to bee blamed though they sometimes alter their method 13 They serue the greatest Master and are imploied in the greatest worke and shall haue the greatest wages 18 Motiues to fruitfulnesse 138 Motiues to singing 28 Motiues to seeke after Gods glory 33 N A Good Name how to get 125 Good Names profit not without grace 292 They should be a sput to goodnesse ibid. Vnder a holy Name to lead an vnholy life is a kind of sacriledge 293 Negatiue diuinitie not enough 159 No goodnesse comes from Nature 289 O OBedience is to be giuen to all Gods precepts 156 Particulars wherein wee are to shew our Obedience vnto God 284 Omission of good duties damnable 159 Oppression a sinne against Race Grace and Place 301 Oppressors how heretofore punished 314 God heares the grones of the Oppressed 315 P PArents to giue thankes at meat and not their children for them 151 Good Parents may haue lewd children 288 Their duties towards their children 290 Parents are not too rashly to be censured for the loose cariage of children 291 Wicked Parents disgrace their children 294 Papists their positions dissolue all bands of humane fellowship 117 Their practises agreeable to their positions 118 Their bloudy crueltie 255 A fearefull sinne to abuse Gods Patience 220 Gods Patience should teach vs Patience 222 Our Peace so long enioyed a great blessing 262 Our workes are to be brought to Perfection 154 Perseuerance in good needfull 157 Presence of God still to be remembred 54 Gods Proceedings are all iust 180 No Priuiledge will beare vs out if we take libertie to sinne 189 235 Priuiledges of those who loue God 56 Poesie is a commendable Art 23 Professors outward cariage if holy doth much good 80 The lewd life of a Professor doth highly dishonour God 37 Prophesies of the Prophets how kept 1 Before God doth Punish he giueth warning 211 Why God suffers the wicked to runne on without Punishment 268 Why God Punisheth the wicked for doing that worke he emploies them in 226 Purposes made for the most part like our Holiday Eeues 155 Q GOd fell not to Questioning vntill man fell to sinning 190 Gods Questions tend for the most part to conuince the conscience ibid. R THe godly come of noble Race 120 Rage of the wicked limited 250 Diuersitie of Religion dangerous in a kingdome 114 Religion is the strength of our Land 130 Rhetoricke lawfull to be vsed 296 Rich men rarities in heauen 110 Riches to be esteemed in themselues as blessings ibid. Why they are called the Mammon of vnrighteousnesse ibid. Rome her first foundation laid in bloud 255 Whether it be a true Church 98 Rules to be followed in vsing Parables and Allegories 83 S SAfetie of the godly very great 250 To liue in Safety keep in with God 249 Saints allotted by Papists to all countries except England 287 Security of the wicked blockish stupidity 244 Separation not to be made from our Church for some blemishes 96 Senses of God troubled with mans sin 170 Sinne corrupteth all things 165 Euery Sin belcheth forth an euill sauor 171 It is a make-bate 186 It breakes our Couenant with God 241 It depriues vs of Gods protection 240 It weakens a Kingdome 242 It hath both voice feet and wings to hasten iudgement 316 Foure Sinnes in Scripture said to be crying sinnes 317 Sinnes of weaknesse punished much more shall sinnes of wickednesse 235 Things sinfull afford resemblances to admonish of duty 85 Singing Psalmes or other holy songs lawfull 26 Directions how to Sing 29 Few Sing but they take Gods name in vaine by their singing 31 Three kinds of Songs in vse amongst the Iewes 8 Sodome what it was and what it is 169 By our Speeches our loue we beare to God will be discovered 49 Foure Suters that seeke to get the soule 59 No Suter should speed but Christ 60 Superiours must remember they haue a Superiour 285 T DVties of the second Table to be especially regarded 298 Time is to be obserued for doing good 153 Some good duties are at some times vnseasonable 154 Tongue the Interpreter of the mind 49 Toleration of Idolaters vnlawfull 113 The godly though not preserued from Troubles yet preserued in them 252 Why Trades are called Crafts and Mysteries 283 Truth of God with-hold not in vnrighteousnesse 199 V THe Church compared to a Vineyard in diuets respects 73 Verse comprehends much in a little 24 Verse better remembred than prose 5 Vnity ought to be in the Church 100 That Vnity be maintained what must bee auoided 101 The wicked are Vnthinkefull to God 162 Vowes not to be broken 198 Vsurers like the Timber-worme and like the nether Milstone and their Broakers like the vpper 312 They will be Venison in Heauen 313 W WArre a heauy iudgement 263 Waters of the Sanctuary needfull to further our growth in grace 145 Weaknesse of grace should not discourage if there be true grace 161 Wealthinesse and Wickednesse not euer conioind 109 Wicked they shall not euer remaine within the Church 105 Wicked preserue the godly as chaffe doth the Corne. 111 They charge the godly to be the troublers of the State when it is themselues 129 The turne Gods best blessings into poison 165 They cannot please God 171 The haue no peace with him 187 They shall not escape Gods wrath 233 They lie open to all dangers 243 Witches are the Deuils drudges 248 The Deuill cannot doe harme to any to gratifie a Witch 247 Workes testifie though not iustifie 51 The godly abound in good Workes 81 Words of a Christian are of a healing nature 80 Word preached is a Winepresse and doth discouer what is within the heart 131 Word neuer preached in vaine 167 Our Workes should be workes of the Spirit 152 The best Workes of the wicked are offensiue to God 170 World not to bee loued if wee would loue God 55 Worship of God is the glory and strength of our Land 128 FINIS Rom. 10. 15. a Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus Iuven. b Nec quicquam in te mutavit sertunae amplitudo nisi ut prodesse tantundem posses velles Plin. epist ad Vespas Qui sua metitur pondera ferre potest Martial Calu. in praesat ad hunc lib. a Isai 8. 1. 2. 30. 8. Hab 2. 2. Musâ—ul in Isai b Rom. 10. 20. Hierom. lib. 15. in Isai in sine c Hierom. epist ad Paulinum d Reuel 14. 2. Bulling Praef. in Isac e Cap. 1. 18. Etym. nom Prophet f Cap. 1. Vers 4. g Esay 53. 1. h Cap. 49. 4. i Ier. 20. 9. Text. Vers 1. k Ezek. 33. 32. Obser l Matth. 2. m Luke 5. Argument of the Song Luther The scope is three-fold n 2 Sam. 12. o Vers 5. p Matth. 21. q Vers 40. 41. 43. Diuision Exposition Muscul Moller Calu. Vrsin in loc 1. r Cant. 2. 16. 6. 3. 7. 10. 2. Å¿ Iohn 3. 29. Mizmor Tehillah Shir. t Ephes 5. 19. Coloss 3. 16. u Zamar * Halal
many in this world marry some only for beauties sake many againe for riches sake other some for Nobilitie and Gentry sake and not a few for wisdomes sake but where all these meet it is iudged a match vnmatchable Why see all these are abundantly in him and therefore seeke no further for thou wilt assuredly speed worse Standst thou vpon dowry Alas Thou hast little cause for what bringest thou but sinne and beggery And yet he will enstate thee into a kingdome of incomprehensible glory Ahashuerosh promises Esther halfe his kingdome but Christs performances outstrip his promises hee giues his a whole one With ioy and gladnesse shall they be brought they shall enter into the Kings Palace saith the Psalmist speaking of the Church Christs spouse He hath a glorious house a Citie of gold to entertaine thee the foundations of whose wall are garnished with pretious stones S. Iohn in his Reuelation sets downe a full description of it who so will let him reade it and regard it though it passeth the measures of Geometrie to measure it the skill of Logicke to define it and the eloquence of Rhetoricke to expresse it But thus conceiue If the house of this world be so excellent as that it deserues to be so esteemed by vs wherein God lets his enemies dwell and if the lowest pauement of that heauenly mansion be so gloriously bespangled with the Sunne Moone and twinckling Starres as we see it is what then is the Mansion it selfe how glorious must the sides and â—eeling of that eternall Tabernacle be which God hath sequestred for himselfe and Spouse These things being well considered I hope thou wilt forbeare to set thy loue vpon any other Suiter and now at length suffer thy selfe to be wrought vpon by our Ministerie not to gainesay that we with all speed and haste as Abrahams seruant did may returne againe to him that sent vs. And thus much for the Appellation which I could not passe ouer without some vsefull obseruation His warrant is next to be considered which he brings for the publishing of this his Song and is implied in these words Of my beloued i. The song which his beloued put into his mouth and which he had in charge from him to publish for albeit Isay was the Author instrumentall and Pen-man of it yet God was the Author principall We see then he set it forth Cum gratia priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis And hence let Ministers learne To deliuer nothing for Doctrine but what they are able to shew warrant and commission for the deliuery of Good warrant we must haue for what wee teach our people whether it tend to the enforming of their iudgements or rectifying of their affections and be able to shew that we deliuer nothing but what we haue receiued in charge from God to deliuer It was the vsuall manner of the Prophets preaching vnto the people to prefixe before their message these and such like prefaces Thus saith the Lord Heare the Word of the Lord The Word of the Lord which came c. Whereby they shewed they had authority from God And thus doth Saint Paul ground his Doctrine as vpon a sure and certaine foundation I haue receiued of the Lord saith he that which I also haue deliuered vnto you And againe elsewhere thus First of all I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued c. This the Lord himselfe enioynes his seruants Thou shalt goe to all that I will send thee and whatsoeuer I command thee thou shalt speake said the Lord to Ieremiah And to Ezechiel was this charge giuen Thou shalt heare the Word at my mouth and giue them warning from mee So likewise when our Sauiour sent out his Apostles into the world to teach all Nations he willeth that they should teach them to obserue all things whatsoeuer saith hee I haue commanded you Yea our blessed Sauiour himselfe professeth My Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me And againe The things that I haue heard of him those speake I to the world And the reason of this is good viz. that the faith of our hearers should not bee in the wisdome of men but in the power of God which reason the Apostle himselfe renders why he came not with excellency of speech nor entising words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of spirit and power The vse is two-fold First it concernes vs Ministers that we be carefull of our Doctrine and see that it be warrantable sound and good not ours but Gods The Lawyer saith one beginnes with Reason and so descends to common Experience and Authority The Physitian he beginnes with Experience and so comes to Reason and Authority But wee Diuines must beginne with Authority and so proceede to Reason and Experience We are Christs Embassadors and in his stead saith the Apostle Now wee know an Embassador is to speake nothing but what is giuen him in Commission He may not adde nor alter chop and change inuent or deuise any thing of his owne No way is hee to depart from what is giuen in charge but he must be found faithfull in the execution of his office and so see we be Beware wee oh beware wee of propounding any such Doctrine as tendeth either to the infecting of the iudgement with error or tainting the life with vncleannesse Take heed how wee dare to broach any new conceit or vnnecessary quiddite fitter to breed iangling than godly edifying still remembring that it is the conuiction of the conscience the information of the vnderstanding the resolution of the iudgement the gaining of the affections the redresse of the life that should be our aime in dispensing of the Word Now as for trickes and crankles Grammaticall and Rhetoricall descant ends of gold and siluer what helpe they to this businesse Aarons bels must bee golden bels not brasse nor copper nor any such like metall but pure gold Doctrines proceeding from our owne braine coyned on the Anuill of our owne inuentions are not Cum gratia priuilegio Gods pure truth must be dispensed and all the truth and nothing but the truth So helpe vs God Secondly this neerely concernes all Hearers that they receiue nothing into their heads and hearts but what they find Seene and allowed and published by Authority To the Law and to the Testimony said the Oracle of God of old If they speake not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them This is the touch by which all Doctrine must be tried If we haue authority of Scripture for our propounded points it being rightly vnderstood then we haue authority from God himselfe for the deliuery of it else not Too to blame then are our ouer-credulous multitude who hand ouer head admit and receiue for Orthodoxe whatsoeuer is propounded vnto them by their teachers and thinke this is a sufficient warrant for any point they hold Our Minister said it
reioyce in tribulation and sing in the very stockes with Paul and Silas though thou be persecuted and afflicted railed vpon and reuiled by euill men yet seeing there is no law against thee and the curse which maketh these things bitter is remoued from thee thou needest not feare them before they come nor be discouraged when they are come but è contra if thou bring not forth the fruits of the Spirit then assure thy selfe that whatsoeuer losse or crosse befals thee they fall vpon thee with a curse the venome and sting is in the taile of them they tend â—o thy perdition Were these things well weighed by vs how could we then but labour to be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse Men of this world commonly comfort themselues with this that how euer they faile yet the Law cannot take hold vpon them Be thou a fruitfull branch and this comfort thou maist haue for the Law Morall is no killing letter to thee Fourthly The circumstance of time cals vpon vs to bring forth the fruits of obedience Our Master hath suffered vs our first yeare already yea our second nay our third or rather our third score yeare for is it not rather three times twentie yeares than three yeares since the Lord hath spared vs as he spared the Fig-tree For as much then as he hath yeare by yeare for so long succession of yeares sought for fruit of vs and found none it is now high time to looke about vs and bring forth plentie or else with feare and trembling it is to be expected that we shall stand no longer but be stubbed vp and haue that sentence passed against vs which was sometimes passed against the Fig-tree Cut it downe why cumbereth it the ground Besides these Motiues our blessed Sauiour vseth many more in that same sweet Sermon which he preached to his Disciples a little before his departure from them and as some thinke in the way betweene the place where he did eat the Passeouer and the Garden wherein he was betrayed Herein saith he is my Father glorified that you beare much fruit Our fruit-bearing tends much to Gods glorifying and in glorifying him our glory doth consist for the glory of man without glorifying his Maker is but dung and wormes but this dung and wormes by glorifying God shall be made glorious Now the only way to bring glorie to his name is by bringing forth the fruit of our planting Againe he saith By this we shall be his Disciples that is know and haue a testimony that we are so and indeed without fruit none can haue his vocation adoption or engrafting into Christ sealed vp vnto his soule He then that is vnfruitfull wants this testimony which euery one desires to haue and none to be without Againe he telleth them this was the end of their election before time and speciall vocation in time Yee haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you and ordained you that you should goe and bring forth fruit Besides if a man endeuour to bring forth fruit he is sure to speed when he hath any suit to God and therefore in the same verse he addeth this as a reason to his exhortation That whatsoeuer they should aske of his Father in his name he might giue it them If all this will not serue to make vs fruitfull that which our Sauiour saith in the beginning of that chapter me thinks should awaken vs for Euery branch that beareth not fruit he taketh away and presently after If a man abide not in me viz. to bring forth fruit he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned Much more might be said for the pressing of this so necessarie a dutie My desire is to say enough and but enough now what hath beene spoken is enough if God shall please to accompanie it with his grace and operation of his blessed Spirit without which neither this nor all that can be said will be enough to worke vs hereunto By this time haply thy heart may smite thee for thy barrennesse and the Spirit may begin to worke within thee a desire after the fruits of holy life insomuch that out of the longing desire of thy soule which thou hast of fruitfulnesse thou wilt now come to me as those Publicans and souldiers came to Iohn saying What shall we doe Or as that Lawyer came to Christ with Master what shall I doe If this be thy next question what thou shouldst doe to become fruitfull I would aduise thee to follow these directions See thou be remoued out of thy naturall soile and be engrafted into another stocke For that thou maist be fruitfull thou must be as it is said of the godly man in the first Psalme A tree planted because by nature the best of vs are but as wilde Oliue and if euer we become fruitfull trees we must of necessitie be transplanted from the first Adam into the second The tree must be good before the fruit can be Either make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree euill and the fruit euill saith our Sauiour for men gather not grapes of thorns nor figs of thistles As a good tree cannot bring forth euill fruit so neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Vntill thou be a plant planted in the house of the Lord and engrafted into Christ by a true faith and made a new creature by Regeneration hauing a beleeuing heart and a good conscience thy fruit can neuer be good all thy workes are as so many sinnes yea thy best works are but as rotten weeds Thornes and Thistles thou bringest forth and therefore art nigh vnto cursing whose end is to be burned but being once engrafted into this stocke Iesus Christ thou canst not but bring forth fruit incontinent though not such plenty and store of fruit as afterwards for such a liuely power of life is in it that wert thou as dry as Aarons withered rod yet thou shalt presently be changed into a flourishing and fruitfull tree As the Theefe vpon the Crosse who no sooner was set into it but he beares fruit in an instant 1. Reprouing his fellow theefe for his sinne in railing vpon Christ 2. Iustifying Christ and pleading his innocencie giuing a good testimonie of him 3. Condemning himselfe acknowledging Gods righteousnesse in laying that punishment vpon him 4. Crauing mercy and forgiuenesse from his Sauiour desiring him to remember him when he came into his kingdome so thou being ioyned vnto him that is raised from the dead shalt bring forth fruit vnto God Labour therefore to be engrafted The ordinarie meanes is the word preached for as in grafting so here God is the husbandman Christ the stocke Beleeuers the imps the Spirit the sap the word the sawe the Sacraments the ligatures As therefore without a knife or sawe to open and riue the
vp to the highest mountaines and being there with some hope looke downe on the swimming valleyes But alas the water begins to ascend to their refuged hilles and within a small time the place of their hopes becomes an Iland now they hitch vp higher to the tops of the tallest trees but soone after the waters following ouertake them halfe dead with hunger and with horror Thus those mountaines could not saue those in that day of water nor these mountaines these in this day of fire for the very heauen shall depart as a scrowle that is rolled vp together and euery mountaine and Iland shall be moued out of their places and what hope then remaines in them of securitie or refuge Tremble tremble at this all you vngodly ones Stand in awe and sinne no more A iudgement is reserued for you deceiue your selues no longer Weaknesse in Gods children must be corrected and shall wickednesse in you escape vnpunished Is it possible you should thinke it Mee thinkes it is a thing impossible you should be so senselesse No no if God thus afflict his children he will neuer suffer disobedient bastards to goe free hee whips the one with rods hee will scourge the other with Scorpions For Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth and therefore much more the wicked and the sinner And this for the first vse A second followes This serues for admonition to the best that they beware of sinne for if they will take libertie to breake Gods lawes let them looke for stripes God loueth his like a wise Father aiming at their good and chuseth rather to profit than to please and not fondly and effeminatly like some foolish mother who giues her selfe to follow the foolish lusts and appetite of her childe he hath his rod lie by him and will discipline vs and if we enter into a course of sinning he will reclaime vs by his chastisements And therefore let no man thinke nor say he is safe because he hath some assurance of his election and therefore cannot be depriued of saluation For though thou beest in the state of happinesse for the life to come yet thou maist fall into great misery in this life present Dauid was as well elected as thy selfe and as safe from being condemned as thou art or canst be and yet such calamities befell him as made him groane and crie yea roare so that his bloud was dried vp and his moisture was like vnto the drought in Summer yea he felt as great anguish as if his bones had beene broken or all out of ioynt and therefore be not high minded but feare For it is not the vertues that thou hast that can be a warrant to thee to fall in vice nor yet thy profession or religion no nor yet election that will keepe the rod from off thy backe if thou paly the foole in committing folly I confesse God will not wipe out those whose names he hath written in the booke of life nor damne any of his elect which are in Christ yet if they or any of them wax wanton hee will whip them to the purpose and make them tame The Magistrate wee know hath many punishments for offenders besides death and gallowes hee hath the stocks the whipping-post the pillory the gaole And so hath God more iudgemnts besides damnation hee hath his stocks his whip his little-ease his purgatory for his owne in this world though hee doe not reprobate them yet hee may so hide his face and coneale their pardon from them as that they may finde little difference betwixt a reprobate and themselues Be wise now therefore oh yee Christians bee instructed all yee godly of the earth Serue the Lord with feare and reioice with trembling Kisse the sonne lest hee bee angry and yee perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him And lastly from hence much Comfort may bee gathered in as much as afflictions doe not disable vs from being Gods It was Gedeons weaknesse to argue Gods absence by them If the Lord be with vs why then is all this befallen vs saith he Fond nature thinkes God should not suffer the winde to blow vpon his deare ones because her selfe makes this vse of her owne indulgence But wee shall reade that none out of the place of torment haue suffered such or so many afflictions as his dearest children There is no reason then why we should imagine that Gods fauour is the lesse towards vs when we are exercised though with great and heauy afflictions for whom he loueth he doth chastise and neerest to God fullest of sorrowes as one saith well Hence is it that the Apostle enformeth vs after this sort My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euery sonne whom he receiueth If you endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes For what sonne is hee whom the father chasteneth not But if you be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are you bastards and not sonnes Furthermore we haue had fathers of our flesh which corrected vs and wee gaue them reuerence shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits and liue For they verily for a few daies chastened vs after their owne pleasure but he for our profit that wee might be partakers of his holinesse Now no chastening for the present seemth to bee ioyous but grieuous neuerthelesse afterwards it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse vnto them which are exercised thereby Wherefore lift vp the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees See how large our Apostle is in his comfortable exhortation Surely hee full well knew how hardly the very best are perswaded that God is with them in the day of trouble and how apt the godly are to make hard conclusions against themselues in the day of their calamity and therefore is he so large in his comforts Faine would the Deuill haue had perswaded Christ that hee was none of Gods because hee was afflicted with hunger and the same would hee willingly perswade thee of but remember thou the former consolation and relinquish not thy hope of happinesse in heauen because thou art recompenced with iudgements here on earth for in so doing thou wilt but adde to thy owne sorrow and needlesly encrease the weight of thy owne burden And thus much for this vse as also for this second circumstance The third followes which concernes the punishment inflicted and what it is The hedge thereof shall be taken away and it shall bee eaten vp and breake downe the wall thereof and it shall be trodden downe And I will lay it waste c. The iudgement here inflicted as we see consists in the paine of losse and paine of sense First Good things shall be remoued and taken from them
is at hand waiting when they shall be deliuered to him yet they lie snorting in their sinnes sleeping betweene Death and Hell as Peter did betweene the two souldiers being fast bound with chaines or to vse Solomons Prouerbe As a Sailer vpon the top-mast in the midst of a storme there being but a haires bredth betweene them and their destruction See then thy estate thou who art from vnder Gods protection liuing in thy sinnes thou liuest in perpetuall perill thou maist eat and drinke make merry and be iocund but thou hast little reason Belshazzar may carowse it in golden and siluer vessels but hee had little cause when his doome was written on the wall Amnons heart may cheere him but as little reason had he Death being so nigh at hand Be then as merry as you will you wicked ones this I am sure of your wretched estate giues you no leaue Lastly here is a ground of encouragement for the faithfull when they haue iust cause to band themselues against the wicked and are constrained to meddle with euill men or to vndertake warre against the enemies of the Church either for the defence of true Religion or for the releeuing and deliuering of such as are oppressed for religion or for the safetie and defence of Land and people or for other such like iust causes that wee lift vp our heads and hearts with hope of victory because we haue to doe with weake and naked men Thus Iosua and Caleb comforted the people against the Canaanites saying Rebell yee not against the Lord neither feare ye the people of the Land for they are but bread for vs their shield is departed from them and the Lord is with vs feare them not This was that also wherewith Abijah the King of Iudah comforted himselfe going against the mightie armie of Ieroboam with this let vs and all Gods people comfort our selues when we are to goe out against our aduersaries for they come out into the field as souldiers without weapons they haue neither shield nor buckler nor breast-plate nor helmet nor sword nor speare their loines are vngirt their feet vnshod their heads are vncouered in the day of bartell they lie open as naked men to be wounded and destroyed and therefore Be strong and couragious feare not neither be afraid for the wicked nor all their multitude for there is more with vs than is with them with them is an arme of flesh but with vs is the Lord our God for to helpe vs and to fight our battles And so much for this Now we goe on It shall be eaten vp and trodden downe This followes vpon the former The hedge and wall being pluckt vp and broken downe way is made whereby the beasts of the field that is the enemies of the Church shall haue free egresse and regresse to eat and deuoure and not only so but to tread downe and spoile they should not only trouble and afflict them but also ouercome them and enter into their possessions carrying away what they list making strip and waste of the rest The first point hence to be obserued is Vntill God breake downe the wall and plucke vp the hedge of his protection wherewith his people are encompassed the wicked and vngodly cannot hurt them or any way harme them God must giue yea make way before they can come in vpon them to afflict them How should one chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight saith Moses in that same sweet song which he sang a little before his death except their rocke had sold them and the Lord had shut them vp This was a thing impossible that one enemie should chase a thousand Israelites and two Gentiles put a thousand Iewes to flight had not that God who had beene before their rocke deliuered them vp into the hands of those their enemies The Deuill himselfe who is the greatest of all their enemies and strongest of that hellish band being the great Goliah in that armie of Philistines can doe nothing without permission hee must haue a commission to goe forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that he and his people may fall at Ramoth Gilead He must beg leaue at Gods hands to touch Iob such a hedge being made about him and all he had on euery side that there was no comming at him except God leaue open some gap for this soule beast to enter The like protection haue all Gods people whereby they are so fenced that neither the Deuill nor any of his limbes can hurt any of them without speciall warrant and commission from the Lord. Hitherto tends that which wee reade of in the Acts Doubtlesse against thy holy Sonne Iesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsel hath determined before to be done And that answer of our Sauiour vnto Pilate Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue For as our Sauiour saith elsewhere My Father is stronger than all all power and strength is of him and from him originally according to that in Daniel Wisdome and might are Gods He can giue and take away at his pleasure Which being so this discouers vnto vs a notable delusion of the Deuill in that he perswadeth Witches and Wizards that he can do all things and at their request or command will lame and kill men or beasts and whatsoeuer they bid him doe or hire him to doe that shall be done with which conceit also many of our people are possessed which causeth them to be so afraid of Witches as that they dare not any way displease them or giue them a foule word for feare they should send their spirits to torment their bodies destroy their goods lame their cattell or doe them some other mischiefe And thus are thousands deluded by the Deuill yea and bewitched before they be aware and led into all manner of error and of falshood That there are Witches by whom the Deuill worketh I deny not Scriptures and experience doth make it euident but that these Witches can send the Deuill to kill or lame either men or beasts when they list and where they list I vtterly deny For first we are to know that the Deuill hath of himselfe no power ouer the least flie the high prouidence of the Almightie hath so chained and bridled him vp as that he cannot plucke off a fether from the wing of a little Wren or Sparrow without leaue and power giuen him from God It followes then that he at his pleasure cannot doe the least harme to man or beast to gratifie a Witch neither doth the sending of the Deuill by a Witch giue him any power and commission to doe any thing for God must giue way before any euill can