labour that they may be strengthened by piety and godliness yet will I not enter upon a particular enumeration of Gods communicable Properties I have been too long already upon this argument much less upon a particular explication of them for it will be sufficient for my purpose which is the advancement of the true Religion in the hearts and lives of men if I briefly insist onely upon these three to which all the rest may be reduced and they are Truth in his Understanding Goodness in his Will and Purity in his Action for we cannot better consider Gods Activity then in the Purity of his Action unto which we must also annex a short discourse of Liberty as belonging to all three that is to say to Understanding and Will and Action And these three Properties of Truth Goodness Purity as they are eminently in God and evidences of his perfection so are they also eminent in Religion the service of God And first of the Truth of God and of Religion God is true by a metaphysical and by a moral Truth First By a metaphysical Truth as having the true knowledge of all things Psa. 139. 2. thou understandest my thoughts long before God understandeth our thoughts before they are the angels not when they are and therefore they are defective in truth because defective in understanding for Truth metaphysically is a conformity of the thing with the understanding and accordingly our blessed Saviour is particularly called the Truth as being the Omniscient Wisdome of God and the eternal Understanding of the Father even as the holy Ghost is the eternal Love both of Father and Son Secondly God is True by a moral Truth as having his Affection Expression Action agreeable to his knowledge and that in three respects 1. As Truth is opposed to Falshood for God neither wills nor speaks an untruth 2. As Truth is opposed to Dissimulation for God neither dissembleth nor deceiveth 3. As Truth is opposed to Inconstancy for God changeth not his judgement in truths declared or determined he changeth not the event in truths foretold or prophesied for in promises he keeps his word and his truth if man perform the conditions in threats he may not keep his word and yet keep his truth because they are but conditional And as for deceiving the Prophets Ezek. 14. 9. and 1 King 22. 23. we generally and truly answer Tradit diabolo decipiendos he delivereth them over to the devil to be deceived by him so saith the Text Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie that they all might be damned who beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes. 2. 10 11 12. a text that gives us a fearful but yet a full account of all those strong delusions among men which led directly to the Father of lies the first step was a voluntary unrighteousness in not loving the truth the second step is a strong delusion in beleeving a lie the third step God keep them from treading in that who have trodden in the two former is a necessary damnation both for not loving the truth and for having pleasure in lies but still God is true though every man be a liar for God deceiveth the Prophet Ez◠14. 9. as he hardeneth the heart Exod. 10. 1. permissivè non efficienter permissively no◠efficaciously by not inhibiting or not purging those ill qualities that are already is the heart not by infusing any ill qualities into it and therefore though he saith I have hardened Pharaohs heart yet he saith unto us Harden not your own hearts and accordingly he threatneth in Ezekiel to destroy such a prophet from the midst of his people whose heart was hardned so fa◠as to deceive himself and others whereas he could not in justice destroy him onely for being that which himself had made him nay this permission is most plainly set forth in that parable of 1 Kin. 22. for all that God doth there is onely to let the evil spirit go forth that is not to inhibite him from going and deceiving not to send him down from heaven For it is evident that the evil spirit never did and never can come into heaven again since he was first thrown down from thence And thus briefly God is True Metaphysically and Morally Metaphysical truth consisting in the right apprehension of things as they are in themselves Moral truth in the right affection and profession of things as they are apprehended and this profession is either in word by veracity or in action by sincerity or in continuance of action by constancy so that moral truth is opposed to falshood because 't is the same with reality to dissimulation because 't is the same with sincerity and to wavering and floating because 't is the same with certainty And this same metaphysical and moral truth is also in Religion passing from the Master into his service for the Father seeketh such to worship him who worship him as he is that is who worship him in spirit because he is a Spirit and who worship him in truth because he is the Truth S. John 4. 23 24. The worship in spirit points at the metaphysical truth of Religion which requires a true apprehension of God the worship in truth points at the moral truth of Religion which requires an Affection Profession Action agreeable to that true apprehension and for both these hath our own Church taught us to pray Collect 7th Sunday after Tri. Graff in our hearts the love of thy Name Increase in us true Religion nourish us with all goodness and of thy great mercy keep us in the same Do you look for the metaphysical Truth of Religion 'T is in the knowledge of Gods Name which must be presupposed before the love of it since no man can love what he doth not know that you know God by his true Name such as himself hath proclaimed Exod. 32. 5 6 7. or that you apprehend God as he is not set up to your self an idol in stead of God as do all those who worship not the Father by the Son in the unity of the Spirit Again do you look for the moral truth of Religion 'T is in the love of Gods Name that you love him according to your knowledge or that you have your affection agreeable to your apprehension for to know God and not to love him is in effect to proclaim you do not truly know him since the same God is the first Truth and ground of our knowledge and also the last good and cause of our love and you may here likewise finde this moral truth of Religion in all respects First in its Reality for it is the very true Religion opposed to falshood or superstition 't is indeed Gods Name Secondly in its Sincerity or Fidelity for it is all Goodness not onely in the tongue but also in the heart
in a curse Thus Ieroboams rebellion prospered to make the ten tribes first lose their Religion then their libertie and property first to make them idolaters and after that to make them captives and bondslaves for their rebellion occasioned their idolatry and their idolatry occasioned their captivity On the contrary Israel may have temporal affliction but 't is no curse nay indeed properly no punishment Habet rationem medicinae non poenae God chastising his servants not to torment them but to amend them but let the one go for prosperity the other for adversity because the world will needs think them so then take this for a second answer not concerning Edom for he is not worth it in all his prosperity but concerning Israel First Non poena sinalis 't is no final punishment it lasteth not long much less for ever Heaviness may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Secondly Non pietas totalis Israel when he was at best could not but say His father was an Amorite and his mother a Hittite when he had most of God and of pietie he had more of man and what he had of man he had of sin and impiety Thirdly Impietas totalis though their piety was not perfect their impiety was so for they were guilty of a general defection and apostasie as God himself objecteth and answereth this doubt Jer. 5. 19. Wherefore doth the Lord our God all these things unto us Like as ye have forsaken me and served strange gods in your land so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Rabbi David measure for measure like for like we may say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justitiae divinae the retaliation of Gods justice desertion for desertion nay God himself hath said it Ye would needs be serving strange gods ye shall now serve strange men And it is observable that before God generally deserted the Jews giving them up to captivity slaughter they had generally deserted him giving themselves up to their own inventions and impieties which makes God accordingly ask the question of himself and of them shall I not visit for these things Jer. 5. 29. Gods visitation is a great argument of mans disorder the people of Israel were now generally out of order and for that cause were generally visited Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this Such a nation as this all nations are wicked provoke Gods wrathfull indignation for vengeance but 't is such a nation as this that makes his soul desire to be avenged such a nation that is so wicked beyond the rest that sins so impudently against the light so unthankfully against the means so impenitently against the power of grace First so impudently against the light of grace for he saith Pour out thine indignation upon the heathen that have not known thee and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name Psal. 79. 6. much more then upon Israel that hath known thee and yet hath not called upon thy Name but hath persecuted those that did call upon it as if they had rather been the enemies then the servants of the living God for if outer darkness be a just punishment for not rightly using the twilight of nature what darkness of darkness shall punish the abuse of the clear sun-shine of the light of grace Secondly so unthankfully against the means of grace accompanied with Gods own holy Spirit which made S. Stephen say Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and cars ye do always resist the holy Ghost Act. 7. 55. you are uncircumcised in your hearts and hate the saving truth and that makes you uncircumcised in ears that you will not hear it he tels them plainly that they are not onely revolters from the truth but also rebels against it for here is a spiritual rebellion against the Spirit of God and therefore against the God of spirits ye do indeed make resistance ye do alwaies resist the holy Ghost so great an undutifulness could not have been without a greater unthankfulness men being first unthankfull to God for his Word and Sacraments in neglecting them and then undutifull against both to justifie their neglects Thirdly so impenitently against the power of grace for these means of falvation are powerfull means hence is the Gospel called by St. Paul the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1. 16. and the preaching of the cross called unto them that are saved the power of God 1 Cor. 1. 18. that is the power of God to salvation for 't is also to them that are not saved the power of God but to condemnation hence the Apostle plainly reproveth those that are not reformed by the preaching of the Word and administring of the Sacraments as denying this power of godliness 2 Tim. 3. 5. having a form of godliness that is having the word and Sacraments but denying the power thereof that is not one jot the better for having them Now then in this case here is the abuse both of Word and Sacraments which onely constitute a Church no wonder then if this abuse overthrow a Church and these two were in the Jews before their final desolation not the Sacraments rightly administred for not a passover in any good order for many years together not the Word rightly preached for the Prophets prophesie falsly saith the Text Jer. 5. 31. and the more falsly they prophesied the more generally they were received which makes the Spirit of God use this exclamation a wonderfull and horrible thing is committed in the land q.d. Clergie and Laitie are both alike quite out of order for it is committed in the land and both so shamefully out of order that it must be called a wonderfull and a horrible thing that is committed by them or as the Hebrew terms it an astonishment or an abomination but what is this abomination Even the general apostasie both of the Clergie and of the Laitie of the Priests and of the people the Prophets prophesie falsly there 's the apostasie of the Clergie and my people love to have it so there 's the apostasie of the Laitie for thus had Ieroboam taught them to make their own Priests that so they might make their own Religion for no other would worship his golden calves but Priests of his own not of Gods making 1 King 12. yet dares he not finde fault with the appointed service of the Temple or the Religion established as with that which was vicious but onely as with that which was too labourious v. 28. It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem then he proceeds to make Priests of the lowest of the people which were not of the sons of Levi v. 31. because his designe was to appeal to the people and he therefore appealed to the people that they might think the right of Soveraignty and Dominion to be where they found acknowledged the right of appeal to wit in themselves and stifle
which he doth continually defile with with his intemperances and uncleanness And this truth being granted which is not to be denied and scarce to be disputed it must needs follow that 't is impossible there should be an absolute infallibility of Faith in any man till there be in him an absolute impeccabilitie of life for from the corruption in manners will proceed the corruption in doctrine and from corruption in doctrine corruption in manners so that the doctrine cannot be the form and the duty the matter of Religion since the false doctrine corrupts the duty and the defective duty corrupts or depraves the doctrine and we must allow the substance of Religion to be altogether incorruptible and because there can be in it no corruption 't is evident there is in it no Physical composition Secondly There is in Religion no Logical composition ex subjecto accidente for no part of it but is substantial and essential Faith can no more save without good works then good works can be without faith It seems the man had faith who came running to kneel to our blessed Saviour and to ask him What he should do to inherit eternal life sure a better faith then any of our Solifidians have who neither run nor kneel nor ask yet our Saviours answer is Thou knowest the commandments S. Mark 10. He saith not Thou knowest the faith in Christ and yet without doubt he included it but so it is Christ himself teaching us to go to heaven by obedience doth plainly shew there can be no true faith without it and Bona opera sunt perniciosa ad salutem is a most pernicious blasphemous doctrine though Amsdortius broach'd it out of zeal to the doctrine of Justification by faith in Christ and out of opposition to the merit of condignity in good works for 't is not the right way to build up faith by pulling down obedience since the Apostle himself telleth us that the truth of the Gospel was made known to all nations for the obedience of faith Rom. 16. 26. and 't is evident that faith it self is an act of obedience and a duty enjoyned in the first commandment so that we cannot take away faith from obedience but we must take away obedience from the first and great commandment that most requires it which will not be so much as good Judaisme and therefore sure cannot be good Christianity for the Jews did of purpose in their doctrine as it were entangle the commandments one with another to shew that one could not be violated alone and that our obedience was alike due to all therefore did they teach that the preface I am the Lord thy God was directly on the other side answered by the sixth commandment Thou shalt do no murder for he that kills a man destroys the image of God The first commandment it self Thou shalt have no other gods but me was directly answered by the seventh Thou shalt not commit adultery for idolatrie is a spiritual fornication The third for it seems they looked on the second as included in the first Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain was answered by the eighth Thou shalt not steal for he that will be a thief will not stick to forswear himself The fourth Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day was answered by the ninth Thou shalt not bear false witness for he that will not keep the sabbath doth bear false witness of God that he did not rest on the seventh day The fifth Honour thy father and thy mother was answered and as it were seconded by the tenth Thou shalt not covet for he that gives the reins to his concupiscence shall beget a son that shall dishonour and disobey him Salomom Iarchi in Cantic cap. 4. v. 5. Thus did they make one commandment not onely as a second to vindicate and avenge but also as a principle champion to fortifie and strengthen another that we should pay the readier obedience to them all for they did not this to confound our dutie towards God and our duty towards our neighbour but to shew that though these several duties might be distinguished yet they might not be divided nor separated for that no one commandment of the Moral Law was accidental but all alike substantial in that obedience which God doth now require and will hereafter reward so that there is no composition of Subject and Accident in Religion Thirdly and lastly There is in Religion no Metaphysical composition ex actu potentia of act and power for though this Metaphysical composition is in the Angels yet 't is not in Religion 'T is in the Angels for they have not all their essence and perfection together but as it were successively some after other so that in this respect Religion hath a prerogative above the Angels and therefore may not stoop down so low as to worship them for that hath its whole perfection altogether the Old the New Testament differing onely in modo not in re for the same Faith Hope and Charity saved Abraham that still saveth us and hence it is evident that all is either superstition of faction which cannot consist and be maintained without addition to the text the onely rule of Religion though it pretend not to be addition but onely exposition or declaration As for example When Christ hath said Drink ye all of this that the Laity or Clergy not administring are not bound to drink of it may pretend to be a declaration of the Church Ecclesia declarat nullo divino praecepto Laicos aut Clericos non conficientes ad bibendum obligari Concil Trid. Sess. 21. cap. 1. but it is indeed a depravation of the truth by way of addition Again when God hath said Thou sh'alt not worship any graven image for any man to say Thou shalt not worship the graven image of Venus or Bacchus or Jupiter but thou mayst worship the image of Christ and of the saints seems to be a declaration but is indeed a down right depravation by way of addition and yet this is the fleight whereby Baronius endeavours to elude the second commandment and why may not we as well say Thou shalt not kill that is Thou shalt not kill a Romane Catholick but thou mayst kill an heretick Thou shalt not steal that is Thou shalt not assault or invade the property of a brother one of the godly party but thou mayst of one that is a malignant or a reprobate and yet not be guilty of stealing In a word to instance in the fifth commandment which hath been alike trampled upon by the two grand factions of Christendome Honour thy father and thy mother saith God that is If he be not an heretick saith the one side for then he may be excommunicated deposed and killed If he be not a reprobate saith the other side for then he may be dishonoured and disobeyed and destroyed for having no share in grace he hath no right to
countenance any in sin and in impenitency and yet even this severe Bishop in his greatest strictness for Church discipline though he would not allow the Martyrs and Confessours to be too importunate for the over speedy reconciliation of notorious offenders in which he had also the approbation of the Clergy of Rome yet if an offender had been overhastily reconciled he would not by any means make void that act of mercy thus we read that when the Bishop Therapius had given the peace of the Church to Victor the Presbyter for the Bishops were in those dayes the governours in chief if not in whole of the Ecclesiastical Communion before he had made publick satisfaction for his offence though S. Cyprian and his collegues were much troubled that he had so hastily received him into the Communion of the Church nullâ infirmitate urgente when as no dangerous sickness of his had called for a dispensation of the Canon yet they would not revoke that act of grace that had been done by Therapius but let Victor still enjoy the benefit of it thereby shewing that the true Religion though it stand much upon the exactness of Justice yet is much more delighted in the exercise of Mercy the words of S. Cyprian and his fellow Collegues met together in a Synod meerly about Church-discipline are very remarkable Sed librato apud nos diu consilio satis fuit objurgare Therapium collegam nostrum quod temerè hoc fecerit instruxisse ne quid tale de caetero faciat pacem tamen quomodocunque a sacerdote Dei semel datam non putavimus au-ferendam Cyp. Ep. 59. cum Pam. after we had taken long and full advice about this business we thought it enough to reprove Therapius our Collegue that he had done this rashly and require him to do so no more but the peace which had been given by a Priest intrusted of God to give it though given after never so ill a manner we did not think fit to take away again and therefore declare that Victor shall still enjoy the communion of the Church But what do I speak of Mercy above Justice in the true Religion when she would not call for Justice at all were it not that she might shew Mercy for thus she proceeds to deliver a sinner to Satan that she may keep him from hell as faith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. 5. to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus true Religion would not exercise that Justice which is for the destruction of the flesh were it not to make way for that Mercy which is for the salvation of the spirit therein resembling God himself who thrusts men away from him meerly out of the necessity of Justice but embraceth and receiveth them from his incessant desire and delight of shewing mercy CHAP. VIII The assurance we have of Religion in that it maketh us reverence and fear God ascribing the honour due unto his Name and of the ten proper Names of God collected by S. Hierome HE that is willing to expostulate with God can never be unwilling to offend him for it is impossible that man should ever be dashed out of countenance by the consideration of any sin who is resolved to justifie and maintain all his sins such a man is more fit for the School of the Peripateticks then for the School of the Prophets because he is made rather for disputation then for devotion and truly this is the chiefest reason that we can alledge for the continuance of all those grand miscarriages that are in the practise of Religion whether by way of superstition or of profaneness that men wedded to their own corrupt practises are in a manner resolved to expostulate with God rather then to comply with him 't is such a Clergy humour as this which the Prophet Malachi complaineth of Mal. 1. 6. saying unto you O Priests that despise my Name and ye say wherein have we despised thy Name they would needs be disputing when they should have been repenting for all this while they did neither honour God as a Father not fear him as a Master for so saith the Text a son honoureth his father and a servant his master if then I be a father where is mine honour if I be a master where is my fear saith the Lord of hosts unto you O Priests that despise my Name It is a foul shame for any to despise Gods Name but most especially for those who are most bound to glorifie it that is for his Priests who are peculiarly consecrated to serve God and therefore ought to be more particularly devoted to his service no man may securely contemn Religion but he least who is entrusted to teach it for what he is entrusted to teach he is much more commanded to practise and truly this is the proper work of Religion which the Prophet here cals for to glorifie the Name of God that is to honour God as a Father and to fear him as a Master for without this honour and this fear we cannot take God for God but it is the work of Religion to make man take God for God and how can that be but by acknowledging and professing his Verity Omnipotency Goodness and Excellency so that the work of Religion most especially consists in Faith Hope Charity and Reverence or holy Fear for by Faith we acknowledge Gods eternal truth or Verity by Hope his Omnipotency by Love his allsufficient Goodness and by Fear or reverence his Soveraign Majesty or supertranscendent excellency Thus he that beleeveth in God acknowledgeth God to be God because he acknowledgeth him to be the first Truth or chiefest Verity he that hopeth in God acknowledgeth God to be God because he relyeth on his Omnipotency he that loveth God with all his might acknowledgeth God to be God because he taketh him for the chiefest good being wholly satisfied with his allsufficiency and lastly he that feareth God with all his might acknowledgeth God to be God because he taketh him for the Soveraign Majesty or for the greatest excellency wherefore God is truly to be honoured as a Father by Faith Hope and Charity and to be honoured as a Master by Fear and Reverence and the true Religion reacheth us to honour God both as a Father and as a Master as a Father by beleeving in him for shall not a Son beleeve his Father though all others beleeve him no further then for his honesty yet his own Son is bound to beleeve him also for his authority again to honour him as a Father by hoping and expecting a blessing from him and more particularly our inheritance for as faith looks to the promise so hope looks to the thing promised and we can never look upon God too much and much less can we look for too much from him For if we being evil know how to give good gifts to our children how much more
unto God blind lame and sick prayers but in so doing we do rather in truth offer him defiances then prayers we do rather contemn then worship him unless we will say that God is less honoured with the Christians prayers then he was with the Jews sacrifices or that we have a greater priviledge granted us that we may more securely dishonour him Again if we seriously consider that there is an incomprehensible mysterie in this incomprehensible majestie three persons in one God we will labour for such prayers as may be suitable with the properties of the persons no less then with the majestie of the Godhead thus if we consider the power of the Father the wisdome of the Son the charity of the holy Ghost we will earnestly desire to have our mouths and our hearts filled with powerfull wise and charitable prayers not guilty either of emptiness or of indiscretion or of faction but however it is necessarie that in all our prayers we invocate One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance for the Father Son and holy Ghost are equally to be worshipped and equally to be glorified nor may we communicate with other Christians in their prayers who worship not one God in three coequal and coeternal Persons no more then we may with Turks and Jews who worship an idole in stead of God for S. John in saying Whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father 1 S. John 2. 23. hath plainly taught us that Turks and Jews do not worship the same God with us Christians and since we do certainly worship the true God it must needs follow that they do worship an idole in stead of God wherefore doubtless all Anti-Trinitarians are idolaters for though many of them talk much of the spirit yet they have kept him onely in their mouths but thrust him out of their Creed and consequently in vain do they pretend to godliness whiles they fight against God for they cannot truly honour him in their prayers whiles they falsly conceive of him in their belief not acknowledging Three Persons Father Son and holy Ghost in one immortal invisible and onely wise God The fourth Name of God alledged by S. Hierome is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod Septuaginta virtutum Aquila exercituum transtulerunt saith he which the Septuagint translate Powers but Aquil a translates Hosts And this name we find Isa. 6. 3. Holy holy holy the Lord of Hosts which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Cherubims the true ground of the hymn called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Church for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but a declaration of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy O God Holy O Powerfull Holy O Immortal is but an exposition of this Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth and who can say Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth and not say also Heaven and earth are full of the majestie of glory and who can confess that heaven and earth are full of Gods majestie and not earnestly desire that his own soul may not be empty of it And indeed this Name of God the Lord of Hosts is able to strike terrour into their hearts who make it their work to terrifie all the world multitudes of armed men who have violence in their mouths to threaten and swords in their hands to act their threats for 't is not their multitudes or their strength can bear them out in their impiety and injustice since there is far greater strength there are far greater multitudes with God then with them even all the hosts of Heaven and earth Let this consideration move me to take that care of my soul which the approach of an army would me to about mine estate that I may take heed above all least I be spiritually plundred for what have I worth the keeping if I have lost my Saviour and how shall I not lose my Saviour if I lose my Religion Let therefore those angry fellows of the children of Dan ransack me as they did Micah Iudg. 18. yet shall they never get any power over my Religion nor shall it ever be said They have taken away my God for I am commanded by my Saviour who best knew the right way of salvation not to fear those hosts which kill the body and are not able to kill the soul but rather to fear him who is Lord of hosts and is able to destroy both body and soul in hell and will certainly so destroy all those hosts that oppose him if they impenitently persist and persevere in their oppositions Let me thus in my greatest frights think more of spiritual then of carnal Terrours and though I may perchance be almost frighted out of my wits yet I shall be sure of this that I shall not be frighted out of my Religion The fifth Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod nos excel sum dicimus saith the same Saint Hierome the most High and this Name is recorded Gen. 14. 18. where it is said that Melchisedeck was the Priest of the most High God and thus let me with the heavenly host say Glory to God in the Highest S. Luke 2. 14. let me always think of his Highness who is no less above heaven then above earth He is in the Highest I am in the lowest in a twofold deep in duplici prosundo inobedientiae miseriae as S. Gregory said of Jonas when he was swallowed up in the whales belly in the depth of disobedience and in the depth of misery and therefore in the depth of misery because in the depth of disobedience Out of these depths have I called unto thee O Lord Lord hear my voice and let thine ear consider well the voice of my complaint that I may be delivered out of the depth pf misery and let not thine eye be too extreme to mark what is done amiss that I may not be confounded in the depth of disobedience so shall I say with great admiration and greater consolation Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth Psal. 113. 5 6. the higher he dwelleth the lower he humbleth himself to behold me the greater is his condescension the greater is my consolation let me then delight in my devotions as being the only means to bring down my Saviour to raise up my soul. The sixth Name of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 QUI EST unfit me I AM hath sent me unto you Exod 3. 14. and again I AM that I AM. This Name of God should make me constant in my Religion zealously to practise it at all times and resolutely to maintain that practise in the worst times for my Master in calling himself I AM forbids me to be a changeling in his service and indeed true Christianity is able to say with Christ Before Abraham was I AM John 8. 58. for the same
but also to the ignorant and foolish to leave even the meanest of the people inexcusable for this sin this horrid sin of disloyalty which though it least lodgeth in their hearts and is never to be contrived by their heads yet is alwaies acted by their hands Let a man be never so impatient in hearing as Festus was to S. Paul Act. 26. 24. which made him lay the imputation of madness upon the Apostle for the words of truth and soberness v. 25. Let him be never so inconsiderate in censuring as the Barbarians were to the same S. Paul Act. 28. 4. thinking him at first a murderer whom presently after they were ready to worship as a God Lastly let him be never so imprudent in collecting and observing looking rather upon the sound then upon the sense of the Text like those Interpreters of weak judgements but strong perswasions complained of 2 Pet. 3. 16. which were so unlearned as to understand nothing yet so unstable as to wrest every thing yet this doctrine of Allegiance cannot possibly be mistaken much less depraved either by his impatient hearing or by his inconsiderate censuring or by his imprudent collecting Let him run a way with what piece of it he can and take it without respect or relation to the whole which hath hitherto much wronged Gods Word both written and preached yet'tis not possible for him to take so little of the Text but it will be able both to stop his mouth and condemn his heart So that here we may forgoe that incomparable Rule of the Civilians Incivile est particulam aliquam Legis sumere non perspect â totâ Lege 't is very uncivil to lay at the catch with the Law and take that onely which serves our own turn I say we may forgo this Rule which yet is much more true of Gods then of mans Law and notwithstanding fear no mischievous tenents or practises to be deduced from this portion of the Text In a word let any seditious miscreant deal here with Solomon as Saul did with Samuel as he turns about to go away from him being resolved not to serve his purpose lay hold upon the skirt of his mantle and rent it of yet that very little parcel will signifie unto him that if he persist in his willfull disobedience The Lord will rent him from his Kingdom and that the strength of Israel will not lye nor repent 1 Sam. 15. 27 28 29. but teacheth Israel there is no way for them to be saved that are guilty of such a dismal lie but by repentance which may satisfie us that our Preacher here in this Doctrine of Allegiance is a Preaching Wisedom beyond himself in other Doctrines that begin and end where you will catch what you can of the Text it will wholly speak for your King and will silence you I know not how I have been over pressive in this patticular almost to a Tautology But that can never be too much spoken which can never be enough understood a preaching sinner a preaching conscience a preaching wisedom I hope we shall accordingly open not our ears but our hearts to his doctrine a preaching sinner who hath sin in his person not in his Sermon is fittest to admonish us a preaching conscience is fittest to advise us a preaching wisedom is fittest to overrule us here is not onely conscience and wisedom preaching this doctrine that we may not sin against it but here is also a sinner preaching it that we may repent us after we have sinned Solomon preaching before his Apostacy at the dedication of the Temple 1 King 8. 22. where he was first a Preacher had his first Congregation and afterwards in his Proverbs and Canticles is a miracle and monument of grace but preaching in Ecclesiastes after his wives had seduced him to be a Chaplain to Chamosh the abomination of Moab 1 King 11. 7. he is a miracle and monument of mercy O the infinite comfort from such a preacher if we follow him O the infinité condemnation if we do not And so it is high time I should pass from the Preacher and the manner of his preaching to the matter of his Sermon To keep the Kings Commandment c. wherein are comprised two doctrines that inseparably belong to Soveraignty the one of Allegiance the other of Supremacy the doctrine of Allegiance is clearly set down v. 2 3. and that of Supremacy v. 4. the first teacheth the duty of Subjects the second sheweth the reason of their subjection Allegiance is the duty of Subjects and Supremacy is the reason of their subjection In both it must be my endeavour onely to make my self and you truly understand this Preachers Sermon and so lay it to our consciences as he propounds it for Solomon here speaks both of Allegiance and Supremacy as they concern the conscience and divine obligation not as they concern humane conveniences or consultations therein shewing himself a true Preacher speaking to mens souls by which they hope to live in the next not to their interests by which they do live in this world first of the Allegiance A Sermon of Allegiance can never be unwelcome to a good Subject or a good Christian not to a good Subject because it puts him in minde of that condition wherein God hath placed him not to a good Christian because it puts him in minde of that duty which God hath commanded him and here is a Sermon of Allegiance briefly but fully setting it forth in its positive and in its privative act 1. In its positive act to be true and faithfull to the King in loving honouring and obeying him loving his person honouring his authority and obeying his commands I advise theè to keep the Kings Commandment and the reason thereof and that because of the Oath of God 2. In its privative act not to be guilty of any disloyalty or dis-allegiance either in affection Be not hasty to go out of his sight or in action stand not in an evil thing and the reason thereof for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him First Of the positive Act of this Allegiance to be true add faithfull to the King in loving honouring and obeying him in these words To keep the Kings Commandment 't is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Os Regis observa observe the Kings mouth to observe argues an act of loving honouring and obeying In this sense doth God say unto the Jews Ye shall observe all my statutes and Christ saith unto his Apostles Teaching them to observe all things Matth. 28. 20. that is to love honour and obey them So here to observe the mouth or command of the King is to love honour and obey his commands with an unwearied diligence with an undisturbed patience First It is to love them for who cares to look after that which he doth not regard Ubi amor ibi oculus is as true when made convertible ubi oculus ibi amor the eye is the quickest messenger