persona From the person 2. From the person 1. From Moses if any man should have received perfection by it no doubt he that gave it But of Moses we finde Numb 20.12 Againe the Lord spake to Moses and Aaron because ye beleeved me not to sanctifie me in the presence of the children of Israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the Land which I have given them He was a transgressor of the law before he received it 2. And he that delivered the law was not partaker of the least promise of the law i. to enter into the promsed Land 3. His whole ministery was destructive his signes and miracles that he wrought in Egypt were plagues of Lice Caterpillers death c. and therefore he shewed himselfe the minister of Gods justice and wrath whereas the ministery of grace raised the dead out of their graves healed the sicke The ministery of the law a destroying ministery the ministery of grace a saving ministery cast out divels c. shewing plainely that it was a saving spirit 4. Exod. 34.35 The children of Israel saw the face of Moses how the skin of Moses face shone bright therefore Moses put the covering on his face till he went to speake with God 2 Cor. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And not as Moses which put a vaile over his face that the children of Israel could not stedfâ—stly looke to the end of that which is abolished Moses when he had left talking with the Lord and had come downe from the mount the skinne of his face shone so that without a vaile put over his face there was no talking with him so that the perfection of the law is to blinde and dasill their eyes that view it rather then to cleere and enlighten them But the Gospell shewes us the face of God clearely â—â—â—b ipâ—a lege â—â—om the law 〈◊〉 â—elfe 3. From the law it selfe from the tables that were broken before the law could be delivered which is in the judgement of the fathers that that covenant should be made voyd 2. And in that very time that the people should have received the law they were in the greatest trangression of it that could be namely idolatry worshipping the golden Calfe So the law to increase sinne offence betweene God and man made sinne to superabound Rom. 7. 4. A modo From the manner The Gospell was delivered not with a fearefull sound of any warlike Instrument sounding defiance but with a song of Angels 2. Part. Lex paedagog ad Christium The Law a schoolmaster to Christ Last from the manner With the blast of a Trumpet that terrified the people that was delivered with terrour shewing that that was a law of terrour and that it should exact terrible things at our hands But the delivery of the Gospell was contrary for that was delivered with the comfortable songs of Angels Luke 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men The second part Gal. 3.18 That the law is Paedagogus a Schoolmaster to Christ which likewise may be shewed by the cricumstances of the law 1. That it was delivered by the disposition of Angels in the hand of a mediator Galat. 3.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ordained by Angels in the hand of a mediator namely Christ Galat. 3.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherefore the law was our Schoolemaster to Christ that we might be justified by faith Now a mediator hath full authority and power to end the matter as he list either to establish the law or to abbrogate it So Christ because for our health he could not doe otherwise tooke order in his owne person to abrogate the old Covenant and to make a new 2. Another a charge given to Moses that the Tables should be put into the Arke of the Testimony And thou shalt put the mercy Seate above upon the Arke and in the Arke thou shalt put the Testimony which I will give thee Which was a signe of Gods presence with us the presence of God with us is onely in Christ per Emanuelem nostrum by our Emanuel 3. Another Of the vaile of Moses which was a ceremony of the mitigation of the brightnesse of the law That the vaile is now removed and we see Christ The ceremoniall law is made now spirituall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Cor. 3.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The vaile is nothing else but the ceremonies of the law these nothing else but Christ and to leade us to him Betweene Moses and us Christ is as a vaile 4. Another Of the time of the delivery of the law It was the fiftieth day after the celebration of the Passeover the time of the first fruits An argument betweene the day of the delivery of the law and the day of the descending of the Holy Ghost At the very same time in the very same day the fiâ—tieth from the Passeover of Christs resurrection came the holy Ghost in the Gospell And though we cannot fulfill all that we should yet because these fiftie daies are the time of first fruits though we cannot offer up every action we may offer our first fruits to wit in hoatam obedientiam a begun obedience received by Christ Christ performing that which was required at our hands though not at the barre of judgement yet at the barre of grace This inchoatam obedientiam begunne obedience we shall have when we shall have new hearts not of stone but of flesh Ezek. 36.26 A new heart also will I give you Ezek. 36.26 and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will give you an heart of flesh to wit 2 Cor. 3 3. His new Testament being written in the fleshly tables of our hearts whereby we shall offer our first fruits Last Num 21.5 They protest that they will heare neither God nor Moses Numb 21.5 6 7 8. a plain desolation of the law presently upon this came the signe of Hell 6. The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people which stung them so that many of the people died 7. Their humiliation The people came to Moses and said We have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us 8. v. A declaration of the Gospell and of the comming of Christ And the Lord said to Moses make thee a fiery serpent and set it up for a signe that as many as are bitten may looke on it and live Which brazen serpent Christ John 3.14 applieth to himselfe 1 Cor. 10.2 3 4. The Fathers 1 Cor. 10.2 3 4. as they had their Cloud they passing through the Sea their Manna the water out
we may seeke and finde naught for they should finde none yet verse 27. they would needs goe out to seeke and found none This is a curious inclination of our nature it cleaveth fast to us 1. Sam. 6.19 The men of Beth-shemesh would needs know what was in the Arke but they payed well for it 50070. men of them were slaine for that one action so here God enacted that none should touch the mountaine and that for the beast much more for man Numb 14.45 the people of Israel that would enter into the Land contrary to Gods Will are soone slaine Verse 44. yet they presumed obstinately to goe up to the top of the mount But the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord and Moses departed not out of the Campe. 45. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites which dwelt in that mountaine came downe and smote them Two things 1. To goe up into the mount 2. To touch the mount It s nâ—t tâ—e law that these men have desire to know it s but to goe up into the mount to gaze which was altogether unprofitable They have omitted the thing and searched for the times and places and consumed them to Hormach It was no necessary thing for the people to ascend the mountaine yet the people itched after it and when they should come there they would not be so hastie to know as to gaze so that the knowledge was not so much sought of them as the place therefore it was an idle thing and odious to God We see the very same hath raigned among the sonnes of men Acts 1.6 Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel Matth. 24.3 Tellus when shall these things be and what signe shall be of thy comming and of the end of the World But as Christ answereth them there It s not for you to know the times and the seasons which my heavenly Father hath put into his owne power So Moses here It s not for you to touch or ascend into the mountaine it pertaineth not to you This then must be our wisedome as it is Deut. 29.29 Hiddâ—n things belong to God and those that are manifest to us We must say to our selves as Moses said to the people It s not for you to ascend up into the mountaine More excellently Rom. 12.3 Not to be wise above that we ought but to be wise unto sobriety We must therefore keepe our selves in the limits which the Holy Ghost setteth downe As temporall death or punishment here is for trangressors and those that be over-curious in seeking out quiddities so Pro. 25.27 Qui scrutator est majestatis divinae opprimetur a gloria The curious inquirer after divine Majesty shall be overwhelmed of glory Those that are overcurious in seeking things unnecessary shall seeke with ignorance and lose the knowledge they had of necessary things 1 Tim. 6.4 they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 languish they shall be sicke with foolish questions deceiving others and themselves to They shall be alwaies a learning but never know any thing A fearefull example of Salomon Preach 1 17. I gave my heart to know wisedome and knowledge madnesse and foolishnesse I knew also that this is a vexation of the Spirit August Qui inventa veritote aliud quaerit mendacium quaerit He that having found the truth seeketh any thing else seeketh a lie This overmuch curiosity made Salomon subject to the grievous points of Idolatry We are then to know our barres about the law unum est necessarium One thing is needfull Fourth point of the del very or the law There is added of the learned another point not as a point of preparation but as a necessary motive in the delivery of the Law necessary meditation of the law gathered out of the delivery of it and it may be comprehended in the points of the delivery of the law Heb. 12. à v. 17. to the end whatsoever terrible thing there was the Lord caused them to concurre at the delivery of the law vers 9.16 first in a thicke cloud secondly with thunderings and thirdly lightnings fourthly the sound of a Trumpet sounding exceeding loud 18. fifthly Mount Sinai on fire and a vapour of smoake sixthly the quaking of the mount and as David Psal 20.8 The voice of the Lord made the wildernesse to tremble the wildernesse of Cades All these as they are fearefull sights and objects of the cogitation of man so it was the purpose of God to shew his law in terrible things to terrisie them withall And we see it tooke effect For first the mountaines and rockes trembled in the next chapter the people fled and desired Moses that they might heare God speake no more to them And Moses himselfe Heb. 12.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So terrible was the sight that Moses cried out and said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I exceedingly feare and quake This fourth point is a circumstance of the manner of delivery which though it be not of requiring the preparation yet Heb. 12. the Apostle useth it as a great argument to stir us up effectually For whatsoever thing is terrible either to the eye to behold or to the heart to thinke 18. v. 31. Mount Sinai was all on a smoke because the Lord came down upon it in fire and the smoke therof ascended as the smoke of a furnace and all the mount trembled exceedingly So that this wrought such a requisit reverence in the people that the Lord said Deut. 5.29 O that my people had alway such an heart to feare me c. These sights and sounds because they are past affect us not But yet that argument of the Apostle Heb. 12.25 26. may affect us If the delivery of the law be so terrible if the law Act. 7.53 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it being delivered by the hands of Angels be so dreadfull when God in the power of his Majesty shall come to require it how dreadfull shall it be And this shall more plainely appeare by the conference of circumstances of the delivery of the law and of the day of judgement 1. The delivery of the law was done by Angels A collation of circumstances in the delivery of the Law and in the day of judgement 1. By Angels 2. Darknesse the requiry shall be by God himselfe 2. Here is mention made of a thicke and darke cloud Amos 5.18 that it shall be a darke and gloomy day that there shall be darknesse and no light Woe to you that desire the day of the Lord what have you to doe with it the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light 19. As if a man did flie from a Lyon and a Beare met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a Serpent bit him 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light even darknesse no light in it Jude v. 13.
of the ancient Fathers hold this against the Philosophers that Quiequid fit Audit◠an◠is fide fit whatsoever is done it is faith that doth it but there faith is not fully that which it is here But a faith which is civill as the husbandmans faith is a civill faith he seeing unkindly weather c. maketh himselfe ready every yeare to sow and till his ground and to bestow great cost and paines on it though he have no demonstrative knowledge whether he shall reape any commodity of it that yeare So it is in Merchandize the Merchants see stormes arise very oft yet they hazzard their goods upon a civill faith So in Marriage some are unfruitfull yet they marry in hope to have Children So in Warfare the Souldier makes himselfe ready for the battel in hope of victory The Schoolemen that came after them they goe a subtiller way to worke and they hold that quicquid scitur fide scitur that even in those things that we know we doe beleeve For our senses understanding we know and they are our witnesses our reason conceiving we know and it beareth us witnesse and they themselves confesse that both the witnesses are very deceitfull For they eye which is the best of outward senses and certainest because it apprehendeth more differences and apprehendeth his object after a more speciall manner The Opticks reckon up twenty wayes how it may be deceived and a great imperfection in it 1 Cor. 13.11 When we are children we speake as children The perfectnesse of the facultie of seeing standeth but in degrees conceive and reason as children They at the Plough cannot judge of the formall causes of things because they cannot see them but tell them of labour and that they see Therefore in respect of a superiour understanding they are farre short therefore we may be deceived in things above us so there may a relation be made Locus à testimonio The unperfectnesse of the knowledge of science cometh of the unperfectnesse of the knowledge by faith There is no certainer way then this Now to the place of Testimonie it hath his imperfection onely from the imperfection of Science It hath but two exceptions First want of skill Secondly want of faithfulnesse Now if the party want skill and cannot or if he can but is not honest and will not his testimony is not to be taken Whereas the knowledge of faith and grounds of Divinity are laid upon such witnesses as want neither skill nor faithfulnesse but for their skill can and for their faithfulnesse will deliver the truth Therefore it hath a fuller resolution then the other for as it is 2 Tim. 1.12 We beleeve not whom we know but scio cui credo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though wee may not say Sclo quod sca◠yet wee may say Scio cui credidi We know him whom we beleeve we know that he is Amen and as it is Revel 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The faithfull witnesse and as it is Rev. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things saith the faithfull and true witnesse the beginning of the creation of God Tit. 1.2 such a one as cannot lye Now for the manner of giving his testimonie The termes in the Scripture are Dictum Jehovae dixit Dominus Thus saith the Lord 1. There is his saying and because a mans stipulation and promise is certainer then his bare saying and will be better beleeved and sooner taken therefore Rom. 1.2 it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he had promised before by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures and Tit. 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In hope of eternall life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began 2. he hath made a promise and 3. Heb. 6.17 18. for our greater comfort and assurance hee hath also sworne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto us the heires of Promise the immutability of his counsell confirmed it with an oath c. and because if we have a mans hand set to in writing we will beleeve him yet more 4. We have his handwriting in Exod. 32.33 34. written with his owne finger wherein he hath set downe that he will shew mercy on whom he will shew mercy and take vengeance on whom he will take vengeance 5. For confirmation of his hand writing Rom. 4.11 he hath set his handwriting under a seale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a seale of the righteousnesse of the faith c. And lastly which is the furthest degree a man can goe he hath given us a pledge an earnest penny 2 Cor. 1.22 Who also hath sealed us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfe same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit The exception that may be taken against this Object is that the voice of God is not dayly heard among us and that which we heare is intituled to other as to Moses Esay Jeremie Matthew c. Answ 2 Pet. 1.21 To this wee answer as in the proeme Yea but though men did it yet they were such men as did nothing of themselves nor followed their owne interpretations but as they were moved by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost For our Prince will not speake to us by her owne mouth but by Proclamations we must allow as to our Prince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his ambassadours and his writs So the Holy Ghost to speake unto us in the Scripture by the mouth of his Prophets and Apostles is as much as if we heard God himselfe speaking viva voce from Heaven unto us How know I that this is true that they are the messengers of God Object As the Scepter of the Kingdome delivered to them that bring it Answ is a witnesse among us that they come from and for the Prince so the scepter of Gods extraordinary power was committed to these men and is a witnesse unto them John 6.30 the Jewes require of Christ but that he would shew them a signe which was this Scepter And Christ John 10.38 would desire no more of the Jewes then that if they would not beleeve him for his Word yet for his Workes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. if I doe then though ye beleeve not me beleeve the workes c. John 15.24 he saith that if he had not done such things nor wrought such miracles among them they might have had excuses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. if I had not done workes among them which no other man did The mutuall proofe dictum supra naturam by factum supra naturā contra c. Augustine upon that that they were done saith that either we must grant that these miracles were done or else that without any miracles all the world was converted and became Christians
Joshuah both the Sunne and Moone stood still For putting to flight of earthly powers Exod. 17.11 When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed but when he let his hand downe Amaleck prevailed The examples be infinite but these seeme lesse because it hath power on spirituall powers on death and hell on death Esay 38.5 in Hezekiah I have heard thy prayer and seene thy teares behold I will adde to thy daies 15. yeares on hell Mat. 17.21 the Apostles being to deale with strong devils and being not able through their unbeliefe to cast them out Christ saith to them This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting But that that drowneth all is that in Exod. 32.10 where there was no violence done of Moses but he onely gave himselfe to prayer and yet we see a strange speech of God Dimitte me let mee alone as that violence had beene done him and he had beene mastered by Moses his prayer and if it be able so to worke on God much more will it prevaile in every thing else And this is for the necessity and use of Prayer The promises made unto prayer Now for the Commandement but first we will consider as it standeth on Gods behalfe both how willing he is and what promises he hath made to it True it is as it is in Gen. 18.27 as Abraham spake of himselfe so wee being nothing but a handfull of dust and ashes it were infinite presumption once to presume to speake to him being so excellent a God without his warrant and promise therefore Gen. 32. Jacobs prayer to God 1 King 8. Solomons prayer for a piece of earth to speake they fence themselves with a promise whereupon one saith non mea praesumptione sed tua promissione For the promise and for the Commandement we spake before Psal 50.15 Call upon mee in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt praise mee He commandeth it with abjecting externall sacrifices so Joel 2.32 But whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved For in mount Sion and in Jerusalem shall be deliuerance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call alleaged also Act. 2.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved As on the other side Jer. 10.25 the curse of God is on all those that call not on him There is nothing can be more required then that Ps 91.15 God saith He shall call upon me I will heare him deliver him and save him But the joyning together of those two places Mat. 7.7 Petite dabitur vobis Aske and it shall be given unto you and Joh. 16.23 wherein the one place i. Mat. 7.8 is Omnis qui petit accipit Every one that asketh receiveth and in the other Quaecunque petieritis à patre meo in nomine meo dabuntur vobis Whatsoever you shall aske the Father in my name he shall give it you This is very much there can no more be required then these that omnis qui petit accipit and quaecunque petitis accipietis But we will expound it after And as he is ready to promise so he is ready to performe But that is the strangest Esay 65.24 Etiam antequam invocaveritis before ye pray I will heare you so ready is hee on his part And to testifie this indeed Exod. 30.6 in the Law hee erecteth a Mercy seat or if first Esay 56.7 he causeth a Temple and that he giveth this name as of the speciall exercise The house of Prayer and 1 King 8.41 it is for the stranger also Esdr 7.3 so defined by the King the house of the God of heaven and in this he sets a Mercie seat before which in the 7. v. are Priests and Levites and Singers and Nethimins and the 1. part of the service Incense often as Psal 141.2 interpreted Prayer and that in the time of the Law And so is it meant Luk. 1.10 that the people without were at their prayers while the Priest within was at the Altar at the typicall worship i. burning of incense And proportionable to this is that Heb. 4.16 that God as here he hath set a seat of mercie so in heaven he hath set up a Throne of grace from whence si ascendat oratio descendet gratia if prayer ascend gtace shall descend Now because we our selves have no accesse unto it therefore Rom. 5.2 order is taken that wee should have accesse per alium by another he Heb. 7.26 that was Heb. 5.7 in his flesh and offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares not onely for his Apostles but also for all that beleeve in him Joh. 17.20 and not onely then but now also Rom. 8.34 He maketh still intercession for us and his intercession is from himselfe not from another but Revel 8.3 he is figured by an Angell where the prayers of the godly are received by the Angell and there is incense put into them to season them withall that the smell of them may be acceptable to the Lord and then offereth them up to his Father so he not onely prayeth himselfe but maketh our prayers accepted of God and therefore Revel 1.6 every one shall be a Priest to God and every priest must offer sacrifice and there is no other sacrifice in the new Testament but praise and thansgiving so he hath promised Zach. 12.10 spiritum gratiae the spirit of grace and that is accomplished Gal. 4.6 because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father And Rom. 8.26 We have not any power to call upon God neither do we know what to pray for or how to pray but the Spirit asketh for us with sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed therefore there can be nothing required but we shall have it Thus we see that all is performed on Gods behalfe Now to the duty The duty of Pâ—aâ—er commanded The duty commanded it is of two sorts but first in gererall Invocation containeth them both so Hilary and Austin 59. Epâ—st taketh Invocation We understand it by these two things the first is Psal 25.1 a lifting up of our soule i. a sixing of our minde on God who is the author and giver of all good secondly as Psal 6â— 8 a pouring out of our hearts i. a full declaration of our desire and that we require Psal 142.2 expounded to be our thoughts and meditation These two in generall concurre to the making of Invocation This Invocation as it is 1 Tim. 2.1 doth receive a fourfold division for it is divided into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deprecation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pâ—eâ—aâ—ion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Interaction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thanksgiving The first we may divide into Prayer Thanksgiving The other three are thus divided prayer is made either for Our selves Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
desirous to be occupied as the Angels are occupied this is the meanes Now as this is a way to lift us up so it is a way if we walk not in it to cast us down Psal 19.1 2 3 4. Psal 148. sheweth that the creation of the world the duty of the creatures is nothing else but to declare the glory of God in so much as we see Psal 148.10 he called the very worms and basest creatures to their function and duty and Chrysostomes note upon it is that that man that is ingratefull and a sinner his state is worse and more vile then the worme the basest vilest creature in so much as he will not vouchsafe himselfe to come into their number to sing praise to God This for the creatures But for the Church Psal 29.9 there in the Temple every man speaketh of his praise the naturall duty of it What is preaching praedicare but a declaring of his creation and his benefits of his owne free mercie then in electing us of our Saviour and his redemption and the shutting up of these per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whom with the Son and the holy Ghost be honour c. as the Fathers use is And for the Sacraments the Sacrament of perfection it sets down to us so much that it is called Eucharistia a thanksgiving and it ends with Gloria Glory be to God on high c. And for prayer this is the complement of prayer So all the exercises of the Church did tend to this Psal 133.1 Where the unity is not onely called a good but also a pleasant thing the Fathers say that many things are good but not pleasant and many things pleasant and not good but this hath an excellent commendation that it hath both and Psal 147.1 there is a third thing a thing may be pleasant and good but not comely but there it is said that it is a good pleasant and comely thing to praise the Lord and be thankfull Profit we see is a great mover if profit be not all excellencie else is contemned and Act. 20.35 Beatius est dare quam accipere It is more blessed to give then to receive this is the onely thing and there is nothing else that a man can give to God And August saith here If we will we may be beatiores but the Lord he hath called it magnification glorification sanctification c. as if we made him greater or more glorious or holier then he is by it and there is never this given but something is received Luke 17.15 Ten Leapers were cleansed nine came not backe to give God thankes he which commeth back and giveth God thankes receiveth againe the second time that is forgivenesse of his sins so that it is never given gratis but as there is first ascension of prayer then decursus gratiae a descending of grace so as Bernard saith after there is recursus gratiarum actionis a sending backe of thankes and then a new decursus gratiae a comming downe of benefits so there is decursus gratiae recursus cesset recursus gratiarum actionis cessabit decursus gratiae a comming downe of grace and a returne of thankes if thy thankes be not returned grace will no more come downe and if that come not then as it is compared to water so it receiveth the quality of water which if it have not perperuall succession it standeth still and stinketh so this standing still it rotteth the gifts of God bestowed on us and those graces that wee have received before Bernard on the seventh of the Acts in his book of minores sermones hath this question Wherefore the excellent gifts and rare examples of all vertues and good things in the Primitive Church and in the times before are not now seene We have the same beginnings that they had but we if a man continue as hee hath begunne wonder at it but they did not onely continue as they begunne but went forward and therefore they had the greater gifts and he saith It is not because Gods hand is shortned or his will altered but because skant and thinne is our thanksgiving sowen and therefore our harvest and our reaping must needs be skant and thinne and therefore Vae aetati nostrae propier ingratitudinem Woe to this age of ours even for its unthankfulnesse and there is no other reason else why there is not the same progressus of graces with us that was before with them Prosper in his second booke de vocatione gentium Gratiae nullum cerâ—ius est signum quam gratiae there is no surer signe of Grace then thanksgiving There is one reason more That worke must needs be excellent that must not be left though God willeth it this though God should forbid it should be done yet it must be done Luke 5.14 Marke 5.20 there was a plaine Inhibition to him that he should tell it no body but he went and proclaimed it and it is there set downe for his great commendation though Christ was no way proud yet this disobedience was a godly disobedience and it was but a commandement to trie him but nothing must hinder us So for agenda the parts of prayer to be performed by us the next is modus the manner how we must performe them 2. For the manner of praying right and giving thankes 1 it is required that our thanksgiving be animata alive a common fault amongst us that our thankes and prayers be exanimes without life David he chargeth his soule My soule prayse thou the Lord and all that is within me prayse his holy name that it may have not a tongue but soule and we have a powring out of our lungs not of our hearts In 1 Sam. 7.3 there is a direct commandement that in their prayer they should direct their hearts unto the Lord. In the 1 Cor. 14.15 I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also I will sing with the spirit I will sing with the understanding also else it is dead and returneth empty that Bernard saith of himselfe nihil in mundo est fugacius corde meo they alleadge Psal 40 1â— cor meum dereliquit me not so properly said as our common translation hath it but yet it is Ieromes the ascending thoughts come up so thicke that they will not suffer our prayers to come to God the plaine duty to civill men and to our superiours not to turne away our minde till our tale be done may teach us how God in justice may judge of our dealings and esteeme of them This is much augmented by an humour of men in our age that are delighted with long prayer and so fall into a great offence praying above the measure of their faith and of praying sundry times and to sundry purposes Aug. in the 10. chap. of his epistles speaking of the gods of Egypt and their worships saith dicuntur in Aegypto crebras habere orationes sed brevissimas habere quidem orationes sed raptim
Filâ—â— Sp. Sancti Tantum How great Rom. 8.32 it was so great that he spared not his owne Sonne and that for God the Fathers tantum and on Christs behalfe his tantum was that for our sakes being such wretches he was content to leave the society of the Angels and Saints and to come downe here to endure such things he suffered all Aristotles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five fearfull things 1. ignominy 2. neede 3. sicknesse 4. enmity 5. death 1. for the first i. ignominy and reproach he had it while he lived and as it is Matth. 27.63 he was not free from it after he was dead for they call him causâ—ner and deceiver We remember that this cousener and deceiver said while c. 2. And for his neede his owne mouth may witnesse Luke 9.58 that he was in poorer case then the fowles and beasts 3. For his infirmities Esa 53.4.5 he suffered wounds and blew wounds liâ—ores for our sakes 4. For his enmity Iohn 15.18 he saith that the world hated him while he was in it 5. But that which is the infallible signe of his love and the greatnesse thereof towards us Iohn 15.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there can be no greater love then to die for a mans friend but Christ suffered a most shamefull death for us that hated him and were his enemies and as Cantic 8.6 the love that is as strong as death is perfect love that he tooke upon him too For the holy Ghosts tantum is this that in stead of Christ he descended and Rom. 5 5. shed this gift of the grace of God and all other good gifts among us and is content to make his residence with us to the worlds end And now we may judge betweene God and our selves as Esa 5.4 Whether a man may not justly demand whether there bee any thing that he hath not done and suffered for us Now for the last 6. Gratis i. gratis the freenesse of it as Psal 16.2 he is like to have no reward of us for we cannot helpe him nor reward him nothing but onely this amorem pro amore Our love for His and nihil est decenâ—â—â— nothing is more feemely their that all these which God hath bestowed upon us per amorem by his love should bee requited amore with love againe 11. Wiseman 27. the Wiseman calleth to God and that most justly and truely all these wayes having testified this his affection to us and he enjoyning us nothing but this to love him againe Aug. Quid est homo quod aâ—arâ— vis ab eo si non anat â—e minaris ingeniem poenam annon poena satis mag na est non amareâ—e What is man that thou commandest him to love thee O God and if he love thee nor thou threatnest to punish him can there be a greater punishment then not to love thee For our naturall love of meate and drinke there neede no threatning nor reward but this love that is supernatural and should make us supernatural must have threatnings and rewards so untoward we are This for that that God performeth on his behalfe Love commanded Now we come to that which is commanded and that is love whether it be naturall and consequently by nature due to God that we should amare cum a quo habemus potentiam anandi bestow that affection of love upon him that gave it us equity it is or whether it be amor delectus a love of choyce For when we have made a summe of all our thoughts we cannot finde that is more to be loved then God or whether it be amore infuso Rom. 5.5 he hath shed this love into our hearts and it is reason that he that hath scattered should gather that which he hath scattered for so the wicked and unjust servant can tell us This love and the measure therof is considered in it selfe first either as it is hindered or not hindered As it proceedeth freely Denre it hath two parts 1. desiderium 2. gaud um Desire and Joy Desire so long as we seele not the certifying of Gods spirit in our hearts as the Prophet David he had Psal 42.1 and joy when God giveth it cum sustulit gaudium posuit gaudium the Devils have a desire unto that good which they know they want and shall never enjoy which makes them breake out into malice and blasphemy but the desire which is wrought in our hearts by the worke of the holy Ghost produceth the effects which the Apostle speakes of Gal. 5.22 But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace longsuffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith When it is hindered and resisted that it cannot get a desire Zelus ex ira delore then commeth zelus zeale ira est vindex laesi desiderii it is called sacra ebullitio a boyling of griefe and anger incensed against all impediments and it is one of the signes of love for qui non zelas non amat there is no love when there is no zeale he that can see impediments to the glory of God if he have not an earnest desire for the removing of them hee hath no love Modus amoris the measure of love For the measure it must proceede thus high as that we be ready to hate Father and Mother Wife Children Brother and our owne soule for it i. as it is somewhat more gently set downe Matth. 10.37 that they must not be loved more then God nor come in comparision with him but when their Commandement commeth against Gods Commandement that must yeeld to this and God alone must come to have our love The royall law saith that we must love him with all our soule withall the minde with all the heart and with all the strength As the heart is said improperly to beleeve so the minde is said no lesse improperly to love but it must be so forced in us as that all the powers of the body and minde must yeeld to it and shew forth their actions else we come short Quia fecisti me because thou hast created me therefore I owe my selfe to thee si tantum pro facto quantum pro refecto if so much for making thee then how much more for making thee a new saith Bernard For it is harder to make againe then for to make All things at the first were made with a word but when it came to the remaking there was not dixis facta sunt He spake and they were made but there were many things spoken Christ was faine mulia dicere mulia facere gravia perpeti etiam indigne perpeti to speake much and to doe much yea and to suffer much even cruell and unworthy things before we could be restored and with the second making there came the gift of God himselfe nisi dedisset se non reddidisset te He had not restored thee unlesse he had given himselfe for thee Benard upon Datus est nobis filius Nam etsi millies pâ—ssem rependere
still Such is our nature and in Saul our nature bewraieth it selfe so then we see the coherence To apply it to the glory of God the common saying is Every man is delighted with that especially in the which he exceeds other and because we know that gnalpanai is a thing that God excelleth all other in for he only is a searcher of the heart therefore 't is that God delighteth so much in this Another and two more they are both Prov. 4.23 the wise mans counsell is to looke to our heart especially there is his reason because from thence commeth life and all the faculties of soule and body that is a cause containing a double reason 1. because it is the principall member therefore it must principally give glory to God 2. If it be corrupt there will be no glory by the fountaines The necessity appeareth in this that al those glorious duties before handled take them and remove them from this they are not onely not accepted before God but an abomination before his eyes therefore if our beliefe must be acceptable to him Rom. 10.10 it must come from the heart if our prayer 2 Tim. 2.22 it must come from the heart if our love 1 Iohn 3.18 it must be in word and in truth which is from the heart so likewise our obedience must be from the heart Rom. 6.17 and to conclude whatsoever we doe we must doe it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the heart Col. 3.23 Mandatum Inward soundnesse against inward hallownesse sincerity against mingling That which is commanded it is called by the Fathers virius integritatis the vertue of integrity they ground it on Gen. 17.1 when he beginneth the covenant of circumcision Ambula coram me walk before me what is that that is esto integer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be thou perfect you shall finde it commonly used with another word as in Iob 1.1 that Iob was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they properly sound thus streight and sound the nature of the words is taken from timber in which there must be streightnesse that it be not crooked that is coram facie humana and soundnesse that it be not hollow that is coram facie divina this is for God the other man may see Luke 8.15 Christ expresseth them under these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an honest and good heart Nazianzen speaking of that place in the person of God saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give me the pithâ— and not that onely but streightnesse is required without too so that without and within we must be such as is required in good timber In Exod. 25.11 37.2 all his embroydering and workes they were both foris intus without and within but for the distinguishing other Kings daughters from the Kings daughter i. the Church Psal 45.14 it is said there that her beauty is specially within for the outward beauty may be counterfeit and represented by them that are not of the Church but the inward beauty is required and that is it that admitteth no hypocrisie The defect hypocrisie That which is forbidden there is forbidden here the fault of the Pharisees Matth. 23.26 whose fashion was to make cleane the out-side of the cup quod intus autem est non curare and never regard the in-side and we see hypocrisie is the sinne of seven woes more then ever any sinne had Excessus when a man is simple without wisdome The other extreme is as in Hoseah 7.11 i. soundnesse and plainnesse the Prophet calleth it columba sine corde a Dove without a heart Matth. 10.16 Christ cals it columba sine serpenie the Dove without the Serpent It is of one that is as we reade Prov. 29.11 powring out his spirit without any manner of wisdome and discretion before every man our integrity it must be preserved with wisdome The Meanes Media Where we are commanded a good thing there is also the meanes of it commanded 1. Senecaes counsell to Lucillius for he desired integrity was that whatsoever hetooke in hand he should imagine Cato or Scipio or some other of the ancient Romanes renowned for this vertue to stand before him and it is a good meanes we have in Psal 16.8 of the same kinde but it farre better exceeds that Let a man as the Prophet there saith say I have set the Lord alwayes before mine eyes i. imagining that whatsoever he doth he is in the presence of God And if that will not move him then that in Rom. 2.16 possibly will if he set not God onely absolutely but as he sitteth when all hearts and the secrets of man shall be opened i. the adding to God the day of judgement Preac 12. the last vers Every thing though it be never so secret shall come into judgement 2. Another is Ephes 6.6 and it may be a forcible reason if this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye-service satisfie not God no not to our earthly masters if God will not allow that for currant to men but will have it done even to them in singlenesse of heart surely this may be a sufficient argument to perswade us that he will much more exact it of us for himselfe 3. The last is the dealing of Christ with us for the integrity of our heart for he yeelded the integrity of his heart to us he suffered it to be ripped and pierced therefore it is reason that we should yeeld up the integrity of ours to him Bernard Iuste cor nostrum vendicat qui suum pro nostro dedit he justly challengeth our hearts that hath given his owne for ours he thought not his hands and feete c. enough i. when he had given all his members beside he thought not himselfe that he had given enough to us except he had given his heart too therefore it is not our hands and our feete that can requite it for they cannot make recompence for his hands and his feete but the integrity of the heart also is to be yeelded The Signes Nilconsâ—ire sili nulla pallescere culpa hic murus aheneus esto 1. You shall know it by that of the Heathen man you shall know a sound heart by a wall of brasse about it it is so full of courage as we see what Paul saith 1 Cor. 4.3 Mihi pro minimo est at a vobis judicer with me it is a small thing that I should be judged of you i. that the soundnesse of the heart it is it that will put courage to the heart if he be not conscius mali conscious of evill as that all the strength in the world cannot appall it Contra if we want a sound heart our courage will fall We have examples of both Mar. 6.18 Iohns courage in a good cause and in an heart accordingly affected was exalted even above the Majesty of a Prince contra where the heart was false in Peter Mar. 14.66 69. we see two silly maids outcountenanced him and he is faine to cast himselfe
and 2. the other of the Commander And that people that hath picked out this day of all the dayes in the weeke to deale exceeding despitefully with GOD as the other did celebrare Sabbatum Tyri c. did keepe the sabbath like the man of Tyre So these doe celebrare sabbathum satanae Doe serve the devill in their sabbath But Esay 58.3 the right Sabbath is called Deliciae JEHOVAE that wherin the LORD taketh great Delight and pleasure and that is kept by ceasing from our owne workes Whether it bee from our owne nature and will or calling on the six days or ceasing from that that is Pleasant in our eyes from our owne pastime then wee shall keepe Sabbathum JEHOVAE delicatum and GOD will make it a day to learne his will in and learning it to practise it and practising it shall blesse us and so wee shall come to the inheritance of our crowne And on the contrarie side if Lament 1.4 and 7. he complaineth that the high ways of Sion shall complain That none came to and fro to GODS Sanctuarie or if it fall out as it is Verse 7. that the enemie mocke at her sabbaths if order bee not taken GOD himselfe Mal. 2.3 will take orde projiciet stercus solemnitatum vestrarum hee will make them as odious to us as dung and wee shall loath it or as Jer. 17. the last Verse hee shall punish it by fire But if yee will not heare mee to sanctifie the sabbath c. To sanctifie it It is well sayth an heathen man if one alone doe it but better if many together or an whole citie Psal 40.10 The speciall reason of the instituting this day was that his trueth and glorie might have the prayse thereof and that in the great Congregation hee might have the Glorie In this sense Joel 1.13 Gird your selves and lament you Priests howle yee Ministers of the Altar for meat-offrings and drink-offrings are taken from the house of your GOD. And Joel 2.15 Sanctifying is taken from assembling together The reason in regard of the Church was 1 vniformitie That they might bee knowne all to keepe one profession of fayth and to bee in one bond of obedience that did meete in one place at one time in one day to glorifie GOD. And 2. The Meanes Prayer And 3. for the Common wealth Psal 68.6 Hee is the GOD that maketh men to bee of one minde in an house and as the heathen men saw that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meeting together in one place was because of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was a way to maintaine amitie Therefore those that set up tyrannie seperate men 4. For each private man that as was said before from these nundinae animae from this spirituall faire they might carrie commeatum animae provision for the soule for the lightening of their understanding For the restrayning of their will even as in the market day before men gather for their use to serve them the whole weeke after And so consequently beeing thus stored and provided for the great ende may bee gained in Ezek. 38.23 That GOD might bee sanctified id est That hee might bee magnified Exod. 31.13 The Sabbath was a Signe betwixt GOD and us whereby wee may know that it is hee that sanctifieth us So when this is wrought wee might bring forth fruite of this sanctification Whereas GOD Gen. 2.3 did first make holy this Day out of the proportion of it John 17.19 hee sanctified it for our sakes and not for his owne and his sanctification was as it is Jer. 1.5 The ordaining of it to an holy use and that as Zach. 7.3 appointed by a separation to that exercise from other dayes and then as 1. Cor. 10.16 by giving a blessing to the exercise that is upon that day And that that was his to make holy is our dutie to keepe holy For if a thing bee destinated to an use and bee not applied to it it is perverted See Ezechias his course 2. Chron. 29.5 whatsoever God hath sanctified or made holy that the fruite thereof may redound to us it needs not that we should sanctifie the thing but we must first sanctifie our selves We cannot make it holy but keepe it holy as the destination is of God so the application is of our selves but Exod. 30.29 what thing soever is holy he must see he be holy that toucheth it So he that liveth in that day that he doe not touch it nor looke upon the Sunne that shineth in it but that hee be able to make it and himselfe holy all that looke on the sunne that day must be holy For the use of the meanes For this cause Rom. 15.16 it is plaine that we are sanctified by the Holy Ghost And there is therein a resemblance to Levit. 8.10 the Leviticall sanctifying There was nothing could be sanctified but it must first be annoynted 1 Iohn 2.27 it is said to be as the figure of the spirituall Unction which is nothing else but the spirituall working of the Holy Ghost in our hearts So then first we must see that the Unction be in us then as before Luke 11.13 because the Holy Ghost which onely can sanctifie us is the gift of God and is not denyed to any to whom hee hath given grace to receive it the spirit expresseth it in this manner and compareth himselfe to fire the sparke is given by God so that the matter must be gathered and prepared by us that wee 1 Thes 5.19 doe not quench the spirit that is Prophesies or the ordinary meanes which God hath ordained Deut. 12.8 That sanctification shall not come to any man by his owne braine by doing that which is good in his owne eyes but onely the prescript method that God hath set downe for the gathering of Matter for this Sparke which the Holy Ghost must set on fire that so it might not goe out The Fathers in the Councell of Gangara last Canon have set it downe thus That if any man keeping his house that day be never so fruitfully occupied and thinke he pleaseth God they give him Anathema for it especially at those times The meanes of sanctification In which nothing else can be said but that was said before in knowledge how the true knowledge might be come by Onely that that Augustine saith of the often iteration that this is the fruit of iteration that he that speaketh may say Domine scis quia dixi Domine scis quia iteravi Domine scis quia contestatus sum Lord thou knowest I have sanctified thy Name because I have preacht thy Name I have talked of it againe and againe I have beene witnesse unto thy truth In 1 Tim. 4.4 the Apostle attributeth the sanctification of every thing to Prayer that is used before and therefore they have termed it the Preparative to all the duties of a Christian More plainely Mar. 1.35 Christ in the morning before day arose and prayed so long and came into the
without prayer and fasting some kinde of tentation not to bee avoyded Last for the procurement of some good and that either in generall Acts 10.13 Cornelius himselfe when hee was to enter into the generall vocation of a Christian Or particular CHRISTS owne example in the entring of his Mediatorship Matthew 4.1 It is the opinion of the Fathers 13. and 14. of the Acts before the Inauguration and calling of the Ministrie This whatsoever the Magistrate doth ought to be done of our selves The Parts are of no other nature then the parts of the Sabbath and they are two First the externall as the rest outward sorrow Secondly internall abstinence as Sanctification The outward they call abstinence or fasting the inward sorrow or mourning or humiliation First in the outward it is required of us that from Even to Even we doe wholly celebrate the Sabbath Levit. 23.32 wholly abstaine from meate and drinke Ezra 10.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whatsoever is to be eaten and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is liquid a generall restraint of both Secondly in Joel 1.13 Gird your selves and lament you Priests howle ye Ministers of the Altar come and lie all night in sackcloth yee Ministers of my God c. An abridgement or breaking off the ordinary course of our sleepe Thirdly in Exod. 33.4 of laying aside of the best apparrell which in Nehem. 9.1 and in sundry other places is expressed by wearing of sackcloth And that we should be without that too but onely for the commandement of God for nakednesse And generally Zac. 7.3 separating our selves from all that is commodious or pleasant to the senses from all commodities and delights of this life Et quia non peccavit sola gula ne jejunet sola Bernard Because the taste hath not sinned alone therefore it must not keepe a fast alone but the rest of the senses must have their separation also And as we are forbidden and restrained all these so Levit. 23.28 are we forbidden any labour or worke of the six dayes and so falleth in that the same rest is required then as on the Sabbath Last of all as we finde Esay 58.10 the precept an example Acts 10.3 the Centurions fasting that it was joyned with almes Canon Quod ventri subtrahitar illud pauperi addatur that which we spare out of our owne bellies must be given to the poore But now because as we said before it is not bodily labour or bodily rest so Rom. 14.17 the Kingdome of God is not in meate and drinke If there we stay and goe no further it will not serve Therefore the Prophet telleth such fasters Esay 58.3 though they lay in sackcloth a whole day yet it was not that God required because the outward action is but ordained for the inward the account that God maketh is of that it is instituted for humbling Matth. 9.13 what is there said of Sacrifice may be said as well of outward mourning And as it is Joel 2.12 not the rending of apparrell but the heart and the fast that he alloweth off must be accordingly And 2 Cor. 7.11 where the Apostle describeth the full course of whatsoever is required of us inwardly in this fast And Rom. 8. it must come from the spirit with such sighings as cannot be expressed Of the sorrow there cannot be an exquisite method but as he setteth them downe there they are in two companies either a working of seare and consequently a sorrow and after that a sorrow that we have been so unkinde to offend so mercifull a Father and then after that we have a while remained that we proceed to a desire of amends and that we be carefull and that care sheweth it selfe zealous and if we chance not to proceed a right then that we be ready to punish our selves In a word the fruit of those actions they tend to this end 1 Cor. 11.31 that we may judge our selves that so we may escape As his policie was 1 Kings 20.31 and as we see the common practise of the rebellious subject if by any meanes he may make the bowels of his Prince to yearne within him But alwayes except the seale of humiliation and fasting be added all is naught Nehem. 9.1 and last Where after a great vow before the Congregation protested that after an exhortation foure times and after a solemne reading of the Law at that time When as ordinarie readings was but twice This was the order for the furtherance of this and when hee had drawne a Covenant they set their hands and seales to it and so bound themselves by an everlasting Covenant Which vow if wee can keepe if we can bring our selves to the vow of obedience if we can doe this unfainedly and doe it so effectually as we promise readily ever afterward it is very certaine that this hath taken a good root in us The fourth rule The spirituall part of the Law Which because Esay knew the value of it in the Fast as Cha. 58.3 and in his Sabbath at the 13. verse of the same nothing did so belong to them as if they would give over their owne corrupt Will if mans corrupt will could be brought under This is that he sheweth 1 Pet. 3.15 Sanctifie the Lord your God in your hearts It is a thing that may be performed of man and such as the Lord delighteth greatly in The meanes in which the lord throughout the Scriptures comprehendeth these that whereas there must be a solemne prosession of thankefulnesse and our sorrow for our unthankefulnesse there must be a place also and persons chiefe in these actions of Sanctification And these persons not Ex tumultuario grege they must not be men of the common rout but such as must be trayned up for it And because the trayning up will require cost therefore the order for the maintenance of the Ministers and the Universities which are the places to prepare them for Ministers and Schooles they are commanded alike of God For the place Leviticus 19.30 and 26.2 in both places is this sentence Yee shall keepe my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuarie making the observation of his day and reverence of the place to runne in one verse and making them of one nature The Sabbath is the day of rest and when we hallow it we call it the Lords rest so Psalm 132.14 we see the Lord will give the same name to the place This is my rest Concerning which as the Apostles tooke order as that the exteriour part of GODS worship might be performed decently and in order So on the other side that the place of GODS worship should bee so homely and so ordered that the Table of the Lords Supper where one saith well Tremenda Dei mysteria the dreadfull mysteries of GOD are celebrated that it were fitter to eate Oysters at to be an Oyster table then to stand in the Sanctuary of the LORD this is so farre from Pompa that it is farre from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Decencie that every
17.15 Quem Deus eligerit whom God shall choose else nought and injust ipso facto 1 Kings 1.20 Bethsabees speech to David The eyes of all Israel are upon thee that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my Lord the King after him and verse 33. he chooseth Salomon And 1 Chron. 28.5 he saith Among all the sonnes I have God hath chosen Salomon And indeed it is all one to choose a man for his gifts as if God had chosen him Every one must be chosen for their gifts of wisedome c. that shall be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. A second forme Deut. 27.15 1.13 generall to both he must be some of their owne Nation The first reason is because of naturall affection grounded on education Where a man hath been bred he will be most profitable The second reason is Acts 26.3 the reason of Pauls joy in that he should answer before Agrippa a great matter to bee acquainted with the customes of the Countrie These in generall Deut. 27.1 In any wise he shall not prepare him many horses nor bring the people againe into Aegypt 4. Particular duties of the Prince for to encrease the men The particular duties of the Prince Deut. 17.16 foure duties are set downe First he must not be affected to Aegypt which is Nutrix idololatriae the nurcery of Idolatry he must not favour false Religion and if he doe he ought not to be a King ver 16. Secondly ver 17. not uxorius it is a Synechdoche whereby is meant he must not be voluptuous given to pleasure Pro. 3.3 4. they must not meddle with Wine and Women Salomon pronounceth woe against the Land where Princes be early at their Banquets yea and late too Thirdly ver 17. No hourder of Gold and Silver not covetous 1 Kings 12.4 it was Salomons fault for he by his seven hundred Wives and three hundred Concubines made such an imposition on the Land that when his sonne came to raigne the Subjects come and tell him plainely he should not raigne and be their King unlesse he would ease his Fathers burthens 1 Kings 12. Thy Father made our yoke grievous make thou it light and we will serve thee And ver 16. seeing themselves not regarded said What portion have we in David Wee have no inheritance in the sonne of Ishai to your Tents O Israel now looke to thine owne house David The Prince to have a copy of the Law therein to learne three things Fourthly vers 18. which is the first to be done because it is provision for all the rest he must have a copy of the Law in which he may learne three things first to feare God Secondly to shew the practise of it 1. in himselfe 2. in the Court 3. in the whole Country And the third thing to be humble And keeping this Law his throne shall last for ever as Pro. 29.14 that will make sure succession as Samuel told Saul 1 Sam. 10.6 dedit Deus cor aliud God gave him another heart How Because he was there among Prophets The meanes be plainer Psal 2.10 Erudimini Reges be wise now therefore O ye Kings c. Christ Mat. 10.21 gave one that he liked a lesson but his possessions choaked all so they choake learning and all other good things Hinc illud Christi How hard is it for rich men to enter into the Kingdome of Heaven He that is thus qualified is meet for a kingdome Now being in his seat he must not thinke he is there by himselfe according to their stile Caesar Dei gratia c. Caesar by the grace of God c. So whereas the Law distinguisheth potestas into arbitraria delegata power is either Arbitrary The Princes duty delegate not arbitrary Assigned He must acknowledge the later to be his and say with the Centurion Mat. 8.9 I am under authority of Claudus Lisias he under Faelix he under the Emperour he pro Deus under God and so he is under authority also The Heathen man said Kings are our Countries and over Kings is God Being Gods Viceroyes they must rule as God would if he were on earth How is that Even secundum verbum ejus according to the prescript of the Word So must Princes rule and Numb 27.21 because the Prince hath no perfect skill and deep cogitation in the Word therefore this ruling must bee at the mouth of Eleazar And this is the first duty The peoples duty answering to this To acknowledge him Gods deputie 1. Duty of the people 1 Sam. 10.26 whose heart God touched they are obedient Obedience as Principality is of Gods spirit Mat. 22.21 by Christs answer there it appeares how he stood affected in his obedience unto Caesar Two sorts of men were then in Juda There was one Theudas that made an insurrection for Tribute that was commanded some there were that would not pay tribute and Theudas Captaine of them he tooke on him to defend them and to prove that no tribute must be paid On the other side there were certaine spiritus aulici court spirits Herodians they would have every thing given to Caesar even Gods part too And therefore they and the Scribes aske Christ tempting him Is it lawfull to give tribute unto Caesar or not To whom he saith not omnia sunt Caesaris all things are not due to Caesar but Caesar hath his quae and God hath his quae So he goeth from Theudas to Obedience that is medium mediocritas the true meane 2. Duty of the Prince The second duty is because God hath dealt so liberally with Caesar as to make him his Deputy Quod dicitur de Deo creaturis derivatur a Deo in creaturas that supremacy which God hath over his creatures he hath derived and given to the creature So it comes from God who was able to have done all himselfe alone if he had followed that which some worldly men say Author alienae potentiae aufert de sua perdit suam he that sets up another puls downe himselfe he had not bestowed his dignity upon any But he imparted of his honour to Caesar Now Caesar must not requite him with breaking into that that is Gods alone for there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a division quae Caesaris quae Dei Caesar hath his and God hath his therefore he must let God have his owne And so Caesar must not dominari conscientiae beare rule over the conscience none but God keepeth court in conscientia Therefore he must not command a man against his allegeance in baptisme that sealed his conscience to God So he must not goe against the Word from which faith proceedeth Jerome saith That that is payd to Caesar against the Word is not Caesaris vectigal but daemonis not Caesars but the Devils tole So he knowing Gods glory to be his end he must be Deut. 16.17 custos legis that is omnium operum legis a keeper of
the newes of Ioseph that he was alive his spirit revived It commeth three wayes according to the three benefits of the soule 1. joy 2. peace 3. love Exod. 1.14 against joy where it is said there the Egyptians brought them in amaritudinem spiritus to bitternesse of spirit and Exod. 6.9 against peace by breaking their hearts they brought them in anxietatem spiritus into an anguish of soule that they would hearken to Moses Prov. 22.25 that when a man falleth into hatred of all things when he hateth himselfe it killeth his heart None of al these must be to our brethren especially must not be to the good 2 Pet. 2.8 Lots soule is not to be grieved and so bring him by their wicked deeds to the first death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drowsinesse of spirit he began to loath to attempt any good and not to goe forward this is a great and grievous fault and is done Psal 95.8 by provocation and irritation So we must not provoke him by any manner of these meanes Thus much of the second point The third rule concerning the spirituall law Our Saviour Christ Matth. 5.22 nisi sanguis sequeretur unlesse bloud were shed they counted it no murther nor way to murther as Christ there teacheth them to goe further then the arme or blow that is given that whatsoever are outwardly committed and accompany murther are nothing else and are but fructus irae the fruits of anger and that is the roote of Wormwood Heb. 12.15 and that must be pluckt up For when these bitter fruits come by vertue of that which is in the heart Matth. 15.19 he boldly pronounceth that out of the heart proceed murthers and so those that lay plaisters onely to the armour and weapon shall never helpe the disease For it is noted further Deut. 19.16 this is Gods reason that murther is not capitall of it selfe if it be not that he hated his brother before therefore this is to be punished As in the begining it was said so now that as the beginning of pride was the fountaine of the breaches of this Commandement so is it that likewise from which this anger commeth The wise man Prov. 13.10 he saith thas Onely by pride contention and anger commeth and therefore the Apostle Gal. 5.26 saith Bee not desirous of vaine glory this is the roote that maketh one envious and provoketh one against another so that envies murthers came here for as it was said in the beginning every one setteth this downe with himselfe That he is good and whosoever loveth him doth his duty and so consequently he must be good as on the other side hurting him and envying him that man must necessarily be evill so hee must conceive an anger against him omnis ira sibi videTur justa each froward man accounts his anger just as before omnis iniquitas mentitur sibi therefore it is that it commeth to the second for anger is compounded of two things 1. The griefe for whatsoever in dignity is preferred to us The 2. a desire to require it The griefe is the boyling aestus irae actualis or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 5.20 It is as Prov. 14.19 the inward fretting and from thence pride containing the party evill and as the Heathen saith there presently commeth to be mala mens an ill intent when his judgement will be corrupted Eph. 4.3 he doth reprehend that man that doth it sub malitia out of malice he maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malice to be that that corrupteth his understanding his affection 1 Pet. 4.15 he makes himselfe Bishop of other mens doings Then necessarily 1 Tim. 6.4 called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill whisperings and Iam. 2.4 he is judex malarum cogitationum a judge of evill thoughts he draweth his thoughts to evill why he hath taken an opinion of him and then he thinketh he must be even with him Then followeth the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Luke 9.54 they would command fire from Heaven because they were not presently entertained Now then this anger or injurie if it be conceived to proceed from a superiour because Iam. 4.5 so there is a spirit in us that lusteth to envie and as Iob saith 5.2 that those same parvuli c. envie alwayes layeth hold on the inferiour hence it commeth to passe as the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.20 that there will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a swelling of the minde and either presently breake forth or if it lie long and be suppuratio an impostume as Cyprian calleth it it will prove rubigo animae the rust of the soule which is a fearefull thing and a great deale worse then anger Prov. 27.4 Anger is cruell and wrath rageth but envie goeth beyond them it bringeth to murther And as Matth. 27.18 Pilate saw that it was for very envie that the Jewes delivered Christ to him Now the occasion of it ariseth 1 Iohn 3.12 that there are some better then we because every one desireth his owne excellencie so if there be any better then he he thinketh he standeth in his light and therefore he seeketh to discredit him and to bring him low under-water and we will swimme above the water unlesse all swimme under Iohn 3.26 Iohns Disciples come to him and say He that was with thâ—e beyond Iordan now he hath got all the Disciples was an envious thing to them Luke 15.18 The elder brother came home from the field he saw his fathers entertainment of his younger brother hee would not goe in for envie the reason is because he thought himselfe better and consequently nothing can be done but envie will make it a matter for her to worke on But 1 Sam. 18.8 if it come once to ten thousand then vers 9. non potuit rectis oculis eum intueri he could not look right upon him as vers 10. on the morrow after there came an evill spirit on him And there is none that the Devill will sooner fasten upon then upon such Gen. 37.4 the making of a better coate for Ioseph and a little more love of Iacob to him then to the rest was a marvellous moate in their eye and vers 33. it is true that Iacob prophesieth though perhaps in another sense bestia pessima devoravit fil um meum an evill beast hath devoured him for envie was that cruell beast that devoured Ioseph The greatnesse of this sinne one saith Invidiae propier magnitudinem secleris futura poena non sufficit ergo hic plectitur so hainous is the sinne of envie that Hell alone is not a sufficient torment for it therefore is it punished here also and consequently Prov. 14.30 it is putrido ossium the rottennesse of the bones he that wished himselfe wholly an eye that wished himselfe an argus cannot wish himselfe a worse evill and torment The Saints Numb 11.29 were not envious in one envie as Moses that he would have none equall or like to him that was Pompeys envie and it is there
the faithfull of the Land shall be his and vers 7. The lier shall not tarry in his sight And thus much of the ninth Commandement The X. Commandement Thou shalt not covet c. IN this Commandement the Papists are against us and make it two which it cannot be Our reasons as we said in the generall division are these 1. Because there is but one period 2. Because there should be a Law of particulars which in least of all is Gods Lawes 3. Because onely these two concupiscences should be forbidden And whereas they say all other ought to be referred unto these they teach not how 4. Because Rom. 7.7 the Apostle sets it downe in one word non concupisces thou shalt not lust 5. The consent of the Hebrewes before Christ and the Fathers since 6. The inconveniencie that they are driven to to transplace this Scripture and say sensus est perturbatus that the sense thereof is perplexed 7. They themselves cannot speake of it distinctly as they divide it but confound it Now for the Commandement Deut. 5. Esa 55.7 Ier. 18.11 Mar. 7.14 Rom. 7.7 Ephes 2.3.4 whence we must take all that we speake herein The dependance The dependance as Aug. saith si quis caetera facere studeat hoc maximè faciat if any man endeavour to observe the other Commandements let him much more labour to fulfill this Prov. 4.23 As life issueth from the heart so good and evill life And Esa 59.5 commeth the Cockatrice egge which if it be not broken Iames 1.15 will be sinne whence commeth death The end The ends 1. That God may shew himselfe to looke further and his Law to reach further then mans Law For though mans Law say Binde the hands and stop the mouth yet it saith cogitationis poenam nemo patiatur let no man be punished for his thoughts But Gods Law saith not so Act. 8.22 but the very thought must bee prayed for 2. Propter Pharisaeos for your Pharisaicall justiciaries that though in the other Commandements we may flatter our selves yet this Rom. 7.14 will make us see that we are wretched The consent is in the other Commandements But the thought which in respect of the consent is called partus imperfectus an imperfect birth is forbidden in this For as in the other intentio the intention is forbidden etsi non consequaris although yee accomplish it not so here cogitatio etsi non consentias the thought although ye consent not as Aug. magnum fecit qui non sequitur sed non perfecit he hath done much and gone a great way who bath never assented to lust This Paul Rom. 6.12 calleth sinne raigning in us and Rom. 1.2 dwelling in us For as Aug. saith transivit in affectum cordis impetravit consensum rationis ut faciat si adsit occasio facultas this raigning sinne hath built his nest amongst the affections of the heart and hath obtained the consent of reason to fulfill its lust whensoever occasion and ability presents the opportunity So that it is here whilest it is in question but when it commeth to that Faciam I will or would doe it it is done before God This concupiscence is of two sorts 1. 2 Pet. 3.3 proper 2. Gal. 5.17 of the spirit against the flesh This of the spirit is good and Ephes 1.18 causeth good motions in us and 1 Pet. 4.1 armeth us to performe them and checketh us Psal 44.5 and is opposite to us Matth. 5.22 from this commeth our prayer and maketh us to love those things so much the more Prov. 3.9 And that of our owne Concupiscentia naturae which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 naturae naturall is not evill for so Christ desired to eate when he was hungry Matth. 24.18 and rest when he was weary Concupiscentia corruptionis Iohn 4.6 But that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corruptionis from corruption 2 Pet. 1.4 which is not an hand to the understanding as it ought to be but choketh it up and maketh us to be men of concupiscences And of this corrupt concupiscence 1 Tim. 5.19 some is foolish and some is hurtfull 1. Foolish concupiscence Foolish concupiscence is Colos 3.1 earthly desires when the naturall desire transit lineas passeth the bounds wholly to seeke those things and set their heart on them 2. Hurtfull concupiscence Hurtfull concupiscence is that which is against the spirit Gal. 5.7 7. opposite to the spirit This is that praeputium uncircumcision Act. 7.51 which hindreth the eares and heart from that which is good And this in good things corrupteth our understanding making it Eccles 10.1 like a flie in a barrell of honey and provoketh us to evill by these things which though they are good yet will worke in us an evill humour 1 Cor. 6. i. to make us subject to evill to need to have it then the Devill will bring such a condition as Mat. 4. he did to Christ And in evill it will bring us per malum aut ad malum an evill way or to an evill end as to make us use evill meanes to a good end or an evill end to good meanes It is called the old man Ephes 4.22 Col. 3.9 peccatum inhabitans sinne dwelling in us Rom. 7.5 the sting 1 Cor. 15.16 the pricke 2 Cor. 12.7 virus Serpentis the poyson of the Serpent The Scholemen call it fomitem peccati the fuell of sinne the late writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 virium a want of power and strength to rule the passions and affections for when man would make his concupiscence above his understanding Hose 8.11 God permitted it to be And this is that giving up Rom. 1.24 delivering to themselves And whereas the giving to Satan hath a returne 1 Cor. 5.1 2 Cor. 2. this to be given up to himselfe hath no returne so that it is better to be delivered up to the Devill We see then what this concupiscence is and how we are affected to it Now for the danger and the meanes to it though we come not so farre as suppuration i. the consent which is the lowest degree in the other Commandements we must not yet once cover for this desire being in us Ephes 2.23 as also of the world and of the Devill Suggestions from conen piscence Per hanc còncupiscentiam carnis by this lust of the flesh there is two suggestions the one in regard of this alone and the other as it is applied to us of the Devill 1. Alone as Matth. 9.5 in the dialogue Mar. 7.2 those ascending thoughts for nothing in us is good but that which descendeth Ascending thoughts 2. The Devill seeing this as he did with Christ when he was hungry Matth. taketh occasions to cast thoughts into us as hee did into them Luke 9.49 and together Ephes 2.2 the world carrieth them away For as Nazianzen saith The sparke is in us and the Devill doth onely blow it up Now those that arise are
will turne to you we must pray Convert thou us O Lord and we shall be converted Lam. 4. If he say to us Make you cleane hearts Ezek. 18 Because that is not in us we must pray Create in me a cleane heart and renew a right spirit in mee Psal 51.10 When Christ saith Beleevest thou this Joh. 11. for as much as Faith is the gift of God Eph. 2. we are to pray with the Disciples Domine adde nobis fidem Luk. 17.5 When the Apostle exhorteth Perfecte sperate 1 Pet. 1.13 we should say with the Prophet Lord my hope is even in thee Psal 39. And where our duty is to love with all our hearts because we cannot performe this without the assistance of Gods Spirit we are to pray that the love of God may be shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 THE SECOND SERMON JAMES 1.16 17. Erre not my deare brethren Every good giving and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning AS Saint Paul 2 Cor. 3.5 tels us that we are not sufficient to thinke a good thought but our sufficiencie is of God So the Apostle saith â—t is God onely from whom every good giving and every perfect gift commeth And that we shall erre if we either thinke that any good thing which we enjoy commeth from any other but from God or that any thing else but good proceedeth from him so that as well the ability which man had by nature as our enabling in the state of grace is from God He is the Fountaine out of whom as the Wiseman saith we must draw grace by prayer which is Situla gratiae the conduit or bucket of grace Therefore he promiseth in the old Testament To poure upon his Church both the Spirit of grace and of prayer that as they sue for grace by the one so they may receive it in by the other Zach. 12.10 Unto this doctrine of the Apostle in this place even those that otherwise have no care of grace doe subscribe when they confesse themselves to be destitute of the good things of this life and therefore cry Quis oftendit nobis bona Psal 4. As before the Apostle shewed that God is not the cause of any evill so in this verse he teacheth there is no good thing but God is the author of it If he be the Fountaine of every good thing then he cannot be the cause of evill for no one Fountaine doth out of the same hole yeeld sweet and bitter water Iam. 3.11 Secondly if every good thing be of God onely then have we neede to sue to him by prayer that from him we may receive that which we have not of our selves Wherefore as this Scripture serves to kindle in us the love of God for as much as he containes all good things that we can desire so it is a speciall meanes to provoke us to the duty of prayer This proposition hath two parts first an Vniversall affirmative in these words Every good giving secondly a prevention for where it may be objected that howsoever some good things come of God yet evill things also may successively come from him even as the Heathens say that Iupiter hath divers boxes out of which hee doth powre both good and evill the Apostle preventeth that objection and saith that with God there is no variablenesse nor shadow of changing So that as the meaning of these words in the Prophet Hosea 13.9 Salus tua taniummodo ex me is both that salvation is onely of God and that nothing else but salvation commeth from him so the Apostles meaning in these words is both that God is onely the cause of good and that he is the cause of nothing else but good lest when we are tempted unto evill we should make God the Author of all such temptations The former part of the proposition called subjectum is Every good giving c. The latter part called praedicatum is descendeth from above Where the heathen call all vertues and good qualities which they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of having the Apostle calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of giving to teach us that whatsoever good quality is in any man he hath it not as a quality within himselfe but he receiveth it from without as it is a gift Esau speaking of the blessings bestowed upon him saith I have enough Gen. 3.3 And the rich man Luke 12. Anima soule thou hast much good as though they had not received them from God but the Saints of God spake otherwise Iacob saith These are the children which God hath given me Gen. 33.5 Againe when Pilate without all respect of God of whom the Apostle saith There is no power but of God Rom. 13. said Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie and to loose thee our Saviour said againe Thou shouldest not have any power over me except it were given thee from above Iohn 19.10 The consideration hereof serveth to exclude our boasting Rom. 3. That the Wise man boast not of his wisdome Ier. 9. seeing wisdome strength and whatsoever good things we have it is the good gift of God as the Apostle tels us Quid habes quod non accepisti 1 Cor. 4. Secondly this division is to be marked that of the good things which come from God some are called Donationes others Dona and to these two substantives are added two adjectives whereof one doth answer to the givings of Gods goodnesse the other to the gifts of God ascribeth perfection The first errour the Apostle willeth them to beware is that they thinke not that God is the cause of any evill because every good thing commeth from him the second errour is that they should not conceive this opinion that the maine benefits are from God and the lesser benefits are from our selves not so for the Apostle tels us that as well every good giving as every perfect gift is from above That which the Apostle cals Donatio is a transitory thing but by gift he meaneth that which is permanent and lasting Ioseph is recorded to have given to his brethren not onely corne but victuals to spend â—y the way Gen. 45.21 So by giving the Apostle here understandeth such things as we neede in this life while wee travell towards our heavenly Countrey but that which he calleth gifts are the treasures which are laid up for us in the life to come and thus the words are used in these severall senses Of things transitory the Apostle saith No Church dealt with me in the matter of giving Phil. 4.15 there the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but speaking of the good things that come to us by Christ he saith The gift is not as the fault Rom. 5.16 where the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By Givings he understandeth beauty strength riches and every transitory thing whereof we stand in neede while we are yet in our journey
towards our heavenly countrey such as Iob speakes of Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit Iob 1.21 By gift he meaneth the felicity that is reserved for us after this life the Kingdome of Heaven that whereof our Saviour saith to Martha Luke 10. Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her That which is a stay to us in this life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the things which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard all which are reserved for them that love God 1 Cor. 2. these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as well the one as the other come from God So much we are taught by the adjectives that are joyned to these words Givings are called good and the Gifts of God are called perfect In which words the Apostles purpose is to teach us that not onely the great benefits of the life to come such as are perfect are of him but that even that good which we have in this life though it be yet imperfect and may be made better is received from him and not else where Who doth despise little things saith the Prophet Zach. 4.10 God is the Author both of perfect and good things as the Image of the Prince is to be seene as well in a small peece of coine as in a peece of greater value so we are to consider the goodnes of God as well in the things of this life as in the graces that concerne the life to come yea even in this To thinke that which is good 2 Cor. 3. Of him are the small things as well as the great Therefore out Saviour teacheth us to pray not onely for that perfect gift ut advenia Regnum but even for these lesser good things which are but his givings namely that he would give us our daily bread Under Good is contained all gifis both naturall or temporall Those givings which are naturall as to live to move and have understanding are good for of them it is said God saw all that he made and lo all was good Gen. 1. Of gifts temporall the Heathen have doubted whether they were good to wit riches honour c. but the Christians are resolved that they are good 1 Iohn 3. So our Saviour teacheth us to esteeme them when speaking of fish and bread he saith If you which are evill can give your children good things Luke 11. And the Apostle saith Hee that hath this worlds good 1 Iohn 3. For as Augustine saith That is not onely good quod facit bonum sed de quo fit bonum that is not onely good that makes good but whereof is made good so albeit riches do not make a man good alwaies yet because he may do good with them they are good The gift which the Apostle cals perfect is grace and glory whereof there is in this life the beginning of perfection the other in the life to come is the end and constancie of our perfection whereof the Prophet speaks Psal 84.12 The Lord will give grace and glory The Apostle saith Nihil perfectum adduxit Lex The Law brought nothing to perfection Heb. 7. that is by reason of the imperfection of our nature and the weaknesse of our flesh Rom. 8.3 To supply the defect that is in nature grace is added that grace might make that perfect which is imperfect The person that giveth us this grace is Jesus Christ by whom grace and truth came Iohn 1. And therefore he saith Estote perfecti sicut Pater vester coelestis perfectus est Matth. 5. And by this grace not only our sinnes are taken away but our soules are endued with inherent vertues and receive grace and ability from God to proceed from one degree of perfection to another all our life time even till the time of our death which is the beginning and accomplishment of our perfection as our Saviour speakes of his death Luke 13.32 In the latter part of the proposition we are to consider the place from whence and the person from whom we receive these gifts the one is supernè the other à Patre luminum Now he instructeth us to beware of a third errour that we looke not either on the right hand or on the left hand that we regard not the persons of great men which are but instruments of God if we have any good from them all the good we have it is de sursum the thoughts of our hearts that arise in them if they tend to good are not of our selves but infused into us by the divine power of Gods spirit and so is whatsoever good thought word or worke proceeding from us This is one of the first parts of divinity Iobn Baptist taught A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above Iohn 3.27 This was the cause of Christ ascending into Heaven Psal 68. He went up on high and dedit dona hominibus and the Evangelist faith the holy Ghost which is the most perfect gift that can come to men was not yet given because Christ was not yet ascended Iohn 7.39 Therefore if we possesse any blessing or receive any benefit we must not looke to earthly meanes but to Heaven The thing which is here mentioned excludeth the fourth errour we thinke that things come to us by fortune or customably he saies not that good things fall downe from above but they descend qui descendit proposito descendit Our instruction from hence is that they descend from a cause intelligent even from God himselfe who in his counsell and provision bestoweth his blessings as seemeth best to himselfe for as the Heathen man speakes God hath sinum facilem but not perforatum that is a lappe easie to receive and yeeld but not bored through to let things fall through without discretion When the Prophet saith Tu aper is manum Psal 145.15 he doth not say that God lets his blessings droppe out of his fingers Christ when he promised to his Disciples to send the Comforter saith Ego mittameum advos Iohn 16.7 Whereby he giveth them to understand that it is not by casualty or chance that the holy Ghost shall come upon them but by the deliberate counsell of God so the Apostle postle speaks Of his owne will begat he us by the word of truth The person from whom is the Father of lights The Heathens found this to be true that all good things come from above but they thought that the lights in Heaven are the causes of all good things therefore is it that they worship the Sunne Moone and Starres Iames saith Be not deceived all good things come not from the lights but from the Father of lights The naturall lights were made in ministerium cunctis gentibus Deut. 4. and the Angels that are the intellectuall lights are appointed to do service unto the Elect. Heb. 1.13 It is the Father of lights that giveth us all good things therefore he onely is to be worshipped and not the lights which he hath made to
of Timothy that he had Crebras infirmitates 1 Tim. 5. So the soule also hath certaine infirmities and that is the infirinity whereof the Apostle speaketh for albeit our soule be the stronger part as our Saviour speaketh when he saith The spirit indeed is strong Matth. 26. yet it is subject to many infirmities and weaknesses when it doubteth of Gods mercies saying Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever hath God forgotten to be gracious which the Prophet acknowledgeth to be signes of his infirmities Psal 77.10 And as the spirit is weake so there is a weaknesse of conscience 1 Cor. 8.7 and no marvel if there be such infirmities in the bodies also for life it selfe is but weake in regard whereof it is said of God that hereby hee is content to spare us for that hee remembreth that wee are but dust Psal 103. and considereth that we are but even as the wind that passeth away Psal 78. The difference is that as Christ saith Haec infirmitas non est ad mortem Joh. 11. and the dropsie palsie and such like diseases and infirmities of body are not mortall The second thing which the Apostle teacheth is that howsoever we be as the Apostle speaketh compassed with infirmities Heb. 5.5 yet they are not past cure for the Spirit helpeth our infirmitie◠so that albeit we are subject to fall through weaknesse yet there is hope concerning this thing Esay 10.2 and our errour may be healed Dan. 4. For there is balme in Gilead Jer. 8. which serveth to cure all our spirituall diseases Now the cure of the infirmities of our soule is not performed by any strength of our owne nor by our owne spirit but by the Spirit of God for so long as our infirmities are but bodily the spirit of man will sustaine them and there is helpe to be found but when the spirit it selfe is wounded then who can help it Prov. 18. The spirit of man must have helpe from a higher thing then it selfe as from the Spirit of God which onely is able to minister helpe The Apostle ascribeth to the Spirit of God two benefits first in regard of the life to come secondly in respect of this present life For the one as he is the Spirit of Adoption assures us of our estate in the life to come namely that as God hath adopted us to be his children so we shall be fellow-heires with his owne Sonne of his heavenly kingdome Touching the other because we are subject in this life to fall through infirmitie we have this benefit from him that he stayes and upholds us and therefore is called spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As our infirmities are manifold whether we respect the body o◠the soule so the weaknesse and defects of our souls appeareth not onely in good things which wee cannot do because the flesh ever lusteth against the spirit so that we cannot do the things that we would Gal. 5. but in evill things which we should beare and are not able The evill things that we should beare are not onely afflictions and the crosses which we are subject to which the Apostle proveth to be more tolerable because they are not worthy of the glory to come but dilatio boni wherein we need the vertue of magnanimity because it is a great crosse as the Wiseman saith Spes quae differtur affligit animam◠Prov. 13. Touching which affliction and crosses because in this life we cannot obtaine that which the Prophet wisheth namely to fly away as it were with the wings of a dove that sowe might be at rest Psal 55. therefore we must betake our selves to the mourning of the Dove Esay 38. waiting patiently when God will give us time to escape The meanes and wayes whereby the Spirit doth helpe us are many but he onely meaneth prayer to teach us that howsoever it be not esteemed as it ought yet it is the chiefe prop and principall pillar which the holy Ghost useth to strengthen our weaknesse Therefore when the Apostle willeth that first of all prayers and supplications should be made for Kings and all in authority 1 Tim. 2. the reason is as Augustine noteth because both mans salvation the honesty of life knowledge of the truth quietnesse of kingdomes duties of Kings and whatsoever tendeth to the publique benefit commeth by and from Prayer So that not onely the Church and spirituall matters but the common-wealth and temporall things are stayed upon the pillar of Prayer Wherefore as prayer is aspeciall helpe so we are not onely exhorted by religion to use it but nature it selfe binds us unto it for so long as we can either devise any help of our selves or receive it from any other so long we leane upon our owne staffe but when all help failes then we flie to prayer as our last refuge and therefore when God is said to feed the ravens that call upon him Psal 147. that cry of theirs is the voyce of nature so that albeit men for a time leane to their staies and help yet there is a day when all flesh shall be made to come unto him who onely it is that heareth prayer Psal 65. that is when they lye howling upon their beds Hos 7. then they shall be faine to call upon God for help so howsoever Pharaoh in the pride of his heart say Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce Exod. 5. Yet he made him come to him when he plagued him with thundring and raine and haile which made him send to Moses and Aaron that they might pray unto God for him Exod. 9.28 But here the Apostle meaneth the prayer of the spirit which alwaies reckons prayer to be the first and chiefest help in all trouble and not the last as the prayer of the flesh doth Therefore as we must discerne simulacra virtutum from vertues themselves and that which is naturall from that which is of grace so we must distinguish the prayer of the spirit from the carnall prayer and be sure that the vertues which we have if they be any are not naturall as those in many of the Heathen but that they proceed from grace and the working of Gods Spirit To the right framing of our prayer it is required that we do not onely orare mente spiritu 1 Cor. 14. but as the Psalmist saith of the praising of God so we pray to God with understanding Ps 47. Both our heart our understanding our affection must concurre in making intercession to God For a second point if prayer be a stay to us in our infirmities then we must be carefull that our prayers be not faint and weake but that they proceed from the fervencie and vehemencie of the spirit for as Christ saith If the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse Matth. 6. If our prayer be nothing else but infirmity as it is for the most part how great is our infirinity But the Apostle sheweth our weaknesse in prayer in
that he denyeth men two things first that we know not what to pray for secondly that we know not how to pray for both these defects we have a double supply for Christ as he is the light of the world Joh. 8. hath directed us what to pray for by that forme of prayer which he hath prescribed unto us and the holy Ghost who is compared to the wind that bloweth where it will instructeth us how to pray for that it stirreth up our affections so that we pray with fervencie of spirit and utter our desires unto God with sighes that cannot be expressed for as a man that travelleth must have a knowledge of his way so he cannot take a journey in hand except he have a good wind to set him forward to this end we are taught not onely by the wisedome of God the Father what to pray for but from the power of his Spirit we have those motions kindled in us whereby our prayer is made fervent Touching the persons whom the Apostle chargeth with this twofold ignorance they are not the common sort of men but even the Apostles themselves for he includes himselfe in the words We know not So Christ said not to the Heathen men Nescitis quid petitis Matth. 20. but to his Disciples James and John so that this is generally true of all men that they know not what to aske 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they ought except Gods Spirit help them It is true that we have a diffused knowledge of good and evill and a desire to be partakers of the one and to be delivered from the other for Ignoti nulla cupido but we must have a distinct knowledge that is whether the thing we desire be good or no There is an estate of life which is contemplative and another Active and our infirmity is such as we know not which of them to take our selves unto but oftentimes we thinke that course of life to be good for us which albeit it be good in it selfe yet turns to our overthrow so that when we desire of God to place us in any such course of life we speake after the manner of men Rom. 6. taking it for a contented course for our selves whereas it falls not out so This will appeare more plainly both in things temporall and spirituall The sonnes of Zebedee in their suit to Christ Matth. 10. had a desire to obtaine some good thing at our Saviours hands and they could not bethinke themselves of any thing better than to be exalted to some place of honour and therefore desired that one of them may fit at his right hand and the other at his left hand but Christ told them they asked they knew not what for honour it not fit for all men they were the Disciples of Christ and were to drinke of the cup of affliction and therefore willed them to be mindfull of it and not to affect that which was not for their good Likewise in spirituall things we may erre and hereof we have example in Saint Paul whom a man would thinke to have knowledg enough so that he would not aske the thing that was not good for him he had the messenger of Sathan sent to buffet him and hee prayed that it might be removed from him which seemeth to have have beene a reasonable petition but God answered him that hee asked he knew not what it was more necessary for him to be exercised withthe temptations then not and vvhereas he desires to be so pure as not once to be driven to evill God told him that his grace was sufficient for him for it was his will to perfect his strength in his weaknesse 2 Cor. 12. Therefore if vve have any revelation from flesh and blood Matth. 6. that persvvadeth us that this or that is good for us vve must know that all such are false and that we must suffer our selves to be directed by Gods Spirit who knoweth better what is good for us then we our selves But to the end that we should not erre the Spirit of God maketh intercession for us and therefore we may be sure that although we know not how to pray in such sort as may please God yet the Spirit of God who knoweth the secrets of the counsell of God will make that prayer for us which shall be both for our good and also according to Gods will 1 Cor. 2. It cannot be verified of the holy Ghost which is God that hee either prayeth or groaneth but the Apostles meaning is that he makes us to make intercession and hath that operation in our hearts that he makes us to groane So when the Apostle Galat. 4.6 sayes that the Spirit cries Abba Father his meaning is that by it wee cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 Againe the Spirit is said to make intercession for us because it sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts Rom. 5. for from the love of God proceeds this love and affection in us that we desire him and all his blessings and therefore make our prayers to him to that end which is nothing else but explicatio desiderii so that we do not so soone desire any good thing but we are ready to pray for it So sayes the Prophet Lord thou knowest my desire and my groaning is not hid from thee Psal 36. Likewise when our desire is delayed so that we obtaine not the thing wee would have then wee are cast into sorrow which is wrought in us by the Spirit which is in us and by prayer for it is the Spirit of God which kindleth this fervencie of desire in prayer as Augustine saith Tepida est omnis oratio quam non praevenit inspiratio every prayer is luke-warme which is not prevented with inspiration The first thing that the Spirit of God workes in us is that he inclineth our hearts to pray to God for the good which wee lacke which is a thing not in our owne power and therefore David thankes God that he found in his heart to pray 2 Sam. 7. for when we would settle our selves to pray Nihil tam longè abest à nobis quà m orare ut decet Now being thus untoward in our selves the Spirit of God comes and helps our infirmitie and as the Psalmist saith He opens our hearts to pray By this meanes it comes to passe that a man having his affections cold shall on a sudden feele in himselfe a desire to pray and shall say Domine paratum est cor meum Psal 108. Secondly whereas the Lord saith Open thy mouth and I will fill it Psal 87. We find this infirmity in our selves that when wee have found an heart to pray yet we cannot open our mouthes and therefore David sayes Open thou my lips Psal 51. and so must we sue to Christ that he will give us words to speake for God hath a key both to our tongue and will Thirdly having begun to pray that falls out many times which David complaines of Cor meum
dereliquit me Psal 40. So our heart will be gone and our mind will be wandring abroad not regarding what our tongue speakes It falls out often that as Abraham had his sacrifice ready he was no sooner gone from it but the fowles of the aire did light upon it Gen. 15. So while we offer up to God the calves of our lips Hos 14. and our course is past Psal 141. it comes to passe through our wantonnesse many foule thoughts be got upon our sacrifice and dispoyle it and the remedie that the spirit of God affords us against this infirmity is that it calls us home and tels us we are kneeling before the Majesty of God and therefore ought to take heed what we speake in his presence Therefore Bernard to keepe his mind in the meditation of God when he would pray began thus Let God arise and let all his enemies be scattered Psal 68. and Augustine to the same purpose began thus Save mee O God for the waters over-flow Psal 64. Fourthly though we have our meditation still on God yet wee shall find in our selves that our spirits are dull and heavie and have no manner of vigour to help our infirmity herein the Spirit helps and puts these meditations in our hearts whereby it kindleth as the Prophet saith a fire burning within us so that God shall be faine to say to us as he did to Moses Dimitte me let mee alone Exod. 32. Fifthly albeit we pray but faintly and have not that supply of fervencie that is required in prayer yet we have comfort that ever when we most faint in prayer there are of Gods Saints that pray for us with all instancie by which it comes to passe that being all but one body their prayers tend to our good as well as their owne for the faithfull howsoever they be many and dispersed into divers corners of the world yet they are but one dowe and as they are the members of one body so they pray not privately for themselves but for the whole body of the Church so that the weaknesse of one member is supplyed by the fervent and earnest prayer of the other Therefore when the Apostle saith The Spirit maketh intercession for us gemitibus inenarrabilibus Augustine asketh what groanings are these are they thine or mine no they are the groanings of the Church sometime in Mee sometime in Thee and therefore Samuel to shew that the Ministers of God do the people no lesse good when they pray for them then when they teach them said God forbid I should cease to pray for you and so sinne against God 1 Sam. 12.23 for he was an help to them not onely in preaching to them but in offering burnt offerings for them Therefore the people pray to Esay Lift thou up thy prayer for us For as the offering of the Minister is to put the people in mind 2 Pet. 1. so they are Gods remembrancers they are Angels as well ascending upwards by their prayer in the behalfe of the people as descending to teach them the will of God But if the Spirit that quailes in us do quaile also in the whole Church yet we have a supply from the teares which our head Christ shed on his Church Luk. 19.41 and from the strong cries which he uttered to God his Father in the daies of his flesh Heb. 5.7 by which he ceaseth not to make request to God still for us so that albeit the hardnesse of our heart be such as we cannot pray for our selves nor the Church for us yet we may say Conqueror tibi Domine lachrymis Jesu Christi Lastly because we cannot pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have two helpes also in that behalfe from the Spirit first that the Spirit teacheth us to submit our will unto Gods will because as we are men so we speake after the manner of men Rom. 6. This submission we learne from the example of Christ his prayer to God his Father Transeat calix isle à me Let this cup passe from mee yet not my will but thy will be done Matth. 26. So David qualified his desire If I have found favour with the Lord he will bring mee againe but if not let him do what seemeth good to himseife 2 Sam. 15. Secondly when wee looke backe upon our prayer and see that by reason of want of fervencie and zeale it is but smoaking flaxe then the Spirit stirreth us up to desire God that according to his promise Esay 42. He will not quench it but that his grace may be sufficient for us and that he will make perfect his strength in our weaknesse 2. Cor. 12. The other thing wherein the Spirit helpeth our infirmities is that he worketh in our hearts certaine groanes that cannot be expressed which is a plaine opposition to drousie and sloathfull prayer for a devout prayer plus constat gemitibus quà m sermonibus it is not fine phrases and goodly sentences that commend our prayer but the fervencie of the spirit from whom it proceeds It is well if wee doe orare mente spiritu 1 Cor. 14. but if our prayers do draw out sighs and groanings from our hearts it is the better fâ—r then it appeares that our prayer is not a breath comming from the lungs but from the very depth of the heart as the Psalmist saies of his prayer De profundis out of the deepes have I cryed to thee O Lord Psal 130. What the Apostle meaneth by groanings which cannot be expressed is plaine for when the griefe of the heart is greatest then are wee least able to utter it as appeares by the Shunamite 2 Reg. 4. Notwithstanding as it was God that wakened in us the desire of good things so though we be not able to utter them in words yet hee doth heare etiam vocem in silentio There are mutae preces tamen clamantes such as are the silent prayers of Moses which he made in his heart to God though hee expressed it not in words to this God said Cur clamas ad me Exod. 14. Now as Martha was loath to serve alone and therefore would have Mary to helpe her Luk. 10. So the spirit doth not pray alone but doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beares together or helpes us whereby the Apostle gives us to understand that man must have a co-operation with Gods Spirit So we see the Saints of God albeit they acknowledge prayer to be the work of Gods Spirit in them for as much as we are not able to call Jesus Lord but by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 12. Yet they are not themselves idle but do adde endeavour as David Lord open thou my lips So he affirmes of himselfe I have opened my lips and drew in my breath Psal 119. But that we may have the help of Gods Spirit without which our endeavour is but vaine wee must still thinke upon our owne weaknesse and humble our selves in the sight of God as the Publican did Luk. 18. So the
so he set them all downe in this forme of prayer The Confession of sinne and the supplication for remission is in the five petitions The thanksgiving is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thine is the Kingdome power and glory and the good which he desireth is the sanctification of Gods name the accomplishment of his Kingdome and fulfilling of his will as also a continuall supply of all things needfull for this present life The evill from which he prayes to be delivered is first from sinne it selfe secondly from the temptations of sinne thirdly from evils which are the effects of sinne The third and last point in this Text is that we observe something in this word Dicite whereof the first is that here Christ doth not say Say thus as Matth. 6. whereof some gather that we may frame prayers after the forme of the Lords prayer but not use the words themselves But he saith to his Disciples Dicite Pater noster c. that is wee may boldly use the very words of this prayer and albeit to set forth the desire of our hearts we use other formes of prayer and that in more words yet we must conclude our prayers with this prayer of Christ Secondly when he sayes Dicite he doth not say cogitate or recitate or murmurate but intus dicite cum ore for there is a mouth in prayer non est oratio sine ore therefore he alloweth vocall prayer and as he will have us expresse the desire of our hearts in words so the chiefe thing is that our prayers be from the heart for invocation is a spirituall sacrifice 1 Pet. 2. A reasonable service Rom. 12. So both the understanding and reason must be occupied and also the spirit or inward affection of the heart Our Saviour requireth both in expresse words Worship him in spirit and in truth Iohn 4. Sing with understanding Psal 47. I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also 1 Cor. 14. We must not onely have a spirituall servencie and zeale but also must know what we pray for which is belonging to the understanding So that if both doe not concurre our service is not reasonable nor our sacrifice of praise spirituall As for that prayer that comes onely from the lippes it may be said of it as God spake of hypocrites Is that the Fast that I required Isa 58. So assembling to heare the word as a people useth to doe Ezech. 33. Is that this which God requireth Is this to eate the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. It is not enough to make long prayers and use many words there is a spirituall prayer which God will have with our vocall petitions and therefore that we may pray with understanding we have neede to be instructed in the sense of the Lords prayer The excellencie of this prayer is in regard of him that made it who is come from above who hath mixed nothing with this petition that savoureth of the earth for they are all heavenly as hee himselfe is heavenly Secondly in respect of the forme which is a most perfect forme it was compiled by him who was the wisedome of God and therefore cannot be but perfect quia perfecta sunt opera Iehovae Deut. 33. Thirdly in regard of the excellent benefits that are procured to us by it which are so many as can be desired at the hands of God Fourthly for the order which Christ keepeth If man did make a prayer he would beginne at daily bread but Christ in this prayer teacheth us first to seeke the Kingdome of God Matth. 6. Our first petition must be for the glory of God and then for our owne welfare chiefly in the world to come and also in this life for as we may not pray at all for things that are evill so in things that are good and lawfull we must take heed that we aske not amisse The petitions being seven are divided thus The first concerne God himselfe the other sixe concerne us They concerne us in a three-fold estate first of Glory secondly of Grace thirdly of Nature In these petitions that concerne us the evill that we would have removed from us is first sin secondly temptation thirdly evill The good we desire to be granted us is first that Gods Kingdome may be in our hearts secondly that his will may be performed of us thirdly that he will give us things necessary for this present life THE SEVENTH SERMON LUKE 11.2 Our Father THis Prayer penned by our Saviour Christ in the behalfe of his Disciples and his Church unto the end of the world standeth first upon an Invocation then upon certaine Petitions The invocation is the stile or word of salutation wherein we call upon the Majesty of God The Petitions containe the sum of those things we seeke for at the hands of God That which we have generally to note out of this Preface is that this is one benefit which God vouchsafeth us that we may pray unto him and be heard whereby we are to conceive of him that hee is not like the great Monarches to whom no man might presume to speak except he hold out his golden Scepter to him as it is in Est. 4. The heavenly Majesty vouchsafeth every man this honour to speak to him and the Golden Scepter of his word doth allure us thereunto Secondly it is a greater benefit to pray to God on this manner that is by the name of Father and therefore by that which he promiseth the faithfull Isa 65. Before they call I will heare them wee are taught that we are so assured of Gods good will and favour towards us even before we open our mouthes to aske any thing of him that we doubt not to call him Father from whence we may reason as the Apostle doth Rom. 8. Seeing he hath given us his Sonne how shall he not with him give us all things So seeing God taketh us for his children how shall he deny us any thing whereby he may shew himselfe a Father In the first we consider the perfection of Gods goodnesse in these words Our Father In the second the excellencie of his power expressed thus Which art in Heaven Both these are attributed unto God not onely of the Christians but even by the Heathen that are strangers to the Church for they attribute this unto God that he is optimus maximus and therefore where these two doubts arise in our hearts Domine si vis Lord if thou wilt Matth. 8. and Domine si quid potes Marke 9. they are both taken away by these two attributes By that terme which setteth out the perfection of Gods goodnesse he assureth us that he is willing and by that which expresseth the excellencie of his power we are taught that he is able to performe our requests His goodnesse giveth us fiduciam that in regard of it we may boldly come to the throne of grace Heb. 4. The consideration of Gods power breedeth in us
Whatsoever things men either with for or are affrayd of all things come from heaven whether it be raine drought or contagion or plague and from the first heaven Ubi vultures coeli Matth. 6. From this heaven Saint Paul tels the heathen that God sends us raine and fruitfull seasons Act. 14. And when Job saith that God sends raine and frosts and snow and thundreth and worketh marvellous things c. Job 37. that is done in Primo coelo But in the second heaven are the Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone there he workes in the signes of heaven He binds the seven starres together Job 38.31 whatsoever wonders are wrought there it is God that worketh them and therefore he saith to his sonnes Nolite timere à signis coeli Jer. 10. he is in the second heaven and will not suffer any thing to hurt them The third heaven is that whereunto the Saints of God shall be received in the life to come where Saint Paul heard things that were not lawfull to be uttered 2 Cor. 12. So that as God will not suffer the first or second heaven to do us hurt so hee will bring us to the happinesse of the third heaven for he is Pater noster in coelis whereby we have hope and comfort not in this life onely which is but a dead hope but a lively hope touching the life to come For Christ doth not expresse Gods power by an action saying Our Father which madest heaven and earth Psal 121. nor which ridest upon the heavens Psal 68. But by a locall word to shew that as God is in heaven so we have an interest in the same place and that he will at the length bring us to the same place where he is Fourthly this word Heaven serveth to prepare us to prayer to the end that we should lift up our hearts and affections from earth to heaven seeing we speake not to an earthly father but to one that is in heaven and this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sursum corda Touching which thing one saith Aquilarum est hoc negotium this businesse belongs to Eagles which as they flie highest so they look most stedfastly upon the Sunne non Talparum not belonging to moules nor of such as are blind and will not open their eyes nec Milvorvm neither of Kites which albeit they flye aloft yet cast their eyes still downeward to the dunghill wee must wish with the Prophet O that I had the wings of a Dove Psal 55. and labour more and more to flye up with the Eagle into heaven into the presence of God the Father and his Sonne who sitteth at the right hand bodily for ubi cadaver ibi congregantur aquilae Luk. 17. As the consideration of Gods Majesty who is in heaven doth bring us downe and make us bow our knees before God our Father Eph. 3. So it must cause us levare manus corda Lam. 3. and to lift up our eyes to the hills Psal 121. and to have such a continuall meditation of his power that we may say with David Providebam Dominum in conspeclu meo semper I have set the Lord alwayes before mee Fifthly this word doth admonish us what things we should sue unto God for he is a heavenly Father therefore we must aske of him heavenly things his answer to the sons of Zebedeus was Matth. 20. Ye aske yee know not what honour and wealth are not things proportionable to him that is in heaven and an earthly Prince will count it a disgrace if a man aske at his hands meane things such as may be had of every man The gifts we are to aske of our heavenly Father are the eternall salvation of our soules this gift of the holy Ghost which he hath promised to them that aske it Luk. 11. and all spirituall blessings in heavenly places Eph. 1.3 God is a Father as Abraham was and as he had moveable goods which he gave to the sonnes of Keturah so he bestowed the inherinance which was immoveable upon his sonne Isaas Gen. 25. So we that are the children of the promise as Isaac was Gal. 4. must seeke for the inheritance of Isaac and not content our selves with that portion which was given to the sonnes of Keturah Salomon saith not amisse Two things have I desired of the Lord Prov. 30. But David saith better Unam perii à Domino I have sought one thing of the Lord Psal 27. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord that I may be partaker of Grace in this life and may be received into glory in the life to come Unto Martha that was troubled about many things our Saviour said Unum est necessarium Luk. 10. and this is the reason why it is not said qui es in terris For God sheweth himselfe a Father rather in heaven then in earth Deus pater est in coelis he is in heaven by assuring us of Gods heavenly blessings for they are the signes of Gods fatherly bounty to such as are his heires by promise as for earthly things he sheweth himselfe in them rather to the sonnes of Keturah then to Isaac and in respect of this world Martha is said to have chosen the better part Luk. 10. Sixthly as it teacheth us what we must pray for so also we learn hereby what wee are to judge of our selves and how we are to dispose of our minds when we come to pray if God our Father be in heaven then because we are yet on earth we must esteeme of our selves as strangers and pilgrims This did all the Fathers acknowledge I am a stranger and sojourner upon earth as all my Fathers were Psal 39. and therefore having a longing to be in our City Wo is mee that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech Psal 120. The Apostles Peter and Paul confessed the same the one writing to the Church of God calleth them Pilgrims and strangers 1 Pet. 2. the others reporteth of the Fathers that they confessed themselves strangers and Pilgrims upon earth and in saying these things they shew that they sought a country not the land of Canaan from whence they came for they had time to returne thither if they had beene mindfull of it but they sought a better that is an Heavenly City Heb. 11.13 and we have no abiding City here but do looke for one to come Heb. 12.13 These shew us that albeit we have our dwelling in earth and be subject to many calamities yet for this our exile we do genus de coelo ducere we take our pedegree from heaven When therefore as the Poet saith os homini sublime dedit it is a shame for us to have our hearts downeward we must remember that we are of a more excellent nature then other creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are his kindred Act. 17. we have received from God a soule and spirit indued with many heavenly qualities which beeing dissolved from the body returneth to God that gave
petition we are to consider two things First the Kingdome it selfe secondly the Comming of his Kingdome Touching the first point it may be objected how it is that Christ teacheth us to make this petition for Gods Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and his Dominion endureth throughout all ages Psal 145.13 How then is it said to come For the answer of this doubt the Kingdome of God must be distinguished First God hath an Vniversall Kingdome such a Kingdome as ever was and for ever shall be of which it is said The Lord is King be the people never so impotent he ruleth as King be the people never so unquiet Psal 99. Secondly there is a Kingdome of Glory that whereof our Saviour speaketh Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you c. And the thiefe upon the Crosse said Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome Luke 13. and this is the Kingdome which in the first place Christ teacheth us to pray for we pray for this Kingdome that it may come we pray for our owne good for it is a Kingdome of power and therefore able to defend us and therefore our Saviour in the conclusion of his prayer addeth this For thine is the Kingdome Matth. 6. According to which the Prophet David saith Thy Saints give thankes to thee they shew the glory of thy Kingdome and talke of thy power Psal 145.11 The government of his Kingdome is committed to Christ of whom it was said by God I have set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion Psal 2. In which regard he doubteth not to affirme of himselfe Matth. 28 Data est mihi omnis potestas c. All power is given â—e in Heaven and in Earth And notwithstanding God reigneth as King yet that is verified which the Prophet complaineth of Isa 26.13 O Lord God other gods besides thee have ruled over us for Sathan taketh upon him to be King and hath played the Tyrant and hath prevailed so farre as that the greatest part of the world are subdued unto him in which regard our Saviour calleth him the Prince of the world Iohn 14.30 And by the Apostle he is termed the God of this world for that he blindeth mens eyes and maketh them subject to the Kingdome of darknesse 2 Cor. 4. Secondly there is a Kingdome of sinne against which the Apostle exhorteth Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies Rom 6 â—2 which he meaneth when he saith That sinne hath reigned unto â—â—â—ath Rom 5.21 Thirdly the Apostle sheweth that Death hath a Kingdome when he saith that by meanes of sinne death reigned from Adam to Moses Rom. 5.14 These are enemies to the Kingdome of God for while the Devill reighneth by meanes of sinne as he doth so long as he worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 4. he taketh away the glory of Gods Kingdome and Death takes away the power of it And in regard of Sathans Kingdome he is said to be a King over all the children of pride Iob 41.34 For he makes the whole world rebell against God so that they are not ashamed to deny him to his face and that is true not onely of the common sort of the world but even of a great many of the Church of which number are those that sticke not to say We will not have Christ to rule over us Luke 19.14 Againe there are many stumbling blocks for the hinderance of Gods Kingdome Matth. 13.41 that the Kingdome of God cannot come and therefore we doe worthily pray as well that the Kingdome of Sathan and sinne may be overthrowne as for the removing of those offences God having exalted his Sonne into the highest Heaven saith unto him Sit thou at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy foot-stoole Psal 110. The last enemy that is to be destroyed is death 1 Cor. 15.16 Wherefore our desire is that there may be such a Kingdome as wherein the Law of God may be exactly kept and that it would please God in this Kingdome to tread downe Sathan under our feete Rom. 16. that not only death it selfe but he that hath the power of death being destroyed Heb. 2.14 God may be all in all 1 Cor. 15.28 When we behold the state of the world and see that good men are trodden under feete and the vessels of wrath and sinne are exalted and prosper then we may know that that is not the true Kingdome and therefore we pray that God will set up his Kingdome in our hearts and governe us by his Spirit And therefore this point doth not onely concerne our selves but also God for unlesse his Kingdome come his name cannot be sanctified of us As there are temporall Kingdomes so there is a spirituall Kingdome called the Kingdome of Grace whereof our Saviour speaketh The Kingdome of God is within you Luke 17.21 As before we prayed for the Kingdome of Glory so now for this Kingdome of Grace for without this we shall never bee partakers of that other Kingdome The glory of other Kingdomes is the reformation of things that were before amisse but the glory of the Kingdome of Grace is that as during the tyranny of Sathan Sinne raigned unto death so now under this Kingdome Grace may raigne through righteousnesse by Iesus Christ Rom. 5.21 That we may have interest in both these Kingdomes wee must hearken to that which Christ proclaimeth Matth. 4.27 Repent for the Kingdome of God draweth neare as it draweth neare to us so wee must draw neare to it else we shall never enter into it for except a man be borne againe he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3.2 And that we may beginne to draw neare to it there is an outward regiment to be used which is a token of the grace of God bearing rule in our hearts we must by the Kingdome of God within us cast out Devils Matth. 8. We must intreate God by the power of his Spirit to plant in our hearts that which is good and to roote out and remove out of them that which is bad Matth. 13.48 We must displace Sathan and sinne that they set not up their thrones in our hearts and in stead of it we must set up Gods Kingdome ruling in us by his Spirit for the Kingdome of God stands in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 If we finde these vertues in us they are sure pledges of the Kingdome of Grace and we may assure our selves that after this life is ended we shall be received into the Kingdome of Glory And how soever he hath appointed Kings and Rulers over us for our outward safety and defence yet they have their Scepter from him and the end of their rule is to further Gods Kingdome as the Apostle speaketh That we may live under them in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2. Touching the comming of his Kingdome it may be demanded why we pray that it may come to us seeing that
of their enemies Josh 10.13 Thirdly the earth it selfe and things contained in it do yeeld obedience to heaven for if the heaven be favourable in sending downe raine and fruitfull seasons Act. 4.17 Psal 65. the earth answerably will bring forth her encrease for the good of man but if the heaven be brasse the earth also will be Iron Deut. 28. Lastly as the powers of the heavens are such as that they can draw up clouds from the earth Psal 13.5 which do distill raine upon the earth to water the Furrowes thereof so we desire that the spirituall heaven may transforme us into an heauenly nature not setting our minds on earthly things but on things above For the things contained in heaven as they are heavenly so we desire that we living on earth may have our conversation in heaven that earthly man to whom God said Terra es Gen. 3. may by this meanes be made heavenly In the third heaven is contained in respect of his humanity first Christ himselfe who is both in heaven and earth for as he is called the head Ephes 3.23 of his Church he is in Heaven but in respect of his body which is called Christ 1 Cor. 12. he is on earth Therefore we pray that Christ on earth that is the Church may do Gods will even as Christ the head who is in heaven hath done it that as Christ our head came not to doe his owne will but the will of him that sent him Joh. 6.38 so the whole body of Christ may labour to fulfill the same Secondly in heaven thus are Angels which fulfill his Commandement and hearken to the voyce of his word Psal 10. So our prayer is that men to whom God hath made the promise that they shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 20. may labour to be like the Angels in doing Gods will as they hope to be like them in nature Thirdly in heaven there is the Congregation of the first borne Heb. 12.23 that is the Saints departed wherefore our prayer is that as they have and still do carefully fulfill Gods will so the Saints on earth and Church militant may do the same Againe whereas Saint Cyprian out of the 16. Psalm 2. and 19.1 saith that heaven is here upon earth for when the Psalmist saith The Heavens declare the glory of God the Apostle applyeth that to himselfe and to the rest of the Apostles Rom. 10. of whose preaching he saith No doubt their sound went out into all Lands and their words unto the ends of the World So that the Apostles were heavens living on earth So our prayer is that as they living on earth lived an heavenly life and began heaven here so our carnall heart may be applyed to the meditation of heaven that we may be Saints on earth Ps 16. The Wiseman saith of the body That it being dust at the houre of death turnes it self to dust from whence it came and that the spirit returnes to God that gave it Eccl. 12.17 Thus must the spirit returne to God in our life-time and we must while we be on earth and beare the Image of the earthly man seeke still to be in heaven and here labour more and more to beare the Image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15.49 As the heavenly part of man that is his spirit is willing and doth not only consent that Gods Law is good but delight in it Rom. 7. so must we be carefull to bring our flesh in subjection that our old man and outward man may conforme himselfe to the inward and new man 2 Cor. 4. Eph. 4. Secondly touching the question How Gods will is done in heaven the answer is that where his will is both dulcis and amara voluntas a sweete and a bitter will it is there obeyed and performed in both kinds for the heavens do not onely at Gods commandement keepe a continuall motion which is agreeable to nature but against nature Sunne and Moone stand still at his will Jos 10. whose obedience tels us that our duty is to doe his will not only in things agreeable with our nature but when his will is contrary to our liking This obedience was performed in Christ Not my will but thine be done Luk. 22. and in the Angels which at Gods commandement are ready not onely to ascend but also to descend Gen. 28. to shew that they are content not onely to appeare in heavenly glory which is their nature but also to be abased according to the Apostles rule I can abound and I can want Phil. 4. The heavenly bodies do service to all Nations and the Angels are ministring spirits Heb. 1. As naturally they have a desire to ascend to beare rule so at Gods commandement they are content to descend to do service here below they do altogether fulfill Gods will Psal 104. whereas the nature of man doth hardly grant to obey Gods will in that which seemeth strange to flesh and blood as Agrippa affirmeth of himselfe Thou somewhat perswadest mee Act. 26.25 The Saints in heaven confesse to God Thou hast created all things and for thy wils sake they are and were created Rev. 4.11 And therefore refuse not to subject their will to the will of God be it pleasant to them or not but as our Saviour speaketh Yee seeke mee not because ye saw the miracles but for that ye did eate of the loaves and were filled Joh. 6.26 So if we do that which God requireth it is rather for our owne sake with regard to our owne private profit then to do Gods will The heavenly Angels do Gods will with willingnesse and readinesse of mind which is the fat of their sacrifice and therefore they are said to have every one sixe wings Esay 6. From whose example wee must learne to do all things commanded of God without murmuring or disputing Phil. 2.14 and that because it is Gods will we should do it In earth when God willeth any thing that is not pleasant to our wils we make excuse Luk. 14. or we post it off to others as Peter said to John Joh. 21. Quid autem hic We are ready to communicate with flesh and blood Gal. 3.16 and to say with the Disciples Durus est hic sermo this is a hard speech Joh. 6. If we cannot shift it off from our selves yet as the Devill reasoned Cur venisti ante tempus Matth. 18.29 and as the people say It is not time yet to build the house of the Lord Hagg. 1.5 So we are ready to deferre and prolong the doing of Gods will as much as may be when we do it as the uncleane spirit would not come out of the child but with much crying and renting of him Mark 9.26 so we cannot do Gods will but with great murmuring and grudging and when men do Gods will in this sort they do it not as it is done in heaven by the Angels and Saints that willingly obey it but as the Devills in hell which against their
rod eate up the inchanters rods that yet he hardened his heart Exod. 7.13 After Exod. 8. when the Sorcerers told him Digitus Dei hic est this is the singer of God yet he hardened his owne heart and then God seeing his obstinacie Induravit corejus hardened his heart Exod. 12. So when Ahab had first sold himselfe to worke wickednesse 1 King 19.20 then it pleased God to deliver him to the lying spirit to deceive him that he might fall 1 King 22. Because Ephraim would have many Altars to serve God gave them many Altars Hos 8.11 That we be not led into tentation the meanes that we are to use is that we put from before our face the stumbling blocks of iniquity Ezek. 14. that we restraine our eyes and mouthes from beholding or speaking that which is evill that we restraine our feete as the Wiseman saith Keepe thy way farre from her and come not into the doore of her house Prov. 5.8 For can a man take fire in his bosome and his clothes not be burnt Prov. 6. Therefore if we will not be led into tentation we must not lead our selves nor tempt our selves nor grope for sinne for the Devils tentation cannot hurt us it shall be a meanes to grace us if we withstand it but if we will be drawne away of our owne lusts then wee cannot but be led As we must forbeare the occasion of sinne so must wee use the meanes that may keepe us from it that is prayer We must make a covenant with our eyes Iob 31. so we shall not bee tempted As we prayed that Gods will touching sanctification 1 Thes 4. and suffering may be done of us so we are to pray not generally to be delivered from the temptations of sinne but particularly from the temptation of any severall sin whereunto we are inclined if to worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 that he would keepe us from them If to the lusts of the flesh 1 Pet. 2. that he will not suffer us to be tempted of them neither that as our tentation increaseth so his strength may increase and if not increase then that he will cause his tentation to decrease THE SEVENTEENTH SERMON MATTH 6.13 But deliver us from evill THis last Petition concerneth the last of those three evills which we desire to have removed from us under which we comprehend all miseries and calamities of this life for that is it which our Saviour understandeth by the evill of the day in the last verse of this Chapter So there is a plaine opposition betwixt this Petition and the fourth As there by daily bread wee understood all things necessary for this present life so when we say Deliver us from evill we seeke to be delivered from all such things as are laborious and troublesome to us in the same There are that make but sixe Petitions of this Prayer saying that the two last are but one but they have no warrant for it The ancient Church hath alwaies divided it into seven and this division they grounded upon the motive which caused our Saviour Christ to pen this prayer which was the avoyding of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Heathen Matth. 6. v. 7. into which they cannot chuse but fall which affirme that these two last Petitions containe but one thing wherein they are deceived for temptation and evill are not of one scantling Every evill is not tentation neither is every temptation evill Some things are evill in their owne kind as wolves and Kites other things are not onely evill in themselves but bring forth evill effects for our sinnes are not onely evill but the calamities and miseries which our sinnes bring upon us are also evill and therefore we are to pray no lesse against the one then against the other Touching the misery of this life we are to pray as the Prophet wils us for the deliverance from them Psal 50. Call upon mee in the day of thy trouble That this and the former cannot be one Petition appeareth for where we pray that we be not led into temptation we desire that we may do no evill when we pray that we may be delivered from evill our desire is that we may suffer no evill In the first we pray against malum culpae in the second against malum poenae The first is an evill of our owne doing the other of Gods doing as the Prophet speakes Amos 3. Non est malum in Civitate quod non facit Dominus As before sinne committed wee desired non induci so here when we have committed sinne our desire is that God would not deliver us to our Ghostly enemy that he may afflict us in this life with temporall plagues nor in the life to come keepe us in eternall torments When we desire that God will deliver us from the miseries of this life and of the life to come we have these things to consider first that the case of Christian men is not like the state of the Heathens for they had Joves white gods from whom they received good things and blacke gods whom they called depulsores malorum but Christians have but one God to flie to whom they acknowledge to be both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God that doth not onely give us good things but takes from us those that are evill so God testifieth of himselfe to Abraham that he is not onely his exceeding great reward but also his shield Gen. 15. both which we are to consider in this that in Scripture he is compared to a rocke Secondly that the devill hath a desire to carry us away into sinne and transgression to the end he may endanger our soules and if he cannot hurt us that way then he will labour to do us some outward mischiefe if he cannot prevaile as a tempter yet that he may hurt us as a tormenter So he dealt with Job who for that he was a just and perfect man so as Satan could not tempt him to sinne against God therefore his desire was that he might touch his body and torment him with outward losses for his delight is evermore in doing of mischiefe if he can no longer vexe the soule of man yet he will crave this leave that he may torment the poore hogges Luk. 8.32 Thirdly that we have two kind of helpes against this evill first that precaution which our Saviour tells us of in the former Petition that before we commit sin we pray non induci that neither temptation come at us nor we at it Secondly that albeit wee by sin are fallen into evill yet there is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or salving to be looked for of God who will deliver us after that we are delivered into the hands of our adversarie as in the first Petition we pray that we may not fall into evill by yeelding to temptation so here if wee be fallen yet God would deliver us out of it Both these helpes are ascribed to God Of the
repentance The persons to be delivered are expressed in the word nos which implyeth a twofold reason the one in regard of the word libera We are thy servants therefore make us free and suffer us not to be slaves to Satan So the Prophet reasoneth Psal 116. 143. Secondly againe deliver us for we are thy children those whom thou hast taught to call thee Father therefore though we be Mephibosheths for our deformity and Absolons for our ungraciousnesse yet shew thy selfe a Father to us and of servants though we be not only unprofitable Luk. 17. but evill and wastfull Luk. 16. yet because we are thy servants deliver us Thirdly we are thy workmanship therefore despise not the workes of thine owne hands Psal 138. Fourthly We are thy Image Gen. 1. Fifthly the price of thy Sonnes blood Sixthly Vessels to carry thy Name we are they upon whom thy name is called therefore deliver us else wee shall be a reproach to them that are about us Dan. 9.18 Seventhly we are the members of thy Church which is the body of Christ Jesus our Saviour our head Rom. 12.5 Eph. 1.22 The other reason is from the word mala the devill as hee is our enemy so he is Gods and he hateth us because we are thine and therefore laboureth to draw us from thee but save thou us that wee fall not from thee as he hath done Lastly us for we may not pray for our selves alone but for our brethren also that God will be good to them likewise and though we be out of trouble yet because we be of the body we may truly say deliver us when we pray in the behalfe of our brethren that are under the crosse Untill the last enemy death be destroyed 1 Cor. 15.26 we shall never be fully freed but have one evill or other Therefore we are to pray for that time when we shall hunger and thirst no more when God shall wipe all teares from our eyes Rev. 7.16 at the least if he take us not presently out of the world yet to keepe us from the evill of the world Joh. 17.15 till that day when there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying nor paine Rev. 21.4 but God shall be in all to us for ever THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON For thine is the Kingdome Power and Glory for ever and ever SAint Paul willeth that all things in the Church be done orderly 1 Cor. 14. which no doubt he tooke from Christ whose answer to John Baptist Matth. 3.14 was Sic enim decet for so it becommeth whereby wee see that both Christ and his Apostles have alwaies observed a decorum or decency in all things So touching prayer our Saviour Christ to shew that it is an undecent thing for any having done his Petitions to breake off suddenly or to beginne his prayer without any introduction hath not onely made an entrance to his prayer wherein he acknowledged Gods goodnesse but also addeth a conclusion wherein hee confesseth his Kingdome Power and Glory which the Fathers call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hee tooke the patterne of this conclusion out of the old Testament where King David acknowledgeth Thine O Lord is greatnesse power and glory and victory and thine is the Kingdome 1 Chron. 29.11 In the beginning we heard that all Prayer and Invocation is nothing else but a testimony and confession The Petitions that are severally made in this Prayer are confession of our weaknesse want need and unablenesse to do any thing that may please God The beginning and end of it are an acknowledgement of Gods riches power and goodnesse whereby he is inclined to supply our wants for that hee is not onely willing as a Father but able as a King so that whatsoever prayer we make whether Tekinnah or Tehillah whether we pray that we may receive some good thing of God or praise him for good received is a confession and both these confessions make for Gods glory not only to him that was to make confession of his sin it was said Da gloriam Deo Josh 7.19 but the blind man that had received a benefit by the recovery of his sight was said to give glory to God Joh. 19.24 The beginning of this prayer was a confession of Gods goodnesse the end of his power for unto doing of good is required not onely willingnesse but power and ability To shew that God is willing we are taught to call upon him by the name of Father for any father is willing to do his child good but with this willingnesse there must concurre an ability to do good which howsoever it be wanting in earthly Fathers yet it is not wanting in our heavenly Father for whereas nothing doth more expresse power then the name of a King Christ acknowledgeth God to be such a Father as hath Kingdome power and glory and therefore is able to do us whatsoever good he will So God himselfe affirmeth of himselfe I am a great King Mal. 1.14 Rev. 19.16 he is called King of Kings and Lord of Lords so that if wee will pray to God the Father wee have cause to conceive hope that hee will heare our Petitions and help us because he is not onely willing as a Father but able as a mighty glorious and powerfull Prince Secondly if to God the Sonne his dying for us doth assure us of his good will and readinesse to do us good and his rising againe from the dead when he hath broken the yron barres doth assure us of his power Thirdly if to the Holy Ghast we shall not need to doubt of his willingnesse for he is the essentiall love of God which is shed in our hearts Rom. 5. Besides he is the spirit operative by whom God worketh all good things in the hearts of his people and therefore able to do whatsoever good for us and those two to wit the assurance of Gods goodnesse and power are the two parts of the anchor of our hope Heb. 6.18 19. and he gives us not onely audaciam petendi but also fiduciam impetrandi not only boldnesse to aske but also assurance to obtaine The make requests in our owne behalfe and acknowlegement to God of his love and power are both confessions but the principall is the acknowledgment of his gooodnesse and Kingdome power for to make request to God for good things that we want concernes men but to confesse Gods power and goodnesse is that wherein the heavenly Angels are occupied in they feele no want of any good thing and therefore they have no neâ—d to make petition to God as we on earth and therefore all the confession that they make is of Gods goodnesse and power whereof they cry continually Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts the earth is full of his glory Esay 6.3 The same is done by the Saints in heaven Blessing and glory and wisedome and thanks and honour and power and might be unto our God for evermore Rev. 7.12 Whereby we learne that wee
Act. 20. He saith He will be our God and wee his people Levit. 26. Hee will be our Father and wee his Children 2 Cor. 6. he our Lord and we his servants Therefore we may challenge at his hands that favour which Kings vouchsafe to their subjects which Fathers shew to their children that is to love them to defend them and to wish them all the good things they need If he have purchased us to himselfe by his blood then wee pertaine to him and we may say to him as his Disciples said to Christ Mark 4.38 Carest thou not for us that pertaine to thee but sufferest us to perish These words Kingdome Power and Glory being joyntly considered are a representation of the Trinity As Moses speaking of the Author of our creation reckons up the name of God three times Gen. 1.27 as in the blessings of the Law the name of God is there repeated Numb 6.6 and as the Angels cry there Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. to teach that there are three Persons in the God-head which the Heathen themselves have compassed So Christ in the New Testament doth by these words Kingdome Power and Glory signifie those three Persons which afterward he expresseth by the name of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Matth. 28. If we consider them severally although they may all be ascribed to any Person of the Deity yet the Kingdome is to be ascribed unto Christ 1 Cor. 15.35 Power to the Holy Ghost Rom. 15.13.19 and Glory to the Father Rom. 6.4 that wee setting our selves in Christs Kingdome that is his Church by the power of the Holy Ghost may be partakers of that glory which God the Father hath prepared for us Againe these words are set to distinguish Gods Kingdome from earthly kingdomes Each King hath not power as the King of Israel saith If the Lord do not succour thee how can I helpe thee 2 Reg. 6.21 But Gods Kingdome is a Kingdome of power Secondly there are Kingdomes of Might but not of Glory such was the Kingdome of David hee had a Kingdome of Might but not of Glory for hee spent all his time in troubles but the Kingdome of Solomon his sonne was both a powerfull and a Glorious kingdome and there was a figure of the perfect Kingdome of Christ Wherefore we are taught by these words that as the Kingdome is the Lords so he hath not onely a Kingdome of power whereby he is able to defend but of glory whereby he can also reward his servants and subjects Moses desired of God that hee would shew him his glory Exod. 33. But hee that is of Christs Kingdome shall see the glory which Christ had from the beginning with the Father Joh. 17.21 To consider these words severally upon these words of the Prophet Knit my heart unto thee Psalm 86. one saith Religio dicitur à religando as there is a mutuall bond betweene the King and his people so is there betweene God and us The Kings duty is to defend his subjects from injury and wrong and to bestow on them all manner of benefits The duty of subjects is to be dutifull and yeeld all ready service to their Prince so God for his part is ready not onely to defend us from all danger but to bestow all good things upon us and therefore wee are bound to be religious and dutifull to him as to our King and Soveraigne wee must not onely love him as a Father but feare him as our Lord and King Matth. 1.6 And this mixture shall keepe us in the way of salvation wee shall neither too much despaire nor presume of his goodnesse this feare we must testifie both by a reverend regard of his Law and of his Officers Hee is no good subject that rebelleth against the lawes of his Prince no more are we when no more can be gotten at our hands but by the precepts of men Esay 29. when the statutes of Omri are kept for feare of temporall punishment Mich. 6. and the lawes of God are had in no price then it is a signe that we are not so dutifull and loyall to our heavenly Prince as wee ought to be Secondly we must testifie our feare of God by a reverend regard of his Prophets and Priests which are the Ministers and Officers in his kingdome When the Jewes mocked the messengers of God and mis-used his Prophets they shewed their contempt of God himselfe and therefore the wrath of the Lord arose against that people 2 Chron. 36.16 Contrariwise if wee have an honourable conceit of them and receive them as the Angels of God Gal. 4. then we shew our selves to be dutifull vassalls to our heavenly Lord and King Next for power as S. Peter saith God is able both to respect the righteous and to shew vengeance upon the wicked 2 Pet. 2.9 So whether we respect the power of his grace inward whereby hee worketh all good things in the hearts of his people or the outward power whereby hee defends them from evill whether it be the power of his holy Spirit or of his right hand wee must confesse with the Saints that all power and strength and might belongs to God Rev. 7. And therefore whatsoever power we have whether inward or outward we must imploy it all in his service Fortitudinem meam ad te servo I will keepe my strength or reserve it unto thee Psal 59.9 So we must not spend our strength in thoughts of vanity but imploy it to his use and to the setting forth of his glory to whom onely all power belongeth Thirdly Christ teacheth us to ascribe all glory to God that whatsoever praise or commendation doth come unto us by any thing we do wee should make a surrender of it to God to whom all glory is due and say with the Church Non nobis Domine c. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give all glory Psal 115. For as the Prophet saith The Church is a place wherein the voyce of gladnesse is heard and the voyce of them that sing Praise the Lord of Hosts for he is loving and his mercy endures for ever Jer. 33.11 The faithfull are taught to returne all glory to God which is given to them God himselfe saith Gloriam meam alteri non daho Esay 42. If he gives his glory to any other it is to such as deserve it and have all power of themselves but there is no creature which hath any power but what is given of God and therefore God doth by right reserve his glory to himselfe and wee ought willingly yeeld all glory to him alone because he promiseth them that honour mee I will honour 1 Sam. 2. that we glorifying him here with a verball glory we may be glorified of him with a reall glory when he commeth to judge the world 2 Thess 1.12 and with an exceeding weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. But yet wee do not fully see wherein the glorious Kingdome of God differs from the
whom he is permitted God must first put all that Job hath in his hands or else he can doe nothing Abimelech Judg. 9. and Herod Matth. 2. came to their Kingdomes by the devils Patent they be the devils Officers So we see daily in our dayes that he bestowes Offices and presents to Churches So that as Brentius saith Many have Panem quotidianum that cannot come by Da nobis they come not to it by Gods gift yet all the interest that the devill hath is but to present Pro hac vita tantum As therefore it may be true that in some sort they may be given him so yet not to dispose as he will It is God onely that can say so for his onely they are absolutely The earth is the Lords and all the fulnesse thereof the round world and all that dwell therein Psal 24.1 It is he the most high God that divided to the Nations their inheritance Deut. 32.8 By him Kings raigne and Princes have dominion Prov. 8.15 He brought Nebuchadnezzar to know That the most high God bare rule over the Kingdomes of men Dan. 5.21 He indeed may well say Cui voluero do ea and to whomsoever God giveth he giveth liberally and reproacheth no man Jam. 1.5 The devill we see exacteth more than the thing is worth and straineth the benefit of his grant with unjust convenants But Christ goes not about to answer the devill that way but by flying to the Scriptures as to his surest hold Therefore David prayes that his minde may be inclined to Gods Law and not to Covetousnesse Psal 119.36 For there is a medicine for every disease and power as well against this Temptation of Covetousnesse as against the former the Law of God can as well keepe a man from Covetousnesse as from Desperation Heaven and earth shall passe but no one jot of this Let therefore Haec omnia give place to Scriptum est marry Omnia illa which both we now enjoy and which are laid up for us hereafter are come to by Scriptum est So that Omnia haec is not all we must care for there be things to come besides these things which we lay hands on farre more precious Though here be all the Kingdomes of the earth yet they are said to be shewed in the twinckling of an eye so cannot the other Kingdome of exceeding glory All the power of all the Princes on the earth have not power over one silly soule to destroy it Matth. 10.28 All the glory of them is called but a great big fanne or pompe Act. 25.23 Solomon was the most glorious Prince that ever was yet he was not cloathed like a Lilly Matth. 6.29 Nor all the Lillies in the field nor Starres in heaven nor the Sunne and Moone it selfe are comparable to one soule The Scripture whereby Christ answereth the devill is in Deut. 16.13 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serve him If any fantasticall spirit oppose it selfe against Moses let it be accursed There is in this answer two things set downe Worship and Service both which are due to God onely Covetousnesse endeth in Idolatry and fitly is so termed if Christ had beene covetously minded then he must needs have fallen downe and worshipped the devill for Covetousnesse and Idolatry being joyned together we would not have parted from so great a benefit Christ hath here changed a word which the Septuaginta Translator hath which signifyeth a service with an open testimony So that will ye know if a man doe beleeve He beleeveth unto righteousnesse with the heart that with the mouth confesseth to salvation Rom. 10.10 Such as glorifie God as well in their members as in their spirit 1 Cor. 6.20 As Saint James saith of Faith Shew me thy faith by thy workes so may it be said of feare You say you have feare can you shew me your feare If it be not a dead feare it is to be seene as Dan. 3.5 it must be shewed by falling downe and worshipping The servant that feared fell downe and besought his master Matth. 18.26 Doe you feare then where is the outward reverence The inward affection must appeare by the outward action Religion is outward as well as inward 1 King 19.18 There be two wayes whereby we may have traffique with the devill either of both will serve his turne first homage secondly service of the body and both these doth God require even when we are in the darke or in our chamber Ezech. 8.12 Indeed might the devill say this Mountaine is very open but how say ye will ye be content closely in a corner to worship me If ye will not weare my cognisance on your forehead yet ye may take my marke in your hand then shutting your hand no body can perceive it If ye will not take the marke yet take the number of the Beasts name that is six hundred threescore and six Apoc. 13.17 18. Will ye doe none of these What then will ye serve me Rom. 16.18 Thus ye see what glorious termes he useth but if one should seeme to doe one of these on courtesie he will not be content till he doe it of duty Now let us see first what it is to Worship It is that which Cornelius did to Peter he met him fell downe at his feet and worshipped him Act. 10.25 And that which John did to the Angell that is he fell downe before his feet to worship him Apoc. 19.10 It is when one on the knees doth a bodily worship I will shew it you in Davids words for I cannot tell it ye better When Michol scoffed at David for being bare-headed before the Arke he saith I will be more vile than thus and will be low in mine owne sight 2 Sam. 6.22 A man can never be too reverent to God we thinke it a great disgrace and debasing of our selves if we use any bodily worship to God It may be said to them as it was to him that feared to doe too much reverence to Caesar Hic homo timet timere Caesarem Our religion and Cultus must be uncovered and a bare-faced religion we would not use to come before a meane Prince as we doe before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords even the God of heaven and earth The foure and twenty Elders fell downe before him that sate on the Throne and worshipped him that liveth for ever and cast their crownes before his Throne The wandring eye must learne to be fastened on him Luke 4.20 and the worke of Justice and Peace Esa 32.17 The worship of the knees to bow Ephes 3.14 and kneele before the Lord their Maker Psal 95.6 Our feet are to come before his face For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all Gods Psa 95.2 3. Jacob though he were not able to stand or kneele yet because he would use some corporall service leaned upon his staffe and worshipped God as appeareth Gen. 49.33 and Heb. 11.21 This must be done as duty due unto
is one indirect meanes To the second and that is committing our selves as the wise man saith Prov. 3.17 to danger Qui amat periculum peribit in periculo when a man will put himselfe into danger and need not and when he useth not the meanes of escaping danger he is accessory to his owne death Matth. 4.6 We know what Christ did we must walke in the way not tumble downe when there is a paire of staires Acts 27.31 Paul was very carefull of the Mariners that they should not forsake him though he had Gods promise and Levit. 13.4 a Leaprous man shall be shut up that no man shall goe to him but if any man will goe to him and take the Leprosie of him that is againe presumption And the third meanes by our owne negligence 1 Tim. 5.23 the Apostle saith there I would have you drinke no more water because your stomacke is over weake but drinke a little wine that is the meanes that God hath given to strengthen nature I will have you to use it else you will weaken your nature And no doubt if he had not followed the Apostles counsell he had fallen into the breach of this Commandement Now as Timothy was to drinke a little for the strengthening of nature lest neglecting the meanes nature should have perished so Luke 21.34 when men with too much surfetting and glutiony die they kill themselves so that a man must use or reframe or temper himselfe so as that he use them to preserve his life and the image of God so 1 Tim. 6.8 meate and appatell though not so much Rom. 13.14 as to fulfill the lusts of the flesh but those that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for rest Marke 6.31 Col. 2.23 Psal 27.2 for due exercise and due release due study and due recreation not too much exercise nor too much rest for both with too much tristitia mâ—ndâ— care of the world 2 Cor. 7.10 destroyeth and Prov. 17.22 dryeth the bones and too much pigritia slothfulnesse robbeth a man therfore in these things that the Philosophers call non naturalia not naturall a man must use them carefully that he hasten not his end Now this neglect as it must not be in our selves so it must not be towards our brethren Deut. 22.8 There is the prescription of battlements that the workeman may not fall Exod. 21.29 If the Oxe be wont to push c. the Oxe and he both shall die and vers 33. if they stop not the Well at night and a man fall in and die hee shall die also for his negligence By the equity whereof Prev 3.27 and 24.12 there is extension made Contrariwise a Commandement as Ambrose saith Pasce ovem morientem Non pavisti occidisti feede that Sheepe which is ready to perish if thou feedâ—st it not thou killest it Ierem. 8.22 Is there no Balme in Gilead is there no Physitian that the people be not healed and Ezek. 47.12 that God hath ordained plants for bruises and sores and Exod. 21.9 hee saith that the party that shall afferre alii injuriam wound his neighbour he shall pay for his healing this is likewise a meanes to preserve our lives And on the other side Marke 5.25 he saith the woman with the bloudy issue had received many medicines of divers Physitians and had spent all her goods and was never the better but rather the worse The practise of Physitians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their shame be it spoken in all examples it is a sinne to them and Ecclesiasticus 38.15 it is a punishment to the party Now come to a disposition hereunto For it is not onely the life of the body but incolumitas for we see that if the hurt be of any one part if you have hurt the least part of the whole consequently the whole counteth it selfe hurt and saith Quare me Why smitest thou me As not the whole so not any part must be hurt Levit. 24.19 there shall not be any blemish upon our neighbour Exod. 21.25 a wound and a stripe is forbidden if a rupture or ustulation with fire it is an injury we shall have the like our selfe Levit. 24.20 And as this vulnus is contra incolumitatem plaga contra sensum so contra motum wound impaireth the safety of the body and causeth smart so hindreth its motion 2 Sam. 3.34 binding restraint and Gen. 42.17 Deut. 32.36 imprisonment these are accounted as impediments and as punishments these things are not to be inflicted without consent of Magistrate Not any private man must doe it because therein there is a disposition ad totum yet one of the priviledges Eccles 6.3 if a man live not to his owne contentation he hath not lived at all so to bring a man into that estate to make his life odious commeth within the compasse of this Commandement Come to the soule the murther whereof is so much the more grievous as Gods Image is in the soule rather then in the body and certaine it is à comparatis that if the bodily bloud of Abel crie for vengeance Heb. 12.24 then the bloud of the soule much more especially because there is two lives of the soule one here another in the life to come if it be set in worse estate concerning the life to come if he that hath charge of soules Revel 2.14 Mal. 2.8 vos scandalizastis eos in lege yee have caused them to stumble at the Law or teaching them as Balaam taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel or whether it be indirectly by negligence Ezek. 33.6 If you watch not and the sword come upon any he is taken away for his sinne but his bloud will I require at thine hands So likewise though it be not he that hath the charge but a brother privately one private man against another if he gave counsell dicto or facto by word or example as Peter Matth. 16.22 was a scandall to Christ he had prevented Christ if he would have beene prevented and so have hindered the great worke of redemption Or whether it be the example Gal. 2.13 the same Peter by his example misled the other Jewes and Barnabas and Paul 1 Cor. 8.12 that the weake brethren were emboldned by the example of those that had knowledge to eate those things that were offered unto Idols wounding thereby the weake conscience of others yet they brought guilt on themselves for every example in deeds and Matth. 18.6 shall come upon them and woe bee to them it were better that a milstone c. then that he should minister this offence to take away the life of the soule of the least of his brethren Concerning this wee spake before Come to the second life of the soule Eccles 6.3 Col. 3.21 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that a man beginneth to loath the benefit of his life it is certaine his soule is killed and as in Gen. the missing of Ioseph and Simeon and Benjamin killed Iacobs heart and at