contrary Therefore in 2 Tim. 4.22 Paul prayes The Lord Iesus Christ be with thy spirit as if hee should say this is the greatest mercy that I can wish thee and the greatest good that God can doe thee and therefore he wisheth God to be with his spirit Now to set on this point a little further and to make this plaine to you you shall see it in these three things 1. Because all other things as riches poverty health sicknesse c. he dispenseth these promiscuously so he gives riches to wicked men c. because as it is Eccles. 9.1 His love or hatred cannot be knowne by these things Whence I reason thus That wherein the love and hatred of God is most seene therein his providence chiefly exerciseth it selfe but in the fashioning of the spirits of men there and there chiefly is his providence seene for other things come alike to men to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not 2. The disposing of other things is much in the power of men A Prince or a man hath power to kill or to save he can give riches and honor and take them away at his pleasure But to rule the spirits to compose and guide the apprehensions and affections of the soule that belongs to God alone a man is no more able to doe it than to rule the raging sea For as it is proper to God alone to compose the winde and to rule the waves so it is proper to him alone to rule the turbulent affections to compose and guide them If there be any disordered affection in the heart as an immoderate love of any thing or an impatient desire to any thing who is able to remove it but the Lord who is a Spirit So who can implant holy affections in thee but he alone as for example to thinke a good thought a man cannot do it without him who is the Father of spirits so to perswade a man no man can doe it it must be the Lord as Noah saith God shall perswade Laphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. So to see the hainousnesse of sinne and the evill of it no man can doe it but by the spirit of God as it is said Iohn 16.9 The Spirit convinceth men of Sinne. So to wil this or that which is good it is he that workes both the will and the deed A man cannot choose but bee swallowed vp with worldly griefe except God keepe him he cannot chose but feare the face of man except God assist him for this is one of Gods prerogatives royall to rule in the affections and apprehension of men 3 Because the guiding of a mans spirit is of the greatest consequence of all other things else Now God is a wise commander and therefore he will not exert and put forth his power but in things of greatest moment but the guiding of our affections is all in all to us For in a mans outward estate what things soever befall him all are nothing but what his apprehension is of them and how he is affected to them makes them crosses or comforts if a mans spirit be whole the greatest crosse is nothing and the least is intolerable if his spirit be broken As againe what are all pleasant things if a man hath not a heart to apprehend them As to Paul what was all his persecution as long as his spirit was whole within him he carried it out well and what was Paradise to Adam and a kingdome to Ahab when their spirit was broken It is the apprehension that makes every thing to a man heavy or unheavy pleasant or unpleasant sweete or sower and therefore this is the use to be made of it to behold Gods providence cheifely on our spirits and not onely in our owne spirits but what he doth vpon the spirits of others also It is a thing we stumble at when we see a wicked man prosper and carry all things in the world before him we should not say where is Gods providence and the truth of his promise but see what he doth upon the spirit of that man If thou seest such a man more malicious to the Church and children of God growing more carnall and abominable in his courses therein is Gods curse seene more than in all the dispensation of outward curses for that treasure of sinne which he layes up for himselfe will draw on a treasure of wrath which will be executed in due season Therefore beholde your spirits alwayes and Gods providence upon them Lament 3.65 Give them sorrow of heart thy curse upon them the words signifie which is thy curse upon them Therefore if you see an obstinate heart in a man that is the greatest curse of all As in receiving the Sacrament there wee doe pronounce a curse to him that receives it unworthily and prophanes the Lords body but it may be he goes on and sees it not but now looke upon his spirit and see how GOD deales with that whether his heart doth not grow harder and more obdurate which is the greatest curse You may observe this every where If thou seest one that hath a vaine and idle spirit that cannot studie that cannot pray that cannot choose but be carried away by an unruly lust to this or that thing believe it this is a greater judgement than all the diseases in the world than all shame and disgrace that wee account so much of than poverty and crosses as it is the greatest mercy on the other side when a man is able to serve GOD with an upright heart and to be sincere in all his carriage Thus it is with men and this thou shouldest observe in thy selfe also from day to day Let us not observe so much what accidents befall us what good is done to us or what crosses wee have it is true indeed GOD is seene in all these things but chiefly looke what GOD hath done to our spirit what composing of minde or what turbulency of affections or what quietnesse what patience or what impatience and for this be chiefly humbled or be chiefly thankfull for to take away from Christ the praise of sanctification is as much as to take away the praise of his redemption Herein thou shalt see his love or hatred manifested to thee his greatest judgement shewed to thee or his greatest mercies The Third Vse is that which the Scripture makes of it Iohn 4 24. If God be a Spirit then worship him in Spirit and truth What it is to worship God in spirit and truth you shall see if you compare this place with that in Rom. 1.9 For God is my witnesse whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers The meaning of it is this When Paul had taken a solemne asseveration GOD is my witnesse c. doe not thinke saith hee that I have done this feignedly I am no such man
in preaching the Gospell of Iesus Christ I doe it in my spirit that is I doe it not for by-ends for feare of men or the like but I doe it in my spirit that is plainly heartily and sincerely So that to worship GOD in spirit is to have a plainnesse and sincerity in our worshipping him that is to doe it heartily what we doe to him in our praying and worshipping him when it is not formally and customarily done but our spirit seconds it within this it is to worship him in spirit So that the scope of our exhortation is that you would worship GOD chiefly in your spirits As it is said of singing Psalmes Col. 3.16 Admonish one another in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And the ground of it is because GOD is a spirit and therefore he beholdes at any such time when you come before him the inward behaviour of your spirits that is he observes when you come to preach or pray what squint-eyed ends what vaine glory what respect to men you have Yea he observes how farre naturall conscience leads you so that you do it as a task out of custome c. he observes what worldly-mindednes and carnall affections creep into the soule at that time that makes you either to post off the duty or else to doe it in a customary manner All this doth he behold he lookes to the inward carriage of the spirit and therefore doe you looke chiefly to the inward carriage to the inward frame of your minde Quest. But what is that more particularly Answ. I will shew it to you in these three things 1. See that thy spirit be as neare him as thy lippes are Isay 29.13 Hee complaines of a sort of people that draw nigh unto God with their mouth and with their lips doe honour him but have removed their heart farre from him and their feare towards him is taught by the precepts of men So Ier. 12.2 Thou oh Lord art neare in their mouth and farre from their reines Now if thou wouldest worship him in spirit see that thy spirit be as neare him as thy words are As for example in prayer thou confessest thy sinnes and professest that thou doest hate them thou prayest for mortification and grace for weanednes from the world herein thy words and Gods will doe agree they are consonant and when yet it may be the inward inclination of thy heart is farre enough off from this expression therefore bring thy spirit neare to God as thy lippes are and then thou worshippest him in spirit To shew you more plainly what this farrenesse off of the spirit is take a covetous man and put him upon the racke of any exigent where hee must part with all to save his life he will say as much as need to be in this case but his heart is set as close to his wealth as ever it was before so that he is loath to part with any thing And take a thiefe that comes before the Iudge hee confesseth his fault and begges pardon and saith that he will doe so no more but yet his heart sits as neere to his theft he is as farre from honesty as ever he was before So take a man when he comes into some exigent for that usually is the time as at the receiving of the Sacrament or at his day of death he comes and professeth to the Lord that hee will follow no more his wicked courses but he will become a new man here his words draw neare but looke to the bent and inclination of his heart to the radicall constitution of it and that is farre from holinesse there hee sits as close to his sinne as hee did before Therefore if thou wouldest worship God in spirit take care that thy spirit draw neare to him upon all such occasions as thy words doe A man in his ordinary course it may be prayes and his prayers are good but how farre his heart is from it that his life shewes It is a strange thing that at the Sacrament men come and make confession of their sins and yet their spirits are far from it and that their practise shewes Consider this you are the men that the Prophet doth speake too you draw nigh to GOD with your lips but your heart is farre from him And this is the first particuler When you worship God with all the might and strength and indevour of the minde and all the faculties of it this is to worship God in spirit 2 Sam. 6.14 It is said of David that hee danced before the Lord with all his might it was a worship of God a spirituall worship of God wherein David by his outward act of dancing did expresse his exultation and reioycing in the Lord. Now the text saith that he did this with all his might with all the might of his spirit for so you must understand it It is a Metaphore taken from the body when a man useth all his strength and might to doe any thing he vnites all the forces of his body to it so a man worshippeth God in spirit when all the faculties of the soule are concentred and united together in the performance of such a dutie And therefore it is called a wrastling with the Lord as Iacob did and it is called a striving with God as Paul saith that you strive together with me in prayer Rom. 15.30 that is when the soule and the minde are joyned all together when hee bends the whole soule to the worke this is to worship God in spirit Such an expression you haue Act. 20. where Paul went bound in the spirit to Ierusalem that is his spirit did not hang loose but it was girt up in a resolution to goe through with the worke whatsoever came of it his spirit was bound Now when thy spirit hangs loose upon the duty halfe on and halfe off when a man cares not whether hee doth it or no this is not to worship God with the spirit but when thy minde is girt up and thou dost it with all the intention of thy soule then thou dost it heartily as it is Col. 3.22 Servants obey in all things your Masters according to the flesh not with eye-service as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing GOD where eye-service and heartily are opposed Eye-service is when a man doth it in the outward shew and appearance onely and what is the other to doe a thing heartily That is when a mans strength and his soule doth goe with the duty and the contrary to this is the loosenesse of the minde and the wandring of it about other things when the body and the words are well imployed but the minde doth not goe with them this is not to worship God in spirit when the spirit sits thus loose to God And this is the second thing wherein this worshipping of God in spirit doth consist The Third which
hath not much but yet some difference from the former is this when the spirit of a man beholds God alone when his eye is upon him when hee comes to worship him and upon nothing besides If a man will have an eye to men to the praise or dispraise that shall follow the performance of the duty he doth so farre worship men But hee serves God and worships him in spirit when his heart is left naked and stripped of all other respects in the world and so filled and over-awed with the presence of God that all other respects doe vanish This it is to worship God in singlenesse of heart and this is opposed to outward performance Col. 3.22 for eye-service is but onely a bodily and outward worship but when a man doth it with singlenesse of heart then it is not eye-service as there that is it is not outward onely Now singlenesse of heart is this when the minde hath but one single object to looke upon so that to looke not upon any creature but upon God and none besides This is to worship God in singlenesse of heart which is the same with holinesse of spirit As the holinesse of the vessell in the old law was when it was set apart from all other services to God alone so the holinesse of a mans spirit is when it is separated from all by-respects and aimes and is wholly devoted to him whence our word Devotion doth spring and when a man worships God with this nakednesse with this singlenes and holinesse of spirit then he worships God in spirit But when thou commest to performe any duty as to preach a Sermon or to pray and thou lookest what men will thinke of thee and what praise and credit thou shalt get by it this pollutes your spirit so farre as you doe this there is not singlenesse but doublenesse of spirit and here is eye-service in GODS account Therefore looke alwayes to worship him in spirit remember the argument here used GOD is a Spirit that is looke how the corporeall eye of man beholds the body when thou commest to Church and can see the negligence of thy behaviour and uncomely gesture so GOD that is a spirit he beholds the vanity and loosenesse of thy spirit within the turning and rouling of it this way or that way therefore take diligent heede to thy spirit labour to approve thy selfe to him care not what any creature saith or thinketh of thee and this is to worship him in thy spirit Now here are two Questions to be answered Quest. 1 If GOD must thus be worshipped in spirit and it is the behaviour of that which he lookes to what necessity is there then of a bodily comely and outward gesture how farre is this required in his worship Answ. The spirituall worship of God is never well performed but when it is signified by the comely gesture of the body as farre as wee may I say they must concurre the body must goe with the spirit though indeed he chiefly lookes to the spirit for they are both his 1 Cor. 6.20 Besides the body doth exceedingly helpe the spirit and it doth testifie when you come before others that holinesse and reverence which you have of Gods glory and majesty Therefore to perswade you to this you must know that when ever you come to worship God there ought to be a great solemnity in every part of his worship which cannot be without the concurrence of the body and spirit of man they cannot be disjoyned And you shall see the necessity of this in these 3 things 1. Because though holinesse be seated in the spirit yet it doth will appeare in the body at the same time You know the light of the candle is seated in the candle yet it shines through the lant-horne if it be there so though holinesse be seated in the spirit yet it will appeare in the body if it be there It is so in all other things and therefore must needes be so in this As take any affections that are in us as a blushing affection when occasion is it will appeare in the body whether we will or no so an impudent face is discerned and perceived also so awefulnesse and feare and reverence they will shew themselves and looke out at the windowes of the eyes and appeare in the face except we willingly suppresse them Now if these will doe so surely it holds in this also If there be a reverence of the minde it will be seene in the behaviour of the body Therefore you see Eliah when he prayed earnestly the disposition of the body went with it he put his face downe betweene his legges So Iesus Christ when hee prayed for Lazarus hee groaned in his spirit and wept Now if he did so who might be exempted if any might then doe not thou thinke that thou canst have a holy reverent disposition of the minde and it not appeare in the body it cannot be Therefore you shall finde that this is called the heart every where because the affections are seated there and now the body is accordingly affected as the heart is affected for what affections a man hath such is his heart 2. Consider this If thou findest thy selfe apt to a carelesse negligent behaviour and carriage of the body when thou commest to GOD and pretendest this that he is a spirit and must be worshipped in spirit I say consider whether this be not an excuse that thy flesh makes to this end that it may be lazie and have some ease to it selfe from a false acception of that principle God is a Spirit that so it may give way to an outward lazinesse of the body Therefore looke narrowly to it thou shouldest stirre up the outward man that thou thereby maist stirre up the inward man when thou commest before God in any worship 3. Consider that to make any thing an ordinance there must be an application of the whole man to it otherwise it is but a lame performance and God will not reckon as the obedience of an ordinance For this truth must be remembred That an ordinance of God performed as it ought to be doth usually carry a blessing with it A prayer a Sacrament received as it ought a fast kept as it should moves the Lord to give a blessing if thou doest not Ponere obicem thou shalt not goe away empty for it is alwayes accompanied with a blessing as it is said to Ananias Acts 9. Goe to Paul for behold he prayes when it is a prayer indeed God can holde no longer Doe you thinke that Paul never prayed before when he was a Pharise Yes but it was not as he ought he never prayed indeed till now now consider when thou commest before the Lord to performe any duty to him thou wilt say it may be that my spirit is well disposed though the gesture of my body be not according but I say deceive not thy selfe with this but looke that it be a
all men Such ingenuous simplicitie lodged in depth of wisedome Holinesse of life so set in honour and esteeme and immoveably settled with evennesse of vvalking in midst of all vanities Such humilitie in height of parts gratiousnesse of heart in greatnesse of minde So rare fixt and happy a conjunction in an house so eminent doth not fall out without a generall observation To your Name and Honour therefore wee present it most Noble LORD as the last Legacie bequeathed by him to the Church as a pledge of our service and a counterpane of your Lordships most raysed thoughts and resolutions And likewise unto others as honoured vvith your Lordships name that those vvho studie either men or bookes may reade these SERMONS together with your Lordships VERTVES each as the coppie of the other to invite them to the imitation of the same And that the VVorld which like that Indian Monarch accounts such true Pictures of the beauty of Holinesse as this to bee but counterfeit because not tawnie like their owne and looke upon so high Principles of Godlinesse as emptie notions raised up by art and fancie to make a shew may see and know in you the true reall uniform subsistence of them and that God hath indeede some such living walking Patternes of his owne Great Holinesse and more transcendent Graces VVhich Graces Hee who is the God of all Grace increase and perfect in your Lordship here that hereafter you may be filled with all the fulnesse of him So pray Your Honours ever to be commanded THOMAS GOODWIN THOMAS BALL THat there is a God proved Page 5 1 By the Creation Ibid. By the law written in mens hearts Page 13 By the Soule of man Page 15 VSE 1. To strengthen faith in this Principle Page 22 VSE 2. What consequences to draw hence Page 28 Objections against this Principle Page 30 2 That there is a God proved by faith Page 19.45 The Scripture proved true by foure things Page 48 VSE 3. To confirme us in this Principle Page 61 Difference in the assent of men to this Page 62 4 Meanes to confirme our Faith in this Page 68 Three Effects of a firme assent to this Principle Page 70 3 That there is no other God but GOD. Page 75 Five Arguments to prove that there is no other God Page 76 The gods and religion of the Heathens false proved three wayes Page 80 Religion of Mahomet false Page 82 VSE 1. To beleeve that our God is God alone and to cleave to him Page 85 VSE 2. To comfort us in this that God will shew himselfe the true GOD in raising the Churches Page 87 VSE 3. To keepe our hearts from Idolatrie Page 88 Three grounds of Idolatrie Page 89 What God is Page 94 Doctrine God only and properly hath being in him Page 97 What the being of God is explained in five things Ibid. VSE 1. There is something in Gods Essence not to be inquired into Page 100 VSE 2. To strengthen our faith and incourage us in wants and crosses Page 103 VSE 3. To give God the praise of his being Page 112 VSE 4. To learne the vanitie of the creatures and the remedie against it Page 116 Attributes of God of two sorts Page 119 The First ATTRIBVTE The perfection of God Page 120 Five differēces between the perfection of God and the creatures Page 121 VSE 1. All that wee doe cannot reach to God to merit Page 123 VSE 2. To see the freenesse of Gods grace Page 125 VSE 3. To goe to God with faith though wee have no worth in us Ibid. VSE 4. God hath no need of any creature Page 126 VSE 5. Though many perish it is nothing to God he is perfect Page 127 VSE 6. Gods commands are for our good hee is perfect Ibid. VSE 7. To give God the honour of his perfection Page 129 Foure signes of exalting Gods perfection Ibid. The creatures of themselves can doe nothing for us in three respects Page 137 The Second ATTRIBVTE God without all causes Page 140 Reason 1. Else something should bee before him Ibid. Reason 2. That which hath a part receiveth it from the whole Page 141 Reason 3. All other things have a possibility not to bee Page 142 VSE 1. God wills not things because they are just but they are just because he wills them Page 143 VSE 2. God may doe all things for himselfe and his owne glorie Page 144 VSE 3. We should doe nothing for our owne ends but for God Page 146 Eight signes to know whether a man make God or himselfe his end Page 148 The Third ATTRIBVTE Doctrine God is eternall Page 156 Five things required in Eternitie Page 157 Reasons why God must be Eternall Page 158 Foure differences betweene the Eternitie of God and the duration of the creatures Page 159 Consect 1. God possesseth all things together Page 159 Consect 2. Eternitie maketh things infinitely good or evill Page 160 VSE 1. To minde more things Eternall Page 161 Motives to consider Eternity Page 167 VSE 2. Not to be offended with Gods delaying he hath time enough to performe his promises being Eternall Page 168 VSE 3. To consider Gods love and enmitie are eternall Page 171 VSE 4. To comfort us against mutabilitie of things below Page 172 VSE 5. God is Lord of time Page 174 PART II. The Fourth ATTRIBVTE God is a SPIRIT Page 2 Foure properties of a Spirit Ibid. VSE 1. Gods eye chiefly on our spirits therefore they must be kept fit for communion with him Page 4 How to fit our spirits for communion with God Page 6 Directions for cleansing the spirit Page 10 VSE 2. Gods government chiefly on the spirits of men Page 25 Proved by 3 Demonstrations Page 28 VSE 3. To worship God in spirit Page 32 Which consists in three things Page 33 What necessity of the gestures of the bodie in Gods service Page 38 How to conceive of God in prayer Page 44 The Simplicitie of GOD. Gods simplicity proved by sixe reasons Page 48 Consec 1. To see what a stable foundation faith hath Page 51 Consec 2. God cannot be hindred in his workes Page 52 Consec 3. The Attributes of God are equall Page 53 VSE 1. To labour to bee content in a simple condition Page 54 VSE 2. To labour for singlenesse of heart Page 59 Two things in simplicitie Page 60 VSE 3. To goe to God rather than to the creatures Page 67 The Fifth ATTRIBVTE Gods immutability Page 72 Five Reasons of Gods immutability Page 73 Two Objections against Gods immutability Page 76 Consec 1. How to understand severall places of Scripture Page 78 Consec 2. Love and hatred in God eternall Ibid. VSE 1. Take heede of provoking him to cast us off Page 80 The time of Gods casting off a man unknowne Page 83 VSE 2. Gods gifts and calling without repentance Page 84 How to know vvee are in Covenant vvith God Page 85 The unchangeablenesse of God takes not away endevour Page 93 The occasion end and
thorow performance For as it was in the old law a lame sacrifice was accepted as none so a lame prayer a lame hearing the word a lame performance of any exercise God reckons as none Therefore in these things God sends them away empty as they came What better are they doe their hearts get any thing Beloved God is a fountaine and if he meet with a fit pipe as is an ordinance rightly performed there he usually conveyes his grace but if he meet with a foule pipe and obstructed there hee doth not conferre any blessing Now if thou saist I have thus behaved my selfe and have not beene answered Doe not deceive thy selfe for if it be truly performed you shall be answered so that looke if it be truly done expect a blessing GOD will not suffer his ordinance at that time to be a pen without inke or a pipe without water I hope there be none of us here that neglect prayer to GOD morning and evening that live as if there no GOD in the world as if they were not his subjects if there be GOD will wound the hoary scalpe of such But these are not the men I speake to but they are those that doe it from day to day they pray from time to time and omit it not these are the men whom wee are to advertise in this case Take heede though you pray every day yet it may be thou hast not made a prayer all thy life yet and this is the case of many For if thou considerest what an ordinance is indeed thou shalt know that the Lord doth not reckon all petitioning as a prayer nor set it downe for the ordinance And it may bee the case of the Saints sometimes though we speake not now to them they may pray often and yet the Lord not register nor set it downe for a prayer and therefore it may never come into remembrance before him And this I take to be Davids case in the time of his adultery the ground of which you shall see Psal. 51.16 17. Open thou my lips O LORD and my mouth shall set forth thy praise David had as it were mistaken himselfe he thought that he had prayed and offered a sacrifice but saith he I was deceived all this while I was not able to open my mouth to any purpose therefore Lord open thou my mouth I brought sacrifice in but thou regardest it not till my heart was humbled Therefore a broken and a contrite heart O GOD thou wilt not despise Therefore you deceive your selves that goe on in a customary performance of holy duties and thinke that you pray for all this that thinke this worship to be in the spirit onely when your outward man carries it selfe negligently this is but a lame performance they must goe both together Therefore looke that it be an ordinance which then it is when not onely the spirit of a man is well set but the whole man is applied to the duty that is when all the strength of a man goes to it Object If you say May not a man pray sometimes when he is walking or lying or riding by the way or the like Answ. I answer There be two times of prayer one is ordinary and in private when you may have all opportunity to doe it in a holy and solemne manner and then you ought to doe it solemnly The other is when you pray occasionally and there the occasion and disposition doth not admit such outward solemnity as when a man gives thankes at meate or prayeth when hee rides Here the Lord accepts the will for the deed GOD requires not this upon all occasions yet when you may you ought to doe it in a reverent manner not onely of spirit but of the bodie also You may gather it from Christ he fell on his face and prayed Luke 22.42 and Daniel and Abraham it is said that they bowed themselves to the ground And it is said of Christ that hee lifted up his eyes to heaven when he blessed the loaves Why are these set downe If any man might be freed Iesus Christ might but it pleaseth the holy Ghost to set downe that circumstance of him that he fell on his face and that hee lift up his eyes to heaven Indeed in this case when it is hurtfull to the body there it may be omitted the Lord will have mercie rather than sacrifice even mercie upon your bodies So also when you finde that it hurts the inward man and hinders it when the heart doth it out of a conceit that it may performe it the better then there is a libertie left unto you to dispense with it As I say for prayer so for other duties when a man comes to heare the word hee saith my minde is intent enough though I make not such a shew yet notwithstanding know this that thou must behave thy self reverently when thou commest before God You shall see in Luke 4. when Christ preached it is said that the eyes of all the people were fastened upon him Why is such a corporall gesture noted in the text is it in vaine No because it is a comely gesture therefore it is to be regarded Quest. 2 How should we conceive of GOD in prayer seeing he is a Spirit and a Spirit we never saw what conceit and apprehension of GOD should we have then when we come to call upon his name Answ. Wee may not conceive him under any corporeall shape for he is a Spirit and therefore they that thinke they may worship the humanity of Christ disjoyned are deceived we are not to worship it as separated from his Deity for we are to worship the Trinity in the Vnity and the Vnity in Trinity which we cannot doe if we worship his humanitie as separated from his Deity Therefore when you come to pray before GOD you must remember that he is a Spirit filling heaven and earth strong gracious mercifull full of goodnesse and truth c. concerning which three things are to bee considered First That he is a Spirit Object But how shall I conceive of a Spirit Answ. How doest thou conceive of the soule of another man when thou speakest to him thou never didst see it yet thou knowest that there is such a spirit that fills the body and that doth understand what thou sayest and speakes to thee againe so remember this of the Lord that he is a Spirit Compare Ier. 23.24 with this Can any man hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Secondly That the Lord fills heaven and earth as the soule fills the body so that thou must thinke that hee sees all things and heares all things Indeed the Lord is not in the world as the soule is in the body but in an incomprehensible manner which we cannot expresse to you yet this is an expression which wee may helpe our selves by and is used every where
A friend many times is willing but he is not able if able and willing yet not present but seeing he is every where if thou hast any businesse to doe thou needest not to send a letter doe but put up a prayer to him to bee thy factour to doe it for thee to worke thy workes for thee he is every where present and hee is Allmighty also able to doe it therefore bee content to have him alone for your portion That is the cause that mens wayes are so unlike one to another because they would graspe GOD and the creature And why doe they doe so Because they will not bee content to have GOD alone And what is the ground of that Because they doe not thinke him indeed All-sufficient and Allmighty for if they did they need not to joyne any other with him Object But you will say this is against sence GOD is All-sufficient it is true it is good to have him but doe we not need many hundred things besides Must we not have friends house wife c. Can wee live without them Can wee live without friends estate convenient What is your meaning then to have GOD alone for our portion Answ. GOD hath all these in him that is hee hath the comfort of them all if he bee Allmighty and All-sufficient then looke about and consider the multitude of the things thou needest and the variety of comforts thou desirest and thou shalt finde all in him That argument which you are not strangers to He hath made them all and there is nothing in the effect but what is in the cause because it gave it to the effect first and it gives nothing but what it selfe had before if hee hath put in beames of comfort and this beauty in the severall creatures must they not needs be in him Object But you will say that this is but a speculation Answ. But that it is more I will put you to one place which I desire you to consider seriously that is Mar. 10.28.29.30 Then Peter began to say unto him Loe wee have left all and have followed thee And Iesus answered and said verily I say vnto you there is no man that hath left house or Bretheren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or lands for my sake and the Gospels but hee shall receive an hundredfold now in this time Houses and Bretheren and Sisters and Mothers and Children and lands with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life When it is said here hee shall receive the very same why doth the Holy Ghost repeat them in particular Hee shall receive houses and Bretheren c. with persecution that is you shall bee stript of all these things by persecution yet at the same time you shall have them all At that time when he is in a close prison driven from all these hee shall receive them for this present The meaning is this let a man have communion with GOD let the Lord reveale himselfe to a man if hee be once pleased to come to a man and sup with him if hee will but communicate to a mā the consolations of the spirit and fill him with joy and peace through beleiving I say though hee be in a close prison yet he shall have the comfort of houses Brethren Sisters Mothers c. That is that comfort which they would yeeld him he shall finde them altogether in GOD. So that if one should come and say to him what if you should have Father Mother and friends restored to you that you may injoy them I say a man that hath a neere communion with GOD to whom GOD saies that hee will come and sup with him at such a time hee will say I doe not care one jot for them for I have that which is better than them all For example you see this in the Apostles that rejoyced in prison What doe you thinke they would have said to men that offered them riches Would they not have slighted them They did slight imprisonment and in that they did slight shame and prison c. they would have slighted the other by the rule of contraries Therefore labour to be content with GOD alone To make this argument without doubt consider what heaven is Doe you thinke that there you shall have a worse condition than here Here you have need of many comforts and conveniences it is a variegate appetite that is an appetite that is full of multiplicity why when you come to heaven you doe not lay aside your nature but you desire still and there you shall have none but GOD alone so that there you shall bee in a worse estate then here if all these things were not to bee found in the Lord if there were not this variety in the Lord it could not bee that in heaven you should bee so happy Here you need Sunne and Moone and Starres and a thousand other things but there you shall have none but I saith he will bee Sunne and Moone and all to you and therefore he saith that hee will be all in all which is the plurall number and signifies all things I will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this Allmighty GOD that will bee All-sufficient in heaven if hee will but communicate to a man and draw him neare to his presénce shall not that be inough Beloved it is certaine that hee will bee inough for your portion As for instance let a man be stripe of all his friends and brethren and sisters and country as Abraham was hee was stript of all and had GOD alone left for his portion yet you see that hee was exceeding rich and made a great Prince and he had a great posterity Therfore let us make this use of it to care for none but the Lord alone wee know not what shall become of us wee may be led into banishment as others now are and have bin now if you have the Lord with you it is inough So if any condition befall you if you can bee content with GOD alone you are well what if your friends deceive you What if you should bee shut up in a close prison It is nothing he is All-sufficient and Allmighty and there is no estate or condition but hee is with you in it there is no streit but he can helpe you out Therefore study these things and examine them and labour to beate them upon your soules never rest till you have brought your hearts to such a condition to say I know that no man can separate betweene GOD and me and I am content with GOD alone Vse 2 Secondly If this be so then labour to make use of this power of his Why is this Attribute revealed to you is it not for this that men might make use of this power of his Then let every man consider with himselfe what he hath neede of what strait he is in what businesse he would have done remember that GOD is Allmighty and is able to
his workes Part. 2 Pag. 129 World World the dissolution of it proved Part. 1 Pag. 31 World why we are sent into it Part. 1 Pag. 168 World God without it as well as in it Part. 2 Pag. 148 God able to make other worlds 1.149 Worship see Spirit Christ. Worth VVant of worth in us must not discourage us from comming to God Part. 1 Pag. 125 FJNJS ERRATA Part. 1. Page 50 line 2 blot out all p 53 l 17 for nicurus read Nisurus p 56 l 15 r in such a manner p 59 l 27 for this argument r themselves p 62 l 21 blot out â—ven p 6â— l. 18 for where r when p. 71 l 28 for the r this p 80 l 10 blot out but p 86 l 9 for device r Divines p 87 l 8 for Esay's r Asa's p 88 l â—4 for head r hand p 97 l 28 for place r phrasâ— p 108 l 5 blot out upon p 109 l 9 for at r â—o p 121 l. 25 for you r them p 128 l. 12 for Isay 56 17 r. Deut. 6 24 p. 129 l 1 for in r â—t l 10 for for that r such in the margent for entitling r exalting p 143 l. 15 for and r as p. 145 l 3 for filled r fitted p 149 l. 17 for all r. ought p. 150. l. ult for measure r manner p 164 l 16 for dlace rplace p 165 l 26 for behold r. beloved p. 167 l. 10 blot out and no more p 173 l 30 begin Vse 5 at Seeing God c. Part. 2. Page 21. line ult read to the nature of a spirit p 42 l â— r. were no God p 44 l 11 for out of a conceit r. without deceit p. 50 l. 19 for some r something p 53 l. 22 for or r and p 62 l 29 for miscarriage r. dissembling p. 65 l 12 for thing r. meanes p 72 l. 12 for will not be r. is not p 76 l 13 for seemes r is sayd p 80 l. 18 for eternity r tymes p 105 l 22 r it hath it p 118 l 116 for nothing r no other desire p 119 l 6 for caseth r causeth p 120 l 8 for suspect r expect p 122 l 1 for all this while r otherwise p 12â— l 29 r of the maker p 123 l 7 for handles r did handle p 133 l 3 for feares r favours p 138 l 3 for if God was great r though God were great p 142 l â—2 for losse r enduring p 144 l 15 for an ordinate r coordinate p 147 l 14 r infinitenesse of c p 148 l 24 for quality r quantity p 149 l 24 for and r or p 151 l 24 for governours r goâ—â—â—nment p 1â—4 l 10 for need r reason p 169 l 7 for a glasse r of glase p 170. l 14 r no man p 1â—0 l 22 for then r them p 181 l 5 for as large as the obiect r of equall largenes p. 182 l â— for not worke r doth not worke p 186 l 9 for proportionable for its end r apâ—oâ—â—tâ—d for the effect as its end p 195 l 14 for man r many p 1â—8 l 17 for his power is r it is p 201 l 18 for as it r as if it p. 203 l. 14 for is farre better than to indure r. will farre exceed the enduring What Theologie is 1 Cor. 2.13 2 Tim. 1.13 Theologie wherein it differs from other Sciences Arts why invented Parts of Theologie 1 Concerning God 2. Things 1 That God is 2 What God is Rom. 1.20 Acts 17. Acts 14.17 Difference in points of Theologie 1 That there is a God See the sensible Demonstration of the Deitie in the beginning The consideration of the originall of all things proved 1 By the making of man That man was made Psal. 94.9 Because else the creatures should be Gods Else the creatures should be without Causes All creatures have an end When a man maketh himselfe his end he destroyeth himselfe Else where be any monuments of times before those mentioned the Scriptures That there is a God proved by the Law written in mens hearts Rom. 1 1â— The same truth is proved by the soule of man Gen. 9.6 The second way to prove that God is is by faith To strengthen this principle that there is a God more in our hearts Hebr. 11.27 Ier. 23.24 Two kindes of Atheisme Isai. 51.12 13 14. Iob 22. Draw such consequences as may arise from such a conclusion 2 Pet 3.4 Verse 5. Vers. 6. Ezek. 1. Eccles. 9.11 Eccles. 10. Iames 1.2 3. Luke 16. The second sort of arguments How this is proved by Faith Three wayes whereby Faith gathers that the Scriptures are true and consequently that there is a God that made the World Proofes that Moses and other Pen-men of Scripture spake by the Holy Ghost The miracles which were 1 Visible 2 Reall Exod. 19. The prophecies which were Esay 41.22 23. 1 Particular 2 Perspicuous 3 Limited to a set time Exod. 12. 1 King 16. ult 1 King 13.1 2 3. Arg. 2. The testimonies that are given to the Scriptures by adversaries The exact Chronologie in the Scriptures Arg. 3. From the Scriptures themselves 1 Their majestie 2 Puritie 3 Antiquity The fourth argument from the testimony of the Church A difference betweene the Writings of the Pen-men of Scripture and other holy men Vse To confirme our faith in this first principle For two reasons Reason 1. Because there is a great difference betweene common faith and that of the elect in these principles Diff. 1. Diff. 2. Diff. 3. Diff. 4. Motive 2. Because these principles have a great influence into mens lives Hebr. 11.6 Esay 52. 1. Meanes To confirme our faith in these principles 1 Search and examine them to the full 2 Meanes Prayer 3 Meanes Acquaint thy selfe with the Word more and more Rom. 10. Colos. 3.16 Converse with faithfull men 4 Meanes Act. 14.1 3 Effects of a firme assent to these principles The third Argument to prove that God is There is no other God besides him Esay 45.22 Doctr. Proved by the greatnesse of his Majestie and workes Esay 46.5 Psal. 86.8 Esay 40.15 16. Vers. 25. Vers. 12. Vers. 18. All other gods are but new He from everlasting Esay 41.4 and 44.6 and 43.10 He onely knowes things to come Esa. 41 22 23. and 44.7 8. By the greatnesse of his power and providence working changes in the world Esay 41.23 24. Esay 40.23 24. Psal. 107.33 34. He only the living God other gods but dead Vanities Act 14.15 Psal. 115. 2 More particularly 1 The gods of the Gentiles and their religion was false Rom. 1. 1 Because their gods were men 2 The worst of men 3 They did die The religion of Mahomet is false 1 He gives testimony to the Old and New Testament and yet is contrary to both 2 His new religion wanted miracles to confirme it 3 His Alcoran is barbarous and without sense 4 His doctrine is impure and so his life To beleeve that our God is God alone and to