God onely to be without beginning so it belongs to God onely to be without change or shadowe of change and that the Angells as creatures are reduceable to nothing by the same hand that made them so as though there be no passive principle in them by which they may be called corruptible or mortall yet in respect of an active power of God upon which their being and life depends they may be called corruptible and mortall because as it is in the power of the Creator that things are so it is in the power of the Creator that they may not bee yea so much they are in Gods hands though the best pieces of nature that if hee doe but withdrawe his hand they all moulder to nothing there neede no great activity be put forth a meere ceasing to uphold them is sufficent to destroy them but yet when yee speake of changeable or corruptible it must be understood of the next and intrinsicall cause and not of the remote and outward cause as men are not called the children of the Sunne though Sol homo generat hominem but of their parents so as the Angells may properly be called incorruptible and immortall because they are so by nature I speake not now of the changeablenesse of their wills but of their nature and substance the reasons are First because the Angells are not produced out of the power of any matter as corporall substances and the soules of beasts but are produced onely by the word of God and therefore as they have no internall principle of being so have they none of dissolution for there is the same reason of being and not being Secondly Angelicall natures as the soules also of men are not compounded of matter forme but are simple formes and substances subsisting by themselves now all corruption mortality and death is by the separation of the forme from the matter as when the soule is separated from the body which is corruption or death or when the accidentall forme is separated from the subject as white from the wall or health from the man now what ever wants matter is incorruptible because there is no composition and so no separation but the Scripture concludes this best in assimulating the state of immortality in which wee shall be to the Angells This is the third consideration wee make of the nature of Angells that they are immutable Fourthly wee will consider of the apparitions of Angells of which wee heare so frequent mention in the Scriptures and the consideration whereof will proove so proper to our purpose One manner of their appearings hath bene in dreames another in visions the third in assumption of bodies and that either of bodies formed of nothing or of pre-existant matter them formed or possessing and acting naturall bodies already made Some have thought there hath bene no assumption of bodies but onely an appearance to the fancy and imagination but that must needs be otherwise for what ever is a substance which is not a body nor hath a body naturally united and yet is sometime seene with a bodily sight or vision must needs take up a body and further this was not an imaginary and phantasticall apparition because such an imagination is not seene by the sences without but by the fancy within 2. An imaginative sight being onely within in the imagination consequently appeares to him onely which so sees it but that which is seene by the eyes because it exists without and not within the minde may be seene also of all others such apparitions were of the Angells that appeared to Abraham to Lott and to the men of Sodome who were seene by them and indifferently by all But if you object to what end was this assumption of bodies since the power of the Angells exceeds all bodily might and this will not be unusefull to consider since it makes way to shew to what end they appeare and what they have done and can doe for us and upon us both the good and bad The Angells assumed bodies for the manifesting themselves not for the doing of their worke but that they might familiarly speake with men without their terrour and dread Aquinas gives other reasons that they might manifest the intelligible society and converse which men expect with them in another life And in the old Testament that it was a certaine figurative declaration that the word of God should take humane flesh for all apparitions in the old Testament were in order to that apparition of the sonne of God in the flesh If you aske mee what kinde of bodies they tooke and whether they were true men or no in taking humane shapes Answ. First though they appeared in a humane shape they were not true men as Christ was a true man because hee was personally and hypostatically united but bodies were not united to the Angells as to their forme as the bodie is to the soule which is its forme nor was the humane nature body and soule united to the person of any Angell but they tooke bodies to them as garments which they tooke up and laid downe upon occasion If you aske of what those bodies consisted It is like ordinarily of some of the Elements as of the ayre And if you object that the ayre is improper to take figure or coulour because it is so thin and transparent The answer is that although the ayre remaining in its rarity doth not reteyne figure or coulour yet when it is condenced and thickened it will doe both as appeares in the clouds Another way of appearing was in possessing some naturall body so the divell entred into the serpent and an Angell spake in Balams Asse so you read often of men possessed with evill Angells the men spake not but the divell in them the like may be said often of the good Now if any shall aske what becomes of those bodies The answer is if they be created of nothing they are reduced into nothing by the power of God But if they be formed of pre-existent matter the worke being done for which they were taken up they are resolved againe into their Elements or Principles but if the bodies were naturall reall and existent before they were left so againe by the departing of the Angells so was Balams asse and many bodies possest by the divells cast out by Christ. Another consideration is whether the Angells having assumed those bodies did put forth acts of life whether they spake and sung or eate and drunke as they seemed to doe this is handled with much controversie but it is certaine they did what they seemed to doe as appeares by the plaine direct story of Moses concerning the Angells that appeared to Abraham and others and this is assur'd that what ever the Angells appeared to have or doe that they had did for they never deceived your sences their coulour their shape their eating their drinking their speaking was what it seemed to be for the sences are not
make them our Patternes they come to us admonish us of Gods will they teach protect and comfort us 4. From their apparitions and services they appeared often to the Fathers they wrastled with Iacob eate with Abraham carry the elect into Abrahams bosome they gather the dead at the day of judgement and wee shal be like the Angells also Christ was said not to take upon him the nature of Angells and Paul chargeth Timothy before Christ and the elect Angells and Christ is said to have a name given him above the Angells Lastly to give a ground out of Philosophy Aristotle saith that to the perfection of the world it is necessary that there should be three sorts of substances invisible visible and partly invisible and partly visible as if hee had hit as indeed hee did on Gods creation The second are the heavens and elements and compositions out of them the last are Men which have an invisible soule and a visible body and hold the middle the first therefore must be the Angells If you aske as an appendix to this whether the Angells have bodies or are altogether incorporall it is a question controverted betweene the Philosophers the Schoolmen and the Fathers the Platoniste would have them have bodies to which many of the Fathers adhere Aristotle and the Schoolmen would have them altogether incorporall the reasons on both sides are not unworthy considering if one would amuse themselves in that out of which the Scripture gives no issue I will not trouble you with it onely this its safe to say that they are not essences so simple as they are altogether uncapable of composition it is onely proper to God to have his being and essence or substance the same Angells are mutable they consist of an act which they are and of a power into which they may be reduced it is one thing in them to be simply and another thing to be indued with understanding and will to be and to be good to be and to be wise God onely is I am uncapable of any change as of any composition To say God were an Angell were a derogation as to say hee were a body unlesse you should meane by a body a substance as Tertullian did and so called God a body that is a substance But if they have any such composition as may be called a body it is certainely of the greatest finenesse and subtilty a spirituall body and therefore not like to be of that grossenes that either the aire is or those heavens that are framed out of the Chaos but neerer the substance of the highest heavens which seeme to have bene made at the same time To conclude it will be safe to say that in comparison of God they are bodies in comparison of us they are pure and mighty Spirits From this that hath bene said in generall of the nature of Angells consider by way of corrollary First in that these blessed substances are creatures brought with you by God out of the same wombe of nothing and raised from that lowenesse to the height and dignity they possesse how great then is that God that can make and forme such beings from nothing Wee praise workemen that with all accommodations of instruments and matter can produce something worth the looking on but nothing and something are all alike to God Also hee can make of one lumpe a vessell of honour as easly as of dishonour if the workman be to be esteemed by the worke consider these mighty pieces and who made them breake into an admiration and blessing of God as David did Psal. 104.1 Blesse the Lord O my soule O Lord my God thou art very great cloathed with honour and Majesty why hee was able to forme and create those mighty things and among them the Angells ver 4. Who maketh his Angells spirits his Ministers a flame of fire where by the way hee gives you their nature and office for their nature they are spirits raised and excellent for that office they are ministers 2. But secondly if God created them then feare them not hee hath a hand over them still hee that bounds the sea will bound the divells They are reserved in chaines as well to their effects as to their punishments they cannot breake loose nor get beyond their Tedder On the other side there are good ones amongst them which shal be ordered to your advantage by this maker and creator of them who mindes us as well as them and mindes them for us of which wee have a good pledge in Iesus Christ Who tooke not on him the nature of Angells but tooke on him the seed of Abraham our nature and surely all creatures shall subserve to that composition of which God is a part 3. If God created the Angells feare no lowenesse God can raise you high enough in a minute can you imagine almost greater termes of distance then from nothing to an Angell wee suffer many graduall changes in our bodies and soules but God can raise us in a moment if hee please to the highest pitches of grace or comfort and prosperity 4. How great is that love to piece up with much care and paines such vessells as wee are who could in a moment cast new ones of a better forme and fill his house with Angells but hee loves our tribe and hath condiscended to us and done more for us then for the Angells 5. You see reason to consider of the Angells not as inspirations motions fansyes or phantasmes but as of reall substances and existences mightie spirits that in the frame of the world and order of nature come neerest God and possesse the next place to him for so they are and as such are the immediate instruments of God which have ever had much to doe with the sonnes of men though sometimes in apparitions more sutable to our nature sometimes in a more spirituall converse more agreeable to their owne nature but ever they have bene beingh that have had and still have a great part to play and therefore as the good Angells are of more use then wee consider so the evill which is to our purpose especially are most powerfull and malignant substances farre above the capacity of flesh and blood carrying themselves rather as Princes and Powers and Dominions and being acted with the greatest malice are alwaies watching alwaies tempting alwaies observing ever if wee looke not to it ruining and destroying us warring with weapons sutable to our complexions and lusts betraying simple soules with their methods and wiles so as without a great power of God wee shall not be able to escape them The not considering of this enemy gives him a mighty advantage wee hope in some measure to unmaske him Wee have considered two things already concerning the nature of Angells in generall first that they are creatures secondly that they are substances and have made use of both Wee shall now consider their mutability or immutability And first wee say that as it is peculier to
from such as personally give themselves over to their service They are stiled also the Governours of this world or Rulers 2. Eph. 2. which governe wicked men in and to their lusts Also Roaring Lyons 1. Pet. 1.8 from their fiercenesse and malice A murderer Authour of our death and all murthers Also Beliall 2. Cor. 6.15 What agreement hath Christ with Beliall this signifies irregular without yoake and discipline such hee is himself will submit to no law but what the power of God layes necessarily upon him and such hee renders his The use that I shall make of all this to our selves is that wee dread the spirituall punishments of sin Sin drawes along a dreadfull chaine after it the little sweet that was in your mouth that your rolled under your tongue which you judged so good the tast of that is presently gone but there is a long bitter followes the pleasure is but skin deepe reacheth but to your sence but the effects of it are felt upon your conscience and minde your most noble parts The pleasure gives you the enjoyment of a minute such a one as it is but the paine is of your life perhaps of all eternity but how miserable is it to drawe on a trayne of spirituall punishments that is that sin shall be punished with sinne the truth is every first sin carries punishment with it for it is a punishment to sin in the first act though wee consider it not as all holy acts carry reward with them even in their mouth but heere is not all this sin shall make you sin againe Pharoah was punished by frogs by haile by many things but the hardenings of his heart as it was the greatest punishment so it was virtually all the rest That place Rom. 1.28 is dreadfull Because they delighted not to reteyne God in their knowlegde God gave them over to a reprobate minde and then they were filled with all unrighteousnes If wee will not delight in God God wil give us up to delight in the basest things in the world Thou little thinkest that thy proud or uncleane thought shal be waited on with such a trayne not onely of punishment but sin And this is true to all in it's proportion to the Saints for sin doth not naturally dispose for further degrees of sinning of the same kinde for so every act strengthens the habit but the spirit of God being grieved withdrawes and when yee are in the darke the spirit of darknesse is bold with you and you want light to repell him and God can when hee pleaseth in consideration of a sin past let either a sin fall upon your spirit or an affliction or sicknes upon your body But oh feare such punishments they are not onely of the worst kinde but they are multiplying of evill infinitely if God prevent not Beware therefore of sin least you sin and least you be given over to a spirit of sinning which is the greatest and worst of punishments thinke that you know not what sins are in the wombe of this sin which you are now about If to grieve the spirit to please the Divell to offend God be dreadfull to you feare sin above all not onely for that present act but for those other sins which may be contained in the wombe of that and may in time be most cursed births of it And as Austin said of hell Lord saith hee burne heere cut heere punish heere that is in this life So of sin O wish rather the animadversion to fall upon your bodies and estates your outward man heere cut Lord spare my soule my inner man let sinne rather cause death then sin which is the worst dying In the next place wee come to shew what is the principall ministery of the evill Angells for God knowes how to improove every creature and not onely the power but the evill of the evill Angells and hee made nothing in vaine The wicked are for the day of wrath muchlesse such mighty instruments and engines as those spirits are which though they have received a wound and lye under chaines yet are of mighty ability when God gives them leave to act it That they are at liberty for a ministery I told you before when I spake of their punishment for they are not in termino they are not yet in the great deepe nor under the sentence of their punishment they are not in the place prepared for the Divell and his Angells but they are in the ayre and the world where also they are Princes they have the advantage of the place and powers is also theirs now for their ministery which still will come neerer our purpose the principall and proper ministery of the evill Angells is to tempt and induce men to sinne they improove all the power and opportunity they have chiefly to this this is manifest by Scripture assoone as the world began hee began this worke with our parents in innocency in the shape of a Serpent Gen. 3.1 Therefore Christ calls him a murtherer from the beginning Ioh. 8.44 For assoone as the world was hee gave the greatest blow that ever was given mankind hee murthered our first parents and in them all our posterity and this was done in a way of tempting and alluring so Paul 2. Cor. 11.3 I feare least as the Serpent seduced Eve shewing that that temptation was the beginning the first of that kinde that was in the world the first prancke hee playd the first execution of his ministery and as it were the coppy of the rest therefore also Math. 4.3 hee is called The tempter as being the title of his office other names hee hath which shew his power and ability his nature and his malice but none declare his ministery so properly as this Therefore 1. Thess. 3.5 Least by some meanes the tempter have tempted you and very frequently our temptations are said to be from the Divell so Ioh. 13.2 The Divell put into the heart of Iudas to betray Christ Iudas had the corruption in his heart before which was fit matter to worke on but it was a fruit of the Divells ministery to suggest that temptation and put it into his heart so Christ told Peter that Sathan had desired to winnow him Wee should have said hee was affraid to die and being surpriz'd secured himself by a lye and so should have imputed it to little more then the act of a timerous spirit but Christ said the Divell was in it and 1. Pet. 5.8 it is said hee goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may devour that is by his temptations and allurements otherwise hee doth not rampe upon our bodyes and Rev. 12.9 it is said that the great dragon was cast out that old Serpent called the Divell and Sathan who deceiveth the whole world this is his worke hee sayes they were cast out and his Angells were cast out with him which are his under-ministers in deceiving the world as Christ Math. 25.41 calls them The Divell and his
and professours of it Therefore what the Divell abaseth let us exalt let us desire to know nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified Let Christ in the Kingdome of Christ be all in all Let us beleeve though wee be nothing let us rejoyce though wee be worse then nothing in our selves that is to make good the gospell that is to resist the Divell let worship be administred according to the rule though it want pompe and applause and let the power of the gospell appeare in changing our natures in healing our lusts Grace came by Christ let the notion of gratefulnesse worke in us as effectually as that of merit let the love of God in Christ be strong as death let his dyeing love constraine us to live to him who dyed for us this is to magnifye the gospell which the Divell would depresse if you beleeve strongly if you rejoyce strongly if you worke strongly from gospell principles and notions then ye destroy the Divell then you oppose Christs enemy I beseech you let us doe it under this head Doe I not hate them that hate thee saith David Christ hath many enemies which should be all hatefull to us but hee hath none like the Divell as I have shewed you therefore hee came to destroy him The fairest ground of contention that you will ever have with the Divell will be this that hee is the mortall or rather the immortall enemy of Iesus Christ if you oppose him under this notion you will draw Christ neerest you for assistance and fight a battell in the strength of love and whilst you have your head you will secure the body and every member this is to put another notion in to the conflict not onely to secure our selves from lusts but to save Christ therefore live according to pure gospell because the Divell opposeth it wee have thought that to be assured or to rejoyce with joy unspeakeable and glorious were onely to doe good to our selves that is the least in it to a minde well-formed the returnes are Christs the glory is Christs and the Divell feeles every blowe who is Christs enemy and the enemy God hath set you up with whom you ought to make good a warre and to contend for ever as wee shall see heareafter Thirdly next to Christ and the naturall and Genuine doctrine of the gospell the Divell excerciseth this ministery especially against the Churches of Christ and the Ministers and teachers of them who are the guides and lights and members also either by persecution or dissention How hath the Churches bene harrowed not onely of old by the Assirians Caldeans c. But in the primitive times by the Romaines in all their persecutions and the Turkes now this the Scripture calls the Divells casting men into prison Rev. 2.10 All persecutions burnings imprisonment the Divells have done it Kings and Princes hath but lent their hands That which the Divell did to Ioshua Zach. 3.1 Stood at his right hand to resist him that the Divell doth generally to all those that would serve God in the ministry of the gospell So Paul Wee would have come unto you saith hee but Sathan hindred this their acts and Epistles shew how hee would have destroyed their ministry Then hee corrupts teachers Sathan himself is transformed into an Angell of light 2. Cor. 11.13.14.15 by whose meanes men give heed to the doctrine of Divells 1. Tim. 4.1 hee falls upon the membres also pursues them like a roaring Lyon 1. Pet. 5.8 Accusing them before God day and night Rev. 12.10 First drawes them into sin the cause of Gods hatred and then labours to fasten upon them the effects this hee doth amongst men over whom hee raignes drawes them into murthers witcheryes and then discovers them but his usuall care in the Church is to divide and scatter that hee may raigne alone by difference of judgements distracting affections God is love and love is the onely cement of communion The Divell therefore which is the enemy with all his might breaks those walls loosens this cement that there may not one stonely upon another till all be destroyed Let us therefore treade the contrary paths learne the rule from the obliquity aswell as the obliquity from the rule It is warrant enough for us to resist what Sathan promotes In pursuite of that great peece of the Divells ministery which lyes in temptation having shewed formerly what influence hee had upon sin and what influence upon and concurrence with temptations wee came in the last place to shew how those ministeryes were distributed according to vices or persons which when wee had made use of wee came to discover to you some of the Divells marches in his most ordinary and high wayes that is the great and generall snares hee leads men into such as sease upon most men eminently and to their assured ruine and with which the Saints are so clogged as they are rendred unweildy lesse expedite and fit for service they drive slowly and oftentimes fall scandalously though they rise againe Wee will pursue two or three of those points more and so conclude this head in which I purpose not to be large Another effectuall head of temptation by which the Divell labours to drowne men in perdition is the lusts of the flesh Peter admonisheth to abstaine from fleshly lusts because they warre against the Soule The Divell knowes it well and therefore fights against that parte by those weapons Our bodies are the Lords and therefore wee should serve him in body as in spirit but fleshly lusts though they seems to be especially in the body yet in truth they moove circularly from the soule to the soule Out of the heart comes fornications c. And when they have past the body and come to the heart againe the soule is rendred monstrously adulterous and uncleane so that as the soule is pander to the body so on the other side the body is vexed and harrowed beyond its naturall desires beyond what it would have to satisfy an uncleane and filthy minde which appeares plainely in this that the debordments and excesses of no beasts are so great as those of mankind in bodily things because neither the reason of bodily pleasures or any other consideration calls for so much excesse as the satisfaction of a soule made uncleane and unpure doth and therefore where such lusts raigne and are in their excesses a thousand bodies would not be sufficient for the drudgery that a lustfull minde would put them to such lusts have no meane but not to be such mindes besides other incōveniences labour extreamely under this unhappinesse that they conflict continually with impossibilities because their desires run still higher and their lusts have enlarged them to a spheare and capacity that no bodie nor bodily thing can reach or fill How contrary this is to God and his holy Spirit besides other things two things shew one is that hee pretends to be our spouse and hath married us to himself in
holines and righteousnes sutable to which bond and excellent alliance there is a series of spirituall lustings proportionable to the soule the subject of them and to God the object of them which should leade both body and soule captive to an holy and intimate converse with so great and excellent a husband whose comelynesse should alwayes be in our eye and whose beauties should ever inflame our hearts to whom wee should be holy that is separate both in body and spirit 1. Cor. 7.34 whose loves draw out our affections strongly but orderly whose converse fills our minde and enlargeth it altogether which is health to our navell and marrow to our bones quite contrary to the effects of other lustings which give men occasion to mourne at last when their flesh and their body are consumed Prov. 5.11 Now for this excellent spirit to be out-bid by so base and harlotry love that can make no satisfying returnes to have a spirit stollen from him and layde under chaines for these lustings are deepe pits out of which onely an almighty spirit can rescue to be cast of as not faire or not worthy cannot but be deepe in Gods heart Manet altâ repostum judicium Paridis spraetaeque injuria forma In a word to espouse the Divell his enemy by the mediation of filthy and base lustings it is no wonder that men are abhorred of the Lord when they thus fall Prov. 22.14 Another thing that shewes how hatefull these lustings are to God is that these fleshly lusts in that branch properly called uncleannes are made the greatest punishment of the greatest sinnes Rom. 1. from ver 21. to 28. If you aske mee how I intitle the Divell to this besides what was said in the beginning of this head that the Divell who shoots at the soule knowes those lusts ruine it and therefore useth this great engine against it first how can you make a more proper match then betweene the uncleane spirit and those lusts which are properly stiled by God himself uncleaunesse in the abstract as being of all others most eminently uncleane and impure besides looke upon men the Divell acts and possesseth most fully and immediately their God is their belly they fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the minde which is ingaged as deepe as the body is in these lustings and evill affections 2. Eph. 2.3 and not to prosecute this further it is extreamely observable that where the Divell keeps open court reignes personally and absolutely as hee doth amongst infinite numbers in this world though wee are not acquainted with such assemblings therein all beastly shapes and manners hee doth subject them to the actuall commission of what ever wee call uncleannes although oftentimes greatly contrary to their wills and desires that suffer such things from him but the bond of their obedience is strickt and they can refuse nothing who have subjected their necks to that yoake this innumerable and joint confessions of witches and sorcerers accord upon of which I could give you account enough upon as good record as story can give us of any thing although which also wee may consider the Divells are altogether uncapable of any pleasure from such fleshly acts who as being spirits have neither flesh nor bones nor blood they do it onely to debase mankinde and by the most sensuall lusts which fight against the soule to keepe them at the greatest distance from spirituall and heavenly employments by which onely the humaine nature is perfected and improoved To conclude this besides what hath bene said already the Scripture saith expresly that not onely in generall amongst mankinde but even in the Church and therefore considerable to us all It is Sathan which tempts men for their incontinency 1. Cor. 7.5 And it is from him that the younger women waxe wanton against Christ and turne after Sathan 1. Tim. 5.11.15 so as there is cause enough to entitle Sathan to this high way of perdition to these lusts of the flesh that fight against the soule and therefore cause enough for us to watch him and our selves in this high way of perdition in which every step wee take is a departing from Christ our spouse to follow Sathan for the Scripture calls it a turning after Sathan Men are apt to thinke that it is but a turning after their loves a turning after pleasures but besides which you leave which is Christ your husband you follow indeed Sathan in that disguise which should keepe us at the greatest distance in every degree or steppe that way A fifth beaten path of the Divell is Pride the pride of life you may know that to be the Divells way from which God calls you of so earnestly and so effectually first by his denouncements against the proud and pride Pride goeth before destruction Prov. 16.18 as the herbenger or usher that makes way a man acted and filled with pride is upon the very brincke of the precipice of ruine hee is dropping into destruction God delights to debase every one that is proud hee doth but stay till they are proud enough that they may be more capable of ruine and destruction that they may fall deeper Therefore when pride cometh then cometh shame Prov. 11.2 and they come both together pride onely hath the upperhaud Will you see how God sets himself against this evill Iob 26.12 By his understanding hee smiteth through the proud Hee divideth the sea with his power as it is said before but imployes his wisedome and understanding to smite through proud men that is to do it most assuredly to doe it most seasonably for their ruine so Prov. 16 5. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Nothing proud men looke after more then to be had in esteeme and in honour to be admired and to be to others the objects of their envies and the measure of their wishes the rule and modell of their actions but saith hee Hee is an abomination to the Lord that men are which they are to God and that they shal be within a while to all the world that is they shal be a loathing and an abhorring and therefore the things which they would establist shal be scattered the houses they would build shal be pulled downe for so sayes Mary Hee hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts Luk. 1.51 that is there is a concentration of thoughts castles that men build for themselves the imaginations the thoughts of mens hearts drive to some height to some high marke or But sutable to the fountaine from whence they flow a proud heart and when they have wrought them up to a due height and proportion and looke for the product or result of all then God comes as with a whirlewinde and scatters them and shewes how ill compacted every building is how loosely it is layde which is formed without him so for the other place which I hinted the Lord will destroy the house of the proud as it
not goe to heaven at all ver 3. Except yee become as litle children yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of heaven and if there be any preeminency pride obstructs the way to it It is humility that opens the doore ver 4. Whoso ever shall humble himself as a little childe the same is the greatest in the Kingdome of God it is not hee that puts for place shall have it but hee that stayes till hee be called But it were well if our contentions ended with others if that were the bounds of them doe wee not contend with our selves our conditions and with God every day Let a mans condition be never so good never so incompassed with mercies pride alone raiseth a contention picks a quarrell that is that alone is sufficient to do it if there were nothing els Why are wee not contented why are wee not well when wee have enough or to much do you know what makes the contention it is pride yee have food and rayment yee have not the least part of mercies yee have not the greatest part of afflictions what is the matter why doe yee contend why doe you walke heavily and dejectedly it is pride pride onely or pride alone can do it can set you as fiercely upon your condition and upon God as upon your brother or your neighbour yea when there is no cause at all It s a glasse that extenuates goods and multiplyes ills and which is more then any glasse can do findes them where they are not at all this as I told you of lust is a most boundlesse thing and will send you to impossibilities for satisfaction for let no man thinke it lyes in the power of his condition to make him happy pride will outrunne it faster then it can possibly flow in upon him and which is more pride multiplyes with the flowing in as fire increaseth by fewell consider therefore when you contend with your condition when you are not satisfied with your estate it might possibly have bene greater or larger or fairer or in a word otherwise nay when you doe not walke cheerfully and thankfully and contentedly in what you have for that failing is of the same roote and spring then you contend with God you murmure against God and this a love from pride properly and onely from pride for the judge of all the world cannot but doe justly God cannot hurt you cannot injure or provoke you as another may all your contentions with your conditions and so with God are onely from pride now I beseech you who is the great Authour and fomenter of contention but the Divell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the calumniatour one that breeds ill blood that doth calumniate and accuse night and day hee doth not onely accuse us to God but God to us hee accused God to Evah hee told her they should be as Gods knowing good and evill this temptation tooke now hee intimated that God made that restraint out of envy because hee would have none so great and so happy as himself and therefore there was not so much love in giving you liberty to eate of the other trees as there was envy and ill will in restrayning you from this For God knoweth c. And hee accused Iob to God doth Iob serve God for nought A great part of his traynes are spent in sowing dissentions in making breaches in multiplying wrath where it is conceived in boyling it up to revenge and then effecting it and therefore there is nothing hee traines up his more in then in contentions and wayes of revenging themselves to the utmost the power of effecting which is ordinarily the reward his sworne vassalls get for the slaving and alienation of their soules and bodies to conclude hee is the true king over all the children of pride Iob 41.34 to whom it may be said as to Pilate concerning Christ Behold your King For pride was properly the Divells sin 1. Tim. 3.6 It is called the condemnation of the Divell that is that for which the Divell is condemned Not a novice least being lifted up with pride hee fall into the condemnation of the Divell This therefore was his sin and this he multiplyed and derived presently hee fastened it upon Adam to wish to be as God knowing good and evill and although some other sinnes in respect of the constitution and temper may beare the title of the master sin that doth not hinder but that in a true sence it may be saide that pride is the master sin in all it is the utmost roote in originall sin that which lieth deepest in the ground and can must hardly be reached what are afflictions generally for but to hide pride from man nay temptations are let out upon us and sometimes corruptions that wee may not be lifted up so it was to Paul what ever his temptations were the end of all was that hee might not be proud and lifted up with his revelations this therefore is the proper sin of the Divell and hath so great a root in us of his laying in at first and of his fostering ever since wee should watch him especially in as that which hath all the evills in it wee have formerly named and is of all other things most opposite and contrary to our peace and comfort Another martch of the Divells eminent in it self and most dangerous and ensnaring to others is that wee call worldlines wee know the Divel is called the God of this world and they that will be rich that is they that set their hearts upon it that propose this to themselves they will be rich they will abound they will that is what ever it cost them though they breake never so many hedges for it though they tread never so many unjust or weary steps they fall into temptation and a snare The Divell hath them in his snares and leades them whither hee will whither hee hath a minde to leade them 1. Tim. 6.9 Other sins have their aggravations but this is the most earthly of all other and in some respects the most unworthy a man And therefore the seate of this lust is ordinarily the basest spirits there it hath its rise and growth and in order to effects it is the root of all evill that is aswell as other vices it is extreamely fertill of ill whether you consider the evill of sin or the evill of punishment for sin this love of riches what will it not constraine men to they will breake all the commandements in a round for the satisfying of those lusts what frauds deceits perjuryes cruelties murthers hatreds have bene exercised for the nourishing of this lust nay what other sins of lust and uncleannesse of the lowest and basest kinde People often subject their bodies and soules to the satisfying of this affection And for the evill of punishment the Apostle saith heere that they pierce themselves thorough with many sorrowes that is they have a carefull and sorrowfull life of it contrary to that good Solomon
reliefe to deale with your enemies as David did your faith is your victory whereby you overcome the world 1. Iohn 5.4 that is in Christ it is the power of his might that makes us strong Christ hath a might a mighty abilitie hee is endowed with power from above which being put forth in us gives us a power to be strong and to stand our ground as ver 10. for in those words the habit seemes to be distinguish't from the energy and operation when a man is acted by the Divell either by an immediate possession or some eminent strong way of lusting that hee is strong in the Divell and in the power of his might that is you shall finde a power full operation of the might of the Divell upon him so as did wee not see a humane shape wee should thinke it were the Divell indeed so greatly is his might acted upon men with power Now after this manner should wee be strong in the Lord by the influence of his spirit by the strength of his armour other strengths will proove but weaknesse so much for that point Secondly it is not without its observation that it is called heere and before the whole armour of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is no man pretends so little to religion but hee will doe a little hee will pretend to some graces hee will make some sallyes as if hee would fight but the difficulty and the wisedome and the strength lyes in the universality there is a chaine in graces you loose all if you loose one as Iames saith Hee that breakes one command is guilty of all and God that gives you armes not to clog you but to defend you hath given you nothing to much it is not the beauty but the use of an armed man which hee considers That place which is open to be sure the Divell will strike in for hee knowes the bare places and one open place will serve to kill you aswell as an hundred therefore God hath made a defence for all therefore the Scripture calls for a growing up in all grace or in all things Eph. 4.15 2. Pet. 1.5 Therefore Peter calls for an addition of one grace to another till you be compleate Adde saith hee to your faith vertue c. For if these things be in you and abound that is if you have all those parts and that in a way of height and eminency if they be not scanty and narrow then you will abound also that is you will neither be barren nor unfruitfull I beseech you consider this it is the universality it is the whole armour of God that will alone serve our turnes and which alone wee sticke at All difficulty lyes in exactnesse in bringing things to their end and their perfection every one is a beginner and a pretender to learning to knowledge to arts to religion it self but the exactnes the universality is the portion but of a few let us doe otherwise How good is God who hath given us a whole armour let us not shew our selves at once enemyes to our selves and unthankfull to him unlesse wee feare neither God nor the Divell on the other side let this comfort us that there is a whole armour there is a whole Divell that nature is improoved to the utmost capacity of a rationall nature for ill for hurt if there were not a whole armour wee were undone Thirdly wee are commanded to take unto us this whole armour of God and ver 11. to put it on God makes it God gives it hee makes it efficacious but there are our parts also wee must take it to us and put it on there is a sluggishnesse in mens natures if God would doe all and men might sleepe the whilest perhaps they would lye still and let him trusse on their armour but this is not the law wee live by this is not the tearmes wee stand in with God what wee cannot doe God will doe for us but what wee can doe that wee must doe Hee doth not worke with us as wee worke with a hatchet or a dead instrument but as the soule workes with the body that is in it and by it so as the body doth its part and feeles the labour the soule at first gives life to our body so doth God to our soules when they are dead in sins and trespasses hee quickens them Also the soule gives guidance to the body and direction and assistance so doth God hee never failes us hee is still by us at our right hands but wee have our parts our reason and understandings our will and our affections they come into play every day and if God can do nothing by them hee will do nothing without them This when men beleeve so much in other things as they will scarce trust God with any thing they will see a reason and a meanes sufficient to produce every event they will be at every end of every businesse why doe they devolue all upon him in religion without stirring at all Because they minde it lesse which is the meanes to make God minde it not at all Therefore I beseech you let us do our parts fetch assistance from God and worke under him receive influence and spirit from him and use them intend mightily what wee doe for it is to God and for him those that worke under any Agent though never so mighty do so and this know that the more mighty any supreane Agent is the more it intends imployes and fills the instrument as hee that serves a wise man though hee do nothing but by the direction and appoyntment of his master yet hee shall finde his understanding intended and imployed for a wise directer doth more intend and fill the subordinate instruments and Agents not contra Now hee comes to the end and use of the Armour that they might be able to stand in the evill day and having done all to stand the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to resist to stand against you see heere is a reall combate as your enemies are great which you have heard of before so is the combate it will cost you resisting and fighting and there is a day appointed for it an evill day that is a day of battaile our whole life is so many evill dayes therefore sayes the Apostle Redeeme your time because the dayes are evill Eph. 5.16 that is troublesome and full of temptations if you would make any thing of your lives of the opportunities you meet with all of the occasions that fall out you must redeeme them a little time and opportunity is worth much it will be lost to you if you redeeme it not So all our dayes are evill as Iacob said but some more especially may be called by way of eminency the evill day All the dayes of Iob were in a manner evill because none were without some molestation and trouble I had no rest sayes hee neither was I in quiet yet trouble came Iob 3.26 But the great evill
you see comes in by light Againe Glory the apprehension of it the notion of it begirts renders strong exceedingly Christ for the glory set before him c. did wonders but light and glory runne together and the notion of glory comes in by light Isa. 60.1.2 Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee so it is called The light of the glorious gospell 2. Cor. 4.4 there would have bene no glory seene if there had bene no light and there is a glory also in light Acts 22.11 Paul said hee could not see for the glory of the light therefore light is glorious now this dazelled his bodily eyes but our spirits see better and more strongly for glorious lights which gives assurance and courage and so strength also In a word our whole armour is called the armour of light Rom. 13.12 So great a thing is light to armour and to strength according to the more or lesse of which men are weake or strong to any course to which they pretend but above all to religion Now for the Divell against whom wee arme doth not hee play in the darke almost altogether when hee would deceive our sence hee casts sand in our eyes mists before us to deceive and blinde us and then wee judge of things not as they are but according to the medium wee see through So for our comfort how doth hee enervate us and loosen our loynes by leading us into darke thoughts of God and of our condition how doth hee unsteddy our steps and intimidate us by putting scruples in our wayes and hiding from us those truths wherein our strength would consist If hee can make us insincere hee hath enough wee shall then seeke darknes and chuse it rather then light of such Christ sayes that they loved darknes rather then light because their deeds were evill Ioh. 3.19 But be sincere the right eyeing the right seeing the right apprehension of things is that truth which begirts us and together with sincerity renders us strong and mighty to fight with him to contest with his wiles with his lyes with his impostures for his dealings with us is nothing els But be wee but sincere that is honest to your selves and to God and discover him and hee is gone This therefore is a neate cleane peece of armour fitted for the part and for the enemy wee contest with all If you aske what you shall doe for it I would advise you by way of corrolary to two things First converse much with the Father of lights In his light wee shall see light Psal. 36.9 Be neere God that hee may shine upon you continually hee hath no false lights as impostures have to shew their wares by what ever light hee affords you is right and gives you the thing as it is Hee hath no false glasses that greaten or lessen the proportion of things but such as render them as they are Converse much with the word the booke of lights all it sayes is true without a reason though it be all reason converse with the Saints the subjects of lights they have light that will shine before you all these lights convey truth to you the right notion of things And that is it which begirts you renders you strong and steddy fit to deale with the Divell the father of all impostures and deceits also think ruminate much of things according to what true notion you have ever had of them in some times and parts of our lives wee have right notions of things with such sight as carry their owne evidence with them represent them often to your selves this will make your light shine to you your light may be under a bushell in your owne heart and truth without this may be to seeke when you should use it when you should judge and walke by it you may have many right principles in you but Raked under Ashes but wisedome is to have them at hand and for use that when the Divell comes with his wiles and his mists shining and blazing truth may scatter them and melt them and cause them to waste away assoone as they dare to appeare for example If hee shall shew the pompe and glittering of titles and honour and would lead you out of your way by that foolish shine a right judgement of things hath for him that the outsides of things are for children that the masks and vizards either of good or ill are not much considerable that honour is in truth that which is lasting which hath its rise in worth and is given by God and wise men that such honour properly should rather follow then lead good actions that the praise of men and the praise of God are seldome consistent that it is a signe of diffidence of God to be too anxious to receive honour from men that there is no reason that should moove you which the Divell can neither give nor continue to you I give you but a tast if hee tempt you to gratify the flesh by lust or idlenesse by a soft and delicate life by indulgeing to bodily things Truth will girde your loynes and make you stand steddy heere in also by telling him that it is wisedome to till the better part that nothing stands in so proper an antipathy to the spirit as the flesh that Paul beat downe his body and brought it into subjection that the body is to be considered onely as an instrument and not to be idolized and indulged to for it selfe that belly meat shall both be destroyed ere long but the soule dies not that idlenes is death before your time with this difference that it is considerable in your punishment which death properly is not for no man is punished for dying That Iesus Christ was a perpetuall motion that good men have used to finde little rest but in their consciences and their graves till they come to heaven that your condition heere is to be a souldier to indure hardnes and fight for which truth armes you not to live delicately and take your ease this might be enlarged in many other particulars and in these more fully I onely give an instance that you may know what I would and may learne to begirt your selves with right notions against the wiles of the Divell For the other part namely sincerity for the heightening and improoving of that I shall put upon you but this burthen love much sincerity is immixednesse and rightnesse of ends a spirit goeing right forward drawne right forth without guile or ends Love will concentrate all in God make all lines meet in him self love makes men insincere to God and others because it drawes away from the pretensions which are to God it sucks away the sappe and the juice that should goe into the body of the tree it is like a cut that draynes the channell which should runne with full source into the sea but love gives all and wishes for more in no respect
so much as to give that also so as it gathers up the soule and girds up the loynes for God as bring what subtilties and wiles you will it measures all you say by Gods interest so as offer as before honours or pleasures or lusts it will aske you what is this to God how doth it suite with his ends how doth it comply with his glory how is it squared to his liking and good pleasure since you live if hee be pleased you are happy if hee be glorifyed love hath made you so much his that nothing can be good to you but what is to him love hath given all in grosse and therefore can reteyne nothing in retayle that therefore to mixe your actions or your ends is to divide you from God who is your love and under a coulour of bettering your condition to rob God and undoe your self together for love is wise and will tell you also that it is good loosing your self in God and that when by studying for God you forget your selves you are then most of all remembred I shall adde no more so much for this first peece onely remember to act these notions and sincerity in the vertue and power of him who is the reall and essentiall truth Iesus Christ. You have already heard of that peece which gives the great and generall impresse that which strengthens the part of strength that which renders fit and prepared for every good thing and which is of exceeding great influence into this battaile The girdle of truth that is such sights and such a disposition of spirit as begirts and strengthens to what wee should doe Wee come now to arme the breast which lyes as much exposed and is as considerable as any part For the breast containes the noble and vitall parts the heart the lungs the liver and for this there is a Plate a breast-plate and that is righteousnesse this Christ our captaine put on before us Is. 59.17 Hee put on righteousnes as a breast-plate and wee according to the duty of a souldier that takes his example from the captaine for so say your brave commanders whether in order to fighting or armeing what you see mee doe doe yee likewise and according to the charracter and impression which wee receive from his fulnesse wee take on righteousnes also as a breast-plate if you aske mee what this peece is for it must be something spirituall by which you deale with the Divell I answere that it is holynesse and innocency of life The first peece was sincerity or integrety as it lay in the will respecting the end and ayme of all our actions which having a continuall and direct influence upon the end begirts exceedingly This is the walke of a Christian in order to that end that righteous and holy frame of spirit by which hee walkes and mooves justly and holily in all his actions this is that wherein Paul excercised himself so much to have a conscience voyd of offence towards God and man Acts 24.16 That is so to walke as neither to offend the conscience of another by any scandall or stumbling blocke nor to offend or wound his owne This if you take it generally one may call perhaps sanctification not taking sanctification as it is some times for consecration or seperation as the vessells or dayes were consecrated or set a part but for sanctity that is inherent righteousnes or holynes or more particularly considering it in the walks and motions of it it may be distinguish't into Piety or Godlinesse and Iustice or righteousnes the one respecting God more immediately the other men Such a distinction you have Rom. 1.18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnes of men so Titus 2.12 Wee are to live soberly righteously and godly there is the distinction of righteousnes and godlinesse to which sobriety or temperance is added as a meanes of doing it and living so because by it wee deny our selves in wordly lusts as the words before are denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts upon these two feete therefore this sanctity or righteousnes mooves vizt Religion towards God and Iustice towards men To pursue these tracts were to give you the whole walke of religion which is not my intent for I give you now but an exposition in order to our combate onely a few things In this righteousnes there is an order they gave themselves first to the Lord and after to us by the will of God 2. Cor. 8.5 God must be first considered and secondly what ever you doe to men it must be for God and as to the Lord and not to men that is not making them the Alpha or Omega the rise or the ultimate end of any of our motions so as motions to wards God are first and especially to be considered First seeke the Kingdome of God David sayes often early in the morning will I seeke thee still God is especially to be considered Hee that loves father or mother more then mee is not worthy of mee Mat. 10.37 and therefore in respect of intencenesse you must Love God with all your hart and soule and minde though wee are to doe acts of righteousnes to wards our brethren with all our strength yet that intencenesse is required especially in respect of God and by the vertue of religion As for righteousnesse towards man it is that by which wee are inclined to give every one that duty and observance which is their due and under this consideration falls all men with whom wee have to doe and Angells also for since God onely is the object of religious worship they must fall under the notion and consideration of our brethren or neighbours for in refusing worship they say they are our fellow-servants of our brethren the Prophets and of them which keepe the sayings of the booke of God so as they refuse not their due but Gods due which is religious worship Rev. 22.9 and of that moment is this righteousnes towards our brother that the truth of religion towards God cannot consist with the neglect of this if a man say hee loves God and hates his brother hee is a lyar 1. Ioh. 4.20 And this commandement have wee of God that hee that loves God should love his brother also This in the negative is a sure argument that there is no religion towards God where there is not righteousnes towards men Gall. 5.19 The workes of the flesh are manifest saith Paul unrighteous unworthy actions clearily manifest a wicked man if hee be unrighteous and unjust towards men hee is irreligious towards God This righteousnes hath for its measure or rule the love wee beare our selves for God being loved by us with the love of union wee must needs love our selves next and immediately which is that thing wee desire to close and joyne with God but others secondarily as those wee would have also participate of the same good and from this love the rule and measure of our