yet the living God can breath the spirit of life upon them and make a dead sinner become a living soul to God a dead drunkard and a dead worldling buried under a dunghil become a living soul to God t is no superstition for you that live the life of God to pray for such dead for a living husband to pray for his dead wife a living father to pray for his dead children so when God shall bring a Minister as he did the Prophet Ezekiel into a valley of dead bones of dead sinners and say unto him Prophecy O ye dead sinners hear ye the word of the Lord and while we are prophecying God should cause the breath of life bones and sinews to come upon these dry bones should we then despair of the quickening of any dead soul we are to mourn over the dead but not as men without hope of their better and more glorious life and condition the living God can yet make them live the life of God we should do therefore for sinful men as David did for his sick Child while it was living he humbled his soul laid on the ground fasted and praied for the childs recovery while there was hope he would not give over praying so while there is hope of a mans resurrection from death to life of his conversion from sin to God be not wanting in all means for in so doing you may save a soul This likewise may teach the godly in all their dead and dull tempers of heart whether to go for life and motion sc to the living God in whom as all naturally live move and have their being so the Saints in him have their spiritual being life and motion Thus David prayeth nine times in Psa 119. that God would quicken him as who should say my heart is dead my prayers are dead and lazy I have no heart to any good but thou who art the living God canst quicken me and revive me and enlarge my heart and make me to run the way of thy commandments Therefore in all your deadest frames be more frequent in prayer do not give over because thou findest not thy heart so fervent It is reported of that holy Martyr Mr. Bradford that when he went about any duty he would never give over till he found some reviving from God if he confessed his sins he would confess till he found his heart melting and mourning if he prayed for pardon he would still beg for pardon till he found his heart somewhat eased of his sins in praying for grace he would never give over till he found his heart warmed in prayer go then and do likewise in all thy dead frames importune the living God till he doth revive thy spirit Vse 5. This should comfort the godly against the fear of death and the forerunners of death ye are for the present the Sons of the living God ye are come to the City of the living God what need you to fear to dye seeing God will give you life eternal ye are the living stones of the Temple of the living God and he can raise your dead bodies when mouldered into dust and make both soul and body live gloriously and eternally when a godly man dieth eternal life swalloweth him up did ever man fear to go to bed to put on better apparel shall we be afraid to die to put on glory immortality and eternal life Vse 6. Take heed of sinning against God because he liveth to take vengeance upon stubborn Rebels he is a living God and takes exact notice what sinners do and lives for ever to torment the wicked to eternity The wicked need not fear eternal death if they did sin against a dead God but God who is life eternal will doom them to eternal death Vse 7. Here see the folly of Apostates in departing from a living God to embrace dead creatures that forsake the fountain of living waters and run to a pool that one warm day will dry up as Mephibosheth said to David proferring him kindness for Jonathan his fathers sake What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am So do creatures say to Apostates What are we thy servants that that thou shouldest take thy heart and eye from off a living God and look upon such dead dogs as honours riches and preferments are or rather speak to them as David to Saul 1 Sam. 24. 14. after whom is the King of Israel come out aâ—ter whom dost thou pursue after a dead dog after a flea dost thou pursue after a vile and base creature and cast off a most blessed God the fountain of all glory and happiness O ye Apostates seeing you forsake a living God ye shall die the death God liveth for ever to see sore execution done upon you this shall be your dying life in Hell to bemoan your departure from the living God CHAP. VI. Vses drawn from Gods Immortality IS God an immortal God then Vse 1. hence behold the infinite love of Christ who being immortal yet would become subject to death an immortal God become a mortal man for our salvation Rom. 5. 8. 2 Seeing God is immortal hence we may see what a beam of divine perfection we lost by the fall of Adam we were made immortal but our sin makes us mortal and liable to all mortal and sore diseases we lose a double immortality because of sin the immortality of our bodies and which is worse in some sense we lose the immortality of our souls Sin brings eternal death will ye still go in sin hath it not done enough to you in making you obnoxious to death but will ye bring upon you the eternal death of your immortal souls 3. This likewise should allay the fears of death in us God being immortal we also shall be immortal these mortal bodies shall put on immortality 4. See that ye fear God more then men the wrath of God more then the rage of men because man is but mortal and their rage and fury is but mortal when their breath goeth forth their rage ceaseth but as God is immortal so is his wrath an immortal wrath as he will never cease to be so the fire of his wrath shall never be quenched FINIS
them the Lord look upon you and judge because you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants to put a sword in their hand to slay us Now in ver 22 and 23. Moses made his and their condition known to the Lord how the People were more vexed then formerly Moses said to the Lord Wherefore hast thou so evil intreated this People Why is it that thou hast sent me for since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name he hath done evil to this People neither hast thou delivered thy People at all In this Chapter God answereth Moses in two things 1. That Pharaoh should be compell'd to let Israel go The Lord said to Moses now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh for with a strong hand shall he let them go and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his Land ver 1. 2. For confirmation of Moses faith and to calm the murmuring spirits of the distressed Israelites God declareth what a God he is and hath been to their Fathers of old and what a God he will be to them ver 2 3. And God spake unto Moses and said unto him I am the Lord And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them Here it may be demanded how is it Quest said that God did not make himself known to Abraham Isaac and Jacob by his nâ—me Jehovah Nomen the name Jehovah was Sol. 1. known to Aâ—raham Isaac and Jacob but not mysterium nominis the mystery of the Name this was revealed to Moses from God and from Moses to the People It is meant of the performâ—nce of his great promises made to Abraham God did promise to give the land of Canaan to Abraham's Seed for an inheritance which promise was not performed to him but to his Seed after him So that this is the meaning God appeared to Abraham Isaac and Jacob El Shaddai God Almighty in protecting delivering and rewarding them but by his name Jehovah he was not known to them God did not perform his promise made to Abraham unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob but unto their Seed and posterity after them CHAP. II. HEnce I observe that God makes Observ himself known what a God he is to his people by his name and titles Gods names are agreeable to his nature and divine properties as he hath a being from himself and gives being to all so he is Jehovah and called I AM as his nature is omnipotent so he is called El Elohim and Elohah powerfull as he is All-sufficient so he is called Shaddai In the handling of his glorious names I will first give to you all his names and the meaning of them secondly I will insist principally upon the name Jehovah because it is his most essential name The Hebrews have reckoned up many names of God and all of them express God to us 1. The first is here in the Text El Shaddai God almighty I shall speak nothing of the derivation of this word Shaddai in this place because I intend to speak more largely of it hereafter it intimates that God is All-sufficient he wanteth nothing but is infinitely blessed with the infinite perfections of his glorious being by this name God makes himself known to be self-sufficient all-sufficient absoutely perfect If God be All-sufficient then shall Use that man want nothing that hath God for his God he that loseth all for God shall find all in God When Hannah complained for want of children Elkanah said unto her Am not I better to thee then ten sons why weepest thou So the Lord saith I am God All-sufficient and am not I better then all riches honours lands and friends I am more sufficient to reward thee then millions of worlds of creatures can do 2. The second name by which God expresseth his nature is Elohim Eloha this name denote's the power and strength of God to denote unto us that God is strong and powerful If God be Elohim a strong powerfull Use 1. God then he can do great and difficult matters for his Church and people 2. If God be strong and powerful then it is in vain to oppose him to rebel to rage against him and his Church God is too strong for all enemies too powerful for all the powers of hell 3. If God hath named himself Elohim strong and powerfull then fear not thou worm Jacob though the Church be as worms in the esteem of their enemies yet they need not fear because God is their strong and powerful God 3. The third name of God by which he makes himself known is Adonai Dominus Lord some derive the Word from a Word in the Hebrew that signifies judicare to judg because God is Judg of all the world Others derive it from a word which signifieth Basis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foundation intimating that God is the upholder of all things as the foundation of an house is the support of the whole building so God is the upholder of the world he upholdeth all things by the word of his power If God hath named himself Lord Use and that because he upholdeth all things we may infer this comfort for the Church he will uphold Jerusalem in all dangerous times and troubles his Church is more dear to him than the World and his people than all other creatures which he doth uphold 2. Then acknowledg him to be Lord by paying service to him by obeying him obey him and he will uphold you how did he uphold Daniel in the midst of a Den of Lions because he obeyed him 4. Another name by which God hath expressed himself is the Creator the Maker of heaven â—ne earth Isa 45. 11. 12. This sets forth God as the Author and â—ountain of all our Being out of nothing 5. Another name is the high and lofty one Isa 57. 15. called so respectu loci dignitatis in respect of place and dignity the highest heaven is his lofty throne on which he sits to judg the world therefore God is called altissimus Luk. 1. the highest If God be the high and lofty one Use 1. then let the great ones tremble before him and that because God is higher then they Eccl. 5. 2. This sheweth who it is that brings the proud ones in their proud attempts against his people down with shame and dishonour sc the high and lofty one who is above them in all things wherein they deal most proudly 3. See the love of God to broken hearts in that the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity who dwelleth in the high and holy place will vouchsafe to dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the spirit of the contrite ones Isa 57. 15. 6. Another name is Jehovah Tsebaoth the
Stephen that his heart was full of the holy Ghost but of Ananias it is said that Satan had filled his heaâ—t Act. 5. A wicked man is full of the devil and in this respect God is said to know the wicked afar off he looketh on them and all that they do as hateful abominations They are said to be withouâ— Christ and without God in this world So thâ—ugh God be present to the wicked and in the wicked yet he dwells not in them the presence of his essence notes not God's dwelling but his dwelling is the efficacious work of his sanctifying and quickning spirit his supping with his Saints 3. If God be every where present Quest 3. then how is it said that God departs from us and comes unto us God doth not depart and come Sol in respect of his essence but in respect of his efficacy or working God is said to draw nigh to his servants when he gives them the sense of his gracious presence the comfortable sense of his favour and quickning their hearts to run the way of Gods commandements and vouchsaâ—ing his pâ—esence with them in duties God departeth from his servants wheâ— he withdraws the presence of his â—avour the senâ—â— of his grace and the quickning veâ—â—ud of his spirit upon which follows â—â—sâ—â—al â—ears horrour and sadnesse of heart and then their â—â—uls like Pharaoh's wheels drive heavily in duâ—â—â—s when God thus deaâ—eth with his servants he is said to hide himself and to cast them out of his presence Again God is said to draw nigh to the wicked when he knocks at the doors of their souls by the motions of his spiâ—â—t for entrance or when he breaks open the door and cometh in and casteth out Satan and changeth their heart And he is said to depart from the wicked when his Spirit ceaseth to strive with them any longer and leaveth them in their hardnesse and and blindness â—o be blinded and hardened more and gives them up to their lusts and to Satan and to be ruled and swayed by them 4. How is it said that Cain went Quest 4. out from the presence of the Lord seeing God is present every where There is a double presence of God Solâ— his Universal presence his special presence his universal presence the presence of hiâ— essence Cain could not nor can any man â—â—y from but as to his special presence among his saiâ—â—s and in his ordinanâ—es so Cain went from God's presence â—â— when he left society with Adam he forsook the presence of God in the Assembly of his Saints he forsook the Church and worship of God the place where he dwelleth thus every man that absents himself from the communion of Saints in publique worship goes out from the presence of the Lord As often as any one purposely absenteth himself from the hearing of the word and the publick worship he goes from the presence of God hence the publick worship and the coming to the ordinances are called our appearing before God Psal 84. 7. this is called the face of God anâ— the beauty of the Lord Psal 27 4. CHAP. VII 1. THis sheweth the sottish Atheism Vse 1. of many wicked persons who if they can sin in secret from the sight of mortal men promise themselves security and safety from punishment perswading themselves that the immortal eye of the holy God who cannot endure to behold sin can no more see them in thee dark or in secret than the mortal eyes of man Oh tremble rather for here is matter of terrour to such your sins and your persons are always before God he seeth thy secret sins acted in thy bosome thy heart-pride thy heart covetousness thy heart-adultery thy heart-murther as well as the outward act he sees thy filthy thoughts as well as thy filthy actions and heareth every word spoken by thee Thy sins committed in the dark at midnight are all open to him as thy sins committed at noon day in the face of the sun thy sins acted in the most secret place that can be found are open before him as well as Absoloâ—s adultery acted on the house top as 't is said of Nimrod he was a mighty hunter before the Lord so of the secret Adulterer the speculative adulterer he is a mighty adulterer before the Lord so of the secret drunkard he is a mighty drunkard before the Lord therefore in vain do men dig deep to hide their counsels from him in vain doth the Adulteresse wipe her mouth and say she hath done no evil seeing all that men or women think speak or do in publick in secret at midnight and at noon is before the Lord who is more than a thousand eye-witnesses more then if thou shouldst act sin upon a publique Stage in open market Then if thy sins be acted before God never imagine thou art free from vengeance thy person is always before the sin-revenging God who will not acquit the guilty but be sure O sinner his vengeance will pursue thee and overtake thee and never leave till it hath destroyed thee with an everlasting destruction as the Prophet speaketh of an impossibility of escaping his presence the like may be said of his wrath neither shall the wicked flie from his wrath though the wicked be hid from his fight in the bottom of the Sea thence the Lord saith he will command the Serpent and it shall bite them and though they go into captivity before their enemies thence he saith he will command the sword and it shall slay them Amos. 9. 3. 4 God will command this and that Plague to destroy them he that fills Heaven and earth with his Essence is able to fill all sinful places with his wrath 2. The consideration of Gods Omnipresence Use 2. should be a Curb to restrain and keep us back from committing sin we cannot sin but in his presence if it were possible for thee to find out a place where God is not then and there thou might'st take liberty to sin and there thou maist commit folly securely but dic ubi non est Deus said the Philosopher to one who asked Where is God Tell me saith he where God is not It was a Philosophers advice to some That if they would keep themselves from Vanity and Folly they should alwayes imagine some severe Cato were beholding them he had well said if he had counselled them to have set God alwayes before their eyes What preserved Joseph from yielding to the adulterous Temptations of his unchaste Mistress having a fair opportunity to act in secret How shall I do this wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. As if he had said Though my Master and all his Servants behold us not yet God whom I fear and serve beholdeth me how shall I sin in his presence If we did reason thus with our selves we should vanquish temptations and though we have the fairest opportunities to commit sin yet we should stand in awe of him and not
sinne Why do wicked men take liberty to sin 'T is because the fear of God is not before their eyes The Adulterer considers not that he is sinning before God and doing of that in his presence which he durst not do before a child Why do men harbour such unclean thoughts in their hearts and make their very hearts the Bawd Whoremonger and Brothel-house it is because they consider not they act this filthiness before the Lord. A young man being importuned by a Whore to lie with her told her he would if she would go with him to a place where he should Casâ—ian Collat. lead her she asked whether he would go he said to the Market-place she replied there every one will see us Then said he go into the most secret place thou canst find out and God will see us You that take liberty to commit secret sins who if you can keep your selves from the sight of men regard not what wickedness you act in the presence of God let me tell you That secret sinners are as notorious and desperate Atheists as the most shameless Drunkard and open-mouthed blasphemer To this purpose I desire you seriously to consider these things 1. No sin is secret or can be acted in secret because in the presence of God who is more than a million of Witnesses What sins are more secret than our wanton thoughts our proud or worldly thoughts than our vain thoughts yet even these God knoweth altogether not a thought but is present before him Thou hast possessed my reins saith the Psalmist Psal 139. 13. God hath possession of our hearts they are all naked before him 2. There 's no secret sin but God will bring forth to publick Judgment There is a day when God shall judge the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ according to the Gospel Rom. 2. 16. Secret sinners think their secresie will keep them from open shame and publick punishment no God will judge thee for thy secret sins before men and Angels They are apt to bless God they were honest with their bodies but God will tell thee thou hadst not an honest heart whiles thou actedst such secret sins and therefore he will condemn thee What will be the shame of all those at that great day but the ripping up of their secret sins What will the Lord then say You thought thâ—se men to be holy men because you saw nothing but what was commendable in their outward Conversation but yet in my presence they took liberty to be drunk to be adulterous proud covetous c. That chaste man as you thought him was in his heart a most vile Adulterer Sodomite incestuous wretch as any damned Sodomite That sober man as you took him to be was in his heart a vile profane Drunkard as any damned Drunkard They have acted these things in the presence of me their God which they durst not act in the presence of man I was made no more reckoning of by them than as a blind God a careless regardless God rather an approver of them in their sins than an hater of them CHAP. VIII 3. HEnce we may learn the infinite Use 3. patience and forbearance of God how patient he is seeing all sin is acted in his presence and yet the Lord breaks not forth into fury to consume the ungodly in a moment O consider how many thousands of drunkards are reeling and spewing before Gods face from day to day How many millions of Swearers do daily blaspheme the dreadful and glorious Name of the Lord our God! How many thousand shameless Adulterers delight in chambering and wantonness Lay to heart how the whole world of ungodly men do daily act their Villanies before the face of God! He upholds the World feeds cloatheth filleth the world with mercies whereas he might bring a flood to drown the World or rain down fire and brimstone to destroy the World in a moment Could a man endure this If God were man then you Drunkards had been damned before now but surely God is not man therefore ye are not consumed Can a father alwayes bear with a prodigal son that shall go to Taverns and Alehouses and waste his means and run in debt and he often pay all and no sooner is the debt paid but he runs further into debt again Or can a father endure to see his child lie and tumble in the midst of a dirty hole though he take him out wâ—sh his cloaths and put on him clean vestures yet he again runs into the place and there soules them before his fathers face Thus do wretched men before God they wallow in sinful abominations wicked men tumble and plunge themselves in the mire of sin before the face of God and yet the Lord breaks not forth into fury What King would endure to hear a Shimei alwayes railing against him to his face yet God suffers the Swearer the Blasphemer the Scorner to abuse him to his face What King would endure Rebels and Traytors to act Treason continually when it is in his power to take away their lives presently yet God doth patiently bear with many millions of men that rebel daily against his Laws and Government who could in a moment turn all the ungodly into hell this is strong conviction that God is infinitely patient and long-suffering 4. If God be Omnipresent it should Use 4. instruct us in divers things 1. It should teach us to be conscious of private duties as well as publick of prayer in our Closets the door being shut upon us as of prayer in the open Congregation God is present to us and with us in our private Closets as in the publick house of prayer 2. To be the same in our private duties as in our publick services as reverent as fervent as devout and heavenly in the corner as on the house-top because all is done in the presence of God who abhorreth publick fervency and open devotion when he seeth private profaneness and secret coldness and remissness 3. It should teach us to be square in all our aims and intentions in our duties Outward pretences are no cloak to hide rotten aims from God all Hypocrites shew extream folly when they think with Adam to hide themselves among Trees and to cover themselves with fig-leaves from the presence of the Lord none to speak properly are Hypocâ—ites before God Hypocrisie is many times godliness in mans eye but open profaneness in the sight of God When you do duties God looketh to your heart and reiâ—s to the integrity of your hearts Thy spirit and soul is as naked in Gods eyes as thy most glorious performances all the rottenness and filth of painted Sepulchres are still in the Nostrils of God 4. It should teach us to come with preparedness to duties because we go into the presence of an holy God Eccles 5. 1. The Bride puts on her robes to meet her Bridegroom the King looketh upon his guests to see if they come with wedding garments
his glory with the eye of the body to our intimate satisfaction though we shall not see the Divine Essence Philip makes this request to Christ Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us John 14. 8. The Saints in Heaven shall see so much of God as shall satisfie them 3. With the eye of the mind we shall see God more clearly our intellectual sight of God shall be much clearer than now it is our understanding and mental sight of him shall be infinitely beyond what now we are able to conceive of him 4. In heaven we cannot see God comprehensively as much as he is to be known thus no man hath seen him nor can see him 1 Tim. 6. 16. Men and Angels shall never be able fully to comprehend him Seeing God is invisible is it lawful Quest 2. for us to frame conceits of God or to frame an image of God in our minds to help us in our devotion 1. It is unlawful because against Sol. 1. the second Commandment which forbids not onely all corporeal but also mental representations of God 2. It is impossible to make an image of God because we never saw him No man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1. 18. Christ tells the Jews speaking of his Father Ye have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape Joh. 5. 37. Moses tells the Israelites a people very prone to Idolatry The Lord spake to you out of the midst of the fire ye heard the voice of the words but saw no similitude or vision onely ye heard a voice Deut. 4. 12. 3. God is a Spirit and no man is able to make an image or representation of a spirit all such mental conceits of God are idolatrous How then may we conceive of God Quest 3. in Prayer We are so to conceive of him as he Sol. hath revealed himself in his Word that hâ— is a Spirit most wise most just most holy most powerful c. CHAP. IV. Sect. 1. THis condemneth the idolatrous Use 1. custome of the Papists who make visible representations pictures and images of the invisible God they picture God the Father like an old man because he is called the Ancient of dayes they make blasphemous pictures of the invisible and glorious Trinity as three heads on one body Monstrous blasphemy Not to meddle with their fond arguments and trifling distinctions by which they would justâ—fie themselves in this practice as that they are Helps to Devotion c. But I may say they are rather Hindrances to Devotion than Helps pulling the mind down from God to the Creature made for the mind will be apt to follow the eye They say they make them not objects of their devotion but motives to stir up and quicken their devotion But whatsoever they can say they cannot answer this one prohibition of God Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven c. Exod. 20. 3. a Command which God often repeateth because the Lord knoweth man is naturally prone to Idolatry and that sensual men are prone to a sensual worshâ—p of a sensible Deity Therefore the Papists have taken a wise course to uphold their idolatrous worship by expunging the second Commandment out of the Decalogue but let them look how they can be able to undergo that severe curse Rev. 22 19. threatned against those that shall diminish any of the words or Commandments of God 2. Seeing God is invisible this Use 2. should admonish us to take heed of any mental conceits of God in our minds and representations of him in our fancies When we go to prayer otherwise than what his Word alloweth viz. that we go to one who is most gracious merciful c. we may be idolatrous in respect of our thoughts and conceits as well as in worshipping Pictures and Images and what are these conceits but gods of our own making and framing Conceits of God in our minds beside the Word of God which many apprehend to be good come from these two fountains 1. Partly from our corrupt natures there is a bitter root of Idolatry and Superstition in every man's nature these conceits are blossoms and buds of this cursed root so many Adders bred and crawling out of this dunghil and we are greatly to humble our souls for them as for other sins 2. These fantastical conceits that we have of the invisible God are likewise of the Devil's suggestion who if he cannot bring us to down-right Idolatry to worship Pictures yet he will suggest false resemblances of God to our minds and so to make us commit mental Idolatry Therefore concerning these conceits of God who is invisible and the resemblances of him in our minds I will say thâ—se two things 1. If we harbour such conceits of God though we think to do it to quicken our devotion and to keep our hearts in awe of God during the duty we perform to him yet know they are breaches of the second Commandment which forbids mental resemblances as well as visible by Pictures or graven Images and resolve to offend God so no more 2. Seeing it is exceeding hard for us to abstain from sinful thoughts conceits and mental resemblances of God and that the Devil will ever be suggesting them if you strive agaâ—nst them and do hate them as you hate an idolatrous image of the divine invisible Essence then they are the Devil's sins and your burdens God will then cure you of this infirmity and not condemn Use 3. you for it Sect. 2. 3. Is God invisible then be admonished from hence not to conceive that God cannot see us because we cannot see him as children shutting or blinding their own eyes think that no body else sees them So the wicked because they see not God are ready to say Tush God sees us not they break in pieces thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage they slay the widdow and the stranger and murder the fatherles yet they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it Psal 94. 6 7. But this invâ—sible God hath an all-seeing eye to behold what we do he sees all our secret thoughts he searcheth and trieth our ways he sees all our hypocrisies filthiness and all our unfruitful works of darkness All the wicked shall one day know to their shame and horrour that he saw them when they saw noâ— him when he shall lay open all their wickedness he will say to the wicked man These things thou hast done I the Judg of all the world am an eye-witness of these things wil testifie against thee Therefore think not ye Atheists that ye can sin securely that no eye seeth you and that ye may take liberty to sin when you are in places where no mortal eye can behold you the immortal all-seeing and every where piercing eye of God beholds you 4. Labour to live and walk as if you
tongue to speak of it If God be perfect so as that he wanteth Object 3. nothing why then doth he require our worship and service I answer Not that he needeth our Sol. 1. service Other Lords need the service of their servants the greatest Princes in the world need the service of their Subjects but God doth not he is perfectly happy if we did not serve him If thou sinnest what doest thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplied what doest thou unto him If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he at thy hand Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the son of man Job 35. 6 7 8. If we sin we hurt him not we onely make our selves miserable Do ye provoke me to anger no wretches it is to the confusion of your own faces If we be righteous he is not benâ—fited by us he needeth not our prayers our obedience our faith onely we are blessed in so doing Our serving of God is our perfection and the more holy we are the more we grow up in perfection and resemblance of our heavenly Father 2. God requireth our service in way of justice because we are bound to serve him who is our Lord. 3. God requireth our service not for his own benefit because being perfect he needeth it not but for our own happy benefit and profit Our disobedience is our greatest imperfection and the procuring cause of all our misery our obedience to him is our perfection and an anâ—ecedent condition of our perfect glory and happiness CHAP. V. Practical Inferences from the consideration of God's Perfection HEnce see that it is of meer grace Infer 1. that any are saved What if all the sons of men had been for ever cast into the pit of perdition it had been nothing to God as when the old world was drowned what was it to God his perfection was not diminished when they all perished Dispute not why so few are saved wonder rather that any are saved seeing God was infinitely perfect in himself when no man or creature had any being and will be perfect if all had been lost He needeth neither men nor Angels to praise him therefore every one that is saved may say Lord we are saved not because thou didst need us or our services or praises but because thou art gracious to whom thou wilt be gracious 2. This should wean us and all our Infer 2. thoughts and affections from all creatures which are full of imperfections at best they have but a diminutive or derivative perfection and place them upon God who is an infinitely perfect good What need we to set our hearts on drops of perfection when we may have the incomprehensible and â—athomless sea of perfection CHAP. VI. THis informs us why God throws Use 1. away and loatheth the duties sacrifices and performances of the wicked viz. because they are done with rotten unsound and wicked hearts He being a Spirit a perfect God looks at those that serve him with perfect hearts and where the heart is found or imperfect He regards no more the wicked man's praying than he doth the blessing of an Idol yea he hates his most glorious duties as wilful murder Malac. 1. 8. It was a great sin in the time of the Law to offer up the lame and the blind of the flock to God who required the best of the herd and of the flock for sacrifice It is no less an evil to offer up lame or blind prayers or any act of lame or blind obedience What makes your duties so lame so blind but your rotten and imperfect hearts Your imperfect hearts make your duties and persous abominable It is said of Amaziah King of Judah that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. the good duties of the wicked are sins to them both they and their services are rejected This will cut the unsound heart to the quick when he shall hear Christ say to him It is true these and these good works thou hast done these duties and such like thou hast performed but yet he will say to them as sometime he did to the Angel of the Church in Sardis I have not found thy works perfect before God Rev. 3. 2. therefore all thy works are but lost labour 2. If God be a most perfect God this Use 2. infinite perfection of God should make us the more to humble our selves before God to be low and base in our own eyes and that in diverse Respects 1. In respect of our great imperfections God is light we are darknesse God is Almighty we Impotent God is Eternal we Mortal God is Good we Evil God is Holy we Impure God only Wise we Foolish we are very Beasts before him God hath all perfections we all imperfections in us 2. In respect of the very graces in us the consideration of Gods infinite perfections should make us be base and low in our own eyes though we were full of the graces of Gods Spirit because our very perfections have much imperfection in them our faith is mingled with much unbelief our repentance with impenitency our patience with impatience and our obedience with much disobedience If the most perfect God should observe the imperfections of our perfections the defects of our graces the ungodlinesse of our very godliness as I may so speak who then could stand before him yea had we our created perfection and were as perfect as Adam in innocence yet still we should be base in our own eyes looking to Gods infinite perfections The glorious Angels who are the most perfect creatures yet cover their faces standing before God as being unworthy to behold the infinite perfections of so glorious a God 3. Be humbled in respect of all your Services and duties that ye do to God and for God and that in three respects 1. In that all we do is but little in comparison of what God requireth at our hands We do not bring in that full Tale of bricks of prayers of duties of works which God requireth at our hands and which we are bound to perform to our God He that doth most is very deficient therefore we should be humbled considering what perfection God requireth at our hands 2. In respect of the manifold imperfections that adhere to all our services and duties As we said but now of graces so of duties if God should mark the imperfections of them woe unto us woe unto us for our praying and hearing c. woe unto us for our duties and services considering what perfection of duties the perfect God requireth how God commandeth us to pray to hear his Word to meditate upon it to examine our selves than he that prayes and heareth and meditateth most and best may be in his own eyes as if he had not prayed nor heard nor done any thing at all 3. In this respect
upon you that the earth affords that hell affords are against you Therefore if ye will walk contrary to God prepare ye to meet the Almighty God in most horrible and almighty wrath But tell me O sinner hast thou the strength of stones to bear his wrath such strength is too weak God can break the rocks and pound them to pouder much more thy stubborn heart If he touch the mountains they will smoak much more when he shall inflict full stroaks of vengeance upon thy soul and body What saith the Apostle Do we provoke the Lord to anger are we stronger then he Can ye stubborn sinners grapple with the terrible wrath of the Almighty God or can ye overcome him when ye shall meet him cloathed with almighty vengeance if ye can you can do more then all the Devils in hell can do for they tremble at the power of his wrath 2. Let the stout-hearted and stubborn sinners be admonished to humble themselves before this Almighty God and fear to sin any more against him Go and break your hearts and humble your souls deeply and make your peace with Almighty God before the decree bring forth his irresistible wrath Our most conquering contention and wrestling with God is our serious humiliation under the mighty hand of God Brethren either your hearts must be broken with the sense of sin or else the Almighty God will break you all to pieces like a potters vessel with his iron rod either you must cast your selves down before him or God in his wrath will cast you into the lowest hell Isa 27. 4 5. But you will say how shall we do it What said the Leaper to Christ Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Go ye to Christ and say Lord if thou wilt thou canst humble my proud heart Lord if thou wilt thou canst break my stubborn heart Lord if thou wilt thou canst soften this hardned heart of mine Lord if thou wilt thou canst smite this rook of mine and rivers of tears shall gush out I see it is an hard matter for such proud stubborn hearts to be humbled but nothing is impossible for thee SECT 2. THe second Use is a use of terror Vse 2. to the professed enemies of God's Church and people 1. God will shew forth his almighty power and wrath against his Churches enemies to their utter destruction however the Nimrods the mighty hunters before the Lord may set themselves in their pride fury and malice against his people yet these lofty mountains shall be made plain and these Anakims these great Nimrods shall be driven away by his Almighty wrath as the chaff before the wind The Lord who is King of his Church is most wise and therefore can frustrate and bring to nothing all their devices he is Almighty therefore can destroy them with a sudden destruction Vse 2. Here is comfort to God's people Be not affraid thou worm Jacob for the Almighty God that hath all power all might all strength is thy sheild buckler tower God is on thy right hand and left hand before thee behinde thee to uphold preserve defend and save thee If God be with us who can be against us if God be with you who is he that can harm you let all the furies of hell with their malice and madness set upon you yet Vmbra Dei plus valet quam mille gladii hominum mille sagittae mille exercitus The shadow of Gods protection will be more available for your help then a thousand swords and darts of men then a thousand Armies are able to do you hurt Vse 4. Then be exhorted to pray with confidence at all times and daily to depend upon Almighty God So long as there is a possibility that the thing may be done though small or no probability in respect of the outward secondary causes and means appear yet pray because every thing is possible to Almighty God and he will put forth his Almighty power to do what shall make for his glory and thy good Despair of no mercy whatsoever Eph. 3. 20. God can do abundantly above what ye can ask or think God can do great matters give great mercies he can give great deliverances remove great evils confound the crafty overcome the mighty therefore pray still you cannot ask so great things as God can do for you you cannot think of so great things as God can do yet the mind can conceive greater things then the tongue can utter ask and think as great things as you can yet God can do and give more abundantly Despair likewise of no person despair not of the conversion of thy wife and children and friends after whose salvation thy soul longeth pray for them and continue in so doing because all things are possible to God he can break hearts he can change hearts convert the stubborn humble the proud he can draw a Camel through a needles eie Be exhorted likewise to depend always upon the Almighty God let him be thy stay trust and confidence in the greatest streights difficulties perplexlties or in what condition soever What! are means weak its no matter God is Almighty and can bring mighty things to pass by small means Do means go cross it is no matter God is Almighty and can make contraries to work thy happiness Do means fail God is Almighty and can do any thing without means All things are possible to him that beleiveth that dependeth on the Lord the Almighty God Vse 5. If God be Almighty then be ye lifted up ye heads that hang down and be strong ye feeble knees Gods almighty power is matter of great comfort Art thou weak be not cast down but hope in God and he can strengthen thee to do all things Art thou faint be not cast down God Almighty can renew thy strength that thou shalt run and not be weary walk and not be faint Isa 40. 31. Art thou afraid thou shalt not hold out but fall back from God the almighty power of God shall keep thee through faith unto salvation Gods almighty power is a Christians strong hold and garrison Art thou afraid of tentations Gods almighty power is sufficient to bear thee up and out of the most fearful tentations Hast thou a dead heart God's almighty spirit will quicken thee Fear no affliction for God's almighty power shall make thee more then a conqueror in all these Fear not death nor the grave for Gods almighty power can raise thee from the dust and make thy body glorious like unto the glorious body of Christ A discourse of the Life and Immortality of God Hebr. 3. 12. Take heed brethern lest there he in any of you an evil heart of unbeleif in departing from the living God CHAP. I. THe Author of this Epistle doubtless was St. Paul the chief subject of it is Christ A secondary drift and scope of it is to deter such as make profession of the faith of Christ from backsliding and departing from Christ as