to be made after his Image and therefore in Heb 12 God is called the Father of Spirits Why He is the Father of the body also he made that but the meaning is that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father over them because he guides and nurtures them being most like to himselfe as the sonne is like the father so they are like to him and therefore hee most regards the spirits of men As you may see when Samuel went to anoint David King and all the sonnes of Iesse came before him those that were much more proper than David God tells him that he did not looke upon the persons of men nor upon their outward appearance hee heedes them not what doth he then he sees the soule and spirit of man the Lord looketh upon the heart and according to that hee judgeth of them 1 Sam. 16.7 Now if his eye be chiefly upon the spirit thou shouldest labour to let thine eye be chiefly still upon thy spirit and so thou shalt most please him Let thy eye be upon thy soule to keepe it cleane that it may be fit for communion with him who is a spirit This should teach you to looke to the fashion of your soules within because they are likest to him and carry his image in them he is a father of them in a speciall manner and they are that whereby you may have communion with him in that which is most proper unto him in spirituall exercises and performances Object But you will say what is it that you would have us to doe to our spirits to have them fit for the Lord that he may regard them and that they may be like to him Answ. 1 1 Thou must scoure and cleanse them from all filthinesse 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearely beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinisse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God There is a pollution which the Apostle speakes of which pollution he divides into two kindes of the flesh of the spirit both of these thou must labour to bee cleansed from but specially that of the spirit if tâ—â—n wouldst have it fit to have the Lord to delight in for he being a Spirit doth most regard those actions which are done by the Spirit and therefore that is the thing that mainely thou shouldst looke to Object But what is that pollution of spirit or what is that which doth defile it Answ. Every thing in the world defiles the spirit when it is lusted after 2 Pet. 1.4 Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust that is the world and all things in the world and all the parts of it they doe then corrupt the spirit defile and soile it when the soule of man hath a lust after them You might medle with all things in the world and not be defiled by them if you had pure affections but when you have a lust after any thing then it defiles your spirit therefore in Titus 1.15 the Apostle speakes of a conscience defiled And in Matt. 15. 19. saith our Saviour out of the heart proceede evill thoughts murthers adulterers fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies these are the thâ—â—gs whâ—â—h defile a man He doth not speake onely of actuall adulterie or murther but even of the siâ—â—ull dispositions of the soule even these are things that defile the spirit in Gods sight who lookes upon them as you doe upon outward filthinesse with the eyes of your body So that every inordinate lusting of the soule doth defile the soule Object But is not this rule too strait We are commanded not to murther nor to commit adultery this is the commandement and why should you say that every disordered affection doth defile the soule and that it is more regarded by God then the outward actions Answ. You must know that the tenth commandement doth strike against these abominations Thou shalt not lust and so it is translated Rom. 7 so that these lustings of the spirit are those that defile the soule You see that God hath spent a whole commandement against them And indeede all the actuall sinnes committed by us simply considered in themselves as committed by the body are not so hated of God as the pollution of the spirit is Nay I dare be bolâ—â— to say that the act of adultery and murther is not so abominable in Gods eyes as the filthinesse of the spirit this is more abominable in the sight of God who is a spirit than the act of the body for it is the spirit that he mainly lookes to Indeed the act contracts the guilt because the lust is then growne up to an height so that it is come to an absolute will and execution Therefore if these lustings doe presse into the soule wee should put them out againe and reject them with shame and griefe for GOD is a Spirit and beholdes the continuall behaviour of thy spirit Againe the injury which you offer to others though in it selfe it be a great sinne yet that inward brooding of it in thy heart plotting mischiefe that boiles within thee while it hatches rancour and revenge this is that which he hates though thou shouldest never commit any actuall sinne this way Iam. 4.5 you have this phrase used The lust of the spirit to envie that is the bent of the spirit and inclination of the minde which lookes upon the gifts of others whereby it overshines them so that they lust to have that light put out that their candle might appeare above it though they act nothing yet this is abominable to him And that I might not deliver this without ground consider There is nothing so pleasing to God as a broken heart Isa. 57. Now the breaking of the heart is nothing else but the severing betweene the heart and sin As when you see an artificers worke wherein many parts are glued together if it should fall downe or the glue be dissolved then they all breake to pieces and when the lusts that are in our soules are thus severed this pleaseth the Lord not that the affliction of a mans spirit is pleasing to the Lord but the separation of sinne from his soule when the soder that joynes a sinfull action and the heart together when this is dissolved this doth please the Lord. And by the rule of contraries if this be true then it is true on the other side that when the spirit is glued by any lust to any inordinate thing it is most hatefull to God for the stronger the lust is the stronger is the glue and therefore a man the more he is tyed to this world and hath such strong lusts the more hee hath this uncleannesse and pollution of spirit And therefore as a broken heart is most acceptable to God so a spirit that is knit to any inordinate object by the thing that it cleaves to it becomes most hatefull and abominable to him
them as Haman had of Mordecai to hate that beloved pollution which cleaves so fast to thy spirit this were a blessed thing Thou must yet goe a step further that is to get it mortified to get it utterly cast out slaine and killed not to suffer it to live with thee thou must doe with such a pollution of thy spirit as thou doest with thine utter enemy whom thou followest to death and wilt have the law upon him and wilt be content with nothing but his life So when thou hast found out thy sinne then goe this step further to have it out before the Lord and cry against it and say that it is his enemy thy enemy an enemy to his grace it hath sought thy life and thou wilt have the life of it before thou hast done this thou shouldest doe to get it utterly cast out to get an utter separation betwixt thy soule and it so that if there should come a temptation to hee againe if there should be pleasure on the one hand and threatnings on the other then thou shouldest say rather any thing than this sinne than this lust it is my greatest enemy that hath done me thus much mischiefe so that thy soule doth not onely loath it but thou wilt not suffer it to live in thee this is that which wee ought to doe if wee would cleanse our spirits When a man hath done all this thou must goe to God and beseech him that hee would melt that soder as it were that he would make a dissolution that he would sever thy soule and the lust that cleaves so fast to it That which made the soule and the object to cleave so fast together is lust that is the soder which like unto soder must be melted with fire Isay 4.4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Sion and shall have purged the blood of Ierusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of wisedome and by the spirit of burning that is the holy Ghost who is as fire that melts the soder and loosens it also the word Ier. 23.24 so also in Mal. 3. Christ there is compared to fire and to Fullers sope and all to expresse the divers wayes that the Lord hath to cleanse our spirits from sinne Sinne cleaves to the soule as drosse to the gold now the spirit of burning cleanseth and purifies it yea it doth it violently and therefore it is said to be a hammer also in Ieremy Againe sinne sinkes in as a deepe staine therefore Christ is as sope to cleanse it And therefore goe and say to God Rather than I should not be cleansed Lord cleanse me with the fire of affliction as it is also called Zach. 13.9 And I will bring the third part saith the Lord through the fire and will refine thē as silver is refined will try them as gold is tryed It were best my beloved if you would yeeld to the Spirit the Word that they may cleanse you before his sight For if that will not doe he will come with the fire of affliction and it is better that you should be dealt so with than that your soules being still uncleane should perish for ever To fit thy spirit for the Lord that is a spirit and the father of spirits thou must goe yet one step further thou must labour to beautifie it to seeke to adorne it by a spirituall excellency Now if thou wouldest beautifie it by any thing seeke not for outward excellencies as clothes or fine apparell or adorning in the sight of men but seeke such an excellency as is sutable to the spirit seeke not other things for they are such things that God regards not So that as every man seekes some excellency or other that which thou art to seeke is to get spirituall excellency such as may beautifie thy heart for that which is outward God regardeth not You shall see an excellent place for this Isay 66.2 All these things hath my hand made saith the Lord but to this man will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word When the Lord lookes upon all things here below they are all at his command my hand hath made them saith he and I can dispose of them as I will but what is it of all them that I doe esteeme a spirit that is fashioned and beautified with inward ornaments so that it trembles at my word that is the thing which I regard So 1 Pet. 3.3 you have a comparison there of outward excellencies and of the spirituall decking of the inward man which the Apostle preferreth because that is a thing that is esteemed of by God Whose adorning saith the Apostle let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the haire and of wearing golde or of putting on of apparell But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price So it is said of wisedome Prov. 3.22 It shall be life to thy soule and grace to thy necke that is wisedome adornes the soule in the sight of God therefore that is the excellency that is chiefly to be sought by us even thus to adorne the soule And there is good reason for it for if thou consider what thy body is and what thy spirit is thou shalt see that all these things that doe adorne the outward man are not the excellencies to bee sought after Indeed there are divers kindes of those excellencies they are of three sorts First excellency of clothes and building and such gaudy things which children and vaine men and women are sensible of Secondly great titles and honours and great rewards which a higher sort of men are capable of Thirdly the excellency of learning and knowledge and skill in arts and sciences and this also is but an outward excellency for though it be seated in the spirit yet it inables onely to outward things These are not the excellencies that thou shouldest seeke for but it is an excellency of the spirit thou art to regard looke to thy spirit what that is for as the spirit is such is the man Spiritus est perfectio hominis this is the proper excellency the body is but as it were the sheath for the soule a man is said to be more excellent as his soule is excellent Other excellency is but an outward excellency this excellency is that which is intrinsecall to a man the other are but adventitious they are not proper it is not that which makes the difference The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour There is a difference of honour but all these are but accidentall differences the essential difference is the spirit and that is it which God regards and by this thou excellest thy neighbour All other excellencies are but as when a mule or an
1 Pag. 49 Reason Difference betweene faith and reason Part. 1 Pag. 46 Reason for that faith beleeveth Ibid. Reason raised by faith Part. 1 Pag. 47 Purposes grounded on reason Part. 2 Pag. 118 VVee must get strong reasons for our resolution Part. 2 Pag. 119 Regard VVe should regard the Lord in three things Part. 1 Pag. 171 Rejoyce see Immensity See Almighty Religion see False Repentance Repentance how attributed to God Part. 2 Pag. 76 Gods gifts and calling without Repentance Part. 2 Pag. 84 Resolution Resolution meanes to helpe it Part. 2 Pag. 119 Resolution must be renewed Part. 2 Pag. 122 See Desire Reject see Pray Rest. Of resting in things concerning a mans selfe Part. 1 Pag. 151 Reward He that lookes for reward from men makes himselfe his end Part. 1 Pag. 15 Reverence VVe should reverence God why Part. 2 Pag. 145 Righteous GOD righteous in his wayes Part. 2 Pag. 79 Roote The roote of all sin what Part. 1 Pag. 66 Rule That which goeth by a rule may erre Part. 1 Pag. 144 We should let the Spirit rule Part. 2 Pag. 19 How to know when the Spirit beareth rule Part. 2 Pag. 22 See confusion S. Scandall GOD punnisheth his owne children in case of Scandall Part. 2 Pag. 99 Scriptures Scriptures proved true by faith 3. wayes Part. 1 Pag. 48 Scriptures proved by themselues Part. 1 Pag. 56 Difference betweene penmen of scripture and other writers Part. 1 Pag. 80 Whence it is that men take the judgement of scripture rather then mens fancies Part. 1 Pag. 70 How to understand scriptures Part. 2 Pag. 78 Seek How to know we seeke to God Part. 1 Pag. 130 Serve service He that neglects GODS service makes him not his end Part. 1 Pag. 150 VVhy we should labour to serve GOD Part. 1 Pag. 172 Secure GODS power in bringing downe those that are secure Part. 2 Pag. 202 Seeing We are present with GOD by seeing of him Part. 2 Pag. 160 GOD present with us by seeing us Part. 2 Pag. 161 Short The good the creatures do us is short Part. 1 Pag. 138 To GOD no time long or short Part. 1 Pag. 160 Sinne. The perfection of GOD to bee vncapable of sinne Part. 1 Pag. 122 Sinne 3. things in it Part. 1 Pag. 166 Sinne and grace to be thought on cheifly Part. 1 Pag. 167 Sinne observed by GOD Part. 2 Pag. 168 GOD therefore Omnipotent because he cannot sinne Part. 2 Pag. 182 See Light Simplicity Simplicity of God what 2 1. Simplicity of God proved by 6 reasons Part. 2 Pag. 49 Simplicity two things in it Part. 2 Pag. 60 See Quantity Singlenesse Singlenesse of heart what Part. 2 Pag. 37 Singlenesse to be laboured for Part. 2 Pag. 59 Sicknesse Sicknesse in the body of the world 1.33 Soule A God proved by the soule of man Part. 1 Pag. 15 Soule the acts of it depend not on the body Part. 1 Pag. 18 God in the world as the soule in the body Part. 1 Pag. 23 Spawne Spawne of sinne in the lusts of the spirit 2 10 Speake Speaking to GOD makes us present with him 2 161 GOD present with us by speaking to us Ibid. How GOD speakes to us now Part. 2 Pag. 162 Spirit GOD a spirit Part. 2 Pag. 2 VVhat kinde of spirit God is Ibid 4 Properties of a spirit Ibid Gods eye especially on the spirit of man Part. 2 Pag. 4 How to fit our spirits for communion with God Part. 2 Pag. 6 Pollution of spirit how hatefull to God Part. 2 Pag. 7 Spirit broken pleaseth God Part. 2 Pag. 8 Directions for cleansing the spirit Part. 2 Pag. 10 Gods government chiefly on mens spirits Part. 2 Pag. 25 Spirit GOD guides onely Part. 2 Pag. 28 Spirit the guiding of it of great consequence Part. 2 Pag. 29 GOD must be worshipped in spirit Part. 2 Pag. 32 To serve GOD in spirit what Part. 2 Pag. 33 How to conceive of a spirit Part. 2 Pag. 45 See Adorne Iudgement Stability Stability in that we enjoy to be begged of GOD 2 10 Stronger The assent in the elect stronger that there is a God than in others Part. 1 Pag. 62 Substantiall Perfection in God substantiall Part. 1 Pag. 122 Succession God without succession Part. 1 Pag. 98 Hee that is eternall must be without succession Part. 1 Pag. 157 Suffer VVhy men rather sinne than suffer Part. 1 Pag. 25 T. Temptations Temptations we must outbid them Part. 2 Pag. 120 Testament Testament both olde and new acknowledged by Mahomet Part. 1 Pag. 82 Testimony see Adversaries Church Theologie Theologie what Part. 1 Pag. 1 Theologie wherein it differeth from other sciences Part. 1 Pag. 2 Theologie the parts of it Part. 1 Pag. 3 Difference in points of Theologie Part. 1 Pag. 5 Time Time dispensed by God Part. 1 Pag. 158 All time present with God 1.159 Time of outward things short Part. 1 Pag. 162 God the Lord of time Part. 1 Pag. 174 Time as a field to be sown Ibid. Time double Part. 2 Pag. 83 See Iudgement Thoughts How to be rid of ill thoughts Part. 2 Pag. 169 Together God possesseth all things together Part. 1 Pag. 159 Trust. To trust in God Part. 1 Pag. 171 V. Vanity Vanity 〈…〉 our owne streâ—â—â—â— 1 1â—3 See 〈◊〉 Vessells All outward things earthen vessells Part. 2 Pag. 105 Visible Miracles of Scripture visible Part. 1 Pag. 48 Vnderstanding Objects of the understanding of two sorts Part. 1 Pag. 21 Vnchangeable Men make excuses from this that Gods decree is unchangeable Part. 2 Pag. 95 Vpon what occasion the doctrine of Gods unchangeablenesse is revealed Part. 2 Pag. 96 The end and use of the doctrine of Gods unchangeablenesse Part. 2 Pag. 97 To prize things by their unchangeablenesse Part. 2 Pag. 106 Grace unchangeable Part. 2 Pag. 107 See Decree Vnmixed The perfection of God unmixed Part. 1 Pag. 121 Voluntary see Cause VV Walke To walke with God Part. 2 Pag. 159 To walke with God what Part. 2 Pag. 160 See Love Want How faith is strengthened in our wants Part. 1 Pag. 103 Perfection of GOD without want Part. 1 Pag. 122 To make use of Gods power in our wants Part. 2 Pag. 19â— Weaknesse Weaknesse to regard praise of men Part. â— Pag. 133 See Inconstancy Weaned To use outward things with weaned hearts Part. 2 Pag. 57 Weary The soule not weary in its action Part. 1 Pag. 19 Wheeles Observations from the wheeles in Ezek 1. Part. 1 Pag. 35 Will. God wills not things because they are just but they are just because he wills them Part. 1 Pag. 143 Gods power large as his will Part. 2 Pag. 181 Men doubt more of Gods power than his will Part. 2 Pag. 194 No losse by yeelding to Gods will Part. 2 Pag. 204 Wisedome Wisedome carnall opposite to sincerity 2.65 See Company Word Word of God unchangeable Part. 2 Pag. 108 Workes Workes of God the greatnesse of them 1 78 Good workes unchangeable Part. 2 Pag. 108 Gods greatnesse seene in
such like motions it is done by working on their senses but come to man there are other actions of his understanding and will in the soule It is true indeed in a man there are fancie and appetite and these arise from the temper of the body therefore as the body hath a different temper so there are severall appetites dispositions and affections some man longs after one thing some after another but these are but the severall turnings of the sensuall appetite which is also seene in beasts therefore when the soule is gone these remaine no longer but come to the higher part of the soule the actions of the will and understanding of man and they are of an higher nature the acts which they doe have no dependance upon the body at all Besides come to the motions of the body the soule guides and moves the body as a Pilot doth a ship now the Pilot may be safe though the ship be split upon the rocke Looke on beasts they are led wholly as their appetite carries them and they must goe that way therefore they are not ruled as a Pilot governes a ship but in men their appetites would carry them hither or thither but the will saith no and that hath the understanding for its counseller So that the motions of the body arise not from the diversity of the sensuall appetites as in all other creatures but of the will and understanding for the soule depends not upon the body but the acts of the body depend upon it therefore when the body perisheth the soule dies not but as a man that dwels in a house if the house fall he hath no dependance on it but may goe away to another house so the soule hath no dependance upon the bodie at all therefore you must not think that it doth die when the body perisheth Besides the soule is not worne it is not weary as other things are the body is weary and the spirits are weary the body weares as doth a garment till it be wholly worne out now any thing that is not weary it cannot perish but in the very actions of the soule it selfe there is no wearinesse but whatsoever comes into the soule perfects it with a naturall perfection and it is the stronger for it therefore it cannot be subject to decay it cannot weare out as other things doe but the more notions it hath the more perfect it is the body indeed is weary with labour and the spirits are weary but the soule is not weary but in the immediate acts of it the soule it works still even when the body sleepeth Looke upon all the actions of the soule and they are independent and as their independencie growes so the soule growes younger and younger and stronger and stronger senescens juvenescit and is not subject to decay or mortalitie as you see in a Chicken it growes still and so the shell breakes and falls off so is it with the soule the body hangs on it but as a shell and when the soule is growne to perfection it falls away and the soule returnes to the Maker The next thing that I should come to is to shew you how this is made evident by faith When a man hath some rude thoughts of a thing and hath some reason for it he then begins to have some perswasion of it but when besides a man wise and true shall come and tell him it is so this addes much strength to his confidence for when you come to discerne this God-head and to know it by reasons from the creatures this may give you some perswasion but when one shall come and tell you out of the Scripture made by a wise and true God that it is so indeed this makes you confirmed in it Therefore the strength of the argument by faith you may gather after this manner Yee beleeve the Scriptures to be true and that they are the Word of God now this is contained in the Scriptures that God made Heaven and Earth therefore beleeving the Scriptures to be the Word of God and whatsoever is contained in them hence faith layes hold upon it also and so our consent growes strong and firme that there is a God After this manner you come to conclude it by faith For what is faith Faith is but when a thing is propounded to you even as an object set before the eye there is an habit of faith within that sees it what it is for faith is nothing else but a seeing of that which is for though a thing is not true because I beleeve it is so yet things first are and then I beleeve them Faith doth not beleeve things imaginary and such as have no ground but whatsoever faith beleeves it hath a being and the things we beleeve doe lye before the eye of reason sanctified and elevated by the eye of faith therefore Moses when he goes about to set downe the Scripture hee doth not prove things by reason but propounds them as In the beginning GOD made the Heaven and Earth he propounds the object and leaves it to the eye of faith to looke upon For the nature of faith is this God hath given to man an understanding facultie which we call Reason the object of this is all the truths that are delivered in the world whatsoever hath a being Now take all things that we are said to beleeve and they also are things that are and which are the true objects of the understanding and reason But the understanding hath objects of two sorts 1 Such as we may easily perceive as the eye of man doth the object that is before him 2 Such as we see with more difficulty and cannot doe it without something above the eye to elevate it As the candle and the bignesse of it the eye can see but to know the bignesse of the Sunne in the latitude of it you must have instruments of art to see it and you must measure it by degrees and so see it So is it here some things we may fully see by reason alone and those are such as lye before us and them wee may easily see but other things there are that though they are true yet they are more remote and further off therefore they are harder to bee seene and therefore we must have something to helpe our understanding to see them So that indeed Faith it is but the lifting up of the understanding by adding a new light to them and it and therefore they are said to be revealed not because they were not before as if the revealing of them gave a being unto them but even as a new light in the night discovers to us that which we did not see before and as a prospective glasse reveales to the eye that which we could not see before and by its owne power the eye could not reach unto So that the way to strengthen our selves by this argument is to beleeve the Scriptures and the things contained in them Now
prerogative if thou looke upon future times as thine and sayeth with the rich man in the Gospel now soule take thy rest this is sacrilege against God It is as if a man should say I have three thousand acres of land when he hath not three foot or if a man should say I have three thousand pound and hath not three pence It is the use made of it in Iames 4.13 14. Goe to now yee that say to day or to morrow we will goe into such a Citie c. Whereas yee ought to say if the Lord will we shall live and doe this or that if hee will give us leave to come in upon his ground This phrase is out of use with many men as clothes that are out of use we are unwilling to weare them but Christians should bring them into use againe and say if the Lord please let them labour to doe this in feare and trembling Thou shouldst thus thinke of time thou shouldst looke upon it as on a large field given by God and nothing of it belonging otherwise unto thee and looke what ground the Lord God gives thee thou art to sow seed in it and apply it to seeke him that thou mayest receive an harvest in future time and let men not say I will repent and turne to God hereafter but doe it presently in feare and trembling Boast not of time why doest thou deferre the time thou breakest into the Lords right and oftentimes he cuts thee off for it because thou breakest into that which doth nothing belong unto thee THE TENTH SERMON EXODVS 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM And he said thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel I AM hath sent me unto you WEE come now to the next Attribute and that is the Simplicity of God he is without all composition without any parts not having soule and body as we have not being compounded of substance and accident as we are but hee is simple without all composition Which I gather out of these words I AM WHAT I AM that is whatsoever is in mee it is my selfe I am a pure act all being a whole entire simple and uniforme being without parts not like to the creature for the best of them is compounded of actions and qualities but whatsoever is in me it is my selfe Now in this simplicity and immixture of God wee will first fall upon that which the Scripture sets downe in plaine words Iohn 4.24 God is a Spirit that is he is not mixt he is not compounded of body and soule as men are but he is a Spirit The word Spirit both in the Hebrew Greeke and Latine tongue doth signifie breath A breath is indeede a body but because it is the finest body the most subtile and most invisible therefore immateriall substances which we are not able to conceive are represented to us under the name of a spirit or breath Besides this is to be added though God bee said to be a spirit yet he is not properly a spirit as Angells are for an Angell is a creature and though it want a body and be a spirit yet it is a created substance but yet because that is neerest to the pure and incomprehensible nature of God therefore he calls himselfe a spirit as Angells are and our soules are To shew you what a spirit is these foure things are to be considered 1 It is proper to a Spirit to be invisible impalpable not to bee discerned by any sense Therfore Christ bids his Disciples to feele him Behold my hands and my feete saith he that it is I my selfe handle and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as I have A Spirit is that which is drawn from the sight of any corporeall sense whatsoever and in this sense God is called a Spirit because he is invisible and therefore Moses is said to see him that is invisible not by any bodily eye but by the eye of faith 2 Every Spirit moves it selfe and other things also The body is but an earthy piece that is not able to stirre it selfe at all as you see it is when the soule is gone out of it it is the spirit that both moves it selfe and carries the body up and downe where it listeth and it moves it selfe with all speed and agility because it finds no resistance Bodies beside their elementarie motion vpward and downeward have no voluntarie motion they cannot move themselves whither they will as spirits doe And this I gather out of Ioh 3.8 the Holy Ghost is compared to the wind that blowes where it listeth 3. It is the propertie of every Spirit to move with exceeding great force and strength and with much vehemency so that it farre exceeds the strength of any body Therefore in Isa 31.3 speaking of the strength of the Aegyptians he saith that they are flesh and not spirit as if hee should say all flesh is weake but the spirit is strong Therefore you see the Divells that are spirits what strength they have and the man in the Gospell that was possessed it is said that he could breake the strongest bonds and you see it commonly in those that are possessed and you read how he threw downe the house over Iobs children This is the strength of the spirit exceeding the strength of any body 4 It insinuates it selfe and enters into any bodily substance without all penetration of dimension that is it is not held out of any place by reason of a body that is in it it may be in it though the place be otherwise full as you see the soule is in the body you shall find no where an emptie place the body is every where whole yet the Spirit insinuates it selfe in every part and no body can keepe it out And so is God he is invisible not seene by any eye hee moves himselfe and all things in the world as he lists and he doth what he doth with exceeding great strength and then hee fills every place both heaven and earth what bodies soever be there yet he may be there notwithstanding And thus you see in what sense this is to be understood God is a Spirit Now we will come to apply this Vse 1 If God be a Spirit first then this we may gather from it 1 That his eye is cheifely vpon the spirits of men There are many things in the world which his hand hath made but that which he chiefely lookes to is the minde and spirit of man Whereas a man consists of two parts a body and a spirit it is the spirit that is like to God and in regard of the spirituall substance of the soule it is said
Consider that although a lust left at liberty when God hath taken off the chaine and suffers it to doe what it will doth contract more guilt and doth indeede more hurt to mankind yet he that hath a heart as full of lust and filthinesse is no lesse abominable and odious in Gods sight Take a wolfe that runnes up and downe and kills the sheepe that wolfe is abominable and every one cries out against him but a wise man that sees a wolfe tyed up in a chaine hates that as much as he did the other for he knowes that he hath the same nature and would doe as much hurt if he were let loose So we may say of men whose hearts are full of lusts God it may be hath tyed them up so that they breake not forth yet these lusts are abominable and hatefull in his sight though they doe not so much hurt nor breake so many commandements Therfore let them consider this that live under good families good Tutours or in good company coÌ„monly they are as wolves tied up they cannot break forth so into outward acts it may be they are restrained by reason of some bodies favour that they would not lose or the like but yet they give way to the spirit within that rangeth and lusteth up and downe and this is therefore defiled in Gods sight Consider that these lusts of the Spirit are full of the spawne and egges of sinne that is they are the mother sinne it is pregnant with actuall sinne Iam. 4.1 From whence come warres and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that warre in your members Concupiscence is but as the lust of the Spirit which concupiscence is full of actuall sinnes and brings them forth when occasion is given Iam. 1.15 And therfore it is more hated than an act is which is but one which hath not so much spawne in it and therefore you ought to cleanse your spirit from this pollution Quest. But how shall we doe this to get our spirits thus cleansed Answ. 1 You must search out the pollution of the spirit For the spirit of a man is a deepe thing and hidden full of corners and cranne a lust and pollution will easily hide it selfe in 〈◊〉 therefore thou must finde it out and confesse it Doe as David â—â—d goe to God and say Lord search and try me see if there be any wickednesse in me as if he should say if I could I would search my owne heart but I cannot doe it enough therefore doe thou come and doe it I will open the doores as a man useth to say to the officers that come to looke for a traytour Doe you come in and search if there be any here I will set open my doores so faith David here So when a man would cleanse his heart from the pollutions of his spirit let him doe on that manner remember that to hide a traytour is to be a traytour himselfe therefore labour to finde it and when it is found confesse it to the Lord and lay a just weight upon it What though it never breakes forth into outward actions say to the Lord O Lord I know that thou lookest to the spirit and art conversant about it to have a polluted spirit is an abomination to thee This is a thing that we would doe and wee are oftentimes to blame in this in our prayers for we confesse our actuall sinnes and doe not confesse the pollution of our spirits to the Lord. Quest. But you will say We would faine have some directions to finde out this uncleanesse of our spirits Answ. Consider what ariseth in thy spirit when it is stirred at any time and there thou shalt finde what the pollution of the spirit is Set a pot on the fire and put flesh into it while it is colde there is nothing but water and meat but set it a boyling and then the scumme ariseth It is a similitude used in Ezek. 24.11 12. I say observe what ariseth in thy spirit at any time wheÌ„ there is some commotion when thy spirit is stirred more than ordinary now every temptation is as it were a fire to make the pot boyle any injurie that is offered to us this makes the scumme to arise now see what ariseth out there and when any object comes to allure thee to sinne see what thoughts arise in thy heart as the thoughts of profit or preferment so that when such an opportunity comes it stirres the spirit and sets it on boyling consider what then ariseth in thy heart and thou shalt see what thy spirit is And that which thou art to doe when thou findest it is to confesse it to the Lord and suffer it not to come into outward act cast it out suffer it not to boyle in Ezek. 24.13 When thou hast done this thou must not stay here but thou must labour to loathe and hate that pollution of spirit There are two things to be hated by us the sinne that we looke upon as a pleasant thing but there is besides thy inclination to that thing and that is the pollution of thy spirit and that thou must hate and loathe thou must not onely hate the object that is offered to thee but thy selfe also and the uncleanesse of thy spirit Thus it is with every one whose heart is right Ezek. 36.21 that is when a man begins to looke upon his sinne and see the pollution of the spirit in it he begins to grow to an indignation against it as that is the fruite of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. he findes his heart so disposed that he begins to quarrell with his heart and to fall out with it and to say What have I such a heart that will carry me to sinne that will not onely carry me to sinne but to hell Hee begins to loathe himselfe hee would not owne his owne selfe if hee could hee would goe out of himselfe he is weary of his owne heart such a hatred and loathing thou must have of this pollution of spirit that is in thee And this thou shalt doe if thou wilt but consider what evill this pollution doth bring thee and what hurt filthinesse hath done to thee a man can hate the disease of the body and cry out of it and why should not men doe so of the soule It is our sinne that is the cause of all evill it is not poverty or disgrace or sicknesse but it is sinne in thy poverty sinne in thy disgrace sinne in thy sicknesse so that if a man could looke upon sinne as the greatest evill and that doth him the greatest mischiefe he would hate that above all things And here remember not onely to doe it in generall but to pitch thy hatred chiefly upon thy beloved sinne Be ready to say in this case as Haman of Mordecai what availeth it me if Mordecai yet live If we could do so with our beloved lusts and come to such a hatred of
Christ Ioh 4.34 Iesus saith unto them my meate is to doe the will of my Father and to finish his worke that is I will be content to neglect my body to doe that which is the worke of my spirit the worke of my Father And such is his owne advice seeke not the loaves saith he nourish not your bodies labour not for the meate that perisheth but looke that thy soule get the better in all things Object But how shall I know this whether my soule doth rule or no Answ. When the bodily appetite and inclination shall arise so high as to rule the sterne of the soule and the actions of it then the body gets rule over the soule but when these shall bee subdued and ruled and guided by the soule when they shall bee brought to that square which the spirit within shall set downe then the spirit rules over the body Object But my inclinations are strong and I cannot rule them what must I doe then Answ. Thou must doe in this case as Saint Paul did who kept under his body by violence as men use to tame horses we should keepe it downe wee must take heed of carnall lusts they will keepe the body too high as a Horse may be too lustie for his rider yet so as on the other side it must not be kept too low for the body is the instrument of the soule but onely the soule must have dominion over it it should alwayes bee subject to the principall agent as it is said of a servant that he should not be Supra negotium nor infra negotium but par negotio not above nor below but fit for his businesse so ought the body to be the soules servant Beloved consider this doe but thinke what your soules are that you should suffer them to be thus in subjection Thinke what a shame it is that these bodily affections should so overrule the spirit that is made like to God the soule that shall live for ever the soule for which Christ dyed that is better then all the world beside thinke I say with your selves what a sencelesse and unreasonable thing it is that this soule should be kept under by the body and that the body should rule over it Are not men in this kinde like to beasts subject to sensualitie that eate that they may play and play that they may eate and the soule is not considered all this while how it is a spirit that is like to God himselfe who is a spirit Alas what is the body to it It is in it as in a prison such is the body to the soule not to be regarded in comparison of it Therefore adde this to the other that the soule may still be advanced and that it suffer not bodily actions to bring it into subjection lest you be as bruite beasts subject to sensuality made to be taken and to be destroyed FINIS THE ELEVENTH SERMON EXODVS 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. Vse 2 A Second use from this point is this If God be a spirit then his dominion government and providence is chiefly exercised on the spirits of men It is true his providence is over all things that belong to us but as he is in himselfe a Spirit so he puts forth and exerciseth this power of his principally in guiding the spirits of men and in that you are chiefly to observe his providence toward you And that you shall see in Rom. 14.17 The kingdome of God that is his rule and power is not in meate and drinke for they are outward things and hee that is a spirit regards them not but it is in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost that is in the things that belong to the spirit therein is his kingdome and dominion chiefly exercised So also Psal. 33.14 15. From the place of his habitation hee looketh downe upon all the inhabitants of the earth he fashioneth their hearts alike hee considereth all their workes Marke it when God lookes downe from heaven and beholdes the children of men the chiefest thing that he doth wherein his government is exercised is in that hee fashions their hearts and spirits and therefore those eternall subjects of his that live with him for ever and spirits as the Angels and the soules of men Therefore if thou wouldest observe the will of the Lord toward thee and wouldest see wherein his providence is chiefly exercised looke upon thy spirit upon all occasions that is what bents what inclinations what hopes and desires hee hath put into thy soule If you looke upon men in the world you shall see them divers in their spirits one man lusts after riches honour and preferment another after gaming sporting and drinking now looke upon this temper of spirit as the greatest judgement of all others Againe looke upon the spirits of other men they are fashioned a contrary way to deny themselves to seeke grace and avoid sinne to be content to have God alone to doe his worke and to leave their wages to God to live a painfull life serving God and men with their sweetnesse this is a quite contrary spirit and this is the greatest blessing Therefore you shall see that when the Lord is angry with a man so that his anger is wound up to the highest pegge then he gives him over to this judgement as it is Psal. 81.12 So I gave them over to their owne hearts lust and they walked in their owne counsells that is my judgement shall be executed upon their spirits to leave them to an unjudicious minde Againe on the other side when the Lord would doe a man the greatest kindnesse then he fashions his spirit another way Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maist live as if he should say when I minde to doe you a kindnesse then I will thus fashion your hearts aright So Ezek 36.26 A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh The Scripture is plentifull in this Therefore if thou wouldest observe what the LORD is to thee looke how hee fashions thy spirit if thou findest that hee leaves thee to unruly affections and lusts and leaves thee to be glued to that from which thou shouldest be divorced or that he hath left thee in bondage to the feare of men as a snare to thee there is no greater judgement in the world than this as it is the greatest mercy on the
contrary Therefore in 2 Tim. 4.22 Paul prayes The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit as if hee should say this is the greatest mercy that I can wish thee and the greatest good that God can doe thee and therefore he wisheth God to be with his spirit Now to set on this point a little further and to make this plaine to you you shall see it in these three things 1. Because all other things as riches poverty health sicknesse c. he dispenseth these promiscuously so he gives riches to wicked men c. because as it is Eccles. 9.1 His love or hatred cannot be knowne by these things Whence I reason thus That wherein the love and hatred of God is most seene therein his providence chiefly exerciseth it selfe but in the fashioning of the spirits of men there and there chiefly is his providence seene for other things come alike to men to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not 2. The disposing of other things is much in the power of men A Prince or a man hath power to kill or to save he can give riches and honor and take them away at his pleasure But to rule the spirits to compose and guide the apprehensions and affections of the soule that belongs to God alone a man is no more able to doe it than to rule the raging sea For as it is proper to God alone to compose the winde and to rule the waves so it is proper to him alone to rule the turbulent affections to compose and guide them If there be any disordered affection in the heart as an immoderate love of any thing or an impatient desire to any thing who is able to remove it but the Lord who is a Spirit So who can implant holy affections in thee but he alone as for example to thinke a good thought a man cannot do it without him who is the Father of spirits so to perswade a man no man can doe it it must be the Lord as Noah saith God shall perswade Laphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. So to see the hainousnesse of sinne and the evill of it no man can doe it but by the spirit of God as it is said Iohn 16.9 The Spirit convinceth men of Sinne. So to wil this or that which is good it is he that workes both the will and the deed A man cannot choose but bee swallowed vp with worldly griefe except God keepe him he cannot chose but feare the face of man except God assist him for this is one of Gods prerogatives royall to rule in the affections and apprehension of men 3 Because the guiding of a mans spirit is of the greatest consequence of all other things else Now God is a wise commander and therefore he will not exert and put forth his power but in things of greatest moment but the guiding of our affections is all in all to us For in a mans outward estate what things soever befall him all are nothing but what his apprehension is of them and how he is affected to them makes them crosses or comforts if a mans spirit be whole the greatest crosse is nothing and the least is intolerable if his spirit be broken As againe what are all pleasant things if a man hath not a heart to apprehend them As to Paul what was all his persecution as long as his spirit was whole within him he carried it out well and what was Paradise to Adam and a kingdome to Ahab when their spirit was broken It is the apprehension that makes every thing to a man heavy or unheavy pleasant or unpleasant sweete or sower and therefore this is the use to be made of it to behold Gods providence cheifely on our spirits and not onely in our owne spirits but what he doth vpon the spirits of others also It is a thing we stumble at when we see a wicked man prosper and carry all things in the world before him we should not say where is Gods providence and the truth of his promise but see what he doth upon the spirit of that man If thou seest such a man more malicious to the Church and children of God growing more carnall and abominable in his courses therein is Gods curse seene more than in all the dispensation of outward curses for that treasure of sinne which he layes up for himselfe will draw on a treasure of wrath which will be executed in due season Therefore beholde your spirits alwayes and Gods providence upon them Lament 3.65 Give them sorrow of heart thy curse upon them the words signifie which is thy curse upon them Therefore if you see an obstinate heart in a man that is the greatest curse of all As in receiving the Sacrament there wee doe pronounce a curse to him that receives it unworthily and prophanes the Lords body but it may be he goes on and sees it not but now looke upon his spirit and see how GOD deales with that whether his heart doth not grow harder and more obdurate which is the greatest curse You may observe this every where If thou seest one that hath a vaine and idle spirit that cannot studie that cannot pray that cannot choose but be carried away by an unruly lust to this or that thing believe it this is a greater judgement than all the diseases in the world than all shame and disgrace that wee account so much of than poverty and crosses as it is the greatest mercy on the other side when a man is able to serve GOD with an upright heart and to be sincere in all his carriage Thus it is with men and this thou shouldest observe in thy selfe also from day to day Let us not observe so much what accidents befall us what good is done to us or what crosses wee have it is true indeed GOD is seene in all these things but chiefly looke what GOD hath done to our spirit what composing of minde or what turbulency of affections or what quietnesse what patience or what impatience and for this be chiefly humbled or be chiefly thankfull for to take away from Christ the praise of sanctification is as much as to take away the praise of his redemption Herein thou shalt see his love or hatred manifested to thee his greatest judgement shewed to thee or his greatest mercies The Third Vse is that which the Scripture makes of it Iohn 4 24. If God be a Spirit then worship him in Spirit and truth What it is to worship God in spirit and truth you shall see if you compare this place with that in Rom. 1.9 For God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers The meaning of it is this When Paul had taken a solemne asseveration GOD is my witnesse c. doe not thinke saith hee that I have done this feignedly I am no such man
in preaching the Gospell of Iesus Christ I doe it in my spirit that is I doe it not for by-ends for feare of men or the like but I doe it in my spirit that is plainly heartily and sincerely So that to worship GOD in spirit is to have a plainnesse and sincerity in our worshipping him that is to doe it heartily what we doe to him in our praying and worshipping him when it is not formally and customarily done but our spirit seconds it within this it is to worship him in spirit So that the scope of our exhortation is that you would worship GOD chiefly in your spirits As it is said of singing Psalmes Col. 3.16 Admonish one another in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And the ground of it is because GOD is a spirit and therefore he beholdes at any such time when you come before him the inward behaviour of your spirits that is he observes when you come to preach or pray what squint-eyed ends what vaine glory what respect to men you have Yea he observes how farre naturall conscience leads you so that you do it as a task out of custome c. he observes what worldly-mindednes and carnall affections creep into the soule at that time that makes you either to post off the duty or else to doe it in a customary manner All this doth he behold he lookes to the inward carriage of the spirit and therefore doe you looke chiefly to the inward carriage to the inward frame of your minde Quest. But what is that more particularly Answ. I will shew it to you in these three things 1. See that thy spirit be as neare him as thy lippes are Isay 29.13 Hee complaines of a sort of people that draw nigh unto God with their mouth and with their lips doe honour him but have removed their heart farre from him and their feare towards him is taught by the precepts of men So Ier. 12.2 Thou oh Lord art neare in their mouth and farre from their reines Now if thou wouldest worship him in spirit see that thy spirit be as neare him as thy words are As for example in prayer thou confessest thy sinnes and professest that thou doest hate them thou prayest for mortification and grace for weanednes from the world herein thy words and Gods will doe agree they are consonant and when yet it may be the inward inclination of thy heart is farre enough off from this expression therefore bring thy spirit neare to God as thy lippes are and then thou worshippest him in spirit To shew you more plainly what this farrenesse off of the spirit is take a covetous man and put him upon the racke of any exigent where hee must part with all to save his life he will say as much as need to be in this case but his heart is set as close to his wealth as ever it was before so that he is loath to part with any thing And take a thiefe that comes before the Iudge hee confesseth his fault and begges pardon and saith that he will doe so no more but yet his heart sits as neere to his theft he is as farre from honesty as ever he was before So take a man when he comes into some exigent for that usually is the time as at the receiving of the Sacrament or at his day of death he comes and professeth to the Lord that hee will follow no more his wicked courses but he will become a new man here his words draw neare but looke to the bent and inclination of his heart to the radicall constitution of it and that is farre from holinesse there hee sits as close to his sinne as hee did before Therefore if thou wouldest worship God in spirit take care that thy spirit draw neare to him upon all such occasions as thy words doe A man in his ordinary course it may be prayes and his prayers are good but how farre his heart is from it that his life shewes It is a strange thing that at the Sacrament men come and make confession of their sins and yet their spirits are far from it and that their practise shewes Consider this you are the men that the Prophet doth speake too you draw nigh to GOD with your lips but your heart is farre from him And this is the first particuler When you worship God with all the might and strength and indevour of the minde and all the faculties of it this is to worship God in spirit 2 Sam. 6.14 It is said of David that hee danced before the Lord with all his might it was a worship of God a spirituall worship of God wherein David by his outward act of dancing did expresse his exultation and reioycing in the Lord. Now the text saith that he did this with all his might with all the might of his spirit for so you must understand it It is a Metaphore taken from the body when a man useth all his strength and might to doe any thing he vnites all the forces of his body to it so a man worshippeth God in spirit when all the faculties of the soule are concentred and united together in the performance of such a dutie And therefore it is called a wrastling with the Lord as Iacob did and it is called a striving with God as Paul saith that you strive together with me in prayer Rom. 15.30 that is when the soule and the minde are joyned all together when hee bends the whole soule to the worke this is to worship God in spirit Such an expression you haue Act. 20. where Paul went bound in the spirit to Ierusalem that is his spirit did not hang loose but it was girt up in a resolution to goe through with the worke whatsoever came of it his spirit was bound Now when thy spirit hangs loose upon the duty halfe on and halfe off when a man cares not whether hee doth it or no this is not to worship God with the spirit but when thy minde is girt up and thou dost it with all the intention of thy soule then thou dost it heartily as it is Col. 3.22 Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh not with eye-service as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing GOD where eye-service and heartily are opposed Eye-service is when a man doth it in the outward shew and appearance onely and what is the other to doe a thing heartily That is when a mans strength and his soule doth goe with the duty and the contrary to this is the loosenesse of the minde and the wandring of it about other things when the body and the words are well imployed but the minde doth not goe with them this is not to worship God in spirit when the spirit sits thus loose to God And this is the second thing wherein this worshipping of God in spirit doth consist The Third which
thorow performance For as it was in the old law a lame sacrifice was accepted as none so a lame prayer a lame hearing the word a lame performance of any exercise God reckons as none Therefore in these things God sends them away empty as they came What better are they doe their hearts get any thing Beloved God is a fountaine and if he meet with a fit pipe as is an ordinance rightly performed there he usually conveyes his grace but if he meet with a foule pipe and obstructed there hee doth not conferre any blessing Now if thou saist I have thus behaved my selfe and have not beene answered Doe not deceive thy selfe for if it be truly performed you shall be answered so that looke if it be truly done expect a blessing GOD will not suffer his ordinance at that time to be a pen without inke or a pipe without water I hope there be none of us here that neglect prayer to GOD morning and evening that live as if there no GOD in the world as if they were not his subjects if there be GOD will wound the hoary scalpe of such But these are not the men I speake to but they are those that doe it from day to day they pray from time to time and omit it not these are the men whom wee are to advertise in this case Take heede though you pray every day yet it may be thou hast not made a prayer all thy life yet and this is the case of many For if thou considerest what an ordinance is indeed thou shalt know that the Lord doth not reckon all petitioning as a prayer nor set it downe for the ordinance And it may bee the case of the Saints sometimes though we speake not now to them they may pray often and yet the Lord not register nor set it downe for a prayer and therefore it may never come into remembrance before him And this I take to be Davids case in the time of his adultery the ground of which you shall see Psal. 51.16 17. Open thou my lips O LORD and my mouth shall set forth thy praise David had as it were mistaken himselfe he thought that he had prayed and offered a sacrifice but saith he I was deceived all this while I was not able to open my mouth to any purpose therefore Lord open thou my mouth I brought sacrifice in but thou regardest it not till my heart was humbled Therefore a broken and a contrite heart O GOD thou wilt not despise Therefore you deceive your selves that goe on in a customary performance of holy duties and thinke that you pray for all this that thinke this worship to be in the spirit onely when your outward man carries it selfe negligently this is but a lame performance they must goe both together Therefore looke that it be an ordinance which then it is when not onely the spirit of a man is well set but the whole man is applied to the duty that is when all the strength of a man goes to it Object If you say May not a man pray sometimes when he is walking or lying or riding by the way or the like Answ. I answer There be two times of prayer one is ordinary and in private when you may have all opportunity to doe it in a holy and solemne manner and then you ought to doe it solemnly The other is when you pray occasionally and there the occasion and disposition doth not admit such outward solemnity as when a man gives thankes at meate or prayeth when hee rides Here the Lord accepts the will for the deed GOD requires not this upon all occasions yet when you may you ought to doe it in a reverent manner not onely of spirit but of the bodie also You may gather it from Christ he fell on his face and prayed Luke 22.42 and Daniel and Abraham it is said that they bowed themselves to the ground And it is said of Christ that hee lifted up his eyes to heaven when he blessed the loaves Why are these set downe If any man might be freed Iesus Christ might but it pleaseth the holy Ghost to set downe that circumstance of him that he fell on his face and that hee lift up his eyes to heaven Indeed in this case when it is hurtfull to the body there it may be omitted the Lord will have mercie rather than sacrifice even mercie upon your bodies So also when you finde that it hurts the inward man and hinders it when the heart doth it out of a conceit that it may performe it the better then there is a libertie left unto you to dispense with it As I say for prayer so for other duties when a man comes to heare the word hee saith my minde is intent enough though I make not such a shew yet notwithstanding know this that thou must behave thy self reverently when thou commest before God You shall see in Luke 4. when Christ preached it is said that the eyes of all the people were fastened upon him Why is such a corporall gesture noted in the text is it in vaine No because it is a comely gesture therefore it is to be regarded Quest. 2 How should we conceive of GOD in prayer seeing he is a Spirit and a Spirit we never saw what conceit and apprehension of GOD should we have then when we come to call upon his name Answ. Wee may not conceive him under any corporeall shape for he is a Spirit and therefore they that thinke they may worship the humanity of Christ disjoyned are deceived we are not to worship it as separated from his Deity for we are to worship the Trinity in the Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity which we cannot doe if we worship his humanitie as separated from his Deity Therefore when you come to pray before GOD you must remember that he is a Spirit filling heaven and earth strong gracious mercifull full of goodnesse and truth c. concerning which three things are to bee considered First That he is a Spirit Object But how shall I conceive of a Spirit Answ. How doest thou conceive of the soule of another man when thou speakest to him thou never didst see it yet thou knowest that there is such a spirit that fills the body and that doth understand what thou sayest and speakes to thee againe so remember this of the Lord that he is a Spirit Compare Ier. 23.24 with this Can any man hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Secondly That the Lord fills heaven and earth as the soule fills the body so that thou must thinke that hee sees all things and heares all things Indeed the Lord is not in the world as the soule is in the body but in an incomprehensible manner which we cannot expresse to you yet this is an expression which wee may helpe our selves by and is used every where
that testimony which is written in the hearts of men Now you know that all Nations do acknowledge a God this we take for granted yea even those that have been lately discovered that live as it were disjoyned from the rest of the world yet they all have and worship a God those Nations discovered lately by the Spaniards in the West Indies and those that have beene discovered since all of them without exception have it written in their hearts that there is a God Now the strength of the argument lies in these two things 1 I observe that phrase used Rom. 2.15 It is called a law written in their hearts Every mans soule is but as it were the table or paper upon which the writing is the thing written is this principle that we are now upon that there is a God that made Heaven and Earth but now who is the Writer surely it is God which is evident by this because it is a generall effect in the heart of every man living and therefore it must come from a generall cause from whence else shall it proceed no particular cause can produce it if it were or had beene taught by some particular man by some sect in some one Nation or Kingdome in one age then knowing the cause wee should see that the effect would not exceed it but when you finde it in the hearts of all men in all Nations and ages then you must conclude it was an universall effect written by the generall Author of all things which is God alone and so consequently the argument hath this strength in it that it is the testimony of God 2 Besides when you see every man looking after a God and seeking him it is an argument that there is one though they doe not finde him it is true they pitch upon a false god and goe the wrong way to seeke him yet it shewes that there is such a Deity For as in other things when we see one affect that thing which another doth not as to the eye of one that is beautifull which is not to another yet all affecting some beauty it is an argument that beauty is the general object of all and so in taste other senses So when we see men going different waies some worshipping one God some another yet all conspiring in this to worship a God it must needs argue that there is one for this law ingraven in every mans heart you will grant that it is a work of Nature at least and the workes of Nature are not in vaine even as when you see the fire to ascend above the aire it argues that there is a place where it would rest though you never saw it and as in winter when you see the Swallowes flying to a place though you never saw the place yet you must needs gather that there is one which Nature hath appointed them and hath given them an instinct to flye unto and there to be at rest so when you see in every mans soule such an instigation to seeke God though men never saw him and the most goe the wrong way to seeke him and take that for God which is not yet this argues there is a Deitie which they intend And this is the third The last argument is taken from the soule of man the fashion of it and the immortality of it First God is said to have made man after his owne Image hee doth not meane his bodie for that is not made after the Image of God neither is it only that holinesse which was created in us and now lost for then he would not have said Gen. 9.6 He that sheds mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the Image of GOD made hee man The principall intent of that place is for ought I can see or judge of that Scripture speaking of the naturall fashion of things and not of the supernaturall graces it is to expresse that God hath given a soule to man that carries the Image of God a likenesse to the Essence of God immateriall immortall invisible for there is a double Image of God in the soule one in the substance of it which is never lost another is the supernaturall grace which is an Image of the knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse of God and this is utterly lost But the soule is the Image of the Essence of God as I may so speake that is it is a spirit immateriall immortall invisible as he is hath understanding and will as he hath he understands all things and wils whatsoever he pleaseth And you see an expression of him in your owne soule which is an argument of the Deitie Secondly besides the immortalitie of the soule which argues it came not from any thing here below but that it hath its originall from God it came from GOD and to GOD it must returne that is it had not any beginning here it had it from him and to him againe it must returne For what is this body wherein the soule is it is but the case of the soule the shell and sheath of it therefore the soule useth it but for a time and dwels in it as a man dwels in a house while it is habitable but when it is growne ruinous he departeth the soule useth the body as a man doth a vessell when it is broken he layes it aside or as a man doth an instrument whilest it will be serviceable to him but when it is no longer fit to play upon he casts it aside so doth the soule as it were lay aside the body for it is but as a garment that a man useth when it is worne out and threed-bare he casts it off so doth the soule with the body And for the further proofe of this and that it depends not on the body nor hath its originall of it or by it consider the great acts of the soule which are such as cannot arise from the temper of the matter be it never so curious As the discourse of the soule from one generall to another the apprehension of so high things as God and Angels the devising of such things as never came into the senses For though it be true that sounds and colours be carried into the understanding by the senses yet to make pictures of these colours and musicke of these sounds this is from the understanding within So the remembrance of things past observing the condition of things by comparing one with another Now looke upon bruit beasts we see no actions but may arise from the temper of the matter according to which their fancie and appetite are fashioned though some actions are stronger than others yet they arise not above the Well-head of sense all those extraordinary things which they are taught to doe it is but for their food as Hawkes and some Pigeons it is reported in Assyria that they carry Letters from one place to another where they use to have food so other beasts that act dancing and
asse having goodly trappings should boast it selfe against the horse which is a goodly creature because it hath goodly trappings or as if a mud-wall that the Sunne shines upon should boast it selfe against a wall of marble that stands in the shadow Therefore consider of this that so thou maist labour to beautifie thy spirit if there were no other reason but that he is a Spirit and that he beholdes the excellency of the spirit this were sufficient Take all other excellencies in the world they make thee onely excellent in the sight of man but this makes thee excellent before God this is a solid thing all the glory of the world is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 empty glory but that which makes thee excellent before God is this As it is Iam 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him As if he should say that which makes men glorious is their faith and holines within that is the thing that makes us excellent in Gods sight and inables us to doe higher workes all other things habilitate us but to the things of this life but grace makes thee strong and makes thee to serve the Lord with fear and reverence Heb. 12.28 And therfore this is to be sought of us Phil. 4.8 The world seekes other things after their owne fancie but seeke you these things this is the excellency that we should seeke for this adornes thy spirit And now if I should aske any man whether is it not better to have Gods image renewed in him and to be like to him than to have the excellency of humane knowledge every one would say that to have Gods image renewed in them were the best but then why doest thou not busie thy selfe about it why doest thou not labour for it why doe you studie much and pray so little So if I should aske another whether grace or outward excellency were better he would say grace but then why doe you not bestow some time about it to get it It is a great signe that the heart is right when we can judge aright of the excellency that is to be sought by us 2 Cor. 5. It is made a signe of a new creature that he doth judge aright of spirituall things Iam 1..10 It is made a signe of a man converted to God when he is brought low that is he is drawne from that high esteeme of outward excellency which before he had when he sees that they are but fading flowers things of no worth and thus the soule gets strength to it selfe When thou hast cleansed thy spirit when thou hast adorned it with such spirituall beauty so that God is delighted in thee then thou must goe yet further thou must let it have rule and dominion thou must let it have the upper hand of the body in all things Let thy spirit be still advanced that is let it not bee drowned with the body but be emergent still aboue it kept from all base affections let it be cleare from all corporeall drosse that is from those bodily affections of meate drinke uncleannesse sports pastime c. wherewith the body is delighted for this spirit is the most excellent thing in thee therefore it is meete that it should have dominion that it should not be brought into subjection no not by any spirituall lust that ariseth from the spirit that the body is not capable of much more then a shame is it to be brought into subjection by any bodily lust that wrongs the Father of spirits 1 Cor. 6.12 13. All things are lawfull to me saith the Apostle but I will not be brought under the power of any thing Meat is for the belly and the belly for meat but God shall destroy both it and them His meaning is this I see that it is not convenient for me to eate flesh I doe not deny but that I have a desire to eate flesh as well as others but because it is not convenient therefore I will bridle that appetite for Meat is for the belly and the belly for meat but God shall destroy both it and them If that appetite should prevaile the body would rule over the soule but that I will not suffer that my spirit should be brought into subjection by any bodily appetite And consider what an unreasonable thing it is that the spirit should be brought under the body There are but two parts of a man and they draw us two wayes the spirit drawes us upward to the Father of spirits as it is a spirit and the body drawes us downeward Now consider which should have the vpper hand they will not goe both together Now know this that if the spirit bee under the body it will breede confusion It is so in other things looke into the Common wealth if you should see servants riding and Princes going on foot looke into nature if the fire and aire should bee below and the water and earth aboue what confusion would there bee So is it in this case The Apostle compares them to bruite beasts 2. Pet. 2.12 and the wise man compares them to a citie whose walls are broken downe so that there is an vtter ruine Saith the Apostle Peter in the place forenamed that they as naturall bruite beasts made to bee taken and to be destroyed who speake evill of the things they understand not and shall utterly perish in their owne corruption that is if a man will come to this to suffer such a confusion as this they shall even bee served as bruite beasts are Nay beloved if it were with us as it is with beast we might giue libertie for these corporall appetites to rule over the soule as take a horse if he hath no rider then you blame him not though he runne and kicke up and downe for he is a beast and hath no rider to sit him but when he is under the bridle then if he doth not doe that which he should doe then you blame him But a man hath reason to guide him and hee hath grace to guide reason now to cast off both these is more than brutish Consider that all things the more refined they are the better they are for they come neerer to the spirit So then doe thou looke vpon thy selfe and say with thy selfe the more that spirit within me is advanced the more it is suffered to rule without impediment it is the better for me To give you an instance or two that you may see the practise of the Saints in this case Iob he saith I esteemed thy word as my appointed meales c. I will rather restraine my body in this then I will suffer my soule to want that which belongs to it as he saith for eating and drinking so saith David for sleepe rather then my soule should not doe its duty I will deprive my body of sleepe saith he So Iesus
hath not much but yet some difference from the former is this when the spirit of a man beholds God alone when his eye is upon him when hee comes to worship him and upon nothing besides If a man will have an eye to men to the praise or dispraise that shall follow the performance of the duty he doth so farre worship men But hee serves God and worships him in spirit when his heart is left naked and stripped of all other respects in the world and so filled and over-awed with the presence of God that all other respects doe vanish This it is to worship God in singlenesse of heart and this is opposed to outward performance Col. 3.22 for eye-service is but onely a bodily and outward worship but when a man doth it with singlenesse of heart then it is not eye-service as there that is it is not outward onely Now singlenesse of heart is this when the minde hath but one single object to looke upon so that to looke not upon any creature but upon God and none besides This is to worship God in singlenesse of heart which is the same with holinesse of spirit As the holinesse of the vessell in the old law was when it was set apart from all other services to God alone so the holinesse of a mans spirit is when it is separated from all by-respects and aimes and is wholly devoted to him whence our word Devotion doth spring and when a man worships God with this nakednesse with this singlenes and holinesse of spirit then he worships God in spirit But when thou commest to performe any duty as to preach a Sermon or to pray and thou lookest what men will thinke of thee and what praise and credit thou shalt get by it this pollutes your spirit so farre as you doe this there is not singlenesse but doublenesse of spirit and here is eye-service in GODS account Therefore looke alwayes to worship him in spirit remember the argument here used GOD is a Spirit that is looke how the corporeall eye of man beholds the body when thou commest to Church and can see the negligence of thy behaviour and uncomely gesture so GOD that is a spirit he beholds the vanity and loosenesse of thy spirit within the turning and rouling of it this way or that way therefore take diligent heede to thy spirit labour to approve thy selfe to him care not what any creature saith or thinketh of thee and this is to worship him in thy spirit Now here are two Questions to be answered Quest. 1 If GOD must thus be worshipped in spirit and it is the behaviour of that which he lookes to what necessity is there then of a bodily comely and outward gesture how farre is this required in his worship Answ. The spirituall worship of God is never well performed but when it is signified by the comely gesture of the body as farre as wee may I say they must concurre the body must goe with the spirit though indeed he chiefly lookes to the spirit for they are both his 1 Cor. 6.20 Besides the body doth exceedingly helpe the spirit and it doth testifie when you come before others that holinesse and reverence which you have of Gods glory and majesty Therefore to perswade you to this you must know that when ever you come to worship God there ought to be a great solemnity in every part of his worship which cannot be without the concurrence of the body and spirit of man they cannot be disjoyned And you shall see the necessity of this in these 3 things 1. Because though holinesse be seated in the spirit yet it doth will appeare in the body at the same time You know the light of the candle is seated in the candle yet it shines through the lant-horne if it be there so though holinesse be seated in the spirit yet it will appeare in the body if it be there It is so in all other things and therefore must needes be so in this As take any affections that are in us as a blushing affection when occasion is it will appeare in the body whether we will or no so an impudent face is discerned and perceived also so awefulnesse and feare and reverence they will shew themselves and looke out at the windowes of the eyes and appeare in the face except we willingly suppresse them Now if these will doe so surely it holds in this also If there be a reverence of the minde it will be seene in the behaviour of the body Therefore you see Eliah when he prayed earnestly the disposition of the body went with it he put his face downe betweene his legges So Iesus Christ when hee prayed for Lazarus hee groaned in his spirit and wept Now if he did so who might be exempted if any might then doe not thou thinke that thou canst have a holy reverent disposition of the minde and it not appeare in the body it cannot be Therefore you shall finde that this is called the heart every where because the affections are seated there and now the body is accordingly affected as the heart is affected for what affections a man hath such is his heart 2. Consider this If thou findest thy selfe apt to a carelesse negligent behaviour and carriage of the body when thou commest to GOD and pretendest this that he is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit I say consider whether this be not an excuse that thy flesh makes to this end that it may be lazie and have some ease to it selfe from a false acception of that principle God is a Spirit that so it may give way to an outward lazinesse of the body Therefore looke narrowly to it thou shouldest stirre up the outward man that thou thereby maist stirre up the inward man when thou commest before God in any worship 3. Consider that to make any thing an ordinance there must be an application of the whole man to it otherwise it is but a lame performance and God will not reckon as the obedience of an ordinance For this truth must be remembred That an ordinance of God performed as it ought to be doth usually carry a blessing with it A prayer a Sacrament received as it ought a fast kept as it should moves the Lord to give a blessing if thou doest not Ponere obicem thou shalt not goe away empty for it is alwayes accompanied with a blessing as it is said to Ananias Acts 9. Goe to Paul for behold he prayes when it is a prayer indeed God can holde no longer Doe you thinke that Paul never prayed before when he was a Pharise Yes but it was not as he ought he never prayed indeed till now now consider when thou commest before the Lord to performe any duty to him thou wilt say it may be that my spirit is well disposed though the gesture of my body be not according but I say deceive not thy selfe with this but looke that it be a
you know many yeares after for it was in the beginning of his reigne and yet because the will of GOD was revealed clearely to him he was bid by a cleare command Goe and kill all the Amalekites and leave not any of them alive Saul now had a heart contemning GOD in this commandement therefore also GOD came to a resolution and decree to cast him off though Saul lived many yeares after yet you could see no change in him there was no alteration in his outward condition But saith he and it is most fearefull God doth not repent it is not with him as it is with man for he may be intreated and may repent but the Lord is not as man that he should repent Consider this you that have cleare commandements from GOD you that have beene tolde that you ought to be conscionable in your calling that you ought to pray in your families if you will be still breaking the Lords will and live idly in your calling and rebelliously sinne against GOD living as if there were no GOD in the world take heede lest the Lord reject you and when hee hath done it consider that he is an unchangeable God and that all his decrees are immutable Consider that place Hee swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest It was not long after the children of Israel came out of Egypt yet ten times they provoked him before hee declared this resolution and many of them lived forty yeares after but because many of them did see clearely that it was the will of GOD they did see his miracles and his workes that hee had done amongst them and yet because they still rebelled he swore in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest It is a fearefull case when GOD shall doe this as he doth it Even all you that heare me this day there is a time I am perswaded when the Lord pronounceth such a decree upon such a man saying I have rejected him yet no man sees it no not he himselfe but he comes to Church and heares the word from day to day But yet remember that GOD is unchangeable for you see the Iewes in Ieremies time they lived under Ieremies Ministery almost twenty yeares but yet at the last hee rejected them and hee would not be intreated though Ieremy and the people did pray to him There are three places for it Ier. 7.16 Therefore pray not thou for this people neither lift thou up cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to me for I will not heare thee But what if the Iewes were moved with the calamity when it came should cry and be importunate with the Lord would not their teares move him No saith he Ierem. 11.14 Therefore pray not thou for this people neither lift up a cry or prayer for them for I will not heare them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble But what if they fast and pray No if they doo that I will not heare them Ier. 14.11 12. Then GOD said unto me pray not for this people for their good when they fast I will not heare their cry when they offer burnt offering and an oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence When the day of death comes when the time of sickenesse and extremitie comes then you will cry and cry earnestly but God shall say to you then the time was when I cryed to you by the Ministers and you would not heare nay you slighted and mocked them and you would not heare them I will also mocke laugh at your destruction Prov 1.26 Doe not thinke this is a case that seldome comes it is done every day continually upon some There is a double time a time of preparing and trying before this unchangeable decree come forth Zeph. 2.1 2. Gather your selves together yea gather together O nation not desired before the decree come forth before the day passe as the chaffe before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you before the day of the Lords anger come upon you And there is a time when the decree is past and when this is not past there is a doore of hope opened but when the decree is come forth then you are past hope Object But how shall I doe to know this Answ. Beloved never an Angel nor I nor any creature can tell you you see that he tooke Saul at the beginning of the kingdome when hee was young and strong hee tooke the Iewes at the beginning of Ieremies preaching onely the use that you are to make of it is this Take heede of neglecting God or good admonitions take heede of contemning the word from day to day and saying that I will repent hereafter for the Lord perhaps will not give thee a heart to repent he will not heare you as he said before though you cry never so much to him as in time of extremity you are likest to doe Vse 2 The second use I take out of Rom. 11.28 29. As concerning the Gospell they are enemies for your sake but as touching the election they are beloved for the Fathers sake For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance The meaning of it is this saith the Lord I have cast away the Iewes and they are now enemies for the Gospels sake that is that the Gospell might come sooner to you they have rejected it that upon their refusall it might come to you Gentiles they are enemies and cast off yet they are beloved for their fathers sake that is in regard of the promise that I made to their father Abraham Isaac and Iacob and in regard of that covenant I will not alter not saith he to all the Iewes but those whom I have elected so farre as my covenant reacheth with whom I have made it Do not thinke that there is any change of the Lord toward them For the gifts and calling of the Lord that is the calling of them by the worke of the Spirit and the gifts of saving grace that he hath bestowed upon the elect Iewes they are without all repentance there is no change in them Then if ever thou art in covenant with God and hast this seale in thy soule that there is a change wrought in thee by the covenant then thy election is sure and be sure God will never alter it for he is unchangeable This thou must consider that thou maist have strong consolation Beloved our consolation if it be upon any thing but upon GOD that is unchangeable it is weake and twenty things may batter it and overthrow it but when it is grounded upon the immutability of his councell it is called in Heb. 6.18 strong consolation so that all the Divells in hell all temptations of the world and all the objections that our owne hearts can make cannot batter it for it is built upon the lowest foundation even upon the
bring it to passe be it poverty in your estates or debts which a man is not able to overwrastle if there be a blemish in your names and you cannot tell how to have it healed or any weaknesse in your body and which is more than all this if there be a lust that ye cannot overcome a temptation which ye cannot be rid of if there be a deadnesse of spirit in you and indisposednesse to holy duties and yee cannot tell how to get life and quickening remember that there is an Allmighty power revealed for that end and it is our parts to make use of it though it be an hereditary disease in thee now you know an hereditary disease is that which we have from our parents though thou hast such a disease such a strong lust yet thinke with thy selfe the Lord is able to heale this Iam. 4.6 A place named before But he giveth more grace c. As if he should say when hee had tolde them of the lusts that fight in their members this objection comes in Alas wee are not able to master these lusts It is true saith the Apostle the lusts that are in us doe lust against the spirit as naturally as the stone descends downeward but how should wee heale them say you How The Scripture giveth more grace that is there is an omnipotent power which can heale all this So Matth. 19.26 With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible It is a place worthy consideration Saith our Saviour It is impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heaven why say the Disciples Who then can be saved Indeed saith Christ it is impossible with men but with God all things are possible The meaning is this when a man hath riches that is when the object is present and before him a man cannot of himselfe but set his heart upon them and when a mans heart is set upon them no man in the world can weane his heart from those riches what shall we doe then Why saith hee the LORD hath an Allmighty power he is able to mortifie these lusts We can no more doe it than a cable rope can goe through the eye of a needle Now that which is said of riches may be said of any lust Let an ambitious man have honour or such an object sutable to a carnall minde hee cannot choose but set his heart upon it now when that lust is set upon an object a Camell may as well goe through a needle as hee can loose his heart from these lusts but yet the Lord can doe it With him all things are possible And what the Apostle saith of the Iewes Rom. 11.23 The Lord can ingraft them in againe as bad as they be though the wrath of GOD be gone over them to the utmost yet GOD can doe it so is it true of thy selfe and any one else the Lord can if hee will to him nothing is impossible Thinke with your selves that he that can draw such beautifull flowers out of so dry an earth as you looke upon in winter though thou hast an heart as farre from grace as the flowers seeme to be from comming forth in the midst of winter yet he that can do so in nature is able to doe the like in grace also as he did to Paul and Mary Magdalen Now consider what they would have beene without his power and by his power we may be as excellent as they To confirme this consider what a change grace hath wrought even among us how many amongst us that of proud have become humble of fierce and cruell have become gentle of loose sober of weake strong c. Goe therefore to him beleeve this and apply it and it is sure it shall be according to thy faith If a man would goe to the Lord and say to him Lord I have such a lust and cannot overcome it and I want griefe and sorrow for sinne thou that hast an allmighty power thou that didst draw light out of darknesse thou art able to make such a change in my heart thou hast an allmighty power and to thee nothing is impossible I say let a man doe so and the Lord will put forth his power to effect the thing that thou desirest Surely hee which establisheth the earth upon nothing and keepes the winde in his fists and bounds the water as in a garment can fixe the most unsetled minde and the wildest disposition and set bounds to the most loose and intemperate Vse 3 If God be allmighty you must beleeve this allmightinesse of his and whereas you say wee doubt not of his power but of his will I will shew to you that all our doubts and discouragements and dejections doe arise from hence not because you thinke the LORD will not but because you thinke he cannot Therefore you know not your owne hearts in this in saying that you doubt not of the power of GOD. I will make this good to you by these arguments If we did not doubt of the power of GOD what is the reason that when you see a great probability of a thing you can goe and pray for it with great chearfulnesse but if there be no hope how doe your hands grow faint and your knees feeble in the duty You pray because the duty must not bee omitted but you doe not pray with a heart And so for endeavours are not your minds dejected doe you not sit still as men discouraged with your armes folded up if you see every doore shut up and there bee no probability of helpe from the creature And all this is for want of this faith would this bee if you did beleive this Allmighty power of GOD For cannot GOD doe it when things are not probable as well as when there are the fairest blossomes of hope Besides doe wee not heare this speech of man when the times are bad doe not men say oh wee shall never see better dayes And when a man is in affliction oh he thinkes this will never bee altered ' so if he be in prosperity they thinke there will bee no change Whence comes this but because we forget the Allmighty power of GOD If wee thought that hee could make such a change in a night as he doth in the weather as he did with Iob wee should not bee so dejected in case of adversity and so lift up in case of prosperity Besides men have not ordinarily more ability to believe then the Israelites had which were GODS owne people yet consider that these very men that had seen all those great plagues that the Lord brought upon the Egyptians I therein meane all his Allmighty power that saw his power in bringing them through the red sea and giving them bread and water in the wildernesse yet called his power into question and said that GOD could not bring them into the land of Canaan Yee will finde they did so Psa 78.41 They turned backe and limited the holy one
Affections Affections inordinately set on a thing make it a god Part. 1 Pag. 90 Affections sinfull must be purged out Part. 2 Pag. 62 Affections to the creatures what raiseth them Part. 2 Pag. 204 Affections strong breed strong afflictions Ibid. Agreement Agreement of the prophecies in Scripture Part. 1 Pag. 52 Alcoran Alcoran of Mahomet barbarous Part. 1 Pag. 84 Almighty God is almighty Part. 2 Pag. 128 That God is almighty 70 times repeated in Scripture Part. 2 Pag. 177 VVee should rejoyce that our God is almighty Part. 2 Pag. 186 Alone To beleeve that God is God alone Part. 1 Pag. 85 To behold God alone in serving him Part. 2 Pag. 36 VVhy men are not content with God alone Part. 2 Pag. 187 Angels Angels used in guiding the course of things Part. 1 Pag. 35 Antiquity Antiquity of Scripture proves them true Part. 1 Pag. 57 Apprehension Apprehension of things makes them heavy or easy Part. 2 Pag. 30 Arts. Arts why invented Part. 1 Pag. 3 Assent Assent double Part. 1 Pag. 46 Assent bred differently in the Saints and others Part. 1 Pag. 62 Atheisme Atheisme of two kindes Part. 1 Pag. 24 Atheisme the effects of it Part. 1 Pag. 25 Iunius converted from atheisme Part. 1 Pag. 56 Attributes Attributes of God of two sorts Part. 1 Pag. 119 B. Beast see Man Before God before all things Part. 1 Pag. 120 If God had any cause somewhat was before him Part. 1 Pag. 140 Being Being properly onely in God Part. 1 Pag. 97 Being of God explained in five things Ibid. Being given to all things by God Part. 1 Pag. 99 VVee should give God the praise of his being 1.112 All things but God are capable of not being 1.142 VVhat being hee must have that is eternall Part. 1 Pag. 157 God the first being Part. 2 Pag. 50 God not capable of any new being Part. 2 Pag. 73 Beginning He that is eternal must be without beginning Part. 1 Pag. 157 Body Body must bee kept downe Part. 2 Pag. 23 Body gestures of it used in Gods worship Part. 2 Pag. 38 Busie VVhy men are so busie in worldly things Part. 2 Pag. 132 C. Cast off VVe should take heed God cast us not off Part. 2 Pag. 80 The time of Gods casting off unknowne Part. 2 Pag. 83 Cause The creatures should be without cause if they were not made Part. 1 Pag. 8 God the first cause Part. 1 Pag. 39 God without all cause Part. 1 Pag. 140 God a voluntary cause Part. 2 Pag. 181 Change Change in the creature whence it is Part. 2 Pag. 75 Change in us a token of good Part. 2 Pag. 94 VVhen we thinke our condition cannot change we doubt of Gods power Part. 2 Pag. 195 See Imperfect Chronology Chronology of Scripture exact Part. 1 Pag. 55 Church Churches testimony proves the truth of Scripture Part. 1 Pag. 58 Scriptures of greater authority than the Church Part. 1 Pag. 59 God will shew himselfe God in raising the Churches Part. 1 Pag. 87 Not to faint in the misery of the Churches Part. 1 Pag. 109 Christ. Christ his humanity alone not to be worshipped Part. 2 Pag. 45 See Mahomet Cleaue What makes us cleave to a thing Part. 1 Pag. 86 Conceive God is beyond all that we can conceive Part. 2 Pag. 129 Complaint Complaint and griefe whence it ariseth Part. 1 Pag. 104 Command The creature at Gods command Part. 1 Pag. 138 Confusion Confusion when the body rules the spirit Part. 2 Pag. 21 Comfort see God see Heaven Composition God without composition Part. 2 Pag. 49 Counsell see Eternity Covenant How to know we are in covenant with God Part. 2 Pag. 85 Covenant twofold Part. 2 Pag. 86 Covenant not frustrate by our sinnes Part. 2 Pag. 87 Constancy To judge of our spirits by constancy in well-doing 2 111 Constancy in ill nothing worse Part. 2 Pag. 113 Constancy to beg it of God Ibid. Constancy two meanes to get it Part. 2 Pag. 115 Company Company why it is desired Part. 2 Pag. 166 Companions that a man may alway have Part. 2 Pag. 167 Company the more griefe in want of it the lesse wisedome Ibid. Contradiction see Infinite Content To be content with GOD though with crosses Part. 1 Pag. 130 To be content with a simple condition Part. 2 Pag. 54 Content bred by godlinesse Part. 2 Pag. 58 Creature Creatures to learne the vanity of them Part. 1 Pag. 116 Creatures of themselves can doe nothing for us Part. 1 Pag. 137 Creatures difference betweene God and them Part. 1 Pag. 146 Creatures not to goe to them but God Part. 2 Pag. 67 Creatures difference betweene God and them in respect of his unchangeablenes Part. 2 Pag. 103 Creatures not to expect much from them Ibid Creation Workes of creation shew the greatnesse of God Part. 2 Pag. 123 Gods omnipotence in the creation Part. 2 Pag. 178 Crosses Crosses God doth his good by them Part. 1 Pag. 41 Crosses faith strengtheneth in them how Part. 1 Pag. 105 See Content D. Dead Death He that beleeveth not Christ would not beleeve one rising from the dead Part. 1 Pag. 42 We cannot see reason for many things till death Part. 1 Pag. 103 Death sweetned by walking with God Part. 1 Pag. 165 Decree Decree of God unchangeable yet unknowne Part. 2 Pag. 92 Defend GOD is able to defend us Part. 2 Pag. 166 Delay Delay of GOD should not offend us why Part. 1 Pag. 168 Delay seemes long why Part. 1 Pag. 169 Depend Dependent Not to depend on many things Part. 2 Pag. 56 Dependent felicity to trust in the creature Part. 2 Pag. 106 Desires Desires must bee strong that helpe resolution Part. 2 Pag. 121 How to get strong desires Ibid Despise What makes a man despise outward things Part. 2 Pag. 138 Destroy A man destroyeth himselfe how Part. 1 Pag. 10 Die Dying Mortifying of lusts a dying daily Part. 1 Pag. 66 Heathen gods die therfore false Part. 1 Pag. 81 Direction Men desire company for direction Part. 2 Pag. 166 Discontent Discontent whence it is Part. 1 Pag. 123 Dispose Affliction and prosperity disposed by GOD Part. 1 Pag. 40 To be content with GODS disposing of us Part. 1 Pag. 124 Doe Doing VVe are present with GOD by doing his will Part. 2 Pag. 161 To consider what GOD doth to us Part. 2 Pag. 162 Some things that GOD cannot doe why Part. 2 Pag. 182 Double Double-minded man who Part. 2 Pag. 60 Sinful affections make the heart double Part. 2 Pag. 62 E. Effects Three effects of a firme assent that there is a GOD Part. 1 Pag. 70 Efficacy Efficacy of the creature from GOD Part. 1 Pag. 137 Enemy VVhat an enemy GOD is to wicked men Part. 2 Pag. 175 End All creatures have an end Part. 1 Pag. 9 VVe should doe nothing for our owne ends Part. 1 Pag. 146 End of mens callings appointed by GOD Part. 1 Pag. 147 VVhen a man makes himselfe his end Part. 1 Pag. 148 Ending
in Scripture Thirdly consider his Attributes that hee is a Spirit filling heaven and earth and hee is exceeding fearefull powerfull almighty exceeding gracious and long-suffering abundant in mercy and truth that hee hath pure eyes and cannot see any iniquity Deut. 24. So Exod. 34.6 As Moses could not see him but his Attributes his backe parts so thou must conceive of him that he is exceeding strong potent and fearefull one that will not holde the wicked innocent but shewes mercie to thousands of them that feare him and to sinners if they will come in unto him And thus you must conceive of him when you come before him FINIS THE TVVELFTH SERMON EXOD. 3.13 14. And Moses said unto God Behold when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them the God of your fathers hath sent mee unto you and shall say unto me what is his name what shall I say unto them And God said unto Moses I AM THAT I AM c. HAVING finished that point that GOD is a Spirit which is a particular expression of the Simplicity of GOD we come to speake of the Simplicity it selfe which is that Attribute by which he is one most pure and entire essence one most simple being without all composition so that there is no substance and accident matter and forme body and soule but he is every way most simple nothing in him but what is God what is himselfe The rise that it hath from hence we shall see hereafter All those phrases of Scripture where God is said to be love truth light and wisedome it selfe all these shew the Simplicity of God for of no creature can you say so The creature is wise and just and holy and true but to say it is truth it selfe love it selfe light it selfe or wisedome it selfe that cannot be attributed to any creature So that this you must know that God is one most pure intire and uniforme being or essence I AM shewes that he is a being and if we should aske what kinde of being he is he is a most simple and uncompounded being And that hee is so wee will make it cleare by these reasons Because if there be many things in him they must not be the same but different if different one hath one perfection which another wants if so there must be something imperfect in God for if the defect of that were made up it would be more perfect If there be two things in God then there is multiplication now all multiplication ariseth from some imperfection from some want and defect for if one would serve two would not be required As if one could draw a ship or boate up the streame two were needlesse if one medicine would cure two would be unnecessary so in all things else so that the reason of multiplication is because one will not serve the turne Therefore GOD being all-sufficient it is not needfull yea it cannot be that a breaking into two should be admitted in him and consequently he must be most simple without all composition a pure and intire essence full of himselfe and nothing besides If GOD should have love in him or justice or wisedome or life or any other quality different from his essence as the creatures have them he should be what he is not originally of himselfe but derivatively and by participation and so imperfectly as to be fiery is more imperfect than to be fire it selfe to be gilded is more imperfect than to be gold it selfe So to be wise loving holy that is to be indewed with the qualities of wisedome love holinesse is more imperfect than to be wisedome and love and holinesse it selfe Therefore there is not a substance and a quality in GOD as in the creature but he is love and light and wisedome and truth and so the Scripture expresseth him Wheresoever there is any composition there must be two or three things so that there may be a division they are seperable though not separated but where division may be there may be a dissolution and destruction though it never be But of GOD we cannot say that this may be and consequently there cannot be two things in him but what he is he is one most simple most pure and most intire being without all composition and multiplication If GOD be not simple there must be parts of which he is compounded But in GOD blessed for ever there are no parts because then there should be imperfection for every part is imperfect Againe Parts are in order of nature before the whole but in God there is nothing first or second because he is simply first Againe Parts cannot be united and knit and compounded together without causes to doe it but here is no cause to knit and unite any part together because he is without all cause as hath beene shewed before I will conclude this with a reason out of the text He is a being I AM hath sent mee unto you If he be a being then either the first or second being A second being he cannot be for then there should be some before him and above him upon which he should be dependent but this cannot be therefore hee is absolutely the first being Adam was the first man but God onely is the first absolute being Now the first being was never in possibility to be and therefore he is a pure act in regard of his essence Againe there are no qualities springing from him for if there were they should have had sometimes no being and so in possibility to be and consequently have a beginning and be a creature Therefore there is neither Potentia substantialis nor accidentalis in him and so hee must be purus actus as the Schoolemen say and therefore he is most simple without all composition This I speake to schollers for it is a mixt auditory and therefore you must give mee a little liberty Now I come to those Consectaries which flow from hence and they are these three If God be such a simple first pure and absolute being then hence you may see what a stable foundation our faith hath to rest upon we are built upon the lowest foundation in all the world that is upon the first most absolute and simple and pure and intire being which I say is the lowest foundation that depends upon no other but all upon it and this is the happy condition of all Christians and of them alone Angels men heaven and earth are foundations to some things which are built upon them but they are all built upon this and therefore dependent For if this foundation shake it selfe for so he hath power to doe they all fall to ruine But God is the first simple and lowest foundation being the first absolute and simple being therefore he that is built upon him hath the greatest stability which is the transcendent happinesse of Christians above all men in the world And this is a great priviledge