counterfeiting and dissembling one may easily deceive and abuse another having one thing secretly hid in his heart when outwardly he saith and doth the contrary upon that is grounded the saying of the Prophet Jeremy Ierem. 17.9 The heart of man is overthwart and who shall know it but there cannot be such a perversity and dissimulation ascribed unto God but when he worketh hee declareth the quality of his nature in his working so that his workes may be most assured testimonies by which the hearts of the faithfull may bee perswaded of his goodnesse and will Esay 28. and although he seeme sometimes to worke contrary to his custome yet that is done to the intent that it shall come to that end which hee hath appointed This is to worke truly and verily according to the quality of his nature and to declare openly to the world the testimony of his good will or anger by word and deed Now there are five kinds of working One is Five kinds of working when things bee wrought according to the strength of their nature without any governance of understanding or will as in the working of fire water medicinall hearbes precious stones and such other things whose working if it bee guided by any reason or will it is not their owne but by some outward either by Gods or mans directions The second kind is of those things which followeth the drift of nature in their working but not without their owne will though the mastery of reason be lacking in them yet such is their working that sometimes it is forced against their will and so worke the bruit beasts The third kind is of men which doe also worke according to the quality of their nature and joyne theirs unto the governance of reason or will but wrong and corrupt and also subject and under a greater power either of man either of God and under this is also comprised the working of evill spirits The fourth is of good Spirits which wee call Angels they worke also according to their nature and that with understanding and will but without any depravation thereof wherein they differ from men and from evill spirits but they are also subject to a superiour power by whom their doings be directed The fift and last kind of working is also according to the nature of the worker Eccles 42.15 c. 43. with understanding and will and that pure and uncorrupt and is not subject unto the wisdome or will of any superiour but is most free wise mighty good and infinite upon whom all other things dependeth This is the working of one very God the beginning increase keeping repairing the rule and end of all things most good most free willing infinite everlasting perfect needing no other helpe No man is able sufficiently to praise God for he farre exceeds all praise necessary and profitable not to the worker but to the workes whose incomprehensible waies infinite multitude and unsearchable consideration no man may seeke to know whose infinite Goodnesse Wisedome Power Majesty and Glory all Angels and men must have in admiration and worship Though the Multitude Variety Majesty and Excellencie of the Workes of God be infinite and incomprehensible that neither the reason nor number of them can bee comprehended by any mans imagination or industry Eccle. 8.17 even as Ecclesiasticus said Yet among all the Workes of God Among Gods workes the worke of Creation is first wee ought first to understand the workes of the Creation and herein wee must leave the consideration of those workes that are of the Father towards the Sonne and of the Sonne towards the Father and of both of them toward the holy Spirit and of the holy Spirit toward both of them which are unsearchable and not necessary to know nor belonging to Creation But it is even enough if the creature doe acknowledge honour and glorifie the workes of his Creator in that that he is the Creator Encreaser Conserver Repairer Governour and Perfecter of all when we say the Father created all things the Word must not bee excluded neither the holy Spirit because that by the Word and with the Spirit all things were made and created When we say the sunne nourisheth and giveth light unto the earth wee exclude not his heate nor his brightnesse without which he doth not accomplish his worke Againe when we say all things are created of God we must not include those things that be evill in respect they be evill for they be not of God Iohn 8.44 but of satan the father of all evill this is the plaine description of our true and onely God from all false gods and idols To possesse our hearts with greater awe of his Majesty whilest we admire him for his simplenesse and infinitnesse adore him for his unmeasurablenesse unchangeablenesse and eternity seeke wisdome from his understanding and knowledge submit our selves to his blessed will and pleasure love him for his love mercy goodnesse and patience trust to his word because of his truth feare him for his power justice and anger reverence him for his holinesse and praise him for his blessednesse and to depend all our life on his faithfull promises who is the onely Authour of our life being and all the good things we have Eph. 5. Let us therefore stirre up our selves to imitate the divine Spirit in his holy Attributes and to beare in some measure the Image of his wisdome love goodnesse justice mercy truth patience zeale and anger against sinne and strive that wee may bee wise loving just mercifull true patient and zealous as our God is and that wee may in our prayers and meditations conceive aright of his divine Majesty and not according to those grosse and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in mens braines Psal 90.2 Rom. 1 23 c. as when they conceive God to be like an old man sitting in a chaire and the blessed Trinity to be like that tripartite idoll which Papists set up in their Church windowes When therefore thou art to pray unto God let thy heart speake unto him Psal 90.2 1 King 8.27 1 Iohn 5.7 as unto that Eternall Infinite Almighty Holy Wise Just Mercifull Spirit and most perfect and individuall Essence of three severall substances Father Sonne and holy Ghost who being present in all places ruleth Heaven and Earth understandeth all mens hearts knoweth all mens miseries and is onely able to bestow on us all graces which we want and to deliver all penitent sinners that with faithfull hearts seeke for Christs sake his helpe out of all their afflictions and troubles whatsoever If therefore thou dost believe that God is Almighty why dost thou feare devils or enemies Confidently trust in God and crave his helpe in all troubles and dangers if thou believest that God is infinite how darest thou provoke him to anger If thou believest that God is simple with what heart canst thou dissemble and play the hypocrite
one which is Gods soveraigne blessednesse or perfection Blessednesse is that perfect and unmeasurable possession of joy and glory which God hath in himselfe for ever and is the cause of all the blisse and perfection that every creature enjoyeth in his measure Of these Attributes we must hold these generall rules No Attributes can sufficiently expresse the Essence of God nor declare what he is because he is infinite and ineffable whatsoever therefore is spoken of God is not God but serveth rather to helpe our weake understanding to conceive in our reason and to utter in our speech the Majesty of his divine Nature so farre as hee hath vouchsafed to reveale himselfe unto us in his Word All the Attributes of God belong to every of the three Persons as well as to the Essence it selfe with the limitation of a personall propriety as the mercy of the Father is mercy begetting the mercy of the Sonne is mercy begotten the mercy of the holy Ghost is mercy proceeding Againe the essentiall Attributes of God differ not from his Essence because they are so in the Essence that they are the very Essence it selfe therefore in God there is nothing to bee found which is not either his Essence or Person to speake properly there are not in God many Attributes but one onely which is nothing else but the divine Essence it selfe but in respect of our reason they are said to be many different Attributes for our understanding conceives by the name of mercy a thing differing from that which is called Justice Gods essentiall Attributes are not therefore really inseparable for the Essentiall Attributes of God are not parts or qualities of the divine Essence nor accidents in the Essence as in a subject but the very whole and intire Essence of God so that such Attribute is not an other and another thing but one and the same thing There are therefore no quantities in God by which he may be said to be so much and so much nor qualities by which he may be said to bee such and such but whatsoever God is hee is such and the same by his Essence By his Essence he is wise therefore wisedome it selfe by his Essence hee is good therefore goodnesse it selfe by his Essence he is mercifull therefore mercy it selfe by his Essence he is just therefore justice it selfe c. in truth and in a word God is great without quantity good true and just without quality mercifull without passion an act without motion every where present without fight without time the first and the last Iam. 1.17 the Lord of all creatures from whom all receive themselves their being and all the good they have Of the Majesty Greatnesse and Qualitie of GOD. THe question here is not of any bodily quality How the question is of Gods quality and what manner of thing the quality of God is but of the Majesty of God for hee is wonderfull not in body which hee hath not but in godly Majesty which appeares in his goodnesse wisedome power glory and eternity the quality of Gods Majesty is such that it cannot be expressed though a man would say his goodnesse his power his wisdome and glory is the greatest of all for these words superlative because they doe include a certaine comparison of other that be good wise and strong doe agree better with men than with God unto whom they cannot bee attributed but so that they shall seeme to diminish his divine Majesty and excellency chiefly because hee is alone good alone wise and alone strong therefore when we consider the quality of the goodnesse wisedome strength glory and continuance of God wee must forbeare all comparisons and acknowledge that his goodnesse wisedome greatnesse majesty power and glory is incomparable passing great and his continuance infinite and this infinite excellency of Gods goodnesse wee must observe Rom. 1. and honour in his creation disposition and providence wherewith hee hath made disposed and governed all things passing well chiefly in his loving kindnesse that hee sent his Sonne into the world for our salvation the excellency of his strength and power appeareth in his word whereby he made Heaven and earth and all things of nothing his infinite wisedome is to be seene as well in his creation as in his marvellous ordering of all things Let this be sufficient to have touched somewhat pertaining to this matter now of the workes of God After those things that wee have briefly noted of the Essence Persons Nature and Majesty of God the next is to looke into his workes for it is best knowne by his workes both that hee is what hee is and of what quality he is and how great he is Wherefore every godly heart will yeeld all his endeavour to looke continually into the workes of God with the eyes of faith that hee may be perfectly instructed by them what he ought to judge of him God hee worketh continually and without ceasing Christ saith My Father worketh even till now Iohn 5.17 God is every where present both essentially and potentially and vertually for God is infinite as well in his Essence as in his Might Power and Working For as the Apostle saith Acts 17.24 25 26 27 28. God worketh all in all for all things be not onely of him and by him but in him through him also he is therefore generally present every where and in all and so preserveth directeth governeth all things but especially touching his speciall majestie and glory hee is and dwelleth in Heaven but by his goodnesse and grace he is dwelleth and abideth in his elect and faithfull people on earth such as doe love and obey him whom he doth especially love preserve defend and keepe which is called the presence of his grace Therefore what surer safeguard can there be unto man subject to so many dangers afflictions miseries and calamities than to have his God present with him by a certaine speciall grace and favour but in the wicked and the ungodly he is in them in his anger and wrath Psal 78.31 c. whom hee doth abhorre as reprobate and cast off For the presence of him which is the maker preserver For as much as the Essence of God is contained in no place yet it cannot be said that it is no where so that of necessity it is every where and governour of all cannnot be idle but worketh all in all and with the power might and working of him all things should lie dead and to no effect so that of necessitie God in his Essence and working is every where like as if a man should say of the soule that it is contained in no certaine place of the body yet for all that it is in every place and in all parts and doth fill the whole body so like as if our body were destitute of the operation of the soule it were dead therefore the soule is certainly present in the whole body and every
power distinguished in three persons the power is not divided every person in the Deity equall and in just comparison all of them but one God and every person God all of them conspiring the same ends from eternity to eternity this ought but is not the condition of men Princes and the great on earth Psal 82.6.7 are called gods these ought like God to combine themselves in holy action and to bend their power against the enemies of God and man sinne and the sinfull and not with implacable displeasure Such are merely politique respect greatnesse without goodnesse to destroy themselves and their estates with civill disagreements for though God say they are gods he saith they shall dye like men and if evill men they are then no gods but divells enemies to God enemies to the good and as in the nature of God mercy doth triumph and hath pre-eminence Mercy the best proof of goodnesse so in all the godly there should be a gracious pitty with which they ought to be most affected and God himselfe best pleased When I had thus considered the nature of God his Omnipotency his Mercy and other Attributes The cause is every mans duty it caused me to question my owne life and to search the records of my owne actions whereby I understood the truth of my miseries that I was guilty and deserved death and torments Mans desert as if the Justice of God had given sentence against mee then was the knowledge of Gods Majesty a terrour unto me I conceived in my feare the very forms of his indignation and I began to feele in my soule the very terrour of condemnation as if God had given sentence Mercy gives hope in greatest extremity and my soule in the sence of execution In this astonishment I remembred mercy and that God was so delighted in the use thereof as that he carefully watcheth cause and opportunity to give it Acknowledgment most necessary I did therefore acknowledge and submit my selfe to favour God did descend his greatnesse accepted my acknowledgement and gave me the allowance of his mercy then I reduced to memory what my Saviour had done for the Redemption of mankind The promises onely belong to the faithfull and penitent what he had promised the faithfull what the penitent I believed received strength and had my hope established and growing bold with these encouragements I desired and obtained the Sonne of God to restore me the Spirit of God to continue me restored reformed How to judge of good and evill then could my soule receive content in divine meditations then could I despise the profits of the earth and the vaine pleasures of men then could I justly value the honours of this life weigh them with vanity and esteeme them lighter then could I discerne vertue in poverty and holinesse in a contemptible degree of fortune The benefit of patience then I could see the patient beare their load with alacrity and secretly scorne at the base estimation of the earth Thus a reformed Judgement can teach to know and love know and hate let mee love and be beloved of God let me hate and be hated of the World These and many other things attributed to God in Scriptures teach us of what manner his Nature is that is to say good loving kind mercifull faithfull true upright just liking the humble and abhorring the proud The things of nature in God be everlasting slow to revenge wise and foreseeing and being so not by other helpe nor by chance but naturally and of himselfe it followeth that the like nature must for ever and unchangeably keepe in him which thing bringeth unto the faithfull an incredible comfort But in case we finde any other in him than this wee must understand that it is by some speciall sufferance and onely for a time and yet for all that the quality of his Nature in no point altered though some time he seemeth contrary to himselfe Psal 18. but that is to the ungodly perverse and to the destruction of them but the good and godly finde him alwaies such as his nature is The fire at Babylon seemed to have lost his nature A similitude when it saved harmelesse the three Children cast into the Oven but yet it used the strength of his nature toward them Dan. 3.20 c. which made the fire even so wee must thinke of God and alwaies marke what he doth by sufferance to punish the malice of the wicked and what also hee doth according to the quality of his Nature Rom. 11.33 O the deepenesse of the riches of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Iudgements and his waies past finding out Of the Creation of the World THe Creation of the World hath beene the admiration of all men that knew not God nor believed Scripture Wisd 13. because their understanding was darkned wanting divine light they were not able to comprehend the knowledge of so high a secret Therefore the Philosophers have vainely and diversly disagreed in their severall constructions of the beginning of the World The vaine opinion of Philosophers some denying that the World ever had beginning but that it was derived by the power of nature from all eternity and eternall perpetuity to maintaine which absurdity they would demand how God made the world what instruments hee used in the building of so wonderfull a frame and withall holding that God could worke no otherwise then the order and meanes of secondary causes would beare and leade him unto But the truth is God is free in operation God is free in operation and not tied to any second cause or secondary meanes without which he can doe what he will and that which he doth by them and can alter and change them at his pleasure wherein may appeare their grosse mis-understanding of God his Nature that he like man If wee cannot conceive Gods wonderfull workes much lesse his unsearchable wisdome could not worke without the helpe of meanes and instruments Others more true more learned concluded that of necessity the World must have a beginning and that there was a Power Eternall which made moved and governed all things and the reason that the World was not eternall had this sufficient argument That the World did suffer detriment and decay in it selfe and the Elements had lost the purity of their nature which they had in the beginning the moving of the spheares and celestiall bodies which of all things in the World are most constant had endured some alteration so that nothing in the World All worldly things subject to alteration but did suffer a change which could not be if it were eternall This grounded reason did convince the common opinion of the Worlds eternity and did prevaile with them that could not be perswaded but by the power of reason This is not to perswade Christians but infidels and epicures
is guilty of injustice and must answer the fault at the barre of death for God hee maketh his Sunne to shine upon all indifferently and hee hath given the world and the Creatures therein to mankinde generally and not to one man one family or one kingdome this may both teach and judge the mercilesse who can see and not relieve the extremities of men distressed men their brethren The meditation of this power of this love of God in creating a world of Creatures for the service of man and seeing it hath pleased him to make a reasonable soule and a sharer of these infinite blessings I have resolved with my selfe to declare my selfe in all dutifull demonstrations to my God and to use the Creatures hee hath given mee with moderation as hee hath commanded I have made a covenant with my soule that I will not appropriate that to my private which God hath made common If God give mee abundance I will open my liberality Luk. 16.2 How to employ Gods Talents I will give as God doth to all but carefully to the wants of faithfull men distressed I will remember that what I have I must use what I use not I must bestow lest Gods talents be without imployments and so God discharge mee of trust if God give me wisdome and knowledge more then some others I will not be silenced How to occasion an holy meditation I will not obscure the grace and gift of God I will not deny my God I will not deny the world my service but in whatsoever God shall enable me in that I will be industrious if I can doe nothing of desert or common profit yet will I spend my houres in holy meditation I have resolved I will still travell in holy exercise when I cannot profit generally I will pray generally wee are all the Creatures of one God the Word of God gave forme to every Creature therefore every thing that presents my eye shall move my holy meditations When I shall behold the wonderfull frame of heaven I shall revise on the creation and admire God his Mercy his Majesty I shall remember the happinesse of heaven and refresh my selfe in adversity with hopefull confidence Where to repose our confidence When I consider the earth I shall remember the basenesse of my beginning what I was in sinne what I am in grace this shall teach me to deny my selfe and wholly to depend on the favour of my God When I see unreasonable noysome and evill Creatures I shall have cause of acknowledgement for God might have made me so or worse Lastly when I shall see wicked men pride themselves in their vanities Pitty can respect our enemies I shal both pity and glory pity the misery of their soules and glory in the fortune of my owne and thus with these and such meditations my soule shall breath content Of the Angels their Nature their Office their Fall Moses of purpose did leave to speake any thing of the creation of Angels because of the disposition of the people bent to Idolatry It is supposed they were Created the first day of the Creation as appeareth Job 38. THat the Angels were created is most certaine the time of their creation is not certaine but doubtfully and diversely believed many men have spent their judgements in conjectures all such are more curious than wise because the truth thereof cannot certainly be determined neither if it could the knowledge thereof were not necessary or materiall to salvation for whatsoever knowledge is necessary for the happinesse of our soules is by God himselfe taught in the testimony of holy Scriptures This knowledge of the time of the creation of Angels being not taught by God doth make the search thereof unprofitable unlawfull for God doth nothing at peradventure but all things in judgement and with the advice of his divine wisdome God having denied this knowledge doth forbid the search of this unknowne unprofitable knowledge that which I desire to know which I desire to make knowne is contained in the testimony of holy Scriptures the which denying me this knowledge of the creation of Angells I forbeare to search the knowledge of Gods secrets and rather to be thought ignorant than audaciously bold with forbidden knowledge That which is needfull to be knowne of Angells is their nature their office in their nature must be considered what they are in substance what in quality they be heavenly invisible Creatures pure and spirituall of the substance and nature of our soules eternall in respect of ending without corruption in their quality is considered their power being at all times and upon all occasions able and ready to performe the excution of Gods service their office is that they are Gods messengers their imployment is either in Judgements or Mercies this Compendium is the knowledge of them all in generall The good and evill Angells were all created in one nature before the fall and apostacy of Angels The Angells and those that now are divells being at the first creation of one quality of one power and one excellence of nature after the fall of Angells who for their unsupportable pride were cast from the presence of God into eternall darknesse 2 Pet. 2.4 and damnation the Angels divided themselves the better part keeping their first estate kept their entertainment with God Math. 18.10 and continued his favour and service Iude 6. the worst dividing themselves left the service of God and the fellowship of good Angels and bend their whole endeavour against God and against his blessed Angels and against the Saints that love and serve him this apostacie and division of Angels have divided them in their nature and in their offices The full opposition of the good and evill Angels the good Angels ever labouring the good of men the evill angels to hinder and prevent the goodnesse of God and his good Angels labouring by all meanes to bring mankind to their owne condemnation In their offices likewise they disagree for God doth commonly imploy his good Angels in his workes of mercy and favourable protection the divels hee imployeth in the execution of his judgements and corrections not that hee needeth their service but that hee forceth them against their will to his obedience God can enforce the divels in workes of his own glory These severall imployments of the good and evill angels are not alwaies of necessity though very common for God when hee pleaseth maketh good Angels destroy and inflict vengeance and the divels hee can and doth use in his workes of greatest mercy and this the divels doe not with consent but are either forced by the unresistable power of God or else deceive themselves in the end of their owne working God making that which they intend for evill to tend to a good end farre beyond and contrary to their purpose and expectation Iude 6. The good Angels have both liberty and pleasure in the service of
that thou so foolishly lost heavens joyes and incurred hellish paines which last beyond eternity how shall the understanding be racked to consider how for momentany riches thou hast lost the eternall treasure and changed heavens felicity for hels misery where every part of the body without any intermission of paine shall be alike tormented continually In these hellish torments thou shalt be deprived of the beatificall sight of God wherein consists the soveraigne good Math. 25 10. and life of the soule for when the Virgins that are prepared are entred in with the Bridegroom the gate shal be presently shut against the reprobate and damned that is the gate of indulgence the gate of mercy the gate of consolation the gate of hope and the gate of holy conversation the damned shall hate all the creatures of God they shall hate one another they shall hate the holy Angels and the Elect of God and even God himselfe but not properly in his owne nature but in the effects of his justice All the evils present in this life are single and by degrees one is troubled with poverty another is tormented with sicknesse another is oppressed with grievous wrongs another with hard servitude another over-burthened with calamities and another contaminated with reproches but there all at once shall be tormented with all evils the paines there shall be universall Every member for his sinnes shall have his proper punishment in all the sences members of both body and soule in this life hope of release mitigateth all troubles but there is left no hope of deliverance there is no hope of mitigation or ease not so much as for one moment but the punishment of hell is eternall there shall be no order but horror no voice but blasphemers and houlers no noise but of tortures and of the tortured no society but of the divel and his angels who being tormented themselves shall have no other ease but to wreak their fury in tormenting their fellowes damned there shall be punishment without pity misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischiefe without measure torment without ease where the worme never dieth nor the fire never quenched Mark 9.44 Esay 66.24 in which flame thou shalt be ever burning and never consumed ever dying and never dead ever rowing in the paines of death never rid nor knowing no end of those pangs So that after thou hast endured them so many 1000 yeeres as there is grasse on the earth or sands on the sea shore thou art no neerer to have an end of thy torments then thou wast the first day that thou wast cast into them yea so farre are they from ending that they are ever but beginning but if after a thousand times so many thousand yeeres the damned soule could but conceive a hope that those her torments should have an end this would be some comfort to thinke that at length an end will come but as oft as the mind thinketh of this word never it is another hell in the midst of hell Therfore O devout soul think upon the eternity of hell torments thou shalt the more truly understand the grievousnes thereof Oh! eternity not to be termed O eternity not to be measured by any space of time O eternity not to be conceived by any humane understaÌ„ding how much dost thou augment the punishment of he damned after innumerable thousands of yeeres they shall be compelled to thinke that then is but the beginning of their torments Oh eternity eternity it is thou alone beyond all measure that dost encrease the punishment of the damned grievous is the punishment of the damned for the cruelty of the paine yet it is more grievous for the diversity of the punishment Math. 21.13 but it is most grievous for the eternity of the punishments that life shall be mortiferous The damned shall seeke death and shall not finde it because they had life and lost it and that death shall be immortall if it be life why doth it kill if it be death why doth it alwaies endure What eternity is is not perfectly knowne and it is no wonder for what created mind can comprehend that which cannot be measured by any time but if thou wilt guesse what the space of eternity is think upon the time that was before the world was created if thou canst finde Gods beginning then mayst thou finde when the punishments of the damned shall have end not before hence shall arise their dolefull wo and alasse for evermore Oh Lord Jesus which by thy passion hast made satisfaction for our sins deliver us from eternall damnation This is the second death the generall perfect fulnesse of all cursednesse and misery which every damned reprobate must suffer so long as God and his Saints shall enjoy blisse and felicity in heaven for evermore Thus farre of the misery of man in his state of corruption unlesse he be renewed by grace in Christ This is the portion this is the state of the evill disposed wicked wise men of this world and are here adverrised of their greedy groping after the sweet temptations of the divell wherein such doe rejoyce and take their pleasure till death comming suddenly upon them then fall they into the horrible pit of desolate darknesse due unto their sinnes and wicked deserts Thus farre I have proceeded in the first part of this tractate of the divine essence of God and how hee is to be understood in his holy attributes and of the state death and misery of man put for the whole passage of the old Testament from the creation of man to the incarnation of the Son of God which doth humble us with the knowledge of our own unworâ—hines therby doth prepare us and make us fit for the mercy of the Gospell and to apprehend and apply the righteousnes of Jesus Christ to our Salvation Thus endeth the first part of this tractat Now let us see how blessed and happy a godly man is in his state of renovation being reconciled to God in Christ Esay 40.1 2. COmfort my people O ye Prophets comfort my people saith your God Comfort Ierusalem at the heart and tell her that her trauell is at an end and that her offence is pardoned Esay 43.1 3 11 Now the Lord that made thee O Jacob and hee that fashioned thee O Israel saith thus Feare not for I have redeemed thee for I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Saviour I am even I am the onely Lord and besides me there is no Saviour Esay 54.8 When I was angry I hid my face from thee for a little season but through my everlasting goodnesse have I pardoned thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Vers 10. The Mountaines shall remove and the Hils shall fall downe but my loving kindnesse shall not move and the bond of my peace shall not fall from thee saith the Lord thy mercifull lover Esay 55.6 7.
2.7 because he was the true Light which illuminateth the darkenesse of the world hee is laid in a manger because hee is the true Food of our soules hee was borne betwixt an Oxe and an Asse that men which were become as beasts beastly might be restored to their former dignity he is borne in Bethlehem which is the house of bread because he brought with him the most plentifull food of divine benefits hee is the first and onely begotten of his Mother upon earth 2 Cor. 8.9 because he was according to his divine narture the first and only begotten of his Father in heaven he is borne poore and naked yet to purchase for us celestiall riches he is borne in a stable Luk. 2.10 c. yet to bring us to his royall palace which is in heaven the Angels from heaven brought the first message of this great Joy and benefit because no man on earth understood the greatnesse thereof And further it was meet that the messenger of celestiall gifts should be celestiall the armies of the Angels rejoyce because we are by the incarnation of the Sonne of God made partakers of their heavenly happinesse To the Shepherds first is declared this so wondrous and great a miracle because the true Shepherd of our lost soules came to bring backe the lost sheepe into his fold The quire of heaven which became sorrowfull for the sinne of our first father doth now sing and rejoyce the brightnesse and glory of that Lord and King appeareth now in the heavens whose lowlinesse men despised here on earth joy was declared from heaven because the Author and Giver of Joy was borne joy is commanded because the enmity betweene the just God and sinfull man the cause of all sorrow is removed glory in the highest is rendred unto God which our first father Adam by his unlawfull transgressions of Gods Commandements had taken away true peace is obtained by his nativity because before men were enemies unto God and their owne consciences true peace is restored to the earth because he is overcome which held us captive Joh. 8.5 6. Abraham rejoyced when hee saw the Lord in an humame shape assumed for a time and appeared unto him and shall not we rejoyce seeing Christ hath coupled and taken upon himselfe our nature by an everlasting and inviolable covenant Let us here admire the infinite goodnesse of God let us also admire the infinite power of God who of two things most different and distant one from the other I meane the divine and humane nature could make one so neerly that one and the same should be God and man 1 Tim. 3.16 Let us admire the infinite wisedome of God who could find out a meanes to worke our salvation when men nor Angels could find no meanes of reconcilement the infinite goodnesse of God was offended and an infinite satisfaction was required man had offended God and of man was satisfaction required neither could an infinite satiâ—faction be made by man neither could Gods justice be satisfied without an infinite price therefore God was made man that both he which had sinned might satisfie and he which was infinite might be paid an infinite price Let us admire this wonderfull temper of Gods Justice and Mercy which no creature could find out before God did manifest it unto him neither could any fully perceive it after it was manifested let us admire these things and not curiously pry into them let us desire to understand this high and secret mysterie though wee cannot rightly conceive all let us rather confesse our ignorance Luk. 2.10 then to deny Gods Omipotence I bring tidings of great joy unto you saith the Angel at our Saviours Nativity of great joy indeed such as passeth mans understanding It was a very great evill and dangerous that we had incurred the wrath of God and were held captive under the power of the Divell and under eternall damnation but it was yet greater because men knew not it neither could eschew the danger thererof or else did wilfully neglect the meanes of their owne salvation But now great joy is declared unto us because he that delivereth uâ— from all evill is come a Saviour into the world he is come a Physician to the sicke a Redeemeâ— to the captive he is the Way to the wanderer Life to them that were dead in sinne and Salvation to them that were condemned Exod. 3.10 As Moses was sent from the Lord to redeeme the children of Israel which were the select people of the world from the servitude and bondage of Egypt so Christ Jesus was sent from his Father to redeeme all man-kind from the slavery and bondage of the Divell and to preach peace and the reconciliation of man with God therefore we have great cause to rejoyce and conceive great things of the goodnesse and mercy of God for he which loved us so being his enemies that hee did vouchsafe to assume our nature to be united to his divinity what will hee deny us Rom. 5.10 c. being joyned unto him by participation of our flesh An infinite goodnesse was offended and none could intercede but a Mediatour of infinite power and what is infinite but God therefore God himselfe reconciled the world unto himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 God himselfe redeemed man-kind by his owne blood God himselfe became Mediatour for us who can conceive the greatnesse of this mysterie the chiefe Creatour was offended with sinfull man Acts 20.28 and the creature sought not with diligence to appease God or to reconcile himselfe unto him So hee that was offended assumed the flesh of the creature and becomes reconciliatour man had forsaken God and turned himselfe unto the Divell Heb. 2.14 15. the enemy of God man and he that was forsaken makes diligent inquisition after the forsaken and incites him most bountifully to come againe unto him and when man had departed from that infinite good and falne into that infinite evill then that same infinite good by giving an infinite price of redemption delivered the creature from that infinite evill Is not this infinite mercy of God farre exceeding all the finite understanding and thought of man for our nature is become farre exceeding and more glorious by Christ then it was debased and dishonoured by the sinne and fall of Adam Rom. 5.20 21. we have received more in Christ then we lost in Adam for where sinne did abound Gods grace doth much more abound in Adam we lost our innocency in Christ we have received perfect righteousnesse Eph. 2.4.5 Let us admire Gods power but his divine mercy is yet more to be admired although power and mercy are both equall in God for both are infinite Let us admire our creation but rather let us admire our redemption although creation and redemption are both acts of infinit power in God It is a wondrous great thing to create man having deserved nothing for as yet he had no being but
have deliverance from eternall captivity and torment Thirdly seeing Christ Jesus is the matter of the Covenant of grace betweene God and man it doth also most neerely concerne all men to endeavour all meanes possible A most needfull care is to be had of all men and by their eyes of faith to apprehend Christ who is onely to be apprehended by faith and so to receive the forme and impression of his sacred Image whereby they shall be truely interested in the possession of heaven when those that want this shall be rejected of God with this answer Away from me yee wicked for I know you not because yee have not the Image of my Sonne Fourthly seeing the whole matter of the Covenant of grace is fully contained in the words and workes of Jesus Christ and that all things necessary both to a civill and Christian life are contained in the Story of the holy Gospell it behoveth all men to give that sacred Word preheminence and that no man All directions must be conformed to Scripture neither any state or fellowship of men whatsoever presume to decree or ordaine Canons or Statutes Ecclesiasticall or civill which is any way repugnant or may prejudice the directions of Jesus Christ delivered and set forth in the most holy Gospell but as Christ our Prince our Priest and our Prophet hath given us either by doctrine or example Eccle. 18. Reve. 22.18 19 which needfull directions are necessary and of lawfull use either in a Christian Church or State so no Christian Church or State should presume to innovate or alter those directions which Christ our high Priest and great Prince hath left established unto us but in all directions both in Church and State there must be needfull care that every particular have relation to the truth of holy Scripture and be conformed to the example of Christ for whatsoever direction whether it concerne the soule or society if it bee not either necessarily grounded or agreeth with the Word of God is altogether unlawfull in a Christian Church and State How to square every particular action neither can dispensation make it lawfull or tollerable Therefore by the square of the Scriptures all men ought to measure the Lawfulnesse of every action and direction and that whatsoever shall disagree from God and the holy Scriptures may be judged error and intrusion of disorder and therefore of necessity to be spewed out of every Church and State of Christian men The meditation of this doctrine and these duties should make us serious in our Christian care let us not now content our selves to have onely a generall knowledge of Christ Jesus our Redeemer To consider God in his Majesty onely is terrible but let us labour to understand him in his double nature for if we consider him in his divinity as he is God onely it is a terrour to our remembrance but if we consider him in his double nature it gives us hope and alacrity for the Majesty of God is terrible to sinfull man but his mercy is comfortable and supporteth the falling spirits of our soules which would faint and die in despaire if the grace of God did not succour and give supply to such extremities therefore as God doth most delight himselfe in the use of his mercy so let us delight our soules most in the holy contemplation of his mercy and as Christ Jesus is the most lively character of his mercy Christ Iesus is the character of Gods mercy so let our cares bee most busie in the meditations of Christ his Gospell is the booke of Gods mercies wee have eyes of faith and can both see and read the stories of mercy let us therefore direct our labours and endeavour our studies in the most happy knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ Note and in him wee shall finde all goodnesse and infinite variety of matter in him wee shall finde the cause of our redemption Where to finde the cause of mans redemption wee shall finde it in his will wee shall finde it in his working he did cause our good he did effect it also in his will was the cause in his workes was the effect This godly meditation may kindle a zeale in them that were dead in sinne and provoke holinesse where it is not to see the infinite greatnesse Ier. 4.2 Psal 34.20 the infinite goodnesse of God omniscious of God omnipotent to yield himselfe to such a wonderfull difference of fortune he that had all happinesse in the highest degree breathing unutterable pleasure in the bosome of his Father and he that made the heavens and the earth should descend from heaven to earth and there assume the forme of wretched man and in that forme worke such righteousnesse as might satisfie God satisfie the Law for the sinne of man and in that forme to bee borne in poverty to live in contempt and die in disgrace and all this to be done by the onely begotten Sonne of God for the good of man a creature that was become apostate a traytor to God a rebell to his lawes and the very cause and actor of his disgrace death and Tragedy O that I had but words to expresse the imaginations of my soule what formes of mercy we may see in our Saviour Jesus what slackenesse what scantinesse We must meditate what we cannot expresse in words nay what foulenesse of desert we finde in our selves his good and our evill are infinite therefore what we cannot expresse in words or workes let us devise it in our thoughts let us learne to believe and know our Saviour to bee infinite good though we cannot expresse his infinite goodnesse what we can doe to his glory let us by all meanes endeavour it what wee cannot doe our selves let us perswade others let us endeavour any thing that may adde any thing to the honour of our Saviour for in gaining his favour we shall have the fulnesse of all favour and in losing his favour we have naught but tribulation and misery he is the seale of the covenant of grace betweene God and as if wee want our seale wee shall want our assurance and so lose the favour of God A dangerous forfeit and forfeit our eternall estate in Heaven Therefore let us esteeme the favour of our Saviour before all things let us esteeme all things nothing in respect of him if he subscribe not to our pardon wee are but dead the Law hath cast us without him there is no grace no hope of favour no hope of pardon let us direct our eyes of faith unto him upon the bended knees of our heart and when we have found him whom our soule loveth let us resort to him in daily prayer winne his favour by endeavour in faithfull and carefull serving him and make him the sole end of our desires who hath wrought who hath effected our salvation Thus by the assistance of his grace I purpose to doe in my owne particular
us but it must be considered with what minde those things be wrought which be of themselves good whether of the affection of love and mercy or for some other cause Let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed verity 1 Iohn 3.18 for hee is not worthy straightway to have the commendation of good workes which doth bestow meate drinke and cloathing upon the poore not of the desire to do good but rather to hunt hauke for glory and praise in the sight of men wherefore all be not immediately good workes which be esteemed to be good unlesse they be such as doe profit their neighbours and that they do proceed from a good and faithfull heart and the affection of charity thereby our faith is exercised fed encreased and strengthened by good workes and that wee be assured by them in our consciences of our election and calling in that wee doe daily more and more feele the grace and vertue of Christ encreasing in us by meanes thereof like as on the contrary part evill workes doe expresse and shew forth more and more the malice and wickednesse of our hearts Therefore Saint Peter admonisheth us to make our election and vocation sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Eccles 28.10 for like as the fire by wasting much wood waxeth greater and stronger so is godlinesse and faith fedde and maintained in Christian men by the study and use of good workes even so by use exercise of vertuousnesse men doe come to a perfect habite of the same and so by imitation of their good workes others bee stirred up to the like desire of godlinesse when they doe see some lively examples in their neighbours that by the applying of good workes to the reliefe and necessities of the poore Jam. 1.27 John 3.17 Hebr. 13.1 2 3 16. needy widdowes fatherlesse prisoners sicke folkes and all other distressed which kind of goodnesse doth resemble the very disposition of God himselfe for the goodnesse which wee are created unto is not determined in the workes of mercy onely but it doth extend unto our whole life and common trade of living together Amity is the true bond of all humane society wherein one man is so knit unto another by mutuall love ayd and service even as the very members and parts of our body doe service one to the necessary use and ayde of the other wherefore they be not men but vaine shapes of men John 5.5 which doe vainely and idlely spend all their life as though they were borne to no other intent and end but to waste and consume upon themselves without regard to their Christian brethren or relieving and supplying their wants and necessities in time of need to which end they were chiefly and necessarily ordained of God next then to doe him service and divine worship for Saint Paul admonisheth all men to walke worthily in the sight of the Lord Col. 1.10 to please him in all points being fruitfull in all good workes for hee that is fruitfull in all good workes doth please the Lord in all things if they be done with a pure and sincere faith for they bee the fruits of faith for good workes are pleasing to God Good workes be done by the Spirit of God because they bee done by his Spirit for he doth worke in us both to will and to performe according unto his good will and pleasure therefore forasmuch as they come from him it cannot be but that they must be liked of him That which is just and good is loved of God as the authour and beginner of them Such is his justice that he loveth the same which is just and good being himselfe of all other most just and the rewarder of all good workes that proceed of faith but wee must not assume the reward of our good workes to proceed of our owne deserts but unto the goodnesse of God who doth worke the effects of godlinesse and charity in them that believe True and sincere love is an inseparable property in the godly no Christian without faith Iohn 15.17.12 13 14. and no faith without charity where there is not the brightnesse of charity neither is there the zeale of faith Note take away the light from the sun and thou maist aswell take charity from faith Charity is the outward act of the inward life of a Christian the body is dead without the spirit James 2.26 so faith is dead without charity He is not of Christ that hath not the Spirit of Christ and hee hath not the Spirit of Christ Gal. 5.22 that hath not the gift of charity for charity is the fruit of the Spirit and the bond of perfection Col. 3.14 Note As the members of the body are knit together by the Spirit that is the soule so the true members of the mysticall body of Christ are united by the holy Spirit in the bond of charity 1 King 6.21 22 Salomons Temple was all covered with gold within and without so let Gods Temple be all beautified with love and charity both within and without let charity move thy heart to compassion and thy hand to contribution for compassion is not sufficient unlesse there bee also outward contribution neither is outward contribution sufficient unlesse there be also inward compassion 1 Iohn 4.7 c. faith receiveth all from God and charity giveth againe unto our neighbours God is love and by faith we are partakers of his divine nature no man believeth in Christ which loveth not Christ and no man loveth Christ unlesse he love his neighbour neither doth he apprehend the benefits of Christ with true confidence of heart that doth deny his neighbour the office which hee oweth unto him That is not truly a good worke which proceedeth not from faith Rom. 14.13 neither is it truely a good work which proceedeth not from charity charity is the seed of all vertues it is no good fruit which springeth not from the root of charity for charity is the spirituall taste of the soule for unto it alone is every good thing sweet and pleasant every hard thing sweet yea all troubles and adversities sweet 1 Ioh. 13.34 35 It profits not to give all that one hath unto the poore if hee hath not charity for the outward action is done in hypocrisie if there bee not inward love Rivers of bounty profit not unlesse it spring from the fountaine of charity Charity is patient for no man is easily angry with him that he loveth charity is bountifull for hee that by charity hath bestowed his heart which is the chiefe good of the soule how can he deny his outward goods to his neighbour which are of farre lesse worth Charity envieth not because hee that hath charity looketh unto anothers good as upon his owne Charity thinketh no ill 1 Cor. 13.1 c. but loveth truly and from his heart Charity is the bridle of anger Charity is simply
thereof to gaine this honour and for to gaine this honour let us spend our houres spend our actions and our endeavours nay let us spend our honours and all to make this purchase let us run our spirituall course with alacrity seeing this honour is proposed us when we have it let us esteeme it precious it was given by grace it cannot be redeemed by nature let us esteeme it as it is worthy and having once obtained the honour to be the childe of grace nay the childe of God let us carry that honourable title to our grave and with that wee will present our selves in the day of judgement before God our honourable Father and before the honourable company of Angels and Saints and then it will appeare by direct evidence before all the world whether our honour in being the childe of God regenerate and made the sonne of God which the world despised Jerem 4.2 or their transitory honour and prosperity of fortune wherein they gloried and proudly exalted themselves be of better proofe worth or esteeme when God shall call us his sonnes and bid us enter the Kingome of our joy and call them reprobates and bid them enter their prison bonds Matth. 25.46 John 5.29 and paines perpetuall this will be the blessed priviledge our honour will then give unto us therefore to be regenerate thereby to have God our Father and our friend let us not care what neglect what scorne and what disgraces the world cast upon us for as those will vanish with time yet so will our honour be as God our Father is infinite in joy infinite in worth infinite in time let us therefore infinitely esteeme of it and by all meanes strive to attaine it Amen Of Sanctification SEeing that hee which is regenerate is also sanctified and made holy but it is not derived to us from our parents Ephes 2.10 But Almighty God is the fountaine and proper efficient cause of our sanctification and holinesse whose worke-manship wee are created in Christ Jesus unto good workes Colos 1.13 who in mercy hath translated us out of the kingdome of darkenesse and hath delivered us from the power of the Divell and made us fit for the Kingdome of his beloved Sonne Ephes 2.4 5. in whom hee hath quickened us through his love and riches of his mercy together with Christ even when wee were dead in sins him hath God lifted up with his right hand Acts 5.31 to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto his chosen Hebr. 2.4 and forgivenesse of sinnes and albeit our sanctification be the worke of the whole Trinity yet it is immediately performed by the holy Ghost because hee doth set us on fire and inflame us with a zeale of Gods glory with a care of our duty and with a love of all men Sanctification is the very translation and alteration of the heart and life of man or a spirituall reduction and conversion of a man from his wickednesse unto God and from the uncleannesse of sin to true purity and Christian sanctity The persons sanctified are such as are elected Rom. 8.30 called and justified therefore the Apostle saith that whom God predestinated called and justified them also he glorified these are truly sanctified whom he maketh to be the temples of his Spirit Sanctification of the body is that whereby the members thereof are made fit instruments for the soule regenerated to worke the workes of God with it being become obedient to the minde illumined 1 Cor. 6.19 and the heart reformed through the worke of the Spirit who now hath made it the temple of his holinesse whereas before it was a slave to the flesh and a shop of uncleanenesse and iniquity Ephes 2.8 It is a most gracious and free worke of the Lord without all obligation or merite of ours for the Spirit of God bloweth with the blasts of his grace both when how where and on whom he lifteth and the Apostle teacheth us Verse 4 5. that wee are quickened together with Christ through whose great love and grace wee are saved this is the vertue of Christs resurrection by the power of his God-head raising up his man-hood and releasing him of the punishment and tyranny of our sins by which vertue and power wee are quickened and restored that wee might live unto God in holinesse and newnesse of life Note Now the sanctification of the soule consists in the alteration of the mind the renovation of the will Note the sanctification of the memory and the regeneration of the conscience in the alteration of the mind whereby ignorance is by little and little abolished and the mind enlightened to know the true God and his mercy in Christ and to know and understand a mans selfe and his secret corruptions against the Law of God and to know how to behave himselfe towards God and man as also to prove the things of God and to mind and meditate on things spirituall and celestiall The renovation of the will is when God gives a man grace truely to will good as to believe honour feare and obey God the sanctification of the memory is an aptnesse by grace to keepe and to bee mindfull of good things especially of the doctrine of our salvation and such like the regeneration of the conscience is when it is fitted to give true testimony to a mans heart of the remission of his sinnes and of the carefulnesse of his care to serve God and to doe other good duties concerning our Christian brethren it consists also in the spirituall transformation of the affections as joy love sadnesse feare anger and such like whereby a man that is justified doth so temper them by his reason refined and by the light of the Law with the helpe of the holy Spirit that they do not break out as in the wicked that give the reines to their lusts but are held in some good order howbeit in this life this is not done without much strife and reluctation of the flesh and Spirit and is rather affected then effected Here we must observe that sanctification doth not alter the substance of man but onely his corrupt and sinfull qualities it rectifieth affections but abolisheth them not it corrects and moderates mirth sorrow anger and such humane passions but takes them not quite away it tunes the jarring strings of a mans heart but breakes them not in peeces As the fall of man did not abolish a mans essence but corrupt his faculties even so the raising up and renovation of man doth not alter his very substance but doth onely change his corrupted qualities and powers this visible reformation of a man is when hee dedicates himselfe unto God and good duties to his neighbours whose sinnes bee abandoned which before raigned in his heart This worke of the Spirit is wrought in the whole man but it belongs chiefely to the faithfull and elect of God for civill moralities and
outward formalities and such graces as doe onely bridle and represse sinne may befall the reprobate but Christian vertues and such graces as doe supplant and suppresse sinne in our soules and doe revive and restore Gods Image in us such workes of the Spirit Heb. 2.11 are constantly to be found onely in true believers This new birth of regeneration or sanctification in man is so needfull as that without it we cannot be saved The Kingdome of grace is the suburbes of the Kingdome of glory hee therefore that walkes not through the suburbs shall never enter into the City A man must first walke in the Kingdome of grace or else hee shall never be admitted into the Kingdome of glory no grace no glory no holinesse no happinesse John 3. no heaven no heavenly honour Except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of God neither in this woeld or in the world to come Sanctification is an unresistable act of the Spirit for when the holy Ghost doth intend to sanctifie a man he doth so worke upon him with his power that he shall willingly yeeld to the holy Spirit how unwilling so ever his will be by nature for the body must first rot before grace shall raigne without disturbance Note Titus 3.5 6 7. It is true indeed that the corruption of our nature is abolished in baptisme in respect of guilt and condemnation but not in regard of existence and being of it but in that it shall be no impediment of salvation to them that are baptised with water and the holy Ghost for it is to such no Prince but a rebell onely neither shall it damâ—e them nor dominere within them yet so long as wee live sinne will not die in us nor be utterly abolished Greenham for before there be an universall cleansing there must â—e a dissolution of nature and death must end the conflict betweene the flesh and the Spirit And although those that are regenerated may bee termed just and perfect yet it is onely in comparison of the wicked who are in bondage under sinne and for that they are perfect in respect of imputative righteousnesse because Psal 32.1 2. like infants they have all the parts of a Christian though not the perfection of those parts all the seeds of saving graces are sowne in their hearts but they have not the full growth of them in this life sinne will still remaine within us but it shall not raigne over us and albeit holinesse and sinne be contrary yet may they bee both in one subject as night and darknesse in the ayre at the twilight be remisly there and neither of them predominant or absolute victor but remayning in continuall combate Now why the Lord doth not finish sanctification in man in this life the reasons may be these that wee might seeke diligently after perfection and more earnestly and ardently to covet and desire it more and more that in despising this world and the vanities thereof wee might the more earnestly affect and contemplate our heavenly Country and life as knowing that our perfect sanctification shall not be wrought till wee come in Heaven Vrsine and that thereby wee might be humbled and exercised in faith patience hope and prayers and that contending and skirmishing with the flesh and the lusts thereof we might not wax proud with conceit of our owne perfection but daily pray Psal 143.1 Math. 6 12. Enter not into judgement with thy servants O Lord forgive us our trespasses and that we may exercise our selves in repentance all the daies of our life knowing that there is no end of this warfare but in death Thus doth the Lord continue us in his service that wee might exercise our spirituall wisdome Revel 5.6 Christian fortitude and magnanimity in defeating the wiles of sinne and the plots of the divell and like couragious Captaines to contend against all our spirituall adversaries and finally in disdaining to give way and place to the flesh that abominable and filthy wretch The Lord by this doth shew his absolute authority over us that hee is not bound unto us to perfect his graces in us in this life for then were it injustice in him not to doe it Psal 145.17 for God is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes and cannot offer the least injustice but God doth this to manifest his mercy to us and to teach us thankfulnesse to him who pardoneth our weake obedience and accepteth of our poore endeavours unperfect holinesse and imperfect righteousnesse and perfection our weake resolutions our imperfect desires motions and meditations if they bee faithfull and intire and directed to the right ends he for his Christs sake doth pardon all our defects which argueth mercy on his part and claymeth gratitude on ours In this the Lord doth demonstrate his wonderfull providence and power in protecting defending and conserving us against so many puissant and pernicious enemies as wee are begirt with notwithstanding our great unworthinesse weaknesses and imperfections Rom. 11.29 This worke of the Spirit is never cleane extinguished and the gifts of God are without repentance The graces of God in his children are not as morning mirts but as well built towers to withstand the assaults of their enemies let us be perswaded in our selves Phil. 1.6 that hee which hath begun this good worke of sanctification in us will continue performe and end it for what should hinder his good will is most constant and his might is over all sinne Satan and all the enemies of our soules must yeeld their power to his obedience his eye is waking and all seeing his wisdome is infinite his Essence every where his power divine without resistance and his mercy endureth for ever What then can what then shall hinder his worke of grace hee hath joyned us to Christ Hos 2.19 who shall dis-joyne us hee hath wedded us unto himselfe what can divorce us hee is with us who can be against us Christ is our King wee are his subjects wee need not therefore doubt of his favour and protection towards us Matth. 16.18 hee hath built us upon a rocke that hell gates shall not prevaile against us by faith wee believe in Christ that faith is a rocke fixed and inviolable 2 Tim. 1.1 it will shine like a star in the night of adversity it maketh the elect joyfull under the shew of sorrow and quickeneth them under the shew of death it healeth them under the shew of sickenesse and enricheth them under the shew of poverty and savours most like Camomel when it is troden upon and hope is the anchor of the soule it will endure both winds and waves Hebr. 6.19 and this worlds stormes and love is as strong as death Know yee not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.16 that yee are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Know you not that your body is the temple of
good King Hezekiah 2 King 20.5 6. whose successe of his faith was such as it effected what he desired namely in his sicknesse hee recovered health and had fifteene yeares added to his life after the Lord sayd by his Prophet that he should dye This is a comfortable example to bee applyed to the case of him that is deeply diseased within with sin and without with crosses and calamities wherein if he seeke the Lord in this lively and working faith hee will offer himselfe unto him The efficacy of faith and make him see the issue of his hope even delivery out of all his troubles The prayers of the faythfull are of wonderfull effect for thereby God sheweth himselfe to bee a God of great compassion and exceeding in mercy towards all believers and at an instant hee heareth and in his good time for Christ his sake hee granteth our desires as is seene in this example of Hezekiah whose prayer no sooner issued out of his mouth but his petition was granted and the Lords mercy came to meete as it were the Kings miseries whereby we may learne that the faythfull soule being in distresse hath God as present as if Heaven and earth were conjoyned together No distance of place or processe of time can prevent God to performe his will in a moment of time but where prayer is and fayth the ground of it there is the presence of God Esay 49. who giveth presently or delayeth for a time according to his will alwayes for the best and good of the faythfull petitioner God delayed to grant Davids request a long time suffering him to live in banishment and in the wildernesse crying yet at the last in an acceptable time hee delivered him and made him King over Israel Gen. 41.1 c. so Ioseph made long suite and prayed unto the Lord being in prison and no doubt the Lord heard him yet in two yeeres he gave him not his liberty but when the time was come wherein occasion was administred for his advancement hee then not only gave him freedome but also made him viceroy as it were over all Egypt thus doth God often try our faith whether it be sound or not and after proofe thereof by patience then it hath the reward Infinite examples might be shewen of the force of faith Hebr. 11. how it stopped the Lyons mouthes how it qualified the heat of the fire and how faith gave David the victory over Goliah but let these suffice And sith that faith and humble prayer are so effectuall 1 Sam. 17.46 c. let us not rest dissolute and carelesse to seeke it but with all diligence and carefulnesse let us aske it of the Lord and hee will give it us abundantly so shall wee be able to performe and bring mighty things to passe beyond humane expectation the examples in the Scriptures are common they are infinite which may confirme our faith seeke therefore the Scriptures the sweet Manna of our soules they will shew us the admirable things which have beene wrought by lively faith let us therefore assure our selves that this God who hath done for us wonderfull things will be present also at our prayers and if wee aske faithfully he will bring such things to passe for us as shall seeme marvellous to the eyes of men Now sith this excellent sweet and surpassing jewell is the gift of God and that he giveth all his rich blessings freely and for nought let us not feare to frame our prayers unto him in all humble obedience and goe freely to the throne of Grace and he will give us at large what wee shall desire in faith In briefe faith is the hand of the soule which layeth hold of the promises of Christ in the mercy of the Almighty she hath a bright eye that pierceth heaven a holy eare a cleare heart and a sure foot standing upon a rocke she is the strength of hope the trust of truth the honour of amity and the joy of love she is rare among the sonnes of men and hardly found among the children of women but to the sonnes of God she is the assurance of their inheritance and in the children of grace she is the promise of their portions shee lookes toward heaven but lives in the world in the soules of the elect to the glory of the Electour shee was wounded in Paradise by a dart of the Divell and healed of her hurt by the death of Christ Jesus faith is Gods blessing and mans blisse reasons comfort and the glory of vertue Of Hope AFter the knowledge of God which is by faith there followeth hope love patience invocation and feare of God obedience and such other like which doe belong unto true godlinesse wherefore like as before is noted those things which a godly person ought to consider of God and to conceive by the knowledge of him and his Sonne Christ So it is meet to speake of those things which doe follow in the knowledge of God in us without the which true godlinesse can take no place for those things which be recited before of God cannot doe us any good unlesse wee doe depend upon him in sincere faith hope charity patience invocation reverence and obedience for as of true faith is said sufficiently before What is the hope of Christian men Rom. 1.24 25. it is not amisse likewise to note something touching hope for the definition of hope it is an expectation of things to come for the Apostle saith that we are saved by hope but hope which is seene is no hope but if we hope for that we see not then doe wee with patience abide for it looking and hoping to be adopted the children of God and to looke for the delivery of our bodies which is to come by the resurrection and glorifying of the children of God therefore the hope of true Christians is the assured and unmoveable expectation of those things which be promised unto us in Christ Jesus 1 Pet. 1.13 Hebr. 6.17 18 19 20. whereof nothing doth appeare to us in this life but wee shall have the full fruition of our constant hope in the world to come at the comming of our Saviour to deliver us and to bring us out of the middest of evill the rising againe of our bodies to glory and life everlasting salvation and felicity the fellowship of Angels yea of Christ himselfe and the perfect sight and knowledge of God besides that which neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor the heart of man conceived which is provided for the elect of God Christian hope is bred of faith and commeth of the knowledge of God because wee doe know that God is in creating Almighty in governing wise in preserving just in helping good and in his promises true and sure and wee doe credit his promises and the same which wee doe credit and believe in faith that wee doe looke for also with a fast and a firme hope for
afflictions that wee must abide them not onely patiently but with joy also through faith and hope Whosoever is wretched and afflicted is to be pitied and relieved for that he is distressed and afflicted the Samaritan which is spoken of in the Gospel did pity Luk 10.30 c. relieve and helpe him that was falne into the hands of thieves having no respect of his Country or religion but in consideration that hee was a man himselfe hee had compassion and tooke pitty of the miserable case and perill of the man distressed therefore it is a good and charitable deed and to be used of all men towards their Christian brethren to relieve helpe succour and comfort the needy distressed and afflicted person not onely for that hee is afflicted but for his Saviour Christ his sake who hath commanded it wee ought to doe good to all men as the Apostle saith Gal. 6.10 Especially to them which are of the houshold of faith there must mercy also be shewed unto him that is chastened for his sinnes God is well pleased withall and doth require it as wee may perceive in Esay where he charged the Moabites lovingly to entreat the Israelites whom hee had scourged for their sinnes Hide the chased saith he Esay 16.3 4. and bewray not them that are fled let them that are persecuted dwell with thee and be thou their refuge Therefore seeing that it is a worke of true goodnesse to have pitty and mercy upon the distressed and afflicted wee ought not to enquire after their religion life and occasion of their affliction at what time wee ought to succour them but for compassion sake to bestow our ayd and reliefe upon them in their distresse and miseries as men afflicted for their misery and affliction doth sufficiently declare their wants and necessities but when the afflicted is thus perplexed vexed grieved and in anguish they must patiently suffer and beare them and not despairingly runne to desperation nor to rest dissolute and carelesse what become of them but they must in Christs Name repaire unto God who although he be offended will yet shew mercy for hee doth not cast off upon every offence nor revenge every wrong as the world doth Luke 15.20 but like the Father of that unthrifty sonne receiveth againe him that strayed and lovingly imbraceth him that returneth unto him by true and serious repentance faithfull prayer and holy contemplation and uprightnesse of living with the consideration of Gods purpose in afflicting him for hee may not censure these evils or the least of them to come by chance as the world often and most rashly and unadvisedly affirmeth or that they befall him by reason of the unfortunate Planet Psal 73.5 Esay 47.13 under which he was borne as the starre-gazer fondly maintaineth for the Lord God Almighty that high and incomprehensible Jehovah Revel 1.8 that everlasting Alpha and Omega He which was and is and is to come he is the former framer creator preserver and governour of all things and who but hee made and prepared those famous starres in the Firmament Iob 38. Esay 51.13 Psal 89.13 Arcturus Orion and Pleiades who spread forth the Heavens like a curtaine who limited the North and South climates who made the Sunne and Moone but hee and therefore let all men thinke that his creatures which he hath formed framed and placed for the use and behoofe of man for the distinction of times and seasons and to give light unto the earth and his creatures thereon keepe every of them his Sphere as a walke whereas unto a continuall taske they are tyed by the omnipotent Commander who keepeth them without variation in the first course doing their continuall service and labour for the behoofe of man as other creatures doe and are not as Gods or governours of mans nature neither can they dispose of their inclinations constitutions or affections or make them happy or unhappy but are ruled governed and commanded by God as other inferiour creatures are to stand and move at his pleasure the Sunne stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the Valley of Aialon Iosh 10.13 2 King 20.10 and that for a whole day so the Sunne at the commandement of the Lord retyred ten degrees in the Firmament as a signe for Hezechias health which proveth that these creatures are as all other even subject to the will of the superiour Governour who needeth not the helpe of such weake meanes to worke the long or short life of man the happy or unhappy estate of man the poore or rich portion of man 1 Sam. 2.6 7 8 or any matter belonging to the soule or body of man but all cometh from his sacred wisedome and divine providence all men are in his hands as the clay in the Potters and he frameth and forgeth of all formes and fashions Rom. 9.21 some to honour some to dishonour some to bee high some to bee low some to bee rich some to be poore some to be reverenced and some to bee despised afflicted and persecuted and every man must rest contented with his portion bee it good or bad sweet or sowre And therefore bee not so hardy and voyd of reason as to dreame that thy constitution inclination good or bad successe in thy proceedings the prosperous or adverse issues of thine endeavours thine estate poore or rich or thy troubles and afflictions proceedeth from the influence dominion rule or power of these creatures but that a divine and supernaturall cause worketh that in thee which the wit of man cannot conceive wherein though the world afford thee no comfort All our afflictions troubles miseries and calamities which happen unto us commeth of our sinnes yet art thou bound by an inward bond of duty to acknowledge all thine infirmities all thine afflictions and all the crosses which happen and fall upon thee to proceed even from thine owne sinnes and filthy corruptions as buffets to rouze thee from the forgetfulnesse of thy duty to his sacred Majesty for thy roving and ranging astray after vaine and foolish things superfluous desires and overmuch negligence of thy calling and in great love and favour doth thy loving father give thee these gentle corrections even of mercy to reclaime thee from the way of sinne unto a more sincere and sacred course of life Heb. 12. So that the troubles and miseries and all the adverse things that can befall us are Gods gentle chastisements to his children to reforme them but to the obstinate and unbeleeving they are messengers of his judgements Numb 14.2 Judg 6. Judg. 10. and utter renunciation who by his punishments waxe worse and worse who doe murmure and grudge at the course he taketh to amend them as did the rebellious Israelites whom he did often visit in mercy before he entred into judgement with them hee calleth us by his punishments from perils to the end wee should not be subject to the dangerous security of a pleasing estate
and obey God in every one of his commandements but if at any time through frailty thou slippest into any sin wallow not in it but speedily rise out of it by unfaigned repentance praying for pardon till thy conscience be pacified thy hatred of sin increased and thy purpose of amendment confirmed God gives many blessings lest through want being his childe thou shouldest despaire and he sendeth thee some crosses lest by too much prosperity playing the foole thou shouldest presume but in all thy will have an eye to Gods Will lest thy selfe action turne to thine owne destruction count therefore Christ thy chiefest joy and sin thy greatest griefe estimate no want to the want of grace nor any losse to the losse of Gods favour and then the discontentment which grows by outward meanes 1 Tim. 6.8 9. shall the lesse perplexe thine inward mind and bestow no more thought of worldly things then thou needes must Col. 3.1 2. for the discharge of thy place and the maintenance of thine estate but still let thy care be greater for heavenly then for earthly things and be more grieved for dishonour done unto God than for an injury offered to thy selfe but if any private injury be offered unto thee Psalm 139.21 c. Eccles 28. Rom. 12.13.20.21 beare it as a Christian with patience Never was an innocent man wronged but if patiently hee bare his crosse he overcame in the end but if thou frettest and vexest at thy wrongs offered the hurt which thou doest to thy selfe is more then that which thine enemies can do unto thee neither canst thou more rejoyce him then to heare that it throughly vexeth thee but if thou canst shew patience on earth Deut. 32.35 36. God will shew himselfe just from heaven but if thine enemy still continueth in his malice and increase in his mischiefe give thou thy selfe unto prayer Jerem. 11.20 committing thy selfe and commending thy case unto the righteous judge of heaven and earth and in the meane while waite with David on the Lord Psal 27.14 be of good courage and he shall comfort thine heart undertake not an evill case for no mans sake for it is not that man but God that shall judge thee doe not therefore preferre the favour of men before the grace and favour of God and esteeme no sinne little For the curse of God is due to the least and the least would have damned thee had not the Sonne of God died for thee Ezek. 9.4 Mark 3.5 bewaile therefore the misery of thine owne estate and as occasion is ministred mourne for the iniquity of the time pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse in thy conversation be thou courteous towards all grievous to none familiar with few live piously to God-ward to thy selfe chastly to thy neighbour justly shew favour to thy friend shew patience to thy enemy let thy good will be towards all and shew thy bounty to them that have need thinke often of the shortnesse of thy life and the certainety of thy death and wish rather a good life then a long die daily to thy selfe and mortifie the vices of the flesh so in death thou shalt live unto God let mercy appeare in thy affection goodnesse in thy action curtesie in thy countenance humility in thy attire modesty in thy neighbourhood and patence in tribulation alwaies thinke upon three things past the evill which thou hast committed the good which thou hast omitted and the time which thou hast pretermitted thinke alwaies upon three things present the brevity of this life the difficulty of being and the paucity of them that shall be saved alwaies thinke upon three things to come death then which nothing is more horrible judgement then which nothing is more terrible and the paines of hell then which nothing is more intolerable Every evening reconcile thy selfe to God by prayer for thy sins past that day and give thankes to God for giving thee time to repent there are three things above thee which never let slip out of thy memory the eye that sees all the eare that heares all and the dreadfull Judge which punisheth all bewaile the evils past remember thy sinnes grieve for them and pray for amendment remember Gods justice that thou maist bee kept in feare remember Gods mercy that thou maist not dispaire as much as thou canst withdraw thy selfe from the world and the vanities therof and addict thy selfe wholly to the service of God study to please none but Christ and feare to displease none but him pray unto God to pardon and forgive thee what is past and to governe and amend in thee what is to come God hath communicated himselfe wholly unto thee therefore communicate thou thy selfe wholly unto thy neighbour that is the best life that is busied in the service of others shew reverence and obedience unto thy superiour instruct and defend thy inferiour give counsell and ayd unto thy equall let thy body be subject to thy minde and thy minde to God for thy workes doe not passe away but are cast as certaine seeds of eternity Gal. 6.8 Therefore if thou sowest in the flesh of the flesh thou shalt reape corruption if thou sowest in the Spirit of the Spirit thou shalt reape life everlasting after death the honour of the world shall not follow thee neither shall thy heape of riches follow thee Revel 14.13 neither shall thy pleasures follow thee neither shall the vanities of the world follow thee but thy workes shall follow after thee Therefore to day appeare to be such in the sight of God as thou desirest to be esteemed at the day of judgement learne to live in this life as thou wouldest obtaine eternall life for in this life is eternall life obtained or lost therefore let holy meditations bring forth in thee knowledge Prov. 15.8 and knowledge compunction and compunction devotion and let thy devotion make earnest intercession unto God by prayer for the silence of the mouth is a great good for the peace of the heart James 1.19 O the shame when a man 's owne tongue shall be produced as a witnesse against himselfe to the confusion of his owne shame Therefore let thy words be few but advised forethinke whether that which thou art to speake be fit to be spoken affirme no more then what thou knowest to bee true and be rather silent then to speake to an ill or no purpose Let thy heart and tongue ever goe together in honesty and truth 1 Pet. 2.1 hate lying and dissembling in an other detest it in thy selfe or God will detest thee for it for he hateth a lyar and his father the divell alike let not thine anger remaine when thou seest the cause removed and ever distinguish twixt him that offendeth of infirmity and against his will Prov. 6.30 Acts 3.17 1 Tim. 1.13 Psal 59.5 and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose
infinite of himselfe yet all creatures being his owne it doth please him to force the obedience of every creature to give some proofe and testimony of his justice or mercy whereby God may receive glory in their acknowledgements God then is glorified in all his workes but in a double manner hee is principally glorified in the workes of his mercy he is also glorified in his judgements but the riches of Gods glory Rom. 9. â—5 Osee 1.10 Deut. 26.18 19 consisteth principally in the vessels of his mercy because thier glory is his glory and hee doth dignifie himselfe in their advancement Therefore did God choose the Israelites for his peculiar people that by his most powerfull delivering them and by their demonstrations of duty and service God might bee honoured in the memory of his greatnesse over all the world and receive glory in the report of his admirable protection God is also glorified in his judgements for though the reprobate and damned in their lives they rather care to dishonour God their Creatour yet will God be honoured in the punishment of their lives and force them to give demonstration of his justice and holinesse for God can turne their ends and purposes to his owne end and glory and make that set forth his glory which was intended to his dishonour and those that will not give him glory for his mercy his justice will in despight of ungodlinesse compell them to give him glory for judgement though God esteeme it the greater honour to be glorified in the witnesses of his mercy because in Gods nature mercy is preheminent and doth triumph yet it is much to the glory of God that the witnesses of his judgements shall be prompted by their lamentable experience to acknowledge that God is infinite both in power and justice therefore we ought both to glorifie God Iob 36.24 and to glory in God for if we glory in any thing but in God godlinesse we are condemned if we glorifie in any thing but God we are likewise condemned of him for he is our strength and light of our countenance he hath ordayned us for an holy end to his glory and if we glorifie him here on earth he will glorifie us with himselfe in Heaven but if we neglect to glorifie him that is our glory hee will glorifie himselfe in our destruction and make us in the feeling torments of our damnation glorifie him with this acknowledgement that he is God of most excellent soveraigne Majesty and that hee is most gracious in his mercy Vers 22 23 Psal 18. but most terrible in his judgements and with this acknowledgement will God bee honoured of the divels and damned creatures whose intollerable and unsufferable torments in their condemnation shall bee arguments of proofe to conclude Gods glory Seeing God hath created all things for his owne glory and seeing that hee will be glorified in the severall executions of his justice and mercy in the salvation or damnation of his creatures Job 37. 38. for in all sensible things there is a speciall nature in which they are obedient whereby they glorifie God in finishing the end of their creation for which they were ordayned God hath commanded the motion of the Heavens The purpose of Gods providence proceedeth without stay to the determinate end and effect which he had before ordained should come to passe the influence of the Starres the nature of the Elements and the severall nature of every severall thing to keepe their course all these continuing their course and nature give most notable demonstrations of Gods glory by whom they were created and thus disposed in nature if these things which are subject to time and must perish doe notwithstanding discharge the duties of their nature and so by consequence approve themselves to be the instruments of Gods glory shall men then whom God hath created for the like end of his glory and to whom hee hath given a soule divine and of most excellent understanding and for whom hee hath created the world the most admirable worke of his owne hands shall these bee carelesse in this high duty and shall the elements and unreasonable creatures be carefull shall men be exceeded of beasts in the execution of their reasonable service God hath not threatned their neglects with hell and the torments thereof nor promised to reward their diligence with Heaven and the joyes thereof but God doth both promise and threaten men yet are men lesse carefull then beasts This may worthily remember those men or rather those beasts who make a God of themselves and their unlawfull pleasures and then dedicate themselves their labours and the glory of their actions to a godlesse prophane and licencious trade of life those that will not glorifie God of choice must not doe it by force for the time will come when God will whip them for their prophane ungodly and licentious living with the roddes of his judgements and make them in despight of ungodlinesse to glorifie God in suffering of the torments of hell and their owne conscience and with horrour without profit or pitty to acknowledge God and the terrible justice of so great a Majesty This should remember all the children of God that in all the cares of this Christian life they have their maine respect to Gods glory and that God have the first place in their hearts even before the desire of their owne salvation and that their salvation be desired rather that God may be glorified thereby then to desire to glorifie God for their owne salvation that so God may bee first in all our cares that wee love him more then owne soules and preferre his honour before our owne salvation Therefore let all men love and honour God for his owne sake love him for his goodnesse love him for his truth love him for his mercy love him for his justice and let this love be so respectlesse of all by considerations as that neither heaven hell nor our owne soules perswade us so much as the reverence and zealous affection we have to the love of God for he that thus loveth God doth glorifie him and shall bee sure to be glorified of him eternally in the Heavens Let us therefore discharge the summe of all our actions into this Ocean of Gods glory let us propose and pursue that end onely let us not respect the vaine shews and purposes of men let us esteeme them light and value them lesse let us remember that they are transitory deceiving and destroying vanities and will leave vs flatter us and will deceive us let us reduce to memory the mighty Monarches of the world the most admirable in naturall enduments and the most fortunate in earthly prosperities Jerem. 2.3 when wee examine their worth wee shall find nothing but a bare remembrance of their names Eccles 9.5 6. and those neglected by the power of time themselves and their regards are vanished their acts are perished and all these
labour in the minde and a peaceable trouble in the senses Wherefore love exceedeth all the knowledge of all other mysteries and cannot be but in the godly The reason why our love of God is not perfect in this life because the measure of our love is according to the measure of our knowledge 1 Cor. 13.12 13. now in this life we know God but in part as in a glasse but then shall we know him face to face and then shall wee be perfectly blessed and because wee shall then perfectly know him therefore we shall then perfectly love him but no man can hope to have the perfect love of God in the world to come Note which beginneth not first to love God in this world The kingdome of God must begin in the heart of man in this life or else it cannot be consummated in the life to come without the love of God in this life there is no desire of eternall life How then can that man be partaker of the chiefest good which seeketh it not which desireth it not which loveth it not such as thy love is such art thou because thy love transformeth thee into it selfe for love is the chiefest couple because the lover and the thing beloved becommeth one What hath conjoyned the most just God and wretched sinners being infinitely distant in worth Note one from the other but the infinite love of God And because the infinite justice of God might not be weakned the infinite price and love of Christ interceded betwixt sinfull man and the infinite justice of God Againe what hath joyned together God the Creator and the faithfull soule created things infinitely distant but love In the life which is eternall wee shall be joyned to God in the chiefest degree because wee shall then love him in the chiefest degree love uniteth and transformeth therefore he that loveth carnall things shall be carnall if thou lovest the world thou shalt become worldly 1 Cor. 48.49 50 c. but flesh and blood cannot inherite the kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherite incorruption but if thou lovest God and celestiall things thou shalt become celestiall Note The love of God is the Chariot of Elias ascending up into heaven the love of God is the joy of the mind the Paradise of the soule it excludeth the world it overcometh the Divell it shutteth hell it openeth heaven unto us and pleadeth mercy in the justice of the Almighty the love of God is that seale with which God sealeth his servants the elect Rev. 7.3 4. Ephes 4.30 At the last judgement God will acknowledge none to be his but those that are sealed with this seale For faith it selfe the onely instrument of our Justification and Salvation is not true faith unlesse it doe demonstrate it selfe by true love for there is no true faith unlesse there be a firme confidence and there is no firme confidence without the love of God and that benefit received is not acknowledged for which wee doe not give thankes and we doe not give thankes to him which wee doe not love If therefore thy faith be true it will acknowledge the benefit of our redemption wrought by Christ Jesus it will acknowledge and give thanks Note it wil give thanks and love that gracious God who hath bestowed all these saving benefits upon us the love of God is the life and rest of the soule when the soule by death departs from the body then the life of the body departeth but when God departeth out of the soule by reason of sins then the life of the soule departeth Againe God dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes 5.17 Rom. 5.5 God dwels in the soule by love because the love of God is infused into the hearts of the elect by the inspiration of the holy Spirit there is no tranquillity of the soule without the love of God the world the flesh and the divell doe much disquiet it but God is the true rest of the soule Ephes 3.19 and the fulnesse of the knowledge of Christ is the fulnesse of the knowledge and love of God there is no peace of conscience but to those that are justified by faith in Christ there is no love of God but in them that have a filiall confidence in God To conclude in the praise of this peerelesse vertue love is the grace of nature and the glory of reason the blessing of God and the comfort of the world therefore let the love of the world the love of our soules and the love of the creatures die in us that the love of God may live and abound in us which God of his grace beginne in us in this world and perfect in the world to come This love of God is wrought by the meanes of the same spirit dwelling in Christ and the faithfull and incorporateth the faithfull as members unto Christ their head Rom. 8. and so makes them one with Christ and partakers of all the graces holinesse and eternall glory which is in him as sure and as verily as they heare the Word of promise and are partakers of the outward signes of the holy Sacrament Verse 39. What then can be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord The properties of Charity and true Love to our Christian brethren CHrist Jesus our Saviour gave himselfe for us to redeeme us from all our sinnes and wickednesse Titus 2.14 and to purge us a peculiar people followers of good workes To this purpose wee are admonished of the Lord Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes Math. 5.16 c. and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Therefore whilst wee have time let us doe good towards all men and especially towards them of the household of faith To this use the holy Scriptures were given unto us for all Scripture inspired from God 2 Tim. 3.16 17 is profitable to teach to reprove to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God bee perfect and instructed to all good workes It is cleare then that we be not so justified by faith that wee should bee unprofitable barren and unfruitfull of good workes but rather that giving our selves continually unto good workes wee should advance the glory of Gods grace and shew it before the eyes of all men as the light of our new creation for we are regenerated in Christ Eph. 4.23 24. and thereby wee doe declare our selves to bee justified before men Therefore let us not onely shew our selves to be Christians in name but to become good of evill and to declare that goodnesse received of Christ by good workes for they be as certaine fruits of our life witnessing the goodnesse of our mind and declaring the nature of our heavenly Father Good workes bee the workes of faith which worketh by love they be the workes of God which hee worketh in us and by