defiles it thus in an instant Take the most glorious Angell in heaven and let one of the least sinnes seaze upon his heart he would in an instant fall downe from heaven stript of all his glory the ugliest creature that ever was beheld you would count that the strongest of all poysons that would poyson in an instant as Nero boiled a poison to that height that it killed Germanicus as soone as he received it now such an one is sinne Thirdly sinne defiles it totally it rests not in one member onely but beginning at the understanding eates into the will and affections soaks through all Those diseases we account strongest which seaze not on a joynt or a member onely but strikes rottennesse through the whole body Fourthly it defiles eternally it being aterna macula a staine which no nitre or sope or any creature can wash out Ier. 2. 21. There was once let in a deluge of water and the world was all overflow'd with it it washed away sinners indeed but not one sinne And the world shall be a fire again at the latter day and all that fire and these flames in hell that follow shall not purge out one sinne Thirdly it hath robbed the soule of the image of God deprived us of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. the image of Gods holinesse which is his beauty and ours wee were beautifull and all glorious once within which though but an accident is more worth than all mens soules devoid of it it being a likenesse unto God a divine nature without which no man shall see God Though man in Innocency had all perfections united in him via eminentiae that are to be found in other creatures yet this was more worth than all for all the rest made him not like to God as this did without which all Paradise could not make Adam happy which when he had lost he was left naked though those his other perfections remained with him which is profitable for all things as the Apostle sayes The least dramme of which the whole world emballanced with would be found too light without which the glorious Angels would be damned devills the Saints in heaven damned ghosts this it hath robbed man of Fourthly it hath robbed man even of God himselfe Your sinnes separate sayes God betwixt you and me and therefore they are said to live without God in the world and in robbing a man of God it robs him of all things for all things are ours but so farre as God is ours of God whose face makes heaven he is all in all his loving kindnesse is better than life and containeth beauty honours riches all yea they are but a drop to him But its mischiefe hath not staid here but as the Leprosie of the Lepers in the old Law sometimes infected their houses garments so it hath hurld confusion over all the world brought a vanitie on the creature Rom. 8. 23. and a curse and had not Christ undertooke the shattered condition of the world to uphold it it had fallen about Adams cares And though the old walls and ruinous palace of the world stands to this day yet the beauty the glosse and glory of the hangings is soyled and marred with many imperfections cast upon every creature But as the house of the Leper was to be pulled downe and Traitors houses use to be made jakes so the world if Christ had not stept in had shrunke into its first nothing and you will say that is a strong carrion that retaines not onely infection in it selfe but infects all the aire about so this that not the soule the subject of it onely but all the world Lastly it was the first founder of hell and laid the first corner stone thereof sinne alone brought in and filled that bottomlesse gulfe with all the fire and brimstone and treasures of wrath which shall never be burnt and consumed And this crucified and pierced Christ himselfe poured on him his Fathers wrath the enduring of which for sinne was such as that all the Angels in heaven had crackt and sunke under it But yet this estimate is but taken from the effects of it the essence of it which is the cause of all these evills must needs have much more mischiefe in it Shall I speak the least evill I can say of it It conteins all evills als◠in it therefore Iames 1. 23. the Apostle calls it filthinesse and abundance of superfluitie or excrement as it were of naughtinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if so transcendent that if all evills were to have an excrement a scumme a superfluitie sinne is it as being the abstracted quintessence of all evill An evill which in the nature and essence of it virtually and eminently containes all evills of what kinde soever that are in the world Insomuch as in the Scriptures you shall finde that all the evills in the world serve but to answer for it and to give names to it Hence sinne it is called poyson and sinners serpents sinne is called a vomit sinners dogs sinne the stench of graves and they rotten sepulchres sinne mire sinners sowes and sinne darknesse blindnesse shame nakednesse folly madnesse death whatsoever is filthy defective infective painfull Now as the holy Ghost sayes of Nabal as is his name so is he so may wee say of sinne for if Adam gave names to all things according to their nature much more God who calls things as they are Surely God would not slander sinne though it be his onely enemie And besides there is reason for this for it is the cause of all evills God sowed nothing but good seed in the world He beheld and saw all things were very good It is sinne hath sowne the tares all those evills that have come up sorrowes and diseases both unto men and beasts Now whatsoever is in the effect is via eminentiae in the cause Surely therefore it is to the soule of man the miserable vessell and subject of it all that which poyson death and sicknesse is unto the other creatures and to the body and in that it is all these to the soule it is therefore more than all these to it for corruptio optimi pessima by how much the soule exceeds all other creatures by so much must sinne which is the corruption poyson death and sicknesse of it exceed all other evills But yet this is the least ill that can be said of it There is 2. some further transcendent peculiar mischiefe in it that is not to be found in all other evills as will appeare in many instances For first all other evills God proclaimes himselfe the author of and ownes them all though sinne be the meritorious cause of all yet God the efficient and disposing cause There is no evill in the City but I have done it He onely disclaimeth this Iam. 1. 13. as a bastard of some others breeding for he is the Father of lights ver 17. Secondly the utmost extremity of the evill of punishment
God the Sonne under-went had a cup mingled him of his Father more bitter than if all the evils in the world had beene strained in and he dranke it off heartily to the bottome but not a drop of sinne though sweetned with the offer of all the world would goe downe with him Thirdly other evils the Saints have chosen and imbraced as good and refused the greatest good things the world had as evill when they came in competition with sinne So Moses those rather to suffer much rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne Heb. 11. from 24. to 28. So Chrysostome when Eudoxia the Empresse threatned him goe tell her sayes he Nil nisi peccatum timeo I feare nothing but sinne Fourthly take the Devill himselfe whom you all conceive to be more full of mischiefe than all the evills in the world called therefore in the abstract spirituall wickednesse Eph. 6. 12. yet it was but sinne that first spoiled him and it is sinne possesseth the very devils he was a glorious Angell till he was acquainted with it and could there be a separation made betweene him and sinne he would be againe of as good sweet and amiable a nature as any creature in earth or heaven Fiftly Though other things are evill yet nothing makes the creature accursed but sinne as all good things in the world doe not make a man a blessed man so nor all the evills accursed God sayes not blessed are the honorable and the rich nor that accursed are the poore but cursed is the man that continues not in all things Gal. 3. 10. a curse to the least sinne and on the contrary blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven c. Rom. 4. 7. Sixtly God hates nothing but sinne Were all evills swept downe into one man God hates him not simply for them not because thou art poore and disgraced but onely because sinfull It is sin he hates Rev. 2. 15. Isa 27. 11. yea it alone and whereas other attributes are diversely communicated in their effects to severall things as his love and goodnesse Himselfe his Sonne his children have all a share in yet all the hatred which is as large as his love is solely poured out upon and wholly and limited onely unto sinne All the question will be what transcendencie of evill is in the essence of it that makes it above all other evills and hated and it onely by God Christ the Saints c. more than any other evill Why It is enmity with God Rom. 8. 7. abstracts we know speake essences the meaning is it is as directly contrary to God as any thing could be for contrary it is to God and all that is his As 1. contrary to his essence to his existence and being God for it makes men hate him Rom. 1. 30. and as he that hateth his brother is a murtherer 1 Ioh. 3. 15. so hee that hateth God may be said to be a murtherer of him and wisheth that he were not Peccutum est Dei-cidium 2. Contrary it is to all his attributes which are his name men are jealous of their names Gods name is himselfe as 1. It makes a man slight Gods goodnesse and to seeke happinesse in the creature as if hee were able to be happy without him And 2. it deposeth his soveraignty and sets up other Gods before his face 3. It contemns his truth power and justice And 4. turnes his grace into wantonnesse And as to himselfe so to what ever is his or deare to him Besides A King hath 3. things in an especiall manner deare to him His Lawes His favour it es his image stampt upon his coine and so hath God First his lawes and ordinances God never gave Law but it hath beene broken by sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the definition of it The transgression of the Law 1 Ioh. 3. 4. yea it is called destroying the Law Psal 119. 126. And know that Gods Law the least tittle of it is more deare to him than all the world For ere the least tittle of it shall be broken heaven and earth shall passe The least sinne therefore which is a breach of the least law is worse than the destruction of the world and for his worship as envying God should have any it turns his ordinances into sinne Secondly for his favourites God hath but a few poore ones upon whom because God hath set his love sinne hath set its hatred Lastly for his image even in a mans owne breast the law of the members fights against the law of the mind and endevoureth to expell it though a man should be damned for it Gal. 5. 17. The flesh namely sinne lusteth against the Spirit for they are contraries Contrary indeed for me thinkes though it hates that image in others that yet it should spare it in a mans selfe out of self-love but yet though a man should be damned if this image be expelled it yet laboureth to doe this so deadly is that hatred a man hates himselfe as holy so farre as he is sinfull It abounds now so high as our thoughts can follow it no farther Divines say it aspires unto infinity the object against whom it is thus contrary unto being God who is infinite they tell us that objectively sinne it selfe is infinite Sure I am the worth of the object or party offended aggravates the offence an ill word against the King is high treason not the greatest indignity to another man Sure I also am that God was so offended with it as though he loves his Sonne as himselfe yet he though without sinne being but made sinne by imputation yet God spared him not and because the creatures could not strike a stroake hard enough he himselfe was pleased to bruise him Esay 53. 16. He spared not his owne Sonne Rom. 8. 32. His love might have overcome him to have passed by it to his Sonne at least a word of his mouth might have pacified him yet so great was his hatred of it and offence at it as he powred the vialls of his wrath on him Neither would entreaty serve for though he cryed with strong cryes it should passe from him God would not till he had out-wrastled it And as the person offended aggravates the offence as before so also the person suffering being God and man argues the abounding sinfulnesse of it For for what crime did you ever hear a King was put to death their persons being esteemed in worth above all crime as civill Christ was the King of Kings And yet there is one consideration more to make the measure of its iniquity fully full and to abound to flowing over and that is this that the least sinne virtually more or lesse containes all sinne in the nature of it I meane not that all are equall therefore I adde more or lesse and I prove it thus because Adam by one offence contracted the staine of all no sooner did one sinne seaze upon his heart but he had all sinnes in him And
yet continued acts of the State whilest they stand in force unrepealed so is it in some sins For instance when a man doth take goods from his neighbour unjustly the act indeed is done but once but till hee restores them he may be said to steale them every day every houre he continues to doe it habitually So a man having subscribed to falshood or recanted the truth publiquely the act though done but once yet untill a retractation be some wayes made hee continues that act and so is daily anew guilty of it So if a man should marry one whom it is unlawfull for him to marry as Herod did though that sinfull act of espousals whereby they entred into it was soon dispatcht yet till a divorce he lives in a continuall sin And such acts of this latter sort I meane against knowledge are most dangerous to commit because to continue thus in them though but once committed hazards a mans estate and therefore men find when they come to repent the greatest snare and trouble and difficulty in such kind of sins to extricate themselves out of them by a meet and true repentance But as concerning the first branch of this distinction namely of particular acts committed against knowledge besides this last distinction briefly touched I will anon give you severall aggravations and rules whereby to measure the sinfulnesse that is in such acts so committed but in the meane time the second branch of this former distinction must be insisted upon and therefore I will bring in these aggravations and rules which concerne particular acts as distinct heads after I have briefly spoken to this other which is That Secondly those sinne against knowledge who goe on in an estate of sin and impenitencie which they know to be damnable As Pharaoh Exod. 9. 27. who confest that the and his people were wicked and yet hardned himselfe in sinne most dangerously and yet three sorts of men may apparently be convinced thus to sin First those that keep out and with-draw themselves from professing Christ and his wayes and the feare of his name out of shame or feare of man or losse of preferment or the like worldly ends when yet they are convinced that they are Gods wayes and ought to be professed by them I doe not say that all who doe not come in to professe Christ and that doe not joyne themselves with his people that they goe on against knowledge for many are ignorant and mistaken about them but when men are convinced of the truth and necessity of professing and confessing of it even unto salvation as the Apostle speaks Rom. 10 and yet out of fear or shame keep still on the other side drawing in their hornes all together These goe on in an estate of impenitencie against knowledg for put all these together and it must needs appeare to be so as First when they are convinced that this is the truth and that salvation and the power of religion is onely to be found in such wayes and men and Secondly that these are to be practiced and professed and yet Thirdly out of shame c. keepe still a loofe off and goe on a contrary way these must needs know that they goe on in an estate of impenitencie against knowledge This was the case of many of the Pharises who therefore sinned highly they beleeved and were convinced that Christ was the Messiah and so then to be confest and followed and to be cleaved unto and then also they must needs know that his followers onely were the Children of God Yet Ioh. 12. 42. it is said though they thus beleeved on him yet they durst not confesse him for feare of the Iewes and of the Pharises and of being put out of the Synagogues At the latter day Christ shall not need to sever such from the rest as hee will doe the sheepe from the goats for they willingly remaine all their dayes amongst them whom they know to be goats and refuse the company and fould and food and marks of the sheep which they know to be such they may apologize and make fair with the Saints that their hearts are with them but they will be rankt at the day of Judgement as here they ranked themselves with the workers of iniquity Of these doth the Psalmist speake Those that turne aside by their crooked wayes them shall the Lord leave with the workers of iniquity Those also thus sinne and are to be joyned with these who know the tearms and condition of salvation and how they must part with all for Christ and yet will not come to the price such doe goe desperately on against knowledge in a bad estate and doe judge themselves unworthy of eternall life Thus the young man in the Gospell he was told that he was to sell all and that was the condition and hee knew heaven was worth it and was convinced of the truth herein that thus he ought to doe for he went away sorrowfull now if he had not knowne that he went away without happinesse he needed not have beene sorrowfull at all but he knew the bargaine of salvation was not struck up and likewise what it stuck at and yet still rested in his former condition and chose rather to enjoy his many possessions This man now went on in his state against knowledge Secondly as also those who upon the same or like ground defer their repentance these go on in a bad estate and must needs know they doe so for in that they promise to repent hereafter and take up purposes to doe it when they have gone on a little while longer to adde drunkennesse to thirst they doe thereby professe that there is a work of grace which they must attaine to ere they can be in the state of grace for they would not promise so much hereafter but that they know not how without such a work they should be saved Whilest therefore such shall rest without present endevouring after it so long they are judged in themselves to be in a bad estate at present When men know the curses due to their present estate and yet say as hee Deut. 29. 19. I will goe on in the way of my heart and shall have peace afterward This man sinnes most highly and therefore Gods wrath smoakes against that man and he sayes of him that he will not be mercifull to him in that place Thirdly sunk and broken professors such cannot but goe on in a bad estate against knowledge when either men are falne from the practice and profession of what is good which once they thought necessarie to salvation or when they continue to hold forth their profession in Hypocrisie Those that have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Iesus Christ but are returned to their vomit againe some of these are ingenious and acknowledge both themselves faln their present estate most miserable and yet goe on in it and such are to
be pittyed but yet are in a most dangerous condition Saul when he was fallen away yet had this ingenuity a while left hee desired Samuel to pray to his God for him and told David that he was more righteous than he yet still went on in his courses and in the end as some have thought sinned against the Holy Ghost But others there are who though they be fallen from all the inward powerfull and secret performance of duties they once did practice and from all conscience of sinning yet retain their profession which they know to be but an out-side these of all others goe on against knowledge and Rev. 22. 15. they are said to make a lye not onely to tell a lye in words but to make a lye in deeds Now a lye is a sin of all others most against knowledge and indeed against a double knowledge both facti and juris so is this 1. That they professe themselves to be that they know they are not 2. That they will not endevour after that state they know they ought to get into if ever saved This is the condition of many who being convinced of the power of religion have launched forth into a profession and hoyst up saile but now the tyde is fallen the spirit withdrawne the conscience of sinne extinguisht in them yet for their credit sake still beare their sails up as high as ever even as many Merchants doe who are sunk in their estates still beare a faire shew yea will seeme richer than ordinary by purchasing lands c. Such a professor was Iudas hee began seriously and thought to have gone to heaven and was earnest in good duties at first as they also 2 Pet. 2. 18. they really or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ but in the end Iudas became a grosse hypocrite one that pretended the poore when he loved the bag and on the sudden betrayed his Master when yet the Disciples knew it not suspected Iudas as little as themselves and the end of those also in that fore-named place is said to be worse than their beginning Now because such sinne so highly against knowledge therefore their punishment is made the regula of all other wicked mens as when it is said that other sinners shall have their portion with Hypocrites as the wicked Angels punishment is made the measure of mens Goe ye cursed into the fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels so among men such grosse Hypocrites their punishment is made the rule and so the chiefe of all kind of torments which sinners of the sonnes of men shall undergoe Now let mee speake a word to all such as thus go on in a state of impenitencie against knowledge this is a high kinde of sinning and of all the most desperate and doth argue more hardnesse of heart and despising the riches of Gods goodnesse For if as in the Rom. 2. 4. to go on in sinne when a man knowes not that is considers not that Gods mercy leads him to repentance is made the signe and effect of a very hard heart treasuring up wrath then much more when thou knowest and considerest thou art in an impenitent condition and hast many motions leading thee to repentance is thy heart then to be accounted hard When a man commits a particular act against knowledge he haply and usually still thinks his estate may be good and that he shall not lose God utterly or hazard the losse of him onely his spirit being at present empty of communion with him he steales out to some stolne pleasure but when a man knowes his estate bad and that he is without God in the world and yet goes on he doth hereby cast away the Lord and professeth he cares not for him or that communion which is to be had by him as Esau did his birth-right David though he despised the Lord yet hee did not cast away the Lord as Saul did for Saul ventured utterly to lose him knowing his estate naught David when hee sinned thought Gods eternall favour would still continue though for the present he might lose the sense of it But when a man goes on in a state of sinning he ventures the losse of Gods eternall love and slights it and knowes he doth so when a man knowes that he is condemned already as being impenitent and that all his eternall estate lyes upon the non-payment of such duties of repentance c. and that the guilt of all his sinnes will come in upon him and that an execution is out and yet goes on this is more than to commit one act against knowledge whereby he thinks he brings upon himself but the guilt of that one sinne and upon the committing of which he thinks not the morgage of all lyes though it deserves it herein men shew themselves more desperate In the next place I come to those rules whereby you may measure and estimate sinning against knowledge in any particular act of sinning and they are either before the sinne or in sinning three of either which I make a second head to explaine this doctrine by First before The first rule is The more thou knewest and didst consider the issues and consequents of that sinne thou didst commit the more thou sinnest against conscience in it when as in Rom. 1. ult Thou knowing sayes the Apostle that those that commit such things are worthy of death that is thou considerest that Hell and Damnation is the issue and desert of it and yet committest it yea and this when haply hell fire at present flasheth in thy face and yet thou goest on to doe it in this case men are said to choose death and to love it Prov. 3. 36. When a man considers that the way to the whorehouse are the wayes to death as Solomon speaks So when thou a professor considerest with thy selfe before This sinne will prove scandalous and undoe me disable me for service cast mee out of the hearts of good men and yet dost it Thus that foolish King was told againe and againe Ier. 38. 17 18 19. that if he would yeeld to the King of Babel he should save his life and City and Kingdome and live there still but if hee would not he should not escape but as Ieremie told him verse 23. Thou shalt cause this City to be burnt with fire yet he would not hearken This is the word of the Lord sayes Ieremie and he knew it to be so and yet being a weake Prince led by his Nobles he would not follow his Counsell and thus Iudas fully knew the issue Christ had said againe and againe Woe be to him by whom the Sonne of man is betrayed and yet went on to doe it The second rule is the more consultations debates and motives against it did runne through thee before thou didst it so much the greater and more hainous How often did mercy come in and tell thee that if
recompence for time to come 7 Patience is a further thing than mercy 8 1. Though we injure God and he be sensible of it yet he is patient ibid. 2. He vouchsafeth that time he forbeares them in to repent 9 3. He waits that men would come in and repent ib. Lastly Long suffering is but patience lengthned out farther ibid. The second generall Head Riches of this goodnesse spent on us 10 1. They are riches in themselves ibid. 2. All the world spend on these riches 11 3. The time he hath forborne men 12 4. The expensive prodigality of sinners in all ages ibid. Patience is precious 13 1. In regard of what those manifestations of his goodnesse cost 13 2. In regard of the usefulnesse 14 The third generall Head All this patience is used as meanes to bring men to repentance 16 1. All this goodnesse witnesseth a gracious hand in all these ib. 2. Our owne conscience beares witnesse of offending a good God 17 3. A common principle will witness against us when we returne evill for good ibid. An Vse of expostulation with sinfull and impenitent men and considerations drawn from 18 1. Their creation out of nothing 19 2. Their being made men 20 3. Having all the members of a man 21 4. Preparing the world for them 22 5. Suffering them to live a long time in it 23 6. Giving them space to repent in 25 7. Living upon his cost and charges 28 8. Filling up their yeers and time with goodnes 31 As riches credit friends comfort in them all AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING AGAINST MERCIE ROM 2. 4 5. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God THis is the last most weighty aggravation which the Apostle puts into the measure of the Gentiles sinfulnesse which in the former Chapter he had verse 29. pronounced full before to make it fuller yet Their sinning against mercies and despising the riches of Gods goodnesse patience and forbearance the hatefull evill and iniquity whereof can be better no way set off and illustrated unto mens consciences than by a display of the riches of that goodnesse which mea sinne against My purpose therefore is to unlock and carry you into that more common treasury of outward mercies and leade you through the severall roomes thereof all which doe continually leade you unto repentance That then reflecting upon our ungratefull waste and abuse of so many mercies in sinning thereby our sins every sinne the least may yet appeare more sinfull unto us who are lesse than the least of all those mercies Know then that besides that peculiar treasure of unsearchable riches of grace laid up in Christ the offer of which neglected and despised addes yet to all that sinfulnesse a guilt as farre exceeding all that which shall be spoken of as Heaven exceeds the Earth There is another untold Mine of Riches the Earth is full of as the Psalmist tells us and the Apostle here which these Gentiles onely heard of and which we partake of all as much as they As there are riches of grace offered to you which can never be exhausted so there are riches of patience spent upon you which you will have spent out in the end the expence of which cast up will alone amount to an immense treasure both of guilt in you and of wrath in God as these words informe us To helpe you in this account I will 1. In generall shew what Goodnesse or Bounty Patience and long suffering are in God 2. That there are riches of these spent upon all the sons of men 3. That these all leade men to repentance And then 4. I will expostulate with you and aggravate your sinfulnesse in going on to despise all these by unrepentance as the Apostle here doth First in that God is said here to be Good or Bountifull 2. Patient or forbearing 3. Long-suffering they seeme to note out three degrees of his common mercies unto men First he is a good or a bountifull God for so as goodnesse is here used I exegetically expound it For though it be true that goodnesse and bounty may differ yet when riches of goodnesse are said to be communicated it imports the same and is all one with Bounty And such is God And all those noble and royall qualifications and properties which concurre to make one truely good and bountifull doe meet and abound in him in all those good things which he doth bestow and are found truly in none but in him so that it may be truly said that there is none good but God as Christ sayes of him Now Bounty in the generall which is in God may be thus described It is a free willing and a large giving of what is meerly his own looking for no recompense againe To explaine this that you may see that all these conditions are required to true goodnesse and all of them to be found in God onely 1. He that is Bountifull he must be a Giver and Bestower of good things and all he bestows it must be by way of gift not by way of recompence unto or by desert from the party hee bestowes all on Therefore Christ sayes Luke 6. 33. that to doe good to those who have done or doe good to us is not thank-worthy nor is it Bounty But God is therefore truely good because hee simply meerely and absolutely gives away all which he bestowes For hee was not nor can any way become beholden to any of his creatures nor had formerly received any thing from them which might move him hereunto so Rom. 11. 35. Who hath first given him that hee may recompence him againe Nay untill He gave us a being we were not capable of so much as receiving any good thing from him 2. He who is truly termed Good or Bountifull all that he gives away must be his owne And so all which God bestowes it is his owne So Psal 24. 1. The Earth is the Lords The ground wee tread on the place wee dwell in Hee is our Landlord But is that all for the house may be the Landlords when the furniture is the Tenants therefore he further addes And the fulnesse of it is his also that is all the things that fill the world all the furniture and provision of it both all the moveables So Psal 50. 11 12. The cattell and the fowles upon a thousand hills are mine sayes hee and also all the standing goods the corne and oile which you set and plant are mine Hos 2. 9. yea and the Psalmist in the same 24. Psalme adds further that they who dwell therein are his also not the house and furniture onely but the Inhabitants themselves And this by the most sure and most soveraigne title that can be
better than that of purchase or inheritance of and from another for he hath made them All is thine because all comes of thee sayes the same David 1 Chron. 29. 11 12. And all things are not onely of him but through him Rom. 11. 36. that is they cannot stand nor subsist without him Even Kings the greatest and most bountifull of men their bounty is but as that of the clouds which though they showre down plentifully yet they first received all from the Earth below them 3. He must give largely it is not Bounty else Now God is therefore said to be rich in goodnesse because he is abundant in it So we finde it comparing Psal 33. 5. with Psal 104. 24. in which it is said that the earth is full of his goodnesse and his riches which we may judge of by what he sayes in the 27. verse of that 104. Psalme of what an house he keepes and what multitudes he feeds All these saith the Psalmist wait on thee that thou mayest give them meat and thou openest thy hand and they are filled with good King Ahasuerus to shew his bounty made a Feast to his chiefe Subjects but it was but for halfe a yeare and not to all some few halfe yeeres more would well nigh have beggard him but God doth thus continually The greatest and most bountifull of men when they would expresse the largest of their bounty speake but of giving halfe of their Kingdomes so Herod and he did but talk so too But God bestowes whole worlds and Kingdomes as Daniel speakes Dan. 4. 35. and gives them to whom he please 4. He that is bountifull must give all he gives freely and willingly Which though I put together yet may imply two distinct things As first that he that gives must be a free agent in it who is at his choice whether he would give any thing away or no. The Sunne doth much good to the world it affords a large light and even halfe the world at once is full of its glory yea and all this light is its owne not borrowed as that of the Moone and Starres is yet this Sunne cannot be called good or bountifull because it sends forth this light necessarily and naturally and cannot choose but doe so nor can it draw in its beames But God is a free giver he was at his choice whether he would have made the world or no and can yet when hee pleaseth with-draw his Spirit and face and then they all perish Psal 104. 29. Secondly it must be willing by also that is no way constrained nor by extraction wrung from him who is to be called Bountifull A willing mind in matter of bounty is more accepted than the thing 2 Cor. 8. 12. Now of God it is said Dan. 4. 22. that he gives the Kingdomes of the world to whom he will and none swayes him or can stay his hand ver 35. yea hee gives all away with delight So Psal 104. 31. having spoken of feeding every living thing and of other the like works of his goodnesse throughout that Psalme hee concludes with this God rejoyceth in all his workes that is doth all the good he doth to his creatures with delight It doth him good as it were to see the poore creatures feed Last of all looking for no recompence for the time to come This is another requisite in Bounty Sayes Christ Luke 6. 34. If you give to receive againe as sinners doe this is not thank-worthy but ver 35. so doth not your heavenly Father For sayes he Doe good and hope for nothing againe so shall you be like your Father and then you shall shew your selves true children of the most High In which word he insinuates a reason why God gives all thus because he is so great and so High a God as nothing wee doe can reach him as David speaks Psal 16. 2. My goodnesse extends not unto thee he is too high to receive any benefit by what we doe And even that thankfulnesse he exacts he requires it but as an acknowledgement of our duty and for our good Deut. 10. 12. And so much for the first namely what goodnesse and bounty is and how God is truely good and he onely so But this attribute of his and the effects of it he exerciseth towards all our fellow creatures and did to Adam in Paradise But now to us ward as the Apostle speaks namely the sons of men now fallen hee extendeth and manifests a further riches namely of patience and long-suffering which the devills partake not of the good Angels and other creatures that sinned not are uncapable of For as Christ sayes Luke 6. 35. In what he bestowes on us he is kind to such as are evill and unthankfull Mercy is more than goodnesse for mercy alwaies doth respect misery and because all the creatures are subject to a misery Rom. 8. 20 21 22. of bondage and vanity therefore his tender mercies are over all his workes But yet patience is a further thing than mercy as mercy is than goodnesse being exercised not towards miserable creatures onely but towards sinners and includes in it more three things further towards them 1. Not only that those persons he doth good unto do offend and injure him but that himself also is exceeding sensible of all those wrongs and moved by them and also provoked to wrath thereby it is not patience else So in the 2. of Pet. 3. 9. It is not slacknesse sayes he there God is not slack that is he sits not in heaven as one of the Idol gods that regarded not what acts were kept here below or took not to heart mens carriages towards him but is long-suffering or patient that is he apprehends himselfe wronged is fully sensible of it is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7. 11. he hath much adoe to forbear even when he doth forbeare and letteth them alone he exerciseth an attribute a vertue towards them namely patience in keeping in of his anger which is as to keepe fire in ones bosome But secondly this is not all he doth not simply forbeare and restraine his anger but vouchsafeth that time he forbeares them in that they might repent in it and his mercies as meanes leading to repentance So it followes in that 2 Pet. 3. 9. But God is long suffering to us-ward and his long suffering hath this in it not willing that any should perish but come unto repentance So also Revel 2. 21. it is called space to repent And all the blessings he vouchsafeth he gives them as means and guides to leade them on to repentance as here And Mat. 18. 29. Have patience with me and I will pay thee all That is give me a longer day and space to pay the debt in and be willing to accept it when I bring it and let me lye out of prison that I may be enabled to pay it Thirdly there is yet a further thing in his patience