a building the foundation is first in the naturall generation of the members the heart This also is done the first being Thou shalt have no other Gods before me Scopus primi mandati The scope of the first Commandement Then to observe our former rules It s said Fines mandatorum sunt diligenter observandi the end of the Commandements are diligently to be observed We must first know what intent God had in giving this Commandement The end of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beget good It s said that the generall end of this Commandement 1 Cor. 10.31 is the glory of God of the first table godlinesse holinesse or religion Religion being an action must needs proceed from something and so it doth For that that it commeth from is the soule of man and principally from the spirit of it In that regard it is compared Matth. 12.35 Luke 6.45 to a treasure-house out of which good men bring good things evill men evill things for that as the furniture of any part of the house commeth from thence so in like state is it of outward worship of the tongue the hand the eye it commeth de bon◠thesauro cordis out of the good treasure of the heart if it be good our worship will be good as mala de malo Mat. 15.19 The breaches of it commeth from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For out of the heart proceed evill thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies This then we see in as much as this is principall 1. Regard must be had of his spirituall worship and it s the scope of the first Commandement It s said that according to the superiour end the Commandement is esteemed quo prior finis eo prior necessitas the more principall the end is the more prime the necessity The first table before the second Mar. 2.27 man was made the end of the Sabbath not the Sabbath the end of man therefore the breach of the outward part of the Sabbath must yeeld to the health of man This is generall the higher the end the nearer the necessity Therefore this precept is primae necessitatis of chiefe necessity This was never dispensed with nor ever shall be Now we come to the second Which is the first rule in extension to the affirmative part of the Commandement The negative was Thou shalt have none other Gods The affirmative part is set downe Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve And in his allegation out of Deut. 6.13.10.20 Thou shalt worship one God or to answer the negative Thou shalt have me alone for thy God This is done in the third rule which is the drawing of it into particular branches The second rule herein is best First to follow the plaine order and to see how many propositions will naturally arise out of it and they be three First we must have a God Secondly we must have him for our God Thirdly we must have him alone for our God So you see The affirmative as a proposition compounded of three propositions Propositiones primi mandati The Propositions of the first Commandement First that we should have a God the meaning of this that we should not be our selves Gods which was the beginning of all mischiefe judging of good and evill by our owne choice but to knowledge a superiour nature and of him to take our rules to follow God and abstaine from evill and not to stand to our owne mind 2. That this nature thus teaching us what is good and evill and promising to bring us to the full fruition of all good things by the contrary we should acknowledge him and tie our selves to him This acknowledging or tying our selves to him is to have a religion and so consequently that we should worship him and have our religion from him 2. The second That we must have him for our God The meaning of it is this that the gods of the Nations are nothing but Idols and no Gods and consequently that their services are false But Jehovah our God who hath shewed himselfe to be a true God he is the God indeed and his religion is the true religion and therefore that we should give over them and their religion and consecrate our selves to him and his worship and here is commanded true religion 3. That we should have him alone The meaning is that there is not one of those Gods and indeed none besides God that hath revealed or can performe eternall blessednesse to us or that can joyne with him and helpe him in performance but he alone is able and willing and consequently as he alone doth and will do it so he will onely have all the glory to himselfe he will have none to be joyned with him in it Profanenesse Peccata contraria virtutibus mandati Sins contrary to the vertues of the Commandements 1. The sinne of the first of these of not having a God but following our owne mind is called prophanenesse when a man will have his owne liking in every thing so that he will doe that onely that seemeth good in his owne eyes when he will have no yoke no cords no bonds but will breake them giving credit to nothing but that which his owne reason his God perswadeth him unto and pursuing nothing but that his will standeth well affected unto And doe nothing but by his owne direction 2. The sinne of the second is false worship or whatsoever false religion it be it pleaseth the Holy Ghost here to call it other gods 2. Cultus peregrinus Strange worship As in the Scriptures he calleth all evill by the name of strange as strange flesh an harlot strange worship idolatry strange gods false gods This is secondly forbidden 3. Idolatry Samaritanisme 3. The sinne of the third That which Elias found such fault with namely halting on both sides mingling Gods religion with others following both God and Baal as the Samaritans did having an Altar on the one side of the Temple and the image of an idoll on the other joyning God together with other Gods and idols These are three speciall things that the divell shooteth at and hath helpes in our nature to bring his purpose to passe when he tooke upon him first the name of Belus Belial which is being without the yoke that he would lay no yoke upon any he would force him to nothing then that he was willing to follow himselfe and therefore this was his way in his first tentation that Adam was now yoked that he must be underaw and that he needed a director whereas if he would but taste of the Apple he should be a guide to himselfe and should doe whatsoever he thought good and that he should appoint good and evill himselfe This vaine licentiousnesse wherein men according to their corrupt nature delight dissolutely to follow their concupiscence and in all things to sit Judges to define good and evill is the greatest way
know that our manners are said to be good or bad according as our love is either good or bad for that love which inflames but not aright and that feare which humbles but not aright are the causes of all evill in the world Our love is never true but inter similes where there is a likenesse therefore there must follow in God and us idem velle idem nolle this is obedience our Will being moved by his Will and suffering him to be the principall mover for where two must Will either the one must be proportioned to the other The Will of God righteousnesse it self or they both to a third and there is no reason that Gods Will should be proportioned to our no more reason then a streight rule to a crooked peece of timber or stone Mâ—â—â—â—â—i alieâ—â—â—â—lunâ—â—â—â— est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not his streight Will must bee made proportionable to our crooked but our crooked to his streight so the speciall end and scope that God hath enjoyn'd us obedience is that he may have glory and our love be truly expressed The necessity of Obedience Necessitas obediâ—ntiae Now for the necessity of obedience the necessity or excellencie of it we may consider thus by the good weighing of that v. 1 Sam. 15.22 where God having ordained sacrifice an especiall thing in Religion yet before this speciall part he preferreth obedience and it must needs be so 1. For if a man will offer to any that which shall be accepted it is better if he offer somewhat of his owne then of others for that which we offer of our owne is dearer unto us and therefore hee to whom it is offered taketh it better In obedience offertur propria voluntas I offer up mine own Will and as it is Heb. 4.12 the two edged sword divideth my Will and pierceth it and consquently I offer it up to God In a sacrifice offertur aliena caro I offer up other not mine owne flesh 2. Againe the better that a thing is that is offered the better it will be accepted but what is offered in obedience is better then that offered in sacrifice because in obedience there is a live thing offered a beast I cannot offer but when it is killed Againe in a sacrifice there is but a brute beast and unreasonable in obedience there is a reasonable soule which is more acceptable to God 3. The third is this the more ye give the better it is accepted in obedience there cannot be more given then is given In sacrifice I give of the fruit of my cattell a part of my fruit but in obedience I give the fruit tree and all I offer my selfe and all that I have as one saith very well Obedientia non potest plus dare quam dedit dedit enâ—mâ—se 4. Last that that is offered the longer continuance it is of the better it is In a sacrifice it is but two houres worke while the fire is kindled and the beast burned to ashes but in obedience when I offer up my selfe to God it is a continuall sacrifice it is a perpetuall mortifying of my Will my Reason and all my members Obedientia est juge sacrificium therefore it is plaine that obedience is better then sacrifice not that sacrifice should be neglected or condemned it is not condemned when a better thing is preferred Ier. 7.22.23 When the people was marvellous carefull that the Lord should not be defrauded of his offerings and sacrifices God saith I spake not to your Fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt that they should sacrifice but this was the thing that I spake to them for that they should obey my voyce that is in respect of obedience That thing is not denied simply which in comparison to another is set far behinde it Againe the excellencie and necessity of obedience appeareth in this that though it be a good thing or though neither good nor bad yet for obedience it must be restrained obedience hath power to make of evill good and of good evill in observation or contempt for had not God forbidden to caâ—e of the fruit the eating had beene neither a good nor an evill thing but we see the disobedience and the breach thereof made it evill A more plaine example we have 1 King 20.36 A Prophet comes to one of his neighbours in the hoste and willeth him to smite and wound him the man knew it was unlawfull and refused to doe it but he delivered a message from God Because thou hast not obeyed the voyce of the Lord behold as soone as ever thou art departed from me a Lion shall finde thee and slay thee and for this his disobedience a Lion slew him Thus appeareth the excellencie of obedience that it is able to change the nature of a good thing and to make it evill and evill good The last example is of Christ who sheweth the great necessity of this vertue in his Dilemma Father if it be possible let me not obey but let this Cup passe from me if it be not possible thy Will be done and when one of these must needs have beene chosen either mori or non obedire to die or to disobey elegit potius mori quam non obedire he chose rather to die then to disobey and so consequently shewed that obedience is more necessary then life it selfe and the breath we draw and this his obedience recovered the world 2 Cor. 10.6 as the obedience of the Saints for it is the small number of the obedient persons that are the pillars of the world otherwise without them it could not stand but fall The second rule is the precept of Obedience Now to the second rule to that that is commanded here is commanded obedience not as it is the generall as it is in the execution of every particular Commandement but as it hath a respect to the intent of him that commandeth an earnest endeavour that a man hath towards God to doe good and hath a Will to answer whatsoever is prescribed It is as the other are of two sorts either Unperfect or inchoate Or Perfect 1. For the first is an obedience of feare as 1 Sam. 15.24 but that is unperfect obedience and every effect is there to be discerned where it is perfectly wrought The perfect Gen. 22.12 God himselfe by the obedience of Abraham concludeth his feare not such as fals for the thing it is nothing else but the labouring of a mans soule Then that is here commanded is obedire it is a compound and our rule is that in compositis copulativis oportet utrumque quaerere non sufficâ—t alterum in compounds and copulatives we must not take up with a part but both must be performed 1. Then we will take the simple first audire hearing audire sequâ— to heare and follow are Gods words for obedience The Fathers in the Greeke Church call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in
our use God is called the Father of lights First in opposition to the lights themselves to teach us that the lights are not the causes of good things but he that said fiat lux Gen. 1. Secondly in regard of the emanation whether we respect the Sunne-beames called radii shining in at a little hole or the great beame of the Sun called Iubar he is author of both and so is the cause of all the light of understanding whether it be in small or great measure Thirdly to shew the nature of God nothing hath so great alliance with God as light The light maketh all things manifest Ephes 5. and the wicked hate the light because their workes are evill Iohn 3. But God is the Father of lights because as out of light commeth nothing but light so God is the cause of that which is good Prov. 13. Againe light is the cause of goodnesse to those things that are good of themselves It is a pleasant thing to behold the light Eccles 11. On the other side howsoever good things are in themselves yet they afford small pleasure or delight to him that is shut up in a dark dungeon where he is deprived of the benefit of light So God is the Father of lights for that not onely all things have their goodnesse from him but because he makes them good also Light is the first good thing that God created for man fiat lux Gen. 1. But God is the Father of lights to shew that he is the first cause of any good thing that can come to us Againe because he is that onely cause of the visible light which at the first he created and also of that spirituall light whereby he shineth into our hearts by the light of the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. the Apostle saith of the whole Trinity Deus lux est 1 Iohn 1.5 More particularly Christ saith of himselfe Ego sum lux mundi Iohn 8. The holy Ghost is called light where he is represented by the fiery tongues Act. 2.3 The Angels are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.7 David also as a civill Magistrate was called the light of Israel 2 Sam. 21.17 Ecclesiasticall Ministers are called light Vos estis lux mundi Matth. 5. And not onely they but the people that are of good conversation are said to shine tanquam luminaria in mundo Phil. 2. All these lights have their being from God and for this cause he is worthily called lux mundi and the Father of lights A againe this name is opposed unto darknesse God is light and in him there is no darknesse 1 Iohn 5.5 Therefore the ignorance of our minds is not to be imputed unto him He is the light that lightneth every one Iohn 1.9 and cannot be comprehended of darknesse Therefore it is not long of him that we through ignorance are said to sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death this comes of the Devill the Prince of darknesse who blindeth mens eyes 2 Cor. 4. God is the Father of lights Secondly he is so called to distinguish him from heat The lights which we make for these private uses doe not onely give light but heat also but God giveth light without heat wherefore such as are of a fiery spirit as the Disciples that said Shall we command that fire come downe from Heaven and consume them are not like God Christ is called the day-starre not the dog-starre 2 Pet. 1. God is said to have walked in the coole of the day not in the heat of the day Gen. 3.8 When God would speake to Eliah he shewed himselfe neither in the strong wind nor in earth-quake nor in fire but in a small still voyce 1 Reg. 19.12 To teach men that if they will be like God they must be of a meeke and quiet spirit He is said to dwell in the light 1 Tim. 6. not that he is of a hot fiery nature as our lights are but because he giveth us the light of knowledge In respect of the number he is not called the Father of one light but Pater luminum It was an imperfection in Iacob that he had but one blessing Gen. 27. God is not the cause of some one good thing but as there are divers starres and one starre differeth from another in glory 1 Cor. 15. so as we receive many good things and of them some are greater then others so they all come from God who is the Author and fountaine of them all Our manifold imperfections are noted by the word tenebrae which is a word of the plurall number and in regard thereof it is needfull that God in whom we have perfection shall not be Pater luminis but Pater luminum Our miseries are many therefore that he may deliver us quite out of miseries there is with the Lord Copiosa redemptio Psal 130. The sinnes which we commit against God are many therefore he is the Father not of one mercie but Pater misericordiarum 2 Cor. 1. The Apostle Peter tels us that the mercie of God is multiformis gratia 1 Pet. 4. So that whether we commit small sinnes or great we may be bold to call upon God for mercie According to the multitude of thy mercies have mercie upon me Psal 51. For as our sinnes doe abound so the mercie of God whereby he pardoneth and is inclined to pardon us is exuberans gratia Rom. 5. The darknes that we are subject to is manifold there is darknesse inward not only in the understanding Eph. 4. where the Gentiles are said to have their cogitations darkned but in the heart whereof the Apostle speaketh He that hateth his brother is in darknesse 1 Iohn 2. There is the darknesse of tribulation and affliction whereof the Prophet speaketh Thou shall make my darknesse to be light Psal 18. and the misery which the wicked suffer in the world to come which our Saviour calleth utter darknesse Matth. 22. God doth helpe us and give us light in all these darknesses and therefore is called the Father of lights As the Sunne giveth light to the body so God hath provided light for the soule and that is first the light of nature which teacheth us that this is a just thing ne alii facias quod tibi fieri non vis from this light we have this knowledge that we are not of our selves but of another and of this light the Wiseman saith The soule of man is the candle of the Lord. Prov. 20.27 They that resist this light of nature are called rebelles Lumini Iob 24. With this light every one that commeth into this world is inlightned Iohn 1.9 Howbeit this light hath caught a fall as Mephibosheth did and thereupon it halteth notwithstanding because it is of the bloud royall it is worthy to be made of Next God kindleth a light of grace by his word which is lux pedibus Psal 119. and lux oculis Psal 19. and that we may be capable of this outward light he lightneth us with his
affirmative part that God is by uncorrupt reasons to confirme us in our beliefe the reasons of the heathen 1. There is a first cause a first mover in all things which if they can prove they goe no further They were brought to the first cause thus The reasons First from the cause The first cause the first mover is God If we grant not a first cause a first mover then before every cause before every mover there is another cause or mover in infinitum to infinite therefore there should be infinite causes tum haec sequentur absurda these absurdiâ—ies will follow Infinite causes must have infinite time to bring forth infinite effects 2. Or infinite time 3. Therefore all shall be instrumentall causes no principall Et quia omnis inferior causa operatur in virtute principalis nulla existenti principali nullum erit effectum and because every inferiour cause worketh in the vertue of the principall now if there be no principall then there will be no effect 2. There is a divell 2. From spirituall natures therefore there is a spirit in the world set on mischiefe seeking to endamage men in their goods and as far as might be to bring all mankind to destruction as is plaine by sorcerers and witches And as he is bent to the utter ruine of mankind so out of doubt he would long ere this have brought it to passe had there not beene a superior power to restraine this his fury Therefore they were forced to beleeve that there was a divell postea esse Deum qui istius resisteret quasi jura daret tyrannidi and afterwards that there was a God who might resist and set bounds to his tyranny especially he being farre mightier then we and we not able to withstand him 3. The frame of the world 3. From the frame of the World There is a beginner of the World Sic apud Poetas veteres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So we read in the ancient Poets of the Prince of the World the maker of the World the World hath both a beginner and beginning As a tree though we finde not the roote of it yet we know a roote it hath though we cannot finde the fountaine whence the river comes yet we do know it hath one So though we caÌ„not come to know how the world had his beginning yet sure are we that it had a beginning Men make a controversie of that in the picture whereof they will not stand in controversie 4. Damascene 4. Whatsoever is concluded of the properties of things is also concluded of the natures That which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the manner of being is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the being so we seeing all things in the World had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversion We may well conclude that they had their beginning 2. Where there are divers natures most discrepant and these are brought into an harmony and concord it must necessarily be argued that there was one that accorded them that tuned them as in a Lute tuned so the World being full of varieties of natures yet they agreeing in a wonderfull sympathy there must needs be a tuner of this so great an harmony 3. Whereas it is evident that celestiall bodies have no other use but to make fruit come out of the earth and all inferior bodies were made for the use of man and whatsoever is in man is of knowledge of these things and of every thing that is in the World the inventor the age the time c. may be assigned when they began as lawes learning in Jury arts c. And Pliny though he write of the invention and inventors of things yet about the beginning of the World he writeth very suspitiously Obj. Sol. And for that they say Ex nihilo nihil fit Responsio Alia conditio est rei dum fit alia cum facta est Nutritur quisque in conceptu per umbilicum post conceptum per os That nothing comes of nothing I answer there is one condition of a thing when it is in making another when it is made In the belly every one is nourished by the navell but after he is borne by the mouth Object And for that they say they know not whether moveri or motum esse to be done in fieri in the doing and to be done in facto in the deed done be the first Ergo mundi nullum principium Sol. Sol. In pulsu cordis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nescitur uira pâ—ior Therefore the world had no beginning I answer In the heart beating there is both contraction and dilatation it is unknown whether be former yet we know that the heart had a beginning ejusque pulsus Object and its beating And for that they say against invention of things it is possible that there have beene many deluges and though the beginning of Arts c. may be alledged after the deluge yet not before the former deluges Now seeing there was a beginning it must proceed either from chance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made of it selfe The beginning of the world whence 1. Not from chance or nature or will and counsell or from God 1. Not from chance If a man should come into a desert Wildernesse and see a cottage erected his conscience would give him that it came not by chance but built up by some one If Aristippus came to see a circle triangle drawne on the shore he will streight imagine that some drew them therefore we must not ascribe the beginning of the world to fortune especially seeing the whole generation of man ascribeth not rerum generationem fortunae sed interitum the generation of things to fortune but 〈◊〉 destruction As we say it chanced that such a house was burnt with fire it chanced that such a thing happened to such a thing Rerum autem inventionem generationem correctionem tribuimus arti vel consilio But we atttibute the invention generation and amendment of things to art and counsell In Apollonii argonauticis the poore Countreyman seeing the first Shippe that arrived at Colchos could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is any within to guide it 2. In fortuitis chanceable things there is no order that can be observed no more than in the Dice but confusion but in the world there is a most excellent order in all things but in the actions of man disordered by his fall 3. Chance and purpose can never agree Fortuitum enim definitur esse praeter propositum A changeable thing is defined to be a thing beside the purpose but of the world there is a manifest purpose for there is an eye that eye hath his object that his line that his medium middle that a species a vision and so a counsell and a mutuall distinction 2. Not from nature Secondly not by nature which is the course that all the world shall continue
Portugall the Lord overthrew Stukeley made King of Ireland by the Pope Foure stations already handled in the way that we are to walke in that we are to come to God and not to rest in any thing beside and leane to religion leaving the world and wandring without an end 2. We have declined from the way of reason to the way of beliefe 3. We have passed through the dangerous pathes of Atheisme 4. We have searched them that call into question the generall and particular providence of God being in this way seeking to finde God we come into another quadrivium or way that hath foure turnings the foure principall religions of the world whereby the diversities of Nations have perswaded themselves that they have sought God Concerning these 1 Cor. 8.5 6. the Apostle foresaw this division of waies and hath given us warning of them 1. The Heathen in most parts in America and in the East Iles and in a great part of Tartary worshipped creatures in all ages and the dead as did the Gentiles 2. That which the Jewes as yet scattered here and there hold 3. Of the Turkes and Saracens in all Asia a great part of Africa and Europe 4. Is Christianity professed of us Concerning these sure it is that there can be but one true if we go into three of them we shall erre Therefore that we might be sure Concerning religion the way to seeke God which is the true religion and not be led by a prejudicate religion wherein we are brought up and to shake off the temptations of the Adversarie it remaines that we shew which is the true and right religion The Emperours Ambassadour being at Constantinople with the great Turke saw wrought in cloth of estate in manner of an Embleme foure Candlestickes and foure Candles in them and three of them turned upside down and as it were but one onely burning and it had this inscription in Arabicke This is the true light The Ambassadour asking of the meaning of this inscription they expounded that they betokened the foure Religions in the World whereof three were false the other true and that it was their Religion Therefore we are to shew that those three of theirs are false and no true lights and the Christian the true light And to begin with Heathen religion Heathen religion or paganisme or Paganisme which once spread it selfe over all the earth saving a corner in Syria It cannot be denied but that the chiefest wits concerning the knowledge of Arts and policy have beene in them and among them and in Philosophy their light hath shined most brightly and we have all lighted our Candles at their light and yet as the wisest of us may wonder at them for nature and humane knowledge so may the simplest of us laugh at them for the worship of God so dim hath their light burned in the worship of God Reasons against the idolatry of the heathen The first reason against them is the Apostles in this place They went amisse because they worshipped and had many Gods and many Lords Aug. lib. 4. De civit Dei Varro lib. 1. de rebus divinis making an Inventory of the Gods of the Heathen found 30000. Gods 300. were Jupiters beside a great number of Dii majorum gentium minorum tutelares medioximi patellares penates c. of Gods of greater and lesser Nations tutelar small petty Gods houshold Gods c. Whether they may be many or one there is no question here it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom are all things by whom are all things The reason is The inferiour causes are resemblances of the superiour and they of the highest But we see in all the inferiour causes that many branches come from one roote many partes ruled by one head many veines by one master veine many channels from one fountaine So in superiour causes many lights from one light many motions from one motion therefore in the highest cause this unity must be after the most perfect sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whom are all things i. the mutuall order of all things in nature that all things are one for another Mutuus or do in se invicem est propter conjunci um ordinem in uno the mutuall order toward themselves is for the conjunct order in one And as all things flow from one so they returne to one againe But their owne reasons are sufficient against them Pythagoras saith that in God there must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the nature of the effect not to receive a greater thing then the effect an infinite or unlimited power Else should the understanding of man i. the effect because he is able to conceive an infinite power exceed his cause Because it is able to conceive a greater thing then his cause If the power be infinite the nature must be infinite quia accidentis capacitas non excedit capacitatem subjecti the capacity of the accident doth not exceed the capacity of the subject If the nature be infinite then it is one the reason If one grant two infinites then there must be a line to part them and on that part that the line is of they must be both finite Therefore if we grant two infinites we must also grant they have two severall forces Virtus unita fortior Vnited forces stronger and being divided they cannot be so perfect as if they were joyned together Therfore they having truely respect to it which could be God were unperfect but no imperfectnesse with God Vt sit Deus imperfect us est in natura monstrum that God should be imperfect is a monster in nature but if they be both perfect then are they both all one for nothing makes them differ Lactantius 2. Because God ought to be omnipotent either they must be of equall force or of unequall if of equall either they agree or disagree If both equall and agree then one superfluous but superfluity excluded out of the deity and every thing in nature must be done after the best manner That which may be done in nature must be done after the best manner Let them disagree then there will not be the same course of things If of unequall power and disagree then the greater will swallow up the lesse and so bring all to one And howsoever the Heathen outwardly and in the face of the Common-wealth durst not but hold Polytheisme yet privily among their friends and in their writings they condemned it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a having many Princes or Rulers is counted an inconvenience every where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not good there be many Lords let there be one Lord. Therefore the heathen have made one of their Gods a Father the rest as his children one a King the rest as his subjects Pythagoras his advise to his scholers was to search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unity Arist his drift was alwaies as in every
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle c. God saith to the woman that is the Church that he will give her two wings even the wings of a great Eagle These two wings by the interpretation of the learned are 1. the providence of God 2. His especiall grace Dei providentia in hoc seculo ala una gratia Deispecialis ala Ecclesiae altera The providence of God in this world is the one wing his speciall grace the other wing of the Church As in a wing there is an infinite number of feathers so in each of Gods wings infinite number of particular benefits but especially these three 1. Gods care over us whereby he abaseth himselfe to number the haires of our head to our dough bread c. 2. The use of all his creatures both for necessity and pleasure 3. The gard of his Angels for us base matter wormes compassed about with sinne His providence is thus considered He being a God infinite and eternall yet he considereth to looke upon every particular little thing of ours Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. to our dough our bread Psalm 41. to the turning and making of our bed In the Gospell the number of the haires of our head which we never doe Last of all he hath allotted to us poore wormes an handfull the most excellent guard of his Angels Heb. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation He hath commanded them to waite on us Yea he hath made this goodly Theater and all creatures and hath given them for our use Adeo ut sit inexhaustus fons divinae bonitatis so that the fountaine of the goodnesse of God is inexhaustible For his speciall grace in vouchsafing his sonne to redeeme the world by his death 2. A measure of sanctification and vertue to doe well 3. The outward ministery of his Word and Sacraments are as seales of his promises 4. Revel 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man will heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will suppe with him and he with me Pulsationes spiritus good motions to doe well Generall grace is first preventing 2. Following God bestoweth his benefits on us before we looke for them they are acceptable and accepted by the following The use of his meanes his Word Sacraments and motions of the Spirit the judgements of God Particular grace In particular the good gifts of nature of grace of those among whom we live of whom we have benefit Beside these if we come in particular to weigh every man by himselfe Gods particular graces 1. by bond of nature 2. of charge 3. of friendship in these graces particular we are to consider 1. that God seeing he hath done thus much for us must needs love us 2. That loving us he will command us no other thing then that which is good and profitable for us But adde to those benefits that are promised the promises that are to come Prae his illa nihil sunt in comparison of these those are nothing namely beneficia futura in futuro seculo benefits to come in the World to come The Prophet Esay 64.4 valueth them by the eye eare heart and he denieth that eye hath seene or eare hath heard or that it hath entred into the heart of man to understand those joyes that are for them which seeke him For since the beginning of the World they have not heard nor understood with the eares neither hath the eye seene another God beside thee which doth so to him that waiteth for him The eye may see much for Christ saw all the world 1. Cor. 2.9 The place of Esay recited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The eare can heare many things but the heart can conceive infinite things Therefore the joyes of the World to come must passe infinite being compassed about with the flesh when as yet it was never seene heard nor conceived of any And this is that name which is said Revel 2.17 No man knoweth it but he that receiveth it Revel 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him that overcommeth will I give to eate of the hidden Manna and will give him a new name written which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it No knowledge of it till we receive it But for some taste of it whereas this Earth and this Heaven is too good for us yet he promiseth that he will make a new Heaven and indeed the uttermost of his power will he shew in heaping joyes and creating anew for those that seeke him so it is proved by manifest demonstration that he will shew the uttermost of his power in increasing our pleasures Therefore this is it that we conceive of it that it is more then we can conceive So that this shall be more then excellent or over-excellent because we are not able to conceive it All this tendeth to this end to stirre up in us a love and if that come we shall finde ease and delight these will diligence and continuance follow And there are but three things to move us to love 1. Pulchritudo the beauty of that we are to love 2. Consanguinitas neerenesse of kindred 3. Beneficentia benefits these make the most savage beasts to love For the excellency of the beauty of the Lord and his house his creatures and the sparkes we have by nature will sufficiently shew us 2. For the neerenesse what greater can be then betweene creature and Creator and then by the second bond of adoption we shall be his sons 1 Sam. 18.18 What am I and what is my life that I should be sonne in law to the King David maketh it a wonderfull great matter to be sonne in law to the King much more to God 3. For Benefits The Asse knoweth the Masters Cribbe and the Oxe the Stall he hath not onely bestowed on those that were before rehearsed but his love was such to mankind that he was faine to have his onely begotten sonne to come downe and die for us And if this move us not then let Jeremies saying take place Obstupescat coelum terra let Heaven and Earth be astonished And thus much to make us willing The second point is in the 10. vers Moreover the Lord said to Moses 2. Point goe to the people and sanctifie them to day and to morrow and let them wash their clothes and let them be ready on the third day For the third day the Lord will come downe in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai As the first was to make us willing so the second is to make us able and giveth us ability Before in the preface was said Sacta sanctis
Lord have spoken it in my zeale when I have accomplished my wrath in them Thou shalt bring thy judgement upon them and they shall know that thou art Iehovah 2. Title Thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy God This is the title of his jurisdiction to which title he hath claime in a double respect 1. Generall 2. Particular Generall Psal 148.5 6. For he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created He hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a Law which shall not be broken So this jurisdiction is over every thing as it is a creature The creatures as they have their law so we see 2 Pet. 3. vers last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him be glory both now and for ever All the creatures have their rule from him Esay 1.2 Heare O Heavens and hearken O Earth for the Lord hath said I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me Deut. 32.1 Hearken O Heavens and I will speake and let the Earth heare my words The creatures of the Lord are called to beare witnesse against Israel that they were breakers of the Law of God But that law or jurisdiction being broken it gave occasion to the second namely the particular which is conditionall 1. God is our Iehovah by covenant Deut. 5. Heare O Israel the Lawes and Ordinances which I propose to you this day that you may learne them and take heed to observe them Audis sum Deus non audis non sum Deus hearest thou I am God hearest thou not I am not God Hereupon saith a Father Audias Deus sum ne audias Deus non sum If thou hearest I am God Ierem. 31.33 if thou dost not heare I am not God Ierem. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people Meum and tuum are relatives But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people He is ours and we are his so long as we keepe his Commandements Deut. 10.14 Behold Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy Gods and the Earth with all that therein is 15. Yet the Lord hath set his delight in thy fathers to love them and did choose their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day In which words Moses telleth the children of Israel a strange thing Behold saith he the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens is the Lords and the Earth with all therein and yet hath he separated thee from the rest even an handfull for so is the Church to make a covenant with thee And this is a marvellous strange mercy of God that when he will be described he will condescend to come into our description He rejecteth all his excellent titles that he might have of his most excellent creatures as the God of Heaven of Earth c. onely to have this his jurisdiction being so vile in nature and so wicked in our workes which is a great argument of his goodnesse to us ward Heb. 11.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now they desire a better Countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City God was not ashamed to be called their God And as one saith very well Conjunxit utilitatem tuam cum gloria sua He hath joyned thy commodity with his own glory So he might better have said Conjunxit gloriam suam cum gloria tua He hath joyned his owne glory with thy glory So will that be verified Psal 144.15 Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 3. Which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt 3. Title c. A title from the last act he did but yet it serveth for a proofe of both the former in two points 1. By their estate in the house of thraldome Their estate was miserable they were servants in the servilest worke that could be they were put to the Furnace to make Bricke Exod. 5. They were in servitude unto their enemies yea to cruell enemies yea in servitude not to be rewarded but to be punished daily They were compelled to worke and yet they had no instrument provided for them for their worke they were faine also to gather their owne straw By his contemptible creatures that the delivery might be more strange and yet nothing of their tale of Bricke that they made before when they had their straw gathered them was diminished They had their children drowned before their eyes every day 2. The delivery with a mighty hand and stretched-out arme out of Egypt most strange in drowning Pharaoh and all his host by a most contemptible creature in the red Sea His two first titles have alwaies stood this last in respect of his last noble act it hath alwaies beene altered First after the worke of his creation he was called God the Creator of Heaven and Earth Secondly after the flood he was called Iah paean i. as was among the heathen Io paean Dominus dispersor aquarum The Lord that scatereth about commandeth the waters To the daies of Abraham 3. Genes 15.7 I am the Lord that brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees to the time of Moses In his time Exod. 3.6 The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob till the delivery out of Egypt here The Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Ierem. 16.14 When God should deliver them from the captivity of the North it is said that the other title should perish and it should be said The Lord that delivered us out of the captivity of Babylon and this lasted till the daies of Christ The last is prophecied of Ierem. c. 23. v. 6. Jehovah justitia nostra God our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 For Christ is become to us righteousnesse Gal. 1.8 The Father of Christ Now this great benefit being not full six weekes before the delivery of the law it must needs sticke greatly in their minds and now they being in the wildernesse where they were wholy to depend on the safegard of God so that in regard of Memoria recentis beneficii spe◠jamjam futuri the memory of a new received mercy and the hope of a future as also the place where they could rest nothing on themselves that was both a fit time and place to give the law in So that seeing the Law could not well be given in Egypt for they had evill will to goe thence nor in Canaan for there they murmured against God it was most fitly given here For their delivery was not that they should be
but Gods will is the rule of all justice there can be no danger in his dispensations This is their rule Quod licitum est mutatur exsuperveniente causa what is lawfull is changed by the accession of a new cause So in some cases God hath restrained his law but very seldome dispensed such a thing is in the Law of God though not so common The warrant of this is either first by his word the image of the brazen serpent against the second Commandement Or secondly by ratifying by signes blessing them by extraordinary gifts above the cours of mankind For these dispensations or exemptions from the common law because they be priviledges they are to be restrained to the persons to whom they were granted as in the doings of the Prophets these warrants now cease Quae exorbitant à jure communi non sunt trahenda in consequentiam vel argumento argumenti vel exemplo This is a maxim These things which swerve from common right are not to be drawne into consequence either for proofe of an argument or for example Though we be willing to make many restraints yet there are but few and if we make more great injury is done to God It s a commendation of a law to have fewest priviledges for where there are fewest dispensations there is most equity as he said of Rome that all the good Emperours might be graven on the one side of a penny and therefore great injury done to God in it granting they were Therefore in Gods they should be are fewest The slaughter of Phineas the marriage of Oseah the robbery of the Egyptians are not restraints for this is certaine that though they were yet they are not for us they are not for our times neither have we the signe of the voice of God for them And it may be proved substantially that many things in the old Testament which are thought to be restraints were not but kept to the uttermost This is to stop the mouth of vaine persons that cannot uphold themselves but with the distinction of ordinary and extraordinary and indeed all the stirre now adaies is about the limiting of ordinary and extraordinary The conclusion is we have but little use of this rule 2. Rule Natura praecepti The nature of the precept 2. Rule By the nature of a precept that in sundry cases it giveth a restraint the nature of the fift Commandement to honour superiours Princes having none upon earth are exempted The nature of the fourth Commandement one day in seven And this restraint troubleth them that fancy a perfecter righteousnesse The continuall practice of an affirmative is part of a precept The rule of the affirmative precept Semper tenemur bonum facere sed non tenemur bonum facere semper Affirmat tenet semper negat tenet semper ad semper We are bound alwaies to do good but we are not bound to worke alwaies The affirmative precept must needs be restrained the negative not so Some thinke themselves bound to thinke on nothing but God The negative indeed holdeth at all times the affirmative doth not Augustine Miro modo homo etiam ex amore Dei â—on cogitat de Deo After an unspeakable manner a man even from the love of God thinketh not of God Even as a man from the use of reason ceaseth from the use of reason this is plaine by a familiar example as in sleepe So in abstaining from a good worke he doth a good worke Quemadmodum homo ex usu rationis caret vel cessat ab usu rationis sic ex amore Dei abstinet ab amore Dei The reason is the nature of doing a good thing well standeth thus that there must be a concurring of all due cases and circumstances belonging thereto Malum ex singularium defectu oritur bonum è causa integra Evill ariseth from the defect of any one cause but good springs from a whole and intire cause Now all these circumstances cannot alwaies concurre and so consequently cannot alwaies be kept Therefore in respect of the affirmative part we are exempted by the nature of it And secondly the ardour of affection that is required in doing good sheweth that it cannot continue in a perpetuity This also is not of so great use The third rule is of greatest use â— Rule This by sundry occasions receiveth sundry judgements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A conflict of lawes and yet they may be reduced to one rule The case is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a conflict of two lawes The Jewes say when two Commandements make one another a lyer till a third commeth and maketh them agree by restraining one of them This therefore is for a rule Nemo unquam ita perplexus est inter duo peccata quin illi pateat exitus sine tertio No man is so perplexed betwixt two sinnes but that a way out lyeth open without a third And if it were not so it should argue a great want of knowledge in God 2. How we shall be able to rid our selves out of both sine tertio peccato without a third sinne Either the 2. precepts may be compounded and reconciled or not reconciled If they may be agreed upon then there is no necessity that a third come but we may dimittere erroneam opinionem let goe the erroneous opinion As in Herod If he had let go his oath his perpetuity had been none After his promises and oath he was in such a perplexity that he imagined that he must either breake his oath or put John Baptist to death he should let goe his opinion and let Iohn Baptists head stand still For if he had let goe his oath he had committed no more sinne then before If they cannot be agreed upon Tum agat id ad quod est magis obligatus then let him doe that to which he is more bound Whose end is superiour Cantic 2. Dominus or dinavit in nobis charitatem his banner over us was love He hath set one law above another all must not come together The rule in reason and judgement Vbi est principium ibi digerendae sunt res ad illud principium Where a principle is there things are to be directed to that principle The chiefe end is Gods glory 2. The soule and health of man the health of every man 3. The like care of our brethren In respect of the glory of God the health of man must fall to the ground Vt misericordia pateat that mercy may be manifested That God might have the glory and he purchace to himselfe mercy But that the justice of God may have his glory salvation must be denied to other our health before our brethren we may not commit sinne to deliver them from sinne Therefore a man must have speciall regard of himselfe The first Table doth bind more then the second The health of our owne soules to be preferred before our brethrens The reason is because none can deliver his
to transgression and a degree of profanenesse and Atheisme So in the second place there is a marvellous desire in us of coveting newnesse change for our eye stolne bread privy matters strange flesh and this he taketh hold of and strengthneth as much as he can and where prophanenesse prevaileth he faileth not of bringing them to a curious desire to seeke beyond the truth till at the last they finde a lye instead of it such as he brought Salomon to who having the knowledge of true religion as much as any man had was not content with that but fell to seeking after strange religions abroad Salomonis idololatria curiositate oriunda Salomons Idolatry proceeded from curiosity And there was never any errour sowne but it grew upon a misliking of the truth in that point and an inordinate desire of seeking after new misteries and conceits In the third there is also in us a great desire to reconcile God and mammon and though our Saviour said flatly that it was impossible to serve both yet we seeke to the attaining of temporall commodities to have a Paradise here and elsewhere There is a desire in us to make our selves common to all and to use a freenesse or friendlinesse to all A desire to make our selves common to as many as can be and so to be loved of all good and bad thinking that while we are in the world the world will doe us good and when we come into Heaven God will doe us good also This the divell misliketh not for he runneth not on soli vel tantum to himselfe alone or onely for when he tempted Christ and had promised to give him all the Kingdomes of the earth if he would fall downe and worship his desire was not that he onely should be worshipped but that hee might be joyned to God and have part of the service with him Now the reasons whereby these are forbidden 1. We must confesse Contra ha◠duae rationes Against these two reasons that the nature of man hath received a great wound insomuch as none can be partaker of his hearts desire as other creatures have in some state And therefore the heathen with us confesse a maime in mans nature But we know the cause of it being enformed by the history of the Bible what befell to man namely that it is by dealing with the tree by being our owne choosers and therefore this choosing of ours must be left and we are to tye our selves to the will and choice of our superiour nature that knoweth best what is best for us 2. Of the second the reason is evident that when we have a God we should desire to have the true God no man would erre even they that bend themselves to deceive others cannot abide to be deceived themselves None would thinke that to be that is not or that not to be that is 3. The reason of the third is that there be sundry things that a man cannot have but alone in which number is a master God therefore is to be had alone else not God so comparing himselfe to a master Mala. 1.6 No man can serve two masters the service to a master must be alone or else not Oseah 2.20 where he maketh God to say Sponsabo te mihi in fide I will marry thee unto me in faithfulnesse As also 2. Cor. 11.2 that he had espoused the faithfull to one husband Christ A master and husband must be had alone This is a 2. consideration for an husband also must be had alone So the having of God is of like nature either we must have him alone or none at all God in jealousie in the second Cōmandement hath a relation to this If a farther reason be required that will be sure to serve and that is that the joyning of any thing with God must needs abase him and his worship For he being the excellentest nature in the world all inferiour things if they be joyned with him abase him and he will not be abased Therefore this worship must be kept pure without mingling it with any other worship Whatsoever being of a nobler substance if it be joyned with any viler thing it is adultery This for the three propositions Propositio prima Habebis Deum The first proposition Thou shalt have a God Object A doubt how we can be without God Now the consideration of the first proposition 1. Habebis Deum 1 Cor. 8.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For an idoll is nothing in the world It s said that an idoll is nothing and we know it And consequently if he be God and an idoll nothing there can be no other God but he and therefore it cannot be a God and so not joyned with him Therefore this must needs be strange to command us that we must needs have a God a true and alone God We must learn to distinguish of the word have and so we come unto the particular precept non facies Thou shalt not make As we say though a man take Armes against his Prince yet she is his Prince still and he hath none other and this having is in regard of the superiority yet he himselfe hath her not or at the least will not have her because he accounteth her not his Prince The like is betweene God and us In regard of the superiour it is ferrea frons vel lex an yron law we must needs have him and therefore it were best for us to have him Yet in as much as we would exempt our selves from his service and obedience they that rise up against him in the breach of any of these three propositions with those that acknowledge him not or would not have him they have him not It s the course of the Holy Ghost to use this phrase in the Prophets They had Baalim and Astaroth Not that they were Gods or any thing but that in their account they had them for Gods in the superiour part We are said to have a thing when we have it and acknowledge it not or when we have it and acknowledge it We are said to have a thing saith the Philosopher if it be knowne to be had For if a man have treasure digged in his ground or in his Cellar and know not of it he hath it not So the Nations that know not God are said not to have had God 2. That a man hath not that which a man accounteth not of as a man hath rushes cobwebs in his house yet he is not to be said to have thē or because he careth not whether he have them or no. Into these two parts all the breaches of this fall Thou shalt have a God i. First thou shalt worship a God Worship in Mat. 4.10 doth expound have in this place It was said that the spirituall worship of God or having of God is the end and scope of this Commandement The worship of the spirit or soule is divided as the soule is
the high mountaine that stands in Christs way and unlesse John Baptist take paines to remove it he cannot come to us I finde that this vice through the Fathers is called morbus Satanicus and it hath a resemblance to our diseases that have their names of the persons as Morbus Gallicus c. the French disease so this the Devils disease it is high-borne and so lightly taketh hold of them that are high-borne for it was first borne in Heaven and so no other can be concluded by the rules of Divinity by Esa 14.14 applying that to Satan Ero similis Altissimo I will be like the most High because he would have a part of Gods glory and be above his degree therefore this was the cause that made him fall The Devill hath knowledge and feare but not humility so the Devill tooke it first and Adam took it from him so we come to be heires of it and as he said to himselfe Ero I will be so in Gen. 3. he said to Adam and Eve Eritis sicut d. i i. similes Altissimo ye shall be as Gods i.e. ye shall bee like the most High not suffering them to be content with that honourable place that God had assigned them but perswading them to aspire to an higher Christ Luke 10.8 when the Apostles were come home joyfull and proud that the Devils were made subject to them in his name saith to them that that may be profitable in meditation to us Vidi Satanam cadentem sicut fulgur behold I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven but rejoyce not in this * * * because they rejoyced therein and gave not glory to God but rather that your names be written in Heaven for taking joy in that that we should not And that which Christ said of them may be fitly said of any that this pride taketh hold of This pride standeth specially in two things which both are in the speech of Nebuchadnezzar All the heads of glory may bee referred to these two 1. from our selves 2. to our owne glory Dan. 4.27 And the King spake and said Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty If we ascribe to our selves either of these that we doe any thing by the might of our owne power or for the glory of our owne Majesty i. either that it commeth from us or that we doe it for our glory this is pride More particularly as we say it is a desire to have that excellencie attributed to us that is not in us so 4. wayes it falleth out 1. For he must first thinke that he hath a greater good thing then he hath and often times that which he hath not at all as Revel 3.17 to the Angel of the Laodiceans Thou thoughtest thy selfe rich and wise and behold thou art blinde naked miserable and wretched and there was no such matter in thee and as 1 Tim. 3.6 none so subject to this as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 young novices that have greene shallow things in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devill of which Chrysostome writing saith if they be humble it is no commendation to them for if the servant submit himselfe to his Master he hath no commendation for it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if one have wherewithall to bee proud and yet is humble he is worthy of the commendation 2. When we have a little good to thinke that there is a greater good in us then we have indeed Ezek. 28.12 that men are given to seale up great summes above that that is in them 2 Cor. 10.14 of stretching and setting on the Tenter-hookes and the reason is because that where a man hath a little there is a stretching of that little by selfe-love and the Devill he drawes up a false light and shewing our selves to our selves in a myst or when he hath made us drunke with selfe-love maketh a little seeme very much and so we come to see gemina objecta geminos soles every thing will seeme double 3. It is more excellent for a man to have a thing of himselfe * * * And that is of two sorts 1. when he thinks he hath a thing growing from his own nature or when he attributes it to his owne desert then of another if we have it of our selves then our glory is the more This is a great way in pride to imagine that we are the causes of that good we have But 1 Cor. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who made thee to differ c. Name one thing that thou hast not received he abates that pride well 2. But another is Though a man have it not of himselfe yet if he deserve to have it and not upon curtesie of another it is somewhat worth and so commeth the 4. degree of pride but that is laid flat to the ground Gen. 32.10 If we will be heires to Israel we will say with him O Lord I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy servant so we are to thinke that God is the cause and that without any deserving of ours but of his owne free grace The Church of Rome is charged with these two degrees of pride in Nebuchadnezzar and we are so farre from thinking that any good commeth from our selves that wee know we have received all from the Father of lights but how true it is that we thinke so these two things will shrewdly try us 1. If any one of us mispending time or money riotously or any abuse of any gift of God to be found fault withall presently we forget that we have received it So in our practise we disallow that which we allow in our Theory and all into the bias of our owne nature and every one will be ready to say Why what tell you me of this Is it not mine owne In deed it should seeme by our spending that we deale with it as if it were our owne not as if we were Stewards of it 2. Another is this that which is not our owne but borrowed wee know we must be willing to render it at the owners call Let God visit us with a depriving of any of his gifts there is such murmuring such grudging at it as plainely sheweth that we are not willing to render freely as we have received it freely and it is hard for us to be perswaded that it is borrowed which is an argument that we account all as our own These are trials concerning our judgement and we commonly erre in these two 5. The last is on this ground though the gift in us be equall to others yet if we employ it better we thinke it more excellencie Luke 18.11 it is the Pharisees fault O God I thanke thee that I am not
for there is one that goeth about so much as in him lieth by flattering bribing or pricking and wounding us to extort it from us 3. And under this Use that other may be that thus keeping Christ we have a possession of heaven in this life and therefore as Basil saith that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one heaven for another and as one may be praesens absens so a thing absent is present onely by hope Thus as of the affection of feare it hath beene said that it hath such an use for our humbling that by it all impediments are removed that grace might fully possesse us so likewise of this affection of hope wee see how great and excellent an use God hath made of it and here that which the Philosophers never knew these affections feare hope and love they are become Virtutes theologicae to his children and those that they made but affections are the perfectest and excellenâ—â—â—â— veriues that we have in Divinity and the reason is because they make good those that have them and the reason of that is because our nature being not its owne rule but having it from a better and higher nature Whatsoever good thing was with man it forsooke him whatsoever it is that applyeth it to us it must needes bring some part of goodnesse to us but that hope doth in some part in respect of the promises therefore it is a vertue to us and as the Heathen man expresseth it in the box of Pandora that at the opening of the box all good forsooke it and only hope remained under the lid and therefore Philo Iudaeus calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inborne comforter that forsaketh us not when all the rest have left us so that in the regenerate the very same use hath hope as Psal 27.13 that he should utterly have fainted but that he hoped to see the Lord in the land of the living and so consequently in the next verse he professeth that this is the hope that must make all strong and so this spes vitae immortalis est vita vitae mortalis the hope of life immortall is the life of that life which is mortall and if we were without it we should lose breath according to the rule of the Schoolemen and it is true in the spirituall life Qui desperavit expiravit For conclusion of this first rule to this i. hope is given Psal 84.13 that which is to faith and feare O Lord God of hosts blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee the blessing in this life being indeed nothing else but the certainty that when the Bridegroome commeth we shall enter in with him into the fruition that is reserved to the world to come Thus of the nature necessity and end of hope Now for the 2. rule i. the thing 1. commanded and 2. forbidden 2. Rule our rule for faith and hope is contrary to that we said in humility as Dan. 4.27 Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty i. that hope thus accounteth of God as of the principall and sole efficient and as of the last and principall end which it looketh for and whereunto it referreth the glory of the redemption For the 1. that our hope is to goe out of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 that there is not sufficiency in us as of our selves to thinke a good thought and thinking being the first if that fall the rest must fall for not thinking we cannot will Phil. 2.13 it is God that worketh velle in us and so consequently perficere and yet lest we should imagine some helpe might come of us betweene Iohn 15.5 Christ addeth sine me nihil potestis agere without me ye can doe nothing and as Austin hath well noted upon the place it is not nihil magni but nihil no great thing but nothing at all and it is not perficere but nihil facere not bring to perfection but not so much as to doe any thing so our hope must wholly rely it selfe upon him as sole efficient of all good to us 2. And for the other the last end for the referring of whatsoever glory shall proceed from us for any grace of God bestowed on us it is plaine 1 Cor. 1.29 he hath done it in this respect that no flesh should rejoyce before him but vers 31. that all should rejoyce in him In the nature of hope there are two things necessarily to be considered 1. a griefe 2. a joy or rather è converso These two if the hope be true it never suffereth us to be secure but we shall be in a continuall warfare as 1 Thes 5.8 where hope is there is a fight because it is compared to an helmet And in Psal 27. the Prophet is beaten down first on the one side then lifi up then downe againe and so in sundry of the Psalmes he is three or foure times beaten downe and raised up againe in one Psalme sometime hope should get the upper hand and joy and anon feare for in as much as dilatio boni the deferring of good must needs have rationem mali some appearance of evill and as in Prov. 13.12 hope deferred affligit animam it is a mighty affliction to the soule it must needs be that when a Christian man shall see no accomplishment of Gods promises and not onely that but he shall see the cleane contrary to that which is promised fall to him as when peace is promised there shall happen tumult terror anguish and hee shall be driven not onely by the wicked men exprobating to us as they did to David Where is now your hope but by the enemy also or our owne reason which shall make a probleme with our spirit of the applying of it Vâ—â—â— speâ—â—estra surely this must needs worke for Rom. 8.23 it worketh even in the dumbe creatures though they shall not be partakers with us of the Resurrection yet because they see the deliverance of man is not yet performed they grone and desire to be delivered The onely remedy for this is the consideration exprest by Auslin in his Sermon upon Ps 36. Sustine illum sustinuit te dum mutares vitam malam sustine tu illum dum coronat vitam bonam Wait upon God he waited long upon thee to amend thee wait thou patiently upon him till he crowne thee this hath great reasons of it which after shall be shewed in patience Spes quibus â—â—â—us comparatur Now on the other side comes in that which it is compared to It is compared by the Fathers to a corke in Fishermens nets if that were not downe would the net goe but that suffereth it not to sinke the certainty of both Rom. 12.12 spe gaudenies rejoycing in hope there is the joy Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is hope holding fast the profession
creature of them all but if it breath it hath cause enough to praise him Amor Dei the love of God OF the love of God Amor Dei that that 's said Gal. 3.17 we see it verisied as the Law is said to have beene added for a time till the Seed came so here may likewise be affirmed that the other affections and actions were onely till our nature received triall till the love of God come Of which love the Fathers say that the having of that occupare amorem the being possessed of love drowneth all other affections For therefore we feare for a time that being delivered we may love and being humbled we may hope and pray that we may say Psalme 116.1 Dilexi quia audivit Dominus vocem orationis meae the coherence of prayer and love I have loved because the Lord hath heard the voyce of my prayer From the beginning it was said 1. that having of God is in knowing him albeit we have him naturally yet if we know him not we have him not 2. in esteeming of him this estimation is properly in this affection of love and those that went before feare and hope are for no other end but for this that when God hath bestowed it on us it may the better be esteemed of us when we have beene in feare and for this end it commeth that as cito data vilesount we commonly sleight that which we can but aske and have so these things that we have felt the want of so long having beene humbled when they come we may have more regard of them 〈…〉 Concerning the object thereof it is bonum good wherein the very naturall reason of man hath found two properties 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a communicative and an atractive property whatsoever is good it is such a thing as is desire us to communicate it selse to as many as will taâ—e it and are meete to take it as we see in the Sunne and other celestiall creatures and in the naturall elements and consequently there being a quality of desiring to communicate good in God which is his goodnesse no doubt it is in greater and excellenter manner and that was the cause in deed of the creation of all things that he might have a Church and shew his glory and mercie on it So the minde of man seeing this nature in good consequently desireth it and that desire goeth thus farre till it come to a conjunction and that conjunction to an union ita conjuagi ut uniamur Ratio because by the union of two good things there shall come good to the desirer that he had not before and so he is made better It hath bin said that the inferiour things if they be coupled united with things of more excellent nature they are made more noble as for a potsherd to be covered with gold as on the other side things excellent being joyned with viler things are made more abject as the minde of man with inferiour creatures and there can be no greater excellencie of it then by the conjunction of it with that that is all good and containeth in it all good things and so as it containeth them for evermore And so of this commeth the 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 the attractive force In every good there is a force and that allureth and therefore it is that faith and knowledge must necessarily goe before so when a good thing because we cannot take from it his good if that the force be not then as the Schoolemen say Bonum quod non amatur the good we love not it is a signe quod non cognoscitur that we know not for if it were the naturall desire of all being that it is to better us 〈…〉 we should love it to be bettered by it therefore it is well said that to good things there is no greater enemy then ignorance therefore it is the part of knowledge and faith to show us this good and that will stirre up love in us and so having stirred up that in us there will follow here unio affectus unio aâ—us and for sides visio This love is of two sorts 1. mercenarius 2. gratuitus that love that beginneth and that that is free not respecting reward they are distinguished When a man saith he loveth his meate and drinke and his friend and brother it is certaine that these are not all one the one is a desire to have it to turne it to his owne benefit for the present time not caring what become of it after but he loveth his friend to do him good and to wish him well so in the one he secketh his own good in the other to doe good to other and to him cui bene volumus whom we wish well unto The Philosopher distinguisheth them by unde quo whence and whither In the first love the question is made by quo in the other unde what good it hath in it though it be no benefit to us So the one hath the eye inward in it selfe the other outward to other for as we see sundry times the one is the beginning of the other and after those that have beene beneficiall to us wee fall to love them for themselves and not for their benefits The first love ariseth out of hope because the soule of man by feare being brought low to the ground then conceiving hope and consequently sending forth prayer and then receiving the fruit of it saith as it is Psal 116.1 I am well pleased or I have loved that the Lord hath heard the voyce of my prayer so Psal 20.7 Now I know that God hath heard his anoynied when he had received the fruit of it and so was stirred up to this first love so the first love of God is because he receiveth from him that which the Apostle applieth to that which he had in hand That which is spirituall is not first but that which is naturall or carnall August Basil Ambrose Bernard refeâ—re to saith and love shewing plainely that Caesars vertues were in greater account then and Catoes Caesars being curtesie affability clemencie liberality c. Catoes conscience and faithfulnesse and justice c. which were not to others commodity yet because in the other there was sui suum they were of better account for that which is naturall will be first i. to love that by which we receive commodity concupiscentia before cupiditas this love is the inchoation of the other for nemo repente fit summus no man comes to the height at first God hath taken order for it Chrysostome he marvelleth how men can slip themselves out of this love of God for if they will have amorem mercenarium that love which is mercenary he offereth more for it then any man for he biddeth the Kingdome of heaven but this is the state of this love as before in feare So the Fathers they have compared this love and the other to
adorne the Images of the Heathen It was the use of some Christians in the primitive Church so to doe against whom Tertullian inveyeth And though the Papists thinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be for creatures and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely for God yet it is certaine that they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the creatures as you may see in Aquinas his summes part 3. q. 25. determined there that the picture of Christ and that every part of the Crosse is to be worshipped adoratione latriae It is too manifest but the Hebrew taketh away all these questions and controversies Now the learneder sort among them by a greater knowledge and use of the tongue seeing that their distinction falleth to naught have found out another shift that they are no breakers of this Commandement because non colunt imagines ipsas sed Christum Sanctos per eas they worship not Images themselves but Christ and the Saints by and through them But how evill this succeedeth with them it may appeare by the records of antiquity for this indeed was but ' its varnished over a little the answer of the old Idolaters in the primitive Church For the Heathen Lactantius Lib. 2. de orig erroris cap. 2. saith that when it was objected to the Heathen Quid timetis aut quid fugitis What feare ye What fly ye they would answer Non Idolum sed Deum sed numen aliquod cui Idolum aedisicatur Not the Idoll but God c. and in that Chapter there followeth how Lactantius thinketh of it 2. Chrysostome Hom. 18. in Epist ad Ephes saith to the Heathen Adoratis simulachra Non simulachra inquiunt sed Venerem Martemper simulachra Martis c. Still they same answer not the Images but the Deities represented thereby 3. Augustine on Psal 79. vers 7. Confounded be they that worship carved Images c. saith of an Heathen Philosopher Sed extitit nescio quis disputator novus qui sibi doctus videbatur qui se non lapidem adorare dicit novit enim tanquam Propheta lapidem non sentire nec loqui sed illi numini se servire quod non videt Quis est iste numen quoddam invisibile To which Augustine answering saith Hoc modo reddendo rationem de idolis optime factum putant ubi comprobarunt se non adorare Idola And this error is as ancient as the Calse in the Wildernesse Exod. 22.32 and if we examine the case it is all one with them For the Israelites would not worship it but God by and in it For they did not thinke the Calfe to be God or that God could be made but they desired onely a visible representation of God which may appeare by these reasons First because they would have it to goe before them as Moses did and that was to represent God unto them For Moses was a visible representation of God to them and now they could not tell what was become of him q.d. He whom we had as an assurance of Gods presence with us is not to be found therefore let us have in his stead gods to goe before us Now either this reason must hold or else Moses was their god before And they made a Calfe rather then any other thing because they knew no other shape of God then they had of the Oxe called Apis in Aegypt Secondly The assent of Aaron if he had not had somewhat in his minde beside Idolatry he had not received that favour but had beene destroyed with the rest For vers 4. the cry of the people This is that that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt cannot be understood but that they tooke it onely as a representation and Aaron tooke great hold of these words of the people and built an Altar and consequently made a feast to be held to Jehovah And there Jehovah receiving a feast of them sheweth plainely that it was but a representation of Jehovah so that this was the Elench that deceived Aaron that they might worship God in it but it could not so deceive Moses for he breakes it in pieces and burnes it to ashes and gives it to c. Here the Romans fly to a third shift they will not adore them nor worship God by them but they will be put in minde of God by them the ignorant people must have somewhat to helpe them to remember God This also is no new objection but used of the old Idolaters as we may see by Symmachus his words Epist 44.10 there must be something to put the ignoraut in mind of God It is answered by Ambrose and Prudentius Omnia deo plena The like we have in Arnobius Lib. 6. contra Gentes simulachrorum adoâ—atores assertores dicere solent they knew there was no life nor sense in the Image nor made any account of it but for the ignorant people that are put in mind of God by it And Athanasius in an Oration contra Idola Istiusmodi simulachra esse pro libris quae dum legunt cognitionem dei discunt this he saith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So we see there is nothing said in this cause but hath been said before Now if we aske them that if the people must be put in minde Of what it shall be Not of the Deity for they themselves began to be weary of that defence Yet it was a very usuall thing among them in shapes of men to resemble God And Hosius cap. 66. in decalogum saith and confesseth that such Images crept in dormientibus Ecclesiarum praepositis pastoribus while the Watchmen slept Then we must come to Christ First if they say this is the picture of Christ they must picture God for he is God and man They cannot as he is God because his attributes are infinite therefore as he is man only Therefore they doe as Nestorius divide the natures of Christ and so consequently runne into the Anathema of the first Councell of Ephesus Secondly if they speake of his manhood as now it is then Eusebius his answer to Constantia his glory is now farre greater then in the Mount where the Diseiples could not looke on him therefore neither of them can be exhibited by any Pensill Thirdly But they say they will shew his shape as he was in the dayes of his flesh We answer that their remembrance is evill and as it is Habak 2.18 they be teachers of lyes so this Image teacheth us to forget by it for the whole Church hath taught us that Christ suffered more then we can see painted that is piercing of naylos in his hands and feet a blow in his side and thornes on his head the especiall paines and torments he suffered for our sinnes are forgotten the heavy wrath of his Father powred out in in most full manner upon him and so consequently the Image hath taught us to forget the greatest part of his passion Then if they will come
visitation is for justice so here should have beene merces and not misericordia not Mercy but wages but our reward doth argue non mercedem but gratuitum amorem not wages but mercy Now that it is called a work operans misericordiam and the other i.e. his justice but a visitation i. e. a thing intermitted that is also a speciall thing to bee observed the nature of his justice is restrayned to the fourth generation and his mercy is extended to thousands so here is a proportion the one containing the other two hundred and fifty times not that the mercy of God is greater then his justice but because he is more delighted in the action of the one then of the other The reward is promised to them that love him the manner of love is according to the love of God because he is jealous for us that wee might bee jealous for him that wee may say as 1 King 19.20 Elias zelo zelatus sum I have beene very jealous for the Lord God of hosts sake zelantes potiùs quà m amantes The triall of this love consisteth in keeping the commandements i. e. that if it be not a commandement it is not from him and therefore whatsoever was without them was not from love Another it is very certaine that the righteousnesse of speech and the true signe of loving him had beene the keeping of him but he saith not so but the keeping of my commandements the reason is because he is able to keepe himselfe and needeth not our keeping therefore he hath set our love to bee tryed by two things First by mandata or praecepta mea his commandements Secondly minimos istos his little ones for the commandements it is said Wee keepe him in his parâ—â—â—â—â— and his love in mandata Hosea 4.10 that they kept them not 2. for the other Mat. 25.45 quandiu uni ex istis minimis non fecistis neque mihi c. in as much as yee did it not to one of the least of these yee did it not to mee And the third thing is this that our estimation of them must be such that wee thinke them worth the keeping as Psal 19.10 David accounteth of them as dearly as of much fine Gold of Ophir and Psal 119.72 Thy law is dearer to mee then thousands of gold and silver For keeping by this word Keeper wee must understand that God hath made us keepers of his commandement Now the property and charge of a Keeper is to preserve that thing that he keepeth as from himselfe so from others and to see and have regard that it be neither lost by negligence nor cast away nor broken nor hurt but kept sound till his comming that gave them to him in charge For the losse of Gods commandements 1. King 20.40 For the breaking of them Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall breake the least of these commandements c. shall be called the least in the kingdome of God but a contemptuous threatning is Psal 50.17 Now that they may be safely kept and as it is Prov. 4.21 it is best to lay them up in that place that is surest even in the middest of our heart For the keeping in regard of others wee must not say as Cain of Abel sumne ego custos c. am I my brothers keeper for as Caine should have beene keeper of his Brother that others kill him not so wee should be keepers of Gods commandements that others breake them not Wee must have the commandements of God not only observanda but also consenvanda not only observe but conserve them And if wee performe this duty wee shall doe as they doe Prov. 16.17 he that keepeth them keepeth his owne soule by them So much of the 2d Commandement The III. Commandement Thou shalt not take the c. THe object of this commandement is the Name of god or his glory The thing commanded is a reverent taking of his Name comprehended in this word praise And the proper place of Gods glory is in this commandement by reason of the object which is his name by the which he is glorified And this his glory is such as for it Esa 43.7 he created all things For mine owne glory I created them and for this that which was before his Creation his predestination Ephes 1.6 unto which wee must joyne our praise Now if they must be made like to their creator if the worke must be according to the minde of the maker it is well therefore that end which moved him to make us must be our end and therefore all our actions and thoughts must come to this to be as it is 2. Thes 1.12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you In the second Commandement be these two respects First that the honour exhibited in outward behaviour is exhibited to one that is present Secondly that the honour exhibited is given to the party himselfe for to him alone it must be done Now the worship of the Tongue which wee call Praise goeth beyond these and is most excellent for it is of him that is absent and to others and not to himselfe Though God be present every where yet when wee in our actions and speeches speake of him to others there is praise and so it goeth to him And yet there commeth a further portion of glory So that it is not only true Luk. 14.8 that honour is given to the person but also to his Name Psal 29.2 Give to God the glory due unto his name which giving of glory is properly called praise for the worship of God is made an especiall glorification of God Psal 50. vers last he that offereth me praise glorifieth mee which sheweth that it is allone to give glory to God and to give him praise Now this praise hath his proper place in our mouth Psal 34.1 With my mouth will I praise thee the instrument chiefe in this office is the Tongue and by performance of this our tongues are made glorious Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will be talking of wisdome and his tongue will speake of judgment The manner how this praysing is to be performed is set downe in Moses Deut. 32.3 I will publish with my mouth give yee glory to God i. e. one must report and they that heare must give glory to God Now as was said before in the word Glory accordingly as it is taken both in divinity and out of divinity there is more then either in honour praise or worship because all these are directed that the party on whom they are bestowed might be glorified And the matter of glory hath proportion to Claritas the brightnesse in glasse and in other such visible things that as they are seene a farre off so that party to whom such honour is given it is in such sort that he might have a name a farre off and knowne Therefore for this cause in Psal 66.2 the Prophet having exhorted men to praise he goeth further and
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without naturall affection 2. The second is the property of love to wish well to him whom we love and because Christianum vorum est oratio a Christians mans wish is his prayer therefore in this respect we bring it to prayer which is a mutuall unity or affection of love betweene the Father and Sonne 1 Tim. 2.2 a Commandement that prayer be made for Superiours The like Ier. 29.7 for Babylon the Countrey and backward and downward 1 Cor. 29.18 19. David prayed for the people and for his sonne Solomon and Iob. cap. 1.5 was wont to pray daily for his Sonnes So for the duty reciprocall Come to Honour which is the duty due from Inferiours to Superiours what it is in particular As there is a Father Matth. 23.9 So we have exactly but one Father viz. God so as truely is it said of honour 1 Tim. 1.17 honour exactly belongeth onely to God But that he himselfe hath vouchsafed to resigne part of it to some men 2 Tim. 2.20 he created some vessels to honour c. and consequently Heb. 5.4 out of the generation of mankinde he calleth some to be honourable and as Matth. 25.24 his calling is knowne by his gifts for he giveth them parcels and portions of his goods whereby they excell their fellowes It was said that the Scripture useth three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excellencie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Principality unto this Excellencie honour properly belongeth and it is twofold 1. outward 2. inward 1. Inward honour as Prov. 5.9 Meddle not with a strange woman c. so Prov. 20.3 for he shall lose his honour Inward honour that good opinion that men have of him And opinio honesla and honest and good opinion is defined to be testimonium excellentiae whereby wee witnesse that there is in this man a certaine excellencie above us or somewhat above us by nature Paul Col. 3.18 1 Pet. 2.13 expressed this by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjection to be subject as Luke 2.51 Christ went c. and was subject to them i. in respect of his manhood he acknowledged himselfe a childe and so consequently somewhat more to be in them then in him The contrary will make it more plaine Numb 16.3 Corah and his company his thesis was The Lord was among them all holy to the Lord and equall therefore Moses should not be so excellent The contrary of this is when men doe not onely confesse that there is not any equality but that some excell and that not by chance nor as the Poet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by Gods appointment and this is the first and inward part of honour But 1 Sam. 16.7 God and man looke not one way God looketh on the heart which man cannot therefore he cannot see this inward excellencie And this maketh the exteriour honour as it is taken Honour externall 1 Sam. 15.30 where Saul saith Yet honour me before the elders c. Matth. 23.67 the desire of the chiefest place chiefe roomes greetings c. the honour that the Pharisees longed for What the exteriour honour is what kinde is to be exhibited and due it is better determined and knowne by the manner of the Countrey because all are not alike in fashion For our selves they may be reduced to these seven heads Every one hath a warrant from the practise of the godly 1. To rise up when the person of excellencie which either by nature analogie or property is our Father is in presence done to Iob cap. 29.8 and a greater by Solomon to Bathsheba his mother 1 King 2. he rose up and met her 2. Nudare caput to uncover the head which was ad honorem in token of honour in use with the Saints as 1 Cor. 14. 3. Genuflexio the bowing of the knee practised Gen. 41.43 the cry of Pharaoh made to be proclaimed before Ioseph Abrech i. bow the knee And thus farre proceed the first salutations 4. Afterward it pertaineth to exterior honour to Stande Exod. 18.13 Moses quia Iudex because Judge sate the people stood 2 King 5.21 Gehezi stood before Elisha and indeed it is the common expressing of service 5. Silence to give eare when he speaketh Iob. 29.9 10.11 so they did to Iob when he was in presence 6. When we are by necessary occasion to speake to use words of Submission as 1 Pet. 3.6 Sarah called Abraham my Lord or Sir Gen. 31.35 43.28 See it in Iosephs brethren Thy servant our Father c. And they bowed downe and made obeysance Gen. 31.25 So Rachel to Laban Let not my Lord be angry that I cannot rise up and give testimony of honour because it is with me after the manner of women 7. The last is dispersed throughout the Scriptures and is comprehended under the word ministrare Luke 17.8 when we waite upon and when we performe any duty which mens servants use by that action whatsoever it be we testifie a supâ—râ—ority and excellencie in that party It comprehendeth many duties And thus farre goeth honour For when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poweâ— To Power belongeth feare power is added then another thing viz. feare doth belong to it as Ioh. 19.11 power it is not but from above from God and so consequently commeth there unto them that have power part of that feare that we owe to God To this belongeth an awe a standing in awe a reverent feare Levit. 19.3 Every one shall feare his Father and Mother Ephes 6.5 With feare and trembling to our Masters secundum carnem after the flesh Prov. 16.14 A great feare belongeth to the King because his anger is the messenger of death and Iob. 29.8 that the people stood in such awe of him that they when he came forth conveyed them out of the way as if they had done some unseemely thing c. And this properly belongeth to the Superiour in regard of his power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prinâ—ipality To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is due obedience 3. In respect of his government unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is due 1 Tim. 6.1 obedience expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to goe under a yoke that is when they bid us doe this or that we be contented to put our neckes under their commandement Prov. 23.22 Ephes 6.10 plainely Obey thy Father and Mother c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both set forth this obedience examples of which we have Gen. 22.9 of a Sonne to his Father Isaak even to the death obeyed c. of a Servant to his Master Gen. 31.6 Iacob served Laban with all his might and Iosh 1.6 Ioshua by Gods commandement is made servant to a Kingdome Now for the protestation of this obedience and for the expressing of it order was taken for a second government as Prov. 3.9 he willeth men to honour God with their substance and goods It is the wanting of 〈◊〉
sufficient There was city against city and that was the occasion of the Civill government And indeed this Ecclesiastica potestas the Ecclesiasticall government would have been sufficient to have governed the whole World but that as David saith Psal 32.9 there is in some another nature They are like the Horse and wild Mule that will runne upon men and offer violence and injury and consequently there must be another power to bridle those Now then the great reason of the Common-wealth why they would be under one man and of giving potestatem vitae necis The great reason of the Common-wealth power over life and death to one man their maxime is Praestat timere unum quam multos better to feare one Wolfe then to have every Wolfe to be his controller and to have his life continually in hazard Gen. 9.6 A magistracy and the sword was appointed by God and so consequently Gen. 14.18 Melchisedech whom the best writers agree to be Sem tooke upon him a Kingdome and tooke upon him a way to defend the Church and people of God The chiefe end of a Common-wealth is to serve God Praecipuus finis re publicae cultus De◠1 Tim. 2.2 Which Abraham not finding in Caldea where he was pars patriae one of the countrey chose rather to live solitarily by himselfe Exod. 5.13 the same end is noted Israel being under a strange King in Aegypt that knew not Jehovah desired to goe and serve the Lord in the Wildernesse out of the Land of Aegypt Psal 122. the Church and Countrey are both joyned together and 2 Chron. 11.13 14. the Levites ran from Jeroboam out of all the suburbs and possessions and came to Juda and Jerusalem For Jeroboam and his sons had cast them out from ministring in the Priests of sice before the Lord Deu. 17.18 as soon as the King is set in his throne he must get him a copie of the Law For this a man may forsake his Countrie if his end be gone that is the service of God 2. End peace After this end came in the other as the second end quietnesse That is in three points in this order Because Pastor is applyed to the Minister much adoe there is Pastor in the word more often applyed to the Magistrate then to the Minister in urging great and extraordinary diligence in them But it is strange that Pastor in the Scriptures being oftner attributed to the Magistrate no such diligence is required of him The first metaphor from that signification is given to the Magistrate Gen. 49.24 to Joseph and Psal 78.71 to David Secondly Num. 27.17 metaphorically So also provide a man over them that they be not as sheep without a shepheard Now that they might not stray as sheep because it is good for sheep to keep together for feare of the Wolves therefore it is first that they might be fedde And then for that there falleth dissension among them Ezek. 34.18 21. I will judge betweene sheep and shepheard vers 23. And I will set up a shepheard over them even my servant David c. There are the fat and the leane sheep and what doe they The fat sheep having fed and drunke trample the grasse and trouble the water that the leane sheep can eate and drinke nothing but such and vers 21. they will strike one another with their hornes c. Now for the keeping of the fat from the leane in the inside of the fold that they may feed quietly This is the second end 3. Now besides John 10.12 because there is a Wolfe without the fold an outward enemie that is forraigne invasion here is the third end to be quiet from forraigne invasion from the great Goats and Wolfe We see how the causes depend one of another The first end of Princes to be nutricii ecclesiae nourishers of the Church pascere nos non seipsos to feed not themselves but us The second is to be procurers of peace at home The third to keep off forraigne invasion plaine in exemplo regis non boni by an example of none of the best Kings Saul 1 Sam. 11.5 he lookes there ne quid sit populo quod fleat that the people have no occasion to weep they be not disquieted by Nahash the Ammonite c. so we see the end Now to the duties Usurpation An usurpation is here too as well as in Ecclesiasticall government Judges 18.7 In Laish men were quiet because there was no usurping Prov. 8.15 Per me reges regnant By me Kings raigne saith Salomon As hee is the doore Practises of usurpers so they that enter rightly enter by him but he saith contra Hosea 8.4 Regnaverunt sed non per me they have set up Kings but not by me So there bee some Usurpers of Magistracie Videlicet such as be not called as Hebrewes 5.4 but doe as Amos 6.13 Assumpserunt sibi cornua that is potestatem c. take unto themselves hornes by hornes is meant power We have an example in Abimelech Judges 9. Ambition is the usurper his meanes be verse 2. his friends But now they are growne more impudent they will say it themselves Abimelech had more blood in his face he desired his friends to say for him and he doth by humbling of himselfe seeke friendship and verse 4. When they had little better consideration of them he getteth him a few light brayned fellowes to ayde him verse 5. and 21. those that had right to it he drove away These are the three practises of Usurpers which Jotham verse 15. and 16. telleth them in a Tale and so sheweth them what manner of fellows they are c. The Magistrate being set in his charge rightly by God the division of 1 Pet. 2.13 14. commeth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under Officers as in Warre the Captaine in Peace the Judge The cause of under officers The reason of Under officers is Deut. 2.9 Moses confession Exod. 18.13 Jethro telleth him he is unable to beare the burthen of the whole government Numb 11.16 is Gods approbation Deut. 17.16 they have authority to make a King and Deut. 16.10 to make under Officers Here note that these under Officers are given to helpe the King Underofficers must not bee too many therefore that there be no more granted then will serve to help the King that the Realme be not clogged with too many Nehem. 5.15 They themselves handle them not hardly but their servants their under Officers oppressed the people Therefore that is gravamen reipublicae a burthen to the Common-wealth which the people cannot beare So it is against policie and against justice too for they must have their Fees to them Generall dutyes So the duties in generall of both What manner of men they should be What manner of men they should be And the first is this Whom God calleth All elections must be according to that rule Deut.
As a man must regard the witnes of God rather then the witnes of his conscience so the witnesse of this conscience rather then mans as the Philosopher Malo viri bòni nomen or famam perdere The testimony of a good conscience quam conscientiam I had rather lose the name and report of a good man then hazard the losse of my conscience But yet in these things where both can meere there that his gifts may increase to the enlarging of the Lords Dominion and the Church both ought to be followed therefore 2 Cor. 6.8.3 he saith they were true but were counted as deceivers yet he saith there that they gave no occasion for offence And that for this reason to the end that their ministery might escape and not runne into blame and be by that meanes made lesse able to doe good So then both in regard of a mans own selfe that he is more circumspect while he hath it to keep when it is lost Ier. 3.3 he putteth on frontem meretriciam a whores forehead he is impudent Psal 58.4 he stoppeth his eare So long as he hath a good name he is carefull to keepe it so the consideration of both these and this and also the former respect it is a sinne not to looke to but to neglect his good name as the Heathen man excepto probro reliqua omnia maledicta existimo take away slander and reproach and I will endure all other railings because the wound of a slanderer might be healed but there will a skarre remaine and because he is shut up to doe good and good men will be suspitious and evill men will never have done with it so he ought thus to stand affected For the offence it selfe Matth. 15.19 it commeth from the heart Marke 7.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. blasphemie Oâ—igo peâ—â—aâ—â— hujus praâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. foolish speaking Now then as in the former there is an inclination of nature grassari ad famam for a man to thinke when he can thrust downe other that he shall be better thought of But when as it commeth to that that Esay speaketh of chap. 29.15 he saith They digge deepe and hide themselves Ier. 18.18 Let us imagine some far reaching counsell against Ieremie let us slander him that none may credit him this is beyond the roote of this vice and is the Suppuratio and rankling of it 1 Tim. 6.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill surmisings The Apostle there condemneth evill suspitions light suspitions when they be upon little or no ground There it beginneth Now we handle these as they are enemies and prejudiciall to mans credit not as before Iames 4.11.12 he proceedeth further for he saith there that from this light suspition men beginne to take upon them the office of the Law Rash judgement of light suspition whereas the Law should condemne and accuse they take upon themselves to judge Thus we come to judgement and not onely to judgement but as Paul saith 1 Cor. 4.5 we come to judgement before the time too hastily And he will not judge of outward things so as there may necessarily grow a conclusion of them but of doutfull things Rom. 14.4 such as may be well interpreted as to deale with Christ and Iohn Baptist The one for not eating but abstaining was said to be troubled with a melancholike fancie the other for eating and drinking a dissolute fellow That whereas these outward things may be done to badde or good ends they judge hastily de rebus sociis of the things themselves and of their neighbours Testis repentinus nun â—aâ—nâ—â—re judâ—â—at Now this repentinus testis this sudden hasty witnesse Prov. 12.19 he never giveth his verdict truely Acts 28.4 they no sooner see the Viper cleave to Pauls hand but presently they say he is a murtherer even at the very sight of the Viper Now it is not onely this but 2 Tim. 2.26 he must suspend his judgement for he knoweth not what will be hereafter that is God may give him grace to see fully And whereas he should keepe his conclusion of sinnes praecedentia consequentia and observe the things that goe before and the things that follow after 1 Tim. 5.21 this will not be held but there is no sooner a Viper on the hand but a verdict will be given And not onely that but where God taketh order that ubi malum contingit ibi moriatur if it be private let it have private death Prov. 11.13 Hee is a discoverer of secrets as we see that was the first augmentation of Chams sinne to tell his brethren of his fathers folly Matth. 1.19 Ioseph because it was secret and might have beene done by some that had a pure contract in simplici actu fornicationis he would not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make her a publike example And not onely this but as we see beyond this 2 Sam. 13.30 when he openeth it more then is true when the King hath lost but one sonne they will say all the children of the King are dead 2 Sam. 13.30 as we see it was the common rumour then if there be but one killed then all are killed And beyond all these Prov. 17.9 when he hath once told it hee will afterward at it againe and when the wound seemeth to be whole and repentance is made yet he will refricare cicatricem renew it againe These degrees and affections are the appetites of a nature lusting to envie but especially that of things doubtfull it is very certaine that we must strive against But if he will reason as Shimei 2 Sam. 16.7 that because Ioah and Abner were great men of bloud that so David was a man of bloud and when we proceed ex dubiis upon doubtfull and uncertaine grounds we will open a window to all other Solum subactum Now after this we doe consider as in the former that which maketh us Solum subactum soile fitted for the seed which is called pruritus aurâ—um Pruritus â—uâ—â—â—â— the itching of eares so the Wiseman Prov. 17.4 saith there he is a willing hearer and so if there were no receiver there would be no theeves so if there were no itching eares that itched after the nakednesse of their brethren it is certaine that there would be no Chams to come to tell them of it Psal 15.3 He saith that as he will not take up a slanderer so he will not receive a slander for if a man doe vulium contrahere draw his forehead together and shake him off it is very certaine he will not returne againe Discet non libenter dâ—cere cum didicit non libenter audire he will learne not to be forward to speake when he perceives others unwilling to heare him Aug. As on the other side if he be willing to heare then the other will be willing to speake it So there must be a delight in hearing mens imperfections and secondly a credulity As we
Iohn 1.18 that is borne againe of the Water and of the Spirit without which Regeneration no entrance is into the Kingdome of God And our dignity in being the sonnes of God in these three sorts is to be considered First in that we are the price of Christs bloâ—d 1 Cor. 6. Secondly we have Characterem that is the stampe of the sonnes of God when we are called Christians Acts 11. Thirdly we are the Temples of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3. By meanes whereof he giveth us holy desires and maketh us sorry that we have offended his Majesty the assurance of this is that which the Apostle caâ—s the Spirit of Adoption which hee sends into the hearts of Christians to certifie them both that they are the sonnes of God and may call him Father Rom. 8. in a double sense both in respect of nature and grace not onely by generation but by Regeneration In the naturall affection that God beareth us we have two things 1. the immutability of it 2. the excellencie God doth teach us that his love to us is unchangeable in this that he expresseth it by the name of Father nam pater eâ—tansi offersâ—s est pater filius etiamsi nequam tamen filius A father though offended is a father and a sonne though naught yet is a sonne The Master may cease to be a Master so may a servant The husband may cease to be a husband so may the wife by meanes of divorce but God can never cease to be our Father though he be never so much offended and we cannot cease to bee his sonnes how wicked soever wee bee and therefore God doth by an immutable terme signifie unto us the immutability of his affection Heb. 6. And indeed whether hee doe bestow good things on us or chasten us his love is still unchangeable for both are to bee performed of a father toward his children and therefore whether hee afflict us or bestow his blessings on us we are in both to acknowledge his fatherly care howsoever To flesh and bloud no affliction seemeth good for the present Heb. 12. This immutability of his love as it ministreth comfort in time of affliction so doth it comfort and raise us up in sinne and transgression so that notwithstanding the greatnesse of our sinnes wee may bee bold to seeke to God for favour and say Etsi amisi ingenuitatem filii tamen tu non amisisti pietatem patris Although Lord I have lost the duty of a sonne yet thou hast not lost the affection of a father The excellencie of Gods love appeareth herein that he is not described to be God under the name of a King or great Lord as Mat. 18. There we have an example of great goodnesse in pardoning tenne thousand Talents but yet a doubt will arise in our mindes except we know him to be good otherwise then as he is a King for so looke what mercie he sheweth to us the like he will have us shew to others but we come short of this But this is it that contents us that he describes his goodnesse under the terme of Father in which regard how wickedly soever we deale yet still wee may say with the evill child I will goe to my Father Luke 15. He had cast off his father he had spent all his patrimony yet for all that he resolveth to goe backe and his father is glad to receive him he went and met and entertained him joyfully such affection doth God beare to his children The benefits that we have by the fatherly love of God is of two sorts First Fructus indulgentiae paternae Secondly Fructus liberalitatis paternae that is the fruit of fatherly compassion and the fruit of fatherly bounty Fathers stand thus affected towards their children that they are hardly brought to chasten them and if there be no remedy yet they are ready to forgive or soone cease punishing Pro peccato magno panlulum supplicii satis est Patri for a great offence a small punishment is enough to a father And for their bountifulnesse the Apostle saith that there is naturally planted in fathers a care to lay up for their children 2 Cor. 12. they are both in God for facility ad veniam to pardon and readinesse to forgive makes him Patrem misericordiarum 2 Cor. 3. not of one for he hath a multitude of mercies great mercie and little mercie Psal 51. The affection of David toward Absolon a wicked sonne was such that he forgave him though he sought to deprive his father of his Kingdome 2 Sam. 12. and though wee offend the Majesty of God yet hee assureth us that hee will be no lesse gracious to our offences then David was For David was a man after Gods owne heart 1 Sam. 13. Touching the care which God hath to provide for us the Prophet saith and also the Apostle Cast your care upon the Lord for hee careth for you 1 Pet. 5. He careth for us not as he hath care of Oxen 1 Cor. 9. but such a tender care as he hath for the Apple of his eye Zach. 2. He provideth for us not lands and goods as earthly fathers but an inheritance immortall incorruptible and that fadeth not reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. and hath prepared for us an heavenly Kingdome whereof we are made co-heires with his Sonne Christ Rom. 8.17 and this is the fruit of his fatherly bountifulnesse towards us Out of these two the immutability and excellencie of Gods love shewed both in forgiving sinnes and providing good things ariseth a duty to be performed on our parts for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all comfort nomen patris ut explicat sic excitat charitatem the name of a father as it sheweth so it stirreth up love as it sheweth quid sperandum sic quid sit prastandum what is to be performed of us the name of a father doth promise unto us forgivenesse of sinnes and the blessings not of this life onely but especially of that that is to come and this duty lieth upon us that we so live as becommeth children wee may not continue in sinne but at the least must have virtutem redeundi the vertue of returning Isa 63. Why hast thou caused us to goe out of the way A child though he have wandred never so farre yet at length will come to that resolution I will returne to my father Luke 15. But if we consider the dignity whereunto we are exalted wee shall see on earth Si filii Dei quodammodo Dii simus if we be sonnes we are after a sort Gods Divinae participes naturae 2 Pet. 1. partakers of the divine nature as the sonnes of men are men But the Apostle sets down this plainely Behold what great love he hath shewed us That we should be called the sonnes of God 1 Iohn 3. This dignity requireth this duty at our hands that we reverence our Father Mal. 1.6 If I be your Father where is my love If
storehouse and Armory of the people It is the policy Christ tels us of in the 11. of Lukes Gospell ver 22. A strong man puts the strong armed man out of his house and takes away his armour from him then he needs not feare him The like policy we read of 1 Sam. 13.19 when the Philistims had taken away all Smiths and Armour then they thought they were safe So in the time of darkenesse the devill might let them doe their good workes and what they list and yet have them still under his lure that he might offend them at his pleasure that had no armour to resist him All the Children of God had a right and property in the Law of God as appeareth by Christs words John 10.34 he answered them that is the common people Is it not written in your Law As though hee should say the Scripture is yours To the young man in the tenth Chapter of Saint Lukes Gospell and 26. verse that asked Christ what he should doe to be saved Christ answereth What is written in the Law how readest thou Whereunto to answer that we cannot read or that the booke is sealed up Esay 29.11 is as the devill would have it Then hath he a fit time to offer us stones to make bread of But this answer with our Saviour Christ will not be allowed of Now come we to the speciall point of Christs answer It is written Man lives not by bread onely c. Deut. 8.3 There is no better kinde of reasoning than that when one grants all that hath beene said by his adversary and proveth it to make on his part and upon a new conceit avoyds all that his adversary said Here our Saviour might confesse all that the devill objected as that he is the Son of God and admit the stones were made bread and that bread were of absolute necessity and that it were so to be come by which is untrue were we then in good case This indeed is the devils position wherewith he would perswade all those that have animam triticeam as the Fathers call it that those externall things are necessary to be had and that if they have enough thereof they are well enough as we see it to be the minde of the rich man Luke 12.19 This man having a wheaten soule having corne enough bade his soule take rest and live merrily for many yeares But Christ goeth further and saith Though the stones be made bread it will not availe except it please God by the blessing of his word to give vertue and as it were life unto the bread there is no difference between it and a stone It is not the plenty or quality of victuals howsoever some dote upon such externall meanes as they did which sacrificed to their net and burnt incense to their yerne Habak 1.16 because by them their portion was fat and their meates plenteous For what saith Job 31.27 If I had rejoyced because my substance was great this had beene an iniquity So that our life is not mainetained by bread onely descended out of the mould of the earth The nature of bread and stones are not much unlike they come both out of one belly that is to say the earth Job 28.5 6. and of themselves the one of them hath no more power than the other unto life for we know that the Israelites dyed even while the flesh of Quailes was in their mouthes Numb 11.33 and Manna heavenly fare being farre better than our bread It is the devils crafty policy to bury a mans life under a loafe of bread and as it were to fetter the grace of God to the outward meanes wheras they of themselves are of no more efficacy without the operation and grace of the word than a hammer and a saw without a hand able to employ them David saith Psal 104.28 The eyes of all things waite on God for their meate in due season and thou fillest them With what with bread No but with thy blessing and goodnesse Our hearts must be stablished with grace not with meats Heb. 13.9 It is Gods prerogative that as all things had their beginning from him Colos 1.17 so he supporteth and sustaineth them Heb. 1.3 This is a further point than all Philosophy teacheth us For they having laid downe the foure elements bare and simple essences tanquam materiam by compounding and tempering of them they bring forth a certaine quintessence or balme full of vertue But Divinity leadeth so to a quintessence without which all the quintessences and balmes in the world can doe us no good To the question that Jeremie propoundeth Jer. 8.22 Is there no balme at Gilead Is there no Physitian there The answer may bee Mans health is not recovered by balme or physicke onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God if we weigh Christs argument aright For we may see 2 Chron. 16.12 Asa dyed for all his Physitians that were about him So if it be asked Are there no horses nor chariots in Gilead We may answer warlike victory consisteth not in warlike furniture onely but in remembring the name of the Lord God Psal 20.7 A horse is a vaine thing to save without the power of this word And so when a man thrives not or prospers not in his actions it is not often for want of labour or care Psal 127.1 tels him Except the Lord build the house c. Augustine adviseth his Auditory to beleeve it in time lest by wofull experience they finde it to be true when as they shall have such a consumption that no meate shall doe them any good or such a dropsie that no drinke shall availe them The power and vertue of this word is called The staffe of bread Levit. 26.26 and it is meant of a chiefe staffe such a one as is set in the middest to beare up all the Tent. The plainest similitude I can use to make you understand the force thereof is this When we goe to Physicke for any disease we are bidden feeth such herbes in running water and then to drinke the water we know it is not the water which helpeth but the decoction of infusion So it is not the bread considered barely in it selfe that nourisheth us but the vertue and grace of the word infused into it We are not therefore to sticke to the meanes like the Glutton Luk. 12.19 but to pray for this blessing And to this end God in the establishing of nature hath thereout reserved foure speciall prerogatives to his Word As first with a very little of the meanes to goe farre in operation 1 Reg. 17.14 with a little oyle and a little wheate he fed Elias the poore widdow and her sonne a great while And Matth. 17.14 Christ made five loaves and two fishes serve five thousand persons The heathen man thought no certaine proportion was to be set downe for a family because when a heavenly hunger commeth on men they eate more at one time than
alienate Gods glory from him and to intitle himselfe to it therefore he shall be punished as Prov. 15.25 the Lord will destroy the house of the proud men c. even in the time wherein he magnified himselfe he is taken away as Haman and Herod c. or is punished with the losse of his gift that was the cause of his pride his tongue shall cleave to the roofe of his mouth his right hand shall forget her cunning 2. Because he will be singular as Ierome calleth it because hee will be an Vnicorne one that will have no match therefore as they rumpunt rete break the net i. humility wherein Gods prey is so hee delivereth them over to be people by themselves and so they beginne to be authors and beginners of erroneous opinions and heresies and as the Fathers of the Greeke Church say very well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall at length come to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by abstaining from usuall things they shall come to hold absurd things and to be more absurd then they were when they were young Ratio For when one is young he is marvellous fearfull to stand to any thing after when he comes to be a man and hath found as he thinketh some experience of his strength then he cannot so much distrust as before and consequently he commeth to be absurder and there is never an Heretick but may be an example that way 3. Being once brought to this that he is able by himselfe to deale well enough and to leane on his owne staffe the staffe of God i. prayer must needes give over so not craving a supply of God whereas in humility he could have withstood great assaults in his pride hee is overcome with every little temptation At a mans first entry into Christianity and regeneration God giveth him great strength for every little want whereby he may resist great sinnes and temptations because then he wholly relieth himselfe to God afterward relying to himselfe and leaving God he prayeth not and not praying he taketh tge foyle 4. When it pleaseth God to leave those three and to suffer the gift to remaine yet it is an example that they are not fruitlesse we see that where he joyneth them with this pride he doth leave them fruitlesse and no gaine returneth to God by them excellent graces of God have beene employed great eloquence hath beene shewed and yet no fruit comes of them not one soule gained to God when as a simple man with his simple gift well employed in humility shall gaine more then a glorious tongue that is as eloquent as ever Tertullus was 5. Last of all and that punishment which we ought most of all to feare it is to be observed toward the latter end of a man the Fathers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a thing in the minde comparable to the Palsie This dulnesse is so ordinary a punishment of pride that it falleth on the children of God but of this dulnesse doe not prevaile then followeth judgment or apoplexie in the body and it is the state that the most part of the world passeth away in a certaine numbnesse or blockishnesse that neither reason can perswade them nor all the threatnings terrifie them nor all the promises allure them nor any thing move them then they passe to death without any sense of Gods judgements so they perish and die as beasts nothing differing from them but onely for the furniture of beds and pillowes This in them is in great measure those that have their hearts as fat as brawn that can feele nothing and in small measure it is in all thus God makes our hearts and state the punishment of our pride while we not making use of pride in us there shall a dulnesse come upon us therefore 2 Cor. 12. God lest in Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the best interpreters interpret it a privie wrestling or fighting and conflict against his owne pride keeping himselfe exercised that those things might not fall out in effect which he felt within him he that feeleth any of these he may ascribe it to the blessing of himselfe in his owne heart and security of his conscience The other extreme and that is Coacta or Spuria Humilitas Alterum hâ—â—ititaâ—â— extremum Another extreme is constrained humility 1. Either constrained humility Exod. 4. in Pharaoh the practise of it is in the 6.7 8 9. chap. so long as Gods hand was on him and his people and he felt his plagues so long he humbled himselfe to the Lord and promised to let the people goe Exod. 9.27 I have now sinned the Lord is righteous but I and my people are wicked v. 28. pray ye to the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mighty thunders and hailes and I will let you goe and ye shall tarry no longer but vers 34. when Pharaoh saw that the thunder and raine and haile ceased he sinned againe and hardned his heart both hee and his servants and in the next chap. he asketh Who is the Lord that he should let his people goe There is in every vertue beside the 2. extremes an habit that hath the likelihood of the good habit which they call spâ—â—tam â—iâ—â—utem a bastard vertue Malum câ—namentum humilitatis veritatis detrimentum 3. Rules how we are to stand affected in humility and to know whether our humility be in the truth Bernard expresseth it in one word videmus multos saith he humiliatos sed non humiles we see many humbled but few humble men 2. The other is that which they call Spuriam humilitatem a bastard humility common and especially in some natures that by disposition are humble Ecclus. 13.9 we must not be humiles in sapientia nostra we must be humble in a good cause not in our own conceits if we know it is Gods matter that we have in hand there must no humility be shewed in it detrimentum veritatis non est ornamentum humilitatis we must so be humble as that we keepe our humility for cases unlike In every man there is of God somewhat somewhat of nature and somewhat of the evill spirit Ephes 3.5 the Apostle warrants me to know the gift that God hath bestowed on me and that it is not to give place to the gift of nature * * * Nature must give place to grace In the gifts of nature he preferreth himself Gal. 2.15 of the gifts of nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We who are Jewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles by nature he preferreth the Jewes before the Gentiles the good gifts of nature before the corruption of nature onely this 1 Tim. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe Every one may thus think that in my nature there is so monstrous a masse of corruption as
is in no man else and in another there is that good and such a gift as is not in me and so I to honour it So is the place to the Philip. understood or in regard of the great masse of corruption in me may say with the Apostle Quorum ego maximus of whom I am chiefe But to submit the better to the worse as the gift of grace in me to the gift of nature in another or the good gift of nature in me to the evill gift of nature in another that is not Gods minde Meanes to Humility There is no grace in us that God might not have put in any other creature The meanes are manifold but they may be reduced to these 1. From the state of our bodies grounded upon good reason Basil in his Hexemeron saith that mans life is nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Schoolehouse of humility his ground is out of Psal 8.4 where the Prophet comparing his body with the body of the heavens and the spheres falleth into an admiration why God chose his body rather to put a reasonable soule into it then any of the celestiall bodies and out of Gen. 18.27 I have begunne to speake to my Lord and am but dust and ashes * * * Our nature is but an heap of dust and ashes and therefore Augustin cryeth out Good Lord what should move thee to give such an excellent soule to my body which is but a peece of clay passing over the glorious body of the Sunne the Moone and the Starres and all the celestiall spheres and to bestow it upon a pottle of choler and fleame and the Philosopher saith O homo si considerares quid per os quid per nares per reliquas corporis partes exiret nunquam tam turpe sterquilinium reperires O man consider but what filthinesse comes forth from thy mouth what from thy nostrils and what from the other parts of thy body and thou wilt easily see that there is no such dunghill as thy selfe 2. From the state of our soules Luke 18.13 Lord have mercie on me a sinner and as a Father well mendeth it mihi peccato that am nothing else but sinne for so it is with many of us and such sinners as that Rom. 7.14 we are sold for slaves to sinne and that as it is in the 18. vers in us i. in our flesh as of nature dwelleth no good thing in so much as we cannot once thinke a good thought of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 And not onely this but if we consider that we have so multiplied our transgressions as that they be more in number then the haires of our head and as it is Psal 38.4 beside the number Psal 40.15 David the flower of our nature had both infinite sinnes for the number and intolerable for the weight that they are such a weighty burden to us as is intolerable The consideration of these will humble us if the Devill carry us up into our owne mountaine and shew us any good thing in us we must resist him with these and that we have no one good thing but we have received and that not of merit in us but to confesse with Jacob Gen. 32.10 that we are not worthy the least of his mercies nor of all the truth that he hath shewed us and if we use the gifts that we have received never so well yet to say as it is Luke 17.10 we are unprofitable servants that no gaine can come to him from us then shall we come to pray with Daniel chap. 9. v. 7. O Lord righteousnesse belongeth unto thee and to us open shame and confusion and say with the Prophet Psal 115.1 Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thine owne name give the praise for thy loving mercie and truths sake Even in the wicked a kindâ— of humility A blessing to a blaze of humility in Ahab Adversity no great enemy to humility 3. Beside these when we consider the crosses of God which he hath or may bring upon us 1 King 21.29 the crosse falling on the wicked 〈◊〉 Ahab it brought a blaze of humility into him and that was not unrewarded of God Our conceit concerning adversity must be not that it is an enemy to us not to be humble for the Prophet Psal 119.71 confesseth that it was good for him that he was in trouble because he thereby learned the Statutes of the Lord when it pleaseth God to send his grace with it it driveth us to seeke comfort by the word and by prayer and to be willing to go to the houses of mourning and to them that have had a perplexity and to be a discipline to our selves in this want of it and to speake to others to tell them of their sinnes But the chiefe and best example is the example of Christ when he had many good things no doubt to be learned yet this especially and above all he would have us to learne of him humility Discite à me quia ego mitis sum humilis corde For his order and manner of preaching John 8.50 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I seek not mine own glory there is one that seeketh judgeth for his miracles Matth. 8.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he chargeth the Keeper to tell it no man he would all the glory should redound to his Fathers praise and glory humble in his practise but especially that action was to commend humility to them John 13.15 after he had washed his Disciples feete he said Exemplum vobis dedi ut sicut ego vobis feci vos invicem faciatis I have given you an example that ye should doe as I have done to you His birth was humble his life * * * Luke 2.51 be obeyed his Patents in all things His first beatitude beati sunt pauâ—â—â—es spiritu humble but his death more humble as humble as could be even at hell gates inso much that he was faine to cry a little before his death Quare dereliquisti me Why hast thou sorsaken me so Matth. 5.3 his first Theame in his first Sermon is Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven the marke of his Church Zeph. 3.12 Then will I leave in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord and it is the marke of his Apostles 1 Cor. 4. An ancient Father saith Ne contemnerent homines humilitatem placuit Deo plura largiri in humilitate sua For in his Majesty hee made the world and in his humility he remade it redeemed it quam in Majestate qui veretur humiliare se veretur ea facere quae Deus fecit Let no man lightly esteeme of Humility seeing it pleased God to effect more in Humility then in Majesty and he that feares to humble himselfe feares to doe that which God hath done The signes I dare not put Absaloms signes 2 Sam. 15.5