so he set them all downe in this forme of prayer The Confession of sinne and the supplication for remission is in the five petitions The thanksgiving is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thine is the Kingdome power and glory and the good which he desireth is the sanctification of Gods name the accomplishment of his Kingdome and fulfilling of his will as also a continuall supply of all things needfull for this present life The evill from which he prayes to be delivered is first from sinne it selfe secondly from the temptations of sinne thirdly from evils which are the effects of sinne The third and last point in this Text is that we observe something in this word Dicite whereof the first is that here Christ doth not say Say thus as Matth. 6. whereof some gather that we may frame prayers after the forme of the Lords prayer but not use the words themselves But he saith to his Disciples Dicite Pater noster c. that is wee may boldly use the very words of this prayer and albeit to set forth the desire of our hearts we use other formes of prayer and that in more words yet we must conclude our prayers with this prayer of Christ Secondly when he sayes Dicite he doth not say cogitate or recitate or murmurate but intus dicite cum ore for there is a mouth in prayer non est oratio sine ore therefore he alloweth vocall prayer and as he will have us expresse the desire of our hearts in words so the chiefe thing is that our prayers be from the heart for invocation is a spirituall sacrifice 1 Pet. 2. A reasonable service Rom. 12. So both the understanding and reason must be occupied and also the spirit or inward affection of the heart Our Saviour requireth both in expresse words Worship him in spirit and in truth Iohn 4. Sing with understanding Psal 47. I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the understanding also 1 Cor. 14. We must not onely have a spirituall servencie and zeale but also must know what we pray for which is belonging to the understanding So that if both doe not concurre our service is not reasonable nor our sacrifice of praise spirituall As for that prayer that comes onely from the lippes it may be said of it as God spake of hypocrites Is that the Fast that I required Isa 58. So assembling to heare the word as a people useth to doe Ezech. 33. Is that this which God requireth Is this to eate the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. It is not enough to make long prayers and use many words there is a spirituall prayer which God will have with our vocall petitions and therefore that we may pray with understanding we have neede to be instructed in the sense of the Lords prayer The excellencie of this prayer is in regard of him that made it who is come from above who hath mixed nothing with this petition that savoureth of the earth for they are all heavenly as hee himselfe is heavenly Secondly in respect of the forme which is a most perfect forme it was compiled by him who was the wisedome of God and therefore cannot be but perfect quia perfecta sunt opera Iehovae Deut. 33. Thirdly in regard of the excellent benefits that are procured to us by it which are so many as can be desired at the hands of God Fourthly for the order which Christ keepeth If man did make a prayer he would beginne at daily bread but Christ in this prayer teacheth us first to seeke the Kingdome of God Matth. 6. Our first petition must be for the glory of God and then for our owne welfare chiefly in the world to come and also in this life for as we may not pray at all for things that are evill so in things that are good and lawfull we must take heed that we aske not amisse The petitions being seven are divided thus The first concerne God himselfe the other sixe concerne us They concerne us in a three-fold estate first of Glory secondly of Grace thirdly of Nature In these petitions that concerne us the evill that we would have removed from us is first sin secondly temptation thirdly evill The good we desire to be granted us is first that Gods Kingdome may be in our hearts secondly that his will may be performed of us thirdly that he will give us things necessary for this present life THE SEVENTH SERMON LUKE 11.2 Our Father THis Prayer penned by our Saviour Christ in the behalfe of his Disciples and his Church unto the end of the world standeth first upon an Invocation then upon certaine Petitions The invocation is the stile or word of salutation wherein we call upon the Majesty of God The Petitions containe the sum of those things we seeke for at the hands of God That which we have generally to note out of this Preface is that this is one benefit which God vouchsafeth us that we may pray unto him and be heard whereby we are to conceive of him that hee is not like the great Monarches to whom no man might presume to speak except he hold out his golden Scepter to him as it is in Est. 4. The heavenly Majesty vouchsafeth every man this honour to speak to him and the Golden Scepter of his word doth allure us thereunto Secondly it is a greater benefit to pray to God on this manner that is by the name of Father and therefore by that which he promiseth the faithfull Isa 65. Before they call I will heare them wee are taught that we are so assured of Gods good will and favour towards us even before we open our mouthes to aske any thing of him that we doubt not to call him Father from whence we may reason as the Apostle doth Rom. 8. Seeing he hath given us his Sonne how shall he not with him give us all things So seeing God taketh us for his children how shall he deny us any thing whereby he may shew himselfe a Father In the first we consider the perfection of Gods goodnesse in these words Our Father In the second the excellencie of his power expressed thus Which art in Heaven Both these are attributed unto God not onely of the Christians but even by the Heathen that are strangers to the Church for they attribute this unto God that he is optimus maximus and therefore where these two doubts arise in our hearts Domine si vis Lord if thou wilt Matth. 8. and Domine si quid potes Marke 9. they are both taken away by these two attributes By that terme which setteth out the perfection of Gods goodnesse he assureth us that he is willing and by that which expresseth the excellencie of his power we are taught that he is able to performe our requests His goodnesse giveth us fiduciam that in regard of it we may boldly come to the throne of grace Heb. 4. The consideration of Gods power breedeth in us
by if nature were the first cause then they should reduce all things to it and bring a reason of every thing from it Hoc autem fieri non potest but this cannot be done For they themselves cannot give a reason of the ebbing and flowing of the sea the colour of the Rainebow the strength of the neather chappe which is able to snap a sunder iron yet hath a very weake upholder The heat of the stomacke why it consumeth any meat that hurteth not it selfe nor the next parts And even in vertues they make another kinde of vertue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divine heroicall 3. If nature were the first cause then seeing nothing can goe against the chiefe cause there should be nothing against nature But we see the Sunne stood at the commandement of Joshua the Sunnes eclyps in the full of the Moone against nature at Christs passion the Comet against nature in the constellation of Cassiopeia with the watery signes No naturall reasons prophecying that Cyrus should dâ—l ver and restore Isâ—ael 3. Prophecying and foretelling things to come in plaine names Esay 44 28. A prophecy of Cyrus 100 yeeres before he was borne 1 Kings 13.2 Of Iosias 300. before his birth Iosh 6.26 Of Hiel 500 yeeres before his time almost that he should â—uâ—ld Ierico and lay the foundation of it in his eldest sonne Abiram and set up the gates thereof in his yongest sonne Segub Id quodevenit that which camâ— to passe 1 Kin. 16.34 Ergo a Deo qui est agens voluntarium Therefore from God who is a voluntary agent prophecie of necessity must be referred to a superior cause God so sensibly proved to us in his creatures that we may as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 touch or handle him 4. The order of the creatures the wonderfull framing of them the hidden power in them and the great art in the searching out of them insomuch that the ordinary and contemptible things have wrought to the astonishment of all men Pliny marvelleth at the Gnat at the trunke of it where with she maketh a noyse and saith that witâ— out a power above nature that thing could not be created As also thâ— Butterflies and infinite others Galene de usu partium blasphemously intreating of the parts of man when he commeth to one of least account he is in admiration of it and is constrained to name God and saith he hath described Hymnum Domino a Hymne or song â—o the Lord in describing the use of that part And as we learne by those things that are without us that there is a God so may we learne the same by things in us We have a soule indued with reason and understanding immortall then this must either be the cause of it selfe or else have it of some other Of it selfe it is not for it knoweth not it selfe no not the body but by anatomy but every cause knoweth his effect not onely post quam productum fuerit sed etiam antequam producatur quibus quasi gradibus producitur after it is brought forth but even before the production and as it were by what meanes it is produced The cause must know its effect 2. Our parents our father in begetting us our mother in conceiving knew not what should be begotten ad causam autem necâ—ssariò requiritur ut cognoseat suum effectum antequam existat dum est in producendo For to the cause it is necessarily required that it know its effect before it be and while it is in producing The cause must command the effect 3. And after we be brought forth we cannot command every part of us as the beating of the Arteries in the heart therefore from our selves we proceed not Therefore we must necessarily have our cause aliunde from some other And there is no cause in the world partaker of mans understanding but man For no unreasonable thing and none is above reason but God And Arist 9. ad Eudemum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason is not the cause of reason but reason commeth of a better thing then reason The cause is better than the effects Aratus alledged Acts 17.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are also his off-spring Rom. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them 4. Within our soule are certaine sparkes of the light of nature â—i principles of infallible and undoubted truth as to honour our parents and superiours to doe as we would be done to to defend our selves to keepe promise to hurt no man without a cause c. at the first hearing whereof we assent And if these were not we were all naught and the overthrow of all sciences nature and society should follow All naturall notions infallible truths among which this is one that there is a God and that he is to be worshipped and howsoever all other faileth yet this never faileth all other principles yeeld to this A signe that it is deeper printed in us then the rest insomuch that the pride of mans nature which will yeeld to nothing else is contented miserably to submit it self to a peece of red cloath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe-love rather then there should be no religion This notion therefore the chiefe and will not be pluckt out Object unlesse the heart goe also If exception be here taken If this notion be universall how then be there so many Atheists We will answer them with Seneca Sol. 1. Mentiuntur qui aiunt se non sentire esse Deum affirmant tibi non sibi affirmant interdiu non noctu evelli non potest è corde cor ipsum evellendum est They lie who affirme that they perceive not that there is a God they who say so they say it to thee but not to themselves they affirme it in the day time but not in the night and it cannot be pluckt out of the heart the heart it selfe must first be pluckt out But better thus A man may proceed to great hardnesse of heart Sol. 2. and blinding of himselfe yet must we hold that rule 1. Polit. 1. Specimen naturae cujuslibet è natura optima sumendum est the proofe of the nature of any one is to be taken from the best nature Cic. de nat deorum If we will know what notion is most universall in man we must take our argument from the best But they say there is an universall notion For the other which are sicke of the world and the flesh and the pleasures of them both as we cannot from a sicke man reason of taste so we are not to judge by these men what is naturally in man for they are a loose sort dissolute in life and having no leisure to thinke a good thing having their hearts fat yet though he be as fat as the Horse or a Mule yet if the Lord put his bit into their mouths these naturall sparkes will breake forth
we consider our owne judgement in the case that is not our owne touching those things which continue not if we compare Christianity to a tree what account is made of that fruit that is bitten in the blossome or that is wind-shaken that is rotten or worme-eaten or that cannot come to the gathering If we consider the hatred of the husbandman Hosea 6.4 against the morning cloud he knoweth it is a deceitfull cloud and that it is not like to raine all that morning Amos 8. of the summer fruit that even it rotteth in the hand of him that beareth it or as Luk. 8.13 of the seede that falleth on a stone wall that groweth but yet there returneth no profit of it neither the mower neither the reaper filleth his hand or bosome of it or thus In our possessions in our vessels we occupie how glorious a shew soever there be in glasse yet we better esteeme of peuter and wood then of it or in our possessions more of a poore croft or a seely close than of a faire house rents and all in regard of continuance Seeing then it is our practise we must needs by that condemne our selves It is the desire of all not to beat the wind not to runne in vaine this vanity may be in two respects 1. In the behalfe of the party of Christ untolerable to make him so royall a person Pretium non vile laberis to come downe from heaven to be borne to live amongst us and to dye in so unworthy an order being of great excellencie Laber irrius supra emmen laborem The want of perseverance makes a mans action ipso facto vaine and that in vaine and all because we continue not whereas he went through all and would not suffer the cup to passe away but dranke it up cleane this is the price of all his labours mans continuance otherwise it is more griefe to him then it was for him to suffer and that vaine suffering is more to him then all the torments he suffered that wrought so upon him that hee cryed Eli Eli c. That is a thing may happily move us to perseverance 2. And for our selves our case standeth thus as 2 Pet. 2.22 our washing is but a vaine washing for there is after a casting up and we returne to our wallow and vomit and what are we better for our washing Num. 6.12 of the ceremony the Nazarite that vowed more particularly to Gods service and lived a strater life than all other if he had at the last day of accomplishing his rite but touched a dead body he must have begunne all those daies anew for all that was done afore was counted as nothing The same in figure that Ezekiel in truth setteth downe Ezek. 18.24 Looke in what houre he giveth over his righteousnesse it shall be as if hee had not done a righteous deed Therefore if we will not lose the fruit of our former labours we must looke to our perseverance He shall not onely not bâ— better for it but be worse otherwise a worse thing shall follow not onely Christ and we shall lose our paines but that man that hath swept his house and garnished it keeping it empty there shall come the same spirit and not that alone but seven more and how the end of that man shall be worse then the beginning i. we shall make our state much worse without hope of recovery Intuitu praeâ—â—i 4. Last to prevale with them that are the children of grace that the reward which he purposeth to bestow on us shall not be a reward of dayes and yeares but it shall be an endlesse reward for ever Seeing it hath pleased God not to reward us as hirelings but have the inheritance of sonnes it is no reason that we should labour as hirelings It is somewhat hard to find the signes of it because it is a signe it selfe and ever and sure it is as the Philosopher saith that our labour should be proportionable to the price of our labour we should not serve as hirelings for a yeare or tearme but quamdiu that our obedience endure quamdiu nos as the reward quamdiu ille wee are to serve him in our eternity seeing he rewards us with his The signes the principall signe is perseverance the Gentiles could see this that this is a signe it selfe à posteriori that deceiveth not so could the heathen say Ante obitum nemo supremaque sunera foelix Esse potest but after that was past they could pronounce what was in him It is an especiall signe for as much as in Joh. 10. it is Christs note and indeed it is the note that doth infallibly separate the true professour and the hypocrite If you take this gratiam gratis datam Praecipuum perseverantiae signum perseâ—â—rantia grace as a free gift as sharpnesse of wit c. you shall have it in as great measure in the hypocrite as in the true professor if a glorious profession they commonly goe beyond in that if diligence it falleth out alike sometimes more But when the wolfe commeth Joh. 10.12 there is a distinction for then continueth the true shepheard and will lay downe his life for their safety and the hireling betaketh him to his flight In hearing we may make the like difference of seed so whether a man be begotten with mortall seed that is whether in hearing of a Sermon which because it is made of good words peradventure he shall be moved for a while or of the immortall seed when as not any thing in man moveth him but the power of the word the pure and immortall seed that will continue notwithstanding a man may have use of these two notes to be able to judg of the like So whether we be humbled before God or before his judgements if that it will continue if this it will continue but for a while But we may have two notes to judge of this 1. If we have that Phil. 3.12 which the Apostle so earnestly urgeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if that he should say I do not looke backe but I still looke forward and consider not how long I have continued i. I flatter not my selfe in respect of my life past non dicere sufficit si dixisli sufficit defecisti not to say I have done enough if we say we have done enough it is a signe we are yet farre short So whensoever we are moved to looke back we must not hearken to them that would tell us how farre we have gone but follow on still toward the hope of the reward and presse to the marke Whereunto Gregory on Gen. 28.12 his allusion of the life of a Christian man to Jacobs ladder For there Jacob saw the Angels ascending and descending but none standing still Quando desinis esse melior incipis esse deterior When we cease to be better we begin to be worse for
The fifth Rule Signes There is no better signe then if wee say or prove nothing but either as the Prophets did Dictum Jehovae or else as Christ proved the Resurrection by a Syllogisme Mat. 22.32 or as the Apostle Quod accepistis haud alterum quam accepistis Quod accepi à Domino c. 1 Cor. 11. These three are good signes The sixth rule Be accessory to procure this that others doe it Exod. 34.12 Deut. 12.2 3. We must stand so affected to it as that we be ready to breake downe whatsoever is contrary to it But this must be understood of those that be in authority as Moses Exod. 32.20 He tooke the Calfe and burned it in the fire and grownd it c. It was Hezekiabs office to breake the Brasen serpent Secondly the private mans office is as Exod. 23.24 not to bow downe to them and to doe as the three Children Dan. 3.19 that is Though they may not runne and pull them downe yet they must not worship them And so much for the first part that is the manner of Gods externall worship The second part of the precept is how we must be affected in this worship 2 Part. Thou shalt not bow down to them c. For whereas it may be said to the first part thus Where he saith Non facies I may answer Non facio alius fecit ego factum reperio as we see the Danites Judg. 18. found in Michahs house an Idoll framed and not that alone but 1 King 12. not a private man but Jeroboam maketh a Calfe of gold And Dan. 3. Nebuchadnezzar doth not onely erect an Idoll but also commandeth it on paine of death to be worshipped Enough for the answer of this objection is that that followeth Non adorabis ea neque coles Howsoever they were made as thou hast no part in making so also in worshipping thou must not have any part The first word is * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teshtacaveh and before used and the second * * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tagnabhodh as * Pesel and Temunah 1. To bow down 2. To serve that word signifieth that that was then the usual manner of adoring That it was the usual manner it may appeare Gen. 18.21 as in Pesel and Temunah Now from this unto a generall word to Tagnabod non servies or non coles For we know a man may Colere and Gnabod unto that thing unto which he may not bow downe himselfe It is a diffused word and therefore as you find Psal 97.7 Gnobed Pesel so Gen. 14.4 you shall find Gnobed of men Genes 3.23 Gen. 2.15 Gnobed adamah Esay 19.9 Gnobed pishtim a trimmer of Lyme As in Latine Colo is not onely given to God and man but colore jus vitam glebam hortum And thereupon is Agricola called So that the Papists are in an erronous opinion that thinke the holy Ghost ascendeth from a word of lesse importance to a word of greater importance from the Species to the Genus The like may be said of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if these two non incurvabis te non coles will not serve then we must take a third thing which is Exod. 23.24 doe nothing that any idolater doth to his gods doe nothing that pertaineth to the worship of them For the making plaine of truth against error and first against the error of the Romans We see the Commandement double First of making Secondly of serving and bowing downe to Images The Romans therefore which doe maintaine them should not onely bring a general commandement for making them but also for the worshipping which they cannot doe nor doe they goe about to doe For though they bring for the making that of the Cherubims yet not for the worshipping We must have a warrant for both Now for bowing downe ye shall understand that in their defence they are constrained to give us over And as in the former they went from Pesel and Temunah and leaned to Idolum and Icon◠so here they leave the Hebrew Tishtacaveh and Tagnabod and take them to the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They professe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet they breake the Commandement Now for some shift they say in the Rhemish Testament on Mat. 4.10 because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not joyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therfore say they wee may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Saints c. But by looking to the verse precedent we rejoyce that the Devill required no more of Christ but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore unlesse we make 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proper to God Christs answer will not serve nor be sufficient and the Devill might have replyed that he required not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not joyned Secondly we come to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although it have beene long in the Schooles yet in the Fathers it is not found except in August Lib. 10. de Civit. Dei cap. 1. 1. de Trinit cap. 6. he sets it downe and holdeth it But they doe falsly alleadge Eusebius Lib. 14. cap. 4. and Hierome Epist 52.53 cont Vigilant no such thing being to be found in them For Augustine we acknowledge him to have been a great and reverend man in the Church and such a one as tooke paines Yet this we may say of him without any irreverence Augustine said of himselfe he had no great knowledge in greek and Hebrew that the best part of his learning lay not in the Tongues And indeed he was very unskilfull both in the Hebrew and Greek which himselfe acknowledgeth in divers places and therefore not a meet man to pronounce that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant the service of men and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the service of God But if we will distinguish these words wee may doe it truely thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly the service of our owne servant and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the service of him that is hired so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is our owne servant and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hireling and so come in Latro which as Varro saith at first signified nothing else but an hired or stipendiary souldier of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Merces and after by the abuse of their calling and by their evill behaviour came into this odious name as it is now used It is not the service of God Heb. 8.5 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reason why for Lagnabod the Septuagints use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken out of Tertullian in Lib. de Idolat Because they would not have Gods people to bee hired for money to dresse and
towards our heavenly countrey such as Iob speakes of Dominus dedit Dominus abstulit Iob 1.21 By gift he meaneth the felicity that is reserved for us after this life the Kingdome of Heaven that whereof our Saviour saith to Martha Luke 10. Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her That which is a stay to us in this life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the things which neither eye hath seene nor eare heard all which are reserved for them that love God 1 Cor. 2. these are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as well the one as the other come from God So much we are taught by the adjectives that are joyned to these words Givings are called good and the Gifts of God are called perfect In which words the Apostles purpose is to teach us that not onely the great benefits of the life to come such as are perfect are of him but that even that good which we have in this life though it be yet imperfect and may be made better is received from him and not else where Who doth despise little things saith the Prophet Zach. 4.10 God is the Author both of perfect and good things as the Image of the Prince is to be seene as well in a small peece of coine as in a peece of greater value so we are to consider the goodnes of God as well in the things of this life as in the graces that concerne the life to come yea even in this To thinke that which is good 2 Cor. 3. Of him are the small things as well as the great Therefore out Saviour teacheth us to pray not onely for that perfect gift ut advenia Regnum but even for these lesser good things which are but his givings namely that he would give us our daily bread Under Good is contained all gifis both naturall or temporall Those givings which are naturall as to live to move and have understanding are good for of them it is said God saw all that he made and lo all was good Gen. 1. Of gifts temporall the Heathen have doubted whether they were good to wit riches honour c. but the Christians are resolved that they are good 1 Iohn 3. So our Saviour teacheth us to esteeme them when speaking of fish and bread he saith If you which are evill can give your children good things Luke 11. And the Apostle saith Hee that hath this worlds good 1 Iohn 3. For as Augustine saith That is not onely good quod facit bonum sed de quo fit bonum that is not onely good that makes good but whereof is made good so albeit riches do not make a man good alwaies yet because he may do good with them they are good The gift which the Apostle cals perfect is grace and glory whereof there is in this life the beginning of perfection the other in the life to come is the end and constancie of our perfection whereof the Prophet speaks Psal 84.12 The Lord will give grace and glory The Apostle saith Nihil perfectum adduxit Lex The Law brought nothing to perfection Heb. 7. that is by reason of the imperfection of our nature and the weaknesse of our flesh Rom. 8.3 To supply the defect that is in nature grace is added that grace might make that perfect which is imperfect The person that giveth us this grace is Jesus Christ by whom grace and truth came Iohn 1. And therefore he saith Estote perfecti sicut Pater vester coelestis perfectus est Matth. 5. And by this grace not only our sinnes are taken away but our soules are endued with inherent vertues and receive grace and ability from God to proceed from one degree of perfection to another all our life time even till the time of our death which is the beginning and accomplishment of our perfection as our Saviour speakes of his death Luke 13.32 In the latter part of the proposition we are to consider the place from whence and the person from whom we receive these gifts the one is supernè the other à Patre luminum Now he instructeth us to beware of a third errour that we looke not either on the right hand or on the left hand that we regard not the persons of great men which are but instruments of God if we have any good from them all the good we have it is de sursum the thoughts of our hearts that arise in them if they tend to good are not of our selves but infused into us by the divine power of Gods spirit and so is whatsoever good thought word or worke proceeding from us This is one of the first parts of divinity Iobn Baptist taught A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above Iohn 3.27 This was the cause of Christ ascending into Heaven Psal 68. He went up on high and dedit dona hominibus and the Evangelist faith the holy Ghost which is the most perfect gift that can come to men was not yet given because Christ was not yet ascended Iohn 7.39 Therefore if we possesse any blessing or receive any benefit we must not looke to earthly meanes but to Heaven The thing which is here mentioned excludeth the fourth errour we thinke that things come to us by fortune or customably he saies not that good things fall downe from above but they descend qui descendit proposito descendit Our instruction from hence is that they descend from a cause intelligent even from God himselfe who in his counsell and provision bestoweth his blessings as seemeth best to himselfe for as the Heathen man speakes God hath sinum facilem but not perforatum that is a lappe easie to receive and yeeld but not bored through to let things fall through without discretion When the Prophet saith Tu aper is manum Psal 145.15 he doth not say that God lets his blessings droppe out of his fingers Christ when he promised to his Disciples to send the Comforter saith Ego mittameum advos Iohn 16.7 Whereby he giveth them to understand that it is not by casualty or chance that the holy Ghost shall come upon them but by the deliberate counsell of God so the Apostle postle speaks Of his owne will begat he us by the word of truth The person from whom is the Father of lights The Heathens found this to be true that all good things come from above but they thought that the lights in Heaven are the causes of all good things therefore is it that they worship the Sunne Moone and Starres Iames saith Be not deceived all good things come not from the lights but from the Father of lights The naturall lights were made in ministerium cunctis gentibus Deut. 4. and the Angels that are the intellectuall lights are appointed to do service unto the Elect. Heb. 1.13 It is the Father of lights that giveth us all good things therefore he onely is to be worshipped and not the lights which he hath made to