51 12 A Good spirit Nehem. 9 20 And he is called The finger Of God Luke 11 20 Mat 12 28 The pledge Of God 2 Cor 5 5 Joh 14 16 17 18 26 The witness Of God Rom 8 16 The seal Of God Eph 4 30 2 Cor 1 22 The kisse Of God Cant 1 2 Seed of God 1 Joh 3 9 The Intercessor c. Rom 8 29 1 Joh 2.27 Act 2.2 Mat. 3 16. Act. 2.3 He is compared unto Oyntment a mighty wind a Dove and unto cloven tongues like fire Hee is also compared unto a Cloud to seed to water fire and winde To what the holy Ghost is compared and why 1 To a cloud Exod. 13.21 1 King 18.45 First unto a cloud Because that as the cloud betokneth a shadowing from heat and a sending downe of Rain as both Philosophy and experience sheweth so the spirit of God doth overshadow us from the heate of the wrath of God it cooleth and refresheth our scorched soules and as the Raine maketh the barren earth fertile and fruitfull so doth the graces of Gods spirit make our barren hearts plentifull in all goods works Secondly to seed Because that 2. To seed as in our naturall birth we are begotten by the seed of our Parents so in our new birth wee are begotten by those Graces that are sown in our hearts by the holy Ghost Thirdly to water Because that 3 To water The properties of water as water mollifieth the hard earth fructifieth the barren ground quencheth the greatest heat and cleanseth the foulest things so doth the spirit of God soften our hard hearts fructifie our barren soules quench the heat of lust and cleanse us from all our sins And so make us to become fit Temples for himself to dwell in or like the trees that are planted by the water side Psal 1.3 which bring forth their fruit in due season Fourthly to Fire 4. To fire 1 Cor. 3.13 Because he doth consume away the drosse of sin and illuminate our understanding with the light of truth and inslame our hearts with the zeale of Gods glory and with unfained love The properties of fire both towards God and man yea as the fire hath in it saith Oecumenius these three speciall things That is 1. Calorem 3. Splendorem 3. Motionem 1. Heat to warme mollifie and purifie 2. Splendor to give light and to illuminate 3. Motion to be alwayes working Even so the spirit of God first warmeth and heateth the hearts of the Godly with a fervent and a fiery zeal of all godlinesse hee mollifieth their hard and stony hearts and purifieth their souls from all kind of filthiness whatsoever Secondly he illuminateth their hearts with the knowledge of God and heavenly things Thirdly he maketh them allwayes to be in action and never idle Finally he is compared to wind and that for these five reasons 5. To wind Joh. 9.8 Exod. 33.19 Reason 1 First as the wind bloweth where it listeth so the gifts and graces of Gods spirit are given to whom soever it pleaseth him Reason 2 Secondly as the winde scattereth the dust and driveth the chaffe away from the Corne so the graces of Gods spirit doth winnow the consciences of the saints and drive away all wicked thoughts and cogitations from their hearts Reason 3 Thirdly As the wind cooleth comforteth and refresheth all those that are scorched with the heat of the sun so doth the grace of Gods holy spirit recreate all those distressed people that are scorched with the heate of troubles and afflictions or burned with the concupiscence of their sins Reason 4 Fourthly As the winde carrieth away the ship against the maine and mighty stream so will the grace of Gods holy spirit carry a man against the current of his naturall inclination Reason 5 Fifthly As the winde will passe unresistably so will the grace of Gods blessed spirit work its own effect and all the power of darknesse is not able to resist it and therefore he is compared unto a mighty winde because that as the mighty winde we read of in the sacred scripture did rend the Mountaines and break the rocks before the Lord Why the holy Ghost is compared to a mighty wind 1 King 19.11 so the grace of Gods holy spirit and the word of the great Jehovah is mighty in operation able to shake the stoutest the proudest man and to break in peeces the stoniest heart The gifts of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.6 7 8 9 10 11. All these severall operations which this holy spirit worketh in the hearts of the elect and all those foregoing Titles and Appellations which the sacred scriptures do give unto the holy Ghost do certainly prove him to be the true and everlasting God Besides if wee further search the holy scriptures we shall finde that by the holy Ghost First The word of wisdome the word of Knowledge Faith Gifts of healing working of miracles Prophesie discerning of spirits diverse kindes of Tongues and the interpretation of Tongues c. is given Heb. 6.4 5. Secondly By him the godly are sanctified and the very Reprobates have a taste of heavenly gifts and of the good word of God and of the promises of the world to come Exod. 13.3 4 0. 1 Sam. 11.6 c. Thirdly By him all excellency in common gifts of Nature reason as strength courage arts and sciences Policy and government is given unto man yea unto many that never heard of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Joh. 6.63 Joh. 14.17 Fourthly Influence perpetuall effectuall and vitall of saving grace from Christ is the head of every true member is given to beleevers 1 Pet 1.2 in which sence the world cannot receive or know the same Fifthly By the holy Ghost vertues charity constancy benignity faith goodness joy longanimity mildness modesty love patience Gal. 5.22.23 and peace of conscience are gotten with seven other principall vertues to wit wisdome understanding counsell fortitude knowledge godliness Isa 11.2 and the fear of God All these gifts being given by the holy Ghost do likewise prove him to be a God Many of the gifts and graces of Gods holy spirit are excellently well deciphered and set down unto us under the properties and conditions of those formes and figures wherein the holy Ghost did appear As First he appeared like a dove when he descended upon our Saviour Christ because his dove-like properties were to be shewed that hee was innocent meek and lowly in heart for as of all the beasts of the feild the little silly lamb is in most respects best qualified therefore is Christ call'd the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world So of all the fowls of Heaven the Dove in most respects is most excellent In what respects the holy Ghost is like a Dove For shee is annunciator pacis the messenger and proclaimer of peace she brought the Olive Branch unto Noah
marvell for as errours in practise are like a fretting Lepâ—â—sâ—e of a contagious and spreading nature so errours in judgement are very diffusive also Cor. 5.6 â— Tim. 2.17 A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe and hereticks false Doctrines fret and spread like a Gangren for no opinion is so monstrous but if it hath a Mother it will also get a Nurse Wofull experience in these times wherein the golden reines of Church government are wanting doth cleerly evince the truth thereof But yet the Lord doth seldome suffer the Authors and cheif fomenters of heresies even in this world to go unpunished as fully will appear in these ensuing examples Blasphemous Arrius that denyed the consubstantiality of the son of God with his Father did by the dreadfull Judgement of God Ruff. l. 1. c. 13. burst in sunder and after the manner of Judas Iscariot his bowells gushed out so when diverse of the Arrian Bishops intended to meet in a town of Nicomedia to consult about the propagation of that wicked heresie Socrat. Eccles hist l. 1. c. 25. the Lord to prevent their purposes did overthrow the town by a fearfull Earthquake Idem l. 1. c. 22. l. 2. c. 39. John 16.7 so Montanus that proclaimed himself to be that Paracletus the comforter which our Saviour promised to send unto his Church and his two femenine Prophets those lewd Dames Priscilla Maximilla did end their lives on Judas his Tree Euseb Eccles hist l. 5. c. 13. 14. so Paulus Samosateneus that denyed Christ to be the naturall sonne of God was miserably plagued by the hands of God and being deprived from his usurped Bishoprick he was excommunicated from all the Churches of God Hieron in catalog scrip so Manes of whom the sect of the Manichees took their denomination that had congested together many odious heresies as saint Augustine sheweth was at last taken and imprisoned by the King of Persia and by his commandement hee was flead alive and his skin filled full of chaff and set up as a wofull spectacle before the gate of a certaine City in Mesopotamia Euseb Eccles hist l. 7. c. 30. saith Eusebius so Simon Magus that taught many abominale heresies attempting to shew his power to the people by flying in the air fell downe brake his Thigh and dyed miserably so Nestorius who spake against the union of the divine and humane nature of Christ had his blasphemous tongue rotted in his mouth and consumed with â—â—â—mes and at length the earth opened her mouth and swallowed him up so Cerinthus an arch heretick being in a Bath at Ephesus the bath fell upon them and his associates and killed them so Heraclius the Emperour infected with the heresie of the Monothelites having raised a great Army against his enemies fifty thousand of them dyed in one night whereupon hee presently fell sick and dyed So Constance the Emperour a Monothelite was slaine hy his own servants as he was washing himselfe in a Bath And so I might recount many others whose tragical ends from Gods Judgements do sufficiently shew Gods hatred against all heresies Now touching prophane Atheists they are so addicted to the world that you shall never perswade them to think that there is a God or a Christ or a Devill or a heaven or a hell Psal 53.1 but these Fooles have sayd in their hearts there is no God and with the Sadduces they beleeve that there are neither angells nor spirits first nor second Seneca in Oâ—dip Claud. in Ruff. good nor bad omnia certo tramite vadunt all do run in a certaine crosse path or as Claudian saith incerto fluerunt mortalia casu all fall out bâ—â—ab nab all by chance and that is the end of all and so this cursed and atheisticall crew of incredulous men Pejores tardiores ad credendum quam ipsi daemones are worse herein and slower to beleeve then the very Devills as Saint Augustine saith And therefore the death of an Atheist commonly is most miserable Paul Diacon l. 15. Either burnt as Diagoras or eaten up with lice as Pherecides or deveured by dogs as Lucian or thundershot and turned to ashes as Olympius or eaten up of worms as Herod Agrippa Acts 12.22.23 or throwne downe from an high place and broken in peeces as Daphida val Max. l. 1. Fulgen. l 1. c 2. or slaine by his servants as Commodus and Heliogabalus or slain with a thunder-bolt as Tullus Hostilius or struck with madness as Francis Ribelius or kills himselfe as Strozze and Periers or pined to death as Jodelle However descending impenitent into hell there he is an Atheist no longer but hath as much religion as the Devill to confesse God and tremble nullus in inferno est Atheos ante fuit On Earth were Atheists many In Hell there is not any All sâ—â—ak truth when they are upon the rack but it is a wofull thing to be hells convert And so you see how the justice of God never preserveth Atheists and Hereticks even to the extreamost execution Against both these implacable though alwaies foyled enemies to divine truth have I built this Bulwarke which wanteth neither the strength of Ordnance provision of victualls nor the pollicy of most worthy Captaines and good souldiers For First Against the wretched Atheists I have placed the Learning of the Gentiles because that to alledge scripture to an Infidell is to no more purpose then if he alledged the Jewish Cabalist or the Turkish Alcaron unto a Christian. And that it is lawful for us to use the learning of the Gentiles is easily proved For we finde that not only the Fathers of the primitive Church as Justin Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Origen Cyprian Lactanctius Firmianus Ambrose Hierome Augustine Fulgentius Venerable Bede and all the rest did alledge the authorities of their precedent Fathers and of the best heathen Authors but also the Apostles and Prophets themselves did alledge the sayings and testimonies of the Heathen writers For Moses was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians Clemens Alex strom lib. 2. Dan. 4. c. 6 Ezra 1. and was therefore likened by Clemens Alexandrinus unto Plato and Daniel reciteth the Decree of Nebuchadnezzar and the Decree of Darius and the Edict of Cyrus King of Persia and Saint Paule useth the Testimony of Aratus against the Athenians Acts 17.28 1 Cor. 15 33 Titus 1.12 of Menander against the Corinthians and of Epimenides against the Cretians and out of the Jewish Talmud hee borroweth the names of the Magicians of Aegypt Jannes and Jambres that resisted Moses for they are not found in all the bookes of the Old Testament And therefore as it was lawfull for the Israelites to rob the Aegyptians of all their Jewells and most precious things that they could get of them so it is lawfull for us to take the best things that we can find either witty saying fitting similitude or memorable story in all
reason that he cannot be defined or comprehended as very learnedly the Philosopher Symonides answered for hee being demanded concerning the Essence of God and having many dayes given him to resolve the question at last he said The more I strive to consider what God is the more difficult I find the matter to be therefore we ought to take great heed that we wade not too far into this depth but let us learne Chrysost hom 2. in heb Potius glorificare eum qui est quam investigare quid est Rather most faithfully to serve him which is then too curiously to search what he is for as S. Chrysostome saith Chrysost quo supra hom 2. in Heb. Neque ad loquendum dignè de Deo lingua sufficit neque ad percipiendum intellectus praevalet our tongues are not able to speake worthily enough of God and our understandings are not sufficient to conceive of him as we ought to do therefore we should never think upon God without great reverence saith Musculus Thirdly By way of supereminency transcendent excellency as when we ascribe to God whatsoever excellencies that are or may be spoken of him far above all the excellencies of all creatures whatsoever as when we say not only in the Concrete that God is just mercifull wise strong good and such like but also in the Abstract By way of supereminency That the abstract names all excellencies are only proper to God that hee is Justice Mercy Wisedome Strength and Goodnesse it selfe which cannot be said of any of all the creatures for that all the best excellencies of the cheifest creatures are but as little sparkes in respect of a huge infinite fire or as a few drops of rain in comparison of the whole Ocean Sea if we should compare them to the excellency of God Nay we should finde their wisdomes Folly their strength Weaknesse their beauty Baldnesse and all their goodnesse to be nothing in respect of the goodness of God Job 4.18 for He chargeth his Angells with folly and the Heavens are not cleer in his sight Now according to these three waies God is described to be an Immortall A description of God by way of 1. Negation 2. Affirmation 3. Supereminency invisible incomprehensible spiritual infinite Eternall Essence the cause of all causes the author of all excellencies So here you see a boundlesse Ocean and a very large Description of God and I may sooner loose my selfe in the prosecuting of the same then find him fully as he is in any place which is fully truly in every place In a sober sence Bernard saith true Nusquam est ubique est God is every where by his Essence repletively no where inclusively he is no where because no place whether reall or imaginary can comprehend or contain him he is everywhere because no body no space or spirituall substance can exclude his presence or avoid the penetration if I may so speak of his essence He is in Christ spiritually in himself Alpha Omega In the world a Governour in Angels as Beauty in his Church as an Housholder in his Family in the Soul as a Bridegroom in his Marriage-chamber in the Righteous as an Helper in the Reprobate as fear and horror in the Godly to defend them and in the wicked to punish them There are indeed foure degrees of Gods presence Jer 23 24. Psal 19.1.6 1. An Vniversall 2. A Speciall 3. A more speciall 4. A most speciall Psal 130 7. 1. The Lord is present by his Essence in all places 1 Cor. 3.16 2. Hee is present by his Glory in Heaven Joh. 15.26 3. He is present by his Grace in his Saints 1 Pet. 3.18 4. Hee is present by his Spirit in Christ Heb. 9.14 He is every where replenishing the place with his being no where by Circumscription and locall definition So that Curiosity in this highest point of Divinity is very dangerous for God is one Deut. 6.4 Isa 44 5â— 1 Cor. 8.4 Iam 2.19 Deut. 4 15 16 1 Sam. 15.29 Act. 14.15 Matt. 5 48 single pure and perfect Being single without parts pure without passions and perfect without infirmities being in measure unmeasurable in Majesty inscrutable in Nature incomprehensible in Power irresistible in Will unchangeable in Place not circumscript in Time indefinite in Love immutable 1 Joh 1.5 August Med. cap. 12. in favour unspeakable and in Promise inviolable Good without quality Great without quantity Creatour without want in Act without motion every where present without sight the First and the last without time making all things mutable without any passive mutability in himselfe So that here we must needs acknowledge it impossible that a Finite understanding should comprehend an infinite eternall spirituall Essence and therefote I desire to remember that excellent rule of Saint Augustine Aug. de Trinitate l. 5. c. 1. Cavendum est ne dum de Deo cogitamus non possumus invenire quid sit aliquid de eo sentiamus quod non sit we must take great heed least in seeking to know what God is we think him to be what he is not And in another place Quid est Deus August lib. 1. de Quaest nov vet Testam est id quod nulla attingit opinio What is God Hee is that which no opinion can reach unto That it is not safe to enquire too far into the being of God To search then too far is perverse curiosity to beleeve the word is infallible security and to see him as he is is most absolute felicity Climbe not too high â—or falling Dive not too deep for drowning and soare not too high for dazeling labour to know so much as is revealed in the scriptures in which we are to search for all points much more for this and therefore that I may not err in this point I will say no more but with himselfe which knowes himselfe best that he is Jehovah whose Knowledge is infallible Rom. 11.33 Psal 107. Job 10 7. Heb. 6.17 Rom. 1.18 1 John 4.10 Rom. 15.16 Prov. 2 10. Psal 83.18 Isa 28.29 Providence inexplicable Judgements inevitable Decree immutable Wrath terrible and Love unspeakable whose Spirit doth sanctifie us Wisdome teach us Counsell guide us Favour compasse us and Power govern us the most High over all the earth wonderfull and great in Counsell mighty and excellent in works Eph. 2.4 Exod. 15.11 Ezeck 36.26 Tit. 3.5 rich in mercy glorious in Holinesse fearfull in Praises The Regeneratour of our Nature our Defence in Adversity Perseverance in the faith Eph. 1.4 the Life of them that beleeve and in the end is Eternall life it is he that elected us to salvation promising remission of sins by beleiving in Christ Joh. 3 15.16 Acts 8.37 being the first person named in order not in power nor time existing of himselfe and of no other is callâ—d Father Isa 63 16.
should be conceived without the helpe of man Saint Luke doth most plainly and fully declare unto us saying The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee Luk 1.35 the Power of the highest shall overshadow thee which words are not to be understood so as if he were begotten spermaticâ—s per concubitum by any carnall effusion of seminall humour as Jansenius seemeth to imagin nor of the Essence or substance of the Holy Ghost as some hereticks have sayd for so the Holy Ghost being God should have begotten him not man but God Quia omne generans generat sibi simile because every begetter begets his like and that which is borne of the Spirit is spirit Joh. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but he was conceived by way of Manufacture that is by the handy worke or operation or by the vertue of the Holy Ghost whereby the Virgin did conceive as Justin Martyr saith Just Martyr Apol. 2 pro. Christianis Aug. Ser. 3 de temp or else by the energeticall command and ordination of the holy Ghost as Saint Augustine saith or by the Benediction and blessing of the holy Ghost as Saint Basil saith Basil ser de nativitate whereby that part of the Virgins blood or seed whereof the body of Christ was to be framed was so cleansed and sanctified that in it there should be neither spot nor staine of originall pollution and then was so composed and framed that it became a perfect Christ and though the substance and parts of other men in ordinary generation be framed successively by degrees for the seminall humour first becomes an Embryo then a body in-organicall then are the Liver heart and Brain fashioned and then the rest one after another perfected and it is at least forty dayes before the body of any Child in the wombe be fully formed That Christ was conceived a perfect man in the first moment of his conception yet Christ in the very instant of his conception Quoad perfectionem partium non graduum in respect of the perfection of all parts was made a perfect man in body and Soule void of sin and full of Grace and so in a moment Totam naturam humanam uniendo formavit formando univit he was perfectly framed and instantly united unto this eternall Christ because it is the property of the Holy Ghost subito operari to worke instantly and perfectly And therefore When wee consider how wonderfully and inexplicably Christ was made flesh how a star gave light unto the Sun a branch did bear the Vine a Creature gave being unto the Creatour how the Mother was younger then what shee bare and a great deale lesser than what shee contained and how this Child was suddenly perfectly and holily made without the helpe of man wee may well say with the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.16 that great is the Mystery of Godlinesse and we should say with Saint Augustine Rem credo modum non quaero I do most faithfully beleeve the matter but I will not curiously search into the manner of his Conception Tertull. de resur carnis Quia ratio facti est potentia facientis ideo considerans autorem tollo dubitationem Moreover touching the end and finall cause of this his extraord nary and miraculous Conception it was Christ was conceived of a Virgin that he might be free from all sin That he might be pure and free from all Originall sin because it was requisite that hee which should save sinners should be himselfe free from all sin For this end his Mother was sanctified with the fullnesse of Grace with overshadowing of the Holy Ghost and with the Inhabitation of the son of God and therefore Saint Bernard saith That shee was Mariam non libido impregnaviâ— sed fides Sine pudore foecunda sine gravamine gravida sine dolore puerpera great with Child without breach of Chastity a Mother and yet a Mayde a woman and yet escaping the Curse of all Women for the Law had accursed them all Vrigins Luke 1.25 Gâ—n 3.16 because they were barren and the marryed wives because they should bear in sorrow but the blessed Virgin escaped both Quia virgo genuit dolorem non sensit for that shee conceived without sin and was delivered without paine as Saint Augustine sheweth by the example of the Sun that shines through a Glasse and yet breaks it not and of the fire that Moses saw in the bush and yet consumed it not but whether she felt any paines or not I cannot tell only this wee may be sure of that the greatnesse of her joy and gladnesse to bring forth such a son might well swallow up the greatest pain and greif and as she conceived a Virgin so she continued a Virgin as all the most judicious writers have affirmed for it is neither piety to speake nor Reason to thinke that Joseph being so just and so godly man as the holy Scriptures do testifie of him and being eighty yeares old when he was espoused unto Mary That the blessed Virgin continued a Virgin as Epiphanius saith should have any desire to know her whom he knew did bear his Saviour or that shee especially should yeeld to the desire of any man after shee had conceived and brought forth a God 2. Of the matter whence Christ his flesh was composed Rom. 1.3 Secondly Touching the matter from which the flesh of Christ was formed Saint Paule saith he was made of a woman that is of the flesh and blood and substance of his Mother and so he saith That hee was made of the Seed of David Heb. 4.15 and therefore it must needs follow that he was made in all things like unto his brethren sinne only excepted for the seed of the parents is the first matter and substance whereof the man is made And if it be true what Aristotle and the Philosophers do affirm That we take the substance of our flesh from our mothers that Semen patris in substantiam faetus non cadit sed ad menstruum mulieris se habet tanquam artifex ad artificium the seed of the man doth not fall into the substance of the Child but doth so dispose the seed of the woman as a workman frameth and disposeth his worke to make the same into the forme of man as this is most probable to be true although Galenus and most Physitians say the contrary then have we no reason at all to thinke that hee tooke not all the whole nature because he had another Worker to dispose and to frame the same substance into the forme of man yea seeing hee had a far more excellent Agent to worke the same then any seed of man can be and because the effect is ever better Ibi potior effectus ubi nobilior est causa where the cause is more excellent Reason it self sheweth that we have no reason to think that he was defective in any thing that pertained
is no more able to expresse all the Mysteries and most excellent points that we might collect and learne from the Incarnation of Christ then one poor fisher man is able to catch all the fishes in the ocean sea And therefore thus much shall suffice concerning this discourse of the Incarnation Birth Life Death Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is as hath been proved the true and promised Messiah the only son of God the brightnesse of his glory the expresse image of his Person heire of all things Heb. 1.2.3.4 c. more excellent then the Angels having honour glory Power strength Praise 2 Pet. 1.17 Rev. 5.12 Colos 2.3.1.18 Psal 2.8 Eph. 1.20.21.22 Psal 72.8.17 Phil. 2 9. Dignity Riches and Wisdome yea all treasures of knowledge and wisdome the heathen for his inheritance the Earth for his possessions and the Heavenly places for his seate far above all Power Might Dominion and Principalities with a Name given him above all Names at which every knee should bow c. Being the second Person in Trinity begotten of his Father from Eternity Gal. 4.4 in one Person the Son of God and very man Man Non exeundo quod habuit sed induendo quod non habuit not by loosing that he had but by accepting what hee had not our miserable nature conceived of a Virgin by the Holy Ghost called of his Father ever since the fall of Adam to be a Mediator between God and man desired of the Patriarchs prefigured in the Law foretold by the Prophets accomplished in the time of Grace manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit 1 Tim. 3.16 seen of Angells preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received up into Glory For man hee became a King to rule a Prophet to teach and Priest to sacrifice CHAP. III. OF THE HOLY GHOST Wherein the greatnesse of Gods goodness doth appeare WHEN we think upon the infinite goodnesse of the great Jehovah how gracious he is in all respects amiable in himselfe placable unto men liberall unto all his creatures none is so stupid and dull as not to admire it in him such is the never-dying streams of the goodness of God it is like a boundlesse Ocean there is no end of his Goodnesse and therefore Saint Bernard in admiration thereof breaketh forth into these heavenly acclamations saying Quam dives es in misericordia magnificus in Justitia munificus in gratia Domine Deus noster O how rich art thou in mercy how magnificent in Justice and how bountifull in Grace O Lord our God! For thou art a most liberall bestower of heavenly gifts Nam tu munerator copiosissimus remunerator aequissimus liberator piissimus Bernard a most righteous Rewarder of humane workes and a most gracious Deliverer of all that trust in thee yea so great is the goodnesse of God it is beyond expression beyond our imagination our words are beneath our thoughts and our thoughts far lower then the truth thereof Deut. 32.49 52. Yet as Moses from the top of Mount Nebo beheld the borders of the land of Canaan so if you please to ascend with me to the Mount of Contemplation I will shew you some glimpses of Gods goodnesses Certaine glimpses or shadowes of Gods goodness for he elected us before we were he created us of nothing hee redeemed us when we were lost hee preserveth us being found and that hee might bring us to eternall life hee hath given us the Author and Fountain of all temporall and spirituall gifts even the holy Ghost What the holy Ghost is 1 Joh. 5.7 Joh 15.26 Gal. 4.6 Psal 139.7 who is the third Person of the true and only God-head proceeding from the Father and the Son and co-eternall coquall and consubstantiall with them both Mat. 28.19 Isa 6.8.9 Act 28.25.26 He is call'd by the name of spirit proceeding from the Father and the son to shew the Essence and Nature that he is of for as the spirit of man must needs be truly of mans nature and is the most formall and Essentiall part of man 1 Cor. 2.11.12 So and much more it must be thought of the Spirit of God upon whom no Composition falleth And yet some have been so bold as most impiously to affirme that the holy Ghost was but a created quality or a godly motion in the hearts and minds of Righteous man Isa 6.8.9 Acts 28.25.26 But if wee do compare the words of Isaias with the words of Saint Paul they will sufficiently confute this damnabe â—rrour and most manifestly shew unto us this holy spirit to be the true and eternall God Besides the scripture saith That the spirit of the Lord filleth heaven and earth Sap. 1.7 whereupon Saint Basil Ambrose de S. S. l. 1. c. 7. Saint Augustine Saint Ambrose and others have most plainly proved against all hereticks whatsoever that the holy Ghost is a true God by Nature That the Holy Ghost is a true God by nature because that to be every where cannot by Grace belong to any but only to him that is by Nature God which reserveth this unto himselfe to be every where and therefore Saint Augustine writing against Maximinus an Arrian Bishop saith Aug. cont Maxim l. 3. c. 21. Epist 66. I cannot express how much I marvell what a heart you have so to extoll the holy Ghost as to make him every where present to sanctifie the faithfull and yet that thou dare deny him to be a God for is not he a God which filleth heaven and earth Also Dydimus in his booke Basil de spiritu sancto c. 22. and Saint Basil in his treatise De spiritu sancto declare that to be God Didym lib. 1. de spiritu sancto which can be in diverse places at one time Which thing is not agreeable to any creature But that the holy Ghost was present with the Apostles and Prophets in sundry parts of the world at one time no man professing the faith of Christ doth in the least doubt the truth thereof Wherefore it followeth that he is a God Job 33. Mat. 28.19 1 Joh. 5.7 Joh 14.1.16 1 Cor 3.16 2 Cor. 13.14 Psal 33.6.104 30 The Symbolum of Nice out of the holy scripture teacheth That the holy Ghost is hee that maketh alive and hee that together with the Father and the sonne is worshiped and with them is honoured therefore the holy Ghost of necessity must be true and everlasting God with the Father and the son in one only essence touching which point the holy Fathers powerfully did set themselves against the Hereticks and out of holy scripture stoutly maintained the same Plato Aristotle Proclus Suidas Orpheus Pherecydes Parmenides Porphyrius Numenius Amelius Chalcidius Avicen As for Atheists which deny the scriptures and are altogether ignorant of this blessed spirit if they will but look into the writings of
Felle caret Rostro non laedit Optimum granum elegit Gemicum pro cantu habet Juxta flumiâ—a aquarum sedet Innocentia valet Volatu praestat Thom. Aquin. de proprietat columbae she wanteth Gall shee hath no bitternesse in her shee never hurts with her bill nor clawes she is full of Love and yet shee never sings any wanton tune but woo woo is her matutinus vespertinus cantus her mournfull morning and evening song and therefore the holy Ghost descended on Jesus Christ like a Dove to shew these dove-like qualities of this Lambe of God and to teach that we must be thus qualified like Doves if we should have and enjoy the sweet and comfortable presence of this Heavenly Dove this holy spirit of God Joh. 14.16.17.18.26 Rom. 8.15.16 Joh. 16.13 Eph 1.13 4 30. Rom. 8.23 who is in the hearts of the elect as the pledge of Christs presence the witnesse of their adoption the guide of their life the comforter of their soule the seale of their redemption and the first fruits of their salvation Secondly like cloven tongues of fire Secondly He appeared like cloven tongues of fire First Like tongues because as a Father saith Symbolum est lingua spiritus sancti a Patris verbo procedentis The tongue is a symbole of the holy Ghost proceeding from the word of the Father for as the tongue hath the greatest cognation 1. Why the holy Ghost appeared like tongues and the neerest affinity with the word and is moved by the word of the heart to expresse the same by the sound of the voice saith Saint Gregory so the holy Ghost hath the neerest affinity that may be with the word of God and is the expressor of his voice and the speaker of his will Joh. 16.14 that receiveth of him and revealeth all unto us Secondly Like cloven tongues 2. Why he appeared like cloven tongues because all tongues and all languages are alike knowne and understood of God and because this holy spirit can teach all men all Languages and the gift of tongues is a gift of God Thirdly 3. Why he appeared like cloven tongues of fire He appeared like cloven tongues of fire because the spirit of God delighteth rather in the zealous and the fervent tongues of saint Paul and Apollo's that warme the heart then in those eloquent tongues of Cicero and Demosthenes that delight the eares for this is the desire of Gods spirit to kindle the hearts of men and to set them on fire with the love of God and to make them zealous in all good things Indeed zeal derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word that 's framed from the very sound and hissing noise that hot burning coales do make when they meet their contraries in any moystned substance and so zeal expresseth heat and zealous men are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as burn or such as waxe fervent in spirit Acts 18.25 Psa 39.3 so as the Prophet saith The fire kindled and at the last I spake with my tongue zeal is the highest degree of affection good or bad therefore he that doth any thing moderately though hee may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of that thing yet he cannot be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because a Zelot is so intensive Vt quicquid vult valde vult as that to all the objects of his affections he is excessively disposed Omnis animi impetus a ratione vel recta vel perversa proveniens ad destruendum vel ad sâ—uendum aliquid sub hoc verbo zelus significatur and most earnestly stretching himself to the very height of his abilities his love is fervent his desire eager his delights ravishing his hopes longing his hatred deadly his anger fierce his greif deep his feare terrible and so of all the rest of his passions he hath them all in the highest pitch so that such a man all the men in the world had most need to have his biasse right and to be furnished with that most necessary paire of spirituall endowments namâ—â— Wisdome and understanding Of wisdome understanding by way of digression first what they are two excellent graces and gifts to be desired above all the wealth of this world if wee would but consider the difference betwixt a Wise man and a foole that is void of understanding Now there are two sacred scriptures which do tell us what is Wisdome and Understanding for in the Book of Job it is sayd Job 28.28 Behold the feare of the Lord that is Wisdome and to depart from evill is understanding Deut. 4.4 5 6. And Moses sheweth the same also saying Behold I have taught you statutes and judgements c. Keepe therefore and do them for this is your Wisdome and your Vnderstanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these statutes and say surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people Moreover Sap 7.22 concerning wisdome the wise man sayth that in her is an understanding spirit 2 Of the sundry properties in wisdome holy one only manifold subtill lively clear undefiled not subject to hurt plain loving the thing that is good quick which cannot be letted ready to do good Kinde to man Sap. 7.23 stedfast sure free from care having all power overseeing all things and going through all understanding pure and most subtill spirits For wisdome is more moving then any motion Sap. 7.24 shee passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness 25. For she is the breath of the power of God and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty Therefore can no defiled thing fall into her 26. For shee is the brightnesse of the everlasting light the unspotted mirrour of the power of God and the image of his goodnesse 27. And being but one she can do all things and remaining in her lelf she maketh all things new and in all ages entring into holy soules shee maketh them freinds of God and Prophets 28. For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdome 29. For shee is more beautifull then the Sun and above all the order of the stars being compared with the light shee is found before it so that as Menander saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisdome is a more precious possession then all riches and therefore Nihil sapientiâ ardentius diligitur nihil dulcius possidetur nothing is loved nothing is desired more than Wisdome and though one man affecteth honour another desireth wealth and a third loveth his pleasure Aristot Meâ—a l 1. yet all men affect wisdom which as Aristotle saith is Cognitio primarum altissimarum causarum Cicero Tusc l 4. or as Cicero defines it Sapientiae est divinarum humanarum rerum scientia and it is the greatest glory and eminency of any man because a wise man in raggs is more to