will not rectified Deest enim intellectus voluntatis consiliariâ—s for understanding is wanting which is the Counseller of the soule The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2. 14. unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned at spiritus non natura sed gratia the spirit is not of nature but of grace So said Christ of the whole world O righteous Father Iohn 17. 25. the World hath not knowne thee but I have knowne thee and these have knowne c. therefore hee prayed for his Apostles and in them for us all I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but that thou keepe them from evill And againe Sanctifie them Iohn 17. 15 17. with thy truth by nature wee are the children of wrath by grace we are Gods adopted Sonnes Hereupon saith the Apostle In times past we walked according to the course of the World and after the spirit that ruleth in the Ayre and that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whome also wee had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde Ephes 2. 3 4 5. and were by nature the children of Wrath nor by creation but by Adams transgression and so by birth as well as others But God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith he loved us when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace we are saved There are but two things in us either nature or grace either flesh or spirit Now in the state of nature al are accursed in the state of grace we are blessed For by grace wee beleeve and faith Act. 18. 27. Iohn 1. 12 13. maketh us the sonnes of God for as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the No true good in us by nature till regenerate will of man but of God Where he distinguisheth of two births the one naturall and the other spirituall a birth from men a birth from God a generation by nature a regeneration by the Spirit as he doth againe to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of Water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter the Kingdome of God and againe Yee Cap. 3. 5 6. Psal 2. 7. must be borne againe there is no naturall Sonne of God but the Lord Iesus we are all the adopted Sonnes of God in Christ and by Christ by his meanes we are raised up together and made to sit together Ephes 2. 6. Rom. 8. 17. in Heavenly places For saith the Apostle If we be children wee are also heires even the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ c. we bring nothing from our mothers wombe but death and damnation every one must say with David I was shapen in wickednes Psal 51. 5. and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse What Iob 14. 4. can be had from the egge of a Cockatrice but a Serpent From a spider but venome from the Taxus tree in India but poyson from the bitter poole Exanthus but bitter water Wee have not Math. 7. Lambes from Woolves no grapes from thornes nor figges from thistles Well said the Schooleman Quòd dona naturalia in Adamo sunt corrupta supernaturalia ablata ille ut radix nos ut rami radix est venenata ergo rami Our naturall gifts in Adam were corrupt our supernaturall taken away he as the roote we as the boughes the root is poisoned therefore the boughes like the waters of Mara untill Moses put in the sweet wood untill God Exod. 17. infuse grace for by grace we are saved and where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned unto death so Ephes 2. 8. Rom. 5. 20 21. might grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life The Pelagians held that sinne came by imitation not by propagation but Paul confuteth them saying As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went over all men forasmuch as Rom. 5. 12. all men have sinned c. These men quoth Iude walke as Naturall men that is in all sinne and vanity as is said of the Gentiles That they walked in the vanity of their minde having their cogitations darkened being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts So Paul reasoned with the Corinths Are yee not carnall For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions 1 Cor. 3. 3. are yee not carnall and walke as men even so reason wee with you When malice envy rancour whoredome covetousnesse pride raigneth among us are wee not naturall men For God would cut downe these sinnes as a sickle If yee live after the flesh yee shal dye but if yee through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. yee shall live Yea many naturall men goe before us in brideling their lusts and affections Aristides being by the unjust Law of Ostracisme in Athens banished and being asked what hee would to Athens answered Se nihil velle quin tantam rerum prosperitatem ut illis nunquam in mentem veniat Aristides hee desired nothing We should strive to exceed naturall men but so much prosperity to Athens as that they might never remember Aristides The like is said of Phocion condemned to drink hemlocke the juce whereof through extreme cold is poison Being asked what he would unto his Sons said Nothing sed ne hujus unquam iniuriae velint meminisse but that they should never remeÌ„ber this injury Socrates by Philosophie brideled whoredome in himselfe and Telamon by it bare the death of his sonne patiently saying Sciebam me genuisse mortalem I did know that I begat a mortall man I take no pleasure in these prophane examples save only to ashame us as Paul did the Athenians by Aratus and the Cretians by Epimenides and the Corinths by Menander Let our righteousnesse exceed theirs else there is no roome for us in Gods Kingdome our life must have all vertues in it such a life led the Christians they could be touched with no open crime or notorious fault but that they sung Psalmes to Iesus before day as Plinius secundus writeth of them to the Emperour our Saviour Christ told his disciples that their justice must exceed the justice Mat. 5. 20. of the Scribes and Pharises and so must wee tell all Christians that they must exceed Turkes and Pagans or else they shall never see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the liuing yet it is reported
but they that have beene mockers of God and Religion most odious most severely punished yet all condemned as being persecutors carnall lose Libertines though they thinke themselves 〈◊〉 yet they 〈◊〉 the bondslaves of sinne and Satan they are onely free that are the servants of God and subdue their lusts and they have thereby assurance of their election and salvation The Contents of the thirtieth Sermon HEre he condemneth Sectaries that make a division in the Church which is one and the true members thereof preserve unity among themselves these Sectaries are dangerous as Idolaters Three sorts of them viz. Heretikes Schismatikes and Apostates who are described and condemned Pride the root of Heresie and Schisme though the Scriptures the meanes to confute them yet they pervert them to maintaine their errors That we may avoid these wee must keepe our hearts from infidelity our minds from false opinions and our conversation from scandall they are the chiefe Engines Satans vse to overthrow the Church making Sects and divisions either for matters Ecclesiasticall or Temporall These Sectaries are by Iude called naturall men that is unregenerate having no more then they drew from Adam without grace and knowledge of heavenly things yet practised many civill vertues invented Arts and in many things exceeded many that beare the names of Christians though they had but naturall illumination not the Spirit of Sanctification and so Saint Iude addeth having not the Spirit that is the Spirit of God and being without it had no spirituall grace but were led by the spirit of pride errour c. The Contents of the one and thirtieth Sermon HAving noted the opposition betweene the wicked and the godly from the conjunction discretive But that though Sectaries pull downe yet the godly must build up themselves in their holy Faith he justifieth first in the metaphor Edifie hee inferres two things first that we must be builders using the Word of God for our rule or square and confute the Papists that tooke it away secondly that we must encrease daily in knowledge grace and goodnesse and reproove our non-proficiency and shew that it is a propertie of the wicked to decrease and taxe both such as thinke they know enough and such as will not indevour to know exhorting all to use all diligence to learne and to build so as when their earthly tabernacle bee dissolved they may have assurance of a house in the Heavens he proceedeth with the Apostle to the thing wherein hee must be built and that is in their Faith and this not barely named but with a note of excellency above all vertues being called Most holy Faith He sets out the necessity of Faith in all our actions that they may bee pleasing to God and having shewed that Faith is the originall of all good workes he sheweth the end and manifold uses of them Finally that Faith is the life of the soule by it God lives in us and wee shall live eternally with him Hee proceeds to the note of excellency that is called most holy and first shewes the excellency of it above all other vertues and that holy first in regard of the subject purifying the heart and making our persons and 〈…〉 Secondly in respect of the object the holy Trinitie Thirdly in respect of the officient cause the holy Ghost and hence concluded that the Papists workes are not holy being not done in Faith and that the wicked have no Faith because no holinesse And lastly he sheweth that this holy Faith must be begotten by hearing the holy Word of God The Contents of the two and thirtieth Sermon HAving set out the relation betweene Faith and Prayer and the manifold and marveilous effects of Prayer and that it is not onely powerfull but pleasant to God and the Saints themselves he descends to divide Prayer into divers kinds in divers respects and sheweth how all must be uttered Hee proceedeth further to set out the excellency of Prayer by many resemblances and manifold effects and uses having spoken of Prayer in generall he comes to shew that it must bee in Spirit and sheweth what it is to pray in the Spirit and that hee deâ—ineth so as either the holy Ghost must be the Author of Prayer being the Author of all Graces yet so as the holy Trinity have a hand in it or secondly that our Prayers must be spirituall and zealous not carnall and with the lips hee reprove the Papists that require but an actuall intent and sheweth it is the manner not matter that God respects That wee must take heed that neither businesse nor multitude of cogitations steale away the times of prayer but that wee pray alwayes with pure zealous and faithfull hearts and then we may relye upon his promises for all good things The Contents of the three and thirtieth Sermon HAving breifly shewed the relation betwixt Faith Prayer and Love he instanceth in Love setteth out the excellency of it above all vertues bewailes the want of it and exhorts unto it yet distinguisheth and sheweth it must be the Love of God which we must keepe our selves in this he describes by foure properties that it must bee 1 Holy 2 Iust 3 True 4 Constant And condemnes the love of Atheists carnall wordly men and Papists distinguisheth the love of God into 1 His love to us 2 Our love to him His love to us though infinite yet described in divers respects 1 By comparison 2 By distinction First into his love 1 Immanent 2 Transient Secondly 1 Generall 2 Speciall Thirdly 1 Temporary 2 Sempiternall Our love to god he sheweth to be an effect of his love to us and uses foure reasons to excite us to the love of God First à mandato from the Commandement of God Secondly 〈…〉 from the Law of equity Thirdly à commodo from the manifold good that redounds to us by it Fourthly 〈…〉 from our duty he being our Father Lastly he sheweth the manner how we should performe it and taxeth our fayling in the manner The Contents of the foure and thirtieth Sermon FIrst observing how Saint Iude having give divers Precepts to the godly commforts them with the hope of eternall life he shewes this to bee the duly meanes to support the soules of the faithfull and entreth into a large learned and elegant discourse concerning eternall life and the joyes of Heaven and sets them out firtst to bee in themselves both unspeakeable and incomprehensible yet that may be guessed at by comparison with the most excellent earthly things and setteth out the glorious estate of the Saints both in body and soule and reprooves such as are so delighted with this life as they thinke not on eternall life and confutes divers erronious conceits concerning this life and againe describes it 1 By the eternity 2 Infinite extent of the place 3 The infinite kindes of pleasures Lastly having set out the glorious estate hee sheweth the meanes how wee should attaine to it and that not by our merits but Gods mercies
Alexander was borne in the dayes of Aristotle The Queene of Sheba pronounced Salomons men happy for hearing him How happy 1 Reg. 10. are wee then that live in the call of the Gospel Blessed are the eyes saith our Saviour to his Disciples which see that yee see for I A little part of the World called tell you that Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which yee see and have not seene them and to heare those things that yee heare and have not heard them O terque quaterque beati oculi nostri O Luke 10. 23. thrice and foure times blessed are our eyes For as God called a little angle of Iewry and passed over all the World besides For hee suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne wayes So God Act. 14. 16. hath passed over all Africa Asia America and called a little piece of Europe all nations else are polluted The Grecians adore the Virgin Mary and Saints painted the Creature for the Creator The Aethiopians adore the Emperour Presbyter Iohannes The Tartarians the Great Cham. The Persians the Fire and the Sunne The Turkes Mahomet The Borussians many gods as Antrimpus Protrimpus Pelintus c. The Indians spirits called Zemes. The Papists Images But wee adore the true God They worship they know not what we worship that which wee know God hath given his Iohn 4. 22. Word to Europe hee hath given to other Nations other blessings To the Muscovites hides and precious skinnes to the Moores of Barbarie sugar and sweet spices to the Spaniards wine and fruits to the Indians gold and silver to them of Cathai pearle and precious stones to the Persians silke and margarites to them of Island Finland Greenland fish and fowles But to us hee hath given his Gospel Blessed be the day and happy bee the houre wherein it came to us Let that day be as the day wherein Israel came out of Aegypt let it bee the head of the yeare let no cloud staine it nor darkenesse possesse it If we had as many tongues as Argus had eyes if every haire of our head were a life and every life as long as Methuselahs all were too little to praise God Thanke God that thou livest in this time of the Gospel Let thy soule praise God Let all that is Psal 103. 1. within thee praise his holy name Thus must God call us by his Word else wee are reprobates in the Church but not of the Church For as excrements are in the body and not of the body so reprobates are in the Church but not of the Church They wet 1 Iohn 2. 19. out from us but are not of us for if they had bin of us they would have continued with us Many that heare this Sermō are among us but not Mat. 25. of us and the time shall come that the Goats shall be separated from the Sheepe the Dogs from the Lambes the Crowes from the Doves the Bastards from the Children the Chaffe from the Corne. Oh then heare the call of Gods Ministers Calling is of two sorts Externall Internall Externall is either common to all by the instinct of nature and workes of God or not common to all by the Word preached Internall and effectuall is the worke of the whole Trinitie whereby God the Father through the Sonne by the holy Ghost not onely offers Grace but giveth it to the Elect. Vocantur electi Calling externall and internall Externall calling vnprofitable without the Internall vel foris per externam praedicationem vel intus efficaci operatione spiritus Sancti The Elect are called either without by outward preaching of the Word or within by the inward effectuall operation of the holy Ghost This hath two parts The one Invitement The other Admission Invitement is when God offers remission and life everlasting to all that doe beleeve and this outwardly by the preaching of the Word and inwardly by inspiration of heavenly desires Admission is when men are entred into the kingdome of Grace and this outwardly by Baptisme and inwardly by the spirit engraffing them into Christ and making them reall members of Gods Kingdome Of this effectuall calling speaketh Iude here the greatest blessing in the World For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Spiritus Dei non amittitur totaliter finaliter quos semel Rom. 11. 29. Iohn 13. semper diligit Deus The spirit of God cannot totally and finally bee lost for whom God loveth once hee loveth ever Et quos semel semper vocat deus ejus vocatio irrita fieri non potest And whom God once hee ever calleth for his calling cannot be frustrate For all things worke for the best to them that love God even to them that are called of purpose Rom. 8. 28. The externall calling is often unprofitable because it is not joyned with the internall the Ministery of man in the Church wanteth the Ministery of the spirit in the heart Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giveth the increase Wee call you but 1 Cor. 3. God chooseth you We light a candle often before them that Mat 22. 14. Eccles 24. Psal 58. are blind as Christ did to the Pharisees Wee cry to them that are deafe as David did to Abner Wee set meate on the graves of dead men that cannot eate We charme deafe Adders which will not heare Wee mourne to them that will not weepe Wee pipe to them that will not dance Wee preach to them that will not repent Luke 7. Laterem crudam lavamus We wash a raw brike For if the internall calling wanteth wee may preach all our life and you may heare ten thousand Sermons and yet bee never the better except the inward Schoole-master the Spirit of God joyne with the Preacher We cannot command Grace For to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisedome to another the word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another is given Faith by the same Spirit to another the gift of Healing by the same Spirit and 1 Cor. 12. 8 9 10 11. to another the operation of Great workes to another Prophecie to another the discerning of Spirits to another diversity of Tongues and to another the Interpretation of tongues and all these things worketh even the selfe same Spirit distributing to every man severally even as he will The Blacke-moore will not change his skin nor the Leopard alter his spots the Panther will not be tamed nor the Adder The Gospell powerfull to them that are called charmed nor the crooked Serpent made straight nor the salt Sea made fresh and wicked men will not bee taught wee can but preach to you God by his Spirit must call you Lactantius speaking of the Word and the Minister meaneth the inward calling joined with the outward Da mihi inquit Libro 3. de falsa sapientia hominem iracundum uno verbo Dei reddam placidum ut ovem da
of their cruell affections are called by the name of beasts but Christ by his Spirit shal so reforme them and work in them such mutuall peace and unity that they shall bee as Lambes favouring and loving one another and cast away all their cruell affections And againe the Prophet speaking of the Kingdome of Christ saith They shall breake their swords into mattocks and their speares into sithes Nation shall not lift up a sword against Nation neither Mich. 4. 3 4. shall they learne to fight any more but they shall sit every man under his Peace both good and pleasant Vine and under his Fig-tree and none shall make them afraid meaning that peace and unity shall flourish among them and division and dissention shall be utterly banished Our God is the God of peace the Divell on the contrary is Heb. 13. 20. the Author of all dissention it was he that caused division between Abimelech and the men of Sichem Hee was a murtherer Ind. 9. 23. from the beginning But God is the Author of peace Litigiosi Iohn 6. 44. ergo non sunt ex Deo Contentious persons therefore are not of God For God is not the author of confusion but of peace Peace is one fruit of the Spirit so saith the Apostle The fruits of the Spirit 1 Cor. 14. 33. are love joy peace c. but no peace no Spirit of God Paul is not earnester in any thing than in moving men to imbrace peace Writing to the Philippians he saith thus If there be any Phil. 2. 1 2. consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any compassion and mercy fulfill my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one judgement that nothing bee done through contention or vaine-glory c. And againe I pray Phil. 4. 2. Evodias and beseech Syntiches that they bee of one accord in the Lord. This was Christs Ave and Vale ever Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you Dulce nomen pacis res ipsa tum jucunda tum salutaris the very name of peace is sweet and comfortable the fruit and effect thereof pleasant and profitable Innumeris potior triumphis more to bee desired than innumerable Triumphes This blessed peace is the language of heaven the Angels brought it from heaven Glory in the highest heavens to God in earth peace towards Luke 2. men good will This is the Legacy which Christ bequeathed to his Disciples Pacem meam do vobis My peace I give unto Iohn 20. 19. you this was the usuall salutation of the Iewes Shenim Vbenim peace be unto you this is one of those speciall blessings which all the Apostles in all their salutations pray for Grace bee with you and peace this David commendeth O quà m bonum quà m Gal. 1. 9. jucundum O how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity it is not bonum non jucundum good Psal 133. 1. and not pleasant or jucundum non bonum pleasant and not good but bonum jucundum good and pleasant There bee some things that be bona sed non jucunda good and not pleasant as patience and discipline some things be jucunda sed non bona pleasant but not good as voluptuousnesse carnall pleasure some things are nec bona nec jucunda neither good nor pleasant as envie worldly sorrow c. and there be some things bona iucunda which are both good and pleasant as peace honesty charity This peace Christ commendeth to his Disciples Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another this was a Mar. 13. peece of the blessing which God taught the high Priest that God would grant them his peace When GOD would have a Numb 6. 6. Temple builded for his worship he would not have it in Davids 2 Sam. 7. 5. time because it was troublesome and full of Warre but in the Contention cause of Destruction dayes of Salomon who is interpreted Rex pacis the King of Peace When Christ came into the World it was in the dayes of Augustus when the whole World was at Peace and Christ is the corner Luke 2. stone making peace among men Tale bonum est bonum pacis Aug. ut in rebus creatis nihil gratiosius soleat audiri nihil delectabilius concupisci nihil utilius possideri such and so great a good is the good of Peace that among al the things created nothing is heard of more acceptable nothing desired which is more delectable nothing possessed more profitable Peace is the sweetest harmony that ever sounded the strongest bond that ever united politicall bodies together the chiefest prop pillar preservative of common wealths Cum alii sunt pacem recipientes alii retinentes alii facientes when some embrace Peace others retaine it others make it Let us therefore Brethren Bee diligent to keepe the unity of the Ephes 4. 3 4 5. spirit in the bond of peace being one body and one spirit even as wee are called into one hope of our calling For there is but one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father over all which is above all through all and in us all For contention breedeth division and division is the mother of destruction here and ever hereafter here it impoverisheth us so saith the Apostle If yee barke one at another and bite one another yee shall at last bee devoured one of another the end of Gal. 5. 15. barking is biting the end of contention is consumption the end of dissention destruction This Christ layeth out by two similitudes saying Every Kingdome divided against it selfe shall be Mat. 12. 25. brought to nought and every Citie or House divided against it selfe cannot stand hereafter it damneth us For unto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey unrighteousnesse shall bee Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish c. Herein the Divels are wiser than Men Est Daemonum legio concors there is an agreement among Aug. the Divels In Mary Magdalen of seven in another of a whole leagion and Christ saith That if Sathan cast out Sathan hee is divided against himselfe and how shall his Kingdome indure The Divels Mat. 12. 26. Luke 11. 15. agree in mischiefe and they all obey one head to do a mischiefe Conyes are but small things yet joyning together they overthrow the Isles of Anaph Maiorica and Minorica The Cranes are not great but being conjoyned they beate the Pigmae Herrings are but little yet their forces being put together overturne a great ship Gnats are but small creatures yet many being united together drave backe Iulian the Apostata Rats are not great yet many of them together devoured Hatto of Moguncia Hist. tripart Our bodies stand of foure contrary Elements Fire Water Ayre Earth but because they are
divine power have yee not heard it hath it not beene told you from the beginning have yee not understood it by the foundation of the Earth Hee sitteth upon the circle of the Earth and the inhabitants thereof are as Grasse-hoppers he stretcheth out the Heavens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in And Salomon reasoneth thus Who hath ascended up to Heaven and descended who hath gathered the Wind in his Prov. 30. 4. fist who hath bound the Waters in a garment who hath established all the ends of the World what is his name or his Sonnes name if thou canst tell And God reasoning with Iob saith Where wast thou when Job 38. 4 5 6. 8. I layd the foundations of the Earth declare if thou hast understanding who hath layd the measures thereof if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line over it whereupon are the foundations thereof set or who hath layd the corner-stone thereof or who hath shut up the Sea with doores When it issued and come forth out of the Wombe c. The world is Schola Dei the Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke And the Apostle affirmeth Psal 19. 1. that God left not himselfe without witnesse in that hee did good and gave us raine from Heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse O every showre of raine is a Preacher and tels us there is a God Note this that nothing was made of it selfe nor for it selfe but for another The Heavens we see doe serve the Ayre the Ayre serveth the Earth the Earth the Beasts the Beasts serve Man Man therefore not made of himselfe was made to serve another which can bee no other but God The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake If all things therefore Man which Pro. 16. 4. confuteth Atheisme Againe it is an arrow yea a hammer against Atheisme that all men have a conscience of sinne and are affraid of it Conscience is a witnesse either with us or against us either to excuse us or accuse us It beareth witnesse of what of secret particular actions Against whom against thy selfe To whom to God seeing neither men nor Angels know the secrets of thy heart Let all Atheists barke against the God-head as long as they will Intùs est vermis qui illos mordet within there is a worme that gnaweth them In that men are afraid and ashamed of sinne it argueth that there is a God we see that all creatures purge themselves of their corruption The Sea her froth the water her skumme the earth her vapours the birds their feathers the wine his lees the fire his smoke the oile his some Man therfore that would avoid his sinne and be rid of it hath a conscience of God and proveth there is a God But alas Religion beggeth in these dayes Probitas laudatur alget our religion is in imagination not in faith in opinion not in judgement in the braine not in the heart in word not in deed and effect They professe they know God but inwardly in their works they doe denie him being abominable disobedient and unto every Few truly religious but many Epicures and Atheists good worke reprobate they have a shew of godlinesse but have denyed the power thereof O vile times the worst that have beene ever since the creation of the world and if these dayes should not be shortned no flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake God hath shortned them We Tit. 1. 16. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Mat. 24. 22. Esa 58. 1. 1 Reg. 19. Mar. 3. had need crie aloud and not spare lift up our voices like trumpets For ordinary speaking hath no proportion with extraordinary sinning We cannot come to you as God came to Elias in a still wind in a soft voice we must have Stentors voice be like Iames and Iohn the sonnes of thunder The Heathen said of their infidels Plus amant bovem quā Iovem they love the oxe more than Iupiter we may say of many Christians Plus amant coenam quam coelum cibum quam Christum they love more their supper than heaven more their meat than Christ they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like lapwings that delight in dung like Vespatian who took a tribute of urine Many nations have lived without cloaths without King without armour but never any without God as Tullie said Nulla gens tamfera tamimmanis c. never nation was so wilde so cruell so barbarous but have acknowledged and confessed that there was a God Neere the river Ganges in India be men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without mouthes that live by the sent of flowers among us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without hearts that beleeve nothing Socrates said Hoc scio quod nihil scio I know this that I know nothing and they hoc credo quod nihil credo I beleeve this that I beleeve nothing they have set downe their rest Non esse Deum non esse daemonem non esse coelum non esse infernum there is no God there is no divell there is no heaven there is no hell and therefore they say Our life is short and tedious and in the death of a man there is no recovery neither was any knowne that have returned Wisd 2. 1 2 3. 4 5. from the grave wee are borne at all adventure and wee shall be hereafter as though we had never beene for the breath is as smoake in our nosthrills and the words as a sparke raised out of the heart which being extinguished the body is turned to ashes and the spirit vanisheth as in the soft ayre c. Come therefore let us enjoy the pleasures that are present c. These wilde Bores roote up the Lords vineyard these Foxes destroy the grapes these Ionas's trouble the ship of England For Christs Psal 80. 13 14. Church is Christs ship tossed with waves but let us runne with the Apostles and awake our Saviour that hee may hurle out Mat. 14. these Ionas's Thirdly the wicked are here described by their carnalitie and libertie they turne grace into wantonnesse for ungodlinesse hath two branches iniquitie in life and manners and impuritie in religion of the first he saith They turne grace into wantonnesse of the second it is said that they denied God and Christ Iesus Of the Act. 6. Rom. 8. first sort were the Libertines that disputed with Steven Paul had to doe with such hereticks vile men that said faciamus mala ut inde veniat bonum Let us doe evill that good may good come thereof Gods grace ought to lead to repentance Or let us be evill that God may be good let us commit iniquitie that Gods glorie may bee revealed let sinne abound that grace may superabound But their judgement is just and their damnation sleepeth not such are all presumptuous sinners Rom. 6. 1. that will sinne of purpose
us unto an holy calling Not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us through Christ Iesus before the World was It is true of all men that Christ said of his disciples non vos me elegistis yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you yea God so preventeth us with his grace that hee findeth nothing past or to come whereby God chose us and bee reconciled unto us For who hath given unto him first that is provoked him by his good workes A lively example wee have in these two brethren Esau and Iacob both twinnes both inclosed in one wombe yet hee rejected the one and chose the other Non ex operibus not by workes but by him that calleth Deus coronat opera Rom. 9. 11. sua non merita nostra God crowneth his gifts not our merits Cui daret justus judex coronâ—â—â— nisi cui dedisset pater misericors indebitam gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the crowne but unto whom the Father of Mercy giveth undeserved Grace And he addeth Ne dicas ideo electus sum quia credebam Aug. tract 86. in Iob. si enim credebas jam cum elegeras non ipse te sic judicium esset penos lutum non penes figulum Doe not say I am elected because I did beleeve for if thou diddest beleeve thou haddest now chosen him and not hee thee and so the Iudgement had beene in the power of the clay and not of the potter But heare what Christ saith Yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you I say therefore with Saint Ambrose Iustitia nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quam perfectione virtutum our righteousnesse consisteth more in the remission of our sinnes than in the perfection of our vertues Even as David declareth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose Psal 32. 1 2. sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne One Father saith thus when wee were not God made us when wee were sinners hee Iustified us when we were in prison hee freed us when wee were mortall hee glorified us Another Rom. 5. 1. Luke 4. 18. Rom. 8. 30. Father saith God by his Wisedome hath foreknowne us by his Gospell hee calleth us by his Faith hee justifieth us by his Iustice hee damneth us by his Grace he saveth us So that all is of his meere goodnesse and no cause to expostulate with God His Iudgements are just but yet secret Secret things saith Deut. 29. 29. Moses belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong unto Five signes of Election two internall us But if the Heavens declare the glory of God let us speake to his glory Secreta Dei sunt adoranda non scrutanda Secret things are to bee adored not searched It is not good to eate too Prov. 25. 27. much Hony so to search their owne glory is not glory It is reported of Augustine that being about to write his bookes of the Trinity hee was taught by a childe who laded the Sea into a little spoone to whom Augustine said that hee laboured in vaine for his little spoone could not containe the Sea To whom the child replied that his little Wisedome his shallow braine could not containe the depth of the Trinity But you will say how shall wee know our election that wee may bee comforted against all the assaults of Satan that wee may say with the sweet singer of Israel Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thou art Psal 23. with mee thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee And with Paul I 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. 8 have fought a good fight I have kept the Faith I have finished my course from hence forward there is laid up for mee a crowne of glory which the Lord will give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto all them also that love his appearing I answere that no man can bee deceived in the state of his election but hee that deceiveth himselfe for wee may know whether wee stand in the state of Grace or no. Danaeus maketh Danaeus in Isagog five signes of election As the comming of the Swallow is a signe of the Spring as the putting forth of the figge-tree is a signe of Summer as the whitenesse of the region is a signe of Harvest So there bee many undoubted signes of our election 1 The first is the inward testimony of Gods Spirit the seale and earnest-penny of our Salvation For it is God that hath Sealed us and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our 2 Cor. 1. 22. hearts The Apostle compareth the Word to a writing the Spirit to a seale that ratifieth all Clamat in nobis Abba the same Rom. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. Luke 11. 11. Spirit beareth witnesse to our Spirit that wee are the children of God And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father And if God be our Father how can wee doubt of our inheritance If wee aske Fish he will not give us a Serpent If Heaven he will not give us Hell 2 The second signe is our faith which is knowne by the effects as the Eagle by her feathers as the tree of Life by the fruits of it Thus Paul bade the Corinths try their faith Prove your selves whether yee are in the Faith examine your selves c. Qui 2 Cor. 13. 5. credit salvabitur he that beleeveth shall bee saved and this faith may be knowne to us if wee will search our selves Christ asked Mar. 16. 16. Iohn 8. the woman taken in Adultery where her accusers were So aske thy heart where thy sinnes are and if thou doest beleeve it will say with the woman that they are all gone Qui enim credit transit Three externall signes of Election a morte ad vitam Hee that beleeveth in him is passed from death to life for all that are borne of God overcommeth the World And this is the victory that overcommeth the World even our Faith Iohn 3. 1 Iohn 5. 4. Hereupon Paul triumpheth over Death Hell Hunger Cold Nakednesse Perill Sword and concludeth That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Power nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature Rom. 8. 38 39. shall bee able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 3 The third signe is the conformity of our will to Gods will to love that which God loveth and to hate that which God hateth therefore wee pray that Gods will may bee done on Earth as it is in Heaven He that doth the will of God shall abide Mat. 6. for ever
73. tongue to have a further skill than of himselfe howsoever it must needs be that their fall was before the fall of man for otherwise this Homicida this murtherer could not have been so ready in the Angell to bring man to confusion Hereupon Gen. 3. Christ said Est homicida hee is a murtherer The Scripture speaketh Iohn 8. 44. of his fall Christ saith I saw Satan like lightning fall downe Luke 10. 18. from heaven It is enough that he fell though we know not the day the yeere the houre of his fall But this is ridiculous that of the Angels that fell some make some to be better and truer than others as those that fell in the ayre and fire to be purer than those that fell in the earth and water for they make them to have falne at the first into all the foure elements but these bee toyes for they bee all Lyers Iohn 8. 44. Againe they fell not by weight as a solid substance to sticke in a place but their fall consisteth in quality that they fell from the grace wherein they were created their fall was not locall being Spirits Againe Paul speaketh as hardly of them in the ayre as Christ doth of them in the earth For the Apostle saith of them in the Ephes 2. 2. ayre That they worke in the children of disobedience As Christ saith of them in the earth He walketh saith Christ through dry places seeking rest and findeth none And then he saith I will returne to my Mat. 11. house whence I came out and when he commeth hee findeth it swept and Divels many in number yet one head among them garnished then taketh hee seven other spirits worse than himselfe and entreth in and dwelleth there and the end of that man is worse than the beginning Againe note here that Iude nameth Angels plurally where observe with me that the Scripture speaketh sometime plurally as here The Angels also which kept not their first estate And so Paul speaketh plurally We wrastle not against flesh blood but against principalities Ephes 6. 12. against powers against worldly governours princes of the darkenesse of this world And sometime singularly for Paul speaking of these evill Angels he calleth him The prince that ruleth in the ayre the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience As if Ephes 2. 2. there were but one spirit in the ayre And this it doth partly because there is a chiefty among the evill Angels one is principall and the rest are called his angels The Scripture therefore speaketh singularly as if there were but one divell So doth Saint Peter Your adversary the divell goeth about like a roaring Lion The Scripture nameth Beelzebub the prince of divels and Abaddon 1 Pet. 5. 8. king of locusts the Angel of the bottomelesse pit and the great red Dragon that fought with Michael and Asmodaeus who slew seven men in seven nights The Apostle nameth him the God of the world and the prince that ruleth in the ayre and in respect of this chiefty he is said to have a kingdome as God hath his Kingdome so the divell hath his witnesse our Saviour If Satan be divided against Satan how can his Kingdome endure I speake not of it as if Mar. 2. there were but one divell for there are infinite one man had both a deafe and dumbe divell Mary had seven divels the man Luke 7. Mat. 8. in the Gospell had a Legion That which is said of Lucifer How art thou falne from heaven ô Lucifer sonne of the morning c is utterly mistaken For surely Esa 14. 12. there are infinite divels as many as men on the earth infinite Angels fell as infinite now stand Hence commeth the world Dan. 7. to be so full of mischiefe Art thou prone to any sin thou shalt not want a divell to helpe thee forward If David bee proud of his people Satan will provoke him to number them that hee 2 Sam. 24. may be prouder If Ahabs Prophets be given to flatter the divel straightway will become a lying spirit in the mouths of foure 1 Reg. 22. hundred of them If Mary Magdalen be whorish and unchast seven divels of lechery will enter into her and make her become at last a mecenary drab If Iudas will bee a Traytor Satan will Luke 7. quickly enter into his heart and make him sell his Master If Ananias will be covetous and lye for advantage Satan will fill Iohn 13. 2. his heart and he will bend his tongue like a bow to speake lies Acts 5. Doth Absalom want a counsellor to advise him in mischiefe 2 Reg. 15. why here is Achitophel to supply his wants Doth Ahab want a comforter to rid him of his griefe for the not possessing of Naboths 1 Reg. 21. vineyard here is Iezabel to comfort him and advise him which way to effect his purpose will Achitophel hang himselfe Though the divels bee malitious spirits yet they agree in evill Go thy way saith the Divell here is an halter Is Iudas desperate will hee needs be his owne hangman and hang till he burst too here is a rope saith the Divell The Divell waiteth as a Spaniell to raise the game to increase sinne in all men hee hath an oare in every boat a hand in everie sinne in the World If yee aske how the Divell is in the wicked seeing that hee hath no Locall dimensions I answer that hee is in us as the soule is in us Intellectuall Mar. 9. Mar. 2. not sensible And hee is in us two wayes by his essence as in the Child and in the deafe man or by his Working and operation not bodily but spiritually in the minde by suggesting evill things to us so he was in Ananias he spake not vocally but by Act. 5. inspiration For so are the words of Saint Iohn to be expounded when as hee saith There was given unto him a mouth that spake great things and blasphemies c. Hee spake by the mouth of a greater beast than himselfe quoth Iohn yet hee speaketh not vocally for he wanteth the nine instruments of nature Duo labia the two lips quatuor dentes foure teeth guttur the throat c. Seven Luke 7. Divels were in Magdalen by their essence so seven and seven are in us though not by essence yet by operation and working For as the spirit of God is not in us by his essence for then we were Gods but by his graces So the evil spirit is not in all the wicked by his essence but by operation Hee worketh in the Children of disobedience Once againe I say that sometime Divels are named in the plurall number sometime but one to note a Chiefety to note that they all joyne together to uphold one kingdome For though they cannot love one another in deed yet the hatred they beare against God is as a fagot-bond that doth
a murderer in hand a lyer in tongue if not in himselfe yet in his members As hee was against Moses by Corah Dathan and Abiram David by Doeg Ieremy by the men of Anathoth Paul by Tertullus Iohn Baptist by Apoc. 12. 10. Iohn 8. 44. Numb 16. Psal 52. the Scribes yea Christ by the Pharisees but Dathan and his company perished in an earth-quake Doeg was rooted out the men of Anathoth were captivated the Scribes were confuted the Pharisees put to silence Maledicere est adeo illicitum ut peccatuin est maledicere diabolo to speake evill or to rayle is so unlawfull that it is a sinne to curse or banne the Divell Michael would not rayle no more ought we to rayle or revile one another when as difference shall chance to arise amongst us He that calleth his brother foole contemptuously or opprobriously is in danger of Hell Mat. 5. 22. fire And Saint Paul saith Let all sowernesse or bitternesse or wrath or anger and out-cryes and blasphemies be quite taken from among you with all maliciousnesse be courteous one to another and pittifull forgiving Ephes 4. 31. one another even as Christ forgave you And in another place Let your patient minde be knowne to all men The Lord is even at hand As though he should say will ye be malitious spitefull reviling Phil. 4. 5. your brethren and the Lord is at hand will yee be falling out one with another and his comming so neere And yet as Ephraim was full of drunkards Crete full of lyers Ephesus full of Idolaters so the world is full of raylers of whom it may be said as Hierome said of Ioviman Tacere nesciunt quia nunquam didicerunt bene loqui they know not to be silent because they never learned Hierome to speake well Erasmus speaking of this rayling age saith that there be three things to keepe the tongue in First it hath many strings these strings should curbe it in Secondly there is a double ditch of teeth and thirdly two walls of lips yet all will not hold in the tongue Dimidiam partem vitiorum in mundo sibi vendicat lingua the tongue challengeth halfe the vices in the Gregor Naziau world for what vice almost floweth not from the tongue rayling reviling lying swearing blasphemie perjury slander c. all these be the vices of the tongue Hermophilus offending with his tongue perpetuum silentium sibi indixit in joyned his tongue perpetuall silence And Pambo in three months would not speake till he had learned the first verse of the 39. Psalme which runneth thus I said I will take heed unto my wayes that I offend not in my tongue Et melius est certè nil loqui Psal 39. 1. quà m malè loqui It is much better to be silent and to speake nothing than to speake evill therefore saith the Apostle As elect of God holy and beloved put on tender mercy kindnesse humblenesse of Col. 3. 12 13. mind meeknesse long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another Of all victories it is the greatest to forbeare being provoked Michael would not revile the divell and wilt thou revile thy brother yet many passe not what they say what speeches Mildnesse a meanes to stay a rayling tongue they give it if they be offended The Schollers of Pithagoras kept silence for five yeeres it were to be wished that these might be enjoyned silence alway except they could speak better Epictetus reduced all vertues into two heads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abstaine sustaine and he reduceth all vices into two heads Impatiency and Incontinency when injuries are not borne nor pleasures eschewed Spirtus Dei neque mordax the spirit of God is neither a lyer nor a biter a rayler let us then give courteous speeches Not rendring evill for evill nor rebuke for rebuke 1 Pet. 3. 9. Againe hard words rayling cursed speaking hurt our selves and doe no good to the adversaries Mollis sermo frangit iram a soft answer putteth downe displeasure for as a Canon-shot is Prov 15. 1. repelled with wooll not with brasse as wild-fire is quenched with milke not with water as the Adamant is broken with the blood of a Goat and not with an hammer as the wrath of an Elephant is appeased not with swords but with Mulberries So malice is an adversary in a rayler is quenched with lenity not with reviling like a Lion that is mitigated with the humblenesse of a beast unto him Hereupon saith Paul If thine enemy Rom. 12. 20. hunger feed him if he thirst give him drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire on his head that is thou shalt win him Therefore saith Ambrose to Calligonus Ego patior audiam quod est Episcopi I will suffer and heare which is the part of a Bishop Tu ages loqueris quae sunt carnificis thou doest and speakest which belongeth to a murtherer and cruell person Regium est audire mala à quibus laudare esset pudor it is a princely thing to heare evill of them of whom it is a shame to be commended Leave them to God Dominos illos increpabit the Lord shall rebuke them yea The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips and the tongue that speaketh proud Psal 12. 3 4. things Which have said with our tongues we will prevaile wee are they that that ought to speake Who is Lord over us Shemei shall not ever 2 Sam. 16. 5. Dan. 14. Dan. 6. raile on David the Iudges shall not ever accuse Susanna the idolaters shall not ever speake evill of Daniel Doeg shall not ever slander Abimelech the Arrians shall not alway defame Athanasius 2 Sam. 22. as they did for Arsenius God will make their innocency as Psal 37. 6. the light and their judgement as the noone-day Here a question may be moved whither a Christian may at any time curse and speak hardly to the wicked and rebuke them Some object Levit. 19. Non maledices surdo Thou shalt not curse the Levit. 19. 14. deafe nor put a stumbling blocke before the blind They say that wee may not say Racha or foole to our brother much lesse may wee Mat. 5. use hard words rayling sentences they quote Paul to the Romanes Blesse them that persecute you blesse I say and curse not Cum Rom. 12. 14. maledico edere non licet we may not eate with a rayler They alledge the example of Christ Who when he was reviled reviled not 1 Cor. 5. 11. againe And that of Paul Wee are reviled and yet wee blesse Wee Lawfull to curse sinne though not sinners are persecuted and suffer it Wee are evill spoken of and yet wee pray To all these I answere in two words that in all speeches wee must regard two things The goodnesse of the cause and cleerenesse 1 Cor. 4. 12. 13. of our minde that wee speake not of spleene of affection of revenge
Woe be to them that joyne Esa 5. 8. to house and lay field to field till there be no place that they may bee placed by their selves in the middest of the earth And againe Esay 30. 1. Woe to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take councell and Esa 30. 1. not at mee and cover with a covering but not by my Spirit c. And Habakuk 2. 9. Woe be to him that coveteth an evill covetousnesse to his Hab. 2. 9. house that he may set his nest on high and escape from the power of evill And Amos 6. 1. Woe to them that are at ease in Sion and trust in the mountaine of Samaria And Luke 6. 24. Woe bee to you that are Amos 6. rich for yee have received your consolation And Saint Iames saith Luke 6. 24. Iam. 5. 1 2 3. Plorate divites Goe to now ye rich men weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come upon you your riches are corrupt your garments moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire And no marvell though so many woes are threatned against this sinne of covetousnesse for it is the originall of all sinne committed against God or man Against God the covetous man maketh gold his hope and saith to the wedge of Gold Thou art my confidence His Oxen his wealth his Iob 31. 24. riches is his creator redeemer and sanctifier his God the Father his God the Sonne his God the Holy Ghost His Creator for when he gets abundance of riches he thinks himselfe made but when by some accident he loseth a yoake of Oxen or some other temporall thing hee thinkes himselfe undone The Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth is not his Creator he sings that old song Sol re me fa sola res me facit only his wealth makes him God the Sonne is not his Redeemer his money delivers him from evill Hath he escaped any danger He thankes not God he thankes his gold Is he like to fall into any mischiefe hee puts his trust in his uncertaine riches Soule thou hast much goods in store take thy rest Luke 12. The Holy Ghost is none of his Sanctifier Ille sanctior qui ditior he is best that hath most he is good enough that hath gold enough goods enough And as covetousnesse is hatefull to God so is it to men Avarus nemini bonus sibi verò pessimus hee is good to none but worst to himselfe for covetousnesse exposeth the heatt to all manner of lothsome sinnes for the divell hath the covetous alwayes upon Covetousnesse makes uncapable of all the eight beatitudes the hip as we speak that is ever at such advantage that he will be sure to overthrow him for whatsoever sinne hee will have him to commit let him but hollow and cast up the lure of commodity he stoopes presently and falls upon it Would ye have him lye promise him but profit and he will tippe his tongue with lyes Will ye have him forsweare himselfe shew him but a commodity use silver perswasions he will pollute the name of God with a thousand othes Would ye have him murther shead blood the glistring shew of gold will make him wade up to the chin in a streame of blood This mercinary souldier doth never thinke himselfe too good for any service the Divell will command him Covetousnesse is the Divels great Ordnance wherewith he hath battered the wals of mens consciences as it is most pittifull to consider yea and farther a man may fall into other sinnes and repent for them but this sinne of covetousnesse is like the harlot a deepe and a narrow ditch and like the wicked woman Prov. 23. 27. Prov. 5. that Salomon calls more bitter than death whose heart is as nets and snares and her hands as bands to keepe a man fast in the ward and prison of the divell For whosoever is overtaken with this sin cannot set one step to heauen his couetous desires are as lead to pull him downe Yee know that our Saviour hath Mat. 5. 3 4 c. eight beatitudes The first to be poore in spirit The second to mourne inwardly The third to be meeke The fourth to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse The fifth to be mercifull The sixth to be pure in heart The seventh to be a peace maker The eighth to suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake These are the steps and stayres to bring men to Heaven and and therefore so long as men be covetous it is impossible for them to come there First poore in spirit he cannot be for he so feareth purse-poverty that he feeles not the misery into which the fall of Adam and his owne sinnes have cast him Secondly he cannot mourne for his sinnes for worldly sorrow and vexation doe turne the streame of weeping quite another way Thirdly he cannot be meeke in spirit for the Spirit of God calls him a trouble-house saying Hee that is greedy of gaine troubleth Prov. 15. 27. his owne house and it is impossible that his heart should bee mâ—eke and quiet when hee cannot suffer his owne house so to bee Fourthly for hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse it cannot be that his appetite should stand that way for the dogs-hunger and the dropsie-thirst of wealth doth so gnaw and torment his The covetous subiect to all the curses contrary to the eight beatitudes soule that hee makes no account of CHRISTS righteousnesse Fifthly to bee mercifull stands not in any sort with his profession to open his heart to pitty and his purse to relieve a poore man he thinkes will undoe him a piece of money goes from him as a drop of blood from him heart with griefe and sorrow enough Sixthly Pure in heart hee cannot be for he that hath the root of all evill in his heart cannot have a pure heart Seventhly he is no peacemaker crosse him in his penny and he will trouble all the world for all the world can tell that covetousnesse is the father mother and nurse of most debates and strifes that are in the world covetousnesse wil not lose a penny he will give the Lawyer a pound first Eighthly the covetous man will never suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake his goods are his god and if he come to those termes that he must either leave riches or righteousnesse 't is righteousnesse that hee will forsake before riches the world is his Mistresse hee must embrace her then farewell righteousnesse So that now a man may very truely turne the speech of our Saviour against the covetous man and say Cursed be the covetous for he is not poore in spirit and therefore the kingdome of Hell is his Cursed be the covetous for he cannot mourne for his sinnes but for his losses onely therefore hee shall never bee comforted Cursed be the covetous for he is not meeke but froward
this my text Blacknesse of darknesse for evermore yet all these doe but shadow out the matter they cannot paint it lively Tophte and Gehinnon shadowed out hell there they sacrificed their children to Moloch in hot brasse had a noise of instruments to darken the cry of their children Christ alludeth unto it in the word Gehenna Ier. 19. 4 5. Mat. 5. 2. But as all the ioyes of the elect heere are but earnest pennies and first-fruits of heaven for here is but the seed-time there is the harvest There is fulnesse of ioy and pleasure for evermore so all Psal 16. 11. the paines and torments that the wicked suffer here they are but moll-hilles to mountaines as a sparke to the fire as a drop of water to the maine Ocean nothing in respect of that which they shall feele there all the paines of Achitophel Saul Iudas Francis Spira are nothing to their paines now Christ having reckoned up many plagues as how that nation shall rise up against nation and Kingdome against Kingdome Luke 21. 10 11 25 26. and great earth quaks shall be in divers places and hunger and pestilence and fearefull things and great signes shall there bee from heaven in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and upon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexity For mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things that shall come on the world at last he addeth Initium dolorum haec these are but the beginnings of sorrow as if he should have said All these things are but smoake in respect of the terrible fire ensuing as a muster of souldiers before the terrible bloody battel What will the end be if the beginning be so grievous If his little finger be so heavy what will be the weight of his loines He beateth us on earth with whips but he will beate us in hell with Scorpions as Rehoboam said of the ten tribes The torments invented by tyrants and inflicted upon the Saints and servants of God have beene most hideous and fearfull as the teeth of wild beasts hot glowing Ovens and Furnaces caldrons of boyling oyle fiery brazen bulles powning to death in morters rowling in barrelles of nayles rosting upon spits boaring with angers parting the nayles and fingers ends with Needles nipping the flesh with pinsers racking and rending asunder the joynts with wilde horses no pitty no remorse taken whilest there was either flesh or blood or synew or bone but the torments of Hell are greater the mourning of Hannah the griefe of Iob the sorrow of David the lamentations of Ieremie the bitter smart of Ierusalem were great as much as mortality could beare yet all nothing to the mournings grief The torments of Hell opposed to the ioyes of Heaven sorrowes and lamentations of the wicked in Hell If all griefes and woes and as many besides as ever wrung and wrested the spirit and heart of man since the breath of life was breathed into him were put together to part the torments of Hell among them part after part as if they would empty the store-houses and breake the streame of it yet hath the hand of Hell an unmeasurable portion behinde to distribute to her children an endlesse patrimony of how ling and wringing and gnashing which all the foreprized griefes and torments of this life have scarce beene shadowes and counterfeits of all the paines in the World are nothing to the paines of Hell therefore saith our Saviour If thy hand and thy foot offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt and maimed than having two hands and two feete to bee cast into everlasting fire Mat. 18. 8. Againe as two contraries set together the one doth set out the other as blacke being set by white seemeth the blacker and gall set by honey seemeth the bitterer for contrariorum contraria est ratio therefore whatsoever can bee said of the joyes of Heaven may bee said of the paines of Hell Well of the one Paul saith The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard the heart of man cannot comprehend nor containe the great joyes of Heaven 1. Cor. 2. 9. then of the other side it may be said of the paines of Hell that the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor the heart cannot conceive the paines of Hell O brethren if all the trees and plants in the World were pennes all the Earth paper all the water of the Sea Inke and all creatures in Heaven and Earth Pen-men yet are they not able to set out the paines of Hell No if a man had the learning of Moses the understanding of Esay the zeale of Elias the thundering tongue of Iames and Iohn the eloquence of Apollo yet they cannot give thee a shadow of the torments of Hell Againe as touching Heaven it is said of the faithfull But ye Heb. 12. 22. 23. are come to Mount Sion to the City of the living God to the colestiall Ierusalem to the company of innumerable Angels and to the Congregation of the first borne which are written in Heaven and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of just and perfect men but the wicked come to mount Ebal where the sixe Tribes cursed to the valley of Achor they come not to the celestiall but the infernall Ierusalem c. not to the company of innumerable Angels but to a company of innumerable Divels not to the spirits of perfect and just men but to the damned spirits of wicked and vile men not to Iesus the Mediator of the New testament but unto Belzebub the Prince of darkenesse Againe as touching the elect Augustine saith they shall have joy every way joy within joy without joy beneath and joy above and joy round about them Ioy within for they shall have The damned tormented in all parts in hell peace of conscience joy without for they shall have the fellowship of God and Angels joy above from the sight of God joy beneath from the beautie of the World For there shall be a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein shall dwell righteousnesse and joy round about them for they shall see all the delights that may be God shall be a glasse to their eyes musicke to their eares a Iubilee to their hearts yea God shall bee unto them all in all as 1. Cor. 15. Is it thus with Gods elect then the damned shall have sorrow within and sorrow without sorrow above and sorrow benath and sorrow round about them sorrow within from the worme of their conscience sorrow without by meanes of the accusation of the Divels sorrow above for the angry Iudge sorrow beneath for the gaping gulfe of hell fire ready to swallow them up and sorrow round about them for the world burning For à dextris erunt peccata accusantia à sinistris infinita daemonia subtùs horrendum Chaos inferni desuper Iudex
At the first he came as a Lambe now shall he come as a Lion Venit tunc salvare nunc iudicare he came then to save us now he shall come to judge us And yet to speake fully his first comming was not without glory two contraries were conjoyned Summa humilitas summa sublimitas the deepest humility and the highest sublimity Aug. he lay among the beasts yet praised of Angels which sung Gloria in excelsis Glory bee to God on high What is hee Luk 2. that is so base and so glorious so little and so great so poore and so rich poore in the flesh poore in the manger poore in the stable but great and rich and glorious in heaven whom the starres obey great and glorious in the aire Mat. 2. where the Angels sing great and glorious in earth for Herod and all Ierusalem were moved at the tidings of him It is the greatest basenesse Luk 2. for God to bee conceived and the greatest glory to bee conceived by the Holy Ghost the greatest basenesse to be borne Esay 7. of a Woman and the greatest glory to be borne of a Virgin the greatest basenesse to be borne in a stable and the greatest glory to shine in the Heavens the greatest basenesse to deplore among beasts and the greatest glory to be sung of Angels the greatest basenesse to be baptized among sinners and the greatest glory to have the heavens open the spirit to descend and to heare the Father of heaven speaking from heaven This is my beloved Sonne Mat. 3. 16. in whom I am well pleased It is the greatest basenesse to suffer death upon the Crosse and the greatest glory to rise againe from the dead formosus erat in Coelis formosus erat in terra he was faire and beautifull in heaven faire and beautifull in earth faire and beautifull in his throne of glory faire and beautifull in the manger faire and beautifull among the Angels faire and beautifull among the beasts Quid facitis ô Magi puerum ne adoratis What doe yee ô yee Wise-men doe yee worship the child Is he not therefore a King I but where is the Kings Court Where is his Throne Where the continuall resort and haunt of this Court Is not his Court the stable his Throne the Manger They that resort and haunt this Court the Oxe and the Asse Yet vndique formosus est on every side he was faire and glorious The Lords two Courts one of Mercy the other of Iustice For when he spake the sea was calme when he commanded the windes were whist when he called the dead did rise and when he died the Sunne was eclipsed when he rose the earth trembled when he ascended the heavens opened so farre Augustine Thus his first comming was not without glory but his second shall be glorious indeed He shall come in the glory of his Father with Mat. 24. all the holy Angels One speaking of this comming of Christ to iudgement saith Posterior Christi adventus non erit mitis sed terribilis Christs latter comming shall not bee gentle but terrible and fearefull For measure me the greatnesse of one arme by the quantity of another the Iustice of God by the mercy of God If he was so mercifull in his first comming as to take our flesh and to suffer death upon the Crosse for us and how iust how severe will hee bee in his second comming to all those that have either contemned or abused his mercy Quam facilis fuit in primo adventu Looke how facile gentle and propice he was in his first comming tam difficilis erit in secundo adventu so hard so uneasy to bee intreated will he be in his second comming infinit in mercy infinit in Iustice ready to pardon and ready to punish God shall arise and his enemies shall be scattered they also that hate him shall fly before him As Psal 88. 1 2. the smoke vanisheth so shalt thou drive them away and as Wax melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God And as the Prophet saith God is jealous and the Lord revengeth even the Lord of anger the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth Nahum 1. 1 2. wrath for his enemies the Lord is slow to anger but great in power and will not surely cleere the wicked As we treasure up our sinnes so hee treasureth up his wrath Indies crescunt peccata indies crescit ira our sinnes increase daily and his wrath daily Bernard saith that the Lord hath two Courts the one of mercy the other of iustice the one in this life the other in the life to come when he shall come with thousands of his Saints to judgement Here is forum miscricordiae the Court of mercy there shall be forum Iustitiae the Court of Iustice for there he will reward every man according to his Works Augustine bringeth in Christ thus Rom. 2. 6. speaking at the last day Ecce fabri Filium quem irrisistis Behold the Carpenters Sonne whom yee have derided Ecce eum in quem non credidistis Behold him in whom yee have not beleeved behold the wounds which yee have made in my hands and feet behold the side which yee have pierced behold the face which you have beraide with your spittle Behold the glory that shall presse and overwhelme you and the Majesty that shall breake and bruise you For our Iudge will iudge righteously and iustly Hee will reward every man according to his worke that is to them which by continuance Rom. 2. 6 7. in well doing seeke glory and honour and immortality eternall life but unto them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey Wee must meditate as well on the Iustice of God as on his mercy unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soule of every man that doth evill And here note the blindnesse of the World All men prate of mercy but few talke of Iustice like the Benjamites we cast stones with one hand like Iudg. 19. Mat. 26. Polipheme we see but with one eye with Malchus wee heare but with one eare like the Vnicorne we defend our selves with one horne from God like the Amazones many brethren give sucke to the Church with one pap delivering but one doctrine namely that of mercy But let me speake familiarly If a fellon will not trust only on the mercy of the Iudge at the Assise Let us not deceive our selves against that great Assise day Whatsoever Gal. 6 7 8. a man soweth that shall he reape for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life everlasting In quo statu novissimus vitae dies relinquet in eo resurrectionis primus dies inveniet qualis in isto die quisque moritur talis in die illo iudicabitur In
the heart of man conceive Even for thousands and thousand yeeres What Arts and Sciences have beene found out by man yet cannot the eye see nor the eare heare nor the tongue utter nor the heart conceive of Life eternall The Apostle maketh a glorious comparison and yet speaketh but of an earthly building and of earthly and corruptible things So the Prophet Esay describeth the Church militant and triumphant but yet by earthly things For it passeth his skill and cunning to set out the perfect beauty and glorie of it God is infinite so the reward layd up for the just is infinite like unto himselfe the infinite God giveth infinite paines to sinners and infinite joyes unto the just Peter having but a glimmering of Heaven was ravished and cryed out Master here is good being let us build Tabernacles one for thee another for Moses and another for Elias How great then is Mat. 17. 4. the full sight of Heaven There bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such joyes as are not possible for a man to utter Mount Thabor was a goodly 2 Cor. 12. 4. Mount but in the celestiall Mount in Heaven you shall see that that eye never saw riches without measure glorie without comparison life without death day without night solace without ceasing joy without ending a land that floweth with milke and hony there wee shall see the City of the living God the celestiall Ierusalem a company of innumerable Angels the congregation of the Hebr. 12. 22. first borne which are written in Heaven the Spirits of just and perfect men Iesus the Mediator of the new Testament and the bloud of sprinkling speaking better things than the bloud of Abel But to reason from the lesse to the greater If here in an Inne bee so many pleasures what are in our owne home For whiles wee are strangers in the body wee are absent from the Lord but when wee 2 Cor. 5. 6. shall remove out of the body wee shall ever dwell with the Lord and abide in Heaven which is our home If in a prison our senses are filled with so many delights what shall bee in a Palace There shall bee fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore If here in a Iayle there bee so many pleasures to entertaine us such variety Psal 16. 11. of colours for the eye such melody and sweete sounds for the eare such fragrant odors for the nose such multitude of dishes for the taste if in Mount Horeb are so many things What are in Mount Sion in our owne Countrey For here wee are but strangers and pilgrimes but wee seeke another Countrey and wee desire a Hebr. 11 13 16. better that is to say an Heavenly If a corruptible body feele Our glorified boâ—y shall have Spirituall and Heavenly qualities such great sweetnesse what shall a glorified body feele For our bodies shall one day bee glorified Though they be sowne in dishonour they shall bee raised in glory though sowne in weakenesse they shall be raised in power though sowne a naturall body it shall be raised a spirituall body There is no comparison betweene Light and Hebr. 11. 13 16. 1 Cor. 15. 42 43. Darkenesse Gold and Lead Glasse and Pearle Men and Angels Heaven and Earth Corruption and Glory Weakenesse and Power Honour and Dishonour Our life is hid with Christ in Col. 3. 3. God and when Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall wee also appeare with him in Glory For life is threefold Of Nature Grace and Glory The life of Nature is sweete the life of Grace sweeter and the life of Glory sweetest of all and this life of Glory is hid with Christ in God and in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies first Claritas beauty and cleerenesse in so much that as Saint Chrysostome saith that the bodies of the Saints shall bee septies clariora Sole seven times brighter than the Sunne Secondly in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies spirituall agility and hence is it that some ascribe the activity and quicknesse of our soule spirit to a glorified body saying that such bodies are not spirits but spiritualized bodies Thirdly in this life of Glory there shall be in our bodies Impassibility For though here we suffer of every thing yet there wee shall bee subject to no corruptible passion or suffering Lastly in this life of Glory there shall bee in our bodies Immortality here indeed orimur morimur at our byrth wee beginne to dye accedimus wee enter into the world succedimus wee succeede one another in the world and last of all decedimus wee depart all out of the world but in this life of Glory wee shall have immortall bodies And as the body so the soule in this life of Glory shall bee glorified and this her glory consisteth of two things in her union with God and in our vision of God both of these may be gathered out of that of Saint Iohn When hee shall appeare we shall bee like him and see him as hee is wee shall be like unto him there 1 Iohn 3. is our union we shall see him as hee is there is our vision Others adde to the beatitude of the soule two other actions one the fruition the other the eternall retention of God and it is a question among the Learned in which of these foure the felicity of the soule doth consist some in her vision of God some in her fruition of God some in her retention of God I will not determine onely I say that in this life of Glory both soules and bodies shall have triumphum gaudium triumph and joy they shall triumph over Death for Death shall bee no more over him that hath the Lordship of Death the Divell for hee shall never bee able to hurt him Againe they shall have joy God all in all to the glorified Saints first in the Majestie of God secondly in the humanity of Christ thirdly in the society of Angels and Saints Vide intùs extrà suprà infrà circumcircà ubique gaudium Looke Aug. within thee and without thee above thee and beneath thee about thee and every-where there is joy Nay Gaudium super gaudium joy above joy joy surmounting all joy and without the which there can be no joy within thee shall bee joy in the glorification of body and soule without thee in the company of the blessed Saints and Angels above thee in the sight of God beneath thee in the beauty of the Heaven and Earth For there shall bee a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth 2 Pet. 3. righteousnesse round about us in the delight of all our senses for God himselfe shall bee the object of all our senses Erit enim speculum visui Hee shall bee a glasse to our eyes musicke to our eares hony to our mouthes a flowre to our hands balme to our nose Ibi erit candor Aestatis
understanding What blindnesse hath possessed our braine And how hath a covering of brawne covered our hearts that wee give no Majestie to God That which Paul said of the Gospel If our Gospell bee hid it is hid to them that 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded their mindes So say I of Gods wonders This sinne of England is written with an Iron penne and with a point of a Diamond God revealeth himselfe Ier. 17. 1. to the World six wayes 1 By his Word 2 By Visions Act. 26. 18. Esa 1. 1. 3 By Dreames 4 By Wonders or Miracles Numb 12. Iohn 5. Mat. 28. 19. 5 By Sacraments 6 By Types and figures By foure or five of these meanes God hath made himselfe knowne to us especially by wonders yet wee know him not wee are greater fooles than Nabal and verier beasts than ever was Nabuchadnezzar 1 Sam. 25. Dan. 4. Ier. 8. 5 6 7. God must end us before hee mend us wee are turned backe to a perpetuall rebellion Wee give our selves to deceit and will not returne no man repents him of his wickednesse saying What have I done Every one turneth to his race as the horse to the battell Even the Storke in the ayre saith God knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their comming but my people knoweth not the judgement of the Lord. This is a nation that heareth not the voice of the Lord nor receiveth Discipline shall not these two great earth-quakes this yeere the one in the day the other in the night worke in us a feare of Gods majestie It is a token Amâ—â— 1602. that God is angry and so applied by the Prophet The earth trembled and shoke the very foundations of the Earth were seene at thy chyding at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure Psal 18. When God would take revenge of the people in the dayes of Tiberius hee overthrew with an earth-quake twelve Cities of Asia and in Constantines dayes ten or eleuen townes in Campania Lipisius when the Iewes under Iulian had tooles of silver to reedify Gods dominion is in all creatures especially in man Ierusalem the earthquake in the night destroyed their worke in the day fire from heaven burnt up their tooles The righteous will see this and rejoyce and all iniquity shall stop her mouth and who is wise that hee may observe these things that God is a God of Majesty and magnificence for it is he alone that doth wondrous things The fifth thing here attributed to God is Dominion which is the authority of commanding and making Lawes unto all men in the world by which meanes God ruleth and hath a dominion or Kingdome in every one of us whereof the Lord Iesus speaketh in the knitting up of his prayer to God For thine is the Kingdome c. Of this David speaketh The Lord hath prepared his Mat 6. 13. Psal â—03 19 22. Throne in Heaven and his Kingdome ruleth over all And againe Praise the Lord all works of his in all places of his dominion And againe Thy Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and thy dominion endureth Psal 145. 13. throughout all ages And here learne a profitable lesson that when wee obey the Word of the Lord and suffer it to rule and overrule our passions then hath God a Kingdome and wee ascribe Dominion to him hereof the Lord Iesus spake For when Luk. 17. 20 21. hee was demanded of the Pharises when the Kingdome of God should come He answered them and said The Kingdome of God commeth not with observation neither shall men say Loe here or loe there for behold the Kingdome of Heaven is within you he meant not the Kingdome of glory but of grace For this dominion or Kingdome is threefold of Power Grace Glory The Kingdome of Power is whereby God subdueth his enemies and Tyrants of his Church and crusheth them in pieces like a potters vessell and of this Kingdome the Prophet thus Psal 2. 9. Psal 93. 1. Psal 97. 1 2. speaketh The Lord reigneth and is cloathed with Majesty the Lord is clothed and girded with power c. And againe the Lord reigneth let the people tremble hee sitteth betweene the Cherubins let the earth bee moved the Lord is great in Zion and high above all people His Kingdom of Grace is that wherby God ruleth in his elect through his Spirit inwardly as his Word outwardly whereof the Prophet speaketh thus With righteousnes shall he judge the poore Esa 11. 4 5 6. and with equity shall hee reprove c. Iustice shall bee the girdle of his loynes and faithfulnesse the girdle of his reines the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the kidde and the calfe and the Lion and the fatte beast together and a little Child shall lead them When the corruption of our nature beginneth to bee like the house of Saul weaker and weaker and faith repentance zeale knowledge and other graces of the Spirit stronger and stronger in us and wee now beginne to love feare trust and serve and obey God then is the Kingdome of grace in us The Kingdome of Glory is that wherein the Angels and Saints We count our selves subjects of Christs Kingdome of grace but are rebellious departed now are and wee shall bee hereafter when mortality shall be swallowed up of life when wee shall sing the songs of our triumph O death where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory The songs of our joy such as none can understand save the hundred forty and foure thousand which are received up from 1 Cor. 15. the earth But here hee meaneth chiefely the Kingdome of grace for God is a King everlasting immortall invisible and onely wise Wee 1 Tim. 1. 17. are then his subjects The Lawes are the Word Psal 2. 8. Psal 119. 105. Ephes 6. 12. The enemies of this Kingdome are Satan sinne death Hell domination the flesh and the wicked The time of it is to the worlds end Mat. 28. 20. The place is this world and the world to come Apot. 5. 10. But ô foolish men how doe wee pray for this dominion and Kingdome of the Lord when in our works wee destroy it When wee rebell against the Word like a rebellious nation Ezech. 2. 3 4. and like impudent children and stiffe-hearted As the horse rusheth into the battell so we rush into our sinnes we sinne Ier. 8. 6. Ephes 4. 19. with greedines wee draw it with cordes of vanity wee love the wicked we loath the godly we freeze in love we boile in malice Esa 5. we sell vertue we buy vice we refuse Christ we chuse Barrabas wee lay away life and embrace death wee overthwart the will of God in all things wee follow our owne wills and desires wee are traytors to God in
the highest degree as God complaineth I have nourished and brought up Children but they have rebelled against mee The Oxe doth know his owner the Asse his masters crib but Israel Esa 1. 2 3 4. hath not knowne my people hath not understood We are a sinfull nation a people loden with iniquity a seed of the wicked corrupt children We have forsaken the Lord and provoked the Holy one of Israel to anger We professe to serve God but in works wee deny God we have a shew of godlines but inwardly wee deny the power of it our profession Tit. 1. 16. 2 Tim. 3. is like the apples and grapes of Sodom faire to the sight but if you touch them they vanish to smoke so all our profession standeth in words not in works as Iames said Ostende mihi fidem per opera Shew mee thy faith by thy works so Ostende Iam. 2. mihi regnum Dei per subjectionem tuam Shew mee the Kingdome of God by thy subjection by thy obedience which is due to his Word apply thy heart to keepe his statutes alwayes unto the end Bee not deceived God will not thus bee mocked in fine wee shall receive the reward of Rebels Quid dicta audiam cùm facta videam What should I heare words when I should see deeds as Moses said to Israeel laying out their severall rebellions So might I lay out the rebellions of England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 egge and bird all naught our Fathers naught and wee also our Fathers have forsaken God and kept not his Law and we have Notorious sinners Satans subjects done worse than our Fathers and walke every one after the stubbornesse of his heart As well may wee spit on Christ Iesus buffet and beate him with a reed and cry with the mockers Haile King of the Iewes as kneele in the Church and say Thy Kingdome come Lord and yet in our deeds promote the kingdome of Satan disobey and not receive the Word which is the power of God Rom. 1. 16. to salvation to every one that beleeveth Therefore hee so highly extolleth it saying The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe holdes casting downe the imaginations 2 Cor. 10. 5. and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Wee pray to be like the Angels we must strive then to come neere Mat. 6. them in obedience Three properties are noted in the Angels Obediunt Libentissimè Citissimè Fidelissimè most Willingly Speedily Faithfully They are willing to obey and so wee read that one Angell with speed killed an hundred fourescore and five thousand of the Assyrians in one night We must be like Angels if we looke Esa 37. to live with Angels they praise God day and night so must we Esa 6. But it may bee said of most of us that which Vivaldus said of Corasius Erat foris Cato intus Noro he was a Cato without a Nero within foris Angelus intus Diabolus an Angell without a Divell within foris Agnus intus Lupus a Lambe without a Wolfe within Deum ore laudabat corde factis negabat hee praised God with his mouth but denied him in heart in deeds tales sunt mancipia Diaboli such are the slaves of Satan God doth not raigne as a King in them his grace hath no dominion over them they are in the snare of the Divell and are taken of him at his will In this sence Christ called the Iewes the sonnes of the Divell Yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your father will yee doe so 2 Tim. 2. 26. Iohn 8. 44. 1 Iohn 2. 14. Iohn saith in the contrary I write unto you babes because yee have knowne the father Impij servi sunt tot daemoniorum quot vitiorum the wicked are the servants of so many divels as they have sinnes and transgressions it is the divell that hath dominion over them not God by his grace As there is in the body a palsy that striketh the one halfe and an Apoplexy that striketh the whole body so there is in our soules a spirituall palsy if not an Apoplexy our understanding is not lightned with the doctrine of God and our will is not enflamed with the Love of God to doe his will as it becommeth us Hereupon Saint Augustine crieth out Augusta foeda est domus Aug. animae meae Straight and filthy is the house of my soule but when thou commest vnto it ô Lord it shall bee enlarged and mundified of thee it is ruinous Lord repaire and amend it it is filthy Lord clense it and wash it there be many things in this Christ will dwell and raigne in a pure soule house of my soule which may offend thy sacred eyes but who shall purge it and purify it or unto whom shall I cry but unto thee Ab ocultis meis purga me Clense mee from my secret sinnes Let this bee our prayer and pray with that spirit wherewith Augustine prayed it and no doubt God will heare thee and have a Kingdom in thy soule This testimony is true the Heavens have sealed unto it and the living God hath spoken it of the children of men and blessed are wee if wee beleeve it there is more happinesse in one day of Gods service and under his Dominion then in ten thousand dayes of vanity in which Satan hath dominion and wee fall from the Lord of life The sixth and last attribute is Power wherein the excellent praise of God consisteth which is the ability in God to do what hee listeth like unto the former attributes but not all one with them haec enim magis conjungi quà m confundi velim I had rather conjoine these things than confound them as Calvin said in another case Of this power speaketh David O Lord my God thou art Psal 104. 1. exceeding great thou art clothed with glory and Majesty And of this power speaketh Esay Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted Heaven with a spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in Esa 40. 12. a measure and weighted the mountaines in a weight and the hilles in a balance And of this power of God speaketh Salomon Who hath Prov. 30. 4. ascended up to Heaven or descended Who hath gathered the Wind in his fist Who hath bound the Waters in a garment Who hath established all the ends of the world What is his Name or his Sonnes Name if thou canst tell And in respect of this power Christ said Ecce vobiscum sum Behold I am with you to the end of the world whereupon Mat. 28. 20. Aug. Augustine finely Iturus erat Christus ad dextram Patris per mortem praesentia Corporali In regard of his Corporall presence he was by death to goe to the right hand of his Father and in regard of his