all true penitents wicked men have but one spirituall eye by which they see the horrid pitfall of their misery as Cain Iudas c. but the penitent hath two with the one he sees his misery by sinne with the other his hopefull comfort by Gods mercie and thus his feare becomes filiall Psal 130. 4. Thou art mercifull and worthy to be feared drawing the Argument of his sonne-like obedience from that mercie which he feares to misse the wicked mans service if ever he have any springs from a terrour of judgement and wrath which is only servile the penitent beares not the image and superscription of a Pharisaicall Iusticiarie Luke 18. who begins with gloria patri instead of miserere mei his motto I thanke thee O God that I am not like other men but the portraiture of the poore Publican perplexed and knocking upon his breast Crying Lord be mercifull unto me a sinner The second degree is Sorrow which ariseth from the former apprehension of Gods anger and mans perplexed guilt standing before him arraigned and convicted in his owne Conscience for so many and so manifold rebellions and transgressions And here we must distinguish Sorrow which is two-fold first a worldly sorrow which is a dessembled hypocriticall repentance as in Ahab Iudas Esau c. Secondly the other is a godly sorrow for sinne proper onely to the godly man and the true badge of the penitent both which we see 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh salvation by repentance not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death the former arising from the mercy of God as being sorrowfull that he hath offended him as David Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight the gracious favours which were bestowed upon him as his exhaltation from a poore ruddy-faced Shepheard to sit upon a Princely throne his severall deliverances from the Beare the Lion the Champion of the Phlistines and the sundry treacheries practised against him by his Master Saul hunting him as a Partridge upon the mountaines establishing his kingdome c. with infinite more being called into Davids remembrance and made the matter of his retired meditations with his owne ungratefull ungracious rebellions doe cause his eyes to distill like a Lymbecke and his rocky-stony-pumise-dry heart to overflowwith the Teares of a truely-sorrowfullpenitent and now his heart being hot within him as at other times upon other considerations Psal 39. 3. He breakes silence and in the griefe of his soule complaines of the ill requitall with which he had recompenced the Lord of his mercifull kindnesse The like wee may see in that patterne of penitents the profuse Prodigall Luk. 15. The sinne-loden-citizen woman Luke 7. 47. Comming attended with shame and sorrow lavishly washing the feet of her Saviour with teares from her soules stillatory that must wash not onely her feet as was said to Peter Iohn 23. 9. but also her hands and her head this hath been is and must be the course of every saved sinner to retire and returne by weeping crosse thus breaking the heads of Dragons in the water washing away great sinnes by great sorrow What shall then be said of the preposterous course of the world doing all by contraries like that Nation who in a crosse emulation of their neighbours whose custome in curtese is to put off their Hats in saluting one another these because they will be contrary put off their shooes at their meetings so in this maine matter you shall see the wicked man play cart before horse and in stead of sorrow for his sinnes bragge and boast of them as if the Peacocks pride lay in his blacke feete or the Theeves glory in their halters to boast of strength to quarrell and drinke wine Hab. 2. 15. To boast of lying stealing cozening policie c. with the bloudy Poligamist Gen. 4. 23. I have slaine a man in my wounding and a young man in my hurt which Scripture although Catharinus thinke inexplicable and upon which Origen writ two whole bookes and with divers have diversly interpreted yet with Calvin it is most likely to be a bragge and an insolent boast of his bloody strength What is this else but even to be proud of that which should be and at length will be the matter of our shame and the confusion of our faces Phil. 3. 19. They glory in their shame The third degree in repentance after our humiliation is the earnest craving and begging of pardon grounded likewise upon Gods mercifull kindnesse a glympse of which the penitent sees though dimmely as the newly-cured blindeman saw men walke like trees or as Zebul Iudg. 9. 39. Tooke men to be but the shadowes of the mountaines yet truely Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him turne to the Lord the reason followes and he will have mercy upon him and will abundantly pardon the like Hos 6. 1. Come let us returne unto the Lord the reason moving for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up and this assurance of mercie and willingnesse to forgive armes the sinner with boldnesse to sollicite the throne of Grace so that hee which unfainedly repents beleeves and prayes for pardon Repentance and prayer being inseparable Companions Eccle. 3. 12. Examine thy selfe than with what boldnesse thou prayest filling heaven and earth with the Abba Father how thou commest to God as thy father in the name of CHRIST as they Redeemer by the power of the Spirit of Adoption as by Gods mercy in the assurance of thy faith interessed in all the promises being drawne hereto by the cords of love and the bands of mercie and this hath been the pathway in which all the high Saints and servants of God have traced and troden to their Celestiall home it being Gods owne precept Psal 30. 15. Call upon mee in the time of trouble c. The fourth degree ushered by the former is newnesse of life springing Likewise out of the brazen mountaines of Gods constant mercies as continent Ioseph makes his advancement the argument of his chastitie Gen. 39. 8. Hee answered his Mistresse behold my Master woteth not what is with me in the house and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand there is none greater in this house than I neither hath he kept any thing from mee but thee because thou art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Three things stay Ioseph from committing this sinne first the feare of God secondly the love of his Master in regard of his liberality thirdty the dutie of the wife toward her husband as learned Mercerus hath well observed Or first the reverence of Gods Majesty seeing and beholding all things secondly the consideration of his mercie and benefits received thirdly the feare of judgement as Pererius he knew all
the honours of Egypt could not buy of the guilt of one sinne a good heart will rather lie in the dust then rise by wickednesse in offending a mercifull God and thus it is grounded 2 Cor. 7. 1. Vpon Gods mercifull promises Having therefore these promises dearely beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God The same Apostle by the same Apostolicall spirit exhorts to renovation of life by the same reason Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable seruice Then beloved let the mercifull kindnesse of God which every houre thou triest upon thee and thine even in thy food raiment liberty friends breathing c. besides those inestimable treasures of his love in thy daily preservation c. draw thee to repentance in newnesse of life to stampe upon thee a new creature Turne not the grace of God into wantonnesse Iude 4. but know that the grace of God hath appeared to teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to walke honestly soberly and righteously in this present world Tit. 2. 12. Wee are delivered from the feare of our enemies to make our obedience without feare Luke 1. 74. being under grace then let us give up our members weapons of righteousnesse Rom. 6. 19. Seeing all the mercies of God like so many remembrancers cry unto us for this dutie let us not despise undervaluing and vilipending the mercies of God in living after our owne hearts and following our owne crooked wayes as those Heretiques of old which sprung up from the malicious seed of the Serpent immediately after the Apostles have wickedly taught else yee heape up wrath against the day of wrath and make the holy Gospell of CHRIST IESVS no better then the Turkes licentious Alcoran which is fraught with nothing but the merchandize of the corrupted flesh large promises of Epicurisme in Paradise But Christians must not so learne CHRIST backe againe by repentance is the better way loosing the Herculian gordian knot and unweaving with Penelope the webbe of thy sins else can we not hope for peace For there is no peace to the wicked Isa 48. 22. Our iniquities have made a division betwixt God and us Isa 59. 2. which must be broken downe by repentance if thou aske being in the Gibeonitish rags of thy sinnes as Iehoram asked Iehu Is it peace is it peace 2 Kings 9. 18. Shall there be peace betwixt God and thy soule the answer retorts it selfe vpon thee What hast thou to doe with peace so long as thou wantest Grace and lyest polluted prostituting thy Soule and Body to all prophanenesse What wicked man ever had peace Let Caine Achitophell Antiochus Epiphanes Nero c. With the whole garison of Scorners be brought vpon the stage and they will answer they never had peace because they never had renovation by Repentance Come then while the Lord is neere and seeke him while he may be found Isa 55. 6. Seeing the mercifull kindnesse of God is so largely extended to all Creatures but more and most especially to Man it teacheth us to be his followers and imitators in this and as he hath propounded himselfe an exampler and patterne in other things to be followed as in his Holines Levit. 9. 2. Cap. 20. 7. Be holy for I am holy Every of his morall actions being our instructors so he would be imitated in this act of Mercy Mat. 5. 45. Doe good to them that hate you that you may bee the Children of your Father which is in heaven who causeth his Sunne to shine both vpon the bad and the good and this our duty of mercy consists in two things 1. In giving 2. In forgiving First in Giving that is compassionately and pittying administring to the necessity of our brethren taught vnto vs in the Communion of Saints As citizens of one Corporation branches of one Vine members of one body all vnder one Head the body of CHRIST Colos 2. 17. so to sympathise in affections as to have a sensible feeling of our mutuall wants like Peters new converts Acts 2. 44. which is not Anabaptisticall denying all propriety of Goods or Lands to any Man nor all to be meum tuum Common but as a Christian tendering one anothers good and a supportation of their wants as Act. 11. 28. when Agabus signified by the spirit that their should be Dearth throughout the World the Disciples every man according to his ability determined to send reliefe to the brethren which dwelt in Iudea Heb. 13. 3. Remember them which are in prison as bound with them and them that suffer adversity as your selves being in the body for if one member suffer all the members suffer with it 1. Cor. 12. 26. And a Righteous man even pittyeth inferiour creatures hee regardeth the life of his Beast Prov. 12. 10. Like Xenocrates an Heathen Philosopher whose pittyfull heart succoured in his bosome the poore Sparrow eagerly pursued of her Enemie the Hawke Be then exhorted to this duty there are great numbers of poore Lazarusses which lye at thy Gates bearing the image of CHRIST in their naked bodies give vnto them not sparingly that thou mayest reape liberally for thy harvest must answer thy Seede-time an Almoner is like an Archer which aimeth at the marke in the middest of the white the White he seeth the Marke he seeth not the marke he cannot hit which he seeth not vnlesse he hit the white which he seeth so we cannot hit God the marke which we ayme at vnlesse we hit the white which is Man 1. Iohn 4. 20. If wee love not our Brother whom wee have seene how can wee love God whom wee have not seene those that abound with Gods blessings must be like the full end of an houre-glasse-emptying themselves into the needy Gregory Nazianzen regestring the life of great Basill commends a Zenodochium or house of Harbour which he built for strangers above the Egyptian Pyramides the famous Sepulcher of Mansolus or the famous Collossus of Rhodes or any other wonder in the world so thy mercy shewed to the poore shall make thy name like an odoriserous perfume made by the art of the Apothecarie smell after thee to blesse thine increase in all things the plow-man shall touch the Mower and the treader of grapes him that soweth seede Amos 9. 13. Thy mountaines shall drop sweete wine and all thy hills shall melt cast then thy bread upon the waters Eccles 11. 1. And when thou makest a Feast call in the lame and the blind Luke 14. 13. and like Elisha powre thy oyle into emptie not full vessels 2. King 4. 4. The seede of almes growes better thrives and multiplies more aboundantly in a poore then fat Earth let the feeble hearts of the Saints bâ—e comforted by thee Philemon 7.
disciples were sted yet his new disciple boldly confesseth him before his enemies Here is a marveilous Faith others beleeved on him when he raised the dead thou beleevest on him when he is dying Abraham beleeved God speaking from heaven Gen. 12. Esay from his throne Esay 6. Moses from the bush but thou beleevest him hanging on the Crosse more like a malefactor than a Messias a sinner than a Saviour Surely many have bin glorious beleevers but thou surpassest them all by one word speaking is he made heire of Paradise this theefe that came the last to his worke receives his first paiment This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luke 23. The like may we see Math. 20. some were called early in the morning some at the third houre some at the sixt and ninth houre some at the eleventh houre So some are called in their youth as Iosiah some at one time some at another some one way some another We must neither prescribe time nor meanes to almighty God the supreame Lord and maker of time and meanes The wind bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3. 8. where the spirit is compared to wind for the free liberty of it's blowing and for the power of it As no man can resist the wind so no man can resist the working of the Spirit when God will as we may see in the conversion of that rare Luminary of the Church St. Augustine little did he dreame of it when hee went rather for carping than profiting to heare Saint Ambrose Thus Acts 2. 41. Three thousand were called at one sermon of Peters which even now were mocking the extraordinary giftes of the Spirit in the Apostles so that God can give grace and shew mercy inter pont em fontem betwixt the brooke and the bridge His voyâ—e that causeth the Thunder and maketh the Hindes to calve and that mighty voyce of CHRIST Iohn 11. 17. which shall raise the dead shall raise thee from the death of sinne as he did Lazarus that stuncke in the grave Comfort thy selfe then he that receiveth the Gentiles casteth away none that come unto him Iohn 6. 37. Hee that breaketh not the bruised reede nor quencheth the smoaking flaxe will not reject thee Here is comfort for Parents if they have wicked Children Masters if they have wicked servants and especially for Ministers if they have prophane Parishioners and that as yet they have laboured in vaine and brought forth to the wind Yet they must expect with patience Some are called sooner some later the vision is yet for an appoynted time but in the end it shall speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it because it will surely come and will not tarry Hab. 2. 3. The Marriner leaves not the sea though his voyage be not profitable at the first the Husbandman leaves not plowing though as yet he have an ill Harvest so must not you Pastors and Parents be discouraged but with Iob for your children with Paul and Samuel for the people offer the incense of your prayers for them Instruct them correct them perswade them goe as patternes of good lives wisely in and out before them and who can tell if the Lord will be mercifull unto them But I would not have any emboldned by this to climbe as high as the sinne of Presumption Psal 19. 13. For as one Swallow makes not a Summer so the priviledges of a few make not a generall rule He saved saith Saint Augustine one at the last gaspe that we should not despaire and but one that we should not presume We know a wound the longer it is festered the harder it is to be cured a bird newly taken struggles in the Cage but being accustomed is content with her bondage enemies being entred are hardly expelled so with the sinner in his repentance the longer deferred the more unfit is a man to performe it Therefore beloved rise from the bed of thine iniquities the stinking grave of thy sinnes and though thou wert as blacke as the tents of Kedar hadst seven devils with Magdalene nay as many as hee whose name was Legion as prophane as a Gentile as spotted as a Leopard as filthy as a Swine or a Dogge upon thy true repentance the bloud of CHRIST shall purge thee and perfume thee and make thee white as snow in Salmon To teach vs that seeing none are so miserable but the Gospell can make them happy none so farre gone in sinne but the mighty voyce of CHRIST can raise them then to bewaile the hardnesse of our hearts that have the same powerfull meanes of salvation in a greater abundance and plentie then they had and yet remaine obduraâ—e CHRIST IESVS is not the flower of the garden enclosed but of the field not private to a few but may be gathered of all first indeed Iudg. 6. 37. The fleece of Gideon was wet and the barne-floore dry then the barne-floore was wet and the fleece dry So first God gave his Law to the seed of Abraham but afterwards we which were the wilde Olives were ingraffed and the naturall Olives rejected Rom. 11. 17. God is now rich unto all that call upon him faithfully the Crosse is not the altar of the Temple but the altar of the world CHRISTS death is sufficient not onely for part 2. Cor. 12. 9. but for the whole world of beleevers though never so weake My strength is made perfect in weakenesse If thou wilt not then gather this flower of saving grace it is thine owne negligence it 's not enclosed in the garden but groweth in the common field Cant. 2. 1. Can the Gospel the inexhausted treasury of grace so mightily and powerfully conquer these worlds of people to the obedience of faith striking them downe to the ground with Saul Acts 9. 4. bringing them to such a tender sence of the glorious riches thereof and are not our hearts melted and stirred within us Though the Lord cry and roare and rouze up himselfe in jealousie as a man of warre and are not we still deafe and heare not blind and see not still putting off our repentance the forsaking of our vanities the breaking of our Sampson-like cords of sinne our removing from our Sodome our love to the Garlicke and Onions of Egypt the stinking sulphurious lakes of lusts and prophanenesse our-returning with Noahs dove to the arke of safety and with the profuse prodigall Gentile to our owne fathers house Many are eternally damned and finally detained in their sinnes because they returne not when the Lord calleth but say to morrow wee will repent while the gate of mercy bee shut To morrow is the voyce of the Raven which returned not to the Arke Gen. 8. 7. but the dove comes home with her Olive of peace Why will yee dye O house of Israels standing in the desperate estate of the young man which was dead unto CHRIST and unto God Or like Pauls wanton widdowes which are
off be willing to be drawne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that thou mayest receive forgivenesse of sinnes â—nd inheritance among them which are sanctified Acts 26. 18. True faith is afraid to fall and therefore striveth by all meanes to shunne the rockes and shelves of securitie and is farre from rejoycing in any outward estate without the correspondence of obedience As a man upon a high Tower is afraid to fall though he be safely environed with battlements So thou Gentile though now thou bee in grace and under the protection of the most High take heed to thy standing lest in the midst of thy peace the evill one come and sow tares in thy harvest steale away thy graces and leave thee to be cast off with the Iew the certainty of thy standing is in the performance of thy obedience If yee will hearken and obey yee shall eate the good things of the land But for our further instruction let us make a Quaere with the Apostle Rom. 11. 1. Hath God cast away his people God forbid for salvation is of the Iewes Ioh. 4. 22. The royall stocke of Sem are but like Philemons unprofitable servant departed for a season that they may be received for ever If the casting them off be the reeonciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead Rom. 11. 15. Though they be now in the depth of Infidelity and obstinacy yet before the consummation of the world they shall beleeve the Messiah as the Prophets have prophecied and the Pen-men and Notaries of the holy Ghost have testified they shall be Choristers of Gods praise Gregory the Great is also of opinion that in the often and earnest calling of the Shulamite Cant. 6. 13. which signified the people of Ierusalem so called of Shalem peace is clearely intimated a prophecie of the finall vocation of the Iewes which have beene so long forsaken as also it is evident by eight Reasons alleadged by the Apostle to this purpose The first being drawen from the end of their rejection which was not to their utter perishing in unbeleife but seeing the calling of the Gentiles they might be provoked to emulation God appointing their fall and rejection not simply but for the end which is good else it were against the divine goodnesse of God which never suffers as Augustine saith any evill to be done but to bring good out of it Second argument is drawen from the lesser to the greater If their fall be riches to the world much more shall their reconciliation be life from the dead Thirdly from the condition of the Patriarch Abraham If the first fruites be holy so it the lumpe if the roote be holy so are the branches but they are 1 Pet. 2. 9. A chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people which is not meant of an actuall holinesse which was in them but that they shall be restored to the holinesse of theyr Fathers Fourthly from Gods omnipotencie who is able to restore them againe as a man to awake out of his sleepe if he be able to raise the dead and give sight to the blind which are miraculous workes above the course of nature then much more to restore them which is but a replantation and grafting in a worke of nature So that fiftly according to likelyhood If God engrafted the wilde olive contrary to nature how much more shall the naturall branches be regrafted into their owne place Sixtly from the prophecies of Esay chap. 59. There shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turne away ungodlines from Iacob the testimony of Ieremie which are the Prophets of God and have prophecyed of their Conversion Seventhly from a distinction concerning the Gospell They are enemies for their sakes but as touching election they are beloved for their fathers sake Eightly from a proportion As you Gentiles were sometimes in unbeliefe without God in the world Eph. 2. and by mercy are now called so shall they obtaine mercy to come out of their Cimmerian blindnesse of unbeliefe so shall yee both be ioyned in the unity of faith building up the temple of God perfecting his house joyntly singing unto God your Hallelujahs 〈◊〉 praise and thanksgiving It must teach us then the precept and the practice of the Apostle of the Gentiles Rom. 11. 14. By all meanes to provoke them to emulation that they may be saved as that speach of Moses Deut. 32. 21. is applyed to us Gentiles Who have found him whom we sought not after Esay 65. 1. That they are beloved for their fathers sake honoured with the humanity of CHRIST Rom. 9. 5. for whose salvation theyr Paul was so zealous as for their good he wished himselfe separated from CHRIST Ought not we then which are by grace made partakers of the same roote to feede their dead branches with our living sap by opening unto them that IESVS and worlds Saviour whose sides they pierced Zach. 12. 10. and which was the substance of all their sacrifices Was he not shewed in the old Testament in the Angell Exod. 23. 20. in Aaron Exod. 28. 4. in the scepter Gen. 49. 10. in the brazen serpent Num. 21. 9. in the scape-goate Levit. 16. 21. in Balaams starre Num. 24. 17. c. Was he not seene in the new Testament in his humanity doctrine miracles and death all of them like the finger in a Diall pointing with Iohn Baptists Ecce Iohn 1. 29 at the Messiah agreeing in his parentage person and place of his birth as the wings of the Cherubins which touched each other upon the Mercy-seate 1 Kings 6. 27. the one confirming the others affirmation his infancie answering the Types hee was seene a Starre by the Gentile Prophet and found by a starre of the Gentiles Matth. 2. 10. in Rama was weeping as Ieremie had heard Ier. 31. 15. out of Egypt he was called Hos 11. 1. and was brought up in Nazareth as was prophecied His Life was unreprooveable the Prince of this world could find nothing amisse Ioh. 14. 30. his Miracles sufficiently testifying his Godhead that even his adversaries confessed it his Death as effectually acted as it was foretold Zach. 13. 7. I saw the Shepheard the Lords fellow smitten and the sheepe scattered his being prized and sould for thirty peeces of silver Zach. 11. 12. The purchase of the Potters field the piercing his hands and feet the dividing of his garments c. Two and thirty of which we may see in Matthew and all fulfilled and we may even briefely gather all into one and let it be him against whom they cannot they dare not except their owne Prophet Esay of their blood-royall Chap. 53. wherein the Iew may plainely see that our Evangelists have recorded nothing but what was foretold and to whom can this be applyed but to IESVS whom yee crucified even his death was acted without the gate as the
engraven us upon the palmes of his hands verse 16. sometime in the tendernesse of hennes to their Chickens Mat. 23. 37. which how tender it is we see in the continuall care that she hath in hatching feeding and to her power in defending her young and yet all these are but shadowes in regard of substantiall and everlasting love which CHRIST IESVS the heavenly Henne hath over his beloved ones his love is as himselfe infinite for whatsoever is in God is God his mercy his justice c. and all those backe-parts of the mighty IEHOVAH Exod. 34. 6. When he is called mercifull what is he but mercy it selfe in the abstract saith Savanorola if they were al gathered together that are in heaven and earth and it be demaunded of them how they have been saved they all stand as a cloud of witnesses to testifie Gods free mercies and to say with the Church Psal 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the praise Now consider further that the mercifull kindnesse of God is 1. Generall 2. Speciall The generall is his providentiall care over all his creatures in creating preserving sustaining and maintaining of them Psal 36. 6. Thou O Lord wilt save both man and beast Mat. 5. 45. He maketh the Sunne to rise on the evill and the good and sendeth raine upon the just and unjust Iohn 5. 17. My Father yet worketh and I worke with him meaning in his generall care in the supporting of the creature this is called Psalme 51. 1. Loving kindnesse or benignity extending it selfe to the very Ravens Psal 147. 9. Luke 12. 24. The speciall mercy is that by which hee loves his owne in CHRIST redeemes sanctifies and saves them by his free grace 1 Tim. 4. 10. He is the Saviour of all men especially of those that beleeve this he exerciseth toward us both in giving and forgiving both which Moses describes at large Exod. 34. 6. Mercifull in which he doth as it were clothe himselfe in the affections of man Ier. 31. 10. His bowels are troubled for Ephraim Matth. 9. 36. His bowels even earned in compassion to see the multitude wandring as sheepe without a shepheard how pathetically he perswades the reformation of his Church Cant. 6. 7. Returne returne O Shuâ—â—mite returne how passionately he deplores Ierusalem Luke 19. 42. If thou haddest knowne even thou in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace in a word he rejoyceth in his owne mercie but sorrowes for our miserie Gracious which intimates a forwardnesse to doe us good he is never weary in doing it Iam. 1. 5. he gives liberally to all Slow to anger full of patience Gen. 6. 3. How long did he wait the repentance of the old world in his mercy stopping the course of his deserved vengeance Psal 95. 10. Fourty yeares long did he suffer the murmuring Idolators and Adulterers in the wildernesse Psal 106. 43. Many a time did they provoke him to anger by their Counsels yet Is 30. 18. he waits that he may have mercie Aboundant in goodnesse and truth noting his disposition by kindnesse to win men the immutable constancie of his promises which is the inexhaustible fountain of his mercies he reserves them for thousands his goodnes is not like the morning dew dispierced and exhaled by the Sunne nor like the Coffers of the greatest Potentate which may be drawen dry but a Lamp which is fed by the oyle of Immortalitie and which makes up the measure he forgives iniquity transgression and sinne no marvell than if David call them in his experience the multitude of his tender compassions in which he tenderly embowelleth his chosen as the womb enfoldeth nourisheth the new conceived Embryo where he shewes mercies he shewes them by multitudes if the royall heart of Alexander thought it not honourable to give small things how much more than shall the all-sufficient God give that exceeds him as much as the maine Ocean the least riveret he is ready to forgive Isa 55. 7. Father of mercies and God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. Very pittifull and full of mercy Iam. 5. 11. The heighth length bredth and depth thereof passeth all understanding Eph. 3. 18. All these compassions and mercifull kindnesses may be reduced to a sixe-fold ranke First preventing Mercies whereby hee did us good when we knew not keeping us from many sins which otherwise we had committed many and many have we coÌ„mitted against him but far more should we have done if his mercie had not prevented us acknowledg than Gods mercy toward thee even in those sins which thou hast not coÌ„mitted If thou seest one which is debtor to me for a sin and I forgave him know also that thou art a debtor to me because I prevented thee from the like because there is in every mans corrupted brest since the fall of Adam the Seminarie and seed-plot of all iniquitie springing from the bitter root of that originall Corruption the match and tinder the fuell and fountaine of every actuall transgreson so that there is no enormitie which the most debauched wretch hath committed but thou hadst acted the like if grace had not preuented boast not thy selfe then in this but with devoute Bernard extoll the mercie of the Almighty Secondly are his sparing mercies experienced in his longanimitie and patience in which thou mayest say I have sinned and thou heldest thy tongue I have transgressed and thou hast spared me when thou lookedst upon Zimri and Cosbi slaine in the act of uncleannesse Ananias and Saphira the old world Sodome and Gomorrha Iulian Herod with thousands more the dierfull spectacles of Gods powerfull Iustice hast thou not sufficient cause to glorifie that God that hath so long suffered thee to wallow in the puddles of thine iniquitie and hath not sunke thee downe to the pit of perdition but still waites that hee may have mercie Thirdly his pardoning mercies else what benefit were it to be long spared and at last paid home as it shall be with every impenitent though he enjoy the sun-shine of Gods patience yet in the end the wrath of God shall burne as an Oven as Tophet against him though now he see the hand of Gods justice behind his backe clouded and vailed in his daily continued mercies yet the conclusion will prove a tragicall Catastrophe though he passe with a slow pace yet he goes in order though with leaden feet yet with Iron hands but this feare is taken away by these pardoning mercies by which in the bloud of Christ he makes us as cleane as if he never had been poluted Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Fourthly are his renuing mercies by which he gives not onely remission of sinnes but also the grace of renovation by which they become new creatures trees of righteousnesse bearing and abounding in the fruits
of faith and repentance sanctified in their soules bodies and spirits not like the blacke Apostata who after his cleansing is repossessed with seven spirits worse then the former or the Dog returning to his vomit or the Sowe to wallow in her myre and which is more fully made plaine in the fifth which are his corroborating mercies whereby hee continues in the state of grace not falling and backsliding with Adam in the state of mutabilitie but as mercy brought him to it so it continueth and keepeth him in it Sixtly and lastly are his crowning mercies whereby he shall perfect his worke begun in us and performe his Kingdome promised to us where there shall be no hurtfull thing but wee estated in the paradise of eternall happinesse shall have our Vnion and Communion with Christ and the heavenly Hierarchie of the high and holy Saints for ever such a measure of Beatitude Isa 64 4. As eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man 1 Cor. 2. 9. This unmeasurable extent of Gods mercies serves first to urge upon us the drift of the Prophet in this place viz. To praise God for his mercy the whole worke of our salvation goes under this Title 1 Pet. 2. 10. Which in time past were not the people of God but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercie but now have obtained mercie to what part soever we looke the whole frame of it is made of mercy if wee begin at Gods election the foundation and ground-worke of all and passe downe to the last period of all which is glorification and aske from what roote each part sprung this onely Mercie must answer all Mercie in chusing mercie in sending CHRIST in calling justifying sanctifying strengthening preventing preserving and the admitting of us to an Inheritance immortall and undefiled 1 Pet. 1. 4. all from mercy so that the burden of our song must still be with David Psal 132. 1. For his mercie endureth for ever In the parable of the profuse prodigals returne the whole streame of his Fathers carriage toward him is nothing but mercy when he was yet a farre off his father saw him had compassion on him ranne to meete him fell on his necke kissed him c. In the whole worke there is nothing but mercie Luke 15. 20. c. So that light and darkenesse God and the Devill hot and cold and not in a line of greater opposition then mercie and merit in the worke of mans salvation which Antichristian Doctrine is like a Centaure halfe man halfe horse or like that brood of Nilus halfe frog halfe earth or the minotaure halfe bull halfe man contraries in a remisse degree may admit intention and remission as heate and cold in tepide luke-warmenesse but in the highest degree they cannot So though we graunt with Saint Augustine good workes to bee necessary in regard of their presence not of their efficiency and with Bernard that they are the way to the Kingdome Yet in the case of Iustification Rom. 3. 28. Rom. 4. 6. and Rom. 6. 23. Considered in their highest degree even to the very sufferings of Martyrs Rom. 8. 18. they can no more stand with mercy then Dagon of the Philistines is able to confront the holy Arke of IEHOVA 1 Sam. 5. 3. By which wee see the Papist like an unskilfull Empiricke in Physicke make a Potion for a sicke soule as he that went into the field to gather herbes but found a wilde Gourd and put it into the pottage while the eaters cryed out Death in the pot 2 Kings 4. 39. So doe they temper the soules-salving herbe of grace with the poysoning Gourd of humane merrit dealing with the Church of God as unkindly as unnaturall Parents or Nurses giving their children a stone for bread and a Scopion for a fish as the Philistines with Isaacks wels stopping them with earth Gen. 26. 15. Choaking and damming up the fountaine of Grace which ought to be open to the house of Iacob Zach. 13. 1. Changing the reward of favour and promise Col. 3. 24. into their owne of debt Nay further it is the corrupt and dangerous conceite of many who would not bee accounted popish but seeme to magnifie the free mercies of God which yet will be saved by well-doing good meanings and good prayers like the children of the Iewes who marrying with the Ashà odites spake halfe in their language Neh. 13. 24. which is an impeachment to their sufferings which trode the wine-presse cleane Isa 63. which will not give to others nor communicate this his glory with others Isa 42. 8. It is onely mercy without merrit that must lift a man from the gates of despaire when the angry brow of the Almighty is bended against him for sinne as we see in David Psal 51. c. and our Saviour Christ standing in the gappe of Gods wrath being but our surety and pledge yet his soule was heavy unto death trickling down those thicke drops of blood in his miraculous sweat in the Garden thou mayest for a while with David cast the darke cloud of security over thy sins to hide them as the fish Sepia casts up a blacke liquor to hide her selfe but woe be to them that seeke in deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord their workes are in secret and they say who sees it Isa 29. 15. Eccles 23. 18. Hee that searcheth Ierusalem with a lanthorne will find thee out and rouze up thy slumbering Conscience and then so heavy is the sinne of conscience that without any more evidence it passeth Iudgement upon it selfe Pro. 18. 14. A wounded spirit who can beare even none but God In all other troubles miseries and molestations we wrastle with men or divels but here impar congressus weake man with his Maker brittle clay with it's Potter sinfull man with holy God which is of purer eyes then to looke upon evill Hab. 1. 13. and a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. In other things man is a friend and favourite to himselfe as Peter perswades CHRIST to pittie himselfe but here he is his owne enemy and often in the rage of his conscience his owne executioner as in Iudas and Pilate Iere. 20. 4. Rehold I will make thee a terrour to thy selfe thy memorie reason every sense and faculty of thy soule is a Gorgonian-hell-â—urie to torment thee Now in this case when a mans bones is full of the sinnes of his youth Iob 20. 11. His heart broken with one breaking upon another Iob 16. 14. His conscience upon the racke his God writing bitter things against him Iob 23. 26. Then comes the mercy of God to comfort him all other comforts of workes merits satisfactions c. are miserable comforters Iob 16. 2. And will consume as a rotten thing and as a garment that is moth-eaten the soule of a Christian is like Noahs Dove which finds no safety
till returning to the Arke of Gods mercie Comfort thy selfe then in Gods mercie which will not suffer thee to bee over-yoaked with thy sinnes plead with him in the receiving of Adam Manasses and the whole troupe of reconciled sinners and though thine adversarie Sathan write a booke against thee answere cursed Cain disabling Gods mercy Gen. 4. 13. with Augustine Thou lyest Cain for greater is Gods mercie than mans iniquitie and say to thy disconsolate spirit Why art thou so sad my soule Psalm 11. And as we ought and in dutie are enjoyned to give thankes for all things so are we chiefely to sing our Haâ—â—elu-jahs unto God for the performance of the promised Messiah and that in the practise and phrase of the Priest Zacharie Lu. 1. 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people c. And with old Simeon in his Cygnean dying Hymne Blessed be thou O Lord for our eyes have seene thy salvation Lâ—ke 2. 30. That fountaine of living waters Iere. 2. 12. In regard of whom all other things are but the broken Cysternes of vaine and disconsolate hope The refreshing waters of Gods free mercies the purchase whereof is without money or prize Esa 55. 2. least you thinke it too deare and because water if you thinke it not worth the labour it 's wine and milke whose worth and necessitie you well know that true Aqua vitae which whoso drinketh shall never thirst but it shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life Iohn 4. 14. He is our Bethlehem and house of bread the living bread that came downe from heaven Ioh. 6. 35. He is a ship of safety which beares us by the comfortable goale of his love and the gentle Zephirus of his mercie from the shelves and rocks of blacke dispaire so that though immodest Modest as Generall to the Emperour Valens the Arrian burne the ship wherein the Christian Legats were imbarked seeking to destroy the Confessors and professors of Christianity which though they perished in their wooden barke were sure enough in the heavenly Arke by CHRIST He is that unspeakeable gift of God for which we must give thankes 2 Cor. 9. vlt. And if thou knowest the gift of God Iohn 4. 10. Which is the gift of all gifts which is given to us Esa 9. 6. In comparison of whom all other are but as the drop of a Bucket to the whole Ocean in whom appeare the bowels of Gods love and the inscrutable depths of his mercy in him through him and by him while we were sinners and enemies to bring to passe that wonderfull worke of our Redemption Ioh. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8. In him by this wee see the fulnesse of it 1 Iohn 4. 9. And as Bethlem to Iurie and Scicilia to Italie were accounted their granary for their fruitfulnesse the Poets faining Ceres to keepe residence there so may our Saviour CHRIST be accounted as the store-house and Cornu-copia of all good things to his Church Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily ver 9. In him we are compleate ver 10. Knowledge and wisedome are in men by revelation in Angels by vision but in him by union of whose fulnesse wee all receive Iohn 1. 16. Thy being well-being and eternall being have their dependance on him this consolation of Israel this expectation of the Gentiles this Noah to comfort thee Gen. 5. 29. This crucified Lord shewed to Constantine to comfort him in his expedition against the Tyrant Maxentius with a promise of victory is opposed against all thy feares and discontents if finne presse and oppresse thee he is thy righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30. If the curse vexe thee he is thy blessing Gen. 12. 2. Galath 3. 8. If weakenesse pinch thee he is thy strenght Phil. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 12. 9. If the great debt of thy sinnes lay hold on thee charging to pay that thou owest he is thy paiment Matth. 17. 27. If damnation make thee afraid he is thy salvation Acts 4. 10. If death he is thy life Iohn 14. 6. If Sathan he hathover come him Heb. 2. 14. If hell shall open her mouth upon thee he hath victoriously Sampson-like borne away the gates quelled and quashed the power of it Hos 13. 14. So that in and through him onely thou art more then a Conquerour Be not like the Horse or Mule that have no understanding nor like the sonnes of the earth the cockered Darlings of unstable Fortune who gaping after the transitory things of the world can onely now and then in a carnall humour send forth a short ejaculatory Thanksgiving for their temporals which they possesse but seldome or never for CHRIST IESVS which they possesse not without whom they must be content to perish for ever This is that rich pearle bestowed upon the Merchant resolving above all things to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse setting saile for the Cape De bona Speransa fraught and bound for the New Ierusaleâ— than let thy mouth from thy heart the fountaine of all true praise be as this silver Trumpet filled with Hallalu-jahs for this heavenly and unspeakable gift Thirdly this Doctrine just in the phrase of another Baptist preaching in the wildernesse of Iudea cryes unto us in a more then necessary exhortation especially in these last and worst dayes Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand Matth. 3. 2. The selfe-same holy use which the Spirit of holinesse drawes from the Doctrine Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance 2 Peter Chapter 3. verse 9. The Lord is not slacke concerning his promises as some men count slacknesse but he is long suffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Turne yee then unto the Lord your God for hee is gracious and mercifull slow to anger of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill Ioel 2. 13. and that you may rightly turne find ease and refreshing for your soules Consider that as in Iacobs ladder which reached from earth to heaven there were certaine steppes for ascending and descending so are there certaine degrees in descending to this all-curing Bethesda of repentance First is an inward perplexitie sitting like Hagar Gen. 21. 15. when her bottle was emptied or like the Prodigall Luke 15. which by his want is forced to a consideration of his estate retorting his thoughts into himselfe is deepely affected with the solid apprehension of his owne misery verse 17. and in this perplexed case concludes against himselfe that if he remaines as hee was his case was desperately hopelesse and hee must perish for ever upon which hee resolves with himselfe to goe home to his fathers house by repentance seeing the gate of Mercie opened to
Countrey they are Christened by a new name called Ignatiani in Spaine Theatin◠in Italy Iesuini Campania Scosiotti in Ferrara Presbyteri in St. Luciae in Bononia reformati Sacerdotis in Mutina with many more And as in their names so in their natures ambiguous for being asked what a Iesuite is they answere Every Man they have two Soules in one body as is confessed in their Catechisme besides all these and their severall projects in themselves and their darke Disciples what tortuous Leviathans are they in their amphibolous amphibious enigmaticall ennuciations and mungerill propositions like so many Colour-changing Camelions as doubtfull as Proteus or Vertumnus Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo In what strong Chaine can any tie this Changelings face to know him by Wee may well say of their Labyrinth-like windings and crooked Heterogenials as Ierome sometime spake of the darke abstruse riddles of Iovinian No man can reade these Letters except the Prophetesse Sybill or as Martiall in the like case None but some learned Apollo can vnfold these Mysteries these Maeanders or as Plautus in the like case Has equidem pol credo nisi Sybilla legerit interpretari alium possi neminem which hollow equivocating hath translated vpon them the ancient infamie of the Spartanes called by Andromache Kings of Lyers and that which Apuleius layes vpon the Scicilians triple-tongued these be the Gibeonites the Iebusites the Iesuites onely in Hypocrisie bearing the name of IESVS though often shadowed under the winges and shrowded as poysonous Vipers in the bosome of Kings have shewed themselves to bee the onely underminers of States and Kingdomes advancing themselves by perverting the Truth against the God of truth who will smite them for whited Walls and painted Sepulchers but leaving them to themselves let us which are the children of Light love the Truth and when all Lyers and dissemblers shall have their portion with the Father of lyes the Truth which maketh not ashamed shall translate us and carry us upon his unconquered wings from these dirty and dusty Cottages of clay into everlasting habitations to the innumerable company of holy Angels and hie Saints for ever Now followes the object of Gods unutterable Mercy and uncontroleable Truth Toward vs which though David seeme to speake in the person of the Iewish Church and Nation the Patriarkes and Fathers of that time who had already and did continually taste of his favours though not so fully as we doe they having in promise wee in full performance that great mystery God manifested in the Flesh the matriculation and incarnation of our blessed Saviour IESVS CHRSIT yet no doubt hee had an eye vnto all succeeding Generations both of Iew and Gentile which were Gods elect and chosen and in time to bee brought into his Chambers Cant. 1. 4. To be made partakers of his Mercy and Truth as when hee stood arraigned hee stood not in his owne place but in ours making his personall appearance on our behalfe so in his resurrection the whole Church arose in him Ephes 2. 6. hee hath raised us up together and made us fit together in the heavenly places in CHRIST IESVS where we plainely see the Mercies and promises of God especially this concerning the promised seede called The truth of the Father were performed to the fathers before and after the flood in the worke of redemption and salvation and now confirmed in the same title unto us who live after the incarnating of that immortall word from which we gather this truth There is but one way of Salvation and Happinesse to the Fathers and also to us and that by the same IESVS CHRIST For confirmation of this we see the unchangeable purpose of almighty God in gathering his Church Hebr. 13. 8. IESVS CHRIST yesterday to day and the same forever Rom. 15. 8. Now I say that IESVS CHRIST was a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirme the promises made unto the Fathers c. Rev. 13 8. The Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world which though manifested in the latter times and afternoone of the world like a Roe or young Hart comming skipping over the Mountaines of Bether Cant. 2 vlt. yet all the holy Men and women from Adam inclusively were saved by his blood many of which as Noah Isaac Ioseph c. were tipes and shadowes of him the Ceremonies and Leviticall sacrifices tending to little other purpose but to nourish them in hope of the Messiah the slaughter and death of which beasts was to acquaint them with the mysterie of redemption which stood as under a vaile shadowed in the auncient complement of the Law Iohn 8. 56. Abraham saw my day and rejoyced Luke 1. 47. that hee might shew mercy towards our Fathers Acts 26. 6. the Apostle Pauls religion was concerning the hope of the promise made unto the Fathers Cephas the Pillar of truth Acts 15. 10. joyneth the Fathers faith with ours wee beleeve even as they so to them that lived before his Incarnation hee was crucified in the sacrifices and to us hee was likewise crucified in the word and Sacraments Galath 3. 1. CHRIST IESVS evidently set forth and crucified among you not in Roods Masses and Crucifixes but in his Holy and Sacred Ordinances To confirme and teach us in the first place that no length of time is able to disanull abrogate or make voyde the counsels of the Ancient of dayes or extenuate and make lesse the worth efficiacie and powerfull enargie of CHRISTS sacrifice the same which was Preached to Adam in Paradise Gen. 3. 15. promised to Abraham and David and the Church of the Iewes foretold by all the Prophers concerning CHRIST belōgs to us by faith they looked upon CHRIST as up to the Serpent in the wildernesse Iohn the 3. 14 as he was to bee crucified by faith wee looke upon him as he is crucified like the two Cherubins at the two ends of the Mercie-seate having their faces one toward another and both upon the Arke Exod. 25. 18. So the age primitive which is past and all our after-gatherings of all-measuring Time looke either on either and both upon CHRIST there is no other way nor hath or can be Salvation in any other Acts 4. 12. Secondly it serves to comfort every true beleever though never so base dejected rejected dispised and dispited though he lye among the pots Psal 68. 13. or behind the Ewes with young Psal 78. 72. though hee be Lord and Master of few or none of these outward things as Lazarus Luke 16 yet is he by CHRIST called to the same Salvation admitted into the same fellowship made partaker of the same Heaven with those auncient worthies Mat 8 11. sitting downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of happinesse The contrary whereof viz. a deprivation and losse of that Heavenly Vision called by the Schoolemen
Pena damni is an aggravation of the misery and materiall poynt of the torments of the damned Luke 13. 28. Yee shall see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God thou mayest justly heere say with David being the man whom the King will honour 1 Sam. 18. 18. in the acknowledgement of Gods free mercy and truth toward thee Who am I and what is my life or my fathers family in Israel that I should be not onely sonne in law but even lawfull heire to the King of Kings to enjoy the same glory with those famous Patriarks and Worthies what shall then become of all those that neglect so great Salvation who being invited to this heavenly banquet of mortall Ambrosicall junckets do still lie groveling in the myeric and nastie sinkes of Iniquity eating the filthy dust of the earth with the Serpent Gen. 3. 14. selling themselves with Ieroboaâ—â— to doe wickedly soules and bodies with Esau to hell for a messe of Pottage or with Demas for a few of the transitory temporals of the world but if wee expect the same happinesse with the Fathers wee must go the same way and tread in the same steps not expecting to enjoy the poysonous pleasures of sinne and the felicity of Gods chosen with Moses Heb. 11. 25. refusing to be called the sonne of Pharaoes daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasure of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of CHRIST greater riches then the pleasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward knowing if he had the one he must misse the other thus our Saviour CHRIST endured the Crosse dispised the shame for the joy that was set before him Heb. 12. 2. Thus the Christian Hebrewes in the Primitive Church suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods the reason is rendered they knew in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10. 37. or as David Psal 106 5. That I may see the good of thy chosen and reioyce with thine inheritance Heere is propounded vnto thee that double pathway of Hercules the one the straight foot-path of Vertue which ascending may seeme hard and difficult Non est a terris mollis ad astra via Faire vertues war hard and vneasie is that leades from Earth to endlesse happinesse The other is broad easie and even which is the inchanted way of sinfull pleasure Facilis discensus Averni The often-troden path of fi lt hy Vice is easie plaine and leades from Paradice Thus tracing the Patriarkes in the footing of holy Duties Religion and Pietie there is layd vp for thee a Crowne of immortality but traversing thy steps in the pleasing wayes of voluptuousnesse thou shalt be sure to finde nothing but horrid paines tumultuous horror fiery chaines scorching darknesse tormenting Divels and a full draught of the scalding Cup of the vnmeasurable wrath of an angry incensed and revenging God who is a consuming Fire Heb. 12. 29. Seeing the Fathers received the Promises assuredly having the mercies of God confirmed and performed vnto them by their Faith Heb. 11. 33. even to their severall deliverances even that from Babels Captivity which long expected inlargement was vnto them as a dreame Psal 126. 1. and preventing his servants beleeving on him as David with blessings abundantly Psal 21. 3. So will hee deale with vs if wee have Faith Ephes 3. 20. For hee is able to doe for vs exceeding abundantly above all that we aske or thinke promising to heare our Prayers even while we aske or speake as hee did with Cornelius Act. 10. 4. or Daniel chap. 9. 23. While they are yet speaking I will heare Isa 65. 24. So by Faith wee must receive the Promises Hence wee see the apparent reason and cause why so many after so long Preaching of the Word receiving the Sacraments and frequenting Gods holy ordinances which he hath made as the instruments to worke and nourish Faith in vs and the Conduit-pipes to convey his Graces unto us doe still receive so little profit remayning obdurate and hardened in prophanenesse Idolatry ignorance c. and are not healed of the sinne-wounds of their Soules nor obedient to the heavenly vocation that the Minister may justly take vp his complaint with the Prophet I have laboured in vaine and spent my strength in vaine Isa 49. 4. When men goe from the word of Exhortation as Caine from Gods owne admonition Gen. 4. 7. Worse then hee came or as Iudas from CHRIST fuller of Sathan than before Ioh. 13. 27. Our hearts are not opened Act. 16. 14. Our eares not boared our eyes not illuminated but like the deafe Adder or like the poore Begger wanting his hands that hee can receive no almes or like an empty vessell cast into the Sea which can receive no liquor because the orifice is shut Even so vnbeliefe frustrates the promises of God wee may aske pray and receive nothing because wee want Faith Iam. 1. 6. the Word is vnprofitable vnto vs For because of the vnbeliefe CHRIST did but few Miracles in Galilee the two Olive branches cannot emptie the Goldenoyle out of themselves through the two golden pipes because they are stopped Zach. 4. 12. And this is that which Sathan once strove to bring our Saviour CHRIST unto to distrust the providence of God Math. 4. 3. causing the stones to be made bread and this is that by which he works upon the weaknesse of man to distrust Gods care over him bringing him by this meanes to the shame of stealing and from this distrust even to the height of Apostacy for this God will destroy us Iudeth 5. Let us then 2 Cor. 7. 1. seeing we have such promises not loose the performance of them through unbeleife taking heede least at any time there be in any of us an evill heart of unbeliefe Heb. 3. 12. but learne to say with the man in the Gospell Marke 9 24. I beleeve Lord helpe my vnbeliefe and with the Disciples Luke 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith and if oppressed with deadnesse of heart stirre up our faith with David Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee for he that beleeveth shall not make hast Isa 28. 16. saith maketh not ashamed Isa 26. The iust man shall live by his faith Hab. 2. 4. All things are possible to the beleever he may remoove mountaines he is an omnipotent creature as Barnard sayth Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things by faith thou receivest the pro. mises thine eternall life and happinesse have their dependance thereon Iohn 3. 16. hee that beleeveth in the Sonne hath everlasting life but if yee will not beleeve ye shall not be established Isa 7. 9. Seeing this Mercy and truth of God is confirmed and upon our faith so assured toward us that it cannot be frustrate
Prov. 25. 11. Then to conclude this Treatise of praysing the Lord with Hugo because he is Creator ad esse which gave us our being Conservator in esse preserving us in that being Recreator in bene esse restores us being fallen into a better Glorificatur in optimo esse will glorifie us with the best being of all at the day of the Lord IESVS To whom with the Father of mercies and the Spirit of comfort and consolation be ascribed and given all Praise and Thankesgiving both of Nation and People Iew and Gentile now and for evermore Amen FINIS Quid est quod non in Psalmis Propheticall Didascalicall Eâ—cticall Historicall Epaineticall Lo-ruhamah Lo-ammi Duty O Nullum omnipotenti Deo tale est sacrificium quale est zelus animoruÌ„ Gregor in Ezech Hom 12. Praise Lib. 1. 3. Rhet. The Lord Dominus Deus noster Papa Dij titulares non tutelares Quantus est Dominus qui Dominos fecit August Dicitur omnipotens faciendo quod vult non patiendo quod non vult August de Civit. Dei lib. 5. cap. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A love principium c. Friget laus quam sibi quisque assumit nulla necessita te coactus Pineda super Iob cap. 29. ver 12. n. 5. Pâ—ter Martyr super locum Marlorat sup locum As B. Iewell defended his learning against the rayling Papists Vide Plutarch in Comentario Qua ratione quis citra invidiam laudare seipsum potest Qui laudare se appetit superbus esse convincitur Super Psal 5. Peter Martyr Aquinas super locum Object Answ Supplicij causa est suppliciumque sui How Odys Vide Moresinum de origine incremento Papatus Cic. lib. 2. de Divinat Doct. 1. Deus Optimus Maximus Magnificare nihil aliud est quam magnum facere Lexicon Theologicum Psal 150. last verse Reas 1. Galenus Eccles 12. 1. 2. 3. c. Volateran lib. 21. Comment Funcius et Bucholcerus in Chronic. lib. 7. cap. 13. Vbi benè nemo melius ubi malè nemo pejus Sixtus Senen hibl lib. 3. pag. 1â— 7. In Celloquio de Erasmo De spiritu litera cap. 34. Quisquis tibi enuxerat vera merita sua quid tibi enumerita nisi munera tua August Conf. lib. 9. cap. 13. Bonamea dona tua Aug. Confes lib. 10. cap. 4. Cephas in the Syriack tongue a Stone Reas 2. Poculum Eucharistiae Gratiarum actio est actus laâ—â—ig â—quinas Vse 1. Aug Euthimâ—us super Psal ult Clemens Alexandrinus Noli gloriari quod lingua benè dicis si vita malè dicis Super Psal 133. Damascen lib. 3. cap. 4. Salvianus de guhernatione Dei lib. 4. Tues vox nihil praeterea 2 Kings 2. O tempora O mores A. Gellius Nost Attic. Totum hominem totam legem totum tempus Hic homo crubescit timere Caesarem Lauda ut videam Vse 2. Deus est circulus Cic. de natura Deorum Socrat. lib. 6. Tripart Eust cap. 21. N Olans de Attila Pilatus sibiipsi intulit manus Niceph. lib. 2. cap. 10. cap. 13. de morte Herodis suiipsius interemptor divina ultione factus Euseh lib. 2. ca. 7. Eccl hist Iosephus lib. 28 Act. cap. 5. Eutropius lib. 7. Glorie put for all that may be known of God as Exod. 33. 18 Aelian varia Historia Lib. 4. Inventurum se quidem sed ut eo turbatus perierat Cic. de Fato Vse 3. English Chronicle Polyd Virgil lib. 7. Anglicae Historiae Luk. 16. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sic Scorpius à vastando violas Arist Plin. Dioscor Propter venustatem invenustae Chrysost Ornamentum est quod ornat ornat quod honestiorem facit De grege porcorum Horat. Hebraicè Ierome Apicius had 1000. Cookes Dr. Boys Non dispensat sed dissipat bona Domini Angele Dei qui custos es mei c. Ios 5. 13. Iudg. 6. 11. 1 Kings 19. Miitat â—ther Lucan Vesta a vistando Weepe against him Hebraicè Tota creatura est armatura Dei Civitatis eversio est morum non murorâ—m casus Graviores inimici sunt mores pravi quam hostes infesti Mars vltor galeam perdidit res non potuit servare suas In caula de aula in hara de ara loquitur Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris Plaut Ingratitudo obstring it manus Dei Marlorat Pabula peccati pocula lethi Exod. 23. 25. Dan. 1. 15. see Psalm 104. 13. 14. 15. Hag. 1. 6. Parturiunt montes Hor. Carpo-balsamum Isidor Inest in viva voce nescio quid latentis energiae lerom Simile Post mortem Iuliani Apostaâ—ae Euseâ— 2 Cor. 5â— 21. Pro 5. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 26 Gal. 2. 20. Esay 32. 15. Acts 4. 10. It lyes not in mans power to beget faith in his owne soule Hab. 1. 16. Menecrates called himselfe in pride before King Philip Rex salut is Ego Rex Medicinae tu Macedoniae Psal 115. 1. Vse 4. Ambr. Origen super Lucam Herm. Trismegistuâ— Quasi homo esset illa omnis creatura 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 creatio Rom. 1. Gal. 6. Que potest â—egere me te Bern. Qui benedicit deo augetur qui maledicit minuitur Aâ— in Rome Psal 103. Aug. lib. 1. de D. Chianna cap. 31. Sem first named in regard of his prerogative as Izaac before Ismael and Iacob before Esau Gen. 9. Psal 18. 49. 2 Sam. 22. 50. Dâ—ut 32. 43. Esay 11. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Appositissimum vaticinium ad comprobandam Gentium vocationem Marlorat Pars pro toto per Synecdochen Doct. * Maldonat ex Chrysost in locum Ex vocatione Abrahae praefigurata est vocatio Gentium Iudaeorum quia pater est fidelium Cyril Hall super Cant. Iacobus de Valentia super Cant. Acts 19. 19. Idem ibidem Portae Ecclesiae dicuntur in quantum iutroducunt bonos in Ecclesiam Ibid. Hieron in Hoseam Iren. lib. 4. cap. 37. Aug. contra Faustum lib. 22. cap 89. â—â—â—pertus lib. 14. Com. in Iohan Math. 8. 10. Bifeild super Col. 2. 1. Tertull. contra Marci lib. 5 Fore-prophecied Blandè reducat Vatablus Rupertus super Genesim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 16. 26 Abraham gignens Abraham credens Testified in time Conversion is twofold Vide Niceph. Eccles Hist lib. cap. 6. Hic primo ex gentibus a Philippo per apparitionem verbi divini sacra consceutus est Euseb lib. 〈…〉 1. Eccl. hist Maldonat super Math. cap. 15. Arte Mathematica vim et discursum noverant Planetarum Elementorum naturam Cyprian Psal 72. 14. Chrysost in Math. Tertul. lib. 3. contra Iudâ—â—s Theophylact. in 2 cap. Math. Chaldaeorum perfectè sapientes viri Hodiè revelavit se Chaldaeis novi syder is indicio Sabaei Arabum propter thura clarissimi Plinius lib. 12. cap. 14. Diod. Siculus Sus Minervam Olitor Eremitâ— Thaulerum Asina Balaam docet Dij laborantes adjuvant Col. 1. 26. 27. Populus Gentium erant laterâ— Diaboli propter conjunctâ—m