distinguitur in jud cium denunciativum executivum Navarret controv to §. 1. 3. Vltimo dâ—ct â—mine posito voluntas necessariò determinatur tâ—men libere mov tur câ—nt â—uarez in Metaph. disp 19. sect 6. Cumel de voluntate c l. 1 pag 63. dictate of the mind which being once thoroughly enlightned and seriously possest with the adequate truth and goodness of things spiritual these being propounded to the will it cannot reject them for the liberty of the will is not a blind and a brutish head-strongness but a rational perfection The minde being spiritually enlightned and thereby elevated and actuated from Heaven this is called the teaching of the Father Joh. 6.45 The conviction of the spirit Joh. 16.8.11 The spirit of wisdom and revelation Ephes 1.17 b Collyrium ocuâ—orum medicina est ad spiritualis coec tatis nostâ—ae medelam eleganter transfertur Gloss Rhet. Sacra pag. 340. Imoâ—tra à Deo clarum conspectum mysteriorum Dei reram futuraruâ— Grotius in Apocal. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sylburg in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The eye salve Rev. 3.18 This puts the Law of God into a mans inward parts that he seeth a truth and a reality in those things which before he only saw in the notion That which formerly he heard by the hearing of the ear now his eye sees for as sin came in by the understanding c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proprie ad intellectum pertinet unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The woman was deceived 2 Cor. 11.3 1 Tim. 2.14 Gen. 3.13 by the same way God will bring Grace into the soul for he will not invert the order of the faculties Vocatio alta est secreta qua fit ut legi atque doctrinae accomodâ—mus assensum Gratia praevenit hominis voluntatem bonam nec eam cujusquam invenit in corde sed sacit Hâ—mines ad sâ—ipsâ— omnipotentissunâ voluntate convertit ac vâ—lentes ex notentibus secit Aug. Epist 107. De grat libero Arbit cap 16. Câ—r est camera omnipotentis râ—gâ—â— Corda fideliâ— caelum sunt Aug. sermon de redempt but they shall all act according to their natural subordination 2. From hence there follows a thorough and effectual determination of the will to embrace the ultimate dictates of an enlightned understanding chusing spiritual truths as its own portion which compleats the writing of the Law in the heart Jer. 31.33 which is not only the putting of spiritual and saving light into the understanding but putting a sutable principle also into the will framing and fashioning it to accept and embrace those truths which the understanding was fully prepossessed of Praebendo vires efficacissimas voluntati Aug. making a man with full purpose of heart to close with and cleave to God The will is the chief seat of the soul The chamber of the great King therefore the main residence of Grace is in it so that though by a natural impotency in us the executive power is suspended yet a man can say to will is present with me when I finde no strength to perform Rom. 7.18 It s true that Grace doth not in this life take away b In voluntate manet resistibilitas connata adnata actualis Gratia non tollit resistibilitatem connatam quae est propria passio voluntatis nec adnatam ex voluntatis depravatione qua gratiae resistere potest solet nec resistentiam actualem sed actuatem resistentiam vincentem Ward concio ad Câ—erum in Philip. 2.12.13 omnem resistentiam actualem sed vincentem the will doth actually resist but Grace over-rules it that in its resistance it doth not overcome it resists quoad pugnam non quoad victoriam to a conflict not to a conquest Grace is judgement brought forth to * Mat. 12 20. Si vere volumus defendere liberuÌ„ arbitrium non opponemus unde fit liberum Qui oppugnat gratiam illuminanteÌ„ qua nostrum ad declinandum à malo faciendum bonum liberatur arbitriuÌ„ ipse arbitriuÌ„ suum adhuc vult esse cap tivuÌ„ Aug. Epist 107. victory in the end Neither is this determination of the will by Grace contrary to its liberty it sets it at liberty rather because it is done by a precedent light in the understanding If indeed the will had an object forced upon it which the understanding did not dictate to be best pro hic nunc then there was violence offered to it but for the will to chuse that which the understanding doth determine it unto as best in this doth the liberty of the will properly consist The Spirit of Christ being a Spirit of Liberty Eccles 12.3 ExtremaÌ„ visus imminutionem quam indigitat per obscuratiâ—nem videntium per fenestras Joan. Coch. in Eccles Anima est secundum suam essentiam toto corpore tota in qualibet parte Joan. Scharf Physic l. 6. c 1. § 7. doth act every faculty modo sibi proportionato according to its place and subordination in the soul as the soul hears in the ear works with the hand looks out at the windows of the eyes so the Spirit of Grace works in the understanding to apprehend the things of God and in the will to chuse them acting every faculty towards spiritual objects according unto its nature for spiritual ends 3. There follows in the soul strange secret allurements of the Spirit which are a great means to sweeten the choyce and make the will more chearful and full therein For the Spirit of Grace is the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur id quod causam dat summi gaudii Joh. 15.11 17.13 Grot. in Heb. 1.9 Oyl of gladness not only in Christ but in all the members of Christ Psal 45.7 that they chuse freely and with delight things spiritual and afterward rejoyce and glory in their choyce That if a man were set free and left to his liberty he would make the same choyce to eternity As Paul doth Phil. 3.8 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and he did not repent of the bargain but adds and I do count them but dung that I may win Christ As a woman that loves her Husband Pelliciam ad me blandis verbis conabor persuadere ut relictis amatoribus mecum redeat in gratiam Mercer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Duobus verbis redditur à Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 22.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 11.16 Conrad Kirsher Neque est nulla notionum convenientia est enim stoliditas illa qua quis mendacio applaudit cordis nimis latè patentis supinitas quod debet arctè custodiri Coccei in Job 31. is so fully satisfied in her choyce that she saith If I had all the world before me I should chuse no other Therefore we reade of the perswasions of
Hebrews 2 7 146  16 81 11 25 228  26 ibid. 12 23 30 13 18 64 James 1 18 81 2 19 49 3 13 168. See margent 4 15 140 See marg in p. 141. 1 Peter 2 2 22 3 15 15 2 Peter 1 19 20 2 2 149 1 John 5 19 219 Jude 0 11 326 Revelation 1 13 267. 268 6 12 192 11 1 295  15 162  19 188 13  183  2 193  3. 8 185  16 181   See mar 15 7 111  8 186 16 1 190  8 ibid.  9 293 17 3 161  13 184  17 33 19 13 107  14 112 A TREATISE Shewing the subordination of the will of MAN unto the will of GOD. Acts 21.14 And when he would not be perswaded we ceased saying the will of the Lord be done CHRISTS going forth in the Gospel is compared unto the Lightning which cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West Luc. 17.24 That is 1. Repentè suddainly unexpectedly when there was the saddest and darkest night upon the world when the world in wisdome knew not God 1 Cor. 1.21 then did the Light of the glorious Gospel break forth 2. Celeritèr swiftly the Gospel did pass through the world with incredible speed as Lightning out of a Cloud as an Arrow out of a Bow Rev. 6.2 Psal 45.5 that they were subjected to it ere they were aware 3. Vniversaliter generally the Lightning is not seen in one place only but it inlightens the whole heavens so it was with the Gospel it spred over the whole world Rom. 10.18 4. Irresistibiliter irresistibly it s observed of the Lightning Aristâ—dâ— Meteor it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is of a kind of spiritual nature of which there is no resistance if it meet with a subject that yields it will insensibly pierce it without prejudice but if with a subject that opposeth it will melt it so it is with the Gospel the word of the Kingdom wheresoever the light of it shines forth A very glorious accomplishment of this Scripture we have set before us in this book of Acts which contains the labour and travels the sufferings and successes of those blessed Instruments which the Lord did first employ to spread the savour of his knowledge in every place But Paul being the most eminent instrument and as it were a chosen shaft in the Lords hand Esay 49.2 1 Cor. 15.10 for he laboured more abundantly then they all therefore in this book chiefly his Preachings Travels and Sufferings are recorded concerning whom looking upon that as a Motto spiritus Pauli exemplum Ministri before I come to the words of the Text I cannot pass by four things which I find by Chrysost observed First De laudibus Pauli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. his spirit he describes in two things 1. He feared nothing but sin to displease God and to dishonour him was only terrible unto him 2. He prized nothing in comparison of the love of Christ and Communion with him he chose rather the lowest condition with his love then the most eminent condition without it to see his face was his heaven and it was even hell to him to be deprived thereof Secondly His sufferings for Christ were his pleasures his delights he could take pleasure in infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the more he did suffer the more was his spirit inlarged unto suffering and he came out of every tryall with a new resolution and readiness of mind unto suffering when we have escaped a danger we commonly resolve to take the more care for time to come and so by every cross our fear is encreased but Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by every cross his courage was raised and he came off from suffering with a new desire and readiness to suffer again Thirdly the aym and bent of his spirit was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only to offer up himself body and soul as a living sacrifice but his constant aym and daily labour was to offer up to God the whole world as a sacrifice and therefore laboured in the conversion of so many severall Nations unto God preaching the Gospel where Christ was not named Fourthly for his labour he was unwearâ—ed in it for the happy accomplishment of that end he was abundant in the work of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went over the greatest part of the world as if he had wings and laboured without cessation as if he forgat whether he were in the body setting no bounds to his labour but his life This glorious instrument in the hand of the Spirit was in an eminent manner guided by the Spirit in all his wayes carrying him to those places where he had any service to imploy him in and when the work was done by the guidance of the same Spirit he was removed to another place Sometimes the Lord sends him from Ierusalem that he might bear his name before the Gentiles Act. 22.18 and sometimes the Spirit forbids him to preach the Gospel in Asia and when he did assay to preach the Gospel in Bithinia the Spirit suffered him not Acts 16.6 7. Then he hath a vision Acts 16.9 in which a man of Macedonia saith come down and help us Thus he spent his dayes in planting and confirming the Churches At this time by the direction of the same Spirit he was engaged to go to Jerusalem Behold now I go bound in the Spirit Non levitate vel temeritate quadam motus eò proficiscor sed fortiter à spiritu sancto impulsus acsi vinculis quibusdam injectis cò traherer Sicut per vincula iniquitatis spiritualis peccati captivitas notatur Glass Rhet. sacr p. 414. Spiritus validè me impellit sicut nubes aguÌ„tur vento ut ei alligatae videantur A lap in loc Acts 20.22 That is by speciall direction from the Spirit à Spiritu impulsam as if the Spirit went with me thither and I were bound up with the same Spirit As watry vapours bound up in the Clouds are carryed about with them so was Paul bound up in the Spirit who is the Prorex in the government of Christ and hath an eye to the affairs of his Kingdom all the world over This Spirit having clearly revealed Gods mind unto the Apostle concerning this service and by a strong impulse subdued his heart thereunto he is therefore said to go bound in the Spirit to whatsoever service or suffering the Lord would call him But this instinct and motion of the Spirit met with great opposition First when he came to Tyre he met with certain Disciples that did say to him by the Spirit Fratribus istis quid futurum sit Dominus revelavit interea vero quid postulet vocatio Pauli nesciunt non eo usque extenditur doni mensura c. Cal. 1 King 13.18 Facilis
Rebecca had a good intention in putting Jacob upon an unlawful way of getting the blessing For the Lord had said the elder shall serve the younger but her good intention doth not justifie her action And on the contrary Jehu did a good action but with an evil intention Therefore as from him the Lord abhors it Reformation in Rulers upon Politick principles subjecting the things of God unto secular ends though the action be good yet it is rejected of God because the intention is evil 5. Sinete sapientes hujus mundi alta sapientes terram lingentes sapienter descendere in infernum Bern. de vit solit Ipsa est professio vestra quaerere DeuÌ„ Jacob non communi hominum more sed quaerere faciem Dei quam vidit Jacob. Bern. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Illud Grotii dilutum est fruatur quisque sua sententia Rom. 14.6 We must not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23.2 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie either quantitatem continuam or discretam either magnitudinem or multitudinem Thou shalt not follow great men to do evil for there is no example will bear a man out against the command of God Or thou shalt not follow a multitude Man being as a drop of water emptied into the Sea carryed to and fro as the Tide goes this also will not bear a man out when the will of God is manifested to the contrary 6. In doubful cases via tutior est eligenda its good to go the safest way whatsoever a man doth he ought to be well perswaded in his own heart For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14.5.6 It is dangerous for a man in the things of God not onely to act with an erring but with a doubting conscience Secondly The more particular directions for a man that desires to know the will of God in doubtful cases are these 1. Be renewed in the spirit of your minds Rom. 12.2 For it is the spiritual man only that hath spiritual discoveries Psal 25.14 Job 29.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad arcanum consilium refert quod inter socios ejusdem regni aut Reipub consortes tractari soleat Proprietas illa secreti indicare videtur internam quandam divinaruÌ„ reâ—uÌ„ contemplationem colloquia secreta c. Pined 2 Pet. 1.19 Ps 73 16.17 Hoc est in coetum in quo sonat verbum Dei ubi causae ostenduntur cur Deus Ecclesiam velit esse cruci subjectam impios in hac vita florere patiatur Mallor Dan. 9.1.2 It is unto him only that the Spirit hath under-taken to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the guide of his way The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him And there are secrets of his Covenant and secrets of his Providence God takes delight to reveal himself to his people in the day of their streights Schola crucis est Schola lucis But it is otherwise with the ungodly men the Lord suffers them to grope in the dark as though they had no eyes And in difficult cases he doth not only hide his own face but he hides their way also from them 2. Search the Scriptures of truth Joh. 5.39 For they are a light shining in a dark place And the more we are in the dark the more need we have to have recourse to this light David met with a passage of providence that he could not satisfie his spirit in now he goes into the sanctuary of God where the Word was read and opened there he understood the end of the men and the matter Daniel consulted the Scripture concerning the return of the Captivity and whensoever the people of God have been in the dark they have had recourse unto this light 3. Lay aside all received Traditions whatsoever For he must have nothing to do with the will of man that comes to enquire the will of God For he that enquires of God and sets up his Idols in his heart Ezeck 14.4 Veniat verbum Domini veniat submittemus etiamsi nobis essent sexcenta colla c. Baldass Ep. ad Oecolampad the Lord will answer him according to the multitude of his Idols Your understandings must not be blended with contrary impressions nor your hearts byassed with former intentions you must come clean paper to the Lord that he may write what he will you must lay apart all malice and guile and superfluity of naughtiness that you may receive the word with meekness James 1.21 Perit omne judicium cum res transit in affectum The judgement is bribed and so blinded when the affections are pre-engaged 4. Have an eye of Faith upon that promise Joh. 16.13 The spirit shall lead you into all truth It is not made to the Apostles only as some of our own Interpreters have well observed but it belongs unto all the Saints Into all truth non absolutè as if they should know all truth Daven de judice norma fidei p. 98. Promissio haec ad eos solos pertinet qui fese subjiciunt magisterio spiritus for here the best know in part but in omnem veritatem necessariam into all truth needful for the guide of their way Observe therefore and attend unto the secret hints and speakings of the Spirit For this promise shall be fulfilled unto none but those that subject themselves unto the guidance and direction of this same Spirit 5. Be much in Prayer to seek a way Thus did Ezra in a great straight Chap. 8. v. 21. We fasted and prayed to seek of him a right way for our selves our little ones and all our substance So doth David Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will teach me thy Statutes Let thy good Spirit lead me c. There are strange intimations that the Spirit gives to the Saints as a return of prayer And it is a strange boldness that they have in prayer when they go unto God upon this ground 1 Sam. 23.10.11.12 As we see in David Shall Saul come down to Keilah and shall the men of Keilah deliver me up I beseech thee tell thy servant And 1 Sam. 9 15. Occultè revelaverat sic enim in aurem dicimus quod ecccultuÌ„ esse volumus A Lap. Aurem revelare est aliquid indicare 1 Sam. 20.2 Job 36.10 The Lord told Samuel in his ear As friends use to impart secrets each to other God did of old appoint unto his people the Vrim and Thummim that they might enquire of him and receive directions a Num. 27.21 1 Sam. 28.6 from him in doubtful cases That means b Ezra 2.63 Nehe. 7.65 Vox submissa de caelo delapsa unde futura didicerunt quae post Prophetiam semper audita fuit tempore Templi secundi Matth. 17.3 Act. 9.4 Jo. 12.28 Schindler in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad dexteram Dei sedet amictu sacerdotali sacerdotalis enim Baltheus fùit Rev. 1.13 Bright ceased
poison into a most excellent medicine how to profit his people by their lying under the power of ungodly men making them the Scullions to wipe them even as a man would wipe a dish He knows how to refine them by that fire which they thought would have consumed them and he doth sit by as a refiner and he will suffer them to lie in the fire no longer then till they are refined He knows how to work his own end out of all these permissions For all the permissions of God are in design for a time till he hath accomplished his own purpose Isa 10.12 Till I have wrought my good work upon Sion And be assured the permissions of God shall be means to destroy sin as well as his Sanctification and the Enemy shall be as well destroyed by his permissions as by his executions Cuâ— off in their own malice ensnared in the works of their own hands The Lord will surely accomplish the ends of his permissions but they shall never accomplish their ends and determinations There is nothing the Lord permits but he will bring good out of it and he knows how to do it His permission of sin was an occasion of bringing in a better Covenant a more glorions head a higher righteousness a greater Sonship a more excellent name and he that can bring so much good by the permitting the worst of evils we need not fear but he can bring very great good also out of the temptations and out of the sufferings of the Saints 3. A man should not fret and be impatient but labour for a calm and quiet spirit under it because it is the will of God to suffer it and had not he suffered it it had never been There is as truly a principle of quietness in the permitting will of God as there is in the commanding and effecting will of God do not impatiently and discontentedly reason why doth the Lord suffer it to be thus It was that which David did quell in his followers when they would presently have taken off Shimet's head he answers the Lord hath bidden him and who shall say Wherefore hast thou done so 2 Sam. 16.10 Therefore Psal 37.7 his counsel is Fret not because of the man that prospers in his way against the man that bringeth wicked devices to pass God suffers Satan to infest thee and wicked men to oppress thee take heed of an unquiet Spirit under it for the permitting will of God acts as truly for the good of his people as his effecting will And it is part of that portion which the Lord doth make over to them when he saith I will be thy God whatever is in God is theirs and works for them though for the present it seems to make against them David in this bewails his own folly that his soul was not quieted under the permissions of God and therefore doth set himself before us as an example afterwards for a pattern of patience to be imitated and a pitch of patience to be attained when as he was before in his distemper foolish and as a beast before God 4. A man should not only desire that the commanding will of God might stand but his permitting will also and a man should desire onely to be delivered with a subjection to his will So Christ saith in his subjection to the will of God in Pilats condemnation of him John 19.11 Thou couldst have no power over me unless it were given thee from above It is only the permitting will of my Father which hath put this power in thy hands and if it be his will that I shall be delivered into your hands I do not desire that this permission of God should be taken off until his time is I can with satisfaction and contentment lie down under it If it be not his will that this cup pass his will be done Use Let us then endeavour that the power of grace in us may appear in submission unto the permitting will of God There should be no testimony of Godliness in the power of it but a Godly man should search to find it in himself and if he doth not find it he should labour after it James 1.4 Let patience have its perfect work There is a perfect work of grace in the hearts of all the people of God not perfect in this life as it is in heaven but yet there is a fulness of the age of the stature of Christ in this life Now look what power grace hath had in any mans heart the same we should desire it might have in ours not only subduing our wills to the commanding but also to the permitting will of God in all things For it is true we know in part and many things we do not beause we know not A Gracious heart his care is to keep his eye open for every new discovery of truth and he carries with him a resolution to walk answerably thereunto when once it is made known to him by the Spirit of Revelation Now the arguments to inforce it are these 1. As it comes from God it is good For the will of God is the rule of goodness and it is onely good It is true that the things willed are not good and therefore as it is sin the Lord doth not will it but suffer it but yet though sin be not good yet it is good that God should glorifie himself and work his own ends not only out of the services but also out of the sins and the contrary actings of the Creatures 2. To be given over unto a contradicting spirit to dispute against any part of the will of God is one of the greatest plagues that a man can be given up to Who art thou that replyest against God Rom. 11. Either against the will of his purpose in his decrees or else the will of his precept in his commands or against the withdrawings of grace in his permissions there is scarcely a greater plague then to be given over to a gainsaying spirit To call the actions of God into question in either of these it is a sin that is commonly reproved Isa 1.5 All the day long I have stretched out my hand against a disobedient and gainsaying people And it s the Judgement that the damned in hell are given up to they are acted by a gainsaying spirit Therefore Luke 16.29 30. Abraham saith They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them But Dives saith Nay Father Abram if one rise from the dead again they will repent The best way to bring them to Repentance saith Abraham is to hear Moses and the Prophets Nay saith Dives the best way to bring them to repentance is by one rising from the dead again And if an Angel or a Saint from heaven should preach to men they would dispute and resist So men do against the permitting will of God Why doth God suffer this he can hinder sin if he would Qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet He that
fuit ad credendum ignoto Prophetae inexcusabilis erat quia dimisit certum adhaesit incerto Cajet in loc that he should not go to Jerusalem The Spirit of Prophesie was not then ceased in the Church therefore I conceive with Calvin they did not barely pretend the Spirit but that he did many times speak by them though in this they followed their own spirit The Lord in this trying the Apostle as he did the young Prophet coming from Iudah to Bethel and was by the like pretended Message from God deluded and overcome But the Apostle cleaves close to the Commandment that he had received and is not by this suggestion diverted or turned out of the way Secondly Then coming to Cesarea Quem Dorothaeus ait unum fuisse è 72. Discipulis Christi Qui famem su◠Claudio praedixit quae etiam accidit c. he met with a Prophet who came down from Judea named Agabus and he told Paul that when he came to Ierusalem the Iews should binde him and deliver him up to the Gentiles He well knew both the rage of the Jews and the malice of the Gentiles if he once fell into their hands Act. 11.28 Luk. 10.19 yet this doth not turn him out of the way of Duty If he must walk upon Serpents and Scorpions difficulties discourage him not but raise up his spirit to higher resolutions Periculum est par animo Alexandri Job 17.19 The righteous holds on his way Thirdly Now follows the last but the greatest temptation which took most impression upon his tender heart Paul walked in a high degree of love to the Brethren willing in every thing to satisfie them wherein he might not dishonour or displease Christ For as the way of glorifying the Father is in his Son and of glorifying his Son is in his Spirit So a high way of honouring the Spirit is in the Saints Now when he came to Cesarea his Friends and Companions in travel Sopater Aristarchus c. cap. 20.4 together with the Inhabitants of the place besought him that for the glory of God and the sake of the Churches he would not go up to Ierusalem to venture himself on so eminent a danger upon whom the good of the Churches did so much depend Thus even godly men may disswade from Duty out of self respects and that is a great temptation For as the Lord is loth to deny the requests of his people so are the Saints for the same spirit works in their hearts also This melts the heart of Paul and yet elevates his grace and quickens his resolution for Christ and Duty Their intreaties divert him not from his purpose and he goes forth as the Sun shining in his strength And Pauls Grace thus acting draws out their Grace also There is a Sympathy in Graces as well as in Instruments touch one string in one and the same string in another will sound Pauls resolution draws out their submission And when he would not be perswaded they said The will of the Lord be done From this Context six special Truths are to be observed 1. That the best men meet with variety of diversions in the best services 2. There may be great snares laid in the best men and the best means Who would have feared any thing in a Prophet or suspected any thing in a Saint Satan hath his devices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2.11 and he had need be a discerning Christian that shall be able to discover them 3. A godly man must deny his best friends rather then the least motion of the Spirit Luk. 14.26 He must hate Father and Mother that will be Christs Disciple 4. An upright heart is resolute and is not by difficulty turned out of the way of Duty Cant. 8.6 The love of Christ is the Flame of Jah and the less fewel it hath the hotter it burns It s only base Kitchen-fire that is put out when the fewel is with-drawn which is not maintained by an heavenly influence 5. The soul is then in a good temper when that which diverts others and turns them out of the way of Duty doth the more strongly engage it drawing forth to higher and more glorious actings 6. It is a good sign when Grace acting in others doth draw forth acts of Grace in us also as Iron sharpens Iron and one stick kindles another And so much for the occasion of the words In the Text are two things mainly to be considered 1. A gracious submission of their will unto Gods will Before they knew what the will of the Lord was they would have had their own will to have taken place for that is the great contention in the world whether God's will or our will shall stand But when they saw the Command that he had received from God and the impression that it had taken upon him then they conclude Surely it is the will of the Lord and it must stand and our wils shall stoop thereunto 2. A blessed quietness and calmness of spirit following upon this submission Will the Lord have Paul to go up to Jerusalem and by the malice of the Jews there deliver him unto the wils of the Gentiles if he suffer under them and thereby we and the rest of the Churches be deprived of so great a mercy it is not for us to dispute with God let his will be done So much is intimated in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as will appear when it shall be afterwards explained First From the submission of their wils unto the will of the Lord ariseth this Observation Doct. The power of Grace consists mainly in the submission and conformity of our will unto God's will This I propound the rather to let you see that in absoluto facili stat aeternitas Hilar. de Trin◠10. jurta finem The things that absolutely concern eternity are short and brought into a narrow compass If we look to most of the controversies of the present Age they are but out-works things upon which godly men do not live for in those all the Saints agree that differ most in Forms and Externals wheresoever Grace is it saith Sinc summo bono nil bonum there is nothing good without regeneration And sad it is to see men that live upon the same Truths for the main and expect an Interest in the same Inheritance that they should be at such distances as they are for things circumstantial yea even to side with others barely for Opinion sake whose principles in the main they abhor and whose ends they fear It was good to me when Christians could meet together Fast and Pray together delight themselves in the image and approaches of God each to other feeding their souls with nourishing Truths and not puzling their judgements and tickling their Fancies with nice and unpractical curiosities It was good counsel that of Nazianzen whose honour was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 29. §. 14.
belongs in common unto all the Saints as the exigency of Duty and the necessity of their calling doth require 5. Unless the Rule of Duty were revealed there could be no judging of a mans self Now it is commanded Iudge your selves that you be not judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.21 All judgement must be according to a Rule he that hath a Rule to judge by that being a reflex act must before-hand have a Rule to walk by Thus we see that the will of God as the Rule of Duty is made manifest unto men Fourthly In a compleat and full subjection of the will of man unto the will of God thus manifested doth the power of godliness mainly consist Which I shall manifest by these six demonstrations 1. 2 Cor. 3.23 Heb. 8.10 Grace is nothing else but the Law written in the heart Jerm 31.33 what is the writing of the Law in the heart Haec Metaphora tria continet 1. legis perfectam dilectionem cor est abrasa tabula 2. perfectam animi conformitatem non enim opus legis ut Rom. 2.15 sed lex ipsâ— scribitur 3. Prepetuitate lâ—tera scripta manet scribere est firmiter infigere Jer. 17.1 Quid sunt leges Dei in cordibus scriptae nisi ipsa praesentia spiritus Sancti qui digitus Dei est Quo presente dissanditur charitas cordibus nostris quae plenitudo legis est praecepti finis Aust de spirit lit cap. 21. when there are sutable impressions upon the will agreeable unto the Rule of Duty When the will is cast into the mould of the Word Rom. 6.17 The word may take a great place in a natural man it may go far into his understanding conscience affections but this is only taking the Out-works the Castle holds out till the will be won And Satan will at pleasure catch away the good seed that was sown because the man is still under his power and led captive at his will For all men subject their wils either to the will of God or of the Devil 2 Tim. 2.26 2. Preston of the New Covenant p. 76. Grace is the greatest subjection of the Creature unto God For therein is the foundation laid of all Obedience Now there is no subjection that is worthy of God unless the will be subject Satan being the god of this World Joh. 8.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never judges himself honoured as a God unless he rule the will It s nothing to have men subject their actions to be captivated by a forced submission when the heart relucts and strives against it but to have the will conquered and subdued is an honour that becomes a God Therefore the relations in which we stand to God mainly require this Joh. 1.1.2 Psal 18.1 Hose 2.19 we are said to be servants of God and under the second Covenant to be married unto Christ for the covenant is matrimonial and in them both Ad virum defiderium tuuÌ„ hoc est eam non fore sui juris sed ex authoritate potestate mariti tota pendeat ut ne quid appetat aut velit quod marito non allubescat Merc. in loc the subjection of the will is properly required The woman must not only subject her wit but her will to her husband Thy desire shall be subject to thy Husband and he shall Rule over thee Gen. 3.16 And a servant should be but a living Instrument he should have no will of his own Aristotle observes a servant should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he should not only work for his Master but his will should be concluded under his Masters will God is a Spirit and the subjection of our will unto him absolutely is an honor that becomes none but God God only rules the will 3. It is the act of the will that is the act of the man Actus voluntatis est actus suppositi Therefore the Lord never accounts a man to obey till his will doth yield Mallet si fieri posset non esse quod timeat ut liberè faciat quod occultè desiderat Aust de natura grat c 57. Non fit in corde quod fieri videtur in opere quando mallet homo non sacere si possit impunè Aust contr Pelag. Epist 2. l. 2. cap 9. There is many a man that doth abstain from the sin he loves and doth practise the duties that he hates For it is with ungodly men in respect of Duties as it is with godly men in respect of sins They do the things they would not As they love sins when they practise them not so they hate Duties while they do them Therefore all that forced subjection which from a principle of an inlightened conscience is yielded unto God he rejects as rather an act forcibly wrought upon them then any thing done by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat probavit elegit electio est praecipuus actus voluntatis ex comprobatione eligere But Grace saith I have chosen the way of thy Commandments thy judgements have I laid before me Psal 119.30 That which a man doth electively with freedom of will and that if he were to chuse he would chuse again that is properly the act of the man when it is with a man towards God and his Law as with some of the servants of the Israelites in the year of Jubilee who said I love my Master and therefore would not go free though they might when a man is left at his liberty to chuse another Rule to walk by yet because there is none in which he sees so much truth and goodness as in the will of God therefore he would chuse no other to be the guide of his ways Perfectissima servitus obedientia Patri à Filio incarnato praestita signicatur Messias autem in duali de auribus suis loquitur ad eminentiam spiritualis suae servitutis notandam Glas Rhet. sacr p. 107. So it was with Christ Psal 40.6 But mine ears hast thou boared It is conceived to be an expression alluding unto that custom Exod. 21.6 The servant that would not go free his Master was to boar his eare thorow with an Awl and he was to serve him for ever God boared Christs ear as an expression of voluntary and perpetual subjection And whereas under the Law the servant had one ear only boared Christ speaks it in the plural Mine ears hast thou boared and all to shew that he did chuse obedience unto God Esay 50.4.5 the will of God as his Rule to walk by and if he were left to his liberty he would not go free As respect of sin to will it is more then to act it according to that Rule of Gregory Gravius est peccatum diligere quam facere So in respect of Duty 't is more to will then to do 2 Cor. 8.10 You have begun not onely to do but also to be willing a year ago 4.
the Spirit Gen. 9.27 The allurements of the Spirit Hos 2.14 The word in both places is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to perswade or intice or blandiendo decipere to deceive one by fair words It is used sometimes in a good sometimes in an evil sence Sometimes for the allurements of Satan in ways of temptation though he doth meet with the will of man wholly determined by a principle of evil as it is in all unregenerate men yet to act this will he hath his perswasions and enticements Job 31.27 If my heart hath been secretly enticed Besides the determination of a mans will to sin there are allurements of Satan which act this will with more chearfulness and delight So it is with the Spirit of Christ he hath his secret perswasions and allurements which facilitate the work of the will which is in a great measure determined to good before hand Cant. 6.12 Or ever I was aware my soul set me in the Chariots of my willing people For so much the word that we render Amminadib doth signifie when the heart is caught up and stoln away after Christ fully and freely we know not how This is a further way that the Lord useth to make his people willing in the day of his power 4. By giving a man an experimental taste of the comfort peace sweetness and security that is in holiness and the ways thereof Therefore we read in Scripture of spiritual senses of the Saints They are said to have their senses exercised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid est isle sensus spiritualis est spiritualis rerum divinarum expe rientia qua in nobis ipsis per gratiam Dei sentimus gustamus in corde nostro bonitatem amorem Dei ex qua quam vera certaque sit tota divina sapientia experimur Zanch. in Philip. Heb. 5.14 And the Apostle prays Phil. 1.9 That they may abound in all knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in all sence Experience is nothing else but the bringing of things to sence and thereby tryng the truth and goodness of them Therefore what we have brought to sense we call an experiment Spiritual experience therefore is a bringing of things to a spiritual sense And this is a very glorious work of the Spirit thereby bringing on the will to chuse the things of God and to go out to them more abundantly in which it hath formerly found so much sweetness and contentment And though there be a taste that unregenerate men have let into the soul by the common works of the Spirit tasting the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Heb. 6.4 Yet this taste is but of the good things that come by them not of the goodness that is in them Now there is nothing in the world doth carry the bent of the will towards an object with greater eagerness then this that it hath tasted and knows what is in it and that the man is not deceived It is so in the ways of sin an experimental taste of the sweetness of it doth draw out the heart and engage the will much more then the bare notion and contemplation could do As Plutarch reports of the Gauls when they had once tasted the sweet Wine of Italy they were never satisfied till they had conquered Vini olei liquaminis exportatio lege Imperiali interdicta est ne Barbari gustu illecti promptiùs invaderent fines Romanorum Leg. 1. Cod. quae res exportari non debeant and possessed that Land where such excellent Vines grew And for that cause the Lord sent searchers before into the Land of Canaan that the people tasting the precious fruits of that good Land of which they had such clear and manifold promises they might be the more encouraged and quickned at the command of God to enter what hardships or oppositions soever they met withall in that enterprize The Historian therefore hath observed of the Inhabitants of Chyna Exteri in loca regni interiora non admittuntur Boterus in Catalogo Imperiorum tantum in oris maritimis conceditur commericum They admitted none to Trade in the heart of the Kingdom but onely upon their Borders and in maritine Towns least the goodness and riches of their Land being discovered should stir up in the Neighbour Nations a desire to invade them It is therefore generally made by Interpreters an impolitike vain-glory in Hezekiah to shew his Treasures unto the Embassadors of the King of Babylon 2 King 20.12.13 thereby to inflame their desires to become Masters and Owners both of his Land and of his Treasures which shortly after they did Whosoever he be whose heart doth rise against the Law of God and whose will doth not submit thereunto look up unto the Spirit of Christ for the putting forth of these acts upon the soul For the more or less the Spirit doth exercise these the more or less is the will brought into a conformity unto the will of Christ And this is the main ground of the differing degrees of Grace in the Saints which doth consist in a conformity of our will unto the will of God Quest Quest 2. It may be further said that there remains corruption in the best men and that in the will as well as in any of the other faculties The Law of the members comes forth from the will as well as the law of the minde A godly man finds in himself a twofold will that he cannot do the things he would Gal. 5.17 Godly men may sin presumptuously therefore David prays against it Psal 19.13 The word in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies à superbis so that presumptuous sins are made up of two things 1. They are sins against knowledge in which the will is engaged 't is sinning wilfully not ignorantly 2. When the Law of God opposes a man in this way of sinning and his heart doth rise against it through pride and contempt of the Authority of God And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep back notes a proness thereunto in the best men if if they be not restrained by Grace They may sin with deliberation consent delight How then should a man know whether he doth sin with the whole consent of will How should a man discern that there is Grace in the will when there are constant risings and oppositions against the will of God How should a man be able to say my whole heart is not in it though I sleep yet my heart wakes how should a man be able to discern Grace in the will even then when there are the strongest actings of the will for sin Answ Answ It is true while we live here there will be a mixture of corruption in the will as well as in any other faculty For Grace and sin are mixed in the same soul as wine and water in the same cup there is no part of it perfect wine or perfect water Hereafter indeed the will
trust him much more He will surely order all things in a way of Providence so as shall tend to their advantage though it may be for the present they cannot see it For he is the Wisdom of God and the glorious Artificer that the Lord doth and will use in the accomplishing of all things And therefore he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cunning workman Prov. 8.30 * Duo habet significata 1. Artificem probatum 2. In sua arte excellentem Jer. 46.25 52.15 Nah. 3.8 Septuag vertunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glass Onomat p. 61. The word doth signifie Artificem arte sua excellentem and it is so rendred Cant. 7.1 Therefore as when ye are strangers to the Mystery of an Art and look upon some curious Artist ye wonder what he is doing and how he will bring about his end but yet ye trust him with it and say Let him alone we are to confide in him in his own Art and ye can take pleasure to stand by and look on so should ye do unto Christ in the Government of the world trust him with it for he will effect all that 〈◊〉 in his heart He is the cunning Artist able to do above what you can ask or think 4. The Lord Christ hath substituted this Spirit as his Prorex The Spirit doth govern for him both in his providential Ephes 2.22 2 Cor. 3.18 * Rom. 8 14. Spiritus sanctus replet totum orbem terrarum aliter autem replet sanctificante gratia sicut sanctos aliter attestante atque ordinante praesentia sicut omnia Aug. ad Simplician l 2. q. 1. u Spiritus sanctus nunquam otiosus est in piis semper aliquid agit quod pertinet ad regnum Dei Luth. and in his spiritual Kingdom Christ dwels in the hearts of his Saints by his Spirit and he rules all the affairs of the world by the same Spirit It was by the Spirit that the world was created the Spirit moved upon the face of the waters The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 | Sicut aquila super pullos suos alas motitat illâ—s sovens sustentans c. Mercer signifies to move upon them as the wings of a fowle move upon her young to bring them forth The same Spirit that moved upon the creatures in their creation doth by the same wings in a way of providence move upon them to perfection And therefore when the Angels a Ezeck 1.12.20 Spiritus non accipitur pro animo vel consilio nec pro voluntate aut anima hominis prout Calv. Sed spiritus Dei est aequabiliter impellens tam rotas quam animalia Caeli ac mundus sunt quasi currus Dei praesidentis spiritus per Angelos gyrat Coelos tempora omnia creata caque suavissime ac fortissime regit movet A lap Greenhil in loc act the wheels the Spirit of Christ moves them which way the Spirit went thither their Spirit was to go Ezek. 1.20 Therefore Zach. 4.7 b Spiritum vocat virtutem à Dei spiritu manantem qua animi eorum confirmabantur excitabantur ad opus faciendum uti Ezra 5.1 Hag. 2.5 Drus It is not by power nor by might but by my Spirit The Spirit wrought it in a providential way by raising up the spirits of men Zach. 6.8 c Per vocem spiritus quidam vindictam Dei intelligunt quae cum ad satietatem effusa sit tum spiritum Dei vindictae cupidum sedare vel facere acquiescere dicuntur Pemble c. Traditum est mihi ab Hebraeis quod Alexander omnes Macedones qui egressi sunt post Medos Persas requiescere secerunt Spiritum prophetalem eo quod Dei voluntatem contra Medos impleverint Jerom in loc They that are gone out into the North Countrey have quieted my Spirit in the North. There was a great design of God to accomplish and the Spirit would never be pacified he was restless as it were till this work was fulfilled For the Spirit is as truly engaged in it being the Spirit of Christ Mediator as Christ himself is engaged unto God the Father 5. The Lord hath erected another subordinate power which is that of the Angels For the Wheels do not move alone but the Spirit of the living Creatures is in the Wheels Ezech. 1.20 Omnino hoc verum est quod Deus mundum hunc visibilem gubernat non tantum per homines sed etiam per Angelos Lu ther in Gen. 19. c. Angelorum officium duplex est superius canere gloriam in excelsis Deo Insertus erga nos creaturas est vigilare gubernare militare c. in c. 32. Now the living creatures are the Angels Ezech. 10.20 And for this cause they are said to be ministring Spirits for the good of the Elect. And they not only minister to the Saints but they minister to Christ also in all his works in the world for the Saints sake Therefore in Revel 8.1 16.1 the Trumpets and the Vials are said to be given into the hands of the Angels They being the Instruments chiefly used in them and all other persons shall be acted moved by their ministry Now we know they are holy Angels they know the will of God as they see the face of God and they are faithful unto Christ unto whom as Servants they are subjected For he was made lower then the Angels Heb. 2.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but for a little time Col 2.10 1 Pet 3 22. but now he is exalted a bove Angels and Principalities and Powers and they made subject to him and we know that Christ is their head and they make up one body in Christ with the Saints for there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of things in heaven and things in earth Metaphora ducta est à re oratoria Camer Est aera in summa colligere ut Rom. 13.9 Per Christum tanquam caput Grot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum Sicut mali Angeli diaboli invisibiles insensiores hostes sunt quam visibiles ita optiâ—â— constantissuni amici sunt Angeli invisibiles qui fide benevolentia â—mnibus officiis amicitiae visibiles amicos longè superant Luth. in Gen. c. 24. Eph. 1.10 We are all servants of the same Family and brethren The Angel himself acknowledges Rev. 19.10 I am thy fellow-servant of thy bâ—ethren Now we need not doubt but they will order all things for the Churches good knowing the mind of God fully in all his works in which they are imployed which makes them to go and come like lightning When therefore the Spirit works and the Angels work and all of them concur should man repine should man resist 6. The motions of providence in ordering the affairs of the world are sometimes cross and perplex motions going beyond the reach of the ablest and most skilful men There is as it were a Wheel in the
and scandalous falls And yet this hath been the condition of some of the most eminent Saints as David Solomon Sampson and Peter c. 3. The Lord doth suffer his people to lie under the power of the temptations of Satan which I confess is a very great misery so to be subjected unto an unclean spirit that he should have access unto our spirits and a mans heart should be as an Anvil for the Devil to form and fashion his lusts upon It was one of the greatest abasements of Christ that his holy and gracious Spirit should be subjected at least to the cursed and blasphemous injections of Satan but the Prince of this world came and found nothing in him but he doth seldom come near us but he doth touch us 1 Joh. 5.19 tactu qualitativo for there is nothing that Satan can suggest but there is a seed and a principle in us and so far as it takes with the seed there is something in us that windes with it it is as well Partus cordis as Seminarium hostis And therefore although it be a distinction which some Divines do use that if there be no consent on our part it is our misery but not our sin yet I conceive it is a hard thing for a soul to satisfie himself in this that there being a corrupt principle in men which doth close with every thing that Satan caâ— inject that there is nothing in me thaâ— doth close with such a temptation 〈◊〉 and its so much the more misery because it is an act and fruit of that ancient selling of our selves unto Satan and therefore it is just with God in a degree to leave the best of the Saints under his power for Quod vendituâ— transit in potestatem ementis But seeing it is the will of God and a mans duty to submit and to gird himself unto the battel though we wrestle not with flesh and blood but with spirituaâ— wickedness in heavenly places Eph. 6.12 yet we are to fight the good fight of faith go forth under the banner of Christ who hath promised to tread Satan under foot shortly Rom. 16.20 Christ was led of the Spirit into the wilderness How did the Spirit lead him by sweet and secret motions Christ having received the Spirit as an unction this same Spirit was the guide of his way the ordererâ— of all the acts of his humane nature so he is also the guide of our ways â—nd the guidance of this Spirit Christ doth follow and though he meet with a temptation yet doth he submit to the permitting will of God therein 4 If the Lord will let wicked men rule over you if he will leave you in their hands will let out their rage and malice upon you that they shall shew you no mercy Tread you down as mire in the streets as Nebuchadnezzar is said to receive a command to do to Ierusalem Isa 10. yet it is your duty to conform your wills unto the permitting will of God If the Lord luster the Caldeans and Sabeans to plunder Iob of his goods and leave him poor to a proverb He must say The will of the Lord be done the Lord hath given the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord If the Lord will suffer Shimei to curse David in the day of his extremity and to rail upon him as a bloody man David must say Let him alone the Lord hath bidden him and if so Who shall say why dost thou so 2 Sam. 16.10 Though the Lord be not the author yet he is the ordereâ— of sin and it s he hath now let ouâ— this evil therefore look not at the instrument in it but at the hand of God so doth Christ if the cup may not pass from him but he must be delivered into the hands of men and be crucified holy Father not my will but thy will be done And this same is the case in the Text concerning Paul if the Jews shall take him and deliver him unto the Gentiles and they shall put him to death surely they could not do any such thing if the Lord did not suffer it therefore our will must not oppose Gods will but we ought to say The will of the Lord be done 3. Now we come to the grounds and reasons of the point that we may from hence see what of godliness there is in it to have our will brought into a conformity unto the permitting will of God 1. The more self-denial there is in any thing the more of the power of Grace there is exprest in it for self-denial in any man is the measure of all the grace that is in the man as self-seeking is the measure of all the corruption for the body of siune in a man is nothing else but self-exalted above God Therefore Christ rule is Matth. 16.14 Let a man deny himself Penitus abneget self must be denied in every consideration in every respect therefore Jesus Christ that was the pattern of all grace he was the great pattern of self-denial and hath left us a Copy therein to write after him 1 Pet. 2.21 He came not to do his own will nor to seek his own glory but as a Servant to be wholly at the will and the command of another Now Divines commonly say that there is a threefold self that is respectively to be denied First there is Self as corrupted sinfull Self Secondly Self as created natural self Thirdly Self as renued moral religious self Now to deny self-natural is more then to deny self-sinfull because that is not absolutely to be denied but in comparison to deny moral-self is more then to deny natural self because that is not to be denied but when it comes in competition Now this conformity of our will unto the permitting will of God exercises self-denial in all these First a man must deny natural self If God will have a man subject it under the power of wicked men or will leave him to be hurried in his person or estate by the power and according to the lust of the devil and the Lord will suffer it stand by and look on and not come in for his his help Now a man may lawfully yea he is bound in duty to seek his own preservation as Christ that he might not be delivered into the hands of unreasonable men He prayed to his Father and yet the Lord did not deliver him and he gave them power to apprehend him and did not interpose Now the will of nature gives place unto the will of duty and Christ says Not my will but thy will be done It s God that hath given Satan this power to men and therefore who am I that I should say Why dost thou so Secondly A man must deny renewed-self and truly grace in the man is dearer to him then his life he would be content to lose his life that he may maintain and perfect his grace It is the divine nature the Image of Christ begun in
this When we understood that this was the mind and will of God that Paul should go up to Jerusalem our minds were quiet under that dispensation we spake no more against it they acted no more that they might turn Paul from it And in all these senses I conceive the word is here to be taken that their minds are quieted and calmed under the dispensations of God seeing the Lord would have it so therefore they do forbear either to speak or to act against it So that the Observations are three according to the word 's threefold acceptation Doct. 1. A mans heart being once truly and fully concluded under the will of God there doth follow in the soul a sweet peace and holy tranquillity of Spirit a great inward quietness of mind Doct. 2. The mind being thus quieted doth silence the tongue that a man dares not speak against such dispensations of God Doct. 3. The soul being thus sweetly calmed under the will of God dares not act in any thing tumultuously in a way of opposition So it was with these men here they held their peace they did forbear to disswade Paul or to do any thing that might hinder him from the enterprize which they saw it was the will of God he should undertake what difficulty or hardship soever he under-went in it or whatever the success of the work may be Doct. 1. An heart once truly and fully concluded under the will of God there doth follow an holy tranquillity a blessed quietness and serenity of mind In the handling of it I will shew you First That there is a quietness and tranquillity in the inward man which every heart is to labour for for serenity as well as sincerity in the inward parts Secondly That its the concluding of our will unto the will of God that is the only ground of this tranquillity of mind Thirdly What there is in this submission of our wils to Gods will that is a ground of this inward quietness Lastly the application hereof to our selves 1. That there is an holy quietness and tranquillity which every Saint is to labour for I say an holy quietness of mind For there is a sinful quietness which is a sin and the fruit of sin proceeding from senselesness and stupidity when mens hearts within them are as a stone like the dead sea moved at nothing when men dwell without care as the Prophet speaks Isa 47.8 and hear the Word of the Lord ye careless Daughters Isa 32.9 when men are not troubled or afflicted with any thing As there is an evil conscience which is pacatamala and that man is in the most danger of all being in judgement given over to a spirit of slumber so there is in the mind in respect of all the dealings of God a sinful quietness from a careless principle As there is a natural patience in some and a kind of natural meekness which is not a grace but a sin as all the natural vertues of the Heathen were And therefore Lipsius doth pray Da mihi patientiam Christianam So there is a natural quietness of spirit proceeding ever from carelesness and stupidity Some persons being of such a temper they can be troubled at nothing But this is not that quietness of an heart that must be grounded upon the subjection of our wils to Gods will and upon known rules of duty This David cals upon his soul for Psalm 116.7 Return unto thy rest oh my soul Which some expound of God who is indeed all in all to his people their resting their dwelling place But Mr Calvin takes rest here to be put pro tranquillo bene composito animi statu He had been in great affliction the sorrows of death had compassed him and the pains of hell took hold of him and there had followed in his soul great perplexity and unquietness he now cals off his soul from those unquiet motions and agitations of Spirit to return to rest to a calm quiet serene frame again This is a distemper of Spirit that David complains of Psalm 38.10 Circumivit cor meum my heart went up and down to and fro like a Merchant it was in a continual unquietness never setled or at a stay So Psalm 43.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie fremuit tumultuatus est His Soul was in a tumult he had an uproar in his own spirit which Christ expresses Luke 12.29 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be you not as a Meteor which is not fastned in any orb but subject to various doubtfull and uncertain motions This is to live in careful suspense a Christian should labour for setled motions of Spirit as the fixed stars This is the frame of Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3.4 Let there be what troubles there will below they shall not reach the soul to disquiet it though they may the outward condition yet the soul is kept as the upper region of the air alwayes serene without clouds This did Habakuck obtain Chap. 3.9 He maketh my feet like Hinds feet that is to walk with ease and fearlesness per montes per rupta though those wayes of difficulty would have distracted other men And he sets me upon high places that is Libere absque metu incedere in locis excelsis that be the difficulties what they will be yet he is as man that is set aloft out of Gunshot he doth not fear his mind is no more disquieted by it then he would be that is out of the reach of danger This is a qualification of spirit which every Christian should labour for and we see by this instance may be obtained that as the Saints in heaven whatsoever the Lord doth pleaseth them because their wils are moulded and framed into his will therefore they are not disquieted at any of his dealings so we should strive in our measure to attain such a frame of heart thereby to keep a constant calmness and serenity of Spirit whatever the dealings of God be toward us or in the world 2. When the soul of man is brought into a full and perfect subjection to the will of God then is there a constant quietness and tranquillity maintained in it which will appear by these demonstrations 1. Sin did invade the throne of God and sinful self having as it were deposed God in the soul now takes unto it the Godhead so that all the subjections that be due to God sinful self doth claim Men shall be lovers of their own selves 2 Tim. 3.3 Now the honour of God is that his will should rule in the world all things are created by his will Rev. 4. ult And by the same will all things must be governed Ephes 1.11 So long there fore as self is the God in the man so long an opposition will be maintained by self in the soul against God So far as self is
deposed so far God is exalted when self shall be perfectly deposed then shall God be exalted alone but in this life so far as there are remainders of self in the man there will be opposition maintained against God And this opposition must needs be the greater the greater the thing is that is contended for If two Kings contend for a Crown it will cause a great deal of disturbance in the Kingdom And this is the ground of the fight between the flesh and the spirit in the soul of the Saint flesh contends for the Godhead of Self and Grace for the Godhead of God each of them strive for a Godhead therefore their contention must needs be exceeding great 2. Sin is nothing else but the opposition of mans will to Gods will and this is properly a seat of sin Rom. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity to God it is not subject to the Law of God neither can be For as Corruption doth deifie reason in a way of wisdom so it doth deifie the will in a way of liberty and loves not to have any power over it that may controll correct or restrain it Therefore men look upon the Law of God as cords and bands which they cannot bear Psal 2.3 But they kick at them with the feet of pride and contempt And upon this ground it is that every unregerate man is called a turbulent unquiet spirited man never at peace and rest within himself because of the opposition of his will to the will of God Though therefore there may be some velity wrought upon the will of unregenerate men an imperfect and incompleat will that they may hear gladly and do many things yet there is some point of strictness in every unregenerate mans case which being set home upon him he stumbles at it and saith Durus est hic sermo his will stands out and the treaty betwixt him and God thereupon breaks off Therefore there is many a man that goes far parts with much comes to an almost I am perswaded to be a Christian but yet in the very ultimate act of Regeneration he plaies the part of an unwise son and stayes in the place of the breaking forth of Children Hos 13.13 and so is never new born to God Thus all the unquietness of the spirit and the offence that a man takes at the Commands wayes of God proceeds from nothing else but the non-subjection of his will to the will of God were that brought about that a man had respect unto all the Commandments the work were done and all this unquietness of the soul taken away 3. The will of God is the Center of all the wills of the Creature unto which they are all created and ordained to act and move There is a double motion or tendency of the creature towards the will of God One is natural so the Creatures without reason move toward it for they are all his servants Psal 119.91 But as for reasonable creatures God doth act them according to their nature in a voluntary way and so the will of God is the center of their will The Angels are therefore said to do his pleasure and to harken to the voice of his word Psalm 103.20 So the Saints David my servant hath fulfilled all my wills Acts 13.22 Now if any thing be taken from its Center it is unquiet moves disorderly and with a disturbed motion Let the needle that is touched with the Loadstone be shaken from its place it is alwayes trembling and unquiet till it return to the place of its former rest Let any earthly matter be by the heat of the sun exhaled and we see how it is tost to and fro in the air till the earthly matter with violence return again unto its center Nothing is at quiet out of its proper place The waters are made naturally to cover the earth but God hath by a decree laid them up in heaps he hath laid up the deep as in a treasure-house hence comes all the unquietness and turbulency that is in the vast body of the sea So it is with the soul of a man in a voluntary way as it is with the creatures in a natural way God is the center to which it was created and it is alway unquiet till it rest there Inquietum est cor meum donec requiescat in te Aust 4. The will of man in a state of sin is not only in an opposition to the will of God but to it self also The wills of the flesh and of the mind Ephes 2.3 There are divers lusts and pleasures Titus 3.3 and they do very often fall cross and contrary one to another and no man can serve two Masters that give cross and contrary commands without a great deal of trouble and disturbance That which will gratifie a mans pride will not serve his profit and that which will fit his sensual ty will not suit with his Hypocrisie Scelera dissident the Heathen man observes As all truths agree among themselves so do all duties but Error multiplex Corrupt doctrines may and do cross one with another and so do also corrupt wayes Now when the soul of man is desirous to please and content them all he would serve them all it is no wonder if the man be in a continual unquietness in his own spirit If the water did alway run one way it would run smoothly but when the tide comes in and the waters in their streams cross one another then the waves are lifted up each one tending to their own motion This said to be a mans wife or we are said to be married to sin Rom. 7.5 now if a man had many wives and he uxorious and desiring to please them all and they have contrary desires and opposite wills the man should never be quiet either in his house or heart And such an uxorious husband every sinner is that though every man hath some darling some Dalilah that he would chiefly please there yet is an unquietness in him all the while because he doth displease the rest of his Paramours 5. The Spirit of God hath undertaken the guidance of the Saints and therefore they are said to be led by the Spirit Christ gives us a manuduction into the presence of the Father by way of mediation By him we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an access to the Father Ephes 3.12 But the Spirit gives us a manuduction in point of direction in our whole course Now the Spirit works in the soul in a sweet and effectual way When a man receives the Spirit he is annoynted with the oyl of gladness Psalm 45.7 it makes him go readily and chearfully on Non tardat uncta rota Draw us and we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 The Spirit is said to draw because its motion is powerful and yet we are said to run because our motion is voluntary Trahitur animus amore There are no cords that draw so effectually as the cords of Love Now the guidance of
the will of God all these disquieting passions must be subdued upon a double ground 1. Because the soul doth conclude that Gods will is Gods pleasure When Christ did the will of his Father it is said the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand Isa 53.10 Now nothing should grieve me but that which grieves the Lord I should fear nothing but that which offends him I should be angry for nothing but what displeaseth him Now all the Acts of his will he is pleased with them therefore I should be quieted under them 2. If the will of God be my end the will of God shall be my reward God hath made over all his attributes to his people in that glorious promise I will be thy God and answerable to a mans obedience to any Attribute such shall his comfort that comes from that Attribute be And if I work for Gods will surely the same will will in all things work for me and the Lord will do nothing but what shall be as truly for my good as it is for his own glory And therefore the soul is not angry at any thing that God will do is not vexed or disquieted at any thing but sits down under it with a holy tranquillity of mind For his commanding will he saith Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Jube quod vis For his effecting will he saith It is the Lord let him do what seems good in his eyes The world is his great house and the Government of it belongs to him the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Use Let this serve by way of exhortation to press the former Doctrine that we be perfectly concluded under the will of God from this blessed fruit and effect thereof that it will free us from that unquietness of mind which is the great misery the Saints groan under For as we should truly strive to keep peace with God and to maintain peace with men so we should also strive to maintain a peace in our own spirits For in this respect also Christ is the Prince of Peace And to inforce this Exhortation I shall first shew you the sinfulness of an unquiet spirit under any of the dispensations of God Secondly The dangerous use that the Devil makes of such a distemper Thirdly What excellency there is in a calm and a quiet mind Fourthly How such a frame of spirit may be obtained First The sinfulness of an unquiet spirit 1. Hereby thou sinnest against thine own soul That is the expression Numbers 16. They are sinners against their own souls Now the soul of man in its creation was such for the glory of it that the sun in its brightness is not to be compared to it But there is a double excellency in the soul in whâ—â—â— the beauty and the glory of it dâ—â—h consist First In its purity and so sin fights against the soul for it defiles it which nothing but sin could have done Secondly In the serenity and so sin hath disquieted and disturbed the soul which nothing else could have done Do not destroy your own souls and the soul is destroyed either by the polluting of it or by the disquieting of it which is of that value and worth that all things below should be esteemed beneath it as that which is too little to ransom a soul All the creatures are not worth one disquieting thought of the soul it is of so great an excellency And the greater the sin is because a man himself is the instruemnt thereof To trouble himself torment himself be a burthen to himself as every unquiet spirited man is Psalm 43.4 5. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me There are two words used the one signifies to lay a thing wast as a wilderness as void of comfort as if a man were in a barren Wilderness where there is nohing to be had to refresh him But how comes the soul to be thus like a desolate howling Wilderness the word signifies that he himself was the instrument thereof the means of the devastation of his own Spirit And the word signifies to prostrate a thing depress it to the very ground which word is in such a conjugation and doth signifie that the man did cast down himself the soul is the instrument in its own dejection All murther is sinfull but no murther so great an evil or so uncomfortable as self-murther and no self-murther like unto soul-murther for a man to go about to debase and bring down the glory of his soul which he should endeavor to beautifie with the highest qualifications and look upon it as his only glory for the qualifications of the soul are the only excellencies of the man 2. A man may take a measure of the sinfulness of his spirit by the unquietness of it for the unquietness of the spirit doth proceed wholly from the opposition of the will unto the will of God Now as the power of Godliness doth lie in the subjection of our wills unto Gods will that when grace shall be perfected in glory there shall be a perfect subjection so the power of sinfulness lies in the opposition of our wills unto Gods will and the more fully thou standest in opposition the greater is the measure of thy corruption If therefore unquietness of spirit doth rise from opposition of will then the more unquietness there is the greater opposition The devil being in the highest opposition unto God and they that sin against the Holy Ghost it being direct enmity whereas other sinners are but enemies to God in a collateral way their opposition is the greatest being revenge against God doing despight unto the spirit of grace therefore they are most unquiet Though in a temptation there is an unquietness of spirit that may arise upon the best men as it did upon David and Ionah yet if that be a mans ordinary and constant temper it argues he hath much of the devil in him the meekning and melting of a mans spirit into the will of God is the measure of his grace and the opposition of a mans will unto the will of God and his unquietness thereupon is the measure of his corruption Men that are alway fiery and ad oppositum now this doth not please them and now they fret at this instrument and by and by are discontented at that dispensation If Niniveh be not destroyed Ionah is angry if the Gourd be not spared he is angry it is an argument there is but a little grace and a great deal of corruption And as grace doth increase subduing the will unto the will of God so surely will the quietness of a mans spirit increase Grace in a man ripens as fruit doth at first there is a great deal of sourness and sharpness mixed with it but then it is green the riper it grows the more mellow and the more sweet it is 3. The more pride there is in any sin the greater that sin is for to sin
is the use that Satan intends to make of it that men may neither receive counsell from God or man being unfit for either which is one great use that he makes of the discontents of mens spirits at this day 5. It keeps men from communion with God for God will have no fellowship with the spirit that stands in opposition to his will Iob. 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace The words in the originall are rendred Assuesce te cumillo accustome thy self with him Now that you may be accustomed to communion with God he exhorts you to be at peace that is ut Spiritus deprimat insolentes So Zanchius Let all those heart risings and unquiet dispositions be supprest else you can have no communion with him neither can you attain any blessing from him 6. It is to keep a man in a continuall bittterness against the instruments and to break forth against them As when God would rent the Kingdom from Saul and an evill spirit from the Lord came upon him then he brake forth into all manner of violence against David whom he looked upon as a competitor in the kingdome whereas Jonathan seeing it was the mind of God sate down quietly saying Thou shalt be King and I shall be next thee So it was with Araunah It is conceived that he was king of Iebus before they were conquered by David and yet his spirit submits to David saying Wherefore is my lord the King come unto his servant This temper of spirit will make a man lie in wait to revenge himself and greedily to take it though it be to his own ruine As it was with Shimei his spirit was imbittered he did but wait for an opportunity and having gotten it though it were against his own life yet with how much bitterness did he vent himself 7. That it may tend at last to direct blasphemy and revenge against God for that is the end the devill aims at in all his temptations and unto which they all come if not here yet in hell 1 Iohn 5.19 The devill is said to touch men and it is for no other end then to leave an impression of devilishness upon them to make them as farr ar may be equally guilty with himself And the soul habituated unto rage and constant opposition against God is fitted by Satan for such a devilish design 3. What is the excellency of such a temper of spirit to be alwayes calm and quiet not given up to disturbances within it self 1. This is in the sight of God of great price 1 Peter 3.4 Because this is agreeable unto the nature of God And to this end was the vision given to Eliah when his spirit was in a passion 1 King 19.11 12. It was to instruct him as Peter Martyr hath well observed First in this that the way of Gods dealing with sinners is not by and by to destroy them with a wind with an earthquake or with fire but that he shews much patience toward them and takes them away in a more still and secret manner Occulta tacita media non defutura suae providentiae Secondly to let him know what manner of prayer would take with God against sinners and prevail Deum non commoveri affectibus perturbationibus incitari Men think when they have prayed in passion and have vehemently stirred themselves that God is so much moved as they but he doth not appear in an earthquake nor wind or fire but in a short still voice when he is sought unto from quiet sedate affections 2. This is agreeable to the spirit of Christ who appeared in the form of a Dove Animal non felle amarum non morsibus saevum non unguibus violentum Cyprian Therefore surely the more unquiet any mans spirit is the less of the Dove there is in that man For as the Dove is simple and without guile so it is without gall also Sine felle sine dolo 2. The excellency of such a temper of soul will appear in the sutableness thereof unto a Christian First by this every Saint as he is appointed unto a Kingdom for so Christ saith I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my father appointed unto me so he hath the Kingdom of God erected and set up in his own soul for the Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17.2 There is regimen spirituale that the Lord sets up in the man And the more any mans spirit is ordered and subjected unto the will of God the more he is acted by the spirit without reluctancy so much the more the Kingdom of God is exalted in the mans heart In regno Dei omnia sunt sic ordinata ut quod est in homine praecipuum imperet caeteris non reluctantibus Aust The more a man is led by the spirit the more ductile and easie to be led he doth shew himself to be the more the Kingdom of God is set up in him Isaiah 11.6 A little child shall lead them when the Spirit of God becomes as it were the forma informans of the man that the soul obeys the dictates of the spirit as the body subjects it self unto the rule of the soul then is the Kingof God set up in the man Confusion tumults and uproars may be sutable unto the kingdoms of men the mountains of prey the habitations of cruelty but they are every way unfit for the Kingdom of God Secondly one speciall ingredient in the Kingdom of God is peace Rom. 14.17 The Kingdem of God consists not in meat nor in drink but in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy-ghost It is understood here of the Kingdom of Grace and Glory The Kingdom of Grace consists not in externals meat and drink neither will the observation of these bring a man unto the Kingdom of Glory but it consists in somthing within Now it is Austins observation that some are pacifici in senetipsis men that keep a constant peace and quietness of spirit within themselves keep a constant Sabbath to God in their own souls intus in corde Sabbatum nostrum Luther in one of his Epistles to a German Divine writes thus Dominus tua omnia faciat tu nihil facias sed sis Sabbatum Christi Let your hearts rest and keep a Sabbath in you and you in him and it is in this rest and quietness of spirit that the main of a Christiau Sabbath doth consist Therefore the Sabbath here is a type of Heaven There remains yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbatisme for the people of God It is true in glory there shall be an externall rest they rest from their labours but the main shall be the inward rest of the soul the spirit shall keep a Sabbath to God eternally when all sinfull unruly inordinate actings of the spirit will be no more but the soul enjoy perfect peace and quietness in the Lord. Now this is the peace in which the Kingdom of God doth consist Vera pax est a
voluntate Dei non dividi in his solis quae Deus diligit delectari Harph. And this is properly the rest of the soul in God which every gracious heart should strive unto 3. In this quietness and tranquillity of spirit there is a guarding and securing power Philip 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding As it is with the truths of God the naturall man cannot receive them and apprehend them 1 Cor. 2.14 so it is with the peace of God it is not to be understood of any man but he that feels it the sweetness of the Gospell is not to be known but by experience which is a spirituall sense in those that have their senses exercised to discern betwixt good and evill Heb. 5. and the last And this peace saith the Apostle shall keep your hearts and minds Philippians 4 7. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to keep as in a garrison to keep down tumults within and to keep out enemies from without that neither temptations from without be let in nor the deceits of the heart be let out so as to carry a man away with them and deceive him but the heart by this peace and tranquillity is strongly guarded against both these therefore it is an excellent observation that Chrysostom hath Mentem Spiritus Sanctus quam replet obumbrat The Holy Ghost doth overshadow the soul where he dwels and keeps it in a quiet and calm frame that neither unruly lusts break forth from within nor temptations take with the soul from without to make it unquiet in it self A Spirit thus quieted in obedience unto the will of God is the surest guard that a man can have in this world 4. Hereby a man enjoys himself which one of an unquiet spirit cannot do In patience possess your souls A man is not master of himself that is carried about with every passion he hath no command of his own soul Prov. 25. and the last verse A man that hath no rule of his own spirit is like a City broken down and without walls if an enemy come he may invade and spoil as he will for there be no walls to defend it so it is with him that hath no restraint upon his own spirit 5. Such a man shall be able to judge clearly of any matter in difference which another cannot whose spirit before is engaged or imbittered Radius solis non cernitur nec turbatus fons respicientis reddit imaginem It is a hard matter to see what is at the bottom of troubled water Perit omne judicium cum res transit in affectum A blood-shot eye sees all things of the same colour A bribe blinds the eyes of the wise because the affections bribe the Judgement that I should never much value the judgement of a man in a point of difference whose spirit I know was violently engaged before hand 6. A man is never nearer to the mercy he desires or the deliverance he expects then when his soul is brought into such a temper David was never nearer the Kingdom then when he became as a weaned childe and we are never nearer the end of any affliction then when it brings forth the quiet fruit of righteousness Heb. 12.11 The fruits of righteousness are wrought by quietness in the soul for the wrath of man will never work the righteousness of God 7. This quietness of spirit in a wil concluded under the will of God will make a man in all things chearfull in all things thankfull First it is a mans duty always to be chearfull under all the dispensations of God Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The Spirit which the Saints receive is the oyl of gladness and with this unction you as well as Christ are anointed Hab. 2.1 I will stand upon my watch-tower that is Mentis recessus saith Calvin the retiring of the soul into it self and being thus in his Watch-Tower though he doth suppose The fig-tree should not blossom and there should be no fruit in the vine yet he will rejoyce in the Lord and triumph in the God of his salvation Hab. 3.18 A man that is in his Watch-tower hath a quiet recess into his own spirit he can see himself secure in the midst of danger and can laugh at destruction At famine and destruction thou shalt laugh Job 5.22 There is a holy laughter from a principle of confidence and security Gen. 17.17 The promise of a son was made known to Abraham and he fell upon his face and laughed from a confidence of the accomplishment of the promise his heart rejoyced in the Lord. Thus a godly man can laugh at danger let it be never so great and let it threaten never so much yet it doth not disquiet his spirit it doth not abate but rather draw out his joy Secondly It makes a man in all things thankfull because his will is concluded under the will of God This is a mans duty 1 Thes 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you In every thing in every condition in prosperity in adversity in health and sickness in poverty and plenty in honour and dishonour when God seems to act for you and when he seems to act against you in the drawings near of God and in the desertions of God in life in death it is the will of God that a man should alwayes have his spirit in a thankfull frame Ephes 5.20 Giving thanks alwayes and for all things unto God the Father in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ First because Gods will in all things is the rule of goodness and to see that fulfilled should be matter of joy to the Saints even when it doth cross their own wills Secondly because there is no condition but hath some good in it For it is true in a spiritual sense in this life non dantur purae tenebrae Vtter darkness is reserved for the life to come Isa 24.15 Glorifie the Lord in the fires some render it fires some vallies both of them in Scripture expressing an afflicted condition If the Lord cast you into the fire to try you you are to glorifie God in it by giving him thanks Now a man can never be thankful whose spirit is not quieted and subdued unto the will of God We love God because he loved us first We apprehend his love and we bless God because he hath blessed us first and we apprehend his blessing Gaudentes est gratias agere It is the cheerefull man that is the thankfull man and no man can be cheerfull but full of bitterness and sullenness whose soule is not subjected to the will of God These are the excellencies of a spirit quieted and calmed and concluded under Gods will as the rule of goodness 4. How should a man attain such a quiet frame of spirit that he may keep his soul alway calm The directions are these 1. Consider it is Gods gift he gives unto
shall serve the king of Babylon but Hannaniah the Prophet comes and tells them it should not be so and therefore they should stand it out and defend themselves as long as they could A man would have thought this had been good counsell and courage No the will of the Lord being manifested he must die and be cast off from the face of the earth for teaching them to stand out against the Soveraignty of God and he is therefore said to teach rebellion against the Lord. Reas 2. There is an omnipotency in the will of God for his will created all things Revel 4. last and it is the same omnipotent will that rules all things Now shall a creature speak or act against such a will and thereby become a fighter against God Acts 5.39 If the thing be of God it shall stand do not oppose it Reas 3. Thirdly whatsoever savours of stubborness and a gainsaying spirit the Saints of God must abhorr there be some sins that men commit out of ignorance because the will of God is not clearly made known to them But there are some sins committed out of knowledg and there the will is engaged this act of stubborness proceeds from a gainsaying principle In Psalm 78. v. 8. a Metaphor taken from a beast that will not be guided by the rider and saith a learned interpreter it notes stubborness and pride in a way of opposition against God Now I pray consider seriously the more a man doth manifest a stiff neck the greater the evill is and should be the more carefully avoided by the Saints but when the will of God is discovered then to go against it must needs proceed from a stubborn and gainsaying people When the hand of the Lord is lifted up they will not see Isa 26.11 Reas 4. Fourthly It s a great evill in the Saints of God to be heady 2 Tim. 3.4 to be heady violent hasty men when their will is engaged against the will of God nothing can stop them there is a naturall and judiciall madness there is a sinfull madness in the heart of man by nature But a judiciall hardness is when God gives a man over to it in judgment he makes himself mad sinfully and God makes him mad judicially 2 Pet. 2.16 The dumb ass speaking with mans voice forbad the madness of the Prophet Wherein did Balaams madness lie that he desired to go when he had such earnest intreaties though the will of God were manifested to the contrary It s true here was Balaams wickedness but where lay his madness when God had shewn him so many things to make it appear that his way was perverse before him his ass stumbles and runs his foot against the wall yet he replies to him again and goes on in his way here was his madness that when the will of God was so gloriously and remarkably discovered for all that to go on his way Reas 5. Fifthly this makes a man in Gods accompt to become a son of Belial that signifies as Hierom observes a man that is without a yoke a lawless man a name given to the devill upon that accompt the worst reproach that can be laid upon a man is to be the son of Belial It s the worst word he could have used a child of the Devil saith Paul to Elymas not by nature but by image on what ground doth God give a man hat title when his will is manifested and thou opposest it thou art become a child of Belial It is a very remarkable place 1 Sam. 10. last verse there were sons of Belial that despised Saul and brought him no presents Saul was made a King but by Gods permitting will They set up kings but not by me saith God by my permission not by my approbation he gave them a king in his wrath and took him away in his anger Saul was made king but by Gods permitting will yet those that did not stoop to the very permitting will of God when it was manifested the text saith they were sons of Belial Reas 6. Lastly thou wilt surely perish in thy own opposition he that either speaks or acts against the will of God manifested will perish in his own opposition Iude 11. They perished in the gain-saying of Corah God had gloriously manifested his will for Aaron But Corah and his company will usurp the priesthood but now the text saith they perished in that gainsaying so Christ told Paul it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks in thy gainsaying thou wilt perish And so much for opening and explication of the Doctrine Now for application Use There is but one use that I will make of it and that is of admonition with which I will close the text and I desire you nay according to that liberty of speech that the Gospell hath given us I charge you to take notice of it In all things wherein God shall manifest his will do you look upon that will both as sacred and soveraign and therefore do not dare to speak or fight against it take heed you be not found fighters against God do not oppose any thing that God will have stand give me leave to take the application apart First do not speak against it the Apostle saith the tongue is a world of evill full of deadly poyson It s a great evill for a man to be given over to a poysoned tongue the fire of hell is in that mans heart that doth so constantly fire his tongue this is an evill that godly men may fall into men that otherwayes are of a meek and quiet temper Psal 106.32 They provoked Moses spirit the meekest man of all the earth and what follows now verse 33. he spake unadvisedly with his lips that is the ordinary fruit of an imbittered spirit there are times of speaking and seasons of silence there are two times especially wherein men should be silent First do not speak when you are in passion when your own passions are up Moses had been a great deal better to have held his peace then to have spoken unadvisedly when his spirit was imbittered passion is an ill counsellour and truly as ill a speaker Secondly do not speak when God is angry oh remember Ier. 8.14 Let us enter into the defenced cities and be silent for our God hath put us to silence he hath made us to drink of the gall because we have sinned against him When the will of God is manifested do not speak against it Now there are six directions herein that I must give you Direction 1. First when the will of God is manifested cease your disputings silence your reasonings do not say why do the wicked prosper and why doth God suffer men to do this and this why doth such a party prevail and not the other why hath this success and not the other remember when the will of God is manifested let not the potsherd call the potter any more to accompt let this be enough to silence thee which
three ways p. 224. Counsel by this the Lord doth whatsoever he doth pag. 141. Covenant of Christ by this all creatures are established p. 150. Creatures reasonable are ruled by God according to their own nature p. 201. Creatures reasonable what it is that God permits in them p. 208. Creatures have a double motion or tendency towards the will of God p. 260. See Will. D. DEcree of God is double pag. 79. Decrees of God have a threefold order to be observed of them p. 203. Dioclesian the Emperor what is reported of him p. 291. Discontents are not the way to prevail with God to change his minde p. 136. Devil his way of sinning p. 285. Devil for what end he is said to touch men p. 298 E. EArth in the Book of Revelation what is it opposed unto what is meant by it p. 190. Ends a mans own in emptying himself of them lies mainly in the power of godliness p. 125. Ends what they are God hath discovered in his word he intends to accomplish in and upon the world pag. 160 161. Ends are secret things p. 175. Ends of God mainly are two p. 183. Exalting of God in the soul is godliness p. 113. Extreams several there are to avoid that require a great deal of grace p. 229. F. FAce of God in Scripture is put for 3. things pag. 202. Faith the higher act a man puts forth of it the higher is the act of grace pag. 226. Faith why it is commended pag. 233. Fret why a man should not p. 239. G. GOd the rule of his acting is his own will p. 79. Godliness the power of it lies mainly in mans compleat subjection of his will to Gods will pag. 11 23 113. Godliness those that profess it and yet have their wills opposite unto Gods will reproved p. 127. And the evil of such a frame of heart set forth p. 129. Godliness in the power of it brings a soul to an humble submission unto Gods permitting will p. 198. Godliness much of it is seen in a mans submission to the will of God permitting p. 214. Gospel what is it compared unto pag. 2. Glory of God is twofold p. 119. Grace in the will subjects it unto the will of God in Acts 4. p. 35. Grace acts in the soul according to the nature of every faculty p. 41. Grace in the will how it may be discerned when there are the strongest actings of the will for sin pag. 64. Grace the Lord in his permission withholds it pag. 204. Grace is to be laboured for in the power of it unto Gods permitting will p. 242. See Will. Graces in them there are a sympathie p. 9. Government in the matter of it 〈◊〉 things are committed to the Son p. 143. Government immediately put into Christs hands p. 146. H. HAnd-right what is it taken for p. 211. Hands of the Lord what is meant p. 105. Happiness much of the Saints and Angels in heaven wherein to be seen pag. 195. Heart of man once truly and fully concluded under Gods will there follows 1. Quietness pag. 252. 2. A constant quietness p. 257. Honouring of God here and in heaven are in a different way pag. 246 Hoâ—â—s that have pushed at Gods people shall be taken away pag. 162. Hamble men to do this God takes three ways p. 218. I. IMpatient a man should not be p. 239. Intention between an habitual and an actual some Divines do distinguish p. 39. Intention of God in setting Christ over the Kingdom of providence what it was for p. 147. Johannes Abbas what is reported of him p. 117. K. KIngdom and Rule over all the works of God belong unto Christ p. 145. L. LAw the writing of it in the heart what is it pag. 23. Lightning what is observable of it pag. 2. Lusts of ungodly men God suffers to arise p. 212 Luthers Rule what it is p. 70. Luthers Admonition to Melancthon p. 96. Luthers great difficulty in Christianity p. 235. Luthers instance in going to Worms p. 276. M. MAn must walk by Rule p. 13. Man how he makes himself wiser then God p. 132. Men in them two things mainly corrupted p. 16. Mercies given in answer to prayer are double mercies p. 244. Mouths to stretch them against Heaven what is that p 330. N. NAzianzens direction p. 12. O. OFences men sometimes take at 1. The Word of God p. 288. 2. The Works of God p. 288. Officers two distinct God hath appointed p. 172. P. PAssions disquieting must be subdued p. 277. Passions tormenting by these the soul is disquieted p. 274. Paul Chrysostome hath observed of him 4. things pag. 3. Paul though bound in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem yet met with six great oppositions p. 6. Peace of the Saints is double p. 310. Permission of God what is it p. 199 205. Persians what had they at the death of their Kings p. 180. Plutarchs report of the Gauls p. 60. Powers two distinct God hath established upon earth p. 171. Pray we ought with submission unto Gods will in our works pag. 140. Prayer hath a double importunity in it p. 234. Prayers of Gods people he is very observant of p. 195. Providence as great wisdom of God to be seen in it as in the works of Creation p. 116. Providence motions in ordering the affairs of the world are sometimes cross p. 157. Q. QUietness holy there is which every Saint is to labour for p. 253. Quiet See Spirit R. REasonings disquieting are in the soul p. 269. Reprobation absolute is not taught p. 203. Resignation of a mans self unto God herein consists much of the power of godliness p. 121. Rest what is it taken for p. 254. Rome Antichristian is the subject upon which all the vials are poured p. 190. Rule of duty is the will of God pag. 16. S. SAints all are in this life bound to give a double accompt pag. 15. Saints take care but of one thing pag. 118. Saints have mainly 3. things to do in this life pag. 316. See Happiness Satan is suffered by God 1. As a Tempter p. 209. 2. As an Accuser p. 211. Satans temptations God suffers his people to lie under them pag. 219. Self-denial the more in any thing the more of the power of grace is expressed p. 222. Self respectively to be denied is threefold Ibid. Silent be O all flesh before the Lord. p. 90. Sin how a man should know whether he doth with full consent or no. p. 62. Sin what it is p. 258. Sins presumptuous are made up of two things p. 62. Sins of the reasonable creature See will Sins remaindery God leaves in the best of his people p. 208. Sinfulness the power of it wherein it lies p. 281. Smoak the effect of it p. 188. See Temple Souls disquietness two things are mainly the causes of it p. 269. Soul hath a double excellency in it p. 279. Soveraignty of God over the creature mainly lies in two things p 43. Speak See Will.
Spirit is substituted by Christ as his prorex p. 154. Spirit of God teaches a man not only to act grace but to expect a reward p. 196. Spirit how he led Christ into the wilderness p. 220. Spirit contradicting to be given over unto is one of the greatest plagues p. 242. Spirit of God hath undertaken the Saints guidance p. 263. Spirit unquiet its sinfulness p. 279. Spirit unquiet the use the devil makes of it p. 290. Spirit quiet its excellency p. 298. In its sutableness p. 300. In its cheerfulness p. 306. Spirit quiet how a man should attain to it p. 309. Subjection of the will See godliness Submission of will by this the Saints highly exalt God in their hearts p. 114. Submission the kinds of its acts that must be in us unto Gods permitting will p. 236. T. TEmple by the Smoak in the Temple What interpreters understand p. 186. Temptations Some come upon the soul with a great deal of horror p. 231. See Satan Things all put under his feet What is means by that p. 145. Things Some there are that God works by his own immediate power p. 199. Times two when men should be silent p. 328. V. VIal fourth God is pouring out upon the Sun p. 190. Vial fifth now pouring out upon the throne of the beast is not consented unto p. 193. Unction of Christ the perfection of it wherein it consists p. 31. W. WAlk of a Christian must be regular p. 13. Wicked God suffers to thrive and prosper in an evil way for a time p. 213. Will of God as far as it concerns mans duty is manifested and made known p. 19. Will of man subjected to Gods will See godliness Will of God is three-fold p. 32. Will of man is two-fold p. 34. See grace Will of ours to subject it unto Gods commanding will several considerations p. 42. Will of man how the Lord subdues it to his commanding will p. 52. Will of God good perfect and acceptable rules to know what it is p. 69. Will of God in doubtful cases particular directions to know it p. 73. Will of God effecting extends it self p. 80 Will of man subjected unto Gods will by several acts p. 87. Will of man not subjected unto Gods will sins against him p. 129. and that in an high degree p. 130. Will of God effecting and commanding how to know they are the same p. 167 174. Will of God permitting what it is p. 198. Will of God permitting respects only the reasonable creature p. 200. Will of God permitting is only conversant about the sins of the reasonable creature p. 202. Wills prejudiced and ingaged must be laid aside p. 174. Will of God is the rule of goodness p. 242. Will of God permitting is but for the time of this life p. 245. Will of God submitting the fruit of such a spirit expressed by a Greek word variously used p. 249. Will of man when concluded under Gods will it s under two principles pag. 273. Will of God manifested is to be the rule of our wills and ways pag. 312. Will of God is made known both by his word and works p. 315. Will of God being manifested Saints must not 1. Speak against it p. 227 317. 2. Act against it p. 319. 3. The grounds of it p. 321. 4. The directions not to speak against it p. 328. 5. The considerations not to act against it p. 332. Wisdom of God must be acknowledged pag. 237. Word of God in submission to this lies mainly the power of Godliness pag. 123. Worlds great Harvest when it shall be pag. 189 Worlds continuance is only to advance the end of Christs Kingdom p. 152 Works of God See Kingdom FINIS
so much stumble at it forbidding them to preach to the Gentiles to fulfil their sins always that so wrath might come upon them to the uttermost It was onely hid in the breast of God and there can be no reason given for it but his will We are to sit down and admire the depth of his wisdom and his counsels which are past finding out And now the Gospel is preached all the world over that the Lord should cause it to rain upon one City and not upon another to carry the word about as Clouds Amos 4.7 Vt ostenderet nihil in hac re fortuitum esse nihil casu nihil temere fieri si nihil omminò pluisset de providentia Dei minùs cogitassent Drus in loc that they might drop fatness to set it up in a place and thereby exalt that place to a Proverbialis est locutio Graecis Latinis pro eo quod est rebus florentibus illustri loco esse Cui contrarium est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sc ad infima loca quo fortunarum eversio significatur Grot. in loc In sublimiorem aliquem honoris potestatis gradum eveni Mede in Apoc. 11.12 Heaven Math. 11.23 and-then to remove it again forsake his Tabernacle and thereby bring them down to Hell to take a people to himself as he did the seven Churches of Asia and the Church of Rome and afterwards to call them b Hose 1.9 Ecclesia non est uni loco aut populo affixa siquidem qui modo erat Dei populus suâ infidelitate ac impietate illo nominis honore se reddit indignum Tarn in loc Non relicti sunt à Deo ut relinquerent Deum sed reliquerunt relicti sunt ex bono in malum propria voluntate mutati sunt Prosper ad capit Gallor cap. 3. Loammi To remove first the Ordinances and then the Church to pluck down the hedge thereof and let it be trodden down and the people to be left in the same darkness in which before they were To set a c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 4.26 Heb. 12.22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Ecclesia Christiana quam etiam caeli nomine designat Apocal. Stellae sunt qui Doctorum officio funguntur Stellae cadentes sunt Doctores à veritate deficientes Grot. in Math. 24.29 Rev. 1.20 Star in such an Orb and then to remove him to another place at his pleasure That some should have abundance of means of Grace while others sit in darkness and the shadow of death And which is strange that the Lord should give the means to one place and deny it to another which he did fore-see would have reaped more fruit by it if they had enjoyed it As we see in d Notandum hoc non semper in hac vita contingere ut male sit Evangelti contemptoribus severius enim actum est in hac vitâ cum Sodomitis Tyâ—â—s Sidoniâ—s quam cum harum urbium civibus c. Cartw. De poenitentia intelligi debet in ordine ad poenam temporalem solet enim Deus parcere poenas avertere resipiscentibus ut Ninâ—â—tis Par. in loc Capernaum Thou art exalted up to Heaven thou shalt be brought down to Hell For if the mighty works that have been done in thee had been done in Tyre or in Sodom they would have repented and yet Capernaum repented not To cause it to raine upon the Wilderness and not upon the furrows of the Feild herein the will of God must be submitted to 4. In respect of natural parts and abilities of body or mind When all men were alike corrupted in Adam and therefore did deserve to be given over to the same fruits and effects of sin Adam in paradiso expers peccati capax Dei cui crat orbis subâ—ectus nullus infestus lâ—bâ—â— anâ—mus visibilis Deus Prosper de vita contemplat l. 2. cap. 18. Si quod Adâ—m perdidâ—t posteritas non amisit ipsum solum laesit peccatum ejus non genus humanum sed emnes in eo peccaverunt praevaricationts merite tota ejus propago damnata est Omnes igitur quod Adam perdâ—dit perdiderunt Prosper ad excepta Genuens ad dub 3. For in Adam the sin of all men is equal and where sin is equal a man would think in reason the fruits and effects of sin should be so also Now for one to have great high improveable parts and these beautified with gifts infused and many acquired habits another man to have a dark soul low parts a weak apprehension a dull fancie an injudicious minde a frail memory a feeble body when another shall be able with Achitophel to give Counsel like an Oracle of God and with Herod to speak as if he had the tongue of an Angel it is only the effecting will of God that puts the difference 5. For one to be called to a high place to be born to a Kingdom to be exalted above his Brethren as Diamonds above Pebbles as Gold above the common dust of the Earth And another man to be born upon a Dunghill one bred up in scarlet Lam 4.5 and fed delicately another man set with the Dogs of the flock digging up Mallows by the bushes and eating Iuniper roots Job 4.30 Act. 17.26 Vt eo modo vâ—hementius commendaretur societatis unitas vinculumque concordiae cum non tantum naturae similitudine verum cognationis affectu homines necterentur Augustin de civit l. 12. c. 21. it is only the will of God that makes the difference for he hath made of one blood all Nations that are upon the face of the whole earth 6. 2 Chron. 7.20 Hic non extolli ipsos homines etiamsi sint veri caelestis Doctrinae Ministri sed testatur Deus tantum esse authoritatis in verbo suo ut sibi subjiciat quicquid altum est in terraâ—ne Regibus quidem exceptis Cal. Deponit Reges disponit regna Dan. 4.17 The Lord doth plant Kingdoms and pluck them up by the roots as he threatned I will pluck you up by the roots out of the good land that I have given you And Jer. 1.10 I send thee to pluck up to destroy to build and to plant He was the Messenger to deliver the word but it was God that would do the work He takes the most flourishing Kingdom for Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold and breaks it and makes it to give place to a second that was inferior to it self the breast of silver Sometimes he doth destroy the greatest Families cuts short a Psa 76.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad verbum est vindemi at spiritum sc fastum ac superbiam vinitoris instar vel vitam suorum causa ubi opus est principibus ipsis vitam adimit Muis the spirits of Princes smites b Amos 3.15 Mos olim Regum erat habebant duas domos
aestivam unam alteram hyemalem Jer. 36.22 Iudg 3.20 Drus Esay 5 9. Esay 30.25 the winter the summer house layes many houses desolate great and fair without an Inhabitant layes his hand upon the great Ones of the Earth and the Mountains skip the Towers fall many that are in high place and esteem men of great Authority their right hand shall wither and their right eye shall be put out The Lord will raise the poor out of the dust and lift the beggar from off the dunghil Zach. 11.17 per brachium intelligitur robur per oculum prudentia ubi maturum tempus advenerit palam fore comm flagitia ita ut in ipsorum faciem conspuant omnes ut sint omnibus detestationi Calv. and set them amongst Princes and make them inherit the Throne of glory Because the pillars of the Earth are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them 1 Sam. 2.8 The bowes of the mighty are broken and they that stumbled are girt with strength they that were full have hired out themselves for bread c. What is the ground of all this Onely this is his good pleasure He doth whatsoever it pleased him in Heaven and in Earth in the Sea and in all deep places 2. Our wils ought to be subjected unto the will of God in all these and herein the power of godliness doth in a great measure consist not only in a subjection of our wils to Gods commanding will but unto his effecting will also in whatsoever he doth in the World and the acts subjecting of a mans will to the will of God herein ought to be such as these 1. We ought to acknowledge and admire his wisdom justice and soveraignty in them That which the Apostle speaks of the rejecting of the Iews and the bringing in of the Gentiles which wrought as great a change in the world as any thing you have seen HoruÌ„ mysteririorum judiciorumque causas pius doctus Magister maluit ad altitudinem suspendere quam subtractum ab humana cognitione secâ—ctum temeraria inquisitione discutere nihil omittens de his quae non oportet ignorari nihil contrectans de his quae non licet sciri Prosper devocat Gent. l. 1. c. 13. and a far greater and the Love of the Apostle to the Jews was as great as yours can be to any person or party whatsoever yet he is so far from reasoning and disputing against it that he admires it adores the wisdom and Iustice of God in it * Rom. 11.33 Oh the depth of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! The Lord doth proceed against men so as his Judgements are a great deep so that a man cannot see them His pathes are in the great a Psal 77.19 Miraculum describit in mari siccato his verbis autem significat Deum semper ita gubernâ—e Ecclesiam ut vesligta ejuâ— Ã mundo ratione non conspiciaâ—â— nec quemquam posse illa sequi nisi Deum ductorem habeat c. Moller waters and his foot-steps are not known but yet they are alwayes just when they are secret b Quod non ideo iniquum est quia occultum est 〈…〉 aequum est quia judicium Dei esse non dubium est Prosper de vocat Gent. l. 1. cap. 17. judicio occulto sed semper justo Augustin When you see Captains like great Grass-hoppers in a Sunny day * De Assyriis dicitur Judaeam vastaturis 1. propter multitudinem Judg. 7.12.2 Propter vastationem Exod. 10.15.3 Propter fugam subitaneam simulac ortus est sol celeriter avolant Mede Coment Apocal. cap. 9. Psa 76.5 Nahum 3.12 Nahum 3.19 the men of might cannot finde their hands when you see Cities made like ripe figs falling into the mouth of the eater men falling into the Pits that they themselves digged and wicked men snared in the works of their own hands then say righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy Iudgements 2. Hold your peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Interjectio est imperantis silentium Jerom. silentium ex metu significat Nemo Deo audet impunè obmur murare ne dum resistere conticescant jam omnes tumultus c. Tarnov Quando consurgit ad vindictam evigilare dicitur ex habitaculo id est vel è Templo vel è coelo Drus do not dispute do not murmur that is the command Zach. 2.13 Be silent O all flesh before the Lord for he is risen up out of his holy habitation It was a great turn to see the power of the Persian Monarchy broken which the Lord did threaten he would do and see such a Mountain to become a Plain there is no doubt but there were high and hard thoughts of heart upon such a change as this But the Lord commands them silence for you are but flesh and you look upon things with an eye of flesh and all that you can oppose it with is but an arm of flesh which will profit nothing and therefore be silent before the Lord. Non est ei dispensationis hujus revelata justitia nec ad inspectionem secreti latentis admissus est sed ut à discutiendis Dei judiciis absti neres opposita est ei bonitas miserantis volentis potestas Prosper de vocat Gent. l. 1. cap. 17. 1. Do not Dispute Remember the reproof Rom. 9.20 Who art thou O man that disputest with God is there any contending with him in Judgement If not in matters of eternal Election and Reprobation much less in temporal Dispensations Bring forth your strong reasons Esay 41.21 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Argumenta fortissima robora litis vestrae Ossa vocat quia sunt veluti ossa nervi in corpore Farer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. Hoc itaque tenete fratres mei nemo vos de fide excutiat de sana doctrina qui secit in caelo Angelum ipse fecit in terra vermioulum Expavescis in minimis lauda magnum totum attende totum lauda c. August in Psal 148. Is there any man or power able to make war with him Or is there any man able by force of Argument to maintain his cause against him Audaciam exististimo de bono praecepti divini disputare Tert. It s high presumption to Dispute any of the commands of God whatsoever he requires us to do much more to call him to an accompt before the bar of humane judgement for what we see he himself hath done Keep silence because the Lord hath done it They are not men that govern the World Therefore all reasonings and disputings should be laid aside We live in a disputing age as if men did Rule the World It s true it is good to reason concerning our own Duty but concerning the Lords doings disputations are dangerous 2. Do not repine bear it patiently and acknowledge the soveraignty of God What though the cause or the party
great ends thereby to try and prove the obedience of the Saints such works are a stumbling block unto ungodly men and thereby a great difference is put betwixt them and others It is as great a judgment to stumble at the works as it is at the word of God 2. We are to consider the dangerous use that the devil makes of an unquiet spirit he loves it being unto him a sutable habitation Ephes 4.27 Let not the sun go down upon your wrath neither give place to the devill If once a mans spirit be in a disturbed frame there is a doore set open for Satan to enter at and the use that he doth make of such a frame of spirit is commonly this 1. He doth hereby keep the soul in a continual tumult that a man shall not be able to make a supplication unto God it shall disturb him in all his duties See it in Jonah ch 4. v. 2 3. when his spirit was in an unquiet frame see what an angry pecvish prayer he made and offers up unto God No man is fit to have communion with God that hath not the command of his own spirit 2. Another use the devil makes of it is this to imbitter a man against God and all the Instruments that God doth use This we finde to be in Saul 1 Sam 16.14 The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord vexed him So that all the actions that afterward he did were by the impulse of the evil Spirit It is observed by Interpreters that this was a perverse and melancholy temper into which Saul was cast by Satan through the just Judgement of God It was saith Peter Martyr something more then natural Vel si antea in eo fuerit â bono Spiritu reprimebatur It is reported of Dioclesian the Emperour out of meer melancholy and discontent he gave over the Government of the Empire and be took himself to a private life because he could not root out the Christians whom with the uttermost violence he had persecuted This was the Judgement that befell Nebuchadnezzar for seven years he lived the life of a beast and was banished the society of men secundum imaginationem suam though not secundum imaginem And therefore Ierome observes his figure and shape was not changed for he saith My understanding returned unto me Ostendit non formam se amisisse sed mentem he lost not the shape but the understanding of a man being given up to a melancholiness and madness delivered over to a delusion and rage of the unclean spirit Suitable to which the Lord threatens Deut. 28.28 The Lord shall smite thee with madness and with blindness and with astonishment of heart To be delivered over to the discontents of a mans spirit is the next way thereunto There is a degree of madness in all the ways of sin There is madness in the heart of a man while he lives Eccles 9.3 And these were not Judgements proper and peculiar to those times but such as the Lord will inflict also in all Ages suitable to their discontents But in an especiâ—â— manner this is to be taken noticeâ—â— in the fourth and fifth Vial when the Vial is poured out upon the Sun Rev. 16.9 Men were scorched with heat and blasphemed the name of God There is no element whose torment is so exquisite as that of fire as Herodotus reports of the Atlantici men that live under the South Pole qui omnibus diris solem execrantur because they are scorched by it therefore it is called the Torrid Zone The Holy Ghost notes by it as Brightman observes Mirae inusitatae erunt acerbitates a strange kind of bitterness of spirit shall be poured out upon men in Judgement So in the fifth Vial which is upon the Seat of the Beast Men shall gnaw their tongues for pain and blaspheme the God of heaven Gnaw their tongues prae rabie furore their grief and rage shall be such as they shall gnaw their tongues and gnash their teeth as wicked men in hell are said to do yet this is the plague that shall follow they shall blaspheme the God of heaven Non est existimandum apertam fore blasphemiam It shall not be open direct blasphemy but as Antichrist doth open his mouth against God his name his worship his tabernacle his Church and his Saints they that dwell in heaven To be given up to either of these is the common use the devill makes of all the discontents of the spirits of men at any of the dealings of God 3. Satan makes use of it to this end to make their lives uncomfortable for they have no peace in their dayes no comfort in their callings because their wills are engaged against the will of God and God carries on things against them and they cannot attain their end but every thing in providence falls cross and therefore they are exceedingly displeased they have no joy in their lives for men may rise up to such discontent that their very lives may be a burthen to them Psalm 112.10 The horne of the righteous shall be exalted with honour the wicked shall see and gnash their teeth and melt away The word in the original signifies to melt by degrees not all at once but by little and little It is the same word that is used of the melting of wax before the fire Psalm 68.3 So that mens rage and discontent shall consume them It shall be such a constant griefe and vexation of spirit And this shall be the misery of those that are enemies to the two witnesses Revel 11.12 having been brought to a low ebb they shall lie dead for three years and a halfe and then they shall ascend up into heaven that is be exalted unto the highest honour by a voice from heaven that is supremi magistratus jussu and their enemies shall behold them The devill could not wish a man a worse mischife then that his heart should be engaged against any work of God that he will carry on and be greived to see it prosper Acts 4.2 It is said that they were greived that the Apostle taught the people There cannot be a greater mischiefe befall a man then this which is the ground which inrages the devill himself and is the cause of all the blasphemy in hell that their minds are contrary to the will of God which yet they cannot withstand 4. Satan makes this use of it to keep men off from receiving direction from God let God speak what he will the soul is in a disturbance cannot hear as it is to speak to a man in a tumult so it is with the noise and the rising that is in a mans heart Exod. 6.9 It was a welcom message a man would think to men in affliction that God would deliver them and that they should inherit the promise made to their fathers yet they hearkned not to Moses because of the anguish and bitterness of their spirits This