is Rich enough who is made Hugo Grotius in loc Poor for the Cause of God This holy Prophet was couragious in the Cause of God and delivered his Message with all courage and fidelity And a convincing Argument he presseth from God's All-Sufficiency The Lord saith he to the King is able to give thee much more than this And this Answer obtains that success which was desired ver 10. Then Amaziah separated them to wit the Army that was come to him out of Ephraim to go Home again Wherefore their Anger was greatly kindled against Judah and they returned Home in great Anger But observe what might be soon feared came to pass from the incensed eashiered Soldiers ver 13. But the Soldiers of the Army which Amaziah sent back that they should not go with him to Battle fell upon the Cities of Judah from Samaria even unto Beth-horon and smote Three Thousand of them and took much Spoile However such mischievous Consequenâ—es might easily be foreseen yet Amaziah Disputes no farther makes no more Questions nor Demurrs but obeys the Command of God from the Mouth of His Prophet The Answer of the Man of God is Prov. 25. 11. a Word fitly Spoken which is in Solomons Estimation Like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver The Text is a Word of singular Support and Incouragement It 's Tabula post naufragium An Anchor of Hope A strong Prop to uphold a tottering Building A high Rock strong and impregnable When Troubles come thick and threefold and Losses Crosses Imprisonments Persecutions and Exile follow one upon another here 's Matter of Support and Ground of Incouragement to be drawn from God's All-Sufficiency This is a shadow from the Heat and a Isa 25. 4. shelter from the Storm when the blast of the Terrible one is as a Storm against the Wall Here 's the Rock Fortress Buckler Psal 18. 2. Deliverer Horn of Salvation and high-Tower c. If amidst our greatest His variis Ephithetis ostendit David Deum non uno Modo servare suos sed sicut sunt varia genera periculorum difficultatum quibus obijciuntur ita Deum variâ virtute preditum esse ad salvandum suos Molleri in loc Rom. 12. 2. Pressures Sufferings Straits and Exigencies we can stay acquiesce and quietly rely upon God's All-Sufficiency and cast our selves upon his Wisdom and wait for his Salvation O! What sweet and comfortable Lives should we lead If amidst all Losses we could believe assuredly this great Truth That the Lord is able to give as much more than this we should be Gainers by our Losses and Rejoyce in our Tribulations and in every thing submissively and patiently resign our wills to the Will of God which is a good acceptable and perfect will From the Words thus Expounded I shall Collect one Fundamental point of Doctrine or choice Lesson for our Instruction viz. That the serious and deliberate consideration of God's All-Sufficiency should Doct. ingage us silently contentedly and quietly to submit unto God to stay and depend upon His All-Sufficiency even then when the greatest Losses and Afflictions are incombenâ—on us CHAP. II. Contains the Method of Proceeding and â— therein the first Argument drawn from God's Attributes FOr Inlargement of this needful and Method propounded excellent Point I shall fix on Four Heads of Meditation 1. To give in a plain Proof of my Assertion That God is All-Sufficient wherein I shall propound some convincing Arguments 2. I shall demonstrate the Truth That this Consideration That God is All-Sufficient should ingage us quietly and silently to submit unto God and stay and depend upon his All-Sufficiency amidst our greatest Losses and Afflictions 3. I shall endeavour to Resolve Two or Three Cases emergent from the premises 4thly and lastly I shall Conclude with some particular and usefull Application I resume these Heads according to my propounded Order The Doctrine proved by Four Arguments 1. I am to prove That God is All-Sufficient Though the Doctrine be most undoubtedly true and God's Children have abundantly experimented the Truth thereof yet I shall endeavour to give you more abundant proof even good Measure full prest and runing over which I shall propound in these Four ensuing convincing Arguments The First whereof is drawn from Gods Arg. 1 drawn from Gods Attributes Attributes Now although we diversly Apprehend them as one way we understand God's Justice another way his Mercy c. Yet all these are but one in God He is one pure uncompounded simple Act And he manifests himself by his Attributes of Omnipotency Power Mercy Goodness Wisdom and Truth that he is able to Relieve Support Supply and Extricate us out of all our Straits Difficulties and Exigencies whatsoever Let 's more particularly for the clearing of the Truth produce Instances in five Attributes viz. God's Wisdom Power Mercy Truth and Unchangeableness from all which will Evidently appear the Truth of the first Branch of the Doctrine That God is All-Sufficient First Let 's consider the Wisdom of 1. The Atribute of Wisdom God As God in the Beginning by Wisdom made Heaven and Earth So by Wisdom He Ordereth Guideth and Governeth all the Things therein contained This Wisdom is infinite God understandeth all things and knoweth Psal 147. 5. the Reason of them He cannot be deceived in any thing And who can or dare reprove him in any thing He doeth or question why he hath so done But as for worldly Wisdom God will Destroy 1 Cor. 1. 19. 20. it and make Foolish the Wisdom of the World The Foolishness of God as the 1 Cor. 1. 25. Apostle saith is Wiser than Men. i. e. That which the Men of the World count Foolishness hath more Wisdom in it Nemini obscurum est quam improprie stultitia vel infirmitas Deo adscribatur sed necesse fuit talibus Ironiis insanam carnis arrogantiam refutare quâ Deum omni suâ gloriâ spoliare non dubitat Calv. in loc than all their Worldly Wisdom Folly or Weakness saith judicious Calvin is improperly ascribed to God But it was necessary by such Ironies to confute the mad Arrogance of the Flesh which would rob God of his Glory God can infatuate the Wisdom of the Wise and turn the Counsels of Achitophel into Foolishness Be Men as great Politicians as Machiavel was reputed to be yet God can Blast all their Counsels He taketh the Wise in their own craftiness Job 5. 13. i. e. such as think Qui sibi sapientes videbantur Eo ipso quod astute cogitarant capâ—antur irretiantur Merc. in loc themselves Wise in that self-same thing which they craftily contrived they are taken and intangled as Learned Mercer observeth on the place Saint Paul seems to have Quoted this Scripture out of 1 Cor. 3. 19. There 's an Emphatical Word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 veteratoria versutia i. e. a jugling craft A proclivity and readiness
Comfort wherewith we our selves are Comforted of God For as the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ It would be a large Work though it may be worth the while to reckon up the comfortable Experiences of the Children of God I shall only Instance in some choice Servants of God who Experimentally reaped much benefit by Afflictions David joyns the Rod and Staff together for his Comfort Psal 23. 1. and Psal 119. 67. he confesseth Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word Luther profest that Afflictions taught him to understand the Scriptures How many have been brought home by Afflictions who in their Prosperity went astray Isiodor saith Adversa corporis remedia sunt animae Aegritudo carnem vulnerat mentem curat i. e. Corporal Adversities are Spiritual Remedies Sickness woundeth the Flesh but healeth the Mind Beza one of the most pious learned and orthodox Criticks that I know of speaks of a great Sickness wherewith he was Visited Morbus iste inquit verae fuit sanitatis principium i. e. That Sickness was the beginning of true Spiritual Health It is not Dr. Arrowsmith chains of Principles vid. melch Adam in vit Exterorum as a reverend Divine observes more usual for Children to shoot up in length than with Christians to wax taller in Grace in or after Sickness Rolloc said upon his Death Bed I am not ashamed to profess that I never reached to so high a pitch of the Knowledge of God as I have attained in this Sickness Olevian said upon his Death Bed In this Disease I have learned to know aright what Sin is and what the Majesty of God is I shall mention Id in vit German but one Example more and that is of Learned Rivet who said upon his Death Bed In the space of Ten Days Dauber 9. in orat funeb since I kept my Bed I have learned more and made greater progress in Divinity than in the whole course of my Life before What further inlargement may be required I leave to the Saints particular Experiences and shall add no more concerning this particular Head CHAP. VI. For Demonstration of the Doctrine by Reasons and first from necessity of Precept HAving dispatch't the First Head of Head 2. for Demonstr by Reason my Discourse wherein I have proved the Doctrine That God is All-Sufficient by Four convincing and weighty Arguments I come now in the Second place to demonstrate this Truth infer'd from the Doctrine viz. That this Consideration that God is All-Sufficient should ingage us silently and quietly to submit unto God and stay and depend upon his All-Sufficiency amidst our greatest Losses and Afflictions The Truth of the Doctrine I shall endeavour to demonstrate by a Fourfold Reason drawn from the necessity excellency and utility of the Duty in quietly submitting to God's Hand and lastly from the mischievous Consequences of repining murmuring and strugling against God The First Reason drawn from the Reason 1 from necessity of precept Necessity of this Duty and that 's to be considered as Necessitas praecepti vel medii 1. For the Necessity of Precept We are frequently commanded in the Word of God to Exercise these great Duties of Waiting Believing and Submitting unto the Will of God David's Faith was an Excellent Cordial to keep him from Fainting Psal 27. 13. I had Fainted unless I had believed to see the Goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living And What 's the Duty which he prescribes see Vers 14. Wait on the Lord be of good Courage and he shall strengthen thine Heart Wait I say on thâ— Lord. He was much troubled about tâ—â— Prosperity of Wicked Mâ—n He prescribes the same Duty of waiting on the Lord. Psal 37. 34. Wait on the Lord and keep his Way and he shall Exalt thee to Inherit the Land When the Wicked are cut off thou shalt see it When he was troubled with treacherous hypocritical false-hearted Men he prescribed a Remedy Psal 55. 22. Cast thy Burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee And his Resolution is fixed Vers 23. But I will Trust in thee David chargeth this Duty of Waiting upon his own Soul Psal 62. 5. My Soul wait thou only upon God for my Expectation is from him And this Duty of Trusting he frequently presseth upon himself and others Psal 37. 3. 5. And he layeth down strong Encouragements to trust in God for there is Security in the Practice of this Duty Psal 18. 30. He is a Buckler to all Psal 18. 30. those that trust in him Psal 37. 5. Commit thy Way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass Prov. 29. 25. The Fear of Man bringeth a Snare Isa 7. 9. but who so putteth his Trust in the Lord shall be safe And there 's Stability in Trusting in God Psal 125. 1. They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Sion which cannot be removed but abideth for ever There 's happiness Prov. 16. 20. Who so Trusteth in the Lord Happy is he A Blessing is their Portion that Trust in God Psal 34. 8. Blessed is the Man that Trusteth in him And what can be desired more Read further Isa 26. 9. Isa 40. 31. And I need name no more Scriptures for Comfirmation of so clear a Truth But if Men will be so Mad as to venture elsewhere they shall smart for it If Men will forsake a Fountian and betake themselves to Cisterns If Men will forsake God and try Creatures and put their Confidence in them they shall pay dear for their Madness and Folly and they shall never find what they expect from the Creatures They put Trust in them but they shall find them Deceitful as Jacob found Laban Gen. 31. David's familiar Friends dealt Perfidiously with him Psal 41. 9. wherefore he Communicates his Experience not to Trust the great Ones of the Earth Psal 146. 3. And injoyns us to put our Trust in God Psal 118. 8 9. It is better to Trust in the Lord than to put Confidence in Man It is better to Trust in the Lord than to put Confidence in Princes Quest But some will complain of their own Weakness and their Enemies Strength and Combinations For Answ We must have recourse to that strengthening Promise Isa 41. 14 15 16. Fear not thou Worm Jacob and ye Men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel Behold I will make thee a new sharp Threshing-Instrument having Teeth thou shalt Thresh the Mountains and beat them Small and shall make the Hills as Chaff Thou shalt Fan them and the Wind shall carry them away and the Whirle-Wind shall Scatter them and thou shalt rejoyce in the Lord and shalt Glory in the Holy One of Israel And against all Associations and Combinations of Adversaries we have abundantly enough to Arm and Incourage us against them
ad vincendum hostes ut expugnet eos-Vatabl 4. Attribute of Truth A bruised Reed shall he not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench till he send forth Judgment unto Victory By what hath been said of the Mercy of God we should be perswaded to rely and depend on God's All-Sufficiency A Fourth Instance I shall produce is the Attribute of God's Truth and this is ingaged for the Assistance of his Servants and for the Destruction of his and their Adversaries Although nothing is impossible to God and he can do all things yet it no whit detracts 1 Tit. 2. 2. Tim. 2. 13. from Gods Omnipotency to say He cannot Lie he cannot deny himself God never was and never will be one tittle worse than his Word not an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his Word shall fail God Gloryeth in Exod. 34. 6. Psal 146. 6. Psal 111. 5. Heb. 10. 23. this that he is Abundant in Goodness and Truth that he keepeth Truth for ever that he will be ever mindful of his Covenant And that he is faithful that hath Promised Balaam though a mercenary Prophet gives herein a faithful Testimony Numb 23. 19. God is not a Man that he should Lye neither the Son of Man that he should Repent hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he â—poken and shall he not make it Good After Nebuchadnezzer was restored to his understanding and former dignity he of his own accord made this Confession | Dan. 4. 37. That all the Works of God are Truth Here then consists our great Duty to rely and stay upon the Truth of God Hath not God said in his holy Isa 3. 10. 11. Word Say ye to the Righteous that it shall be well with him for they shall Eat the Fruit of their Doings Woe to the Wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his Hands shall be given him Is it not likewise a part of the same Truth of God Recorded by the Wise Man Though saith he a Sinner do Evil an Eccles 8. 12. 13. Hundred times and his Days be prolonged yet surely I know it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him But it shall not be well with the Wicked neither shall he prolong his Days which are as a Shadow because he feareth not before God Add hereunto that which is mentioned by the last but not the least of the Prophets Malachi For behold the Mal. 4. 1 2 3. Day cometh that shall Burn as an Oven and all the Proud yea and all that do Wickedly shall be Stubble and the Day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts It shall leave them neither Root nor Branch But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with Healing in his Wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as * Significat proprie multiplicari augeri L. de Dieu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verterunt 70. Calves of the Stall And ye shall Tread down the Wicked for they shall be Ashes under the Soles of your Feet in the Day that I shall do this saith the Lord of Hosts The God of Truth even God who is Truth it self hath said it wherefore we must not be curiously inquisitive after the precise time when noâ— Dispute how these things shall be Accomplished Without question all these things shall be punctually fulfulled in their Season Wherefore let us Believe Rely and Acquiesce upon the word of a faithful Covenant keeping God He will bring his own work to pass in his own Way and Time to his own Glory A Fifth and the last Attribute I shall 5. Attribute of Unchange ableness Instance in is the Unchangeableness of God It 's Evident that Men change Times and Customes change There 's a Vicissitude and Revolution of all Sublunary Quis noâ— diversa preseâ—tibus contrariaque expectatis aut speret aut timeat Vell. Paterz things Most true is that of Solomon One Generation passeth away Eccles 1. 4. Omnis subita Mutatio rerum non sine quodam quasi fluctu contingit animorum Boeth l. de consol Phil. l. and another Generation cometh Archimedes that great Mathematician gloried that he would move the whole Earth if he might have a place assigned him where he might fix his Engine His saying was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give me where I may stand Where some Men now a days will go and how far whose Principle is Self-interest when and where they will fix and stand neither can we nor they themselves Determine They ring Changes and comply with all times and humors Yet notwithstanding all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc Psal 102. 27. Mal. 3. 6. Heb. 13. 8. Heb. 9. 4. James 1. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the changes of Creatures have no influence upon the Creator as to change him with their Changes Damascene observes that Whatsoever is Created is subject to Changes But the uncreated Eternal God is Unchangeable He is the same and his Years shall have no end He changeth not Christ is unchangeable and the Holy Ghost is unchangeable Therefore amongst the changeable fluctuating conditions of the present World We should found our Comfort upon this Principle That we serve an unchangeable God with whom there is no | Metaphora est a Sole qui est variis nubium obumbrationibus obnoxius Nihil hujus in Deo est Pareus variableness nor shadow of turning Heavenly Bodies have Parallaxes but there is no such thing â—â— God Friends such in whom we have put great Job 6. 15. confidence prove perfidious and are like that deceitful Brook mentioned by Job Riches they fail and are on the Prov. 23. 5. Wing as swift as an Eagle And no Man of Understanding will reckon upon his great Riches because he seeth so many Eagles flying in the Air. There 's a Story which I have Read in Aelian Aelian var. hist That there was a Fool in Athens who laughed and expressed great Joy when any Ship came into the Harbor because he was possest with a Fancy that every Ship that Arrived there was his own Is it not as great folly and madness for a Man to account himself the Richer because he seeth the Landing of many Ships richly Laden with variety of Merchandize when as he hath no Share nor Interest in any one of them Riches are things which are not and to set ones Heart upon nothing even that which oft times proves worse than nothing by reason of many frustrations and vexations must needs be an exceeding great madness and folly Riches are not in our power to get them It 's Gods Blessing that maketh Rich neither is it in our power when they are got to keep them | Quid sunt res humanae Cinis pulvis fumus umbra folia cadentâ—a flos Somnium fabula ventus aer penna mobilis â—â—da deâ—urrens fi quid istis inferius
Chrisost Hom. 9. ad Heb. No Man can hold the Tâ—â—e when it comes nor stop an Arrow shot out of a Bow nor hinder the Motion of the Sun no more can any Man hold fast these sublunary things None can keep Riches sure and stable and make them last to Eternity For under the Sun is nothing of a durable Substance If we desire that which is durable and never fading we must seek for it in Heaven it 's not to be had here below Further to instance in honours promotions and the preferments of the World They that have most of them are oft times by the revolutious of times made sensible that they possess a very slippery standing So that †Nunquid in honore sine dolore in praelatione sine turbatione in Sublimitate sine vanitate quis esse potest Bern. in Test Nicholai Serm. Honours are oft times burthens and objects of envy and malice and many are the machinations for supplanting and undermining the possessours of them Have we not frequently seen many great Personages degraded and devested of their Robes have not their Honours lain in the dust Haman in sacred Story is a signal example of Honours uncertainty And forraign Historys of Andronicus Bajazet Bellizarius our own English History of Wolsey and others give abundant testimony of this Truth That Honours are transient fading uncertain things And what are promotions and high places though many are so eager and greedy in the pursuit after them and often times for the attaining of them make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience What are they better I say than a Ficta omnia celeriter decidunt nec Simulatum potest quicquam essâ— diuturnum Cic. L. 2. Off. vid. Bp. Morton of Ezekiels Wheels Mushrome or a Jonah's Gourd which in one Night had its Original and Period Sesostris Wheels turning that spoke lowermost which was erst while uppermost are an embleme of the frequent revolutions of all things in the Universe I shall conclude this particular with that infallible Testimony of the Psalmist Psal 75. 6 7 8. For promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteh up another For in the Hand of the Lord is a Cup and the Wine is Red it is full of Mixture and he poureth out of the same but the Dregs thereof all the Wicked of the Earth shall wring them out and drink them And to secure support and preserve us safe amidst the worst of Changes I shall mention two or three establishing Scriptures one is Psal 73. 26. My Flesh and my Heart faileth but God is the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Another is Psal 89. 43. I will not suffer my Faithfulness to fail A third is Heb. 13. 5. | 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Here then we may be preserved from danger by relying on these promises And if Five negatives which more vehemently deny Fieri non potest ut te abjiciam plane aut etiam ad tempus deseram Grot. any danger come then here is a Shield to ward of Blows Here 's a cordial a stay and a staff a restorative and supporter when we seriously consider that notwithstanding changes failings disappointments and treacheries which we meet with from Creatures yet our Creator is unchangeable And his immutability is a Fort-Royal an invincible Bulwark and a Rock impregnable unto all true Believers CHAP. III. Containing a Second Argument drawn from God's Promises I Proceed to a Second Argument drawn Arg. 2 drawn from God's promises Isa 12. 3. Isa 66. 11. Judg. 16. 17. from God's Promises And they are as so many Wells of Salvation and Breasts of Consolation Divine Promises are the Magna Charta or Title and Interest whereby the Saints make a claim to Heaven It was said of Samson that his great Strength lay in his Hair So a believers great strength lies in the divine Promises All the Promises attest the truth of the Doctrine That God is All-Sufficient And if we make a survey of particular Promises we shall by an Induction of particular cases and particular promises suitably applyed clear our assertion or point of Doctrine For Instance one Man is in great want and necessity hunger-bit and by reason of extream poverty afflicted with great cares and troubles and is still a carking and projecting and contriving which way to go about what means to use for supply of his pressing wants and exigencies Let such study the Promises and they will speak to them abundance of Incouragement viz. Psal 34. 9 10. Psal 37. 19. Psal 84. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 4. 19. It 's said there My God shall supply all your need i. e. shall fill up all your necessities we have a Promise for supply of necessities not for superfluities | Deus cui servio abunde sufficiet quicquid vobis opus erit Calv. in loc Calvin observes on the place That God whom I serve will abundantly suffice you what ever you have need of Another is much perplexed with variety of Fears as of loss of Life Livelyhood Liberty c. He 's oftentimes afraid of the fury of malitious and violent Adversaries To such the Promise speaks Comfort and Counsel Isa 8. 13. But it will be further replied that the â—ondition is dangerous and the hazards are apparent To such replies I 'le rejoyn Isa 43 1 2. Yet further some will complain O! We are a despised a shiftless and helpless People weak distressed impotent and apt to be trod down and trampled upon by every Foot Let such Read Isa 44. 10 14. 15. Isa 51. 12. Mat. 10. 28. What shall I add further Read also Isa 33. 23. Jer. 37. 10. Nay more than all this even Dry Bones shall become an Army of Men | Haec visio prophetica imago quodam modo fuit futur Resurrectionis licet ad literam restitutio Israelis in ierram suam per eam signifiâ—â—tur Clâ—rius inter critic sacr Ezek. 37. 3 10. Some understand this concerning the deliverance from Babylon Others hence allude to the conversion of the Jews in the days of the Gospel The Church may be in a dying condition yet it shall revive Isa 26. 19. There will be a Resurrection of the Church a Resurrection of the Names and Reputations of the People of God however blasted and defamed There will be a Resurrection of the Cause of the Church against Anti-Christ that Man of Sin And although the Witnesses and Professors thereof may be Dead for a time yet they shall Rise again and their Resurrection will be Glorious and Astonishing even in the sight of their Persecutors These things shall certainly be fulfilled in their Season although the punctual instant when this shall be is not within our cognizance to Determine We can resolve no otherwise than according to Psal 74. 9. We see not
a great affront and indignity But how much greater must it be to give the Lye to the Great GOD of Heaven and Earth as is plain from 1 Johâ— 5. 10. He that believeâ—â— Quis non horrâ—at fidem Eâ—angelio derogare in quo Deus â—nice verax fidelis vult haberi Calv. not God hath made 〈◊〉 a Lyar because he belâ—veth not the Record thâ— God gave of his Son An Unbelieveâ— belyeth the Holy Gospel and malâ—esâ— in his account no better than a Fableâ— and Christ no better than an Impoâ—â—â— O! How great then must this Sâ— be Third An Unbeliever is a Thief and 3. An Unbeliever is a Thief a Robber He so far as in him lyeth robbeth God of his Glory and Honour We must distinguish for prevention of Mistakes of a twofold Glory viz. Essential and declarative It 's imposible to Rob God of his Essential Glory But an Unbeliever doth his utmost to Rob God of his Declarative Glory For he distrusts God's Power Wisdom Mercy and Truth He calls all the Attributes of God into Question and this is an interpretative Blasphemy and a transcendent Affront and indignity offered unto the Great GOD of Heaven and Earth Could Pythagoras a Heathen Philosopher so far prevail upon his Schollars as his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what he said was Authentick and Perswasive And shall not the Word of Christ who spake as never Man spake even the words of Eternal Life shall not these gain Credit and Obedience But I proceed to reprove a Second 2. Murmurers are Reproved Sort who are Murmurers complaining and discontented Persons They are so far from being thankful as they ought to be for what they have already Received insomuch that they Murmur swhich they ought not for what they want These entertain hard Thoughts of God And when they are not Satisfied nor answered as soon as they call they break forth into repinings and discontented Language So did the murmuring Israelites smart for their Murmurings and became Spectacles of dreadful Judgments They were denied entrance into the promised Land Numb 14. 29 30. The Earth opened her Mouth and Swallowed Korah Dathan and Abiram And the Psalmist gives the Reason of their overthrow in the Wilderness Psal 106. 25. because They Murmured in their Tents and Hearkned not unto the Voice of the Lord. The Mischiefs of murmuring and discontented Spirits are exceeding great I shall represent them in these ensuing Aggravations First There is a great deal of Unthankfulness Aggrav 1. There is Unthankfulness in Murmuring in a murmuring Spirit It is the Lord's Mercy that we are not Consumed because his Compassions fail not We are yet Living Men That we are not struck Dead in our Sins is Mercy and we have great cause of Thankfulness that we are Living Men Wherefore then â—am 3. 39. should the Living Man complain Yet we are on this side Hell and Eternity and if we have less than Hell it 's more than we deserve Unthankful and uâ—holy 2. Tin 3. 2. are Ranked together Unthankfulness is a Wicked Effect that comes from a murmuring Spirit For though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quibus nullum juâ— est nec 〈◊〉 Beza many receive Mercies heaped and varieties of Loving Kindnesses Yet Murmurers account the Mercies which they Receive as no Mercies or very small things because they have not what they would have And thus Men lessen God's Mercies and lightly Esteem of them which is a very great Evil. Thus the Israelites accounted Manna but Light Bread They were weary of it and their Murmuring Numb 21. 5. They counted Ainsw discovered their great Ingratitude it base and vile in comparison with otheâ— Meats Secondly Murmuring hinders the Practice 2. Aggra Murmuring hinders the Practice of Duties of Duties A Man Discontented cannot set himself to pray Aright When we Pray we should acknowledge God's Soveraignty over us and resign our wills to His disposal But by Murmuring we presume to Prescribe to God and to be our own Carvers and so undoe our Prayers How can a discontented Man reap Profit by a Sermon when his Mind is Distracted and roving in the uttermost parts of the Earth How can a Man that 's dayly Murmuring and Discontented perform as he ought to do the Duties of his Relations as a Husband Father Master c. when as his Spirit is Perplexed and his Mind Tortured like one upon a Rack His Bread is his Gravel his Bed a Bed of Thorns he hath a restless and unquiet Spirit which unfits him for every Duty Thirdly Murmuring adds greater 3. Aggra Murmuring adds greater weight to Afflictions Weight to any Affliction If a Marriâ—er in a Storm will be froward and angry at the Storm and will not pull down his Sails his discontented Humour may hazard the losing of the Ship So a discontented Heart is a froward Heart and frets and fumes and swells with Pride and will not yield and therefore the Affliction is much more Grievous and Insupportable Fourthly and Lastly A murmuring 4. Aggra Murmuring ends in a Curse and discontented Spirit terminates in a great Curse Psal 59. 15. Let them wander up and down for Meat and Grudg if they be not Satisfied This is an Imprecation and Certe justo Dei judicio ad eum moâ—um punâ—untur tyrannorum satellices â—iserâ—â—um â—oppressores quibus bona pâ—â—perum per injuriam ablatâ— impenduntur ut oâ—es per caluâ—â—â—m aâ—qâ—isitas non dâ—â— obtineant deinde ad â—gâ—statem reâ—acti neminem inveniant qui â—furientium Commisereatur digni qui â—andem inhumaâ—â—â—â— quam itsi antea exercuerunt in immâ—ritos expâ—riantur Muâ—cul in Loc. Curse upon wicked Men that if they be not Satisfied they shall Grudg There is likewise a Curse upon those that are not Content with their present Condition Deut. 28. 67. In the Morning thou shalt say would God it were Even and at Even thou shalt say would God it were Morning Neither Evening nor Morning pleaseth a discontented Person He is such as the Proverb saith Who is neither contented Full nor Fasting There is a Curse likewise Deut. 28. 4. upon thosâ— Who served not the Lord with Joyfulness and with Gladness of Heart for the abundance of all things God would have his People serve him with Chearfulness This was the Resolution of the Church when she was in a low trembling Condition Hab. 3. 17 18. Although the Fig-Tree shall not Blossom neither shall Fruit be in the Vine the Labour of the Olive shall fail and the Fields shall yield no Meat the Flock shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls Yet will I Rejoyce in the Lord I will Joy in the God of my Salvation None indeed have cause Gaudiâ—â—â— propriuâ— est Piorum Aug. of Joy but God's Children Joy saith Augustin Is only the Portion of the Godly Away then with and abandon all murmuring discontented Speeches Labour Res
Lord Christ can give grace with his Gospel and infuse Holiness into their hearts to whom he Preacheth his Holy Word For he is God and cannot only command obedience but give Grace and Ability to yield Conformity unto his Command A 4th Reason shall be drawn from the Reas 4 Drawn from the Institution of Ordinances Institution of Ordinances God only is the Institutor of Ordinances The Sacraments are of Christs Institution Baptism hath Christs Authority and Commission Matt. 28. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And as Christ was the Institutor of Baptism so was he of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which I deliverd unto you c. The Apostle acted by vertue of Christs Commission And Christs Institution of the Lords Supper is recorded Matt. 26. 26. Mark 14. 22. Luke 22. 19. This Institution the Apostle received from Christ As for Sacraments devised by Papists such as are Pennance Extream Unction c. they are none of Christs Institution but rotten Inventions and Mock-Sacraments And they shall meet with that censure Isai 1. 12. Who hath required these things at your hands And with another suteable thereunto from Christ Matt. 15. 9. But in vain they do worship me teaching for Doctrines * Satis liquet quicunque ex hominum commentis cultum Dei. discunt non modo plane desipere sed etiam se conficere exitiali labore Calv. in Isai 29. 13. Legitur appositivâ— Doctrinas quae sunt mandata hominum non Dei Vatabl. in Matth. 15. 9. the Commandments of Men. None hath power to institute Sacraments but Christ The Apostle would deliver no Doctrine but that he received from Christ Christ sets up Church Officers They are the Gifts of Christ and the Fruits of his Ascention Eph. 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and some Teachers Apostles Prophets Evangelists these are extraordinary and they are ceased Pastors Teachers they are ordinary standing fixt Officers We must not set up our Post by his Post and our Threshold by his Threshold as the Lord complains Ezek. 43. 8. This is an high Indignity and a great affront to God to mix * Hominum inventa in Dei cultu impurae sunt corruptelae Calv. Instit l. 4. c. 10. The Affirmative part in the 2d Commandment is that our outward worship be as he hath prescribed it We must make his Word our Pattern The Negative that we mingle not our Will-worship with his Precept or Worship Bp. Andr. 2. Com. Thou shalt not worship me with any device of thine own contrary to my Will and Nature and the Affirmative is implied thou shalt in every respect worship me according to my Will and Nature Babington 2 Com. Humane Inventions with Divine Institutions When Nadab and Abihu presumed to offer strange fire upon the Alter they became a signal example of disobedience Lev. 10. 2. Christ is the only Lord of our Consciences the only Institutor of his Word Sacraments Ministery and all other Divine Ordinances His Institutions are every way perfect and stand in no need of Addition or Diminution That Text urged by the Apostle 1. Cor. 14. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order †Beza Interprets of a decency And Grotius against confusion in the Church Yet the Original expresly declares what we render in order * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Partitis temporibus suo quisque ordine Grotius according to order Ordination or Appointment And this seems to allude to Exod. 39. 43. Where it s said they had †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers 70. done all things as the Lord commanded We might further prove the Deity of Christ from his Mission of the Holy Ghost Revelation of things to come Conquering the World by the Power of his Eternal Gospel giving Eternal Life unto all his Children But those foregoing Arguments may suffice for confirmation of so clear and infallible a Truth And this Doctrin of Christ's Divinity is a Fort Royal which will remain impregnable notwithstanding all the violent Assaults and Batteries made against it by †Qui Christum noâ— nisi hominem â—gnosâ—â—nt summâ— venerandum incarnationis mysterium ut purum putum figmentum blasphemè rident Brochm Syst Theol. A 15. de Christo c. 2. Socinus and other Blasphemous Hereticks In the 2d place we come to treat of 2. Christs Humane Nature Christs Humane Nature And this Proposition that Christ is Man we shall clear by express Scripture and Evidence of Reason 1. For Scripture Testimony Christ 1. Scripture Testimony was the promised Seed i. e. v Gen. 3. 15. Per promissionem gratiae vivificatus ost Adam Est autem haec Ipsum semen conteret caput tuam Est autem Semen mulieris Christus quicunque sunt in Christo Melancton in Gen. Advertendum est Hebraicè haberi ipsum ita ut semen mulieris i. e. Christus demonstretur Pet. Mart. Soli Christo contritio serpentini Capitis tribuitur sed Hujus victoriae suae per fidem nos facit participes Gerrh the Seed of the Woman And this was the first Promise which was ever made which was made in Paradise Christ is that Child born that Son given mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah c. 9. 6. call'd a Man Mich. 5. 5. Zech. 13. 7. 1. Tim. 2. 5. The Son of Man Mat. 8. 20. The Son of Mary Luke 1. 31. Of the Seed of Abraham Hebr. 2. 16. Of the Seed of David 2. Tim. 2. 8. Christ the Eternal Substantial Word was made Flesh Joh. 1. 14. and he was manifested in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3. 16. There are two words which plainly express the Humane Nature of Christ One is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 1. 14. he dwelt amongst us And the other is Phillip 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He made himself of no †Evacuavit seipsum dum immensam divinae gloriae munificentiae majestatem à d tempus oâ—mubilavit Inanitio ipsius nostri est adimpletio Musc in loc Reputation For God to come down and dwell with Men as it were to disrobe himself and unite a Clod of dust to his Divine Person here is an unparallell'd Condescention and an evident proof of Christs Humanity Add hereunto a threefold Reason drawn Proved by 3 Reasons that Christ is Man from the Birth Life and Death of Christ and in every one of these his Manhood is fully proved 1. For Christs Birth he was w Gal. 4. 4. born Reas 1 Drawn from the Birth of Christ of a Woman and she was x Isai 7. 14. a Virgin A Mother and a Virgin here 's a great unparallell'd Mystery y Luke â— 35. The Power of the Highest overshadowed her The Conception was z Matth. 1. 20. by
This I have handled in five Particulars 1. By reckoning up several Names of Honour and Dignity appropriated unto Christ 2. By unfolding the Grand Mystery of the Divine and Human Nature of Christ hypostatically united in one Person 3. By representing the unvaluable worth of those threefold Offices of Christ viz. Sacerdotal Prophetical and Regal 4. By setting down several Metaphors applyed to Christ 5. By considering those great Purchases that Christ hath made for his People viz. of Information Sanctification and Glorification Now then follows the practical Improvement of this Doctrine which shall be in Uses viz. Information Reproof Examination and Exhortation Direction and Consolation CHAP. IX Containing two Vses viz. 1. An Vse of Information 2. An Vse of Reproof SECT I. From Examples WE should all be exhorted and persuaded Use 1 For Information to account Christ precious even the chiefest of ten thousands our Treasure Refuge our Honour our All and infinitely more worth than all Review seriously those five Heads before handled and it will evidently appear what strength of Reason there is to persuade us all to set upon Christ a greater valuation than upon all the Kingdoms of the World and Glory of them To what hath been said already I shall add for a close some Uses viz. for Information Reproof Examination and Exhortation Direction and Consolation I. For Information and that in two particulars 1. That Christ is thus precious is proved by Examples of true Believers 2. Upon what Grounds and Arguments the Truth may be evidenced 1. That Christ is thus precious is proved 1. That Christ is precious is proved by Examples by Examples We tread not in unbeaten Paths Abraham accounted Christ precious having seen him by the Eye of Faith Wherefore Christ tells the Jews your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day Joh. 8. 56. Dies Domini nihil aliud significat quam ipsius adventum in earnem vidiâ— enim eum eminus Abraham fidei nimirum oculis ut declaratur Heb. 11. 13. Bâ—za and he saw it and was glad Abraham was dead many hundred years before but by the Eye of Faith he saw Christ's Incarnation and rejoyced therein David likewise highly valued Christ insomuch as he penn'd many Psalms concerning Christ And in particular David calls Christ his Lord Psal 110. v. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand till I make thy Enemies thy Footstool The Prophet Isaiah foretells of Christ's Sufferings and how he was debased yet withal he tells us of his great Dignity Isa 53. 12. Therefore will I devide him a portion with the Great and he shall devide the spoil with the Strong and what a great esteem the Prophet Jeremiah had of Christ may appear from Jer. 23. 5 6. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Justice in the Earth In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his Name whereby he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness The Prophet speaks in his own Name and in the Name of the Church that whatsoever befel him even the greatest Losses and Crosses Disapointments and Vexations yet his Saviour was the joy and rejoicing of his Soul Hab 3. 17 18. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall Fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olives shall fail and the Field shall yeild no Meat the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers Graec. 70 Flock shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Heard in the Stall yet I will rejoice in the Lord and I will joy in the God of my Salvation The seventy render it I will rejoice in the Lord in God my Saviour I might further instance in the noble Army of Martyrs who set such an high price upon Christ as they parted with their Goods joyfully and laid down their Lives for the Testimony of the Gospel I shall only mention Moses and Paul Moses though learned and highly esteemed of in Pharaoh's Court though it is said he was mighty in Words and Deeds Acts 7. 22. yet in the confluence of his Honours he preferred Christ infinitely before all Heb. 11. 26. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of Reward Moses preferred afflicted Godliness before prosperous Wickedness and a Crown of Thorns with Christ before a Crown of Gold without him To Moses I will add St. Paul O! how did he value Christ at a price above superlative He though a great Schollar more skill'd in Tongues than all the Apostles bred up at the Feet of Gamaliel an Hebrew of the Hebrews that is an Hebrew both by the Father and Mother and circumcised the eighth day as touching the Law a Pharisee yet Christ he infinitely prized above all See his zealous Protestation at Corinth which was so learned a place as was by the Orator called Oculus Graeciae the Eye of Greece yet he upon deliberate thoughts determines 1 Cor. 2. 2. For I determined to know nothing amongst you save Jesus Excellentia cognitionis Christi in quo thesauri sunt sapientiae ac scientiae Dei tanti erit huic Apostolo ut non mâ—do Judaismum sed quicquid eximium est uspiam in Câ—lâ— in Terra propter hâ—nc nihil fuerit imo dâ—â—ni loco duceret Musc Christ and him crucified And see how absolutely he declares his Judgment Phil. 3. 7 8. But what things were gain to me those I accounted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but Dung that I may win Christ So great was his zeal for Christ that he protested that he was not only ready to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for Act. 21. 13. the Name of the Lord Jesus Thus we see how the Saints accounted Christ precious SECT II. Evidencing by Arguments why Christ should Why Christ should be thus accounted pretious be Pretious in our Estimation IN the next place to confirm the truth by Arguments The Question will be propounded what Grounds and Reasons is there why we should set such an infinite value on Christ For Answer there are two sorts of Reasons or Arguments 1. Drawn from Christ 2. From true Believers 1 If we consider that Christ is the Eternal 1. Reason drawn from Christ Son of God the Mediatour of the New Covenant our Advocate and Redeemer there 's all the reason why we should price and esteem and account him Pretious and Honourable But I'â—e instance in particulars concerning the Beauty Riches Honours and Wisdom that is in Christ 1. For his Beauty Though his Visage was Marred in the days of his Flesh on Earth 1. Christs Beauty Is 53. 2.
Though Sense fails and Reason be non-plust and all humane Confidence seem to be broken yet the hope of a Believer abides like the Bow of Janathan firm in it's strength A Believer hath hope for his Helmet For saith the Apostle 1 Thess 5. 8. putting on the Breast Plate of Faith and Hope and for an Helmet the hope of Salvation Let 's then make God our hope as the Prophet Jeremy did Jer. 17. 17. Thou art my hope in the Day of evil Let 's apply Jeremys Resolution with Jeremys Affection Lam. 3. 24. The Lord is the Portion of my Soul therefore will I hope A Fifth Fruit of Justification by Faith 5 Patience is Patience In your Patience saith Christ Possess ye your Souls There 's an absolute Luk. 21. 19. necessity of the Grace of Patience for saith the Apostle ye have need of Patience Heb. 10. 36. that after ye have doen the Will of God ye might receive the promise Were it not for Afflictions there would be no Tryal of Patience But Afflictions and Sufferings trie a Believers Patience When Enemies make long Furrows on the back of the Righteous when the Vision is dark and the Chariot Wheels of deliverance drive heavily when expectations though highly raised are disappointed In a Word when Troubles Losses and Persecutions come and fear upon â—ar and one danger upon the Neck of another as one Wave of the Sea follows another then O! then what necessity is there of the exercise of the Grace of Patience Submission and Resignation of our Wills in all things unto the Will of God A waiting Patient frame of Spirit is prepar'd to undergo Hardships and Sufferings with Courage and Alacrity If then Faith and Hope begin to flag let Patience interpose A Believer makes not hast He dares not prescribe to God nor limit the Holy one of Israel When God hides himself our Duty is to continue waiting Isa 8. 17. And I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his Face from the House of Jacob and I will look for him There 's the exercise of Faith and Patience Let us then immitate those who through Faith and Patience have Inherited the Promises Let Faith and Patience hold out and whatever Pressures are upon us they will either be removed or else be made more easy for us to bear them The best and last Fruit is Experience If 6. Experiâ—nce Christians Treasured up their Experiences and brought them forth upon variety of emergencies they might live more comfortable Lives than they do Faith makes much 〈◊〉 of Experience and puts a Christian upon a serious review of Gracious Passages of Providence and thence draws Groans of Consolation As for Instance saith a Believer I have been bewildred with Troubles on every side and then God delivered me I have been at the brink of the Grave and then God delivered me I have known a pinching season and a great scarcity then God kept me alive even in a time of Famine and made Provision for me I have been delivered from Satans Temptations and from my own Corruptionâ— I have been delivered from Enemies within me and Enemies without me I have escaped Fire when others have been a Taberah I have escaped Pestilence when Thousands fell besides me and ten Thousands at my Right Hand I have escaped the Sword when many have been numbred to the Sword Thus then let me infer O! how thankful ought I to be to God for all his Mercies and O! what cause have I to trust and depend on him and conlcude that the same God Omnipotent Reigneth as Good as Gracious as Merciful as ready to help as ever and therefore the experience of former Mercies should ingage me to depend on God for the Future When David was to encounter with Goliah he assum'd a strong ground of Incouragement from his own Experience 1 Sam. 17. 36. Thy Servant slew both the Lyon and the Bear and this Vncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them seeing he hath defied the Armies of the Living God Let 's Write down our Experiences of Gods dealing with us and let 's comfort our selves with this consideration that God is in Heaven still There 's no deficiency in the All sufficient God His Hand is not shorned that it cannot help his Ear is not heavy that it cannot hear Put then all these Fruits of Justification togegether and labour to be abounding and Fruitful in them Now for a close of all I heartily desire that the Promise may abide on all our Hearts and our profiting may appear that so I may comfort others with those Comforts wherewith I my self have been comforted I know and I acknowledge that there are many Practical Treatises in Print and I wish there were more And I acknowledge that of Solomon to be an undoubted truth Eccles 12. 12. Of making many Books there is no end Yet if I can by this Treatise or what I have formerly Written be Instrumental for the Spiritual good of any one Christian I shall account it a great incouragement to add greater Labours and further Pains hoping that something may leave a deep impression on the Hearts of Readers that their Souls may thrive thereby The design I endeavour and desire to drive at in Writing is this that my self and others may be made better my Conclusion therefore of all shall be in the Words of that most excellent Father St. Bernard Therefore are all Books Written that one Book of the Conscience may be amended FAXIT DEVS FINIS