other then to God Concerning this word it is tetragrammaton a word of foure letters much written of and much spoken of and divers speculations gathered out of it as namely that there are three letters according to the number of the three Persons in the Trinity and and that of those three letters the first signifieth Power the proper adjunct of the Father The second wisedome and knowledge the proper adjunct of the Sonne The third love the proper adjunct of the Holy Ghost And that the second letter is doubled to teach us that the Second Person should take on him two natures of God and Man The diminution of Jehovah in Jah that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Deum diminutum God in the Diminutive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praise ye Iah whereof there is such manifold use in the Psalmes But plainely this may be sufficient for us that it is a name taken from Being as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse to BE. The effect of it is expounded Rom. 11.36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever That he is from none for none by none but all things for him by him and from him and as his being is most so is his power Therefore he hath no promise in his title no commission as to be commanded of any as all earthly Princes have because his power is highest For earthly Princes fetch all their power from him Omnes Reges terrae ab aâ—to suam habent potestatem All the Kings of the Earth have their power from an other as by Commission as our Prince hath in his title Dei gratia Angliae c. By the Grace of God of England c. Therefore he is ab aliquo from some other only God hath no commission but is in himselfe without a supreame He onely may command simply he hath no dependance of any either of Being or Power but all things depend on him The force of the reason is Psal 104. v. 29.30 When thou hidest thy face they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they die and turne againe to their dust When thou lettest thy breath goe forth they shall be made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth And when he looketh not on us but turneth away his face yea when he breatheth not on us we come to nothing There the Prophet saith that streames proceed from his countenance as beames to every creature and if any of them be stopped that creature that it should come to dieth And verse 30. that he is the onely breath of all the world and that his breathing on the creatures giveth life and at the drawing in of his breath all perish Now if we would imagine of any man in the world that with his looking on us could preserve our lives and looking off us could destroy that had our life at such an advantage certainely we must be marvellous ready to please him And yet such is our dependance on God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was as it hath two significations so it hath two uses in Scriptures significations First essence 2. The effect thereof 1. Use for his essence 2. To give effect to wit is essence Exod. 3.14 I am hath sent me to you He calleth himselfe I am Ero I shall be sent this And howsoever there be comparisons of him in time in respect of us yet in regard of his induring he is for ever without all time he is alwaies Ero shal be Revel 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning the ending saith the Lord which is which was and which is to come The Almighty The eternity of his essence even I am α Alpha and ω Omega the beginning and the ending which is which was which shall be Heb. 13.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same yesterday to day and the same for ever And this taketh from us the hope that we may have of earthly Princes A man if he hath offended against an earthly Prince either he may escape by going out of his Dominions or by out-living him but there is no hope of escaping out of the Lords Dominion Psalm 34 7. The Angell of the Lord is round about them that feare him and delivereth them He pitcheth his Tent round about us he compasseth us as in a circle If we runne from one end of the world to the other we are still in his Dominion he can fetch us from any place So in respect of God we can be in no place but he will be with us Amos 9.2 Though they dig into hell thence shall mine hand fet them though they climbe up into Heaven thence will I bring them downe and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel I will search and take them out thence And though they hide themselves from my sight in the bottome of the Sea thence will I command the Serpent and I will bite them Obadiah vers 4. If we should flie up as high as the Eagle and build our nest among the Starres c. for height for depth Amos in the depth of the Sea nay if they should dig to hell Psalm 139.7 Secondly Psalm 139.7 to last longer then the Prince So in respect of Gods being we cannot out-last him The time is infinite for his Name is Ero shall be and he shall alwaies be Ero shall be in time Therefore we must needs obey Secondly of his truth in bringing to effect that which he promiseth us Exod. 6.3 God said that Abraham and the Patriarkes knew him by the Name of Almighty not by that Name of Iehovah as yet i. One that is as good as his word Yet then shall my night be turned to day It is plaine Genes 15.6 that Abraham beleeved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Iehovah and it was counted to him for righteousnesse And God saith vers 7. I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Vr c. Yet God saith to Moses that the Patriarkes knew him not by Iehovah but by Almighty To reconcile these places we must understand that by Iehovah is meant here the bringing to effect this generall promise So long as God maketh a promise so long is he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Lord or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God c. but when he hath brought it to passe then he is Iehovah So the Patriarkes knew him Iehovah by some particular promise as Abraham in the birth of Isaac Noah in the delivery from the deluge Lot in the delivery from the destruction of Sodome but they never knew him by the Name of Iehovah in bringing to passe the greatest and generall promise of Canaan In this sence Ezek. 5.13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished and I will cause my wrath to cease in them and I will be comforted and they shall know that I the
thy children and hast given them the earth to order it and they to come in part of thine inheritance and they have abused thine inheritance and made it full of brambles and thistles and so seased and therefore have made themselves uncapable of honour It is better set downe Ezek. 34.5 ye have not performed the service and dutie therefore he saith Arise O Lord and take the inheritance into thy hands thou wilt performe the charge Before we come to particular duties here be two questions to be handled for the understanding of the duty of obedience hereafter to be handled Quest 1. Answer First whether we owe honour to one that is evill I answer yea Rom. 9. where the Apostle reasoneth in a like case that the unfaithfulnesse of a man cannot frustrate Gods promise so the wickednesse of the person cannot take away the commandement nor make Gods ordinance void Rom. 13.1 All power and ordinance is from God so no evill can make it void Evill is twofold either which runneth to the punishment or to the fault 1. For roughnesse or oppression 1 Pet. 2.18 Obedience must be given to the crooked and froward i. to such as Holofernes Judith 3.8 such as nothing will please example Gen. 16.6 of Sarah and Agar Although Sarah dealt roughly with Agar yet the Angell willeth her to returne to her mistresse and submit her selfe to her And as in the familie so in the Common-wealth It is knowne how Saul dealt with David yet Psal 120. v. last he saith He sought peace with those that loved not peace i. acknowledged submission offering no violence neither in the cave nor in the bed 2. For the other wicked governours be they never so hard it is plaine likewise that to them obedience and honour is due For as it is true Hos 10.3 that God in ira in his anger denieth us a Prince so also Hos 13.11 he giveth a King in his wrath expounded Job 34.30 that it is the peoples fault for their sinnes Hos 8.4 It is his doing because the people would have it so For when as they in election proceed not in timore Dei in the feare of God and things are not respected in themselves Hos 8.11 Because Ephraim will have altars to sinne they shall c. and because they will have a wicked man I will plague them c. so it cometh often by the peoples fault though the Prince be evill seeing Prov. 21.1 his heart is in the hands of God and he can rule it as a vessell in the waters he may as he hath moved divers evill Kings and them that have no feare of God to good decrees and purposes as Belshasser and Darius so though the Prince remaine good yet 2 Sam. 24.1 he suffereth Satan to prevaile over him as over David here and as it is temporall so 1 Sam. 16.14 he taketh away his good spirit continually and an evill spirit is sent of him on Saul So this is all one to make of a good Prince an evill and to set up an evill Prince at the first Which though it be thus yet Jer. 27.7 the Monarchy which the King of Babylon had was his owne Kingdome all other countries willed to serve him as likewise Esay 10.5 The rod of his wrath the King of Assur was by him purposely sent This being Gods doing Jer. 29.7 they must pray for Nebuchadnezzar and cap. 27.7 they must submit themselves to him and obey him So in the New Testament 1 Tim. 2.1 prayers for governours though no Christians and 1 Pet. 2.18 Obey the King Nero and Act. 25.11 Appello Caesarem I appeale unto Caesar Paul useth the benefit of his government refuseth his Deputy and appealeth to Nero himselfe Onely this adde out Chrysostome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The honour we give is done not to man but to God himselfe We reverence the ordinance of God in men not man so that honour is due not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the person but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the vizard that God hath put upon the mans person more plaine Ester 6.8 Haman counselleth the King Thus shal it be done to the man whom the King would have honoured he shall put on a robe of estate c. And Mordecai a base man was so honoured and yet returned to his private estate The honour there was done to the Kings robes and Crowne not to the private man Thus we must conceive of evill men that they are invested in the Lords robes and Crowne to which we give honour not to the man The Heathen Embleme is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is an Asse laden with the Image of Isis a goddesse and the people fall downe and worship But the inscription is Non tibi sed religioni we worship not thee but the goddesse This is one thing Every one may bring downe himselse yet he is clothed with robes of estate Another is this and that is plaine by Hose 13. Because be a government never so bad yet it is better then none at all Oligarchia better then anarchia If in his wrath he gave them a King yet in the fury of his wrath he tooke him away and made their plague greater to leave them without a Prince So much of this question Quest â— The second question goeth a degree further Vtrum malo in malo or ad malum sit obediendum Whether a man doth owe absolute obedience to the wicked commandements of a wicked Prince Sâ—l The resolution is negative Absolute obedience is due only to God For the making plaine of this place we must understand that now it commeth to the point For here he commeth to be nobis Rex he now sheweth himselfe a King while he was in his robes though he had the honour yet he was not nobis Rex a King in deede for he is no further a King then quatenus imperat nobis then so farre-forth as he commandeth and ruleth over us therefore great heede is here to be had lest we be entangled in the action For the first entrance into this question the saying of the Fathers is to be embraced for they say that Lex charitatis Deo the Law of God which commandeth us to obey him did not take away the Law of nature therefore it is very good reason that this Law of nature by which is Father and Mother should not weaken but strengthen the Law of God We cannot say when we doe evill that the Law of nature is cause of it The second thing is this that because as we said before the word of God came to them and therefore their power is not absolute but delegate from God So we may say out of Prov. 8.15 there Wisdome speakes it which is the Word of God the second Person in Trinity that it is the word per quod reges regnant by Which Kings reigne Now per quod est by which any thing is that is the essence Every Superiour he hath something
yee call him Father without respect of persons c. Then passe the time of your dwelling here in feare 1 Pet. 1.13 Our is a word of hope as Father is a word of faith for he that saies noster our includes himselfe and by hope applyeth Gods favour in particular to himselfe which by faith he apprehends to be common to all neither doth appropriate it to himselfe saying My Father but includes them with himselfe and so the word our is also Vox charitatis the voyce of Charity As the first word did teach us the Father-hood of God so the word our implyeth the fraternity we have one with another for God to shew what great regard he hath of the love of our neighbour hath so framed and indited this prayer that there is neither Ego nor mi nor meum nor mea neither I nor mine nor my but still the tenor of it is Our Father our bread our trespasses us from evill Therefore one saith that prayer is not onely breviarium fidei an abridgment of our faith but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mutuall pledge of our love towards our brethren which is then especially testified when we pray to God for them For this prayer which our Saviour sets downe for us and all Christians prayers are not the prayers of nature pro se orat necessitas necessity stirreth up men to pray for themselves but the prayers of charity when we are to commend the state of our brethren to God as well as our owne quia pro ali is charitas for charity prayeth for others for in this prayer there is matter not onely of supplication for the avoyding of evill and comprecation for the obtaining of good in our owne behalfe but of Intercession also to teach us that whether we desire that evill be rëmoved or good be bestowed upon us we should desire it for others as well as for our selves The use of this doctrine is of two sorts first against Pride for if God be not the Father of one man more then another but all in common doe call him Our Father why then doth one man exalt himselfe above another Have we not all one Father Mal. 2. and the Apostle saith Yee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. and our Saviour saith Vos omnes fratres estis Yee are all brethren Mal. 2.3.8 Therefore we are not onely to love one another as brethren but to honour one another because we are the sonnes of God for this end the Apostle exhorteth In giving honour to one before another Rom. 12. So farre ought we to be from despising one another Cur enim non pudeat aspernari fratrem quem Deus non aspernatur filium Why are we not ashamed to scorne him to be our brother whom God scorneth not to be his sonne Secondly it serveth against malice wēe were all in the loynes of Adam when he fell and all one in the body of Christ so that whatsoever he as our Head hath done or suffered the same all men doe and suffer in him And lastly we are all included in this word to teachus that wee ought to wish the same good to others which we doe to our selves for this is that which Christ commendeth in our Christian practise in the duty of prayer Vt singuli orent pro omnibus omnes pro singulis that each should pray for all and all for each other He hath taken order that no man can pray this prayer but he must pray for others as well as for himselfe and so doe good to all and the mends that is made him is that they also for whom he prayed doe likewise at another time pray for him and though we cannot alwayes pray in such fervencie of Spirit as is required in prayer yet the holy Ghost doth supply our infirmity by stirring up others to pray and make intercession in our behalfe cum gemitibus inenarrabilibus with unspeakable groanes Rom. 8. even then when we cannot doe for our selves and this is a speciall benefit which the faithfull have in the Communion of Saints The Apostle saith that God to assure us that hee takes us for his sonnes hath sent his Spirit into our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father Gal. 4. the one of these words hath respect to the Iewes the other to the Gentiles teaching that it is our duty to pray both for Iewes and Gentiles and so for all though they be strangers to us Secondly we are to pray for sinners be their sinnes never so great in hope that God will give them the Grace to repent and to come out of the snare of the Devill 2 Tim. 2. and that he will translate them out of the state of sinne into the state of grace for this life as long as it lasteth is tempus praestitutum poenitentiae a time ordained for repentance Thirdly as for our brethren so for our enemies as our Saviour willeth Matth. 5.44 for they also are comprehended under the word noster For God hath shut up all in unbeliefe that hee may have mercie upon all Neither are we to pray in generall for all but for some in particular as neede requireth Not in generall for all good things but for some speciall blessings As we are to pray generally that Gods will may be done so for that this is Gods will our sanctification 1 Thes 4. we may pray in particular for those things that we have neede as to be delivered from all temptations generally so specially from those sinnes whereunto the corruption of our nature is most inclined THE EIGHTH SERMON Which art in Heaven WHich words containe the second part of this invocation for as in the word Father we call upon the bowels of Gods mercy so by these words Which art in Heaven we do invocate the arme of his power for so it is termed by the Prophet in the Old Testament Stirre up thy strength and help us Psal 80.2 Rise up thou arme of the Lord Esay 51.9 So that as the Lepers doubt Matth. 8. is taken away by the consideration of Gods fatherly goodnesse so that when we know that this our Father hath his beeing in heaven it takes away that doubt which we use to make of his power Domine si quid potes Lord if thou canst do us any good Mark 9. For the stile of God in respect of our necessities consists of his goodnesse and greatnesse which as they are both expressed by the Heathen in the title Optimus Maximus so the power of God in these words which they use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dwelling in heavenly habitations Christ willing to expresse the greatnesse of Gods power doth it by that place where his glory and power are most manifest and that is heaven whereof the Prophet saith The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Psal 19.1 For when we see a poore cottage we presently ghesse that the dweller is no great person but if
Act. 20. He saith He will be our God and wee his people Levit. 26. Hee will be our Father and wee his Children 2 Cor. 6. he our Lord and we his servants Therefore we may challenge at his hands that favour which Kings vouchsafe to their subjects which Fathers shew to their children that is to love them to defend them and to wish them all the good things they need If he have purchased us to himselfe by his blood then wee pertaine to him and we may say to him as his Disciples said to Christ Mark 4.38 Carest thou not for us that pertaine to thee but sufferest us to perish These words Kingdome Power and Glory being joyntly considered are a representation of the Trinity As Moses speaking of the Author of our creation reckons up the name of God three times Gen. 1.27 as in the blessings of the Law the name of God is there repeated Numb 6.6 and as the Angels cry there Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. to teach that there are three Persons in the God-head which the Heathen themselves have compassed So Christ in the New Testament doth by these words Kingdome Power and Glory signifie those three Persons which afterward he expresseth by the name of Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Matth. 28. If we consider them severally although they may all be ascribed to any Person of the Deity yet the Kingdome is to be ascribed unto Christ 1 Cor. 15.35 Power to the Holy Ghost Rom. 15.13.19 and Glory to the Father Rom. 6.4 that wee setting our selves in Christs Kingdome that is his Church by the power of the Holy Ghost may be partakers of that glory which God the Father hath prepared for us Againe these words are set to distinguish Gods Kingdome from earthly kingdomes Each King hath not power as the King of Israel saith If the Lord do not succour thee how can I helpe thee 2 Reg. 6.21 But Gods Kingdome is a Kingdome of power Secondly there are Kingdomes of Might but not of Glory such was the Kingdome of David hee had a Kingdome of Might but not of Glory for hee spent all his time in troubles but the Kingdome of Solomon his sonne was both a powerfull and a Glorious kingdome and there was a figure of the perfect Kingdome of Christ Wherefore we are taught by these words that as the Kingdome is the Lords so he hath not onely a Kingdome of power whereby he is able to defend but of glory whereby he can also reward his servants and subjects Moses desired of God that hee would shew him his glory Exod. 33. But hee that is of Christs Kingdome shall see the glory which Christ had from the beginning with the Father Joh. 17.21 To consider these words severally upon these words of the Prophet Knit my heart unto thee Psalm 86. one saith Religio dicitur à religando as there is a mutuall bond betweene the King and his people so is there betweene God and us The Kings duty is to defend his subjects from injury and wrong and to bestow on them all manner of benefits The duty of subjects is to be dutifull and yeeld all ready service to their Prince so God for his part is ready not onely to defend us from all danger but to bestow all good things upon us and therefore wee are bound to be religious and dutifull to him as to our King and Soveraigne wee must not onely love him as a Father but feare him as our Lord and King Matth. 1.6 And this mixture shall keepe us in the way of salvation wee shall neither too much despaire nor presume of his goodnesse this feare we must testifie both by a reverend regard of his Law and of his Officers Hee is no good subject that rebelleth against the lawes of his Prince no more are we when no more can be gotten at our hands but by the precepts of men Esay 29. when the statutes of Omri are kept for feare of temporall punishment Mich. 6. and the lawes of God are had in no price then it is a signe that we are not so dutifull and loyall to our heavenly Prince as wee ought to be Secondly we must testifie our feare of God by a reverend regard of his Prophets and Priests which are the Ministers and Officers in his kingdome When the Jewes mocked the messengers of God and mis-used his Prophets they shewed their contempt of God himselfe and therefore the wrath of the Lord arose against that people 2 Chron. 36.16 Contrariwise if wee have an honourable conceit of them and receive them as the Angels of God Gal. 4. then we shew our selves to be dutifull vassalls to our heavenly Lord and King Next for power as S. Peter saith God is able both to respect the righteous and to shew vengeance upon the wicked 2 Pet. 2.9 So whether we respect the power of his grace inward whereby hee worketh all good things in the hearts of his people or the outward power whereby hee defends them from evill whether it be the power of his holy Spirit or of his right hand wee must confesse with the Saints that all power and strength and might belongs to God Rev. 7. And therefore whatsoever power we have whether inward or outward we must imploy it all in his service Fortitudinem meam ad te servo I will keepe my strength or reserve it unto thee Psal 59.9 So we must not spend our strength in thoughts of vanity but imploy it to his use and to the setting forth of his glory to whom onely all power belongeth Thirdly Christ teacheth us to ascribe all glory to God that whatsoever praise or commendation doth come unto us by any thing we do wee should make a surrender of it to God to whom all glory is due and say with the Church Non nobis Domine c. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give all glory Psal 115. For as the Prophet saith The Church is a place wherein the voyce of gladnesse is heard and the voyce of them that sing Praise the Lord of Hosts for he is loving and his mercy endures for ever Jer. 33.11 The faithfull are taught to returne all glory to God which is given to them God himselfe saith Gloriam meam alteri non daho Esay 42. If he gives his glory to any other it is to such as deserve it and have all power of themselves but there is no creature which hath any power but what is given of God and therefore God doth by right reserve his glory to himselfe and wee ought willingly yeeld all glory to him alone because he promiseth them that honour mee I will honour 1 Sam. 2. that we glorifying him here with a verball glory we may be glorified of him with a reall glory when he commeth to judge the world 2 Thess 1.12 and with an exceeding weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. But yet wee do not fully see wherein the glorious Kingdome of God differs from the
4.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meditate upon these things give thy selfe wholly to them that thy profiting may appeare to all 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conference Gal. 2.2 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conference 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I went up by revelation and communicated unto them Luk. 24.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another Mal. 3.16.17 Then spake they that feared the Lord every one to his neighbour c. Though they say that experience is the mother of knowledge yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conversation is the grandmother for it begetteth the experience and in our owne reason the practice is all and fruit of all Esay 27.9 hic est omnis fructus ut auferatur omne peccatum this is all the fruit to take away his sinne As in diseases there are bastard feavers which have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 febrium verarum tokens of true feavers Sic spuria est pietas so is there a counterfeit piety Thus for these two points Venite auscultate Come and hearken The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether there be prophecies they shall faile whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away But Christ saith Luke 10.42 Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken from her 2. Prov. 1.28 Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not find me Therefore God will not heare them because they heard not him 3. 1 Sam. 2.25 They hearkned not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them Ideo non audiunt quia Deus interficiet cos Therefore men heare not because God will slay them 4. Labour for knowledge Phil. 2.16 Holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not runne in vaine nor laboured in vaine That it may be with us as with the Romanes of whom the Apostle saies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rom. 6.17 But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sinne but ye have obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine which was delivered you Thus we conclude as Cyrill did Meum est docere vestrum auscultare Dei perficere It is my part to teach yours diligently to heare Gods to perfect Religion a building the principles the foundation In teaching religion where we are to begin The course of Religion which we are to intreate of is compared to a building Matth. 7.24 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hath built his house upon a Rocke c. the teacher to a builder 1 Cor. 3.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As a wise Builder The principles of Religion to a foundation Heb. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead workes and of faith towards God Col. 3.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe it heartily In a building the chiefest thing is that the foundation be layd deepe enough Our warrant out of Luke 6.48 Non super arenam Not upon sands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. but as it is in the same place He digged deepe and laid the foundation c. This is spoken â—o this end for that the builders in our age digge not deepe enough till they come to the hard rocke 1. If any ground of Religion be set downe it is asked how we know that it is true 2. How we know that these Scriptures are the words of God And if they be how we can prove ipsum propositum the purpose or aime it selfe by the Scriptures Lastly how we know that there is a God and if what is the regard of him towards man whether such as that he would afford him his word and what is the regard of God But they without further examination presuppose these bookeâ— to be true and the Word of God and digge to build no further then the earth leaving advantage for the undermyner And we know that many have undermined the very foundation and have flatly denyed that there is a God and so when the divell shall bring with him his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inundations and floods He will shake the foundation of Religion as heretofore he hath plunged the dearest of Gods children 4 questions that we way come to the rocke it selfe These are taken for granted by Catechists without any examination Therefore that we may begin at the hard rocke we will adde these foure questions 1. Whether there is a God against the Atheists 2. Whether he hath a care of man and such as that he would deliver his word unto him against the Semi-atheists Epicures 3. Whether the Scriptures we use be his word and true against the Turkes and Pagans 4. Whether this being the Word of God our religion be truly grounded on it against the Jewes Papists and other heretickes 1. Whether there be a God For the first our warrant Heb. 11.6 wherein the two first are set downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that commeth unto God Heb. 6.11 handled Three things to be observed in Heb. 11.6 must beleeve that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him Wherein these three things are to be noted 1. the fruit of Religion of all our doings and our life i. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come unto God 2. The meanes to attaine this fruit i. by beleeving 3. What we are to beleeve 1. That there is a God 2. That he is a rewarder of good to the good and evill to the evill Or first the end of our journey 2. The way it selfe 3. The two stations In the first is contained the short summe of the felicity of man able to stirre him up to give care 2. The snatching of the people at that which they suppose it to be 3. The great breaking of the braines of men about the seeking out of it 1. The fruit of religion or the summe of mans felicity That this happinesse is God every mans desire sufficiently testifieth it And David saith Psal 4.6 Who will shew us any good Augustine alledgeth out of Varro 288. severall opinions of Philosophers concerning this felicity August de civit Dei lib. 19. cap. 1. from Varro out of his booke De philosophia First then that man is not happy in his owne estate it is too plaine by the Epithetes that the heathen give to man Nudus miser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naked wretched a most weake creature A patterne of imbecillity Therefore seeing that it is not in man himselfe it must be in comming to another thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to come This phrase also of comming is used in the vulgar tongue comming to wealth honour learning c. The opinion therefore of Christian wisedome is this That whilst man kept Gods Commandement and submitted his wisedome to him he was partaker of
est sua peccata patriae suorum quantum fiori potest tegere all of nothing So for a man to come to this that he wil not conceale his fathers mothers or friends faults to speake against his owne country and countrymen yea against himselfe is against the nature of man cannot be wrought in man but by a supernaturall cause This we see the holy men in the Scriptures did It is naturall to every man so farre as he can to cover his owne faults and the faults of his Countrey and friends Moses when no necessity bound him confessed that he came of a cursed stocke spared not his brother Aarons fault in making the Calfe but committed it to writing spared not his sister Miriam in the cause of murmuring no not his owne fault in murmuring against the Lord at the waters of strife Numb 11.11 dispossessed his owne children and would not have them to succeed him in the Magistracy a very unnaturall thing but preferred Ioshua yea he put by his owne Tribe and the Tribe of Iuda and preferred Ephraim This is not able to agree with the naturall man but must come from an higher cause Therefore the writers of these bookes must be inspired by God 10. Whereas the whole drift of the greatest Philosophers and most learned men was to teach how Kings should enlarge their Kingdomes and to be in credit with Princes and great men this teacheth that life is the contempt of life It teacheth the contempt of the world and worldly honours The Prophets they never sought to be in favour with Princes but were so farre from that that they answered them not so much to that they asked as to that they should have asked therefore this is supernaturall Therefore the true way and from God not from man Against the Iewes The next point as God is a Spirit so must his worship be spirituall so we finde in the Scriptures not onely forbidding of images and shadowes but also a flat negative And as in the case of Gods unity though false religion may agree with the true in the first point yet not in the second so in this regard howsoever they exclude images yet they fault in this that all their worship is ceremoniall bodily and rituall consisting in matters of ablution and outward types And though there be types in the old Testament yet he proclaymeth every where that he abhorreth them for he will have a contrite heart and onely the circumcision of the heart Therefore as man is bodily and his notions fall into the compasse of the body so as that worship that commeth from him is bodily whereas the worship that commeth from God is spirituall 2. To this may be added that of Miracles and Oracles to confirme this religion as the other did in confirming their religion They were not done in corners but in the sight of Pharao in the middest of all his servants 2. Againe they were not frivolous but they that have felt them have got good by them 3. They are not imitable nor expressible by the art of man as the dividing of the red Sea the causing the Sunne to stand still in Ioshuahs time the making of Ahaz Diall to goe backe 10. degrees both which Areopageta saith are in the Persian Oracles The raining of Manna from Heaven Iannes and Iambres were not able to imitate Moses For Oracles of the Gentiles they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 philippise Oracles speake as King Philip would have them and that they were very ambiguous and needed Delio natatore the Swimmer the Interpreter Apollo to expound them Therefore Porphyry said that their Oracles commonly had Posticum a backe-dore These doe not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 philippise are not doubtfull need no Delius natator the Swimmer the Interpreter Apollo Last most of the heathens Oracles came not to passe but in the Scriptures they came all to passe some three hundred yeeres before some 500. some a thousand some three thousand as the dilatation of Iapheth which happened not before the calling of the Gentiles And this for confirmation both of the old and new Testament common to the Jewes aswell as to us those that follow are proper to Christian religion 1. Aug. 23. de eivitate Dei out of Porphyrie de regressu animae of the regresse of the soule the greatest enemy that ever the Church had That it is no true religion that doth not yeeld a sufficient purgation to the soule of man Moreover he addeth there that the Platonists received from the Chaldees that the purgation of the soule of man cannot be nisi per principia but by the principles we know that Plato his principles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the father the mind love an enignaticall speech of our Trinity But this i. the purgation of the soule of man no religion teacheth but ours for it teacheth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word tooke upon him sinfull flesh to purge away the sins of man therefore ours the true all the rest are meerely bodily for all their exorcismes and sacrifices are bodily and not spirituall and so withall the God of the Christians is not like to the heathen gods for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one who loveth man i. he delighteth not in cutting mens throats or burning them to afhes as their divels had virgins babes old men young men good men offered up to them And the sacrifices of beasts in the old law were onely used for two respects 1. That they might be types of those things that are in the Gospell 2. To be an admonition to men to shew them that they have deserved to be thus killed and sacrificed God was so farre from having men to be sacrificed to him that he himselfe came downe to give himselfe a Sacrifice for our sinnes And what greater love can be then for a man to give his life for that he loveth for his friend therefore no greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love to man then this In a witnesse two things required 1. Skill 2. Honesty 1. Ioh. 1.1 Now for the Gospell 1. For the witnesses In a witnesse two things required 1. Skill 2. Honesty First for the skill There is never a one of them but can say we write and say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which we have heard which we have seene with our eyes which we have looked upon and which our hands have handled Not as Homer Plato and the rest that had their things from other and by report And withall the writers of the Scriptures writing them when the world bare greatest hatred against them and yet never any durst write any booke against Moses in his time or against the Gospell in these daies And de probitate testis concerning the honesty of a witnesse The honesty of a witnesse there can be no better reason given then that Tacitus giveth That they testifie best quibus nullum est mendacii pretium that have nothing for their labour
Lord have spoken it in my zeale when I have accomplished my wrath in them Thou shalt bring thy judgement upon them and they shall know that thou art Iehovah 2. Title Thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thy God This is the title of his jurisdiction to which title he hath claime in a double respect 1. Generall 2. Particular Generall Psal 148.5 6. For he spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were created He hath made them fast for ever and ever he hath given them a Law which shall not be broken So this jurisdiction is over every thing as it is a creature The creatures as they have their law so we see 2 Pet. 3. vers last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To him be glory both now and for ever All the creatures have their rule from him Esay 1.2 Heare O Heavens and hearken O Earth for the Lord hath said I have nourished and brought up children but they have rebelled against me Deut. 32.1 Hearken O Heavens and I will speake and let the Earth heare my words The creatures of the Lord are called to beare witnesse against Israel that they were breakers of the Law of God But that law or jurisdiction being broken it gave occasion to the second namely the particular which is conditionall 1. God is our Iehovah by covenant Deut. 5. Heare O Israel the Lawes and Ordinances which I propose to you this day that you may learne them and take heed to observe them Audis sum Deus non audis non sum Deus hearest thou I am God hearest thou not I am not God Hereupon saith a Father Audias Deus sum ne audias Deus non sum If thou hearest I am God Ierem. 31.33 if thou dost not heare I am not God Ierem. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people Meum and tuum are relatives But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people He is ours and we are his so long as we keepe his Commandements Deut. 10.14 Behold Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens is the Lords thy Gods and the Earth with all that therein is 15. Yet the Lord hath set his delight in thy fathers to love them and did choose their seed after them even you above all people as appeareth this day In which words Moses telleth the children of Israel a strange thing Behold saith he the Heavens and the Heavens of Heavens is the Lords and the Earth with all therein and yet hath he separated thee from the rest even an handfull for so is the Church to make a covenant with thee And this is a marvellous strange mercy of God that when he will be described he will condescend to come into our description He rejecteth all his excellent titles that he might have of his most excellent creatures as the God of Heaven of Earth c. onely to have this his jurisdiction being so vile in nature and so wicked in our workes which is a great argument of his goodnesse to us ward Heb. 11.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now they desire a better Countrey that is an heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City God was not ashamed to be called their God And as one saith very well Conjunxit utilitatem tuam cum gloria sua He hath joyned thy commodity with his own glory So he might better have said Conjunxit gloriam suam cum gloria tua He hath joyned his owne glory with thy glory So will that be verified Psal 144.15 Happy are the people that be in such a case yea blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God 3. Which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt 3. Title c. A title from the last act he did but yet it serveth for a proofe of both the former in two points 1. By their estate in the house of thraldome Their estate was miserable they were servants in the servilest worke that could be they were put to the Furnace to make Bricke Exod. 5. They were in servitude unto their enemies yea to cruell enemies yea in servitude not to be rewarded but to be punished daily They were compelled to worke and yet they had no instrument provided for them for their worke they were faine also to gather their owne straw By his contemptible creatures that the delivery might be more strange and yet nothing of their tale of Bricke that they made before when they had their straw gathered them was diminished They had their children drowned before their eyes every day 2. The delivery with a mighty hand and stretched-out arme out of Egypt most strange in drowning Pharaoh and all his host by a most contemptible creature in the red Sea His two first titles have alwaies stood this last in respect of his last noble act it hath alwaies beene altered First after the worke of his creation he was called God the Creator of Heaven and Earth Secondly after the flood he was called Iah paean i. as was among the heathen Io paean Dominus dispersor aquarum The Lord that scatereth about commandeth the waters To the daies of Abraham 3. Genes 15.7 I am the Lord that brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees to the time of Moses In his time Exod. 3.6 The God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob till the delivery out of Egypt here The Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Ierem. 16.14 When God should deliver them from the captivity of the North it is said that the other title should perish and it should be said The Lord that delivered us out of the captivity of Babylon and this lasted till the daies of Christ The last is prophecied of Ierem. c. 23. v. 6. Jehovah justitia nostra God our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 For Christ is become to us righteousnesse Gal. 1.8 The Father of Christ Now this great benefit being not full six weekes before the delivery of the law it must needs sticke greatly in their minds and now they being in the wildernesse where they were wholy to depend on the safegard of God so that in regard of Memoria recentis beneficii spe◠jamjam futuri the memory of a new received mercy and the hope of a future as also the place where they could rest nothing on themselves that was both a fit time and place to give the law in So that seeing the Law could not well be given in Egypt for they had evill will to goe thence nor in Canaan for there they murmured against God it was most fitly given here For their delivery was not that they should be
through to which affliction is resembled The reason of the resemblance If you be a true Israelue you shall goe through the Red-Sea if an Egyptian you passe not The last is the confusion of the Devill himselfe to confound him that he may not say Doe they serve thee for nought as in Iob 2. This is an especiall end of patience to stop his mouth God often rewards not at all nay he often sends malam mercedem an ill reward to shew that we serve grataito freely The manner there were in the Primitive Church a sort called Câ—rcumcelliones a sect of the Donatists When it is not a senslesse thing but mixt of sensus doloris in the soule and oppressio doloris in the body and it hath voluntatem liberandi sui voluntatem patiendiâ—tui that hearing patience to be so much commended for such an excellent thing they presently conceived of it as of the Stoicks doctrine to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore they whipped themselves and acquainted themselves so much with it that they could beare any thing We see Pauls disputation with Epicures and Stoicks therefore we must understand that Christian Religion as it is not Epicurisme so it is not any doctrine of the Stoicks Christian patience is not a Stoicall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For we see in Iob David Christ though they were patient yet they gave notable signes that they felt that which they suffered But this is patience when a man feeleth it and would be ridde of it and yet doth abide it to the pleasure of God It is not to have a will onely to be punished patience is not a monothelite as Christ saith Luke 22.42 his will was to be ridde of the Cup but yet he prayed that not his will but that Gods will might be done and 1 Pet. 4.19 because it was the will of God he should drink the Cup therefore he conformed himselfe to it August in his book de patientia chap. 7. sheweth the distinction betweene the Heathens patience and the true the Heathens patience and the Hereticks c. was not for a good cause nor for a right end but possible it was that they used themselves to it and felt it not this is as he saith stupor morbi potius quam rebur sanitatis so miranda est duritia quae magna est sed neganda patientia quae nulla est an unsensiblenesse of disease rather then soundnesse of health admire their hardinesse you may which is great but deny their patience you must for it is none at all The Negative part Want of due regard of the Crosse and the fainting under it The first concemeth all the regard is after the Crosse this they call patientia panica The second degree for awhile we regard it the Prophets compare it to the morning dew or the clouds That which is forbidden is in Heb. 12.5 comprised under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the small regard and despising of the chastisement of the Lord and a fainting under his correction for the one is the one extreme and the other is the other 1. For the first it is sure that as we see Exod. 9.28 and as Chrysost upon that place noteth there is not in the wicked no regard but a small and short regard we see a momentany regard of the plagues of Egypt in Pharao a reprobate he regarded it no longer then he was under it and it is no other in Ieroboam 1 King 13.6 there was in Ieroboam a present humiliation till his hand was restored But the common resemblance to that effect which the chastisement of the Lord bringeth upon the wicked is of the horror that is in Beares and Wolves at the sound of a Drumme or Trumpet they are as it were clean beside themselves and are in a horror which for a time continueth so long as they heare the sound or as they that are tost on the Sea and being not used to it fall sicke but when they come to shore they have no sooner footing on the land but they are well againe and returne to their former health and that present forgetfulnesse is the first step Ier. 12.13 he sheweth a kinde of them they were sicke and profited not by it making it as a marke of wickednesse in them Now by this and other degrees we come to that which in the ancient Fathers is called stupor morbi duritia non robur sanitatis a numbnesse of soule and hardnesse not comming from the strength of health in one word they call it animi paralysin the Palsie of the soule it is one thing to thrust in him that is in health and another in dead flesh this is of two sorts the one ye shall finde Prov. 23.35 he speaketh there of a person given to excesse of eating and drinking Stupor contractus is of drunkennesse that are drunken ebrietate They have smitten me but I was not sicke they have beaten me but I know not when I awoke Their life is like to theirs that sleepe in the toppe of a maste their ship is broken but yet they continue and so they come to a kinde of drunkennesse Now this drunkennesse which is spoken of in Esa 51.21 Ebrii sunt Contractus is that that troubleth the world sed non vino they are drunke but not with wine it falleth out also even in other vices as when a man is bewitched with any finne he is smitten but feeleth not 2. The other is such as we read 1 King 18.28 for it is said there of the Prophets of Baal when their god would not heare them that they cut themselves with knives and launces Immissus stupor whether the Devill possesse us in soule of actually in body and so they might seeme patient this is not stupor contractus but stupor immissus not an acquired but an insensiblenes infused by the Devill as we see in Mar. 5.5 in the man that could breake chaines and cut his owne flesh with sharpe stones very pitifully For in the Circumcellions the Manichees and Donatists and whosoever they were that did as Aug. saith pati malum ut facerent malum sufferevill the better to doe evill we may see that this manlinesse or rather hardnesse was in the soule of them all it is a thing to be regarded The reason of both these either because they consider not the true efficient or the true end of afflictions We returne to the former first stupor contractus we come to that by two meanes 1. Is a not considering of the cause from whence 2. A not considering of the end whereunto 1. When the afflicted doth not consider the cause from whence their affliction cometh as Ier. 5.3 2.30 Esa 1.5 you shall see what he saith Esa 1.5 God saith Why should you be smitten any more c. from the soale of the foot to the head there is nothing whole but wounds c. Where is there any
it or not As after this of the Apostles Matth. 26.40 some departed nay all left him some forswore him this measure of apostasie is to be feared But howsoever it standeth in respect of Gods punishments and mercies yet the former reasons doe condemne it but especially Luke 24.32 The heart rightly affected is ARDENS COR and a Father saith It is not possible that Sub gravi Oculo should be a burning heart Againe seeing every sinne is to bee weighed and esteemed In primo partu prima poena as of disobedience in Adam Murther in Cain unlawfull marriage in the old World Pride in Sodome so in the New Testament unreverent hearing punished in Eutiches Acts 20. vers 9. and in the Apostles that after it forsooke their Master And this is the second signe The third is that our hearts be present Many there be that outwardly watch yet their gesture testifieth to all that looke on them that they are praesentes absentes Where the heart is absent it is impossible but that the outward members should give a signe of his absence If we have Cor fatui Eccles 7.6 it will be in the house of mirth the minde runneth on the place where his sport lyeth and so as Prov. 15.7 14. Non dilatabit scientiam non quaerit scientiam as the wise heart doth which doth not let knowledge passe but Eccles 21.14 the inner parts of a foole are like a broken vessell they can keepe no knowledge it runneth out as fast as it is powred in the wise not so Eccles 21.17 They inquire at the mouth of the wise man in the Congregation and ponder his words in their heart That the fooles heart is such as ante will be testified by some signe Proverbs 17.24 by having his eye in all quarters and corners not as they Luke 4.20 that fastned their eyes nor an eye searching out the places of Scripture Acts 17.11 and his hands and feet will tell you that he is not present Proverbs 6.13 And when he heareth his fault reproved it is but a laughing matter Proverbs 14.9 to behave himselfe in this sort Patrare scelus hoc And it is nothing to heare except we looke how we heare and be attentive Luke 8.18 or be affected as Lydia was Acts 16.14 To give an eare is nothing but to give a wise eare Proverb 18.15 and 3.13 and happy is he that speaketh to a wise and understanding eare Proverbs 25.12 it is compared to a golden earing The foolishnesse of the eares of this Generation is such that you shall see the same attention given to him that giveth out a sort of words as to him that telleth us the message of God It is a sore plague and often repeated in the Scriptures Esay 6.10 a fearefull place repeated by Christ Matthew 13.15 Mark 13.12 Luke 8.10 John 12.40 Acts 28.26 Rom. 11.8 beside three times in the Prophets Give this people an heavy eare that they may heare and not heare give them a fat heart This is the extremity of his wrath and a heavy curse and so to be accounted If it be true and the heathen could say Pietas non est vultu laedenda sive serio sive simulate then our owne reason will lay on us an hard rule of framing our gesture when haec pietas is in place The fourth That we talke not in the time for that is cleane opposite unto it not to allow unto it so much as silence Preacher 4.17 When yee come into the house be ready to heare and not to offer the sacrifice of fooles to prate and talke Joh 29.21 If I spake every man gave eare and there was not a word a note of reverence in them for if any man should turne from us to talke with another whilest we tell him a tale wee will thinke hee maketh little regard of us and that is to offer the Sacrifice of fooles Zephe 1.7 When the Lord speaketh let all the earth give eare and keepe silence and he speaketh when his messenger speaketh for that Qui vos audit me audit therefore Deus loquitur And the Fathers say that that place is taken out of Esay 32.17 Cultus justitiae silentium So in the primitive Church the first word was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is out of Paul Act. 13.16 he made silence with his hand The fifth not to depart from it till it be done and ended set downe Exod. 33.11 and may be gathered out of Tit. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said there of Joshuah that hee dealt faithfully in the Lords service because he departed not Used in Psalm 119.118 they had a relation to the departing out of the Congregation when the Law was a reading As preaching is the speaking of God to us so prayer is a speaking of us to God We pray that hee would heare us Psalm 30. and 38. Goe not farre from us O Lord Why then should we goe farre from him The Law is equall as we deale with God Psalm 130. so will he deale with us and if we be attentive to him he will be attentive to our complaint and so there shall be talio Psalm 38.21 we shall have occasion to say Goe not from me O Lord Why then goe not from him forsake him not Else when we say Quare dereliquisti me Domine he will say againe Serve mi quare dereliquisti me that sentence Discedite à me Mat 25.41 shall be a punishment for them that goe farre from him here in this kingdome of grace where he is willing to keepe them In the primitive Church from the first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto the last words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none might depart for the punishment of it was no lesse then Excomunication Concil 4. Carthag 24. so that none might goe out till the end The fourth Rule the meanes The first in Eccles 4. ver last well considered and with it Heb. 12.22 25 28. These by meditation well digested before the service of God Take heed to thy feet when thou entrest into the house of God Give not the sacrifice of fooles Be not hasty In the other place Ye are not come to the Mount that might not be touched but to Mount Sion c. Despise not him that speaketh He maketh it more to come to the Church then to the Mount Secondly to consider that the Angels are present among us 1 Cor. 11.10 and 1 Pet. 1.12 the Doctrine of the Gospell is such as the Angels of Heaven desire to behold Therefore if they see any not to esteeme it which they so much esteeme shall they not be ministers of Gods wrath c therefore the Angels presence another meanes Thirdly we live to glorifie God by our worke and how shall we doe that if we heare not Ut audies ita facies for glorification commeth from instruction and instruction from hearing Fourthly but if you put too Ut audies ita audieris of God and men it may be a fourth meanes therefore
judgement as Ps 69.25 a visitation in outward goods Let his habitation be voide c. Againe for transgression a visitation vpon the body 2 Sam. 11.14 vpon the child In the taking away of Gods benefits Matth. 21.42.43 And yet a more greivous punishment quando paena odii est odium And as God saith thus qui sordescit sordescat adhuc so he may say qui odio me prosequitur odio me prosequatur adhuc For it is the moth and consumption He visiteth the sinnes of the fathers on the children c. that is whereas the Devill playeth the Sooth-sayer in Peter Matth. 16.22 parce tibi Domine let none of these things come to thee whereas they thought to haue saved themselves by this means God saith As neither they so neither their sons after them nor their sonnes sonnes their sonnes nephews shall escape For the first for himselfe They thought the Devill had given them good counsell but Deuter. 7.10 God protesteth there that he will pay it to his owne face that hateth him 2. And on his children when he thinketh he hath best provided for them then he pulleth downe evill vpon them The which craft of sinne to make us beleeve we avoyde such an evill by that by which we bring it vpon vs. The Devills prophecie good counsell so that when the wrath of God hath consumed him it taketh hold on his posterity Ps 79.5 he will be angry still like fire and shall goe along to the third and fourth generation Now to consider the grievousnesse of the punishment we measure it by three things 1. a Gravitate 2. a Multiplicitate 3. a Prolixitate For the greatnesse grievousnesse of it it 's said that it shall be upon the children which are in accompt with the fathers as themselves Luke 8.41.42 he fell downe at JESUS feet desiring helpe because his only daughter lay a dying and Luke 9.38 miserere mei for my sonne is sicke and 2. Sam. 18.33 they were so deare that the father would redeeme their life with the losse of his owne as there David could for his rebellious sonne Absalom vtinam pro te mortuus essem This sheweth that the thing is very deare to them They are our worke and not as Abrahams well Gen. 21.25 werein when it was taken from him he thought he had wrong but a part of our substance as Gen. 2.23 bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh Gen. 3. and not that alone but a principall part of the substance Zerang the seed and the beginning as though it were but the chaffe after the children were borne Againe Prov. 17.6 Childrens children are the crowne of their Elders our crowne while we live and as the heathen man saith our image and remembrance when we are dead For multiplicity that that is Luke 12.47 the distinction there by many and few stripes is here for the multiplicitie and manifoldnesse three or foure generations For the continuance and length Mar. 12.40 They devour widows houses under pretence prolixae orationis ideo erit eis prolixum judicium Long judgement shall wait on them So it is here the whole memory of man a generation So long as a man can remember so long as the mind of man can endure he shall be punished and as he can have any abiding in this life or as he can have any to beholde it after him Hereby wee see it verified Hebr. 13.20 that it is a fearfull thing to fall into GODS hands And Ps 44.20 we see how the godly accompt of it It is so fearfull that the godly had rather abide death then breake this Commandement That is that martyrdome is rather to bee chosen then to transgresse that which he hath prescribed in his Commandement Here may be a question concerning the justice of this visitation Whether one may justly be punished for anothers offence Where we note that the very word which proceedeth out of the mouth of GOD is not free from mistaking minds and therfore let not this discourage any And those words Ezek. 18.2 Jer. 3.29 They shall say no more Our fathers have eaten soure grapes c. Rise they not as a scoffe of these words That which seemeth to stand against this is Deut. 24.16 every one must suffer for his owne offence and he saith not here he will punish the child for the fathers offence but that hee will visit the fathers offence on the child so neither the contrary he will not punish the father for the child set downe Ezek. 18.20 anima quae peccaverit morietur Gal. 6.5 Every one shall beare his own burthen and 2. Cor. 5.10 Every man at the judgement seat of CHRIST must receave the things done in his body c. For the making of this plaine Understand that this is the course of many learned men especially of the Schoole-men They say as to the place of Esa 38.1 to Hezekiah Put thy house in order that as there is meant non quid suturum esset sed quid ex despositione naturae futurum esset by nature thou art to die so here GOD speaketh non quid saceret sed quid ex dispositione meriti nestri saceret But this would make neglectummandati and the commination would be vaine On the other side we will proceed on this order Whether it be a thing unjust that one man offending another should be punished I say not for his offence for so it is not There be three respects in punishing 1. Satisfactio 2. Medicina 3. Correctio By these three a man may justly be punished and yet no offence committed by him First for satisfaction as in suretiship when the debt pertaineth to one man and his friend taketh it upon him and beareth the punishment is this injustice Absit For then that which CHRIST hath done for us to wit our Redemption should be of none effect But voluntarily one may satisfy for another yet no wrong done to justice nor yet punishment taken for the offence of the other Secōdly for medicina may it not be as in the body For the eye the head is sicke and the arme is let bloud for it for otherwise the whole body might be brought into danger So then it is not only a just thing but also a necessary Therfore If punishmēt be sent propter medicinam as a medicine another may beare it without breach of justice as it is in Physicke that that is deprived must be lesse then the thing for which it is deprived as a Finger to be given for an Eye this is a good medicine So temporall things are to be given for the recovery of spirituall temporall punishment may be taken on the sonne for the recovery of the father spiritually 3ly For correction In that as before there is a respect to this the amendment of the equality broken A man should desire no more than GODS will is but we see daily he doth Therefore hee breaketh equality and is to make amends for it Therefore he must break
lipps be as Psal 45.2 the pen of a ready writer and our tongue a Trumpet to sound his praise And not only these but also in outward action It is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that light Mat. 5.16 that our works may be as the works of him that our tongues may be declares of Gods glory as Psal 19.1 the Heavens and firmament are Now wee come to the commandement which hath two parts 1. a Precept 2. a Penalty To declare the precept we must learne what these three words meane 1. Name of God 2. Take 3. In Vaine For the Name of God which being a word as properly belonging to the Tongue so the duty of the tongue is commanded in it it is a word as the Heathen saith per quod cognoscimus alios ab illis cognoscimur by which wee both know and are knowne of others and consequently it is a word of distinction whereby wee distinguish a thing from all other things And that is the proper use of it and the first according to which use the Name of God is set downe diversly in the Scriptures 2 uses in the Bible It is best set downe in Exod. 34.6.7 he protesteth to proclaime his name when he cryeth Jehova Jehova c. his name there is of three sorts 1. in respect of his Essence Jehova 2. in respect of his Attributes or Adjuncts which be of two sorts affirmative as misericors omnipotens aeternus mercifull omnipotent eternall 2. â—egalize as infinite invisible incomprehensible c. and all those names that made Dionysius to write de Theologia negativa of negative Divinity and those that belong to his qualities as they doe denominate 3. in respect of his works Creator Redeemer Sanctifier c. and they are vers 7. And to these three may be referred whatsoever may be read of his name Now this very Name is reverently to be used Of every of these names may it be said as the Angell said to Manoah Jud. 13.18 that it is most fearfull And if the Angell Jud. 13.18 appearing to Manoah sayd to him inquiring after his Name Search not after my name for it is fearefull much more is the name of the Lord fearefull and cannot be knowne It is no question as it is Deut. 28.58 so it is If thou wilt not doe all these words that are written in this booke if thou wilt not beare reverence to this name The Lord thy God then there followeth a Catalogue of Plagues in that place Now if that be reverenced then the second use of his name is much more to be reverenced because men are onely knowne or distinguished by it that some duty might some way be done to them that is not done to any other We must take heed of the Pharisees distinction Matth. 5.33 concerning this name that except he did sweare by the Lord Jehova and take the very Name of God in his mouth he was safe from this commandement but there a man might sweare by the Heavens or Earth or Jerusalem because they were not the Name of God therefore that that maketh this Name is that wee call a Good name in English or Credit in private men but those that are in higher places as the dialect of Princes is their glory magnificence majestie c. as in Jer. 13.11 that they might have a name and praise and glory For the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of praise and glory and the common phrase of that tongue is this that if a man be in credit he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of Name a man of credit a famous person This good name hath a more extra ordinary commendation annexed to it according to the glory of the person so riseth this name as the Apostle reasoneth Heb. 1.4 that Christ was so much above the Angells in glory as he had received a more excellent Name then they and Gen. 17.5 it is the practise of God when he would exalt Abraham from an Harlot to his Church and establish the church in his house and make him Father of the faithfull then because he was more glorious he giveth him a more glorious name Thou shalt no more bee called Abram but Abraham c. And wee see the like Gen. 35.10 Jacobs name is changed to Israel a name of more dignity Then the second use is of good report if it be of private men For a private man it is a pleasure to have a good name Eccles 7.1 A good name is better then a good oyntment The especiall thing to keep a mans name because it was it that was most usuall and most esteemed in those dayes and for treasure and profit Pro. 22.1 A mans name is better then either silver or gold The other name may be changed as Abrahams and Jacobs but this is such as may not be forgon for neither pleasure nor profit And it is not onely of Gods Law but also of mans the Heathen could see the excellency of this for they say Interesse famae est majus omni alio interesse the weight of a mans good report goeth beyond and above all weight And further as a Father saith Fama pari passu cum vita ambulat goeth cheek by joll with his life Man seeth this that it is greatly to be magnified so Psal 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy name above all things by thy word So that indeed it is the glory of God that is chiefly here intended and secondly his very name 2. Non assumis c. thou shalt not take To understand it fully it is the scarcity of our tongue Take that the word is no better expressed For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence it commeth hath a double use and to these two may be referred whatsoever is borrowed It signifieth properly to take up to lift up and that two sorts of things First it is applyed to a standard or banner and secondly to an heavy thing as a burthen And indeed these two kindes of things are they that wee take away or remove If any thing be glorious we are content commonly to take and lift it up And on the other side if there be any thing that is necessary and that we have use of though it be heavy and weighty yet we will lift it so that the one is in rebus gloriosis the other in rebus necessariis On the contrary if they be neither glorious nor necessary we let them lye the first use the glory of it is set downe Exod. 28.37 God saith there must be a Plate and in it must be written SANCTITAS JEHOVAE Holinesse to the LORD and it must be removed to Aarons forehead as it must stand in the Myter of Aaron And Moses in Exo. 17.15 called the Altar Jehovah nissi from a word of great affinity The Lord isour standard that is lifted up as glorious things as the badge of any Nobleman it is lifted up on the shoulders of their servants to be seen For the other use for
reasons and witnesses c. so that we count it as Prov. 18.10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth to it and is exalted And the Heathen man saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all things men set most by their faith When all faile we may take Sanctuary here This is the first part of the honour of God 2. In regard of the cause as before his greatest honour the ground of all honours Faith that this proceedeth from a great Faith In regard of the former part of an oath that is Contestation that we beare witnesse with tongue that are present that we beleeve as 1 Cor. 4.5 that God will lighten all things that are in darknesse that God will make all manifest He seeth all things even the very secrets of the heart And secondly in regard of the execution as Rom. 12.19 that he will punish mihi ultio ego retribuam Vengeance is mine and I will repay it Herein we beleeve that God hath power to bring his judgements upon us This beleife that he hath vengeance to execute turneth greatly to Gods glory and therefore was it that God was contented as it were to lend his name to sweare by it to make an end of their questions Thus we see how God hath his glory hence The next thing is to see what we are commanded and forbidden 1. The affirmative part that we shall take his Name to end our quarrells his name shall come as a sanctuary to quit or condemne in which we shall enclose our selves and satisfie our Law The first is jurare to sweare that is commanded flatly Deut. 6.13 set close to that which was the affirmative part of the last Commandement but more effectually and vehemently Esay 45.23 I live and have sworne by my selfe that every knee shall bowe to me and every tongue sweare by me For this cause there cometh another division of Oathes he hath not onely taken order that we should be willing that the oath should passe Exod. 22.11 which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voluntary Oath but also 2 Chron. 6.22 that if they still not be willing there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an oath of imposition conrstictè jurare to make him sweare precisely and punctually And Levit. 5.1 if any man heare an Oath that should returne to Gods glory and doe not utter it but hold his peace it shall be accounted to him as sinne So we see what Gods will is herein what he commandeth and then the great end of Gods glory and necessity of men Now for examples of these David Psal 63.12 Laudabuntur omnes laetabuntur qui jurabunt per eum every one that sweareth by him shall glory and rejoyce Therefore we see this commendation All the Saints have passed under it 1. God himselfe Gen. 22.16 I have sworne by my selfe saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing c. vers 17. therefore I will surely blesse thee 2. After God the caelestiall spirits Revel 10.6 The Angell lifted up his hand to Heaven and swore by him that liveth for ever more So the division concerning the case first of Gods glory to be confirmed and secondly the benefit of our brethren For the glory of God a famous Oath 2 Chron. 15.14 of Asa and the people They sweare to the Lord with a loud voyce for the observation of Dauids Religion 4. Likewise Nehem. 10.29 The chiefe of them received it for their brethren and they came to the curse and to the oath to walke in Gods Law c. For the other part in regard of mans benefit the wealth of mankind First we see it in mutuall leagues and confae deracies the example of Abraham Gen. 21.24 betwixt Abimelech and him Secondly likewise for a conspiracy publike Judg. 21.1 Moreover the men of Israel swore saying None of us shall give his daughter to the Benjamites to wise Thirdly for the receiving or uniting of Nation to Nation Ioshua 9.19 To the Gibeonites Ioshuah made peace and league with them that he would suffer them to live and they sware and the breach of it was punished 2 Sam. 21.2 2. For obedience and reciprocall duties betweene the Prince and Subjects we have examples and commandements First of the Prince 2 Kings 11.12 of Ioash Secondly of the Subjects 1 Kings 1.29 For the succession of Salomon Davids oath And the King swore as the Lord liveth c. For Subjects to him 1 Sam. 24.23 David swore to Saul And all the Subjects tooke an oath for the preserving of Davids life 2 Sam. 21.17 And the men of David swore to him c. Thirdly in a case of safegard of a mans life Ioshuah 2.12 And in regard of Marriage Abrahams example Gen. 24.2 therefore Abraham said to the eldest servant c. Put thy hand under my thigh and sweare by the Lord c. Fourthly in Litigious Suits and Causes Exod. 22.8 11. And as these come under the forme of a Publique oath so for Private oathes in the New Testament in remembrance in prayers and in love Paul seareth not in Rom. 1.9 and Phil. 1.8 to call God to witnesse for a matter of suspition 2 Cor. 1.23 Now I call God to record unto my soule c. all this tendeth to this end that we seeing the two maine reasons the exact Commandement of God his owne example and the Fathers in the Old Testament and the Apostles in the New We might be farre from the vaine opinion of the Anabaptists that are gain sayers of this first part and hold that we may not sweare at all grounding on Christs words Sweare not at all For Mat. 5.17 wee know that Christ came not to breake the Law nor to undoe the least jot of the Law and if it had beene his meaning to have had us not to sweare at all he would have said Non assumes nomen Dei omnino thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God at all For Christs words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they should not sweare at all Sure it is that you must marke the scope for it must bee referred to the scope of the place which is to reconcile the Law from the Pharisees corrupt interpretation for they thought if any man swore by any other name so that he sware not by the name of Iehovah sumere nomen Iehovae and onely frustra in vaine that hee might sweare by any other name Some take also jurare to be put for pejurare Augustine in his 27. Homilie and 30. de verbis Apostoli handleth it sufficiently and largely To sweare is commanded and to consent to Anabaptisme is forbidden The second point Affirmative the word added here Thou shalt take the name of God that is our swearing must be by the name of God and by no other Esay 48.1 There are they that will sweare by the name of the Lord but not in truth and righteousnesse They that sweare not by his name take away his praerogative
one thing that is whatsoever is done it must throughly be done it must be alonely done the reason is because we are res integra finita finite creatures and if two things be done at once one part of our thoughts will be taken from the other we cannot wholly intend two things at once this is our case But it was the case of our Father Adam in innocency because he had a naturall soule and finite therefore he was not able wholly to intend the dressing of the Garden in six dayes and to intend the whole sanctification of the day of rest commanded Gen. 2.3 now because of this God would have a solemne profession of body and soule and therefore this was the end why God instituted blessed and sanctified the seventh day so that it commeth for a remedy against distraction to be intended to any other use especially in the solemne worship of the Lord that takes up the whole man and necessarily suffereth no distraction therefore it doth not suffer him to be intended to any other use Now if being then in that case he could not we that have more impediments to withdraw us we had need of a remedy against our distraction And thus cometh the rest in because that this totall solemne sanctification cannot be performed without ceasing from the rest of our workes and labour because unlesse we doe rest we cannot sanctifie Therefore is it that this is commanded with our sanctification a day of rest otherwise whereas our resting hindreth our sanctification it must bee taken away And indeed Christ doth acknowledge Mark 2.27 that man was not made for the rest but for sanctification Sanctification was his end and man was made for it rest is a subordinate end and man was not made for it but rather that for man and as it is 1. Tim. 4.8 a mans bodily labour so his bodily rest profiteth nothing but to this end applyed God liketh it not There is beside in the commandement another word Remember and because that is properly of a thing past therefore it referreth to some place or time before and there is mention of the Sabbath but in two places before one is Exod. 16.23.24.25 but that is not it for God in the end adding God blessed it referreth us to that place where the same words are Gen. 2.3 and so we know that we are referred thither And by this occasion falleth in that first question that many thinke it is a Ceremony and sundry are so perswaded and hold that men are not bound to sanctifie it since Christ Our Saviour in the case of difference and resolution of Polygamie hath taken a good course and order hee goeth to the beginning how it was ab initio non sic ab initio from the beginning it was not so to call it to the first institution for that is it that giveth the best judgement and the last first end is the true end A thing is not said to be ceremoniall if a ceremoniall use or end be annexed to it for then not one of the tenne morall Commandements but it should bee ceremoniall for they have some ceremonie annexed to them but that is a ceremony whose first and principall end is a ceremonie which this day of rest cannot be The reason because Paradise and mans perfection and a ceremony cannot agree in the state of a mans innocencie The reason is because that before there was a Saviour there could not be a type of a Saviour and before there was sin there needed no Saviour So consequently needing no Saviour needed no ceremony and needing no Saviour nor ceremonie it could not be ceremoniall But that was it that Adam having in the six dayes a naturall use in his body of the creatures should for the glory of God on the seventh day have a spirituall use and consideration So that this remedy against Distraction is the first and principall and generall end though other ends were after added as Deut. 5.15 it pleased God to add this reason that they might remember the benefit of the deliverance out of Aegypt but this was but finis posterior a particular and after end and necessary So it were well if we might add to our dayes of rest the memory of our benefits And Exod. 23.12 God yeeldeth a politique end the ceasing of beasts and men that they may returne more fresh to their labour there is moreover no better nor certainer way to keepe off our enemies those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6.12 those spirituall wickednesses the preaching of the Law then is a meane to enable us to withstand the crafty and subtile suggestions of sin and Satan And if any will say that beside these ends there was figured by this rest that rest we shall have from sinne by Christs death True but yet it is an accessorie end in the Sacrament of Circumcision Circumcision is ceased and the Passover so is the Sabbath but the Sacrament of initiation is not ceased there were two ends of it 1. The first was to seale us to his preventing or following Grace 2. The other to bee a figure of the circumcision of the Heart of the Sacrifice of the world this is ceased So the seventh day is ceased but there is another day there is a day remaining because the end of it was immutable from the beginning The reason of it selfe is so forceable and plaine that without bringing in a manifest absurditie it cannot bee avoided when they see these endes to carry us to the Institution and that in Paradise But you will say Adam never kept it neither was it kept till Exod. 16. Which should in the very misliking seeme an absurd thing that GOD two thousand yeares before a thing should bee put in use should consecrate that thing to Sanctification and all that while it should bee to no End And indeed the sort of the Heretikes that held that materia prima was so made of GOD a great many yeares before the world and it abode by him till the world was made They are confounded by the Fathers by this that no man of wisdome doth make any thing to stand by him many yeares before it can bee put to any use Therefore GOD useth not so to doe but when hee shall have use of any thing then to blesse it This prooveth that this day resteth on the consciences of men and that the institution riseth from GOD immediately even in Adams innocencie Wee must understand that Deut. 4.13 GOD maketh there a plaine distinction betweene Ceremonies and the morall law by this manner That the one proceedeth from him immediatelie the other by the ministerie of Moses and that very same is Deuterenom 5.31 Againe beside the Confusion and breach of Order a thing which GOD misliketh one of the Fathers on these words saith Nunquid Saul est inter Prophetas What is Saul amongst the Prophets Not a Prophet by profession they wondred at it that hee should bee amongst the Prophets one saith
without prayer and fasting some kinde of tentation not to bee avoyded Last for the procurement of some good and that either in generall Acts 10.13 Cornelius himselfe when hee was to enter into the generall vocation of a Christian Or particular CHRISTS owne example in the entring of his Mediatorship Matthew 4.1 It is the opinion of the Fathers 13. and 14. of the Acts before the Inauguration and calling of the Ministrie This whatsoever the Magistrate doth ought to be done of our selves The Parts are of no other nature then the parts of the Sabbath and they are two First the externall as the rest outward sorrow Secondly internall abstinence as Sanctification The outward they call abstinence or fasting the inward sorrow or mourning or humiliation First in the outward it is required of us that from Even to Even we doe wholly celebrate the Sabbath Levit. 23.32 wholly abstaine from meate and drinke Ezra 10.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whatsoever is to be eaten and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever is liquid a generall restraint of both Secondly in Joel 1.13 Gird your selves and lament you Priests howle ye Ministers of the Altar come and lie all night in sackcloth yee Ministers of my God c. An abridgement or breaking off the ordinary course of our sleepe Thirdly in Exod. 33.4 of laying aside of the best apparrell which in Nehem. 9.1 and in sundry other places is expressed by wearing of sackcloth And that we should be without that too but onely for the commandement of God for nakednesse And generally Zac. 7.3 separating our selves from all that is commodious or pleasant to the senses from all commodities and delights of this life Et quia non peccavit sola gula ne jejunet sola Bernard Because the taste hath not sinned alone therefore it must not keepe a fast alone but the rest of the senses must have their separation also And as we are forbidden and restrained all these so Levit. 23.28 are we forbidden any labour or worke of the six dayes and so falleth in that the same rest is required then as on the Sabbath Last of all as we finde Esay 58.10 the precept an example Acts 10.3 the Centurions fasting that it was joyned with almes Canon Quod ventri subtrahitar illud pauperi addatur that which we spare out of our owne bellies must be given to the poore But now because as we said before it is not bodily labour or bodily rest so Rom. 14.17 the Kingdome of God is not in meate and drinke If there we stay and goe no further it will not serve Therefore the Prophet telleth such fasters Esay 58.3 though they lay in sackcloth a whole day yet it was not that God required because the outward action is but ordained for the inward the account that God maketh is of that it is instituted for humbling Matth. 9.13 what is there said of Sacrifice may be said as well of outward mourning And as it is Joel 2.12 not the rending of apparrell but the heart and the fast that he alloweth off must be accordingly And 2 Cor. 7.11 where the Apostle describeth the full course of whatsoever is required of us inwardly in this fast And Rom. 8. it must come from the spirit with such sighings as cannot be expressed Of the sorrow there cannot be an exquisite method but as he setteth them downe there they are in two companies either a working of seare and consequently a sorrow and after that a sorrow that we have been so unkinde to offend so mercifull a Father and then after that we have a while remained that we proceed to a desire of amends and that we be carefull and that care sheweth it selfe zealous and if we chance not to proceed a right then that we be ready to punish our selves In a word the fruit of those actions they tend to this end 1 Cor. 11.31 that we may judge our selves that so we may escape As his policie was 1 Kings 20.31 and as we see the common practise of the rebellious subject if by any meanes he may make the bowels of his Prince to yearne within him But alwayes except the seale of humiliation and fasting be added all is naught Nehem. 9.1 and last Where after a great vow before the Congregation protested that after an exhortation foure times and after a solemne reading of the Law at that time When as ordinarie readings was but twice This was the order for the furtherance of this and when hee had drawne a Covenant they set their hands and seales to it and so bound themselves by an everlasting Covenant Which vow if wee can keepe if we can bring our selves to the vow of obedience if we can doe this unfainedly and doe it so effectually as we promise readily ever afterward it is very certaine that this hath taken a good root in us The fourth rule The spirituall part of the Law Which because Esay knew the value of it in the Fast as Cha. 58.3 and in his Sabbath at the 13. verse of the same nothing did so belong to them as if they would give over their owne corrupt Will if mans corrupt will could be brought under This is that he sheweth 1 Pet. 3.15 Sanctifie the Lord your God in your hearts It is a thing that may be performed of man and such as the Lord delighteth greatly in The meanes in which the lord throughout the Scriptures comprehendeth these that whereas there must be a solemne prosession of thankefulnesse and our sorrow for our unthankefulnesse there must be a place also and persons chiefe in these actions of Sanctification And these persons not Ex tumultuario grege they must not be men of the common rout but such as must be trayned up for it And because the trayning up will require cost therefore the order for the maintenance of the Ministers and the Universities which are the places to prepare them for Ministers and Schooles they are commanded alike of God For the place Leviticus 19.30 and 26.2 in both places is this sentence Yee shall keepe my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuarie making the observation of his day and reverence of the place to runne in one verse and making them of one nature The Sabbath is the day of rest and when we hallow it we call it the Lords rest so Psalm 132.14 we see the Lord will give the same name to the place This is my rest Concerning which as the Apostles tooke order as that the exteriour part of GODS worship might be performed decently and in order So on the other side that the place of GODS worship should bee so homely and so ordered that the Table of the Lords Supper where one saith well Tremenda Dei mysteria the dreadfull mysteries of GOD are celebrated that it were fitter to eate Oysters at to be an Oyster table then to stand in the Sanctuary of the LORD this is so farre from Pompa that it is farre from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Decencie that every
Commandement is the fountaine whence all of the second Table doe come as a streame beginning at the Conduit-head This fifth Commandement hath all those properties which are due to any man with respect And in those two things which must be seene in love 1. In respect of God the excellencie 2. In respect of us conjunction or nearenesse Whereas in conjunction we must rather love the faithfull our countreymen and kinsfolke here in the case of excellencie it is not so For sometimes wee must give more honour to an infidell as Acts 25. Paul to Nero and Dan. 6.3 to a stranger as they did to Daniel and Gen. 41.40 as Pharaoh did to Ioseph And to give this to men indued with gifts is in regard of their nearenesse to God for by his benefits they are neerer his end so as for this cause they are to be preferred and made nearer to us also And they are also nearer to us in respect of the greater profit we shall receive of them according to that of the Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He as God for God setteth as much by that which is his his owne as by himselfe so that being nearer our profit we may love them and being nearer to God we must performe all other duties unto them Why are not all men excellent alike Quest Sol. Gods wisdome wonderfully appeareth in this For seeing Gen. 2.18 the occasion of the Woman was that she should helpe because that though it were good yet not the best that Man should be alone for he being finite and therefore of a finite power might with helpe performe better services unto God Now seeing they were plures more then one the question is whether they must be one body or not And if there be one body then must there be diversity of members 1 Cor. 12.21 But if it be said there should not be one that is confuted here Also God being most excellent and having all other things under him would in his creatures have a patterne of that excellencie and subjection so that for that cause 1 Cor. 15.41 he made every star differ from other inglory So also that they might be those divers vessels 2 Tim. 2.20 And by this Commandement doth all power stand And hence it is that he hath called them Gods Psal 82.6 And therfore this Commandement possesseth this place as in medio in the midst as Philo Iudaeus saith because God would have him first to looke to his worship and then to his owne honour in the second Table Gen. 17.9 This Commandement hath two parts 1. precept Honour c. 2. Reason that thy dayes c. This division proved Ephes 6.2.3 The precept containeth the duty of Inferiours Honour Superiours to be Fathers and Mothers For God includeth in one word the most especiall things And because as Chrysostome saith first they must be before they can be honoured therefore first What is meant by Father What is here ment by Father 1. That is true Matth. 23.9 We have but one Father for all others as the Heathen said be but instruments Whensoever therefore any thing is attributed to God and man God is the first Ephes 3.17 so he is the first Father Psal 27. which tooke us out of the wombe and the last Father Psal 82. which taketh us up when all other have forsaken us So that seeing to be a Father commeth from God and our superiours are made partakers with God as his instruments they must also have their duties from him The word Father signifieth him that hath a care or desire to doe good for which Iob cap. 25. was called a Father so that he is a Father by whom others are in better case and estate 2. Mother This hath the name of a faithfull keeper as we may see by the end of her making which was to helpe And the same word was so used Iob 12.20 Ruth 4.4 And the Heathen themselves know this that a good governour differeth nothing from a good Father 3. Honora honour The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth aggravare so where excellencie is added to the thing it is of weight and in precious things the heaviest is the best So that addere pretium is addere pondus and so by translation honorem honour for when a man hath received the person of God it is more to be esteemed It was a miracle among the Heathen that so many Kings should give their heads to one sometimes to a Woman sometimes to a child which argueth plainely that they knew a divine power therein that might not be resisted i. Gods ordinance and so worketh a reverence in our hearts And as in the former word so for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour Solon in his Lawes and Plato and the Romanes doe make choyce of this word and other that write of Lawes and that matter 1. Now what the estate of them is this is to be set downe as 2 Cor. 4.13 All things are for your sakes i. for the Churches sake Politia est propter Ecclesiam set downe 1 Tim. 2.2 For there the Apostle goeth thus to worke God would have all men saved that they might be saved he would have them live in all godlinesse and honesty that they may doe thus he would have them taught the knowledge of God this necessarily requireth a rest for in the warres there is nothing rightly ministred That men might intend thus to live it is said vers 2. it is expedient they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leade a peaceable life in regard of outward invasions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiet in regard of minde and inward tumult and troubles Now if the naturall Father and Mother could have performed this as a while they did to Gen. 9. there had needed no other But Gen. 10.8 9. there comes one Nimrod with a company of hounds at his taile the same metaphor it pleaseth the holy Ghost to use i. sons of Belial and he taketh upon him to be an hunter i. a chaser of men to disturbe So because the naturall Father cannot performe it and because we cannot in deede doe fully the duty of our soules therefore there is a Priesthood in the Tribe of Levi a spirituall Father in the Apostles and their successors For this cause Heb. 13.17 to soules and bodies 1 Tim. 2.2 was it that God first allowed and after instituted that men should have government both for resisting of outward foes and quieting of inward strises Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let every soule be subject c. There it is said that this binding of men into one society this power is of God and so to be accounted of us for vers 4. he saith God hath delivered him a sword to the end that he should be vindex malorum against the evill and disturber of this quietnesse by which men might intend the former rest and consequently that he should be a comforter and cherisher of good men and those that love to live
that giveth the essentiall part and that is the word Now 1 Sam. 15.26 when he casteth away the word he ceaseth to be our Superiour Because thou hast cast away my word c. And if altogether he disclaime the word every man is bound to disclaime him as they did Iulian the Apostata For the plaine seeing of this it were good to consider that word in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth gradus a degree and in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth an Order In order there be two things for there is summum principium the toppe in respect of whom all the rest are staires so the step is better which is next the toppe and then there is series a row or order in a line comming downe from the toppe betweene them which series hath in every calling a latitude and is not infinite but in God onely as superiours for soule matters for the soule for bodily matters for the body for instruction such matters as are for instruction The series hath bounds and they may be referred to two to which every transgression may be referred for when a man goeth aside from that summum principium that is Ne superior excedat aut recedat lest the Superiour shoud exceed or swarve aside when any one doth recedere as he doth when he goeth from the order if he goe out further then he breaketh We are to remaine in the ascending line to the toppe for that we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keepe order still So we are not to goe out we must keepe our sitting still Againe because the series hath a certaine breadth having his bounds about on both sides he that passeth the bounds and prescribeth any thing without the bounds he goeth from the nature of a Superiour It is as if the Prince of this land should command things to be done in other lands where she hath nothing to doe First then he must not forsake his seriem secondly he must not recedere a principio suo If the King or Ruler observe these two orders we are absolutely to obey him Ob. Matth. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters God and manare two Sol. It is resolved thus Dominus servus Master and servant make but unum agens one agent where there is a subordination there they are all but unum agens one agent so there be not two Masters till he breake order himselfe and be a Master himselfe against order Erigere altare contra altare and erect an Altar against an Altar For it is in order as in nature The Prince he moveth heavie things and it is inclinatio gravitatis the naturall propensity of heavie things to descend yet as their nature is ad conservationem universi to the conservation of the universe to breake their naturall course according to the will superioris magistri of a higher Master and ascend Such a thing it is in matters of the Common-wealth if any inferiour Master command somewhat I must not obey him the higher place hath the more honour and the greater is to it Acts 25.11 Festus was an honourable man but Nero more honourable and Paul when he feareth that Festus would breake order doth refuse him and so consequently useth the benefit of appeale By which place wee may see that when one dealeth with an inferiour officer it is easie to procure a Supersedeas the superiour taking the matter into his hands Then when the highest mover of all and Prince moveth there is no more Fathers that is when his word commeth it giveth a Supersedeas to all commers underneath and Appeale is to be made unto him These two dissent often as Matth. 6. For our Saviour speakes there of obedience to be given to them that have power of the body so he saith Feare not them that kill the body It were a caveas needlesse if Princes had not broken order and if they had commanded nothing contrary but he then telleth them whom they should feare most The conclusion is Acts 4.19 Deo potius quam hominibus to obey God rather then man The reason of this standeth thus God hath taken order for the inaugurating into his politia and government every sonne as Phil. 3.20 our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and conversation is in Heaven Ephes 2.29 we are Citizens with the Saints A childe is no sooner borne but fertur ad baptismum he is brought to be baptized So he is no sooner in the world but presently hee is sent out againe for there he renounceth the world and there is his first oath Sacramenium militare therefore men cannot goe from their first oath nor must he swarve from that whatsoever inferiour Prince biddeth therefore Iam. 2.4 in heavenly matters if one man be regarded more then another because there they are all paris juris of the same authority it is respect of persons therefore the Prince is not superiour but equall in Gods matters he must not command contra seriem suam against his owne order And in naturall things as eating drinking mariage he cannot command as Ambrose proveth Epi. 43. and consequently in naturall things there is par jus the same right therefore when the case doth come to this we must disobey him So then in regard of this first whereby we have thus set our selves apart unto God by a solemne oath we owe him chiefe and speciall honour 1. It is Christs owne saying Luke 14.26 He that commes to me and hateth not his father and mother c. He expoundeth it himselfe Matth. 10.37 by plus quam me if he love them more then me or if they love them not lesse then Christ As minus malum a lesser evill is called good in respect of the greater so minor dilectio a lesser love is lesse in respect of major dilectio a greater and his lesse love is this because bonum quod impedit majus bonum in eo minus diligendum that good that hindereth a greater good is for that cause lesse worthy of our love 2. Example of this in the second Commandement To this Nebuchadnezzar a Prince is contrary he will out of order there disobedience is in him he is disobeyed and disobedience is there to him and no disobedience disobedience is not but in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in order hee went out first Dan. 3.18 Another example for prayer betweene Darius commandement and Daniels order in the same Dan. 6. 3. For the third Commandement Iosh 9.15 an oath taken betweene Ioshua and the men of Gibeon They preferred the religion of their oath before their over-sight till Sauls time 2 Sam. 21.2 he to remove them would have the Israelites breake their oath which they did unlawfully obeying thererefore punished fame iriennii by a trienniall famine 4. Example for the fourth commandement Against which Antiochus commanded 1 Macc. 1.28 and he died miserably but Maitathias that disobeyed him prospered 5. In the fifth Commandement A Commandement of God for the
is the very Gospel the word of God promiseth Matth. 10.42 that if it bee but a cup of cold water it shall be returned there This is the warrant of delivering it here and receiving it there The Heathen man saith that opera misericâ—rdiae workes of mercie doe onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 swimme out with us Revel 14.13 corum opera sequuntor eos and their works follow them Esa 28.9 the other swimme not but are like to him that dreameth of a great dinner and when he awaketh he is hungry But then he will repay them that give their worke shall be accounted of and theirs is the Come ye blessed of my Father c. To conclude Prov. 21.21 he saith he that followeth after righteousnesse i. just dealing in getting and restoring and mercie in parting he shall finde life in this life and in the life to come and his righteousnesse shall have a certaine signe in this life and in the world to come glory The sixth point of the procuring it in others 6. Râ—â—â— Psal 50.18 It is set downe there that currere cum fure to runne with a Thiefe and Prov. 29.24 he saith that he that is partner with a Thiefe destroyeth his owne soule therefore Gen. 31.37 we see how bold Iacob is with Lâ—ban he saith Bring forth that which was stollen let him search and biddeth him shew then if he had found them hee knew he had not brought them And not onely for himselfe but Psal 62.10 for the other part he directeth himselfe and speaketh to all Trust not in oppression and robbery if riches encrease set not your hearts upon them And the like is Prov. 20.17 for he saith there My sonne the bread of deceit is sweete to a man but afterward his mouth shall be filled with gravell Prov. 3.3 he warneth him to take this order that truth and mercie forsake him not for so shalt thou fiâ—â—â— fafour And so we see both in themselves and others inwardly and outwardly concluded of theft of the Saints in all ages The IX Commandement Thou shalt not beare false witnesse c. THe exposition of this is in Levit. 19.11 16 17. and in Zech. 8.16 17. and by our Saviour Christ Matth. 12.34 and so forward and by Saint Paul Ephes 4.25.15 for so he setteth it downe Cast off lying and let every man speak the truth to his neighbour and the addition in vers 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speake the truth in love that is the affirmative part of this Commandement First to make plaine the words of this Commendement it is not of one word as the other the Hebrew translated is after this manner Non respondebis testimonium salsum super vicinum tuum thou shalt not answer a false testimony concerning thy neighbour In which the word respondebis must be understood after the * Hebrew phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a radâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Evangelists often use to begin thus Jesus answered and said Matth. 11 2â— where no man speaketh nor being demanded of any so that by answering is meant not onely when a man is demanded to speake the truth but also when he speaketh the truth no man demanding him for we see Exod. 32.18 the same word he saith there that he heard vocem cantantium the voyce of them that sing it is expressed by this word so that it signifieth to speake whether as of the mover of a question or of the answerer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 Sorts of wâ—â—nesses 1. â—od Now then for witnesses It is of foure sorts in the Scriptures for 1. it is applied to the great and chiefe witnesses to God Iob 16.19 he saith Though they did oppresse him with their eloquence yet ecce testis meus est ia coelis behold my witnesse is in Heaven and 1 Iohn 5.7 he saith there are three witnesses in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit that there is no Person in the Deity but it is a witnesse of the truth and of our doings and thoughts whether good or evill Rom. 2. vers last Though the name of truth be attributed to Christ Iohn 14.6 yet often a wicked man shall have an applause of wicked men and a good man shall not so he hath his praise indeed but that praise shall not stand it is not that that hath the praise of men that is praise-worthy it is a judgement of God against them he is not a Jew that is outwardly a Jew but he is a right Jew that is inwardly one and therefore Paul when the judgement lay betweene them and God 1 Cor. 4.3 inrespect of true judgement he saith Mihi pro minimo est ut judicer à vobis he counts it a small thing what man can judge of him Now after this great witnesse 2. Conscience in the second place commeth the witnesse that Saint Paul speaketh of Rom. 2.15 attestante ipsis conscientia their conscience bearing them witnesse and 2 Cor. 1.23 he saith Now I call God to record unto my soule c. this is that the Heathen man cals conscientia mille testes conscience a thousand witnesses i. the knowledge that pertaineth to our selves and concerneth our doings and as the Heathen man saith that calleth him miserum miserable that contemneth hunctestum this witnesse for he will make but small conscience of this Commandement or else that it is worse for the Apostle Rom. 1.18 saith plainely that it is the beginning of Apostasie when a man will presse downe and smother the truth in unrighteousnesse When he hath a wicked affection an unrighteous appetite to any action for the attaining of that though his his heart speake unto him and tell him that it is not right yet he can be content to suppresse and keepe downe the truth as a prisoner and not let it over rule as the Heathen man saith That the foundation of the justice of God beganne here speaking in the hearts and consciences of men and they themselves will doe the contrary and it is a way for God as Paul saith 2 Thes 2.11 to give them over to strong delusions that they may beleeve a lie Though this witnesse be great yet as 1 Iohn 3.20 and Paul 1 Cor. 4.4 he saith that God is a greater witnesse then our conscience and Paul saith though his heart acquit him yet he is not acquited for a man often dreameth of himselfe and deceiveth himselfe and beguileth himselfe in his purposes which when it commeth to be ript up coram magno teste before the great witnesse shall be found to have beene wrong and shall not prevaile therefore we give it the second place Now the third 3. Man Because God will not speake from Heaven and a mans conscience may be seared the third is one man to another Ios 24.22 saith unto the people Vos estis mihi testes ye are my witnesses that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him and they said Sumus testes we are
2.37 By prayer the Apostles performed that service to the Lord which the Apostle cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 13.1 Therefore so oft as we resort to the house of God to put up our petitions to God then we doe him service properly and nâ—t onely when wee are present at a Sermon for then God rather serveth us and attends us and entreates us by his Ministers to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5. As prayer is a part of Gods worship so the neglect of prayer is a sinne as one saith peccatum non orandi Therefore the Prophet among other sinnes wherewith he chargeth the wicked reckoneth this to be one that they call not on the Lord Psal 14.9 The neglect of this duty was the beginning of Sauls fall as all the Fathers interpret that place 1 Sam. 14.19 where it is said that Saul commanded the Priest to with-draw his hand from the Arke For this hath beene commanded ever from the beginning that we should pray unto God not onely in the law of nature Iob. 8.5 But also in the law of Moses Deut. 10.12 In the time of the law a speciall part of the service which the people performed to God was the offering up of incense and therefore the Prophet compareth prayer to incense Psal 141.2 And it is most fitly resembled to incense for the use of incense was to sweeten those places which are unsavory Even so the wicked imaginations and unchast thoughts of our hearts which yeeld a stinking smell in the nostrils of God are sweetned by no other meanes then by prayer and therefore to shew how the one is resembled by the other it is said that while the incense was a burning the people were without upon their knees in prayer Luke 1.10 neither was it a thing usuall in the law onely but also in the Prophets Call upon me Psal 50. aperi os tuum implebo Psal 81. Touching the effect and fruit whereof it is said Whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved Ioel 2. Secondly albeit God have little Commandements as Christ speakes Matth. 5. Hee that breakes one of these little Commandements Yet this touching the duty of prayer is not a slight Commandement but of great instance and so much we are to gather from hence that Christ is not content once to say Aske but repeates it in three severall termes aske seeke knock which as Augustine saith sheweth instantissimam necessitatem From the vehemencie of this Commandement we are to consider these three things first it lets us see our want and neede in that wee are willed to aske secondly by seeking Christ doth intimate thus much to us that we have lost our selves thirdly in that he would have us to knocke he would have us to learne that we are as men shut out of the presence of God and his Kingdome where is the fulnesse of joy and pleasure for ever The first sheweth man what is the misery of his estate in regard whereof he is called Enoch secondly his blindnesse which is so great that when he doth pray he asketh he knowes not what Matth. 20. If hee would pray he knowes not how to pray for which cause the Disciples desire Christ to teach them Luke 11. Their blindnesse is such as they know not the way to come to the Father as Thomas confesseth Iohn 14.5 Thirdly it sheweth our slothfulnesse in seeking our owne good which appeareth herein that we have neede to have a Commandement given us to stirre us up to pray to God The third thing in the precept is the dependance of these three word petite quaerite pulsate For there is no idle word in Gods book Therefore as they that have to doe with Gold will make no waste at all but gather together the least paring so we must esteeme preciously of Gods word which is more precious then Gold We must be gone hence and there is a place whither we desire all to come which wee cannot doe except we knocke and because we know not at what dore to knocke therefore we must seeke the dore But we have no will nor desire to seeke therefore Christ willeth in the first place that we aske it and the thing that we must aske is the spirit of grace and of prayer and if we aske it then shall we have ability and power not only to seeke the dore but when we have found it to knock at it Fourthly as these words depend one upon another so they are to be distinguished one from another they that are suitors for any earthly benefit doe occupie not onely their tongue in speaking but their legges in resorting to great persons they that seeke doe occupie not onely their legges in going up and downe but their eyes to looke in every place and they that knock as they use other members so especially they use their hands But when our Saviour enjoyneth us the use of prayer he expresseth it not in one word but in three severall termes to teach us that when we come to pray to God the whole man must be occupied and all the members of the body imployed in the service of God for Christ will not have pearls cast unto swine and we may not looke to have the gifts of God cast into our mouthes but if we will obtaine we must first open our mouthes to aske it Psal 81. Secondly they are not so easily found as that we shall stumble upon them but we must seeke diligently with the lifting up of our eyes Psal 1.20 And to God that dwels in the Heavens Psal 123. Thirdly because the dore is shut and locked up therefore we must knock for which end we are willed To lift up our hands with our hearts to God which is in Heaven Lam. 3. The lifting up of our hand is that which the people call the Evening sacrifice Psal 141. As the body so also the soule may not bee idle but occupied with these three vertues first it must petere which noteth confidence and trust secondly quaerere which signifies diligence thirdly pulsare which implyeth perseverance If we joyne these three vertues to our prayer doubtlesse we shall be heard As the second cause of our life here is sudor vultus for we live arando ac serendo by plowing and sowing so the second cause of our living is another sudor vultus which consisteth in asking seeking knocking As in the sweate of our browes we eate the bread that feeds our bodies so by these spirituall paines and endeavours we come to the bread of life which feedeth our soules eternally Now if we aske that question that is made Iob 21.15 What profit shall we have if we pray unto him It is certaine that God having created us may justly command us but he doth not onely constraine us to pray by his commandement but allure us thereunto by his promise he saith if we aske the life of grace we shall obtaine it if we seeke it we shall finde it
unloose Christs shooe Mat. 3. he might have tooke it in scorne that the Disciples of John should teach him his duty after the example of John but Christ to commend his humility is content both in his preaching and praying to follow John John said Every tree that brings not forth good fruit Matth. 3. And Christ though he were the wisedome of God and furnished with all manner of doctrine yet was content to borrow that sentence from John Baptist as appeareth in his Sermon Matth. 7. So he was content to follow him in prayer So that the example of Johns diligence in teaching his Disciples that duty was a motive to him to do the like unto him Whereas the Disciples of Christ tell him that John was wont to teach his Disciples to pray they speake by experience for divers of them were before-time Disciples unto John as appears Joh. 1.37 The ordinary prayer that was used in the Synagogue among the Jewes was that prayer which is intituled the prayer of Moses Psal 90. and as Christ saith The Law and the Prophets were untill John Luk. 16. So that prayer of Moses continued in the Church of the Jewes untill Johns time when he was come he used another forme of prayer which endured to the comming of Christ who having taught his Disciples a third forme of prayer Johns prayer ceased the reason was because as the Apostle speaketh of Moses Heb. 3. Albeit both Moses the Prophets and John were faithfull in the house of God yet they were but servants but Christ was that Sunne of righteousnesse and the day-starre that was long before promised and therefore seeing he being come hath taught a more perfect forme of prayer hee beeing onely wise all other formes ought to give place to his Secondly according to the rule of John Baptist a man can receive nothing except it be given him from above Joh. 3.2 Then if wee will obtaine any thing we must put up our supplications to God for it but in making our prayers we may offend for he that is of the earth is earthly and speakes earthly things Therefore John according to his owne confession may mingle some corruption with his prayer But Christ that is from heaven is above all Joh. 3. and therefore if he teach us to pray it shall be in such sort as God shall accept it and for this cause Christs prayer doth excell the prayers both of Moses and John and all the Prophets Touching which forme of prayer as before he had given them an abridgement of that obedience which the law requireth Luk. 16. So here he doth briefly set downe a forme of prayer As it is said of him that grace and truth is by Jesus Christ Joh. 1. so when in the other Chapter he had shewed them the truth of the Law so now he tels them that grace must be sought for of God by prayer whereby wee may be able to obey that Law The suit of the Disciples being both profitable to themselves and no subtile question Christ is content presently to grant their request and therefore his answer is When yee pray say c. Wherein we are to observe two things first whereas there are certaine practicke spirits that crosse that saying of our Saviour and tell us we may not use this prayer which Christ gave saying Our Father but that we are to frame our prayers of our owne as our state shall require these words are a contradiction to their ne dicite Christ himselfe hath commanded us to use this forme of prayer and therefore we may be bold to say Our Father whatsoever prayers we make of our selves they have some earth because wee our selves are of the earth but the prayer instituted by Christ is free from all imperfection because it was penned from him that was from above Joh. 3. In this prayer there is not one word wanting that should be put in nor any word more then ought to be Therefore both in regard of the Author of it and the Matter we may safely use this forme of Prayer Secondly these words are an opposition betwixt Cogitate and Dicite It is not enough to thinke in our minds this prayer but our prayers must be Vocal so that as in this Christ casteth out the dumbe devill so here he casteth out the dumbe prayer It is true that the life of prayer and thanksgiving standeth herein That we sing praises with under standing Psal 47. that we do or are mente spiritu 1 Cor. 14. Herein stands the soule of prayer but as we our selves have not onely a soule but a body also so our prayer must have a body Our tongue must be the penne of a ready writer Psalm 45. We must at the time of prayer bow our knees as our Saviour Christ did Luk. 22.41 We must lift up our hearts with our hands Lam. 3. Our eyes must be lift up to God that dwelleth in the heaven Ps 123. And as David sayes Psal 135. All our bones must be exercised in prayer The reason why we must use this forme of prayer is taken from the skill of him that hath penned it and from his favour with God We are not acquainted with the phrases of the Court and we know not what sure to make unto God But Christ who is our Advocate in whom all treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hid Col. 2. He can forme us a bill and make such a petition for us as shall be acceptable at the hands of God None knowes the things of God but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. So none knowes what pleaseth God but Christ who hath received the Spirit from God and in this regard as he knowes Gods will best so he is best able to frame a forme of prayer so as it may be agreeable to Gods will Secondly touching the Authority which Christ hath with God his Father it was such as God proclamed from Heaven This is my beloved Sonne and Christ saith Thou hearest mee alwayes Joh. 11. So greatly was he respected with God In both these respects we may be bold to say Our Father c. We have the promise that if we aske any thing in the name of Christ he gives it us Joh. 16.17 Much more may we have confidene to be heard Si non modo in nomine ejus sed verbis ejus The Apostle saith If I had the tongue of Men and Angels 1 Cor. 13. His meaning is that the tongues of Angels were more glorious then the tongues of men and therefore that song of the Angels Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. is magnified in the Church But this prayer was formed by the tongue of Christ who is the Lord of Angels The Cherubims hid their faces before th◠Lord of Hosts Esay 6. And he that made this prayer was the Lord of Hosts of whom it is said Os Domini exercituum locutum est This prayer as one said is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ingaging of our charity and love for we
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
devotion and reverence for both must be joyned together neither feare without the consideration of his goodnesse nor bold confidence that is not tempered with a dutifull regard of his power is acceptable to him So that which we learned in lege credendi that God is the Father Almighty is here taught againe in lege supplicandi where wee are instructed in our prayers to ascribe both these unto God first that hee is our Father secondly our heavenly Father The consideration of these two are the pillars of our faith and there is no petition wherein we doe not desire that God will either shew us his goodnesse or assist us with his power and no Psalme or Hymne that is not occupied in setting forth one of these The titles which expresse Gods goodnesse have two words the one a word of faith the other a word of hope and charity Of both these words of Pater and noster Basil saith that here Lex supplicandi non modo credendi sed operandi Legem statuit The Law of prayer doth not onely establish and confirme the Law of beliefe but of working also For where in the word Father is expressed the love of God to us it comprehendeth withall the love wee beare to him Where we call God our Father and not my Father therein is contained our love to our neighbour whom we are to love no lesse then our selves Vpon these two hang the Law and the Prophets Matth. 22. Againe the word Father is a word of faith and our a word of charity and the thing required of us in the new Testament is Fides per charitatem operans Faith which worketh by charity Gal. 5. So that in these words Our Father we have a summe both of the Law and the Gospel Christ might have devised many more magnificent and excellent termes for God but none were apt and fit for us to assure us of Gods favour Our Saviour saith Luke 11.13 That earthly fathers which many times are evill men have notwithstanding this care for their children that if they aske them bread they will not give them a stone much more shall our heavenly Father give us the holy Spirit if we aske it Wherefore Christ teaching us to call God by the name of Father hath made choyce of that word which might serve most to stirre us up unto hope for it is Magnum nomen sub quo nemini desperandum a great name under which no man can despaire There may seeme an opposition to be betwixt these words Father and Our if we consider first the Majesty of God before whom the hils doe tremble and the Angels in Heaven cover their faces Secondly our owne uncleannesse and basenesse both in respect of the mould whereof we be made which made Abraham confesse himselfe unworthy to speake unto God being but dust and ashes Gen. 18. And also in regard of our pollution of sinne in which regard we are called The slaves of sinne and children of the Devill Iohn 8. Herein we finde a great distance between God and us and so are we farre from challenging this honour to bee the sonnes of God in regard of our selves Who durst saith Cyprian pray to God by the name of Father if Christ our Advocate did not put these words in our mouthes He knoweth how God standeth affected towards us for all our unworthinesse and therefore seeing he hath framed this patition for us we may boldly as he commandeth say thus Our Faâ—her Therefore albeit of our selves we cannot conceive hope that God is our Father yet we may call him Father by the authority of Christ and say with Augustine Agnosce Domine stilum advocati Filâ—iâ—ui Lord take notice of the stile of our Advocate thy Sonne Wee know not Gods affection towards us but by Christ wee take notice of him for hee hath declared him unto us Iohn 1.18 and being taught that God in Christ vouchsafeth to admit us for his children Wee doe with boldnesse come to the throne of grace Heb. 4. Therefore we have thankfully to consider unto what dignity wee that live under the Gospel are exalted not onely above the Patriarches in the time of the Law but above the heavenly Spirits Before the Law was given Abraham saith Shall I speake to the Lord Gen. 18. In the Law Christ saith Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus Exod. 20. then he was not called Father But if we aske that question which the Apostle makes To which of the Angels said he Thou art my Sonne Heb. 1.5 It will appeare that God hath honoured us in a degree above Angels for that he giveth us leave to call him Father Thus we see what preheminence we have from God above as well the Saints on earth in time of the Law as the heavenly Angels that we may not only pray but pray thus Our Father In the word Father we are further to note not onely that God is the cause of all things for that he bringeth forth all things but also his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or naturall affection to those things that are produced Gods Paternity is first generally to be considered in all creatures which for that they have their being from God he is said to be their Father So Iob called God Pater pluviae The Father of the raine Iob 38. Also he is called Pater Luminum Iam. 1.17 and this is a motive sufficient to move God to be favourable to our prayer if there were no more that we are his creatures so David spake Despise nâ—t the work of thine owne hands Psal 138. But men have another use of Gods paternity for whereas of other things God said Producat terra Ger. 1. When man was to be created he said Let us make man giving us to understand that how soever other creatures had their being from God immediately God himselfe would be his Father and frame him immediately with his owne hand Secondly when God created man according to his owne Image he breathed into him life immortall he gave him the sparkes of knowledge and indued his soule with reason and understanding in which regard it is called the candle of the Lord Prov. 21. Thirdly when man was fallen from his first estate God opened to him a doore of repentance which favour hee hath not vouchsafed to the Angels that fell and so wee may crave Gods favour not onely as we are the workes of Gods hands but as we are his owne Image Fourthly God is our Father as we are Christians that which Moses saith Is he not thy Father Deut. 33. and Doubtlesse thou art our Father Isa 63. is to be understood of our generation but we have a second birth called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Regeneration which setteth us in a degree above mankinde and makes us not onely men but Christians which if we be then we are the sons of God not as the raine or lights or they that are created to the Image of God but for that we are borne of God
wee meete with some great house we conjecture that some person of account dwells there and therefore Job saith that the basenesse of man in respect of the Angels is great for that he dwels in the houses of clay whose foundation is of the dust Job 4.19 But here our Saviour tells us that God our Father hath his dwelling in the stately Tabernacle of Heaven whereby we may gather what is the greatnesse of his power But before we come to these things which are particularly to be considered in these words First we are to take heed that wee run not into their errour which so confine and compasse God in Heaven as if he had nothing to do in earth such as they who say How should God know can be judge through the darke cloud the clouds cover him that hee cannot see Job 22.14 For when he is said to have his beeing in heaven the Holy Ghost thereby doth not expresse his presence but his power therefore we are to know that God is not so in heaven that he is not in earth also for so doth the old Testament witnesse of him Coelum terram ego impleo Jer. 23. Behold the heaven and heavens and the heaven of all heavens are not able to comprehend thee 1 Reg. 8.27 and the Prophet David saith If I goe up to heaven thou art there if I go downe to hell thou art there also Psal 139. Whereby it appeareth that we may not limit Gods power and presence to any one place who is every where present for when God is said to be in heaven we learne thereby what his excellencie is which doth especially shew it selfe there for as the glory Majesty of earthly Princes doth chiefly appeare in their thrones so the glory and Majesty of God doth especially shew it self in heaven which is his Throne Esay 66. Matth. 5.34 He hath not his denomination from earth a place of wormes and corruption but from heaven a place of eternall glory and happinesse Secondly the use of this is to temper our confidence in God for albeit we love him as he is our Father yet withall we must feare him for as much as he dwelleth in heaven as we may in regard of his goodnes pray unto him with confidence so withall considering his power we must pray with due devotion and reverence unto his Majewy for he is not as an earthly father that dwelleth in houses clay but his dwelling is in heaven and therefore as he is a Father and consequently will be honoured so because he is our Lord he requires feare at our hands Mal. 1.6 With thee is mercy that thou mayest be feared Psal 130.4 Whereby the Prophet would have us so to esteeme of Gods mercy that withall we be bound to feare him and that we be not like those that contemne the riches of Gods mercy the more that he laboureth with his bountifulnesse and goodnesse to bring us to repentance Rom. 2. for as sweet things have an obstructive power to stop the passages which are in our bodies and on the other side sowre and bitter things do fret and consume and so open the veines So it fareth with the soule for it is stopped when we consider nothing but the mercy of God and contrariwise when we cast our eyes too much upon the Majesty and power of God the force thereof casts us into an astonishment and brings to desperation and therefore that we neither have Nimiam trepidationem nor Nimiam ostentationem too much terrour nor too much security we must know that God is so in heaven as that yet he is a Father and as he is a Father so not an earthly but an heavenly Father and we cannot but feare and reverence God if we in humility consider our basenesse in respect of him for though he be our Father yet so long as we be on earth we are strangers and exiles from him and howsoever it please him to account us sonnes yet as it fared with Absalon we cannot see our Fathers face 2 Sam. 14. untill he take us hence that we may be at home with him in his kingdome of Glory Thirdly these words lead us also to a confidence in God and serve to raise up our faith There is Paternitas both in heaven and earth Ephes 3.16 There are Fathers of the flesh and Fathers of the spirit Heb. 12. But when the Holy Ghost saith that God our Father hath his being in heaven we are thereby to distinguish him from other fathers If he be an heavenly Father he is of a more excellent nature then other fathers that are earthly and carnall for they are mortall as they live on earth so by death they shall be brought sub terris and do forsake us but our heavenly Father is immortall his yeares change not Psal 102. and though our Fathers and mothers forsake us yet the Lord will take us up and succour us Psal 27. Secondly though earthly fathers were immortall yet they are not able and their affections are turned away either by meanes of some lewd parts in the children or for that they beare not that naturall affection towards their children which they ought But God is immutable in his love so that although Jacob will not acknowledge us and Abraham will not know us yet God will be our Father Esay 63.16 The Apostle saith There are wicked parents that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without all naturall affection Rom. 1. And it falleth out that sometime a woman will deale cruelly with her owne child but though she forget it yet God our heavenly Father will not forget his children nor turne his fatherly affection from them Esay 49. and therefore Tertullian saith Nullus pater tam pater no father so fatherly Thirdly though they wish us never so well yet many times they cannot do us that good they would for want of ability yea though they be never so able yet they cannot deliver from sicknesse and death for the sonnes of Princes die daily they can give us bread and fish Luk. 11. they have a care to provide and lay up for their children 2 Cor. 12.14 but it is such treasure as the moth and rust will corrupt Matth. 6.19 But God our heavenly Father can deliver us from all evill he can give us not onely bread and fish and other things necessary for this life but his holy Spirit if wee aske it Luk. 11. The treasure that God layeth up for us is not earthly but an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled 1 Pet. 1. such things as neither eie hath seene nor eare hath heard Esay 64. 1 Cor. 1. For God is not onely carefull in this life for our well doing the knowledge of that is spes mortua but his care extendeth to the life to come and therefore the Holy Ghost saith not Pater in coelo sed in coelis in the heavens whereby he hath begotten us unto a lively hope 1 Pet. 1.4 Quaecunque optant vel timent homines
Whatsoever things men either with for or are affrayd of all things come from heaven whether it be raine drought or contagion or plague and from the first heaven Ubi vultures coeli Matth. 6. From this heaven Saint Paul tels the heathen that God sends us raine and fruitfull seasons Act. 14. And when Job saith that God sends raine and frosts and snow and thundreth and worketh marvellous things c. Job 37. that is done in Primo coelo But in the second heaven are the Eclipses of the Sunne and Moone there he workes in the signes of heaven He binds the seven starres together Job 38.31 whatsoever wonders are wrought there it is God that worketh them and therefore he saith to his sonnes Nolite timere à signis coeli Jer. 10. he is in the second heaven and will not suffer any thing to hurt them The third heaven is that whereunto the Saints of God shall be received in the life to come where Saint Paul heard things that were not lawfull to be uttered 2 Cor. 12. So that as God will not suffer the first or second heaven to do us hurt so hee will bring us to the happinesse of the third heaven for he is Pater noster in coelis whereby we have hope and comfort not in this life onely which is but a dead hope but a lively hope touching the life to come For Christ doth not expresse Gods power by an action saying Our Father which madest heaven and earth Psal 121. nor which ridest upon the heavens Psal 68. But by a locall word to shew that as God is in heaven so we have an interest in the same place and that he will at the length bring us to the same place where he is Fourthly this word Heaven serveth to prepare us to prayer to the end that we should lift up our hearts and affections from earth to heaven seeing we speake not to an earthly father but to one that is in heaven and this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sursum corda Touching which thing one saith Aquilarum est hoc negotium this businesse belongs to Eagles which as they flie highest so they look most stedfastly upon the Sunne non Talparum not belonging to moules nor of such as are blind and will not open their eyes nec Milvorvm neither of Kites which albeit they flye aloft yet cast their eyes still downeward to the dunghill wee must wish with the Prophet O that I had the wings of a Dove Psal 55. and labour more and more to flye up with the Eagle into heaven into the presence of God the Father and his Sonne who sitteth at the right hand bodily for ubi cadaver ibi congregantur aquilae Luk. 17. As the consideration of Gods Majesty who is in heaven doth bring us downe and make us bow our knees before God our Father Eph. 3. So it must cause us levare manus corda Lam. 3. and to lift up our eyes to the hills Psal 121. and to have such a continuall meditation of his power that we may say with David Providebam Dominum in conspeclu meo semper I have set the Lord alwayes before mee Fifthly this word doth admonish us what things we should sue unto God for he is a heavenly Father therefore we must aske of him heavenly things his answer to the sons of Zebedeus was Matth. 20. Ye aske yee know not what honour and wealth are not things proportionable to him that is in heaven and an earthly Prince will count it a disgrace if a man aske at his hands meane things such as may be had of every man The gifts we are to aske of our heavenly Father are the eternall salvation of our soules this gift of the holy Ghost which he hath promised to them that aske it Luk. 11. and all spirituall blessings in heavenly places Eph. 1.3 God is a Father as Abraham was and as he had moveable goods which he gave to the sonnes of Keturah so he bestowed the inherinance which was immoveable upon his sonne Isaas Gen. 25. So we that are the children of the promise as Isaac was Gal. 4. must seeke for the inheritance of Isaac and not content our selves with that portion which was given to the sonnes of Keturah Salomon saith not amisse Two things have I desired of the Lord Prov. 30. But David saith better Unam perii à Domino I have sought one thing of the Lord Psal 27. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord that I may be partaker of Grace in this life and may be received into glory in the life to come Unto Martha that was troubled about many things our Saviour said Unum est necessarium Luk. 10. and this is the reason why it is not said qui es in terris For God sheweth himselfe a Father rather in heaven then in earth Deus pater est in coelis he is in heaven by assuring us of Gods heavenly blessings for they are the signes of Gods fatherly bounty to such as are his heires by promise as for earthly things he sheweth himselfe in them rather to the sonnes of Keturah then to Isaac and in respect of this world Martha is said to have chosen the better part Luk. 10. Sixthly as it teacheth us what we must pray for so also we learn hereby what wee are to judge of our selves and how we are to dispose of our minds when we come to pray if God our Father be in heaven then because we are yet on earth we must esteeme of our selves as strangers and pilgrims This did all the Fathers acknowledge I am a stranger and sojourner upon earth as all my Fathers were Psal 39. and therefore having a longing to be in our City Wo is mee that I am constrained to dwell in Meshech Psal 120. The Apostles Peter and Paul confessed the same the one writing to the Church of God calleth them Pilgrims and strangers 1 Pet. 2. the others reporteth of the Fathers that they confessed themselves strangers and Pilgrims upon earth and in saying these things they shew that they sought a country not the land of Canaan from whence they came for they had time to returne thither if they had beene mindfull of it but they sought a better that is an Heavenly City Heb. 11.13 and we have no abiding City here but do looke for one to come Heb. 12.13 These shew us that albeit we have our dwelling in earth and be subject to many calamities yet for this our exile we do genus de coelo ducere we take our pedegree from heaven When therefore as the Poet saith os homini sublime dedit it is a shame for us to have our hearts downeward we must remember that we are of a more excellent nature then other creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are his kindred Act. 17. we have received from God a soule and spirit indued with many heavenly qualities which beeing dissolved from the body returneth to God that gave
it Eccles 12. During this our exile and pilgrimage we are not onely to consider that we looke upwards with our faces which moved the Heathen to meditate on heaven but chiefly that in our soules wee have the Image of God imprinted ought to move the people to thinke of God and to set our minds onthings above Col. 3. Albeit we be here in a farre country farre from our fathers dwelling yet we must not forget our fathers dwelling house Luk. 15. The poition is in heaven which our Father will give us and that we seeke to be acquainted with the lawes of that country where our inheritance lyeth that we may guide our lives according to the same lest being rebellious we deprive ourselves of our right and be disinherited Secondly seeing we know that we are not in our owne country we must say as Absolon did Why am I come hither if I may not see the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. He being an ungratious sonne was desirous to see his father then it shall be a shame for us that are all the Sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. if we have not a longing desire to come before the presence of God our Father Psal 42. and except we have a desire to enter into the Courts of the Lord Psal 84. except that with the Apostle we desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1. the first begotten of many brethren and if with our Father God we lay up our treasure in heaven and count it our chiefe felicitie to be there then would we thinke upon heaven more then we doe For where our treasure is there must our hearts be also Matth. 6. But because we altogether set our hearts on earthly things therefore it falls out that our heart is as a heavy clodde of earth and unable to lift it selfe up to heavenly meditation Thirdly as wee desire to be in heaven in our Fathers house so our conversation must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3. we must not live by the lawes of earthly Princes and Acts of Parliaments but by an heavenly law though we be strangers on earth yet we are Citizens of heaven and must carry our selves according to the lawes of our country being alwayes desirous to do that which pleaseth our heavenly Father though there were no humane law to compell us thereunto and whereas naturall men have for the end of their civill actions bonum commune a common utility we that are spirituall must make bonum coeleste the heavenly good our end we must do well because God will behold our well-doing favourably and the Angels of heaven will be glad of it Luk. 15. Christ who is the Lord from heaven did subject himselfe to the will of God his Father Not my will but thy will be done and as hee that is heavenly so must they that will be heavenly as we now beare the Image of the earthly so shall we port are imaginem coolestis 1 Col. 15. He while he lived on earth did guide himselfe by an heavenly law and we that remaine on earth must expresse his image by the imitation of his obedience It is true which both our Saviour Christ and John Baptist said That that is borne of the flesh is flesh and so that that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth Job 3. But there must be an imitation and we must set our selves forward towards our heavenly country But because it is not in our power to doe this of our selves for that as Christ sayes No man can come to mee except the Father draw him Joh. 6. therefore wee must pray with the Church in the Canticles Cant. 1.4 Trabe me and to this end doth the holy exercise of fasting and mortification serve greatly that wee may as it were with Doves wings flye up into Heaven As the word Father doth shew us not onely our dignity but our duty also so the word Heavenly doth not onely give us a hope of heaven but also teacheth us that seeing our Father is heavenly wee must live by the lawes of Heaven As we are carefull to be made partakers of the inheritance which God hath prepared for us so we must be as carefull to please him and to do those things which are agreeable to his will We must not onely know Quid sperandum what is to be hoped for but Quid praestandum what is to be performed of us If we pray not onely with confidence because God doth take us for his sonnes but also with invocation with devotion and reverence knowing that our Father hath his dwelling in heaven and we are pilgrims in earth Thus shall we be veri adoratores Joh. 4. true worshippers As we know we shall have our part in heaven so we must begin our heaven here on earth and this shall be done if we adde our endeavour to those things which we pray for at the hands of God as August prayeth Da Domine ut pro quibus oramus pro iis laboremus Grant Lord that the things we pray for and crave of thee for them we may also labour THE NINTH SERMON Hallowed be thy Name HAving ended the first part of this prayer which we called Invocation consisting upon the power and goodnesse of God we come to the petitions themselves which are seven of which the first concerneth God the other concerne our selves or they may be divided as the dayes of the weeke whereof as one falleth out to Gods portion the other to be imployed in our owne affaires So of these petitions the first doth immediately concerne the glory of God the other sixe the supply of our owne necessities in the beginning we heard that it is expedient to know not onely what we are to aske but in what order what first and what second touching which point we are taught by this forme of prayer that that petition which concerneth the sanctification of Gods name is Caput votorum and that all other things that we either desire or pray for in our owne behalfe ought to stand after it and that wee must both desire and pray for the sanctification of Gods name before any thing that we desire either for our selves or for our brethren whether it be for the removing of evill or for the obtaining of good for as before we learned what his love is to us in that he vouchsafed to be our Father so hereby we shall expresse our love againe to him if when we come to pray to him for our necessities we be carried away with such a desire of the glory of our heavenly Father that we forget our owne selves and desire onely that his name may be sanctified which duty Christ doth by his owne example commend unto us In this forme of prayer we are put in mind of that which before was required in the law of works for as there vve learned that God is not honoured aright except he be loved above all things because he
of God is to account him glorious so that when we pray Hallowed be thy Name our desire is that Gods name which is holy of it selfe may be so accounted of us and be holily used by us And whereas he saith not glorificetur or magnificetur nomen tuum glorified or magnified by thy Name but sanctificetur hallowed or sanctified be thy Name it is to the end that we receiving the sanctification of Gods spirit might have a holy regard of his Name for things may be accounted great and glorious by those which are accounted neither great nor glorious but sanctificetur cannot come from any persons that are prophane but onely such persons as are holy therefore the Angels in heaven cry not Glorious Glorious but Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. The title that Aaron ware upon his breast was not Glory but Holinesse unto the Lord Exod. 28. And the foure beasts ceased not to cry day and night Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty Rev. 4.8 The duties which pertaine to the sanctifying of Gods name are two First that against which we do Deprecari or pray to be removed secondly that for which wee do pray or desire to be granted First wee are to pray that we may not use the name of God which is Wonderfull and Holy either contemptuously to Magicke or cursing or negligently abuse it upon any slight occasion because that holy things are to be separated from a common use and are not to be used but when necessity requireth We see by experience that the holy name of God hath not that reverence which it ought to have and therefore the persons which do take it in vaine do oftentimes pull upon themselves the plagues and vengeance of God by that sinne for God doth in justice punish such offenders not because the name of God can receive any pollution by mens default but because we doe quantum in nobis est as farre as in us lyeth pollute the holy name of God even as hee that looketh after a woman to lust after her hath already committed the sinne of uncleannesse although she be not a whit the lesse chaste for his lust Mat. 5. The Heathen faile in this duty because they do appropriate the name of God to foure-footed beasts Rom. 1.23 And change the glory of God who is incorruptible into the similitude of mortall man The Jew sinneth because he contemnes the name of JESUS which is a name above all names Phil. 2. and despiseth the name of CHRIST the preciousnesse whereof appeareth herein by that that it is Oleum effusum an ointment powred out Cant. 1. But as we are to pray against the contemptuous abuse of Gods name so we are to pray that we do not negligently or carelesly use it without that reverent estimation and regard that is due to it that we tread not under feete the Sonne of God nor account of the blood of the Testament whereby we are fanctified as a common thing Heb. 10.29 Secondly Moses and Aaron were debarred from entring into the land of Canaan not because they polluted Gods name but for that they did not sanctifie the Lord among the children of Israel at the waters of strife Deut. 32.51 Therefore as we pray against the contempt and negligent use of Gods name so we must pray that we may have a due regard of it First that we sanctifie Gods name in our hearts 1 Pet. 3. Secondly we must not use the name of God with our tongues but seriously and therefore we are forbidden to take it in vain in the third Commandement Thirdly in all our actions we must not begin any thing that is extraordinary but in the Name of the Lord that made heaven and earth Psal 124. and men must referre the end of them to the Glory of his name 1 Cor. 10. God whose name is called upon by us is holy and Christ of whom we are called Christians Act. 11. is holy therefore we must sanctifie God in our actions Neither do we pray that we our selves onely may sanctifie Gods name but that others also may do the same for Christ saith not Sanctisicemus let us sanctifie but Sanctificetur let thy name be sanctified This is it whereunto the Prophet exhorteth Laudate Dominum omnes Gentes Laudate Dominum omnes populi Psal 100. and Psal 117. Praise the Lord all yee Nations praise him all yee people that is for persons For places The Lords name be praysed from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same Psal 113. Thirdly for the time Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth for evermore Psal 113. But because it cannot generally be sanctified except it be known we must desire that all may know God and pray with the Prophet Let thy way be knowne upon earth and thy saving health among all Nations Psal 67. Secondly not to know it only but cheerfully to go forward in the profession of Gods truth and in the worship of his name Thou hast multiplyed the people but not increased their joy Esay 9.2 But wee are to pray that as all Nations know his name so that they may so carry it and professe it as that the Heathen may not have occasion to say scoffingly Populus Dei est iste Ezek. 36.20 We must desire of God that all that professe his name may so carry themselves that for their sakes the name of God may not be evill spoken of among the Gentiles Rom. 2. But contrariwise that they may shine as lights in the world among a froward and crooked generation Phil. 2. That they may by their good workes stirre up all men to glorifie our heavenly Father Matth. 5. and by their good conversation without the word winne those that obey not the Word 1 Pet. 3.2 We are to desire that such as have not yet cared to performe this duty may now begin that such as have begun to sanctifie Gods name may goe forwards and that such as are fallen away from God and pollute that holy Name which sometimes they did highly esteeme may resipiscere that being renewed by repentance they may recover themselves out of Relapses that they may be of the society of Angels that cry continually Holy Holy Holy Esay 6. Rev. 4. We must be carefull not for our selves onely but for those over whom we have power that they may sanctifie Gods name and account it holy that the Heathen may not take occasion to pollute the holy name of the Lord saying Are these the people of the Lord but that while they behold our good conversation they may have occasion to say Verily God is in you 1 Cor. 14.1 Cor 14.25 Thirdly Tuum nomen thy name men are given generally to give a kind of honour to God but in the meane time they will have themselves honoured but here they are taught otherwise It is our duty to ascribe all glory to God Non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam Not unto us O Lord not unto us
will and as Christ saith willingly deny our selves Matth. 16.24 We must oppose Gods will to the will of the flesh and the will of man Iohn 1.13 We must pray unto God Converte meum nolle in tuum velle convert my froward and unwilling will into thy will and because thy will is the true will Insereolem voluntatis tuae oleastro voluntatis meae ingraft the true Olive of thy will into the wilde Olive of my will If our will be contrary unto Gods will and will not be subject unto it then we must scatter it and pull it up by the rootes Psal 32.9 In chamo fraeno constringe maxillas meas sayes an ancient Father and upon the words of Christ Compell them to enter that my house may bee full Luke 24. saith he Compelle me Domine intrare si vocare non est sais Secondly that Gods will may be done in us we must be possessed with a base conceit of our will and have an high and reverent opinion of Gods will we must be perswaded that our owne will is blinde and childish and perverse and therefore Solomon saith Ne innitaris c. Doe not leane to thine owne wisedome Prov. 3.1 Every man is a beast by his owne knowledge and to expresse the fault of mans will Iob saith that man is tanquam pullus asini like an wilde Asses colt Iob 11.12 which of all other beasts is most foolish But be hee never so wise naturally yet he is but a foole in heavenly things as Saint Paul witnesseth 1 Cor. 2.14 Men speake evill of things which they know not yea even in those things which they know naturally they are but beasts Iudg. 10. All our reason and understanding hath not in it selfe sufficient direction for our will and therefore Christ saith of Saint Peter that flesh and bloud did not reveale to him that knowledge that is attained by Gods Spirit Matth. 16. and in spirituall things Saint Paul he counselled not with flesh and bloud Gal. 1.16 Lastly our will is wholly enclined to that which is evill Ier. 4. wherefore one saith truly Tolle voluntatem tuam ego extinguam inferaum take away thine owne will and I will quench hell fire They that are given over to Satan as the Incestuous Corinthians 1 Cor. 5. may be restored but those whom God giveth over to their owne will Rom. 1.24 their case is desperate and therefore wee have the more cause to thinke the more humbly of our owne will and willingly submit our selves to the holy will of God Touching both Saint Paul saith The Law is holy and the Commandement is holy and just and good and the Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sinne Rom. 7.14 But we must thinke honourably of Gods will and this we cannot but doe if we consider that his will is so perfect as it needeth no rule to be guided by but our will being crooked and perverse must of necessity be directed by the rule of his holy will or else we shall swerve out of the way Our will is blinde and foolish but his will is full of counsell and wisedome our will is crooked and perverse and froward but his will is full of all goodnesse which we are to understand hereby that he sheweth himselfe a Father to us if a child be left to his owne will it is as much as his life is worth therefore with-hold not correction but strike him with the rod and he shall not die Prov. 22.13 and our will being childish we must be abridged of it or else wee shall fall into danger therefore we doe pray that we may not onely submit our will to Gods but that we may utterly deny our owne will being foolish that Gods most holy will may take place in us but we doe not onely pray that we may have a will and desire to doe Gods will but also ability and power for of our selves we have no strength to doe it that appeareth by the petition it selfe Nam quid stultius quam petere id qâ—od penes nos est What is more foolish then to aske those things that are in our owne power and the Apostle saith We are not sufficient of our selves to thinke a good thought 2 Cor. 3. Such is our corruption That though God will yet we will not Matth. 23. We cannot speake unto God for no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. We doe not finde either will or ability but it is God that giveth both Phil. 2. and though the Spirit be willing yet the flesh is but weake Matth. 26.41 Therefore we are petitioners for the grace of God and for power from him without which we cannot doe Gods will so that our desire is to obtaine something from God whereby his will may be accomplished in us for it is not said faciamus or fac tis tuam voluntatem let us doe or doe thou thy will but fiat voluntas tua thy will be done Wherein we are to consider a quo per quem fiat from whom and by whom it is to be done we pray not that we of our selves may doe the will of God for no man can rise up to Heaven unlesse hee first receive a grace from Heaven He that is of the earth speaketh of the earth Iohn 3. Therefore our suite is not onely for good thoughts and heavenly desires but also for ability of grace but this grace is either passive or active The passive grace is that which proceeds from God towards us which standeth in offering grace as God is said to doe 1 Pet. 1.13 or when he causeth his grace to appeare to all men Tit. 1.2.11 and that is not enough unlesse we be made capable of it as it is invaine that light doth shine unlesse we have eyes to see it and therefore as hee offers grace so he must give us grace and enable us to draw grace from him Prov. 12.2 That he would powre grace into us Zach. 12. That he would sow in our hearts good thoughts change our affections and make them conformable to his will and so though the thoughts of his heart seeme hard to flesh and bloud may for all that please us And last our desire is ut induamur viriute ex alio Luke 24. and he doth offer his grace and doth powre it into us Then we must have that active grace by which the will of God may be done in us of which the Prophet saith Omnia opera nostra operatus es in nobis Thou Lord hast wrought all our workes in us Isa 26. God must not onely sanare cogitationem mutare affectum heale the thought and change our affection but perducere ad actum that is he must bring to passe that as he gives us ability to doe his will so his will may be done by us we must say with the Prophet Psal 27. Thou art my helpe for sake me not O God of my salvation As
to us that was offered to the Fathers for we beleeve to be saved by the faith of Jesus Christ as well as they Act. 15.11 and wee have no other Sacraments then those which the Jewes had of whom Saint Paul saith They all did eate the same spirituall meat and dranke the same spirituall drinke 1 Cor. 10. and therefore it is meete likewise that we should make the same prayer that they made and indeed there is no Petition in the Lords Prayer which is not found in the Old Testament used by the Church of the Jewes For that which the Prophet prayeth Psalm 57.6 Lift up thy selfe O God above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth Psal 67. That thy way may be knowne upon earth c. is nothing else but the hallowing of Gods Name Secondly Remember mee O God that I may see the felicity of thy chosen Psal 106. It is nothing else but an exposition of the second Petition where we pray Thy Kingdome come Thirdly these words of the Prophet Psal 143. Teach mee to do the thing that pleaseth thee is a full comprehension of the third Petition where we desire that his will be done Fourthly the eyes of all things do looke upon thee and thou givest them meat in due season Psal 145. and the prayer of Solomon Prov. 30. Give mee not poverty nor riches but feed mee with food meete is a full expressing of the fourth Petition Fifthly My misdeeds prevaile against mee O be mercifull to our sinnes Psal 65.3 is a summe of the fifth petition and the condition of this Petition is found Psal 7. wherein the Prophet saith If I have done any such thing or if there be any wickednesse in my hands If I have rewarded evill to him that dealt friendly with mee yea I have delivered him that without a cause was my enemy then let my enemy persecute my soule whereby he desireth no otherwise to be forgiven of God then as he doth forgive his brother Sixthly that which the Prophet prayeth Psal 119.37 Turne away my eyes that they behold not vanity and Psal 143. Set a watch before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips is that which Christ teacheth us to pray Lead us not into temptation Seventhly Redeeme Israel from all trouble Psal 25.20 in affect is as much as Deliver them from all evill which is the seventh Petition Lastly looke what reason Christ teacheth us to use here the same doth David use 1 Chron. 29. Therefore having the same prayer that the Jewes had it is meet that wee should have the same conclusion that they had and the same is they said Amen and so do wee Touching the use of this word it is found in Scriptures to have two seats or places and accordingly two severall expositions to wit in the beginning and in the end before and behind In the beginning as in the doctrine of the Sacrament of Baptisme concerning which our Saviour saith Amen Amen except a man be borne of the water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Joh. 3. And touching the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist Verily verily except yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood yee have no life in you Joh. 6.33 And touching the effect of prayer Christ saith also Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever yee shall aske the Father in my name hee will give it you Joh. 16. In those places the word Amen is used and thereby our Saviour laboureth to expresse the truth of that which he doth teach In the end likewise it is said as Psal 41.13 Psal 72. Psal 87.50 Praised be the Lord for evermore Amen Amen And in the New Testament when the Apostle sheweth That of the Jewes according to the flesh came Christ who is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9.5 Here the word is used and set behind to signifie that wee desire that that may be performed which God before by his Amen hath affirmed to be true Therefore David having received promise from the Lord by the hand of Nathan saith Let the thing that thou hast promised be Amen Let there be an accomplishment of the same 1 Chron. 17.25 So when the Prophet Hananiah had prophesied in the name of the Lord I have broken the yoke of the King of Babell and after two yeares will I bring againe into this place all the ornaments of the house of the Lord Jeremy the Prophet said Amen the Lord do as thou hast said Jer. 28.6 As in the beginning it ratifieth the truth of Gods promise so being set in the end it signifieth the desire of our hearts for the accomplishment of the same and this desire alwaies followeth and is grounded upon the promise of God and the truth thereof In which regard the Prophet saith Remember me O Lord concerning thy word wherein thou causest me to put my trust Psal 119. and therefore to Christs A non in the beginning where he promiseth Verily verily whatsoever ye aske in my name Iohn 16. we may boldly adde our Amen in the end that his Amen may be performed and by right doe we ground our Amen upon Gods Amen for he is called Amen that is truth Esa 65.16 So the Apostle expresseth it when speaking of Jesus Christ he saith Thus saith Amen the fault fall and true witnesse Revel 3.14 Therefore S. Paul saith of Christ that in him all the promises are made to us yea in the beginning and Amen to us in regard of the certaine accomplishment 2 Cor. 1. The reason of our Amen is because not onely faith but trust and confidence doth proceed from the truth of God fides hath relation to Gods truth but fiducia or confidence is setled upon Gods faithfulnesse and both are affirmed of God Moses saith of God that he is verus and fidelis Deut. 32. and Esay The Lord is faithfull Esa 49.7 8. Paul in the new Testament Hee is faithfull that promised Heb. 10. He deemed him faithfull that promised Heb. 11. For there are two things required in faithfulnesse without the which a man cannot be said to be faithfull the one is ability of which Abraham doubted not of Gods faithfulnesse being fully perswaded That what he promised he was able to performe Rom. 4.21 the other is will and readinesse to doe touching which the Apostle saith Faithfull is he that called you ipse faciet 1 Thes 5.24 These are the parts of faithfulnesse and they are both found in God and therefore not onely God the Father is true but Christ is said to be the truth Iohn 14. and the holy Ghost is called the Spirit of truth 1 Iohn 5.6 So that albeit men deale so untruly that it is verified of them ad men are lyers Rom. 3. Yet God abides faithfull and cannot denyâ—h myselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 So much the Prophet teacheth when he saith the mountaines shall be removed but the thing which be hath spoken shall not faile Esa 58. And
Pilate asked who accused Christ they answered If he had not beene a malefactor we would not have brought him before thee John 18.30 They were jolly grave men it was a flat flattery and in John 21.23 there is the like This ought to put us in minde when wee are tempted in like manner that we take heed we be not out-faced In the matter it selfe we are to consider these points First the devill sets it downe for a ground that follow what will bread must needs be had Therefore Christ first closeth with him Admit he had bread were he then safe No We live not by bread onely so that bread is not of absolute necessity Well what followes of that Bread you must needs have you see your want God hath left off to provide for you Then comes the conclusion Therefore shift for your selfe as well as you can First he soliciteth us to a mutinous repining within our selves as Heb. 3.8 Harden not your hearts as in the day of temptation c. whereby he forceth us to breake out into such like conceites as Psal 116.11 I said in my distresse that all men be lyars and Psal 31.22 I said in my haste I am cast off Thus closely he distrusted God in saying his Prophets prophesie lyes till at last we even open our mouthes against God himselfe and say This evill commeth from the Lord shall I attend on the Lord any longer 2 Kings 6.33 Hunger and shame is all we shall get at Gods hands And so casting off God betake themselves to some other Patron and then the devill is fittest for their turne For when we are fallen out with one it is best serving his enemy and to retaine to the contrary faction Then we seeke a Familiar with Saul to answer us 1 Sam. 28.7 But what did the devill then tell him did he bring comfort with him No he tels him that to morrow he and his sennes should dye So here doth the devill bring a stone with him What Father saith Christ if his Sonne aske him bread would give him a stone Matth. 7.9 yet the devill doth so Christ was hungry and the devill shewes him stones Here is the devils comfort here be stones for thee if thou canst devise any way to make these stones bread thou art well whereas we doe not use to make bread of stones but of wheate to worke it with the sweat of our browes to get it so we learne Gen. 3.19 By extortion and usury we may make stones into bread that is the devils Alchymistry or haply we may make bread of nothing when a man gets a thing by anothers oversight Gen. 43.12 Or else what and if we can over-reach our brother in subtilty and goe beyond him with a tricke of wit or cunning Let no man defraud or oppresse his brother in any matter for the Lord is avenged of all such 1 Thes 4.6 The one is called the bread of violence and oppression Prov. 4.17 The other The bread of deceit They are indeed both made of stones for they still retaine their former property as the event will declare For though in the beginning such bread be pleasant Prov. 20.17 yet after his mouth is but filled with gravell After which will consequently follow gnashing of teeth THE THIRD SERMON MATTH 4.4 But he answering said It is written Man shall not live by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God IT was a good service that Elisha 2 Reg. 6.9 did to tell the King of the traines laid for him when they lay in ambush against him And even this is the first use that wee have of our Saviours Temptations It warnes us aforehand of the devils comming so that we may have time to prepare our selves accordingly For as at that time the devill came upon Christ when hunger pinched him so where we are in any distresse we are to looke for temptations This temptation hath two parts First comes Si a distrust Secondly followes unlawfull meanes Having laid this foundation that bread is necessary to be had when one is hungry he inferreth that God helpeth not nor supplyeth the want therefore God is not the Father Matth. 7.6 and therefore depend no longer on him but shift for your selfe This is the effect of the devils argument The Fathers upon the words Ephes 6.16 Take the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the devill doe note that about every one of the darts or temptations of the devill there are as it were bals of wilde fire For being to assault our obedience and knowing that faith is our shield to that end he useth the arrow head which is distrust in God about which is fire to wit the using of unlawfull meanes to consume our obedience which will consume our shield of faith and so make way for the dart to kill or wound us So that his drift is to bring our adoption or Son-ship to a Si. There is no doubt but Christ was able to have turned stones into bread but why would he not then follow the devils advice The devill by saying Say unto these stones seemeth to acknowledge that he had the force to have done it even by his bare word for even stones are said to heare the voyce of God and obey his commandement and not onely Gods but even Gods servants as 1 Reg. 13.5 when the man of God had pronounced that the Altar should rent in sunder it did so And Matth. 27.5 when Jesus cryed out with a loud voyce the vaile of the Temple rent in twaine the earth did quake and the stones were cloven The dead men are worse than stones yet they in their graves heard his voyce And not onely was he able to turne stones into bread but into men also as Children to Abraham of stones Matth. 3.9 If therefore it had pleased him he was as well able at this time to have turned stones into bread as after he turned water into Wine John 2.10 It was no lesse possible to him no doubt to have saved himselfe when the Jewes scoffingly bad him Matth. 27.42 as to have saved others and to have come downe from the Crosse being alive as it was after for him not onely being dead and buryed but a great stone being over him to remove it and come out of the grave Mat. 28.2 He had power to both but not will alike to both But why would he not here use his power for the satisfying of his hunger and follow the devils advice In setting downe the History of turning water into Wine it is thus further said that he did it That his Disciples might beleeve in him John 2.11 That was the reason that moved him to the working of that miracle and because there was no such cause here he did it not For the devill would not beleeve in him he knew though he had done it The devill desired him but to have him shew what he could doe for a need onely for
God and in regard of those that be strangers Secondly what it is to Serve This is to bow the soule as the other is to bow the body For the King to serve and speake kindly to the people that they may serve him for ever after 1 King 12.7 is not the service he meaneth nor to do all that the King commands 2 Sam. 15.15 For God must be above all and of whomsoever a man is overcome to him he is in bondage 2 Pet. 2.19 We must serve God with our sacrifices but not with our sinnes nor weary him with our iniquities Esay 43.23 We may not make a dung cart of him to load him with our sinne and filth Amos 2.13 and when he comes againe to have as much more for him Onely The devill himselfe would grant that God is to be served his meaning was that a man might serve God and him too but Christ saith God onely But it may be said this word Onely is not in the Scripture whence Christ citeth this sentence and so Christ hath added to the word of God Indeed in Deut. 6.13 Alone is not but in the next ver it is said Doe not follow after other Gods which is in effect God onely The Papists aske where we find Onely in justification by faith Indeed we doe not finde it but we doe find that by faith and nothing else we are justified Rom. 3.28 and so we may well collect it by faith onely By grace we are saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2.7 And on this warrant have many of the Ancient Fathers beene bold to adde the word Onely as Origen upon Rom. 3.28 Hilary upon Matth. 8. and divers others say Faith onely justifyeth God is onely to be worshipped and served and none besides him Zephaniah prophecyeth against them that serve the hoste of heaven upon the house top and sweare by Malcham Zepha 1.5 But Jacob sware by the feare of his Father Isaac and it is said They feared the Lord served their Idols also Gen. 32.53 2 Kin. 17.41 It is the property of Aarons rod that being turned into a Serpent if the Magicians turne theirs also into Serpents Aarons will devoure the rest Exo. 7.15 Bring the Arke into the Temple of Dagon Dagon will fall downe and break his face and though it were lifted up againe yet it fell down againe 1 Sam. 5.3 The stories beare witnesse that the gods of the Hebrews would not come into Pantho Samuel bade the people If they were come againe to the Lord with all their hearts to put away their strange gods from amongst them 1 Sam. 7.4 If there were any other beside him that were able to helpe up we might have some reason to serve other but since it is he that must helpe us in all necessities we must worship him alone otherwise when we pray to him he may send us to the gods which we have chosen to serve for our helpe Judg. 10.14 If we could finde an equall or a better than God we had some reason to make him a partner in his worship but if none be worthy once to be named with him so farre is all beneath him we shall offer him too much disgrace and injury in so doing It is an embasing of gold to have any other metall joyned with it yea though it be silver The Sonne saith Malachi Chap. 1.6 honoureth his Father and the servant his Lord if I be your Father where is your honour which you doe me if your Lord where is your reverence Whether we account of God as of our Lord and Master or whether we take him for a Father a man can have but one father except he be a bastard Esay 2.14 and so be Filius populi if for a husband not two husbands for he is a jealous God and cannot abide that No man can serve two masters but he must love the one and despise the other no man can love God and Mammon Verse 11. Then the Devill left him BLessed is the man saith Saint James Chap. 1.12 that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crowne of life Christ hath endured the temptation now followes the blessing Jacob would not let the Angell depart with whom he strove before he had blessed him Gen. 32.26 Job after his afflictions received his twofold blessing Job 42. the woman of Canaan first heareth her selfe accounted a dogge but at last she heard Fiat tibi Paul was first buffeted by the pricke of the flesh and after heard My grace is sufficient for thee So here at last when the devill saw it was bootlesse to stay any longer there was no good by him to be done he leaves our Saviour but yet he went not away willingly of himselfe but was sent away with an Avant Which is a comfort to us to think we stand not at the devils courtesie and that he shall not attempt us so long as the list for God hath the devill in a chaine Apoc. 20.2 and will not suffer him to tempt us above our strength 1 Cor. 10.13 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hand to wickednesse Psal 125.3 To have the devill not to come to us is a great favour but to have him come and goe away conquered is exceeding mercy For tribulation brings patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope makes not ashamed Rom. 5.4 As God said of Job 2.3 Hast thou marked my servant Job who keepeth still his integrity And behold the Angels came and ministred unto him And as Luke saith Chap. 15.10 There is joy with the Angels in heaven upon the conversion of every sinner For we are made a spectacle unto men and Angels 1 Cor. 4.9 Before God are said to stand ten thousand Angels Dan. 7.10 and to minister before him He hath a greater preheminence but we are also herein partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 either because we are fed by Angels as Elias was 1 King 19.5 or defended by them or watched of them But saith Esay Chap. 18.18 He that beleeveth makes not haste Christ was not hasty but stayed Gods good time he would not make his owne bread but stayed till the Angels ministred unto him Then there appeared an Angell to comfort him Luk. 22.43 This wisdome must we learne by holding our tongue Job 33.33 otherwise one of these two extremes shall we come to either Extremum luctus gaudium occupat or Extrema gaudii luctus occupat saith Bernard Luk. 16.25 The world is like Jael who meetes Sisera Judg. 4.19 and entertaines him at first very friendly shee allures him to her and gives him drinke and layes him downe but so soone as he was asleepe she smites a naile into his temples The world beginnes with milke and ends with a hammer But our Saviours meaning is cleane contrary The world first uttereth good wine and when men have well drunke then that which is worst Joh. 2.10 But Christ hath kept backe the good wine till now Chap. 2.9 Matthew saith Chap. 13. v. 14. The Sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend and them which doe iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Then shall the Just shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Our Saviours method is to give bitter first and sweet afterward Wherefore we are to wish that here we may suffer affliction that we may after be Crowned by him FJNJS
Iohn 1.18 that is borne againe of the Water and of the Spirit without which Regeneration no entrance is into the Kingdome of God And our dignity in being the sonnes of God in these three sorts is to be considered First in that we are the price of Christs bloâ—d 1 Cor. 6. Secondly we have Characterem that is the stampe of the sonnes of God when we are called Christians Acts 11. Thirdly we are the Temples of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3. By meanes whereof he giveth us holy desires and maketh us sorry that we have offended his Majesty the assurance of this is that which the Apostle caâ—s the Spirit of Adoption which hee sends into the hearts of Christians to certifie them both that they are the sonnes of God and may call him Father Rom. 8. in a double sense both in respect of nature and grace not onely by generation but by Regeneration In the naturall affection that God beareth us we have two things 1. the immutability of it 2. the excellencie God doth teach us that his love to us is unchangeable in this that he expresseth it by the name of Father nam pater eâ—tansi offersâ—s est pater filius etiamsi nequam tamen filius A father though offended is a father and a sonne though naught yet is a sonne The Master may cease to be a Master so may a servant The husband may cease to be a husband so may the wife by meanes of divorce but God can never cease to be our Father though he be never so much offended and we cannot cease to bee his sonnes how wicked soever wee bee and therefore God doth by an immutable terme signifie unto us the immutability of his affection Heb. 6. And indeed whether hee doe bestow good things on us or chasten us his love is still unchangeable for both are to bee performed of a father toward his children and therefore whether hee afflict us or bestow his blessings on us we are in both to acknowledge his fatherly care howsoever To flesh and bloud no affliction seemeth good for the present Heb. 12. This immutability of his love as it ministreth comfort in time of affliction so doth it comfort and raise us up in sinne and transgression so that notwithstanding the greatnesse of our sinnes wee may bee bold to seeke to God for favour and say Etsi amisi ingenuitatem filii tamen tu non amisisti pietatem patris Although Lord I have lost the duty of a sonne yet thou hast not lost the affection of a father The excellencie of Gods love appeareth herein that he is not described to be God under the name of a King or great Lord as Mat. 18. There we have an example of great goodnesse in pardoning tenne thousand Talents but yet a doubt will arise in our mindes except we know him to be good otherwise then as he is a King for so looke what mercie he sheweth to us the like he will have us shew to others but we come short of this But this is it that contents us that he describes his goodnesse under the terme of Father in which regard how wickedly soever we deale yet still wee may say with the evill child I will goe to my Father Luke 15. He had cast off his father he had spent all his patrimony yet for all that he resolveth to goe backe and his father is glad to receive him he went and met and entertained him joyfully such affection doth God beare to his children The benefits that we have by the fatherly love of God is of two sorts First Fructus indulgentiae paternae Secondly Fructus liberalitatis paternae that is the fruit of fatherly compassion and the fruit of fatherly bounty Fathers stand thus affected towards their children that they are hardly brought to chasten them and if there be no remedy yet they are ready to forgive or soone cease punishing Pro peccato magno panlulum supplicii satis est Patri for a great offence a small punishment is enough to a father And for their bountifulnesse the Apostle saith that there is naturally planted in fathers a care to lay up for their children 2 Cor. 12. they are both in God for facility ad veniam to pardon and readinesse to forgive makes him Patrem misericordiarum 2 Cor. 3. not of one for he hath a multitude of mercies great mercie and little mercie Psal 51. The affection of David toward Absolon a wicked sonne was such that he forgave him though he sought to deprive his father of his Kingdome 2 Sam. 12. and though wee offend the Majesty of God yet hee assureth us that hee will be no lesse gracious to our offences then David was For David was a man after Gods owne heart 1 Sam. 13. Touching the care which God hath to provide for us the Prophet saith and also the Apostle Cast your care upon the Lord for hee careth for you 1 Pet. 5. He careth for us not as he hath care of Oxen 1 Cor. 9. but such a tender care as he hath for the Apple of his eye Zach. 2. He provideth for us not lands and goods as earthly fathers but an inheritance immortall incorruptible and that fadeth not reserved in Heaven for us 1 Pet. 1. and hath prepared for us an heavenly Kingdome whereof we are made co-heires with his Sonne Christ Rom. 8.17 and this is the fruit of his fatherly bountifulnesse towards us Out of these two the immutability and excellencie of Gods love shewed both in forgiving sinnes and providing good things ariseth a duty to be performed on our parts for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all comfort nomen patris ut explicat sic excitat charitatem the name of a father as it sheweth so it stirreth up love as it sheweth quid sperandum sic quid sit prastandum what is to be performed of us the name of a father doth promise unto us forgivenesse of sinnes and the blessings not of this life onely but especially of that that is to come and this duty lieth upon us that we so live as becommeth children wee may not continue in sinne but at the least must have virtutem redeundi the vertue of returning Isa 63. Why hast thou caused us to goe out of the way A child though he have wandred never so farre yet at length will come to that resolution I will returne to my father Luke 15. But if we consider the dignity whereunto we are exalted wee shall see on earth Si filii Dei quodammodo Dii simus if we be sonnes we are after a sort Gods Divinae participes naturae 2 Pet. 1. partakers of the divine nature as the sonnes of men are men But the Apostle sets down this plainely Behold what great love he hath shewed us That we should be called the sonnes of God 1 Iohn 3. This dignity requireth this duty at our hands that we reverence our Father Mal. 1.6 If I be your Father where is my love If