that is in the degrees of goodnesse and perfection among the Creatures The variety is a great piece of the beauty of this lovely frame There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Starres A suit of Arras Hangings cannot be made without severall colours and those laid differently upon worsted silk silver and Gold formed into divers Images Musick would be a pitifull thing if there were but one note or tone without higher and lower sounds we should want the delectablenesse of Harmony which is more grateful as the notes of which it consists are not the same but tunably different Those things which seem but little in comparison of others have much as to their own capacity and are often more admirable then greater for in instances where it was not expected as he said {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i.e. They show an Almighty skill in little In the highest things God ascends far above the reach of our eyes and in the lowest he stoops to the remotest proportions of possibility and his Glory shines through them all whilst he fills each measure of reception with due participations of goodnesse which is his own Image and his goodnesse is over all his works By this we see That God made the world for his glory out of meer grace willing to bestow happinesse upon others He was not oppressed with the fullnesse of his blessednesse but like a voluntary spring poures forth the waters of life upon the world I will rejoyce over them to do them good He is pleased wiâ—h being a Benefactor and is delighted when he makes others happy Hence God was most justly worshiped by the Church throughout all generations as the Benigne Father of the Creation Father being a known name of Love which he expressed in his uninterrupted care of all things in the respective ages of the world but especially in the fulnesse of time when to make up the sad ruines of the lapsed Creation he put the breaches of it under the hand of his beloved Sonne who came upon the stage as the expresse image of his person and the brightnesse of his glory which hath been mentioned for in him it shined most clearly He brought salvation in his Name Good will in his Nature His Errand which we call the Gospel what was it but the Love of the Father proclaimed by his beloved Son As we have it epitomized by the Evangelist Ioh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life This word our Saviour verified with works of transcendent charity for he went up and down doing good expressing a great pity to the bodies but much more to the souls of men and after the service of his whole life which was an Exemplary performance of charity he made his death also a great proof of his love which being stronger then sin and death he offered himself upon the Crosse by a powerful spirit of benignity and became the Redeemer of miserable sinners so that the Angels Hymne was extremely pertinent when they sung Glory to God on High for the good will which was expressed below by the appearance of Christ Jesus whom not only Angels but wise and good men saw and acknowledged his glory to be as the glory of the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth The fulness of true goodnesse was the glorious Image of the Father shining in the face of the Son When he went away just upon his return he said Father I have glorified thee and verse 26â— he tells us how I have declared thy Name what name but that which was proclaimed long before as the glory of God withall he leaves this title Love as his own remembrance by which he would be acknowledged in the world and the badge of his Disciples Hereby shall all men know you to be mine if you love one another One that well knew the truth of this Glory as a genuine follower of Christ his Lord adorns himself with it Having expressed all love and good will in endeavouring the salvation of the Gentiles he pleaseth himself in the good of others which he had furthered after this manner What is our Hope or Crown of rejoycing are not even you in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming for you are our Glory and Ioy Divine Paul but never more then now Divine for the glory of God shined out of his mouth as Porphyrie said that Plotinus his soul did when he spake So much being premised concerning the right notion of Gods glory it remains to be spoken next how we may glorify God or do all things to his glory Divines use a distinction of glorification which is not improper to be mentioned in this place One is Perfectio objecti glorificati the perfection of the object glorified and to glorify in this sense is to produce some perfection in the object glorified and thus God doth glorifie his creatures The other is Perfectio subjecti glorificantis a perfection in the person who is said to give glory by which he is able to take a due notice of the excellencies which are in the glorified object but addes nothing to it and thus we are said to glorify God By which we see that the word glorify is of a quite different signification when it is applyed to God and to us For it is a true rule Talia sunt praedicata qualia permittuntur à subjectis What is said of God and us in the same words puts on a vast difference of sense when it is referred to his acts and ours What belongs to God I have discoursed already that small matter that we reach to I shall explain in a few particulars 1. We do honour to God if we preserve alwayes in our minds a right notion of his glory and thrust farre from us all low poor thoughts of God We cannot do a greater disparagement to the highest worth then to think meanly of it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the Father said God may be represented to his disparagement by the unwise Therefore whensoever we think or speak of God we should be sure to use no {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} no poor groveling expressions or creeping imaginations which fall utterly below the worthinesse of so glorious a person Since he can receive no glory by addition of any thing to what he is let us not foolishly endeavour to take away from him by obscuring that which he hath revealed himself to glory in by attributing to him any Temper Disposition or Design that is unworthy of him Let us raise our thoughts of God as high as we can for by that which hath been said already it appeares how far all unworthinesse is removed from God He neither made the world at first or preserves it now for any self-interest what Iulian said of AEsculapius in his fortieth
goodnesse leads us to repentance It s Cruelty not Iustice to love punishment except to defend righteousnesse to reclaim the corrigible and to make examples of the impoenitent God is so far from taking pleasure in our miseries that as he said {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e he is careful of us as his kindred when we fall Destruction is in the world but it came not from above it is of our selves as the Prophet sayes It is no plant of Gods setting and hath its roots onely in sin when God strikes though the blowes are just yet he counts the act strange Goodness is naturall to him he doth most willingly help when he hurts he is forced to it So Tertullian Vsque ad delictum hominis Deus à primordio tantum bonus exinde judex severus Ita prior bonitas Dei secundum Naturam severitas posterior secundum Causam Illa ingenita haec accidens c. God was good from the beginning till sin came after that he became a severe Iudge so that the goodnesse of God was first being his Nature severity later by reason of sin That inbred this accidental Yet this severity is good too Illum enim bonum judicares Deum c. For would you count him a good God who should make men worse for want of punishment As he doth not strike till he be highly provoked so then he is loath to do it My people are bent to back-sliding from me though they called them to the most High none at all would exalt him For all this God is loath to destroy them How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah c. We will not think that these were Rhetorical flourishes or Court-like expressions but that a reall truth of affection was declared by them So in other places he sayes he did not punish till there was no remedy It is so necessary that Righteousnesse should not be forgotten or thrust out of the world by impudent sinners that we must needs acknowledge the root of punishment to be goodnesse as he said for he strikes because we have transgressed the law of indispensible right and grieved the indwelling God Is it not goodnesse to hinder us though with afflictions from grieving and quenching the spirit which hath planted it self in us as a root of holy light and joy If God should indulge us in sin we might cry out ô Deum veritatis praevaricatorem Hoc erit bonitas imaginaria disciplina phantasma Since we see by these things how far God is exalted above all unworthinesse let us take heed lest by carelesnesse impotency of mind and lowness of soule we reproach God when we think to magnify him Let us take heed lest we bring down the hight of the divine glory by making it conform to our Idiopathies Clem. Alexand. reports out of Posidippus how Praxiteles when he was to make the Image of Venus expressed in the picture the form of one Cratina whom he loved by which means the miserable Idolaters worshiped the painters Mistresse for a Goddesse It is a rule in Divinity that we are to remove all imperfections from God We misrepresent God if we report any thing of him that makes him not the most noble object of Love Trust and Admiration to his creatures but rather makes him to be hardly thought of by them Let us beware of harbouring any conceit that there is the least of Craft Cruelty or Injustice in his disposition designs or providences In so doing we shall both blaspheme him and indispose our selves to love trust or obey him It were a mad impertinency in a child to praise his Father by reporting that he was a man of such parts that he could easily out-wit poor people and that he did use to do it Shall that go for the praise of wisdom which was only an accusation for vile craft It is not only Ambition but cruelty to seek to rise by the fall and ruine of others It was a heathen that said God makes a play of humane affaires and sports with men as balls It is a disgrace to the merciful Creator and just Governour of all things to despise the concernments of his creatures If we represent God as unjust in his praescriptions cruel in his designs or unequal in his providences we do as much as say that the Fountain of light sends forth darknesse that the spring of sweetnesse is bitter and endeavour to make Heaven and Hell meet We talk of Cannibals with abhorrence for greedy eating of mens flesh and shall we think that God takes pleasure in the destrustion of souls There were three pieces of Atheisme which men by the light of Nature condemned of old The first was a direct denial of the Deity which very few ever stooped unto The second a denial of Providence which was laid to the charge of Epicurus The third that God governs but without goodnesse and justice and of this many have been guilty who could find no other cause of their afflictions but Gods carelesness to save good men as they supposed themselves to be from suffering Those which make God the Authour of sin overthrow the righteousnesse of his nature and providence and if we at any time quarrel with his dispensations towards us and think God deals hardly with us do we not accuse him of injustice and the want of benignity when the guilt of our sins begins to encompass us the iniquity of our doings treads upon our heels if we attempt an evasion by laying our sins upon God for not giving us garce or suffering us to be tempted or I know not what do we not accuse his administration that he is rigorous or hath outwitted us It is the greatest disgrace of a Governour as the Philosopher observed long agone {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to lay snares for those whom he governs But this cannot be said of God for his Nature being goodnesse that must needs be the measure of his providence This is the first way to honour God in all things to preserve worthy thoughts of him We do honour to God if we carefully take heed lest we worship him in such a manner or with such oblations as make our service rather complement and flattery then true love and solid Adoration Throughout the Holy writ God hath declared a deep detestation of such worship and worshipers and seeks only such as worship him in spirit and truth that is which present no outward instance of worship but they put also their heart and soule in it When it is otherwise what saith God These people worship me with their mouths and honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me If such worshipers had nothing else base in them it is bad enough to make them odious to God that they think he doth not know or hate such spirits He being a spirit full of truth and goodness
when the Altar is inscribed To an unknown Godâ— Religious expressions which are not founded in true knowledge are alwayes ridiculous and sometimes sadly blasphemous Those which have not a right understanding of God pray madly to him and speak foolishly of him Religious affections that are not bottomed upon a good understanding are framed childishly and continue accordingly Those which would be truly religious should take a serious Notice of those Attributes by which God hath discovered his nature We must not make excuses for our Ignorance by pretending that God is incomprehensible the greater he is the sooner we may find and apprehend him as you may sooner find the Sea then a River or that we cannot behold the naked Essence or Being of God no more can we of any thing else What is there in the world which we know but by its properties and effects And by them God is sufficiently knowable to us The {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the nanatural knowledge of God is implanted in mens soules as an inbred light in the eye to inable them to see him and he hath made the Creation a fair glasse to reflect his proper attributes for the invisible things of him which we talk of his eternal power and Godhead his goodnesse and wisdom powerfully declared which express the Divity of God are clearly seen by the world which he hath made and in his actions whereby he doth continually show himself he is so discernably revealed that those which do not see and serve him are without all apology of their ignorance and disobedience The works of God especially of benignity and goodnesse are called his witnesses Acts 14. 17. Neverthelesse he left himself not without witnesse in that he did good c. And the son of God who came out of the Fathers bosome out of an intimate acquaintance with God he hath revealed him Having all these assistances let us improve our knowledge of God lest we mistake extremely in our devotions and present an impertinent service If the unworthy Iewes had but well considered the nature of God they would have offered a reasonable and living service and not have been contented with brutish dead worship They would have known that it was an affront rather then an oblation so to mistake God as to think that he could be pleased with flesh and smoake and to undervalue him to others by their misbecoming services giving by-standers occasion to think that the true God smiled upon such impertinencies and gladly received such absurd votaries He which nourisheth ignonorance and unbelief in his mind will be ungodly in his heart life I must confesse I think this so far true that I am of his mind who said that the root of all wickednesse is Atheisme He which dishonours his Maker and despiseth the Law of his Benefactor in a wicked life would not do so if he believed that God made him and that all the blessings of his life were his meer bounty and that God was infinitely more lovely then any of his creatures and that the time will come when God will judge the wicked for their Idolatrous life for they sin by loving the creature more then the Creator and that he will abandon them to torments for their wilful disobedience But wicked men either perswade themselves that there is no God or that he is not such as he hath declared himself to be in the Scriptures The exclamation of the Poet was rational Heu primae scelerum causae mortalibus aegris Naturam nescire Deum i. e. Men would not sin as they they do but that they are ignorant of the Nature of God We do honour to God if after we have got a right knowledge of his Nature we do conform our seves unto it when as the Apostle saith we beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory by the Spirit of the Lord When we become imitators of God as dear children putting on the same Image Temper and Spirit following God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as far as it is possible for a man to follow God The reason of this is plain for by our careful conforming our selves to God we do manifestly acknowledge him to be the absolute pattern of all Excellency and the Primitive copy of all beauty and perfection Then we honour God in an effectual instance when we do in disposition and life show and hold forth the virtues or powerfull goodnesses of God who hath called us out of darknesse into his marvellous light When the light of wisdom goodnesse and righteousnesse shines before men in the lives of the children of God then will they much taken with that goodly Image glorify their heavenly Father who is the Archetype Exemplar of all goodnesse Clemens Alexand. hath said this in proper words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. It is the only way at once to imitate and worship the best of all Beings for we cannot imitate God but by such things as will make our worship holy nor worship him but by imitation Marcus in Iulian being asked what was the most worthy end of our life having answered to imitate God it was said to be an answers not only {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. not only that he had answered nobly but that he had said all This imitation must be performed with all plainnesse and simplicity and with an universal regard to all Gods imitable perfections lest that be said to us which was replied to an unworthy Emperour when he made the imitation of Apollo his plea {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. But for all this I will take off his Crown for he hath not conformed himself to me in all things and in those things wherein he pretends to resemble me he hath not done it as he should That is a just imitation when we follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes God is not so pleased with Temples made with hands and he hath forbidden to attempt the making of foolish Images but he is well pleased with every good man and woman that make themselves the habitation of the Holy Spirit that offer their soules to God being made acceptable sacrifices through the participation of the divine Image and Nature When such a worshiper appeares before God he may bring what other sacrifice he will he shall be accepted vel farre litabit There is no Temple in which God will converse with a wicked man his oblations are the sacrifice of fooles His gifts may maintain the flames upon a visible Altar and his offerings present something that Church-robbers will be glad to steal but his soul is so unlike to God whom he pretends to worship that he abhorres him and his offerings He counts his name rather blasphemed than honoured by the mouthes of the ungodly when they presume to make mention of it though with a great deale
kindle the fire Therfore let us not be such Thus he But when this counsel was rejected what did they do Then immoderate spirits tore the perfect bond and to use the Philosophers words did {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} tore in pieces the God of Love that was among them I am sure I may say they used the Body of Christ with lesse mercy then the very souldiers expressed to his Garments But the false mother would still have the child divided When it so falls out by the Providence of God that there are differences in opinion as to some things when each party refuses charitably to bear with those which cannot embrace their opinions they cast the Dice for the peace of the Church and appoint each to be content with their lot till they can get the greatest power or else offer peace upon such terms as Nahash propounded to Iabesh Gilead that is if others will be content to have their right eye put out So Nilus the Greek Bishop sayes plainly that the Greek schisme was made between them the Romans because they would not let the Romans {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Sit as Lords and Masters of their faith nor set themselves as obedient Scholars at their feet What mischief befell christianity by means of this spirit in Iulians time is to the eternal disgrace of its professors recorded by Ammianus Marcellinus lib. 22. That Iulian might weaken the christian power which he feared he knew no way so easie as to endeavour their destruction by themselves and therefore recall'd the Bishops banished by Constantius and gave them and the people leave to be christians though he himself was turned Heathen How could he hope to gain by this The Historian tells us Nullas infestas hominibus bestias ut sunt sibi ferales plerique christianorum expertus i. e. because he had never found beasts so cruel to men as he had seen christians implacable towards one another and therefore as he travel'd through Palestine cryed out O Marcomanni O Quadi O Sarmatae tandem alios vobis inquietiores inveni This was a horrible shame brought upon the Gospel of our Saviour by such professors as had put off every thing of christianity but the name One may well cry out with Tertullian O melior fides Nationum in sectam suam The Heathens are more true to their profession Nay they were more mercifull to christians then christians to themselves for Iulian though he was Heathen and Apostate yet he professed in one of his Epistles to Iamblichus that he thought it was not fit for him to persecute the christians {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. I think it fit to teach but not to punish fools When christians laid aside the spirit of love they became ridiculous to the world those which admired them before for loving one another and said ut pro alterutro mori sunt parati might now say Not how ready are they to die for one another but how ready are they to kill one another How far this spirit is removed from the Nature of Religion Lactantius hath expressed very well Divin. Instit. lib. 5. cap. 20. Longè diversa sunt carnificina pietas defendenda enim religio est non occidendo sed monendo non saevitia sed sapientia Nam si sanguine si tormentis si malo religionem defendere velis jam non defendetur illa sed polluetur atque violabitur nihil enim tam voluntarium est ac Religio c. Piety hath nothing to do with cruelty neither can truth be joyned with violence Religion is not to be defended with killing but admonishing when blood and torments are used for its defence it is not defended but polluted and violated So the forementioned ingenuous Historian having it seems read our Bible when he saw Georgius the turbulent Bishop of Alexandria fill Constantius his broad ears with accusations of divers persons he sayes he had forgotten the Religion which he professed quae nihil nisi justum suadet lene which doth command us nothing but gentlenesse and equity I am afraid that christian Religion will not recover for a good while that honour which is lost by the uncharitablenesse of the present age God grant that we may return speedily to the sincerity of the Protestant principles We know not what the christian Religion is but by the Scriptures and by them we may know for there it is plainly and fully set down In things doubtful if every christian may not interpret for himself how shall we justify the Protestants separation from the Roman Church not to have been a schisme and as the Papists say an Apostasy from the true Church They interpret one way and we another And was not the rigid imposition of their interpretations as infallible one of those good reasons for which we departed from them But when we read these Scriptures They shall kill you and think they do God service and By zeal I persecuted the Church and They have a zeal but not according to knowledge we may perceive that hot zeal may be accompanied with gross ignorance and great cruelty Some that mean mean well perhaps may do shrowd mischief and through impotence of spirit inconsiderateness ill nature narrowness of soul want of experience and converse with wise men c. may throw firebrands into the House of God It is a strange device of pleasing God to sacrifice his friends to him when as he desireth not the death of his enemies But those which kill them say O but they are in errour Really it may be so for it is a very hard matter for such fallible creatures as we are not to erre in some things c. But those are unmerciful guides which kill plain-hearted passengers because they have missed the way when as it is likely that they poor men could not help it I but they will not go into the way when they are bidden Well but will they do it when you have killed them If they were out of the way you have made them for ever coming into it again Since the wanderer did not hearken to you it may be that he knew nothing to the contrary but that you were as ignorant of the way as himself No you had a book of it wherein it was fairly mapp'd forth That is the Bible and he had it too But you understand it better then he did I cannot tell that However are you infallible also If you be not you may be out of the way your self if it should chance to prove so you would be loath to be cudgell'd into it again If you will glorify God do as he doth What is that He declares his will teacheth us his Truth engageth us with a thousand mercies to do our duty and notwithstanding we continue our disobedience he awaites our repentance with a God-like patience Wilt thou go and do likewise No because they receive not Iesus