to be made after his Image and therefore in Heb 12 God is called the Father of Spirits Why He is the Father of the body also he made that but the meaning is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father over them because he guides and nurtures them being most like to himselfe as the sonne is like the father so they are like to him and therefore hee most regards the spirits of men As you may see when Samuel went to anoint David King and all the sonnes of Iesse came before him those that were much more proper than David God tells him that he did not looke upon the persons of men nor upon their outward appearance hee heedes them not what doth he then he sees the soule and spirit of man the Lord looketh upon the heart and according to that hee judgeth of them 1 Sam. 16.7 Now if his eye be chiefly upon the spirit thou shouldest labour to let thine eye be chiefly still upon thy spirit and so thou shalt most please him Let thy eye be upon thy soule to keepe it cleane that it may be fit for communion with him who is a spirit This should teach you to looke to the fashion of your soules within because they are likest to him and carry his image in them he is a father of them in a speciall manner and they are that whereby you may have communion with him in that which is most proper unto him in spirituall exercises and performances Object But you will say what is it that you would have us to doe to our spirits to have them fit for the Lord that he may regard them and that they may be like to him Answ. 1 1 Thou must scoure and cleanse them from all filthinesse 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearely beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinisse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God There is a pollution which the Apostle speakes of which pollution he divides into two kindes of the flesh of the spirit both of these thou must labour to bee cleansed from but specially that of the spirit if tâ—â—n wouldst have it fit to have the Lord to delight in for he being a Spirit doth most regard those actions which are done by the Spirit and therefore that is the thing that mainely thou shouldst looke to Object But what is that pollution of spirit or what is that which doth defile it Answ. Every thing in the world defiles the spirit when it is lusted after 2 Pet. 1.4 Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust that is the world and all things in the world and all the parts of it they doe then corrupt the spirit defile and soile it when the soule of man hath a lust after them You might medle with all things in the world and not be defiled by them if you had pure affections but when you have a lust after any thing then it defiles your spirit therefore in Titus 1.15 the Apostle speakes of a conscience defiled And in Matt. 15. 19. saith our Saviour out of the heart proceede evill thoughts murthers adulterers fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies these are the thâ—â—gs whâ—â—h defile a man He doth not speake onely of actuall adulterie or murther but even of the siâ—â—ull dispositions of the soule even these are things that defile the spirit in Gods sight who lookes upon them as you doe upon outward filthinesse with the eyes of your body So that every inordinate lusting of the soule doth defile the soule Object But is not this rule too strait We are commanded not to murther nor to commit adultery this is the commandement and why should you say that every disordered affection doth defile the soule and that it is more regarded by God then the outward actions Answ. You must know that the tenth commandement doth strike against these abominations Thou shalt not lust and so it is translated Rom. 7 so that these lustings of the spirit are those that defile the soule You see that God hath spent a whole commandement against them And indeede all the actuall sinnes committed by us simply considered in themselves as committed by the body are not so hated of God as the pollution of the spirit is Nay I dare be bolâ—â— to say that the act of adultery and murther is not so abominable in Gods eyes as the filthinesse of the spirit this is more abominable in the sight of God who is a spirit than the act of the body for it is the spirit that he mainly lookes to Indeed the act contracts the guilt because the lust is then growne up to an height so that it is come to an absolute will and execution Therefore if these lustings doe presse into the soule wee should put them out againe and reject them with shame and griefe for GOD is a Spirit and beholdes the continuall behaviour of thy spirit Againe the injury which you offer to others though in it selfe it be a great sinne yet that inward brooding of it in thy heart plotting mischiefe that boiles within thee while it hatches rancour and revenge this is that which he hates though thou shouldest never commit any actuall sinne this way Iam. 4.5 you have this phrase used The lust of the spirit to envie that is the bent of the spirit and inclination of the minde which lookes upon the gifts of others whereby it overshines them so that they lust to have that light put out that their candle might appeare above it though they act nothing yet this is abominable to him And that I might not deliver this without ground consider There is nothing so pleasing to God as a broken heart Isa. 57. Now the breaking of the heart is nothing else but the severing betweene the heart and sin As when you see an artificers worke wherein many parts are glued together if it should fall downe or the glue be dissolved then they all breake to pieces and when the lusts that are in our soules are thus severed this pleaseth the Lord not that the affliction of a mans spirit is pleasing to the Lord but the separation of sinne from his soule when the soder that joynes a sinfull action and the heart together when this is dissolved this doth please the Lord. And by the rule of contraries if this be true then it is true on the other side that when the spirit is glued by any lust to any inordinate thing it is most hatefull to God for the stronger the lust is the stronger is the glue and therefore a man the more he is tyed to this world and hath such strong lusts the more hee hath this uncleannesse and pollution of spirit And therefore as a broken heart is most acceptable to God so a spirit that is knit to any inordinate object by the thing that it cleaves to it becomes most hatefull and abominable to him
such like motions it is done by working on their senses but come to man there are other actions of his understanding and will in the soule It is true indeed in a man there are fancie and appetite and these arise from the temper of the body therefore as the body hath a different temper so there are severall appetites dispositions and affections some man longs after one thing some after another but these are but the severall turnings of the sensuall appetite which is also seene in beasts therefore when the soule is gone these remaine no longer but come to the higher part of the soule the actions of the will and understanding of man and they are of an higher nature the acts which they doe have no dependance upon the body at all Besides come to the motions of the body the soule guides and moves the body as a Pilot doth a ship now the Pilot may be safe though the ship be split upon the rocke Looke on beasts they are led wholly as their appetite carries them and they must goe that way therefore they are not ruled as a Pilot governes a ship but in men their appetites would carry them hither or thither but the will saith no and that hath the understanding for its counseller So that the motions of the body arise not from the diversity of the sensuall appetites as in all other creatures but of the will and understanding for the soule depends not upon the body but the acts of the body depend upon it therefore when the body perisheth the soule dies not but as a man that dwels in a house if the house fall he hath no dependance on it but may goe away to another house so the soule hath no dependance upon the bodie at all therefore you must not think that it doth die when the body perisheth Besides the soule is not worne it is not weary as other things are the body is weary and the spirits are weary the body weares as doth a garment till it be wholly worne out now any thing that is not weary it cannot perish but in the very actions of the soule it selfe there is no wearinesse but whatsoever comes into the soule perfects it with a naturall perfection and it is the stronger for it therefore it cannot be subject to decay it cannot weare out as other things doe but the more notions it hath the more perfect it is the body indeed is weary with labour and the spirits are weary but the soule is not weary but in the immediate acts of it the soule it works still even when the body sleepeth Looke upon all the actions of the soule and they are independent and as their independencie growes so the soule growes younger and younger and stronger and stronger senescens juvenescit and is not subject to decay or mortalitie as you see in a Chicken it growes still and so the shell breakes and falls off so is it with the soule the body hangs on it but as a shell and when the soule is growne to perfection it falls away and the soule returnes to the Maker The next thing that I should come to is to shew you how this is made evident by faith When a man hath some rude thoughts of a thing and hath some reason for it he then begins to have some perswasion of it but when besides a man wise and true shall come and tell him it is so this addes much strength to his confidence for when you come to discerne this God-head and to know it by reasons from the creatures this may give you some perswasion but when one shall come and tell you out of the Scripture made by a wise and true God that it is so indeed this makes you confirmed in it Therefore the strength of the argument by faith you may gather after this manner Yee beleeve the Scriptures to be true and that they are the Word of God now this is contained in the Scriptures that God made Heaven and Earth therefore beleeving the Scriptures to be the Word of God and whatsoever is contained in them hence faith layes hold upon it also and so our consent growes strong and firme that there is a God After this manner you come to conclude it by faith For what is faith Faith is but when a thing is propounded to you even as an object set before the eye there is an habit of faith within that sees it what it is for faith is nothing else but a seeing of that which is for though a thing is not true because I beleeve it is so yet things first are and then I beleeve them Faith doth not beleeve things imaginary and such as have no ground but whatsoever faith beleeves it hath a being and the things we beleeve doe lye before the eye of reason sanctified and elevated by the eye of faith therefore Moses when he goes about to set downe the Scripture hee doth not prove things by reason but propounds them as In the beginning GOD made the Heaven and Earth he propounds the object and leaves it to the eye of faith to looke upon For the nature of faith is this God hath given to man an understanding facultie which we call Reason the object of this is all the truths that are delivered in the world whatsoever hath a being Now take all things that we are said to beleeve and they also are things that are and which are the true objects of the understanding and reason But the understanding hath objects of two sorts 1 Such as we may easily perceive as the eye of man doth the object that is before him 2 Such as we see with more difficulty and cannot doe it without something above the eye to elevate it As the candle and the bignesse of it the eye can see but to know the bignesse of the Sunne in the latitude of it you must have instruments of art to see it and you must measure it by degrees and so see it So is it here some things we may fully see by reason alone and those are such as lye before us and them wee may easily see but other things there are that though they are true yet they are more remote and further off therefore they are harder to bee seene and therefore we must have something to helpe our understanding to see them So that indeed Faith it is but the lifting up of the understanding by adding a new light to them and it and therefore they are said to be revealed not because they were not before as if the revealing of them gave a being unto them but even as a new light in the night discovers to us that which we did not see before and as a prospective glasse reveales to the eye that which we could not see before and by its owne power the eye could not reach unto So that the way to strengthen our selves by this argument is to beleeve the Scriptures and the things contained in them Now
Consider that although a lust left at liberty when God hath taken off the chaine and suffers it to doe what it will doth contract more guilt and doth indeede more hurt to mankind yet he that hath a heart as full of lust and filthinesse is no lesse abominable and odious in Gods sight Take a wolfe that runnes up and downe and kills the sheepe that wolfe is abominable and every one cries out against him but a wise man that sees a wolfe tyed up in a chaine hates that as much as he did the other for he knowes that he hath the same nature and would doe as much hurt if he were let loose So we may say of men whose hearts are full of lusts God it may be hath tyed them up so that they breake not forth yet these lusts are abominable and hatefull in his sight though they doe not so much hurt nor breake so many commandements Therfore let them consider this that live under good families good Tutours or in good company coÌ„monly they are as wolves tied up they cannot break forth so into outward acts it may be they are restrained by reason of some bodies favour that they would not lose or the like but yet they give way to the spirit within that rangeth and lusteth up and downe and this is therefore defiled in Gods sight Consider that these lusts of the Spirit are full of the spawne and egges of sinne that is they are the mother sinne it is pregnant with actuall sinne Iam. 4.1 From whence come warres and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that warre in your members Concupiscence is but as the lust of the Spirit which concupiscence is full of actuall sinnes and brings them forth when occasion is given Iam. 1.15 And therfore it is more hated than an act is which is but one which hath not so much spawne in it and therefore you ought to cleanse your spirit from this pollution Quest. But how shall we doe this to get our spirits thus cleansed Answ. 1 You must search out the pollution of the spirit For the spirit of a man is a deepe thing and hidden full of corners and cranne a lust and pollution will easily hide it selfe in 〈◊〉 therefore thou must finde it out and confesse it Doe as David â—â—d goe to God and say Lord search and try me see if there be any wickednesse in me as if he should say if I could I would search my owne heart but I cannot doe it enough therefore doe thou come and doe it I will open the doores as a man useth to say to the officers that come to looke for a traytour Doe you come in and search if there be any here I will set open my doores so faith David here So when a man would cleanse his heart from the pollutions of his spirit let him doe on that manner remember that to hide a traytour is to be a traytour himselfe therefore labour to finde it and when it is found confesse it to the Lord and lay a just weight upon it What though it never breakes forth into outward actions say to the Lord O Lord I know that thou lookest to the spirit and art conversant about it to have a polluted spirit is an abomination to thee This is a thing that we would doe and wee are oftentimes to blame in this in our prayers for we confesse our actuall sinnes and doe not confesse the pollution of our spirits to the Lord. Quest. But you will say We would faine have some directions to finde out this uncleanesse of our spirits Answ. Consider what ariseth in thy spirit when it is stirred at any time and there thou shalt finde what the pollution of the spirit is Set a pot on the fire and put flesh into it while it is colde there is nothing but water and meat but set it a boyling and then the scumme ariseth It is a similitude used in Ezek. 24.11 12. I say observe what ariseth in thy spirit at any time wheÌ„ there is some commotion when thy spirit is stirred more than ordinary now every temptation is as it were a fire to make the pot boyle any injurie that is offered to us this makes the scumme to arise now see what ariseth out there and when any object comes to allure thee to sinne see what thoughts arise in thy heart as the thoughts of profit or preferment so that when such an opportunity comes it stirres the spirit and sets it on boyling consider what then ariseth in thy heart and thou shalt see what thy spirit is And that which thou art to doe when thou findest it is to confesse it to the Lord and suffer it not to come into outward act cast it out suffer it not to boyle in Ezek. 24.13 When thou hast done this thou must not stay here but thou must labour to loathe and hate that pollution of spirit There are two things to be hated by us the sinne that we looke upon as a pleasant thing but there is besides thy inclination to that thing and that is the pollution of thy spirit and that thou must hate and loathe thou must not onely hate the object that is offered to thee but thy selfe also and the uncleanesse of thy spirit Thus it is with every one whose heart is right Ezek. 36.21 that is when a man begins to looke upon his sinne and see the pollution of the spirit in it he begins to grow to an indignation against it as that is the fruite of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. he findes his heart so disposed that he begins to quarrell with his heart and to fall out with it and to say What have I such a heart that will carry me to sinne that will not onely carry me to sinne but to hell Hee begins to loathe himselfe hee would not owne his owne selfe if hee could hee would goe out of himselfe he is weary of his owne heart such a hatred and loathing thou must have of this pollution of spirit that is in thee And this thou shalt doe if thou wilt but consider what evill this pollution doth bring thee and what hurt filthinesse hath done to thee a man can hate the disease of the body and cry out of it and why should not men doe so of the soule It is our sinne that is the cause of all evill it is not poverty or disgrace or sicknesse but it is sinne in thy poverty sinne in thy disgrace sinne in thy sicknesse so that if a man could looke upon sinne as the greatest evill and that doth him the greatest mischiefe he would hate that above all things And here remember not onely to doe it in generall but to pitch thy hatred chiefly upon thy beloved sinne Be ready to say in this case as Haman of Mordecai what availeth it me if Mordecai yet live If we could do so with our beloved lusts and come to such a hatred of
contrary Therefore in 2 Tim. 4.22 Paul prayes The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit as if hee should say this is the greatest mercy that I can wish thee and the greatest good that God can doe thee and therefore he wisheth God to be with his spirit Now to set on this point a little further and to make this plaine to you you shall see it in these three things 1. Because all other things as riches poverty health sicknesse c. he dispenseth these promiscuously so he gives riches to wicked men c. because as it is Eccles. 9.1 His love or hatred cannot be knowne by these things Whence I reason thus That wherein the love and hatred of God is most seene therein his providence chiefly exerciseth it selfe but in the fashioning of the spirits of men there and there chiefly is his providence seene for other things come alike to men to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not 2. The disposing of other things is much in the power of men A Prince or a man hath power to kill or to save he can give riches and honor and take them away at his pleasure But to rule the spirits to compose and guide the apprehensions and affections of the soule that belongs to God alone a man is no more able to doe it than to rule the raging sea For as it is proper to God alone to compose the winde and to rule the waves so it is proper to him alone to rule the turbulent affections to compose and guide them If there be any disordered affection in the heart as an immoderate love of any thing or an impatient desire to any thing who is able to remove it but the Lord who is a Spirit So who can implant holy affections in thee but he alone as for example to thinke a good thought a man cannot do it without him who is the Father of spirits so to perswade a man no man can doe it it must be the Lord as Noah saith God shall perswade Laphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. So to see the hainousnesse of sinne and the evill of it no man can doe it but by the spirit of God as it is said Iohn 16.9 The Spirit convinceth men of Sinne. So to wil this or that which is good it is he that workes both the will and the deed A man cannot choose but bee swallowed vp with worldly griefe except God keepe him he cannot chose but feare the face of man except God assist him for this is one of Gods prerogatives royall to rule in the affections and apprehension of men 3 Because the guiding of a mans spirit is of the greatest consequence of all other things else Now God is a wise commander and therefore he will not exert and put forth his power but in things of greatest moment but the guiding of our affections is all in all to us For in a mans outward estate what things soever befall him all are nothing but what his apprehension is of them and how he is affected to them makes them crosses or comforts if a mans spirit be whole the greatest crosse is nothing and the least is intolerable if his spirit be broken As againe what are all pleasant things if a man hath not a heart to apprehend them As to Paul what was all his persecution as long as his spirit was whole within him he carried it out well and what was Paradise to Adam and a kingdome to Ahab when their spirit was broken It is the apprehension that makes every thing to a man heavy or unheavy pleasant or unpleasant sweete or sower and therefore this is the use to be made of it to behold Gods providence cheifely on our spirits and not onely in our owne spirits but what he doth vpon the spirits of others also It is a thing we stumble at when we see a wicked man prosper and carry all things in the world before him we should not say where is Gods providence and the truth of his promise but see what he doth upon the spirit of that man If thou seest such a man more malicious to the Church and children of God growing more carnall and abominable in his courses therein is Gods curse seene more than in all the dispensation of outward curses for that treasure of sinne which he layes up for himselfe will draw on a treasure of wrath which will be executed in due season Therefore beholde your spirits alwayes and Gods providence upon them Lament 3.65 Give them sorrow of heart thy curse upon them the words signifie which is thy curse upon them Therefore if you see an obstinate heart in a man that is the greatest curse of all As in receiving the Sacrament there wee doe pronounce a curse to him that receives it unworthily and prophanes the Lords body but it may be he goes on and sees it not but now looke upon his spirit and see how GOD deales with that whether his heart doth not grow harder and more obdurate which is the greatest curse You may observe this every where If thou seest one that hath a vaine and idle spirit that cannot studie that cannot pray that cannot choose but be carried away by an unruly lust to this or that thing believe it this is a greater judgement than all the diseases in the world than all shame and disgrace that wee account so much of than poverty and crosses as it is the greatest mercy on the other side when a man is able to serve GOD with an upright heart and to be sincere in all his carriage Thus it is with men and this thou shouldest observe in thy selfe also from day to day Let us not observe so much what accidents befall us what good is done to us or what crosses wee have it is true indeed GOD is seene in all these things but chiefly looke what GOD hath done to our spirit what composing of minde or what turbulency of affections or what quietnesse what patience or what impatience and for this be chiefly humbled or be chiefly thankfull for to take away from Christ the praise of sanctification is as much as to take away the praise of his redemption Herein thou shalt see his love or hatred manifested to thee his greatest judgement shewed to thee or his greatest mercies The Third Vse is that which the Scripture makes of it Iohn 4 24. If God be a Spirit then worship him in Spirit and truth What it is to worship God in spirit and truth you shall see if you compare this place with that in Rom. 1.9 For God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers The meaning of it is this When Paul had taken a solemne asseveration GOD is my witnesse c. doe not thinke saith hee that I have done this feignedly I am no such man
in preaching the Gospell of Iesus Christ I doe it in my spirit that is I doe it not for by-ends for feare of men or the like but I doe it in my spirit that is plainly heartily and sincerely So that to worship GOD in spirit is to have a plainnesse and sincerity in our worshipping him that is to doe it heartily what we doe to him in our praying and worshipping him when it is not formally and customarily done but our spirit seconds it within this it is to worship him in spirit So that the scope of our exhortation is that you would worship GOD chiefly in your spirits As it is said of singing Psalmes Col. 3.16 Admonish one another in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And the ground of it is because GOD is a spirit and therefore he beholdes at any such time when you come before him the inward behaviour of your spirits that is he observes when you come to preach or pray what squint-eyed ends what vaine glory what respect to men you have Yea he observes how farre naturall conscience leads you so that you do it as a task out of custome c. he observes what worldly-mindednes and carnall affections creep into the soule at that time that makes you either to post off the duty or else to doe it in a customary manner All this doth he behold he lookes to the inward carriage of the spirit and therefore doe you looke chiefly to the inward carriage to the inward frame of your minde Quest. But what is that more particularly Answ. I will shew it to you in these three things 1. See that thy spirit be as neare him as thy lippes are Isay 29.13 Hee complaines of a sort of people that draw nigh unto God with their mouth and with their lips doe honour him but have removed their heart farre from him and their feare towards him is taught by the precepts of men So Ier. 12.2 Thou oh Lord art neare in their mouth and farre from their reines Now if thou wouldest worship him in spirit see that thy spirit be as neare him as thy words are As for example in prayer thou confessest thy sinnes and professest that thou doest hate them thou prayest for mortification and grace for weanednes from the world herein thy words and Gods will doe agree they are consonant and when yet it may be the inward inclination of thy heart is farre enough off from this expression therefore bring thy spirit neare to God as thy lippes are and then thou worshippest him in spirit To shew you more plainly what this farrenesse off of the spirit is take a covetous man and put him upon the racke of any exigent where hee must part with all to save his life he will say as much as need to be in this case but his heart is set as close to his wealth as ever it was before so that he is loath to part with any thing And take a thiefe that comes before the Iudge hee confesseth his fault and begges pardon and saith that he will doe so no more but yet his heart sits as neere to his theft he is as farre from honesty as ever he was before So take a man when he comes into some exigent for that usually is the time as at the receiving of the Sacrament or at his day of death he comes and professeth to the Lord that hee will follow no more his wicked courses but he will become a new man here his words draw neare but looke to the bent and inclination of his heart to the radicall constitution of it and that is farre from holinesse there hee sits as close to his sinne as hee did before Therefore if thou wouldest worship God in spirit take care that thy spirit draw neare to him upon all such occasions as thy words doe A man in his ordinary course it may be prayes and his prayers are good but how farre his heart is from it that his life shewes It is a strange thing that at the Sacrament men come and make confession of their sins and yet their spirits are far from it and that their practise shewes Consider this you are the men that the Prophet doth speake too you draw nigh to GOD with your lips but your heart is farre from him And this is the first particuler When you worship God with all the might and strength and indevour of the minde and all the faculties of it this is to worship God in spirit 2 Sam. 6.14 It is said of David that hee danced before the Lord with all his might it was a worship of God a spirituall worship of God wherein David by his outward act of dancing did expresse his exultation and reioycing in the Lord. Now the text saith that he did this with all his might with all the might of his spirit for so you must understand it It is a Metaphore taken from the body when a man useth all his strength and might to doe any thing he vnites all the forces of his body to it so a man worshippeth God in spirit when all the faculties of the soule are concentred and united together in the performance of such a dutie And therefore it is called a wrastling with the Lord as Iacob did and it is called a striving with God as Paul saith that you strive together with me in prayer Rom. 15.30 that is when the soule and the minde are joyned all together when hee bends the whole soule to the worke this is to worship God in spirit Such an expression you haue Act. 20. where Paul went bound in the spirit to Ierusalem that is his spirit did not hang loose but it was girt up in a resolution to goe through with the worke whatsoever came of it his spirit was bound Now when thy spirit hangs loose upon the duty halfe on and halfe off when a man cares not whether hee doth it or no this is not to worship God with the spirit but when thy minde is girt up and thou dost it with all the intention of thy soule then thou dost it heartily as it is Col. 3.22 Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh not with eye-service as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing GOD where eye-service and heartily are opposed Eye-service is when a man doth it in the outward shew and appearance onely and what is the other to doe a thing heartily That is when a mans strength and his soule doth goe with the duty and the contrary to this is the loosenesse of the minde and the wandring of it about other things when the body and the words are well imployed but the minde doth not goe with them this is not to worship God in spirit when the spirit sits thus loose to God And this is the second thing wherein this worshipping of God in spirit doth consist The Third which
cleave to him Iohn 6.68 2 Chron. 15.6 Vse 2. For comfort That he will shâ—w himselfe to be the true God in raising up his Churches Esay 48.11 Vers. 10. Esay 42.8 To keepe our hearts from idolatry and to set up no other god Two kindes of Idolatrie Iames 4. Rom. 1. Three grounds of Idolatrie Psal. 115.9 The second thing to bee knowne concerning God What God is What the Essence of God is Exod. 6.3 Gen. 17.1 What is meant by such aforme of expression I am what I am Doctr. God only and properly hath Being in him What this Being is explained in five things Immense Isai. 40. Vers. 17. Of himselfe Rom. 11. Everlasting Without succession Giving Being to all things There is something in Gods Essence not to be inquired into Rom. 1.18 Exod. 33. Isai. 45.9 Rom. 11. Prov. 30.4 Vse 2. To strengthen our faith and encourage us in our wants and crosses Rom. 4.17 Exod. 6.6 Isai. 50.10 Gen. 1. 2 Cor. 4.5 Isai. 6.13 Isai. 42.13 14 Vse 2. To give him the praise of his Being To say I will doe such a thing what a sinne it is It is Idolatrit Isai. 42.8 Hab. 1.16 It is a vanity Psal. 37.5 Isai. 26.12 Psal. 37.7 Vse 3. Learne the vanity of all creatures and the remedie against it Act. 17.28 1 Chro. 29.18 Isai. 56.12 Iames 4.13 14. The Attributes of God are of two sorts God is perfect Act. 17.25 Isai. 40. Five differences betweene the perfection that is in God and which is in the creatures 1 Iohn 1. Reason Then all we can doe reacheth not to him to merit any thing Psal. 16.4 Vse 2. This perfection of his shews the freenesse of his grace and goodnesse in all he gives Rom. 11.35 36. To goe to God with faith though wee have no worth in us to move him God hath no need of any man or creature That many perish is nothing to him His Commandements are for thy good Isai. 36.17 To praise God for himselfe give him the honour of his perfection Psal. 68.1 Foure signes of entitling Gods perfection Deut. 28. Nahum 1. Signe Signe Psal. 27.1.3 Hebr. 11. Signe Coloss. 3. Isai. 55.2 That the creatures in themselves are of no moment to us are nothing in three respects Their efficacie is from God They are at his command Prov. 23. They can doe little good at best and that which they do is of no continuance The second attribute of God GOD is the first without all cause Rev. 1.8 Rev. 3.14 Isai. 44.6 Rom. 11.36 Reason 1. Reason 2. Object it hath that part of it selfe originally Reason 3. God therefore wils not things because they are just but they are just because he wils them God may doe all things for himselfe and his owne glory Matth. 20.15 16. We should do nothing for our owne ends but for God Signes whereby a man may know whether hee maketh God or himselfe his end Acts 6.4 Ioh. 17.4 A third Attribute of God His Eternity Doctr. Five things required in eternitie Isai. 57.15 Psal 90.2 Iohn 8.58 Psal. 90.2 3. The reasons why God must be eternall Foure differences between the eternity of God and the duration of all creatures Consect 1. He possesseth all things together and all time is present and as it were past with him Psal 90.4 To God no time is either long or short 1 Tim. 1.17 Isai. 57.15 Consect 2. Eternitie makes good things infinitely good evill things infinitely evill To mind more those things which are eternall 1 Ioh. 2.17 1 Tim. 1.17 1 Cor. 9.25 Ioh. 6.27 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. Motives hereunto God then hath time enough to fulfill his promises and his threatnings therefore not to be offended though he stay long Isai. 40.27 28. 2 Pet. 3.4 with 8 9. Consider you have to doe with a God whose love and enmitie are eternall And therefore first to trust in God and not man Psal. 146.3 4. Psal. 90.1 Secondly to feare him Isai 5.13 14. 1 Ioh 2.17 To serve God and to doe his will To comfort our selves against the mutabilitie of things here below Psa. 102.11 12. Psa. 102.26 27. Isai. 57.15 God is the Lord of all time appoints seasons and we are not to looke on time to come as ours Psal. 90.5 Iames 4.13 14. The fourth Attribute of God His Simplicity Iohn 4.24 GOD a Spirit What kinde of spirit 4 Properties of a spirit Luke 24.39 Iohn 3.8 Isay 31.3 Gods eye is chiefly upon the spirits of men and our care therefore is to keep our spirits fit for communion with GOD. 1 Sam. 16.7 How that is to be done 2 Cor. 7.1 Lust defiles the spirit 2 Pet. 1.4 T it 1.15 Mat. 15 19. Rom 7. Actuall sinnes coâ—â—itted by 〈…〉 of the spiâ—â—t Iames 4. 3 Reasons or considerations proving it Isay 57. Iames 4.1 Iames 1.15 Directions for cleansing the spirit Ezek. 24.11 12. Ezek 24.13 Ezek. 36.21 2 Cor. 7. Isay 4.4 Ierem. 23.24 Mal. 3. Zach 13.9 Isay 66.2 1 Pet. 3.3 Prov. 3.22 Iam. 2.5 Heb. 12.28 Phil. 4.8 2 Cor. 5. Iames 1 10. 1 Cor. 6.12 13. 2 Pet. 2.12 Iohn 4.34 His government chiefly exercised on the spirits of men Rom. 14.17 Psal. 13.14 15. Psal. 81.12 Deut. 30.6 Ezek. 36.26 2 Tim. 4.22 Proved by 3 Demonstrations Eccles. 9.1 Iohn 16.9 Lam. 3 65. 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 4.24 â—orship him 〈◊〉 â—pirit Rom. 1.9 What it is to serve God in the spirit Col. 3.16 Particularly in three things Isay 29.13 Ier. 12.2 2 Sam. 6.14 Rom. 15 30. Acts 20. Col 3.22 Col. 3.22 What necessity there is of fit gestures of the body in Gods worship 1 Cor. 6 20. Acts 9. Psal. 51.16 17 Luke 22 42. Luke 4. * How God describes himself to Moses Exod. 34.6 Ier. 23.24 Deut. 24. Exod. 34.6 The Simplicity of GOD proved by 6 Reasons Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Reas. 5. Reas. 6. Consect 1. See what a stable foundation faith hath to rest upon Psal. 46.1 2. Consect 2. God cannot be hindred in any worke he goes about Consect 3. That the Attributes of GOD are equall in his iustice and his mercy c. To labour for contentednesse with the simplicity of our condition Phil. 4. Labour for simplicity and singlenesse of heart Iam. 1.8 Iames 4.8 Matth. 10.16 Rom. 12.8 Goe to God rather than the creatures hee being mercy wisedome it selfe c. by reason of the simplicity that is in him The fifth Attribute of God His Immutability Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Reas. 5. Consect 1. Consect 2. That all his love hatred ioy c. were in him from eternity Whence 1. He must needs be righteous in all his wayes Take heede of provoking him to cast thee off Gods gifts and calling are without repentance to his Elect Heb. 6.18 Isay. 55.3 Heb. 10.23 1 Cor. 15.58 That the unchangeablenes of Gods Decrees takes not away endeavours We shall finde God the same in dispensing iudgements mercies in these times to us that he hath beene in former times to them Two cases wherein God will punish his owne A caution added Esay 59.1 Containes two branches Looke on the creatures as mutable and expect not much from them Goe to God to put a stability into the things thou enioyest Learn to prize things by their unchangeablenesse as Grace c. To goe to God to get constancy in well-doing Two causes of inconstancy and two means to procure constancy Lusts get them mortified Iam 4.8 Vnconstancy comes from weaknesse Three helpes to strengthen purposes The sixth Attribute of God His Greatnesse and Infinitenesse The Greatnes of GOD declared in 6 things By the workes of Creation By the Ensigns of his Greatnesse By the workes of his providence By comparing him with the greatest things By the Immensity of his being By his holinesse Proved by 4 Reasons Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. To know our interest in this Great God and to take up a greatnesse of minde answerable How a man shall come by this greatnesse of minde and what rise it hath from Gods greatneâ— Learne to feare for his greatnesse That no affection or obedience in us is great enough for him and therefore not to 〈◊〉 our selves in either 1 Iohn 2.15 Iames 4.4 To reverence him when wee come before him and to feare him The seventh Attribute of God The Infinitenesse of his Presence Or His Immensity Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Hee governes the world immediately which is a remedy against the complaint of evill Governours Therefore to choose him and reioyce in him as a friend in all places See a ground of his particular providence in the smallest things It teacheth us patience and meeknesse when iniuries are offered Iames 5 9 To walk with God A mans presence is seene in three things And so is Gods with us and ours with him Vse 6 Hee observeth all the sinnes thou committest and all the good thou doest for encoragement and restrainte Terror to wicked men who have such an enemy from whom they cannot fly Amos 9.2 3 4. The eighth Attribute of God His Omnipotence Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Let all in Covenant with God reioyce that they have an Almighty God for their God Make use of his power in all wants and in all straits c. To beleeve this great power of God That men doubt as much of the power of God as of his will by 3 instances Seeke and pray to him in all straits with confidence