes the chaine One holy nature gave every commandement how can there be a state of holines without equal respect to all Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements saith David Psalme 119 6. And againe I have refrained my feet from every evill way ver 101. To lose our will in the will of God is holines So this in Christ John 4 34. Jesus said unto them to wit to his Disciples that had prayed him to eate some meat My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work And Math. 26.39 and 42. verses Neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And thy will be done this was holines in Christ In this sense holines and rightousnes in Scripture do often signifie one and the same thing I say often not alwaies for where the two words do come together as Luke 1.75 In holines and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our life we may understand most fitly by holines the duties of the first table and by righteousnes the yellding of obedience to the duties of the second table But I say holines is sometimes put for righteousnes and righteousnes in like manner for holines As Psalme 16.3 David declares that his delight is in the Saints or holy ones that are in the earth which he affirms to be the excellent or such as excel in verture And therefore some do define holines to be moral goodnes which is
a perfection of holines in life and conversation a perfection of manners in act and habite as the Schoolmen call it So we account righteous livers to be Saints And because there are none perfectly holy in this life we cannot gain say the Popish Schoolmen in that sence that aver and teach none to be properly holy in his life I say if they mean by properly holy perfectly holy For to make a man holy there must be in him a perfection of habite and conversation agreeable to the eternall law of God And as nothing is weight till it counterpose the weight that is set against it so no mans life is compleatly that is perfectly holy untill it be exactly answerable to the holy law of God which cannot be said of any man in this life until he come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the fulnes of Christ Ephes 4.13 It is true Christ was full weight according to the weight-stones of Gods eternal law he was full measure according to that met-yard but so was never any man else holy or righteous perfectly I meane and exactly This by the way let me tell you is one cause why when an emenient person dies in Popish countries whom they judge fit to be canonized for a Saint they let a hundred years passe after his death before they do it allowing a considerable time for the purgatory-purgations of his soule before he passe for a Saint But yet though properly when by it we mean compleatly none be holy in this life Yet are there holy one on earth to whom the holy eternal morall law of God is a rule And there are some who though they cannot keepe all Gods Commandements Yet they have respect unto them all Such a one was David Ps 119.6 And ver 111. he saith Thy testimony have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart and ver 112 I have inclined my heart to performe thy statute alway even unto the end But to proceede in shewing you what holines is according to this second use of the word I have said it is a conformity to the eternal law of God and so it is For as the conception of the divine mind is the measure of natural perfections and of that being that is in all things So the eternal law is the mesure and rule of morall perfection and of the holines of a reasonable nature in all good workes He is holy therefore whose affection and manners do exactly agree to the eternall law of God But here falls in a question by the way that calls for an answer To wit whether all acts of obedience required now were required ever and such as have beene required heretofore are still required To which I answer shortly That Obedience to Gods mind is still required Moralia sunt aeternae veritatis and for all moralls they are still the same But God hath been pleased to make positive lawes some ceremonical some judiciall which are now out of date He trained up the Jewes under them indeed but upon the dissolution of their common wealth their judicial lawes ceased to be of use And upon the comming of Christ to be a sacrifice for the sins of mankinde the ceremonies as shadows of good things to come did fly away And so also we now in Gospel times have our proper Gospel laws which the Jewes had not But yet the moral law is still one and the same and of it not one jot or title shall ever be altered or made void Well then let us come to some issue A man of an upright life and conversation is a holy man Ye see what holines is in man let us a little take a view of Angels those holy celestial flames And we shall find that they are holy in both the formentioned respects For they make Gods glory the end of their actions being given up to him and to his honour and there is no blemish in their obedience None in their nature none in their lives It is true their holines is but finite because created and therefore perishable holines in it selfe for they might fall if they were not supported those Angels that fell at first were holy Yea it is by the grace and decree of God that these elect Angels do and shall continue holy as it also is that the Saints-separate from the world unto God do not return to the world againe Yea this is true of the holines and hapynes of Angels and saints in heaven One thing more touching the holy Ghost who in this sense is called holy not as he is the holy God but as he is the giver and worker of holines and makes men conformable to the law of God And therefore he is called God the holy Ghost or holy spirit al the three persons Fatner Son Spirit are holy essentially but the third person is called the holy Ghost or holy Spirit because he it is that worketh holines and frameth your Spirits suteable to the holy law of God Now if holines be such a conformitie in men to Gods law what glory is there in Gods holy conformitie to his own mind and law as you will heare when we come to it And in the mean time judge whether there be not sufficient ground of calling upon men to exalt the Lord our God and to worship at his holy hill in the rememberance of his holines because he is a holy God because he never required any thing of any man that was not holy just and good it is meet such a one should be exalted and set high worshiped and honoured Therefore Worship for he is holy both wayes in both acceptations of the word he is dedicated to his owne glory and so he is holy and he is perfectly just and holy righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Ps 145.17 Therefore exalt the Lord our God therefore worship him Ye see the emphasis of the reason and why the consideration of the attribute of holines is rather then of another attribute made the ground of this inculcated exhortation of exalting and worshiping God Now as in other Attributes formerly handled so in this I shall speak of these three propositions out of this Scripture 1. That holinesse is an attribute of God 2. that it is a Communicable attribute 3. That Holines in God is Infinite and incomprehensible For the first that holines is an attribute of God Let those things be remembred that have been spoken of the twofold acceptation of the word holy and we shall find that both are eminently true of God He is all for himselfe he will not give his honour to another Herod shall be smitten by an Angel and eaten of wormes for not giving God his glory Act. 12.23 Selfe love as you have formerly heard affirmed of men renders them ugly but it is a glorious attribute of God And then also the conformity that is in God between his mind and will that I
of the rop without to make the bell to speake within but to some it is a setting them in the highest steeples as bells themselves to be heard a far ringing the various changes of an unchangeable God Let me heape up exhortations and so end this point and subject 1. Come away taste and see that the Lord is good Ps 34.8 Ye honour God much and ye shall be blessed that come unto him 2. Run to this infinite goodnes in all destresses Ad omnes etiam ad impios Cum Dei bonitas praecipue sit erga membra ecclesiae ergo et nos domesticos fidei praecipue beneficijs prosequantur Harplus 201. fly to this present helpe in the needfull time of trouble 3. Be like unto God and take heed of the doer of the unprofitable servant Math. 25.30 Much more take heed of being found among pernicious ones that delight to do mischeife which shall â—e torne in pieces when there shall be none to deliver Ps 50.22 And 4. imitate God in the extent of his goodnes I meane so farre as creatures can attaine Do good to all even to those that have no goodnes in them even to your enemies And lastly as the goodnes of God is especially to his Israel Psal 73.1 Truly God is good to Israel c. So let us especially prosecute with our goodnesses and helps the houshold of faith and above all we must be mindfull to do good to the soule and so much be spoken of the attribute of goodnes or benignitie The Mercy of God Psalme 100.5 His Mercy is Everlasting OUt of this verse I have already spoken of the forgoing words for the Lord is good And have discoursed of Gods usefull goodnes one propertie of God which is used as a reason why he is worthy of praise There are three in this verse Suavis est Deus quia suavis facilis miseretur quia miseretur promittit liberationem quia verax implet promissa Bellar in hunc Psalme so joyned that one floweth from the other The Lord is to be honoured and his name to be well spoken of for he is good and because he is good he is ready to shew mercy from time to time and hath promised to be mercifull and because he is true in his promises therefore he will performe his promises of mercy which he hath made Now having finished the property of goodnes I come to this of mercy And in handling of it shall insist upon the same three particulars first propounded Viz. First That mercy as hath beene said of the rest is an attribute of God Secondly That it is a communicable attribute of God Thirdly That God in it as in all his attributes is infinite and incomprehensible To begin with the first of these propositions Mercy ye see is attributed to God not only here but in many other places of Scripture Psal 86.5 For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Psalme 106.1 For his mercy endureth for ever Psalme 118.1 The same words Psalm 136. ye have it Sixe and twenty times And the same expression is in Jer. 33.11 in that prophetical promise of the joyfull estate of the Church And one place out of the new Testament Ephes 2.4 But God which is rich in mercy c. Mercy ye see is an attribute of God But what is mercy For Answer hereunto it will be requisite What mercy is in man that before I speake of it as it is in God I should first of all shew you what it is in men In man therefore know mercy is a vertue inciting the will to give succour to anothers misery and to indeavour to drive it away In men that which is commonly reputed mercy may be a vice so it may fall out For such acts as are counted mercifull do not alwaies proceed from the same principle in all that it doth in some which are called mercifull men For there are some which give almes as the Pharisies did to be seene of men out of vaine glory and ostentations which is no vertue but a vice Or if that which is naturally a worke of mercy be done upon any other dishonest ground whatsoever or to any other unlawfull end it then appertaines to that vice by whose affection it is commanded and takes the malignitie of that sinne whether lust or errour that sets this inclination on worke to succour the miserable But when the end is honest the worke is commanded by that vertue which hath regard to the honesty of it whether it be one vertue or another VVhether it be the love of God or love of the bretheren or encouragement of the godly or if it be only a pitifull disposition to the creature which is the ground thereof The end will much denominate the action and refer it to that errour or vice from whence such a supposed act of mercy had its first rise Some that are Romish recusants are seemingly very mercifull to the poore perhaps it may be to draw such to their religion As some Heretiques are kind and curteous to draw others to the embracing of their opinions So many likewise seem to be very forward to do good when it may be to serve their lusts of coveteousnesse pride and wantonnesse Such actions as these cannot be called mercifull or good but must be referred to that vice which is the ground of them If one should tempt a poore man to steale upon consideration of his poverty or perswade one that is sick to go to Charmers or white Witches for the recovering of health these actions could not be mercifull but rather must be referred to the head of cruelty to the poore soules of such persons so tempted so perswaded and advised But because it pleaseth the spirit of God in Scripture to use termes and words promiscuously sometimes in predications both of God and men Whether mercy be in men a distinct vertue from goodnesse and love and even about the attribute of goodnes lately handled and this of mercy now in hand one word doth signifie either thing mercy sometimes being used for goodnes and goodnes put to signifie mercy it will be worth our inquiry a little to see what the difference is between these two vertues and also that of love which is often taken to be the same with goodnes and mercy As to make this appeare to be so I remember a passage in Dr. Sibs his soule conflict Page 446. touching love goodnes and mercy in God which I will relate It is good to see blessings as they issue from grace and mercy it much commends any blessing to see the love and favour of God in it In those words ye see he puts a difference betweene blessings which I take to be the same with good things bestowed and mercy and grace and the love and favour of God and yet all these foure last words are used for one and the same thing which in so
end this particular and to proceed to some other properties of the life of God I say God is life and all things in God are life to wit that life which is God himself Neither are vital substance and vital operation in him distinguished Secondly God hath life compleat every way compleat nothing is wanting to his life There is no defect In this Attribute as in others he is essentially what he is and infinitely and indeed incomprehensibly Because Thirdly he hath life of him self not only the life of operation for that creatures have of themselves and living men do live themselves We live and move c though in God yet WE live I say we have of our selves a life of operation both in nature and grace when the principle of life in either state is once bestowed but God hath the very nature of life in himself For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Joh 5.26 God is what he is of himself Neither fourthly is there any end propounded to God by another he worketh all things as of himself so for himself It is not my salvation that God aims at although he save me but his own glory He made all things for himself even the wicked to perish in the day of evil Prov 16.4 A gracious soul worketh for God And God worketh for himself in him not for him God liveth to himself propoundeth himself unto himself in all his vital operations Fifthly every thing understood is life in God things that have no life are life in him He is a super-vital Essence and a super-essential life He is his own vital operation The life of God is present with all Creatures to continue their being these very pillars that bear up this house of meeting although dead in them selves are life in God He is the super-essential of existences even of all From his wisedom which is his life by attribution flows love which also is his life and by these two Attributes are al other things made and formed in his wisdom all things live So some read that place in John 1.3 the latter part Quod factum est in ipso vita erat and the beginning of the 4th That which was made was life in him All things have in themselves a quoddam esse intrinsecal to themselves but this in things created hath a beginning and is mutable neither doth it give life to existences that live not But besides this esse which they obtain in themselves they have in the mind and wisdom of God a certain extrinsecal esse Sapientia Dei est omnium intelligibilium esse vita lux Lessius de perfec Div page 51 as it were infused everlasting and immutable For to understand in God is a certain esse of intelligibles by which as in a certain breathing world they do exist shine and live I might tel you many things which are as true as glorious of this life of God But this is not for every hearer to understand And it is usual for people to speak evil of the things they understand not Sixthly the life of God doth infinitely transcend the life of Creatures even of Men and Angels because by his nature he is infinitely more excellent as I wil make appear unto you in two particulars First if al living things Angels men Beasts fowls fishes and every other creature that hath life and all those lives that since Adam have been in all these kinds of creatures were brought together and put into one life yet this life compared with the life of God would be but as a picture or image of a man is in comparison of a man Secondly if al Creatures that are in the world or ever were could exist together if God should but draw back the beam of his influence presently they would vanish to nothing neither would any footstep of them remaine For in God it is that we live moove and have our being and there is not the lest worm in the earth that liveth but there is an influence that goeth out from God to continue it's life Yea all existences have their continuance from this Life of God Seventhly To conclude what life is in God is best to be known by negation and ablation of all that can be said of Life in the Creature As for instance if yee should ask of me how God doth live I should thus answer he doth not live like plants or sensitive Creatures he doth not live like Men or Angels but he liveth a Life far transcending all Creature-life I am not able to shew you better how God doth live then by teaching you how God doth not live As when I say God is a living God I mean he liveth and moveth of himself from an inward principle of life and so you take my meaning And when I say God is good yee presently run to the definition of goodness touching the Creature But yet these words are too short to set out either the Attribute of life or of goodness When I say God is great as Psal 1â—5 3 David saith great is the Lord and greatly to be praised This word great wil set forth the greatness of a man or of any other thing that hath dimensions But yet this word great is not great enough to set forth the nature of God There are four as it were parts of greatness latitude longitude sublimity and profundity which are attributed to God and in their manner may be considered in God Although by the ordinary rules in the Mathematicks we make but three dimensions to wit making sublimity and profundity one in that one word altitude But because the Apostle Paul Ephes 3.18 guided by the spirit of God speaking of the fulnes of God maketh foure dimensions as it were so many parts of the grreatnes of God I say I wil a little consider how far these words relating to the word great wil set out as part thereof the greatnes of God or the nature of God upon account of greatness Once David saith God is great and he praiseth God for or in consideration of his greatnes What then may be this greatnes of God I answer First the essence of God is great in regard of latitude for he is immense Secondly he is great in regard of longitude for he is eternal 3ly He is great in regard of sublimity for he is most high 4ly He is great in regard of profundity for he is incomprehensible Or if we take the word great as sometimes it is used for one of great power dominion and authority here also we have some help from the four dimensions of the Apostle Paul to under stand something of God the Lord is great in regard of latitude for all things serve him from the highest Angel to the least and lowest worm He is great in regard of Longitude for of his Kingdom there is an eternal duration He is great in regard of
natural goodnes or perfection of God And I am much confirmed in mine apprehension by the concurrent judgment of Tremelius so far as I can understand him For in his short Notes upon this place upon these words tota bonitas all my goodnes he hath these words in the margin id est gloria ut vers 18.22 that is my glory referring to those verses where mention is made of the glory of God that is the Essence or perfect being of God which Moses unadvisedly did desire to see v. 18. which is by God himself called his Face v. 20. And he said thou canst not see my face and live And v. 22. it is by God himself called his glory And it shall come to passe that while my glory passeth by I will put thee in a clift of the rock c. And the same Tremelius upon the words in 23. v. Thou shall see my back parts hath this short Scholia aliquam gloriae meae imperfectam imaginem some imperfect representation of my glory And upon these words but my face shall not be seen his note is ipsissima mejestas mea retecta my very hidden Majesty So that me thinks goodnesse in this text cannot be understood either of the Moral goodnesse of God which is his holinesse or of the usefull goodnesse of God which is his benignity or of that sweet inclination in God to succour such as be in misery called somtime the mercy of God and somtime also the goodnesse of God as well as holinesse and benignity Therefore it remaineth that they be understood of Gods natural goodness or perfection The words are an answer unto a demand of Moses proposed as may be seen v. 18. And he said I beseech thee shew me thy glory A request somewhat like unto that motion which Peter made Mat. 17.4 Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord is it good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles one for thee Ipsissimam majestatem tuam ab imaginibus nudam admajorem rei confirmationem Trem. in vers 18. and one for Moses and one for Elias of which motion the Holy Ghost bears witness that he knew not what he said Luke 9.33 And so indeed may it be said of this request of Moses here he knew not what he desired He would fain have seen the very Majesty of God without representations or shapes which had God granted to him he had been consumed in a moment and so God tels him v. 20. And he said thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and live The thing which Moses would have was to see God as he is in himself which would have been a terrible and destructive sight unto him But because Moses made that request to a good end to wit the confirmation of his Faith and from an honest and good heart God passeth by his unadvisednesse And so he tels him what he should not see and condiscends to shew him a gratious reason ver 20. And then what he would do to gratifie him and to satisfie his desire as much as was fit partly in the words which are my text viz. ver 19. and partly in the three last verses of the cap. The summe of Gods answer in the affirmative part thereof is I will put thee in a cleft of the rocke where thou shalt stand in a place by me and while my glory or my goodnes which is all one here Passeth by or before thee I will cover thee with my hand So that you may easily perceive what is meant by this tota bonitas Dei by this all or compleat goodnes of God which Moses could not see fully but in part the back parts onely of Jehovah It is the naturall goodnes or perfecton of God I will leave the words under this more Paraphrase as if God should say Moses I wil do what I can for thee seeing thou meanest well I know thou hast a good heart and that it is to a good end that thou desirest to see my glooy Thou wouldest be confirmed more in thy faith that thou mightest be the fitter to lead a long my people Thou desirest to see mine essence without shape or forme and representation But that cannot be granted No man shall see me and live that is while he liveth here That 's reserved for glorified saints to feede their eyes with unutterable delights in beholding my glory Thou wilt be better like me when thou shalt see my face 1. Joh. 3.2 Thou shalt one day be like me for thou shalt see me as I am Thou shalt then be holy as I am holy and happy as I am happy according to the capacity of a finite though glorified being Thou shalt see the divine nature But now content thy selfe to see my back-parts for my face cannot be seen to see me as Abraham saw my day viz. in the promise To see me in mine ordinance of proclaiming the name of Jehovah before thee In all my glorious title and attributes behold me The natural goodness of God argued from his being the efficient of all created perfections as thou shalt shortly heere them made mention of Thou also shall see me in my providences Yea in some formes viz. of cloudes and fire and noise of trumpets and a sound of words thou shalt see me But my face cannot be seen All my goodnes and natural perfections thou a creature art uncapable to see yea to understand to see with the eye of thy mind Goodnes then as it signifies perfection is ye see an attribute of God Magis minus dicuntur de diversis ut accedunt proprius vel longius ad aliquid quod maxime est tale Greg. de Valen. 1 Tom. 86. Quod est maximum in uno quoque genere est causa aliorum in illo genere ut ignis est causa omnium Calidorum Arist 2. Metaph. tex 4. Goodness is twofold uncreated and created uncreated is God himself who never had beginning and who is goodness it self he speaketh of his naturall goodness because his nature is absolutely and perfectly good and because he is the Author and worker thereof in all things created Perk. 2. vol. 2.2 B. Bonitas naturalis in Deo est excellentia naturae divinae per quam habet omnem perfectionem in toto genere entis unde etiam complectitur sanctitatem benignitatem aliaque divina attributa quatenus ad naturae divinae perfectionem spectant Lessius de bonitate Dei naturali c. 1. in libro 7. de perfect div Deus non habet perfectionem suum ab alio sed a se tantum ipse enim prima perfectio Idem Per viam sive modum affirmationis à posteriori ex consequenti possumus etiam pervenire in cognitionem perfectionum Dei juxta illud Invisibilia Dei à creatura mundi boc est ab homine per en quae facta sunt intellectu conspiciuntur Vigue Granat de
Myst sanct Trin. 251. This totum bonum of God is that excellency of his nature in regard whereof he hath all perfection in toto genere entis as the Schoolmen say This attribute comprehends all other attributes whatsoever as they have respect to the perfection of this divine nature Now to demonstate this natural goodnes or perfection of God who is so good that he cannot be better I will fetch an argument from the gradations of things according to perfection in this manner There is in the nature of things somthing which is best most true most noble the prime being and which is the cause unto all other things of that goodnes that they have There are entities more or lesse noble as we have continual experience Now more and lesse are said of things diverse as they come neerer or are more remote from that which is the rule and especially and perfectly such And this is God the first efficient cause of all created perfections Per quod unum quodque est tale illudest magis tale A second argument or reason of Gods perfection Non ex vi ullius causae sed secundum suam quidditatem atque adeo ex se c. which are more or less excellent as they come neerest or are most distant from the goodness or perfection of God If all the goodnes natural that is wrapt up in the essence of all creatures Angels men beasts Fishes Fowls and what ever else hath a place in the creation were gathered into one goodnesse or perfection God would infinitely transcend it And the reason is because they have all they have from God God is the everlasting fountain of all the goodnesse in the world all Candles are lighted at his Candle and by what any thing is such as it is that must much more be such likewise the perfection of God must be most compleat because he is the ipsum esse of himself Other beings hang upon the being of God and did he not uphold them they would fall to nothing presently But as for God he is of himself before the mountains were brought forth saith the Psalmist Ps 90.2 Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world even from everlasting to everlasting thou thou art God The former argument was strong For sith God doth most perfectly act he must needs be most perfect and good in all his actings and therefore a most perfect entity or being But this second reason is more convincing He is God of himselfe and not by the procurement of any other Many other things even to the dazling of the eys of your understanding might I say of this goodnes of Gods nature and being But that I am loath to puzzle you with darke things and notions lest the words spoken by the Lord to Job cap. 38.2 should be applied unto me Who is this that darkneth Counsell by words without knowledge Only those 4 reasons which Lessius bringeth out of Dionysius his 13 booke de divinis nominibus I shall briefly lay before you to make it yet more plain Reasons out of Dyonisius that naturall goodnes or perfection is an attribute of God and infinitly and incomprehensible in him First Because he is perfect of himselfe whereby is signified that he hath not received his perfection from another Qui est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either as from an efficient cause or as from a formall cause as it is done in creatures but he hath all perfections in him from his most simple essence alone Where his perfection doth not arise from the heaping or gathering together of many things as in creatures of which not one can be said to have in it selfe perfection But from one most simple being which is himselfe and so of him according to every kinde of perfection he is most perfect Secondly Because God is more then perfect that is above more excellent then any perfection that can be possibly Est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conceived For nothing can be thought upon by any created mind so great noble or excellent but God is infinitly more excellent and greater Thirdly He containing in himself by his own essence all things and truths naturally without either seeing hearing or argument cannot be more or lesse excellent at any time Non potest augeri vel minui but is still the very self same Fourthly He is so full and more then full of all good things that as a living fountain not to be drawn dry he doth abound Assiduè omnia suo influxu perfecit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his giving out unto all creatures and that daily and hourly which otherwise would vanish in a moment He aboundeth I say with one and the same unminishable giving by which he perfecteth all things perfected and filleth every thing with a goodnesse fit for it Whence it appeareth that God is the author of all naturall perfection and supernaturall also In all things from the highest and those next unto himself unto the lowest of all both in creation and providence he is present Math. 10.29 Are not two sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father saith Christ to his disciples Gods beames of goodnes do reach to all creatures and actions not only once when he made them but daily and continually He Vse 1 is first in every action None hath first given Now I say hath first given to him to be by him recompensed againe Who hath done it Paul challengeth any to shew if they can such a thing Rom. 11.34 whatsoever generall goodnes there is either by creation ro by ordination it commeth from this perfect fountain James 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth down from the father of lights with whom is no variablenes nor shadow of turning First the substance of each creature hath its goodnes and perfection be on this good being of God and in this regard saith Mr. Perkins whose waies I will use least I should be accounted a blasphemer as out of ignorance and malice I have often been for no more cause Every creature is good partly by creation and partly by ordination Perkins in his Preface to his case of conscience By creation it is that the substance of each creature as of the Sun the Moon the Earth Water Meat Drink c. is good Having the being thereof from God Hence also the essentiall properties quantites qualities actions and inclinations of the creatures in themselves considered withall their events are good Things again do take unto them the condition of goodnes not only by creation but also by Gods ordination whereby they are directed and appointed to some certaine uses and ends Thus the evill conscience hell and death are good because they are ordained of God for the execution of his justice howsoever in themselves and to us they be evill And it must needs be so Because as we began this
very fals yea Sathan himself with all his instruments as over-ruled and over master'd by God have this injunction upon them to further Gods good intendment to us and a prohibition to do us no harm O that we could see beauty and goodnes in every providence Vse 3 And lastly perfection is a communicable attribute There is still giving out God is a giving God therefore what James the Apostle saith of wisdome Jam. 1.5 If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God c. So for all goodnesse and perfections go to God ask them of him that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and they shall be given you pray for a perfect heart which Hezekiah had gotten Isa 38.3 I have saith he walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart And this God requires of Abraham Gen. 17.1 Walk before me and be thou perfect Beloved God is a fountain and he communicates to the creature therfore ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you especially I say beg a good heart of God a perfect heart I know we shall have some ignorant prophane wretches make their boast of this Though they cannot talk as others do and now and then rap out an Oath or two and take a cup too much or so yet they have as good a heart as the best But as Christ said to the Devill hold thy peace c. So must I bid such hold their peace never talk of a perfect heart one may know by your tongues and actions what your hearts are ever stark-naked nought And therefore do not deceive your selves in thinking ye have that which ye have not But seek unto this giving God for a good and a perfect heart the presence of which causeth God to look over and passe by many failings and the abscence whereof was the cause that neither Cain nor his offring was respected And to encourage you know that God hath enough And that is the last thing That God in this attribute of perfection or natural goodnes is infinite and incomprehensible 3. Prop. or Doct. I will not stand to prove the point who doubts it I have said enough here and there in my former discourse to make this truth evident God is absolutely good without beginning without end without limit Bonus dominus amabilis valde bonitatis ens non est finis without manner and measure anticipating and alone containing every good Hence is it that all things suck their sweetnes according to their capacity from God And the perfections of God have no efficient cause and want all limits So is Gods Vse 1 wisdom power essence infinite infinite also is his goodnesse and perfection All in God is his most simple and one onely essence And therefore let me advise you all in the first place to have a care how ye medle with this God who is so perfect and compleat Surely ye will meet with your over match Set not your selves against him Remember Pharaoh and consider what the Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealously Reas 1 Are we stronger then he It is as if he should say it will not be for your ease nor profit so to do For first let men do what they will God is perfect in wisedom and cannot be deluded Secondly he is perfect in power and blessednesse and Reas 2 cannot be damnified Never was he defeated never lost he so much as the hair of a mans head The very blasphemies oaths and villanies of wicked men do not touch him in the least A good Note He suffers not by any thing for he is infinitely and incomprehensibly perfect And this by the way may bear up the spirits of Gods poor servants afflicted and cast down for their sins Their sins have not cannot touch God ye have not hurt God by your sins there is no harm done as we say if ye have made God in Christ your all Thirdly God cannot be hindered or Reas 3 retarded He transcends all impediments Isay 43.13 Saith the Lord there Yea before the day was I am he and there is none that can deliver out of my hand I will work and who shall let it as if God should say If I have a businesse in hand I would fain see that man that would hinder me But there be bars or nobles in the way for the word signifies either mark therefore the 14. vers Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer the holy one of Israel for your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought down all their nobles and the Caldeaus whose cry is in the ships If Bars be in Gods way Nobles or Prelates or Kings themselves God doth but laugh at them Psalm 2.1 2 3 4 5 6. Heathen rage People imagine Kings set themselves Rulers take counsell Bonds must be broken they be resolute They will not allow of Christs wayes and will But he that sitteth in heaven shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure He must be King in Mount Sion in despite of men and devils What fools are men to blow feathers against Wals of Brass to beat water against the stream to thrust fleshy feet against Iron pricks that 's an expression Acts 9.5 It is hard for thee to kick against the prick And therefore what mad men are they that run upon God that run on his neck upon the thick bosses of his Bucklers as Job speaks Job 15.26 The folly of men is seen first in thinking to match perfection But secondly it is far worse to think to be too hard for God who with one blast of the breath of his nostrils can blow all his enemies into hell yea all the world to nothing Vse 2 Secondly Is God infinitely and incomprehensibly good and perfect as hath been shewed and the Author and worker thereof in all things created then let us learn that none hath done any thing for the Lord that came not from him first O consider this ye that advance nature above God Whatsoever goodness is in you either by creation or recreation comes from this fountain Jehovah blessed for ever Sacrifice not therefore to your own nets and burn not Incense to your own yarn Give God the glory and praise of thy wit wealth health deliverance and especially of saving grace What hast thou that thou hast not received Vse 3 A third Use shews us the extream folly of the wise men of the world so called that think to shew their wisdome and make themselves happy by heaping up many creatures riches pleasures honours and the like Might not all that these can do and much more be had in one most perfect And yet how lamentably do men hunt after the Butterflies of this world Frustra sit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora with labour care and
verse which will be the Sixth in order of the communicable attribute of God I shall now begin to speake of the goodnes of God as it is called by the name of benignity or sweetnesse or usefull goodnes out of these words For the Lord is good The vulgar latine hath it Quoniam suavis Dominus By some it is read for the Lord is sweet by others for the Lord is gracious All comes to one at last and will afford unto us a good ground to discourse of these three propositions as we have formerly done in handling the other attributes first that goodnes or benignitie or usefullnes or a readinesse to do good is an attribute of God Secondly That this attribute is communicable Thirdly that God in respect of this attribute is infinite and incomprehensible For the first of these I shall not be long upon the proofe of it In the 36. Psalme the fifth verse For thou Lord art good c. Lament 3.25 The Lord is good to them that waite for him to the soule that seeketh him The Church of God was now brought to a low condition which was the cause of the making of this booke of the Lamentations Then did she yet bear up her selfe by this attribute of God his goodnes And this indeed is that Which encourageth God's people to seeke unto him in all their streights and in all their difficulties the remembrance of his goodnes This sets a gracious soule to seeke him because he never shutteth up his hand nor stoppeth his eare to them Nahum 1.7 The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him And here by the way we are to take notice that there is a certaine kind of proportioning out of this goodnes according to the workings of the Holy Ghost in any For though God be good to all there is a goodnes of God over all his work Yet he is not good to all alike There is a generall goodnes particular goodnes or peculiar goodnes He is good to all men and to all things with a generall goodnes Just and unjust evill and good are under his showres and Sun-blasts For he maketh his sun to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and unjust Math. 5.45 And he heareth and feedeth the young ravens when they cry Psalme 147.4 But yet ther is a goodnes peculiarly appropriated unto his people that do waite upon him and seeks unto him For this same waiting upon God and seeking unto him is as it were a fetching up of the waters of goodnes out of the deepe well of that other goodnes lately spoken of the infinitenes I meane and perfection of God in which they ly Seeking God and waiting on him is as it were the applying of God Ye know that if a wounded man had never so good plaisters ly by him if he do not make use of them by applying them to his wounds they may fester and rot and so perish notwithstanding his good salves And although God be the most compleat utmost and absoluâ—e good at all to any unlesse he be applyed O this is the goodnes which is proper to the Saints that waite on him It ariseth from that which is called all his goodnes Exod. 33.19 And that is communicated in a double sense First as it is naturally communicated to his onely son and in this sence God is onely good to his son the second person in the God head to whom God naturally Communicates the divine essence and so he is from everlasting the begetting father and the second person is from everlasting the begotten son This essential goodnes is proper to the sonne of God Secondly there is a free communication of the goodnes of God unto his creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their severall capacities And therefore if the creature be not made capable it cannot receive of this goodnes from him and that is the reason that beasts partake not so much of the goodnes of God as men nor naturall men as they that are gracious Beasts have not the goodnes men have nor common men that goodnes the Saints have because they are not capable of it And not only specifically but gradually too is this goodnes of God communicated to the Saints For the wider the mouth of the bottle is and the more capacious the more is it able to take in and hold of any liquor A man can hold more in his hand then a child in his So according to the measure or degree of faith do we receive in from of the goodnes of God So that all our scantings straightnings are from our selves not from God God would still be giving out but our narrow hearts are not able to take in If we could open our mouths wide God would fill them full T is true faith is the same in justification be it weak or strong but it is not alike in enjoying good things from God The hand of a child or a palsiman serves to bring meat to his mouth to feed them but it cannot hold so fast nor work so well as stronger hands can God doth communicat many goodnesses to all his creatures and some peculiar to reasonable creatures but as ye are Sts. ye are capable of other goodnesses and have such choise favors as flie over the heads of other men and women because they are not capable of them For instance none are capable of the love of God in Christ unto salvation but such as have believed in Christ and received him and to as many only as have received him is power given to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name John 1.13 It is never the better that there is water in the Wels if you have not a Well bucket to draw it up for your use David hath a notable prayer Psal 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour which thou bearest unto thy people O visite me with thy salvation And therefore let wicked men know this that though God be good yet it is never the better for them in this sence I meane in regard of the love which he beareth to his people Alas ye want faith ye are not of a perfect heart what will ye be the better for the waters that ly in the Well of Gods al-sufficient goodnes Sathan will tell you That God is a good God but he will leave out this to them that feare him and love him and waite upon him This is his Sophistry these be his tricks he dealt so with Christ in a quotation of Scripture as ye may see Math. 4.6 He leaves out those words in all thy waies He tels him of a promise to be kept and of a charge given to the Angels concerning him but if ye reade Psalm 91.9 Ye shall find the words are not faithfully alleadged by the devill He cares not though ye know that God is good but he would not
the frowardnes of the wicked Whose waies are crooked and they froward in their pathes And surely such are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 3.32 And the Holy Ghost Prov. 4.24 Wills us to put a way a froward mouth and perverse lips The sonnes of Belial are like thornes they cannot be taken with hands he that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staffe of a speare Such expressions there be 2 Sam. 23.6 7. A man must get pikes and prongs and freathing gloves to meddle with some men But God is of a sweet and good nature He is gratious and merciful slow to anger and of great goodnes And such thornes and briers and furses he will set them on fire They shall be utterly burnt with fire as yee have it in the forenamed 2 Sam. 23.7 We have a good rule Prov. 3.29 Devise not evill against thy neighbour seeing he dwelleth securely by the Wicked mischeivous men are at best but like bushes to the sheep that come to them for shelter They will be sure to pluck their fleece if they do not tear their flesh These have not that Philanthropy which is in God They are not like him which is in God they are not like him The Second Use teacheth us that if the Lord be such a sweet God and so willing and so ready to do good to every body that come unto him and are capable of his goodnes then for us to be sweete in our speeches and words and good and usefull in our carriage serving our generations and shewing our selves ready and willing to do good to all must needes be pleasing to God Psalme 149.4 For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meeke with salvation We must needs please God in being sweete spirited and usefull to every body for we are then like unto God and it is a token that we feare God As we read Nehemiah 5.8.9 When Nehemiah had rebuked the Nobles and the â—ulers for exacting usury when he and others had beene enforced to redeeme their bretheren after their abilities saith he it is not good that ye do ought ye not to walke in the feare of our God c. Ye see to do good is to walk in the feare of God And it is a great commendation given to Hananiah by Nehemiah cap. 7.2 That he was a good man or faithfull and feared God above many And this is a sure rule that such as be not good folkes have not the feare of God before their eies We should be good to every body Gal. 6.10 As we have therefore opportunitie let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith And therefore let such take comfort as be good people and usefull in their generation it shall not be forgotten of God For Math. 25.23 His Lord he that had improved his talents his Lord said unto him well done good and faithfull servant c. and from the 34. verse of that chapter onwards Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world What what 's the reason such must go to heaven Because saith the King to wit Christ I was an hungred and ye gave me meat c. and so such as do give to drinke to one of those little ones that do believe in Christ a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple are assured not to lose their reward Math. 10.42 But on the contrary side such as are not good and charitable much more such as are pernicious and mischievous must take what is alotted for them Math. 25.41 Then shall he say to them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angells Though men either cannot or will not order them and deal with them yet God will For such as are wicked and love violence his soule hateth Psalm 11.5 Vse 3 And therefore if God be good and if to be good be to be like unto God and if they that be not good be not like God then we may hereof make this third Use to excite and stir up all such as would please God and do thinke that he is worth the imitating to endeavour to become good people and to be full of good workes And to that end that ye may so be and do as I have said I shall advise you First to make it your study how ye may be most profitable as it is said of Christ Math. 4.23 That he went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the kingdome and healing all manner of sicknes and all manner of disease among the people And never any came to Christ that had neede of any thing but Jesus Christ did help them and was willing to do every body good So farre as they were capable T is true indeed Math. 13.58 He did not many mighty workes in his owne country but it was Because of their unbeliefe So farre I say as creatures were capable and willing he went about doing all good both to soule and body So I presse this upon you I would have you study which way ye may be doing most good So when God shall take you away by death it may be said to your praise and honour ther 's a good man gone there 's one that a great many will finde the want of for he was a good man he did a great deale of good Beloved in the Lord not they that have most but they that having it do most good are the best men in the Parish and Town Such as improve their authority and wealth and wit to the good of all these are good men these are like unto God Good magistrates good Ministers good Townsmen good neighbours are like unto God and will have honour in spight of malice But on the other side let men quarrel and complaine never so much that they are neglected Honos fugientem sequitur sequentem fugit and swagger what they will do yet they shall never have the portion that belongs to good men The more they hunt after respect the further off shall they be from it let men keepe up their credite with God and leave God to keep up their credit with men And therefore if ye would be accounted the best men in the places where ye dwell labour to excell in doing good I may say to some which are discontented for want of that honour which they expect for this ye know is the great quarrell of this place as God once did to Caine Gen. 4 7. If thou do well shalt thou not be accepted And if thou doest not well sinne lieth at the doore O be stirred up to do good to be like unto God to do worthily in Ephrata and to be famous in Bethlehem Ruth 4.11 That is where your estates be and your lands ly O
to provocations ye cannot provoke God as ye do men Marke friends Though the Scripture say 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie and the word be used in many places of provoking God yet the Lord is never provoked properly as provocation can hang upon him For provocation argues mutation but God is alwaies the same Gods spirit cannot be brought to a distemper by all the wickednesses in the world All the blasphemy posible of men and Devils cannot raise a storme in the breast of God Fury is not in him And when God is said to be provoked to be angry to be furious and the like these things are spoken of God by way of allusion to men as it is in assertions of Gods eies hands and eares and the like not that God hath either passion or affection soule or limbe or member or body In allusion I say to men For as provoked men to revenge affronts wrongs and injuries So when God findes men in sinne though he be of a calme spirit and a good God Yet he causeth sorrows to fall on the wicked and unto all eternitie shall workers of iniquitie be tormented Yet this will be true for ever that God is good to all though men be damned What is this kindnes to send people to hell We may say to God is this thy kindnesse to thy creature Quest I answer It doth not belong to the goodnes of God which I am now speaking of to send people to hell Ans but it is an act of justice proceeding from his holines and puritie But it hath no smell in God of passion or anger or revenge or ill-will to the creature All which things are farre from Gods essence who is immutable perfection and with whom is no variableness neither shadow of during James 1.17 Reas 3 Thirdly God must needs be infinitely good because he neither carketh or careth for himselfe as vain men do who thereby are hindered from doing good to others O say they we may give so long that we may lake our selves I say God is under no such feare sith he is an ocean of goodnes and perfection and omnipotent and wanteth no sufficency Gen. 17.1 I am God alsufficient Saith he to Abraham And Fourthly it cannot stand with the alsufficiency of Gods essence to have it and not to dispence it He is alsufficient Reas 4 every way as well in goodnes as in power aswell in readines to do good as in abilitie I say Gods alsufficiency sets him a work to put himselfe out for the good of the creature above all that we can aske or think He is kind unto the unthankefull and to the evill Luke 6.35 He endureth with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 9.22 Surely then for the first Use no man alive hath cause to complaine of God as if he wanted a good disposition Vse T is true there is much murmuring against God in the world under the title of fortune when affliction sicknesse poverty is upon people But for remedy we should know that sinne is the cause of all evill Do away thy sinne and God will quickly do away the evill thou liest under Blessings must needs come upon us and overtake us if we shall harken unto the voice of the Lord our God Deut. 28. verses 1.2 c. And curses for the contrary ver 15. c. It is impossible God should take displeasure against any without a cause The Lord is righteous in all his waies Ps 145.17 And we should for further remedy in the second place rather admire goodnes in our worst condition sith the attribute of justice and power must take place too Lamen 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not Soules conflict p. 425. In the worst time saith Dr. Sibs there is a presence of God with his children When we are at the lowest yet it is a mercy that we are not consumed we are never so ill but it might be worse with us whatsoever is lesse then hell is undeserved Thirdly We are to know that if we be Saints those evills that befall us which seem to crosse this Doctrine of the infinitenesse of Gods goodnes do very much establish it For affliction befal the Saints from the depth of goodnes in God Not only upon such an ordinary account as we reade Psalmes 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Wherin two notable uses are expressed of afflictons to wit to reduce the Saints from their straying and to make them more exact in their conversation But I say further ver 75. I know Lord that thy judgments are right and that thou in faithfullnes hast aflicted me From faithfulnes that no good thing shall be withheld that may make us eminently hapy here hereafter In great goodnes was Joseph so afflicted and Job and Daniel cast into the Lyans den that they might be prepared for great honours and employments and also great discoveries of God It is much and sweete to an afflicted soule to see a token of the Lords love upon him and a signe of his being received into Sonship Heb. 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth But more to see faithfulnes power in great deliverances out of great straites out of the Lions den out of the Whales belly to carry through the red Sea rather then to leave to Pharaohs pride and crueltie But yet I have a great deale more to say of the wonderfull goodnes of God to some choise ones whom he fiteth in the furnace of great sorrows for great employments and enjoyments of himselfe in the creature here even in this life Vse 2 For the next use heere is a good ground of encouragement for all sinners and distressed souls to come to God For the Lord is good And if ye cannot tell what to say I will teach you a prayer which David taught me Psalme 17.7 Show thy marvellous loving kindnes O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them Ye may have much comfort in the consideration of Gods abundant goodnes whether it be that our sinns be very great or our sorrows even as it were hellish God gives much good with much goodnes to his people He gives all with all his heart he makes every step to them in blood and yet in delight parts withall to enrich them Lockier or our condition never so obscure great sinners hath God received great sorrows hath God removed and beggars from the dunghell hath God advanced And for such as have tasted the blood of Christ in their meat and drink and weare cloathes died therein and have all their salvations and comforts swiming to them on the streames of the blood of God Let them say that the Lord is good to the lowest Saint affliction is but the pulling
can take pleasure in such as ye be But Gods people are made comely by the holy Ghost Ninthly From the mercy of God in Christ the people of God come to have the sweetenes of ordinances while others mumble on a brown dry crust or on a chew'd gobbet that hath no sweetnes at all left in it Formall and Carnall Christians have an egge-shell but no yolke an nutshell but no kernell they heare good wordes of God but never tasted that the Lord was gratious and mercifull The Saints upon whom the mercy of God is descended find sweetenes in all religious exercises and holy ordinances They have the sweetenes of prayer preaching reading conference and when they come to break bread with the Church Mendicato hic pane vivamus annum hoc pulchrem sacritur in eo quod pascimer pane cū angelis c. Luth. in Ps Burroughs Moses choice Psal 36.7 8. they are made to be in the sweete sence of their neer relation to Jesus Christ they are in the spirit on the Lords day Ordinances are like that sealed booke we read of in the Revelation c. 5.1 Iohn wept because no man was found to open it and read it But for them that are in Christ mercy hath better provided The seales are taken away the booke is opened the nutts are brokened the kernels are to be eaten which are very sweete O t is a blessing and full of sweetenes to be joyned in union and communion with the people of God Though we beg our bread sayes Luther is it not made up with this that we are fed with the bread of angels with eternal life Christ and the Sacraments c. It is certaine the servants of God find such comfort in these prescribed practises that they would not for any good be bereft of them Neither can they possibly free themselves from the guilt of prophanesse that do not highly prize and heartily rejoyce in these things Such as do believe themselves to be members of Christs body must needes desire those ordinances that he hath appointed for the building of it up and do find thriving in grace and comfort in spirit farre beyond any creature comforts Here they meete with rivers of pleasures And thou saith David shall make them drinke of the river of thy pleasure to wit in ordinances Tenthly all particular vouchsafements come to the servants of God as a fruit and effect of mercy Somtimes they have more of this worlds goods then ever they expected and grace with all to use what they have to the glory of God and this makes their enjoyments mercys Many are crying and wishing every where for wealth and riches and outward accomodations but they are not so earnest to have grace to use them to Gods glory which plainly shews they have not what they have in mercy Vouchsafments injoyments longer then they are improved to Gods glory are not blessings mercies Now these common mercies cannot be denied so far as we have a state calling for them grace to use them to the glory of the giver We for our parts have no cause to complain we eat drinke mercies and weare them upon our backe We have mercies above and mercies beneath us mercies round about If we want one kind we have it made up in another Thou shalt have rubish to serve thy turne which God throwes away for he hath given thee gold There is no fear of having too few crusts but of having good teeth to gnaw nourishment out of them In the Eleventh place this is a choise effect of Gods mercy to have communion with God The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur Are uprising and down-lying with a gratious soule This is a mercy indeed It is said of Charles the greate that he spake more with God then with men Ah Sirs why should it not be true of us Brethren it concernes us much to look after this fruit of mercy By this mercy we stand in times of temptation and triall A soule high in communion with God may be tempted but will not easily be conquered such a soule will fight it out to the death O this is a choise mercy It is Iacobs ladder where you have Christ sweetly comming downe into the soule and the soule sweetely ascending up to Christ It was a mercy vouchsafed to holy and patient Iob upon the dungil that he knew that his redeemer lived and behold how he conquers the Devill both in blacke and white Communion is a reciprocall exchange betweene Christ and a gratious soule And of this mercy there is a continuall ground in a gratious soule for either I shall be praying for what I want or praising him for what I have by both which I have oppertunity to keepe my acquaintance and hold communion with the Lord my God Communion with God brings all Gods attributes to us for our use upon occasions Great is this mercy vouchsafed to the Saints and servants of God Lastly From this mercifull disposition to lost believing mankind life everlasting comes He hath granted to them a life as long as his owne Now heere I am at a losse Thousands of millions of yeeres as holy writ teacheth us and the spirit maketh us to believe is not time enough in Gods esteem to vouchsafe fullnesse of joy these pleasures must be for evermore O this perpetuity O this eternitie O this life everlasting I conclude then that God is merciful that mercy is an attribute of God Men in desperate conditions may meete with mercy for with the Lord there is mercy What more desperate condition then to be fallen in Adam's I could tell you many things of other miseries and dangers creatures have been in and neere unto and have met with a mercifull God Moses like to be drowned The male Jewish children to be ruined and so by consequence in time the whole nation Cruel bondage upon them all The heads of Gods people on the block by Hamans plot mentioned in Hester The three Saints commonly called the three Children in the fiery furnace Daniel in the Lions Den. The Thief upon the Crosse even as it were droping into hell Yet Gods mercy was seen in saving all these In extremities is the Lord seen Though the blow were as it were in the giving to the whole Church by Haman yet when the people of God made worke upon earth by prayer and humiliation that made worke in heaven and the issue of it quickly came downe And when Christ will be exalted for his mercy he will convert one upon the Gallowes and save a thiefe at the last cast And therefore we may conclude upon this attribute of mercy that it is in God That God is a God of mercy a God full of mercy a God that delights in mercy a God that is ready to shew mercy a God that is never weary
passage we have to this purpose from another shining light As the eis is not weary of seeing nor the ear of hearing no more is God of shewing mercy mercy is naturall to him Let it be considered Dr. Preston for our unspeakeable comfort The mercies of God are the mercies of a God Mercy exalteth it self against justice He will blot out your iniquities and remember your sinns no more But let no swine trample upon this Jewell T is true when his people sinne he will visit them with stripes but yet he will forbeare when they are washed in the teares of repentance The God of Israel is a mercifull God come then with ropes about your neckes and ly downe at his feete and he will pardon As the Jaylor washed the stripes of Paul and Barnabas when he was converted so when men repent and are humbled God will wash their's Externall mercies are vouchsafed to all He sendeth rainny Showers and Sun blasts on the good and bad on the just and unjust and feedeth Ravens nay even those very mouths that do curse and blaspheme him yet have many a good thing put into them and wicked ones have many mercies from his hands And if God have such mercies for his slaves what mercies then thinke ye hath he reserved for his Sonnes and Daughters Then let all take comfort in this Doctrine of Gods mercy notwithstanding their sinfull miscarriages let not such as have sinned dispare of mercy 4. Sith mercies is in God as hath been said let us render to Vse 4 this mercifull God the honor due unto his name Quatuor potissimum à nobis gratitudo quae ei rependamus deposcit membriam amorem servitutem seu obsequium perpetuam cum gratiarum actione laudem Less and by many of acknowledgement and thankfullnes These foure things are due unto God First to be mindfull of his mercies It is the least we can do to a benefactour to retaine in memory a benefit whereby we may shew that we did esteem it and that it was accepted of us He surely is most ungratfull that will not so much as remember a curtesy Therefore seeing we have had so many mercies from God let them not be all forgotten The truth is we should forget none of them Forgetfulnes of mercies is a sinne that goes neare to the heart of God We find God often putting men in minde of his mercies Ye have a large discourse of Joshua c. 24. v. 3. c. even unto the 14. v. And Exo. 20.2 God puts them in mind of his bringing them out of the land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage puts it in the head of the decalogue ye see to hint thus much to us that unles we be mind full of Gods mercies there is little hope that we should be obedient to his laws and so Ezek. 16.6 c. He puts the Jews there in minde of what he had done for them And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own-blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field c. Surely we of this nation have cause to look back to those bloody daies of Queen Mary and to remember what God then did hath often since done for us He put out the fires in Smithfield and elswhere c. And remember what he did for us in Eighty-eight and concerning the Gunpower plot in 1605. And in these last past years even to admiration and astonishment O that we could remember his mercies that have beene ever of old Must we not confesse that the Lord hath beene to us a mercifull God Yea surely And if we look upon our selves that desire to serve God according to the prescribed rules of his word Have we not had many mercies worthy to be remembred How hath God kept up a despised handfull notwithstanding the wrath pride profanesse and cruel spight of some that live among us How hath he kept the burning bush his Church in this place from being consumed Besides personall mercies which each one his owne soule is most privy unto Some have been sick and God hath restored health Some have beene forced from their habitations and God hath brought them backe again Some have beene unjustly molested under pretence of being disorderly persons peace-breakers Riotors how truely God will one day make appeare and God hath yet freed you from the cruel spight and crushing might of wicked men Behold ye stand before the Lord unde many a mercy let them never be forgotten for by remembering what God hath done ye will be the fatter and readier to love the Lord and obey him and praise him with acknowledgement that his mercy endureth forever But these three latter particulars are next to be considered under this fourth Use Next to remembrance therefore of Gods mercys we must inquire for our love towards God For sith we have nothing to give in satisfaction of the least of Gods mercies being as old Jaacob said lesse then the least of them all We should yet love God and let our affections runne out towards him who is worthy to be loved by a daily commemoration of mercies this fire of love may be kindled As the beames of the sunne gathered in a burning glasse into one do stirre up and cause great heate sometime fire So the mercies of God gathered in our mind seriously considered will kindle the fire of love in our soules towards God and to that end let these three things still run in our minde Our unworthines Gods eminency and the greatnes multitude of his mercies if yet this will not do rub up particular mercies which like a blast of smal wood may set thy soul on fire that then the other three considerations like great billots or sheeds may keep it in Ps 116.1.2 So David I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice my supplications because he hath enclined his ear unto me Fenner in his Treatise of Justification p. 87 therefore will I call upon him as long as I live c. If we would saith one busy our thoughts and rememberances about God this might winne our affections to God 3. We should yield obedience and service to God Luke 1.74 75 being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we should serve him without fear in holines and righteousnes before him all the daies of our life We should do the will of this mercifull God and study to please him in all things And in the last place the praises of God must continually be in our mouths Mercies cals for praises Psalme 104. ver 1. c. Blesse the Lord O my soule Dr. Sibs Souls Conflict 45. and all that is within me blesse his holy Name And the causes follow verses 3 4 5 Who forgetteth all thy iniquities Who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction c. A thankefull heart to God
upon the practise of mercy By using your selves to acts of mercy you shall come to be more merciful many acts will beget a habit You must cast your bread upon the waters for ye shall find it after many daies not only in Gods rewarding Eccles 11.1 but your own disposition and inclination which will be to you a kind of a heaven upon earth I am now at last come to speak of the infinitenesse and incomprehensiblenesse of the mercy of God Upon this proposition The third Proposition God in this attribute of mercy is infinite and incomprehensible He is in this as in other attributes Indeed he is God Heapes of places I might bring in the Bible abounds with passages of the mercifull inclination of God Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord God mercifull and gratious c. And againe Keeping mercy for thousands Deut. 5.10 And shewing mercy unto thousands Ps 36.5 Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens or unto the heavens So that we need not aske as Esau did of Jacob his father about a blessing Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father So hast thou but one mercy O God For come there never so many there is mercy for all The bottomlesse Ocean of Gods mercy can never possibly be drawne dry by the creature Many admirable sayings have we touching Gods mercy First God enclines to it it comes naturally from him not as waters out of the pump but as showres from heaven T is but open our mouthes and God will fill them Yea secondly to use the words of a painfull and learned Writer It is not only not troublesome and painfull to wit because it is naturall to God to shew mercy but also pleasant and delightfull for God to shew mercy c. And a little after Downhams Christian Warfar p. 204. lib. 2. c. 34. sect 4. And contrary wise it should be troublesome and irkesome If I may so speake saith mine Author for God not to shew and exercise his nature and mercy c. And once more For as the eye is delighted with seeing and to be restrained there from is grievous unto it as the eare is delighted with hearing and is much molested if it be stopped and as every part and faculty of the body and soule are delighted in exercising their severall actions and functions and are much vexed and combred if by any meanes they should be hindred so is the Lord delighted and well pleased in shewing and exercising his owne nature and attributes God weepes when he strikes but smiles when he strokes It doth his heart good as we use to say of men Certainly God will not be barred of his pleasure he rejoyceth much to have an occasion offered of exercising his mercy Psalme 147.11 David saith that the Lord is delighted in them that fear him and attend upon his mercie When men waite for mercy God is delighted to exercise it towards them Caryl on Job 5. part Pag. 37. Judicious Mr. Caryl To shew mercy pleaseth him more then it relieveth us Thirdly God is said to multiply to shew mercy Single acts of mercy cannot give him content He shewes mercies by thousands unto thousands of his people Fourthly ye have an expression Isaiah 30.18 And therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you But what do I speake of that which is infinite and incomprehensible Sooner can we number the starrs of heaven dropps of the Ocean sands on the shoare yea Atomes in the sunne then give you a true account of the mercies of this most mercifull God What is a drop to the Ocean Quantum scintilla ad mare se habet tantum hominis malitia ad Dei clementiam imo vero non tantum Chrysost And what are our sinnes to the mercies of God Infinitenes cannot be limited Gods thoughts of mercy are exalted above the thoughts of our unworthinesse farre higher then the heavens are exalted above the earth Mercy is as it were Gods fetching of breath His infinite and incomprehensible goodnes doth in a sort wholy live in works of mercy For all the world are object of Gods mercy since Adams fall For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God That famous Man H. Zanchius Hath notable stuffe about this matter I will take notise but of one passage Upon Exod. 34.6 7. Where it is said Zanch. de Attrib lib. 2. c 1. quest 2. that God is slow to anger He writeth And therefore we must note although anger be attributed unto God it is in God nothing else but the chiefe goodnes and justice whereby he abhorreth evill and according to his just judgment doth at lengh punish it if it be not amended by his long suffering and patience This here hence appeareth evidently speaking of revenge which is an effect of anger he doth not say that he doth presently inflict punishment or that he is so ready to inflict it as to shew mercy but he saith that he is slow to anger c. And upon the 28th of Isaiah 21. Where the words are for the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perahim he shall be wrath as in the valley of Gibion that he may do his worke his strange worke and bring to passe his acts his strange act The prophet saith Zanchy maketh two sorts of Gods works his proper and strange workes The proper worke of God is to shew mercy and to spare or forgive his strange worke is to be angry and to punish So farre he I have been somewhat long about this quotation The weight lieth upon this that mercy in God is his nature and therefore infinite it is the very life of God his drawing of breath in his proper works Mercy goodnes long suffering are according to the nature of the deitie which is farre remote from all unjust severity cruelty tiranny and pride All providences have mercy in them T is of the infinite mercy of God that the world is borne up which would else sink into its first nothing It is mercy respites the damnation of wicked men and saves the elect yea behold I tell you a mistery mercies brings calamities 1 Cor. 11.32 But when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world O let me draw breath a little Consider what unexpected even incredible mercies God sometimes breathes out Even when he seemes to breath out smoake and flames yet he is angry that he may bring his work to passe that is to say his Proper work that is that he may have mercy and preserve The Devill he breaths out Deaths Miseries and Mischiefs but God loads us with mercies and as I sayd the attribute of goodnesse sets God on worke to put himselfe out in endlesse mercies and tender bowels beyond what man or Angell can possibly imagine Learn then we may hence that there is no want of mercy in Vse 1 God sooner can the Sea want water and Hell want
I have answeres to these few ensuing questions that I may have a better opinion if it be meete I should of that ruffling generation that are gotten into these Arminian tenents First whether God Foreknew this truth from eternity of each Sonne and Daughter of Adam numerically personally and by name that such a one and such a one should beleeve and be saved and such and such remaine in unbeliefe and be damned Secondly according to the matter in hand which put me upon this digression whether this were first a truth before God knew it and so passed into the foreknowledge of God Tam impossibile est Deum falli circa rem minutissimam verbi gratia circa cogitationes aut intentiones cordis humani minimus ejus circumstantias quam est ipso scribite illum falli circa propriam essentiam Less de perf div 50. as the Metaphysicall truth of the thing to cause a logicall truth in Gods understanding Thirdly in general whether the intitive knowledge of God extending it selfe to creatures may in any sort be said or thought to depend and draw truth from them so as to move the divine mind and to forme knowledge in it Fourthly what difference is in God betweene his foreknowledge and purpose Fifthly whether it can stand with the wisdom of God to purpose salvation alike to all and yet to know that only such and such as he foreknew should receive it Sixthly What difference there is in God between knowledge and foreknowledge And when I shall be satisfied about these quaeries which I suppose wil not soon be done I shall perhaps encline to think Pelagians Arminians Generalists as they now would be called have taken paines to know God according to Scripture discoveries concerning his infinite al-knowing al-ordering al-wise Quid est praescientia futurorum quid autem futurum est Deo quia omnia supergreditur tempora Si enim res ipsas in scientia habet non sunt ei futurae sed praesentes at per hoc non jam praescientia sed tantum scientia dici potest August lib. 2. ad simplician al-powerfull al-just al-good and al-mercifull essence But to go on a little more upon this logicall sort of truth in things that are not in esse there is not properly truth but it may be there before the world was made man was not in himselfe true man nor substance nor being but only he might be these that is it was not contrary to that objective conception which is apprehended in the formall notion of a man and abstracted from both esse actu non esse But in the divine intellect and by his eternall notion by which all things are apprehended and formed the totum esse of all things was no other thing but to be understood to be fashioned and formed in the divine intellect But things may be said to be possible or in posse esse in a double respect First as it were from an intrinsecall potentialitie which is no other thing but a non-repugnancy by meanes hereof although there be nothing and that it have in it nothing of entity yet it is not repugnant to them to be and to have a true entitie shape and form Secondly a thing may be said to be possible by extrinsecall denomination from the divine power and wisdom by which they may be brought forth in to beeing Therefore as in these there is no actuall entitie but only possible so no actual truth but one possible and this wholy how little-soever dependeth upon divine veritie For that the objective conceptions of things or the things which are said to be possible may be truly things and have a true entitie and form commeth herehence that the divine essence is imitable in those manners and measures and by the same wisdome with which they were conceived they may be made and formed Ye see then truth in God is the first root from whence all truth is hatched and derived to all other things whether existing or not existing and that divine wisdom is the measure of all objective veritie in created things In oculis divinae sapientiae noÌ„minus lucient possibilia quam existentia Yet doth not the evidence of things or any efficacy from them form knowledge in God but by reason of Gods comprehending essence Yet we may say it is a condition sive qua non For Gods knowledge would not be terminated or directed to particular existences if this will had not beene they should have beene I have but a word more and I have done Divine knowledge is not terminated to things existing but extended to futuritiones yea to possibles that neither are in praesenti nor ever shall be hereafter Of all logicall truthes take this for a most certaine rule Note That the Lord truly and according to the very truth of things avoucheth whatsoever he avoucheth and that without any the least errour or mistake whatsoever All the teachings of God are teachings of truth And therefore John saith 1 Ep. 4.2 Beloved Vse 1 believe not every spirit but trie the spirits whether they be of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world We must take heed how we receive doctrines hand over head from those that stand in the place of Gods ministers and professe their zeal in seeking our salvation The Beraeans are justly commended because they did not instantly believe those things which they heard from the Apostles themselves but first searched the Scriptures to see whether they were so or no. What folly and madnesse is it to believe the Devill and our flesh who are notorious lyers that seldome speake the truth and when they do it is with a purpose to deceive And so also we had need take heed as of false doctrines so of misapplied doctrines whereby truths in themselves become lies to us As if Sathan Suggest that we are in a good estate when we are not or that we be hypocrites when we are sincere or that we may be negligent in holy duties as many poore soules now adayes are deluded by the Devill to the laying aside of divine ordinances to the great perill of their souls But our word is Emunatho his truth or verassitie his stabilitie and firmnesse in all that he saith His ethicall truth as I may call it This heere only at least principally David meanes It is most true that in men ethicall truth is either to speake truth without lying Or to promise with their mouth what they intâ—nd without dissimulation or to fulfill what they have promised and said they will do This latter I purpose to treate of the answerablenesse of Gods doings and dealings Doct. to all that he saith he will do Hence learne That truth and faithfullnes is an attribute of God And this said to be to all generations That is for ever and without alteration God is faithfull and true and unalterably in all times makes good whatsoever he hath said and promised If it be objected
that after this life when all promises are fulfilled Obj. there is no use of fidelity I Answer that we may distinguish the property from the exercise of it or else and rather This I say Sol. to all eternity there is use of Gods fidelity for that his saints continue in their blessednes is by vertue of his promise and fidelity where some also have said there is some kind of faith that lasts in heaven which they call the faith of depency This truth I say will stand when all that oppose it or slight it shall fall and such as doubt of it shall be without Fides depenetiae Numb 23.19 God is not a man that he should ly nor the sonne of man that he should repent shall he say and not do or shall he speake and not make it good Malachy 3.6 For I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed And the Apostle James saith with him is no varablenesse nor shadow of turning Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth Covenant mercy with them that love him c. Proofs are plentifull in the history of the Scriptures Gods truth and faithfullnes is the ground of the Saints security and the sinners destruction And this must needs be in God who first knows what hee saies to be good and fit and truth in a logicall sence of which ye have already heard and therefore he need not repent he hath no after thoughts And Secondly He hates and threatens and punisheth the want of faithfulnes in others Ezekiell 17.15 16. Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things or shall he breake the covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king whose oath he despised and whose covenant he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall dy Now put these two together First What God saith is so good and true according to the just rule as that he hath no cause to alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth Secondly that he hates and punisheth faithfullnes and want of truth in others and it will be surely concluded that God is a God of truth and faithfullnes Now what God saith is either by way of menace or promise as may be abundantly read in Scripture and of both it is true as it is written of the law Mat. 5.18 One jot or title shall in no wise passe from it till all be fulfilled God watcheth over his word to perform it It is a note of Mr. Capel upon the fifth verse of the first of Zachary Your fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever That the power of Truth of Gods word depends not on any mens persons nor is limited to one age Their Fathers were dead that were threatned and the Prophets were dead too that did threaten them but the truth of their prophesies was not buried with them but was in every point fulfilled according to their preaching That follows v. 6. But my words and my statutes which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they not take hold of your Fathers And they returned and said like as the Lord of hoasts thought to do unto us according to our ways according to our doings so hath he dealt with us It is confessed by them selves the hand of God upon them did draw a confession from them that they were punished as God had threatned as they had deserved and they returned that is were convinced better advised as Mal. 3.18 Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Men will know one day to their sorrow that God is a God of truth not a word goes out of his mouth but is exactly performed Yea circumstances exactly observed ye find Gen. 15.13 a promise made to Abram that after foure hundred yeares his seed should be freed and come out of the land of Bondage with great substance And compare that place with Exod. 12.41 And ye shall find great exactnes And it came to passe at the end of the foure hundred and thirty yeares even the selfe same day it came to passe that all the hosts of the Lord went out of the land of Aegypt The Lord is most true yea truth it selfe And all his promises in Christ are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 He is a faithfull witnes and whatsoever he hath spoken shall be accomplished so that though the heavens decay and wax old like a garment though the sunne lose his light and the moone be turned into blood though the earth tremble and quake and the foundations of the mountaines be moved and shake yea though heaven and earth and all things therein contained perish and pass a way yet all that God hath threatned or promised shall be accomplished God is Jehovah he hath his essence and beeing in and from himselfe alone giveth beeing unto all things else especially to his word and promises And therefore for the First Use Let the people of God be confident upon this truth of God Light is sowen for the righteous and Vse 1 joyfull gladnesse for the upright in heart Psalme 97.11 And Gods Testimonies are very sure Psalme 93.5 He hath promised to all beleevers and repentant sinners that he will in Christ Jesus pardon all their sinnes and will receive them into his grace and favour and that he will be a sunne and shield to them and that no good thing will he withhold from them And therefore let us believe and rest upon our Saviour Christ alone for salvation truly repenting us of all our sinnes and build upon Gods truth that though our sinnes be never so many and grievious yet the Lord will pardon and forgive them and though our distresses and misery be never so great and woefull yet he can and therefore will because he is a God of truth deliver us from all Truth and faithfulnes is one of Gods names a part of his title let us not therfore call it into question it is a great dishonor to God It is an errour in the foundation to subsistitute fals objects either in religion or in christian conversation We must not build upon works but rely upon promises made by the God of truth God can neither endure fals objects nor a double object His faithfulnes or truth must be our shield buckler And therefore in the second place Ps 91.4 this reproves our doubtings somtimes churlish enough concerning the truth faithfulnes Vse 2 of our gratious God who yet is ever will be without falshood Titus 1.2 A God that cannot ly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet is often charged with breach of promise to his children by his very children 2 Pet. 3.4 5. If only scoffers walking after their owne lusts should say where is the promise of his
comming and should call in question Gods truth it were not so grievous to be borne But this is said that such as are gratious should say as David did in his hast Psalm 116.12 all men are lyers But whence issues this that we may see the grounds of this sore evill Quest Surely either from the misunderstanding of the promises Ans or from misapplying of them Concerning the first ye must know that some promises are made with condition and limitations As assurance of salvation peace of conscience temporall blessings Now many poore soules that enjoy not these promises often call in question Gods truth or their own good estate at least not considering that God may be true and we gratious and in Christ though neither assurance nor peace of conscience nor temporal favours be our portion For these promises have conditions and limitations Such as will have assurance must give diligence to make their calling and election sure And such as will have peace of conscience 2 Pet. 1.10 must have care to walke exactly according to rule As many as walke according to this rule peace be on them c. Gal. 6.16 And surely temporals are many times reached out to gratious souls with a streight hand for ends best known to God and worth the enquiring into at least sometimes by us No marvail then ye are so forward to charge God ye misunderstand thing ye erre not considering the promises with their limitations And likewise misapplication of promises causeth much mischief for promises are misapplied sometimes to Persons somtimes to state and behaviour For the former we read Mal. 3.14 of some that complained of want of care in God to reward them that served him They said it was vain to serve God and asked what profit there was to have kept his ordinances c. They considered not that some are called Jews onely and that he is not a Jew that is one outwardly onely The promise is not made to the ceremony but to the substance of Religion Many think themselves Gods children who are not so Now shall God be charged for want of truth concerning such as he never promised any thing unto O study to make your calling and election sure and to finde that ye are the children of the promise Likewise ye that are the children of God indeed must take heed how ye be carelesse of childe-like conversation For many times though ye be sons and daughters yet if ye break out into scandalous sins or be proud of your graces or negligent about cherishing Ordinances and so faile in your due qualifications and demeanour ye may finde God otherwise in his dispensations towards you then he would be if it were not your fault But if we be well instructed in Gods nature and dealings with his people and with hypocrites and carefull to get good evidence of our sincerity such as will not shrink in the wetting and also to walk exactly and be kept in a good decorum We may be sure all good things promised shall be performed accordingly seem Devils men and nature never so opposite When no means when no means competent when weak means when means opposite do all cry down the truth of God yet God will be true and it is our duty to trust God and to rest on his bare word and promise And now let us make some Use of the truth of Gods threats Vse 3 and menaces let sinners know that the God of truth hath said ye swore against some of them Psal 95.11 Vnto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest How dare ye take Gods name in vain as all do that make him a lyar yea perjured It is a kinde of blasphemy not to fear when God threatens or believe what he promiseth When men are perfidious and violate Oaths they are in credit neither with God nor good men their very names stink and they live under perpetuall infamy What a sin is this to rank God blessed for ever with the worst of men Yet so do all wicked men in effect and by consequence for they dare do that which God forbiddeth and to the doing of which he hath made threats that are able over one think to shake both heaven and earth Go too Sirs let me close up this Use with Deut. 29.19 and 20. And the Lord set it home upon your souls And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven God is a God of truth And for the fourth and last Use of this point sith truth and Vse 4 faithfulnesse is an attribute of God let us learn to be like God men of truth take heed of falshood it argues a very wicked man and God is set against such Psal 55.23 But thou O God shall bring them down into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out half their dayes Such shall not prosper 2 Chron. 24.20 Why transgresse ye the commandements of the Lord that ye cannot prosper Because ye have forsaken the Lord he hath also forsaken you This attribute is among those vertues which admit resemblance in the creature the faithfull God owns not perfidious children It is a mark of one that shall be with God in glory to swear to his own heart and not to change Psal 15. v. 4. that is to be true and faithful though he lose by it from these two latter places ye see that truth in man hath a twofold relation First to God for as God hath bound himself to us by promise so we have covenanted our obedience to him Remember therefore your Baptisme and take heed of walking loosly in the Covenant And secondly to man we are bound to support the credit of fidelity though with losse What a shame is it for such as professe themselves Christians to be like the Jews in Jeremy cap. 9.4 5. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour and trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbor will walk with slanders And they will deceive every one his neighbour Sacerdos est non fallet christianis est non mentietur and will not speake the truth they have taught their tongue to speake lies and weary themselves to commit iniquity It was wont to be a saying He is a Priest he will not deceive he is a christian he will not ly O how comly were it that it might be so now is rather to be wished then expected Read the Turkish History page 287. The battaile of Varna betweene Vladislaus and Amuroth And consider how God