their salvation then are they guilty of their own damnation Wouldest thou O man then know whether thou art a childe of God or not know then that there is a conscience First Good yet not quiet and this is in the godly when they are restlesse in themselves for sins as yet unrepented of Thus was it with that kingly Prophet David after his committing of murther and adultery how doth hee in perplexitie of his soul being awakened by the Prophet Nathan cry out that God would according to the multitude Psal 51. 1. of his tender mercies blot out his transgressions c. So also when God had laid his hand heavie upon him how doth hee mourn There is no soundnesse Psal 38. 3 4. in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any peace in my bones by reason of my sin For mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavie burden they are too heavie for mee The sicknesse of his body put him in minde of the sin of his soule that which hee did endure did put him in minde of what hee did deserve which galled his conscience with the remembrance of his particular slips and failings both by omission and commission Secondly There is a conscience quiet yet not good and this is in the wicked as namely when after sin committed their hearts remain still obdurate cauterized senselesse they sleep so soundly in sin that they never feele the sting of conscience wounding them they are so delighted in sin that they never regard when they sin nor how they sin nor against whom they sin nor before whom they sin The shew of their countenance doth Isa 3. 9. testifie against them they declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not therefore wo to their souls for they have rewarded evill unto themselves S. Paul excellently decyphereth them They have their understanding Eph. 4. 18 19. darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousnesse to work all uncleannesse with greedinesse Thirdly There is a conscience both good and quiet and this is proper onely to the elect namely when God speaks peace to their soules by assuring them of the free pardon of all their sinnes and the Spirit of God testifies to their spirits that they are the sonnes of God and shall be made partakers of life everlasting in the heavenly Canaan Fourthly There is a conscience neither good nor quiet and this accompanieth onely the reprobate namely when through sense of sin horrour of conscience and Gods wrathfull yet just indignation such a dreadfull trembling seizeth on them that they know not where to betake themselves From this perplexity no incorrigible sinner can exempt himselfe neither Kings nor great Rev. 6. 15. ad finem men nor rich men nor mighty men nor bond nor free men According to these observations examine thou thy selfe and thou shalt easily finde whether thou belongest to God or not And if thy conscience hath wounded thee so that thou canst without any flattery assure thy selfe that thou hast throughly repented thee of all those sins which like Zecharia's talent of lead on the mouth of the ephah Zech. 5. 7 8. pressed thee even to the pit of hell and that thou findest God to be a reconciled God to thee in the face of his Son then is thy condition happy and the brightnesse of Gods countenance hath shined upon thee otherwise if thou wert never sensible of thy sins nor hast yeelded to the checks of conscience then is it an evident signe that if ever thou didst confesse thy sins yet it was but a meer orall confession hypocritically performed and so thy condition is most miserable And now Beloved conceive within your selves what an horrour it is to have an accusing and tormenting conscience alwayes pursuing a sinner nay not onely pursuing him but alwayes harbouring in his brest like an Erynnis quae indagatrix est gravissimorum flagitiorum which is the Inquisitor and hunter out of the grossest crimes to be his bosome companion and yet alwayes pleading guiltie so that the sinner shall not know where to repose himselfe for feare the very shaking of a leafe shall make him to tremble and be at his wits end Such a comrade had that fratricide Cain after hee had spilt his brothers bloud when he said Behold thou hast driven mee out this day from the face Gen. 4. 14. of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth and it shall come to passe that every one that findeth mee shall slay mee The sting of death is sin saith Saint Paul yea and the sting of conscience is sin also which so overwhelms some with an horrible dread that they flee when none pursueth It is the nature of sin to Pro. 28. 1. pursue the sinner and a wounded conscience who can Prov. 18. 4. beare Moses told the Israelites that they should be sure that if they sinned against the Lord their sin would finde them out and Evill pursueth the sinner Numb 32. 23 Pro. 13. 21. saith Solomon Now although God speaketh thus to the conscience of the wicked yea although the sting of conscience doth as it were make their ears to tingle 1 Sam. 3. 11. 2 King 21. 12. as the Lord speaks although it awakens them by sounding an alarm of Gods judgements in their ears yet veternum excutere nolunt they will not be roused from their sottishnesse but with Solomons fool A little more sleep a little more slumber Pro. 6. 10. a little longer basking in sin till at last that grim sergeant Death arrests them and layes them in the prison of the grave there to remain till the great and generall Assizes This evidently appeares in that they labour to quiet and appease the gnawings of this worm of conscience then whose bite nothing smarts more then whose sting nothing galls more and then whose torment nothing frets more and yet they fain would hush and still it that it may not affright and appall them But conscience will not be corrupted but as shee keeps a true register of all sins so shee gives in a true evidence against all sinnes Doe the wicked what they can God hath said that their worm shall never die and that no peace shall Mark 9. 44. Isa 57. 20. be to the wicked but they shall be like the raging sea whose waters cast up mire and dirt Adde to these inward torments of the conscience those outward plagues by which God shall Psal 2. 5. vexe them in his sore displeasure and by which at last they shall be enforced to confesse him just whom willingly they would not acknowledge to be at all Wherefore Beloved labour to gain a quiet yet a tender conscience which as it is a continuall feast so it is a
God but it is according to their capacitie and strength not according to the divine Substance for that is incomprehensible And S. Austin saith that it is one Epist 12. a◠Paulin. thing to see and another thing to comprehend the whole by seeing when as nothing of the whole is concealed but all is seen round about in every part thereof Again If that Citie which is above be so glorious as Saint John speaks the wall is of Jasper the Citie Rev. 21. 18 c. it selfe of pure gold like unto cleare glasse that it needeth not the Sunne or Moon to shine in it c. how glorious then is the Lord God whose glory is the light thereof As then a man may be upon the sea and yet not exactly know the full breadth and depth of the sea even so the Angels themselves although they are in heaven and see God really in his glory yet cannot they fully comprehend either the Ludovic Gratanensis lib. 1. duc peccat depth of his Majestie or the altitude of his Eternitie The divine Essence is of that perfect beauty and of that excellent glory that man is not able to comprehend the fulnesse of Gods Majestie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man saith Saint John hath 1 John 4. 12. 1 Tim. 6. 16. seen God at any time Hee onely saith S. Paul hath immortalitie and dwels in light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see So holy Job Loe he goeth by me and I see him not hee Job 9 11. 23. 8 9. passeth on also but I perceive it not Behold I goe forward but hee is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him On the left hand where hee doth work but I cannot behold him hee hideth himselfe on the right that I cannot see him Verily saith the Prophet Isa 45. 15. Isaiah thou art a God that hidest thy selfe O God of Israel the Saviour Deus ubique praesens est attamen Greg. in Hom. in Ezek. vix inveniri potest stantem sequimur at apprehendere non valemus Hee is above us and below us before us and behinde us on either side of us yea within us yet we can neither see him nor feel him Per molem corporis nusquam est per incircumscriptam Idem substantiam nusquam deest Hee is above us by his power ruling us hee is below us by his sustentation relieving us hee is without us by his greatnesse environing us and he is within us by his Spirit piercing the very secrets of our hearts For the Essence of God consisteth not of members as doth an humane body nor of affections as doth the soul of man and although members as hands eyes ears feet c. yea and passions of the minde as anger jealousie patience c. are divers times ascribed to God in his word yet are these termes ascribed to him none otherwise then by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the weaknesse of our capacitie for his perfection admits not of the least weaknesse or perturbation Simonides the Poet being demanded by Hiero the Tyrant what God was craved a day to deliberate and not being then able to define the true Nature and Essence of God hee craved two daies more that time being past and himselfe yet unresolved hee craved four dayes still doubling his number and being demanded the reason hereof hee answered that the more he studied and dived into that abysse the lesse able was hee to define what God was so incomprehensible is Gods Essence In a word whatsoever can be said of God cannot fully expresse his infinite Immensity Cujus Greg. in Moral ergo gloriae non sufficit obstupescens conscientia quomodo sufficiet loquens lingua If then the astonished conscience of man cannot sufficiently conceive the Majestie of God how then can his tongue expresse it O! then admire the length breadth heighth and depth of this Deitie whose length is Eternitie whose breadth is Charity whose heighth is Majestie and whose depth is Wisdome Qui amat ut Bern. in considerat Dei Charitas novit ut Veritas sedet ut Aequitas dominatur ut Majostas c. Who loves as cordially as Charity knoweth all things judicially as Verity judgeth uprightly as Equity rules royally as Majestie governs potently as Principalitie protects impregnably as Safety works mightily as Power helps readily as Pietie and is manifested as the Sun in his splendour gloriously His power is inexplicable Hug. Card. lib. 1. de clav ani his goodnesse incomprehensible his wisdome ineffable and his definition is alwayes to be praised by his holy ones Thus much for the excellency of Gods glorious Majestie appearing which cannot be seen by our bodily eye The second cause of mans not seeing God is his infirmity in beholding and this is twofold Either 1. Through the guilt of sin Or 2. Through the frailty of his flesh 1. Through the guilt of sin When God appeared Exod. 3. 6. to Moses Moses hid his face because hee knew himselfe to be a sinfull man The guilt of sin makes a man conscious to himselfe and afraid to look even an earthly Judge in the face much more to behold so glorious a Majestie as is the divine Essence thus Adam went and hid himselfe Gen. 3. 8. when he had transgressed by eating the forbidden fruit And if when the voice of God walked in Note the cool of the day hee hid himselfe oh how would hee have trembled if God had come in the heat of the day When Christ was transfigured upon the Mount and his face did shine like the Mark 9. 6. Sun and his raiment was white as the light Peter and the other Apostles were afraid and knew not what to say So also when Peter saw the Majestie of his Master in that great draught of fishes he falls down at Jesus his feet and saith Depart from mee O Luk. 5. 8. Lord for I am a sinfull man Oh then sith horrour of conscience in regard of sin makes men afraid of the face of God that men would remember that his eyes are upon the Job 34. 21 22. wayes of man and hee seeth all his goings There is no darknesse nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves As also that nothing terrifies the conscience so much as doth the guilt of sin which is the mother of fear Conscience is that book in which all our sins are registred Et Cassiod lib. 4. Epist 8. quid acquiri putatur ubi mala conscientia praedicatur aut in qua parte possit homo proficere si innocentiam probatus fuerit amisisse What can be gained where conscience preacheth terrour or what can a man plead for himself if guilt of sin tortures and terrifies A sinfull guilty conscience cannot endure to behold so infinite a Presence but soon shall be swallowed up with
of faith in a pure conscience To conclude this point Happy is hee who when God speaketh to his conscience by the ministery of the word whether it be for peace or for warre receiveth it with an honest and good heart and is ready to say as once David did to Abigail when she met him Blessed 1 Sam. 25. 32. be the Lord God of Israel which hath sent thee this day to meet mee and blessed be thine advice so they Blessed be the Lord who hath sent thee this day to speak home to my conscience and blessed be thine instructions which make mee to look back to him from whom I was like a prodigall estrayed Thus much concerning Gods manifesting himselfe to the conscience by the ministery of the word Secondly God manifesteth himself to man by the checks of conscience after sin committed and thus both to the godly and to the wicked First to the godly What was it that made Adam hide himself from the presence of God but the Gen. 3. 8. check of his conscience for the guilt of his sin in eating the forbidden fruit The check of conscience is called the smiting of the heart so we reade that when David had cut off the skirt of Sauls garment 1 Sam. 24. 5. his heart smote him that is his conscience checkt him The like smiting David had after his 2 Sam. 24. 10. numbring of the people And to this end doth God reprove man by the check of his own conscience even to awaken him from sin lest hee sleep the sleep unto death The Prophet complains that there was no rest in his bones by reason of his sins untill Psal 32. 3. his heart was purged from sin hee could feel no rest within his soule for conscience is a part of the understanding determining all actions either with or against it either accuseth man for good omitted or evill committed or else excuseth him in assurance that his person is accepted as righteous before God Secondly to the wicked For there is none so notoriously wicked in committing any villany but hee hath sometimes a sting wounding his conscience and telling him of a supreme and just revenger sometimes his heart smites him and humbles him though but for a time and though not for effectuall conversion yet some gripings there are such as Cain Ahab Belshazzar and Herod had these I say lasted but for a time for the Preacher observeth that because sentence against an evill work Eccles 8. 11. is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the sons of men is fully set in them to doe evill Yet in all both in good and bad Conscience will doe her duty for shee is like the poise of a clock which being wound up sets all the wheeles a going even so Conscience being wound up by the hand of Gods justice sets all the members on work makes the tongue confesse the eyes weep the heart throb the knees smite one against another the fist strikes upon the brest no part but acts its part And now Beloved judge when the conscience of a man findes that shee hath to deale with an angry God Job 13. 26. one that writes as Job complaines bitter things against Psal 139. 7. her and that shee knowes not where to betake her selfe for to flee from his presence shee cannot how shee is perplexed especially if she cannot feele God reconciled unto her and herself unto God No marvell that David mourned through the disquietnesse of his heart saying to God Thou Psal 30. 7. hiddest thy face and I was troubled To a deep sense Matth. 26. 75. of misery was Peter brought after hee had denyed his Lord and forswore his Christ till his Master looking back upon him brought to his remembrance his by-past sin then went he out and wept bitterly And to such a sense of restlesnesse was Judas Matt. 27. 3 4 5. brought after hee had betrayed his Master though hee found not the like comfort as the others did On some the horrour of conscience works repentance unto salvation whereas it drives others to the gulfe of despaire Certes it was not without divine providence that the very heathen termed the terrours of a wicked conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the searcher out and punisher of sin sometimes called Furiae the furies of hell or worm of conscience sometimes also called Intemperiae the tortures of the minde and sometimes per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eumenides the daughter of Acheron and Nox that is Hell and Darknesse hereby Qâ—â—d minimè sinâ— benignae insinuating the wofull bitternesse and extreme horrour wherewith the wicked are perplexed And if the heathen stiled them by such horrid termes how should we dread to harbour in us such snakes And our Saviour tels us of an unquenchable fire so also of a never-dying worm such a worm there is of conscience and it is so called because as a worme lyeth eating and gnawing that wood in which shee abideth so the worm of conscience lying within us gripeth and tormenteth us by bringing to our memories all the causes of present and future calamities as our wilfull negligences whereby wee lost our first enjoyed felicities at every of which considerations she giveth us a deadly griping as also all our occasions offered to escape those miseries in which wee are now plunged adde to these all those opportunities for redeeming that glory which we have now hazzarded as also how ungraciously wee have quenched the good motions of Gods holy Spirit by which wee might have been reclaimed adde further how vain those worldly trifles are which we have too eagerly followed and lastly how wee our selves are become worldly fooles and others spiritually wise whereas we dream'd otherwise From whence wee may observe that A secure sinner is an enemy unto himselfe for if there be no fulnesse of joy but in the presence of God then certes in a wofull condition are they who wallowing in their sins against the curb of conscience deprive themselves of this happinesse Thus you see that an accusing conscience manifesteth a Deity and that the law of God is written Rom. 2. 15. in the hearts of men You see also that both good and bad have sometimes these checks of conscience which like that voice mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah calleth to them saying This is the way Isa 3. 21. walk in it when they turn to the right hand or when they turn to the left pointing out another way then what they formerly trod awry in to which voice of conscience if men will listen and obey then shall it goe well with them for they shall not onely know that there is a God but they shall in some measure see him and be acquainted with him but if they shall harden their hearts and labour to quench the good spirit of God which at that time 1 Thess 5. 19. Revel 3. 20. knocks at the door of their hearts and seeks admission for
laborious oxen or not yea then it shall appear whether their seed be pure wheat which may yeeld a plentifull crop fit to be stored up in Gods granary or tares fit only to be cast into the fire Nor is it Right Worshipfull that I have adventured out of any conceit of worth in my selfe to expose this ensuing Discourse to the view of the world in this censorious age but partly to satisfie the requests of some who were auditors of the chiefe points thereof delivered in a Sermon in the Abbey in Westminster and partly to expresse a gratefull heart to this Honourable Committee whom my selfe with many others are bound to honour for your vigilancy and care Solomon tels us that hee that hath friends must shew himself Prov. 18. 24. friendly for there is a friend that sticketh closer then a brother And which way can I expresse my respects and service I owe you any other wayes then by imparting unto your Worships some of my weak labours Greater gifts you need not higher prized I cannot I may say with the Apostles Peter and John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I humbly crave pardon Act. 3. 6. for my presumption in fleeing to the arms of this Honourable Court for patronage of this small Tract whom I know to be religiously devoted to religious exercises and to accept of this mite thrown into Gods treasury God gave liberty where ability was wanting to offer under the Law in stead of a lamb a paire of turtle doves or two young pigeons It may through Gods blessing enrich as well those who shall read it as I hope it hath those who have heard it It is not clothed with the rich embroiderings of humane eloquence and wisdome of words I rather choose the Scripture phrase as best suting to the capacitie and conscience of my countrey Auditory amongst whom I have enlarged it and of such as may read it Vouchsafe it I humbly intreat your protection and you shall sufficiently reward him whose prayers to God for you shall be that you may be filled with a large measure of grace in this life and rewarded with a full measure of glory in the life to come this he cordially wisheth who is devoted to be Your Wor ps to be commanded in all Christian service CH. ANTHONY West-Hoadligh in Com. Sussex GODS PRESENCE MANS COMFORT CANT 2. 9. Behold hee standeth behind our wall hee looketh forth at the window shewing himselfe at the lattesse MOst worthily is this Book called Cantica Canticorum not because it was penned by the wisest of men that ever was born of a woman by a natural generation but because in it is set down in a most patheticall and mutuall colloquie the unspeakable love betwixt Christ and his Church under the similitude of a Beloved and his Spouse In the verse foregoing the Text as also in the former part of this verse the Church compares her Beloved for his care love and diligence in hasting to bring comforts unto her to a Roe or yong Hart Behold saith shee hee cometh leaping upon the mountains and skipping upon the hils In the words of the Text shee rejoiceth in that shee enjoyeth his presence thereby pergustans suavitatem amoris Lyra. future ae beatitudinis having got a relish of his love and a taste of her own future happinesse though not so fully and perfectly as shee would or as shee desired nor as hereafter shee shall yet in that she hath as it were a glimpse of his person whom she longed to enjoy shee exulteth in the words of the Text Behold he standeth behind our wall c. In which words without wresting flow these five particulars 1. God cannot be seen by the eye of mortall man because of the wall of his flesh 2 Yet God is pleased to exhibite himselfe to man four wayes 1. By voice 2. By the book of the creatures 3. By the book of the Scriptures 4. By the book of conscience 3. In these it is but hieroglyphically enigrnatically obscurely darkly 4. Yet so that the soule of a true Christian by the eye of unblemished faith may be sure that shee seeth him in them 5. That being thus assured that shee doth see him shee may rejoice and desire a greater union and communion with him I shall not need to insist long to prove whether there be a God or no I hope there is none so Atheisticall as to deny it at least-wise with their tongue although I feare there are some as bad in Ephes 2. 12. their heart such as are without God in the world Now of Atheists there are three sorts First Atheists Psal 14. 1. 53. 1. in thought The fool hath said in his heart there is no God that is as else-where the Kingly Psal 10. 11. Prophet explaineth it Hee hath said in his heart God hath forgotten God will not require it Secondly Ver. 13. Atheists in words who speak of God as of no God How doth God knew Is there knowledge in the Psal 73. 11. Job 21. 14 15. most High Thus the seventy ancients of the house of Israel did horrible things every man in the chambers of his imagery and said The Lord seeth us not Ezek. 8. 12. Thirdly Atheists in conversation these are they that so live as if there were no God They professe Tit. 1. 16. that they know God but in their works deny him Certes did these truely know that there is a God and that hee seeth all their abominations and will at the last day call them to a strict account and severely punish them it would make them tremble even in this life but they are altogether corrupt Supra abominable and to every good work reprobate To omit School-distinctions Utrum Deum esse Aquin. 1. qu. 2. art 2. sit demonstrabile these arguments following shall sufficiently prove 1. That excellent order of nature seen both in that Microcosme or little world Man as also in that Megacosme the greater world or whole Universe in the disposition of parts and succession of motions and actions which could not be nor subsist were there not an Omnipotency to rule and order it which Omnipotency must needs be Psal 8. 19. 104. 135. 136. 147. 148. God as appeareth by the places quoted in the margent 2. That excellencie of humane understanding Man alone being above all other creatures rationall Reason Knowledge Wisdome c. being that image of God in man and in this sense Saint Paul hath it when he saith We are his off-spring Acts 17. 28. 3. The nature of man acknowledgeth a Deity for no Nation under heaven is so barbarous but worshippeth a supreme power either * 2 Kin. 17. 16. creatures or else the workmanship of their own hands 4. The sting or worm of Conscience even in the most reprobate either in the very act of sin or at least after sin committed proves a Deity and that
quasi per fenestras prospicit in Ecclesiam fideles unde nos aspicimus Deitatem per humanitatem These are the windows through which Christ manifesting himselfe reveales himselfe unto us and in them declaring the secret will and work of God concerning our redemption and salvation whereof except he were perfect God hee could have no knowledge for none being meer and onely man could ever have searched out that bottomlesse abysse nor ever have found out so intricate a mystery Lastly God maketh himselfe knowne unto By the book of Conscience man by the book of Conscience for there is none so atheisticall but the terrours of his Conscience will make him acknowledge a Deity Conscience is a practicall syllogisme condemning Conscientia est syllogismus practicus ex lege Ursin man for the breach of Gods law the Major whereof is the letter of the law Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to doe them The Minor is the accusing of Conscience But I have broken the law Hence the Conclusion necessarily must follow Therefore I am accursed Sometimes it is put for the spirit or soule of a man and sometimes for the faculties of the soule so wee reade that the law of God is written in our hearts our consciences either Rom. 2. 15. accusing or excusing which must be understood in intellectu nostro in the understanding facultie of the soule and in this sense the majestie and power of God shineth even to the consciences of the heathen and infidels Non omnis Numinis sensu Tilen carent qui in sylvis oberrantes ferinam agunt vitam Even they who live like savage beasts in woods are not altogether void and senselesse of a supreme power and whence is this but from the inward curb of conscience Yet more especially and cleerly God is manifested to the consciences of men these two wayes 1. By the ministery of the word by which hee powerfully worketh on their consciences 2. By the inward checks of conscience after sin committed both in the godly and also in the wicked First by the ministery of the word and this is four wayes 1. By opening that which was before lock'd up The closets of mens hearts are lock'd up by sin and ignorance so that they cannot rightly conceive of God as they ought untill hee who hath the key of David be pleased to open them by the Revel 3. 7. ministery of the word the heart of man naturally being like unto a spring-lock which shutteth of its own accord but cannot be opened without a key Thus God is said to open the heart of Lydia when Acts 16. 14. shee heard the word of God from the mouth of Paul and by the same means to convert the Jayler Vers 31. and his houshold so also God opened the hearts of three thousand at Peters preaching God Acts 2. hath committed the keyes of his kingdom unto the Ministers of his Gospel whereby he enables them Matth. 16. 19. to speak unto his people yet Spiritus sanctus est qui verbi praeconio hominum mentes illuminat qui aures perforat qui corda aperit ut Scripturae tanquam divinae firmiter assentiantur 2. By softning that which before was hard The heart of man naturally is * Ezek. 11. 19. flinty God only saith Job can soften it and this God worketh Job 23. 16. by his word Thus when Josiah heard the judgements 2 King 22. 19. of God threatned against the Jews he grew tender-hearted O that the word of God might work the like effect on us even now when not only his threatnings are denounced but his hand is also heavie upon us But alas we have too many that refuse to hearken that pull away the shoulder and Zech. 7. 11 12. stop the eare that they might not heare Yea they make their hearts as an adamant stone lest they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets therefore hath there come great wrath from the Lord of hosts 3. God revealeth himselfe to man by the ministery of the word in convincing the conscience for sinne which was before as it were seared up Thus dealt hee with Ephraim After Ephraim was Jer. 31. 19. instructed hee smote upon his thigh hee was ashamed and even confounded because hee did bear the reproach of his youth Thus Agrippa could not but be convicted in conscience of the Deitie of Christ by the preaching of Paul when hee said Almost thou perswadest Acts 26. 28. me to be a Christian such a victorious grace of wisdome hath the holy Ghost infused into the ministery of the word Felix also could not but be convicted in his conscience of the dreadfull justice of God when hee trembled hearing Pauls discourse Acts 24. 25. concerning the torments of hell and judgement to come Happy had it been for them both if they had fully assented to the power of his preaching Tanta est Scripturae vis ut etiam hostibus suis verum Tilen testimonium exprimat in tenebrionum latibula fulgorem aliquem immittat nimirum ut liquidò constet internam esse hujus lucis proprietatem ex se per se existere Such is the power of the Scripture that it gives evident testimony of its truth even to its very enemies and sends forth its beams of light into the secrets of the craftiest plotters that it may manifestly appear that it is the propertie of the Scriptures to work inwardly on the conscience by shining of it self and in it self 4. By the ministery of the word God purgeth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God The word doth metamorphose a man and makes him to be other then what hee was before thus Paul after that he was converted exercised himself Acts 24. 16. to have a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man At first Paul thought to have domineered over the poor Christians at Damascus but after he had seen the Lord Christ in the midst of that glorious light which exceeded the light of the Sun hee was content to sit as it were at the feet of Ananias and be instructed by him Now Lupus hic Benjamin ovi caput submisit Hieron Epist 3. Note Aug. de Doctr. Christ proleg if hee that was such an eminent Apostle yea who heard Christ himselfe from heaven must receive instruction from another how dare any man despise even the meanest of Gods Ministers Nor was this conversion of the Apostle without some speciall signification for hereby is shewed that they which are truely converted are also spiritually inlightned they are made blinde to worldly things and the eyes of their mindes are onely taken up with the beholding of things heavenly and the bent of their affections is to hold the mystery 1 Tim. 3. 9.
there is a supreme Judge who will call them to an account which sting of theirs shewes the law of a supremer power written in their hearts Rom. 2. 15. 5. The execution of justice in rewarding the godly and punishing the wicked as in the deluge drowning all but eight persons as in delivering the Israelites and overthrowing Pharaoh and his host as in preserving Lot and his two daughters when Sodom was consumed So that a man Psal 58. 11. shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that judgeth the earth Thus you see that there is a God but what this God is mortall man cannot define and that for two reasons 1. Because he is incomprehensible 2. Because his essence cannot be known Yet hath hee been pleased to make himselfe known to us these three wayes 1. By his Attributes as his Mercy Justice Wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Goodnesse to mankind and Truth all which are revealed to us who live within the lists of the Church but are not known unto the Heathen who are without the pales thereof 2. By his Persons being a Trinitie in Unitie this wee acknowledge that Tota Trinitas unus est Deus this the Heathen are ignorant of 3. By his works as of Creation Preservation Rule and Government which are known to none so clearly as they are to such to whom the sound of the Gospel hath come much lesse have the Heathen known that blessed work of Redemption by Christ Jesus Again the Attributes of God are either Nominall or Reall Nominall as * Exod. 15. 3. Jehovah which signifies an eternall Being of himself this Name he took unto himselfe thereby to point at and shadow out unto us his Essence which is incomprehensible by this Name †Exod. 6. 3. hee was not knowne unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob but by the name Shaddai which signifies Almighty that was a name of Omnipotency this a name of Majesty Or Jah that is Lord because hee is the Alpha of all things Or Elohim which shewes to us the distinction that is to be made of the Persons of the Trinitie * Mal. 1. 6. the Father †Luk. 1. 35. the Son * Acts 2. 4. the Holy Ghost Or as in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as being the first Essence of all things hence is hee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sole Lord Paramount because hee hath his Being in and of himselfe and dependeth on none other Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because he seeth or compasseth all things Other nominall Attributes there are as El Abba c. but I omit them and hasten to his reall Attributes such are they that are onely proper unto God and shew his divine Essence Such are either Absolute or Relative Absolute as his Perfection being solely of himselfe and giving life and being to all other creatures in the world or his Infinitenesse or Eternitie being principii finis expers having neither beginning of dayes nor length of time or his Invisibilitie not having any bodily shape and therefore not to be discerned by humane sense or his Immutabilitie a Mal. 3. 6. in his Essence I am the Lord I change not in his b Psal 33. 11. Will The Counsell of the Lord standeth for ever or in his c Jer. 23. 24. Place I the Lord fill heaven and earth or his Omnipotency for quicquid vult facit hee doth whatsoever pleaseth him To these I might adde his relative Attributes as Knowledge Wisdome Goodnesse Justice Truth Liberality Bounty Mercy c. Relative I call them because in God they are essentiall in man accidentall in man finite but in God infinite incomprehensible invisible Now all these Attributes are given unto God pro nostro captu vel ratione cognitionis nostrae in respect of us men and for our benefit by which that light which is in it self inaccessible may after a manner be shadowed out to the dim eye of our dull apprehension which is not able to behold so resplendent a Majestie for the glory of God doth far more excell the glory of the Sunne then the light of the Sunne doth the light of a candle Well may wee therefore admire and say O the heighth Rom. 11. 33. the breadth the length and the depth of the Infinitenesse and Invisibilitie of Almighty God! yea and pray also with the same Apostle That wee may Eph. 3. 18 19. be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth that so wee may be filled with the fulnesse of the knowledge of God whom to know is life eternall John 17. 3. Now there are foure degrees or windowes by and thorow which the presence of this God manifestly shineth to the eye of our souls The first whereof is universall whereby in his Jer. 23. 24. Psal 139 7. c. Essence hee is fully every-where inclusively nowhere totus est in toto mundo totus in qualibet mundi parte And as hee is thus universally present in his Essence so is hee also in all his essentiall Properties as his d Psal 147. 5. Wisdome e Deut. 9. 29. Power f Exod. 2. 5 6. Providence c. The second is speciall whereby hee is said to be in heaven g Eccles 5. 2. Psal 19. 1 6. because there his glory power wisdome and goodnesse are seen in a most excellent manner from whence also he showers down Acts 14 17. in a most plentifull sort his blessings upon us for our temporall benefit The third is most speciall as hee dwels by his gracious and sanctifying Spirit in the hearts of his elect and chosen so much S. Paul affirmes Know 1 Cor. 3. 16. ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you The fourth is most speciall and singular namely when hee is present by his Spirit in Christ so S. Paul In him viz. Christ dwelleth all the fulnesse Coloss 2. 9. of the Godhead bodily And yet in none of these can the brightnesse of the Deity be seen by the eyes of humane flesh and the reason is twofold Either 1. Ex parte objecti apparentis in regard of the excellency of Gods glorious Majestie appearing Or 2. Ex parte subjecti videntis in regard of mans infirmitie in beholding For the first cause Such is the Majestie and brightnesse of Almighty God that the most glorious Angels the Seraphims and Cherubims are Isa 6. 2. forced to cover their faces at his presence And if such created natures yea rather such spirituall substances cannot see that incorporeall uncreated Hom. 14. in Johan Dialog tit Immutabilis Vertue as Chrysostome calls it or as Theodoret that incomprehensible divine Substance much lesse can man If that saying of Christ be objected Matth. 18. Their Angels alwaies behold the face of my Father I answer The Angels see