prosperous rich mighty and glorious 3. Thus would he be borne poore to make us rich to expresse his love to us 4. Thus he would teach us humility how intolerable is the pride of sinfull man repining at some wants when the sonne of God was thus humbled for our sins 5. He would have this difference betweene his first and second comming first he descended like raine into the fleece without noise he came not then to make any externall politicall â—â—changes in the kingdomes of the world but only to overthrow the spirituall kingdome of Satan and to worke not the Jews temporall redemption as they dreamed but their eternall salvation who beleeve in him both of Jewes and Gentiles And so the manifestation of Christs birth was not to the kings or great Doctors of the Law but to poore shepheards first though not by men but glorious Angels Having considered these things we must learne 1 To subject our reason to the word of God in assurance that all things are possible to him which he will and certainly true which he speaketh Thou wilt say but how shall I doe that I may be assured thereof I conceive these rules very necessary here in 1. That thou understand this word is not discerned by any light but by the same spirit which indited it Therefore said our Saviour when the spirit of truth is come He will lead you into all truth These things seeme foolish and improbable to our carnall man because he wanteth the spirit of God whereby hee might bee able to discerne those things which are not otherwise then spiritually discerned 2. If thou read or heare the Gospell be sure thou bring a beleeving heart resolved in this one principle at least Gods word is certainely true though many particulars are above my apprehension it is but lost labour for him to take the holy word of life into his hand who is resolved to beleeve no more then that which he can bring within the reach and dimension of his own carnall reason which erreth grosly in many things obvious to common sense 3. In this as many other matters necessary to be beleeved the onely way being to apprehend by faith doe thou not attempt the examination of all by reason but rather renounce it as unable to measure these things as thou art to take up the vast ball of earth into thy hand or measure the orbs of heaven by the span the rather in this because the holy Ghost hath told us it is the great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 4. Lastly remember when ever thou commest to read or heare of how high a consequence that is to which thou art come it is no vaine word concerning thee but thy life and salvation if thou beleeve and obey or thy destruction on the contrary and thou wilt easily be perswaded to prepare thy selfe by earnest prayer to God for his assistance and blessing who only hath the key of David which openeth and no man can shut the want of this one duty is the cause of so much unbeleefe and impiety in so abundant a light of the Gospell as we had long amongst us 2 That thou know that Christ thus conceived and borne hath sanctified our conception and birth in sin thus are the fountaines of our naturall propagation healed holy wedlock declared an undefiled bed and sacred virginity interressed in eternall attendance on Christ the Lambe of God 3 To be contented in every estate and comforted though in a dejected considering to what Christ descended for thy sake 4 To prepare and magniâ—ie the inestimable love of God shewed us in Christ. So did the holy Angels Luk 1. 46. 47. Luk 2. 14. 5 Where thou hast the promises of God for thy assurance not to feare how impossible or improbable soever they seeme to flesh and blood they shall be fulfilled in their appointed time and manner How impossible did this promise seeme to carnall reason a Virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne the ' B. Virgin her selfe was herewith posed how can this be Yet was it fulfilled in the fulnesse of time though many ages after the promise made Though he seeme to delay yet expect it that cannot faile which God promiseth so also thinke of the promises of thy resurrection and eternall life what ever carnall reason witty to its own destruction or the malitious tempter can object against the word of truth in due time it shall be fulfilled CHAP. V. What we are to beleeve concerning § 1. Christs suffering under Pontius Pilat his crucifying death and buriall § 2. His resurrection § 3. Ascention § 4. Sitting at the right hand of God the Father § 5. His comming to judge 1 THe humiliation of Christ is considerable 1. In generall comprehending all that he suffered in the forme of a servant the whole curse of the Law all kindes of aâ—â—lictions both of body and soule quae à peccato sunt non quae ad peccatum all the effects of sinne without sinne as in his birth circumcision subjection to men temptations blasphemous contradictons and contumelies desertions of friends and most injurious malice of enimies apprehension of his fathers wrath against sinne the paines of death and torments of hell all that which is incident and due to sinfull man sin onely excepted whereby he became the man of sorrowes 2. In particular that which he suffered under Pontius Pilat the then Roman deputie for that Province 2 Concerning the generall we must observe 1. That the divine nature though personally united to the humane suffered not but only the humane yet the suffering is attributed to the person and sometimes to the deity by reason of the communication of proprieties and union of the two natures in one person so God is said to have purchased the Church with his own blood because his blood who is truely God and man was shed for the redemption of his Church As the Athenian Codrus disrobing himselfe and falling into the enemies quarters in the habit of a poore man with a burthen on his back that he might steale a death to make his people conquerers according to the Oracle which said that people should overcome whose king should be slaine in the battle So Christ assumed the forme of a servant and became of no repute so bare he the Crosse that his own knew him not but slew the Lord of life that in his death who so loved us wee might be more then Conquerers He was impatible in his deity therefore he assumed an humanity which could suffer that he might become a ransome and sacrifice for our sinnes that the dignitie and merit of his passion might be vallewed according to the dignitie of the person suffering now because the worth of his passion was to be estimated from the united deity therefore his temporall and short suffering was of infinite merit to redeeme and free us from that which we should
in them Their communion with the Sonne is in that they are united to him become his members he liveth in them guideth governeth protecteth and comforteth them He communicateth to them all the benefits of his merits and passion so that they become as surely theirs for their justification as they are his as 't is written we are made partakers of Christ Heb 3. 14. hereby we become coheires with him Rom 8. 17. This belongeth onely to the Saints and true beleevers who walke as children of the light 1. Job 1. 6 7. who hearken to him and persevere unto the end Heb 3. 14. but Christ hath no communion with Infidels Christs communion with us is 1. in nature by his becomming â—lesh of our â—lesh 2. by grace and assumption of our persons in a mysticall union with him answering to God for us and so making us partakers of the divine nature 2. Pet 1. 4. 3. The perfection hereof shall be the translation of us into his glory so certaine as the truth of God which is the reason why the Apostle pronounceth thereof as of a thing already past Christ received â— us to the glory of God Rom 15. 7. The first of these states relateth to the second and the second to the last as nature is subordinate to grace and grace to glory the first union causeth the following we cannot have communion with him in his future glory if we have not in his present grace nor could wee ever have beene united to him by grace had not he first united himselfe to our nature whereby he fulfilled the law satisfied God's justice for us and so the divine unction sloweth from the head to all the body The holy Ghost worketh this union by giving us faith and sanctification This union is the most arct and indivisible he tooke on him our nature into an hypostaticall union with the deity he joyneth us to his mysticall body whereof he is the head by the holy Ghost hee that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit with him 1. Cor 6. 17. 1. Cor 12. 13. 1. Joh 3 24. 1. Joh 4. 13. Rom 8. 11. Ephes 4. 4. Hereby wee are really sanctified in that measure which he appointeth every man to salvation whereby he changeth our vile body that it may be like unto his own glorious body Phil 3. 21. and even now suffereth with us reckning all that is done unto us as done unto himselfe He becommeth wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption unto us He freeth us from condemnation purgeth us from all sinne maketh us walk according to his good spirit mortifying the works of the flesh The communion of the holy Ghost is a participation of his grace by which he uniteth us to him regenerateth governeth teacheth leadeth comforteth us witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sonnes of God helpeth our infirmities intercedeth for us with unutterable groanes sealeth us up to the day of redemption and uniteth us one with another 3. Our communion one with another importeth 1. an externall communion and society of the Saints called and united in the body of the visible Church by the ministry of the word and use of the Sacraments 2. an internall conjunction in which those whom God hath united in an externall communion are also by the holy Ghost united unto God and one to another By which they have mutually and joyntly 1. The same right to adoption and sonship in God 2. The same interest in Christ and all his merits 3. The same faith and grace of justification 4. The same right to salvation life and eternall glory This communion is either of the living with the living or of the living with the deceased Saints present or that which shall be in the life to come in the Church triumphant which shall be the most compleat and excellent part thereof This is the first prerogative which the God of unity bestoweth on his Church that her true members hold an happy unity in Christ and a sweet and comfortable fellowship one with another for wee being many are partakers of one bread and one body by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body here is our happinesse in unity without which there is neither happinesse nor life the most excellent part the eye divided from the body cannot see communion must needs be happy where God uniteth we have now in that spirit which uniteth us a communion with the soules in heaven and have our conversation there though but imperfectly but when we also are perfect it shall be a most excellent state the more holy and wise we are the more divine is our fellowship which is only betweene the good and wise when Peter James and John saw Moses and Elias but two glorified Saints in our Saviours transfiguration ravished in spirit they cryed out 't is good for us to bee here let us build here why said they not so before being with Christ Alas there appeared in him before this only the forme of a servant and man of sorrowes no beauty that we should desire in him but now some beames of his glory brake through the clowd of his humanity When Moses and Elias lived on earth they were of no such esteeme there is not that poore despised Saint whose presence now seemeth irksome to the worldly prosperous man but he shall bee most aimiable in our perfect communion in the liâ—e to come Society of man is excellent what were the world to a man alone But he that said 't is not good for man in the state of innocency to be alone reserved the best society to the state of glory the best life excellent is that communion which we now have in this imperfect state for as much as we are united in one spirit faith and doctrine we have like affections love each other assist each other as in things externall so specially by mutuall prayers yea the Angels of heaven rejoyce at a sinners conversion because they hold communion with us under one head and no wonder for if the humane soule which is but a â—inite creature can give so much unity and sense to every member of the body as to make them have a mutuall sympathy care and love how much more shall the spirit of an infinite God give these to all those which he uniteth in Christ But if so excellent bee this communion to us now in this mortall life and state of imperfection what thinke yee shall it be when thiâ— corruptible hath puton iucorruption and God shall be all in all And beleeving this why should I doubt of our knowing one another in the world to come To him that beleeveth this comfortable Article of Faith these following rules are necessary 1 Love all men for Gods sake If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowsâ—ip of the spirit saith the Apostle fulfill my joy that yee
could foretell what he meant to doe For who hath been his counsellour Who could have named Cyrus and foretold so many yeares before that he should give command for the repaire of Jerusalem but God who alone had appointed it Who could have foretold of a deluge of waters to drowne the whole world and that an hundred and twentie yeares before while the Arke was building Who but only he Who could have told of Abrahams oppression in Egypt and inheriting the Land of Canaan by his posterity but only God It were too long to repeat the sundry particulars hereto belonging all conclude a certaine providence and prescience and that a Godhead 6 If we consider the order of causes which cannot run into infinites but must quickly come in the computation to the cause which is God 7 If we consider the common assent of all Nations in all ages acknowledging that there is a God and to be adored all which proceedeth from the weake unextinguished light of nature the slender remainer of the knowledge of God left in the conscience of man after his fall 8. Lastly if we consider the excellency of mans soule and body tell me Atheist who made that soule of thine by which thou livest and hast sense and motion who did kindle that divine sparke and lampe of reason in thee who made thee capable of knowledge could any but the God of wisedome who enlightened that eie of thine by which thou â—ow seest could any but he that created light who framed those admirable parts of thy body so as that nothing is wanting nothing superfluous nothing otherwise could be devised or framed so convenient dost thou dreame of a naturall propagation tell mee then what is nature and who made the lawes thereof Is it not as we said the ordinary power of God who thus appointed Who made the first man If he had power to make himselfe he might more easily have repaired himselfe and why then doe we dye By this and by innumerable demonstrations it may appeare that there is a God though unseen of any and unknowne of all wicked unbeleevers There is but one God for 1 So the Scripture the infallible word of truth hath revealed the Lord our God is Lord onely Deut 6. 4. Exod 20. 2. 3. Deut 5. 6 7. Psal 18 31. 2. Sam 7. 22. Mal 2. 10. Ephes 4. 5. 6 1. Tim 2. 5. there is no other God but one for though there be many that be called Gods whether in heaven or earth yet there is but one God 2 The wonders which he hath done as they are recorded in the old and new Testament declare his unitie being such as could proceed from none but an Almightie and infinite power and two almighties or infinites there cannot be therefore the Psalmist said there is none that can doe like thy workes 3 By reason it must be so for one Sun is able to enlighten the world one soule to animate man how much more can one God who alone created all of nothing rule governe and maintaine his owne worke 4 That which hath selfe-being can be but one such is God 5 God is most perfect and there can be but one such as but one omnipotent one eternall 6 The government of the world admitteth but one God for if we should suppose it distributed into severall dynasts as Benadads servants dreamed 1. King 20. 23. there must bee confusion by the discord and contrarietie or at least a limitation of each others power determined to certaine parts and places either of which suppositions were impious and absurd in reason besides that humane partnership in kingdomes never began with fidelitie or ended without blood in irrationall polities nature bringeth all to order and subordination to one there is one king to swarme the bees one leader of the heard in the reasonable necessitie God and nature have appointed the subjects and superiours to avoid confusion of opinions and practices ever dangerous to publike interests which cannot subject without unity there must be some one generall in the army to command in chiefe and one Pilate at the helme and shall we thinke that the supreame celestiall power can be divided 'T is certaine that except the power of one doe unite all that this universe consisting of parts so different and unreconcilably contrary in nature as fire and water and the one prevailing over the other must extinguish his enemie and so destroy the whole neither could the contrary motions of bodies so vast continue but by the Almightie power of one to uniteâ— and containe them all in subjection and order 7 God is omnipresent and every where therefore one for in every pluralitie there must be limitation and no infinitnesse one barring the other from being in all places 8 Lastly the wiser sort of heathens though they knew not God aright confessed that hee is onely one S. Paul citing Aratus his words for we are his generation Act 17. 28. sheweth that he spake but of one Orpheus is expresse saying there is but one selfe being and Sybilla of whom Plato and Aristophanes speake is more expresse there is only one God Thales Miletius Pythagoras Anaxagoras Aristotle Cicero and many more of them knew that there could be but one true God in so much that Varro who wrote of all the fabulous Pagan Gods acknowledged that they worship the true God who beleeve him to be the Governour of the universe the Oracles of the devill speaking in them for his other advantages confessed one God Thus much I have spoken for their sakes who are infirme We must beleeve that there are three persons in one Godhead unity in trinity and triniâ—â— in unity this Christ taught Math. 28. 19. commanding his disciples to baptise In the name of the Father Sone and Holy Ghost and at the baptisme of Christ this appeared the Father saying from heaven This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased the sonne was baptised and the holy Ghost descended in the likenesse of a dove and these three are one 1. Joh 5. 7. the same is grounded in many places of Scripture Joh. 14. 16. 17. Gal 4. 6. Cor 13. 13. For the better understanding hereof wee must knowe the difference betweene an essence and a person the essence of God is one eternall spirituall simple selfe-being having being of and in no other but giving being to all things created To this belong all his essentiall attributes of which we speake A Person is a subsistence or being in the essence or substance of God and all the sacred persons in the Godhead have a mutuall relation one to the other and are distinguished one from another not in substance or Godhead for they are all one substance and one Godhead but by some property not common to any one with the other as the father from all eternity is ingenitus unbegotten the sonne from all eternity
promised to give Lord give therefore a gratious answere through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee O Father of mercy and the holy Spirit the Comforter be all honour and glory in heaven and earth to all eternity AMEN Another private Prayer immediatly after receiving the Lords Supper LOrd make us thankefull for all thy mercies especially for the knowledge of thy sonne our ever blessed Redeemer and for these seales of our salvation now received Holy Jesus who even now from the right hand of the father hearest and beholdest what we have done according to thine owne institution in remembrance of thy death and passion forgive us all our failings and imperfections accept our wills to obey thee more perfectly and as thy selfe gavest the signes so give thou who only canst the powerfull effects thereof that every one of us may evidently feele the vigour and strength of this spirituall refection in our soules and consciences more and more to a full assurance of our interest in thee peace of conscience through thee sanctified wills and affections by thee and that candor of manners holinesse of words and actions which may cleerely shine in our conversations before all men to thy glory and our comfort in life and death Lord heare and help us Lord encline thy mercifull eare unto us and doe it for his merit who now intercedeth for us thy sonne our holy Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN CHAP. XV. § 1. Of the Sabbath the name institution things considerable for the sanctification the beginning and ending reasons of Gods institution thereof § 2. Of the change to the Lords day now to be observed of Christians § 3. How we must now sanctifie it 1 SAbbath signifieth a rest from motion or worke hence this day set a part for holy conventions and the publike service of God is called a Sabbath thereto sanctified and hallowed by Gods appointment for every rest or cessation from worke is not the Sabbath of the Lord. 2. The Lord having perfected the worke of creation rested on the Seaventh day that is ceased from creation blessed it sanctified or appointed it to be kept holy by man as is repeated and interpreted in the morall law given by the ministry of Moses 3. In this praecept are considerable those things which are 1. Morall and Naturall 2. Positive and ceremoniall 1. The Morall part is that a seaventh day be set apart and kept holy for divine worship and rest from servill workes and this as all morall precepts having their ground in the law of nature concernes and bindes all men in all ages whose reason telleth them that there must be a time for the publike service of God 2. The Positive and Ceremoniall part is that which bound all men to the observation of the seaventh day from the creation untill it was changed as all the Leviticall ceremoniesâ— for a seaventh day to begin from Christs resurrection from the dead and also that which bound the Jewes to the observation of certaine ceremoniall rests and solemnities thereon untill the substance of those shadowes were come so wee read of their severall Sabbaths as first their great Sabbath which was that on which concurred a double solemnity as the last day of the Pasover and the seaventh day Sabbath secondly their holidaies or solemne feast daies wherein they were to feast and rejoyce before the Lord see Levit 23 24. c. Deut. 16. 14. and these were also to them Sabbaths Lam 1. 7. the adversaries saw her and did mock at her Sabbaths Thirdly their Sabbath of the earth every seventh yeare to rest Exod 23. 11. Levit 25. 4. Numb 28. 10. Fourthly Sabbaths of yeares seven times seven yeares 49. after which the trumpet was to â—ound the Jubile Levit 25. 8 9. Fitly their Sabbath of weekes see Levit. 23. 15 16. Deuâ— 16. 9 10. these were ceremoniall appertaining to the Levitie all law and therefore determined and ended with the rest of those ceremonies so Paul arrangeth them and would have no man judge Christians in respect of any such Sabbath Colos 2. 16. yea hee counteth it returning to weake and beggerly elements to observe daies c. Galat. 4. 10. 4. The seventh day Sabbath began at Evening and so ended the next day Evening according to the beginning and ending of naturall daies from the Creation as 't is saide the evening the morning made the first day from Even unto Even shall you celebrate your Sabbath but our Lords day beginneth in the morning from the resurrection of Christ on the morning of the third day and that 's not without a mystery that the Legall sabbath began with darknesse and the Evangelicall beganne with light 5. God appointed the observation of the Sabbath for many reasons 1. That it might be a day for Gods publike service as it was and is observed that men might come together to heare the Law pray receave the holy Sacraments c. Luk 4. 16. Act 20. 7. 1. Cor 16. 2. 2. To keepe in memory the work of creation Exod 20. 10 11. 3. In the giving of the law was added that which concerned Israels deliverance from their Egyptian servitude a type of our freedome from the bondage of sinne and Satan remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keepe this Sabbath day 4. That it might be a signe betweene God and his people that they might knowe that he is the Lord that sanctifieth them and a signe of the eternall rest in the life to come as it is said there remaineth therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbath keepping to the people of God 5. To move masters to be just and equall to their servants and beasts in remembrance of their owne condition on the seventh day thou shalt rest that thy Ox and thy Asse may rest and the sonne of thy hand-maid and the stranger may bee refreshed Exod 23. 12. that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt c. 6. That God and his lawes may be remembered that in case any forgetfulnesse of him should fall on man most apt to forget God the very solemnity of the day might remember him 6. Sanctification of the Sabbath on Gods part was his appointment to keepe it holy on mans the setting it apart from common use and ordinary workes to spend it in holy exercises according to God's commandement profanation of the Sabbath was and is by doing those workes which God prohibited to be done on that day as servile workes or on any day as sinne or any thing hindering his workship on that day to bee performed as humane servile or ordinary workes of ourcallings all workes are not prohibited on the Sabbath the Preists by the law did sacrifice thereon this as other like were divine or such as appertained to the
untill that Jonah be cast overboord we can never appease the surges of a troubled mind this must thou seek through hearty sorrow for thy sinnes this restringent acrimonie shall heale the fountaines that death and barrennesse may no more flow from the minde into thy words and actions t is a good signe of recovery when the disease changeth place so when we are pleased with repentance who woont to please our selves in sinne t is a token that sin declineth in us Secondly by committing thy workes unto the Lord so thy thoughts shall be established and lastly by filling thy soule with such happy thoughts as constant meditation on Gods word will furnish thee with as t is said let thy minde be upon the ordinances of the Lord and meditate continually on his commandements he shall establish thine heart and give thee wisdome at thine own desire 8 Overcome thyne own minde and in every thing as much as possibly thou canst subject it to right reason let not affection or passion master it 9 Set thy minde ever upon some good to prevent the rising of evill thoughts that the tempter may never finde thee at leisure to entertaine him The minde is naturally active and prone to thoughts yea when thou sleepest it hath its motions give it some businesse it cannot be inactive as the earth neglected for want of culture bringeth forth noisome weeds so will the minde evill and vaine extravagancies of thoughts if thou busie it not in good yea the light of reason is eclypsed by the mischievous interposition of vitious thoughts yet tyre not thy minde with too much or too weighty affaires proportion thy undertakings to thy strength the minde requireth some intermissions and rest which otherwise like the fields with perpetuall bearing will grow fruitlesse the unbalasted ship is easily overset with every gust of winde and too much loading sinketh her There is an Arke of Gods secret counsell into which thy thoughts may not looke there are also admirable mysteries out of which God calleth as out of that â—iery bush come not nigh hither put off thy shooes from off thy feet resigne thy thoughts to Gods immensity it is enough to beleeve his truth though thou canst not examine his incomprehensible secrets if thou wilt play with these flames thou shalt burn thy wings God hath revealed enough to make thee happy ambition of knowing more destroyed mankinde Commune with thine owne heart concerning that which may better thee Psal. 77. 6. and make thee happy divine soliloquies are a kinde of rapt to heaven and prepossession of that blessednesse use thy heart to thinke of good and heavenly things and such will thy thoughts words and actions be the heart of the wise teacheth his mouth Custome is a second nature therefore also the wiseman saith Wisedome resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding if the wicked the worst of fooles have any notion thereof it no more resteth with him then lightning in the aire 10 Set God ever beforâ—â—â—ee as a searcher of hearts and that which thou wouldeâ—t be ashamed to speake before others be ashamed to thinke with thy selfe Thoughts are the word of the heart which God heareth who therefore saith wherefore thinke yee evill in your hearts And curse not the King no not in thy thought bee thou pure in heart if ever thou meanest to see God let not thy heart dissent from thy tongue neither desire to seeme more holy then there thou art if thou intend to please him for he is omniscient 11. Pray the Lord to create a cleane heart and to renew a right spirit within thee to encline thy heart unto his testimonies to give thee an heart to know him to prepare thy heart that thou maist truely feare him meditate on him and love him above all and that he who cast out the tumultuous rabble from Jairus house would also be pleased to cast out of thy soule and mynde all those thoughts which offend him or hinder the riasing up thy soule to the life of grace CHAP. XIX Of the thoughts and ordering thereof § 1. Concerning the right ordering the thoughts in respect of some particular passions affections and perturbations of mind in their distempers of love and delight § 2. Of joy reioycing myrth and sorrow § 3. Of 〈◊〉 hatred malice envy § 4. Of impatience patience discontent and a contented mind FOR the right ordering the thoughts arising from some particular affâ—ctions or passions which usually discompose and render the mind lesse apt for the service of God and lesse comfortable to our selves we must ever have in mind the generall rule before laid down that extreame and violent passions of any kind are distempers of the soule which at best befoole a man if not as â—ypâ—crates thinketh make him mad they are like a deluge which rather overflow and drown then refresh the mind they are like an enraged Sea full of hazard they distuâ—be the intellectuals and distract the will look how all things in troubled waters seeme wreathed and disordered which in the still are cleerely seene so is it here the calme afâ—ections are more accommodate for Gods service and our use to come to some paâ—ticulars Love and delight are great 〈◊〉 in this present life every man hath some love and delight there is none that liveth without these The skill is That we set them on right obâ—ects as God Psal. 37. and heavenly things so they cannot fall into excesse and goodnesse so shall they make us good and happy 2. That we pervert not the order we must noâ— love or delight in any thing before God let him be our 〈◊〉 and cheife love and delight and we shall be happy in all that is subordinate 3. That no inferiour love or delight draw as away from Gods love there is a time place and measure for secular delights so far as they are subordinate to God make us more fit for his service and administer occasion and matter of thankfulnesse to him if otherwise if God love us he will take that away from us which else would take us from him a necessary rule for them to consider who too impatiently beare the losse of that they much loved or delighted in 4. That we neither love nor delight in any worldly thing otherwise then to hold it with a loose hand contented to part with it when God pleaseth to take it back again it was Jobs resolution the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the name of the Lord. Concerning joy rejoycing and mirth the rules are that 1. God would not have us disconsolate but to rejoyce and be cheerfull in him evermore Dedolency melancholy dejectednesse worldly sorrow bitternesse of spirit and secret repining against Gods providence are dangerous symtomes of unbeleefe for if being justified