loath to raise their thoughts beyond them Asa his physicke shall not helpe him because he trusts in the Physitians Israel shall die of that flesh wherein they thought their life was And it is iust with God that when the meanes steppe vp into his place and men ascribe that vertue vnto them which onely Gods blessing addeth vnto them he depriues men either of the meanes or of the right and comfortable vse of them And were not the meanes too too much magnified and set aboue their owne place men would not so spend their dayes in carking cares for them with such instance and neglect of all things else as if they were euer to liue by bread onely not so wise as the foole and churle in the parable who when he had goods enough for many yeares would haue his soule take his rest but these men hauing bread and meanes enough for many ages are as restlesse and insatiable as euer before their life stands in seeking and holding abundance 2. Let vs learne to trust God without the meanes which the worldling cannot doe In plentie in health when the barnes bee full and the chests readie to breake with treasures the most earthly churle can bee content and praise God for all but in pouertie and sickenesse his heart lets him downe as though God is not as able and willing to helpe in one estate as in another But now faith were it present would most shew it selfe it is a dead faith that withdrawes it selfe from the liuing God and sets it selfe on dead things 3. Learne we to moderate our care for the things of this present life as such who valew them according to their right estimate which without a superiour vertue can doe vs no good for what is food apparell and the like but base things without Gods blessing which men of thousands enioy aboundantly and yet by a secret curse either vpon the wicked getting or holding them want the comfort that many poore men haue whose portion is but a mite to the others superfluity And what is the reason that men burie themselues aliue in the graues of their lustings and earthlines but that they falsly conceiue of the meanes and place them aboue their worth or worke What saith the worldling is it not my liuing and must I not looke to that I tell thee no it is not thy liuing vnlesse thou liuest by bread alone or hast that animam triticiam that wheaten-soule of the rich man in the Gospell who thought he must now liue many yeares because hee had wheate enough Obiect But you speake as though we were to expect miracles for our maintenance or to cast off our callings to neglect the meanes and liue by the word of God Answ. 1. Miracles are ceased and yet if God bring vs into an estate wherein all meanes faile vs God remaines as powerfull and able as mercifull and willing to help as euer he was and rather then his children shall miscarrie he will saue them by miracle 2. Our callings and meanes are not to be neglected because 1. Christ denies not but that man liues by meanes but not onely by them 2. they are a part of that euery word of God whereby man liues and if ordinary meanes be offred we may not trust to extraordinary without some speciall promise or reuelation 3. it is a tempting of God to pull pouertie on our selues or cast our selues into danger and is a breach of his ordinance who inioynes euery man to get his liuing in the sweat of his browes But one thing is a Christian care another a carking care for the things of this world one thing is the care of the world in Mary who especially minds the one thing necessary another in Martha who distracts her selfe with many businesses neglecting the good part which should neuer be taken from her one thing to possesse the world another to bee possessed by it one thing to vse meanes another to trust in them 4. If man liue not by meanes alone be more carefull for Gods blessing then for the meanes be more thankefull for that then for these else he that made bread and gaue it thee can breake the staffe of it else he can make thee great and rich but lay a sensible curse on thy person and estate either in thine owne time or in thy heires And as for thanksgiuing Christ neuer vsed any meanes but by prayer and thanksgiuing and taught vs to pray for daily bread .1 for a blessing vpon bread It is a greater mercy of God to giue vs comfort of the creatures then the creatures themselues Yet a number as if they liued by bread onely come to their tables as the hogge to his trough or the horse to his prouender without either prayer or thankes A wonder that euery crumme choakes them not for without Gods blessing it might But by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God This affirmatiue part of the testimonie alleadged by Christ teacheth vs that It is onely the word of God and euery word of God that preserueth the life of man But first wee must distinguish of mans life which is either supernaturall or naturall and also of the word which is put forth either for the life naturall or supernatural The former is a word of Gods power and prouidence creating and gouerning all things according to their naturall courses called in the text a word that goeth out of the mouth of God for no word of the creature can produce the beeing or well-beeing of any other The latter is the word of truth whereby he doth quicken the soule and repaire it to his owne likenes and this word proceedeth not only out of the mouth of God but of his Prophets Apostles Pastors and this word begetteth and preserueth a supernaturall life in man as the other doth a naturall Ier. 15.19 Now our Sauiour meaneth here the naturall life of the bodie and the word of Gods power and prouidence generally sustaining the beeing and life of all creatures and not that a man can liue by the written word without meat and drinke It is true that the soule of man liueth by Gods word of truth for 1. he is be gotten a Christian by it and borne of this immortall seed Iam. 1.18 2. he is nourished by it as by sincere milke 1. Pet. 2.2 3. as bread increaseth the bodie in all dimensions so the word strengthneth the soule in faith patience comfort hope loue as children grow by milke 4. bread strengthens the heart and all the strength of a Christian is in the word it preserues the naturall heate and the word makes his heart burne within him and keeps it in a readines to euerie good word and worke But yet this is not the proper meaning of this place neither can it agree with the meaning of Moses who plainely speakes of the bodily hunger of the Israelites and the seeding of them with Mannah that they
may know that man liueth not by bread onely nor yet with the mind of our Sauiour Christ nor with his present condition nor with the drift of Satans temptation nor with the sound repelling of his dart which was that Christ for the appeasing of his bodily hunger after his forty dayes fast would turne stones into bread And now we knowing what is meant by the word of God euen the powerfull word of Gods prouidence in creating and gouerning all things we are further to consider that our Sauiour addeth an vniuersall particle euery word the reason is because this word is twofold ordinary and extraordinary Ordinary when God changeth not his ordinary course but by meanes proportioned vnto the ends which are a part of his ordinary word preserueth and maintaineth the life he hath giuen as daily bread sleepe and the like Extraordinary when by his word and decree he pleaseth to preserue man either aboue or without or against all meanes I. Aboue the meanes sundry wayes 1. aboue all that man can expect thus God gaue the Israelites Mannah in the wildernesse and water out of a rocke thus he tied a ramme to to be sacrificed in stead of Isaac thus he brake the cheeke-tooth that was in the iaw and water came thereout for Sampson Iudg. 15.19 and by his word prouided a gourd to come ouer Ionas his head to shadow him and deliuer him from his greife c. 4.6 thus he fed Elias by rauens 2. when he makes a little meanes goe beyond themselues as Christ made 7. loaues and 2. fishes to serue 7000. persons and much left thus he made a few clothes serue Israel forty yeares so as their shooes did not weare out thus the word of God made a little meale and oile serue the Prophet and a widow a long time 1. King 17.14 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel the meale in the barrell shall not be wasted nor the oile in the cruse diminished till the time that the Lord send raine and so it was though they ate nothing else all the while 2. King 4.42 Elisha had 20. loaues sent him and some eares of corne he commaunded his seruant to set them before the people Oh saith he what are these to an hundred men but the Prophet said The Lord hath said they shall eat and yet there shall remaine and it came to passe according to the word of the Lord. 3. when the meanes are not so small in quantity as base in quality and yet haue by this word an extraordinary blessing as the course fare of Daniel II. Without meanes Gods word causeth man to liue as Moses Elias and Christ himselfe who had immediately before seene the word of God preseruing him already 40. dayes and nights and could further if he pleased III. Against meanes as the Disciples sent out were promised if they dranke any deadly poison it should not hurt them so fire burnt not the three children though cast into it when it burnt their enemies and their owne bands All this is meant by that our Sauiour saith euery word and thus most aptly he returneth the temptation Man liues not onely by bread that is the ordinary meanes but by extraordinary also euen aboue and beyond meanes yea without and against meanes And therefore where thou sayest I must haue meanes Gods word saith there is no absolute necessity of them my Fathers word can still sustaine mee without bread as he hath done these fortie dayes already 1. The word of God is it which gaue beeing and beginning to all things when they were not and much more doth it continue the beeing of them now when they are Psal. 104.30 If thou send forth thy spirit they are created By Spirit here is not meant the essence of God but a power and secret vertue proceeding from God all one with this word of God by which things were not onely created at the first but are still renewed and that daily and yearely as it were againe created Ioh. 1.3 In that word was life that is not onely inherent in the Sonne of God himselfe but as an efficient to communicate life to all liuing things 2. The word of God is as it were the prop and stay of the world without which all things would fall into confusion Euery man knowes by nature that God maintaines and preserues all things that it is he that stretcheth out the heauens like a curtaine that he sends forth the windes out of his treasure and raiseth the waues of the sea like mountaines which are great things but nature teacheth not how God doth these things by what meanes onely the Scriptures teach that he doth all this by his word that as in the creation God said Let there be light and there was light and so of all other things Gods word was his worke so in vpholding and preseruing it he doth it by his word as Heb. 1.2 who vpholdeth all things by his mighty word which word when God calls in the creature falls to nothing Act. 17.28 In him we liue and mooue and haue our beeing 3. The same word of God which giues vertue force to the creatures in themselues doth also sanctifie them vnto vs euery creature is sanctified by the word and prayer 1. Tim. 4.6 the word shewes how to get them how to vse them and prayer obtaines of God a right tenure and a pure vse which indeed is the blessing or sanctification of them 4. The same word carries them beyond the strength of their nature to doe vs good bread and wine in their owne nature can but nourish and feede the body but Gods word in the institution of the Sacrament makes them feede the soule to eternall life Quest. But how may we conceiue of this word whereby God doth gouerne and preserue the creatures Answ. By Gods word we must not onely conceiue his decree and will but a powerfull commaundement and effectuall to which all his creatures yeeld free and willing obedience This commanding word was put forth in the creation Psal. 148.5 hee commaunded and they were all created Men when they attempt and performe any great matter because their power is small must vse great labour and many instruments and helps But by the word of the Lord the heauens were made Psal. 33.9 He said the word and all things were done This commanding word is put forth in the daily gouernment of God Psal. 147.15 He sends out his commandement vpon the earth his word runneth very swiftly that is nothing can withstand and hinder the power of his word here the word and commaundement are all one The senslessenesse and deadnes of the creatures their vastnes and fiercenesse hinder not his word but without delay yea with maruellous celeritie and swiftnesse they execute his word Psalm 148.8 If God speake to the heauens they shall heare and couer themselues with darkenesse at noone day as in Christs passion If he command the Sunne it shall heare his word
then a merry word may we not recreate our selues now by recreation they meane gaming vnthriftinesse cousenage and the like may we not now and then be angry and impatient seeing flesh and blood is so weake and it is but an infirmitie what neede a man be so precise and scrupulous as to stand vpon such small triflles all which is but to plead for Sathan against our owne safetie He was afterwards an hungrie In these words is set downe the effect of Christs fast After he had fasted fourtie dayes and fourtie nights he began to be hungry all the while before he was not hungry neither did he want power to haue fasted longer and by his diuine power vpheld his humane nature if he pleased but now the miraculous fast beeing finished he begun to hunger Quest. How could Christ be hungry seeing he was able to feed so many thousands with seauen loaues and two fishes Besides Ioh. 4.34 he saith My meat is to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his worke Or if he could be hungry why would hee Ans. Some haue thought that Christ needed not to eate sleep c. as we need when our bodily strength is exhaust by labour by fasting and watching And some of the Fathers as Ambrose and Theophylact vpon Mar. 11.12 hold that Christ onely by dispensation gaue his body leaue to be hungry when he pleased as though hee neither was wont nor could nor ought to be ordinarily hungry as other men nor necessarily forced to eate But we must knowe that Christ tooke vpon him a true humane body and the forme of a seruant in which he was obnoxious to all our infirmities onely sinne excepted And the infirmities which hee vndertooke not are these 1. He was not to take any which might hinder the perfection of his soule or body Of his soule as vices sinnes pronenesse to euill heauines to goodnesse Christ tooke miserable infirmities in his soule as Augustine saith such as are naturall negatiue ignorance as of the day of iudgement and the time of figges fructifying but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Damascene saith damnable and detestable Of his body because it was extraordinarily conceiued and created of the Holy Ghost who being of infinite wisedome and power could not erre or not bring his body to perfection Therefore he was not to be blind lame deafe c. which are infirmities in many other men 2. Christ was not to take all infirmities in generall for 1. Some arise of particular causes which could not be in Christ as namely some hereditary infirmities and diseases as the leprosie falling-sickenes sâ—one c. some from redundance of matter in generation haue some monstrous or superfluous part some from defect want some part or haue some part withered or scanted None of this can agree to Christs most perfect conception of the Holy Ghost 2. Some infirmities are acquisite as by surfets feauers and gowts by fulnes These could not befall Christ who neuer exceeded the meane his whole life beeing a continuall exercise of sobrietie neither had he euer any acquisite infirmity but voluntarily vndertaken 3. Some defects and infirmities are the fruit of some speciall iudgement of God as Vzziah his leprosie was a speciall stroke of Gods hand for a speciall sinne so some are borne fooles and simple Neither could these belong to Christ who had no sinne nor cause of iudgement in him 3. Christ was to take vpon him all naturall and indetractable infirmities as the Schoolemen call them and onely them Naturall that is such as follow common nature infirmities common to all men And indetractable or inculpable which detract not from the perfection of his person nor of his grace nor of the worke of our redemption Of this kinde are hunger thirst labour wearines sleep sorrow sweat and death it selfe all these are common to all men Now hunger beeing a common infirmitie incident to all men yea to Adam in innocency who was hungrie and did eate as Gen. 1.39 euery tree bearing fruit shall be to you for meat and slept c. 2. v. 21. a heauie sleep fell on the man yet without molestation therefore Christ did necessarily hunger as other men doe not by an absolute necessity for 1. hee needed not haue taken our nature or beene incarnate 2. as he was God he could haue exempted himselfe from all the abasement and miseries that he suffered neither by a coacted necessity for he willingly submitted himselfe to this necessity But by a necessity ex hypothesi or conditionate hauing taken our nature to redeeme it he was necessarily to take on him all our weaknesses sinne onely excepted for these reasons 1. He was not onely to be like a man and in the shape of a man but also a very true man like vnto his brethren in all things except sinne therefore it is said Hebr. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to assure the truth of his incarnation against all Anthropomorphites and such like heretikes 2. This was a part of his obedience and consequently of our redemption that he suffered the same thnigs as we doe both in body and in mind verè pertulit languores nostrâ—s he hath truly borne our infirmities Isa. 53.4 3. That he might sanctifie vnto vs these infirmities and take away the sting of them least we should be wearied and faint in our mindes Heb. 12.3 and that we might haue an example in suffring 1. Pet. 2.21 4. That he might be a compassionate High Priest Heb. 2.17.18 touched with infirmity yea cloathed with our fraile nature that we should not doubt of his grace who vouchsafed to be so abased for vs. 5. Himselfe confirmeth the same in that he tooke not on him such a body of ours as Adam had before sinne but such a one as hee retained after his fall so farre as it was obnoxious to all incriminall paines of sinne namely such as was subiect to wearines Ioh. 4.6 to sorrow teares and weeping as ouer Ierusalem Luk. 19.41 and at the raising of Lazarus Ioh. 11.35.38 and in his agonie when he shed teares and vsed strong cries Heb. 5.7 to sweating water and blood in the garden yea to death it selfe from all which Adams body was free before the fall And by these his body was by a true necessity ouercome as ours are and this not for a short time or space at his pleasure but all the time of his life till he breathed out his holy spirit yea thirsting vpon the crosse it selfe Ioh. 19.28 Neither was this onely to confirme the truth of his humane nature but to fulfill all righteousnesse and carrie away all the punishment of our sinnes and so worke a perfect saluation for vs. Therefore Christ truely and necessarily was hungrie as we vse to bee As for that place in Ioh. 4.34 I answer 1. It must be meant comparatiuely in that the execution of his calling and doing of his fathers will was preferred before his meate
vpon Gods vnchangeable loue as also 3. because he hath commaunded thee to beleeue Obiect Oh but would you haue me beleeue when I feele nothing but corruption in myselfe and correction and displeasure in God Answ. Yes for faith must be where is no feeling and may bee one thing is the beeing of a thing another the discerning of it Doth not the sunne shine though a cloud or some other thing be betweene our sight and it Nay then when sense and feeling cease faith beginnes her chiefe and most glorious worke Was it not Abrahams commendation that he beleeued against beleefe and hoped against hope when all nature and sense was set against him he held the word of promise against sense and nature Nay our blessed Sauiour in whom was no grudgings of infidelity but assured faith in his father yet in respect of his present sense and feeling cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Dauid beleeued in the word of God and not his eyes and so must thou that thou hearest God speake and not that thou seest Thomas when he would beleeue no more then that he saw and felt our Sauiour said to him Be not so faithlesse but faithfull In the strongest encounter waite still till Christ come to ease thee he is not farre off and commit thy selfe in weldoing into his hands as into the hands of a faithfull Creator say with Hester I will goe to the King if I perish I perish it may be he will reach out his scepter graciously and I shall liue but if I must needs perish I will perish vnder the wing of my Lord and Husband So much of Satans second drift in the first temptation In the third place he seeketh to make Christ doubt of his Diuinity and call in question whether he was the Sonne of God or no from his present necessity as if he had said Seest thou not in what famine and need thou art thou hast fasted here these 40. dayes of my knowledge What is become of thy father and of his prouidence whose Sonne thou art proclaimed Is this the care thy father hath of thee Doth he thinke thou canst liue of aire or feed of winde or digest stones Art thou weake creature and staruen he that must preuaile against the gates of hell Art thou the Messiah that hast not a morsell of bread to put in thy mouth No if thou wert the Sonne of God he would care a little more for thee no naturall father that had a drop of affection would leaue his child so destitute Whence we may learne that Satan seeketh to make the members of Christ as well as the Head call in question their adoption and saluation for present aduersitie and want A notable instance hereof we haue in Iob whom when the deuill by Gods permission to bring him to blaspheme God had robbed him of his goods had slaine his children had afflicted his body with most painefull and loathsome botches then he sets vpon him and sets all his friends vpon him to make him beleeue that God also is his enemie hath brought his sinne vpon his head And this he taught his instruments the wicked rulers or rather raylers Matth. 27.41 when Christ was in most extreame torments and terrours of body and soule hanging on the crosse they said in scorne If he be the Sonne of God let him come downe from the crosse and we will beleeue on him Hee trusted in God let him now deliuer him if he will haue him for hee said he was the Sonne of God As if they had said Is not this a notable deceiuer to say he was Gods Sonne and now is in extreame danger ready to perish shamefully and no hope of any deliuerance If hee were the Sonne of God would he suffer him to perish So it is his ordinarie temptation to any beleeuer Doest thou not see thy selfe poore and despised in want and sorrow Seest thou any one signe of Gods fauour Art thou not depriued almost of all the pleasures of the world Seest thou not that God cares for beasts and foules which he feedeth in due season but thou art neglected 1. This comes to passe because of Satans malice towards God himselfe he would not onely falsifie his word who hath said that No man knoweth loue or hatred by all the things afore him Eccles. 9.1 but also impeach his prouidence and care ouer his children who whatsoeuer their outward estate seeme to be are still as deare vnto him as the apple of his eie and when they be as most vnknown yet are they knowne 2. Because of Satans malice to pietie and religion which by this meanes he seekes to chase out of the earth for the world keeps it vnder and commonly it riseth to no great matters Now if God respect it not neither who would be godly what profit were it to serue the Lord 3. Satan herein hath much strength from our owne corruptions and ploweth often with our owne heifers for we desire rather to walke by sense then by faith we hardly beleeue without pawnes and pledges euery man trusts his owne eyes and thinks wisedome good with an inheritance Hence his temptation finds the easier entrance and better entertainment 4. Satan euer in these temptations hath a further reach then he shewes namely that he may hence perswade men to some vnlawfull meanes to releeue themselues and better their estate no longer to depend vpon God who hath cast off the care of them but to shift for themselues and as hee mooued Christ himselfe to make stones bread 5. Sathan hath gotten no small aduantage against Gods deere children by this kind of temptation brought them to take their owne wayes as if God had quite forgotten them Abraham thought God had left him to the cruelty of the Egyptians and that there was no way to helpe him but by lying and teaching his wife so to doe also Lot was so enuironed by the Sodomites as to auoid their fury he saw no way but to offer his daughters to their abuse and filthinesse Dauid was so hunted by Saul as he must shift for himselfe by faining himselfe madde An heart now cleaning vnto God and resting in his assured loue and prouidence would haue waited till God had come vnto it and not turned it selfe to carnall counsels This condemnes their follie who iudge themselues and others by outward things which fall alike to all who may see by this what spirit it is that suggesteth them It is a delusion of Sathan and generall in the world to make men deeme themselues and others happy and in Gods fauour because they prosper in the world and Gods people infortunate because the world crosseth them for the most part For 1. By this conclusion Christ himselfe the Sonne of God who had all his fathers loue powred vpon him should haue been most hated of his father and a most vnhappy creature He was in want of house of mony
of friends of food the world had no malice in it which was not cast vpon him and he was not onely forsaken of men but in such distresse on the crosse as he complained he was forsaken of God And yet all creatures were not capable of that loue wherewith his Father loued him when he loued him least 2. Neither the testimony of Gods loue nor the dignity of his children stands in outwards things nor in the abundance of worldly comforts for then the rich glutton should haue been far better then Lazarus Abraham Isaac Iaacob who for famine were glad to flie their countrey should bee in lesse grace with God then the wicked Kings to whom they went The Apostles who were the lights of the world who were in hunger thirst nakednes buffeted without any certeine dwelling place reuiled persecuted accounted as the filth of the world and the offscouring of all things should haue beene in no better account with God then with men The Saints in Heb. 11.36 to 39. who were tried by mockings and scourgings by bonds and imprisonment were stoned hewne asunder tempted slaine with the sword wandred in sheep-skins c. beeing destitute afflicted and tormented should haue lost both their dignity in themselues and their fauour of God But they lost neither of these For the same text saith that the world was not worthy of them beeing men of such worth and that by faith they receiued a good report namely from God and all good men 3. The beauty of Gods children is inward that which argueth Gods loue is the gift of his Sonne faith hope a ioyfull expectation of the future inheritance 1. Ioh. 3.1 Behold what loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs that we should bee called the sonnes of God In which words the Apostle calleth our eyes backe from beholding earthly dignities and prerogatiues which we are euer poaâ—ing into and haue hawkes eies to see into the glory of the world But hee would haue vs behold Gods loue in other things then these namely in the inward notes and markes of Gods children And here is a maine difference betweene that loue which comes from God as God and that which commeth from him as a Father between that which he bestoweth on his enemies and that which he bestoweth on his sonnes that which bond-children receiue which are mooueables and that which the sonnes of the free-woman receiue for this is the inheritance let Isaac carrie that away and no scoffing Ismael haue a foot in it 4. Whereas Satan from crosses losses afflictions anguish and durable sorrowes perswades that men are not Gods children the Apostle Heb. 12.6.8 makes a cleane contrarie argument that afflictions and crosses are signes of Gods loue rather then of hatred and markes of election rather then of reiection Whomsoeuer the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery sonne hee receiueth If ye be without correction whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes And 2. Tim. 3.12 All that will liue godly in Christ must suffer persecution the world must reioyce while they must be sorrowfull and cannot but hate them because they are not of the world It is the condition of Christian hope that those who will be conformable to Christ in glory must be conformable to him in his sufferings Rules to withstand this dangerous temptation 1. Rule Labour to confirme thy selfe in the assurance of thy adoption which Satan would haue thee stagger in as Christ here and if thou beest assured thou art Gods child it will drawe on an other assurance namely that God will be carefull of thee to releeue thy want and deliuer thee in thy distresse whose loue surpasseth the loue of most naturall Parents to their children as appeareth Isa. 49.15 Can they that are euill giue their children good things how much more shall God our heauenly Father giue good things to his children which he seeth good for them Quest. How shall I confirme my selfe in my adoption Answ. By thy resemblance of God as the natural child is like his naturall father In Adam we lost the excellent image of God let vs labour now to finde it restored in the second Adam 1. Examine the life of God in thee who art naturally dead in sinne the breath of this life is heauenly thoughts meditations affections the actions of this life are spirituall growth and increase in grace and vertue Christians duties in generall and speciall the maintenance of this life is the hungring and thirsting after the heauenly Mannah and water of life the word of God the verie beeing of it is our vnion and communion with God by his Spirit which is as the soule to the body 2. Examine the light of God in thee for he is light and in him is no darkenesse and if thou beest his child thou art one of the children of light As thou growest in vnderstanding what the will of the Lord is so thou growest in this image and art like vnto Christ thy elder brother vpon whome the Spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the Spirit of counsell strength the Spirit of knowledge and the feare of the Lord doth rest Isa. 11.2 whereas on the contrary these two things goe together as in the heathens darkenes of vnderstanding and estranging from the life of God Eph. 4.18 Wouldst thou be confirmed in assurance that thou art Gods child then labour for this part of his image which is renewed in knowledge wait at the gates of wisedome shut not thy heart and eyes from the beames of this blessed light 3. Grow vp in holinesse and righteousnesse as God himselfe is not onely free from all euill but infinite in goodnes most iust most holy and as he letteth his light shine before men so must thou let thy light shine before men that they may see thy good workes Matth. 5.16 2. Cor. 7.1 cleanse you selues from all filthines of flesh and spirit that ye may growe vp to full holinesse This holinesse must not onely fence the heart from vncleannesse but the eye the eare the mouth the hands and feete and all the members when they be ordered according to the word prescribing rules for them all 2. Rule When thou feelest grudgings of diffidence arise and Satan will vrge thee how thou canst thinke thy selfe respected of God beeing beset with such a world of trouble and almost drowned in a sea of vexations without bottome or banke Now call to minde and set before thee Christs blessed example in whom as in a glasse thou maiest see the sharpest of thy sorrows in any kind not onely sanctified and sweetned but mingled with admirable loue of his father What euill befalls thy body and soule or thy estate inward or outward which hee hath not borne and broken and yet neuer the lesse loued of his Father Thou wantest comforts of body house land meat money he had not a foot of land not a house to hide his head in not any money till he borrowed of a
and not to the word of God at least not to euery word of God If God crosse them one way they thinke he hath no other way to doe them good If man liue by euery word of God then take heed of making that a meanes of liuing which God hath neuer warranted but see that what thou liuest by proceed out of the mouth of God How doth he liue by euery word of God that gets his liuing either in whole or in part contrary to Gods word Obiect But we see such as vse no good meanes but mantaine themselues in good estate by robbing stealing oppressing vsurie gaming false wares or weights it seemes that euen these creatures haue a word of God to sanctifie them and put vertue in them to such persons or els they could not liue by them Answ. Wee must distinguish betweene the things themselues that are gotten and the vniust manner of getting them The creatures themselues are by a generall word of God sanctified and set apart by God to feed and maintaine good and bad aswell the wicked as honest getters of them euen as the sunne and raine shines and falls vpon the iust and vniust And the vnrighteousnes of particular persons cannot alter Gods generall decree But if we consider the speciall manner of getting such goods that is not sanctified but condemned by the word of God 1. Because the person is not in Christ who restores our right vnto vs and then he is but an vsurper and a bankrupt who buildes his houses goes fine in apparell decks vp himselfe and his and spends most liberally but it is all with other mens money He that knowes not this thinks him a rich man but he that doth knoweth that he is not neither thrifty nor wealthy the creditor comes and casts him into prison and makes his bones and bodie pay the debt 2. As his person so his course is accursed for the onely way to get a blessing from God on the meanes is to vse his owne meanes who hath commaunded first to seeke the Kingdome of God and then other things and hath accursed all that wealth and maintenance of the body for which a man doth hazzard or loose his soule 3. When a man doth liue by bread against the word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God it is rather a death then a life his bread becomes poyson and as rats-bane in his bowells because he hath it without a promise and without blessing Obiect I see no such thing Answ. Many poysons are long a working but the end of such is death and the more slowly they worke the more slily and certainely they kill And if the Lord doe not inuert the order he hath set in nature by cursing the particular creature be sure he hath in his iustice reserued a curse for the vniust person and he shall not auoide it This doctrine specially applied laies hold vpon sundry sorts of men who liue contrary to the word They are these I. Such as liue out of lawfull callings which are one part of the word of God that we should get our liuing in the sweat of our browes and so long as we are in our way we haue his word we shall be prouided for And the word proceeding out of the mouth of God is that he that will not labour must not eate because he eates not his owne and such as will not liue after this word by Gods word they ought not to liue because they are idle and vnprofitable burdens of the earth who 1. abuse Gods prouidence who ties the ends and meanes together 2. infringe that good order which God hath established for the auoiding of confusion in Church or common-wealth namely that euery man should serue God in the seruice of man in some warrantable and profitable ciuill calling 3. as he is no better then an Infidell that depends onely on meanes seeing man liues by euery word of God so he that in a lawfull course of life prouides not for his family is worse then an Infidell Of this sort are our knots of companions of drinking and gaming companie and wandring rogues and beggers I knit them together because they are all of a straine and either are beggers or shall be These commonly come not to Church to heare their duties and therefore they must be taught by correction and discipline of those that are the executioners of iustice II. Such as thinke they liue well enough and yet it is by deceiuing others by stealing oppression extortion lying swearing and falshood in buying and selling and why say they may not a man help and shift for himselfe But consider 1. What a poore help it is when a man will vse vnlawfull meanes and to shift out of one euill by another He doth as the Prophet speakes auoid a lyon and a beare meets him Pilate would keep his place by vnlawfull meanes the deliuering of Christ to be crucified but besides that he brought innocent blood vpon himselfe he lost his place and slew himselfe 2. Consider that if Gods word of blessing goe not with the meanes his word of curse doth and so the Prophet Zacharie saith that the curse enters into the house of the swearer and of the theefe c. 5. v. 4. and this curse shall remaine in the midst of his house and consume the very timber and stones This curse often scatters ill-gotten goods as fast as they were euer hastily gathered if not in his owne dayes yet in some vnthrifty heire after him 3. Consider how God crosseth the vaine conceit of vniust persons they thinke all that is any way gotten to be gaine and profit but the word is Pro. 10.2 that treasures of wickednes profit nothing they cannot help a man from the hand of God nay when the euill day comes they are gone and leaue a man alone to graple with death and iudgement and turne a man naked to the sentence of condemnation for his wicked getting and holding of them III. Another sort of men who liue not by the word of God but against it are vsurers who pull themselues out of all lawfull callings and set vp a trade for the publike euill and their own priuate good which were there nothing else against it prooues it not to be of Gods deuising for euery calling of Gods deuising is helpfull to men in generall but the Spirit of God hath giuen this a name from biting and hurting But we haue the Scripture most expresly against it whether it be manifest as is a contract for gaine as for ten pound to pay eleuen at the yeares end or couert wherby men find deuises which they call mysteries to defeat the lawes and seeme to contract and either not to lend or not for gaine The word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God saith Exod. 22. vers 25. If thou lend money to my people with thee thou shalt not bee an vsurer thou shalt not oppresse him Marke how vsurie and oppression is all one And
out of the mouth of God who is goodnes it selfe the latter sometimes he permitteth to proceed out of the mouth of the deuill giuing him power to worke lying wonders that the seekers of him might beleeue in him to their finall destruction Thus the deuill who can doe nothing against Gods word doth what he doth by Gods word spoken in iudgement and iustice Whence I conclude 1. It were better for a man to want cure then haue the deuill his Physitian better for a man to want health of his body then procure it with the death of his soule Better had it beene for the Israelites to haue wanted Quailes then procuring them by murmuring to be choaked with them Bettter for a man to want the world then winne it with the losse of his soule Better had it beene for Ahab to haue wanted Naboths vineyard then to loose the whole kingdome for it Better for Iudas to haue wanted the thirtie pence then to hang himselfe for them for Ananias and Saphira to haue wanted the third part of their possession then to die for it 2. Rule Better it were to want the meanes of health and maintenance then not to vse them according to the word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God as food apparell physicke health and life it selfe Had it not been better that Asa had wanted Physicke then bee strucke with death because hee trusted in Physitians Better it had beene for Gehazi to haue gone in ragge◠then to apparell himselfe by lying and deceit which apparelled himselfe and all his posterity with leprosie Whether was the state of Lazarus that died for want of meanes or of Diues better that fared deliciously euery day Lesse haue men to answer for who haue no meat to strengthen nature then those that haue abundance which they peruert to strengthen themselues in sinne sacrificing their strength to the seruice of the deuill and to their lusts We our selues know numbers in all corners who were better continually to be bedridde and sicke or maimed then to abuse their health and liues in such riotous vngracious courses to the destruction of themselues and others Nay as our Sauiour said of Iudas it had been good for him he had neuer been borne so may we say of numbers of gracelesse persons better they had neuer seene the sunne or enioyed life then so to haue consumed their liues in the seruice of sinne and Satans temptations Lastly If we liue by euery word of God then let vs be thankefull to God for our liues and for his word of blessing vpon the meanes and seeing our liues hang vpon his word to prolong them or cut off the thread of them we must labour to liue to him and his glory It becommeth the iust to be thankefull A great vnthankefulnes were it to rebell against him by whom we hold our liues and all the comfort of them See wee not how those that hold land in coppy are willingly bound to suit and seruice to the Lord who is often but a meane man The Sidonians would not warre against Herod because they were nourished by his land and shall we be in warre against our Lord by whose hand and word we liue mooue and haue our beeing And euen this thankesgiuing is his gift also for as the matter for which so the grace by which we are thankefull is all from him so as wee must depend on him both for blessings and for grace to be thankfull VERS 5. Then the deuill tooke him vp into the holy citie and set him on a pinacle of the temple 6. And said vnto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written c. WE come now to set downe and expound by the assistance of God the second onset of the deuill vpon the Sonne of God by a violent and hellish temptation nothing inferiour to the former in the furious malicious and cunning contriuing of it In the entrance whereof we must remooue one rubbe by the way concerning the order of this temptation wherein the Euangelists seeme not to agree among themselues for whereas S. Matthew makes this the second S. Luke makes it the last and puts the last in S. Matthew into the second place And herein some learned men haue stumbled and haue deuised simple shifts to reconcile the two Euangelists Some thinke that they write not the same history nor of the same temptations but of temptatiōs vrged at sundry times These are confuted by the very matter phrases and words which are in both the same and need no other conuiction Others thinke and they of the learned Papists that in some auncient bookes S. Luke obserues the same order in the temptations with S. Matthew and that the difference crept in by the heedlesnesse of some writer Which is a needlesse deuise of them who striue to prooue the Canonicall Scripture to be corrupted in their fountaines that so their corrupt Latin Translation may preuaile but both impeaching the watchfulnes and care of God ouer the Scriptures as also the diligence and faithfulnesse of the Church which is pretended to suffer her selfe wholly to be abused by the carelesnesse or vnfaithfulnesse of some one Scribe But the truth is that it doth no whit preiudice the truth of the Euangelicall story that the Euangelists doe not stand so much vpon order where it is not so necessary as vpon the matter and the things themselues done which they faithfully report and in which they ioyntly accord and agree as oftentimes they stand not vpon words nor sometimes vpon sentences but one deliuer the same fact in one style of speach another in another forme but so as one is so far from crossing another as he giueth thereby more light and certeinty vnto the other Quest. But whether of these obserued the right order as the temptations were passed Answ. I am out of doubt that Matthew sets downe the right order as they were done 1. Because he passeth his story by such particles as imply an orderly consequent as Then the deuill tooke him then he tooke him againe then the deuill left him c. whereas Luke vsed the particle and in his passages which noteth no certaine order as the former doth his care was to relate the whole matter but was not so accurate for order 2. The coherence and dependance of this second temptation with the former shewes that Matthew obserueth the right method for Christ hauing by a testimony of Scripture confirmed himselfe in the confidence and trust in his Father Satan immediately seeks to make his aduantage of Christs words and seeing he will needs trust his Father he would haue him trust him too much If he need no bread beeing hungrie he needs no staires to goe downe from the pinacle of the Temple the last temptation doth not so fitly cohere with the former as this second doth 3. After Christ had bidden Satan auoide Matthew adds Then the deuill left him as being obedient to
say that the will in the same time and thing can be willing and nilling which if it could be forced were true To vnderstand this better we must know that there be only two wayes to mooue change or bend the will First from an internall agent or principle and this is twofold 1. God himselfe the author of all naturall faculties in whose hand the heart of Kings and all men be to turne as he pleaseth as the riuers 2. The man himselfe to whom God hath committed this will who hath power to dispose it to this or that obiect as Adam in innocency had freedome in things diuine and humane and now we his posteriry in the latter Secondly by externall moouers and these are either 1. the naturall obiect of the will which is some good so apprehended in the vnderstanding and strongly vrged vpon the will or 2. some passions lusts affections and appetites which incline the will this way or that Quest. How then is it said that the deuill filled Ananias his heart to lie to the holy Ghost Act. 5.3 and of Iudas that the deuill entred into him and put into his heart to betray his Lord if he cannot mooue the will Answ. It is not denied but that something besides God can mooue the will but the question is of the manner God mooues it by his owne and absolute power euen without our selues and against our selues as when he changeth an heart of stone into an heart of flesh But other without vs cannot mooue our hearts neither by any proper power that they haue ouer them nor yet without our selues first gained vnto them but then they mooue our wills when they can either make vs apprehend and vnderstand some obiect or mooue passion or appetite whereby to incline our wills Thus the good Angels may and doe propound diuine truth and good vnto our vnderstanding and mooue our wills to embrace it and chuse it but not alwaies with effect because the power is not in them but in our selues A good Angell admonished Ioseph in a dreame by which his will was bended to prouide for Christ and himselfe Thus also the deuills and wicked Angells mooue the will by working vpon the phantasie and imagination as in many Melancholike persons to hurt themselues and others sometimes by setting good colours vpon euill so that the vnderstanding apprehending euill in the case and colour of good may bend the will to it as Peter in denying his Lord thought it good and safe for the present sometimes by raising vp passions and working in them as Saul in a passion to cast his speare to kill his good sonne Ionathan a barbarous and vnnaturall fact yet the deuill gained his will to it hauing first raised a cloud of dustie passion to darken his vnderstanding and the other Saul in his furie and hot mood to waste and persecute all that called on Christ sometimes by stirring vp lust and concupiscence as Dauid beeing enflamed with lust the deuill working on this corruption gained his will to those foule facts which aboue all blemished him As for the examples alleadged thus Peter saith that Satan filled Ananiahs heart not that he brought any new wickednes into his heart but that which he found he stirred vp and perswaded his will to play that dissembling part for he should carrie it away closely and cautelously enough And thus the deuill put treason into the heart of Iudas he knew him to be a couetous wretch and had often watched him how he was deceitfull in the administration of his Masters money now his affection beeing troubled and stuft with couetousnesse Satan vseth this as a means to perswade his will for mony to attempt this foule and barbarous treason In all which we see that our wills are not vnder the power of the deuil who deales with vs as wicked men who when they perswade any euill infuse none of their wickednes into vs but only by their speach stirre vp that which is in our selues and perswade vs thereunto 4. It is not enough for Satans malice and cruelty to bring mischeife on the bodies of men but the thing he aimes at is to bring guiltines on their soules as our Sauiour here I doubt not but he would willingly haue killed him if it had beene in his power to cast him downe as it was to carrie him vp but he had farre rather that Christ should doe it himselfe and so haue an hand in his own death In Iob Satan was not contented to cast him down in bringing misery vpon his body and estate but the thing he aimed at was Iobs casting downe himselfe by blaspheming God that so he might bring guiltines vpon his soule And Satan knowes that when he can bring a sinner to giue vp his will to his perswasion his sinne is so much the more sinnefull because to a voluntary sinne is added 1. a deliberation 2. an election of euill and a preferring it before good and 3. a willing execution of that which a corrupt vnderstanding hath embraced and a corrupt iudgement and will preferred for some corrupt end 5. Satans slinesse and vsuall subtilty in his temptations shewes that his strength lieth in inward perswasion and not in outward violence He insinuates like a serpent and pretends great good will as here Thou shalt shew thy selfe the Sonne of God as though he in earnest sought the honour of Christ and as if he would haue bettred Adams estate he said Ye shall be Gods He transformes himselfe into an Angell of light and ordinarily deales with vs as with Saul who when he saw the deuill himselfe hee made him beleeue he saw Samuel Gods worthie Prophet This doctrine serues to comfort vs considering the impotency of our enemy He is a weake enemy and cannot ouercome him who is not willing to be ouercome He can egge vs on to euill compell vs he cannot And as Christ said to Pilate Thou couldest haue no power ouer mee vnlesse it were giuen thee from aboue so Satan can haue no power but from God not ouer beasts Matth. 8.31 not ouer wicked men Ahab a wicked King could not be deceiued nor set on to mooue a needlesse warre till the Lord sealed Satans commission 1. King 22.21 And much lesse ouer the godly as we see in Iob till God said All that he hath is in thine hands till then neither he nor any thing he had was in Satans power Nay not an haire of our head falls to the ground without the prouidence of our heauenly Father And another sound ground of comfort is that as he cannot hurt vs without the will of our heauenly Father so he cannot without our owne wills for if he could he would neuer be resisted in his temptations whereas we see in Ioseph Iob and by experience in our selues that some hellish temptations are by grace and the watch ouer our hearts repelled and resisted Hence we see that nothing can doe vs harme but our owne sin death
good Samaritan shewed mercie to the man that fell among theeues and was left halfe dead and wounded Now to gather hence with the Papists that men are but halfe dead in sinne and beeing a little holpen by grace are able to worke out their saluation is to misse the cushion and wander beyond and beside the scope of the place which is to shew who is our neighbour and what charity binds vs to and not what we can doe of our selues Besides beeing a parable it prooues nothing besides the maine scope Else one might hence prooue that of all men Priests and Leuites are most vnmercifull and that there is chance If a doubt rise out of a promise or threat know that they are all conditionall although the condition be not expressed Yet fortie dayes and Niniue shall be destroyed with a secret condition except Niniue repent So a promise of long life is made to the godly and yet they often die young therefore a secret condition must bee vnderstood thus vnlesse God see it better for them to take them away young from the euill to come Isa. 38.1 Set thy house in order for thou shalt die and not liue yet Hezekiah liued fifteene yeares afterward therefore there must be vnderstood the condition of Gods will which was concealed Gen. 20.3 God said to Abimelech Thou shalt die for the woman yet he died not the exception was Vnlesse thou restore her See this rule at large in Ezek. 33.13.14 Neither sticke too fast to the letter nor yet insist too much in allegory or metaphors The Iewes greatly sinned in the first and are yet held from their conuersion by this plot of the deuill For as the multitude of them in the Prophets time while the Ceremoniall law stood in force stucke to the outward ceremony and letter and offred sacrifices and beasts and did such things as were commaunded but went no further they washed the outside but not the inside they offred the blood of beasts but rose not so high as the blood of Christ they killed the bullockes and sheep but not their sinnes nor tooke notice of that mortification of corruption which these would haue put them in minde of So at this day reading the prophesies of Christs spirituall kingdome set out vnder the types of most flourishing temporall kingdomes they sticke in the letter and loose the sense denying the Messiah to be come because they see not that flourishing estate and temporall happinesse which they grossely and carnally imagine This was the iudgement of God vpon Origen who was in such extremities in both these that although his wit serued him to turne all the Scripture almost into allegories yet he stood most absurdly to the very letter as in that of Matth. 19.12 Some haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen he foolishly interpreted the place and made himselfe be made chaste by men not discerning Christs distinction who speakes of three sorts of Eunuchs some so borne some violently cut and made so by men some voluntarily by repressing their lusts abstinence temperance c. this last he confounded with the former And hee might aswell haue pluckt out one of his eyes because Christ saith It is better to goe into heauen with one eye c. So on the contrary many heretikes haue defended their heresies onely by translating of Scriptures into allegories The Apostle speakes of such as denying the resurrection of the body turne all the testimonies of the resurrection into an allegorie meaning thereby onely the spirituall resurrection of the soule from sinne Of which sort was Hymeneus and Philetus who destroyed the faith of certaine saying the resurrection was past alreadie 2. Tim. 2. v. 17. And of this sort are the Familists at this day The Papists denying the marriage of Ministers hearing the Apostle say that a Bishop must be the husband of one wife turne it into an allegorie I had like to haue said a iest He must they say be the Bishop of one Bishopricke as though his children must not be gouerned in his owne house which is plainely distinguished from his Diocesse 1. Tim. 3.4.5 Thus they defend the sacrifice of the Masse by Gen. 14.18 where it is said that Melchisedec brought forth bread and wine to Abraham and hee was the Priest of the high God with them this must needes signifie that the Priest offers Christ to God for the sinnes of quicke and dead In euery small diuersity and difference in numbers which are historically mentioned we must not suspect errour in the Scripture but our owne ignorance Act. 7.14 All the soules which came with Iaacob into Egypt were seuentie fiue but in Gen. 46.27 they were seuentie soules Here are fiue ods Some say Luke followes the translation of the Septuagint which was famous and of great authority and would not bring his history in disgrace for so small a difference I doubt not but Luke and Steuen and Moses agreed Mr. Iunius thinkes that Steuen mentioneth the foure wiues of Iaacob and his two sonnes Er and Onan that were dead excluding Iaacob himselfe but they came not into Egypt Caluin and Beza thinke there was some errour in the writers which is not vnprobable seeing in writing the Greeke the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying fiue beeing in the margent might easily creepe into the text for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth all And thus both Moses and Steuen and Luke may be reconciled who both likely wrote seuenty But howsoeuer according to our rule the Spirit of God often in setting downe numbers vseth the figure Synecdoche a part for the whole and in a diuers respect putteth downe a greater or lesse number As for example 1. King 9.28 Salomon sent his seruants who tooke from Ophir 420. talents of gold 2. Chron. 8.30 he tooke thence 450. talents of gold Here is 30 talents ods Answ. They receiued of King Hiram 450. which they brought to Salomon partly in substance as the 420. partly in account much beeing spent about the charge of the nauie euen the 30. talents 1. Sam. 13.1 Saul raigned two yeares ouer Israel whereas he raigned forty yeares Act. 13.21 Answ. He raigned two yeares well de iure lawfully but beeing reiected from beeing King the other are not numbred Iunius vpon this place prooues this interpretation by foure arguments Matth. 17.1 Christ tooke Peter and Iohn the sixt day after Luk. 9.22 eight dayes after Answ. Both are true in a diuerse respect Matthew accounts onely the intermediall dayes not the two extreame peeces Luke accounts them all Sometimes some numbers are cut off for breuity and to make the number runne more full and round as in Iudg. 20.46 of the Beniamites were slaine fiue and twentie thousand here wants an hundreth as appeares v. 35. for the foresaid reason 2. King 15.33 Iotham was 25. yeares old when hee beganne to raigne and he raigned 16. yeares in Ierusalem yet it is said in the 30. verse in the twentieth yeare
good conscience with Paul and an vpright heart with Hezekiah he may be bold with God and reioyce in himselfe and assure himselfe that Gods power and iustice is his he will not sinke in trouble nor say Is God with me 3. Vse the meanes conscionably which God hath appointed for the attaining of good ends Paul had a word that they should all come safe to land yet they must not cast themselues into the sea nor goe out of the ship Neuer did any promise of God make the godly careles in the meanes Daniel had a promise of returne out of Babylon after 70. yeares and knew they should return and turning the booke and finding the time expired he vseth the meanes and is diligent with fasting and prayer that God would accomplish his word Dan. 9.2 Iaacob had a promise of God that he should returne into his countrey he knew all the deuills in hell could not hinder the promise yet seeing his brother Esaus wrath was a stoppe or barre he vseth meanes to remooue this let hee goes to God and wrastles with him by prayer then he sends his presents and orders his droues with all the wisdome he could and by this means preuented the danger Christ himselfe hauing staires will vse them Remember for spirituall life and naturall he must eate that would liue for spirituall warre and temporall he must carrie his weapons that would ouercome for earthly and heauenly haruest he that would reape must sowe The sicke needes the Physitian In our earthly or heauenly â—rauell let vs with Iaacob preuent whatsoeuer lets would hinder vs from our country or the end of our way 4. Whether thou seest meanes or no subiect thy will to Gods in all things If he kill thee yet trust in him still Dauid in the want of meanes of comfort said Behold here am I let the Lord doe whatsoeuer is good in his eies The three children seeing no meanes of escape escape â—nswered the King thus Our God is able to deliuer vs and if he will not yet wee will not worship thy image we are sure of his presence either for the preseruation of our bodies or the saluation of our soules VERS 8. Againe the deuill tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the Kingdomes of the world and the glorie of them 9. And said vnto him All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worshp mee NOW are we come by Gods assistance to the third and last Temptation of our Lord and Sauiour which at this time hee sustained and powerfully vanquished For although our Sauiour had twice repelled his violence alreadie yet notwithstanding Satan continues his assault Againe Whence we may note the importunitie of Satan against Christ and his members in temptation to sinne That he is restles herein against Christ appeares in that hee dares set vpon him here againe and againe and the third time euen so long as he hath any leaue giuen him And after this our Lord himselfe lead not a life exempted and freed from temptation for Luk. 4.13 Sathan left Christ but for a season And for his members we may see in Iob how many armies of temptations he would haue oppressed him withal one could not finish his tale of dismall tydings till another came and ouertooke him euen as one waue in the sea ouertakes another And in Ioseph how did he stirre vp the hatred of his brethren against him not content with that they must cast him into a pit and there he must not rest but be drawne out either to be slaine or at least sold to the Midianites beeing in Potiphars house how was he euery day tempted by his wanton Mistresse refusing that folly how was hee hated of her and cast into a dungeon by his Master and there he lay a long time till the time came that Gods word must be verified for his aduancement 1. Because he is eagerly set vpon the destruction of mankind therefore will be hardly repulsed he seeks continually to destroy and leaues no stone vnturned 2. He hopes at least by importunitie to preuaile and by continuance of temptations to break those whome at first hee cannot foyle Well hee knowes that instance and multiplying of temptations may driue euen strong Christians sometimes to be wearie and faint in their minds And the rather because he knows the state of Gods children is not alike but as often in their bodies so the strength of grace in their soules is sometimes weakened and abated 3. His policie is oftentimes to make one temptation a preface and step to another and a lesser way to a greater For 1. considering Christs hunger it seemes small to make stones bread 2. but a greater sinne then that to cast himselfe downe when there is no need 3. but the greatest of all is plaine idolatrie Worship me 4. If one kind of temptation will not take so well he turnes to another as here If Christ will not distrust let him presume if neither let him be couetous To teach vs to beware of securitie seeing Satan takes not any truce but as a raging powerfull enemie desperate and yet hopefull of victorie will not be repulsed but assayle vs againe and againe Yea though we haue once and againe ouercome his temptations as Christ had done yet must we stand on our watch still for he will set afresh vpon vs. And why 1. This is the Apostles counsell 1. Pet. 5.8 because Satan is a continuall enemie therefore we must bee sober and watch 2. Where he is cast out hee seekes re-entry Matth. 12.24 3. Though God of his grace often restraine his malice it is not to make men secure but to haue a breathing time to fit themselues better for further triall 4. Securitie after victorie in temporall war hath prooued dangerous and hath lost more then all their valour had wonne as the Amalekites hauing taken a great spoyle of Dauids and burned Ziglag sitting downe to eate drinke and make merrie were suddenly surprized and destroyed by Dauids sword But in the spirituall combate securitie is much more deadly 5. It is the wisdome of a wise Pylot in a calme to expect and prouide for a storme and in a troubled sea after one great billow to expect another in the necke of it Euen so while we are in the troubled sea of this world it will be our wisedome to looke for one temptation in the necke of another And seeing it is with vs as with seafaring men who by much experience haue learned that in the trouble of the sea the greatest danger and tossing is towards the hauens where there is least sea roome therefore let vs towards our end in sickenes and towards death looke for Sathanâ— strongest assaults and in the meane time prepare against them Yea let vs learne to prepare against all kinds of temptations as our Sauiour here resists all kinds in these three generall ones and herein teacheth vs
time how long this sight lasted in a moment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In accurate consideration a moment is the fortieth part of an houre for a point of time is a quarter of an houre and a moment of time is the tenth part of a point of time But I thinke we are not to take the word so strictly which here noteth a very short time much shorter then the fortieth part of an houre and with Chemnitius I thinke it to be the same with that in 1. Cor. 15.52 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a moment and explained in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the twinkling of an eye which is indeed no time but the beginning rather of time seeing there is no distinction betweene time past and time to come Howsoeuer we must take it for a very short space of time and that the sight was gone before Christ could well consider of it For so the like phrase is vsed concerning Sodome that it was destroyed in a moment for the sunne rose very faire and before euer they could consider of such a storme the Lord showred downe fire and brimstone Now the reason why the deuill vsed such a speedy and quicke representation was to rauish Christ suddenly and stirre vp his affections by the absence of it to desire to see it againe dealing with Christ as we with our little children when we would make them earnestly desire a thing we let them see it and hide it againe giue it them into their hands and suddenly take it away againe So did Satan Secondly Satan might haue another tricke in it to disturbe the minde of our Sauiour for as a sudden flash or light doth dazle the eyes of the body so doth a sudden flash or sight of this or that obiect easily dazle the eyes of the minde and in stead of pleasure with it at least it brings some trouble and perturbation Howeuer he thought it would fit and bring on his temptation Thirdly shadowes will abide no looking on no examining and therefore the deuill is so quicke in taking them in It is an old practise of the deuil to let death into the soule by the window of the senses and especially by the sight for here he would ouercome Christ by the sight of the world and the glory of it Thus he had gained Eue to sinne by the sight of the apple which was beautifull to the eye by hearing that she should be as God if she did tast it by touching tasting and pleasing all her senses with it The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and tooke them to them for wiues which was the cause of the deluge Ahab saw the vineyard of Naboth lie so conueniently to his demeanes as he must needes compasse it by murther 1. The senses are the neare seruants of the soule if Satan can make them vntrustie he knowes he can by them easily robbe the soule yea and slay it For senses worke affections and affections blind iudgement Dauid sees Bathsheba presently affects her his violent affection blinds his iudgement he must haue her companie though it cost Vriahs life I saw said Achan among the spoile a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of siluer and a wedge of gold of fiftie shekels and I coueted them and tooke them Iosh. 7.21 How was Adam otherwise deceiued by Eue but first in his affection and then in his iudgement 2. As Satan layes his baits in all the senses to steale the heart so especially in the eies dealing as the chapman that would vent his wares he layes it forth on the stall that men may see it and oftentimes the very fight of it without further offer drawes on the buyer to a bargaine He knowes he looseth not all if he gaine but an vnlawfull looke because there is sinne begunne though not perfected 3. The sense is to the soule as a doore to the house A man that would come in or send any thing into an house must goe in and send it in by the doore Euen so although the deuill by his spirituall nature can and doth apply himselfe to our spirits without our senses yet other tempters cannot reach the soule so immediately Eue could not worke Adams heart directly but by the outward senses of hearing and seeing especially sent in the temptation Poisons cannot reach the heart vnlesse by the senses they be drawne in So wicked mates cannot conuey their corruption one into an other but by the outward senses hearing their wicked and incentiue speaches and seeing their gracelesse and infecting actions But besides this so full of malice is our spirituall aduersarie that he would not onely immediately take vp our hearts but fill vp all our senses and by them continually sendeth in burning lusts and by the same doore couetous desires and by the same ambitious aspiring thoughts and by the same reuengefull intentions and such like till the house be full of wickednes 4. Satan knowes that God hath appointed the senses for the good and comfort both of body and soule especially the sight and hearing to be the senses of discipline to furnish the minde with knowledge of God with faith which is by hearing with hope of his gracious promises with heauenly meditations and contemplation of his great workes which our eyes behold Now Sathan would crosse all this gracious constitution of God and make the lights of the body be meanes to blinde the minde he would fill vp the senses and take them vp with such obiects as shall not only corrupt the heart but keepe out those meanes of grace which the Lord would by them conuey into the heart so that the soule should be further poysoned by the same meanes which the Lord hath prepared as an antidote by which naturall poyson and corruption should be expelled This doctrine enioyneth a diligent custodie of the senses A good housholder suspecting theeues and robbers will be sure to keep his doores and windowes fast And we knowing that our senses are the doores and windowes of our soules must looke to these doores locke them barre them bolt them fast that the deuill enter not this way True it is that the inside must first bee made cleane for out of the heart proceeds an euill eye Mark 7.22 But whosoeuer is resolued to keep his heart in any rightnes must thinke it his next care to shut out and keep out whatsoeuer might be let in to decline it and turne it from God againe What made the holy Prophet Psal. 119.37 pray so earnestly that God would turne his eyes from beholding vanity but that he knew that euen a good heart such as his was could neuer hold out vnles the outward senses especially the eyes which by a Synechdoche are there put for the rest both because they are special factors of the soule and because of the multitude of their obiects and in regard of the quickenesse of sight aboue all the rest of
the senses laid together were well safe-guarded Can the heart or market-place of a towne or citie be safe froÌ„ the siege of the enemie if the gates be cast open or the walls demolished or the ramparts bared of their fence and munition Why did Iob make such couenants with his eyes but that he knew that without such a fence euery obiect would be as a snare to entrappe his soule Iob. 31.1 Nay let an heart neuer so seasoned with grace suffer the senses to leake the soule is in danger of shipwracke Was there euer heart of ordinary man or woman more innocent or more filled with grace then Eues in her innocencie And yet when as Sathan set vpon her senses hee sent in by them such poyson as wrought death vnto all her posterity Rules for the ordering of our senses aright 1. Beware of the life of sense which is a bruitish life 2. Pet. 2.12 the Apostle speaketh of men lead by sensualitie euen as the bruit beasts who follow sense and appetite without all restraint Thus did the Gentiles who were therefore giuen vp to a reprobate sense Rom. 1.24 And the danger of this estate Salomon noteth Eccles. 11.9 when he bids the young man walke in the sight of his owne eies and after the lusts of his heart but withall Remember that for all this he must come to iudgement Let such thinke hereon that thinke it is free to giue vp their senses to feed themselues vpon euery obiect themselues please 2. Consider that God made the senses to minister to a right ordered heart and not the heart to follow the senses and therefore the heart must be watched that it walke not after the eie which is to inuert Gods order And what a deluge of sinne ouerfloweth the soule when the vnderstanding is buried in the senses and the heart drowned in sinfull appetites Dauid giues his eye leaue to wander and looke lustfully after Bathsheba and what waues of miserie one ouertaking another did he bring into his soule And what maruel then if naturall men neglecting their dutie in taking off their eyes from vnchast obiects neuer rest till they come to haue eies full of adulterie 2. Pet. 2.14 not ceasing to sinne according to our Sauiours speach Matth. 6.23 If the eie be euill all the bodie is darke yea and the soule too 3. Keepe the parts of Christian armour vpon thy senses that thou lie not open there A valiant captaine knowing that the enemy is easier kept out then beaten out of a citie hath great care to plant his garrison about the gates and walls there he sets his most faithfull watch and ward there he plants his cheife munition and ordnance Had Dauid kept his armour on his eie he had not been so foyled by Bathsheba If on his eare he had not been so iniurious to Mephibosheth by meanes of slandring Ziba 2. Sam. 16.3 4. Salomon wisheth vs Not to looke vpon the colour of the wine in the cuppe that is with too much pleasure to stirre vp desire Hee would haue vs keep our fence vpon our eares not to giue eare to a flatterer or whisperer but brow-beat him and driue him away with an angry countenance The Apostle Paul would haue our eares shut against euill and corrupt words which corrupt good manners Daniel desires not to tast of the Kings dainties nor will pollute himselfe with them chap. 1. v. 8. And so we must fence our whole man as we may not touch any vncleane thing and yeeld nothing to the course of waters 4. Feed thy senses with warrantable obiects 1. God 2. His word 3. The creatures 4. Thy brethren 5. Thy selfe First our eies are made to see God himselfe here below as we can in his backe-parts hereafter as we would face to face And therefore a base thing it were to fixe them vpon the vain pleasures and profits of this life This is fitter for bruit beasts that haue no higher obiect Againe what fairer or fitter obiect can we choose for our senses then himselfe that made them with all their faculties and giues vs so much comfort by them Pro. 20.12 The hearing eare and seeing eie God made them both and both of them as all things else â—e made for himselfe Further where can we better place our senses then vpon him from whom all our help commeth how ought our eies to be continually lifted vp in holy and feruent prayers and praises considering both our continuall necessities and supplyes So Dauid I lift vp mine eies vnto the hills from whence my saluation commeth Psal. 121.1 and As the eie of the handmaid is lifted vp to the hand of her Mistresse so are our eies vnto thee Psalm 123.1 Lastly how can we place our senses better then vpon him who is the most pleasant and durable obiect To see God in Christ reconciled to heare and know him become our father is so rauishing a sight as the Saints haue runne through fire and water to apprehend it And for the continuance it will feed the senses euerlastingly yea when the senses themselues decay and waxe dull this obiect shall feed them and be neuer the lesse sweet And therefore as Salomon aduiseth Eccles. 12.1 while thou hast thy senses fixe them vpon this obiect Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth before they be darke that looke out at the windowes c. If a man set his senses and feed them vpon any outward obiect wealth honour pleasure buildings and the like we may iustly say to him as our Sauiour to his disciples when they gazed vpon the beautifull workemanship of the Temple Are these the things your eies gaze vpon verily the time comes when one stone shall not be left vpon another vndemolished The like may be said of all earthly obiects whatsoeuer Onely this obiect shall grow more and more glorious and desireable Secondly God made our senses to be exercised in his holy word which leades vs to himselfe Heb. 5.14 the Apostle requires that Christians should haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 senses exercised in the word Pro. 2.2 let thine eare heare wisedome 1. Hence comes faith which is by hearing 2. Hence we draw the comforts of the Scriptures which are the consolations of God in our trouble 3. Hence are we admonished directed and wholesomly corrected Pro. 15.31 The eare that heareth the rebuke of life shall dwell among wise men 4. The danger of neglect is great 1. he that turnes his eare from hearing the law his prayer is abhominable 2. vncircumcised eares resist the holy Ghost Act. 7.51 3. itching eares that turne from the truth doe by Gods iust iudgement turne vnto fables 2. Tim. 4.3 5. It is a signe of a man that hath giuen his heart vnto God for he that giues his heart will giue his senses too knowing that God requires both Pro. 23.26 My sonne giue me thy heart and let thine eyes that is thy senses delight in my wayes And our Sauiour saith Hee that hath an
eare to heare let him heare Seeing therefore that this is so notable a meanes of guiding our senses let vs more carefully giue vp and take vp our eyes and eares with the sight and sound of Gods word vpon all occasions in the hearing and reading of the Scripture I would aske the most carnall man that is whether this in sound iudgment be not a better obiect for our senses then bowles or tables and fitter for all times especially for the Sabbath Thirdly God made our senses to profit our selues by his creatures that by them we might glorifie him their Creator and not by them corrupt or insnare our selues Isa. 40.26 Lift vp your eyes aloft and behold who created all these things This vse Dauid maketh Psal. 8. when I see the heauens the earth and the workes of thy hands then said I Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and concludes the Psalme thus How excellent is thy name through all the world And why 1. The inuisible things of God his power and diuinity and eternity were made visible to the very Gentiles by things created Rom. 1.20 And shall we either not looke on them or so looke vpon them as they to make vs inexcusable shall wee onely enioy the naturall vse and no spirituall or diuine vse from them 2. Consider that God for this purpose hath made the countenance of man not as the beasts groueling on the earth but erected vnto heauen and he hath made the eye of man not as the beasts but as Anatomists obserue hath giuen it one muscle which they want whereby he can turne his eye directly vpwards with admirable quicknes that it should not so fix it selfe vpon any thing below as the couetous eye doth but by occasion of things below turne it selfe vpward to their Creator Yea he hath compassed our eyes with browes and lids and fences from dust and earth that though we looke sometimes on the earth yet the least dust or earth should not get into them 3. Let vs labour to vse our senses in beholding Gods workes as they in Ioh. 2.23 that saw the workes of Christ of whom it is said Many beleeued in the name of Christ seeing the workes that he did So let the works which we see God hath done be at least inducements to beleeue him so much the more Fourthly God made our senses in respect of our brethren both to benefit them and our selues by them 1. Our eyes to behold their miserie to pitie them to releeue them Turne not thine eyes from thine owne flesh Herein the vnmercifull Priest and L'euit were condemned by the pitifull Samaritan Our eares to heare the crie of the poore Prou. 21.13 he that turnes his eare from the crie of the poore himselfe shall crie and not be heard Numbers neuer make this vse of their eares but God hath a deafe eare for them 2. Our eyes to see the good example of our brethren to imitate them to glorifie God for them Our eares to heare their godly counsells admonitions reproofes and so be bettered by them 3. Our eyes to see and consider their danger to pull them out of their infirmities the fire and to cast out the mote of their eyes Our eares to heare what is fit to bee spoken of them to defend their good names if they be traduced For God hath giuen vs two eares not rashly to receiue euery information but to reserue one for the partie least he be condemned vnheard vnconuinced Fiftly and lastly God made our senses in respect of our selues not onely to be faithfull keepers of the body but diligent factors and agents for our owne soules as 1. That our eyes should euer bee looking homewards and to the end of our way as quicke and expedite trauellers and not fix themselues vpon euery thing we see here below This is done by heauenly conuersation 2. Our eares should be bored to the perpetuall seruice and obedience of our God as our Lord himselfe was Psal. 40.7 Thou hast bored mine eare alluding to that ceremony in the law Exod. 21.6 If a seruant would not part from his Master his eare must be bored and nailed to the post of the house and thus he became a perpetuall seruant he was nailed and fixed to that house and seruice So wee must yeelde an obedient eare as Salomon calls it vnto the counsells will and commaundement of our Lord and Master Iesus Christ. 3. Our eyes were made to be conduits of teares for our owne sinne and miserie and for the sinne and wretchednes of other men Psal. 119.136 Dauids eyes gushed out with riuers of teares because men keepe not the word how wept he then for his owne sinnes that wept so for others Good Lot his righteous soule was vexed in hearing and seeing the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites Thus should our senses be so farre from conceiuing pleasure in sinnefull obiects as these must be the continuall greefe of our soules And can we indeed looke vpon our selues and not see something which is a brand of our sin or can we behold any creature and not see some expresse prints and markes of our sinne and vanity vpon it Surely this one meditation would be effectuall to keep vs from casting our eyes vpon vnlawfull obiects and so from making our selues a prey to the deuill This serues to reprooue such as faile in this watch of the senses for who doth not yet some farre more dangerously Such as haue in their houses Popish pictures and images which are alluring harlots corrupters of the heart which is an opening of the doore to the deuill a signe of a man willing to be seduced Experience shewes that when a man is in loue with such images he easily falls out with Gods image in himselfe and Gods children 2. Such as delight in lasciuious pictures and filthy portraytures of naked men or women in whole or such parts as may stirre the corruption of the heart which should be beaten downe by all meanes We need bring no oile to this flame Yet the deuill hath gotten such pictures in request in this wanton age wherein euery thing is almost proportionall 3. Such are farre from this watch of their senses as so attire and disguise themselues or lay open their nakednes to insnare the senses of others Let them not say they thinke no hurt in it vnlesse they can be sure that no other thinke hurt by it 4. Such as like the images haue eares and heare not eyes and see not care not to heare the word or read it neuer tast Gods goodnes in it neither doth the breath of heauenly life euer passe through their noses 5. Such as frequent wicked company and delight in the vngracious actions and speaches that they heare and see or can digest them without reproofe or dislike manifested The deuill hath a through-fare among such companies who are conspired against God and goodnes Adde vnto these such as read or haue in their houses lasciuious
compact And this is euident by the confession of all witches at this day and by the Scripture Of this kind was this in our text Satan offers to compact with our Sauiour Christ and there wanted nothing but the free consent of our Sauiour to the condition But the more secret compact is the more generall and no lesse dangerous though Satan be lesse seene in it And of this kind the deuill makes many couenants in the world and innumerable persons contract with him vnderhand perhaps not thinking they do so And this two wayes 1. By a secret faith in the deuill 2. By a secret consent vnto the deuill Secret faith in the deuill is when a man vseth any superstitious or diabolicall meanes for the effecting of his desire which he knows neither in themselues nor from Gods institution haue any such power to effect things but from the power of the deuill as the vse of charmes or spells figures characters amulets scratching of a Witch or the like which hauing no power in themselues nor by Gods ordinance can doe no good but by a secret faith in the deuill who by Gods permission puts power in them to heale men for their delusion Secret consent vnto the deuill is yet more common then the former though the former be the common cure of common people namely when Satan secretly suggesteth and offereth to make a couenant and bargaine with a man without any expresse forme of contract but by inward temptation putteth the motion into the heart as of Iudas that if he will vse such an vnlawfull meanes or vpon such a condition he will effect his purpose which he earnestly desireth to attaine now the party blinding his owne iudgement by the eagernesse of his affection giues his consent to Satan and accepts the condition which mutuall and silent consent of partie with partie is a reall bargaine and couenant Satan solicites the heart and the heart consents to Satan here is a secret compact by which numbers of men are in league with the deuil that would be loath to be thought so to be Yea numbers there are that receiue the greatest part of their earthly portion at the hands of the deuill by vertue of this compact secretly beleeuing or consenting vnto him This serues to let vs see the difference between Gods gifts and the deuills in fowre things 1. Gods gifts come all from grace and loue he freely bestowes his blessings for his loue is euerlasting before our owne beeing and our inheritance is eternall aboue our merit and in the heauens aboue our reach But Satans gifts proceed out of his endles hatred and are wages of vnrighteousnesse 2. Gods gifts are deriued to vs by good and warrantable meanes diligence labour prayers Satans for the most part by wicked meanes Gods conditions are profitable and safe Satans hurtfull and dangerous by the breach of some commandement by impietie or iniustice 3. Gods gifts are first bestowed vpon vs and then obedience is required as a testification of thankefulnesse not as merit Satans are after our worke as a merit and wages of sin first fall downe and worship me and then I will giue thee all these things 4. Gods gifts are in mercie for our saluation and comfort and encouragement in his seruice Satans to draw vs from his seruice and to dragge vs to destruction Let this doctrine make vs afraid to receiue any thing from the hand of the deuill and accept of nothing but God offers For 1. God is more able and willing to doe vs good then the deuill is vnlesse we thinke with those wicked ones that it is in vaine to serue the Lord. 2. An enemy is neuer so dangerous as when he flattereth and fawneth he neuer kisseth but killeth with Ioab or betrayeth with Iudas his gifts are deare bought his conditions are intollerable he will haue a better thing for it euen our precious soules 3. A little from Gods hands is far better then if we could receiue all the world and the glory of it at the deuills for this comes with blessing with promise with contentment with good conscience so doth not the other Therefore be the iust mans portion small or great it is euer precious it hath no sorrow added to it as Salomon speaketh Quest. How may I know I receiue any thing from the deuill Answ. When any thing is gotten by the breach of any commandement of God as by swearing lying deceit oppression and the like this is a gift of the deuill and the wages of vnrighteousnes Note here how like the vsurer is to the deuill the deuill saith he will giue so the vsurer faith he will lend which should be free as gift but then comes a condition of ten in the hundreth which is more then the lending is worth Satan is an enemy to all charity and so is hee The like may be said of couetous men who will doe no good but where they looke for returne of the like or more as like the deuill as may be and altogether vnlike to God who doth good where he can receiue none sowes where he reaps not See the misery of men who accept of Satans profers 1. Such as are in open league with him as wizzards who binde themselues to renounce God and their baptisme and redemption by Christ and to beleeue in the deuill to expect aide from him and giue him body and soule for that help which is the substance of the solemne leagues made by such limmes of Satan he is of the sure side with them they can gaine nothing by him vnlesse he gaine themselues first And such by Gods law ought not to liue 2. Worldly-minded men with whom he deales as with Esau hee giues them a messe of pottage but on condition to sell their birthright a silly match is made presently an exchange of earth for heauen 3. Men impatient in losses or sicknesse who runne to the witch as not knowing what to doe with themselues But Satan neuer easeth the body of temporall paines but to cast the soule into eternall 4. Ambitious and discontented persons that take preferments of Satan vpon base conditions Absolom shall haue a kingdome on condition he will rebell against his owne father Zimri a captaine vnder Baasha 1. Kin. 16.10 shall haue the kingdome of Israel if he will rebell and slay his Master Discontented Papists shall diuide the land among themselues if they will blow vp the Parliament house Now if we would auoid the dangerous compacts with Satan let vs obserue these rules 1. Beware of profanenesse which is a sinne where men carelesly loose heauen and the ioyes thereof for these lower and earthly things as Esau to satisfie his lusts despised the blessing Heb. 12.16 Let there be none such amongst vs. 2. Beleeue the truth of Gods profers and promises to relie on them and thou shalt be fenced from Satans lies 2. Thess. 2.10 3. Consider how easily men powre out themselues for Balaams wages couetousnes
Gods word and therefore art not the Sonne of God But the Papists deale more impudently with vs then the deuill did with Christ who said no such thing but yeelded to euidence of truth which they will not In the precept it selfe are three things 1. the person 2. the matter 3. the obiect 1. The person thou the whole man and person which consisteth of a body and soule thou any reasonable creature that challengest God to be thy God 2. The matter shalt worship and serue Worship is twofold Ciuill or Diuine Ciuill is a prostrating or bowing of the body or any outward testification of an high and reuerent respect of man And this is due to men two wayes 1. Of dutie when men are to be reuerently acknowledged for somthing wherein God hath preferred them before vs as for yeares gifts graces authoritie or such as are set ouer vs as parents and fathers of bodies and soules of Church and country And this is required by the 5. commandement and Rom. 13.1.7 neither doth the Gospel and Christianitie take away but teach ciuility And performed by the godly both in speach as Daniel said O King and Paul to Festus O noble Festus and also in outward behauiour and gesture as Iaacob bowed seauen times to Esau and Ioseph taking his sonnes from the knees of his father Iaacob hauing blessed them did reuerence to his father downe to the ground Gen. 48.12 Dauid inclined his face to the earth and bowed himselfe to Saul who pursued his life 1. Sam. 24.9 The like of Ruth to Boaz chap. 2. and of Abigail to Dauid 1. Sam. 25.23 she fell on her face and bowed her selfe to the ground and fell at his feet 2. Of curtesie which is a fruit of humility when a man to his equalls and inferiours sheweth reuerence and respect as Abraham to Lot Gen. 13.8.9 and to the Hittites his inferiours cap. 23.12 he bowed himselfe before the people of the land Farre vnlike the surlinesse and stiffenesse of proud and conceited persons who beeing void of all good nature nurture and religion know not to bow to any neither their betters in the way of duty nor equalls in way of curtesie Diuine worship is twofold 1. inward the summe of the first commandement standing in feare loue and the like 2. outward bowing or reuerence the summe of the second commaundemen◠The former bindes the soule and the will and affections and the whole inner man the latter the outward man to giue God his worship and seruice and to giue no part of that to any other For the word onely onely mentioned in the latter branch must be extended and referred to the former too The latter of these is here meant for the word properly signifieth to kisse or adore by some outward gesture to manifest a veneration 1. Because this was it which Satan required of Christ namely to fall downe or bow vnto him but Christ aptly refuseth it 2. This worship proceeds from an inward feare and apprehension of a diuine excellency power not communicable to any creature which Satan well knewe for euen by this bowing hee would haue Christ to acknowledge in him a power to dispose of all earthly things which is proper to God And him onely shalt thou serue By seruice is not meant the inward seruice of the heart for the words in Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt feare the Lord and serue him will not beare it the first thereof betokening the inward seruice the second the outward following the former as the effect the cause Neither would our Sauiour inuert the order in setting the streame before the fountaine Therefore this word serue serueth to expound the former as an addition signifying nothing els but the outward seruice of God so that Christ here shewes that it is not enough to giue God outward reuerence but that we must as seruants performe duties according to his will so the word signifies being taken from seruants who performe seruice to bodily Masters in bodily actions 3. The person to be worshipped and serued is God only Him onely whom we call the Lord our God according to the speach of Samuel 1.7.3 Direct your hearts vnto the Lord and serue him only for his glorie will he giue to no other Quest. Must we giue outward worship to none but God Must we not bow our knee and vncouer our heads to our King and Rulers Must we not rise vp to the hoare-head Leuit. 19.32 Must we not serue one another in loue How then must we outwardly worship and serue God onely Ans. Wee must not denie any ciuill worshppe to any man to whome God hath made it due but externall religious worship must not be giuen to any creature man or Angell Quest. How may we know one from the other Answ. They differ greatly 1. In the kind one is seruill the other sociall the former due to an absolute Lord and commander the latter due from one fellow-seruant to another This distinction is grounded in Reu. 19.10 where the Angell refused the worship done him by Iohn vpon this ground because he was a fellow-seruant and one of the brethren for Iohn beeing ouercome with the greatnesse of the Angels glorie and splendor out of humane infirmity ascribed to him more then ciuill honour and mixed some religious worship with it which onely was due to God 2. Another difference is in the intention of the mind in worshipping Religious bowing is when a man inwardly apprehends a diuine power proper to God and incommunicable to the creature or when god-head or diuine properties are conceiued in the thing bowed vnto As for example in falling downe to an image vncouering the head praying c. the minde now conceiues a diuine power in the image of knowing ones thoughts hearing helping and the like at least that God hath tied his presence and grace to such a place where such an image is set vp But the ciuill bowing to the King or superiour or to the chaire of estate is a meere token of ciuill subiection without any conceit of deity in the minde onely because we see in them excellent gifts of God or in place aboue in the Church common-wealth or familie For the same gesture may be ciuill and spirituall according to the intention of the minde of the worshipper 3. The end distinguisheth them the one is to exercise godlines the other to expresse ciuility the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one done as a man is a member of Gods kingdome the other as he is in the ranke of an earthly kingdome As for example Kissing of the Popes feet is a worship done to a man and so seemes euill but beeing tendred to him as to the Vicar of Christ as one that can pardon sinnes and cannot erre this religious end makes it a religious worship and therefore none of his beeing not offred to any other Prince or Emperour vpon the earth 4. Some difference may be taken from the
common estimation of the thing worshipped as if it be generally esteemed or reputed diuine and deity ascribed to that which in it selfe hath it not The host as they call it is generally held to be Christs very selfe now for a man suppose a Protestant that knowes it to remaine very bread and that no such deity or change is in it to bow downe before it to vncouer his head or vse gestures of adoration to it is an externall religious gesture and is vnlawfull although his intention be not to worship it but because in common estimation he ascribes a kind of Godhead to the creature as others doe And whereas adoration is a signe of subiection to the thing adored and a note of inferiority in deed or in will by this gesture this person makes himselfe inferiour to a creature and giueth worship and preheminence to that which in his knowledge hath neither life nor sense which is senslesse and against common reason 5. A plaine difference betweene ciuill worship and diuine is that all diuine worship is absolute and immediate which is plaine in this instance God in all his commaundements must be absolutely and simply obeyed with full obedience neuer calling any of them into question neuer expostulating or reasoning the matter with God seeme they to vs neuer so vnreasonable As Abraham against the law morall and euen against the law of nature without all reasoning riseth vp early to kill his owne sonne when God bids him who will bee simply obeyed for himselfe But all obedience to men is respectiue to God in God and for God and as farre as God hath appointed them to be obeyed and no further God must be obeyed against the Magistrate the Magistrate not against God but so farre as his commaundements are agreeable to Gods Man as man is not to be obeyed but because God hath set him ouer vs in the Church Common-wealth or familie Whence we see that ciuill worship hath his rise and ground in the worship of God and what is the cause that so little reuerence is giuen to superiours whether Magistrats or Ministers Masters or Parents in these dissolute and vnmannerly dayes but because Gods worship decayes and is not laid in the hearts of inferiours the force of whose commaundement would force reuerence to superiours What other cause is there that inferior impudent persons of both sexes take such liberty without all respect of conscience truth or manners to chatter against Gods Ministers and the Kings towards both whom God hath commaunded more then ordinary respect yea with all bitternes to scoffe raile curse threaten with horrible damnable and incessant oathes more like furies then men euen to their faces but that Gods feare is vtterly shaken out of their hearts and where Gods feare is absent how can we expect any feare of men The heathen Priests were honoured because heathen gods were feared which shall condemne Christians among whome neither Gods Priests and Ministers nor the Ministers of the King Gods vicegerent and consequently not God himselfe is feared and honoured All religious worship whether outward or inward is due to God onely For inward worship it is most expresse Ioh. 4.24 God beeing a Spirit hee must be worshipped in spirit and truth And it might be prooued in all the parts of inward worship as 1. Loue Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soule 2. Feare Isa. 8.13 Let him be thy feare and dread Feare him that is able to cast body and soule into hell 3. Trust and confidence Prou. 3.5 Trust in God with all thy heart 4. Faithfull prayer Psal. 50.15 Call vpon mee in the time of trouble and How can they call on him in whome they haue not beleeued But of this there is little question As for outward worship if religious all of it is his due onely Psal. 95.6 Come let vs kneele before him and bow downe to God our maker Whence it is manifest that all the gestures and signes of religious worshippe as bowing of the body of knees lifting vp of eyes or hands and vncouering the head with religious intention is not to be yeelded to any but the true God 1. A reason hereof is in the text because he onely is the Lord our God our Lord of absolute commaund and we his seruants whos 's our soules are and our bodies also to be at his becke in religious vse and none else and our God by the law of creation and daily preseruation as also by the couenant of grace and redemption he hath not onely created but preserueth yea redeemeth our soules and bodies also and no creature hath any right vnto vs as Dauid saith Christ refuseth here to bow to the deuill not onely because he is a deuill but because he is a creature 2. In our text we see that Satan will yeeld God is to be serued but not onely he would haue a little seruice too Nebuchadnezzar would be contented God should be serued but he would be serued too if they would but fall downe and bow to his image he desires no more Let Christ be as deuout towards his Father as he can inwardly Satan desires no more but a little outward reuerence But the three fellowes of Daniel tell the King they will worship their God onely and Christ tells Satan the cheife idolater of all that he must serue God onely euen with externall and bodily seruice 3. If outward religious worship were due to any creature then to the Angells the most glorious of all but they haue refused it and deuolued it onely to God as his prerogatiue Iudg. 13.16 Manoah beeing about to worship the Angell that appeared to him the Angell hindred him saying If thou wilt offer any sacrifice offer it to God And Paul condemneth an outward humility in worshipping of Angells Col. 2.18 Reu. 19.10 the Angell refused Iohns worship and chap. 22.8 when he fell downe at his feete to worshippe him beeing amased and perhaps not knowing whether he might not be the lambe himselfe of whose marriage hee was speaking and the reason in both places why he refused euen that outward reuerence was 1. taken from the Angells condition hee was but a fellow-seruant 2. because it was proper to God Worshippe God who is there opposed to all Angells good and bad 4. Idolatry may be committed onely in the gesture neither can we set our bodies which ought to bee presented as liuing and reasonable sacrifices to God before idoll-worship without the crime of idolatrie no externall dissembled honour can be giuen to an image with safe conscience for which cause Origen was excommunicated by the Church for offering a little incense to an idoll though he were forced thereunto by a suddaine feare 5. Some things must be had alone and admit not of a second No man can serue two Masters One woman cannot haue two husbands at once her husband is iealous of any partner or corriuall Now God
the doctrine of inuocation of Saints be found neither in the old nor new Testament with what conscience doe they vrge it on the simple vnder pretence of Scripture If it be said This perhaps is but one Doctors opinion to him consents Asotus a great and learned Iesuite who tells vs plainly Non doceri in scripturis sed insinuari Sanctorum inuocationem that the inuocation of Saints is onely insinuated in the Scripture Marke the force of truth in these two great points of iustification granted by Bellarmine and of inuocation of Saints granted by all these great Papists Our doctrine condemnes the presenting of ones body at the externall diuine worship of any thing which is not God and consequently a man may not be present at false worship to giue it the least allowance no not in gesture Whence they are conuicted of dealing false with God who present their body at the Masse with a conceit that they can keep their hearts to God well enough For 1. Might not our Lord for a whole world haue found by all his wisedom such a present help for him and by such a pollicie haue ouerreached the deuill himselfe who required onely externall bowing keeping his heart still vnto God No our Lord knew well 1. that body and soule make but one man who must haue but one God one Lord one faith one worship 2. that our bodies are the Lords as well as our soules 1. Cor. 6.20 created for his seruice as wel as they redeemed by Christs blood as well as they 3. that he that requireth the whole heart requireth also the whole strength which is of the body 4. that the soule cannot be in heauen if the body be in hell neither can he bow the knee of his heart to God that bowes the knee of his body to Satan 5. that there can be no agreement betweene light and darknes God and Belial the Arke and Dagon cannot stand in the same Temple and the heart cannot at the same time be the Temple of God and of idolls 2. This is the difference betweene the Church of God and the Synagogue of Satan that the one is a chaste wife and spouse of Christ and keeps her to her husband alone and doth not admit others to the vse of her faith the other playes the harlot with many louers and keeps not her faith and confidence to God alone but permits others to be fellowes with him at the same time Now no man can take her for a chaste and vndefiled spouse that will giue the vse of her body to a stranger though she plead neuer so confidently that she keeps her heart to her husband The case here is the very same 3. Here is a number of sinnes infolded in this one action 1. here is a manifest appearance of euill which we should flie 1. Thess. 5.22 2. an occasion of offence to others to draw them in by our example and so farre as we may a destroying of him for whom Christ hath died Rom. 14.15 3. a fight against faith and an allowance of that which a man condemneth Rom. 14.22 Blessed is he that condemneth not himselfe in that he alloweth His body allowes that which his heart condemnes 4. here is a denyall of Christ whose faith hee ought to confesse and professe with his mouth which he would doe if it were in soundnes hid in the heart 5. here is a dastardly ioyning with his Lords enemie for he that is not with him is against him 6. here is not onely an approbation but a communication in idolatry a touching of pitch a defiling of a mans selfe a most present danger of infection and defection from God 7. here is an hypocriticall show of that which the heart abhorres a diuided man and diuided manner of worship which God hateth who requireth the whole man 8. experience shewes that such as giue vp their bodies to idols God in iustice for the most part giues vp the heart to horrible delusions 4. If we must auoid an heretike then much more an idolater We must not onely hate the doctrine of the Nicolaitans but auoid it Many say they hate the Masse but I say then they would auoid it for we separate our bodies not onely our hearts from the things wee hate And the commaundement is to get out of Babylon We read in the Ecclesiasticall historie how S. Iohn fled from Corinthus the heretike and Polycarpe from Marcion And those whom we may not bid God-speed or whom we may not inuite to our owne tables may we ioyne with them in polluting the Lords table 5. Such persons keep not their hearts to God that present their bodies at idolatrie neither present they their bodies onely for the soule gouernes the bodie the will leads the action the vnderstanding the will and the affections attend the vnderstanding Now where there is vnderstanding iudgement will and affections giuen to the idoll-worship is not more then the bodie giuen euen the cheife and highest faculties of the soule Of which we can reckon no better then plowing with an oxe and an asse or sowing the same field with diuerse seeds which the Lord in the law forbiddeth and therein refuseth the mixture of warrantable and vnwarrantable rites in his worship God is a spirit and truth and will not be worshipped in spirit and falsehood A dissembled worship is a marke of a true neutrall of a plaine Laodicean neither hot nor cold a cake halfe baked on the hearth Quest. But is it not lawfull on some occasion to bee present at Masse Answ. In some cases a man may be present and not sinne as 1. When he is there by violent compulsion beeing bound and cast in as into a prison so as he cannot resist this is not his sinne but theirs and it may be said as of Lucretia Two in the sinne but one adulterer she resisted and was forced so was he 2. If in trauell a man be in a fit place to see and obserue their folly so as he shewe no reuerence at all or approbation by bending his knee vncouering his head or otherwise Thus the Apostle Paul went into the idol-temple at Athens as he passed by not to approoue but to take occasion to confute their idolatrie Act. 17.23 3. A man may be amongst idolaters to reprooue and reprehend them as 1 King 13.1 a Prophet came to the altar where Ieroboam was to cry out against it And Elias stood by Baals Priests mocking them while they daunced and launced themselues 1. King 18. And the three fellowes of Daniel stood by Nebuchadnezzars image to protest that they would neuer worship it Dan. 3.1 4. Some hold that in politike imployment a mans calling necessarily requiring it he may present his bodie at idoll-worship as a Protestant may carry a sword before a Prince into the temple of an idoll with two caueats 1. that neither by word nor gesture he giue any approbation of the idolatrie 2. that publike protestation be made
and readines is figured in doing the heasts of God Dauid had not such wings to flie swiftly yet he would runne in the way of Gods commaundements so fast as the burden of flesh would suffer him This condition our Lord and Sauiour commends vnto vs in his owne example when he professeth it is his mâ—ate and drinke to doe the will of his Father 2. It must be hearty and sincere Rom. 1.9 whom I serue in my spirit not in body and ostentation but in soule and sincerity not in hypocrisie and coldnes but in soundnes and feruencie not coacted or compelled but chearefully and without dispute The Apostle requires loue out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfeigned And when the Lord bids Dauid seeke his face Dauids heart answereth I will seeke thy face Psal. 27.8 Those that serue bodily Masters must not serue with eye-seruice but as the seruants of Christ Eph. 5.6 how doing the will of God from the heart and v. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in simplicity of heart What man can abide a seruant that deales deceitfully with him if he know that he outwardly pretends seruice but his heart is not with him but he dissembles loue truth faith and reuerence No more can God Men cannot see into the hearts of their seruants but the Lord doth and cannot be deceiued The fountaine of all our obedience must be a pure and sincere heart or else if the well-head bee corrupt so are all the waters that issue thence 3. It must be ruled and squared by God himselfe for God must be serued as he will be serued and not as we thinke good for God knowes what is best and what pleaseth him best All obedience is to goe by rule not our owne or others but Gods As the eyes of the handmaid is vpon the hand of her Mistresse so in our seruice must our eyes be vpon Gods direction Psal. 123.2 which is implied in that phrase Luk. 1.75 that we should serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse before him all the dayes of our life An earthly seruant must not take vp his owne worke nor doe other mens businesse but depend vpon his owne Masters mouth and direction Now God ruleth his whole seruice in respect of the 1. matter 2. manner 3. end I. For the matter Whatsoeuer I commaund that doe onely saith the Lord. Thou shalt not doe that which is good in thine owne eyes but what I commaund thee And so we are taught to pray Thy will be done II. For the manner It must be 1. Absolute 2. Totall I. Absolute without all condition on our part whereas all seruice to men must be conditionall The reason hereof is because God beeing holines it selfe can commaund nothing but what is most iust and holy but men may II. Totall both obiectiuè and subiectiuè 1. It must be totall in respect of the obiect all Gods commaundements all which call for our obedience Partiall and delicate seruice when we list or at leasure as the retainers of great men on feasts dayes is not that which liketh him but a constant diligence in all his commandements and a conscionable endeauour in all Generall seruice was holy Dauids aime Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not be confounded when I haue respect to all thy commaundements Not that we can perfectly serue him vnlesse we were perfectly sanctified but that we must make conscience of all Gods commaundements euen the least 2. It must bee totall in respect of our selues we must be wholly employed in his seruice in all our parts and powers the whole heart and all the strength is here challenged Wherein there is a notable difference betweene the seruice we owe to God and that to men We are to be seruiceable to men onely in part not wholly for the soule and conscience are not subiect to men which God especially taketh vp and lookes for Gods priuiledge it is to be the father of spirits for although we take our bodies from our parents yet our soules are immediately from God Men therefore haue no power and authority ouer our soules but God hath power both ouer soule and body and is the Lord of our conscience and spirit and therefore of due must we subiect our selues wholly in his seruice III. God ruleth his seruice in respect of the ende which is twofold intentionis termini 1. The proper aime and end of our seruice must be 1. Gods glory directly If all our seruice of men must be for God as we saw it must much more must Gods immediate seruice 2. The good of our brethren and of Gods Church which we must not scandalize but build vp for God will be serued in our seruice of men 2. We must serue our God without end he requires such an heart in his people as to feare him alwayes Deut. 5.29 and 6.13 Thou shalt serue the Lord and cleaue vnto him We allow not our seruants to cast vp our worke and make holyday at their pleasure much lesse must Gods seruants thinke it lawfull at any time to giue any seruice to Satan sinne lusts the world or any creature against the will of the Lord. This should prouoke vs to tender vnto God this seruice with heart and good will thus squared by God for the matter manner and ends of it The Apostle Eph. 6.5 6 7 8. perswadeth seruants to obey their Masters according to the flesh by three arguments all which are much more strong to perswade our seruice to our Master in heauen First saith hee it is the will of God Gods institution and the ordinance of Christ. It is enough for a seruant to know that such a thing is the ordinate will of his owne Master The second reason of the Apostle is taken from the honour of their seruice that in seruing men they serued the Lord Christ which was an honourable thing Now we serue a great Lord as good as great If a seruant were bound to a wicked and froward Master he must obey him in all lawfull things How much more are we to yeeld seruice to so good a Lord who can commaund nothing but that which is most iust holy and honourable He sets vs not about any base or ignoble seruice to worke in bricke or clay as Pharaoh commaunded the Israelites but our worke is the practise of piety and righteousnesse of prayer and praise And besides it is most beneficiall to our selues for what gaineth he by our seruice our goodnes reacheth not to him to adde a graine to his perfection Psal. 50.9.10 I will take no bullocke out of thy house for all the beasts of the forrest are mine and the sheep on a thousand mountaines If I were hungry I would not tell thee But it is our honour profit as when a noble man takes a poore snake neere him to serue him such a meane man is more honoured and pleasured then the noble man to whom he retaines The third reason of the Apostle is
shapes Quest. Haue Angels bodily shapes to appeare in Answ. No not proper to their nature beeing meere spirituall substances without corporall matter or physicall composition But yet they haue bodily shapes 1. ascribed to them by way of description for our capacity 2. assumed by way of dispensation for our consolation I. For our comprehension the Angells with two wings couer their face and feet this signifieth that their nature is hid and remooued from the knowledge of man And with twain◠their bodies are couered Ezek. 1.11 to signifie the same And their hands are vnder their wings by which is meant that their powerfull and secret operation also cannot be discerned with bodily eyes Therefore hath the Scripture expressed their nature vnder diuerse shapes and ascribed vnto them many parts both of men and other creatures in which we may see and vnderstand their worke and office as Ezek. 1. Angells are described by foure beasts not because they are no more in number for thousand thousands sit at his right hand but because they doe the commandements of God in all the foure quarters of the world These beasts haue foure seuerall faces 1. the face of a man to note that all of them are reasonable and vnderstanding creatures as man is 2. The face of lyon to signifie that euery Angell is strong and powerfull and couragious as the lyon among the beasts Psal. 103.20 Praise the Lord ye Angells strong in power One of them is stronger then a number of men yea then a number of deuills 3. The face of an oxe to note their patience assiduity and vnweariablenesse in their seruice and ministery as the oxe is a beast most patient and constant and profitable in his paines 4. The face of an Eagle to note their swiftnes and alacrity seeing a farre off many hidden things as the eagle flying strongly and swiftly that is vnresistably as the eagle holding out not fainting but renewing their strength as the Eagle By the same Prophet they are described chap. 10.22 by the shape of Cherubs which were the faces of little faire boyes with wings noting vnto vs vnder that resemblance their nature to be void of deceit as a child simple innocent not proud or arrogant not enuious or malicious Hauing wings to note their readines and expedition in their ministery and these wings in their foure sides to shew that their ministery extended to all the foure sides of the world II. By way of dispensation they haue often assumed bodies that were true immediately created of God not imaginary or phantasticall as Marcion thought whom Tertullian refuted neither generated nor borne as mans body is nor hypostatically vnited to the Angells as constitutiue parts as our body is a constituting part of vs but taken vpon them for the time of some speciall seruice and laid downe againe euen as we doe our apparell to the end they might familiarly conferre and conuerse with men till that speciall seruice were performed Thus did they visibly appeare vnto Abraham and Lot thus was the Angell of God seene like a fourth man in the furnace which the three children were cast into and in this humane shape I doubt not but they came and appeared to the Sonne of God in this place My reasons are these 1. If the Angells came often in bodily shape to the seruants and adopted children of God why should they not much more to the naturall sonne of God beeing cloathed with the same flesh 2. We haue formerly prooued that the deuill came in assumed bodily shape the more to molest and terrifie the Sonne of God and therefore the Angells came to him also in bodily shape the more to comfort him 3. The present estate of Christ required it who was man subiect to many infirmities and therefore the Angells came corporally to comfort him 4. The phrase of the text implies a more sensible and peculiar manifestation of them then before as in his agonie an Angell appeared to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 22. vers 43. In this comming of the Angells note an happie change in the estate of our Lord and Sauiour for in stead of the deuill his deadly enemie come the Angels his friends and houshold seruants in stead of one deuill many Angels for all are his to attend him in stead of sharpe hunger for forty dayes together now he hath bodily food and comfort in a moment God may hide his comforts for a time but at length they shall shine out vpon his seruants as the Sunne from vnder a cloud All the time of the temptation Christ was without food without angels nay he endured sharpenesse of hunger in his bodie and of Satanicall vexation in his soule now the Lord comforts him not onely in remoouing euill from him but restoring to him his whole former peace besides the glorie of a most victorious conquest And the fame is his dealing with his seruants Psalm 73.1 Dauid beeing plunged exceedingly with a greiuous temptation of Atheisme not whether there was a God or no but whether this God were iust and mercifull seeing things fell out so crosse to good men and so prosperously to the wicked at last breakes out into a setled resolution Yet God is good to Israel Hee was in the temptation as a man cast into the sea souzed in one billow after another at length he descries a shore and with extreame toyle and perill he gets thither and crawles vp and saith Yet I haue escaped drowning Or as a man in a pitcht field that in the thicke of his enemies had escaped many blowes and deadly thrusts being set beyond the danger saith Yet I am aliue So the Lord though in temptation he seeme to stand farre off yet at last appeares with strength and comfort The same Dauid beeing in great distresse a long time hunted as a partrich by Saul but strangely deliuered from him and Achish concludes Psalm 34.19 that how great soeuer the troubles of the righteous bee yet the Lord will at length deliuer them out of all To this purpose Salomon saith that though the iust man fall seauen times a day namely into affliction yet hee riseth againe Abraham in his great triall saw nothing but sorrow and vexation for the losse of his Isaac yet in the third day when the case seemed desperate God was seene in the mountaine as if he had not seene God till he came into the mountaine Whence his posterity vsed it as a prouerbiall speach In the mount God will be seene at the farthest he will be seen there if not before Iob assured himselfe that after darkenesse hee should see light and according to his faith we see howsoeuer Satan set vpon him with all his might to blaspheme God and his friends would needs prooue him an hypocrite and which was worst of all God not onely stood a farre off from him but came vpon him and against him a◠one that stroue against the Almightie and one that reprooued his Maker chap. 39.