capacity of a forme to a materiall and sensitive body and in this respect the soule can neither subsist nor act without the matter for here its supposed as forma informans and it s no longer a forme then it doth informe and so long all its operations follow the disposition of the Organs and qualifications of the bodily senses The other kinde of actions it produceth quâ talis or quâ anima considered abstractivè absolutè in a separated state from the body as its an intellectuall substance and in this notion as its independent of the matter deriving nothing from any power in it so it can subsist without it and performe its functions and offices notwithstanding the imbicilities indispositions or distempered crazinesses of the body But then if the soule be illuminated and guided by Faith which is an heavenly divine and meerly spirituall principle then the discourses and ratiocinations the emanations and operations of the soule are transcendently excellent though the body be dying because of that supernaturall vertue and spirituall life which it receives from its ãâ¦ã and efficient this growes by the thines ofââ the Organs and riseth by their setting it gaines strength by the weaknesses of the body perfection by the infirmities of the flesh vertue by its decay and more life by its death ãâã and here me thinks as Philosophers esteemed most honourably of those Persons who dying discoursed most rationally so we should judge at least charitably of those who whatsoever formerly they have been doe yet breathe out their last in pious ejaculations raptures or motions or spend their dying minutes in addresses to God or in unexpected expressions of repentance devotion and heavenly mindednesse though I conceive they proceed from the spirit of grace and principle of Faith But I digresse and returne to the maine Observation The motions of a sanctified beleeving soule are so strong and powerfull that as the first mover foreeth a regular motion from the inseriour heavens so the soule enclines and carries the body along with it in the performance of holy duties The beleeves thinks it noâ enough to worship God in spirit with an elevated minde and devout soule but he eonjoynes reveront and descent geflure of body Even this dying Person in a reverentiall habitude to Gods presence and Majesty as far as his bodily infirmities would permit used the worshipping posture And it was the demeanor of the Saints of God in all ages in their Addresses to Almighty God to adore that is to bow or prostrate their bodies These Patriarkes if they stood upright fell down upon the ground before they worshipped if lying as Jacob they listed themselves up and bowed And in this Posture we finde David at and immediately before his Thanksgiving 1 Kings 1.47.48 And our Saviour Christ himselfe was so civill that he would not neglect his bodily service so before he Prayed he kneeled Luke 22.41 or he sell on his Face Mat. 26.39 or he lift up his Eyes John 11.4 by some gesture of decency reverence and submission he evidenced his devotion and humility and the received rendring of the word is promiscuously either adorare or inclinare so or inourvare to adore to fall down or to bow and confermable hereunto was the practise of the Primitive Christians among the first addresse and application to God aâ their entrance into the Church as a Prologve to their after devotions was this Aute omnia adoremus Dominum qui faciâ upââ come let uâ Worship and fall down and kneele before the âord our maker And so Davids connexion holds Come into ân Coures and then O We ship him in the beauty of helinesse Psal 96.8.9 for then we come before the presence of the Lord the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth So that adoration is ân exhibition of reverence and honour testified by some bodily gesture as Bowing Prostration Kissing Saluting or Uncovering according to the custome of the Nation which we may further prove from these following paralell Places of Scripture where the expressions are Synonymae's all importing the same sense for Mat. 8.2 its ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he worshipped him Marke 1.40 its ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he kneeled down to him Luke 5.12 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he fell on his Face and the like you shall finde if you compare Mat. 15.25 with Marke 7.25 It s true indeed that God hath not strictly tyed us to any certain Posture or set demeanor and forme of bodily worship but in âhesâ in the generall he requires that they be decent let all things be done decently not rude or rustick and decency is regulated by Custome and those Customes which are Catholike the Customes of the Church of God in all or the confessed puâer ages are best because as they are most conformable and lesse under suspition of Schisme so they most and best expresse our reverentiall feare of Gods sacred Majesty and because they best evidence and help our inward Devotions when they co-operate with them for as we know the goodnesse of Springs by their ebullition so where there is faith and fervor within there will be expressions of humility without Our Bodies are Gods the Created and Redeemed them as well as our Souâes and glorifie him therefore in both therefore God exacts a tribute of homage and service due from both and as in Nature the separation the one from the other is death so in Grace it is sinne and as the union is life so it is Religion for bodily worship when set on the right Object and attended with the sincerity and fervor of the soule is one way of worshipping God in Spirit and Truth for in this case the Body is but the Instrument animated and acting by the soule and the action is no whit lesse spirituall because the body is yoked with the soule in the imployment but the antithesis or opposition in the ãâã Commandement seems directly to prove this Observation ãâã according to the usuall Interpretation of the Commandemââ domonstrates it for if the negative part be as certainly ãâã Thou shalt not worship nor bow down to Idol false gods the by the Rules of opposition and the verdict of the received position the affirmative will be Thou shalt worship and down to the Lord our God or as some Interpret by boââ down thou shalt worship and if this be concluding and the be any obligingnesse in Law we are bound to this service ãâã tute praecepti by an expresse positive Law And further yet Family Duties and Private Devotions a bodily gesture of Reverence and Comelinesse be admitted approved and practise why not rather at Publique Congregations or why then shouââ they be onely omitted neglected disallowed unlesse that thâ vulgar conceit hath taken men that either little or no revereââ is good enough for the house of God and that place of all other ought to be sleighted neither will that Text Iohn 4.23 ãâã make any thing against this Observation God true
it is will worshipped in Spirit and Truth that is even to take the mââ restrained Interpretation he is a spirituall nature and requââ spirituall service but who denyes this but yet even this inââ pretation is to be understood fundamentally not exclusively for the context will not endure any other sense because ãâã was a spirit from all eternity and ever since the Creation required spirituall worship even before that present houre spoken verse 23. and as spirituall worship was not then exclusive bodily worship so neither are they incompatible and inconââ stent since that houre came or at this present houre now it ãâã man ever yet presumed that bodily worship was a duty unless offered with a true heart if it stood alone it was a meer mockery a perfect piece of hypocrisie and therefore those words ãâã not set in opposition to bodily worship but as to any obseââ is evident from the context to the appropriating of it to fâââ fingalar place Jerusalem or that Mountaine now the time ãâã that every City is a Jerusalem every Oratory a Temple eveâ separated Place a Mount Sion and every Land a lewry ãâã therefore he wills as afterwards the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.8 ãâã âen pray every where lifting up pure handt and this is a bodily exercise or posture which the Genevah note thus glosseth as âestimonies of a pure heart and conscience The naturall then ãâã single meaning of these words is this God is to be worshipâed in spirit that is heartily and devoutly and it excludes hypocrisie and indifferency in truth that is elearely and solely not by lying vanities phantastick representations false guises such as the sacrificing in mans blood and offering festivall lustâ and uncleannesses in the solemne offices of Religion to the former the extreame is to worship God carelesly and negligently and so not in spirit To the second it is to mix impieties in Gods worship to worship him with a lye and so not in truth this no way proves that when we adore that 's bow we worship âât in spirit and truth for even bodily worship is in this sense spirituall if it arise from accompany and follow the devotion of the heart this is to glorifie God both in bodies and spirits âor they are Gods And so let us Pray The third Part. O Most holy Father God of infinite wercies of tender and never failing conpassions of great and unspeakeable goodnesse We blesse magnifie and gloâfie thee and blessed be God even âhe Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all âirituall blessings in high places in Christ for that unwaluable âlessing in giving thy well-beloved Sonne to take our nature upon âim c in and through him adopting us to be thy Sent Heere 's âf the blessing of an happy Eternity O blesse us with thy saving âaces that we may by a regular constant course of holy living atâaine to that most blessed end and sanctisie all thy blessings unto ãâã that we be comented with thy allowances and blessings that ãâã never murmure at or envie thy blessings upon others but that ãâã patience we expect our portion in Heaven and so blessed Lord ãâã our hearts with the sense of the glories and perfections and ãâã fading nothingnesse and emptinessâ of the creatures that with âââcere and ardent affections of obedience and love we may obey ãâã serve and worship thee with reverence and godly feare O let ãâã in our addresses and approaches to thy glorious Majesty seriously ineditate on thy presence glories and soveraigutly on ãâã merciet and goodnesse and not dare rudely and undecently to ãâã into the presence of the Lord of the whole Earth Then art ãâã Lord both of our soules and bodies to thee we offer both ãâã dies expect a portion and share in the rewards and blessing ãâã Religion with our soules O let them be yoked and joyned ãâã ther in the exercises and offices of Religion let us here live ãâã the unity of thy Catholique Church in the commantem of Saââ worshipping thee in spirit and truth with an holy service in ãâã beauty of holinesse glorifying thee both in our bodies and soulââ that when both shall be glorified with thee we may to all Eternity with the Heavenly Quire of Angels and blessed Spirits ãâã that Psame of blessing Glory Prayse Honour and Power ãâã unto him that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lambe ãâã ever and ever Amen IOSEPHS Memorandum's Heb. 11.22 By Faith Joseph when he dyed made mention of ãâã departing of the Children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones IOseph closeth up the Catalogue of the Patriarkes he is the last mentioned of them and the History of him conclude the first and choisest Monument of Antiquity the Booke ãâã Genesis the prime and principall Record of antient Church story This Joseph was famous and honourable for many excellent and eminent vertues as we reade at large in that Booke the most principall are those some summed up by Ambrâââ lib. 1. Off cap. 17. Humilis fuit usque ad servitutens verecundus usque ad fugam patiens usque ad carcerem remissor injuriae usque ad remunerationem his Humility Chastity Patience and Charity to which we may adde his singular Piety towards God Fidelity to his Prince though one that knew not God his Clemency towards his Brethren His Chastity was so rare and is so famously known that all that know that History must acknowledge that never any escaped so great temptations with so much Innocency For his Piety it was sufficiently proved in every circustance of his life he depending on God for all receiving all from him referring all unto him and in all magnifying and celebrating his name as Gen. 39.9 Gen. 40.8.41.16 and 50 51.42.18.45.7 And for his Clemency pitty and goodnesse to his Brethren no example can match him and which was the crowne and complement of all he was faithfull to the end as he begun so he continued so he ended Qualis vita as he lived so he dyed living he exercised his Faith in the works of Naturall and Morall Religion and at his dying he manifested it by his fore-knowledge of the Israelites departure out of Egypt and his Precept to bury his bones in Canaan For. By Faith Joseph c. The first Part. 1. How was this memoriall an act of Faith Did not Joseph take it upon trust from his Fathers relation or was his Faith in this instance any better then an implicite Faith or founded on a humane testimony for that Jacob fore-told his Children what Joseph here mentions and brings to their remembrance is plain from expresse Scripture Gen. 48.21 But to this the answer is obvious that though Jacob did deliver this prediction before Joseph and his Brethren yet the same Spirit which dictated that revelation to Jacob might still reside with Joseph and perhaps did discover more to him then to his Father for in this particular Josephs Prophesie seems more cleare
cannot lie he will superadde such is his goodnesse and mercy certitudinem subjecti we shall be ascertained that they are his Revelations if with humbled hearts devout Prayers and sincere holy obedience we endeavour to know his will God will discover his will Psal 25.9.10 and 14. Ioh. 8.31.32 Ioh. 7.17 give unto us the Spirit of obsignation and knowledge a certainty of adherence as well as of evidence making us not onely to beleeve but even to know and be as fully assured that it is the Word of Christ as those which have heard it with their eares and which saw it with their eyes For as Noah was secure that this warning was no Satanicall suggestion or illusion no private fancy or delusion of his owne braine but a divine revelation so God hath given unto the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles such splendor and sufficiency of light and appointed us such mediums cleare wayes and means for the discovery and comprehension of that light as may make them appear to all not wilfully or maliciously blinde that they are his word and containe in them a full declaration of his will he confirmes and seales in the hearts of all Beleevers the truth of their Writings 1 Ioh. 5.10 He engraves them in the Prophet Jeremies expression Ier. 31.33 In those dayes I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts he sets such impressions and leaves such characters of divine truth in the spirits of his people that they cannot but acknowledge the Scriptures for the Oracles and Dictates of the holy Spirit We have a more sure word of Prophesie God in their Writings hath declared what is sinne and transgression and the severity of his wrath against sinne he hath expressed what godlinesse is and the great rewards and happinesses he hath awarded to them that leade a godly life O then let the heavinesse of his threatnings deterre us from sinne let his gracious Promises invite and incite us to Repentance let his judgements keep us in his feare âet his invitations and offers of mercy keep us in obedience let us seriously consider that he hath revealed wrath against every soule that doth evill that holds the truth in unrighteousnesse except ye repent ye shall all perish and let us alwayes remember that he hath proposed mercy to all humbled penitents sincere converts he that confessieth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy mercy in his life and the whole course thereof at the houre of his death and in the day of judgement God hath done his part to preserve us from wrath and reserve us for mercy and mercy for us if we sleight his judgements undervalue his mercies we have no colour no pretence of plea we are altogether inexcusable our destruction is of our selves because like Jerusalem we would not be warned Observe but Gods method how he cleares himselfe from the ruine of his people how he chargeth it wholly upon themselves First he proposeth to every private mans Conscience his dealing with them and refers it to their judgement Deut. 30.15 See I haâ set before thee this day life and good and death and evill He calâ upon them to observe and to acquit him when they are judged he tells them plainely that they cannot pretend ignorance ãâã thou deest well shalt thou not be accepted thou shalt be accepted If thou doest evill sinne lyeth at the doore and Deaââ the wages of sinne but if thou wilt not see nor observe thââ he recites his proposals againe offering Life to thee if thou wââ hearken verse 16. denouncing Death if thou refusest to heaââ verse 17.18 and if none of these will serve the turne then ãâã acquits and justifies himselfe by open Proclamation before ãâã the World verse 19. I call Heaven and Earth to Record the day against you that I have set c. And the more clearely ãâã sets it before thee if thou observe not thy contempt is tââ greater thy punishment shall be greater Thou O Christian hast or may have a most plentifull Revelation the way of liââ and death is more distinctly set before thee then before tââ former Age of the World if thou decline the way of life aââ tread in the paths of death thy sinne is so much the moââ heightned thy judgements shall be more intended and multiplied It is the Apostles affirmation upon the same reason Heb. 10 26. If we sinne c. the consequent is sad and diâmall verse 27. and the reason is a fortiori verse 28.29 anâ it is the same Apostles Exhortation grounded on the same reason Heb. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give c. that is his Exhortation and the Reason is verse 2.3.4 For if the Worâ spoken by Angels as perhaps this to Noah was was stedfast are every transgression and disobedience received c. 2. This warning of so long date is a pregnant proofe and remarkeable example of Gods patience and long suffering towards malitious incorrigible sinners For first he doth not aâ the first punish but premonisheth them of their sinnes and thâ demerits thereof sollicites and invites their repentance Anâ secondly he allowes them a long time for repentance punisheth them not when in justice he might take vengeance and execute his wrath not as if God were not naturally and immutably just but because he is a most free disposer of hiâ judgements and payes them when and in what manner seemeth good to him in his infinite wisedome and forbeares âhe punishment of impieties alwayes upon weighty and important reasons The first is to shew his propensity to the acts of grace and mercy his unwillingnesse and indisposition to our in force the acts of his tevenging justice so he solemnly protests As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death âf a sinner c. Ezech. 33.11 which the Apostle seconds 2 Pet. â 9 The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that c. in his mercy he is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Gen. 18.32 meek not irritable not easily provoked ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã gentle easily entreated 2 Cor. 10.1 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã overseeing looking beyond our sinnes passeth by them dissimulat peccata propter poenitentiam in his mercy there is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rom. 2.4 when he cannot but see he forbeares ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Neh. 9.30.31 suffers long many times many years ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Hos 11.8 9. when he is about to punish he is at a stand asking How shall I c. and then resolves into conditions of mercy I will not execute c. he stayes expectat ut misereatur Es 30.18 And when he executes wrath he doth alienum opus that which his nature declines he doth it with regret and reluctancy For he doth not afflict willingly not from the heart Lam. 3.33 He forgives destroyes not Psal 78.38 and when he punishes he is weary Isay 40.2 The second reason is That God moderating his judgements with such meeknesse and