Heb. 9.14 Omnisciency 1 Cor. 2.10 Omnipresency Psal 139.17 Omnipotency 2 Tim. 2.7 Isaiah 11.2 Thirdly Because those works are applied to him which are proper to God as Creation Gen. 1.2 and Conservation Job 33.4 Psal 33.6 Regeneration and Sanctification John 3.6 1 Cor. 12.6 Fourthly Because the divine worship is given to him as Mat. 28.19 Go Baptize them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Therefore true and very God Thirdly That he proceeds from the Father and the Son is evident John 15.26 and hence he is call'd the Spirit of God Rom. 8.11 and the Spirit of the Son Rom. 8.9 and so much the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies because he is spired or breathed from them as you may see further John 16.14 15. Secondly To meditate on the Offices of the Spirit and these either respect Christ his Word or his Church First For those respecting Christ they are these First The Spirit formed Christ's humane nature in the Womb of the Virgin Mary Luke 1.35 36. Secondly The Holy Ghost anointed Jesus Christ as he was Man with gifts and graces and that without measure and having thus consecrated him and furnished him with gifts for the great office and work of a Mediator he with God the Father sent him into the World for the accomplishing that work Isai 61.1 and 11.2 Acts 10.38 John 3.34 John 1.32 Thirdly The Holy Ghost descending from Heaven and resting upon him visibly in the shape of a Dove did publickly shew him and Seal him in his Baptism Mat. 3.16 Fourthly The Holy Ghost witnesseth that Jesus Christ who was crucified was the Son of God the true Messiah Act. 5.31.32 He witnesseth also to the Doctrin of Christ's Resurrection in which he was declared mightily to be the Son of God Rom. 1.4 Secondly For the Offices of the Spirit in and about the Word of God take notice first 't was He inspir'd holy Men of God with the mind and will of God infallibly dictated it unto them and guided them in the penning or writing of it 2 Pet. 1.20 Acts 1.16 Mark 12 36. Heb. 9.8 Fourthly He quickens the Word so as to make it effectual to quicken dead Souls without Him 't is but a dead and a killing Letter John 6.63 He makes it quick and lively in operation to the dividing between the Soul and the Spirit the Joynts and the Marrow the searching-out and discovering the secrets of the heart Heb. 4.12 1 Cor. 2.4 2 Cor. 10.4 5. It is he that speaketh by it to the Churches Revel 2.7 Revel 3.22 Rev 14 13. Thirdly His Offices in respect of the Church and People of God these are either common to all or peculiar to the Elect First For those common to all they are such as these First To give life and preserve life in all Job 33.4 Ps 139.14 15. Secondly To bestow gifts and abilities on men for their particular callings and functions both sacred and civil as 1 Sam. 11.6 Judges 11.29 1 Cor. 12.9 10. Mat. 7.22 Thirdly Restraining-grace whereby they are kept from many evils which they would otherwise run into as Abimelech Gen. 20.6 Fourthly To act and over-act all the gifts and parts and power of men to his own glory and the good of his Church and People Zach. 4.6 Secondly For those that are peculiar to the Elect they are such as these First To unite them unto Christ their head and the mystical Body of Christ the Church 1 Cor. 12.13 1 Cor. 6.17 Secondly To inhabit or dwell in them as his House and â—emple Rom 8.11 1 Pet. 4.17 Thirdly To illuminate them with the saving sancâ—iâ—â—ing experimental knowledge of God in Christ John 16.13 Fourthly To convince them of sin righteousness and judgment John 16.8 First Of Sin particularly the sins of unbelief and disobedience to the Gospel that This is 〈◊〉 which lays them open to the wrath of God in Life and Death and after Death John 3. last Mark 16.16 Secondly Of righteousness how that there is none in them to make them stand acceptable in the sight of God the Garment of their own righteousness and good works is a Garment too short to cover their nakedness their own righteousness is but as a filthy Rag but the righteousness of Christ that is a perfect righteousness such as God accepts for poor sinners and makes them stand so righteous in God's sight as if they had never sinned this appears in that Christ is gone to the Father which he could not have done if he had not fulfilled all righteousness Thirdly Of Judgment how that he has judged and condemned the Serpent and his Seed the Devil and the wicked World so as they shall never prevail against his Elect Mat. 16.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and that there is true and sound judgment to be found only in the Christian Religion and not in any Idolatrous and false Religion and that Christ hath the government of his Church upon his own Shoulders and all that subject and submit unto his Government shall by it judg and condemn at last the wicked World 1 Cor. 6.1 Fifthly To humble them under and mortifie in them the deeds of the Flesh Rom. 8.13 Sixthly To quicken them with spiritual Life Rom. 8.11 Regenerate and sanctifie them John 3.5 and Evidence it to them 1 Cor. 6.11 Seventhly To help them in and under all their infirmities in duty Rom. 8.26 John 14.26 Eighthly To direct and guide them in all their ways Rom. 8.14 Psal 143.10 Ninthly To support and comfort them in all their sorrows and sufferings Rom. 5.5 John 4.26 Tenthly To witness to their Spirits that they are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 Eleventhly To Seal them up to the Day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 Eph. 1.13 Twelfthly To be the earnest and first fruits of their Eternal Salvation Eph. 1.14 Rom. 8.23 Lastly To confirm strengthen and establish them in every good word and work to the end Eph. 1.13 Eph. 4.12 13. Again Thirdly To take notice of and meditate on the Evidences you have of the receiving and indwelling of the Spirit of God in you because If any have not the Spirit he is none of Christ's Rom. 8.9 1 Ep. John 4.13 Hereby we know he dwells in us and we in him by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 John 3.24 Q. But how may we know that we have receiv'd the Spirit and that he dwells in us A. Thus 1. By the way and means in and by which he is given and receiv'd and that is the Ministry of the Word Acts 10.44 Whilst Peter spake the Holy Ghost fell on those that heard him and hence the Ministry of the Gospel is call'd the Ministry of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 and Men are said to receive the Spirit by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 Secondly You may know you have the Spirit by this if you can finde the foregoing acts and operations of the Spirit upon the hearts of the Elect If he be
pleasures of Christ 1 Cor. 3. end As Christ is a King so are Believers made Kings to God Rev. 1.6 As he is Heir of all things Heb. 1.3 so they are Heirs and Co-heirs with Christ of the same Kingdom Rom. 8.17 they are compleat in him Col. 2.10 A third motive may be this The great willingness and readiness of Jesus Christ to receive and save poor lost sinners such as are willing to take Him and accept of Him upon Gospel-terms this appears in these Particulars First That his desire is towards his Cant. 7.10 Swears as he lives he desires not the death of a sinner Ezek. 33. so as the fault is Man's and not his if any be not saved John 5.40 you will not come unto me that you may have life See this clearly in that Book Entituled The Self condemning Sinner Secondly In that he offers Himself freely to all without exception of any that will come to him in a way of faith and love Isaiah 55 1. Rev. 22.17 Thirdly In that he invites all to come to him that find their want and need of him Mat. 11.29 and promises to cast away none that come to him John 6.37 Fourthly In that he sends his Ministers to woe and beseech them in the name of Christ to come in and be reconcil'd to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Fifthly In that he bewails their folly that will stand out against him and their own salvation Mat. 23. Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest the Prophets how often would I have gathered thy children together as the Hen gathers her chickens and you would not Lastly You are to take notice how you are to walk worthy of and suitable to so dear a Redeemer and precious Saviour by imitating him in his carriage both towards God and Man in his doings and sufferings 1. His doings 1 Epist John 2.6 He that saith he abides in him ought to walk as he walked Q. But you will say Can any walk as he walked He was void of all sin we are sull of sin A. There 's a double As one that imports Equality and another Similitude as it imports equality it 's impossible for any to walk as he walked but as it imports similitude and likeness so we may and must walk after him As a Scholar that writes after his Master's Copy he begins every Line as his Master begins and ends as he ends he frames every Letter as his Master frames it joyns letters and syliables together as his Master doth though there be no equality he cannot write as well as his Master yet there is a similitude he labours to imitate and write like his Master So true Christians though they cannot live and walk so exactly as Christ did yet they labour to come as neer to him as they can to imitate and follow him though not in his divine acts which he did as God and as Mediator which is impossible yet in his moral and humane acts which he did as Man so they labour to make him their only pattern in their carriages both towards God and man First In their carriage to God now for his carriage towards God that was full of piety full of saith full of zeal full of heavenly-mindedness First Full of Piety Heb. 7.26 He was holy harmless separate from sinners 1 Pet. 2 22. He did no sin neither was there any guil found in his mouth and we required to follow him in that 1 Pet. 1.15 1 Ep. John 3.2 Secondly Full of faith ever confident of his Father's presence assistance and acceptance in whatsoever he did even in his greatest desertion on the Cross crying my God my God He held fast his faith and we requir'd to follow him in thiâ— Isaiah 50.10 Heb. 3.14 1 Pet. 1.13 Thirdly He was full of zeal for God both in publick and private First In publick the Zeal of God's House even consum'd him John 2.15 16 17. Secondly In private He went about doing good to the bodies souls of others Acts 10.38 We are to imitate him in this it being the end of our Redemption Titus 2.14 The end of his correction of us Revel 3.19 Fourthly He was full of heavenly-mindedness still extracting spiritual and heavenly discourses from worldly and Earthly occasions John 4.10 Joh. 13.2 John 6.26 27. and we are requir'd to follow him in this Col. 3.1 2. Phil. 3 20. Secondly Follow him in his cariage towards man now for that you may observe in the Scripture it was full of wisdom innocency truth justice humility meekness love mercy and pitty to others and we commanded in the Scriptures to imitate him in all these First In his wisdom and innocency Mat. 10.16 Secondly In his truth Eph 4 24. Thirdly In his justice and righteousness Rom. 13.7 Luke 1.6 In his humility and meekness Mat. 11.20 In his patience 1 Pet. 2.21 22 23. In his love to all even our very Enemies Mat. 5.44 45. Eph. 5.2 and in mercies to the Bodies and Souls of men Rom. 12. the 3 last James 5. 2 last In his pitty and compassion Gal. 6.1 1 Pet. 3.8 Jude 22.23 Thus for his doings Secondly To imitate him in his sufferings 1 Pet. 2.21 Q. How did Christ suffer A. 1. He suffer'd willingly none could compel him to it John 10.18 You must follow him in this when God calls unto it as the Apostle Acts 21.13 Secondly Christ suffered patiently Isaiah 53.7 Heb. 12.2 we to follow him in this as we are commanded in the same place to look unto Jesus and 1 Pet. 2.21 tread in his steps Thirdly He suffer'd believingly that God would support him and deliver him so must we 1 Cor. 10.13 Fourthly He suffer'd fruitfully so as to learn obedience by his sufferings Heb. 5.8 so are we Micah 6.7 8. Revel 3.19 Fifthly Christ suffer'd constantly even to the death and so are we requir'd Rev. 2.10 Thus of Christ CHAP. IV. The Third Head the Spirit of God called the Holy Ghost IN and about him to meditate on these things First What he is Secondly What his Offices Thirdly What signs you have of the Spirit 's Inhabitation 4. Motives to get him 5. Means to procure him and 6. The means to preserve and increase communion with him First What the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost is viz. the Third Person in the sacred Trinity proceeding from the Father and the Son And here to take notice of three things First That he is a distinct Person from the Father and the Son and the Third Person in Sacred Trinity 1 Epist John 5.7 Secondly That he is true and very God as well as the Father and the Son as is evident 1. By testimony of the Scripture Acts 5.3 4. Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie unto the Holy Ghost thou hast not lied unto man but God 2. By Reason 1. Because He is the Author and Inditer of the Scripture Acts 28.25 2 Pet. 1.21 2. Because the Scripture ascribes those Attributes to him that are proper to God as Eternity
an enlightening enlivening mortifying sanctifying quickning strengthning and establishing Spirit in you as you know you have life by your breathing moving walking so you may know you have the Spirit of God if he breathe and move in you and enable you to walk in the ways of God's Commandments more especially by this if you find him to be a spirit of sanctification in you to sanctifie you throughout in your whole man and in your whole Conversation for He is a Spirit of Holiness Rom. 1.4 and sanctifieth all his 1 Cor. 6.11 so as with David to hate every false way and have respect to every command of God Ps 119.6.12.8 Thirdly You may know it by this if you be careful not to quench the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 or grieve the Spirit Eph. 4.30 but heedfully to hearken to his Voice Isai 30.21 and follow his guidance Rom. 8.14 Gal. 5.25 Fourthly By this if you go wholly out of your selves in every duty and enter upon it as in the name of Christ so by the strength of his Spirit as you are exhorted Eph. 6.10 and David did Psal 71.16 Fourthly If you find that you have not yet received the Spirit then to meditate on the many and weighty motives there are to quicken you to labour after the Spirit I will but name a few drawn from the Necessity and the Utility of it 1. There is an absolute Necessity of having the Spirit of God and that in these two respects 1. Because without the Spirit of Christ you can receive no grace from Christ for it is the Spirit that is the sole Author and Worker of grace in any therefore called the Spirit of Grace Zach. 12.10 And the Spirit of Sanctification Rom. 1.4 and the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord Isai 11.2 2. Because without the Spirit you cannot perform any duty so as to please the Lord and to profit by it As for instance 1. Not hear the Word for without the Spirit the Word is but a dead and killing Letter 2 Cor. 3.6 It was he that opened the heart of Lydia to attend unto what was spoken so as to live by it Acts 16. 2. Not to pray effectually without the Spirit Rom. 8.26 2. Many and great will be the benefits that will come to you by having the Spirit 1. He will be a Spirit of Inhabitation to dwell in you honour you so far as to make you his House and Temple 1 Cor. 3.16 2. He will be a Spirit of Illumination to enlighten you with the knowledge of God's mind and will to teach you all things John 16.12 and bring all things to your remembrance John 14.26 3. A Spirit of Sanctification Rom. 1.4 To sanctifie you throughout in Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thes 5.23 To inrich you with all sanctifying graces Gal. 5.22 4. A Spirit of Consolation to cheer up your Spirits in and under affliction Rom. 14.17 John 14.16 5. A Spirit of Intercession teaching to pray Rom. 8.26 6. A Spirit of Direction to guide you in all your ways and lead you into all truth Rom. 8.14 and 16.5 In a word a Spirit of Adoption and Salvation Rom 8.16 Ephes 1.13 and therefore in all these respects to labour after the Spirit of Christ But you will say What must we do to procure this Spirit 5. You must take notice of and meditate on the means of procuring the Spirit which are amongst others these 1. You are to give the Spirit the glory that is due to him Well then Q. What must we do to procure the Spirit A. 1. You are to give the Spirit the glory that is due to him by acknowledging him to be true and very God every way equal with the Father and the Son to believe in him and rest on him for illumination sanctification and salvation as well as the Father and the Son for the ignorance and unbelief of this our Saviour shews to be the cause why the World receives him not John 14.17 Secondly You are to know and acknowledge that by nature you want the Spirit of God and thereupon to hunger and thirst after him for the promise is he will pour out his Spirit upon such Isaiah 44.3 John 7 37 38. Thirdly You are to attend and wait upon God in the Ministry of the Word wherein the Spirit is given Acts 10.44 Gal. 3.2 Fourthly You are to love the Lord Jesus Christ and express your love by keeping his Commandments for Christ hath promised to give his Spirit unto such John 14.15 16 17. Fifthly You are to be earnest and constant in Prayer for the Spirit to be given in to enlighten and enable you to every duty God calls you to the gift of the Spirit is a great gift and the greatest next to Christ his Son too great indeed for us to ask but not for God to give for he delights to give and do great things for his and not only commands us to ask him but makes many promises to incourage us Ezek. 36.25 26. Joel 2.28 29. Zac. 12.10 most clearly Luke 11.13 Fifthly If you would have the Spirit to obey the Spirit in his motions and excitements within and without Isa 30.20 21. and take heed you do not resist grieve or quench the Spirit Isai 63.10 Eph. 4.13 1 Thes 5.19 Sixthly Having obtain'd the Spirit to take notice of and meditate on the means you are to use for the preserving and increasing communion with him as First To take heed of and shun such sins as cause him to depart for instance 1. Take heed of quenching the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 now the Spirit is quenched as Fire is either by with-drawing Fuel or casting-on of Water and filth so is the Spirit when Men either neglect the means and seasons of grace or else hearken unto and cherish the motions of sin and Satan and the World hence that Exhortation Isai 30. To hearken unto the Voice behind us and not turn to the right hand or to the left Secondly Take heed of grieving the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 Now the Holy Spirit is grieved as by all sin so especially by open and scandalous sins such as lying dissembling idleness rotten communication unbridled passion anger wrath revenge as you may see clearly Eph. 4 25. to the end Thirdly Take heed of resisting the Holy Ghost which is a higher degree of sinning when Men and Women not only refuse to hearken unto the Voice of the Spirit in the Ministry of the Word but even fall fowl on the Doctrines and truths that are taught out of the Word and quarrel with the Ministers for their plain and faithful dealing with them as the Israelites did with Jeremy 43.1.2 and the Jews with Stephen Acts 5.71 Fourthly Take heed of tempting the Holy Ghost as Ananias and Sapphira did Acts 5.1 to the 10. Q. When do Men tempt the Holy Ghost to take vengeance on them A. You may see in that place when they will profess and pretend that which is not in
them as faith and love and obedience which are the most eminent fruits of the Spirit and yet are wholly void of them when Men will profess and pretend they seek the glory of God the publick good the weal and comfort of others as well as themselves and yet do nothing less but seek only their own private Worldly and fleshly interest care not what become of others let them sink or swim all 's one to them and worse than so to promote their own private interest will be still plotting and practising mischief against others still instilling prejudices into the heads and hearts and tongues of others and yet profess and pretend the quite contrary This lying and dissembling of Professors is that which tempts the Holy Ghost to take vengeance on them sooner or later for their audacious robbing Him of those glorious Attributes of his Omnipresency Omnisciency Omnipotency and to exemplarily punish such as dare to sin not only against the light of the Word but the Dictates of the Holy Spirit in their Consciences Fifthly Take heed of defiling his Temple for if any Man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy 1 Cor. 3.17 Q. Who are they that do so He tells you there they are professing believers Whereby do they defile his Temple They defile it by corrupt Doctrin and manners by dividing-Principles and practises causing Rents and Schisms Parties and Factions as you may find they did Vers 4 5. They also that defile their Bodies by Fornication and Uncleanness 1 Cor. 6.13 18 19. Secondly If you would hold and maintain communion with the Spirit as to shun the forenamed Evils so to observe and make conscience of these following duties First To hearken unto and obey the calls of the Spirit to faith and love and obedience Isai 30.21 Secondly To nourish and cherish the inward motions of the Spirit checking for evil and exciting to good 1 Thes 5.19 Thirdly To live in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 That is as we live a natural life by him so to live a spiritual life to him that we may be fitted to enjoy an Eternal Life with him Fourthly To walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16.25 That is to follow the Direction of the Spirit Vers 18. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Children of God Rom. 8.14 Fifthly To enter upon and perform all duties in and by the assistance of the Spirit Eph. 6.10 To pray in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. Eph. 6.18 To preach in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.4 To love in the Spirit Col. 1.8 and exercise all Graces in the manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.7 and rejoyce in the comforts of the Spirit Acts 9.31 Sixthly Labour to be filled with the Spirit Eph. 5.18 Not to content your selves with any measure of grace but still labouring to grow in grace and gracious practises 1 Cor. 15. last To be filled with peace and joy in believing and abound in the hope of glory through the Power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15.13 Seventhly To preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 that is to endeavour it though we cannot effect it as we would because of the many and great remainders of corruption in the best that oppose and obstruct it yet I say tâ— endeavour it as the Apostle exhorts Phil. 1.27 3.15 Lastly To sow in the Spirit Gal. 6.8 that is lay out your substance and worldly good to spiritual uses for the maintenance of Christ'â— Ministry and Ordinances the providing of thâ— Gospel and incouragement of others in the way of holiness if you refuse to honour the Lord witâ— your substance and bestow it only upon your selveâ— and yours you do but sow to the flesh and of thâ— flesh shall reap corruption but he that soweth 〈◊〉 the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Vers 8. Lastly What grace you have receiv'â— above others or you have been enabled to exerciâ—â— above others or good duties you have been enabled to do above others when you have been moâ—â— enlarged in it above others take heed of arrogating any thing to your selves remember to gâ—â— wholly out of your selves and to give the Spirâ—â— the glory of his grace to you in it as the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 and be still careful to walk the more humbly before God and Man Micah 6. So much of the Spirit Nextly CHAP. V. The Fourth Head of Meditation is MAN IN and about Man to meditate on the Four-fold Estate of Man the Four last Things or Ends of Man and such things in the Soul and in the Body about the Tongue Talents Time and Eternity of Man as may most conduce to the enabling of you to answer God and Christ and the Spirit in all they have done for man First To meditate on the Four-fold Estate of Man his blessed state by Creation cursed state by Transgression gracious state by Regeneration and happy estate by Glorification Sect. 1. First His blessed estate by Creation and here to take notice of and meditate on these things First That he was made the most excellent of all the visible Creatures Secondly That he was made in the most excellent manner Thirdly That he was made to the most excellent ends First He was made the most excellent of all the visible Creatures as appears First In respect of the structure of his Body and the endowments of his Soul of which we shall speak hereafter Secondly In that he was made after his own Image in knowledge righteousness and true holiness Gen. 1.26 Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 Thirdly In that he was made the Habitation and Temple of the Holy Ghost 2 Cor. 6.16 Fourthly In that he was made Lord over all the Creatures all subjected under his Feet and all for his use Gen. 1.26 Psal 8. Fifthly In that he was made the Epitome or abridgment of the whole Creation there being nothing in the World but there is some thing in Man like unto it as touching God we believe Him to be a Spirit touching the World we know it to be a Body in Man we have an abridgment of both namely of God in respect of his Spirit and of the World in respect of his Body As in the World there are some things visible and some things invisible so in Man a visible Body and an invisible Soul as in the World some Creatures live the life of Vegetation as Plants some the life of Sense as Beasts some the life of Reason as Angels in Man you have all these kinds of life In a word as one well Man is God's Text all the Creatures are Commentaries on it Secondly Meditate on the excellent manner of Man's Creation 1. Whereas all other Creatures were made by a bare and simple command God did but say the word Let there be Light and there was Light and so in the rest When God made Man it was not without Divine Consultation the sacred Trinity did not
my comfort in mine affliction thy word hath quickned me And Vers 52. I remembred thy judgments of old and have comforted my self Fourthly to frame our lives according to it as David Psal 119 59. I consider'd my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies And that First because without practise all knowledge is but ignorance 1 Epst John 2.4 And secondly it will aggravate mens condemnation at the last Luk. 12.48 Secondly That this is the property of gracious Souls you may see in David here and frequently else-where Psal 63.6 143. Vers 5. Psal 119.15.23.48.78.97.99.148 Then Joseph Gen. 24.63 And all other godly men Psalm 1. vers 2d Malach. 3.16 Thirdly For the grounds of it First because they know it is their duty that which God hath commanded Joshua 1.8 1 Timothy 4.15 Colossians 3.2 Set your affections on things above c. Secondly Their love to God Love delights to think on the Person and Thing beloved Psal 119.97 Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day long Amor est ubi amat non ubi animat is an old saying and as true as old The mind is where a man loves and not where he lives The more men love the more they think and the more they think the more they love Thirdly The transcendent excellency of God and the things of God Psalm 119.129 Thy testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my soul keep them Canticles 1.3 Thy Name is an Ointment poured out therefore do the Virgins love thee Psalm 3.2 3. Fourthly Because they have receiv'd a new nature They are made partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 They are renewed in the spirit of their minds Rom. 12.2 and thereby are taken off from these things below to mind affect and pursue those things above Men of high and noble spirits can't endure to be imployed about low and base things but those of the highest and greatest Concernment so Gracious Souls they account the things of the World and the Flesh too low for them and desire to have their thoughts to be taken up with God and Christ his Spirit and Kingdom their precious and immortal Souls their safety and welfare here and to all Eternity Such as the man is such are his thoughts The liberal man deviseth liberal things Isaiah 32.8 A good man out of the good treasury of his heart bringeth forth good things Math. 12.35 Vse the First 1. This shews us the reason why Professors are such Non-proficients in the School of Christ namely because they are so seldom and slight in this weighty duty of Meditation rest in hearing reading and never think on it more the Devil will never trouble such he cares not how much they are in duty so he can prevail with them not to think on it after Vse the Second For the humiliation of three sorts First Such as meditate not at all on God or the things of God as natural carnal wordly Men do not will not Psalm 10.4 The ungodly is so proud God is not in all his thoughts Viz. with any delight Secondly Such as have their Meditation on other things as the ambitious Man on his honour the Covetous Man on his wealth the Voluptuous Man on his pleasure the Merchant on his Ships the Trades-man on his Shop c. none of them any serious thoughts of God or the things of God Thirdly A worse sort there are that think on God not to honour him but dishonour him either have low and base thoughts of him or wicked and ungodly thoughts First Some that have low and base thoughts of God as ignorant and superstitious sorts of People who conceive of God as an old Man sitting in Heaven with a Crown on his Head and a Scepter in his Hand looking down upon his Creatures and governing the World others Though they do not conceive of him so grosly with a Bodily substance but acknowledge him to be a Spirit yet not such a Spirit as he hath revealed himself to be a Pure Holy Just Omnipresent Omniscient Omnipotent Spirit but conceive him to be such a one as themselves Psal 50.21 Secondly Others they have wicked and ungodly thoughts of him some Atheistical thoughts as those in Job 21. Vers 15. Who is the Almighty that we should serve him Others basphemous thoughts as they Psalm 94. Tush God sees not God regards not Others distrustful thoughts as 2 Kings 8. last This evil is of the Lord Why should I want any longer upon him Others rebellious contemptuous thoughts as they Psal 12. Our Tongues are our own Who shall controle us Jerem. 18.12 There is no hope we will walk after the imagination of our own hearts and Chap. 44.17 A Third Vse of Exhortation If you will evidence your selves to be Saints indeed then to make this your property and practise That you may be the more willing to it and able for it I shall do four things First Give you some Motives to it Secondly Discover and remove the Hinderances of it Thirdly Give you some Helps to it And Fourthly Some Directions for it First By way of Motive to quicken you to it Consider with me the Necessity Excellency Utility and sweetness of this Duty First The Necessity of it in many respects as First The command of God that which he expresly requires as you saw before and may further Deut. 6.6 Job 37.14 Eccl. 7.15 Haggai 1.5 6. Secondly Because it is the end wherefore he hath revealed and made himself known to us in his Word and Works Psal 111.4 Isai 41.19 20. Thirdly Because without Meditation no Conversion David first consider'd hiâ— ways and then turn'd his Feet to God ' testim nies Psalm 119 59. The Prodigal first bethought himself and then return'd to his Fathers House Luke 15. That there is no Conversion without Meditation appears in that such as are connected are converted in this way and Method First They heâ—r the Word Secondly are convinc'd of the Truth Thirdly Meditates how much it concerns them Fourthly by Meditation come to be affected with it And Fifthly By affection are wrought over to a holy resolution of Faith and Obedience Fourthly Because without Meditation you cannot profit by any thing you hear or read out of the Word or see in the works of God A Plant may as soon grow without watering and Meat nourish without digesting as a Soul profit in holiness without Meditation God provides Meat sends his Ministers to Cook it and dress it it is Meditation must Concoct it otherwise like Meat undigested the Stomack will be burdened with it and cast it up again or if it abide it will breed ill humours and make them sick unto death The Reasons are obvious First Because without meditation the Seed of the Word will lye uncover'd in the Furrows of the Soul and being uncover'd the Devil will come and steal it away as the Birds do the Seed in the High-way that lieth uncovered Secondly Because without meditation we shall never be
that have this Book because your Memory is weak to take it in your hands and begin with the first Head of Meditation and then go on Day after Day until you have gone thorow and if there be any special subject you desire to meditate on to look into the Contents Thirdly For the Egress or Conclusion of your Meditation First so reflect and look back how we have perform'd it If not with profit and comfort then to take notice wherein we are defective and faulty and humble our selves under it and mend it the next time If we have reaped benefit and comfort by it to bless God for it and conclude all with praise for his gracious presence with us and pray he would make all effectual for the bettering of our heads and hearts and tongues and lives And thus of Meditation in general Next because most complain of scarcity or want of matter others of distraction through want of Method I have therefore thought fit to select the choisest things for Meditation through the Body of Divinity and reduce them to their several Heads that so however you cannot remember them all yet you may have them still before your eye and go on in the Meditation of them Day after Day CHAP. II. AND first I shall begin with solemn and deliberate Meditation and after give you some heads for sudden and occasional Meditation For solemn and deliberate Meditation the matter of your Meditation may be reduced to these 6 or 7 Heads God and Christ the Holy Spirit Man the World and the good and evil Angels by which God governs the World First I shall shew you what special things you are to meditate on in GOD to begin with him who is the beginning of all things and to be often and much in meditation on him for the more we meditate on him the more we shall know him and the more we know him the more we shall love him and the more we love him the more we shall desire him and the more we desire him the more shall we labour after communion with him not only in grace here but in glory hereafter but here in meditating on God take with you these three Cautions First To meditate on him in a way of faith and not reason because reason cannot comprehend the Unity in Trinity or Trinity in Unity Secondly Not to conceive of God out of Christ because God out of Christ is a consuming Fire Hebr. 12. last Thirdly Take heed of framing any Image of God in your minds he being a Spirit and an Infinite Spirit in all and through all and above all but to conceive of him I say in Christ who is the express Image of the Father the Ladder by which we are to clime up to Heaven to see and know God One well expresseth it thus when I see the body of a living man I know his Soul is there also and therefore when I speak to his body I speak to his understanding also because they are together so in viewing with the eye of my mind the humane nature of Christ glorious in Heaven I do at the same time look upon the God-head that being personally united unto it for in him dwelleth the God-head bodily or Personally Q. What are those things we are to meditate on in GOD A. His Nature Attributes Word Works Worship 1. His Nature and here take notice what he is in his Beeing and that he only is Jehovah 1. What he is in his Beeing This cannot be conceived much less defined by finite Creatures yet may be described so far as he hath revealed himself in the Scripture which is this An Eternal Infinite Perfect Incomprehensible Spirit distinguished into three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost every one Co-essential and Co-equal To open this briefly mind well I say he is a Spirit John 4.24 Now what a Spirit is our Saviour tells you Luke 24.31 Iohn 1.18 sc a Substance or Beeing that cannot be seen or felt 2. I say he is an Eternal Infinite Perfect Incomprehensible Spirit these Attributes distinguish him from all other Spirits as Angels and the Souls of men 1. He is an Eternal Spirit i. e. One that had no beginning nor can have any end 1 Tim. 1.17 To the King Eternal c. and Revel 1.8 But now Angels and the Souls of men though they shall have no end yet had a beginning were Created by God Gen. 12.1 2. God he is an Infinite Spirit i. e. Such a Beeing as cannot be contained within any place 1 Kings 8.27 Behold The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him and Isa 66.1 But for Angels and the Souls of men they are contained within their proper places 3. God he is a perfect Spirit unto whom no degree of goodness or excellency can be added 1 Iohn 1.5 Gen. 17.1 I am God All-sufficient But for Angels and the Souls of men they are capable of more degrees of goodness and excellency 4. God is an incomprehensible Spirit Psal 145.3 His greatness is incomprehensible 1 Timothy 1.16 He dwells in light unapproachable we may more easily comprehend what God is not than what he is but now for Angels and the Souls of Men we may in some measure comprehend what they are so far forth as God hath revealed it 3. I add distinguished into three Persons Here to take notice 1. What a Person is sc a distinct Subsistence or beeing having in it the whole God-head and distinguished from another by his incommunicable properties as 1. Of the Father to beget Psal 2.7 the Son to be begotten John 18. and of the Holy Ghost to proceed from both John 15.26 2. To take notice why we say Distinguished and not divided sc because the God-head being one pure simple unchangeable Beeing it cannot be divided or separated one from the other but are in one the other as you may see cleerly John 14.9 Lastly I add Co-essential and Co-equal i. e. Every one true and very God and not one before the other or greater than the other being every one God as appears in that the same names of God and properties of God and actions of God are given to every Person in the Trinity The Father God Eph. 13. John 17.3 The Son God Isai 9.6 Heb. 1.8 The Holy Ghost God Acts 5.3 4. 1 Cor. 3.16 To take notice and meditate seriously on these things in the Nature of God because the ignorance and want of the serious consideration of it is the cause of so many misapprehensions of God and aberrations from God 2. That you may the better know what God is to take notice that he only is Jehovah Psal 83.18 Thy Name only is Jehovah Q. What is the meaning of that Ans This word Jehovah it imports three things 1. That he hath his Beeing in and of and from Himself being deemed Hava or Hajah that signifieth To be and be of himself and from himself 2. It is he that gave a beeing to all that have any beeing as Isa 44.24
iâ— in our own Persons 1 Epist Iohn 2.1 Thirdly To meditate on the fulness of this Covenant that iâ— contains promises of all things concerning life and godliness this life and a better 2 Peter 1. 1 Timothy 4.8 That he will be a Sun and a Shield give grace and glory and will with-hold no good thing Psal 84.11 Fourthly On the unchange ableness of this Covenant that it is an everlasting Covenant Jer. 17.7 Jer. 32.39 40. Mal. 3.6 Heb. 13.6 Tenthly To meditate on the duties you owe to God in respect of this new Covenant of grace as First To be still admiring and adoring the free and rich grace of God in making such a Covenant with you notwithstanding you had abused this grace in the first Covenant and that he should bring you forth under the dispensations of the new Covenant that so far excels the old as you have seen in the clearness easiness and efficaciousness of it and further should so manifest and magnifie his grace towards you as to make his Word and Rod effectual to bring you within the Bonds of the Covenant Secondly Study well this Covenant of grace and acquaint your selves more and more with the many and precious promises contained in it Especially those that most concern your present wants and necessities and labour to suck out the sweet and comfort of all by Meditation Faith and Prayer Thirdly Let it be your care to walk worthy of and suitable to the grace of the new Covenant remembring you are under a better Covenâ—nt than that made with them under the old Testament and therefore you ought to have better lives seeing you have a better Mediator and better Promises and better Means than they had and therefore should have better Conversations The mysteries of the Gospel are more clearly reveal'd to you Christ's Yoke is an easie Yoke and his Burden a light Burden in comparison what they were under his Spirit poured out more plentifully than heretofore upon ordinary Believers therefore all these should be as so many Engagements so many encouragements to a morehumble holy spiritual and Heavenly walking before the Lord and a more thankful chearful faithful and fruitful service of the Lord Luke 1.74 75. 2 Cor. 7.1 2 Pet. 1.4 to the 12. 1 Cor. 15. last Fourthly Having at any time relapsed into sin especially gross and scandalous sin to renew as our humiliation under it so our Covenant of more circumspection and watchfulness against it after that Example Jer. 50.5 And the rather because there is a great proneness in us as well as others unto back-sliding and there are continual out-goings of corruption in us as well as others to deal falsly with God in our Covenant as they in Ps 78.36 37. And therefore our duty is that who are in Covenant with God upon our breach of Covenant to renew our Covenant of more circumspection for the future especially in times of Affliction and on Days of Humiliation and when we are to draw neer to God in that great Ordinance of the Lord's Supper but still remember we go out of our selves and fetch strength from God's Covenant to inable us to it Eph. 6.10 And thus much of the Covenant of Grace Now Fourthly the Works of God Sect. 4. And the Works of God are either his Works before time or in time First His Work before Time is his Decree now the Decree of God is his unchangable purpose with himself from all Eternity concerning the making of the World and all the Creatures in it especially Men and Angels their ends and the means to bring them to those ends for the manifestation of his glory Eph. 1.11 And in and about this Decree we may profitably meditate on these things First The infinite goodness of God in having us in his heart for so much good not only before we were but before the World was even from all Eternity Secondly The distinguishing love of God in this that we being all in his hands as the Clay in the hands of the Potter to make either Vessels of Mercy or Vessels of Wrath he should not appoint us unto Wrath but to obtain Salvation by Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.9 Thirdly The infinite wisdom of God in appointing not only the ends of all his Creatures but the means to bring them to those ends Hosea 2.21 22. Fourthly On the unchangeableness of this Decree Mal. 3.6 I am Jehovah that changeth not 2 Tim. 2.19 All these should make us cry out with the Apostle Rom. 11. last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh the depth of the wisdom of God! Secondly For his Works in time they are Creation and Providence First Creation and herein 1. Take notice what it is sc that first outward act of God whereby according to his Eternal purpose of nothing by his very Word he made the World and every Creature in it very good Gen. 1. last Secondly To look into and study this Voluminous Book of the Creation wherein every Page will afford you fresh matter of Meditation and every Creature have a Tongue to tell you of those glorious Attributes of God that shine forth in all especially in that curious Master-piece of Man Psal 139.14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made c. and here to meditate on these five things the Eternity of God the Almighty Power of God the infinite wisdom of God the unsearchable goodness of God and the excellent end wherefore he did all this First The Eternity of God he must needs be an Eternal Beeing seeing he was before all Beeings he that made Time and all things must needs be before Time and all things and so Eternal without beginning and without end Psal 102.25 26. Secondly The Almighty Power of God in that He was able to make so great and glorious a Fabrick and all things in it of nothing by his very Word Psal 89.11 12 13. Thirdly The infinite wisdom of God in makeing all things in such an excellent Order harmony and beauty appointing every Creature its proper place and use making all serviceable one to another and all to the good of the Universe Psal 104.24 Fourthly The unsearchable Goodness of God in that notwithstanding he was infinitely good and blessed in Himself without a Creature yet should communicate his goodness and blessedness to the Creature Acts 17.24 25 26. His goodness also appear'd in making every Creature good and providing all things for the good of the Creature but above all in making the World and all things in it for Man and man for Himself What should the Meditation hereof but cause all of us to be still singing and saying with David Psal 18 1. Oh Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth Oh Lord what is man thou should'st take such notice of him and make such account of him Fifthly To meditate on the excellent end of his doing all this viz. that he might have his glory from us Revel 4. last He did not make any thing for any need
by us amongst others of fallen Man-kind and therefore that God should pass by others more noble for birth and it may be more sober and civil for conversation and look upon us wallowing and weltring in our blood and filthiness and say unto us Live this should exceedingly affect our hearts and make us still to be admiring and adoring the free rich and unsearchable love grace and mercy of God to us in Christ Ezek. 16. Psal 103. Secondly That we may do this with more profit and comfort to take notice what this state of grace is and for the understanding of this to know there is a double grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first and the second grace the first whereby our Persons are accepted the second whereby they are sanctified the first is no other than the free love and favour of God whereby he accepts us in Christ and for his sake forgives all our sins and gives us his Spirit to renew and sanctifie our natures Rom. 11.6 Eph. 2.8 9. The second grace is no other than a special gift of that grace and favour of God otherwise call'd in the Scripture Regeneration John 3.6 and Renovation of the Image of God Eph. 4.24 and Sanctification of the whole Man 1 Thes 5.23 and the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Godliness and holiness 1 Tim. 6. And it may be described thus a work of the Spirit in the Ministry of the Word deriving from Christ their head unto all his Elect spiritual life grace or holiness and diffusing it throughout the whole Man whereby they are enabled to act and move God-ward Grace-ward and Heaven-ward Thirdly To take notice of and meditate on the differences of true grace from false grace for Eph. 4.14 the Apostle speaks of true holiness in opposition to false and feigned now these differences are especially in three things as first true sanctifying grace is from an inward principle infused by the Spirit of Grace Psal 40.8 Rom. 7.22 but that in the Hypocrite is only from an outward principle as shame of the World fear of punishment and the like Secondly True grace makes Men to approve all their thoughts and words and ways to God's all-seeing eye Job 31.4 Job 42.4 5. John 11.17 A Hypocrite dares not do so he approves them only to the eyes of men so long as Men think well of him he cares not what God thinks Thirdly True grace makes Men humble the more knowledge they have the more they see and bewail their ignorance as that wise Man Pro. 30.2 I am more brutish than any Man and I have not the understanding of a man viz. in comparison of what he ought to know of God the more faith he has the more he bewails his unbelief as the Father of the possessed Child Mark 9.24 The more love he hath the more he bewails his want of love and calls upon his Soul to love God more Psal 116. But now a Hypocrite he is proud of the grace he hath and thinks he has more than he hath and that both God and man should respect him the better as the Pharisee Luk. 18. I thank God I am not as this Publican c. Q. But wherein doth renewing Grace differ from restraining Grace A. Especially in two things 1. Restraining grace only keeps Men from the acts of sin but doth not mortifie sin Abimeleck's lust was restrained when God with held him from Sarah Gen. 20.6 but not mortified whereas where there is renewing Grace sin is subdued as well as restrained Rom. 8.13 Secondly Restraining grace keeps men from sinning out of a servile fear of punishment but renewing grace makes men forbear out of a fillial fear of offending Gen. 39.9 Psal 130.4 Thirdly Restraining grace keeps men from sinning no longer than they are under the means of restraint as godly Magistrates Ministers Parents Masters when they are dead or removed then they can neglect the Worship of God and be as vile as the vilest when there was no King in Israel every one did what was good in his own eyes Judg. 17.6.18 but renewing grace where it is it makes and keeps men ever the same and the worse the times are the better are they Gen. 6.9 Fourthly To take notice and meditate on the degrees of grace all have not the same measures and degrees of grace but some more and some less whence we read of some strong men in Christ others weak Prov. 15.1 Some Babes in Christ and others grown Christians 1 Cor. 3.1 Some Trees of righteousness Isai 61.3 Others bruised Reeds Mat. 12.20 and God hath wise and holy ends in this as 1. To put a difference between Heaven and Earth here we are but renewed and sanctified in part how-ever it be in every part but in Heaven the Spirits of just Men are made perfect Heb. 12.23 Grace there is perfected in glory Eph. 4.13 Secondly God will have it so to teach us to live in a continual dependance on that fulness there is in Christ for us that we may still go to him and receive from him grace for grace John 1.16 that is one degree and measure after another Thirdly That he may display his glorious Attributes as his infinite wisdome All-mighty Power unchangeable grace in carrying on the work of grace until he hath crown'd grace in glory 2 Cor. 12.9 10. Q. But seeing there are different degrees of grace some have more and some less How may a Man know that he hath any truth of grace even the least degree of saving grace A. You may know it by these two things 1. A continual complaint of the want of grace and the weakness of grace in comparison of the strength of corruption as the Father of the possessed Child this is made by our Saviour the Sign of truth of grace Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in Spirit that is who are spiritually poor in their own sight and sense 2. You may know it by earnest desires and endeavours after more grace as in Nehemiah 1.11 and the Church Isai 26.8 Christ pronounceth them blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousness and promiseth they shall be filled Mat. 5.6 Q. But how shall we know our desires after grace to be true desires A. Briefly thus 1. If they be industrious in the use of the means and all means 2 Cor. 7.11 1 Pet. 2.2 Secondly If they be fervent desires like David's Psal 42.1 more after spirituals than temporals Psal 4.6 Thirdly If they be restless desires until we obtain Psal 119.20 My Soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgments at all times Thus of the evidences of grace in general Now Secondly Take notice of the evidences of some particular graces as knowledge faith repentance obedience love fear and hope but here before I speak unto them take this caution he that hath one of these graces in truth hath seminally all and every sanctifying grace how-ever he do not see it as he that hath one link of
and terror ere they dyed if they do not here they shall hereafter Qui non credunt sensiant they shall find and feel it hereafter that Hell is no Fable and the Devils are no Nominals but Reals not imaginary but afflicting Spirits Spirits ordained for Vengeance tempters of men here to sin and tormentors hereafter for sin 2. Take notice what they are This you may understand by the several names given to them in Scripture as 1. in respect of their nature they are called Spirits i. e. Spiritual Substances or Substances without a body whereby they are distinguished from the Souls of Men that are united to their Bodies 1 Kings 22.21 Matth. 18.6 Luk. 10.20 2. In respect of their corrupt nature they are called Evil Spirits Luke 8.2 1 Sam. 18.10 1 Joh. 3.12 3. They are called lying Spirits 1 Kings 22.22 and unclean Spirits Matth. 10.1 4ly In respect of their great knowledge they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Levit. 17.7 1 Cor. 10.20 i. e. Understanding Spirits which we read or Devils though they be more fitly called Devils because they are continually doing evil 5. In regard of their Pride Power and Dominion in the World they are called the Prince of the Air Ephes 2.2 and the Godd of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 6. In respect of their Properties he is called the Tempter because continually he is tempting to evil and the Deceiver because he alwayes deceives men in the promises he makes and Accuser because he is still accusing God to Man and Man to God and the Destroyer because he is still plotting and practising ruine and destruction unto Souls 1 Pet. 5.8 So as put all together the Devils are evil and wicked Spirits abounding in knowledge and power to do mischief still tempting to sin imployed about delighting in nothing else 3. How became they such evil Spirits For the understanding of this you are to take notice 1. That they were by creation good and as good every way as the Elect Angels as Understanding Wise Pure Potent every way equal and no way inferior to the Good Angels Gen. 1. last 2. Though they were created good and as good as the Elect Angels yet they voluntarily fell from this good Estate and became as evil as they were good John 8.44 Jude 6. The Angels that left their first estate c. The cause of their fall was their sin 2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell c. What their special sin was is not clearly revealed in the Scripture but probably conceived to be their pride from that place 1 Tim. 3.6 where he adviseth That a Minister should not be a Novice lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Devil implying that their sin was either pride or mixed with pride 4. What their punishment is And this consists in two things 1. The grea◠corruption of their Nature whereas by Creation they were very good and holy by their fall they became extreamly evil and the greatest enemies to holiness whereas by Creation they had the Knowledge of of God's whole Will and an actual conformity to it by their fall they were deprived though not of their Natural yet of their Supernatural Knowledge and all Sanctified Knowledge and this Knowledge they have now it is accompanied with an implacable hatred of God and obstinate impenitency and final desperation The second part of their punishment is The Curse of God or the Infinite and Eternal Wrath of God which St. Peter layes down in four branches Having sinned 1. They were cast down viz. out of Heaven 2. Cast into Hell 3. Under everlasting Chains of Darkness 4. Reserved to the Day of Judgement for the full pouring out of God's Wrath and Vengeance upon them In the interim they are permitted to come out of that local place of Hell and to walk up and down in the World for the punishment of the wicked and the exercising of the Godly 5. To take notice what their Office and Work is And that is To be a Tempter an Accuser a Tormentor these three the Devil is continually exercised in 1. He is a continual tempter unto sin and therein behaves himself as a subtil Serpent and discovers himself to be that wicked One. 2. He is a continual Accuser of God to Man and Man to God and one Man to another and therein shews himself to be a Deceiver and a Murderer and the Father of Lies John 8.44 3ly He is a continual Tormentor and Troubler of men for sin and therein shews himself a Fiery Dragon and a Roaring Lion and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Destroyer of Souls this work God permits him to be imployed in in a double respect 1. The Wicked and 2. the Godly to punish the one and exercise the other 1. To punish and plague the wicked 1. In their Souls and that 1. by giving the Devils power to tempt them to sin and prevail over them by his temptations as over Ahab's false Prophets 1 Kings 22.22 2ly By giving power to them to vex and to terrifie their Consciences 1 Sam. 16.14 23. An Evil Spirit was sent to vex Saul and Psalm 78.49 Evil Angels were sent to vex and terrifie the Egyptians 2. To punish them in their bodies by giving leave to the Devil to possess them and torment them rend and tear them in pieces as History tells us he hath done the bodies of many wicked Hereticks Blasphemers and Apostates and at last to carry them to Hell as he did Dives Luke 16. Then 2ly their Office is to exercise the Godly 1. Sometimes in their Bodies by afflicting them as he did Job's Body Job 2.7 2. In their Souls by suffering Satan to tempt them and trouble them though not finally prevail over them as over the wicked however Satan sought to winnow Peter like Wheat yet Christ prayed that his Faith should not fail Luk. 22.32 Though he buffeted Paul yet God promised his Grace should be sufficient for him 2 Cor. 12.7 9. 6. VVhat their Properties and Qualities are They are very Knowing Subtil Powerful Wicked and Malicious Spirits 1. For their Knowledge That must needs be very great 1. In that by creation they were like to the good Angels in Knowledge 2. Their knowledge since hath been much increased by the long experience they have had of all God's Revelations and manifestations in the World Job 1.8 9. But yet however they know so much and more of God then others yet they know not mens hearts but only by conjecture for 't is only God's prerogative to be the searcher of the heart 1 King 8.39 Neither do they know what the Grace of Regeneration is nor what the comforts of the Spirit are for these are props to the Elect. 2. For their Subtilty we read of the Wiles of Satan Ephes 6. and the Depths of Satan Rev. 3. This subtilty of theirs appears in these Particulars 1. In