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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43607	Syntagma theologicum, or, A treatise wherein is concisely comprehended, the body of divinity, and the fundamentals of religion orderly discussed whereunto are added certain divine discourses, wherein are handled these following heads, viz. 1. The express character of Christ our redeemer, 2. Gloria in altissimis, or the angelical anthem, 3. The necessity of Christ's passion and resurrection, 4. The blessed ambassador, or, The best sent into the basest, 5. S. Paul's apology, 6. Holy fear, the fence of the soul, 7. Ordini quisque suo, or, The excellent order, 8. The royal remembrancer, or, Promises put in suit, 9. The watchman's watch-word, 10. Scala Jacobi, or, S. James his ladder, 11. Decus sanctorum, or, The saints dignity, 12. Warrantable separation, without breach of union / by Henry Hibbert ...	Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678.; Hibbert, Henry, 1601 or 2-1678. Exercitationes theologiae.	1662 (1662)	Wing H1793; ESTC R2845	709,920	522

again is twofold 1. Essential 2. Personall Gods essential glory is that infinite majesty which is common to the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost in the unity of the divine essence This glory is no other than God himself which the most profound or delicious Oratory of men or Angels cannot sufficiently express Which Moses earnestly desirous to behold but a thing impossible directed his suite unto God in these words I beseech thee shew me thy glory The Personal glory of God Exod. 33 1● is that which is proper to each person of the Deity For example It is the Fathers glory to be from no other to beget a Son from eternity which is Jesus Christ the Righteous It is the Sons glory that he is coessential with the Father coeternal with the ancient of dayes without beginning without ending that he assumed our humanity to make us partakers of his divinity It is the glory of the holy Ghost that he proceeds from the Father and the Son that his majesty is equal with theirs that he is the sanctifier of the elect that he is the sole supporter and comforter of afflicted soul● and that he is with the Father and the Son one and the same God over all blessed for ever Amen The humane glory of God I call that which is ascribed and rendred to him by men with a strong concurrence of all the powers and faculties of soul and body and especially on this ground as a Saviour to sinners a Physician to the sick a Redeemer to the Captives a perfect way to wanderers a Pastour to the lost sheep of the house of Israel life to them that were dead and salvation to them that were condemned was sent from heaven in compassion of our wretched condition appointed the Son of God to be all these unto us For as many saviours were sent from God to save the Israelites from bodily oppression so was Christ from his Father to ease us of the unsupportable burden of our inquities wherewith we were heavily laden As the Prophet was sent with a bunch of figs Physician-like to cure Hezekiah's malady Isa 61. so was Christ with the comfortable ointment of his ever blessed Spirit to mollify our bruises to close our wounds to cleanse our putrifying sores to bind up our broken hearts and with his saving righteousness to heal all our mortal infirmities As Moses was sent from God to deliver the children of Isr ael from the Aegyptian bondage so Christ from his Father to proclaim liberty to the captives the opening of the prison to them that are bound and with his stretched out arme to redeem mankind from Satans servitude As the Lord made a way thorow the red sea to bring his People to the land of Canaan so hath he appointed Christ to be the living way through the red sea of whose blood we that wandred in the labrinth of our own wicked imaginations must passe into the land of the living As God sent David to be a shepheard to his people of Israel so did he Christ the Son of David to be that good shepheard that should lay down his life for his sheep the Israel of God As Elisha was sent of God as an instrument to put life into the Shunamites dead child so Christ came to be our life through whom by faith we who were do●d in sins and trespasses shall live everlastingly As Jonas was the Lords messenger of Ninevies salvation if they did repent though condemned So Christ the Angel of the Covenant is Gods messenger of eternal salvation to mankind condemned for sin if we believe in him All which the Angels knowing and men obtaining the Angels sung and men may prosecute what they have begun Glory be to God on high If we return not glory to the highest for this unparallel'd and incomparable love of his we may be justly censured for ingrateful miscreants and for ever debar'd of the grace of God and deservedly shut out of the Court of heaven Hazard not therefore your Christian reputation and hopes of glory through neglect of God but be as the glorious Angels making melody in your hearts and giving glory to God on high This glory due to God by man imports two things 1. Pious admiration 2. Religious honour The sending of the Son of God to be manifested in the flesh for our redemption must work in us an admiration of the infinite wisdom of God of his infinite power and of his infinite goodness Admire 1. Gods infinite wisdom who could find out a means to work our salvation when men and Angels saw none it came not into the apprehension of mans shallow brain to contrive how possibly an infinite satisfaction due to God by man Ephes 1.8 could by man be given unto the infinite justice of God Yet his unsearchable wisdom hath brought it about wherein according to the Apostolical verdict he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence For saith Anselm God was made man that both he which had sinned might satisfie and he which was infinite might pay an infinite price Admire 2. Gods infinite power who of two things the divine and humane natures most distant and different in themselves could make one so nearly that one and the same should be God and man Others may admire our Creation but let us admire our Redemption though both acts of infinite power It is admirable that our flesh and our bones were formed of God but yet 't is more admirable that God would become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones It is a mystery out-reaching our capacities wherein is contained the greatest sublimity and the greatest humlity the greatest power and the greatest infirmity the greatest majesty and the greatest frailty What is higher than God lower than man more powerfull than God weaker than man more glorious than God more frail than man Yet God by his alsufficient omnipotency hath conjoyned them together that we might be conjoyn'd to God for ever Admire 3. Gods infinite goodnesse in promising a Saviour to us when in Adam we had lost all goodness And in performing his promise in the fulness of time without the least shadow of variation when yet we were enemies God was then manifested in the flesh See see God himself whose pure eyes cannot indure to behold iniquity did descend to us because we by reason of the weight of our ponderous sins could not ascend to him In which extraordinary act he made an exact demonstration of his unlimited goodness 1. In his mercy 2. In his Justice In his mercy The Creator that was offended assumed the flesh of the creature offending Man had forsaken God and turned to Satan and yet God that was forsaken makes diligent search after the forsaker is not this infinite mercy far exceeding the limits of the finite understanding and thought of man Our nature is become more glorious by Christ in the union than it was deformed by Adam in the transgression We have

Picture can express foolish Creatures that confine him within the narrow lines of any Image 1 Kings 8.27 2 Chron. 2.6 Isa 66.1 Jer. 23.24 Behold the Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee The Heaven and Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him The Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Footsto●l Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord Of Gods Omnipotency Such is Gods Omnipotency and Infiniteness of power as that to him nothing is impossible Psal 103.20 Other Spirits are Potent Angels excell in strength but he is Omnipotent The Almighty power of this Spirit distinguisheth him from all other spirits Dicitur omnitotens quia omnium tenet potestatem Isidor Thus 1. In that it is Essential for whatsoever God doth is in and by his own Essence but there is a quality 2. In him it is Original in them derived for this is that beginning of all power in the Creature 3. In him it is Absolute whereby he can do whatsoever he will in them it is limited that they can do but what he will 4. In him it is Infinite not only in regard of his infinite Being nor only in regard of infinite Objects which he hath done and can do but also in regard of the powerful manner of effecting things for he never did any thing so powerfully but he could have done it more powerfully he never made any thing so good but he could have made it better In the Creatures there is an Essence and a Paculty whereby they work as in fire the substance and the quality of heat between these God can sunder Dr. Preston and so hinder their working as in the Babylonish fire In the Angels there is an Essence and an executive power God comes between these often and hinders them for doing what they would But now it s otherwise in God he is most simple and entire without mixture or composition Hence his Almightiness is his Essence and his whole Essence is Almighty He is not mighty in respect of some part or faculty as the Creature is but all in God is Mighty There is the 1. Absolute Power of God And 2. Actual Power of God By the former he can do whatsoever he pleaseth make Iron swim Rocks stream forth water stones to yield children unto Abraham Of this when I have spoken my utmost I must intreat the Reader as one the Oratour did his when he spake of Socrates and Lucius Crassus Cicer. 3. ●s Oratore Vt magis quiddam de ●is quàm quae scripta sunt suspicarentur That they should imagine some greater matter than here they find written For well did Gratianus the Emperour observe in his Epistle to Ambrose Loquimur de Deo non quantum debemus sed quantum possumus In speaking of God also of his power we speak not what we ought but what we are able But it is his actual power that men must look to and in this he hath tyed the end and the means together in which respect there are things he cannot say Divines because he will not that is he will not bring man to the end without their using those means which tend thereunto In a word He can do all things possible and honourable he cannot lye dye deny himself for that implieth impotency He can do more than he will but whatsoever he will that he doth in Heaven and Earth and none can say What dost thou Let us therefore tremble before this Mighty God who can with as much ease as Caesar once threatned Metellus in a Bravado and in as little time undo us as bid it be done If the breath of God blow man to destruction and we are but Dust-heaps if he can frown us to death with the rebuke of his countenance What is the weight of his hand that Mighty hand as James calls it wherewith he spans the Heavens and weigheth the Earth in a Ballance Trust we also in his power for performing his promises Deo confisi nunquam confusi He that believeth shall not be ashamed he need no more but stand and see the salvation of the Lord. And let Gods people be comforted in consideration of his power Contemno minutos istos Deos modo Jovem habeam propitium said that Heathen If God be for us What need we fear what Man or Devil can do unto us Yea let us commit our selves unto him who is able to do for us above all we can ask or think and to keep for us what we commit unto him for howsoever the power of all Creatures may be letted by impediments from doing us good yet nothing can be an impediment to hinder his power for our good Gen. 17.1 Cap. 18.14 Dan. 4.37 Luke 1.37 Rev. 4.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the Almighty God Is any thing too hard for the Lord Those that walk in pride he is able to abase With God nothing shall be unpossible Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Of Gods Omnipresence God is a Spirit everywhere included Deus ubique semper est nowhere excluded He is purely and simply by his Essence and Presence everywhere A God within all things but contained of nothing a God without all things but sustained of nothing a Spirit dwelling everywhere but without sense or motion In respect of his Essence he is everywhere but in regard of the bright manifestation of his grace and glory he is said to dwell in Heaven Thus also he is said to be far from the wicked not in respect of Essence but the manifestation of his favour and grace Again when God is said to depart and return we must not understand it by motion of Essence but of effect nor by change of place but by change of his action and declaration of some mercy where he is said to return and of his justice where he is said to depart A man in a Boat thinketh the Bank moves though that be unmoveable and all the motions in the Boat so God moveth in regard of his effect in us himself abiding unmoveable he moveth and changeth all things without any motion or change in himself Empedocles could say that God is a Circle whose Center is everywhere whose circumference is nowhere Other Heathens that God is the Soul of the World and that as the Soul is tota in toto and tota in qualibet parte so is he that his eye is in every Corner c. To which purpose they so pourtraied their Goddess Minerva that which way soever one cast his eye she alwayes beheld him Let us therefore in every place fear his presence and avoid sin the Judge is present even to the thoughts Sub Jove s●mper er●s c. Jovis omnia plena set thy self ever in his sight as David walk with God as Enoch and be sincere in all thy course he filleth all places either to comfort or confound God saith a late Writer is not so far from us as the Bark is from the

but they are either false or uncertain therefore I mention them not Witchcraft is fitly called the Black Art for there is no true light in them that use it Isa 8.19 20. They depart from God and his testimony and so tempt the Devil to tempt them And they which in case of Loss or Sickness c. make Hell their refuge shall smoke and smart for it in the end Satan seeks to them in his temptations they seek unto him in their consultations and now that they have mutually found each other if ever they part it is a miracle He is an unspeakable proud Spirit and yet will stoop to the meanest man or woman to be at their command The Witch of Endor is twice in one verse called the Mistress of the Spirit because in covenant with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominam Pythonis 1 Sam. 28.7 whereby he may cheat them and their clients of salvation Every one that consults with him worships him though he bow not as Saul did Neither doth that old Man-slayer desire any other reverence than to be sought unto Some have thought Witches should not die unless they had taken away the life of Mankind But they are mistaken both for the act of the Witch and the guilt as also because of the league and confederacie with the Devil which is high treason against God because he is Gods chiefest enemy And therefore though no hurt ensue this contract at all the Witch deserves present and certain death for the contract it self Thou spalt not suffor a Witch to live Exod. 22.18 Vocatio Particularis EVery one ought to be a man of Imployment Every one ought to have some business to turn his hand unto It was said to Adam and in him to Mankind not only as a curse but as a command In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread Gen. 3.19 Not that every man is bound to labour in such an imployment as causeth the face to sweat But thereby is meant serious labour and imployment in some honest Calling Consider 1. The law on Adam binds all his posterity None may eat the bread of idleness 1 Tim. 4.13 2. The state of Innocency endured not idleness 3. God who is the Author of our Being is the Author of our Calling 4. Not to live in an honest Calling is to live unjustly Eph. 4.28 5. Christ himself submitted to the law of Creation for our example 6. The blessing of God on honest labour and his curse on idle persons Yea it is a great blessing when we freely enjoy the exercise of our Callings It is our duty to have a Calling and it is a mercy to go on profitably and peaceably in it The Emperor and the Pope being sained by the smart invention of a Satyrist to be reconciled and both placed in their Majestick Thrones The States of the World are brought in before them First comes a Counsellor of State with this Motto I advise you two Then a Courtier I flatter you three Then a Husbandman I feed you four Then a Merchant I cosen you five Then a Lawyer I rob you six Then a Soldier I fight for you seven Then a Physician I kill you eight And lastly a Priest I absolve you all nine This was his Satyr of his Times Diligence in a lawful Calling is the best remedy against Poverty which oft prompts a man to Theft Seneca said He had rather be sick in his bed than idle That Jonah had a Calling or Occupation it 's plain they took it for granted cap. 1.8 At Athens every man was once a year at least to give account to the Judges by what Art or Trade he maintained himself By Mahomet's law the Grand Signior himself must use some Manual trade Solyman the Magnificent made Arrow-heads Mahomet the Great Horn-rings for Archers c. A Kinsman of the Bishop of Lincoln begging of him to bestow an Office upon him He answered Cosen if your Cart be broken I 'll mend it but an Husbandman I found you and so I leave you Let every man abide in the same Calling wherein he was called 1 Cor. 7.20 Husbandman Great men were antiently much addicted to husbandry as Vzziah 2 Chron. 26.10 and Job cap. 1.3 which Socrates called the horn of plenty And the Romans reckoned that Corn was never so cheap as when men were fetched from the Plough Plin. to govern the Commonwealth Quasi gauderet terra laureato vomere aratro trium phali But now the case is otherwise as Beza complaineth that Husbandry and Shepherdry are left for the basest and simplest men and for such as all others might prey upon Which bringeth to mind saith he that which once I saw painted in a table where the Noble-man had this poesie By my sword I defend you all The Clergy-man By my prayers I preserve you all The Country-man By my labour I feed you all Lastly the Lawyer I devoure you all Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens Gen. 49.14 Physician Physick is either 1. Curative Or 2. Preventive Curative Physick we term that which restoreth the Patient unto sanity Physicians hold that in every two years there is such store of ill humors and excrements ingendred in the body that a vessel of one hundred ounces will scarce contain them and taketh away Diseases actually affecting whether chronical or acute of long or short duration and danger Preventive we call that which by purging noxious humours and the causes of diseases preventeth sickness in the healthy or the recourse thereof in the valerudinary The medicine must not be in the power of the sick but of the Physician The Remedy not fitted to the Malady it increaseth daily The disease being inveterated 't is necessary to proceed slowly in the cure for he that desires to do all together confounds all Paracelsus glorying that he could make other men immortal died himself at forty seven They say there are some Diseases are Opprobria Medicorum Mali mediciest desperare ne ●●ret Sen. Mat. 9.12 they do puzzle the most learned Physicians and put them to a stand But Christ cures all for Omnipotenti Medico nullus insanabilis occurrit morbus They that be whole need not a Physician but they that are sick Merchant Merchandise well managed is of great use to Kingdoms and States for many reasons viz. For 1. Descrying the counsels and strength of other Nations 2. Procuring the love and friendship of forein Princes and people 3. Exchanging of commodities for Non omnis fert omnis tellus 4. Gaining experience of many great matters 5. Occasioning the building of many fair Cities Let Merchants take heed how they fell by small measures and for great rates Quorum oculos culpa clausit pana aperut neither let their measure want of its due proportion lest God sill it up with his fierce wrath Those that have lived unconscionably shall di● uncomsortably at which time their treasures of

put upon him nor any limit-limit-lines drawn about him A great Prince once said That he had a circle indeed about his head meaning his Crown but he would not bear it to have a circle about his feet he must go which way himself pleased and do whatsoever his soul desired Yet there are circles drawn about all the powers of the world only God hath none That which is most sinful in man is most holy in God to act according to his own Will Gods Will is sometimes done against mans will he compelling the Devil and his limbs sometimes though against their wills to serve him and his servants Thus Haman must cloth Mordecai in royal apparel c. full fore against stomack be sure he could rather have torn out his heart and eaten it with salt but how could he help it Saul pronounceth David more righteous than he Judas and Pilate give testimony to Christs innocency These are the servants of the high God which shew unto us the way of salvation said the Pythonisse concerning Paul and his Companions Acts 16.17 Canes lingunt uscerd Lazari 'T is the duty of man to submit himself unto 2 Sam. 3.36 Placet mihi quod regi placet and acquiesce in the mind of God The mind of God rests and we ought to rest in his mind Whatever pleaseth God should please us A gracious heart tastes sweetness in Gall and VVormwood considered under this notion as it is the VVill of God he should drink it or feed upon it Thy Will be done in earth Mat. 6.10 as it is in heaven Persecution Gods people are most fitly resembled unto sheep 1. Because they are humble Herba trabit ovem 2. Harmless 3. Profitable 4. Ruled by their Shepherd 5. Led into pastures and folds 6. And they are obnoxious to many dangers to Wolves Bryars Thieves Dogs So Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all Many can be content to be Gods sheep provided they may wear golden fleeces However happy are the sheep that have such a Shepherd Excellent things are spoken of the Church of God a woman clothed with the Sun crowned with the Stars treading upon the Moon yet travelling in birth pursued with the Dragon ready to be devoured both her self and little babe But heaven sung her triumph against the accuser of the brethren and he was cast down which accused them before God both day and night To accuse before men is much but before God Now and then to be accused is much but day and night Thus it happeneth to the children of God while nature disrobe us of corruption Quater luctatus est Jacob in utero cum Esau in via cum eodem in Mesopotamia cum Laban in Bethel cum Angelo To teach us if we will be true Israelites we wust arme our selves against all assaults at all times places persons For speaking against sin Elias was hated of Ahab Isaiah as they say was sawn asunder of Manasses Jeremiah stoned by Tahaphanes Stephen stoned of the Jews John beheaded of Herod Ignatius delivered to lions and Chrysostom hated of the Clergy De persecutione in Hybernia Epist l. 2 Epist 36. de quâ omnes ejus Episcopi Gregorio scripserunt rescripsit Gregorius Quòd dum non rationabiliter sustinetur ne quaquam proficit ad salutem nam nulli fas est retributionem praemiorum expectare pro culpâ debetis scire Sicut beatus Cyprianus dixit quod Martyrom non facit poena sed causa Dum igitur ita sit incongruum nimis est de eâ vos quam dicitis persecutione gloriari per quam vos constat ad aterna praemia minimè provehi The Jesuites have alwayes boasted of their bonds imprisonment and Martyrdome Luke 23.41 but it would be good for them to know there be vincti Diaboli and vincti Christi That speech delivered by him on the Cross would better befit them We indeed suffer justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds And yet I find that very few if any at all of latter times have been imprisoned or put to death simply for Religion if they could have kept their fingers out of treason De fimpl Praelat they might have kept their necks out of the halter I wish they may listen to that of Cyprian Ardeant licet flammis c. What though they give their bodies to be burnt though they be cast to wild beasts Non erit illa fidei corona sed poena perfidiae non religiosae vi●tutis exitus gloriosus sed desperationis interitus The Donatists likewise complained of their persecution as the Brownists Sectaries Quid laudas panam at nou ostandiscausam and Bedlam-Quakers upon slight occasions have done and do amongst us But as Austin told them Ye suffer Non propter Christum sed contra Christum Persecutionem patimini non à nobis sed à factis vestris Christ was whipped that was persecution Christ whipped some out of the Temple that was no persecution Ishmael mocked Isaac and that the Apostle calleth persocution but Sarah beat Hagar and that he calls no pesecution It is said to be the custom of a certain people in Ethiopia called the Atlantes Solin Plin. frequently mentioned in divers Histories who living under the torrid Zone in an extream hot climate used to curse the Sun when it arose because it scorched them with vehement heat This made them in love with the night and hate the day Many saith father Latimer will follow Christ usque ad ignem exclusivè not inclusivè Against a great battel in Greece Xerxes would sit in presence to the encouragement of his souldiers and caused scribes to sit by him and note down how each one plaid his part It is a glorious thing to say with Paul for the hope of Israel am I bound with this chaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostome there can be no greater thing to glory of than this The Apostles themselves gloried in it that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ It was the Queen of Bohemiah's Motto Intra fortunae sortem extra imperium Persecutors may kill but cannot hurt saith Justin Martyr The more we are mowen down by you the more we rise up said Tertullian Beleeve me said Philpot Martyr there is no such joy in the world Act. Mon. as the people of Christ have under the crosse when our enemies imprison our bodies they set our souls at libertie with God when they cast us down they lift us up yea Siccur se victum gaudeat hostis habet Ovid. Trist l. 2. when they kill us then do they bring us to everlasting life And what greater glory can there be than to be at conformity with Christ which afflictions do work in us I praise God said another that ever I lived to see this day and blessed be my God and merciful Father that ever he gave me a

exceeded the capacity of Nico● Cum primum nascimur in omni continuo pravitate versamur Tully though a Master in Israel to become like him did not he mould out hearts anew and fill them with the invaluable riches of his mercy and the treasures of his graces we had been of all creatures the most miserable Sinful was our conception sinful was our birth and striful is all our life Nature makes us sons of wrath being deprived of the life of grace as soone as we are sons of nature Damnatus homo antequam natus Aug. there is none that doth good no not one All are sold under sin whence the Apostile upon his own experience averreth that in him that is in his flesh or natural estate dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. We are born dead as soone as we come into the world alive spiritually dead naturally alive Now in whom no good thing dwelleth by nature they are by nature void of grace and who by nature are void of grace do not by nature participate of spiritual life whereof whosoever is not partaker is by nature spiritually dead and who by nature are spiritually dead are destitute of the Spirit of grace who is the sole Author of life and finisher of our salvation All saving graces and heavenly benedictions flow from him in whom the fulnesse of all graces dwells and all return to him again as rivers come from the sea and to the sea return U●lesse therefore God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to sanctifie 〈◊〉 to cleanse us to put new spirit and life into us which is a work of the highest power to which nature can never actain we shall come short of performing the least act that may be any wayes advantageous for our falvation A dead man●s not in action hath no living motion neither is there in his power any possibility of regaining life a so is every one spiritually whose heart is not quickened and moved by the holy Ghost to whom it is alone possible to raise from the death of sinne whose property it is to infuse grace and make the hearts and souls of men beautified with the richest furniture and most precious 〈◊〉 of divine 〈…〉 Tomles for himself to dwell in And thus the passage is clear and open for another observation grounded on these words which is this That the heart of the child of God is the seat or dwelling place of the holy Ghost Of all things in man God desireth the heart of man My son give me thine heart for as naturally evil actions proceed from it so must all good being first set awork by the first mover unto all good the good Spirit of God It is in man by nature according to the dictates of natural Philosophy Primum vivens the first in man that lives and divine Philosophy informs us that it is so in grace too For the convernon of the whole man depends upon the conversion of the heart to God there new life is begun Nature gives it a vital faculty distributing to all parts the vital spirits whereby they are embled to work and so doth grace for in what good soever any part of the body is imployed the power of effecting it is derived from the heart which as it is called Principium vitae in the body of man so it is made by the grace of God the original of a holy life and the first subject of grace without which all our best services are but glittering sins for with the heart we beleeve and with the heart we work out our salvation The Chymicks compare the heart to the Sun call'd by them Cor mundi the Sun is in the midst of the great world this in the midst of the little world man The Sun is the sountain of heat in this wherewith all sublunary creatures are cherished and quickened so from the heart to apply things otherwise than they do wholly taken up with the sanctifying Spirit doth proceed such a heat and fervent zeal as that every part is made nimble in the execution of what God commands us It makes the feet swift in running to the house of prayer the hands pliable to minister to the necessities of the poor the tongue voluble in uttering the praises of Almighty God ● 1. 〈◊〉 the eares ready to hear with joy the Gospel of peace preached the eyes to be busied in looking up to heaven from whence cometh our salvation the whole man to be wholly taken up in heavenly contemplations of God and his works and holy exercises of devotion Hence the heart may challenge a principality over all the members of the body all are at its service and it exerciseth dominion over them all Arist in lib. de gederatione tanquam rex in regno as King in his Kingdom saith the Philosopher and it is ruled by the Spirit say Divines Naturalists raise a large discourse and ample dispute upon this Argument and as yet the controversie lies undetermined but this one principle of Divinity alotting the heart to the holy Ghost for his chief mansion in man doth end the controversie for in what part of man the holy Ghost doth principally reside and on what part of man mans conversion doth principally depend must of necessity be the principal part of man But to return more particularly to the rule hitherto amplified that the heart of man is the seat of the Spirit my discourse shall be limited 1. To the proof here of by Scripture 2. To a declaration of those circumstances whereby the being of the Spirit in our hearts may be discovered and by necessary consequence without all peradventure coucluded It is the general voice of the Scripture which is without exception that the Spirit dwelleth in the elect Rom. 8.9 Ye are not in the flesh but i● the spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you And in ver 11. it is thus written That if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit which dwelleth in you The Apostle in 1 Cor. 3.16 propounds this question the ignorance whereof is reputed grosse absurdity Know ye not that ye a●d the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you It is part of Pauls divine prayer for the Ephesians in Ephes 3.17 that Christ may dwell in their hearts by saith that is that Christ may possesse their hearts and the whole man by his Spirit working saving faith in them This dwelling is an admirable good expression of the being of the Spirit in us which is not in regard of substance which the heaven of heavens cannot contain being infinite much lesse can the body or soul of man bounded within strait limits comprize but in regard of a special operation out of the reach of a created power It carries with it an intimation of the holy Ghost abiding

ut relevet premit ut solatia praestet Enecat ut possit vivificare Deus How healing then are his salves whose very sores are a salve For he maketh sore and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole Job 5.18 Sickness Health in it self is an invaluable jewel We know not how to prize it Carendo magit quàm fru●nde but when we want it 1. When a man is sick he can do nothing so well as in his health we cannot pray so well pain draws us away we cannot read so well follow the works of our calling so conveniently attend upon the means of grace visit our friends c. 2. Sin pulls sickness upon us because all have sinned all are sick at one time or other in some measure or other Behold he whom thou lovest is sick Joh. 11. 3. A sick man is a Prisoner confined to his bed or house a man in health is at liberty to go where he will yet in the Lord. 4. What is wealth without health Nec domus aut fundus Horas non aris acervus auri Aegroto Domini deducunt corpore fabres Though thou hast the riches of Craesus yet they could not rid thee of an Ague So displeasing is sickness so pleasing is health Bernard tells us of a brother of his that when he gave him many good instructions and he being a souldier minded them not he put his finger to his sides and said One day a spear shall make way to this heart of thine for instructions and admonitions to enter Read Job 33.16 19. Psal 107.17 18. Mic. 6.13 A promise contrary to those threatnings is that And the inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein Isa 33.24 shall be forgiven their iniquity Imbecillity This is imbecillity in a man either 1. To assume too much on himself without his own merit 2. Or to presume too much on Gods mercy Sorry man is like Simon Magus the Sorcerer counting himself for some great man As Martin Luther said All of us have a Pope bred in us an opinion of our own works albeit there be in us no real vertue nor true substance yet Narcissus-like we are enamoured with our own shadows and this is the Serpents head the beginning of evil Wherefore we must labour every day to dig this huge Mountain down we must descend that we may ascend as we fell by ascending so we must be raised by descending Vide te magnum miraculum saith Austin Lo here a great miracle God is on high and yet the higher thou liftest up thy self the farther thou art from him The lower thou humblest thy self the nearer he draweth to thee Low things he looketh close upon that he may raise them proud things he knoweth afar off that he may depress them The proud Pharisee pressed as near God as he could the poor Publican not daring to do so stood aloof off yet was God far from the Pharisee near to the Publican Whosoever shall exalt himself Mat. 23.12 shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted Infirmity The best of Saints have their infirmities They are of two sorts Viz. 1. Natural 2. Sinful We must so distinguish for when Christ took our nature into the unity of his person with it he took upon him all our infirmities but not our sinful ones For he was like man in all things but sin Sins of infirmity Noe fuit aliquando ebrius qumvis absit ut fucrit abriosus Aug. are usually 1. Sins of incogitancy Mat. 26.35 2. They have commonly for their ground some strong passion in nature as fear shame disgrace 3. The consent is not without some reluctation 4. They end in mourning Psal 6.6 Mat. 26.27 5. They are no sins of custom if gross sins seldom or never iterated James sir-named the just affirmeth both of himself and other sanctified persons Triste mortalita is Privilegium In many things we offend all This is the sad priviledge of mankind as one phraseth it to have leave to offend sometime And it is the honour of God alone to be perfect It is wittily and well observed that Nicodemus who came to our Saviour by night was a Disciple though a dastard infirmities if disclaimed discard us not Vzziah ceased not to be a King when he began to be a leper Christ did not abhor the presence of Jehoshuah the High-Priest though ill-clothed but he stood before the Angel The Church calleth her self black but Christ calls her fair And under the Law in peace-offerings they might offer leavened bread to shew that God will bear with his peoples infirmities Calvin saith of Luther that as he excelled with great vertues so he was not without his great sailings Arque utinam recognoscendis suis vitiis plus operae dedisset Ep. Bulling And I would saith he that he had spent less time in declaiming against others and more in Recognizing his own faults Hence in our carriage towards the Saints we should avoid two extreams 1. The one is we must not have such high thoughts of them as above infirmities We may over-act this way as they of Lystra did in overestimating Paul and Barnabas when they said The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men We may have no mans person in admiration though in a due estimation 2. And the other is neither must we traduce them as hypocrites because of infirmities but afford them their grains of allowance If we will have Saints made perfect we must seek them in heaven not on earth An accomplished man and well accoutred yet in wrestling may be overcome so as to take a fall because upon slippery ground Or a strong City with a treacherous party in it may soon be surprized Even so is it with the best while we have flesh as well as spirit And I said This is my infirmity Psal 77.10 Contingency Casus est inopinatae rei eventus Arist. Imperitia casum fecit Therefore it is good judiciously to ponder things past Hierom. prudently to order things present and providently to foresee and prevent dangers like to ensue The wise mans eyes are in his head Eccl. 2.14 Will of God Operienda cum patientiâ divina voluntas The Will of God is twofold 1. Secret 2. Revealed His revealed Will is fourfold 1. Determining Eph. 1.5 2. Prescribing Eph. 1.9 3. Approving Mat. 18.14 4. Disposing or the Will of his Providence 1 Cor. 1.1 Rom. 1.10 Now we should resign our selves over to his determining Will as the highest cause of all things Rest in his approving Will as our chiefest happiness Obey his prescribing Will as the absolutest and perfectest form of holiness And be subject to his disposing Will being patient in all trials and troubles because he did it Psal 39.9 There is no bound to the power of God but only his own Will Psal 115.3 He will not indure to have any Articles